Beverage or food preparation system

Abstract

A container for containing precursor material and for use with a machine for preparing beverages and / or food products or precursors thereof, the container comprising a machine-readable code storing preparation information for use with a preparation process performed by the machine, the code comprising: a reference portion (R) to locate the code, and; a data portion (D) to store the preparation information, where the reference portion comprises reference units arranged to uniquely define a linear virtual reference line (r), where the data portion comprises data units, the data unit at least partially encodes a value of a parameter of the preparation information as a geometric distance (d) of the data unit from a starting position along each of a plurality of virtual coding lines (E), where the plurality of coding lines are circular and arranged to intersect the reference line (r). And the innermost encoding line has a smaller radius than the outermost encoding line, in which: 1) the outermost encoding line encodes two or more values of the same parameter, the two or more values being sequentially encoded according to the order of use of the parameter, encoding each of the values with a single data unit that can be arranged at any consecutive position from the starting position; 2) the innermost encoding line encodes a value of a parameter, the value of the parameter being encoded as an average distance between the two data units and the starting position; 3) the innermost encoding line encodes binary information of the preparation information, the binary information being encoded as the absence or presence of a unit at a predetermined position relative to one of the units encoding the parameter on the innermost encoding line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to an electrically operated beverage or food preparation system by which a beverage or food is prepared from pre-portioned capsules. Background Art

[0002] A system for preparing a beverage comprises a beverage preparation machine and a capsule. The capsule comprises a single serving of a beverage forming precursor material, such as ground coffee or tea. The beverage preparation machine is arranged to perform a beverage preparation process on the capsule, typically by exposing pressurized, heated water to the precursor material. Processing the capsule in this manner causes the precursor material to be at least partially extracted from the capsule as a beverage.

[0003] This configuration of beverage preparation machines is increasingly popular due to: 1) enhanced user convenience compared to conventional beverage preparation machines (e.g., compared to manually operated stovetop espresso machines), and 2) enhanced beverage preparation processes, wherein: preparation information encoded by a code on a capsule is read by the machine to define a recipe; and the recipe is used by the machine to optimize the preparation process in a capsule-specific manner. Specifically, the encoded preparation information may include operating parameters selected in the beverage preparation process, including: fluid temperature; fluid pressure; preparation duration; and fluid volume.

[0004] WO2016173735 A1 discloses a code arranged on a capsule. The code comprises a circular coding line on which data is encoded as data units arranged at a coding distance from a starting position on the coding line.

[0005] WO2017144581 A1 also discloses a code arranged on a capsule. The data portion may include one or more data units, thereby encoding one or more parameters. Specifically, Figure 8 As shown in E, the second reference position has three data units, each of which encodes specific parameters such as time, temperature, torque, etc. into corresponding small, medium, and large data units in a specific position, where these parameters represent triggers so that when the conditions set by one of them are met, the stage encoded by the code is completed.

[0006] As beverage preparation processes increase in complexity, it is a challenge to encode a range of different data types of preparation information on a code in an accurate and computationally efficient manner.

[0007] Thus, despite the effort that has been put into developing the described systems, further improvements are needed. Summary of the invention

[0008] The present disclosure provides a container for containing a precursor material, the container is used with a machine for preparing a beverage or a food or a precursor thereof, the container includes a machine-readable code storing preparation information for use with a preparation process performed by the machine, wherein the machine is controlled based on the preparation information to prepare the beverage and / or the food or a precursor thereof. As used herein, reference to a "code" may include one or more repetitions of the code.

[0009] In an embodiment, the container includes a main body portion having a storage portion for accommodating a precursor material and a closure member for closing the storage portion (e.g., for a container arranged as a capsule). In an embodiment, the code is arranged on the closure member. In an embodiment, the storage portion includes a cavity extending from the closure member in the depth direction. The container may have a maximum depth less than its diameter, which can be measured at the opening of the storage portion. In an embodiment, the main body portion includes a flange portion connecting the storage portion and the closure member. In an embodiment, the cavity of the storage portion extends from the flange portion in the depth direction. The flange portion may present a peripheral edge of a substantially planar surface for receiving the closure member. In an embodiment, the flange portion is planar. As used herein, the term "planar" with respect to the flange portion may refer to the flange portion being arranged to extend completely in the transverse direction and the longitudinal direction, or extending substantially in the directions (e.g., having a main component in these directions opposite to the depth direction). In an embodiment, the main body portion is formed by walls joined and / or folded at the seam (e.g., for a container arranged as a pouch).

