Method and system of setting and/or controlling of a food product dispensing machine using a tag-type communication device

• US 20060108415A1
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA), Societe des Produits Nestle SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Thomas, Kevin R., Hu, Ruguo, Cardwell, Donald
• Granted Patent: US 7,387,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/381
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0884 Means for controlling the parameters of the state of the liquid to be dispensed, e.g. temperature, pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0888 Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means)
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2001/0811 provided with coded information
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/065 for drink preparation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Abstract

A method of and system for providing machine-readable tags, preferably programmable RFID tags are provided. In one embodiment of the present invention, a receptacle having at least one wall member that defines an enclosure and a tag associated with the receptacle, which includes machine-readable information regarding a product occupying the enclosure is provided. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the tag includes identification information in electronic form for the product.

Claims

1. A method of determining consumption of foods or beverages from a dispenser, which method comprises:

recording information on a machine-readable tag associated with a receptacle that contains a food-forming or beverage-forming product;

updating a computer database with the recorded information;

reading of the machine-readable tag by the dispenser when the food or beverage is dispensed;

updating the computer database with information about the foods or beverages that are dispensed; and

sorting the information to determine consumption patterns for the foods or beverages that are dispensed.

2. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

reading the machine-readable tag before the receptacle is delivered to the dispenser to obtain supply information;

updating the computer database with the supply information; and

sorting the information to determine supply sources of the receptacles for the dispenser.

3. The method of claim 1, which further comprises utilizing the consumption pattern information to schedule times for re-supplying the dispenser with receptacles.