Serious question: Is there a "mute" button in any of those patents?

Even though microwaves keep getting control panels with more buttons, they never seem to get rid of the annoying "beep" everytime you press a button. It just seems like a counter incentive to use the microwave extra options.

Microwaves are not the only appliance that does that... I just replaced my washing machine the other day and now it just beeps for every reason (also, I'm pretty sure the beep makes the same sound as coins in super mario, which feels kind of weird).

Why is this? What's wrong with just having a beep when the food is ready (or maybe not even that) like in the older microwaves? Is it to help blind people? If so, wouldn't the old rotary knob be better?