Patent Application
20210395069
Dispensers are machines designed to portion and release a specific amount of product upon request by a user. Dispensers may deliver the specific amount of product automatically or through mechanical means. Typically, dispensers contain fluids or granular materials.
The Detailed Description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. The use of the same reference numbers in different instances in the description and the figures may indicate similar or identical items.
Global beverage companies have installed tens of thousands of touchscreen beverage dispensers into quick-serve restaurants, sit-down restaurants, convenience stores and gas stations around the globe. The primary value of these dispensers is the flexibility that they offer to the customer to choose from a broad selection of drinks without needing staff to attend to the dispense process. These touchscreen dispensers are for carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks as well as coffee and occasionally alcoholic beverages such as beer.
Most of these dispensers are used in a self-serve fashion, wherein the customer makes payment and is then provided a cup to fill their own drink at the dispenser. Touch-based dispensers typically require each customer to touch the screen in order to dispense a beverage. The screens may be sanitized up to several times per hour by a staff member who sprays the screen with a sanitizing agent and then wipes the screen with a paper towel. In any given hour of operation, and particularly during peak periods such as lunch, there may be hundreds of customers touching the screen between sanitizations.
The users of touchscreen dispensers interact with the frequently touched screen to select and then dispense their drink and typically consume food products with their chosen beverage. These meals and/or snacks will often be consumed without the use of utensils, such as eating French fries with one's hands, a hamburger wrapped in a piece of wax paper or a candy bar.
Referring generally to
The dispenser systems 100 include a dispenser, a support surface for placement of a container, a motion sensor located on or in close proximity to the support surface for detecting the presence of the container, linear or rotational motion of the container with respect to the support surface, and detecting if the user has applied pressure to the support surface through the container. The dispenser system may include a proximity sensor to detect the proximity of the container to a point of dispense in the dispenser system.
With reference to
The controller 150 is configured to display the plurality of options via the display 102, receive an indication of movement of the container 120 with respect to the support surface 110, associate the indication of movement with at least one selection made from the plurality of options on the display 102, update the display 102 to indicate the at least one selection made from the plurality of options on the display 102, and dispense a customized chosen product based upon the at least one selection made from the plurality of options on the display 102.
The display 102 may display operation instructions to the user, a selection of product options to choose from, and/or other promotional material. The display 102 may be liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, a light-emitting diode (LED) screen, or any other type of electronic screen for displaying a graphical user interface (GUI). The display 102 may be on the dispenser 104, however, in embodiments of the dispenser system 100, the display 102 may not necessarily be an integral part of an existing dispenser 104. The display 102 may be retrofitted to existing dispensers 104 and communicate with the controller 150 via a wired and/or wireless connection.
Referring now to
In embodiments, the at least one motion sensor may be an optical sensor 126 having an optical lens 122 disposed within the pedestal 124 for sensing an indication of angular movement or rotational movement of the container 120 with respect to the support surface 110, a pressure sensor 128 (e.g., at least one load cell, etc.) for sensing an indication of downward movement of the container 120 with respect to the support surface 110 for the duration of time the downward movement is exerted, or any other type of motion sensors that detect whether the container 120 is present, whether the container 120 has leaned forward (away from the user), backward (towards the user), left, right, in a diagonal, or whether the container 120 has rotated in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction with respect to the support surface 110. Other examples of motion sensors include magnetic and/or mechanical sensors that detect the presence and the movement of the container 120. It should be noted that an indication of downward movement should not be limited to a perceptible visual movement of the container in relation to the support surface 110, and may include actual downward movement or any pressure exerted on the support surface
In some embodiments, the optical sensor 126 can be a “track on glass” type optical sensor, such as a track-on-glass sensor used in, for example, an optical mouse. In embodiments of the disclosure, this type of optical sensor, which is configured to detect when the optical sensor is in close proximity to a transparent and/or translucent surface, such as glass, can also detect a translucent surface such as wax paper (dry or wet) and/or other translucent or transparent materials from which a container may be constructed. In this example, other surfaces for which tracking is not desirable, such as an operator's hand, a drip of soda, and so forth, may be ignored by the track-on-glass sensor.
