IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0093859
(2002-03-08)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Stattler, Johansen, and Adeli LLP
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
11 인용 특허 :
10 |
초록
▼
Some embodiments of the invention provide a system for monitoring liquid consumption at one or more establishments. At each establishment, the system includes one or more spouts and a local computer. Each spout is mounted on a liquid container. Also, each spout generates data regarding the amount of
Some embodiments of the invention provide a system for monitoring liquid consumption at one or more establishments. At each establishment, the system includes one or more spouts and a local computer. Each spout is mounted on a liquid container. Also, each spout generates data regarding the amount of liquid poured from the spout's container. The local computer at each establishment collects data generated by the spouts at the establishment. In some embodiments, a wireless network links the local computer and the spouts at each establishment. The system also includes an external computer that gathers the data collected by the local computers of the establishments monitored by the system. In some embodiments, the external computer is located outside of all the establishments, while in other embodiments this computer is located within one of the establishments. Some embodiments of the invention provide a free-pour spout. This spout mounts on an open orifice of a liquid container and measures the amount of liquid poured from the liquid container. This spout has a housing and a passageway defined within the housing. It also has a detection circuit that detects fluid flow through the passageway. In addition, this spout has a measuring circuit that generates data relating to fluid flow when the detection circuit detects fluid flow through the passageway.
대표청구항
▼
1. A system for monitoring liquid consumption at an establishment, the system comprising:a) a plurality of spouts, wherein each spout is mounted on a liquid container and each spout generates data regarding the amount of liquid poured from the spout's container, wherein each spout comprises a passag
1. A system for monitoring liquid consumption at an establishment, the system comprising:a) a plurality of spouts, wherein each spout is mounted on a liquid container and each spout generates data regarding the amount of liquid poured from the spout's container, wherein each spout comprises a passageway that has a plurality of dimensional attributes that ensure laminar fluid flow through the passageway when the spout is rotated by a particular angle; b) a local computer at the establishment for collecting data generated by the spouts; c) an external computer outside of the establishment for obtaining from the local computer data relating to the data collected by the local computer. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the passageway has a length and a diameter, and the ratio of the length and the diameter is no more than a particular value.3. The system of claim 2, wherein the particular value is 20.4. The system of claim 2, wherein the passageway has a bent cylindrical shape.5. The system of claim 1, wherein the external computer communicatively connects to the local computers through a communication network.6. The system of claim 5, wherein the communication network is a network of networks.7. The system of claim 6, wherein the network of networks is the Internet.8. The system of claim 1, wherein the data obtained by the external computer is the same exact data as the data collected by the local computer.9. The system of claim 1, wherein the data obtained by the external computer is derived from the data collected by the local computer.10. The system of claim 1, wherein the data generated by each spout specifies the actual amount dispensed by the spout's liquid container.11. The system of claim 1, wherein the data generated by each spout does not specify the actual amount dispensed by the spout's liquid container, but rather provides raw measurements form the actual amount dispensed by the spout's liquid container can be derived.12. The system of claim 1, wherein each spout has a wireless transmitter that transmits data generated by the spout, the system further comprising:a wireless receiver that receives data transmitted by the transmitters of the spouts. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless receiver is part of the local computer.14. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless receiver is communicatively coupled to the local computer.15. The system of claim 12, wherein the transmitters and receiver are transceivers.16. The system of claim 1, wherein each spout generates and transmits data for each of a plurality of events, wherein each spout transmits the generated data for each event multiple times.17. The system of claim 16, wherein the receiver discards identical copies of data relating to the same event.18. The system of claim 1, wherein each spout has a measuring mechanism, and at least one spout has a free-pour measuring mechanism.19. The system of claim 1, wherein each spout has a measuring mechanism, and the measuring mechanism of at least one spout is an in-line flow meter.20. The system of claim 1, wherein each spout has a measuring mechanism, and at least one spout has a portion-control measuring mechanism.21. A system for monitoring liquid consumption at an establishment, the system comprising:a) a plurality of spouts, wherein each spout is for mounting on a liquid container and for generating data regarding the amount of liquid poured from the spout's container; b) a local computer at the establishment for collecting data generated by the spouts; c) an external server outside of the establishment that communicatively couples to the local computer through a communication network, the external server for obtaining from the local computer data relating to the data collected by the local computer, and for computing actual amounts of liquid poured from a plurality of the liquid containers based on the data obtained from the local computer. 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the communication network is a network of networks.23. The system of claim 22, wherein the network of networks is the Internet.24. The system of claim 21, wherein the external server is a first external server, wherein the system further comprises a second external server outside of the establishment, said second external server for generating business-related reports based on the data computed by the first external server.25. The system of claim 24, wherein the business-related reports relate to costs associated with the actual amounts of poured liquid.26. The system of claim 24, wherein the business-related reports relate to sale values associated with the actual amounts of the poured liquid.27. The system of claim 24, wherein the business-related reports relate to remaining inventory of liquids.28. The system of claim 24, wherein the first and second external servers operate on one computer.29. The system of claim 24, wherein the first and second external servers operate on different computers.30. A system for monitoring liquid consumption at a plurality of establishments, the system comprising:a) for each establishment, a plurality of spouts, wherein each spout is for mounting on a liquid container and generating data regarding the amount of liquid poured from the spout's container; b) for each establishment, a local computer at the establishment for collecting data generated by the spouts at the establishment; c) an external server that is outside a plurality of the establishments and that communicatively connects to a plurality of the local computers through a communication network, the external server for obtaining from each local computer data relating to the data collected by the local computer. 31. The system of claim 30, wherein the communication network is a network of networks.32. The system of claim 31, wherein the network of networks is the Internet.33. The system of claim 30, wherein the data that is received by the external server, is generated by the local computer based on the data that is generated by the spout.34. The system of claim 30, wherein the external server generates an actual amount of the poured liquid based on the data that is received from the local computer.35. The system of claim 30, wherein the external server is a first external server, wherein the system further comprises a second external server outside of the establishment, said second external server for generating business-related reports based on the data computed by the first external server.36. The system of claim 35, wherein the business-related reports relate to costs associated with the actual amounts of poured liquid.37. The system of claim 35, wherein the business-related reports relate to sale values associated with the actual amounts of the poured liquid.38. The system of claim 35, wherein the business-related reports relate to remaining inventory of liquids.39. The system of claim 35, wherein the first and second external servers operate on one computer.40. The system of claim 35, wherein the first and second external servers operate on different computers.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.