BEVERAGE PREPARATION MACHINE WITH VIRTUAL SHOPPING FUNCTIONALITY

• US 20120253993A1
• Filed: 11/29/2010
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Yoakim, Alfred, Agon, Fabien Ludovic
• Granted Patent: US 9,560,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/407 with ingredient-containing cartridges; Cartridge-perforating means
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/52 Alarm-clock-controlled mechanisms for coffee- or tea-making apparatus ; Timers for coffee- or tea-making apparatus; Electronic control devices for coffee- or tea-making apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/521 the electronic control being performed over a network, e.g. by means of a computer or a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/5251 of pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/5253 of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/5255 of flow rate

Abstract

The present invention relates to beverage preparation machine (1) with a virtual shopping functionality. The machine comprises a touch screen (10) and a control unit (21). The touch screen (10) is adapted to display an image (80) of the interior of a shop offering goods (81) related to the machine (1) on the touch screen (10), to display an image of a container (82) on said touch screen (10), and to submit information on a touch operation to the control unit (21). The displayed interior corresponds to the interior of a physical shop offering said goods (81), in particular to the interior of a shop of a chain of physical shops having a standardized presentation of said goods (81). The control unit (21) is adapted to accept selection of a good (81) for purchase upon detecting a touch operation on a good (81) on the touch screen (10) and on the container (82) on the touch screen (10).

Claims

1. Beverage preparation machine with a virtual shopping functionality, comprising:

a touch screen,

a control unit,

the touch screen is configured to display an image of the interior of a shop offering goods related to the machine on the touch screen, to display an image of a container on the touch screen, and to submit information on a touch operation to the control unit, and

the control unit is configured to accept selection of a good for purchase upon detecting a touch operation on the graphical representation of a good on the touch screen and on the graphical representation of the container on the touch screen.

2. Machine according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit is configured to submit the information of the selected good to a memory for storing a list of goods selected for purchase.

3. Machine according to claim 1,

comprising a communication module for submitting the information of the selected goods to a server of the vendor of the goods via a communication network.

4. Machine according to claim 1,

wherein control unit is configured to detect as touch operation a sliding touch operation from the graphical representation of the good to the graphical representation of the container.

5. Machine according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit is configured to detect as touch operation an operation comprising a first touch on the graphical representation of the good on the touch screen and a subsequent second touch on the graphical representation of the container on the touch screen.

6. Machine according to claim 1,

wherein the touch screen is configured to display a shelf within the shop having therein several groups of the same type of goods.

7. Machine according to claim 1,

wherein the touch screen is configured to display information on each type of good upon a touch on the respective type of good on the touch screen.

8. Machine according to claim 1,

wherein the touch screen is configured to display for each type of good the quantity purchased by the user in the last order.

9. Machine according to claim 1,

wherein the goods are boxes comprising at least two capsules, the capsules having therein ingredients for preparing a beverage, boxes comprising different types of capsules with a different color and/or at a different position on the touch screen.

10. Machine according to claim 1,

wherein the touch screen is configured to display icons for changing at least one view selected from the group consisting of the view angle, zooming rate and viewing position with respect to the shop interior based upon a corresponding touch operation on the icons.

11. Machine according to claim 1,

wherein the touch screen is configured to display a shop assistant on the touch screen and

the control unit is configured to provide a help menu to the user upon a touch operation on the graphical representation of the shop assistant.

12. Machine according to claim 1,

comprising a communication module for communicating with a remote server via a communication network,

wherein the touch screen is configured to display a cash desk on the touch screen, and

the communication module is configured to submit a purchase request for the selected goods to a server of the vendor of the goods upon a touch operation on the graphical representation of the cash desk.

13. Method for operating a server via a communication network in communication with a beverage preparation machine having a virtual shopping functionality comprising a touch screen, a control unit, the touch screen is configured to display an image of the interior of a shop offering goods related to the machine on the touch screen, to display an image of a container on the touch screen, and to submit information on a touch operation to the control unit, and the control unit is configured to accept selection of a good for purchase upon detecting a touch operation on the graphical representation of a good on the touch screen and on the graphical representation of the container on the touch screen, comprising the steps of

receiving from the beverage preparation machine a purchase request for at least one good entered at the beverage preparation machine.

14. Method according to claim 13, comprising the steps of

sending a purchase confirmation to the beverage preparation machine, and

preparing the shipment of the purchased goods to the customer of the beverage preparation machine.

15. Program stored on a memory device and executable by a control unit of a beverage preparation machine for providing virtual shopping functionality, wherein the program when being executed is arranged to perform the steps of:

displaying an image of the interior of a shop offering goods related to the machine on a touch screen of the machine;

accepting selection of a good for purchase by a touch operation on the touch screen; and

the interior of a shop offering goods related to the machine corresponds to the interior of a physical shop offering the goods.