Smart beverage preparation machine and method

Abstract

A method, apparatus and / or system for dispensing a beverage is provided. In one example, a beverage preparation machine may include a container compartment for receiving a beverage package containing a beverage ingredient. The outlet may be configured to dispense a beverage seasoned by the beverage pack. The communication interface may be configured to receive a wireless signal from an electronic device, the wireless signal including an identifier of the electronic device. The processor may be operably coupled to the communication interface. The processor may be configured to receive an identifier of the electronic device; associating an identifier of the electronic device with the user and a beverage preference of the user; and based the beverage dispensed by the outlet on the beverage preferences of the user.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese invention patent application (application number: 2020800360034; invention name: Intelligent beverage preparation machine and method).

[0002] Cross-references to related patent applications

[0003] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 62 / 842,747, filed May 3, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Background Art

[0004] Beverage preparation machines (e.g., high pressure coffee machines) are known. Conventional beverage preparation machines dispense beverages based on a user's physical interaction with the beverage preparation machine. Conventional beverage preparation machines do not provide information related to a specific user of the beverage preparation machine. Furthermore, conventional beverage preparation machines do not automatically perform any actions based on information such as the user of the beverage preparation machine or the environment in which the beverage preparation machine is located. There is a need for a beverage preparation machine that receives information from one or more electronic devices (e.g., a user's smartphone or tablet) to improve the user's experience with the beverage preparation machine. Summary of the invention

[0005] In one aspect, the present disclosure may relate to a beverage preparation machine that interacts with one or more electronic devices, such as one or more mobile devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, servers, and the like.

[0006] In one aspect, the beverage preparation machine may include a container compartment for receiving a beverage packet containing a beverage ingredient. The outlet may dispense a beverage flavored by the beverage packet. The communication interface may be configured to receive a wireless signal from the electronic device, the wireless signal including an identifier of the electronic device. The processor may be operably coupled to the communication interface and may be configured to: receive the identifier of the electronic device; associate the identifier of the electronic device with a user and the user's beverage preferences; and cause the outlet to dispense the beverage based on the user's beverage preferences.

[0007] In one aspect, the beverage preparation machine may include a container compartment configured to receive a beverage packet containing a beverage ingredient. The outlet may dispense a beverage flavored by the beverage packet. The interface may be configured to receive a beverage selection from a user and receive an identifier of the user. The processor may be operably coupled to the interface and may be configured to associate the user's identifier with the user's beverage preferences and cause the outlet to dispense the beverage based on the user's beverage preferences.

[0008] In one aspect, the beverage preparation machine may include a container compartment for receiving a beverage package containing a beverage ingredient. The outlet may dispense a beverage flavored by the beverage package. The surface may receive a vessel configured to receive the beverage. The processor may be configured to: determine an internal volume of the vessel; determine an amount of beverage that the vessel can hold based on the internal volume of the vessel; and cause the outlet to dispense an amount of beverage into the vessel that is less than the determined amount of beverage that the vessel can hold.

[0009] In one aspect, the beverage preparation machine may include a container compartment for receiving a beverage packet containing a beverage ingredient. The outlet may dispense a beverage flavored by the beverage packet. The communication interface may be configured to receive wireless communications from the electronic device, the wireless communications including information related to the beverage preparation machine or a user of the beverage preparation machine. The user interface may be configured to display information related to the beverage preparation machine or a user of the beverage preparation machine.

[0010] In one aspect, the beverage preparation machine may include a container compartment for receiving a beverage packet containing a beverage ingredient. The outlet may dispense a beverage flavored by the beverage packet. The communication interface may be configured to receive wireless communications from an Internet of Things device. The processor may be configured to cause the beverage preparation machine to perform an activity based on an indication in the wireless communications received from the Internet of Things device.

[0011] In one aspect, the beverage preparation machine may include a container compartment configured to receive one or more beverage packets containing beverage ingredients. The outlet may be configured to dispense a beverage flavored by the one or more beverage packets. The interface may be configured to receive information related to the one or more beverage packets, wherein the information includes the type and quantity of ingredients available to the beverage preparation machine for dispensing the beverage. The processor may be configured to: use the type and quantity of ingredients available to the beverage preparation machine to identify a recipe for a beverage that can be produced by the beverage preparation machine; and cause the beverage preparation machine to produce the selected recipe.

[0012] In one aspect, a beverage preparation machine for dispensing beverages may include a container compartment for receiving one or more beverage packets containing beverage ingredients. The outlet may be configured to dispense beverages flavored by the one or more beverage packets. The communication interface may be configured to receive information related to one or more users of the beverage preparation machine or one or more products related to the beverage preparation machine. The processor may be configured to: identify a user of the beverage preparation machine and associate information with the user of the beverage preparation machine; and rank the information associated with the user of the beverage preparation machine according to one or more rules. The user interface may be configured to provide ranking information associated with the user of the beverage preparation machine via at least one of a display or a speaker.

[0013] In one aspect, the beverage preparation machine may include a processor configured to identify one or more faults occurring by the beverage preparation machine, wherein the one or more faults include a need to repair the beverage preparation machine immediately or in the future. The memory may store the one or more faults. The communication interface may be configured to: send a message to the electronic device indicating that one or more faults occurred with the beverage preparation machine; and receive an indication that the message indicating the occurrence of the one or more faults has been received by the electronic device and viewed by a user of the electronic device. The user interface may be configured to provide an indication that the message indicating the occurrence of the one or more faults has been received by the electronic device and viewed by a user of the electronic device via at least one of a display or a speaker. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The present disclosure will be more fully understood through the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] Figure 1 is an example beverage preparation machine that can communicate with one or more electronic devices.

[0016] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an example system in which an example beverage preparation machine communicates with an electronic device.

[0017] Figure 3 is another example system diagram in which a beverage preparation machine communicates with one or more devices, such as a server, a mobile device, and another beverage preparation machine.

[0018] Figure 4 is an example process for identifying a user of a beverage preparation machine via wireless communication.

[0019] Figure 5 is an example process for automatically dispensing a beverage from a beverage preparation machine into a vessel based on a determination of an internal volume of the vessel.

[0020] Figure 6 is an example process by which a beverage preparation machine affects the brewing experience by providing and / or receiving information.

[0021] Figure 7 is an example process where a beverage preparation machine performs an activity based on input.

[0022] Figure 8 is an example process in which the beverage preparation machine performs an activity based on the actions of the electronic device.

[0023] Fig. 9 is an example process in which a beverage preparation machine produces a selected recipe based on ingredients and / or supplies available to the beverage preparation machine.

[0024] Fig.10is an example process in which a beverage preparation machine automatically reorders ingredients and / or supplies for use by the beverage preparation machine.

[0025] Fig.11 is an example process in which the beverage preparation machine provides content, such as audio content or video content.

[0026] Fig.12 is an example process for a beverage preparation machine to manage faults and maintenance related to the beverage preparation machine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present invention. The description of the illustrative embodiment is intended to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are considered to be part of the entire written description. In the description of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is intended only for the convenience of description and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. Relative terms, such as "lower", "upper", "horizontal", "vertical", "above", "below", "upward", "downward", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "front" and "back" and their derivatives (e.g., "horizontally", "downward", "upward", etc.) should be interpreted as referring to the direction discussed at the time or shown in the accompanying drawings. These relative terms are only for ease of description, and unless explicitly stated, a specific direction is not required. Terms such as "attachment", "attachment", "connection", "connection", "interconnection", "fixation" and other similar terms refer to a relationship in which structures are fixed or connected to each other directly or indirectly through intermediate structures, as well as removable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless otherwise explicitly stated. The discussion here describes and illustrates some possible non-limiting feature combinations, which can exist alone or in other feature combinations. Furthermore, as used herein, the term "or" is to be interpreted as a logical operator whose result is true as long as one or more of its operands are true. Furthermore, as used herein, the phrase "based on" is to be interpreted as meaning "based at least in part on", and is therefore not limited to the interpretation of "based entirely on".

[0028] As used throughout, ranges are used as shorthand for describing each value within a range. Any value within a range can be selected as the endpoint of the range. In addition, all references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. If a definition in the present disclosure conflicts with a definition in the cited reference, the present disclosure shall prevail.

[0029] Features of the present invention may be implemented in software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof. The computer programs described herein are not limited to any particular embodiment and may be implemented in an operating system, an application program, a foreground or background process, a driver, or any combination thereof. The computer program may be executed on a single computer or server processor or on multiple computers or server processors. For example, a computer program, steps, process, etc. may be executed on one or more of a beverage preparation machine, an electronic device, a server, etc.

[0030] The processors described herein may be any central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), microprocessor, microcontroller, computer programmable device, circuit, alone or in combination, configured to execute computer program instructions (e.g., code). The various processors may be embodied in any suitable type of computer and / or server hardware (e.g., desktop, laptop, notebook, tablet, cellular phone, etc.), and may include all common auxiliary components required to form a functional data processing device, including but not limited to buses, software and data storage, such as volatile and non-volatile memory, input / output devices, graphical user interfaces (GUIs), removable data storage, and wired and / or wireless communication interface devices, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (e.g., classic Bluetooth and low-power Bluetooth), local area networks, etc.

[0031] The computer-executable instructions or programs (e.g., software or code) and data described herein may be programmed into and tangibly embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium that may be accessed and retrieved by a corresponding processor described herein, which configures and directs the processor to perform the desired functions and processes by executing the instructions encoded in the medium. A device containing a programmable processor configured to perform such non-transitory computer-executable instructions or programs may be referred to as a "programmable device" or "device," and multiple programmable devices in communication with each other may be referred to as a "programmable system." It should be noted that the non-transitory "computer-readable medium" described herein may include, but is not limited to, any suitable volatile or non-volatile memory, including random access memory (RAM) and its various types, read-only memory (ROM) and its various types, USB flash memory, and magnetic or optical data storage devices (e.g., internal / external hard disks, floppy disks, tapes CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, optical disks, ZIP TM drives, Blu-ray discs, and others), which can be written to and / or read by a processor operably connected to the media.

[0032] In certain embodiments, the present invention may be embodied in the form of computer-implemented processes and apparatus such as processor-based data processing and communication systems or computer systems for practicing those processes. The present invention may also be embodied in the form of software or computer program code in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which, when loaded into and executed by a data processing and communication system or computer system, configures the processor to create specific logic circuits configured to implement the processes.

[0033] Now referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 An example beverage preparation machine 100 is shown. The beverage preparation machine 100 can be a home machine or a commercial machine (e.g., located in a commercial or public place). The beverage preparation machine 100 can prepare one or more types of beverages, such as coffee, tea, chocolate, milk, soup, etc. The beverage preparation machine 100 can prepare a beverage by passing water (e.g., hot water or cold water) or another liquid through a beverage bag (e.g., beverage bag 120). The beverage bag 120 can include an ingredient (e.g., ingredient 122). The ingredient 122 can be a flavor ingredient for preparing a beverage. For example, the ingredient 122 can be ground coffee, tea, chocolate, or milk powder.

[0034] Beverage preparation machine 100 can mix two or more ingredients, such as water and milk powder. Beverage preparation machine 100 can perform the impregnation of ingredients, such as impregnating ground coffee or tea with water. One or more ingredients 122 can be provided in loose form, agglomerated powder form, liquid form and / or concentrate form. A carrier or diluent liquid (such as water) can be mixed with one or more ingredients to form a beverage. One or more ingredients can be inserted into beverage preparation machine 100 by a beverage bag, which can be formed by, for example, aluminum, plastic or paper shell keeping ingredient 122.

[0035] The beverage preparation machine 100 may include a water tank 103 accessible through a lid 102 on the top of the device 100. The beverage preparation machine 100 may include a container compartment 105 for receiving a beverage mix package (e.g., beverage package 120). The container compartment may have a door (e.g., door 104). The beverage preparation machine 100 may include an outlet, such as outlet 109 ( Figure 1 ) or exit 153( Figure 2 ), for dispensing and / or holding beverages and / or beverages (e.g., liquids) can pass through the outlet. The outlet 109 / 153 can be any known structure for dispensing and / or holding beverages, such as a nozzle, a spout, a conduit, a valve, a tube, a hole, etc. The outlet 109 / 153 can accommodate a beverage bag. In an example, the outlet 109 / 153 can form a part of the beverage bag itself. The outlet 109 / 153 can be configured to dispense one or more beverages flavored by one or more beverage bags (e.g., beverage bag 120).

[0036] The beverage preparation machine 100 may include a box 106, which is located below the container compartment and receives the beverage mixing package after use. The box 106 is contained in a cavity formed in the beverage preparation machine 100 and is removed to empty. A removable drip tray 108 is arranged at the bottom of the beverage preparation machine 100. The drip tray 108 includes a grid that forms a support surface to support a vessel (e.g., a cup) when the device 100 dispenses the beverage into the vessel. The tray portion of the drip tray 108 is located below the grid for collecting any overflow through the grid. The beverage preparation machine 100 may have a user interface 110 in the form of a display screen, a speaker, etc. The beverage preparation machine 100 may include a plurality of selection buttons 112. The user may interact with the device 100 (e.g., control its function) via the user interface 110 and / or one or more selection buttons 112. For example, the user may select a beverage making parameter by a soft key displayed on the display and / or by selecting a button 112.

[0037] As described herein, the user interface 110 may be a display configured to display information to the user based on user preference data. In other examples, the user interface 110 may be a speaker, a microphone, or one or more other elements for providing information to or receiving information from the beverage preparation machine 100. The information presented to the user (e.g., personalized content) may include the most preferred beverages, sports content, stock content, weather content, advertisements for users of the beverage preparation machine 100, etc. that can be used for distribution / purchase. The content provided to the user may include information that can make the user of the beverage preparation machine 100 feel happy. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may provide interesting facts through the user interface and / or trivia / jokes that the user may prefer. In an example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may provide information related to health content (e.g., exercise information, nutritional information) that may be of interest to the user's workplace and / or the user of the beverage preparation machine 100.

[0038] The beverage preparation machine 100 may include a communication interface 126. The communication interface 126 may be configured to communicate (e.g., wirelessly, wired) with one or more devices, such as a user device, a server, another beverage preparation machine, one or more Internet of Things (IoT) devices, etc. For example, the communication interface 126 may include an antenna configured to communicate with one or more devices via NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other wireless technologies.

[0039] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an example system 200 in which a beverage preparation machine 100 ( Figure 1) communicates with the electronic device 202. The electronic device 202 may be one or more electronic devices, such as a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone or tablet) or an Internet of Things device. In an example, the electronic device 202 may be a server 250. One or more processes may be performed by the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or the electronic device 202. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may perform one or more determinations described herein, and / or the server 250 may perform one or more determinations described herein. In examples where the server 250 performs one or more determinations, the server 250 may provide the determinations to the beverage preparation machine 100. Although Figure 2 The beverage preparation machine 100 is shown in communication with a single electronic device 202 and a single server 250, it being understood that this is for illustration purposes only and that the beverage preparation machine 100 may be in communication with one or more electronic devices and one or more servers.

