Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Teruhisa Takano

Shigeki Ueda

Shigeru Kusunoki

Hirofumi Yoshimura

Noboru Kurata

Ryuji Suzuki

Hiroshi Fujieda

Haruo Suenaga

Mitsuo Akiyoshi

Takahiko Yamasaki

Hitoshi Kurita

Michimasa Hori

Katsumi Ishii

Kenichiro Imasu

Hidenosuke Matsumoto

Yasuteru Fujii

Masashi Yano

Fujio Murase

Tomoyuki Hosokawa

A high frequency heating apparatus includes an inverter controlling circuit for controlling a semiconductor portion for feeding a low voltage power supply switching element, a low voltage power supply to the controlling circuit, an operation switch for activating the apparatus by a user, and a system controlling portion for controlling a load switching device. The load switching device is adapted to switch on and off at least one of the low voltage power supply leading to the inverter controlling circuit and a rectification circuit.

High-frequency heating apparatus

A heating apparatus measures the operation time and the inoperative time using an operation equation to switch the magnitude of the thermal supply of the heating apparatus in accordance with the calculated values. The heating apparatus includes a heater as a heating thermal supply, a heating chamber to be heated by the heater, a driving device for controlling the supply energies to the heater, a parameter operation device for calculating, in accordance with a given operation equation, the parameter corresponding to the supply energies to the heater, an output deciding device for comparing the parameter operation value obtained by the parameter operation device with the given target value to decide the output level of the heating thermal supply. The parameter operation value is increased in accordance with the given operation equation by the parameter operation device during the energization into the heater, and when the value has reached the given value, the output deciding means increases or cuts off the average power to the heater.

Heating apparatus having an open-loop configuration for controlling

An oven that is controllable by a conversational style voice interaction with a user. It includes voice recognition system for listening to the user and a speech synthesizer for talking to the user. Operation occurs initially in a first voice recognition mode for recognizing one of a group of possible first voice commands from the user. After recognizing a particular first voice command, operation continues in a voice synthesizing mode wherein the user is asked to make some choices which confirms or 'narrows' the first voice command. After synthesizing, operation continues in a second voice recognition mode for recognizing a particular one of a second group (less in number than the first group) of possible second voice commands from the user. After recognizing a particular second voice command, the oven operates according to the preprogrammed instructions corresponding to the first and second voice commands.

Heating apparatus having voice command control operative in a

A heating apparatus, such as an electric oven or an electronic oven including a voice recognition part which recognizes voice command of the user and produces a recognition code by receiving the voice command and performs operation by the voice command. Heating sequences are preliminarily stored in a memory of a control part, and one of them are selected by a recognition code produced by the voice recognition code, and preset in the memory. Heating members are controlled in a manner to heat the heating object according to the preset heating sequence. Such selection and presetting of the heating sequence is performed only when at least two sequential voice commands are fed to the voice recognition part in a predetermined order.

Voice actuated heating apparatus

A heating apparatus, such as an electric oven or a microwave oven, comprises an enclosure case having therein a heating chamber to place a heating object therein, the enclosure case having a door at an opening of the chamber, and the door having a locking means, to lock the door when closed, and has a door lock releasing means, such as a lever and a solenoid planger, to release and open the door from the locking state of the locking means,

Heating apparatus with voice actuated door opening mechanism

A microwave oven comprising an enclosure including a wall member defining an opening for providing access to a heating cavity, the wall member having a continuous uninterrupted planar surface portion substantially surrounding the access opening. A door is provided for closing the opening in the wall member, the door having a continuous uninterrupted planar surface portion positioned, when the door is closed, opposite and substantially parallel to the planar surface portion of the wall member. An energy seal comprising walls defining a sealing cavity is formed in either the wall member or the door, the sealing cavity extending in a longitudinal direction to substantially surround the continuous uninterrupted planar surface portion of the member in which it is located. A segmented partition wall is interposed between the walls of the sealing cavity thereby separating it into two longitudinally extending spaces. A path is formed by the opposing planar surface portions of the wall member and the door which extends from the heating cavity to the sealing cavity resulting in substantial reduction, in combination with the sealing cavity, in the amount of microwave energy leaking from the heating cavity when the heating cavity is radiated with microwave energy from a microwave generator.