As described herein, the track-on-glass sensor can be an optical chip configured to transmit and detect infrared (IR) light (e.g., light from one or more lasers, light from one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), etc.) at a wavelength of about eight hundred and fifty nanometers (850 nm). However, this wavelength is provided by way of example and is not meant to limit the present disclosure. In other embodiments, a track-on-glass optical sensor may transmit and/or receive other wavelengths greater than or less than eight hundred and fifty nanometers (850 nm). A track-on-glass optical sensor may also have motion detection interrupt output (e.g., where a signal is generated when a transparent and/or translucent surface is detected in proximity to the optical sensor 126). In some embodiments, multiple light transmitters and/or detection devices may be used (e.g., two (2) IR lasers, three (3) IR lasers, and so forth).
Referring again to
The container support 114 also includes one or more assembly brackets 132 encasing the optical sensor 126, the pressure sensor 128, the at least one tactile feedback device 130, and/or the controller board 134. The container support 114 can be a self-contained system and may be removable from the drip tray 118 for cleaning and maintenance. The container support 114 may be powered by a removable power source such as, but not limited to, a battery pack, rechargeable batteries, or may be powered by inductive power transfer when in contact with the drip tray 118 or another part of the dispenser 104. The container support 114, including the rechargeable battery pack, may be powered directly when installed on the drip tray 118 or on a different charging station if removed from the drip tray 118.
After determining a movement of the container 120 upon the support surface 110, the controller 150 updates the display 102 associated with dispensing the customizable product. The controller 150 associates the direction of the movement of the container 120 with at least one selection made from the plurality of options on the display 102 and updates the display 102 to indicate the at least one selection made from the plurality of options on the display 102. Finally, the dispenser 104 dispenses the customized product stream based upon the at least one selection made from the plurality of options on the display 102.
Referring to
Display 102 may also present instructions for the user to press down the container for selecting the chosen product, as shown in
Display 102 presents the user an option to go back in the selection process, allowing the user to revert to the previous screen using the container rotation selection system and the container pressure detection. Once the consumer has selected their product of choice along with additional product options, if any is selected, an instruction to press and hold the container 120 against the support surface 110 is prompted to dispense the chosen product. The dispenser 104 may dispense the chosen product into the container 120 for the duration of the downward press, stopping the dispensing of the product if the pressure of the container 120 against the support surface 110 is lifted. The dispenser 104 may resume dispensing the chosen product if the pressure of the container 120 against the support surface 110 is resumed within a predetermined time frame. After the predetermined time frame has elapsed, the display 102 may revert to its default idle state.
Other forms of dispensing the necessary volume of chosen product may be implemented, such as including a digital scale on the support surface 110 to weigh the container 120 and stop dispensing the chosen product once a predetermined weight of the container 120 is reached, or dispensing a predetermined volume of product based on an identified size of the container 120 or a measured weight of the container 120 prior to dispensing. For example, the dispenser system 100 may weigh the container prior to dispensing the product and identify how much ice was added to the container 120 to determine the maximum volume of product to be dispensed that would not overflow the container 120. This example can include the use of a track-on-glass sensor as previously described. For instance, upon activation of a track-on-glass optical sensor 126, the container can be weighed to determine the available volume of the container (e.g., is a cup half full, does a cup have ice in it, etc.). Then, product can be dispensed based upon the detected weight of the container. The size of the container may be input by the user or identified by the optical sensor of dispenser system 100. The pressure sensor 128 or the digital scale may respectively send information about the possible force of the pressure exerted on the support surface 110 by the container 120 or the weight of the container 120 to the controller 150 via a digital or an analog signal.