[0040] like Figure 2 As shown, the beverage preparation machine 100 may include an outlet, such as outlet 153 ( Figure 2 ) or Exit 109( Figure 1 ), as described herein. The beverage preparation machine 100 can communicate with one or more servers 250 via the network 220. The beverage preparation machine 100 can communicate with one or more databases (e.g., database 160) via the network 220 or without the network 220. The server 250 can communicate with the beverage preparation machine 100 via wireless signals or wired signals. The server 250 may include a processor and a computer-readable medium (e.g., random access memory (RAM)) connected to the processor. The processor may execute computer-executable program instructions stored in the memory. The computer-executable program instructions may include any number of application programs.

[0041] As described herein, the electronic device 202 can be any device capable of communicating (e.g., electronic communication) with the beverage preparation machine 100. The beverage preparation machine 100 and the electronic device 202 can communicate via wire, wireless, via an external device (e.g., a USB device), etc. Example electronic devices 202 may include user devices (e.g., smart phones, tablets, etc.), another beverage preparation machine, Internet of Things (IOT) devices, servers, etc. As understood by those skilled in the art, an IOT device may be any device that can transmit data to another device (or person) via the Internet. IOT devices may include sensors (e.g., wireless sensors), software, actuators, computer devices, etc. Example Internet of Things devices may include smart lights, doors, keys, refrigerators, cabinets, water supply systems (e.g., water filtration systems), thermometers and / or thermostats, GPS devices, televisions, etc.

[0042] The beverage preparation machine 100 can communicate with one or more electronic devices 202 to provide information to the electronic device 202 and / or receive information from the electronic device 202. The information provided to the electronic device 202 from the beverage preparation machine 100 may include status information 100 of the beverage preparation machine. The status may include a fault state, a power state, etc. of the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may indicate to the electronic device 202 that the beverage preparation machine 100 is experiencing a fault and / or may experience a fault in the future. The beverage preparation machine 100 can identify the fault. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can identify the fault by name, code (e.g., code number), type, priority, solution, estimated resolution time, etc. The beverage preparation machine 100 can notify the user of the existence of the fault by one or more communication methods, such as by SMS message, phone, email, display (e.g., a message displayed on the user interface 156 of the beverage preparation machine 100), etc.

[0043] The beverage preparation machine 100 may take action (e.g., automatically take action) to correct the fault. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may take action to correct the fault based on permission and / or confirmation provided by the user. For example, when a fault is detected, the beverage preparation machine 100 may request permission from the user to correct the fault. In other examples, the beverage preparation machine 100 may take action to correct the fault without requesting permission from the user, such as automatically correcting the fault. The user may indicate which faults can be automatically corrected and which faults require confirmation and / or permission from the user. The beverage preparation machine 100 may identify a method for correcting the fault. The beverage preparation machine 100 may indicate a method for correcting the fault to a user, a technician, etc. of the beverage preparation machine 100.

[0044] The beverage preparation machine 100 may specify which faults can be corrected by the user and which faults require a technician to correct. The beverage preparation machine 100 may notify one or more persons and / or entities of the state of the beverage preparation machine 100, which may be specified during configuration of the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may be configured to send only fault information that requires a highly technical solution to a technician and / or only fault information that requires a less highly technical solution (e.g., a machine restart) to a user of the beverage preparation machine 100.

[0045] The beverage preparation machine 100 may provide (e.g., present to a user or technician) an action to correct the fault. The beverage preparation machine 100 may store (e.g., record) fault information, maintenance information, etc. in a database or another storage element (e.g., memory 154). For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may store information related to the fault, the amount of time the fault causes the beverage preparation machine 100 to be unable to operate, the severity of the error, the party that corrects the error, and / or the method for correcting the error. Although the examples provided herein describe a beverage preparation machine 100 that provides information related to the beverage preparation machine 100, it should be understood that these examples are for illustrative purposes only. The example may include another device, such as a server 250, that provides information related to the beverage preparation machine 100.

[0046] The beverage preparation machine 100 may indicate (e.g., to the electronic device 202) a power status of the beverage preparation machine 100, such as whether the beverage preparation machine 100 is powered on, powered off, receiving power via a main power source (e.g., an AC circuit), receiving power from a backup power source (e.g., via a DC circuit), etc. The beverage preparation machine 100 may indicate (e.g., to the electronic device 202) an inventory status of the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may indicate the number of beverage packets in stock and / or purchased, the number of beverage packets used, etc. The beverage preparation machine 100 may indicate when beverage packets should be ordered again, for example, based on the inventory information.

[0047] The beverage preparation machine 100 can provide information related to the location and / or environment of the beverage preparation machine 100. The location information can be determined via a location sensor 180, such as a GPS sensor 172, a geolocation sensor, etc. The location information can include the GPS location of the beverage preparation machine 100, the geographic location information of the beverage preparation machine 100, the relative location information of the beverage preparation machine 100, etc. The location information of the beverage preparation machine 100 can be determined via crowd sensing, wherein the location of other (e.g., near the beverage preparation machine 100) devices updates the location information of the beverage preparation machine 100. The location of the beverage preparation machine 100 can be determined by a geolocation method. Geolocation can be used to determine the location of the beverage preparation machine 100 in an area, such as in a building. For example, geolocation can be used to triangulate Wi-Fi signals in a building to determine the location in the building.

[0048] The location of the beverage preparation machine 100 may be associated with a room, a hallway, a building, etc. For example, when the location of the beverage preparation machine 100 is determined within a building (e.g., by geolocation, GPS, crowd sensing), the location of the beverage preparation machine 100 within the building may be associated with a room (e.g., a conference room, a lounge, a cafeteria, a hallway, etc.). The location and / or association information may be provided to the electronic device 202, the server 250, etc. In other examples, the location information (e.g., latitude / longitude information, address information, association information, etc.) may be determined and / or provided to the electronic device 202 or another device by a device external to the beverage preparation machine 100 (e.g., the server 250).

[0049] Information about the environment in which the beverage preparation machine 100 is located can be determined. The environmental information may include temperature information of the environment in which the beverage preparation machine 100 is located (e.g., temperature information inside and / or outside the building in which the beverage preparation machine 100 is located), humidity information, precipitation information (e.g., sun, snow, rain, etc.), etc. The environmental information may be determined by an environmental sensor 182 within the beverage preparation machine 100, such as a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a precipitation sensor, etc. The environmental information may be determined from outside the beverage preparation machine 100, such as by a server 250, by a weather forecast service, etc.

[0050] Information related to personal preferences (e.g., personal preferences of a user of the beverage preparation machine 100) can be determined. For example, a user's coffee preferences can be determined. Coffee preferences can be based on the day of the week, the time of day, etc. Preferences can be determined by user input, such as a user identifying a preference or the beverage preparation machine 100 determining that a user's preference is a beverage selection by the user. Beverage selections can be one or more days. For example, a user can select a beverage within 7 days. The beverage preparation machine 100 can associate beverage selections (e.g., within a 7-day period) with a user. The beverage preparation machine 100 can list beverage preferences, for example, from the most desired beverage to the least desired beverage.

[0051] The beverage preparation machine 100 can associate the beverage selection with the user by the user providing (e.g., physically providing, such as through the user interface 156) the identity of the user. In other examples, the beverage preparation machine 100 can associate the identity of the user through the electronic device 202 associated with the user. For example, when the user selects a beverage, the beverage preparation machine 100 can determine the identity of the user by determining that the user's electronic device 202 is closest to the beverage preparation machine 100 when selecting a beverage. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can provide identity protection for the user of the beverage preparation machine 100, thereby protecting the user's name. Such protection may include users associated with a unique code (rather than the user's name). In other examples, the beverage preparation machine 100 can aggregate two or more users and conceal the users so that the users obtain a certain degree of anonymity.

[0052] As described herein, the beverage preparation machine 100 can be associated with a user via the user's electronic device 202. The beverage preparation machine 100 can receive information about one or more users (e.g., users of the beverage preparation machine 100), for example, via the electronic device 202. Based on the information provided on the user's electronic device 202, the beverage preparation machine 100 can receive calendar information for one or more users. The beverage preparation machine 100 can determine the date, time, type (e.g., business, personal), and / or duration of an event based on the user's calendar. The event may include business / personal meetings, arrival / departure times, etc.

[0053] The beverage preparation machine 100 can determine the type of day for the user based on the user's calendar information. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can determine whether the user is expected to have a busy day, a stressful day, a short / long day, etc. based on the number of meetings scheduled for the user and / or meeting participants. The beverage preparation machine 100 can recommend beverages to one or more users based on the type of day that the user expects (e.g., predicts). For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can identify beverages that relax users who are expected to have a stressful day, beverages that help users who need to meet with deputies concentrate, beverages that make users feel energetic for a long day, etc.

[0054] Artificial intelligence techniques (e.g., machine learning techniques) can be used to determine the type of date that the user is determined (e.g., predicted). For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can determine that the user will have back-to-back meetings. Based on artificial intelligence techniques, the beverage preparation machine 100 can determine that the user may be tired, mentally exhausted, etc., and will benefit from functional beverages (e.g., caffeinated beverages, green tea beverages, electrolyte-containing beverages, etc.). The beverage preparation machine 100 can recommend beverages that keep the user awake, reduce and / or relieve the stress the user is under, energize the user, etc. In some examples, the beverage preparation machine 100 can dispense (e.g., automatically dispense or mix) beverages that are determined to be beneficial to the user.

[0055] In other examples, the beverage preparation machine 100 may activate a vending display mode when a user approaches the beverage preparation machine 100. The vending display mode may display elements used by a user in selecting a beverage and / or may recommend beverages to a user of the beverage preparation machine 100, for example, through a user interface.

[0056] The beverage preparation machine 100 can determine that the user is nearby through a proximity sensor, through a beacon signal, etc. The beverage preparation machine 100 can determine other eating and / or drinking actions that may be beneficial to the user. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can recommend that the user drink a certain amount of water (for example, if the user has drunk a lot of coffee) because coffee is a well-known diuretic and too much coffee is known to cause dehydration. In an example, when the user is close, a recommendation can be provided by the beverage preparation machine 100. In other examples, the beverage preparation machine 100 can indicate to the user (for example, by reminding) that the user should drink certain beverages through the user's electronic device 202. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can send an SMS message to the user through the electronic device 202, the time for the user to drink coffee in the afternoon, the user should drink water, etc.

[0057] like Figure 2 As shown and described herein, the system 200 includes an electronic device 202 that communicates with the beverage preparation machine 100 via a network 220. In some examples, the network 220 may be the Internet. In other examples, the network 220 may be Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LAN, etc. The network 220 may include one or more wired and / or wireless communication networks. For example, when the electronic device 202 is within a predetermined distance of the beverage preparation machine 100, the electronic device 202 (e.g., a user device and / or an IOT device) may communicate with the beverage preparation machine 100 via a Bluetooth protocol. The electronic device 202 may communicate with the beverage preparation machine 100 based on a user command and / or the electronic device 202 may automatically communicate with the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, the electronic device 202 may automatically communicate with the beverage preparation machine 100 based on a schedule (e.g., every 1 hour), based on the electronic device 202 and the beverage preparation machine 100 being close to each other (e.g., within a predetermined position of each other), based on an event (e.g., a scheduled meeting), etc.

[0058] like Figure 2As shown, the electronic device 202 may include a user interface 204, a memory 206, a central processing unit (CPU) 208, a graphics processing unit (GPU) 210, an image capture device 214, and / or a display 212. The user interface 204 may allow the user to interact with the electronic device 202. In an example, the user interface 204 may be a display. For example, the user interface 204 may be a display including soft keys for providing information to the user. In the example user interface 204 may include hard keys or no keys at all (e.g., the user interface 204 may be a display, such as a display 212). In other examples, the user interface 204 may be an external hardware keyboard configured to communicate with the IOT device 204 via a wired or wireless connection (e.g., a Bluetooth keyboard), an external mouse, or any other user input device.

[0059] The memory 206 may store instructions that can be executed on the CPU 208 and / or GPU 210. The instructions may include machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the CPU 208 and / or GPU 210, cause the CPU 208 and / or GPU 210 to perform various actions. The memory 206 may store instructions that, when executed by the CPU 208 and / or GPU 210, cause the CPU 208 and / or GPU 210 to enable the user interface 204 to interact with the user. For example, the executable instructions may enable the user interface to display one or more prompts to the user (via the display 212), and / or accept user input. For example, the instructions stored in the memory 206 may enable the user to select the type of beverage (e.g., coffee) to be dispensed from the beverage preparation machine 100. The user may utilize the user interface 204 to schedule future coffee brewing by selecting the type of coffee to be brewed and the brewing date and time. In other examples, the user may utilize the user interface 204 to click, hold, or drag a cursor to define one or more coffee brewing parameters (e.g., temperature, ounces to be dispensed, etc.).

[0060] The CPU 208 and / or the GPU 210 may be configured to communicate with the memory 206 to store data to the memory 206 and read data from the memory 206. For example, the memory 206 may be a computer-readable non-transitory storage device, which may include volatile (e.g., random access memory (RAM)) or non-volatile (e.g., battery-backed RAM, FLASH, etc.) memory. The image capture device 214 may be configured to capture an image. The image may be an identifier of the beverage preparation machine 100, such as a serial number associated with the beverage preparation machine 100 or a QR code associated with the beverage preparation machine 100.

[0061] The system 200 includes a beverage preparation machine 100. Figure 2As shown, beverage preparation machine 100 may include CPU 152, memory 154, GPU 150, user interface 156, communication interface 158, and image capture device 174. As described herein, CPU 152 and / or GPU 150 may form a processor alone or in combination with a microprocessor, microcontroller, computer programmable device, or circuit.

[0062] The memory 154 may be configured to store instructions executable on the CPU 152 and / or the GPU 150. The instructions may include machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the CPU 152 and / or the GPU 150, cause the CPU 152 and / or the GPU 150 to perform various actions. The CPU 152 and / or the GPU 150 may be configured to communicate with the memory 154 to store and / or read data to and from the memory 154. For example, the memory 154 may be a computer-readable, non-transitory storage device that may include volatile (e.g., random access memory (RAM)) or non-volatile memory (e.g., battery-backed RAM, FLASH, etc.) memory.

[0063] The user interface 156 may be configured to allow a user of the beverage preparation machine 100 to interact with the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, the user interface 156 may include a user input device, such as an interactive portion of the display 110 (e.g., "soft" keys displayed on the display 110), a selection button 112, an external hardware keyboard, an external device configured to communicate with the beverage preparation machine 100 via a wired or wireless connection, or any other user input device.

[0064] The communication interface 158 can be configured to enable the beverage preparation machine 100 to communicate (e.g., interface) with one or more devices internal or external to the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, the communication interface 158 can be configured to enable the beverage preparation machine 100 to interface with the electronic device 202, one or more other electronic devices (e.g., one or more other beverage preparation machines 100), and / or a beverage dispensing database 160. The beverage dispensing database 160 can store information related to coffee consumption, such as a user's coffee preferences, the location of the beverage preparation machine 100, etc. The information stored in the beverage dispensing database 160 can be used to provide a unique coffee experience for one or more users of the beverage preparation machine 100.

