2500-4500 degrees sounds impressive, I can't believe how NPR manipulated me!

Wait... http://www.vendian.org/mncharity/dir3/blackbody/

Pretty sure a standard household toaster is well into that range.

"specialized infrared ovens" That's cute. Toasters, you mean? Toasters work by heating a coil to somewhere in that range (2.5k - 4.5k degrees), and then the radiation from the coils toasts the bread.

I have read somewhere that patent description are often deceitful. The abstract can be intentionally misleading and the wording in your case seems to be too.