In example embodiments when the temperature of the dispensed product is higher than room temperature, for example, hot beverages such as coffee, the display 102 may prompt the user to briefly press the container 120 against the container support 114 and remove their hand. The user does not necessarily need to hold the container 120 and apply a consistent pressure on the container support 114 of the support surface 110 throughout the duration of the product dispense.
In embodiments of the dispenser system 100, the dispenser 104 may include a proximity sensor disposed within or in close proximity of a container support 114 and/or a dispenser nozzle. In some embodiments, the proximity sensor may be a proximity sensor 106 disposed within or in close proximity to the dispenser nozzle. In other embodiments, the proximity sensor can be installed within or in close proximity to the container support 114. For example, the proximity sensor can be a component of (e.g., embedded in) and/or can be implemented using the optical sensor 126. Instead of and/or in addition to pressing and holding the container 120 against the support surface 110 to dispense the chosen product, the user may activate the dispenser 104 by briefly pressing, or clicking, the support surface 110 with the container 120 and raising the container 120 towards or away from the proximity sensor 106. The dispenser 104 may dispense the chosen product when the container 120 is within a predetermined proximity range of the proximity sensor 106 and stop dispensing the chosen product when the container 120 is removed from the dispense area near the proximity sensor 106 (e.g., out of range of the proximity sensor 126). Once the container 120 is removed beyond the predetermined proximity range of the proximity sensor 106, the dispenser 104 stops dispensing the chosen product. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the display 102 may revert to its default idle state. The proximity sensor 106 is communicatively coupled with the controller 150.
Embodiments of container 120 may include an anchor mark (not shown) located at the bottom of the container 120, facing the support surface 110. The position of the anchor mark in container 120 may be identified by the optical sensor 126, which may serve as an indication that the container has been moved or rotated with respect to the support surface 110 when the optical sensor 126 identifies a change in position of the anchor mark with respect to the support surface 110. Additionally, the anchor mark could be a QR code or a serial number identifiable by the optical sensor 126. The optical sensor 126 may read information relating to the container 120 such as volume, expected weight, among others. However, the anchor mark is not integral to the detection of rotation of the container 120 with respect to the support surface 110 and the optical sensor 126 may detect rotation of the container 120 without it.
The container 120 may have seams that are detectable by the optical sensor 126. The container 120 may be composed of paper, polystyrene or other types of polymers, glass, metals, resins, recycled fibers and/or other recycled materials. Additionally, the container 120 may have markers for robotic manufacturing.
Referring now to
The dispenser system 100 can be coupled with a controller 150 for controlling the dispensing of the selected product. The controller 150 can include a processor 152, a memory 154, and a communications interface 156. The processor 152 provides processing functionality for the controller 150 and can include any number of processors, micro-controllers, or other processing systems, and resident or external memory for storing data and other information accessed or generated by the controller 150. The processor 152 can execute one or more software programs that implement techniques described herein. The processor 152 is not limited by the materials from which it is formed or the processing mechanisms employed therein and, as such, can be implemented via semiconductor(s) and/or transistors (e.g., using electronic integrated circuit (IC) components), and so forth. The controller 150 may be integrated directly into the dispenser 104 or be a separate component from the dispenser 104.
As shown in
The memory 154 is an example of tangible, computer-readable storage medium that provides storage functionality to store various data associated with operation of the memory 154 can store data, such as a program of instructions for operating the dispenser system 100 (including its components), and so forth. It should be noted that while a single memory 154 is described, a wide variety of types and combinations of memory (e.g., tangible, non-transitory memory) can be employed. The memory 154 can be integral with the processor 152, can comprise stand-alone memory, or can be a combination of both.
The memory 154 can include, but is not necessarily limited to: removable and non-removable memory components, such as random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory (e.g., a secure digital (SD) memory card, a mini-SD memory card, and/or a micro-SD memory card), magnetic memory, optical memory, universal serial bus (USB) memory devices, hard disk memory, external memory, and so forth. In implementations, the dispenser system 100 and/or the memory 154 can include removable integrated circuit card (ICC) memory, such as memory provided by a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) card, a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), and so on.