[0065] The image capture device 174 can be configured to capture an image. The image can be an identifier of the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or a vessel receiving a beverage from the beverage preparation machine 100 (e.g., a serial number or QR code associated with the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or the vessel). The image can be an identifier of a vessel, such as a cup, a mug, or other container for holding a beverage. The image can be the shape of the vessel. For example, the image capture device 174 can be configured to capture an image of a previously modulated beverage so that the beverage preparation machine 100 can simulate an image of a previously modulated beverage. As an example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can attempt to modulate coffee based on the image according to color (e.g., with a limited amount of sugar or cream), filling amount, etc. The image capture device 174 can be configured to take an image of a beverage to identify the name of the beverage, the ingredients of the beverage, the modulation time, and other parameters of the beverage (e.g., the temperature at which the beverage is to be modulated).

[0066] Image capture device 174 can be configured to capture images of the vessel exterior and / or vessel interior. For example, image capture device 174 can be configured to capture images of the vessel interior so that the image can be used to determine the vessel interior volume. For example, one or more elements (e.g., processor, server, measurement sensor 176 and / or control unit 162) can determine the volume of the vessel interior based on the image of the vessel interior. Image capture device 174 can be configured to capture images in a digital format with multiple pixels.

[0067] Although the image capture device 174 is Figure 2 100, but in other examples, the image capture device 174 can be internal and / or external to the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, the image capture device 174 can be implemented as a camera coupled to the electronic device 202. The image capture device 174 can be implemented as a webcam coupled to the electronic device 202 and configured to communicate with the electronic device 202. The image capture device 214 can be implemented as a digital camera configured to transmit digital images to the electronic device 202 and / or the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, such transmission can be transmitted via a cable, wireless transmission, network 220, and / or a physical memory card device (e.g., an SD card, a flash memory card, etc.).

[0068] The beverage preparation machine 100 may include a control unit, such as a control unit 162. The control unit 162 may be configured to control one or more beverage operations of the beverage preparation machine 100. The control unit 162 may be configured to control brewing of the beverage preparation machine 100 based on input received from the communication interface 158 and / or the user interface 156. In an example, the control unit 162 may be located inside the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or outside the beverage preparation machine 100.

[0069] Figure 3 2 is an example system 300 including one or more beverage preparation machines 100 and / or one or more electronic devices 202. Figure 3 As shown, the beverage preparation machine 100 can communicate with an IOT device, such as a lighting device 203. The system 300 may include one or more servers 350 communicating with one or more beverage preparation machines 100. The server 350 may be configured with an operating system that can run one or more applications. The application may be configured to provide services to the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or one or more electronic devices 202. The server 350 may be a data server, a network server, a cloud computing device, etc. The system 300 may include one or more users 370 of the beverage preparation machine 100 (e.g., a beverage drinker, a maintainer of the beverage preparation machine 100, etc.). The beverage preparation machine 100, the electronic device 202 (e.g., a user device) and / or the server 350 may communicate with each other via a network (e.g., a network 220).

[0070] The user 370 may interact with the beverage preparation machine 100 in one or more ways. For example, the user may interact with the beverage preparation machine 100 to receive beverages and / or contents from the beverage preparation machine 100, to provide input to the beverage preparation machine 100, etc. In such an example, the user 370 may interact with the beverage preparation machine 100 to request maintenance of the beverage preparation machine 100, to request cleaning of the beverage preparation machine 100, to request storage of supplies required for use of the beverage preparation machine 100, etc. The user may interact with the beverage preparation machine 100 via a physical actuation button or the like on the beverage preparation machine 100 (soft keys or actual keys on the display 112) using one or more electronic devices. For example, the user 370 may request maintenance, cleaning, inventory, etc. of the beverage preparation machine 100 by physically activating a button or the like on the beverage preparation machine 100 using one or more electronic devices.

[0071] Figure 4An example process 400 for identifying a person via a wireless signal (e.g., a wireless beacon) is shown. As described herein, the beverage preparation machine 100 can be connected to one or more electronic devices 202, such as a user device (e.g., a mobile phone) or a server 250. The beverage preparation machine 100 and the electronic device 202 can communicate via Bluetooth. At 402, the beverage preparation machine 100 can receive a beacon from one or more electronic devices 202, such as via a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacon. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can receive a unique identifier sent from the electronic device 202 via Bluetooth. At 404, the beverage preparation machine 100 can associate the unique identifier and / or the electronic device 202 with one or more users. The beverage preparation machine 100 can determine the user's preferences, schedule, etc. based on the previous activities of the electronic device 202 and / or the beverage preparation machine 100. In an example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can determine the user's preferences, schedule, etc. based on the user creating a profile (e.g., through an application). At 406, the beverage preparation machine 100 can dispense beverages based on the user's preferences.

[0072] As described herein, the beverage preparation machine 100 can identify the user through the user's electronic device 202 (e.g., a unique identifier provided by the electronic device 202). When the beverage preparation machine 100 determines that a specific user is using the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or is near the beverage preparation machine 100 (e.g., within a certain distance, such as five feet), the beverage preparation machine 100 can provide recommendations to the user. The beverage preparation machine 100 can display the recommendations, for example, via the user interface 156. The beverage preparation machine 100 can send the recommendations to the electronic device 202 so that the user can view the recommendations on the electronic device 202. The beverage preparation machine 100 can recommend beverages (e.g., the user's most preferred beverages) based on a previous history of beverages that the user wants, based on a profile created by the user, etc. In other examples, the beverage preparation machine 100 can recommend beverages to the user based on the preferred beverage selections of colleagues, a group of beverages that are popular in the user's local or national / global range, the user's position (e.g., manager), the time of day (e.g., morning or afternoon), the time of year (e.g., winter or summer), etc.

[0073] As described herein, a user may receive information related to the beverage preparation machine 100 through the beverage preparation machine 100 (e.g., through the user interface 156 of the beverage preparation machine 100) or through the electronic device 202. For example, beverage preferences may be provided through the user's electronic device 202 and / or through an interface of the beverage preparation machine 100, such as the button 112 and the display 110 ( Figure 1 ) to the user. The beverage preparation machine 100 may save the user preferences to a database (e.g. Figure 2In other examples, the preferences may be provided by the electronic device 202 (e.g., via an application on the electronic device 202) or the preferences may be provided by a server 350 (e.g., a cloud server) and / or one or more other electronic devices 202.

[0074] Identification of the user may be provided by biometric and / or emotional information. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may include a biometric sensor, such as a biometric sensor 170. The biometric sensor 170 may recognize (e.g., identify) the user via a fingerprint of the user (using a fingerprint reader), an image of the user (using a digital camera), an optical scan of the user, a voice scan of the user, an infrared image of the user (using an infrared camera), etc. Identification of the user may be provided via a beacon of the user's electronic device 202, as described herein. The beverage preparation machine 100 may identify the user when he / she approaches the beverage preparation machine 100, for example, by a BLE beacon originating from the user's electronic device 202 and / or by generating and / or analyzing a user image by the beverage preparation machine 100.

[0075] The beverage preparation machine 100 can prepare (e.g., automatically prepare) a beverage based on the identity of the user. For example, when the beverage preparation machine 100 identifies (e.g., by beacon, fingerprint, image) the user and / or determines that the user is close to the beverage preparation machine 100, the beverage preparation machine 100 can prepare the user's preferred beverage. In other examples, when the beverage preparation machine 100 determines that the user is on the way to the beverage preparation machine 100, the beverage preparation machine 100 can prepare a preferred beverage. This determination can be based on the time of day, the direction in which the user is moving, the speed of the user, etc. In other examples, the user can remotely indicate to the beverage preparation machine 100 to prepare a beverage, and the beverage preparation machine 100 will prepare the beverage so that the beverage is ready when the user arrives at the beverage preparation machine 100. The beverage preparation machine 100 can make beverage recommendations to the user based on the user's previous history, the previous history of colleagues, trends, etc. This interaction with the user and the beverage preparation machine 100 can cause the beverage preparation machine 100 to be more interactive and create a more relevant experience for the user because the beverage preparation machine 100 appears to be more able to understand the user's beverage needs.

[0076] Figure 5An example process 500 for dispensing (e.g., automatically dispensing) a beverage into a vessel based on a determination of the vessel's internal volume is shown. At 502, the beverage preparation machine 100 may receive a vessel configured to receive a beverage. The beverage preparation machine 100 may sense, identify, and / or determine characteristics of a vessel (e.g., a container, a cup, etc.) provided to the beverage preparation machine 100 for receiving a beverage. For example, at 504, the beverage preparation machine 100 may be configured to sense, identify, and / or determine the type, size, volume, etc. of the vessel for receiving a beverage from the beverage preparation machine 100. At 506, the beverage preparation machine 100 may determine the amount of beverage that the vessel can hold based on the vessel's internal volume. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may determine the amount of beverage that the vessel can hold based on an image of the vessel, an electronic device associated with the vessel (e.g., an RFID tag), an identification of the vessel (e.g., a QR code on the vessel or other identification mark provided on the vessel and read by the beverage preparation machine 100), the weight of the vessel, the size of the vessel identified by the beverage preparation machine 100 (e.g., length, width, height), etc. At 508, the beverage preparation machine 100 may dispense into the vessel an amount of beverage that is less than or equal to the amount of beverage determined to be held in the vessel.

[0077] The beverage preparation machine 100 can determine the volume (e.g., internal volume) of the vessel by measuring sensors 176 such as light emitting and receiving sensors (e.g., lasers), audio emitting and receiving sensors, etc. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can determine the volume inside the vessel by capturing an internal image (e.g., via an image capture device 174), by sending light (e.g., lasers) and / or audio inside the vessel, and / or by a profile (e.g., a saved profile) of a specific vessel. The length, width, and height of the vessel can be determined by one or more methods described herein. Based on the measurements of the vessel, the calculation of the vessel volume can be determined by the beverage preparation machine 100.

[0078] After determining the volume of the vessel, the amount of beverage that can be dispensed in the vessel (e.g., the number of ounces of beverage) can be determined. The amount of beverage can be based on the volume of the vessel (e.g., the internal volume of the vessel) and / or the amount of beverage can be based on user preferences. For example, if the volume of the vessel is less than the amount of beverage that the user prefers to drink, the beverage preparation machine 100 can dispense an amount of beverage that fills (e.g., substantially fills) the vessel in the container, although the amount may be less than the amount preferred by the user. If the volume of the vessel is greater than the amount of beverage that the user prefers to drink, the beverage preparation machine 100 can dispense an amount of beverage that does not fill the vessel but is the amount preferred by the user in the vessel.

[0079] Although in the example the beverage preparation machine 100 can determine the volume of the beverage to be dispensed, in other examples one or more of the electronic device 202 (e.g., a user device), a server (e.g., a cloud server), etc. can determine the volume of the beverage to be dispensed into the vessel. For example, based on the type, size, volume, etc. of the container, the server 250 can determine the amount of beverage to be dispensed into the vessel. In such an example, the server 250 can indicate to the beverage preparation machine 100 the volume of the beverage to be dispensed by the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, when the user presents the vessel to the beverage preparation machine 100, the beverage preparation machine 100 can dispense (e.g., automatically dispense) the determined appropriate amount of beverage into the vessel.

[0080] Figure 6 An example process 600 for influencing a brewer's experience, for example, by providing and / or receiving secondary information, is shown. At 602, the beverage preparation machine 100 may receive a signal (e.g., a wireless signal) related to the beverage preparation machine 100, a user of the beverage preparation machine 100. One or more electronic devices 202 may provide information to the beverage preparation machine 100. The information provided to the beverage preparation machine 100 may assist in the management, operation, and / or maintenance of the beverage preparation machine 100. Such information provided by the electronic device 202 may improve the brewing experience of the user.

[0081] The beverage preparation machine 100 may communicate with one or more electronic devices 202. The electronic device 202 may provide information to the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or the one or more electronic devices 202 may receive information from the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, the electronic device 202 may provide temperature information, news information, location information, beverage trend information (e.g., beverages dispensed by the beverage preparation machine 100 that are currently popular, previously popular, and / or expected to be popular in the future), usage information of the beverage preparation machine 100 (e.g., frequency of use of the beverage preparation machine 100, breakdown of users using the beverage preparation machine 100, history of dispensed beverages, etc.). For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may receive information related to news (e.g., breaking news), sports updates, stock updates, and other information of interest to the user of the beverage preparation machine 100. The beverage preparation machine 100 may send location information to the electronic device 202, which may allow the electronic device 202 to determine which information is local to the beverage preparation machine 100. The beverage preparation machine 100 may determine information (e.g., news) that may be more important and / or more current to the user of the beverage preparation machine 100. Information deemed more important and / or more current may replace (e.g., replaced on a user interface) information deemed less important and / or older. The beverage preparation machine 100 may receive such information from the Internet, from a server 250, from one or more electronic devices (e.g., IOT devices and / or user devices), crowd sourcing, etc.

[0082] At 604, the beverage preparation machine 100 may provide (e.g., present) information so that the user may view and / or hear the information. The beverage preparation machine 100 may identify the user based on the user's mobile device and may provide the user with information of particular interest to the user. The user's mobile device may be different from the electronic device that provides the information to the beverage preparation machine 100. The beverage preparation machine 100 may provide information to the user through the display 110 ( Figure 1 ) presents information. The beverage preparation machine 100 may provide information via a speaker 190 or receive information via a microphone 192 or a selection button, as described herein. The information provided by the beverage preparation machine 100 may be customized according to the interests of a particular user or a group of users. The information may be provided in response to a user's request, or the information may be provided automatically. For example, a user may request the beverage preparation machine 100 to provide a recommended beverage. In response to the request, the beverage preparation machine 100 may provide a recommendation (e.g., a beverage recipe recommendation and / or a planogram recommendation). In other examples, the beverage preparation machine 100 may provide a recommendation without a user request. In such an example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may make recommendations based on a schedule (e.g., daily recommendations, weekly recommendations, etc.), based on an event (e.g., the release of a new ingredient, a review of a beverage, etc.), based on a request from another user, etc.

[0083] As provided herein, information / data can be provided to and / or received from beverage preparation machine 100 via one or more electronic devices 202 and / or server 250. Electronic device 202 can provide information (such as weather information, temperature information and / or calendar information) to affect the behavior of beverage preparation machine 100. For example, preference for beverage can be changed based on weather conditions outside the building where the user is located and / or temperature conditions in the building where the user is located. For example, a user may need a certain beverage (such as iced coffee) in the hot summer and another beverage (such as hot chocolate) in the cold winter. Beverage preparation machine 100 can identify conditions that may affect user preferences and can determine the beverage to be recommended and / or distributed based on these conditions. For example, beverage preparation machine 100 can identify the time of day and determine that the user needs espresso (with increased caffeine level) in the morning and needs a lighter mixture (or tea) in the afternoon. Beverage preparation machine 100 can provide recommendations to users accordingly.

[0084] The beverage preparation machine 100 may receive information that can predict the use of the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or the future use of the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may determine the number of users of the beverage preparation machine 100 in a room (e.g., a conference room) housing the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or the number of users of the beverage preparation machine 100 located near the beverage preparation machine 100. The beverage preparation machine 100 may determine the number of users of the beverage preparation machine 100 entering the building housing the beverage preparation machine 100 (e.g., in the morning), the number of users leaving the building (e.g., in the evening), the number of users within the building, etc.