[0010] In an embodiment, the code includes: a reference portion (R) for locating the code, and; a data portion (D) for storing preparation information, wherein the reference portion includes reference cells arranged to uniquely define a linear virtual reference line (r), wherein the data portion includes data cells that at least partially encode the value of a parameter of the preparation information as a geometric distance (d) of the data cell from a starting position along each of a plurality of virtual coding lines (E), wherein the plurality of coding lines are circular and arranged to intersect the reference line (r), and the innermost coding line has a smaller radius than the outermost coding line. In an embodiment, the outermost coding line encodes two or more values ​​of the same parameter, each of the values ​​being encoded using a single data unit that can be arranged at any consecutive position from a starting position; the innermost coding line encodes the value of the parameter, the value of the parameter being encoded as the average distance of the two data units from the starting position, and; the innermost coding line encodes binary information of the preparation information, the binary information being encoded as the absence or presence of a unit at a predetermined position relative to one of the units encoding the parameter on the innermost coding line.

[0011] By encoding the same parameter on the outermost coding lines with data units that can assume any consecutive positions from a starting position (e.g., until an end position), the greater circumferential distance of the outermost coding lines enables the accuracy of the coded distance to be improved, thus avoiding the need to encode the value of the parameter with more than one data unit, which may otherwise be more computationally intensive to process. In addition, by encoding different values ​​of the same parameter on the outermost coding lines, the same accuracy is obtained in both values, for example, compared to if one value is on coding lines with different radii.

[0012] By encoding the parameters on the innermost coding line using two data units, the reduced circumferential distance of the innermost coding line causing the reduced accuracy of the coding distance is compensated by encoding a single value using two units to improve the coding accuracy. In addition, by encoding the binary information on the innermost coding line at a predetermined position, the reduced accuracy of the innermost coding line is minimized in the binary information.

[0013] In an embodiment, the two data units encoding the parameters of the innermost encoding line can be arranged at any consecutive position from a starting position (e.g., until an ending position), or the two data units can each be arranged at one of a predetermined number of positions relative to the starting position, where each position specifies a different value of the parameter.

[0014] In an embodiment, the outermost coded lines encode only the values ​​of parameters of the prepared information encoded with data units at any consecutive distance from the starting position (eg, there is no binary information or encoding of units at predetermined positions on the outermost coded lines).

[0015] In an embodiment, two or more values ​​of the same parameter of the outermost encoding line E1 are encoded sequentially according to the order in which the parameters are used.

[0016] As used herein, the term "use order" may refer to the order in which a processing unit uses the values ​​of a parameter when performing a preparation process. It may be desirable to arrange these values ​​around the encoding line according to the use order because these values ​​can be implemented immediately when they are decoded, rather than waiting for all parameters to be decoded.

[0017] In an embodiment, each of the two or more values ​​of the same parameter encoded on the outermost encoding lines is a duration of time for operating one or more components of a processing unit of the machine. In an embodiment, a starting position associated with a value comprises a data unit, and a distance (d2) between the starting position and the data unit encoding the adjacent value encodes a duration between operations in which the component is not operated.

[0018] By implementing data cells arranged at any continuous distance from a starting position to encode the time when a component is powered on, and also utilizing any continuous distance between the starting position and data cells of adjacent values ​​that encode the time when the component is not powered on, a wide range of complex / shutdown operations can be encoded and accurately controlled.

[0019] In an embodiment, the component is one or more of: a mixer of a mixing unit of a processing unit; a heat exchanger of a fluid conditioning system of a processing unit; a pump of a fluid conditioning system; a flow path control system of a fluid conditioning system.

[0020] As used herein, the term "operate" with respect to a component of a processing unit may refer to one or more of the following: energizing the component; operating in a manner to perform an aspect of a preparation process, such as energizing a heat exchanger to heat a fluid or energizing a pump to pump a fluid or operating a mixer to mix a fluid; opening and closing valves of a flow path control system.

[0021] In an embodiment, an intermediate coding line adjacent to the outermost coding line (e.g., it is directly adjacent with no other coding lines in between) encodes the value of another parameter encoded using a single data unit that: can be arranged at one of a predetermined number of positions (e.g., 6 to 12) arranged relative to a starting position, where each position specifies a different value of the parameter, or; can be arranged at any consecutive position starting from the starting position.

[0022] By encoding parameters whose values ​​assume discrete values ​​rather than continuous values ​​on non-external code lines, the inaccuracy of the reduced radius of these code lines can have a reduced effect on these values. In addition, by arranging this code line to be closest to the outermost code line, a single data unit can be used to encode the value, which is less computationally intensive than using two data units and frees up more space for encoding other data.

