# US 12,004,666 B2 · Knife station with speech recognition > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,004,666 B2 - Document ID: US12004666B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/022,430 - Filed: 2020-09-16 - Published: 2022-03-17 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-16 - Assignees: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. - Applicants: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. - Inventors: Abdel Hamad; Srikanth Raavi Venkata; Nabil Alhaffar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12004666B2 ## CPC - A47G 21/14: Knife racks or stands; Holders for table utensils attachable to plates - B26B 9/00: Blades for hand knives - E05B 51/00: Operating or controlling locks or other fastening devices by other non-mechanical means - E05B 73/00: Devices for locking portable objects against unauthorised removal; Miscellaneous locking devices {(motorcycle helmets A42B3/0413; supporting arrangements specially adapted for fastening helmets B62J11/24; gun racks A47B81/005; showcases with theft protection A47F3/002; anti-theft means for peg-boards, grids or rods for hanging merchandise A47F5/0861; show stands, hangers, shelves with provision against unauthorised removal A47F7/024; for self-service hand-carts A47F10/04; locking skis A63C11/004; locking bolts, nuts or pins F16B41/00)} - G06F 3/167: {Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback} - G07C 9/00563: {using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns} - G07C 9/37: using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition - G10L 17/22: Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces - G10L 25/63: for estimating an emotional state - G06N 20/00: Machine learning - A47G: HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT (book-ends A47B5/00; knives B26B) - B26B: HAND-HELD CUTTING TOOLS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (for harvesting A01D; for horticulture, for forestry A01G; for butchering or meat treatment A22; for manufactering or repairing footwear A43D; nail clippers or cutters A45D29/02; kitchen equipment A47J; {vegetable slicers, julienne cutters and similar devices and holders therefor, B26D3/28}; for surgical purposes A61B; for metal B23D; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; plier-like tools with cutting edges B25B7/22; pincers B25C11/02; handles for hand implements, in general B25G; guillotine-type cutters B26D; {perforating by non-mechanical means, e.g. by fluid jet, B26F1/26}; for erasing B43L19/00; for textile materials D06H) - E05B: LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A knife station comprising: a knife block defining a plurality of slots; a plurality of cutlery objects, each of the plurality of cutlery objects being configured for receipt within one of the plurality of slots; a locking assembly for selectively locking one or more of the plurality of cutlery objects within the plurality of slots; and a controller operably coupled to the locking assembly, the controller being configured to: receive a voice command from a user; identify a target cutlery object from the plurality of cutlery objects based at least in part on the voice command; and unlock the identified target cutlery object so that the user may remove it from the knife block, wherein remaining cutlery objects of the plurality of cutlery objects remain locked. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The knife station of claim 1, wherein identifying the target cutlery object comprises: converting the voice command to a text command using a speech recognition technology; and determining the target cutlery object based on the text command. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The knife station of claim 2, wherein determining the target cutlery object from the text command comprises: comparing the text command to a database of text commands to associate the text command with the target cutlery object. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The knife station of claim 2, wherein the speech recognition technology comprises an artificial intelligence or machine learning technique to convert the voice command. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The knife station of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: determine that the voice command is not communicated from an authorized user; and operate the locking mechanism to lock each of the plurality of knives if the voice command is not communicated from the authorized user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The knife station of claim 5, wherein determining that the voice command is not communicated from the authorized user comprises authenticating a particular user or detecting a tone of the voice command. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The knife station of claim 1, wherein the locking assembly unlocks the target cutlery object while keeping each of the remaining of the plurality of cutlery objects locked in the knife block. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The knife station of claim 1, further comprising: an indicator system for selectively identifying one or more of the plurality of cutlery objects within the knife block. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The knife station of claim 8, wherein the indicator system comprises: a plurality of light emitting diodes, each of the plurality of light emitting diodes being associated with one of the plurality of cutlery objects and being selectively illuminated to identify the target cutlery object of the plurality of cutlery objects. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The knife station of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to: illuminate the knife block proximate the target cutlery object. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The knife station of claim 1, wherein the voice command comprises a type of cut to be made and a food type of food to be cut. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The knife station of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of cutlery objects defines an aperture, and wherein the locking assembly comprises: a plurality of linear actuators, each of the plurality of linear actuators comprising a locking pin that selectively extends into the aperture of one of the plurality of knives. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The knife station of claim 1, wherein the locking assembly comprises: a clamping member operably coupled to an actuator for selectively clamping a blade of one of the plurality of knives. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The knife station of claim 1, further comprising: an audio input device for receiving the voice command. ### Claim 15 A method of operating a knife station, the knife station comprising a knife block defining a plurality of slots for receiving a plurality of cutlery objects and a locking assembly for selectively locking one or more of the plurality of cutlery objects within the plurality of slots, the method comprising: receiving a voice command from a user; identifying a target cutlery object from the plurality of cutlery objects based at least in part on the voice command; and unlocking the identified target cutlery object so that the user may remove it from the knife block, wherein remaining cutlery objects of the plurality of cutlery objects remain locked. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein identifying the target cutlery object comprises: converting the voice command to a text command using a speech recognition technology; and determining the target cutlery object based on the text command. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the speech recognition technology comprises an artificial intelligence or machine learning technique to convert the voice command. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: determining that the voice command is not communicated from an authorized user; and operating the locking mechanism to lock each of the plurality of knives if the voice command is not communicated from the authorized user. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the knife station further comprises an indicator system for selectively identifying one or more of the plurality of cutlery objects within the knife block, the method comprising: illuminating the knife block proximate the target cutlery object. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of cutlery objects defines an aperture, and wherein the locking assembly comprises: a plurality of linear actuators, each of the plurality of linear actuators comprising a locking pin that selectively extends into the aperture of one of the plurality of knives.