[0085] As described herein, the beverage preparation machine 100 may determine the number of users based on beacons (e.g., Bluetooth beacons), GPS locations, geolocation, etc. In other examples, the beverage preparation machine 100 may determine the predicted number of users of the beverage preparation machine 100 based on available calendar data (e.g., Outlook calendar data for one or more users). For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may determine the number of users of the beverage preparation machine 100 entering a meeting, exiting a meeting, or attending a meeting based on the user's calendar data. The beverage preparation machine 100 may determine (e.g., predict) beverage consumption based on the user's current location and / or the user's future location.

[0086] The beverage preparation machine 100 may perform activities (e.g., start, shut down, etc.) based on the location and / or future location of the user of the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may preheat the beverage preparation machine 100, cool the beverage preparation machine 100, start heating water, etc. based on the number of users expected to be within a predetermined distance of the beverage preparation machine 100 (e.g., within a predetermined time). The beverage preparation machine 100 may start preheating when a certain number of users begin to appear within a predetermined distance of the beverage preparation machine 100. The beverage preparation machine 100 may start cooling when the number of users within a predetermined distance of the beverage preparation machine 100 decreases or when the user leaves the location (e.g., the room where the beverage preparation machine 100 is located). The beverage preparation machine 100 may dispense a certain beverage (e.g., coffee) based on the preferences of one or more (e.g., most) users of the beverage preparation machine 100 that the beverage preparation machine 100 is close to. By performing (e.g., autonomously performing) beverage preparation (e.g., coffee brewing) tasks based on user presence (including predicted presence) and / or preferences, the beverage preparation machine 100 will be able to predict the user's beverage needs and this will make the consumer of the beverage more pleasant. Therefore, it is expected that consumer complaints regarding modulation potency will decrease.

[0087] Figure 7An example process 700 of a beverage preparation machine 100 performing an activity based on an input is shown. At 702, the beverage preparation machine 100 can communicate with one or more electronic devices 202 (e.g., IOT devices, mobile devices, servers, etc.). Communicating with electronic devices 202, servers, etc. can allow the beverage preparation machine 100 to be integrated with one or more data sources and / or IOT devices. For example, IOT devices can exist in a workplace environment, a home environment, and any other environment where a beverage provided by the beverage preparation machine 100 can be consumed. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can communicate with one or more other beverage preparation machines 100. In another example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can communicate with one or more IOT devices, such as a printer, a room (e.g., a bathroom, a kitchen, a living room, a conference room, a cafeteria, etc.), a smart device in the room, such as a smart toilet, a smart sink, a refrigerator, a water filtration device, a lighting device, a power device, etc.

[0088] For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can communicate with the intelligent lighting device. When the lighting device is turned on or off, the beverage preparation machine 100 can receive notifications from the intelligent lighting device. At 704, the beverage preparation machine 100 can perform an activity (e.g., an activity based on the notification and / or information). For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can start when the lighting device is turned on, and the beverage preparation machine 100 can stop when the lighting device is turned off. As another example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can determine how long the light is turned on, the typical time when the light is turned on / off, the time when the light is turned on, and the time when the user of the beverage preparation machine 100 requests a beverage, etc. Based on the light information, and the correlation between the light data and the user's consumption habits, the beverage preparation machine 100 can perform corresponding actions. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can start preparing a beverage when the light that the user usually wants to drink is on. At 706, the communication interface can send a signal to the electronic device 202 (e.g., the user's mobile device). For example, when performing an activity, the communication interface can send a signal to the electronic device 202 to confirm that the activity has been performed.

[0089] The beverage preparation machine 100 can aggregate (e.g., group) data received from one or more electronic devices 202 and a server. By aggregating data from one or more electronic devices (e.g., IOT devices), the beverage preparation machine 100 can provide an ecosystem that may help rationalize the responsibilities of people who are typically responsible for obtaining beverages (e.g., coffee). For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can determine the consumption habits of one or more users of the beverage preparation machine 100. By predicting and / or rationalizing the consumption habits of users, a less time-consuming experience can be generated while obtaining beverages from the beverage preparation machine 100.

[0090] Figure 8An example process 800 is shown in which a beverage preparation machine 100 performs an activity based on an action (e.g., an action of an electronic device 202). At 802, the beverage preparation machine 100 can exchange (e.g., receive and / or send) information with one or more electronic devices 202. Because the beverage preparation machine 100 can exchange (e.g., receive and / or send) information with one or more electronic devices 202, the beverage preparation machine 100 can receive, send, and / or store a large amount of information. The beverage preparation machine 100 can use such information to predict future spending habits of a user of the beverage preparation machine 100, the cost of ingredients and materials used by the beverage preparation machine 100, the inventory of ingredients and materials used by the beverage preparation machine 100, and / or a location associated with the beverage preparation machine 100. The information received, transmitted, and / or stored by the beverage preparation machine 100 can be used by the beverage preparation machine 100 (or an external device, such as the electronic device 202 and / or a server) to program (e.g., automatically program) an energy saving plan.

[0091] Energy saving plans may be related to the operation of the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may use the historical data of the beverage preparation machine 100 preparing (e.g., brewing) and / or dispensing beverages to determine future energy saving plans. Energy saving plans may involve heating or cooling plans so that the beverage preparation machine 100 can operate at an optimal energy level during peak and / or slow periods of beverage consumption. The historical data of the beverage preparation machine 100 may be used to provide energy saving plans for devices (e.g., electronic devices 202) other than the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may determine that a user starts drinking a beverage (e.g., coffee) at a certain time in the morning. The beverage preparation machine 100 may communicate with a lamp to turn on the lamp (e.g., ensure that the lamp is turned on) within a predetermined time before the user drinks the beverage. In other examples, the user may usually drink a beverage before going to work or going to bed. In such an example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may communicate with the lamp to turn off the lamp within a predetermined time after the user usually drinks such a beverage.

[0092] The beverage preparation machine 100 can perform determinations (e.g., predictions) based on historical data. In other examples, determinations (e.g., predictions) can be performed through machine learning and / or artificial intelligence methods. For example, supervised learning methods can be used to make predictions through machine learning models. In such examples, the beverage preparation machine 100 can store information that associates the location of the beverage preparation machine with consumption levels, weather and consumption levels, thermostat temperatures and consumption levels, etc.

[0093] The information stored by the beverage preparation machine 100 can be used to train a machine learning model to provide subsequent predictions of the user's coffee consumption level. For example, when the machine learning model is trained using information (e.g., consumption information and / or replenishment / ordering information related to the beverage preparation machine 100, location information of the beverage preparation machine 100) and consumption levels, the user can input the desired consumption level into the model. Upon receiving the desired consumption level, the trained model can provide the user with one or more locations predicted to result in such desired consumption level. Such results can be related to indications of past traffic of beverage consumers to predict future traffic of beverage consumers, so that the desired (e.g., optimal) placement of the beverage preparation machine 100 within the building can occur, and / or beverage preparation machines 100 of related types are placed at desired locations within the building.

[0094] The machine learning model can be trained using user consumption information (e.g., user coffee preference information). When training the machine learning model using user consumption information, the user can input the user's identity into the training model. The user's beverage (e.g., coffee) preferences can be based on time of day, day of the week, season, month, etc. For example, the user's coffee preferences may include additional caffeinated coffee consumed in the morning and on Mondays. After receiving the user's identity, the trained model can provide recommendations for coffee selections to the user, such as coffee with a higher caffeine content during the morning. In some examples, the user can manually input information for interacting with (e.g., training) the model. In other examples, the machine learning model can be trained using information automatically provided to the beverage preparation machine 100, for example, by one or more electronic devices 202.

[0095] The beverage preparation machine 100 may generate and / or print reports regarding the status of one or more beverage preparation machines. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may generate and / or print reports describing faults experienced by the beverage preparation machine 100, on / off cycles of the beverage preparation machine 100, consumption levels of the beverage preparation machine 100, etc. The consumption levels may be categorized based on time of day, day of the week, etc.

[0096] Based on the generated report, the beverage preparation machine 100 can provide suggestions to modify the use of the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, at 804, the beverage preparation machine 100 can identify that the electronic device 202 (e.g., a specific electronic device) performs an action, such as powering on or off a lighting device. At 806, the beverage preparation machine 100 can perform an activity based on the action of the electronic device 202, such as dispensing a beverage or providing a beverage recommendation. The recommendation can be for a user of the beverage preparation machine 100, a provider of the beverage preparation machine 100, a provider of ingredients and / or materials used by the beverage preparation machine 100, etc. For example, the recommendation can include a recommended location (different and / or additional location) where the beverage preparation machine 100 should be placed. The recommended location of the beverage preparation machine 100 can be to optimize the consumption level of the beverage provided by the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, the recommended locations may be used to reduce wait times for beverages provided by the beverage preparation machine 100 (e.g., because lines to use the beverage preparation machine 100 may be reduced or eliminated), to use the beverage preparation machine 100 more efficiently (e.g., before ingredients used by the beverage preparation machine 100 expire, e.g., due to ordering / stocking preferred used brews), to reduce walking distances to the beverage preparation machine 100, etc. As a result, users of the beverage preparation machine 100, owners of the beverage preparation machine 100, and / or suppliers of ingredients / materials used by the beverage preparation machine 100 may best utilize the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, users, owners, and suppliers of the beverage preparation machine 100 may be provided with a better return on investment (e.g., on the equipment and products purchased).

[0097] Fig. 9 An example process 900 is shown in which a beverage preparation machine 100 produces a selected recipe. Information about the amount of a product (e.g., ingredient, material, etc.) supplied to the beverage preparation machine 100 dispensed by the beverage preparation machine 100, and / or the amount remaining in the beverage preparation machine 100 may be determined or stored. For example, SKU information of products used by the beverage preparation machine 100 may be identified and / or stored. The SKU information may be used to identify which products the beverage preparation machine 100 is dispensing and which products are not being consumed. The beverage preparation machine 100 may determine the rate at which the product is dispensed, for example, to determine when it should be restocked and / or to determine that it should not be restocked (e.g., if the ingredient is not a user preference of a particular beverage preparation machine 100 and / or if the beverage preparation machine 100 product is in stock). The beverage preparation machine 100 may determine whether the product is in stock (and available stock) and when the product will become available in the beverage preparation machine 100 (e.g., based on an estimated shipping time provided by a seller of the product).

[0098] At 902, the beverage preparation machine 100 can identify the amount of products (e.g., ingredients) available for the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or the types of products available. At 904, based on the identity and / or type of the available products, the beverage preparation machine 100 can determine the customized recipes of the beverages that the beverage preparation machine 100 can produce. The beverage preparation machine 100 can, for example, classify the recipes that can be produced based on the popularity of the recipes or the similarity with the recipes preferred by the user of the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, the display of the beverage preparation machine 100 can be updated (e.g., automatically updated) with customized classifications of customized recipes and coffee brewing. For example, if the beverage preparation machine 100 determines that peppermint tea and hot chocolate are popular choices for users, the display of the beverage preparation machine 100 can provide a recommendation for preparing a peppermint patty recipe. In other examples, the beverage preparation machine 100 can make (e.g., automatically make) a peppermint patty recipe available to the user. At 906, the beverage preparation machine 100 can, for example, receive the selected recipe via a user interface and / or a communication interface. The beverage preparation machine 100 may receive a selected recipe based on the identifier and / or type of available products. At 908, the beverage preparation machine 100 may produce a beverage having the selected recipe.

[0099] The beverage preparation machine 100 can identify customized products based on the use of the beverage preparation machine 100 (e.g., a specific beverage preparation machine). For example, a user of the beverage preparation machine 100 can create a customized product of chocolate and raspberry tea. The user of the beverage preparation machine 100 can create a customized beverage, for example, by combining a chocolate bag and a raspberry bag. If one or more users of the beverage preparation machine 100 repeat this customized combination, the beverage preparation machine 100 can determine that the customized product is a popular beverage and can provide customized products to other users of the beverage preparation machine 100. The beverage preparation machine 100 can provide this customized product selection to one or more users of the beverage preparation machine 100. In other examples, the beverage preparation machine 100 can indicate that the customized product should be provided to other people other than the user of the beverage preparation machine 100, such as providing or marketing customized products to global users.

[0100] The beverage preparation machine 100 can provide beverage recommendations based on attributes of the beverage other than the taste of the beverage. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can provide beverage recommendations based on the time it takes to prepare the beverage preparation machine 100, determine how busy the user of the beverage preparation machine 100 is (e.g., based on the user's calendar), and so on. For example, lemon tea is prepared in very low yields, so the beverage preparation machine 100 needs some time to prepare the lemon tea. Due to the preparation time, the selection of lemon tea can be placed at the end (e.g., bottom) of the available selection menu. Such features of the beverage preparation machine 100 can bring a more relevant user experience to the user of the beverage preparation machine 100.

[0101] Information about products (e.g., ingredients) to be distributed and / or sold by the beverage preparation machine 100 may be determined based on factors external to the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, information about products to be distributed and / or sold by the beverage preparation machine 100 may be determined based on weather, time of year, time of day, etc. The weather may be local weather at the location of the beverage preparation machine 100, weather predicted to occur, and / or weather that has occurred in the past. For example, beverages (e.g., hot chocolate) that are typically consumed during cold weather may be produced by the beverage preparation machine 100 when the weather is cold or cold weather is expected. When the weather is hot or hot weather is expected, beverages that are typically consumed during hot weather may be produced by the beverage preparation machine 100. Beverages that are typically consumed at a certain time of the day (e.g., morning) may be produced by the beverage preparation machine 100 during that time of the day (e.g., morning), etc.

[0102] The beverage preparation machine 100 may display content based on factors external to the beverage preparation machine 100, such as weather, date, time, etc. For example, when the weather is cloudy, on Friday, etc., the beverage preparation machine 100 may display sunny scenery content. The beverage preparation machine 100 may provide audio content based on factors external to the beverage preparation machine 100, such as weather, date, time, etc. For example, when the weather is cloudy, in the afternoon, etc., the beverage preparation machine 100 may provide cheerful music. Such content may be intended to improve the mood of the user in terms of weather, time (e.g., afternoon or morning), or day (e.g., Monday), where the user may otherwise be in a bad mood or lack of energy.

[0103] Fig.10 An example process 1000 is shown in which ingredients of a beverage preparation machine 100 are reordered. The beverage preparation machine 100 may communicate with (e.g., receive information from) one or more markets (e.g., online markets) and information systems. At 1002, the beverage preparation machine 100 may receive information about the type and / or amount of ingredients that the beverage preparation machine 100 may use to dispense beverages. The beverage preparation machine 100 may receive information through a user interface and / or a communication interface of the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, a user may provide information about the type and / or ingredients available to the beverage preparation machine 100 through a user interface and / or through an electronic device. The beverage preparation machine 100 may receive ingredient information through an external tag (e.g., an RFID tag) associated with the ingredient. The external tag may communicate the presence and / or type of the ingredient to the beverage preparation machine 100.

