AUTOMATIC WEIGHT ILLUMINATION DISPLAY COASTERS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to beverage coasters, and more particularly, to illuminated coasters.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Generally, coasters are used in various eateries such as restaurants and bars to act as a base for glasses. The coaster may be a passive coaster with the single purpose of acting as a base for glasses. The coaster may be placed on tables such that the glasses are placed on the coaster rather than directly on the table. As a result, the table surface is protected from the glass. Further, the coaster prevents moisture from contacting the table surface. The moisture may be condensed liquid on the surface of the glasses containing drinks. The conventional coaster does not provide any additional role except acting as a base for glasses. The coaster is thus a passive element used in eateries.

In cateries, employees such as servers, waiters, and bartenders have to manually check level of drinks in glasses of customers so as to offer the customers a refill or take a new order at optimum time. In some cases, the employees may hover near the customers. As a result, the employees may seem invasive to the customers and may be an inconvenient experience for the customers.

Accordingly, there is need for a coaster that provides additional benefits and provides additional functionalities. For instance, there is an established need for systems and methods that allow employees in eateries to be indicated of level of drinks of customers. Further, there is an established need for systems and methods that allow coasters to provide information and entertainment to the customers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an illuminated coaster. The illuminated coaster comprises a plurality of light emitters, a memory configured to store computer-executable instructions, and a processor in communication with the memory. The processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to: detect presence of a container on the coaster, estimate a volume of liquid within the container present on the coaster, and activate the plurality of light emitters to emit one of: a light of first color, a light of second color, or a light of third color based on the estimated volume of liquid.

In an aspect, the estimated volume may be one of a high volume, a medium volume, or a low volume.

In an aspect, when the estimated volume is high volume, the plurality of emitters may be activated to emit light of first color.

In an aspect, when the estimated volume is medium volume, the plurality of emitters may be activated to emit light of second color.

In an aspect, when the estimated volume is low volume, the plurality of emitters may be activated to emit light of third color.

In an aspect, the light of first color may be green.

In an aspect, the light of second color may be yellow.

In an aspect, the light of third color may be red.

In an aspect, the processor may be configured to execute the computer-executable instructions, which when executed, may cause the processor to detect absence of the container on the coaster.

In an aspect, the processor may be configured to execute the computer-executable instructions, which when executed, may cause the processor to cause display of information on the coaster.

In an aspect, the processor may be configured to execute the computer-executable instructions, which when executed, may cause the processor to cause display of information on the coaster in response to detection of absence of the container on the coaster.

In an aspect, the information may comprise one or more of advertisements, videos, games, or images.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to limit the invention, where like designations denote like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of an illuminated coaster, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a control unit associated with the coaster, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate various use cases of the coaster, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates various examples of information to be displayed on the coaster, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5A illustrates a side view of a charging device for charging of the coaster, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5B illustrates a front view of the charging device for charging of the coaster, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for controlling operation of the coaster, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. The term “comprising” can also encompass the terms “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of.” For purposes of description herein, the terms “top”, “bottom”, “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “rear”, “right”, “front”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “side”, “rear”, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 1. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

It is be noted that the term “individual” and “customer” are used interchangeably in this disclosure, and intend to cover any person who consumes liquid or beverage from the container as disclosed herein.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, an isometric view of an illuminated coaster 100 (interchangeably referred to as ‘coaster’) is illustrated, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The coaster 100 comprises a base 110. The base 110 comprises a central portion 112 and an extended portion 114, the central portion 112 and the extended portion 114 together forming an upper surface 115, as will be described in detail further below. The extended portion 114 may be provided along a periphery of the coaster 100. The coaster 100 may be configured to hold a container 120 thereupon.

In some embodiments, the container 120 may be a container containing a consumable drink. In some embodiments, the container 120 may be a glass container. The container 120 may be utilized in eateries, restaurants, bars, cafes, clubs, or the like. The container 120 may be used to serve drinks and beverages such as mocktails, cocktails, water, soda, alcohols, or the like to customers.

