BEVERAGE CONTAINER

• US 20160286993A1
• Filed: 03/24/2016
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Groking Lab Limited
• Original Assignee: Groking Lab Limited
• Inventors: Pau, Sze Ring
• Granted Patent: US 9,930,980 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/2227 with means for amusing or giving information to the user A47G23/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/2288 with means for keeping liquid cool or hot
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2019/2238 with illumination means
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2019/2244 with sound emitting means
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2019/225 vessels with thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 23/16 combined with drinking vessels or with lids therefor

Abstract

A beverage container includes a container body, a plurality of sensors arranged to determine information associated with liquid contained in the container body, and a processor operably coupled with the plurality of sensors for determining a beverage consumption routine of a user based on the information determined by the plurality of sensors.

Claims

1. A beverage container comprising a container body, wherein the beverage container includes:

a plurality of sensors arranged to determine information associated with liquid contained in the container body; and

a processor operably coupled with the plurality of sensors for determining a beverage consumption routine of a user based on the information determined by the plurality of sensors.

2. A beverage container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors are further arranged to determine one or more beverage consumption events or beverage filling events;

and the processor is further arranged to determine the beverage consumption routine of a user of the beverage container based on the one or more beverage consumption events or beverage filling events.

3. A beverage container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the beverage consumption routine includes one or more of:

type of the liquid consumed by the user, volume of the liquid consumed by the user, and time at which the liquid is consumed by the user.

4. A beverage container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged to determine a beverage consumption alarm to be provided to the user based on the beverage consumption routine of the user;

wherein the beverage consumption alarm is arranged to remind the user of consumption of liquid from the beverage container.

5. A beverage container in accordance with claim 4, wherein the beverage container further comprises an alarm module operably coupled with the processor for providing the beverage consumption alarm to the user.

6. A beverage container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors includes a linear array of level sensors arranged at least partly lengthwise along the container body for detecting a level of the liquid in the container body so as to determine a volume of liquid in the container body.

7. A beverage container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors further includes a temperature sensor arranged to detect a temperature of the liquid in the container body.

8. A beverage container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors further includes a liquid detector arranged to detect the type of the liquid contained in the container body.

9. A beverage container in accordance with claims 1, wherein the plurality of sensors further includes a motion sensor arranged to detect a motion of the beverage container being picked up.

10. A beverage container in accordance with claim 9, wherein beverage container further comprises a lid removably coupled with the container body, and the plurality of sensors further includes a lid state sensor arranged to detect if the lid is opened or closed, or connected with or disconnected from the container body.

11. A beverage container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the beverage container further comprises a clock or timing module operably coupled with the processor for recording time of events occurred.

12. A beverage container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the beverage container further comprises an indicator module operably coupled with the processor for indicating one or more of the temperature, the volume, and the type of liquid contained in the container body.

13. A beverage container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the beverage container further comprises a communication module operably coupled with the processor arranged to communicate data with an external electronic device.

14. A beverage container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the beverage container further comprises a power module operably coupled with the processor and the plurality of sensors for selectively powering the processor and one or more of the plurality of sensors.

15. A beverage container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the beverage container further comprises a memory module operably coupled with the processor for storing one or more beverage consumption events or beverage filling events, the information determined by the plurality of sensors, the beverage consumption routine of the user and/or a beverage consumption alarm schedule.

16. A beverage container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the container body comprises an inner container body and an outer container body;

a space defined between the inner and outer container bodies are arranged for housing the processor and one or more of the plurality of sensors.

17. A beverage container in accordance with claim 16, wherein the inner and outer container bodies are made of heat insulating materials.

18. A beverage container in accordance with claim 5, wherein the alarm module includes one or more light emitting devices for providing visible alarm, a vibration motor for providing tactile alarm, a sound emitting device for providing an audible alarm, or any combinations thereof.

19. A beverage container in accordance with claim 6, wherein the container body includes a beverage chamber with a cross section defined by a continuous slot portion and major segment portion, the slot portion defining a channel extending at least partly lengthwise along the beverage chamber;

wherein the linear array of level sensors are arranged along the channel defined by the slot portion.

20. A beverage container in accordance with claim 19, wherein each level sensor includes an infrared transmitter and an infrared emitter.

21. A beverage container in accordance with of claim 20, wherein the infrared transmitter and the infrared emitter of each level sensor are arranged proximal each other in a non-diametrically opposed manner.

22. A beverage container in accordance with claim 7, wherein the temperature sensor is a thermistor.

23. A beverage container in accordance with claim 8, wherein the liquid detector is an infrared transmitter and an infrared emitter.

24. A beverage container in accordance with claim 8, wherein the liquid detector is operable to determine if the liquid contained in the container body is water or coffee.

25. A beverage container in accordance with claim 9, wherein the motion sensor comprises one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer.

26. A beverage container in accordance with claim 10, wherein the lid state sensor is a magnetic switch.

27. A beverage container in accordance with claim 10, wherein the processor is operable to determine a beverage consumption event or a beverage filling event based on the motion of the beverage container detected by the motion sensor and a lid state detected by the lid state sensor.

