Beverage supply apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11084701-B2
Application number	US-201515521488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A beverage supply apparatus for supplying multiple types of beverage. The beverage supply apparatus may include a number of nozzles for discharging multiple types of beverages, a touch panel for displaying options for the multiple types of beverages while also receiving a selection operation for one beverage from among the multiple types of beverages, a number of physical buttons that correspond to the number of nozzles and that receive an instruction for discharge of the beverage selected by the selection operation, and a control unit that specifies, from among the physical buttons, the physical button corresponding to the nozzle from which the beverage selected by the selection operation will be discharged, and controls the touch panel in such a way as to provide notification of the physical button specified.

First claim

We claim:

1. A beverage supply apparatus that supplies two or more kinds of beverages, the beverage supply apparatus comprising:
a plurality of nozzles that discharges the two or more kinds of beverages;
a touch panel that displays selection options of the two or more kinds of beverages and receives a selection operation for selecting one of the two or more kinds of beverages;
a plurality of physical buttons that corresponds to the plurality of nozzles and that receives a request to discharge the beverage selected by the selection operation; and
a control section that specifies a physical button corresponding to a nozzle from which the beverage selected by the selection operation is discharged from among the plurality of the physical buttons, the control section controlling the touch panel to indicate the specified physical button;
wherein the control section controls the nozzle corresponding to the specified physical button to discharge the beverage selected by the selection operation while the specified physical button is receiving the selection operation; and
wherein the control section holds information of the beverage selected by the selection operation and continues the indication of the specified physical button for a predetermined period after discharge of the beverage selected by the selection operation is completed.

2. The beverage supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control section controls the nozzle corresponding to the specified physical button to discharge the beverage selected by the selection operation when the specified physical button again receives the selection operation.

3. The beverage supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nozzles comprises one or more of a diluting water nozzle, a carbonated water nozzle, and a syrup nozzle.

4. The beverage supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the selection options comprise a touch button to receive a category selection.

5. The beverage supply apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the selection options comprise a touch button to receive a recommended menu.

6. The beverage supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the selection options comprise a touch button to receive a brand selection.

7. The beverage supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the selection options comprise a touch button to receive a fruit flavor selection.

8. The beverage supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the touch panel comprises a touch button to receive a carbonated water selection and a non-carbonated water selection.

9. The beverage supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the touch panel comprises a touch button to receive a topping selection.

10. The beverage supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the touch panel comprises a touch button to receive a help selection and a return selection.

11. The beverage supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the touch panel comprises a touch button to receive an indication selection.

12. The beverage supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control section controls the specified physical button to indicate the specified physical button.

Assignees

• Coca Cola Co

Inventors

• Kuboi Satoshi
• Yajima Kazuya
• Kamiyama Masahiro
• Imazeki Yasuhiro

Classifications

• G07F9/023

  Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• B67D1/0872

  Aesthetics, advertising · CPC title

• B67D1/0888 Primary

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

• F16K31/0675

  Electromagnet aspects, e.g. electric supply therefor · CPC title