Patent Application
20250074670
None.
The present solution relates to the design of tumblers, vessels and plates that merge the design with digital solutions (Mobil apps, web applications, and tracking system) by adding chip with specific functions like NFC & Bluetooth™ Low Energy (BLE). This will allow users to personalize their tumblers, vessels and plates to help user to have culture to avoid use of disposals and with our invention we'll allow fast food consumers to contribute to stop used of plastic and cardboard tumblers, vessels and plates to prevent climate change. The capability to sync device with digital solution will help different food franchise areas to save cost by allowing users to make trades with their products and owners will be able to have new type of experience with the product with the interaction of mobile apps and tracking system to generate a culture of bring your own tumblers, vessels, bucket and plates as consumer and in benefit of environment.
Novel process to generate rewards based on the use of the items described on this invention to promote usage of reusable products. The process includes a track products based on BLE chip capabilities and be able to use them on trading transaction by using the NFC chip with a unique identifier. Also included on this process is the data analysis to food franchises to track benefits to their cost savings and support a change on the current climate change scenario, all this will be presented using Mobile applications, web services and is not limited to new digital solutions and technologies that could be merged on the process and product on the search for the same goal.
The present invention relates to food related service articles for serving and delivering food, and more specifically to such devices with integral tracking and locating means and methods of use.
There are in the market different set of tumblers, vessels, buckets and plates that have multipurpose solutions (modules) and volumes. Those solutions are following a unique purpose to provide different intake solution and attractive features to the consumers, like: tumblers covered with magnets, sport tumblers covers, tea infusion filters, among others. The goal of the products are mainly to the proper drinkware solutions and food intake. None uniquely identify and track a particular individual article.
Prior art includes tumblers or other vessels that could include NFC chips to track temperature or specific functions. In addition to this, current tumblers, vessels, buckets and plates are lacking of a practical and modular holder that could promote user to keep them with them at any time to prevent the use of disposable tumblers, vessels and plates. Current solutions are lacking in providing a real solution to fast food franchisers and others to be able to participate directly in the solution to avoid disposal items in its branches and for delivery services. No prior art provides for a customer to have uniquely identified food service items that can then be reused by the same customer and tracked by the foodservice establishment.
Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.
A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification and title are provided as well for the purposes of complying with 37 CFR 1.72 and are not intended to be used for interpreting or limiting the scope of the claims.
Without limiting the scope of the invention, a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the detailed description of the invention below.
A novel design of tumblers, vessels and plates to integrate attractive features embedded and merge into digital solutions to wake up a new type of interest on the advantage to use reusable tumblers, lids, vessels and plates by margining technology and new marketing models for customers, food franchises and companies that will want products in the aim to reduce internal costs, restore and preserve the nature environment and help to revert climate changes.
By adding NFC & BLE chips and be able to integrate product with digital solutions like Mobil apps, there will be multiple applications/solutions to be used by product owners and food franchises and companies that required to reduce disposal of used products. There may be means to create the associated software application that facilitates a new type of trade and interactions between product and food franchise owners to promote the use of this proposed reusable tumblers, vessels, buckets and plates. By including BLE, this give the capacity to keep your product always with you and locate/track it on a closed area or use mobile apps to locate it by using GPS features on smart products. There is a capability to add more features on the circuit board like temperature sensor, accelerometer among others.
A novel process is also included to merge products meant to avoid usage of disposals with a new rewards process and method to interact using a smartphone application and web services. Adding a smartphone application to mix multiple products under platform management will grant product's owners the capabilities to avoid lost them and increase ties to use the items in benefits of the environment. The process is not limited to add new features or new application related with rewards strategy, the franchises will be able to manage their inner strategy to save cost and promote product usage and for the users, application will provide a way to review customize settings to promote the acquisition of new modules for their products and acquire them using a e-commerce environment.
The present invention is a new design for modular tumblers, lids, vessels, buckets, plates and holder for reusable products by including multipurpose features. NFC & Bluetooth™ Low energy (BLE) chips mounted on an electronic board to integrate them with the “Internet of thing” by using different digital solution. The NFC and BLE chips will provide unique capabilities like universal code to special trade purposes, temperature metric and help to locate the tumbler/vessels/plates under a specific range a near location and/or using GPS features from mobile devices.
The tumblers, vessels, bucket and plates will include a section on the design that will protect NFC/BLE chip with ingress protection standards (IP) and will provide shock resistance. The exchangeable top nozzle piece for tumblers & vessels will have a standard mounting/screw system that will easily replace items to the one that suit the needs. The tumblers, vessels, buckets, plates, holders & lids will have magnetic components that will allow the user to have special holders to have an easy process to carry the products with them at all places.
