System and method for creating a personalized consumer product

• US 8,417,377 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2010
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rothschild Connected Devices Innovations, LLC (Leigh M. Rothschild)
• Original Assignee: Reagan Inventions L.L.C. (Leigh M. Rothschild)
• Inventors: Rothschild, Leigh M.
• Primary Examiner(s): WAGGONER, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US12/854,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 700/233, 700/239, 700/237
• US Class Current: 700/233
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0041 Fully automated cocktail bars, i.e. apparatuses combining the use of packaged beverages, pre-mix and post-mix dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0247 Calculate past, present or future revenues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/06 with selective dispensing of different fluids or materials or mixtures thereof

Abstract

A system and method for creating a personalized consumer product are provided. The system and method of the present disclosure enables a user, e.g., a consumer, to customize products containing solids and/or fluids by allowing a server communicating over the global computer network, e.g., the Internet, to provide product preferences of a user to a product or a mixing device, e.g., a product or beverage dispenser. The method for creating a product according to a user'"'"'s preferences over a network includes the steps identifying a product to a server over the network; identifying a user to the server over the network; retrieving the user'"'"'s product preferences from a database at the server based on the product'"'"'s identity and user'"'"'s identity; transmitting the user'"'"'s product preferences to the product over the network; and mixing at least one element contained within the product based on the user'"'"'s product preferences.

Claims

1. A product to be consumed by a user comprising:

a housing;

at least one compartment containing an element of the product;

at least one valve coupling the at least one compartment to a mixing chamber for mixing a final product;

a controller configured to actuate the at least one valve and to control an amount of the element to enter the mixing chamber;

a communication module configured to transmit an identifier of the product to a server over a network, receive product preferences of the user from the server based on the identifier and communicate to the controller the specific valve settings for the at least one valve and the specific time and duration for actuating the mixing device based on the received product preferences of the user; and

an exit port disposed on the housing for dispensing the final product.

2. The product as in claim 1, further comprising a mixing device disposed in the mixing chamber configured to mix the at least one element.

3. The product as in claim 1, wherein the at least one element is a fluid, a solid or any combination thereof.

4. The product as in claim 1, wherein the at least one valve is a MEMS microvalve.

5. The product as in claim 1, wherein the at least one valve and the controller are disposed on a single integrated circuit chip.

6. The product as in claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to receive the product preferences of the user via voice recognition.

7. The product as in claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to receive the product preferences of the user via hardwired or wireless communications from the server over the network.

8. The product as in claim 7, wherein the received product preferences is a formulation including a predetermined amount of at least one element.

9. The product as in claim 8, wherein the formulation is cross-referenced to a user identity code and stored in a database at the server.

10. The product as in claim 9, wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the user identity code with the identifier of the product to the server.

11. A beverage dispenser comprising:

at least one compartment containing an element of a beverage;

at least one valve coupling the at least one compartment to a dispensing section configured to dispense the beverage;

a mixing chamber for mixing the beverage;

a user interface module configured to receive and identity of a user and an identifier of the beverage;

a communication module configured to transmit the identity of the user and the identifier of the beverage to a server over a network, receive user generated beverage product preferences based on the identity of the user and the identifier of the beverage from the server and communication the user generated beverage product preferences to controller; and

the controller coupled to the communication module and configured to actuate the at least one valve to control an amount of the element to be dispensed and to actuate the mixing chamber based on the user genetated beverage product preferences.

12. The beverage dispenser of claim 11, wherein the user interface module is further configured to receive the product preferences of the user.

13. The beverage dispenser of claim 11, further comprising a database for storing product preferences of a plurality of users;

wherein the user interface module is further configured to receive an identity of the user, wherein the product preference for at least one user is retrieved from the database based on the user'"'"'s identity and transmitted to the controller.

14. The beverage dispenser of claim 13, wherein the user interface module further comprises a voice recognition module for receiving the identity of the user.

15. The beverage dispenser of claim 13, wherein the user interface module further comprises a wireless communication device for receiving the identity of the user.

16. The beverage dispenser of claim 13, wherein the user interface module further comprises a card reader for receiving the identity of the user.

17. The beverage dispenser of claim 13, wherein the user interface module further comprises a display for displaying the product preferences to the user, wherein the user interface module is further configured to receive confirmation of the product preference from the user.

18. The beverage dispenser of claim 11, wherein the user interface module further comprises a voice recognition module for receiving the identity of the user.

19. The beverage dispenser of claim 11, wherein the user interface module further comprises a wireless communication device for receiving the identity of the user.

20. The beverage dispenser of claim 11, wherein the user interface module further comprises a card reader for receiving the identity of the user.

21. The beverage dispenser of claim 11, wherein the user interface module further comprises a display for displaying the product preferences to the user, wherein the user interface module is further configured to receive confirmation of the product preference from the user.

22. The beverage dispenser of claim 21, wherein the user interface module is configured to receive product preferences from the user and the communication module is configured to transmit the product preferences to the server.

23. The beverage dispenser as in claim 11, wherein the product preference is a formulation including a predetermined amount of at least one element.

24. The beverage dispenser as in claim 23,

wherein the user interface is configured for prompting the user with at least one question relating to the beverage;

and

the communication module is configured to transmit a response of the user to the at least one question to the server, wherein the server is configured for determining the formulation based on at least one response of the user and transmitting the formulation to the communication module.

25. The beverage dispenser as in claim 24, wherein the server is configured to issue an identity code for the user, cross-reference the identity code to the formulation and store the identity code and cross-referenced formulation in the database at the server.

26. The beverage dispenser as in claim 25, wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the identity code to the server.