Automatic dispensing machine and method of operation

• US 8,777,103 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2012
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tuttoespresso, Srl (Larene SRL)
• Original Assignee: Tuttoespresso, Srl (Larene SRL)
• Inventors: Doglioni Majer, Luca
• Primary Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US13/483,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20120239187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/381, 235/385, 221/9, 221/10, 221/52, 194/216, 700/232, 700/233, 700/231, 705/21, 705/22
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/0235 the arrangements being full-front touchscreens

Abstract

A dispensing machine, and related operating method, includes a device for dispensing packaged and/or unpackaged edible goods or beverages, a control unit connected to one or more electrically-activated parts of the machine, a user interface to show information to the user and retrieve input commands from the user to be sent to the control unit. The user interface is a graphic user interface GUI comprising a touch-panel integrated in a graphic screen to display multimedia content. The content or form of the information shown on the screen is changed by the control unit based on at least one parameter related to any of the operative status of the machine, the location wherein the machine is running, the calendar date and/or the daily time, statistics indicative of previous selections made by user(s), or the signal provided by at least one sensor of the machine detecting proximity of the user(s).

Claims

1. A dispensing machine, comprising:

a control unit connected to one or more electrically-activated parts of the machine, the control unit including a memory to store and retrieve digital data; and

means for showing information to an user and for retrieving input commands from the user to be sent to the control unit, said means for showing and retrieving including a graphic user interface (GUI) comprising a graphic screen configured to display at least part of virtual buttons to operate said machine and to display multimedia content,

wherein the control unit is configured to change at least one of the virtual buttons on the graphic screen in response to a control unit command depending on a machine related parameter obtained by the control unit, the change including increasing a size of the at least one of the virtual buttons with respect to at least another one of the virtual buttons present on the graphic screen, and

wherein said machine related parameter is product profitability or product shelf-life of a product corresponding to the at least one of the virtual buttons to be increased in size.

2. The dispensing machine according to claim 1, wherein said GUI includes a touch-panel comprising sensors to detect pressure exerted by the user and the graphic screen is an LCD monitor or a plasma monitor.

3. The dispensing machine according to claim 1, wherein in addition to product profitability or product shelf-life, said machine related parameter includes one or more of a fault-condition or a remaining life-span of a component, part, or module of the machine, an available quantity of goods, ingredients, or water, a temperature of a good to be dispensed, a temperature of a site where the machine is located, a granulometry of an ingredient of a product stored in the machine, and a pressure or temperature of water to be used for preparing a beverage.

4. The dispensing machine according to claim 1, further comprising a user-recognition device and a device configured to alter said virtual buttons and multimedia content according to commands from said user-recognition device.

5. The dispensing machine according to claim 1, further comprising an information unit configured to inform said control unit of a status of goods to be sold and a status of components of the machine.

6. The dispensing machine according to claim 5, wherein said information unit includes tags or RFIDS.

7. The dispensing machine according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia content comprises weather forecasts, news updates, or advertisements.

8. The dispensing machine according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia content comprises a profile of a selection made by the user, time remaining to completion of a vend, a number and type of available selections, or prices of available goods, products, or promotional advertising on available selections.

9. The dispensing machine according to claim 1, wherein said control unit is connected to a remote managing server.

10. The dispensing machine according to claim 1, wherein the at least another one of the virtual buttons does not meet the machine related parameter.

11. The dispensing machine according to claim 1, wherein when the control unit increases the size of the at least one of the virtual button with respect to at least another one of the virtual buttons present on the graphic screen, the virtual buttons are adapted to fit in available space of the graphic screen without negatively affecting the multimedia content being displayed on the graphic screen.

12. The dispensing machine according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to change at least one of the virtual buttons in response to an input of a user, owner, or operator, the change including altering a position of the at least one of the virtual buttons to a central location on the graphic screen or increasing a size of the at least one of the virtual buttons with respect to at least another one of the virtual buttons present on the graphic screen.

