Beverage dispensing apparatus method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10894707-B2
Application number	US-201716473195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2017
Priority date	Mar 29, 2017
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

Apparatus, method and storage medium associated with a beverage dispensing apparatus are disclosed herein. In embodiments, a beverage dispensing apparatus may include a dispenser to dispense a beverage into a beverage container placed underneath the dispenser; one or more sensors to sense and collect depth data associated with the beverage container; and a controller coupled to the dispenser and the one or more sensors to control the dispenser's dispensation of the beverage, in accordance with a capacity of the beverage container inferred based at least in part on the collected depth data associated with the beverage container. Other embodiments may be disclosed or claimed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for dispensing beverages, comprising:
a dispenser, having a dispensing path, to dispense a beverage into a beverage container positioned in the dispensing path underneath the dispenser;
one or more sensors to sense and collect, from a head end of the dispensing path, a plurality of geometry data associated with the positioned beverage container, including a plurality of depth measures of the positioned beverage container; and
a controller coupled to the dispenser and the one or more sensors to control the one or more sensors in collecting, from the head end of the dispensing path, the plurality of geometry data associated with the positioned beverage container including the plurality of depth measures, to determine a capacity of the positioned beverage container based at least in part on the collected geometry data associated with the positioned beverage container including the plurality of depth measures, and to control the dispenser in dispensing the beverage into the positioned beverage container based at least in part on the determined capacity of the positioned beverage container.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more depth cameras or a plurality of stereo cameras.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the geometry data further comprises a length (L) and a width (W) associated with an opening of the positioned beverage container, wherein the capacity of the positioned beverage container is further determined based on the length (L) and the width (W) associated with the opening of the positioned beverage container.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a mechanism to which the one or more sensors are attached, to move or facilitate the one or more sensors to be moved in place at the head end of the dispensing path to sense and collect, from the head end of the dispensing path, the geometry data associated with the beverage container, including the plurality of depth measures, and to be moved away from the dispensing path after sensing and collecting the geometry data associated with the beverage container.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the mechanism comprises one or more railings to which the one or more sensors are moveably attached to be moved into and out of the head end of the dispensing path, or an arm that extends or swivels, to which the one or more sensors are attached at one end of the arm, the arm being extendable or swivel-able into or out of the head end of the dispensing path.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is to further control the dispenser's dispensation of the beverage in view of an identity and a frequency of order of a user associated with the positioned beverage container; and wherein the one or more sensors comprise a bio sensor to collect bio metric data of the user, and the controller is to further determine the identity and frequency of order of the user, based at least in part on the collected bio metric data.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is to further control the dispenser's dispensation of the beverage in view of a selected one of a time of day, a time of week, a time of month, a season of year, ambient temperature of the apparatus, or ambient humidity of the apparatus; and wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more sensors to sense and collect data on the time of day, the time of week, the time of month, the season of year, the ambient temperature of the apparatus, or the ambient humidity of the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise a bio sensor to collect bio metric data of a user, and wherein the controller is to determine presence or absence of a human hand in the dispensing path of the dispenser, based on the collected bio metric data or failure to collect bio metric data, and permit or stop the dispensing of the beverage into the positioned beverage container by the dispenser accordingly.

9. A method for dispensing a beverage, comprising:
sensing and collecting with one or more sensors, from a head end of a dispensing path of a dispenser arranged to dispense the beverage, geometry data associated with a beverage container positioned in the dispensing path, including a plurality of depth measures of the positioned beverage container;
determining a capacity of the beverage container, based at least in part on the collected plurality of depth measures of the positioned beverage container; and
controlling the dispenser in dispensing of the beverage into the beverage container in accordance with the determined capacity of the positioned beverage container.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein sensing comprises sensing with one or one or more depth cameras or a plurality of stereo cameras.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein sensing further comprises moving the one or more sensors into the head end of the dispensing path to sense and collect the geometry data associated with the beverage container, including the plurality of depth measures of the positioned beverage container; and moving the one or more sensors away from the head end of the dispensing path of the dispenser after sensing and collecting the geometry data associated with the beverage container.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining a capacity of the beverage container comprises determining a size, a shape, a volume or a 3-dimensional (3D) model of the beverage container, based at least in part on the collected geometry data associated with the beverage container, including the plurality of depth measures of the positioned beverage container, and a length (L) measure and a width (W) associated with an opening of the positioned beverage container.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein controlling further comprises controlling the dispenser in dispensing the beverage in view of an identity and a frequency of order of a user associated with the beverage container; and wherein sensing further comprises collecting bio metric data of the user, and determining further comprises determining the identity and frequency of order of the user, based at least in part on the collected bio metric data.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein controlling further comprises controlling the dispenser in dispensing the beverage in view of a selected one of a time of day, a time of week, a time of month, a season of year, ambient temperature, or ambient humidity; and the method further comprises collecting data on the time of day, the time of week, the time of month, the season of year, the ambient temperature, or the ambient humidity-.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising collecting bio metric data of a user, and determining presence or absence of a human hand in the dispensing path, based on the collected bio metric data or failure to collect bio metric data, and permitting or stopping the dispenser in dispensing the beverage into the positioned beverage container accordingly.

16. At least one non-transitory computer readable media (CRM) comprising a plurality of instructions to cause a beverage dispensing apparatus, in response to execution of the instructions by the beverage dispensing apparatus, to:
sense and collect with one or more sensors, from a head end of dispensing path of a beverage dispenser of the beverage dispensing apparatus, geometry data associated with a beverage container positioned in the dispensing path underneath the beverage dispenser, including a plurality of depth measures of the positioned beverage container;
determine a capacity of the positioned beverage container, based at least in part on the colle

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Pohl Daniel
• Schick Roman
• Gao Fengqian
• Yang Wenlong

Classifications

• A47J31/52 Primary

  Alarm-clock-controlled mechanisms for coffee- or tea-making apparatus {; Timers for coffee- or tea-making apparatus; Electronic control devices for coffee- or tea-making apparatus} · CPC title

• A47J2203/00

  Devices having filling level indicating means · CPC title

• G01C3/08

  Use of electric radiation detectors · CPC title

• B67D1/0888 Primary

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

• A47J31/525

  the electronic control being based on monitoring of specific process parameters · CPC title