[0023] In an embodiment, predetermined positions encoding additional parameters of intermediate coding lines adjacent to the outermost coding lines are arranged sequentially, wherein each predetermined position specifies an increasing order of magnitude of the parameter. By implementing the predetermined positions in numerical order of parameter value magnitudes, read errors in which parameter values ​​are incorrectly read as values ​​of adjacent predetermined positions can have a minimized impact on the manufacturing process compared to any arrangement.

[0024] In an embodiment, the additional parameters encoded by the middle encoding lines adjacent to the outermost encoding lines encode the setting of the component when it is operated (e.g., the setting defined by the additional parameters is the same for each of the previously described operations). The setting can be, for example, an operating quantity value (e.g., the temperature of a heat exchanger or a constant flow rate value of a pump or a flow control value associated with a fluid conditioning system) and / or an operating frequency (e.g., a pulse frequency of a heat exchanger or pump).

[0025] In an embodiment, an intermediate coding line adjacent to the outermost coding line encodes two or more values ​​of the same parameter, each of which is encoded using a single data unit that can be arranged at one of a predetermined number of positions arranged relative to the starting position, wherein each position specifies a different value of the parameter, or can be arranged at any consecutive position from the starting position. By encoding different values ​​of the same parameter on the intermediate coding line, the same accuracy is obtained in the two values, for example, compared to if one value is on coding lines with different radii.

[0026] In an embodiment, two or more values ​​of the same parameter are arranged in an order corresponding to the order of use of the two or more values ​​of the parameter on the outermost encoding line. In an embodiment, the two or more values ​​encode the settings of the component when operated (e.g., the settings defined by the additional parameters are different for each of the previously described operations). In an embodiment, the two or more values ​​of the same parameter of the middle encoding line encode the flow rate of a pump of a fluid conditioning system of a processing unit or the temperature of a heat exchanger of a fluid conditioning system.

[0027] In an embodiment, an intermediate coding line adjacent to the innermost coding line (e.g., it is directly adjacent with no other coding lines in between) encodes a value of a parameter encoded as an average distance of two data units from a starting position on the intermediate coding line. In an embodiment, an intermediate coding line adjacent to the innermost coding line encodes binary information encoded as the absence or presence of a unit at a predetermined position relative to one of the units encoding the parameter on the intermediate coding line. In an embodiment, the binary information includes identifiers distributed on the innermost coding line and the intermediate coding line.

[0028] By encoding the parameters on the intermediate coding line that is closest to the innermost coding line using two data units, the reduced circumferential distance of the intermediate coding line that is closest to the innermost coding line, which causes the accuracy of the coding distance to be reduced, is compensated by encoding a single coding distance using two units to improve the coding accuracy. In addition, by encoding the binary information on the innermost coding line at predetermined positions, the reduced accuracy of the intermediate innermost coding line is minimized in the binary information. By distributing the binary information on the two innermost coding lines, the amount of binary information encoded can be increased without reducing the accuracy (which would occur if there were too many predetermined positions on a single coding line).

[0029] In an embodiment, two data units of an intermediate coding line adjacent to an innermost coding line can be arranged at any consecutive position from a starting position (e.g., until a maximum value at an ending position), or the two data units can each be arranged at one of a predetermined number of positions relative to the starting position, where each position specifies a different value of a parameter.

[0030] In an embodiment, the parameters encoded by the two data units of the innermost coding line and / or the middle coding line closest to the innermost coding line can be: parameters associated with the closing force of the extraction unit (e.g., the force between the capsule holding part and the closing part); the displacement position of the extraction unit (e.g., the displacement of the capsule holding part and / or the closing part); the fluid volume or fluid flow rate applied by the pump of the fluid conditioning system of the processing unit; the temperature of the heat exchanger of the fluid conditioning system, etc.

[0031] In an embodiment, binary information is additionally encoded as the absence or presence of a cell at a vertex defining a square, wherein the vertex is outside the outermost encoded line, and the binary information comprises an identifier.

[0032] By placing the binary information at the outer corners of the code, the formation of the code can be generally square, which allows for a large organized formation of individual codes in columns and rows with minimal wasted space in between, thereby providing a high information encoding density.

[0033] The present disclosure provides a substrate for attachment to a container for containing a precursor material or to a machine, the container being used with a machine for preparing beverages and / or foods or precursors thereof, the substrate comprising a code comprising any of the features of the code of the preceding embodiment or another embodiment disclosed herein.

[0034] As used herein, the term "substrate" may refer to any suitable carrier of a code that can be used to connect a code to a container, examples of which include: stickers; cardboard members to receive adhesive tape, and; other suitable arrangements. In an embodiment, the substrate is for attachment to a machine for preparing beverages and / or food, or for implementation as a handheld component.

