Abstract: A blender includes an integrated scale used to weigh ingredients added to a vessel of the blender. The blender also includes a user interface (UI) and a recipe application that includes recipe data. The integrated scale is mounted atop the blender such that as the vessel receives ingredients, the vessel engages the integrated scale but does not operatively engage a motor of the blender when weighing ingredients. The weights may be provided to a user via the UI as the ingredients are received in the vessel. The recipe application may be executed by a microcontroller of the blender to provide recipe steps via the UI to the user and thereby guide the user through a recipe based at least in part upon the recipe data and the weight of ingredients. When blending and mixing the ingredients, the vessel operatively engages the motor but does not engage the integrated scale.

Abstract: The systems and methods described herein assist a user in executing a recipe by recording and associating a blend sequence of blend steps with the recipe upon a first execution of the recipe. The systems and methods described herein further assist the user in modifying and executing the recorded blend sequence upon a second and subsequent execution of the recipe.

Abstract: The systems and methods described herein assist a user in executing a recipe by recording and associating a blend sequence of blend steps with the recipe upon a first execution of the recipe. The systems and methods described herein further assist the user in modifying and executing the recorded blend sequence upon a second and subsequent execution of the recipe.

Abstract: A system and method directed to the dynamic processing of simple ingredients in recipes is described. Simple ingredients are defined and precision measurement of simple ingredients based on a smart scale is provided. The use of the measurement as feedback to count individual measurement units of simple ingredients and to associate a weight with the simple ingredients supports an improved level of accuracy in assessing macro and micro nutrient data for recipes and ingredients.

Abstract: A system and method directed to the partial or full automation of recipe processing by an appliance is described. A recipe may include one or more of at least a portion of operating code, one or more appliance operation(s) or one or more action(s) to initiate operation of the appliance. A computing device may include a recipe processing application that generates a display on a user interface. The display may include one or more indications of the partial or full automation of appliance operations for processing recipe ingredients. The appliance is a blender in one example, and the appliance operations are for processing the recipe ingredients by the blender.

Abstract: A system and method directed to the guided processing of recipes distributed by a server to a local store environment is described. A recipe may include at least two ingredients and recipe actions. A computing device may include a recipe processing application that generates a display on a user interface. The display including data associated with one or more portions of or a full control panel of an appliance (or multiple appliances) that processes the recipes is provided. The associated data presented on the user interfaces may or may not be operable to receive data in the same manner as the control panel on the appliance(s).

Abstract: A smart pantry system is able to build a data store of the food items that a user or household has on hand, and maintain the data store in light of corroborated point of consumption (POC) data. The data store may also include information about those food items, such as names of food items, brands of food items, number of units of food items, quantity of food items, expiration dates, dates that food items were purchased, nutrition information, etc. The system may also leverage the data store to provide recipe recommendations and/or notifications to a user.

Abstract: A system and method directed to dynamic ingredient adjustment for nutrition-based recipe ingredient modification is described. The recipe ingredient modification can be based on the amount of one or more ingredients, nutrition content of the ingredients, ingredient availability, total nutritional content of an entire recipe or on a per serving size, and amount, kind, and nutrition content of any substitute ingredient used. A recipe's at least one nutritional content or value (for example, amount of fiber or total fat in gram or percentage) can be adjusted in approximately real-time while processing or measuring the ingredients on a smart scale. The system's dynamic scaling capability also provides for the substitution of ingredients or the adjustment of the quantity of ingredients even when a user is already in the middle of processing, mixing, or adding one or more ingredients based on predetermined ingredients and quantities provided in a recipe.

Abstract: This system describe relates to a smart pantry system that is able to determine when a food item stored in a pantry of a user has expired or is about to expire. The system may also predict an estimated time at which a food item is going to be fully consumed, and then provide alerts and/or recipe recommendations to assist the user in consuming the food item before its expiration date. The smart pantry system may estimate the time at which the food item is going to be fully consumed based on verified consumption events of the food item. A verified consumption event corresponds to a consumption event for which the smart pantry system has obtained corroborating data that verifies the consumption of the food item. For example, a verified consumption event may be corroborated in light of corroborated point of consumption (POC) data.

Abstract: A smart pantry system is able to build a data store of the food items that a user or household has on hand, and maintain the data store in light of corroborated point of consumption (POC) data. The data store may also include information about those food items, such as names of food items, brands of food items, number of units of food items, quantity of food items, expiration dates, dates that food items were purchased, nutrition information, etc. The system may also leverage the data store to provide recipe recommendations and/or notifications to a user.