The tumblers and vessels will have modular holders with a primary holder that can use isolated with and ribbon, or by combining one or two primary holder with a secondary modular holder to create a cup holder. In addition, primary holder will have different types with one piece or segmented in two pieces, cup holders can include an internal storage area to include a sectional straw to be assembled, this create a unified product to avoid using disposal straws. In addition, the exchangeable pieces included into modular design will allow fast food franchises to create new incomes and rewards by including their brands on the aim to keep using this new modular design.
Delivery services are part of the big consumers of disposals and, currently, there is a lack of processes or solution to avoid that this type of products flood the market, with present invention there are an initial set of items that follow the same pattern with NFC & BLE chips to provide a new method for food service product's exchange process between modular buckets and plates with special delivery buckets and boxes.
The invention includes a set of processes that are able to be implemented with the usage of mobile applications and web base solution to merge products with BLE & NFC chips embedded. The process included on this invention is not limited to have new features, functionality methods, program code. The first digital solution that merge product includes a mobile application where you can register your products and track usage in benefits of environment. The application may include a rewards method where different food franchises and companies can add special incentives to win/add franchises' points and have a different type of point by using the products. The application may also include features to locate and track device, customize and have environmental benefits dashboard for the company and product's owner. A web base solution may be included on the process to franchises be able to admin their rewards strategy and track company benefits by the usage our invention products and process. The benefits for the companies can be measure by cost saving, new markets opportunities, company reputation and all their benefits are tied with environment benefits and looking for a more technological era.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well and the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicated otherwise.
In one exemplary embodiment the invention is comprised of the integration of NFC and Bluetooth™ Low Energy beacon (BLE) in modular tableware made with resistant and reusable materials, this also includes compatible accessories to include own functionalities. The utensils used in a first delivery do not limit the creation of more articles for the same purpose. The elements developed are tumblers, vessels, bucket, plates as well as accessories to improve their functionality such as modular holders for safe transport, cup holders, cutlery, bucket and boxes for delivery services. The NFC chip will have a unique ID following an international standard to make a unique item for any transaction with it.
The products will optionally have an interchangeable base that will protect the integrated circuit with NFC and Bluetooth™ Low energy (BLE). This circuit will have a battery power that can be interchangeable. All this set is protected under the IP protection standard (Ingress Protection). In addition, the products will be made of a resistant and thermo-resistant material and capable of undergoing changes in temperature that can be translucent or solid. In both cases, there may be marks in their design that indicate different volume metrics for easy recognition in solid materials. The spout of the tumblers will be interchangeable to be able to use the type of spout or lid to use. To protect the integrated circuit with NFC & BLE chips from unnecessary actions, products include a special key to be able to open the secured area.
By adding NFC & BLE chips and be able to integrate product with digital solutions like smart phone apps, there will be multiple applications/solutions to be used by product owners and food franchises and companies that required to reduce disposal of the product. There may be means within the application that create a new type of trades and interactions between product and food franchise owners to promote the use of this proposed reusable tumblers, vessels and plates. By including BLE, this give the capacity to keep your product always with the product owner and locate/track it on a closed area or use mobile apps to locate it by using GPS features on smart products. There is a capability to add more features on the circuit board like a temperature sensor, accelerometer among others.
The lid may have a slide-on plug which will be integrated into the lid by means of a metal base with magnetic and rotating properties and a protruding metal integrated into the slide-on plug with magnetic properties. The lid can use the sliding straw stopper, a raised surface to close and/or open the opening for the use of straws, the opening for regular liquid intake and/or close both liquid release openings. The lid, slide-on plug and the metal base will include a central entrance to be able to install a French press plunger rod if needed and a magnetic plug to close this area while this accessory is not used. The slide-on and lid can have this special plugs to be replaceable and secure the area while French press plunger rod is not installed.
The design of the tumblers has the purpose to exchange different types of lids and there are options to convert lids on a coffee purge over module or different types of bottle's nozzles.
There may be accessories for the easy portability of the cup, these holders will be modular, having two parts: an isolated primary holder and secondary modular holder. The primary holder will hold the tumbler and/or vessels through pressure and metals with magnetic properties embedded in its base, this primary holder could be in one piece or segmented based on customer's preferences.
