Beverage dispensing machine for achieving target pours for different beverages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11214475-B2
Application number	US-202117178645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2021
Priority date	Jun 24, 2019
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

Implementations of the present disclosure are directed to dispensing beverages from a beverage dispensing machine and include determining, from computer-readable media, pour parameters for a beverage of a plurality of beverages, the pour parameters being specific to the beverage, at least one pour parameter including a tilt value, and automatically, by the beverage dispensing machine: rotating a drum that holds a vessel to achieve the tilt value, initiating dispensing of the beverage into the vessel from a tap, automatically rotating the drum to reduce the tilt value of the vessel during dispensing of the beverage, and ceasing dispensing of the beverage into the vessel from the tap, the tilt value being substantially zero upon ceasing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for dispensing beverages from a beverage dispensing machine, the method comprising:
determining, from computer-readable media, pour parameters for a beverage of a plurality of beverages, the pour parameters being specific to the beverage, at least one pour parameter comprising a tilt value; and
automatically, by the beverage dispensing machine:
rotating a drum that holds a vessel to achieve the tilt value, the drum rotating about an axis that passes through the vessel, and
automatically rotating the drum to reduce the tilt value of the vessel during dispensing of the beverage, such that the tilt value is substantially zero upon ceasing dispensing of the beverage into the vessel from the tap.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pour parameters further comprise a flow rate and the beverage is dispensed substantially at the flow rate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pour parameters further comprise a variable flow rate and the beverage is dispensed at a flow rate that varies based on the variable flow rate during dispensing.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drum rotates in a first direction for any beverage dispensed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drum rotates in a first direction for a first beverage that is dispensed and rotates in a second direction for a second beverage that is dispensed, the second direction different from the first direction.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing data used to determine features of the beverage of the beverage and adjusting one or more pour parameters based on at least one feature.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pour parameters are adjusted during dispensing of the beverage.

8. A beverage dispensing system, comprising:
a beverage dispenser; and
a computer-readable storage device coupled to the one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations for dispensing beverages from a beverage dispensing machine, the operations comprising:
determining, from computer-readable media, pour parameters for a beverage of a plurality of beverages, the pour parameters being specific to the beverage, at least one pour parameter comprising a tilt value; and
automatically, by the beverage dispensing machine:
rotating a drum that holds a vessel to achieve the tilt value, the drum rotating about an axis that passes through the vessel, and
automatically rotating the drum to reduce the tilt value of the vessel during dispensing of the beverage, such that the tilt value is substantially zero upon ceasing dispensing of the beverage into the vessel from the tap.

9. The beverage dispensing system of claim 8 , wherein the pour parameters further comprise a flow rate and the beverage is dispensed substantially at the flow rate.

10. The beverage dispensing system of claim 8 , wherein the pour parameters further comprise a variable flow rate and the beverage is dispensed at a flow rate that varies based on the variable flow rate during dispensing.

11. The beverage dispensing system of claim 8 , wherein the drum rotates in a first direction for any beverage dispensed.

12. The beverage dispensing system of claim 8 , wherein the drum rotates in a first direction for a first beverage that is dispensed and rotates in a second direction for a second beverage that is dispensed, the second direction different from the first direction.

13. The beverage dispensing system of claim 8 , wherein operations further comprise providing data used to determine features of the beverage of the beverage and adjusting one or more pour parameters based on at least one feature.

14. The beverage dispensing system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more pour parameters are adjusted during dispensing of the beverage.

15. Computer-readable storage media coupled to the one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations for dispensing beverages from a beverage dispensing machine, the operations comprising:
determining, from computer-readable memory, pour parameters for a beverage of a plurality of beverages, the pour parameters being specific to the beverage, at least one pour parameter comprising a tilt value; and
automatically, by the beverage dispensing machine:
rotating a drum that holds a vessel to achieve the tilt value, the drum rotating about an axis that passes through the vessel, and
automatically rotating the drum to reduce the tilt value of the vessel during dispensing of the beverage, such that the tilt value is substantially zero upon ceasing dispensing of the beverage into the vessel from the tap.

16. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein the pour parameters further comprise a flow rate and the beverage is dispensed substantially at the flow rate.

17. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein the pour parameters further comprise a variable flow rate and the beverage is dispensed at a flow rate that varies based on the variable flow rate during dispensing.

18. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein the drum rotates in a first direction for any beverage dispensed.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein the drum rotates in a first direction for a first beverage that is dispensed and rotates in a second direction for a second beverage that is dispensed, the second direction different from the first direction.

20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein operations further comprise providing data used to determine features of the beverage of the beverage and adjusting one or more pour parameters based on at least one feature.

Assignees

• Accenture Global Solutions Ltd

Inventors

• Gant Evan Isaac Timerding
• Mcclellan Christopher J
• Cherbak Brian
• Kriebel Andrew Turner
• Tucker Kyle Andrew
• Loomis Amy Eleanor
• Mccabe Jr James Patrick
• Kang Jaewon Sam
• Schulte Gregory T

Classifications

• B67D1/124

  the flow being started or stopped by means actuated by the vessel to be filled, e.g. by switches, weighing · CPC title

• B67D2210/00104

  Cooling only · CPC title

• G06Q20/327

  Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices · CPC title

• G07F13/06

  with selective dispensing of different fluids or materials or mixtures thereof · CPC title

• B67D2210/00091

  Bar management means · CPC title