The coaster 100 may be configured to be placed on a table within an eatery. The coaster 100 may acts as a tray, a plate, and/or a dish placed under the container 120. The coaster 100 may be configured to prevent a surface of the table from moisture from the container 120. The beverage within the container 120 may cause buildup of moisture on the container 120 as a result of condensation. The coaster 100 prevents surface of the table from the moisture. Further, the coaster 100 may be configured to protect the surface of the table as the surface may be prone to scratching from the container 120. As the container 120 is placed on the coaster 100, and not directly on the table, any damage to the container is prevented.

As described above, the coaster 100 comprises the central portion 112 and the extended portion 114 forming the upper surface 115. The upper surface 115 may be configured to provide a resting area for the container 120, in that, the container 120 may be placed on the upper surface 115. As an example, the container 120 may be placed on the central portion 112 of the upper surface 115. In some embodiments, the base 110 may have a beveled configuration, in that, the edges of the base 110 may be sloped with respect to the upper surface 115. The beveled configuration enables the coaster 100 to disperse lights from light emitters, as will be detailed further below. In some embodiments, the extent of the slope may be a pre-determined value to achieve effective dispersion of light as well as increase aesthetic appearance.

In some embodiments, the central portion 112 may comprise one or more electronic components (not shown) of the coaster 100. The one or more electronic components (described with reference to FIG. 2) may be disposed beneath the central portion 112 of the upper surface 115, as would be understood to a skilled person in view of the present disclosure.

The upper surface 115 may be integrated with a display screen configured to display information to a customer who has placed the container 120 on the coaster 100. In an embodiment, the upper surface 115 may be the display screen. In some embodiments, the display screen may be a light emitting diode (LED) screen. The coaster 100 may comprise an input/output (I/O) port configured to transfer, to the coaster 100, information to be displayed on the display screen. i.e., the upper surface 115. In some embodiments, the I/O port may be a universal serial bus (USB) port.

In some embodiments, the information to be displayed on the upper surface 115 may include advertisements, food, and drink menus of the eateries where the coaster 100 is being used, images, pictures, videos, games, or the like.

In some embodiments, the coaster 100 may have a circular shape, as illustrated. It is appreciated that the coaster 100 may be of any other shape without departing from the scope of the present invention, such as, oval, elliptical, square, rectangular, and the like. In some embodiments, the coaster 100 may have a thickness T defined by the base 110. In some embodiments, the thickness T may be 4.5 inches. In some embodiments, the coaster 100 may have a diameter D1 of any pre-determined value to facilitate a customer to place the container 120 thereon as well as to allow the customer to view information on the coaster 100. In some embodiment, the diameter D1 may be approximately 11.5 cm or 4.5 inch. In some embodiments, at least some portion of the coaster 100 may be formed of acrylic.

The upper surface 115 may comprise a plurality of light emitters 116 placed thereon. In some embodiments, the plurality of light emitters 116 may be light emitting diodes (LEDs). In some embodiments, the plurality of light emitters 116 may be placed between the central portion 112 and the extended portion 114. In some embodiments, the plurality of light emitters 116 may be placed so as to surround the central portion 112 of the coaster 100. In some embodiments, the plurality of light emitters 116 may be positioned in a circular pattern on the upper surface 115. In some embodiments, the diameter D2 of the circular pattern may be 4.5 cm. In some embodiments where the plurality of light emitters 116 may be placed so as to surround the central portion 112, the diameter of the central portion may be D2.

In some embodiments, each light emitter of the plurality of light emitters 116 may be configured to emit a red light, a yellow light, and a green light. In some other embodiments, each of the plurality of light emitters 116 may be configured to emit a corresponding color of light. For instance, a first set of light emitters from among the plurality of light emitters 116 may be configured to emit a red light, a second set of light emitters from among the plurality of light emitters 116 may be configured to emit a yellow light, and a third set of light emitters from among the plurality of light emitters 116 may be configured to emit a green light.

The coaster 100 may comprise a control unit configured to control the plurality of light emitters 116 based on a volume of liquid within the container 120. The control unit may further be configured to control the display unit integrated with the central portion 112 of the coaster.