28. A beverage container in accordance with claim 11, wherein the events occurred and recorded by the clock and timing module include one or more of:

a beverage consumption event, a beverage filling event, a liquid level detected, a liquid temperature detected, and a type of liquid detected.

29. A beverage container in accordance with claim 12, wherein the indicator module includes one or more light emitting indicators.

30. A beverage container in accordance with claim 13, wherein the communication module is arranged to communicate the beverage consumption routine of the user to the external electronic device.

31. A beverage container in accordance with claim 30, wherein the communication module is a wireless communication module arranged to communicate with the external electronic device using wireless communication signals.

32. A beverage container in accordance with claim 30, wherein the communication module is a Bluetooth module that communicates with the external electronic device using Bluetooth signals.

33. A beverage container in accordance with claim 14, wherein the power module comprises a rechargeable battery.

34. A beverage container in accordance with claim 10, wherein the beverage container is operable in an idle mode when the beverage container is not being used by the user;

and in an active mode when the beverage container is being used by the user;

wherein in the idle mode, only the motion sensor and the lid state sensor are in an operation state and the other of the plurality of sensors are in a reduced power state; and

in the active mode, the motion sensor, the lid state sensor and one or more of the other plurality of sensors are in an operation state.

35. A beverage container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the beverage container further comprises a lid removably coupled with the container body.

36. A beverage consumption routine determination system, comprising:

a beverage container operable to determine a beverage consumption routine of a user; and

an external electronic device arranged to communicate with the beverage container;

wherein the beverage consumption routine of the user is arranged to be transmitted from the beverage container to the external electronic device for storage in the external electronic device or in a server using the external electronic device.

37. A beverage consumption routine determination system in accordance with claim 36, wherein the server is distributed in a cloud computing network.

38. A beverage consumption routine determination system in accordance with claim 36, wherein the external electronic device is arranged to communicate with the beverage container using wireless communication signals.

39. A beverage consumption routine determination system in accordance with claim 36, wherein the user can manipulate records of the beverage consumption routine using the external electronic device.

40. A beverage consumption routine determination system in accordance with claim 36, wherein the user can set a predetermined beverage consumption alarm and transmit the predetermined beverage consumption alarm to the beverage container using the external electronic device.

41. A liquid container comprising:

a container body having a first portion and a second portion continuous with the first portion, the first and second portions together defining a volume for receiving liquid;

a plurality of emitters and receivers forming emitter-receiver pairs arranged externally to the second portion of the container body and spaced apart along a lengthwise direction of the second portion of the container body;

the emitter of each of the plurality of emitter-receiver pairs is arranged to transmit a signal towards the corresponding receiver of the plurality of emitter-receiver pairs through the second portion of the container body;

wherein the plurality of emitter-receiver pairs include;

one or more first emitter-receiver pairs forming level sensors for detecting an amount of liquid in the container body; and

a second emitter-receiver pair forming a liquid detector for detecting a type of liquid contained in the container body.

42. The liquid container in accordance with claim 41, wherein the second portion comprises a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall arranged between the first and second walls;

the first, second and third walls being formed continuously; and

the first and second walls being arranged adjacent the plurality of emitter-receiver pairs and between the emitter and the receiver of each of the plurality of emitter-receiver pairs.

43. The liquid container in accordance with claim 42, wherein portions of the first and second walls arranged between each of the one or more first emitter-receiver pairs are substantially planar and are arranged at an angle of less than 90 degrees with each other, and portions of the first and second walls arranged between the second emitter-receiver pair are substantially planar and are arranged parallel with each other.

44. The liquid container in accordance with claim 43, wherein portions of the first and second walls arranged between each of the one or more first emitter-receiver pairs are arranged at an angle between 45-75 degrees.

45. The liquid container in accordance with claim 43, wherein portions of the first and second walls arranged between each of the one or more first emitter-receiver pairs are arranged at an angle of 60 degrees.

46. The liquid container in accordance with claim 41, further comprising:

a circuit board connected to the container body adjacent the second portion of the container body, the circuit board having

the plurality of emitter-receiver pairs disposed or mounted lengthwise along the circuit board; and

a circuit module electrically connected with the plurality of emitter-receiver pairs.

47. The liquid container in accordance with claim 41, wherein the second emitter-receiver pair is arranged at a lower half of the container body when the container is in an upright configuration.

48. The liquid container in accordance with claim 41, wherein the second emitter-receiver pair is arranged below at least one of the one or more first emitter-receiver pairs when the container is in an upright configuration.

49. The liquid container in accordance with claim 41, wherein the plurality of emitters and receivers are infrared emitters and infrared receivers adapted to emit and receive infrared signals;

and wherein the first and second walls are infrared-transmissive, and the first and second walls are operable to alter a wave speed of the infrared signal.

50. The liquid container in accordance with claim 41, wherein the one or more first emitter-receiver pairs are arranged to detect the amount of liquid in the container body based on the presence or absence of signal received at the corresponding receivers.

51. The liquid container in accordance with claim 41, wherein the second emitter-receiver pair is arranged to detect the type of liquid contained in the container body based on a difference of signal strength between a signal emitted by the emitter and a signal received at the corresponding receiver.