BEVERAGE PREPARATION MACHINE COMPRISING A CARD READING ARRANGEMENT

• US 20130043304A1
• Filed: 11/25/2010
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Agon, Fabien Ludovic, Delbreil, Marc
• Application Number:
  US13/513,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20130043304A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/381
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/52 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 Class Codes: A47J 31/521 the electronic control being performed over a network, e.g. by means of a computer or a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/525 the electronic control being based on monitoring of specific process parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/5251 of pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/5253 of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/5255 of flow rate

Abstract

The present invention relates to a beverage preparation machine (1), in particular to capsule-based machine, comprising a card reading arrangement (23, 24) for reading user identification information or uniquely identifying a user or user settings from a card (90). The read information can either be submitted to an external server or can be processed within the machine (1) itself. A control unit (21) adapted to control the functions and process steps of the machine depending on the read user information and/or depending on information received from the server (50) in response to the submitted data.

Claims

1. Beverage preparation machine comprising:

a card reading arrangement for reading user identification information uniquely identifying a user from a card;

a memory for storing processing steps for which an authentication is necessary and for storing associations between user identification information and the processing steps of the machine; and

a control unit that initiates execution of a stored processing step only when there is a match between the associated user identification information and the read user identification information.

2. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 1 comprising

a communication module for communicating with an external server via a communication network;

in the memory a communication step with said external server and relating to an identified user is stored in association with the user identification information; and

the control unit is adapted to perform the identified user-related communication step only when the read user information matches the user identification information associated to the communication step.

3. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 2, wherein performing the identified user-related communication step involves a distant ordering of goods charged to the identified user.

4. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is adapted to a communication step with the external server only when the read user information matches the user identification information associated to the communication step.

5. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 2, a, wherein the control unit performs one or more identified user-unrelated communication steps upon request by any identified or unidentified user.

8. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 2, wherein the beverage preparation machine is capsule-based and further comprises a capsule recognition arrangement, and

the communication module submits the read user identification information together with the type of recognized capsule to the server.

10. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 1,

the card reading arrangement comprises a wireless card reader.

11. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 1,

the card reading arrangement comprises a card slot.

12. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 1,

wherein the card reading arrangement comprises a radio frequency identification RFID reader.

13. Beverage preparation machine according to any claim 1, which comprises a housing containing:

a beverage preparation arrangement; and

a control unit,

the card reading arrangement being connected to the control unit and located inside or outside the housing.

6. Beverage preparation machine comprising:

a card reading arrangement for reading user identification information uniquely identifying a user from a card;

a communication module for communicating with a remote server via a communication network for submitting the read user identification information to the server and for receiving from the server user settings associated to the user identification information; and

a control unit controlling the functionality of the machine in accordance with the received user settings.

7. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 6 comprising:

a memory for storing the received user settings together with the corresponding user identification information.

16. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 6, wherein the beverage preparation machine is capsule-based and further comprises a capsule recognition arrangement, and

the communication module submits the read user identification information together with the type of recognized capsule to the server.

17. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 6,

the card reading arrangement comprises a wireless card reader.

19. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 6,

the card reading arrangement comprises a card slot.

21. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 6,

wherein the card reading arrangement comprises a radio frequency identification RFID reader.

23. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 6, which comprises a housing containing:

a beverage preparation arrangement; and

a control unit,

the card reading arrangement being connected to the control unit and located inside or outside the housing.

25. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 6, comprising:

a card writing arrangement adapted to write onto the card the user settings received from the server.

9. Beverage preparation machine comprising

a card reading arrangement for reading user settings related to the beverage preparation process from a card,

a beverage preparation arrangement for preparing a beverage, and

a control unit controlling the beverage preparation arrangement in accordance with the read user settings.

18. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 9,

the card reading arrangement comprises a wireless card reader.

20. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 9,

the card reading arrangement comprises a card slot.

22. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 9,

wherein the card reading arrangement comprises a radio frequency identification RFID reader.

24. Beverage preparation machine according to claim 9, which comprises a housing containing:

a beverage preparation arrangement; and

a control unit,

the card reading arrangement being connected to the control unit and located inside or outside the housing.

14. Program stored on a memory device and executable by a control unit of a beverage preparation machine performing the steps of

reading user identification information uniquely identifying a user from a card;

storing processing steps for which an authentication is necessary;

storing associations between user identification information and the processing steps of the machine; and

initiating execution of a stored processing step only in case of a match between the associated user identification information and the read user identification information.

15. Program according to claim 14 comprising the steps of:

communicating with an external server via a communication network,

storing a communication step with the external server and relating to an identified user in association with the user identification information, and

carrying out the identified user-related communication step only in case that the read user information matches the user identification information associated to the communication step.