APPLIANCE HAVING A USER INTERFACE PANEL AND A BEVERAGE DISPENSER

• US 20100256826A1
• Filed: 06/17/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beverage Works, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Beverage Works, Inc.
• Inventors: Crisp, Harry Lee III
• Granted Patent: US 8,103,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/283
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0021 the components being mixed at the time of dispensing, i.e. post-mix dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0022 the apparatus comprising means for automatically controlling the amount to be dispensed
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0057 Carbonators
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0058 In-line carbonators
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0071 Carbonating by injecting CO2 in the liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0078 Ingredient cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0412 the whole dispensing unit being fixed to the container
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/08 Details
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0857 Cooling arrangements cooling systems per se F25B
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0858 using compression systems
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0878 Safety, warning or controlling devices B67D1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0888 Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means)
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/12 Flow or pressure control devices or systems , e.g. valves, gas pressure control, level control in storage containers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2001/082 arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/00036 for use with or in refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/346 by reading a code
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/06 Refrigerators with a vertical mullion

Abstract

An appliance including a housing, a dispenser, and a water supply mechanism. The appliance includes a drink supply mechanism configured to removably hold a plurality of drink supply containers, a user interface panel, and a computer. The computer is configured to: cause the user interface panel to display a plurality of different images, each image associated with a different one of a plurality of different beverages which correspond to a drink supply in at least one of the plurality of drink supply containers held by the drink supply mechanism, enable the user interface panel to receive an input from a user of a selected one of the plurality of different displayed images, and after receiving the input from the user of the selected one of the plurality of different displayed images, cause the dispenser to dispense the beverage corresponding to the selected image.

Claims

1. An appliance comprising:

a housing;

a dispenser supported by the housing;

a water supply mechanism supported by the housing and connected to the dispenser;

a drink supply mechanism supported by the housing and connected to the dispenser, said drink supply mechanism configured to removably hold a plurality of drink supply containers;

a user interface panel supported by the housing; and

a computer supported by the housing and connected to the dispenser and the user interface panel, said computer configured to;

(a) cause the user interface panel to display a plurality of different images, each image associated with a different one of a plurality of different beverages which correspond to a drink supply in at least one of the plurality of drink supply containers held by the drink supply mechanism,

(b) enable the user interface panel to receive an input from a user of a selected one of said plurality of different displayed images, and

(c) after receiving the input from the user of the selected one of said plurality of different displayed images, cause the dispenser to dispense the beverage corresponding to the selected image.

2. The appliance of claim 1, which is a refrigerator.

3. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the dispenser is configured to mix, at a pre-determined level, the drink supply from the drink supply container associated with the selected image and water from the water supply mechanism to dispense the beverage associated with the selected image.

4. The appliance of claim 3, which includes a CO₂ supply mechanism supported by the housing and connected to the water supply mechanism, and wherein water from the water supply mechanism is carbonated water.

5. The appliance of claim 1, which includes a plurality of dispensers supported by the housing, said water supply mechanism connected to the dispensers, said drink supply mechanism connected to the dispensers, and said computer connected to the dispensers.

6. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the drink supply mechanism includes at least one pump for drawing, from each drink supply container held by the drink supply mechanism, the drink supply in said drink supply container.

7. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to track, for each drink supply container held by the drink supply mechanism, a volume of the drink supply dispensed by the dispenser from said drink supply container.

8. The appliance of claim 7, wherein the computer is configured, when the drink supply in one of the drink supply containers held by the drink supply mechanism decreases below a predetermined level, to automatically cause a message to be sent to a location remote from the appliance.

9. The appliance of claim 8, wherein the computer is configured to cause said message to be sent to an order processing system remote from the appliance.

10. The appliance of claim 9, wherein the message includes an order for at least one replacement drink supply container.

11. The appliance of claim 1, which includes a CO₂ supply mechanism supported by the housing, connected to the water supply mechanism, and configured to hold at least one removable CO₂ supply container.

12. The appliance of claim 11, wherein the water supply mechanism includes a carbonating tank connected to the CO₂ supply mechanism.

13. The appliance of claim 11, wherein the computer is configured to track a volume of CO₂ dispensed from each CO₂ supply container held by the CO₂ supply mechanism.

14. The appliance of claim 13, wherein the computer is configured cause a message to be sent to an order processing system remote from the appliance, said message including an order for at least one replacement CO₂ supply container.

15. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to automatically cause an order repair message to be sent to a location remote from the appliance.

16. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to cause an indication to the user that one of the drink supply containers held by the drink supply mechanism needs to be replaced.

17. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the user interface panel includes a touch screen.

18. The appliance of claim 1, which includes a motion detector configured to detect when the user approaches the user interface panel to cause the user interface panel to illuminate when the user approaches the user interface panel.

19. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to operate with the user interface panel to enable the user to register as a registered user of the appliance.

20. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to operate with the user interface panel to enable the user to order additional drink supply containers.

21. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to operate with the user interface panel to enable the user to input information regarding a change of one of the drink supply containers held by the drink supply mechanism.

22. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to operate with the user interface panel to receive an authorization code for a drink supply container.

23. The appliance of claim 1, which includes a bar code reader supported by the housing and connected to the computer, said bar code reader configured to read a bar code on a drink supply container.

24. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured, after one of the drink supply containers held by the drink supply mechanism is replaced by a different drink supply container which holds a different drink supply, to cause the user interface panel to display a different image associated with a different beverage which corresponds to the different drink supply in the different drink supply container held by the drink supply mechanism.

25. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the drink supply in each of the drink supply containers is a concentrate.

26. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the computer is connected to the water supply mechanisms and the drink supply mechanism.

27. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to communicate through one of:

a telephone line communication channel, a cable line communication channel, and a wireless communication channel.

28. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to communicate through the internet.

29. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the user interface panel is configured to display at least one of:

(a) an interface which displays the plurality of different images associated with the plurality of different beverages;

(b) an interface which includes a back command which when selected causes the user interface panel to display a previous interface;

(c) a forward command which when selected causes the user interface panel to display a next interface;

(d) an interface which enables the user to order at least one drink supply container;

(e) an interface which enables the user to change at least one drink supply container;

(f) an interface which enables the user to obtain information regarding at least one different drink supply container;

(g) an interface which enables the user to determine an amount of use of each of the drink supply containers held by the drink supply mechanism;

(h) an interface which displays a visual portion of an audiovisual file;

(i) an interface which enables the user to control at least one function of the appliance;

(j) an interface which enables the user to access the internet; and

(k) an interface which enables the user to obtain an average daily usage.

30. An appliance comprising:

a housing;

a dispenser supported by the housing;

a water supply mechanism supported by the housing and connected to the dispenser;

a drink supply mechanism supported by the housing and connected to the dispenser, said drink supply mechanism configured to removeably hold a plurality of drink supply containers;

a user interface panel supported by the housing; and

a computer supported by the housing and connected to the dispenser and the user interface panel, said computer configured to;

(a) cause the user interface panel to display a plurality of different images, each image associated with a different one of a plurality of different beverages which correspond to a drink supply in at least one of the plurality of drink supply containers held by the drink supply mechanism,

(b) enable the user interface panel to receive an input from a user of a selected one of said plurality of different displayed images,

(c) after receiving the input from the user of the selected one of said plurality of different displayed images, cause the dispenser to mix, at a pre-determined level, the drink supply from the drink supply container associated with the selected image and water from the water supply mechanism to dispense the beverage associated with the selected image,

(d) track, for each of the drink supply containers held by the drink supply mechanism, a volume of the drink supply dispensed by the dispenser from said drink supply container,

(e) enable the user to input information regarding a change of one of the drink supply containers held by the drink supply mechanism, and

(f) after one of the drink supply container held by the drink supply mechanism is replaced by a different drink supply container which holds a different drink supply, cause the user interface panel to display a different image associated with a different beverage which corresponds to the different drink supply in the different drink supply container held by the drink supply mechanism.

31. The appliance of claim 30, which is a refrigerator.

32. The appliance of claim 30, which includes a CO₂ supply mechanism supported by the housing and connected to the water supply mechanism, and wherein water from the wager supply mechanism is carbonated water.

33. The appliance of claim 30, which includes a plurality of dispensers supported by the housing, said water supply mechanism connected to the dispensers, said drink supply mechanism connected to the dispensers, and said computer connected to the dispensers.

34. The appliance of claim 30, wherein the computer is configured, when the drink supply in one of the drink supply containers held by the drink supply mechanism decreases below a predetermined level, to automatically cause a message to be sent to a location remote from the appliance.

35. The appliance of claim 34, wherein the computer is configured to cause said message to be sent to an order processing system remote from the appliance.

36. The appliance of claim 35, wherein the message includes an order for at least one replacement drink supply container.

37. The appliance of claim 30, wherein the computer is configured to cause an indication to the user that one of the drink supply containers held by the drink supply mechanism needs to be replaced.

38. The appliance of claim 30, wherein the user interface panel includes a touch screen.

39. The appliance of claim 30, wherein the computer is configured to operate with the user interface panel to enable the user to order additional drink supply containers.

40. The appliance of claim 30, wherein the drink supply in each of the drink supply containers is a concentrate.

41. The appliance of claim 30, wherein the computer is connected to the water supply mechanisms and the drink supply mechanism.

42. The appliance of claim 30, wherein the computer is configured to communicate through one of:

a telephone line communication channel, a cable line communication channel, and a wireless communication channel.

43. The appliance of claim 30, wherein the computer is configured to communicate through the internet.

44. The appliance of claim 30, wherein the user interface panel is configured to display at least one of:

(a) an interface which displays the plurality of different images associated with the plurality of different beverages;

(b) an interface which includes a back command which when selected causes the user interface panel to display a previous interface;

(c) a forward command which when selected causes the user interface panel to display a next interface;

(d) an interface which enables the user to order at least one drink supply container;

(e) an interface which enables the user to change at least one drink supply container;

(f) an interface which enables the user to obtain information regarding at least one different drink supply container;

(g) an interface which enables the user to determine an amount of use of each of the drink supply containers held by the drink supply mechanism;

(h) an interface which displays an visual portion of an audiovisual file;

(i) an interface which enables the user to control at least one function of the appliance;

(j) an interface which enables the user to access the internet; and

(k) an interface which enables the user to obtain an average daily usage.