Beverage preparation machine comprising an extended user-advisory functionality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9443373-B2
Application number	US-201013513774-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2010
Priority date	Dec 2, 2009
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to a beverage preparation machine ( 1 ) having an extended user-advisory functionality, comprising a control unit ( 21 ) for recognizing an actual or upcoming event triggering said user-advisory functionality, such as a disturbance of such machine ( 1 ) based on monitored machine parameters or a machine contextual event, a communication module ( 11 ) for communicating with a remote external device ( 50 ) via a communication network ( 501, 511 ), and a display ( 10 ) for displaying messages, wherein the control unit ( 21 ) in said user-advisory functionality is further adapted to establish a connection via the communication module ( 11 ) to said external device ( 50 ) offering a resource for managing the actual or upcoming event, and to control the display of a message on the display ( 10 ) indicating the actual or upcoming event and advising a user on managing said event. The present invention further relates to a program stored on a memory device and executable by a control unit ( 21 ) of the beverage preparation machine ( 1 ) for providing an extended user-advisory functionality for a beverage preparation machine ( 1 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A beverage preparation machine having an extended user-advisory functionality, the beverage preparation machine comprising:
an ingredient processing arrangement comprising a liquid reservoir and a brewing unit configured to allow introduction, extraction and removal of a capsule containing ground coffee, and the beverage preparation machine comprises a beverage outlet from which a beverage prepared from the capsule is dispensed;
a control unit configured to recognize an actual or upcoming event triggering the extended user-advisory functionality and configured to control powering of a heater and a pump of the beverage preparation machine;
a communication module configured to communicate with a remote external device via a communication network; and
a display configured to display messages;
the control unit in the extended user-advisory functionality is adapted (i) to establish a connection via the communication module to the remote external device, the remote external device is offering a resource for managing the actual or upcoming event, and (ii) to control the display of a message on the display indicating the actual or upcoming event and advising a user on managing the actual or upcoming event,
the actual or upcoming event comprises an actual or upcoming disturbance, and the actual or upcoming disturbance is a disturbance related to scaling and malfunctioning of a component of the beverage preparation machine.

2. The beverage preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein the message on the display indicating the actual or upcoming event and advising the user on managing the actual or upcoming event comprises an invitation on the display to the user to establish the connection.

3. The beverage preparation machine of claim 1 , comprising at least one sensor positioned in the ingredient processing arrangement and configured to monitor beverage preparation parameters, and the controlling of the powering of the heater and the pump comprises adjusting the powering based on the monitored beverage preparation parameters received by the control unit from the at least one sensor.

4. The beverage preparation machine of claim 3 , wherein the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a flowmeter, an electric power sensor, an overheat sensor, a scale sensor, a water level sensor, an ingredient recognition sensor and a beverage recognition sensor, and the communication module is (i) directly connected to the at least one sensor or (ii) indirectly connected to the at least one sensor by the control unit.

5. The beverage preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is adapted to establish the connection to a help desk.

6. The beverage preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is adapted to establish the connection to a gift shop and/or to a server offering electronic postcards.

7. The beverage preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is adapted to request the user to input a user identification and to accept confirmation of the request by the user only when the input user identification matches a predefined reference user identification.

8. The beverage preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein the communication module is adapted to enable communication with two or more external devices, and the control unit is adapted to select the external device offering the resource to manage a detected event.

9. The beverage preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein the control unit, upon a denial of the user regarding the offering of the resource from the remote external device, is adapted to remind the user of the actual or upcoming event after a predefined time.

10. The beverage preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein the actual or upcoming event further comprises an additional disturbance of the beverage preparation machine based on monitored machine parameters or a machine contextual event.

11. The beverage preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein the actual or upcoming event further comprises a contextual event selected from the group consisting of a particular recipe of a beverage preparation related event, a dairy related event, an agenda related event, an event relating to an ordering or reordering of consumables or accessories for the beverage preparation machine and a commercial or advertisement related thereto.

12. The beverage preparation machine of claim 1 , further comprising a memory for storing an agenda or a diary.

13. The beverage preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is adapted to establish the connection to a server of a vendor offering machine related products.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program executable by a control unit of a beverage preparation machine for providing an extended user-advisory functionality, wherein the program, when executed, performs the steps of:
controlling powering of a heater and a pump of the beverage preparation machine;
recognizing an actual or upcoming event triggering the extended user-advisory functionality;
establishing a connection via a communication module of the beverage preparation machine to a remote external device offering a resource for managing the actual or upcoming event; and
displaying a message on a display of the beverage preparation machine indicating the actual or upcoming event and advising a user on managing the actual or upcoming event,
the actual or upcoming event comprises an actual or upcoming disturbance, and the actual or upcoming disturbance is a disturbance related to scaling and malfunctioning of a component of the beverage preparation machine.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the message on the display indicating the actual or upcoming event and advising the user on managing the actual or upcoming event comprises an invitation on the display to the user to establish the connection and/or display the message.

Assignees

• Delbreil Marc
• Agon Fabien Ludovic
• Nestec Sa

Inventors

• Delbreil Marc
• Agon Fabien Ludovic

Classifications

• G07F9/002

  Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines · CPC title

• G07F9/026

  for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty · CPC title

• G07F13/065 Primary

  for drink preparation · CPC title

• G07F11/002

  Physics · mapped topic

• G07F9/001

  Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices · CPC title