RF Heating at Selected Power Supply Protocols

• US 20130200065A1
• Filed: 02/05/2013
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joliet 2010 Limited
• Original Assignee: Goji Limited
• Inventors: Libman, Avner, Obadia, Caroline Myriam Rachel, Rogers, Steven Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,040,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/492
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/02 Automatic switching arrangements specially adapted to apparatus ; Control of heating devices thermally-actuated switches H01H37/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/00 Heating by electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6402 Aspects relating to the microwave cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/68 for monitoring or control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/686 Circuits comprising a signal generator and power amplifier, e.g. using solid state oscillators
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/70 Feed lines
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/705 using microwave tuning
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/72 Radiators or antennas
• 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

Disclosed is an apparatus for applying RF energy to an object in an energy application zone via one or more radiating elements at a plurality of modulation space elements (MSEs). The apparatus may include at least one processor configured to cause supply of RF energy to one or more of the radiating elements in a first subset of the plurality of MSEs, at a first power level common to the MSEs in the first subset and for varying time durations, and cause supply of RF energy to one or more of the radiating elements in a second subset of the plurality of MSEs, at power levels lower than the first power level and for a time duration common to the MSEs of the second subset.

Claims

1. An apparatus for applying RF energy to an object in an energy application zone via one or more radiating elements at a plurality of modulation space elements (MSEs), the apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to:

cause supply of RF energy to one or more of the radiating elements in a first subset of the plurality of MSEs, at a first power level common to the MSEs in the first subset and for varying time durations; and

cause supply of RF energy to one or more of the radiating elements in a second subset of the plurality of MSEs, at power levels lower than the first power level and for a time duration common to the MSEs of the second subset.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the varying time durations is not shorter than the time duration common the MSEs of the second subset of MSEs.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each MSE is associated with an absorbability indicator, and the absorbability indicators associated with the MSEs of the first subset of MSEs are different from the absorbability indicators associated with MSEs of the second subset of MSEs.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to associate MSEs with absorbability indicators, and group the MSEs into the first subset and second subset based on the absorbability indicators associated with the MSEs.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a detector configured to detect power exiting from the energy application zone, and determine an absorbability indicator for each MSE based on readings of the detector.

6. A method of applying RF energy to an object in an energy application zone via one or more radiating elements at a plurality of modulation space elements (MSEs), the method comprising:

causing supply of RF energy to one or more of the radiating elements in a first subset of the plurality of MSEs, at a first power level common to the MSEs in the first subset and for varying time durations; and

causing supply of RF energy to one or more of the radiating elements in a second subset of the plurality of MSEs, at power levels lower than the first power level and for a time duration common to the MSEs of the second plurality.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each the varying time durations is not shorter than the time duration common the MSEs of the second subset of MSEs.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising grouping the MSEs into the first and second subsets of MSEs based on absorbability indicators associated with the MSEs.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

associating MSEs with absorbability indicators; and

grouping the MSEs into the first subset and second subset based on the absorbability indicators associated with the MSEs.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving from a detector readings of power exiting from the energy application zone; and

determining an absorbability indicator for each MSE based on received readings of power exiting from the energy application zone.

11. An apparatus for applying RF energy to an object in an energy application zone via one or more radiating elements at a plurality of modulation space elements (MSEs), the apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to:

cause supply of RF energy to one or more of the radiating elements in a first subset of the plurality of MSEs, at a first power level common to the plurality of MSEs in the first subset and for a first time duration common to the MSEs of the first subset; and

cause supply of RF energy to one or more of the radiating elements in a second subset of the plurality of MSEs, at a second power level common to the plurality of MSEs in the second subset and for a second time duration common to the MSEs of the second subset.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first power level is higher than the second power level and the first time duration is shorter than the second time duration.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each MSE is associated with an absorbability indicator, and the absorbability indicators associated with the MSEs of the first subset of MSEs are different from the absorbability indicators associated with MSEs of the second subset of MSEs.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein absorbability indicators associated with MSEs of the first subset are lower than absorbability indicators associated with MSEs of the second subset.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to associate MSEs with absorbability indicators, and group the MSEs into the first subset and second subset based on the absorbability indicators associated with the MSEs.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a detector configured to detect power exiting from the energy application zone, and determine an absorbability indicator for each MSE based on readings of the detector.