Method and system of setting and/or controlling of a food product dispensing machine using a tag-type communication device

• US 7,387,239 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA (Nestle SA), Netsec SA
• Inventors: Thomas, Kevin R., Cardwell, Donald, Hu, Ruguo
• Primary Examiner(s): St. Cyr; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/325,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20060108415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 235/381, 235/383, 235/385, 235/462.01, 235/462.45, 235/462.46, 235/472, 235/375, 235/378, 235/380
• US Class Current: 235/381
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0884 Means for controlling the parameters of the state of the liquid to be dispensed, e.g. temperature, pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0888 Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means)
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2001/0811 provided with coded information
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/065 for drink preparation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Abstract

A method of and system for providing machine-readable tags, preferably programmable RFID tags are provided. In one embodiment of the present invention, a receptacle having at least one wall member that defines an enclosure and a tag associated with the receptacle, which includes machine-readable information regarding a product occupying the enclosure is provided. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the tag includes identification information in electronic form for the product.

Claims

1. A method of determining consumption of foods or beverages from a dispenser, the method comprising:

recording information on a machine-readable tag associated with a receptacle that contains a food-forming or beverage-forming product;

updating a computer database with the recorded information;

reading the machine-readable tag by the dispenser when the food or beverage is dispensed;

updating the computer database with information about the foods or beverages that are dispensed;

sorting the information to determine consumption patterns for the foods or beverages that are dispensed; and

providing the information to a supply source selected from the group consisting of manufacturers, co-packers, vendors and combinations thereof.

2. A method of determining consumption of foods or beverages from a dispenser, the method comprising:

recording information on a machine-readable tag associated with a receptacle that contains a food-forming or beverage-forming product, wherein the information about the foods or beverages that are dispensed is selected from the group consisting of product supply information, product expiration information, invalid product code information and combinations thereof;

updating a computer database with the recorded information;

reading the machine-readable tag by the dispenser when the food or beverage is dispensed;

updating the computer database with information about the foods or beverages that are dispensed; and

sorting the information to determine consumption patterns for the foods or beverages that are dispensed.

3. A method of controlling an inventory of a dispenser, the method comprising:

recording information on a machine-readable tag associated with a receptacle that contains a food-forming or beverage-forming product;

updating a computer database with the recorded information;

reading the machine-readable tag by the dispenser when the food or beverage is dispensed;

updating the computer database with information about the foods or beverages that are dispensed; and

providing the information from the computer database to a computer network, wherein the information is provided to a supply source selected from the group consisting of manufacturers, co-packers, vendors and combinations thereof.

4. A method of controlling an inventory of a dispenser, the method comprising:

recording information on a machine-readable tag associated with a receptacle that contains a food-forming or beverage-forming product;

updating a manufacturing database with the recorded information;

reading the machine-readable tag by the dispenser when the food or beverage is dispensed;

updating the manufacturing database with information about the foods or beverages that are dispensed;

sorting the information to determine consumption patterns for the foods or beverages that are dispensed; and

providing at the dispenser inquired information about the product from the manufacturing database, wherein the inquired information is selected from the group consisting of product preparation instructions, product recall information, product details, promotional information and combinations thereof.