[0035] The present disclosure provides a code for: a container for containing a precursor material, the container for use with a machine for preparing a beverage and / or a food or a precursor thereof; or a machine for preparing a beverage and / or a food or a precursor thereof. The code may include any features of the code of the foregoing embodiment or another embodiment disclosed herein. The code may be arranged on a substrate for attachment to: the container, or; the machine, or; or other components, such as a handheld component comprising a code reader arranged for presentation to the machine by a user.

[0036] The present disclosure provides a machine for preparing a beverage and / or a food product or a precursor thereof from a container of any preceding embodiment or another embodiment disclosed herein.

[0037] In an embodiment, the machine includes: a code reading system for reading a code of a container; a processing unit for processing a precursor material of the container; and an electrical circuit system for controlling the processing unit based on the preparation information read from the code. The code reading system may include an image capture unit (e.g., a camera).

[0038] As used herein, the term "based on" with respect to preparation information can refer to a direct relationship (e.g., the value of a parameter of a recipe is encoded directly on the code as a coded distance, which can be converted to a value using a rule) or via a stored relationship using a rule to look up one or more of the values ​​using the preparation information as an identifier.

[0039] In an embodiment, the processing unit comprises a container processing unit and a fluid conditioning system, and the electrical circuit system is arranged to control the container processing unit and the fluid conditioning system based on the preparation information read from the code. In an embodiment, the processing unit is arranged as a bulk material processing unit, and the electrical circuit system is arranged to control the bulk material processing unit to process the bulk precursor material dispensed from the container or arranged in the container based on the preparation information read from the code.

[0040] In an embodiment, the electrical circuitry of a machine implements a method of reading preparation information from a code as disclosed herein.

[0041] In an embodiment, the electrical circuit system is implemented as one or more processors configured to implement the disclosed steps performed by the code reading system and / or the steps performed by the processing unit for processing the precursor material of the container. The processor can execute program code stored on an electronic memory and / or can execute programmable logic, such as a logic array, a gate array, a structured array, etc.

[0042] The present disclosure provides a system comprising a container according to any preceding embodiment or another embodiment disclosed herein and a machine for preparing a beverage and / or a food product or a precursor thereof according to any preceding embodiment or another embodiment disclosed herein.

[0043] The present disclosure provides use of a container of any preceding embodiment or another embodiment disclosed herein for a machine for preparing a beverage and / or a food product or a precursor thereof according to any preceding embodiment or another embodiment disclosed herein.

[0044] The present disclosure provides a method for encoding preparation information using a code, which can be arranged on a container. The method can implement the features of any of the foregoing embodiments or another embodiment disclosed herein.

[0045] In an embodiment, the method includes arranging reference cells of the code to define a reference portion (R) to position the code, wherein the reference portion is arranged to define a linear virtual reference line (r); on the outermost circular coding line (E) of the data portion (D), encoding two or more values ​​of the same parameter of the preparation information, encoding the values ​​sequentially according to the order of use of the parameters, and the values ​​are encoded as a single data unit, which can be arranged as a geometric distance (d) along the coding line at any continuous position starting from the starting position on the coding line; on the innermost circular coding line (E) of the data portion (D), encoding the value of the parameter of the preparation information, the value is encoded as the average distance of two data units, both of which are arranged as the geometric distance (d) along the coding line starting from the starting position on the coding line; on the inner circular coding line (E), encoding binary information of the preparation information, the binary information is encoded as the absence or presence of a unit at a predetermined position on the coding line relative to one of the units encoding the parameter on the innermost coding line.

[0046] In an embodiment, the method comprises encoding further parameters on intermediate encoding lines, the further parameters encoding settings of components of the processing unit when operated, wherein the values ​​of the outermost encoding lines encode the time at which said components are operated.

[0047] In an embodiment, the method includes encoding the identifier as binary information on more than one encoding line.

[0048] The present disclosure provides a method for reading preparation information from a code for use in a preparation process, wherein a machine is controlled based on the preparation information to prepare a beverage and / or food or a precursor thereof. The method may implement the features of any of the foregoing embodiments or another embodiment disclosed herein.