In the same way, the primary holder can be used through ropes and/or ties to be anchored to a similar key ring. The secondary modular holder of the unified accessory will contain a support and resistant clip to be anchored on thin and flat surfaces for easy adherence. This base will have anchoring tongs that will fit perfectly with the main holder for greater control and transport safety. In addition to this, the secondary modular holder may include a storage area to store a sectioned straw that can be assembled by unifying each of its ends.
Another modular accessory of the invention are the cup holders, which will use the main fasteners as base elements to fulfill their function, added to the anchoring tongs included in a fixed base. The fixed base on this occasion will include a handle that will function as a cup holder. As an added utility, the cup holder may come with either a single base or a multi-function base that will include a storage area for a selected straw.
The modular plate may composed of individual plates that will be anchored one after the other by means of solid anchors/clips and fixing holes to give rigidity to the unification of the dish. In addition, the individual plate may be able to convert into a cube that will allow the transport of other elements and have the function of a snack box. This box will be formed starting from two pieces stored inside two of the individual plates; a closure part and a base part, fixed and that will contain the integrated circuit with the NFC and BLE. The part with the integrated circuit will have the highest protection of the modular plate.
Each individual plate may have a special function for the creation of the unified plate and the cube. Likewise, they will have specific storage and anchoring functions. All the plates may have security holes to hold the anchors and the closing piece and integrated circuit when generating the cube. As an important optional element, there may be plates that store a greater number of anchors internally based on their function, and other individual plates will store the closing parts, another the integrated circuit part, and another a container to store your own reusable cutlery. All with the aim of reusing tableware, reducing the use of disposables and supporting the restoration of natural resources.
There are a set of products focused of delivery services based on bucket and modular plates have a little dimension variance in order to easy fit with the internal area of the bucket and plates. Their bottom area is collapsible to easy exchange product between franchise product and customer's item.
The products with BLE & NFC solutions will be able to be managed by a proprietary application that includes different features and processes and is not limited with a single application, the initial application to release includes a rewards methods application that will promote the usage of the product and generate benefits to different food franchises and products' owners.
A reward method application is merged as the initial smartphone application to promote with this invention and the usage of the products, increase customer ties with products and environmental benefits and provide food franchises the opportunity to add a new process to reduce their cost in disposals and have new revenue areas and marketing opportunities. The initial application is not limited to the opportunity to add new technologies, processes and program code to take advantage of NFC, BLE and upcoming technologies to provide a way to link technology with environment friendly solutions.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well and the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicated otherwise.
The invention is comprised of the integration of NFC and Bluetooth™ Low Energy beacon (BLE) in modular tableware made with resistant and reusable materials, this also includes compatible accessories to include own functionalities. The utensils used in a first delivery do not limit the creation of more articles for the same purpose. The elements developed are tumblers (
The tumblers design is an insulated double wall vacuum and have an interchangeable base (1) that will protect the integrated circuit with NFC and Bluetooth™ Low energy (BLE), the integrated circuit board will have a first layer of protection (2) and anti-shock attached into the base on the tumbler's body (15). This circuit will have a battery power that can be interchangeable. All this set is protected under the IP protection standard (Ingress Protection). In addition, the tumblers & plates will be made of a resistant and thermo-resistant material and capable of undergoing changes in temperature that can be translucent or solid (4). In both cases, there will be marks (22 & 23) in their design that indicate different volume metrics (19 and 20) for easy recognition in solid materials. The spout of the tumblers include a hidden interchangeable method (44) under a screw-able system (43) to be able to use the type of spout or lid to use (18 and 55). To protect the integrated circuit with NFC & BLE chips from unnecessary actions, products include a special key to be able to open the secured area (13 & 49) that include key entrance slots (14).
By adding NFC & BLE chips and be able to integrate product with digital solutions like Mobil apps, there will be multiple applications/solutions to be used by product owners and food franchises and companies that required to reduce waste generated by a disposable product. There will be means to create applications that embrace a new type of trades and interactions between product and food franchise owners to promote the use of this proposed reusable tumblers, vessels and plates. By including BLE, this give the capacity to keep your product always with you and locate it on a closed area or use mobile apps to locate it by using GPS features on smart products. There is a capability to add more features on the circuit board like temperature sensor, accelerometer among others.