Reference is made to FIG. 2 which illustrates a block diagram of a control unit 200 associated with the coaster 100. In some embodiments, the control unit 200 may be an on-device control unit. i.e., provided within the coaster 100. In some embodiments, the control unit 200 may be provided in a distributed manner, in that, one or more components and/or functionalities of the control unit 200 may be provided through the coaster 100 and one or more components and/or functionalities of the control unit 200 may be provided through a separate unit communicatively coupled to the coaster 100.

In some embodiments, the control unit 200 may comprise a processor 202, a memory 204, a set of modules 206A, 206B, and 206C (also collectively referred to as modules 206, and individually referred to as a module 206 in some portions of the disclosure), a power unit 208, a display unit 210, and a networking unit 212. In some embodiments, the set of modules 206 may be included within the memory 204. In some embodiments, the set of modules 206 may be hardware units that may be outside the memory 204.

In some embodiments, the control unit 200 may comprise a computer, e.g., a server computer, or a dedicated host device. In some embodiments, the memory 204 may be communicatively coupled to the processor 202. The memory 204 may be configured to store data, and instructions executable by the processor 202. The memory 204 may include a database configured to store data. The memory 204 may include an operating system for performing one or more tasks of the control unit 200, as performed by a generic operating system in the communications domain. In some embodiments, the memory 204 may communicate via a bus within the control unit 200. The memory 204 may include, but not limited to, a non-transitory computer-readable storage media, such as various types of volatile and non-volatile storage media including, but not limited to, random access memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable read-only memory, flash memory, magnetic tape or disk, optical media and the like. In one example, the memory 204 may include a cache or random-access memory for the processor. In alternative examples, the memory 204 is separate from the processor/controller, such as a cache memory of a processor, the system memory, or other memory.

In some embodiments, the processor 202 may include specialized processing units such as, integrated system (bus) controllers, memory management control units, floating point units, graphics processing units, digital signal processing units, etc. In one embodiment, the processor 202 may include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or both. The processor 202 may be one or more general processors, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, servers, networks, digital circuits, analog circuits, combinations thereof, or other now known or later developed devices for analyzing and processing data. The processor 202 may implement a software program, such as code generated manually (i.e., programmed).

In some embodiments, the processor 202 may be in communication with at least one non-transitory processor-readable medium, such as but not limited to, memory 204. The processor-readable medium may have instructions stored thereon which when executed cause the processor to control and manage operations of the control unit 200. Furthermore, in some implementations, the processor or its functionality may be implemented in other ways, including: via Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), in standard integrated circuits, as one or more computer programs executed by one or more computers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more computer systems), as one or more programs executed by on one or more controllers (e.g., microcontrollers), as one or more programs executed by one or more processors (e.g., microprocessors, central processing units, graphical processing units), as firmware, and the like, or as a combination thereof.

Memory 204 may include a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that may be any electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical storage device that stores executable instructions. The machine-readable storage medium may include, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, a storage drive, an optical disc, or the like. The machine-readable storage medium may be encoded with executable instructions. In some implementations, memory 204 may comprise a cloud-based storage.

Processor 202, in turn, may include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microcontroller, a microprocessor, a processing core, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or similar device capable of executing instructions. In some implementations, processor 202 may comprise a cloud based or virtualized processing module or functionality.

In some embodiments, the control unit 200 may be in communication with a user device 220 via a communication network 222. The communication network 222 may include, without limitation, a direct interconnection, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), wireless network (e.g., using Wireless Application Protocol), the Internet, etc. In some embodiments, the user device 220 may comprise an application, for instance a software application, which is executable to communicate with the control unit 200. In some embodiments, the application may be a web application. In some embodiments, the application may be a mobile application. The mobile application may be installed on the user device. The user device may be any type of electronic device, e.g., desktop computer, laptop computer, portable or mobile device, cell phone, smartphone, tablet computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), wearable device, or the like.

In some embodiments, the user device 220 may comprise a user interface that allows the associated user to interact with the control unit 200, for instance via the application installed therein. The term “user'” as used in the present disclosure refers to owners, managers, caretakers, and employees of cateries where the coaster 100 is being used.