[0104] The beverage preparation machine 100 can communicate with an online marketplace over the Internet to reorder a product. The product can be an ingredient of a recipe to be dispensed by the beverage preparation machine 100 or other materials used by the beverage preparation machine 100 (e.g., cups, straws, etc.). The beverage preparation machine 100 can determine to communicate with an online marketplace to reorder a product (e.g., a coffee product) based on one or more (e.g., each) marketplaces that the user wishes to order from (e.g., through a particular distributor), based on a pre-existing relationship with the user, based on price (e.g., the lowest price for the product), based on a rating of the marketplace, etc.

[0105] At 1004, the beverage preparation machine 100 can order products based on the number of products in stock and the rate at which the products are consumed. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can determine the amount of ingredients available to the beverage preparation machine 100 and the typical consumption of the ingredients, so as to order the ingredients and deliver them to the beverage preparation machine 100 before the ingredients are out of stock. For example, at 1006, the beverage preparation machine 100 can order products before the ingredients are expected to run out, so that the products are always available for dispensing by the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, Figure 3 As shown, user 370 can reserve products for beverage preparation machine 100, indicate the amount of product available to beverage preparation machine 100, etc. When consuming products, beverage preparation machine 100 can determine the remaining products and / or predict when the products will be exhausted. Beverage preparation machine 100 can order additional products so that the products arrive before they are exhausted. In some examples, beverage preparation machine 100 can combine average delivery time so that products are received before they are completely exhausted. Such features can cause users of beverage preparation machine 100 to easily order products and / or dealers to easily process orders.

[0106] Fig.11An example process 1100 of providing information (e.g., information provided as audio content, video content, text content) by a beverage preparation machine 100 is shown. Information (e.g., content) can be stored on the beverage preparation machine 100, received by the beverage preparation machine 100, displayed by the beverage preparation machine 100, transmitted from the beverage preparation machine 100, etc. The content to be stored, received, displayed and / or transmitted can be determined by rules. For example, the content can be determined by rules using one or more parameters, such as time of day, beverages being dispensed (e.g., sold), undispensed beverages, beverages that are frequently or infrequently dispensed, etc. The rules can be priority-based (e.g., ranking). For example, the content can be prioritized according to the time of day and the beverage to be dispensed. Using this example, priority '1' may include content 'A' being displayed, tea being dispensed, when the time is between 2pm and 4pm; priority '2' may include content 'B' being displayed, hot chocolate being dispensed, when the time is between 2pm and 5pm; priority '3' may include content 'C' being displayed, any beverage being dispensed, when the time is between 2pm and 5pm; priority '4' may include content 'D' being displayed, any beverage being dispensed, when the time is between 9am and 6pm; priority '5' may include content 'E' being displayed, when the beverage preparation machine 100 is idle and the beverage preparation machine 100 is in power saving mode.

[0107] The content may be created and / or provided by a manufacturer of the beverage preparation machine 100, a distributor of the beverage preparation machine 100, a user of the beverage preparation machine 100, a source not affiliated with the manufacturer of the beverage preparation machine 100, etc. At 1102, the beverage preparation machine 100 may receive content information related to one or more users of the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or one or more products related to the beverage preparation machine 100. The content may be received by the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or sent from the beverage preparation machine 100 via a wired and / or wireless communication method. For example, the content may be displayed by the beverage preparation machine 100 via a display. Audio may be provided by the beverage preparation machine 100 via one or more speakers (e.g., speaker 190). The speaker may be inside the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or the speaker may be outside the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 may provide audio information to an external speaker that provides audio sound.

[0108] At 1104, the beverage preparation machine 100 can identify the user of the beverage preparation machine 100 and can associate content information with the user of the beverage preparation machine 100. The content stored on the beverage preparation machine 100, received by the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or sent from it can enable the beverage preparation machine 100 to be used as an information area, such as a central notice board. The user can physically and / or remotely access the beverage preparation machine 100 to receive the content stored and / or provided by the beverage preparation machine 100. At 1106, the beverage preparation machine 100 can provide information through a user interface and / or a communication interface. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can provide work-related information (e.g., visual information, audio information) (e.g., information related to hiring new employees) and / or information related to a mixer, a dispenser. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can provide information related to the product release of the beverage preparation machine, information about using the beverage preparation machine 100, favorite recipes that can be used with the beverage preparation machine 100, etc.

[0109] The user may visit the beverage preparation machine 100 in person (e.g., when receiving a beverage) and / or the user may remotely log into a central bulletin board of the beverage preparation machine 100. Remote information may be accessed by users physically located in the building where the beverage preparation machine 100 is located and / or by users remote from the beverage preparation machine 100 (e.g., users working remotely). The user may select the amount of information they wish to receive, the type of information they wish to receive, etc. The beverage preparation machine 100 may provide notifications (e.g., push notifications) to the user based on the user selections.

[0110] At 1108, the beverage preparation machine 100 may receive input related to the content (e.g., related content), such as feedback. For example, a user of the beverage preparation machine 100 may provide feedback of the beverage preparation machine 100 to the beverage preparation machine 100. Feedback may be provided by physically interacting with the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or by remotely interacting with the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, when the beverage preparation machine 100 is preparing a beverage for a user, the beverage preparation machine 100 may request the user to provide feedback of the beverage preparation machine 100. Such feedback may be ease of use of the beverage preparation machine 100, improvements that the user believes will benefit the beverage preparation machine 100, user satisfaction with the beverage preparation machine 100, and the like.

[0111] Content can be sent to the beverage preparation machine 100, for example, via a content management application. Content can be sent from the beverage preparation machine 100 to one or more electronic devices 202. When the user of the electronic device 202 is close to the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or when the user is away from the beverage preparation machine 100, the content can be sent to the electronic device 202. As described herein, the content provided by the beverage preparation machine 100 can allow the user, owner and / or technician of the beverage preparation machine 100 to provide feedback. For example, the user can suggest that the user, owner and / or technician can add or request to add content categories. The user, owner and / or technician can provide whether they prefer the content provided by the beverage preparation machine 100, or whether there are other types of content that the beverage preparation machine 100 should provide. The beverage preparation machine 100 can, for example, update the content provided based on user preferences. In other examples, the content can be based on the selected beverage (e.g., coffee), the type of coffee bag, the SKU provided, etc. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can determine that consumers of a certain beverage have similar interests. Based on the beverage consumed by the user, the content can be updated dynamically and intelligently (e.g., automatically). As a result, the beverage preparation machine 100 can provide similar content to people who drink similar beverages.

[0112] Fig.12 An example process 1200 of case management of a beverage preparation machine 100 is shown. At 1202, the beverage preparation machine 100 can identify one or more faults that occur in the beverage preparation machine 100. The fault may be that the beverage preparation machine 100 needs to be repaired immediately and / or in the future. The fault can be tracked. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can track one or more faults of the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or can track the fault outside the beverage preparation machine 100, for example, through a server or other electronic device. Response times can be calculated and / or tracked, such as the time when the fault occurs and the time to resolve the fault. As described herein, the response time can be calculated and / or tracked by the beverage preparation machine 100 or outside the beverage preparation machine 100. The fault may be cleared. For example, when the fault is resolved (e.g., completely resolved and / or partially resolved), the fault can be cleared. The fault can be cleared by a user interface (e.g., a soft / hard button on the beverage preparation machine 100) and / or the fault can be cleared remotely, for example, by an electronic device (e.g., a technician's electronic device) that communicates with the beverage preparation machine 100.

[0113] Faults can be classified. For example, faults can be classified as soft faults or hard faults. Soft faults may not be as serious as hard faults. For example, a soft fault can be an indication that the beverage preparation machine 100 needs maintenance (e.g., cleaning, such as cleaning around the outlet of the beverage preparation machine 100). A soft fault can be indicated by a user of the beverage preparation machine 100. A hard fault can be an indication that the beverage preparation machine 100 is not in normal working order, such as the beverage preparation machine 100 needs to be repaired and / or reset. A hard fault can be generated and / or detected by the beverage preparation machine 100. The beverage preparation machine 100 can determine (e.g., automatically determine) the existence of a hard fault and / or the resolution of a hard fault.

[0114] At 1204, the beverage preparation machine 100 may store a fault that occurred by the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or transmit (e.g., to a mobile device and / or a server) an indication of a fault that occurred by the beverage preparation machine 100. At 1206, the beverage preparation machine 100 may receive an indication that the transmitted fault indication was received by the electronic device and / or viewed by a user of the electronic device. At 1208, the beverage preparation machine 100 may provide (e.g., via a user interface) an indication that the transmitted fault indication has been received by the electronic device and / or viewed by a user of the electronic device.

[0115] As provided herein, beverage preparation machine 100 can provide and / or store information related to the use, maintenance, failure and / or inventory of beverage preparation. For example, beverage preparation machine 100 can provide and / or store the need to repair beverage preparation machine 100. This information may be related to the fault data of beverage preparation machine 100. Use, maintenance, failure and / or inventory information can be provided to technicians. Technicians can receive information (for example, fault data) remotely (for example, via the Internet), via the display of beverage preparation machine 100 and / or via a wired connection to beverage preparation machine 100. Fault data can provide a code for identifying a fault. For example, a code can identify that the door of beverage preparation machine 100 is open, a code can identify that one or more parts of beverage preparation machine 100 need to be repaired, a code can identify that beverage preparation machine 100 is due for regular maintenance, and a code can identify that the product accommodated by beverage preparation machine 100 is old or expired, etc.

[0116] Providing the information described herein (e.g., fault data) can maximize the amount of time that the beverage preparation machine 100 is in working order. This information can be provided to the user, owner, and / or technician via an alarm. For example, by maintaining the beverage preparation machine 100 (as a result of the beverage preparation machine 100 providing maintenance instructions), the beverage preparation machine 100 will be damaged for less time. In addition, by providing information related to the fault of the beverage preparation machine 100, the maintenance time of the beverage preparation machine 100 can be shortened. Since the information can be provided to the user of the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or the technician of the beverage preparation machine 100, the best way to repair the beverage preparation machine 100 can be determined. For example, if the repair is minor, the user may be able to repair the beverage preparation machine 100. Alternatively, if the repair is major, the technician can be notified. The beverage preparation machine 100 can determine which party (e.g., the user or the technician) is most suitable for repair.

[0117] The history of use, repair and / or maintenance of one or more beverage preparation machines 100 may be stored. This information may be stored in the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or another device, for example, via the server 250. Based on this information, the working order of a particular beverage preparation machine and / or the working order of a series of beverage preparation machines may be determined. Based on this information, it may be determined whether a particular beverage preparation machine 100 should be retired, whether an entire production line of beverage preparation machines 100 should be stopped, etc. Alternatively, it may be determined that the beverage preparation machine 100 is high performance (e.g., requires little maintenance). This information may be used so that the features of the best performing device may be used in a lower performing device.

[0118] As provided herein, by providing information about the beverage preparation machine 100 to a technician repairing the beverage preparation machine 100, the process of repairing and / or maintaining the beverage preparation machine 100 can be optimized. In an example where a technician is needed to repair the beverage preparation machine 100, service can be requested for the beverage preparation machine 100 (e.g., remotely requested via SMS, email, phone, etc.). A repair order can be issued to an available technician and / or supplier, and the repair order can be sent (e.g., automatically sent) to an office manager, a technician, a designated department of a dealer, etc. Such a feature can result in less downtime for the beverage preparation machine 100.

[0119] The beverage preparation machine 100 can be restarted by a touch button of the beverage preparation machine 100 and / or a signal received through a communication interface. The beverage preparation machine 100 can be remotely controlled. For example, the beverage preparation machine 100 can be remotely controlled by a user and / or a technician. By remotely controlling the beverage preparation machine 100, a technician can remotely perform a diagnostic process on the beverage preparation machine 100 to troubleshoot and correct problems with the beverage preparation machine 100. For example, a technician can remotely restart the beverage preparation machine 100. The beverage preparation machine 100 can be restarted to correct one or more faults, install software (including firmware) updates, refresh memory, etc. The beverage preparation machine 100 can be restarted through a web-based portal and / or mobile application. The restart of the beverage preparation machine 100 can be limited, for example, so that an administrator (e.g., only an administrator) can restart the beverage preparation machine 100.

[0120] The software and / or settings (e.g., configuration settings) of the beverage preparation machine 100 can be copied (e.g., cloned) from one beverage preparation machine 100 to another beverage preparation machine 100. For example, the software and / or settings of the beverage preparation machine 100 can be copied from the first beverage preparation machine to the second beverage preparation machine at the time of installation of the second beverage preparation machine 100 and / or after the second beverage preparation machine 100 has been installed. The copied settings may include one or more data, as described herein. For example, the copied settings may include the user's most preferred beverages, typical times for beverage consumption, user calendar information, etc. In other examples, the copied settings may be configuration information of the beverage preparation machine 100. The configuration information may include one or more passwords for the user of the beverage preparation machine 100; the beverage SKUs available in the beverage preparation machine 100; the beverage settings for each SKU; the energy saving settings required; the payment settings; the price settings for each SKU; the clock settings; the contact details (e.g., the contact information used in the event of a problem with the machine); the audit information; the error log; the activity log; and the timed events (e.g., the time / date when the filter should be changed, the discount beverage time, etc.). The settings may be copied via wired and / or wireless methods. For example, an administrator may remotely copy settings from a first beverage preparation machine 100 to a second beverage preparation machine 100.

[0121] Although the present invention has been described with respect to specific examples including currently preferred modes for implementing the present invention, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that there are multiple variations and permutations of the above-described systems and techniques. It should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the present invention should be broadly interpreted as described in the appended claims.

[0122] Example clauses

[0123] Exemplary Clause 1. A beverage preparation machine comprising: a container compartment for receiving a beverage packet containing a beverage ingredient; an outlet for dispensing a beverage flavored by the beverage packet; a communication interface configured to receive a wireless signal from an electronic device, the wireless signal including an identifier of the electronic device; a processor operably coupled to the communication interface and configured to: receive the identifier of the electronic device; associate the identifier of the electronic device with a user and a beverage preference of the user; and base a beverage dispensed by the outlet on the beverage preference of the user.

[0124] Exemplary clause 2. The beverage preparation machine of exemplary clause 1, wherein the communication interface is configured to automatically receive a wireless signal from the electronic device upon determining that the electronic device is proximate to the beverage preparation machine.

[0125] Exemplary clause 3. The beverage preparation machine of any preceding exemplary clause, wherein the wireless signal of the electronic device is a Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy Bluetooth signal.

[0126] Exemplary clause 4. A beverage preparation machine according to any of the preceding exemplary clauses, wherein: the processor is configured to: determine a beverage recommendation based on a beverage preference of the user, the beverage recommendation being different from the beverage preference; and cause the communication interface to send a display signal to the electronic device, the display signal causing the electronic device to display the beverage recommendation.

[0127] Exemplary clause 5. The beverage preparation machine of any preceding exemplary clause, wherein the user's beverage preferences are based on at least one of time of day, time of year, the user's schedule, preferences of the user's coworkers, or trends in beverages.

[0128] Exemplary clause 6. A beverage preparation machine according to any preceding exemplary clause, wherein the user's beverage preferences are based on a history of beverages dispensed for the user or a profile created by the user.

