Systems and Methods for Dispensing Products Selected at Remote Point-of-Sale Devices

• US 20140040055A1
• Filed: 08/06/2012
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
• Original Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
• Inventors: Quartarone, Daniel S., Rudick, Arthur G.
• Granted Patent: US 11,928,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/06 with selective dispensing of different fluids or materials or mixtures thereof

Abstract

The present application provides a remote beverage dispensing system for filling a number of orders with one or more beverage selections. The remote beverage dispensing system may include a point-of-sale device for receiving the orders and a remote beverage dispenser for filling the orders. The remote beverage dispenser may include a point-of-sale order queue and a manual selection screen. The point-of-sale order queue may include the beverages selections in each of the number of orders.

Claims

1. A remote beverage dispensing system for filling a number of orders with one or more beverage selections, comprising:

a point-of-sale device for receiving the number of orders; and

a remote beverage dispenser for filling the number of orders;

the remote beverage dispenser comprising a point-of-sale order queue;

the point-of-sale order queue comprising the beverages selections in each of the number of orders; and

the remote beverage dispenser comprising a manual selection screen.

2. The remote beverage dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the point-of-sale device comprises a plurality of information fields.

3. The remote beverage dispensing system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of information fields comprises an identification field, a product field, and/or a proportion field.

4. The remote beverage dispensing system of claim 1, the remote beverage dispenser comprises an interface with the point-of-sale order queue thereon.

5. The remote beverage dispensing system of claim 4, wherein the interface comprises the manual selection screen thereon.

6. The remote beverage dispensing system of claim 4, wherein the interface comprises a service screen.

7. The remote beverage dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the manual selection screen comprises a plurality of beverage icons and a plurality of proportion icons.

8. The remote beverage dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the one or more beverage selections on the point-of-sale queue comprise a manual pour icon and an automatic pour icon.

9. The remote beverage dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the point-of-sale order queue displays the number of orders by an order identifier.

10. The remote beverage dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the point-of-sale order queue comprises a recall icon.

11. The remote beverage dispensing system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of point-of-sale devices positioned in a plurality of customer zones.

12. The remote beverage dispensing system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of remote beverage dispensers.

13. The remote beverage dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the remote beverage dispenser comprises a plurality of micro-ingredients therein.

14. The remote beverage dispensing system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of micro-ingredients comprises reconstitution ratios of ten to one or higher.

15. A method of remotely filling one or more beverage selections in a number of orders, comprising:

receiving the number of orders at a point-of-sale device;

displaying the beverage selections in each order at a remote beverage dispenser;

accepting pour instructions for any beverage selection in any order;

indicating when an order is fulfilled; and

accepting additional beverage selections at the remote beverage dispenser.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of receiving the number of orders at the point of sale device comprises receiving a plurality of information fields.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of displaying the beverage selections in each order comprises displaying the orders by an order identifier.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of accepting pour instructions comprises receiving instructions for an automatic pour or a manual pour.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of accepting additional beverage selections comprises receiving additional beverage selections at a manual selection screen.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of recalling an order.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of informing the point-of-sale device that a beverage selection is unavailable.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of pouring the beverage selections.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of pouring the beverage selections comprises mixing a plurality of micro-ingredients.

24. A remote beverage dispensing system for filling a number of orders with one or more beverage selections, comprising:

a plurality of point-of-sale devices for receiving the orders; and

one or more remote beverage dispensers for filling the orders;

the plurality of point-of-sale devices and the one or more remote beverage dispensers comprising two way communication therebetween such that the plurality of point-of-sale devices delivers the orders to be filled by the one or more remote beverage dispensers and the one or more remote beverage dispensers inform the plurality of point-of-sale devices of a status of available beverage selections.

25. The remote beverage dispensing system of claim 24, wherein the status of available beverage selections indicates sold-out beverage selections.

26. The remote beverage dispensing system of claim 24, wherein the one or more remote beverage dispensers comprising an interface;

the interface comprising a point-of-sale order queue and a plurality of beverage icons; and

the point-of-sale order queue comprising the beverages selections in each of the number of orders.