In some embodiments, the display unit 210 may correspond to the upper surface 115 of the coaster 100. The display unit 210 may be configured to display information thereon. In some embodiments, the display unit 210 may be an LCD display or an LED display. The power unit 208 may be configured to provide operational power to the components of the control unit 200. The networking unit 212 may correspond to an I/O port for exchange of data with the coaster 100.

In some embodiments, the set of modules 206 may include a set of instructions that may be executed to cause the control unit 200 to perform any one or more of the methods disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the set of modules 206 may be configured to perform their designated functions in conjunction with the memory 204 and the processor 202. The set of modules 206 may comprise a volume measuring module 206A, an emitter control module 206B, and a display control module 206C.

Referring collectively to FIGS. 1-2, the processor 202 may be configured to determine presence of the container 120 on the coaster 100, in particular, on the upper surface 115 of the coaster 100. In some embodiments, the container 120 may be filled with a liquid, as described above. The liquid within the container 120 may have an associated volume within the container 120. That is, the container 120 be filled with a particular volume of the liquid. For instance, the container 120 may be filled with one of a high volume of liquid, a medium volume of liquid, and a low volume of liquid.

The processor 202, in conjunction with the volume measuring module 206A may be configured to estimate a volume of the liquid within the container 120. It is contemplated that the volume measuring module 206A may employ any volume measuring techniques as known in the art. The volume measuring techniques may comprise employing optical sensors, proximity sensors, strain gauges, capacitive sensors, pressure sensors, hydrostatic level sensors, ultrasonic sensors, laser sensors, or the like as known to a person skilled in the art.

In some embodiments, the processor 202 may estimate the volume based on a weight of the container 120 filled with the liquid and placed upon the coaster 100. In some embodiments, the memory 204 may store weight of the containers 120 being used in eateries. In some embodiments, the volume measuring module 206A may comprise a weight sensor. The weight sensor is to measure weight on the coaster 100, for example weight placed on the central portion 112 of the coaster 100. In some embodiments, the coaster 100 may comprise the weight sensor (e.g., disposed in the upper surface 115 of the coaster), which may correspond to the volume measuring module 206A.

The processor 202, in conjunction with the emitter control module 206B, may be configured to control operation of the plurality of light emitters 116 to emit light based on the estimate volume of the liquid in the container 120. In particular, when the estimated volume is a high volume of liquid, the processor 202 may be configured to activate one or more of the plurality of light emitters 116 to emit light of a first color. When the estimated volume is a medium volume of liquid, the processor 202 may be configured to activate one or more of the plurality of light emitters 116 to emit light of a second color. When the estimated volume is a low volume of liquid, the processor 202 may be configured to activate one or more of the plurality of light emitters 116 to emit light of a third color.

Analogously, in some embodiments, when the weight of the container 120 is determined to be having a value in a first range of values, which is indicative of the container 120 having a high volume of liquid therein, the plurality of light emitters 116 may be activated to emit light of the first color. When the weight of the container 120 is determined to be having a value in a second range of values, which is indicative of the container 120 having a medium volume of liquid therein, the plurality of light emitters 116 may be emit light of the second color. When the weight of the container 120 is determined to having a value in a third range of values, which is indicative of the container 120 having a low volume of liquid therein, the plurality of light emitters 116 may be activated to emit light of the third color.

In some embodiments, the processor 202 may refer to pre-stored criteria to determine volume of liquid in the container 120. The pre-stored criteria may include, in non-limiting examples, 70-100% of volume of container 120 as high volume, 30-70% of volume of container 120 as medium volume, and 0-30% of volume of container 120 as low volume.

