Interrupting circuit for a radio frequency generator
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsHenrik Mattfolk, Davide Guatta
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An interrupting circuit (44) is configured to monitor for and detect a fault in a device (10) for generating a field of electromagnetic radiation (e-field) (34) from a radio frequency (RF) generator (24) configured to convert low voltage direct current (DC) into the e-field (34) for application to an article in the e-field (34). If a fault is detected, the interrupting circuit (44) interrupts low voltage DC between an energy reserve (46, 48) and the RF generator (24) within a predetermined time less than the time to dissipate energy stored in the energy reserve (46, 48).
Claims12
A method of derating at least two radio frequency (RF) amplifiers in a device configured to generate RF feeds, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining the temperature of the at least two RF amplifiers;
- reducing the transmitted power level for the at least one of the at least two RF amplifiers by a first amount when the temperature of the at least one of the two RF amplifiers is above a first predetermined temperature threshold;
- further reducing the transmitted power level for the at least one of the at least two RF amplifiers by a second amount when the temperature of the at least one of the two RF amplifiers is above a second predetermined temperature threshold;
- estimating a crosstalk power level between the at least two RF amplifiers;
- and
- reducing the transmitted power level for at least one of the at least two RF amplifiers by a third amount when the crosstalk power level is above a first predetermined crosstalk threshold;
- and
- further reducing the transmitted power level for at least one of the at least two RF amplifiers by a fourth amount when the crosstalk power level is above a second predetermined crosstalk threshold.
A method of derating at least one radio frequency (RF) amplifier in a device configured to generate an RF feed, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining the temperature of the at least one RF amplifier without a temperature sensor;
- and
- reducing the transmitted power level for the at least one RF amplifier in at least two steps when the temperature of the at least one RF amplifier is above a first predetermined temperature threshold,
- wherein the step of determining the temperature of the at least one RF amplifier without the temperature sensor includes:
- providing a thermal model calibrated to the RF amplifier;
- generating the RF feed from the RF amplifier;
- measuring gain of the RF amplifier while generating the RF feed;
- comparing the measured gain over time to the thermal model;
- and
- estimating the temperature of the RF amplifier based on the comparison.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.