Facilitating beverage ordering and generation

• US 10,043,226 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2015
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Costa Express Limited
• Original Assignee: Briggo, Inc.
• Inventors: Craparo, John Serafino, Studor, Charles F., Nater, J. Kevin, Mulhausen, Jeffrey William, Hassoun, Marwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Iwarere, Oluseye
• Application Number:
  US14/806,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20160027132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 99285, 222 30, 705 272, 705 5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/06 with selective dispensing of different fluids or materials or mixtures thereof

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating the ordering and generation of a beverage. The system and method are configured to receive an electrical signal in response to the activation by a second user of an electronic link corresponding to a recipe for the beverage shared by a first user. The system and method are further configured to generate a user interface having a user-selectable or user-inputtable order field for allowing the second user to order the beverage. The system and method are still further configured to receive an order for the beverage responsive to a user input made via the order field, and The system and method are yet still further configured to command the generation of the beverage responsive to the receipt of the order, and to effect the presentation of the beverage to the second user at a specified pickup location following the generation of the beverage.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the ordering and generation of a beverage, comprising:

receiving an electrical signal in response to the activation by a second user of an electronic link corresponding to a recipe for the beverage shared by a first user;

generating, responsive to the receipt of the electrical signal, a user interface having a user-selectable or user-inputtable order field for allowing the second user to place an order for the beverage;

receiving an order for the beverage responsive to an input made by the second user via the order field;

sending one or more electronic command signals to a beverage generating apparatus commanding the generation of the beverage responsive to the receipt of the order;

generating the beverage at the beverage generating apparatus in response to the command signal(s); and

effecting the presentation of the beverage to the second user at a specified pickup location following the generation of the beverage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the beverage generating apparatus comprises an automated beverage generating kiosk, and the beverage is generated by the kiosk in response to the command signal(s).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps thereof are performed without receiving payment of a purchase price for the beverage from the second user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein following the receipt of the order for the beverage, the method comprises obtaining payment of the purchase price for the beverage from the first user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein before the commanding step, the method comprises determining a location at which to generate the beverage.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein before the commanding step, the method comprises determining a time at which to generate the beverage.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the time is specified in hour and minute of the day.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving an electrical signal representative of an instruction from the first user to share the recipe for the beverage;

generating the electronic link corresponding to the recipe; and

communicating the electronic link to the second user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein following the communicating step, the method comprises obtaining payment of a purchase price for the beverage from the first user.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein before the communicating step, the method comprises obtaining payment of a purchase price for the beverage from the first user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the user interface generated in the generating step includes a user-selectable or user-inputtable recipe modification field for allowing the user to modify the recipe;

the step of receiving an order for the beverage comprises receiving an order for a modified version of the beverage responsive to inputs made by the second user via the order and recipe modification fields of the user interface; and

the commanding step comprises commanding the generation of the modified version of the beverage responsive to the received order.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an electrical signal representative of an instruction from the second user to share the recipe for the beverage;

generating a second electronic link corresponding to the recipe; and

communicating the second electronic link to one or more recipients.

13. A system for facilitating the ordering and generation of a beverage, comprising:

an electronic processing unit; and

an electronic memory device electrically coupled to the electronic processing unit and having instructions stored therein,

wherein the processing unit is configured to access the memory device and execute the instructions stored therein such that it is configured to;

receive an electrical signal in response to the activation by a second user of an electronic link corresponding to a recipe for the beverage shared by a first user;

generate, responsive to the receipt of the electrical signal, a user interface having a user-selectable or user-inputtable order field for allowing the second user to place an order for the beverage;

receive an order for the beverage responsive to an input made by the second user via the order field; and

send one or more command signals to a beverage generating apparatus commanding the generation of the beverage responsive to the received order.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit is configured to effect the presentation of the beverage to the second user at a pickup location following the generation of the beverage.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain payment of a purchase price from the first user.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the beverage generating apparatus comprises an automated beverage generating kiosk.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a location at which to generate the beverage.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a time at which to generate the beverage.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the time is specified in hour and minute of the day.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein:

the user interface generated by the processing unit includes a user-selectable or user-inputtable recipe modification field for allowing the user to modify the recipe;

the receipt of the order by the processing unit comprises receiving an order for a modified version of the beverage responsive to inputs made by the second user via the order and recipe modification fields of the user interface; and

the commanding of the generation of the beverage by the processing unit comprises commanding the generation of the modified version of the beverage responsive to the received order.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit is configured to:

receive an electrical signal representative of an instruction from the second user to share the recipe for the beverage;

generate a second electronic link corresponding to the recipe; and

communicate the electronic link to the one or more recipients.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit is configured to:

receive an electrical signal representative of an instruction from the first user to share the recipe for the beverage;

generate the electronic link corresponding to the recipe; and

communicate the electronic link to the second.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein following the communication of the electronic link to the second user, the processing unit is configured to obtain payment of a purchase price for the beverage from the first user.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein prior to the communication of the electronic link to the second user, the processing unit is configured to obtain payment of a purchase price for the beverage from the first user.

25. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain payment of a purchase price for the beverage from the first user following the receipt of the order for the beverage.

26. The system of claim 13, comprising:

a central host, wherein the central host comprises the electronic processing unit and the electronic memory device; and

a kiosk configured for communication with the central host and including a plurality of process modules each configured to perform one or more processes contributing to the production of beverages,

wherein the processing unit of the central host is configured to

send the one or more command signals to the kiosk commanding the generation of the beverage responsive to the received order; and

wherein the kiosk is configured to;

receive the command signal(s) from the processing unit of the central host;

generate the ordered beverage responsive to the received command signal(s); and

present the beverage to the second user following the generation of the beverage.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the processing unit of the central host is configured to receive the order for the beverage and the kiosk is configured to generate and present the beverage without receiving payment of a purchase price for the beverage from the second user.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the processing unit of the central host is configured to obtain payment of the purchase price from the first user.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the processing unit of the central host is configured to obtain payment of the purchase price from the first user following the receipt of the order for the beverage.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the system comprises a plurality of kiosks each of which is configured for communication with the central host and includes a plurality of process modules configured to perform one or more processes contributing to the production of beverages, and further wherein the control host is configured to identify one of the plurality of kiosks at which to generate the beverage, and to send the command signal(s) to the identified kiosk.