In some embodiments, the first color may be green. In some embodiments, the second color may be yellow. In some embodiments, the third color may be red. In some embodiments, the processor 202 may be configured to control the plurality of light emitters 116 to emit light for a pre-defined period of time. Referring to FIGS. 3A-3C, a use case of the coaster 100 is illustrated. In FIG. 3A, the container 120 has a high volume of liquid therein, and hence, the color emitted by the plurality of light emitters 116 may be green. In FIG. 3B, the container 120 has a medium volume of liquid therein, and hence, the color emitted by the plurality of light emitters 116 may be yellow. In FIG. 3A, the container 120 has a low volume of liquid therein, and hence, the color emitted by the plurality of light emitters 116 may be red. As can be seen in FIGS. 3A-3C, different colors emitted by the plurality of light emitters 116 are shown by different patterns of light. In some embodiments, the light emitted from the plurality of light emitters 116 may be dispersed by virtue of the beveled configuration of the coaster 100.

The processor 202, in conjunction with the display control module 206C, may be configured to control the display unit 210 to display information thereon. In some embodiments, the information may be a pre-stored information, i.e., pre-stored in the memory 204. In some embodiments, the information may be stored in the memory 204 by means of the networking unit 212, for instance, via the I/O port associated with the coaster 100. In some embodiments, the information may be provided by the user device 220 via the communication network 222.

In some embodiments, the processor 202 may be configured to determine an absence of the container 120 on the coaster 100. For example, the processor 202 may determine if there is any weight on the coaster 100, from example, from the weight sensor, and may infer the absence of the container 120 based on the weight. It is also contemplated that in the coaster 100 may comprise sensors, such as but not limited to, proximity sensor, which may be employed to determine the absence of the container 120 on the coaster 100. The processor 202 may be configured to display the information on the display unit 210 (corresponding to the central portion 112) upon determining the absence of the container 120 on the coaster 100. As an example, a customer may pick the container 120 from the coaster 100 for consuming the liquid, and the information may be displayed on the central portion 112 when the container 120 is picked by the customer.

FIG. 4 illustrates non-limiting examples of the information which may be displayed on the central portion 112 of the coaster 100. As seen in FIG. 4, the coaster 100 may display the information thereon via the display unit 210. In some embodiments, the information may include advertisements, food, and drink menus of the eateries where the coaster 100 is being used, images, pictures, videos, and the like. For instance, as can be seen in illustration 400 of FIG. 4, food images may be displayed on the display unit 210 of the coaster 100, menu information may be displayed on the display unit 210 of the coaster 100, games may be displayed on the display unit 210 of the coaster 100, advertisements may be displayed on the display unit 210 of the coaster 100, or a QR code may be displayed on the display unit 210 of the coaster 100. The QR code when scanned by a consumer of the liquid may redirect to a menu of the eatery where the customer is enjoying the drinks.

In some embodiments, the display unit 210 may be an interactive display unit or a graphical display interface. The display unit 210 may be configured to receive a user input from a customer. For instance, the user input may be via a touch on the display unit 210. In a non-limiting example, the menu items may be displayed to the customer and the customer may provide user inputs indicative of selection of a menu item from among the displayed menu items.

In some embodiments, the processor 202 may be configured to receive the user input via the display unit 210 and transmit a request to the user device 220. The request may be indicative of the user input, such as, selection of menu items, request for payments, request for menu, request for a food item, request for a drink, and the like. A user associated with the user device 220, such as an employee of the eatery where the coaster 100 is being used, may thus receive requests from the customer via the coaster 100.

In some embodiments, as described above, the power unit 208 may be configured to provide operational power to the components of the control unit 200. In some embodiments, the power unit 208 may be associated with a rechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery may be charged via the power unit 208. In some embodiments, the power unit 208 may be charged in a wireless manner. Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, a charging device 500 may be provided to facilitate charging of the coaster 100. FIG. 5A illustrates a side view of the charging device 500 while FIG. 5B illustrates a front view of the charging device 500. The charging device 500 may comprise a plurality of charging stations 502 configured to accommodate a corresponding coaster 100 for charging. As seen in FIG. 5A, multiple coasters 100 are accommodated within the corresponding charging stations 502 of the charging device 500. Each charging station of the plurality of charging stations 502 may be defined by a corresponding set of wireless charging elements 504 configured to interact with the power unit 208 and charge the battery of the coasters 100. The coasters 100 may be charged by inductive charging when placed within the corresponding charging stations 502 on the charging device 500. In particular, the coaster 100, when placed within the corresponding charging station 502, may be surrounded by the corresponding set of charging elements 504 in order to get charged by inductive charging.

