Time estimation for energy application in an RF energy transfer device

1. An apparatus for applying RF energy to an object in an energy application zone via a source of electromagnetic energy, comprising:

a source of electromagnetic energy including an amplifier;

an antenna;

a detector connected to the antenna; and

at least one processor configured to:

cause the source to supply RF energy to the energy application zone via the antenna;

determine a value indicative of a rate of energy absorption by a load, including at least a portion of the object, during a first period of time by monitoring via the detector an amount of reflected power reflected back to the antenna; and

determine, based on the value indicative of the rate of energy absorption by the load, an estimated amount of time to obtain a desired characteristic in at least a portion of the object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the value indicative of the rate of energy absorption by the load is based on an amount of power transferred to the energy application zone.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the value indicative of the rate of energy absorption by the load is based on an amount of power dissipated in the load.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the value indicative of the rate of energy absorption by the load is determined over a range of modulation space element (MSE) values.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the object comprises a food item.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the desired characteristic includes a predetermined final temperature for at least a portion of the object.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the desired characteristic includes a predetermined level of resiliency for at least a portion of the object.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the desired characteristic includes a predetermined level of sintering for at least a portion of the object.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the desired characteristic includes a predetermined level of melting for at least a portion of the object.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the source to stop the supply of the RF energy to the energy application zone once the estimated amount of time has elapsed.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including an interface configured to receive one or more of a value indicative of a total amount of energy to deliver to the load, a value associated with the desired characteristic, a type indicator associated with the object, an energy transfer coefficient associated with the object, a mass associated with the object, or any combination thereof, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the estimated amount of time based on the at least one value received via the interface and the determined value indicative of a rate of energy absorption.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the interface is configured to receive information from a reader adapted to transfer information from a machine readable element.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the machine readable element includes one or more of an RFID tag, a barcode, or combinations thereof.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the interface is configured to receive information from a man-machine interface device.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the interface is configured to receive information via a network connection.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the estimated amount of time by a process including dividing the value indicative of the total amount of energy to deliver to the load by the value indicative of the rate of energy absorption by the load.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the estimated amount of time by a process including multiplying the value indicative of the total amount of energy to deliver to the load by a predetermined factor and then dividing by the value indicative of the rate of energy absorption by the load.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the predetermined factor is at least 1.0.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the desired characteristic includes a predetermined temperature of the object, and the at least one processor is configured to determine the estimated amount of time in a process including determining an amount of energy needed to achieve the predetermined temperature of the object and dividing the amount of energy needed by the value indicative of the rate of energy absorption by the load.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein determining the amount of energy needed to achieve the predetermined temperature of the object is based at least on an initial temperature associated with the object, a mass associated with the object, and an energy transfer coefficient associated with the object.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the energy transfer coefficient is greater than a heat capacity value associated with the object.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 , further comprising a temperature sensor, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the initial temperature associated with the object based on an output of the temperature sensor.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 , further comprising a weight sensor, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the mass associated with the object based on an output of the weight sensor.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the desired characteristic includes a predetermined level of resiliency of the object, and the at least one processor is configured to determine the estimated amount of time in a process including determining an amount of energy needed to achieve the predetermined level of resiliency of the object and dividing the amount of energy by the value indicative of the rate of energy absorption by the load.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein determining the amount of energy needed to achieve the predetermined level of resiliency of the object is based at least on a mass associated with the object and an energy transfer coefficient associated with the object.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the estimated amount of time by:

determining an amount of energy needed to raise a temperature of the object to a predetermined level and dividing the amount of energy by the value indicative of the rate of energy absorption by the load to obtain a temperature rise time; and

adding to the temperature rise time another length of time during which the temperature of the object is to be maintained at the predetermined level.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the desired characteristic includes a predetermined level of resiliency of the object.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein determining the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of the object to a predetermined level is based at least on an initial temperature associated with the object, a mass associated with the object, and an energy transfer coefficient associated with the object.

29. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the object contributes to at least a portion of the load.

30. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first period of time has a length between 1 millisecond and thirty seconds.

31. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first period of time has a length of less than 0.5 seconds.

32. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the object rotates in the energy application zone, and the first period of time has a length at least as long as a period of rotation for the object.

33. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the object moves in the energy application zone, and the value indicative of the rate of energy absorption by the load includes a time-averaged value determined, at least in part, based on measurements acquired as the object moves.

34. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the estimated amount of time is greater than the first period of time by a factor of between fifteen and 1000.

35. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the estimated amount of time is greater than the first period of time by a factor of between 15,000to 150,000.

36. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to issue one or more user prompts once the estimated amount of time has elapsed.

37. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to display the estimated amount of time on a display unit.

38. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein determining the value indicative of the rate of energy absorption by the load comprises measuring RF radiation in the energy application zone.

39. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an energy application zone.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 , wherein the source is configured to supply RF energy to the energy application zone.