[0129] Exemplary clause 7. The beverage preparation machine of any preceding exemplary clause, comprising a user interface configured to receive biometric information associated with a user, wherein the processor is configured to associate the biometric information associated with the user with a beverage preference of the user.

[0130] Exemplary clause 8. The beverage preparation machine of exemplary clause 7, wherein the biometric information comprises a fingerprint of the user, an image of the user, or a voice of the user.

[0131] Exemplary clause 9. A beverage preparation system comprising: a container compartment for receiving a beverage packet containing a beverage ingredient; an outlet for dispensing a beverage flavored by the beverage packet; a communication interface configured to receive a wireless signal from an electronic device, the wireless signal including an identifier of the electronic device; and a processor operably coupled to the communication interface, the processor configured to: receive an identification of the electronic device; associate the identifier of the electronic device with a user and a beverage preference of the user; and base a beverage dispensed by the outlet on the beverage preference of the user.

[0132] Exemplary clause 10. The beverage preparation system of exemplary clause 9, wherein the communication interface is configured to automatically receive a wireless signal from the electronic device upon determining that the electronic device is proximate to the beverage preparation machine.

[0133] Exemplary clause 11. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 9-10, wherein the wireless signal of the electronic device is a Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy Bluetooth signal.

[0134] Exemplary clause 12. A beverage preparation system according to any one of exemplary clauses 9-11, wherein: the processor is configured to: determine a beverage recommendation based on a beverage preference of the user, the beverage recommendation being different from the beverage preference; and cause the communication interface to send a display signal to the electronic device, the display signal causing the electronic device to display the beverage recommendation.

[0135] Exemplary clause 13. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 9-12, wherein the user's beverage preferences are based on at least one of a time of day, a time of year, the user's schedule, preferences of the user's coworkers, or trends in beverages.

[0136] Exemplary clause 14. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 9-13, wherein the user's beverage preferences are based on a history of beverages dispensed for the user or a profile created by the user.

[0137] Exemplary clause 15. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 9-14, comprising a user interface configured to receive biometric information associated with a user, wherein the processor is configured to associate the biometric information associated with the user with the user's beverage preferences.

[0138] Exemplary clause 16. The beverage preparation system of exemplary clause 15, wherein the biometric information comprises a fingerprint of the user, an image of the user, or a voice of the user.

[0139] Exemplary clause 17. A method of dispensing a beverage, comprising: receiving a beverage package comprising a beverage ingredient; receiving a wireless signal from an electronic device, the wireless signal comprising an identifier of the electronic device; and associating, by a processor, the identifier of the electronic device with a user and a beverage preference of the user; dispensing a beverage flavored by the beverage package, wherein the dispensed beverage is based on the beverage preference of the user.

[0140] Exemplary clause 18. The method of exemplary clause 17, comprising automatically receiving a wireless signal from the electronic device upon determining that the electronic device is proximate to the beverage preparation machine.

[0141] Example clause 19. The method of any one of example clauses 17-18, wherein the wireless signal of the electronic device is a Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy signal.

[0142] Exemplary clause 20. The method of any of exemplary clauses 17-19, comprising: determining, via the processor, a beverage recommendation based on a beverage preference of a user, the beverage recommendation being different from the beverage preference; and sending a display signal to an electronic device, the display signal causing the electronic device to display the beverage recommendation.

[0143] Example clause 21. The method of any of example clauses 17-20, wherein the user's beverage preferences are based on at least one of time of day, time of year, the user's schedule, preferences of the user's coworkers, or trends in beverages.

[0144] Exemplary clause 22. The method of any of exemplary clauses 17-21, wherein the user's beverage preferences are based on a history of beverages dispensed for the user or a profile created by the user.

[0145] Example clause 23. The method of any of example clauses 17-22, comprising: receiving biometric information associated with a user; and associating the biometric information associated with the user with a beverage preference of the user.

[0146] Example clause 24. The method of example clause 23, wherein the biometric information includes a fingerprint of the user, an image of the user, or a voice of the user.

[0147] Exemplary clause 25. A beverage preparation machine comprising: a container compartment configured to receive a beverage packet containing a beverage ingredient; an outlet for dispensing a beverage flavored by the beverage packet; an interface configured to: receive a beverage selection from a user; and receive an identifier of the user; a processor operably coupled to the interface and configured to: associate the identifier of the user with a beverage preference of the user; and base the beverage dispensed by the outlet on the beverage preference of the user.

[0148] Exemplary clause 26. The beverage preparation machine of exemplary clause 25, wherein the interface is a user interface comprising a selection button for receiving a beverage selection from a user.

[0149] Exemplary clause 27. The beverage preparation machine of exemplary clause 26, wherein the identifier of the user is determined based on biometric information of the user received by the user interface.

[0150] Exemplary clause 28. The beverage preparation machine of exemplary clause 27, wherein the biometric information comprises a fingerprint of the user, an image of the user, or an optical scan of the user.

[0151] Exemplary clause 29. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 25-28, wherein the identifier of the user is determined based on a signal received from an electronic device of the user.

[0152] Exemplary clause 30. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 25-29, wherein the processor is configured to determine a beverage recommendation based on the beverage preference, the beverage recommendation being different from the beverage preference.

[0153] Exemplary clause 31. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 25-230, wherein the interface is configured to display the beverage recommendation.

[0154] Exemplary clause 32. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 25-31, wherein the user's beverage preferences are based on at least one of a time of day, a time of year, the user's schedule, preferences of the user's coworkers, or trends in beverages.

[0155] Exemplary clause 33. A beverage preparation system comprising: a container compartment configured to receive a beverage packet containing a beverage ingredient; an outlet for dispensing a beverage flavored by the beverage packet; an interface configured to: receive a beverage selection from a user; and receive an identifier of the user; a processor operably coupled to the interface and configured to: associate the identifier of the user with a beverage preference of the user; and base the beverage dispensed by the outlet on the beverage preference of the user.

[0156] Exemplary clause 34. The beverage preparation system of exemplary clause 33, wherein the interface is a user interface including a selection button for receiving a beverage selection from a user.

[0157] Exemplary clause 35. The beverage preparation system of exemplary clause 34, wherein the identifier of the user is determined based on biometric information of the user received by the user interface.

[0158] Exemplary clause 36. The beverage preparation system of exemplary clause 35, wherein the biometric information comprises a fingerprint of the user, an image of the user, or an optical scan of the user.

[0159] Exemplary clause 37. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 33-36, wherein the identifier of the user is determined based on a signal received from an electronic device of the user.

[0160] Exemplary clause 38. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 33-37, wherein the processor is configured to determine a beverage recommendation based on the beverage preference, the beverage recommendation being different from the beverage preference.

[0161] Exemplary clause 39. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 33-38, wherein the interface is configured to display the beverage recommendation.

[0162] Exemplary clause 40. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 33-39, wherein the user's beverage preferences are based on at least one of time of day, time of year, the user's schedule, preferences of the user's coworkers, or trends in beverages.

[0163] Exemplary Clause 41. A beverage preparation machine comprising: a container compartment for receiving a beverage packet containing a beverage ingredient; an outlet for dispensing a beverage flavored by the beverage packet; a surface for receiving a vessel, the vessel being configured to receive the beverage; a processor configured to: determine an interior volume of the vessel; determine an amount of beverage that the vessel can hold based on the interior volume of the vessel; and cause the outlet to dispense an amount of beverage into the vessel that is less than the determined amount of beverage that the vessel can hold.

[0164] Exemplary clause 42. The beverage preparation machine according to exemplary clause 41, comprising at least one of an image capture device or a light emitting and receiving device providing information to the processor, based on which the processor determines the internal volume of the vessel.

[0165] Exemplary clause 43. The beverage preparation machine according to any one of exemplary clauses 41-42 further includes an interface configured to receive a user-preferred beverage amount; wherein the processor is configured to: determine whether the user-preferred beverage amount is less than or equal to the determined beverage amount that the vessel can hold; if the user-preferred beverage amount is less than or equal to the beverage amount that the vessel can hold, dispense the user-preferred beverage amount, otherwise dispense the beverage amount that the vessel can hold.

[0166] Exemplary clause 44. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 41-43, wherein the interface is a communication interface for receiving a user preferred beverage quantity via an electronic device.

[0167] Exemplary clause 45. The beverage preparation machine of exemplary clause 44, wherein the electronic device is at least one of a mobile phone, an Internet of Things device, or a server.

[0168] Exemplary clause 46. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 41-43, wherein the interface is a user interface for receiving a user's preferred beverage quantity via a button provided on the beverage preparation machine.

[0169] Exemplary clause 47. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 41-46, wherein the processor is configured to determine a length, a width and a height of an interior of the vessel, the processor determining an interior volume of the container based on the determined length, width and height of the interior of the vessel.

[0170] Exemplary clause 48. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 41-47, wherein the processor causes the outlet to automatically dispense the amount of beverage into the vessel, the amount of beverage being less than a determined amount of beverage that the vessel can hold when the vessel is received by the surface.

[0171] Exemplary clause 49. A beverage preparation system comprising: a container compartment for receiving a beverage packet containing a beverage ingredient; an outlet for dispensing a beverage flavored by the beverage packet; a surface for receiving a vessel, the vessel configured to receive the beverage; a processor configured to: determine an interior volume of the vessel; determine an amount of beverage that the vessel can hold based on the interior volume of the vessel; and cause the outlet to dispense an amount of beverage into the vessel that is less than the determined amount of beverage that the vessel can hold.

[0172] Exemplary clause 50. The beverage preparation system of exemplary clause 49, comprising at least one of an image capture device or a light emitting and receiving device providing information to the processor, the processor determining the internal volume of the vessel based on the information provided by the image capture device or the light emitting and receiving device.

[0173] Exemplary clause 51. The beverage preparation system according to any one of exemplary clauses 49-50 further includes an interface configured to receive a user-preferred beverage amount; wherein the processor is configured to: determine whether the user-preferred beverage amount is less than or equal to the determined beverage amount that the vessel can hold; if the user-preferred beverage amount is less than or equal to the beverage amount that the vessel can hold, dispense the user-preferred beverage amount, otherwise dispense the beverage amount that the vessel can hold.

[0174] Exemplary clause 52. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 49-51, wherein the interface is a communication interface for receiving a user preferred beverage quantity via an electronic device.

[0175] Exemplary clause 53. The beverage preparation system of exemplary clause 52, wherein the electronic device is at least one of a mobile phone, an Internet of Things device, or a server.

[0176] Exemplary clause 54. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 49-51, wherein the interface is a user interface for receiving a user's preferred beverage quantity via a button provided on the beverage preparation machine.

[0177] Exemplary clause 55. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 49-54, wherein the processor is configured to determine a length, a width, and a height of an interior of the vessel, the processor determining an interior volume of the vessel based on the determined length, width, and height of the interior of the vessel.

[0178] Exemplary clause 56. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 49-55, wherein the processor causes the outlet to automatically dispense into the vessel an amount of beverage that is less than a determined amount of beverage that the vessel is capable of containing when the surface receives the vessel.

[0179] Exemplary clause 57. A method of dispensing a beverage, comprising: receiving a beverage package containing a beverage ingredient; receiving a vessel configured to receive the beverage; determining, by a processor, an interior volume of the vessel; determining an amount of the beverage that the vessel can hold based on the interior volume of the vessel; and causing an outlet to dispense an amount of the beverage into the vessel that is less than the determined amount of the beverage that the vessel can hold, the beverage being flavored by the beverage package.

[0180] Exemplary clause 58. The method of exemplary clause 57, comprising: providing information via an image capture device or a light emitting and receiving device; and determining, by a processor, the internal volume of the vessel based on the information provided by the image capture device or the light emitting and receiving device.

[0181] Exemplary clause 59. The method according to any one of exemplary clauses 57-58, comprising: receiving a user's preferred amount of beverage; determining, via a processor, whether the user's preferred amount of beverage is less than or equal to a determined amount of beverage that the vessel can hold; if the user's preferred amount of beverage is less than or equal to the amount of beverage that the vessel can hold, dispensing the user's preferred amount of beverage, otherwise dispensing the amount of beverage that the vessel can hold.

[0182] Exemplary clause 60. The method of any of exemplary clauses 57-59, comprising receiving, via an electronic device, a user preferred beverage quantity.

[0183] Example clause 61. The method of example clause 60, wherein the electronic device is at least one of a mobile phone, an Internet of Things device, or a server.

[0184] Exemplary clause 62. The method of any of exemplary clauses 57-58, comprising receiving a user-preferred beverage quantity via a button provided on the beverage preparation machine.

[0185] Exemplary clause 63. The method of any of exemplary clauses 57-62, comprising: determining a length, a width, and a height of an interior of the vessel; and determining an interior volume of the vessel based on the determined length, width, and height of the interior of the vessel.

[0186] Exemplary clause 64. The method of any of exemplary clauses 57-58, comprising automatically dispensing into the vessel an amount of beverage that is less than a determined amount of beverage that the vessel is capable of containing when the vessel is received by the surface.

[0187] Exemplary clause 65. A beverage preparation machine comprising: a container compartment for receiving a beverage packet containing a beverage ingredient; an outlet for dispensing a beverage flavored by the beverage packet; a communication interface configured to receive wireless communications from an electronic device, the wireless communications including information related to the beverage preparation machine or a user of the beverage preparation machine; and a user interface configured to display information related to the beverage preparation machine or a user of the beverage preparation machine.

[0188] Exemplary clause 66. The beverage preparation machine of exemplary clause 65, wherein the user interface is configured to display beverage recommendations based on a temperature local to the beverage preparation machine, a day of the week, or a time of day.

[0189] Exemplary clause 67. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 65-66, wherein a user of the beverage preparation machine is identified by a unique identifier of a mobile device of the user of the beverage preparation machine, the mobile device being different from the electronic device.

[0190] Exemplary clause 68. A beverage preparation machine according to any of exemplary clauses 65-67, wherein the user interface is configured to display information related to the beverage preparation machine or a user of the beverage preparation machine based on preferences of a user of the beverage preparation machine.

[0191] Exemplary clause 69. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 65-68, wherein a user selects the type of information displayed by the user interface or the frequency of information displayed by the user interface.

[0192] Exemplary clause 70. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 65-69, wherein the electronic device is a server, a user device, or an Internet of Things device.

[0193] Exemplary clause 71. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 65-70, wherein the information related to the beverage preparation machine includes at least one of popular beverages dispensable by the beverage preparation machine or a history of beverages dispensed by the beverage preparation machine.

[0194] Exemplary clause 72. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 65-71, wherein the information related to the beverage preparation machine comprises temperature information local to the beverage preparation machine or movement information local to the beverage preparation machine.

[0195] Exemplary clause 73. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 65-72, wherein the wireless communications received from the communication interface include at least one of stock information or breaking news information.

[0196] Exemplary clause 74. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 65-73, wherein the communication interface is configured to send information related to the beverage preparation machine or a user of the beverage preparation machine to a mobile device of the user.

