Appliance having a user interface panel and a beverage dispenser

• US 9,090,447 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2013
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Beverage Works, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Beverage Works, Inc.
• Inventors: Crisp, III, Harry Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US13/962,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20130325172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0021 the components being mixed at the time of dispensing, i.e. post-mix dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0022 the apparatus comprising means for automatically controlling the amount to be dispensed
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0057 Carbonators
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0058 In-line carbonators
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0071 Carbonating by injecting CO2 in the liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0078 Ingredient cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0412 the whole dispensing unit being fixed to the container
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/08 Details
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0857 Cooling arrangements cooling systems per se F25B
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0858 using compression systems
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0878 Safety, warning or controlling devices B67D1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0888 Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means)
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/12 Flow or pressure control devices or systems , e.g. valves, gas pressure control, level control in storage containers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2001/082 arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/00036 for use with or in refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/346 by reading a code
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/06 Refrigerators with a vertical mullion

Abstract

An appliance including a housing, a dispenser, and a water supply mechanism. The appliance includes a drink supply mechanism configured to removably hold a plurality of drink supply containers, a user interface panel, and a computer. The computer is configured to: cause the user interface panel to display a plurality of different images, each image associated with a different one of a plurality of different beverages which correspond to a drink supply in at least one of the plurality of drink supply containers held by the drink supply mechanism, enable the user interface panel to receive an input from a user of a selected one of the plurality of different displayed images, and after receiving the input from the user of the selected one of the plurality of different displayed images, cause the dispenser to dispense the beverage corresponding to the selected image.

Claims

1. An appliance comprising:

a housing;

a user interface panel supported by the housing and including a touch screen;

a dispensing mechanism at least partially coupled to the user interface panel; and

a computer programmed to operate with the user interface panel and the dispensing mechanism to;

(a) control operation of;

(i) the dispensing mechanism, (ii) a water supply mechanism in fluid communication with the dispensing mechanism, and (iii) a drink supply mechanism in fluid communication with the dispensing mechanism, said drink supply mechanism configured to obtain drink supply from each of a plurality of replaceable drink supply containers;

(b) cause the touch screen to display a plurality of different images, each image associated with a different one of a plurality of different drink supplies in the plurality of drink supply containers, wherein the drink supply in each of the drink supply containers is a concentrate,

(c) receive, via the touch screen, at least one input of a selection of one of said plurality of different displayed images,

(d) cause the dispensing mechanism to dispense a beverage corresponding to the selected one of said plurality of different displayed images by directing the drink supply from the drink supply container corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of different displayed images to a dispensing point at a position of a user beverage container,

(e) for each drink supply container, transmit, to a remote computer, drink supply data relating to an amount of drink supply dispensed from said drink supply container for a designated time period,

(f) transmit, to the remote computer, appliance data related to the appliance; and

(g) receive, from the remote computer, at least one update which causes the computer to be programmed to operate with the user interface panel to cause the touch screen to display at least one updated image.

2. The appliance of claim 1, wherein said computer is programmed to cause the touch screen to simultaneously display the plurality of different images.

3. The appliance of claim 1, wherein said computer is programmed to cause the touch screen to sequentially display the plurality of different images.

4. The appliance of claim 1, wherein said computer is programmed to cause the touch screen to display the drink supply data for each drink supply container.

5. The appliance of claim 1, wherein for each drink supply container, the designated time period is a calendar day.

6. The appliance of claim 1, wherein for each drink supply container, the designated time period is a twenty-four hour period of time.

7. The appliance of claim 1, wherein for each drink supply container, the drink supply data includes a number of uses of drink supply dispensed from said drink supply container during the designated time period.

8. The appliance of claim 1, wherein for each drink supply container, the drink supply data includes an amount of drink supply dispensed from said drink supply container per use.

9. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the appliance data includes an identification of the appliance.

10. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the appliance data includes a geographic location of the appliance.

11. The appliance of claim 10, wherein the geographic location is a geographical region.

12. The appliance of claim 1, wherein said computer is programmed to automatically transmit, to the remote computer, an order for at least one replacement drink supply container.

13. The appliance of claim 12, wherein the order includes an identification of a drink supply type.

14. The appliance of claim 12, wherein the order identifies at least one replacement drink supply container of a designated brand.

15. The appliance of claim 12, wherein the order identifies a designated quantity of replacement drink supply containers.

16. The appliance of claim 12, wherein the order includes an identification of a location of the appliance for delivery of the at least one replacement drink supply container.

17. The appliance of claim 12, wherein the computer is programmed to transmit the order when a designated amount of the drink supply in at least one of the drink supply containers has been dispensed.

18. An appliance comprising:

a housing;

a user interface panel supported by the housing and including a touch screen;

a dispensing mechanism at least partially coupled to the user interface panel; and

a computer programmed to operate with the user interface panel and the dispensing mechanism to;

(a) control operation of;

(i) the dispensing mechanism, (ii) a water supply mechanism in fluid communication with the dispensing mechanism, and (iii) a drink supply mechanism in fluid communication with the dispensing mechanism, said drink supply mechanism configured to obtain drink supply from each of a plurality of replaceable drink supply containers;

(b) cause the touch screen to display a plurality of different images, each image associated with a different one of a plurality of different drink supplies in the plurality of drink supply containers, wherein the drink supply in each of the drink supply containers is a concentrate,

(c) receive, via the touch screen, at least one input of a selection of one of said plurality of different displayed images,

(d) cause the dispensing mechanism to dispense a beverage corresponding to the selected one of said plurality of different displayed images;

by directing the drink supply from the drink supply container corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of different displayed images, to a dispensing point at a position of a user beverage container,

(e) transmit, to a remote computer, appliance data related to the appliance,

(f) automatically transmit to the remote computer an order for at least one replacement drink supply container; and

(g) receive, from the remote computer, at least one update which causes the computer to be programmed to operate with the user interface panel to cause the touch screen to display at least one updated image.

19. The appliance of claim 18, wherein the order includes an identification of a drink supply type.

20. The appliance of claim 18, wherein the order identifies at least one replacement drink supply container of a designated brand.

21. The appliance of claim 18, wherein the order identifies a designated quantity of replacement drink supply containers.

22. The appliance of claim 18, wherein the order includes an identification of a location of the appliance for delivery of the at least one replacement drink supply container.

23. The appliance of claim 18, wherein the computer is programmed to transmit the order when a designated amount of the drink supply in at least one of the drink supply containers has been dispensed.