Beverage dispensing and tracking system
First Claim
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1. A method for tracking beverage pours, the method comprising:
- by one or more computer hardware components comprising one or more processors;
accessing an identification associated with a customer of a first beverage provider;
determining customer information about the customer based on the accessed identification;
determining, based on the customer information, that the customer satisfies a legal criteria to obtain beverages at the first beverage provider;
generating a unique customer identifier corresponding to the customer based on the accessed identification;
associating the customer with a first central account at a multi-site beverage-data system based, at least in part, on the unique customer identifier, the multi-site beverage-data system accessible by a plurality of beverage providers including the first beverage provider;
associating the customer with a customer account at a site-specific beverage tracking system based at least in part on the unique customer identifier;
associating the customer with a beverage-pour tracking device based on the unique customer identifier and a unique tracking device identifier associated with the beverage-pour tracking device, the beverage-pour tracking device storing information for identifying the customer account associated with the customer at the site-specific beverage tracking system;
determining whether the beverage-pour tracking device is within a threshold distance from a first activator associated with a first beverage dispenser of a plurality of beverage dispensers, wherein each beverage dispenser of the plurality of beverage dispensers is associated with a separate activator;
in response to determining that the beverage-pour tracking device is within the threshold distance from the first activator;
identifying the customer based on the information stored on the beverage-pour tracking device; and
determining whether a measure of an amount of a first beverage available at the first beverage provider satisfies a minimum available beverage threshold, wherein the minimum available beverage threshold comprises a dynamic threshold based on a total number of customers currently at the first beverage provider and the rate of consumption of the first beverage provider; and
in response to determining that the measure of the amount of the first beverage available satisfies the minimum available beverage threshold;
activating the first beverage dispenser thereby enabling the customer to obtain access to the first beverage;
determining pour information indicating a quantity of the first beverage poured from the first beverage dispenser;
updating a first set of metadata associated with the first beverage at an inventory repository;
updating the customer account at the site-specific beverage-tracking system based, at least in part, on the pour information; and
updating the first central account at the multi-site beverage-data system based, at least in part, on the pour information.
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Abstract
A system for managing beverage sales and inventory, and for enabling customers to pour their own beverages while preventing shrinkage is disclosed. The system enables a user to access a beverage from a beverage dispenser by presenting a beverage-pour tracking device. The beverage dispenser can prevent a user from accessing the beverage without the beverage-pour tracking device. Further, the system can confirm whether the user is permitted to access the beverage dispenser before enabling the user to access the dispenser.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method for tracking beverage pours, the method comprising:
by one or more computer hardware components comprising one or more processors; accessing an identification associated with a customer of a first beverage provider; determining customer information about the customer based on the accessed identification; determining, based on the customer information, that the customer satisfies a legal criteria to obtain beverages at the first beverage provider; generating a unique customer identifier corresponding to the customer based on the accessed identification; associating the customer with a first central account at a multi-site beverage-data system based, at least in part, on the unique customer identifier, the multi-site beverage-data system accessible by a plurality of beverage providers including the first beverage provider; associating the customer with a customer account at a site-specific beverage tracking system based at least in part on the unique customer identifier; associating the customer with a beverage-pour tracking device based on the unique customer identifier and a unique tracking device identifier associated with the beverage-pour tracking device, the beverage-pour tracking device storing information for identifying the customer account associated with the customer at the site-specific beverage tracking system; determining whether the beverage-pour tracking device is within a threshold distance from a first activator associated with a first beverage dispenser of a plurality of beverage dispensers, wherein each beverage dispenser of the plurality of beverage dispensers is associated with a separate activator; in response to determining that the beverage-pour tracking device is within the threshold distance from the first activator; identifying the customer based on the information stored on the beverage-pour tracking device; and determining whether a measure of an amount of a first beverage available at the first beverage provider satisfies a minimum available beverage threshold, wherein the minimum available beverage threshold comprises a dynamic threshold based on a total number of customers currently at the first beverage provider and the rate of consumption of the first beverage provider; and in response to determining that the measure of the amount of the first beverage available satisfies the minimum available beverage threshold; activating the first beverage dispenser thereby enabling the customer to obtain access to the first beverage; determining pour information indicating a quantity of the first beverage poured from the first beverage dispenser; updating a first set of metadata associated with the first beverage at an inventory repository; updating the customer account at the site-specific beverage-tracking system based, at least in part, on the pour information; and updating the first central account at the multi-site beverage-data system based, at least in part, on the pour information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Specification