IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0541307
(2012-07-03)
|
등록번호 |
US-8721162
(2014-05-13)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Claesson, Jan
- Smith, William E.
- Nevarez, Roberto
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Ohlandt, Greeley, Ruggiero & Perle, LLP
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
5 인용 특허 :
95 |
초록
▼
A method of controlling an integrated beverage system that comprises a dispensing module that dispenses one or more ingredients into a beverage container and a blending/mixing module that blends and/or mixes the ingredients in the beverage container, the method comprising: controlling the dispensing
A method of controlling an integrated beverage system that comprises a dispensing module that dispenses one or more ingredients into a beverage container and a blending/mixing module that blends and/or mixes the ingredients in the beverage container, the method comprising: controlling the dispensing module and the blending/mixing module to prepare first and second beverages concurrently or sequentially.
대표청구항
▼
1. A method of controlling an integrated beverage system that comprises a dispensing module that dispenses ice and one or more other ingredients according to a recipe script executed by a controller into a beverage container and a blending/mixing module that blends and/or mixes ice and said one or m
1. A method of controlling an integrated beverage system that comprises a dispensing module that dispenses ice and one or more other ingredients according to a recipe script executed by a controller into a beverage container and a blending/mixing module that blends and/or mixes ice and said one or more other ingredients in said beverage container using at least a blender blade, said method comprising: controlling said dispensing module and said blending/mixing module to prepare a first beverage in a first container and a second beverage in a second container, wherein the controller is capable of preparing the first beverage and the second beverage both concurrently and sequentially with blending and/or mixing said ingredients at a plurality of levels within said first and second containers. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: controlling said dispensing module to dispense a first set of said one or more other ingredients for said first beverage into said first container;controlling said blending/mixing module to blend and/or mix said first set of said one or more other ingredients in said first container; andsimultaneously controlling said dispensing module to start dispensing a second set of said one or more other ingredients for said second beverage into said second container while said first set of said one or more other ingredients is blending in said blending/mixing module. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first container and said second container are beverage cups. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said dispensing module and said blending/mixing module are controlled based on beverage requests received from a user operated entry device. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said dispensing module is controlled to dispense ice and fluid simultaneously or in a layered manner with a layer of ice first and then a layer of fluid and optionally by another layer of ice and/or fluid. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said dispensing module is controlled to dispense fluid and ice simultaneously or in a layered manner with a layer of fluid first and then a layer of ice and optionally by another layer of fluid and/or ice. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more of other ingredients are selected from the group consisting of: water, at least one flavor, and at least one additive. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein said controlling step further monitors conditions of said integrated beverage system via connections to one or more sensors of said integrated beverage system. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said integrated beverage system further comprises an ice maker, and wherein said dispensing module is controlled to deliver said ice to at least one of said first container and said second containers. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein said dispensing module comprises a plurality of storage containers, wherein a plurality of said one or more other ingredients is stored in separate ones of said storage containers, and wherein said dispensing module is controlled to deliver at least one of said plurality of said one or more other ingredients from a corresponding storage container to said first container or said second container. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein said storage containers are flexible bags. 12. The method of claim 10, wherein said dispensing module further comprises at least one dispensing nozzle for said storage containers, and further comprising controlling said dispensing module to deliver a selection of said one or more other ingredients from said separate storage containers via separate delivery paths to said nozzle for dispensing to said first container or said second container. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein said recipe script comprises a first recipe script and a second recipe script, and further comprising controlling said dispensing module and said blending/mixing module to prepare said first beverage and said second beverage based on said first recipe script and said second recipe script, respectively. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein said first recipe script comprises a beverage container size, a user selected beverage, and a first ingredient, and, based on said beverage container size, said first ingredient and said user selected beverage type, controlling said dispenser module to portion said first ingredient. 15. The method of claim 13, further comprising: using a first micro-controller that responds to user data entered via a user entry device to provide said first recipe script and said second recipe script; andusing a second micro-controller that uses said first recipe script and said second recipe scripts to control said dispensing module in the dispensing of a first set of said one or more other ingredients into said first container and a second set of said one or more other ingredients into said second container, respectively; andusing a third micro-controller that uses said first recipe script and said second recipe script to blend and/or mix said first and second sets of ingredients in said first container and said second container to produce said first beverage and said second beverage, respectively. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein said blending/mixing module comprises a spindle assembly that is rotatable and that is movable substantially vertically into and out of said first container or said second container, and further comprising with said third micro-controller using said first recipe script or said second recipe script to drive a first motor that rotates said spindle assembly and a second motor that moves said spindle assembly substantially vertically. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising with said third micro-controller using said first recipe script or second recipe script to rotate said spindle assembly in one of a first manner to chop an ice particle size from coarse to fine and in a second manner leave the ice in a coarse particle size. 18. The method of claim 16, wherein said first recipe script or said second recipe script includes a size of said first container, a speed and dwell time for each of a plurality of blending levels in said first container, and further comprising with said third micro-controller using said first recipe script or said second recipe script to move said spindle assembly substantially vertically to each of said levels and to rotate said spindle assembly at each level with the speed and for the dwell time for that level according to said first recipe script or said second recipe script. 19. The method of claim 1, wherein said blending/mixing module further comprises a door and a position sensor, wherein said position sensor is selected from the group consisting of: spindle assembly home, door open, and spindle assembly home and door open. 20. The method of claim 15, wherein said blending/mixing module further comprises a cleaning assembly, and further comprising with said third micro-controller using said first recipe script or second recipe script to operate said cleaning assembly to inject a cleaning and/or sanitizing fluid into a beverage container volume after said first beverage or said second beverage has been removed therefrom. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein said cleaning assembly comprises a spray device located to inject said cleaning and/or sanitizing fluid, a cleaning and/or sanitizing fluid valve and an air valve in communication with a delivery conduit to said spray device, and further comprising with said third micro-controller using said first recipe script or said second recipe script to operate said cleaning and/or sanitizing fluid valve to provide said cleaning and/or sanitizing fluid to said spray device via a conduit and said air valve to inject air into said conduit to increase a velocity of flow of said cleaning and/or sanitizing fluid in said beverage container volume. 22. The method of claim 20, wherein said cleaning assembly comprises a spindle assembly, and further comprising with said third micro-controller responding to said first recipe script or said second recipe script to lower said spindle assembly into said blender/mixer module to enhance a coverage of said cleaning and/or sanitizing fluid within said beverage container volume. 23. The method of claim 20, wherein said cleaning and/or sanitizing fluid is selected from the group consisting of: water, detergent and/or sanitizing fluid. 24. The method of claim 1, wherein said blending/mixing module is a first blending/mixing module, wherein said integrated beverage system further comprises a second blending/mixing module, and further comprising with controller executing a program to concurrently prepare said first beverage in said first blending/mixing module and said second beverage in said second blending/mixing module, wherein said dispensing module dispenses said ice and said one or more other ingredients in both said first container to form said first beverage and said second container to form said second beverage. 25. The method of claim 23, wherein said recipe script comprises a first recipe script and a second recipe script, and wherein said integrated beverage system further comprises an interactive display, and wherein said program causes said controller to present a series of interactive screens on said display, to respond to user entries via said interactive screens to define a first set of said one or more other ingredients and a second set of said one or more other ingredients for said first beverage and said second beverage, respectively, to provide said first recipe script and said second recipe script for said first beverage and said second beverage, respectively, and to use said first recipe script and said second recipe script to control said dispensing module to dispense said first set of ingredients and said second set of ingredients into said first container and said second container, respectively, on a time shared basis.
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