Abstract: A pinch valve may use a spring force to close a collapsible tube at a pinch point, and may open with a cam mechanism, which may be controlled using an electric motor. The open and closed positions of the pinch valve may be stable without the use of continuing electrical energy, and electrical energy may be consumed during a change between positions. One arrangement may use multiple tubes in a circular arrangement with a cam that may operate one or more of the valves at a time. The cam mechanism may be driven by an electric motor.

Abstract: A beer making system may use a detachable vessel to contain liquid during the mashing and boiling steps, and may also be used during the fermentation steps of beer making. The beer making system may recirculate liquid through the vessel, then select between several flow paths during the beer making process. A removable reservoir system having a grain reservoir and several hops or adjunct reservoirs may be selected as a flow path, as well as a bypass flow path. A programmable controller may cause liquid to recirculate through a heater and one of the various flow paths, the sequence, timing, and temperature profile of which are defined in a recipe for a particular beer.

Abstract: A pulp container may contain beer making ingredients during the beer making process. The container may have a bag, filter, or other sieve that may retain the ingredients during the brewing process, and may be compostable and disposable after the brewing process has completed. The container may contain prepared ingredients that may be pre-packaged such that a user may drop the container with the prepared ingredients into a system for brewing beer. In some cases, a container may contain grains and other ingredients that may be used for a mashing step. In other cases, a container may contain one or more hops charges and may have boiling or near boiling water. The brewing system may include recirculating brewing systems, as well as other types of brewing techniques.

Abstract: A beer making system may use direct steam injection during wort manufacturing. Steam may be added directly to the wort, and may be part of a recirculating mash system. The steam may be the primary mechanism for adding heat to the system, and may eliminate many problems that often occur when using conventional heating systems. A water reservoir may feed a stream generator, which may inject steam into wort during mashing or boiling steps.

Abstract: A cascading hops reservoir may have a series of hops or adjunct reservoirs, each having a drain and an overflow. The series of reservoirs may be used by causing flow through a first reservoir, which may cause liquid to flow through the reservoir and through the drain, as well as past an overflow. When a second set of hops or adjuncts may be added, the flow may be introduced to a second reservoir, which may flow through a drain and also overflow into the first reservoir. A series of multiple reservoirs may thus be used to introduce hops or other adjuncts into a brewing cycle in stages, with each additional stage including previous stages in the recirculating flow during the brewing cycle.

Abstract: A beer making system may use a detachable vessel to contain liquid during the mashing and boiling steps, and may also be used during the fermentation steps of beer making. The beer making system may recirculate liquid through the vessel, then select between several flow paths during the beer making process. A removable reservoir system having a grain reservoir and several hops or adjunct reservoirs may be selected as a flow path, as well as a bypass flow path. A programmable controller may cause liquid to recirculate through a heater and one of the various flow paths, the sequence, timing, and temperature profile of which are defined in a recipe for a particular beer.

Abstract: A beer making device may have removable reservoirs through which brewing ingredients may be added. The removable reservoir may include a grain steeping reservoir and one or more adjunct or hops steeping reservoirs. A removable tub may contain the various reservoirs, and some or all of the various ingredient reservoirs may be removable from the reservoir tub. For example, a set of hops reservoirs may be manufactured as a single joined unit, and may be removable from the reservoir tub. The removable reservoirs may include a check valve which may shut off flow when the reservoir may be removed or dislodged, thereby minimizing leakage, and a beer making device may further sense such a situation and cause operations to cease.

Abstract: Providing for a paradigm shift in block-level abstraction for storage devices is described herein. At a block-level, storage is characterized as a variable size data record, rather than a fixed size sector. In some aspects, the variable size data record can comprise a variable binary key-data pair, for addressing and identifying a variable size block of data, and for dynamically specifying the size of such block in terms of data storage. By changing the key or data values, the location, identity or size of block-level storage can be modified. Data records can be passed to and from the storage device to facilitate operational commands over ranges of such records. Block-level data compression, space management and transactional operations are provided, mitigating a need of higher level systems to characterize underlying data storage for implementation of such operations.

Abstract: In embodiments of electronic compensated pivot control, a computing device includes a device housing that is integrated with a display device, and the device housing tilts for multiple display positions. Pivotable components pivot in coordination to position the display device in a display position, and sensors detect positioning inputs that are received to re-position the display device. Actuators are implemented for electronic actuation to drive the pivotable components to position the display device, and clutches are implemented to limit movement of the pivotable components. A pivot controller is implemented to receive input data corresponding to a user input to change a position of the display device, control the actuators based on the input data to assist with positioning the display device, receive an indication that the user input has stopped, and control the one or more clutches to hold the position of the display device.

Abstract: In embodiments of electronic compensated pivot control, a computing device includes a device housing that is integrated with a display device, and the device housing tilts for multiple display positions. Pivotable components pivot in coordination to position the device housing in a display position, and sensors detect positioning inputs that are received to re-position the device housing of the computing device. Actuators are implemented for electronic actuation to limit movement of the pivotable components, and alternatively, to drive the pivotable components to re-position the device housing. A pivot controller is implemented to control the actuators based on sensor data to position the device housing in a display position.