In some embodiments, the number of the charging stations 502 may be 10, thereby allowing a total of 10 coasters 100 to be charged simultaneously. The charging device 500 may comprise a USB port 506 and a USB cord 508 for connecting with a power outlet. In some embodiments, the USB port 506 and the USB cord 508 may allow transfer to information to the coaster 100 as well as allow transfer of power from the power outlet to the charging device 500.

In an embodiment, as seen in FIG. 5B, the charging elements 504 may have a height H. In an embodiment, the height H of the charging elements 504 may be less than the diameter D1 of the coaster 100. In an embodiment, the charging device 500 may have a width W. In an embodiment, the width W may be 5 inches, thereby allowing the coaster 100 to be placed within the charging device 500 for charging. In an embodiment, as seen in FIG. 5A, the charging device 500 may comprise side walls 510. In an embodiment, the side walls 510 may have a length L of 3.75 inches. In an embodiment, the side walls 510 may be integrated with charging elements. In an embodiment, the side walls 510 may be made of plastic or Plexiglas. In an embodiment, the side wall 510 may comprise one or more graphics for aesthetic purposes.

Also, as can be seen in in FIG. 5A, the side walls 510 of the charging device 500 may display the information thereon via a display unit comprised in the side walls 510. In some embodiments, the information may include advertisements, food, and drink menus of the eateries (where the coaster 100 and the charging device 500 is being used), images, pictures, videos, and the like.

Reference is made to FIG. 6, which illustrates a flowchart of an example method 600 for controlling operation of an illuminated coaster, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 600 may be performed by the control unit 200, in particular, the processor 202 in conjunction with the set of modules 206 and the memory 204.

In block 602, a presence of the container 120 on the coaster 100 may be detected. For instance, the container 120 may be placed on the upper surface 115 of the coaster 100. The container 120 may be placed on the coaster 100 by an individual who is consuming a beverage provided in the container 120.

In block 604, a volume of liquid within the container 120 may be estimated. The volume of liquid within the container 120 may be, for instance, high volume, medium volume, and a low volume.

In block 606, the plurality of light emitters 116 may be activated to emit one of a light of first color, a light of second color, or a light of third color of light based on the estimate volume of liquid. For instance, when the estimated volume of liquid is high volume, the plurality of light emitters 116 may be activated to emit light of the first color, such as green. When the estimated volume of liquid is medium volume, the plurality of light emitters 116 may be activated to emit light of the second color, such as yellow. When the estimated volume of liquid is low volume, the plurality of light emitters 116 may be activated to emit light of the third color, such as red.

The emittance of light of a particular color by the plurality of light emitters 116 of the coaster 100 may be indicative of if the individual consuming the liquid (e.g., beverage) is ready for the next drink or so. For example, when the plurality of light emitters 116 of the coaster 100 emit light of green color, it may indicate, for example, to a waiter or server at an eatery when the individual is having the drink, that there is still an adequate amount of liquid in the container 120, and that the individual may not be ready yet to order the next drink. Similarly, for example, when the plurality of light emitters 116 of the coaster 100 emit light of yellow color, it may indicate that the liquid or beverage in the container 120 is about to be finished, and that the individual may be ready to order the next drink. Similarly, for example, when the plurality of light emitters 116 of the coaster 100 emit light of red color, it may indicate that the liquid or beverage in the container 120 is almost finished, and that the individual should be reached out to check if they would like to order the next drink.

In some embodiments, the method 600 may comprise additional optional operations 608-610. In block 608, an absence of the container 120 on the coaster 100 is detected. For instance, a customer may pick the container 120 from the coaster 100, such as to drink the liquid within the container 120.

