Abstract: A system for infusing hydrogen into water dispensing from a refrigerator appliance includes a tank defining an interior volume no greater than one liter. An electrolysis system includes an anode and a cathode disposed within the interior volume of the tank. The anode and cathode are configured to decompose water within the interior volume of the tank when a voltage differential is applied across the anode and cathode during a hydrogen infusion cycle of the electrolysis system. An audio emitter is configured to emit an audio alert in response to completion of the hydrogen infusion cycle.

Abstract: An automatic control system for a cooking appliance monitors and adjusts a cooking operation on the cooking appliance. The automatic control system includes at least one control knob assembly, an image capturing device, and a controller operably coupled to the at least one control knob assembly and the image capturing device. The controller is configured to perform a series of operations, including receiving a desired temperature of a food item; capturing a first image of the food item; analyzing, by one or more computing devices using a machine learning image recognition model, the first image to determine one or more features of the food item; generating an input state of the food item based on the first image analysis; and determining an output action via a reinforcement learning system.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet with a fresh food chamber, a freezer chamber, and an aging chamber each defined in the cabinet. The refrigerator appliance also includes an aging chamber door mounted to the cabinet and movable between a closed position and an open position. A method of operating the refrigerator appliance includes receiving a meat aging input from a user interface of the refrigerator appliance and moving a lock configured to retain the aging chamber door in the closed position to a locked position whereby the aging chamber door is retained in the closed position in response to the meat aging input. The method also includes activating a dedicated humidity control system in fluid communication with the aging chamber and fluidly isolated from the fresh food chamber and the freezer chamber for an aging time after moving the lock to the locked position.

Abstract: An indoor gardening appliance includes a plant support frame defining a plurality of apertures for supporting one or more plant pods above a collection reservoir that collects excess water. A pump recirculates water from the collection reservoir onto the plant support frame where it is distributed among plants through distribution channels. A light assembly is positioned above the plant support frame and selectively illuminates the plant support frame based on ambient lighting conditions as measured by a light sensor.

Abstract: A toaster includes a cabinet defining a toasting cavity for receiving a bread product and one or more heating elements positioned within the cabinet for selectively heating the toasting cavity. A camera assembly is mounted in view of the toasting cavity and a controller is configured to obtain a desired toast level, initiate a toasting cycle by energizing the one or more heating elements, obtain one or more images of the bread product within the toasting cavity using the camera assembly, analyze the one or more images using a machine learning image recognition process to determine an actual toast level of the bread product, and stop the toasting cycle when the actual toast level has reached the desired toast level.

Abstract: A laundry appliance system includes a cabinet that is supported by a pedestal defining a pedestal chamber. A sterilization module is mounted within the pedestal chamber for sterilizing unsterilized items placed into the pedestal chamber. The sterilization module includes a sterilization housing defining a sterilization chamber and a sterilization light source, such as a UV-C ultraviolet light, that is positioned therein for illuminating the sterilization chamber. One or more walls may be positioned within the sterilization chamber to prevent direct line of sight of the sterilization light source from a housing inlet or outlet and an air handler is positioned in the sterilization housing for urging a flow of air through the sterilization chamber so that the flow of air is sterilized by the sterilization light source.

Abstract: A knife station includes a knife block defining a plurality of slots for receiving a plurality of cutlery objects. A locking assembly selectively locks the cutlery objects in their respective slot, e.g., using a locking pin that passes through an aperture in the blade. A controller is operably coupled to an audio device, such as a microphone, for receiving voice commands. The voice commands are converted to text commands using AI-based speech recognition technology and the text commands are compared to a database of text commands to identify a target cutlery object from the cutlery objects in the knife block. The controller may then illuminate a light emitting diode next to the target cutlery and unlock only that piece of cutlery so that the user may withdraw it from the knife block.

Abstract: A pill dispenser includes a housing and a slidable drawer with a dispenser cup therein. A storage cup is fixed within the housing. The pill dispenser also includes a movable probe, a flexible tip on the probe, and a suction pump in fluid communication with the flexible tip. The pill dispenser may be configured for and/or methods of operating the pill dispenser may include rotating the probe a position above the storage cup, translating the probe downward into the storage cup, and activating the suction pump. While the suction pump is active, the probe is translated to the position above the storage cup, rotated to a position above the dispenser cup, and translated downward into the dispenser cup. The suction pump is deactivated when the flexible tip is within the dispenser cup.