Abstract: In embodiments of a stability control system, a computing device includes a device housing that is integrated with a display device, and the device housing tilts for multiple display positions. Pivotable components are mechanically-linked and pivot in coordination to position the device housing in a display position, and sensors detect positioning inputs that are received to re-position the device housing. Clutch mechanisms are implemented to limit and/or resist movement of the pivotable components based on the positioning inputs. A stability controller can be implemented to control the clutch mechanisms based on sensor data from the sensors to position the device housing in a display position.

Abstract: A beer making system may use a detachable vessel to contain liquid during the mashing and boiling steps, and may also be used during the fermentation steps of beer making. The beer making system may recirculate liquid through the vessel, then select between several flow paths during the beer making process. A removable reservoir system having a grain reservoir and several hops or adjunct reservoirs may be selected as a flow path, as well as a bypass flow path. A programmable controller may cause liquid to recirculate through a heater and one of the various flow paths, the sequence, timing, and temperature profile of which are defined in a recipe for a particular beer.

Abstract: A cascading hops reservoir may have a series of hops or adjunct reservoirs, each having a drain and an overflow. The series of reservoirs may be used by causing flow through a first reservoir, which may cause liquid to flow through the reservoir and through the drain, as well as past an overflow. When a second set of hops or adjuncts may be added, the flow may be introduced to a second reservoir, which may flow through a drain and also overflow into the first reservoir. A series of multiple reservoirs may thus be used to introduce hops or other adjuncts into a brewing cycle in stages, with each additional stage including previous stages in the recirculating flow during the brewing cycle.

Abstract: A beer making device may have removable reservoirs through which brewing ingredients may be added. The removable reservoir may include a grain steeping reservoir and one or more adjunct or hops steeping reservoirs. A removable tub may contain the various reservoirs, and some or all of the various ingredient reservoirs may be removable from the reservoir tub. For example, a set of hops reservoirs may be manufactured as a single joined unit, and may be removable from the reservoir tub. The removable reservoirs may include a check valve which may shut off flow when the reservoir may be removed or dislodged, thereby minimizing leakage, and a beer making device may further sense such a situation and cause operations to cease.

Abstract: Systems and methods for user identification based on biokinematic input are disclosed herein. The system may include a multi-touch sensitive display including a sensor configured to receive biokinematic input including data representing detected positions of digit touches made by digits of a user, in each of a series of successive time intervals during a defined identification gesture. The system may further include a user identification module executed by a processor of the computing device. The user identification module may be configured to receive the biokinematic input from the sensor, and to compare relative positions of the digit touches and/or relative rates of change in said positions of the digit touches to a stored user template of verified biokinematic data for the user. If a match is determined, an indication that the user has been successfully identified may be displayed.

Abstract: In embodiments of capacitive touch controls lockout, a computing device includes a touch-screen display for user interaction, and includes one or more capacitive touch controls for user selection as a device input to initiate a device action. The computing device also includes a lockout service that is implemented to disable one or more of the capacitive touch controls based on user interaction with the touch-screen display.

Abstract: Systems and methods for user identification based on biokinematic input are disclosed herein. The system may include a multi-touch sensitive display including a sensor configured to receive biokinematic input including data representing detected positions of digit touches made by digits of a user, in each of a series of successive time intervals during a defined identification gesture. The system may further include a user identification module executed by a processor of the computing device. The user identification module may be configured to receive the biokinematic input from the sensor, and to compare relative positions of the digit touches and/or relative rates of change in said positions of the digit touches to a stored user template of verified biokinematic data for the user. If a match is determined, an indication that the user has been successfully identified may be displayed.

Abstract: In embodiments of a stability control system, a computing device includes a device housing that is integrated with a display device, and the device housing tilts for multiple display positions. Pivotable components are mechanically-linked and pivot in coordination to position the device housing in a display position, and sensors detect positioning inputs that are received to re-position the device housing. Clutch mechanisms are implemented to limit and/or resist movement of the pivotable components based on the positioning inputs. A stability controller can be implemented to control the clutch mechanisms based on sensor data from the sensors to position the device housing in a display position.

Abstract: In embodiments of electronic compensated pivot control, a computing device includes a device housing that is integrated with a display device, and the device housing tilts for multiple display positions. Pivotable components pivot in coordination to position the device housing in a display position, and sensors detect positioning inputs that are received to re-position the device housing of the computing device. Actuators are implemented for electronic actuation to limit movement of the pivotable components, and alternatively, to drive the pivotable components to re-position the device housing. A pivot controller is implemented to control the actuators based on sensor data to position the device housing in a display position.

Abstract: In embodiments of capacitive touch controls lockout, a computing device includes a touch-screen display for user interaction, and includes one or more capacitive touch controls for user selection as a device input to initiate a device action. The computing device also includes a lockout service that is implemented to disable one or more of the capacitive touch controls based on user interaction with the touch-screen display.