Method of limiting brewer operation to authorized substances

• US 7,197,377 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bunn-O-Matic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bunn-O-Matic Corporation
• Inventors: Knepler, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/876,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 700/231, 700/232, 700/237, 705/76
• US Class Current: 700/237
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4492 Means to read code provided on ingredient pod or cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2001/0811 provided with coded information
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/02 by volume
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/065 for drink preparation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system for preventing unauthorized equipment usage that involves providing equipment, such as beverage making equipment, to a customer. Authorized product is provided to the customer in packaging that has a technological measure attached. The equipment includes a technological measure reader to read information from the technological measure to set the equipment to perform an authorized number of food or beverage making cycles. An authorization deactivator may also be provided in association with the equipment to erase, decrement, or otherwise prevent the technological measure from being reused.

Claims

1. A method for preventing unauthorized equipment usage comprising the steps of:

providing equipment to a customer;

providing authorized beverage making product to the customer for loading into the equipment, the authorized beverage making product being contained in packaging, the authorized beverage making product being accompanied by a technological measure being associated with the packaging, the technological measure designed to be read by the equipment to set a predetermined number of authorized brewing cycles; and

permitting the equipment to be operated only while there are authorized brewing cycles remaining.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing equipment to a customer without charge.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising equipment that comprises a food dispensing portion and a technological measure reader.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the technological measure reader being a bar code reader.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the technological measure reader being RFID transceiver.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the packaging being a frac-pak.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the packaging being a can.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the packaging being a pod.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the packaging being a pouch.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the packaging being a k-cup.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the packaging being a capsule.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the authorized beverage making product being a powdered food substance.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the authorized beverage making product being a freeze dried food substance.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the authorized beverage making product being a freshly ground food substance.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the authorized beverage making product being a concentrated food substance.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the authorized beverage making product being a syrup.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the authorized beverage making product being a mix for granita beverages.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the authorized beverage making product being juice.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing equipment that is a powdered beverage dispenser.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an authorization deactivator being controllably operated by the equipment, the authorization deactivator performing a deactivating function on the technological measure after the equipment communicates with the technological measure.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the deactivating function being punching a hole in the technological measure.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing a technological measure that has a volatile counter, the deactivating function being decrementing the volatile counter.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising the deactivating function being melting the technological measure.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing equipment that is a beverage making apparatus, the beverage making apparatus having a funnel, the funnel having a port for coupling with an RFJD chip, and providing a technological measure that is an RFID chip, accompanying the authorized beverage making product by being shipped therewith, wherein the beverage making apparatus can operate so long as there are authorixed brewing cycles remaining on the RFID chip is coupled to the funnel.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising the technological measure being a magnetic card having a magnetic stripe that has volatile memory, the deactivating function being activating an electromagnet that is in cooperation with equipment to erase the volatile memory.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising operating the electromagnet after confirming reading authorized brewing cycle information from the magnetic stripe.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising the deactivating function being actuating a cutting blade to cut the technological measure.

28. A method for preventing unauthorized equipment usage for equipment that uses authorized beverage making product to be loaded into the equipment delivered in packaging that has machine readable information thereon, the method comprising:

providing an authorization deactivator that is controllably operated by the equipment,

performing a deactivation function on at least of portion of the authorized beverage making product packaging having machine readable information thereon.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising providing the machine readable information on a technological measure associated with the packaging.

30. A method for preventing unauthorized equipment usage comprising the steps of:

providing equipment to a customer;

providing authorized beverage making product to be loaded into the equipment to the customer, the authorized beverage making product being contained in packaging, the authorized beverage making product being accompanied by a technological measure associated with the packaging, the technological measure designed to be read by the equipment;

validating the authorized product;

operating the equipment while the authorized beverage making product is validated; and

in response to the authorized beverage making product losing validation, performing a deactivation function on the technological measure.