Adaptive microwave oven

• US 6,316,758 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2000
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Guardian Corp. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ubowski, Richard M., Veschi, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeffery, John A.
• Application Number:
  US09/695,859
• Time in Patent Office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: 219/702, 219/714, 219/736-737, 340/536, 340/825-1-8, 455/63, 455/66, 455/151.1, 455/92, 455/69, 455/70, 455/556-557, 307/117
• US Class Current: 219/702
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/668 Microwave heating devices connected to a telecommunication network
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/688 for thawing

Abstract

The present invention provides an adaptive microwave oven capable of entering an operation mode which avoids interference with a communication device either upon detection of a communication from a communication device (e.g., a cordless telephone) operating in a microwave frequency range, or upon receipt of a command indicating the operation of a microwave device such as a cordless telephone through a suitable network (e.g., a piconet using BLUETOOTH Technology). In one embodiment, a cooking mode of a microwave oven is paused (or significantly reduced) to best avoid interference with microwave signals between a remote handset and a matching base unit of a cordless telephone. The activity of microwave communications within the vicinity of the adaptive microwave oven can be determined, e.g., using a passive cordless telephone receiver which detects communication activity in the microwave range, or using direct communications from the cordless telephone using a suitable wireless network, e.g., a piconet using BLUETOOTH technology. In another embodiment, the frequency of an adaptive microwave oven capable of generating microwave energy at any of a plurality of microwave frequency ranges is controlled in accordance with the microwave frequency used by an electronic device (e.g., a cordless telephone) in the vicinity of the adaptive microwave oven. In this embodiment, a cordless telephone receiver can provide a controller for the adaptive microwave oven with passively detected information regarding the frequency of communication traffic in the vicinity of the microwave oven, or a wireless network can be used to provide frequency information directly between the relevant electronic device (e.g., cordless telephone) and the adaptive microwave oven.

Claims

1. An adaptive microwave oven, comprising:

a processor; and

a microwave generator;

wherein said processor changes a frequency of an output of said microwave generator to avoid interference with external microwave signals detected in a vicinity of said adaptive microwave oven.

2. The adaptive microwave oven according to claim 1, wherein:

said frequency is changed to avoid interference with a non-harmonic of said output of said microwave generator.

3. The adaptive microwave oven according to claim 1, further comprising:

a network receiver to receive information regarding microwave signals in a vicinity of said adaptive microwave oven.

4. The adaptive microwave oven according to claim 3, wherein:

said network receiver is a wireless network receiver.

5. The adaptive microwave oven according to claim 3, wherein:

said network receiver is a wired network receiver.

6. The adaptive microwave oven according to claim 3, wherein:

said network receiver is a piconet network receiver.

7. The adaptive microwave oven according to claim 3, wherein:

said microwave signals are sourced from a piconet device.

8. A method of adaptively controlling a microwave oven to avoid interference with external microwave communication signals in a vicinity of said microwave oven, comprising:

communicating information regarding unrelated external microwave communication signals to a microwave oven; and

controlling a frequency of microwaves generated by said microwave oven based on said communicated information.

9. The method of adaptively controlling a microwave oven to avoid interference with external microwave communication signals in a vicinity of said microwave oven according to claim 8, wherein:

said communicated information includes a frequency of said unrelated external microwave communication signals.

10. The method of adaptively controlling a microwave oven to avoid interference with external microwave communication signals in a vicinity of said microwave oven according to claim 9, wherein:

said frequency of microwaves generated by said microwave oven are controlled to purposefully avoid interference with said communicated unrelated external microwave communication signals.

11. The method of adaptively controlling a microwave oven to avoid interference with external microwave communication signals in a vicinity of said microwave oven according to claim 8, wherein:

said communicated information includes a frequency of piconet communication signals in a vicinity of said microwave oven.

12. Apparatus for adaptively controlling a microwave oven to avoid interference with microwave communication signals in a vicinity of said microwave oven, comprising:

means for communicating information regarding unrelated external microwave communication signals to a microwave oven; and

means for controlling a frequency of microwaves generated by said microwave oven based on said communicated information.

13. The apparatus for adaptively controlling a microwave oven to avoid interference with microwave communication signals in a vicinity of said microwave oven according to claim 12, wherein:

said means for communicating information communicates a frequency of said unrelated external microwave communication signals.

14. The apparatus for adaptively controlling a microwave oven to avoid interference with microwave communication signals in a vicinity of said microwave oven according to claim 12, wherein:

said means for controlling controls said frequency of microwaves generated by said microwave oven to purposefully avoid interference with said communicated unrelated external microwave communication signals.

15. The apparatus for adaptively controlling a microwave oven to avoid interference with microwave communication signals in a vicinity of said microwave oven according to claim 12, wherein:

said means for communicating information communicates a frequency of piconet communication signals in a vicinity of said microwave oven.

16. An adaptive microwave oven controller including:

a processor; and

a wireless network receiver to detect a frequency of communication activity in a microwave frequency range in a vicinity of said adaptive microwave oven;

wherein a frequency of microwaves generated by an adaptive microwave oven controlled by said adaptive microwave oven controller is based on said frequency of said communication activity; and

wherein said wireless network receiver is a member of a piconet.