FOOD PREPARATION

• US 20110031236A1
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joliet 2010 Limited
• Original Assignee: RF Dynamics Ltd.
• Inventors: Ben-Shmuel, Eran, Bilchinsky, Alexander, Rousso, Benny, Damari, Udi, Ben-Haim, Shlomo, Einav, Omer
• Granted Patent: US 9,167,633 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/620
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/01 using microwaves or dielectric heating
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/26 by irradiation without heating
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/363 the materials not being transported through or in the apparatus with or without shaping, e.g. in form of powder, granules, or flakes
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/365 Thawing subsequent to freezing
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3435 Package specially adapted for defrosting the contents by microwave heating
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3447 Heat attenuators, blocking agents or heat insulators for temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3487 Reflection, Absorption and Transmission [RAT] properties of the microwave reactive package
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3491 attached to the side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3493 attached to the base surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3453 Rigid containers, e.g. trays, bottles, boxes, cups
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/02 Refrigerators including a heater
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2600/06 Controlling according to a predetermined profile
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 31/005 Combined cooling and heating devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6402 Aspects relating to the microwave cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6435 Aspects relating to the user interface of the microwave heating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6447 Method of operation or details of the microwave heating apparatus related to the use of detectors or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/645 using temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6455 the sensors being infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/686 Circuits comprising a signal generator and power amplifier, e.g. using solid state oscillators
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/687 : for cooking
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/688 : for thawing
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/70 : Feed lines
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/705 : using microwave tuning
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/72 : Radiators or antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/808 : Microwave heating adapted for vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 : Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

Devices and methods for RF heating of food, using techniques which allow uniformity and/or controlled non-uniformity.

Claims

1-45. -45. (canceled)

46. A machine readable element for use in controlling the processing of an object using electromagnetic energy, comprising:

a data storage portion including at least a value indicative of a target amount of energy to be absorbed by the object during processing.

47. The machine readable element of claim 46, wherein controlling of the processing includes obtaining dielectric information from the object.

48. The machine readable element of claim 46, wherein the data storage portion further includes a value indicative of a dielectric property of the object.

49. The machine readable element of claim 46, wherein the data storage portion is selected from the group consisting of markings associated with a barcode and a memory associated with an RFID tag.

50. The machine readable element of claim 46, wherein script further includes a second amount of energy to be absorbed by a second object during processing, wherein the object and the second object are processed concurrently.

51. The machine readable element of claim 46, being configured to transition to an unreadable state through interaction with the electromagnetic energy.

52. The machine readable element of claim 51, wherein the transition comprises changing the information stored on the machine readable element.

53. An item to be processed using electromagnetic energy, comprising:

an object comprising a material receptive to processing using electromagnetic energy; and

a machine readable element associated with the object comprising;

a data storage portion including at least a value indicative of a target amount of energy to be absorbed by the object during processing.

54. The item of claim 53, wherein controlling of the processing includes obtaining dielectric information from the object.

55. The item of claim 53, wherein the data storage portion further includes a value indicative of a dielectric property of the object.

56. The item of claim 53, wherein the object comprises a plurality of parts in a platter and the data storage portion includes a value indicative of an amount of energy to be absorbed by each of the different parts of the platter.

57. The item of claim 53, wherein the data storage portion further includes information relating to physical characteristics associated with the item.

58. The item of claim 57 wherein the information relating to physical characteristics associated with the item include a shape of a platter associated with the item.

59. The item of claim 57 wherein the information relating to physical characteristics associated with the item include a dielectric value associated with the material.

60. A method for applying electromagnetic energy to an item, comprising:

receiving an item in a cavity;

reading processing information from a machine readable element associated with the item;

acquiring, based on an output detected from the cavity, item information from the item to be processed, wherein the item information includes dielectric information obtainable from the object; and

determining, using a processor, at least one instruction for processing the item using at least the processing information and the item information.

61. The method of claim 60 further comprising causing an energy source to supply electromagnetic energy to the cavity in accordance with the at least one instruction.

62. The method of claim 60 further comprising:

prompting a user for input based on the information read from the machine readable element; and

determining the at least one instruction for processing the object based on input received from the user.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein the object comprises food and wherein the processing information includes a plurality of options for cooking the food, and wherein prompting the user for input includes identifying to the user one or more of the plurality of options.

64. The method of claim 62 further comprising storing an input provided by the user.

65. The method of claim 60 wherein the item information includes one or more values associated with electromagnetic energy absorption characteristics of the item.

66. The method of claim 60 wherein the item information is acquired periodically during the processing of the item, and wherein the processor is further configured to modify the one or more instructions for processing the item based on the periodic determinations.

67. A processing apparatus for delivering electromagnetic energy to an object, comprising:

an interface configured to receive processing information using information stored on a machine readable element associated with an object to be processed;

a device for detecting object information relating to the object to be processed, wherein the object information includes dielectric information obtainable from the object; and

at least one processor configured to;

determine at least one instruction for processing the object based on the processing information and the object information, and

cause the object to be processed in accordance with the at least one instruction.

68. The processing apparatus of claim 67 further comprising:

a cavity; and

an energy source configured to provide RF energy to the cavity to process the object.

69. The processing apparatus of claim 68 wherein the interface receives the processing information from a reading unit configured to read information from the machine readable element when the object is located at least partially within the cavity.

70. The processing apparatus of claim 67 wherein the at least one instruction specifies a desired driving profile for electromagnetic energy delivery such that energy is delivered to the object over a plurality of frequencies, and for each of the plurality of frequencies the driving profile identifies a power and an amount of time for electromagnetic energy delivery.

71. The processing apparatus of claim 70 wherein the interface is further configured to receive information acquired by a user input device, and the at least one processor is configured to determine the at least one instruction for processing the object based on the information acquired by the user input device.

72. The processing apparatus of claim 67 further comprising at least one positioning element configured to position the object at a predetermined orientation with respect to the reading unit.

73. The processing apparatus of claim 67 wherein the interface receives the processing information from a reading unit selected from a group consisting of:

an RFID tag reader and a barcode reader.

74. The processing apparatus of claim 67 further comprising at least one radiating element configured to obtain the object information and to serve as a reading unit configured to read the information stored on the machine readable element.

75. The processing apparatus of claim 67 wherein the interface receives the processing information from a reading unit which is integrated with the device.

76. The processing apparatus of claim 67 wherein the object information includes an absorption rate relating to energy absorbed by the object at a plurality of frequencies, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the one or more instructions for processing the object based on the absorption rate.

77. The processing apparatus of claim 67 wherein the interface is further configured to receive information acquired by a user interface device, and the at least one processor is configured to determine the one or more instructions for processing the object based on the information acquired by the user interface device.

78. The processing apparatus of claim 77 wherein the processor is configured to provide one or more prompts to a user through the user interface device based on the processing information from the machine readable element.