13. The dispensing machine according to claim 12, wherein when the control unit changes the at least one virtual buttons in response to the input of the user, owner, or operator, the virtual buttons are adapted to fit in available space of the graphic screen without negatively affecting the multimedia content being displayed on the graphic screen.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium operating a dispensing machine program for a dispensing machine that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to execute:

storing and retrieving digital data by a control unit of the dispensing machine;

displaying, via a graphic screen of a graphic user interface (GUI), information including virtual buttons to operate said machine and multimedia content including moving images;

retrieving input commands from a user via the graphic screen; and

changing at least one of said virtual buttons in response to a control unit command depending on a machine related parameter obtained by the control unit, and the changing includes increasing a size of the at least one of said virtual buttons with respect to at least another one of said virtual buttons present on the graphic screen,

wherein said machine related parameter is product profitability or product shelf-life of a product corresponding to the at least one of the virtual buttons to be increased in size.

15. The medium according to claim 14, wherein in addition to product profitability or product shelf-life, said machine related parameter includes one or more of a geographical location of the machine, a calendar date, a day time, statistics or log data indicative of previous selections made by at least one user, a signal provided by at least one sensor of the machine that detects proximity of the at least one user, an ambient temperature, a temperature of components of the machine, ambient humidity, information on products contained in the machine, status of the machine components, a fault-condition or a remaining life-span of a component, part, or module of the machine, an available quantity of goods, ingredients, or water, a temperature of a good to be dispensed, a temperature of a site where the machine is located, a granulometry of an ingredient of one of the products, a pressure or a temperature of water to be used for preparing a beverage, a profile of the selection made by the user, time remaining to a completion of a vend, a number and type of available selections, and prices of available goods or products.

16. The medium according to claim 14, wherein a form or content of said information dynamically changes during a time frame wherein the user is allowed to make selections through the GUI.

17. The medium of claim 14, wherein at least information on said shelf-life of the product is obtained from a tag or RFID provided on said product.

18. The medium according to claim 14, wherein the at least another one of said virtual buttons does not meet the one or more machine related parameter.

19. A dispensing machine, comprising:

a control unit connected to one or more electrically-activated parts of the machine, the control unit including a memory to store and retrieve digital data; and

a user interface configured to show information to an user and to retrieve input commands from the user to be sent to the control unit, said user interface being a graphic user interface (GUI) comprising a graphic screen configured to display at least part of virtual buttons or selectable images to operate said machine, and products on sale by the machine being shown by said virtual buttons or selectable images so that the GUI acts as a virtual shelf showing the products,

wherein a part of the interface is configured to show multimedia content and any one of number, aspect, position and content of virtual buttons are adapted by the control unit to fit space available on said interface,

wherein the control unit is configured to change at least one of said virtual buttons on the graphic screen in response to a control unit command depending on a machine related parameter obtained by the control unit the change including increasing a size of the at least one of said virtual buttons with respect to at least another one of said virtual buttons present on the graphic screen, and

wherein said machine related parameter is product profitability or product shelf-life of a product corresponding to the at least one of the virtual buttons to be increased in size.

20. The dispensing machine according to claim 19, further wherein the number, aspect, position and content of virtual buttons are adapted by the control unit to fit space available on said interface without negatively affecting other multimedia information to be displayed.

21. A dispensing machine, comprising:

a control unit connected to one or more electrically-activated parts of the machine, the control unit including a memory to store and retrieve digital data; and

a user interface configured to show information to an user and to retrieve input commands from the user to be sent to the control unit, said user interface being a graphic user interface (GUI) comprising a graphic screen configured to display at least part of virtual buttons or selectable images to operate said machine, products on sale by the machine being shown by said virtual buttons or selectable images so that the GUI acts as a virtual shelf showing the products and a number, content, aspect, or position of said virtual buttons or selectable images is changed by the control unit or a previous selections made by an owner or operator of the machine,

wherein the control unit is configured to change at least one of said virtual buttons on the graphic screen in response to a control unit command depending on a machine related parameter obtained by the control unit, the change including increasing a size of the at least one of said virtual buttons with respect to at least another one of said virtual buttons present on the graphic screen, and

wherein said machine related parameter is product profitability or product shelf-life of a product corresponding to the at least one of the virtual buttons to be increased in size.

22. The dispensing machine according to claim 21, where said GUI is configured to display multimedia content.