System and method for monitoring beverage dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11964862-B2
Application number	US-202017004479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2020
Priority date	Aug 27, 2020
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for monitoring beverage dispenser. A system for controlling beverage quality comprises a beverage dispenser monitoring unit comprising: a plurality of weight sensors each positioned below one of a plurality of syrup containers connected to a beverage dispenser, and a first network adapter configured to communicate with a control unit. The control unit configured to detect a low weight reading from a weight sensor of the plurality of weight sensors of the beverage dispenser monitoring unit via the second network adapter, determine a syrup container of the plurality of syrup containers associated with the weight sensor, and provide a notification of low syrup level indicating the syrup container to at least one of the plurality of user interface devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling beverage quality comprising:
a beverage dispenser monitoring unit comprising:
a plurality of weight sensors each positioned below one of a plurality of syrup containers connected to a beverage dispenser; and
a first network adapter configured to turn on in response to a detection of a low syrup level by a weight sensor of the plurality of weight sensors and communicate with a control unit; and

the control unit comprising:
a second network adapter configured to communicate with the beverage dispenser monitoring unit via the first network adapter and a plurality of user interface devices; and
a control circuit coupled to the second network adapter and configured to:
detect a low weight reading from a weight sensor of the plurality of weight sensors of the beverage dispenser monitoring unit via the second network adapter;
determine a syrup container of the plurality of syrup containers associated with the weight sensor; and
provide a notification of low syrup level indicating the syrup container to at least one of the plurality of user interface devices.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of syrup containers comprises bag in box containers stored on shelves apart from the beverage dispenser.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the beverage dispenser monitoring unit is configured to determine whether weight sensor readings are above or below a weight threshold and communicate with the control unit in response to one of the weight sensor readings falling below the weight threshold.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of user interface devices comprises a wall-mounted display panel comprising light indicators each associated with one of the plurality of syrup containers connected to the beverage dispenser.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to cause a low syrup indicator to be displayed on or near the beverage dispenser.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of user interface devices comprises portable devices associated with store associates.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to select the at least one of the plurality of user interface devices to provide the notification based on one or more of: store associate roles, shift schedules, and task assignments of store associates associated with each of the plurality of user interface devices.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the notification comprises a task for replacing the syrup container in a store associate task management user interface; and
wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
detect a replacement of the syrup container via the weight sensor of the beverage dispenser monitoring unit; and
close the task in the store associate task management user interface in response to detecting the replacement.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
store historical weight sensor readings from the plurality of weight sensors;
determine an estimated future demand for each of the plurality of syrup containers based on the historical weight sensor readings; and
automatically generate an order for one or more of the plurality of syrup containers based on the estimated future demand.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further in communication with a plurality of beverage dispenser monitoring units associated with a plurality of beverage dispensers; and wherein the notification further comprises a beverage dispenser identifier.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of user interface devices comprises a point of sale system configured to display the notification.

12. A method of controlling beverage quality comprising:
detecting, with a beverage dispenser monitoring unit comprising a plurality of weight sensors each positioned below one of a plurality of syrup containers connected to a beverage dispenser, a low weight reading from a weight sensor of the plurality of weight sensors;
turning on a first network adapter of the beverage dispenser monitoring unit and communicatively coupling with a second network adapter of a control unit in response to the low weight reading;
determining, with a control circuit of the control unit, a syrup container of the plurality of syrup containers associated with the weight sensor;
providing, from the control unit, a notification of low syrup level indicating the syrup container to at least one of a plurality of user interface devices via the second network adapter.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of syrup containers comprises bag in box containers stored on shelves apart from the beverage dispenser.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the beverage dispenser monitoring unit is configured to determine whether weight sensor readings are above or below a weight threshold and communicate with the control unit in response to one of the weight sensor readings falling below the weight threshold.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of user interface devices comprises a wall-mounted display panel comprising light indicators each associated with one of the plurality of syrup containers connected to the beverage dispenser.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
causing a low syrup indicator to be displayed on or near the beverage dispenser.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of user interface devices comprises portable devices associated with store associates.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
selecting at least one of the plurality of user interface devices to provide the notification based on one or more of: store associate roles, shift schedules, and task assignments of store associates associated with each of the plurality of user interface devices.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the notification comprises a task for replacing the syrup container in a store associate task management user interface; and
wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
detect a replacement of the syrup container via the weight sensor of the beverage dispenser monitoring unit; and
close the task in the store associate task management user interface in response to detecting the replacement.

20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
storing historical weight sensor readings from the plurality of weight sensors;
determining an estimated future demand for each of the plurality of syrup containers based on the historical weight sensor readings; and
automatically generating an order for one or more of the plurality of syrup containers based on the estimated future demand.

21. An apparatus for controlling beverage quality comprising:
a non-transitory storage medium storing a set of computer readable instructions; and
a control circuit configured to execute the set of computer readable instructions which cause to the control circuit to:
communicatively couple, via a second network adapter, with a first network adapter a beverage dispenser monitoring unit comprising a plurality of weight sensors each positioned below one of a plurality of syrup containers connected to a beverage dispenser, wherein the first network adapter is configured to turn on in response to a detection of a low weight reading from at least one of the plurality of weight sensors;
detect, with the control circuit, a low weight reading from a weight sensor of the plurality of weight sensors of the

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Andrews Christine L
• Dharmadhikari Rohit C
• Estrada Jose A
• Harmon Mayra R

Classifications

• B67D1/0888 Primary

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

• B67D1/004

  the diluent being supplied from water mains · CPC title

• G01G17/04

  for weighing fluids, e.g. gases, pastes · CPC title

• G01G23/18

  Indicating devices, e.g. for remote indication; Recording devices; Scales, e.g. graduated · CPC title

• G06Q10/063114 Primary

  Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group · CPC title