Abstract: A consumption capture system is able to detect and verify point of consumption data for acquired goods, and generate consumption profiles for individual or groups of goods. A consumption profile may describe information associated with consumption events that have been corroborated by one or more of recipe information, user input, sensor data, account information, etc. The consumption capture system may verify the occurrence of a consumption event using data from sensors incorporated into kitchen appliances, storage pantries, etc., and may use the data and acquire other data to build a set of information that describes details about the consumption event. In this way, the consumption profiles comprise verified insight into how individual goods are consumed once they are obtained by a customer. Such verified consumption histories allow both customers and merchants to gain insight into the consumption histories of goods.

Abstract: This system describe herein uses a recipe application and verification information from one or more appliances to capture corroborated point of consumption (POC) data for food consumed by an individual. The recipe application may present a graphical recipe interface that includes a recipe step that a certain amount of an ingredient is to be added to a container that is on a kitchen scale. An appliance may detect a change in the mass of the container indicative of addition of the ingredient, and then provide information data associated with the addition of the ingredient to the recipe application via a wired or wireless connection. The recipe application may receive the information, and then verify that the ingredient was added to the scale. Once the addition of the ingredient has been verified, the recipe application generates and stores verified consumption data for the ingredient.

Abstract: This system describe relates to a smart pantry system that is able to determine when a food item stored in a pantry of a user has expired or is about to expire. The system may also predict an estimated time at which a food item is going to be fully consumed, and then provide alerts and/or recipe recommendations to assist the user in consuming the food item before its expiration date. The smart pantry system may estimate the time at which the food item is going to be fully consumed based on verified consumption events of the food item. A verified consumption event corresponds to a consumption event for which the smart pantry system has obtained corroborating data that verifies the consumption of the food item. For example, a verified consumption event may be corroborated in light of corroborated point of consumption (POC) data.

Abstract: A beverage coaster includes integrated electronics, such as a power system, a load cell, an analog to digital converter and a wireless transceiver. The beverage coaster communicates with a computing device to send information, such as a first weight, a second weight, and a third weight of objects placed on the beverage coaster. The first weight may be associated with a container, a second weight may be associated with a first ingredient, and the third weight may be associated with a second ingredient. The computing device is configured to display information related to the first, second, and third weights and provide instructions to a user thereof for maintaining proper proportions of the first and second ingredients as the user adds them to the container.

Abstract: A beverage coaster includes integrated electronics, such as a power system, a load cell, an analog to digital converter and a wireless transceiver. The beverage coaster communicates with a computing device to send information, such as a first weight, a second weight, and a third weight of objects placed on the beverage coaster. The first weight may be associated with a container, a second weight may be associated with a first ingredient, and the third weight may be associated with a second ingredient. The computing device is configured to display information related to the first, second, and third weights and provide instructions to a user thereof for maintaining proper proportions of the first and second ingredients as the user adds them to the container.

Abstract: A system and method directed to generating, by a smart scale, the identification of containers based on a weight measurement of the containers on the smart scale. The identification can be based on maximum and/or minimum target container volumes for the container. The system can use the smart app to operate the scale and process the container identification. The smart app also can receive a recipe and generate a recipe volume. The smart app can then align the recipe with the container by comparing the recipe volume with the maximum and/or minimum target volumes available for the container and adjusting the recipe number of servings, volume or other measurement.

Abstract: A blender includes an integrated scale that may be used to weigh ingredients added to the blender. The integrated scale is configured and mounted atop the blender to allow for a vessel that receives ingredients to sit apart from a motor clutch mechanism of the blender when measuring ingredients. The integrated scale is also designed and mounted to allow the vessel to engage with the motor of the mixing apparatus when blending and/or mixing ingredients, while not engaging the integrated scale.

Abstract: A process for applying a vertically cracked ceramic thermal barrier coating to a machine component includes a.) applying a plurality of layers of the ceramic thermal barrier coating on the component, utilizing a nozzle at a first distance from the component; b.) applying an additional sacrificial outer layer of the ceramic thermal barrier coating of the same chemical composition as the plurality of layers on the component, with the nozzle at a second distance from the component, greater than the first distance; and c) removing at least some of the outer layers to achieve thickness and surface roughness specifications.

Abstract: A process for applying a thermal barrier coating to a machine component including: