Abstract: A refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, a door, a camera module, and a controller. The camera module may be mounted to the cabinet. The controller may be operably coupled to the camera module. The controller may be configured to initiate an operation routine. The operation routine may include initiating an image capture sequence at the camera module. The image capture sequence may include a two-dimensional image captured at the camera module. The operation routine may further include determining an appendage-occupied region within the two-dimensional image and analyzing the appendage-occupied region in response to determining the appendage-occupied region. The operation routine may still further include assigning a confidence score to a user profile stored in the controller based on analyzing the appendage-occupied region, comparing the assigned confidence score to a threshold score, and recording metadata regarding the two-dimensional image based on comparing the assigned confidence score.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a food storage chamber. A door is positioned on the cabinet and is movable between a closed position and an open position. A door opener includes a casing, a gear box, a sliding nut movable relative to the gear box, and a finger extending through the gear box. The finger is movable with the sliding nut. The door opener also includes a sensor. The finger extends outside of the casing to contact an inner surface of the door when the door is in the closed position and the door opener is in a zero position. The sensor is configured to detect movement of the door opener from the zero position.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance is provided including a cabinet defining a chilled chamber, a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber, and an audiovisual input assembly for monitoring the chilled chamber. A controller obtains a video stream and an audio stream using the audiovisual input assembly and analyzes these streams using a standard object weighting to generate a video-based inventory change and an audio-based inventory change. An inventory list is updated if the video-based inventory change and the audio-based inventory change match. Otherwise, the controller can reanalyze the streams using an updated object weighting to see if the audio and video streams generate matching proposed inventory changes.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance is provided including a cabinet defining a chilled chamber, a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber, and an inventory management system mounted within the chilled chamber for monitoring objects positioned within the chilled chamber. The inventory management system includes a camera assembly that obtains images of food items as they are being added to or removed from the chilled chamber. A controller of the appliance analyzes the images using a machine learning image recognition process to identify an object and a corresponding confidence score related to the object identification. Historical inventory data is then be used to adjust the confidence score and modify an inventory list when the adjusted confidence score exceeds a high confidence threshold.

Abstract: A method of operating multiple home appliances within a smart home set up, including monitoring physical interactions with at least one appliance and measuring an amount of time since the interaction. The smart home network can activate a vacation mode including altering one or more operating modes of the appliance or alert a user via a mobile device to initiate a vacation mode.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet that defines a fresh food chamber and a freezer chamber. A plurality of camera assemblies is mounted to the cabinet at a front portion of the fresh food chamber. The plurality of camera assemblies includes four cameras mounted proximate respective corners of the fresh food chamber.

Abstract: An appliance includes a cabinet that defines an interior chamber. A plurality of collocated camera assemblies is mounted to the cabinet at the interior chamber. The plurality of collocated camera assemblies is oriented for capturing images of a plane in the interior chamber. The appliance may be a refrigerator appliance, and the interior chamber may be a fresh food chamber.

Abstract: An indoor gardening appliance includes a liner defining a grow chamber and a grow module rotatably mounted within the grow chamber and defining a root chamber. A hydration system is fluidly coupled to the root chamber for selectively implementing a hydration cycle where the root chamber is charged with mist and an air circulation system selectively urges a flow of air through the root chamber to maintain a desired temperature. A controller is configured for stopping the flow of air during the hydration cycle, e.g., to minimize disruption of the hydration cycle. The stopping of the flow of air may be time-based, e.g., based on the start/end times of the hydration cycle, or may be based on moisture level, e.g., as measured by an optical sensor.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance is provided including a cabinet defining a chilled chamber, a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber, and an inventory management system mounted within the chilled chamber for monitoring objects positioned within the chilled chamber. The inventory management system includes a camera assembly that obtains a plurality of images of food items as they are being added to or removed from the chilled chamber. A controller of the appliance analyzes the images using a machine learning image recognition process to identify an object and monitor the object between different images to determine a motion vector associated with its movement.

Abstract: A hydration system for an indoor gardening appliance includes a pressurized water supply including a pump assembly for pressurizing an accumulator and an auxiliary nozzle in fluid communication with the pressurized water supply. An auxiliary valve assembly is operably coupled to the auxiliary nozzle for selectively directing an auxiliary flow of water from the accumulator onto the plant pods when power is lost to the gardening appliance.

Abstract: An indoor gardening appliance includes a liner defining a grow chamber and a grow module rotatably mounted within the grow chamber for receiving a plurality of plant pods. A moisture management system includes an evaporator plenum in fluid communication with the grow chamber and a fan assembly that recirculates air from the respective grow chambers and/or the ambient environment through an evaporator positioned within the evaporator plenum. In this manner, chamber humidity may be regulated while water is extracted from the air which may be used by a hydration system to hydrate plants.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance, as provided herein, may include a cabinet, a door, and a camera module. The cabinet may define a chilled chamber. The door may be rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber. The camera module may be movably mounted to the cabinet (e.g., above a support shelf). The camera module may be movable on the cabinet along a predefined direction between a retracted position proximal to a first end of the cabinet and an extended position proximal to a second end of the cabinet. The camera module may be directed at the chilled chamber in the extended position to capture an image thereof.

Abstract: A method of operating multiple home appliances within a smart home set up, including monitoring physical interactions with at least one appliance and measuring an amount of time since the interaction. The smart home network can activate a vacation mode including altering one or more operating modes of the appliance or alert a user via a mobile device to initiate a vacation mode.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance is provided including a cabinet defining a chilled chamber, a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber, and a plurality of cameras mounted to the cabinet for monitoring the chilled chamber. A controller is configured to detect motion at one or more locations within the chilled chamber using image differentiation or motion sensors, identify a subset of cameras of the plurality of cameras based at least in part on the one or more locations where motion was detected, obtain one or more images using the subset of cameras, and analyze or transmit the one or more images for analysis.

Abstract: Systems and methods for navigating a residence include a first household appliance, a second household appliance, a beacon, and a portable user interface device. The systems and methods include determining a plurality of paths through the residence. The systems and methods also include receiving, from a user interface of the portable user interface device, an input comprising a selected destination and determining a current location of the portable user interface device based on a short-range radio signal after receiving the input. The systems and methods further include selecting one path from the plurality of paths through the residence. The one selected path starts at or near the determined current location of the portable user interface device and terminates at the selected destination. The systems and methods also include providing guidance to and along the one selected path.

Abstract: An indoor gardening appliance includes a grow module that is rotatably mounted within a grow chamber and that defines pod apertures for receiving a plurality of plant pods. A nutrient cartridge assembly includes a manifold defining a cartridge receptacle for receiving a nutrient cartridge. The manifold defines a follower pin for engaging a track system on the nutrient cartridge such that a user simply pushes the nutrient cartridge into the cartridge receptacle to install the cartridge. When the nutrient cartridge needs to be removed, the user pushes the nutrient cartridge again and the track system/follower pin cause relative rotation between the nutrient cartridge and the follower pin to a circumferential orientation from which it can slide out of the cartridge receptacle.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, a door, an image module, and a shelf assembly. The cabinet may define a chilled chamber. The door may be rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber. The image module may be mounted to the cabinet. The shelf assembly may be disposed below the image module within the chilled chamber. The shelf assembly may include a support panel attached to the cabinet, a first shelf attached to the support panel, a second shelf attached to the support panel and spaced apart from the first shelf, and a weight sensor mounted on the support panel to detect stored mass at the first shelf and the second shelf.

Abstract: An indoor gardening appliance includes a liner defining a grow chamber and a grow module mounted within the grow chamber for receiving a plurality of plant pods. A lighting assembly is positioned within the grow chamber and includes a plurality of lights that are independent movable and adjustable. A controller detects an abnormal growth condition, e.g., a plant growing in a single direction, the presence and location of bare or void regions within a particular plant, growth toward a pinch point, and other growth abnormalities. The lighting assembly may be adjusted to correct the abnormal grow condition, e.g., by modifying an illumination schedule, an illumination direction, an intensity, a wavelength, or another parameter of the generated light.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a food storage chamber. A door is positioned on the cabinet and is movable between a closed position and an open position. A door opener includes a casing, a gear box, a sliding nut movable relative to the gear box, and a finger extending through the gear box. The finger is movable with the sliding nut. The door opener also includes a sensor. The finger extends outside of the casing to contact an inner surface of the door when the door is in the closed position and the door opener is in a zero position. The sensor is configured to detect movement of the door opener from the zero position.

Abstract: An indoor gardening appliance includes a liner defining a grow chamber and a grow module mounted within the grow chamber for receiving a plurality of plant pods. The grow module defines a root chamber and a plurality of apertures for positioning a root end of the plant pod in the root chamber. A resonator may be positioned on each plant pod or at each of the plurality of apertures for generating a unique sound signature when a specific plant pod is inserted into a specific aperture. A detection device, such as a microphone, measures the sound waves generated by the resonator and a controller determines a location and/or a type of the plant pod based on the unique sound signature.