The communications interface 156 is operatively configured to communicate with components of the dispenser system 100. For example, the communications interface 156 can be configured to transmit data for storage in the dispenser system 100, retrieve data from storage in the dispenser system 100, and so forth. The communications interface 156 is also communicatively coupled with the processor 152 to facilitate data transfer between components of the dispenser system 100 and the processor 152 (e.g., for communicating inputs to the processor 152 received from a device communicatively coupled with the controller 150). It should be noted that while the communications interface 156 is described as a component of a controller 150, one or more components of the communications interface 156 can be implemented as external components communicatively coupled to the dispenser system 100 via a wired and/or wireless connection. The dispenser system 100 can also comprise and/or connect to one or more input/output (I/O) devices (e.g., via the communications interface 156), including, but not necessarily limited to: a display, a mouse, a touchpad, a keyboard, and so on.
The communications interface 156 and/or the processor 152 can be configured to communicate with a variety of different networks, including, but not necessarily limited to: a wide-area cellular telephone network, such as a 3G cellular network, a 4G cellular network, or a global system for mobile communications (GSM) network; a wireless computer communications network, such as a WiFi network (e.g., a wireless local area network (WLAN) operated using IEEE 802.11 network standards); an internet; the Internet; a wide area network (WAN); a local area network (LAN); a personal area network (PAN) (e.g., a wireless personal area network (WPAN) operated using IEEE 802.15 network standards); a public telephone network; an extranet; an intranet; and so on. However, this list is provided by way of example only and is not meant to limit the present disclosure. Further, the communications interface 156 can be configured to communicate with a single network or multiple networks across different access points.
Generally, any of the functions described herein can be implemented using hardware (e.g., fixed logic circuitry such as integrated circuits), software, firmware, manual processing, or a combination thereof. Thus, the blocks discussed in the above disclosure generally represent hardware (e.g., fixed logic circuitry such as integrated circuits), software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the instance of a hardware configuration, the various blocks discussed in the above disclosure may be implemented as integrated circuits along with other functionality. Such integrated circuits may include all of the functions of a given block, system, or circuit, or a portion of the functions of the block, system, or circuit. Further, elements of the blocks, systems, or circuits may be implemented across multiple integrated circuits. Such integrated circuits may comprise various integrated circuits, including, but not necessarily limited to: a monolithic integrated circuit, a flip chip integrated circuit, a multichip module integrated circuit, and/or a mixed signal integrated circuit. In the instance of a software implementation, the various blocks discussed in the above disclosure represent executable instructions (e.g., program code) that perform specified tasks when executed on a processor. These executable instructions can be stored in one or more tangible computer readable media. In some such instances, the entire system, block, or circuit may be implemented using its software or firmware equivalent. In other instances, one part of a given system, block, or circuit may be implemented in software or firmware, while other parts are implemented in hardware.
In the embodiment illustrated, the dispenser system 100 comprises a beverage dispenser. In embodiments, the beverage dispenser may dispense non-alcoholic beverages including but not limited to soft drinks, juices, coffee, and so forth, and alcoholic beverages including but not limited to beer, mixed alcoholic drinks, and so forth. The dispenser 104 typically uses a combination of pressurization equipment and valves (not shown) to control the dispense of the chosen product. However, those of skill in the art will understand that the dispenser system 100 is not necessarily limited to the beverage dispenser illustrated, and a variety of different products, fluid and non-fluid, may be dispensed by the dispenser system 100. For example, other products suitable to be dispensed by the dispenser system 100 can include but are not limited to edible products such as soft-serve ice creams, frozen yoghurt, soups or condiments, nuts, and candies, and non-edible products such as custom-colored paint, and so forth.
It is to be understood that the terms “user” and “customer” are used interchangeably herein to describe any who uses and/or operates the dispenser system 100.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or process operations, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/041,121, filed Jun. 19, 2020, and titled “CONTACTLESS BEVERAGE DISPENSER,” which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63041121 | Jun 2020 | US |
