Apparatus and method for a smart kitchen appliance

• US 20020009016A1
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Published: 01/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bruce Ancona, Robert A. Varakian
• Original Assignee: Salton Incorporated (Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ancona, Bruce, Varakian, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US09/809,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20020009016A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 366/205
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/321 the electronic control being performed over a network, e.g. by means of a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/046 with tools driven from the bottom side
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/07 Parts or details, e.g. mixing tools, whipping tools

Abstract

A method of displaying recipes on a kitchen appliance such as a blender. The appliance comprises a computing device, a display screen, and navigational keys. A server connected to the Internet may receive various recipes from a plurality of computing devices also connected to the Internet. The received recipes are converted into records having a consistent record format and stored in a database, and the records are then communicated to the appliance. Optionally the recipe data may be inserted into the appliance in the form of a chip or other computing device. A selection of various criteria is presented on the display screen of the appliance and the user uses navigational keys to select criteria for sorting of the records. The records are then sorted according to the selected criteria, and the sorted records are listed on the display screen. Using the navigational keys the user selects and displays at least one recipe on the display screen, after which a next or previous recipe on the sorted list may be displayed using the navigational keys.

Claims

1. A method of displaying at least one recipe on a kitchen appliance, the kitchen appliance comprising a computing device and a display screen, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) communicating a plurality of records to the kitchen appliance, each of said plurality of records comprising the at least one recipe;

(b) listing said plurality of records on the display screen according to a criteria;

and

(c) displaying the at least one recipe on the display screen.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

selecting said criteria for sorting said plurality of records from a selection presented on the display screen using navigational keys; and

sorting said plurality of records according to said selected criteria.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising a step of selecting the at least one recipe from said plurality of records listed on the display screen, said selecting is performed using said navigational keys.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising a step of displaying a next or a previous of the at least one recipe on the display screen, said displaying being performed using said navigational keys.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of

at least one server computing device receiving said at least on recipe from a plurality of computing devices connected to a network;

converting said received at least on recipe in to said plurality of records, said plurality of records having a consistent record format; and

storing said plurality of records in a database.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of communicating said plurality of records to the blender appliance from said at least one server computing device via said network.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of communicating said plurality of records to the blender appliance a computer readable medium.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said network is the Internet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the kitchen appliance is a blender.

10. A kitchen appliance for displaying information, said kitchen appliance comprising:

a computing device for accepting a plurality of records, each of said plurality of records comprising the at least one recipe; and

a display screen for listing said plurality of records according to a criteria, and displaying the information.

11. The kitchen appliance of claim 10, where the information is at least one recipe.

12. The kitchen appliance of claim 11, further comprising navigational keys for selecting said criteria for sorting said plurality of records from a selection presented on said display screen;

and sorting said plurality of records according to said selected criteria.

13. The kitchen appliance of claim 12, wherein said navigational keys further used for selecting said at least one recipe from said plurality of records listed on said display screen and for displaying a next or a previous of said at least one recipe on said display screen.

14. The kitchen appliance of claim 13, further comprising a network connection for receiving said at least on recipe from a plurality of computing devices connected to a network.

15. The kitchen appliance of claim 14, wherein said network is Internet.

16. The kitchen appliance of claim 15, further comprising a computer medium reader for receiving said at least on recipe on such computer medium.

17. The kitchen appliance of claim 10 which is a blender.