Method of processing an object in a cavity by application of radio frequency (RF) energy via a plurality of radiating elements. The method comprising applying a first amount of RF energy to the cavity at a first plurality of excitation setups, wherein applying energy at each excitation setup of the first plurality of excitation setups comprises applying RF energy via a plurality of radiating elements at a common frequency and during overlapping time periods. For each radiating element, one measures during the application of each of the plurality of excitation setups, electromagnetic feedback. The method further includes applying a second amount of RF energy to the energy application zone at one or more excitation setups, at least one of which is not included in the first plurality of excitation setups and selected based on the electromagnetic feedback.

A method of heating and/or thawing using an RF heater is described. In some cases the heating differentially heats portions according to their dissipation ratios. Optionally, this avoids dissipating large amounts of energy into thawed portions while frozen portions are still extant and heat slowly. Optionally, this prevents overheating of thawed portions.

A microwave oven including a frozen food defrost mode and a food drying function according to the present invention includes: a body formed with a space therein; a humidity sensor measuring a humidity value of the space; a magnetron emitting microwaves towards the space; a power transformer supplying power for operating a heater of the magnetron; a high voltage transformer providing power for operating a resonator of the magnetron; a power supply unit supplying power to the power transformer and the high voltage transformer; an output adjusting unit for selecting and adjusting so that the magnetron outputs any one of a plurality of set output levels; and a control unit controlling an output of the microwave according to the output level selected in the output adjusting unit, blocking the power supplied to the magnetron when the humidity value input from the humidity sensor remarkably increases in short time.

The present invention discloses an electromagnetic wave generating system, including an electromagnetic generating module, a radiating assembly and a matching unit connected in series between the electromagnetic generating module and the radiating assembly. The electromagnetic generating module is configured to generate an electromagnetic wave signal. The radiating assembly includes one or more radiating units and is configured to be electrically connected with the electromagnetic generating module to generate electromagnetic waves of a corresponding frequency according to the electromagnetic wave signal. The matching unit includes a first matching module, a second matching module and a fixed value inductor. The input end of the first matching module is configured to be electrically connected with the electromagnetic generating module. The fixed value inductor is connected in series between the output end of the first matching module and the radiating assembly. The input end of the second matching module is connected in series between the output end of the first matching module and the inductor, and the output end of the second matching module is configured to be grounded. The first matching module and the second matching module respectively include a plurality of parallel branches to realize a load combination that is several times the sum of the number of the parallel branches of the two matching modules.

Provided herein is an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles for containing, securing, and delivering at least one of a first item and at least one of a second item after a customer places an order for a first item, operating autonomously or semi-autonomously, and a fleet management module for coordination of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle fleet.

A refrigerator includes a cooling/heating chamber capable of cooling and heating foods. The cooling/heating chamber is divided into a heating zone that is a space where foods to be heated are placed, and a non-heating zone that is a space continuous with the heating zone where foods not to be heated are placed. The refrigerator further includes an oscillation electrode and a counter electrode that are arranged so as to face each other with the heating zone in between, and an oscillating unit that applies an AC voltage to between the oscillation electrode and the counter electrode.

An electromagnetic cooking device and method of controlling the same is provided herein. The cooking device includes a cavity in which a food load is placed and a plurality of RF feeds configured to introduce electromagnetic radiation into the cavity for heating the food load. A controller is provided and is configured to: (a) measure resonances in the cavity; (b) generate a resonance map resulting from the measured resonances; (c) conditionally repeat steps (a) and (b); (d) detect a melting state of the food load based on variations between the resonance maps; and (e) adjust a power level of the electromagnetic radiation in response to detection of the melting state.

A microwave heating apparatus includes a cavity arranged to receive a load. At least one microwave generator is configured to feed a plurality of microwaves into the cavity. At least one image-capturing device and a control unit is adapted to obtain load volume information of the load within the cavity based on information recorded by the image-capturing device about at least one portion of the load, obtain load density information using at least one of a user input and information recorded by the image-capturing device about at least one portion of the load, determine load mass information based upon the load volume information and the load density information, determine a heating pattern based upon the load mass information and control the at least one microwave generator to provide the heating pattern within the cavity.

A method of heating a load in a cavity of an apparatus for heating objects by transmitting to the cavity electromagnetic waves may include determining, for each of a plurality of modulation space elements (MSEs), a dissipation ratio indicating a proportion of power dissipated in the load to power transmitted into the cavity, wherein each MSE is a set of one or more values of variables, each controllable by the apparatus, that affect a field pattern excited in the cavity. The method may further include selecting one or more MSEs from the plurality of MSEs based on the dissipation ratio determined for each of the plurality of MSEs, wherein each of the selected one or more MSSEs is associated with a corresponding dissipation ratio that is lower than a threshold and applying RF energy to the load at the selected one or more frequencies.

A heating profile of a microwave oven is modified using microwaves at a plurality of frequencies. A power of transmission to a cavity of the microwave oven of microwaves is defined at each of the plurality of frequencies. A duration is defined for which the microwaves are transmitted at each of the plurality of frequencies. For each of the plurality of frequencies, a proportion of power input to the cavity that is not output from the cavity is measured. The measured proportions am used to modify the power of transmission at each frequency, the duration of transmission at each frequency or both.