In block 610, information may be displayed on the display unit 210 of the coaster 100, which may be visible to the customer via the upper surface 115 of the coaster 100. For instance, the customer may raise the container 120 from the coaster 100 to view information being displayed on the coaster 100. As described above, the information may include advertisements, food and drink menus, images, games, videos, or the like

In some embodiments, the operation 610 may be performed in response to the operation 608. In some embodiments, the method 600 may be performed for multiple coasters being used in the eateries.

It is be noted that the systems, devices, and methods of the disclosure are described in conjunction with the coaster that emit light of three different colors, however the coaster that emit light of two different colors (one color being indicative of the customer not ready to order the next drink, and the other color being indicative of the customer being ready to order the next drink) is also contemplated. Such coasters fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

In some implementations, the control unit 200 includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (CRSM) comprises instructions executable by a processor. The CRSM may comprise any electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical storage device that stores executable instructions. The instructions may comprise instructions to cause the processor 202 of the control unit 200 to perform or control performance of operations thereof. The functions and features of the CRSM may be similar to the functions and features described in relations to the methods and systems described herein.

The present invention thus provides an illuminated coaster which may be used in various eateries, restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs, or the like. The coaster allows employees of the eateries to be aware of drink level of customers, thereby allowing the employees to promptly refill the drinks or get order for the next drink. Further, the servers, waiters, or bartenders need not manually ask the customers or see the level of drinks in containers of the customers, thus preventing them from being too invasive. Moreover, the illuminated coaster allows display of various information, such as, menus, advertisements, images, videos, etc. on the coaster. The illuminated coaster thus facilitates increase in customer engagement, which may lead to increase in sales and business growth.

The methods described herein may be performed using the systems described herein. In addition, it is contemplated that the methods described herein may be performed using systems different than the systems described herein. Moreover, the systems described herein may perform the methods described herein and may perform or execute the instructions stored in the CRSMs described herein. It is also contemplated that the systems described herein may perform functions or execute instructions other than those described in relation to the methods and CRSMs described herein.

Furthermore, the CRSMs described herein may store instructions corresponding to the methods described herein, and may store instructions which may be performed or executed by the systems described herein. Furthermore, it is contemplated that the CRSMs described herein may store instructions different than those corresponding to the methods described herein, and may store instructions which may be performed by systems other than the systems described herein.

The methods, systems, and CRSMs described herein may include the features or perform the functions described herein in association with any one or more of the other methods, systems, and CRSMs described herein.

In some embodiments the method or methods described above may be executed or carried out by a computing system including a tangible computer-readable storage medium, also described herein as a storage machine, that holds machine-readable instructions executable by a logic machine (i.e., a processor or programmable control device) to provide, implement, perform, and/or enact the above described methods, processes and/or tasks. When such methods and processes are implemented, the state of the storage machine may be changed to hold different data. For example, the storage machine may include memory devices such as various hard disk drives, CD, or DVD devices. The logic machine may execute machine-readable instructions via one or more physical information and/or logic processing devices. For example, the logic machine may be configured to execute instructions to perform tasks for a computer program. The logic machine may include one or more processors to execute the machine-readable instructions. The computing system may include a display subsystem to display a graphical user interface (GUI), or any visual element of the methods or processes described above. For example, the display subsystem, storage machine, and logic machine may be integrated such that the above method may be executed while visual elements of the disclosed system and/or method are displayed on a display screen for user consumption. The computing system may include an input subsystem that receives user input. The input subsystem may be configured to connect to and receive input from devices such as a mouse, keyboard, or gaming controller. For example, a user input may indicate a request that certain task is to be executed by the computing system, such as requesting the computing system to display any of the above described information, or requesting that the user input updates or modifies existing stored information for processing. A communication subsystem may allow the methods described above to be executed or provided over a computer network. For example, the communication subsystem may be configured to enable the computing system to communicate with a plurality of personal computing devices. The communication subsystem may include wired and/or wireless communication devices to facilitate networked communication. The described methods or processes may be executed, provided, or implemented for a user or one or more computing devices via a computer-program product such as via an application programming interface (API).

Since many modifications, variations, and changes in detail can be made to the described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHT ILLUMINATION DISPLAY COASTERS

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