The lid shall have a slide-on plug (12) which will be integrated into the lid by means of a metal base with magnetic and rotating properties (16) and a protruding metal integrated into the slide-on plug with magnetic properties (11), this section will include a plug with magnetic features to close the area to insert French press plunger rod (37). The lid will use the sliding straw stopper, a raised surface to close and/or open the opening for the use of straws (30), the opening for regular liquid intake (29) and/or close both liquid release openings. The lid and the metal base will include a central entrance (33) to be able to install French press plunger rod (51), if needed, and a magnetic plug to close this area while this accessory is not used (37). The lid will also include special hooks (32) down the area to install special accessories like an infusion filter (45). To add a suite of product to coffee enthusiasts, a special lid that merge a regular lid with pour over cup (144) and included a filter area (142) and the main filter (145) to have an smooth pour over method.
There will be accessories for the easy portability of the cup, these holders will be modular (
In the same way, the primary holder can be used through ropes and/or ties to be anchored to a similar key ring (68 and 74). The secondary modular holder of the unified accessory will contain a support and resistant clip (59) to be anchored on thin and flat surfaces for easy adherence. This base will have anchoring tongs (58, 80 and 88) that will fit perfectly with the main holder for greater control and transport safety. In addition to this, the secondary modular holder include a storage area (62) to store a sectioned straw (64, 65 and 66) that can be assembled by unifying each of its ends.
Another modular accessory of the invention are the cup holders (
The modular plate (98) is a composed of individual plates (94, 95, 96 and 97) that will be anchored one after the other by means of solid anchors/clips (105) and fixing holes (112 & 113) to give rigidity to the unification of the dish on specific areas (127, 128 and 129). In addition, the individual plate will be able to generate a cube (99) that will allow the transport of other elements (137) and have the function of a snack box (136). This box will be formed starting from two pieces stored inside two of the individual plates; a closure part (132) and a base part (133), fixed and that will contain the integrated circuit with the NFC and BLE. The part with the integrated circuit will have the highest IP protection of the modular plate.
On the group of items with BLE & NFC chips (141) there is a modular bucket (138) that is planned to be used when product owner is want to take some food related products to pick & go schema. To easy manage food products, there are splitter divisions (140) to be installed on a slits (139) inner areas on the bucket. The food delivery services are part of the main user of disposals and included with modular bucket there is a group of product dedicated specifically to serve this filed, a delivery bucket is included on the solution (146) and the size if a reduce a few to be able to use it as exchange device (154) with the modular bucket, the bottom of the delivery bucket is collapsible to release food product to the customer's bucket and includes a plunger rod (155) to be used as based for the locker solution (149) and a stopper (148). The product will be released when locker is removed and push rod down to release gates holder (153) that included the NFC & BLE chip.
A delivery box (156) is included as part of delivery solutions to be used by food delivery companies/services to exchange their products with modular plates (162). The bottom part is collapsible to exchange the products and is secured by a plunger rod (157). The NFC chip is included on the bottom area of this invention (161)
Each individual plate will have a special function for the creation of the unified plate and the cube; likewise, they will have specific storage and anchoring functions. All the plates will have security holes to hold the anchors and the closing piece and integrated when generating the cube. As an important element, there will be plates that store a greater number of anchors internally based on their function, and other individual plates will store the closing parts, another the integrated circuit part, and another a container to store your own reusable cutlery (106). All with the aim of reusing tableware, reducing the use of disposables and supporting the restoration of natural resources.
The invention includes the first application under digital solutions that will merge mobile app and a web service to be used in smartphones, tablets, PDAs and other with the utilization with the tableware products to create a rewards process that will benefits food franchises and invention product's owners. This initial process is not limited the capabilities to create more application and web services and/or add more features, process or technologies on the digital solutions or products. The process flow start with the acquisition of the invention products with NFC & BLE chip via Internet e-commerce services or authorized stores, the owner need to register the device using a web application or mobile app to complete the assignation to the product to a specific user ID. The increase the ties between owner and product, the application/web tool include the features to locate the product using BLE signal and a map is included on the application design to geo reference, only registered products on each user profile will be able to be located a mesh of GPS system with other smart devices could be used if needed and under user policy agreements.
The process using digital solution will be available in multiple languages (
The business accounts will be able to request customized invention's product that includes trademarks and logos based on their franchise policies and designs previously approved by them, business accounts are going to be able to manage their stores and rewards systems per store and GEO location. There will be an option to authorize if all type of invention's product can receive rewards, just specific types of companies that are not under the same business or policies and/or just the special inventions' products' with their trademark/logo can receive/redeem rewards. Business accounts are going to have access to a special web tools and application to read NFC from Inventions' products and have specific e-commerce functions.
