Food preparation

Abstract

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

1 .- 45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . An RF heating device, comprising:
 a controller configured to:
 control an RF power source to apply RF energy via a plurality of antennas to a cavity to heat an object in the cavity according to a heating profile; 
 receive, via the plurality of antennas, feedback in response to application of the RF energy; and 
 change the heating profile based on the feedback, wherein the heating profile includes a phase of at least one of the plurality of antennas. 
   
     
     
         47 . The RF heating device of  claim 46 , wherein the plurality of antennas are configured as an antenna array. 
     
     
         48 . The RF heating device of  claim 47 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 control an RF energy application time of the antennas in the antenna array individually to match a desired RF driving profile.   
     
     
         49 . The RF heating device of  claim 46 , further comprising an RF power source. 
     
     
         50 . The RF heating device of  claim 49 , wherein the plurality of antennas are configured to apply RF energy received from the RF power source. 
     
     
         51 . The RF heating device of  claim 46 , wherein the heating profile includes information of a subset of the plurality of antennas that are used to apply RF energy. 
     
     
         52 . The RF heating device of  claim 49 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 control the RF power source to apply the RF energy by applying RF radiation at a plurality of frequencies; and   receive the feedback resulting from application of the RF radiation at one or more of the plurality of frequencies.   
     
     
         53 . The RF heating device of  claim 46 , wherein the feedback includes at least one of:
 power reflected at least one of the plurality of antennas; or   power coupled from one of the plurality of antennas to another one of the plurality of antennas.   
     
     
         54 . The RF heating device of  claim 52 , wherein the controller is configured to control an input power at each frequency. 
     
     
         55 . The RF heating device of  claim 46 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 determine an absorption efficiency of RF energy by the object at one or more frequencies.   
     
     
         56 . The RF heating device of  claim 55 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 change, based on the determined absorption efficiency, at least one of: frequencies to transmit and corresponding power levels, an index to or a table of frequency/power/time triplets, a quantity of inputs to use, a phase of at least one input, a position of the object in the cavity, or a movement of the object in the cavity.