Electromagnetic energy seal for high frequency heating apparatus

A heating apparatus incorporating a voice-actuated control system. The control system operates in four (4) modes. A first mode allows the user to select among previously stored cooking, defrosting or heating programs. After a program is selected, the apparatus changes to a second mode wherein it makes an inquiry of the user related to the program selected. After the inquiry is answered, in a third mode of operation, the apparatus changes to a fourth mode of operation to implement the selected program, as modified by a user's voice command in the third mode. By requiring a user response from among a small class of possible responses for a given selected program, the apparatus is unlikely to begin a heating cycle without specific confirmation by a user and therefor its safety is enhanced.

A heating apparatus capable of receiving several voice commands which comprises a voice recognition circuit and is improved from a systematic point of view, so that erroneous recognition in receiving a starting command and a stop command is effectively prevented, and the heating apparatus further comprises a stop button to produce an input signal which is given priority over any input voice commands and which fulfills an equivalent function to the stop command thereby enabling of stopping a heating operation by pushing the stop button, even when the voice recognition circuit does not correctly work or a voice command can not be acknowledged by the voice recognition circuit due to large acoustical noises coming from the circumference around the heating apparatus.

Voice-controlled safety arrangement heating apparatus

An air conditioning system comprises an outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units, a plurality of delivery conduits for supplying working fluid from a variable capacity energy source located in the outdoor unit to the indoor units, and a plurality of control valves respectively provided in the delivery conduits. A temperature sensor and a reference temperature setting device are provided for each room for transmitting corresponding temperature data to a central control unit. The central control unit detects whether the sensed temperature of each room is increasing or decreasing as a function of time and whether the sensed temperature is above or below a predetermined temperature associated with a value established by the reference setting device. Based upon these data the central control unit provides a control signal for closing the valve to divert a certain amount of the total supply energy to other rooms. Another control signal is generated to increase the total amount of supply energy when the temperature level and its gradient of each room indicate a shortage of the total supply energy and to decrease the total amount when a total energy supply excess is indicated.

Air conditioning system having a plurality of indoor units

This invention is directed to a temperature control apparatus for an air-conditioning apparatus which does not require a manual operation in controlling the temperature of a house room relative to the outdoor temperature. The control apparatus utilizes a micro-computer having a linear function stored thereon. The control of the indoor temperature is carried out by calculating the desired indoor temperature using the linear function of outdoor temperature and controlling the air-conditioning apparatus using the desired indoor temperature.

Temperature control apparatus

Microwave heating apparatus employing at least one surface waveguide which is provided in a lower portion of the apparatus below an article to be heated receives microwave output, directly or via a tubular waveguide, from an oscillator means, and acts to concentrate microwave energy in a specific region of the apparatus, whereby heating is rendered more efficient and unevenness of heating in the vertical plane is avoided. For improved evenness of heating in the horizontal plane the surface waveguide may be rotated either by separate drive means or by air supplied to cool the oscillator means, or the article to be heated may be rotated or moved reciprocally while the surface waveguide is moving or is stationary. The improved concentration of microwave energy permits greater economy, and offers a particular advantage for producing highly a baked or hardened outer surface without overheating of other portions of an article to be heated.

Microwave heating apparatus

There is disclosed a microwave heating apparatus which includes a source of high frequency electromagnetic energy which generates microwaves having a predetermined operating wave length, a heating chamber to accommodate therein a material to be heated, a spatial arrangement to transmit microwaves generated by the source, and a surface wave transmission circuit or line positioned between the chamber and the spatial arrangement. The microwave power from the source is coupled to the spatial arrangement and possibly to the chamber. Heating of a material to be heated takes place as the high frequency electromagnetic waves impinge upon the material and penetrate thereinto.

There is disclosed a magnetron power supply means which avoids use of bulky components and which has a frequency converter for drive of a magnetron at a frequency higher than that of a commercial power source. Feedback is supplied to the converter which in response maintains output within a specific range, which may be adjustable, whereby the power supply to the magnetron, and hence the output thereof are regulated.

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Osaka, Japan

Teruhisa Takano