When a product's owner/application user select a business account, they will be able to locate on the map the closes branch to his location and review the rewards options that business accounts make available on the system. Each time the invention's product request to receive/redeem rewards will need to reach the product near to a POC/PDA/other NFC receiver and the application will confirm the invention's product owner the number of points and/or benefit received. A section to track/manage points/rewards will be included on the application and web tool and will include the rewards/points related to each business account/food franchise and the ones related with the proprietary company (
The user is able to register multiple products to his profile and use them on the food franchises and places to avoid disposals. The food franchises and companies are able to create business accounts to manage a special rewards schema that is under their management to assign the franchises' point/reward based on the usage of invention's products and marketing strategies, in addition, there are special points assigned for each use of the products that are independent from franchises' points.
The product's owners are going to be able to take their product with them at any place to avoid the usage of disposals and food franchises will use endpoints (POS/PDAs/others) with mobile app installed to detect NFC and unique product ID to track usage and assign points to specific User ID. By making tableware items like tumblers, plates, vessels, buckets an smart items able to be synced with digital solutions we are adding food franchise and consumers the capabilities to reduce the usage of disposal and create a solid tie between owner and product by adding BLE beacon feature to easy location of products. There will be key factors that will increase benefits to product owners and food franchises:
There will be additional gains to the aim to preserve and restore natural environment with the usage of tumblers, plates, vessels as a trend like:
Some embodiments of the present inventions are illustrated as example and are not limited by figures of the accompanying drawings, in which references may indicates similar elements and in which:
An important version of the invention can be fairly described as a foodservice container comprising a container with an exchangeable section, wherein a near field communication chip (NFC) and a Bluetooth™ low energy beacon (BLE) are inside the exchangeable section, such as an additional bottom container. The exchangeable section provides an ingress protection standard (IP) and protects the NFC and BLE from shock and thermal damage during normal use of the device. The exchangeable section is removable and openable only with a preselected key or specific tool to prevent the consumer from unauthorized access to the electrical components. Optionally, the foodservice container may be further characterized in that the container is any of a tumbler, a vessel, a bucket, a plate, a delivery box or any other food container to take prepared food out from a food provider. Optionally, the exchangeable section also contains an accelerometer, a temperature reader or other complementary electronic components. Optionally, a removable lid is provided to protect the contents of the container. Optionally, the lid is provided that has an attachment point to connect to an accessory, such as a lanyard, strap, handle, clip or other accessory. Optionally, the lid includes a French press. Optionally, the lid includes a variable length infuser. Optionally, the lid includes a coffee pour over module. Optionally, the lid includes a slider to cover a food in the container to further protect the food in the container from contamination yet allow easy access to the food when needed. Optionally, a top of the container has threads to affix a lid. Optionally, container is a delivery box or bucket that has a collapsible bottom area and a plunger rod that keeps the collapsible bottom open when the container is in use that essentially keeps the interior of the container open when in use to avoid crushing the food by avoiding container collapse during use. The invention can also be fairly described as a process of using the foodservice container described herein by, among other steps, providing the foodservice container. And, establishing a unique user account associated for an owner of the foodservice container. Also, providing a vendor with hardware and internet based software to receive an identification data from the NFC and BLE in the container. And, the vendor receiving the identification data and associating the identification data with a location of the vendor and recording a visit data with the internet based software establishing that the specific foodservice container was physically at the location of the vendor. Then, providing the user a benefit for moving the foodservice container to the location of the vendor. Optionally, the user is provided a vendor location information to assist in locating a nearby vendor that uses the system. Optionally, an immediate financial discount or reward for a future purchase from the vendor is delivered to the customer. Another important version of the invention can be fairly described as a process to locate a food service container, such as any of those disclosed herein, comprising providing a food service container having an embedded BLE chip that connects through an internet network to an application to track and record a location of the foodservice container. And, the application uses a mobile device GPS feature to determine a georeferenced foodservice container location. Also, the application generates a map to locate the food service container. Optionally, the device includes a modular holder that comprises a main base that secures a holder that stores a sectional straw and can include a multipurpose clip hook and a hook that attaches to the a main base to hold food container, and where the hook is used solely with a key ring. Optionally, the container is a cupholder comprising a hook to secure to the container and has an internal storage area to store a sectional straw. Optionally, service container of claim 1 further wherein the container is a delivery box that has an internal storage area that contains multiple of the smaller containers described herein to transport several container together in a safe and secure condition.
The foregoing description conveys the best understanding of the objectives and advantages of the present invention. Different embodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention. It is to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.
