Support and capsule for preparing a beverage by centrifugation, system and method for preparing a beverage by centrifugation

Abstract

Support (20) adapted to be associated with, or part of a capsule (7) for the preparation of a beverage, comprising a section on which at least one sequence of symbols (24) is represented so as that each symbol is sequentially readable, by a reading arrangement of an external device, while the capsule is driven in rotation along an axis of rotation, each sequence coding a set of information related to the capsule.

Description

INTRODUCTION [0001]The invention pertains to the field of the beverage preparation machines, in particular using capsules containing an ingredient for preparing a beverage. The present invention relates in particular to coding supports adapted to store information related to a capsule, capsules associated with / or embedding coding supports, reading and processing arrangements for reading and using such information for preparing a beverage.[0002]For the purpose of the present description, a “beverage” is meant to include any human-consumable liquid substance, such as coffee, tea, hot or cold chocolate, milk, soup, baby food or the like. A “capsule” is meant to include any pre-portioned beverage ingredient or combination of ingredients (hereafter called “ingredient”) within an enclosing packaging of any suitable material such as plastic, aluminium, a recyclable and / or bio-degradable material and combinations thereof, including a soft pod or a rigid cartridge containing the ingredient.B...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a system for improving the reliability and amount of coded information in a capsule by using a support structure on the capsule and redundant information in the sequences of symbols. The support structure can be located close to the peripheral edge of the capsule, which reduces the risk of damage and improves the readings. The redundant information can be used for error-checking and correction, and the sequences of symbols have a fixed length and structure to make them easier to recognize. The rotation of the capsule allows for sequential reading of each symbol without having to displace the sensor or its reading area. Overall, this system improves the reliability and amount of coded information in a capsule.

Problems solved by technology

However, such system is not adapted for detecting a capsule in a device using centrifugal forces for extracting the beverage.

A problem with identifying a capsule in a beverage preparation machine is that the retrieving or reading information from the capsule is not always reliable or convenient.

Moreover, the space available in the machine dedicated to the sensing device for reading this information may be quite limited, rendering the reading of a relatively high amount of data difficult.

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