Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer-storage media, for selective heating. In some implementations, a cooking device for selective heating includes a cavity, one or more waveguides coupled to the cavity, a power generation means coupled to the one or more waveguides and configured to generate an incident power, one or more apertures between the cavity and the one or more waveguides, and a controller configured to control one or more of the power generation means, the apertures, or a cavity geometry. A cooking device cavity geometry can be dynamically configurable. The cooking device can include one or more sensors coupled to the cavity.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a cooking appliance using artificial intelligence and an operation method thereof. The artificial intelligence cooking appliance may include: a driving device for cooking a product to be cooked; an image sensor configured to obtain an image related to the product to be cooked; and at least one processor connected operatively to the driving device and the image sensor. The at least one processor may control the cooking appliance to obtain the image related to the product to be cooked, to obtain cooking information of the product to be cooked, on the basis of the image, and to cook the product to be cooked, on the basis of the cooking information.

A selective heating device may include a chamber, at least one heating element, and a circuit. The at least one heating element may selectively heat a first portion of a target in the chamber at a first energy level for a first period of time. The at least one heating element may also selectively heat a second portion of the target at a second energy level for a second period of time, wherein the second energy level and/or the second period of time are different from the first energy level and/or the first period of time; or refrain from heating a third portion of the target; or a combination thereof. The circuit may receive a heating instruction and control the at least one heating element based on the heating instruction.

An instrument for performing microwave-assisted reactions and an associated method are disclosed. The instrument typically includes (i) a microwave-radiation source, (ii) a cavity, (iii) a waveguide in microwave communication with the microwave-radiation source and the cavity, (iv) at least one reaction-vessel sensor for determining the number and/or type of reaction vessels positioned within the cavity, (v) an interface, and (vi) a computer controller. The computer controller is typically in communication with the interface, the microwave-radiation source, and the reaction-vessel sensor. The computer controller is typically capable of determining the output of the microwave-radiation source in response to the number and/or type of reaction vessels positioned within the cavity.

A food preparation appliance includes a processing mechanism, a thermal element, a sensor positioned to acquire identifying data regarding identifying characteristics of a food product to be processed by the food preparation appliance, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive the identifying data from the sensor, identify a type of the food product based on the identifying data, and automatically set a predefined operating parameter of at least one of the processing mechanism and the thermal element to provide target processing of the food product based on the type and the identifying characteristics.

A system and method for optimal cooking operations and pre-hazard monitoring using continuous and adaptive machine learning enabling user specific and customizable optimizable, specific, and customizable cooking operations, and identification of pre-hazardous and user specific non-optimal conditions that may arise during cooking operations.

An oven may include a cooking chamber configured to receive a first food product, a convective heating system configured to provide heated air into the cooking chamber, a radio frequency (RF) heating system configured to provide RF energy into the cooking chamber, and processing circuitry configured to execute a recipe defining cooking parameters for cooking the first food product. The cooking parameters may define operational settings for the convective heating system and the RF heating system and a nominal cooking time for a first batch including the first food product. The processing circuitry may be operably coupled to a mass adjustment module configured to determine, based on an indication of an addition of a second batch comprising a second food product to the cooking chamber, an overlap period during which the first and second food products are simultaneously cooked and a completion time for cooking the second food product after the overlap period.

A food preparation appliance includes a housing, a conveyor, a thermal element, a first sensor, a second sensor, and a third sensor. The housing defines an inlet, an outlet, and a processing zone between the inlet and the outlet. The conveyor is configured to move a food product from the inlet, through the processing zone, and to the outlet. The thermal element is positioned within the processing zone. The first sensor is positioned proximate the inlet of the housing and along a lateral side of the conveyor or along a first cantilever arm extending laterally across the conveyor. The second sensor is positioned within the processing zone. The third sensor is positioned proximate the outlet of the housing and along a lateral side of the conveyor or along a second cantilever arm extending laterally across the conveyor.

A combined apparatus for heating, cooking, grilling and defrosting of foods of various kinds, depending on the type of foods to be treated from time to time and the duration of the foods treatment foreseen by each user of the same apparatus, where each hot treatment of foods may be effected either by heating or by microwaves only, or by heating and microwaves combined to each other. There are described in detail all the technical characteristics of the apparatus and the relative control circuits either for heating or for generating the microwaves. Advantages include use of a sole and single apparatus for hot treating the foods for providing for the heating, the cooking, the grilling and the defrosting of the same foods, instead of employing as it happens hitherto of single separated apparatuses for performing the same functions.

According to a first aspect, there is provided an adaptive cooking device that includes: a cooking chamber configured to receive a food product, an antenna assembly, an RF power source, a sensor assembly coupled to the cooking chamber and comprising a plurality of sensors, each sensor configured to obtain a measurement characterizing a cooking process in real-time, and one or more sensors of the plurality of sensors configured to obtain a different type of the measurement, and a controller coupled to the antenna assembly, the sensor assembly, and the RF power source, wherein the controller is configured to: receive the measurement characterizing the cooking process from the sensor assembly, process the measurement to determine a modified cooking process, and operate the antenna assembly and the RF power source in accordance with the modified cooking process in real-time.