Setting the level of fill in a cup used with a beverage dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10820743-B2
Application number	US-201916292807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2019
Priority date	May 8, 2008
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

A device for filling a receptacle with a beverage and a user interface for allowing a user to select a desired level of fill of beverage in the receptacle. The interface includes a mechanism for detecting an object below the outlet, such that the receptacle can be filled with the beverage up to the user selected level of fill, wherein the detection mechanism is arranged to detect a position of a human finger or a hand-held freely movable pointing instrument, which human finger or pointing instrument is adjacent to and pointing towards a side of the receptacle, so that the level of fill of the receptacle is determined from the detected position of the finger or pointing instrument the user-selected level of fill and the beverage is dispensed to fill the receptacle up to that level. The device is useful in coffee or other beverage dispensing machines.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for filling a receptacle with a beverage comprising means for filling via an outlet a receptacle located below the outlet and a user interface for allowing a user to select a desired level of fill of beverage in the receptacle, the interface comprising means for detecting an object below the outlet, the filling means being arranged to fill the receptacle up to the user selected level of fill, wherein the detecting means is arranged to detect a position of a human finger or a hand-held freely movable pointing instrument, which human finger or pointing instrument is adjacent to and pointing towards a side of the receptacle, with the filling means being arranged to derive from the detected position of the finger or pointing instrument the user-selected level of fill and to fill the receptacle up to the level;
wherein the device has at least one configuration selected from the group consisting of:
the user-interface is arranged to provide a feed-back to the user as to the position of the finger or pointing instrument relative either to the receptacle or as to the level of beverage in the receptacle;
the finger or pointing instrument detecting means includes a light detector; and
the selected level of fill may be changed by a user during the filling of the receptacle via the finger or pointing instrument detecting means.

2. The device of claim 1 , which further comprises a detector arranged to detect the height of the receptacle, the means for filling being arranged to fill the receptacle only if the detected position of the finger or pointing instrument represent the user-selected level of fill and is located below the detected height of the receptacle, with the finger or pointing instrument detecting means optionally forming the height detector.

3. The device of claim 1 , which further comprises a detector arranged to detect the presence of the receptacle under the outlet of the filling means, the filling means being arranged to stop filling when the receptacle is moved away from under the outlet, with the finger or pointing instrument detecting means optionally forming the presence detector.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the detecting means is arranged to detect a withdrawal motion of the pointing finger or pointing instrument from adjacent the receptacle, with the filling means being arranged to fill the receptacle to a level corresponding to the position of the pointing finger or pointing instrument immediately before its withdrawal.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a drip tray that includes a grid for supporting the receptacle below the outlet.

6. A coffee machine that includes the device of claim 1 .

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the user-interface includes a screen or a touch screen.

8. The device of claim 1 , which further comprises a detector of beverage level in the receptacle during filling.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the finger or pointing instrument detecting means forms the level detector.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the finger or pointing instrument detecting means includes a light emitter.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the finger or pointing instrument detecting means includes a series of photo-emitters for emitting light beams and a corresponding series of photo-receivers for detecting the light beams emitted by the emitters.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the finger or pointing instrument detecting means is arranged to detect a vertical position of the pointing finger or pointing instrument indicative of the user-selected level of fill.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the finger or pointing instrument detecting means is arranged to detect a horizontal position of the pointing finger or pointing instrument indicative of a different parameter of a beverage to be filled in the receptacle, with the parameter including temperature, beverage strength or mixing ratio of the beverage.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the finger or pointing instrument detecting means is arranged to detect the horizontal position of the pointing finger or pointing instrument in a peripheral space outside and adjacent the receptacle.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the feed-back includes the formation of a user-visible light spot on an inner wall of the receptacle.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the user-interface is arranged to provide a representation of a receptacle and at least one representation of a level in the receptacle.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein at least one level representation indicative of the level of beverage in the receptacle during filling is arranged to rise in accordance with the filling of the receptacle.

18. The device of claim 16 , wherein at least one representation of a level follows any vertical motion of the pointing finger or pointing instrument along and adjacent a side of the receptacle.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the level representation includes a representation of a finger or pointing instrument.

20. A device for filling a receptacle with a beverage comprising a mechanism for filling via an outlet a receptacle located below the outlet and a user interface for allowing a user to select a desired level of fill of beverage in the receptacle, the interface comprising an object detector for detecting an object below the outlet, the filling mechanism being arranged to fill the receptacle up to the user selected level of fill, wherein the object detector means is arranged to detect a position of a human finger or a hand-held freely movable pointing instrument, which human finger or pointing instrument is adjacent to and pointing towards a side of the receptacle, with the filling mechanism being arranged to derive from the detected position of the finger or pointing instrument the user-selected level of fill and to fill the receptacle up to the level;
wherein the device has at least one configuration selected from the group consisting of:
the user-interface is arranged to provide a feed-back to the user as to the position of the finger or pointing instrument relative either to the receptacle or as to the level of beverage in the receptacle;
the object detector means includes a light detector; and
the selected level of fill may be changed by a user during the filling of the receptacle via the object detector means.

21. A coffee machine that includes the device of claim 20 .

22. The device of claim 20 , wherein the user-interface includes a screen or a touch screen.

23. A method of dispensing a beverage into a receptacle positioned within a dispenser space of a dispenser assembly, the method comprising:
selecting a desired fill level for the receptacle by introducing an object pointing to the desired fill level into the dispenser space;
utilizing image data obtained from a camera exposed to the dispenser space to detect the object and ascertaining based on a position of the object, the desired fill level;
initiating dispensing to dispense the product into the receptacle;
utilizing image data from the camera to monitor a height of the product within the receptacle during the dispensing;
terminating the dispensing when the height of the product within the receptacle reaches the desired fill level; and
at least one step selected from the group consisting of:
providing a user-interface for providing a feed-back to a user as to the position of the object relative either to the receptacle or as to the level of beverage in the rec

Assignees

• Nestec Sa
• Nestle Sa

Inventors

• Schnyder Frank

Classifications

• B67D1/0005 Primary

  the apparatus comprising means for automatically controlling the amount to be dispensed · CPC title

• B67D1/0888

  Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means) · CPC title

• B67D2001/1259

  Fluid level control devices · CPC title

• B67D1/001

  the apparatus comprising means for automatically controlling the amount to be dispensed · CPC title

• B67D1/0023

  control of the amount of the mixture, i.e. after mixing · CPC title