Systems and methods for monitoring and controlling the dispense of a plurality of product forming ingredients
First Claim
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1. A method for monitoring dispense of beverages, comprising:
- dispensing a beverage forming ingredient contained in a beverage configured for dispense at a beverage dispenser;
measuring, during the dispense, an actual flow rate of a beverage forming ingredient contained in the beverage;
ascertaining that there is a difference between the actual flow rate of the beverage forming ingredient and an expected flow rate of the beverage forming ingredient;
ascertaining that compensation of the difference is unfeasible; and
implementing a control action in response to the ascertaining by determining a percentage completion of the dispensing of the beverage, including;
when the percentage completion is greater than a threshold, allowing the beverage to be dispensed and thereupon ceasing a flow rate of the beverage configured for dispense at the beverage dispenser;
orwhen the percentage completion is greater than the threshold, ceasing the flow rate of the beverage configured for dispense at the beverage dispenser, wherein the beverage includes the beverage ingredient and at least one other liquid from a separate fluid source.
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Abstract
Systems and methods for dispensing a product are provided. A plurality of product ingredients are associated with a product dispenser that is operable to form a plurality of selectable products from the plurality of products ingredients. Input for a selected product is received and a recipe that defines the ratio of product ingredients for fainting the selected product is identified. The dispense of each of the respective product ingredients is commenced based at least in part on the identified recipe, and the dispense of each of the respective product ingredients is independently monitored during the dispense of the selected product.
229 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A method for monitoring dispense of beverages, comprising:
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dispensing a beverage forming ingredient contained in a beverage configured for dispense at a beverage dispenser; measuring, during the dispense, an actual flow rate of a beverage forming ingredient contained in the beverage; ascertaining that there is a difference between the actual flow rate of the beverage forming ingredient and an expected flow rate of the beverage forming ingredient; ascertaining that compensation of the difference is unfeasible; and implementing a control action in response to the ascertaining by determining a percentage completion of the dispensing of the beverage, including; when the percentage completion is greater than a threshold, allowing the beverage to be dispensed and thereupon ceasing a flow rate of the beverage configured for dispense at the beverage dispenser;
orwhen the percentage completion is greater than the threshold, ceasing the flow rate of the beverage configured for dispense at the beverage dispenser, wherein the beverage includes the beverage ingredient and at least one other liquid from a separate fluid source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A beverage forming dispenser comprising:
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at least one processor functionally coupled to a memory and configured to execute programming logic that, in response to execution, causes the at least one processor to; measure an actual flow rate of a beverage forming ingredient contained in a beverage being dispensed at the beverage forming dispenser; ascertain that there is a difference between the actual flow rate of the beverage forming ingredient and an expected flow rate of the beverage forming ingredient; adjust one or more flow rates of respective one or more other beverage forming ingredients in accordance with a recipe for the beverage being dispensed at the beverage forming dispenser, the recipe comprising at least the beverage forming ingredient and the one or more other beverage forming ingredients, and reduce at least one flow rate of the one or more flow rates in accordance with the recipe; wherein the processor is further configured to execute other programming logic that, in response to execution, causes the at least one processor to adjust a flow rate of the beverage being dispensed at the beverage forming dispenser; and wherein the processor is further configured to execute other programming logic that, in response to execution, causes the at least one processor to adjust the flow rate of the beverage that is being dispensed by determining a percentage completion of the dispensing of the beverage, including; when the percentage completion is greater than a threshold, allowing the beverage to be dispensed and thereupon ceasing the flow rate of the beverage configured for dispense at the beverage dispenser;
orwhen the percentage completion is greater than the threshold, ceasing the flow rate of the beverage configured for dispense at the beverage dispenser, wherein the beverage includes the beverage ingredient and at least one other liquid from a separate fluid source. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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Specification