Beverage preparation machine with capsule recognition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12127705-B2
Application number	US-201917312533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2019
Priority date	Dec 12, 2018
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

A machine ( 1 ) for preparing and dispensing a beverage ( 2 ) has: a capsule extraction unit ( 10 ) having a first part ( 11 ) and a second part ( 12 ) that are relatively movable between a distant position for inserting a capsule ( 3 ) and a close position for extracting such capsule ( 3 ); a control unit ( 40 ) for controlling the extraction unit ( 10 ) to extract such capsule ( 3 ); an outlet ( 20 ) for dispensing said beverage ( 2 ) formed by extracting such capsule ( 3 ) to a user-receptacle ( 4 ) located in a receptacle placing area; and a capsule recognition arrangement ( 30 ) connected to the control unit ( 40 ) for recognizing the colour of at least part of a capsule inserted in the machine ( 1 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A machine for preparing and dispensing a beverage comprising:
an extraction unit for extracting a beverage ingredient capsule to form the beverage;
a control unit for controlling the extraction unit to extract such capsule;
an outlet for dispensing the beverage formed by extracting such capsule to a user-receptacle to collect the beverage,
a color recognition module for recognizing a color of a capsule inserted in the machine, the color recognition module comprising a color sensor for sensing a sample color of at least part of the surface of such capsule;
the color recognition module is configured to compare the sample color to at least one reference color by:
computing a HSL sample color vector of the sample color;
computing a hue distance between a hue component of the HSL sample color vector and a hue component of a HSL reference color vector of the at least one reference color,
computing a saturation distance between a saturation component of the HSL sample color vector and a saturation component of the HSL reference color vector,
computing a lightness distance between a lightness component of the HSL sample color vector and a lightness component of the HSL reference color vector, and
computing a HSL score with the hue distance, the saturation distance and the lightness distance to determine a match between the color sample and the at least one reference color.

2. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the color recognition module is configured to compute the HSL sample color vector from a RGB sample color vector of the sample color.

3. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the color recognition module is configured to compute the HSL score by computing a darkness level and a desaturation level of the sample color and weighting the hue distance, saturation distance and lightness distance by respective HSL weights determined on the basis of the darkness level and/or of the desaturation level.

4. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the color recognition module is configured to compute a second score indicative of a distance between the sample color and at least one reference color.

5. The machine of claim 4 , wherein the color recognition module is configured to compute the second score if a match between the color sample and at least one reference color could not be determined from the HSL score.

6. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the second score is a RGB score and wherein the color recognition module is configured to compute the RGB score by:
computing a color distance between a RGB sample color vector of the sample color and a RGB reference color vector of the at least one reference color,
computing a chromaticity distance between a sample chromaticity vector of the sample color and a reference chromaticity vector of the at least one reference color,
computing a score with the color distance and the chromaticity distance to determine a match between the color sample and said at least one reference color.

7. The machine of claim 6 , wherein the color recognition module is configured to compute the RGB score by computing a luminosity level of the sample color and weighting the color distance and the chromaticity distance by respective balance factors determined on the basis of the luminosity level.

8. The machine of claim 1 , further comprising a capsule recognition position with retaining means for holding the capsule in front of the color recognition module such as to allow sampling the color of the capsule by the color recognition module.

9. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the color recognition module is configured to compare the sample color to a plurality of reference colors by computing a plurality of HSL scores for determining a match between the sample color and each reference color of the plurality of reference colors.

10. The machine of claim 9 , wherein the color recognition module is configured to recognize the capsule based on the reference color of the plurality of reference colours colors that best matches the sample color.

11. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the color recognition module is configured to determine a match between the sample color and the reference color if the HSL score is below or equal to a threshold value, and to determine no match between the sample color and the reference color if the HSL score is above the threshold value.

12. The machine of claim 1 , further comprising a capsule detector for detecting the presence of a capsule located on or approaching a capsule feeder of the machine and triggering color recognition by the color recognition module.

13. The machine of claim 1 , further comprising a material detector for recognising a material of a capsule located on or approaching a capsule feeder of the machine.

14. A combination of a machine for preparing and dispensing a beverage comprising an extraction unit for extracting a beverage ingredient capsule to form the beverage, a control unit for controlling the extraction unit to extract such capsule, an outlet for dispensing the beverage formed by extracting such capsule to a user-receptacle to collect the beverage, a color recognition module for recognizing a color of a capsule inserted in the machine, the color recognition module comprising a color sensor for sensing a sample color of at least part of the surface of such capsule, the color recognition module is configured to compare the sample color to at least one reference color by, computing a HSL sample color vector of the sample color, computing a hue distance between a hue component of the HSL sample color vector and a hue component of a HSL reference color vector of the at least one reference color, computing a saturation distance between a saturation component of the HSL sample color vector and a saturation component of the HSL reference color vector, computing a lightness distance between a lightness component of the HSL sample color vector and a lightness component of the HSL reference color vector, and computing a HSL score with the hue distance, the saturation distance and the lightness distance to determine a match between the color sample and the at least one reference color and a capsule.

15. A method of preparing and dispensing a beverage from a capsule in a machine comprising: inserting a capsule in the machine; sensing a sample color of at least part of the surface of the capsule, comparing the sample color to at least one reference color by:
computing a HSL sample color vector of the sample color;
computing a hue distance between a hue component of the HSL sample color vector and a hue component of a HSL reference color vector of the at least one reference color,
computing a saturation distance between a saturation component of the HSL sample color vector and a saturation component of the HSL reference color vector,
computing a lightness distance between a lightness component of the HSL sample color vector and a lightness component of the HSL reference color vector,
computing a HSL score with the hue distance, the saturation distance and the lightness distance to determine a match between the color sample and the at least one reference color;
recognising a type of the capsule based on the result of the comparison; relatively moving the first and second parts into their distant position; supplying the capsule to an extracting unit; relatively moving the first and second parts into their close position to position the capsule in the extraction chamber; extracting the capsule in the extraction chamber applying extraction parameters determined on the basis of the recognised type of the capsule to prepare a beverage; and dispensing t

Assignees

• Nestle Sa

Inventors

• Guyon Bertrand
• Jans Peter
• Fournier Michael

Classifications

• A47J31/52

  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

• A47J31/3676

  Cartridges being employed · CPC title

• A47J31/4492 Primary

  Means to read code provided on ingredient pod or cartridge · CPC title