[0197] Exemplary clause 75. A beverage preparation system comprising: a container compartment for receiving a beverage packet containing a beverage ingredient; an outlet for dispensing a beverage flavored by the beverage packet; a communication interface configured to receive wireless communications from an electronic device, the wireless communications including information related to the beverage preparation machine or a user of the beverage preparation machine; and a user interface configured to display information related to the beverage preparation machine or a user of the beverage preparation machine.

[0198] Exemplary clause 76. The beverage preparation system of exemplary clause 75, wherein the user interface is configured to display beverage recommendations based on a local temperature of the beverage preparation machine, a day of the week, or a time of day.

[0199] Exemplary clause 77. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 75-76, wherein a user of the beverage preparation machine is identified by a unique identifier of a mobile device of the user of the beverage preparation machine, the mobile device being different from the electronic device.

[0200] Exemplary clause 78. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 75-77, wherein the user interface is configured to display information related to the beverage preparation machine or a user of the beverage preparation machine based on preferences of a user of the beverage preparation machine.

[0201] Exemplary clause 79. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 75-78, wherein a user selects the type of information displayed by the user interface or the frequency of information displayed by the user interface.

[0202] Exemplary clause 80. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 75-79, wherein the electronic device is a server, a user device, or an Internet of Things device.

[0203] Exemplary clause 81. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 75-80, wherein the information related to the beverage preparation machine includes at least one of popular beverages dispensable by the beverage preparation machine or a history of beverages dispensed by the beverage preparation machine.

[0204] Exemplary clause 82. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 75-81, wherein the information related to the beverage preparation machine comprises temperature information local to the beverage preparation machine or movement information local to the beverage preparation machine.

[0205] Exemplary clause 83. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 75-82, wherein the wireless communication received from the communication interface includes at least one of stock information or breaking news information.

[0206] Exemplary clause 84. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 75-83, wherein the communication interface is configured to send information related to the beverage preparation machine or a user of the beverage preparation machine to a mobile device of the user.

[0207] Exemplary clause 85. A method of providing information via a beverage preparation machine, comprising: receiving a beverage packet comprising a beverage ingredient; receiving wireless communications from an electronic device, the wireless communications comprising information related to the beverage preparation machine or a user of the beverage preparation machine; displaying the information related to the beverage preparation machine or a user of the beverage preparation machine via a display; and dispensing a beverage flavored by the beverage packet.

[0208] Exemplary clause 86. The method of exemplary clause 85, comprising displaying beverage recommendations based on a local temperature of the beverage preparation machine, a day of the week, or a time of day.

[0209] Exemplary clause 87. The method of any of exemplary clauses 85-86, wherein the user of the beverage preparation machine is identified by a unique identifier of a mobile device of the user of the beverage preparation machine, the mobile device being distinct from the electronic device.

[0210] Exemplary clause 88. The method of any of exemplary clauses 85-87, comprising displaying information related to the beverage preparation machine or a user of the beverage preparation machine based on preferences of a user of the beverage preparation machine.

[0211] Example clause 89. The method of any of example clauses 85-88, comprising selecting, via a user, a type of information displayed by the user interface or a frequency of information displayed by the user interface.

[0212] Example clause 90. The method of any one of example clauses 85-89, wherein the electronic device is a server, a user equipment, or an Internet of Things device.

[0213] Exemplary clause 91. The method of any of exemplary clauses 85-90, wherein the information related to the beverage preparation machine includes at least one of popular beverages that can be dispensed by the beverage preparation machine or a history of beverages dispensed by the beverage preparation machine.

[0214] Exemplary clause 92. The method of any of exemplary clauses 85-91, wherein the information related to the beverage preparation machine comprises temperature information local to the beverage preparation machine or movement information local to the beverage preparation machine.

[0215] Example clause 93. The method of any of example clauses 85-92, wherein the wireless communication received from the communication interface includes at least one of stock information or breaking news information.

[0216] Example clause 94. The method of any of example clauses 85-93, wherein the communication interface is configured to send information related to the beverage preparation machine or a user of the beverage preparation machine to a mobile device of the user.

[0217] Exemplary clause 95. A beverage preparation machine comprising: a container compartment for receiving a beverage packet containing a beverage ingredient; an outlet for dispensing a beverage flavored by the beverage packet; a communication interface for receiving wireless communications from an Internet of Things device; and a processor configured to cause the beverage preparation machine to perform an activity based on an indication within the wireless communications received from the Internet of Things device.

[0218] Exemplary clause 96. The beverage preparation machine of exemplary clause 95, wherein the processor is configured to cause the beverage preparation machine to perform an activity based on an indication within a wireless communication received from the Internet of Things device and a predefined time.

[0219] Exemplary clause 97. A beverage preparation machine according to exemplary clause 95, wherein the indication indicates that the IoT device is activated, and the processor is configured to: start the beverage preparation machine based on the indication indicating that the IoT device is activated; and shut down the beverage preparation machine based on the indication that the IoT device is turned off.

[0220] Exemplary clause 98. The beverage preparation machine of any one of exemplary clauses 95-97, wherein the Internet of Things device is a smart lighting device.

[0221] Exemplary clause 99. The beverage preparation machine of exemplary clause 95, wherein the activity performed by the beverage preparation machine is dispensing a beverage based on an indication indicating that an Internet of Things device is activated.

[0222] Exemplary clause 100. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 95-99, wherein the Internet of Things device is a sensor.

[0223] Exemplary clause 101. The beverage preparation machine of exemplary clause 95, wherein the activity performed by the beverage preparation machine is dispensing a beverage based on both an indication that an Internet of Things device is activated and a habit of a user.

[0224] Example clause 102. The beverage preparation machine of example clause 101, wherein the user's habit is to request a beverage from the beverage preparation machine after a predetermined time after the Internet of Things device is activated.

[0225] Example clause 103. The beverage preparation machine of any of example clauses 95-102, comprising a user interface, wherein the user interface is configured to display that the activity has been performed.

[0226] Example clause 104. The beverage preparation machine of any of example clauses 95-103, wherein the communication interface is configured to send a wireless communication to a mobile device of a user instructing the beverage preparation machine to perform the activity.

[0227] Exemplary clause 105. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 95-104, wherein the processor is configured to determine the activity based on an indication within a wireless communication received from the Internet of Things device and a machine learning algorithm.

[0228] Exemplary clause 106. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 95-105, wherein the processor is configured to cause the beverage preparation machine to perform the activity based on an energy saving plan.

[0229] Exemplary clause 107. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 95-106, wherein the processor is configured to cause the beverage preparation machine to perform the activity based on a beverage consumption history of a user.

[0230] Exemplary clause 108. A beverage preparation system comprising: a container compartment for receiving a beverage packet containing a beverage ingredient; an outlet for dispensing a beverage flavored by the beverage packet; a communication interface for receiving wireless communications from an Internet of Things device; and a processor configured to cause the beverage preparation machine to perform an activity based on an indication within the wireless communications received from the Internet of Things device.

[0231] Exemplary clause 109. The beverage preparation system of exemplary clause 108, wherein the processor is configured to cause the beverage preparation machine to perform an activity based on an indication within a wireless communication received from the Internet of Things device and a predefined time.

[0232] Exemplary clause 110. A beverage preparation system according to exemplary clause 108, wherein the indication indicates that the IoT device is activated, and the processor is configured to: start the beverage preparation machine based on the indication indicating that the IoT device is activated; and shut down the beverage preparation machine based on the indication that the IoT device is turned off.

[0233] Exemplary clause 111. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 108-110, wherein the Internet of Things device is a smart lighting device.

[0234] Exemplary clause 112. The beverage preparation system of exemplary clause 108, wherein the activity performed by the beverage preparation machine is dispensing a beverage based on an indication that an Internet of Things device is activated.

[0235] Exemplary clause 113. The beverage preparation system of exemplary clause 108, wherein the activity performed by the beverage preparation machine is dispensing a beverage based on both an indication that an Internet of Things device is activated and a habit of a user.

[0236] Example clause 114. The beverage preparation system of example clause 113, wherein the user's habit is to request a beverage from the beverage preparation machine after a predetermined time after the Internet of Things device is activated.

[0237] Exemplary clause 115. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 108-114, comprising a user interface, wherein the user interface is configured to display that the activity has been performed.

[0238] Exemplary clause 116. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 108-115, wherein the communication interface is configured to send a wireless communication to a mobile device of a user instructing the beverage preparation machine to perform the activity.

[0239] Exemplary clause 117. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 108-116, wherein the processor is configured to determine the activity based on an indication within a wireless communication received from an Internet of Things device and a machine learning algorithm.

[0240] Exemplary clause 118. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 108-117, wherein the processor is configured to cause the beverage preparation machine to perform the activity based on an energy saving plan.

[0241] Exemplary clause 119. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 108-118, wherein the processor is configured to cause the beverage preparation machine to perform the activity based on a beverage consumption history of a user.

[0242] Example clause 120. A method of causing a beverage preparation machine to perform an activity, comprising: receiving a beverage packet containing a beverage ingredient, wherein the beverage is flavored by the beverage packet; receiving a wireless communication from an Internet of Things device; and causing the beverage preparation machine to perform the activity based on an indication within the wireless communication received from the Internet of Things device.

[0243] Example clause 121. The method of example clause 120, comprising causing the beverage preparation machine to perform an activity based on an indication and a predefined time received within a wireless communication from an Internet of Things device.

[0244] Exemplary clause 122. The method of exemplary clause 120, wherein the indication indicates that the Internet of Things device is activated, the method comprising: starting the beverage preparation machine based on the indication indicating that the Internet of Things device is activated; and stopping the beverage preparation machine based on the indication of the wireless communication indicating that the Internet of Things device is deactivated.

[0245] Example clause 123. The method of any of example clauses 120-122, wherein the Internet of Things device is a smart lighting device.

[0246] Exemplary clause 124. The method of exemplary clause 120, wherein the activity performed by the beverage preparation machine is dispensing a beverage based on an indication that the Internet of Things device is activated.

[0247] Exemplary clause 125. The method of exemplary clause 120, wherein the activity performed by the beverage preparation machine is dispensing a beverage based on both an indication that the Internet of Things device is activated and a habit of a user.

[0248] Example clause 126. The method of example clause 125, wherein the user's habit is to request a beverage from the beverage preparation machine after a predetermined time after the Internet of Things device is activated.

[0249] Example clause 127. The method of any of example clauses 120-126, comprising displaying via a user interface that the activity has been performed.

[0250] Exemplary clause 128. The method of any of exemplary clauses 120-128, comprising sending a wireless communication to a mobile device of a user instructing the beverage preparation machine to perform the activity.

[0251] Example clause 129. The method of any of example clauses 120-128, comprising determining the activity based on an indication within a wireless communication received from an Internet of Things device and a machine learning algorithm.

[0252] Exemplary clause 130. The method of any of exemplary clauses 120-129, comprising causing the beverage preparation machine to perform the activity based on an energy saving plan.

[0253] Exemplary clause 131. The method of any of exemplary clauses 120-130, comprising causing the beverage preparation machine to perform the activity based on a beverage consumption history of a user.

[0254] Exemplary clause 132. A beverage preparation machine comprising: a container compartment configured to receive one or more beverage packets containing beverage ingredients; an outlet configured to dispense a beverage flavored by the one or more beverage packets; an interface configured to receive information related to the one or more beverage packets, wherein the information includes types and quantities of ingredients available to the beverage preparation machine for dispensing the beverage; and a processor configured to: use the types and quantities of ingredients available to the beverage preparation machine to identify a recipe for a beverage that can be produced by the beverage preparation machine; and cause the beverage preparation machine to produce a selected recipe.

[0255] Exemplary clause 133. The beverage preparation machine of exemplary clause 132, wherein the interface is a communication interface configured to receive a wireless signal comprising information related to a beverage packet comprising ingredients for preparing a beverage.

[0256] Exemplary clause 134. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 132-133, wherein the interface is at least one of a user interface where a user provides input via touch and a communication interface configured to receive wireless signals from an electronic device.

[0257] Exemplary clause 135. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 132-134, wherein the interface is a user interface configured to receive user input, the user input comprising information related to a beverage packet comprising ingredients for preparing a beverage.

[0258] Exemplary clause 136. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 132-135, wherein the processor is configured to categorize the identified recipes based on popularity of the recipes and user preferences for the recipes.

[0259] Exemplary clause 137. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 132-136, wherein the processor is configured to determine a rate at which the beverage preparation machine dispenses the ingredient and a time frame within which the ingredient is to be reordered.

[0260] Exemplary clause 138. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 132-137, wherein the processor is configured to identify recipes for beverages producible by the beverage preparation machine using a plurality of different types of beverage packets.

[0261] Exemplary clause 139. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 132-138, wherein the processor is configured to be based on weather local to the beverage preparation machine, time of year, or time of day.

[0262] Exemplary clause 140. A beverage preparation system comprising: a container compartment configured to receive one or more beverage packets containing beverage ingredients; an outlet configured to dispense a beverage flavored by the one or more beverage packets; an interface configured to receive information related to the one or more beverage packets, wherein the information includes types and quantities of ingredients available to a beverage preparation machine for dispensing the beverage; a processor configured to: use the types and quantities of ingredients available to the beverage preparation machine to identify a recipe for a beverage that can be produced by the beverage preparation machine; and cause the beverage preparation machine to produce a selected recipe.

[0263] Exemplary clause 141. The beverage preparation system of exemplary clause 140, wherein the interface is a communication interface configured to receive a wireless signal comprising information related to a beverage packet comprising ingredients for preparing a beverage.

[0264] Exemplary clause 142. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 140-141, wherein the interface is at least one of a user interface in which a user provides input via touch and a communication interface configured to receive wireless signals from an electronic device.

[0265] Exemplary clause 142. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 140-142, wherein the interface is a user interface configured to receive user input, the user input comprising information related to a beverage packet comprising ingredients for preparing a beverage.

[0266] Exemplary clause 143. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 140-143, wherein the processor is configured to categorize the identified recipes based on recipe popularity over user preferences of the recipes.

[0267] Exemplary clause 144. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 140-143, wherein the processor is configured to determine a rate at which the beverage preparation machine dispenses the ingredient and a time frame within which the ingredient is to be reordered.

[0268] Exemplary clause 145. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 140-144, wherein the processor is configured to identify recipes for beverages producible by the beverage preparation machine using a plurality of different types of beverage packets.

[0269] Exemplary clause 146. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 140-145, wherein the processor is configured to identify a beverage recipe that can be produced by the color preparation machine based on at least one of weather local to the beverage preparation machine, time of year, or time of day.

[0270] Exemplary clause 147. A method for producing a recipe with a beverage preparation machine, comprising: receiving information related to one or more beverage packages, the beverage packages including ingredients for preparing a beverage, wherein the information includes types and quantities of the ingredients available to the beverage preparation machine for dispensing the beverage; identifying, by a processor, a recipe for a beverage that can be produced by the beverage preparation machine using the types and quantities of the ingredients available to the beverage preparation machine; and causing the beverage preparation machine to produce a selected one of the identified recipes.

[0271] Exemplary clause 148. The method of exemplary clause 147, wherein the wireless signal comprising information related to the one or more beverage packets is received via a communication interface of the beverage preparation machine.

