Methods of creating customized beverage products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10810689-B2
Application number	US-201715846940-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2017
Priority date	Feb 4, 2008
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

A method of creating customized beverage products includes providing a multiple stream filing system suited for producing an array of beverage products. The method also includes receiving an order for a customized beverage product from the array of beverage products. The order indicates at least one characteristic of the customized beverage product. The at least one characteristic comprises one or more of the following: a beverage formulation, a beverage additive, a package size, a package shape, or label content. The method further includes instructing the multiple stream filling system to produce the customized beverage product. The multiple stream filing system produces the customized beverage product without performing an operation to reduce contamination of the customized beverage product with ingredients from a previously produced beverage product.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of creating customized beverage products at a vending machine, the method comprising:
providing, at the vending machine, a multiple stream filing system suited for producing an array of beverage products, wherein the multiple stream filing system is configured to dispense at least one macro-ingredient and a plurality of micro-ingredients;
receiving, by the vending machine, an order for a customized beverage product from the array of beverage products, the order indicating at least one characteristic of the customized beverage product, the at least one characteristic comprising one or more of the following: a beverage formulation, a beverage additive, a package size, a package shape, or label content; and
instructing, by the vending machine, the multiple stream filling system to produce the customized beverage product, the multiple stream filing system producing the customized beverage product without performing an operation to reduce contamination of the customized beverage product with ingredients from a previously produced beverage product by dispensing the at least one macro-ingredient and one or more of the plurality of micro-ingredients into a package of the customized beverage product such that the at least one macro-ingredient and one or more of the plurality of micro-ingredients meet and mix in the package at a fill zone of the vending machine and the package is thereafter dispensed at a dispense area of the vending machine that is separate from the fill zone of the vending machine.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving an order for a customized beverage product comprises receiving an order for a customized beverage product from a recipient via an internet website.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving an order for a customized beverage product further comprises receiving label content to be printed on a label of the customized beverage product; and
instructing the multiple stream filing system to produce the customized beverage product further comprises instructing the multiple stream filing system to print the label content on the label.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving an order for a customized beverage product comprises receiving health information associated with a recipient via an internet website.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein receiving an order for a customized beverage product further comprises determining an offered group of beverage products based at least in part on the health information.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein receiving an order for a customized beverage product further comprises receiving a selection from the recipient of the customized beverage product from among the offered group of beverage products.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving an order for a customized beverage product comprises receiving an order from a third-party retailer via a network, a recipient of the customized beverage product being a customer of the third-party retailer.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining an additional beverage product based at least in part on the customized beverage product, wherein instructing the multiple stream filing system to produce the customized beverage product further comprises instructing the multiple stream filing system to produce the additional beverage product.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the additional beverage product is a line extension of the customized beverage product.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the vending machine, an order for beverage products on behalf of a group of individuals;
instructing, by the vending machine, athe multiple stream filling system of the vending machine to produce the beverage products, each beverage product having a characteristic associated with the group.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the characteristic is one or more of the following: a beverage formulation based at least in part on an identity of the group, a beverage additive based at least in part on the identity of the group, label content based at least in part on the identity of the group, and a package shape based at least in part on the identity of the group.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
providing at least one of the beverage products to at least one recipient; and
transmitting a payment to the group, the payment representing a portion of the proceeds earned for providing the at least one of the beverage products to the at least one recipient.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the vending machine, the at least one characteristic of the beverage product based on event data; and
instructing, by the vending machine, a multiple stream filling system to produce the selected beverage product in accordance with the at least one characteristic.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one characteristic comprises one or more of the following: a beverage formulation, a beverage additive, a package size, a package shape, and label content.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising dispensing the beverage product from the vending machine.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the event data is associated with a sporting event; and
the at least one characteristic is one or more of the following: a beverage color associated with a participant in the event; label content depicting a participant in the event; and label content depicting an outcome of the event.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the event data is associated with an entertainment event; and
the at least one characteristic is label content associated with the entertainment event.

Assignees

• Coca Cola Co

Inventors

• Insolia Gerard E
• Schubert Hubertus Ulrich
• Goldman James E
• Sadeghi Fred F
• Patel Nilang
• Kolls Brock

Classifications

• G06Q50/04 Primary

  Manufacturing · CPC title

• G06Q30/0603

  Catalogue creation or management · CPC title

• Y02P90/30

  Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing · CPC title

• G06Q30/0601 Primary

  Electronic shopping [e-shopping] · CPC title