AUTOMATIC DISPENSING MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATION

• US 20100193537A1
• Filed: 08/01/2008
• Published: 08/05/2010
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 8,201,736 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/1
• 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

The present invention relates to a dispensing machine, and the related operating method, comprising means for dispensing packaged and/or unpackaged edible goods/beverages, a control unit connected to one or more electrically-activated parts of the machine and provided with memory means to store and retrieve digital data, a user interface for showing information to the user and for retrieving 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 capable to display multimedia content including moving images. The content and/or form of said information shown on the screen is changed by the control unit on the basis of 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 on the basis of 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 and provided with memory means to store and retrieve digital data, a user interface for showing information to the user and for retrieving 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 capable to display at least part of virtual buttons to operate said machine and multimedia content.

2. The dispensing machine according to claim 1, wherein said control unit comprises means to change or alter at least the position of at least part of said virtual buttons on the basis of a control unit command depending on a machine related parameter.

3. The dispensing machine according to claim 2, wherein said machine related parameter is selected from product profitability and/or product shelf-life.

4. 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 selected from an LCD monitor, or a plasma monitor.

5. The dispensing machine according to claim 2, wherein said machine related parameter related to the machine is selected from the fault-condition or the remaining life-span of a component/part/module of the machine, the available quantity of goods/ingredients/water, the temperature of a good to be dispensed, the temperature of the site where the machine is located, the granulometry of an ingredient, the pressure and/or the temperature of the water to be used for preparing a beverage.

6. The dispensing machine according to claim 1, comprising user-recognition means and means to alter said virtual buttons and multimedia content according to said user recognition means commands.

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

8. The dispensing machine according to 7, wherein said means are selected from tags and RFIDS.

9. The dispensing machine according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia content comprises weather forecasts, news update and advertisements.

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

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

12. A method for operating a dispensing machine comprising a control unit connected to one or more electrically-activated parts of the machine and provided with memory means to store and retrieve digital data, a user interface for showing information to the user and for retrieving 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 capable to display at least part of virtual buttons to operate said machine and multimedia content including moving images, and in that said control unit changes and/or alters at least part of at least said virtual buttons on the basis of a control unit command and/or one or more machine related parameters.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least the position of said virtual buttons is changed upon said control unit preset command and/or upon detection of said machine related parameter.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein said machine related parameter is selected from profitability of the product and/or the product shelf-life.