[0272] Exemplary clause 149. The method of exemplary clause 147, wherein the wireless signal including information related to the one or more beverage packets is received via a user interface, wherein the user provides input via touch or a communication interface configured to receive the wireless signal from an electronic device.

[0273] Example clause 150. The method of example clause 147, wherein the wireless signal including information related to the one or more beverage packets is received via a user interface configured to receive user input.

[0274] Example clause 151. The method of any of example clauses 147-150, comprising ranking the identified recipes based on popularity of the recipes on user preferences of the recipes.

[0275] Exemplary clause 152. The method of any of exemplary clauses 147-151, comprising determining a rate at which the beverage preparation machine dispenses the ingredient and a time frame within which the ingredient will be reordered.

[0276] Exemplary clause 153. The method of any of exemplary clauses 147-150, comprising identifying a recipe for a beverage produced by the beverage preparation machine using a plurality of different types of beverage packets.

[0277] Exemplary clause 154. The method of any of exemplary clauses 147-150, comprising identifying a recipe for a beverage producible by the beverage preparation machine based on at least one of weather local to the beverage preparation machine, time of year, or time of day.

[0278] Exemplary Clause 155. A beverage preparation machine for dispensing beverages, comprising: a container compartment for receiving one or more beverage packets containing beverage ingredients; an outlet configured to dispense a beverage flavored by the one or more beverage packets; a communication interface configured to receive information related to one or more users of the beverage preparation machine or one or more products related to the beverage preparation machine; a processor configured to: identify users of the beverage preparation machine and associate information with the users of the beverage preparation machine; and rank the information associated with the users of the beverage preparation machine according to one or more rules; and a user interface configured to provide ranking information associated with the users of the beverage preparation machine via at least one of a display or a speaker.

[0279] Exemplary clause 156. The beverage preparation machine of exemplary clause 155, wherein the information received by the communication interface is based on preferences of a user of the beverage preparation machine.

[0280] Exemplary clause 157. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 155-156, wherein the user interface is configured to receive input from a user of the beverage preparation machine, the input comprising feedback information related to use of the beverage preparation machine.

[0281] Exemplary clause 158. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 155-157, wherein the rule relates to a time of day and a beverage to be dispensed.

[0282] Example clause 159. A beverage preparation machine according to any of example clauses 155-158, wherein the information related to one or more products associated with the beverage preparation machine includes a product release related to another beverage preparation machine, operating instructions for the beverage preparation machine, or a favorite recipe that can be used with the beverage preparation machine.

[0283] Example clause 160. A beverage preparation machine according to any one of example clauses 155-159, wherein the user interface is configured to: receive instructions including an amount of information to be provided by the user interface and a type of content to be provided; and provide the amount of content and the type of content to the display or speaker based on the received instructions.

[0284] Exemplary Clause 161. A beverage preparation system for dispensing a beverage, comprising: a container compartment for receiving one or more beverage packets containing a beverage ingredient; an outlet configured to dispense a beverage flavored by the one or more beverage packets; a communication interface configured to receive information related to one or more users of the beverage preparation machine or one or more products related to the beverage preparation machine; a processor configured to: identify a user of the beverage preparation machine and associate the information with the user of the beverage preparation machine; and rank the information associated with the user of the beverage preparation machine according to one or more rules; and a user interface configured to provide the ranking information associated with the user of the beverage preparation machine through at least one of a display or a speaker.

[0285] Exemplary clause 162. The beverage preparation system of exemplary clause 161, wherein the information received by the communication interface is based on preferences of a user of the beverage preparation machine.

[0286] Exemplary clause 163. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 161-162, wherein the user interface is configured to receive input from a user of the beverage preparation machine, the input comprising feedback information related to use of the beverage preparation machine.

[0287] Exemplary clause 164. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 161-163, wherein the rule relates to a time of day and a beverage to be dispensed.

[0288] Example clause 165. A beverage preparation system according to any of example clauses 161-164, wherein the information related to one or more products associated with the beverage preparation machine includes a product release related to another beverage preparation machine, operating instructions for the beverage preparation machine, or a favorite recipe that can be used with the beverage preparation machine.

[0289] Example clause 166. A beverage preparation system according to any of example clauses 161-165, wherein the user interface is configured to: receive instructions including an amount of information to be provided by the user interface and a type of content to be provided; and provide the amount of content and the type of content to the display or speaker based on the received instructions.

[0290] Exemplary clause 167. A method of providing information through a beverage preparation machine, comprising: dispensing a beverage flavored by one or more beverage packets through an outlet; receiving information related to one or more users of the beverage preparation machine or one or more products related to the beverage preparation machine; identifying, via a processor, a user of the beverage preparation machine and associating the information with the user of the beverage preparation machine; ranking the information associated with the user of the beverage preparation machine according to one or more rules; and providing the ranking information associated with the user of the beverage preparation machine through at least one of a display or a speaker.

[0291] Exemplary clause 168. The method of exemplary clause 167, wherein the information received by the communication interface is based on preferences of a user of the beverage preparation machine.

[0292] Exemplary clause 169. The method of any of exemplary clauses 167-168, comprising receiving input from a user of the beverage preparation machine, the input comprising feedback information related to use of the beverage preparation machine.

[0293] Exemplary clause 170. The method of any of exemplary clauses 167-169, wherein the rule relates to a time of day and a beverage to be dispensed.

[0294] Example clause 171. A method according to any of example clauses 167-170, wherein the information related to one or more of the products associated with the beverage preparation machine includes information related to a product launch of another beverage preparation machine, operating instructions for the beverage preparation machine, or a favorite recipe for the beverage preparation machine.

[0295] Example clause 172. The method of any of example clauses 167-171, comprising: receiving an instruction including an amount of information to be provided by the user interface and a type of content to be provided; and providing the amount of content and the type of content to a display or a speaker in accordance with the received instruction.

[0296] Exemplary Clause 173. A beverage preparation machine for dispensing beverages, comprising: a processor configured to identify one or more faults occurring with the beverage preparation machine, wherein the one or more faults include a need for immediate or future repair of the beverage preparation machine; and a memory storing the one or more faults; a communication interface configured to: send a message to an electronic device indicating that the one or more faults occurred with the beverage preparation machine; receive an indication that the electronic device has received the message indicating that the one or more faults occurred and has been viewed by a user of the electronic device; and a user interface configured to provide an indication via at least one of a display or a speaker that the message indicating that the one or more faults occurred has been received by the electronic device and viewed by a user of the electronic device.

[0297] Exemplary clause 174. The beverage preparation machine of exemplary clause 173, wherein the memory is configured to store a maintenance history of the beverage preparation machine, and the processor is configured to determine the next maintenance based on the stored maintenance history.

[0298] Exemplary clause 175. The beverage preparation machine of exemplary clause 174, wherein one or more faults and the next maintenance are identified by a unique code.

[0299] Exemplary clause 176. A beverage preparation machine according to any of exemplary clauses 173-175, wherein: the processor is configured to determine a solution for repairing the one or more faults based on aspects of the one or more faults; and wherein the user interface is configured to provide the solution for repairing the one or more faults through at least one of the display or the speaker.

[0300] Exemplary clause 177. A beverage preparation machine according to any of exemplary clauses 173-176, wherein the processor is configured to: determine whether the one or more faults are repairable by a technician or a user of the beverage preparation machine based on aspects of the one or more faults; and wherein the user interface is configured to provide a solution for repairing the one or more faults to the technician or user via at least one of the display or the speaker based on the determination of the processor.

[0301] Exemplary clause 178. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 173-177, wherein the communication interface sends one or more faults occurring in the beverage preparation machine to a server for storage.

[0302] Exemplary clause 179. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 173-178, wherein the communication interface receives a suggested correction for one or more faults occurring with the beverage preparation machine.

[0303] Example clause 180. The beverage preparation machine of any of example clause 179, wherein the processor is configured to automatically perform steps to correct one or more faults occurring with the beverage preparation machine based on received suggested corrections to the one or more faults.

[0304] Exemplary clause 181. The beverage preparation machine of any of exemplary clauses 179-180, wherein the user interface provides steps via the display or speaker to correct one or more faults occurring with the beverage preparation machine based on the received suggested corrections to the one or more faults.

[0305] Exemplary clause 182. A beverage preparation machine according to any of exemplary clauses 179-180, wherein the communication interface provides steps to correct one or more faults occurring with the beverage preparation machine to an electronic device based on the received suggestion of the one or more faults, the electronic device being a mobile device of a user.

[0306] Exemplary Clause 183. A beverage preparation system for dispensing beverages, comprising: a processor configured to identify one or more faults occurring with a beverage preparation machine, wherein the one or more faults include a need for immediate or future repair of the beverage preparation machine; and a memory storing the one or more faults; a communication interface configured to: send a message to an electronic device indicating that the one or more faults occurred with the beverage preparation machine; receive an indication that the message indicating the occurrence of the one or more faults has been received by the electronic device and viewed by a user of the electronic device; and a user interface configured to provide, via at least one of a display or a speaker, an indication that the message indicating the occurrence of the one or more faults has been received by the electronic device and viewed by a user of the electronic device.

[0307] Exemplary clause 184. The beverage preparation system of exemplary clause 183, wherein the memory is configured to store a maintenance history of the beverage preparation machine, and the processor is configured to determine a next maintenance based on the stored maintenance history.

[0308] Exemplary clause 185. The beverage preparation system of exemplary clause 184, wherein the one or more faults and the next maintenance are identified by a unique code.

[0309] Exemplary clause 186. A beverage preparation system according to any of exemplary clauses 183-185, wherein: the processor is configured to determine a solution for repairing the one or more faults based on aspects of the one or more faults; and wherein the user interface is configured to provide the solution for repairing the one or more faults through at least one of a display or a speaker.

[0310] Exemplary clause 187. A beverage preparation system according to any of exemplary clauses 183-186, wherein the processor is configured to: determine whether the one or more faults are repairable by a technician or a user of the beverage preparation machine based on aspects of the one or more faults; and wherein the user interface is configured to provide a solution for repairing the one or more faults to the technician or user via at least one of a display or a speaker based on the determination of the processor.

[0311] Exemplary clause 188. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 183-187, wherein the communication interface sends one or more faults occurring in the beverage preparation machine to a server for storage.

[0312] Exemplary clause 189. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 183-188, wherein the communication interface receives a suggested correction for one or more faults occurring with the beverage preparation machine.

[0313] Exemplary clause 190. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clause 189, wherein the processor is configured to automatically perform steps to correct one or more faults occurring with the beverage preparation machine based on the received suggested corrections to the one or more faults.

[0314] Exemplary clause 191. The beverage preparation system of any of exemplary clauses 189-190, wherein the user interface provides via a display or speaker steps to correct one or more faults occurring with the beverage preparation machine based on received suggested corrections to the one or more faults.

[0315] Exemplary clause 192. A beverage preparation system according to any of exemplary clauses 189-191, wherein the communication interface provides steps for correcting one or more faults occurring with the beverage preparation machine to an electronic device based on the received suggested corrections to the one or more faults, the electronic device being a mobile device of a user.

[0316] Exemplary Clause 193. A method of handling a beverage preparation machine fault, comprising: dispensing a beverage flavored by one or more beverage packets through an outlet; identifying, by a processor, one or more faults, wherein the one or more faults include a need for immediate or future repair of the beverage preparation machine; storing the one or more faults that occurred with the beverage preparation machine; sending a message to an electronic device indicating that the one or more faults occurred with the beverage preparation machine; receiving an indication that the message that the one or more faults occurred has been received by the electronic device and reviewed by a user of the electronic device; and providing, by at least one of a display or a speaker, an indication that the message that the one or more faults occurred has been received by the electronic device and reviewed by a user of the electronic device.

[0317] Exemplary clause 194. The method of exemplary clause 193, comprising storing a maintenance history of the beverage preparation machine and determining a next maintenance based on the stored maintenance history.

[0318] Example clause 195. The method of any of example clauses 193-194, wherein the one or more faults and the next maintenance are identified by a unique code.

[0319] Example clause 196. The method of any of example clauses 193-195, comprising: determining a solution for fixing the one or more faults based on aspects of the one or more faults; and providing the solution for fixing the one or more faults through at least one of a display or a speaker.

[0320] Exemplary clause 197. The method according to any one of exemplary clauses 193-196 includes: determining whether the one or more faults are repairable by a technician or user of the beverage preparation machine based on aspects of the one or more faults; and based on the judgment of the processor, providing a solution to repair the one or more faults to the technician or user through at least one of a display or a speaker.

[0321] Exemplary clause 198. The method of any of exemplary clauses 193-198, comprising sending one or more faults occurring with the beverage preparation machine to a server for storage.

[0322] Exemplary clause 199. The method of any of exemplary clauses 193-198, comprising receiving a suggested correction for one or more faults occurring with the beverage preparation machine.

[0323] Example clause 200. The method of example clause 199, comprising automatically performing steps to correct one or more faults occurring with the beverage preparation machine based on received suggested corrections to the one or more faults.

[0324] Example clause 201. The method of example clause 199, comprising the step of providing, via a display or a speaker, a correction for one or more faults occurring with the beverage preparation machine based on the received suggested corrections for the one or more faults.

[0325] Example clause 202. The method of example clause 199, comprising the step of providing to the electronic device a correction of the one or more faults occurring with the beverage preparation machine based on the received suggested corrections to the one or more faults, the electronic device being a mobile device of a user.

Claims

1. A beverage preparation machine, comprising: a container compartment for receiving a beverage packet containing a beverage ingredient; an outlet for dispensing a beverage flavored by the beverage packet; a communication interface configured to receive a wireless signal from an electronic device, the wireless signal including an identifier of the electronic device; and a processor operably coupled to the communication interface and configured to: receiving an identifier of the electronic device; associating an identifier of the electronic device with a user and the user's beverage preferences; and The beverage dispensed by the outlet is caused to be based on a beverage preference of the user.

2. The beverage preparation machine according to claim 1, wherein the communication interface is configured to automatically receive the wireless signal from the electronic device upon determining that the electronic device is close to the beverage preparation machine.

3. The beverage preparation machine of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal of the electronic device is a Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy Bluetooth signal.

4. The beverage preparation machine according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is configured as follows: determining a beverage recommendation based on the beverage preference of the user, the beverage recommendation being different from the beverage preference; and The communication interface is caused to send a display signal to the electronic device, the display signal causing the electronic device to display the beverage recommendation.

5. The beverage preparation machine of claim 1, wherein the user's beverage preferences are based on at least one of time of day, time of year, the user's schedule, preferences of the user's coworkers, or trends in beverages.

6. The beverage preparation machine of claim 1, wherein the user's beverage preferences are based on a history of beverages dispensed for the user or a profile created by the user.

7. The beverage preparation machine of claim 1, comprising a user interface configured to receive biometric information associated with the user, wherein the processor is configured to associate the biometric information associated with the user with the user's beverage preferences.

8. The beverage preparation machine of claim 7, wherein the biometric information comprises a fingerprint of the user, an image of the user, or a voice of the user.

9. The beverage preparation machine of claim 1, further comprising: A container compartment is provided for receiving a beverage packet comprising one or more beverage ingredients.

10. The beverage preparation machine of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is further configured to: A beverage selection is received from a user.

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