[0049] In an embodiment, the method includes: locating a reference portion (R) of the code; locating a data portion (D) of the code using a linear line defined by the reference portion (R); reading two or more encoded values ​​of the same parameter of the preparation information from the outermost circular encoding line (E) of the data portion (D), encoding the values ​​sequentially according to the order in which the parameters are used, the values ​​being encoded as a single data unit that can be arranged at any continuous position from a starting position on the encoding line as a geometric distance (d) along the encoding line; reading the encoded value of the parameter of the preparation information from the innermost circular encoding line (E) of the data portion (D), the value being encoded as the average distance of two data units, both of which are arranged at a geometric distance (d) along the encoding line from a starting position on the encoding line; reading binary information of the preparation information on the innermost circular encoding line (E), the binary information being encoded as the absence or presence of a unit at a predetermined position on the encoding line relative to one of the units encoding the parameter on the innermost encoding line.

[0050] In an embodiment, the method comprises reading from the intermediate coded lines further parameters encoding settings of components of the processing unit when operated, wherein the value of the outermost coded lines encodes the time at which said components were operated.

[0051] In an embodiment, the method includes reading the identifier as binary information encoded on more than one encoding line.

[0052] The method may be implemented as part of a method for preparing a beverage or a food or a precursor of a beverage and / or a food, wherein a processing unit is controlled based on the preparation information to perform a preparation process on the precursor material.

[0053] The present disclosure provides an electrical circuit system to implement the method of the aforementioned embodiment or another embodiment disclosed herein.

[0054] The present disclosure provides a computer-readable medium including a program code, which can be executed on one or more processors to implement the method of the aforementioned embodiment or another embodiment disclosed herein.

[0055] In order to have a basic understanding of the many aspects of the subject matter described herein, the above provides a summary of the invention for summarizing some embodiments. Therefore, the above features are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope or essence of the subject matter described herein in any way. In addition, the above and / or the foregoing embodiments can be combined by any suitable combination to provide other embodiments. According to the following specific embodiments, the accompanying drawings and the claims, other features, aspects and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] Various aspects, features, and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements.

[0057] Figure 1 is a system block diagram illustrating an embodiment system for preparing a beverage or food.

[0058] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A system block diagram of a machine for implementing the system.

[0059] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a fluid conditioning system of an embodiment of a machine.

[0060] Figure 4 and Figure 5 It is shown Figure 2 Schematic diagram of an embodiment of a machine container handling system in an open position and a closed position.

[0061] Figure 6 It is shown Figure 2 Schematic diagram of an embodiment machine including a bulk material handling unit.

[0062] Figure 7 It is shown Figure 2 A block diagram of an electrical circuit system for controlling an embodiment of a machine.

[0063] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 It is shown Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an embodiment container of a system.

[0064] Fig.10 It is shown by Figure 1 A flowchart of a process for preparing an implementation scheme of a system for execution.

[0065] Fig.11 It is shown Figure 1 A floor plan of the embodiment code of the container of the system.

[0066] Fig.12 and Fig.13 is shown for Fig.11 Flowchart of the implementation process of code extraction preparation information.

[0067] Fig.14 and Fig.15 It is shown Fig.11 A floor plan of an implementation scheme of the code. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] Before describing several embodiments of the system, it should be understood that the system is not limited to the details of the construction or process steps mentioned in the following detailed description. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure that the system can adopt other embodiments and can be practiced or implemented in a variety of ways.

[0069] The present disclosure may be better understood in light of the following explanations:

[0070] As used herein, the term "machine" may refer to an electrically operated device that can: prepare a beverage and / or food from a precursor material, or; can prepare a precursor material from a pre-precursor material, which can subsequently be prepared into a beverage and / or food. The machine can achieve the preparation by one or more of the following processes: dilution; heating; cooling; mixing; whipping; dissolving; soaking; impregnation; extraction; conditioning; brewing; grinding; and other similar processes. The machine can be sized for use on a workbench, for example, the length, width and height of the machine can be less than 70 cm. As used herein, the term "preparation" for beverages and / or foods can refer to preparing at least a portion of the beverage and / or food (for example, the beverage is fully prepared by the machine, or partially prepared, and the end user can manually add additional fluids to the beverage before consumption, including milk and / or water).

[0071] As used herein, the term "container" may refer to any configuration for containing a precursor material (e.g., as a single, pre-portioned amount). A container may have a maximum capacity such that the container can only contain a single portion of the precursor material. A container may be single-use, for example, the container is physically altered after a preparation process that may include one or more of the following: perforation to supply a fluid to the precursor material; perforation to supply a beverage / food from the container; opening by a user to extract the precursor material. A container may be configured for operation with a container handling unit of a machine, for example, the container may include a flange for aligning and guiding the container through the unit or arranged on the unit. A container may include a rupture portion that is arranged to rupture when subjected to a specific pressure to deliver a beverage / food. A container may have a membrane for closing the container. A container may have various forms, including one or more of the following: a truncated cone; a cylinder; a disk; a hemispherical shape; a pouch; other similar forms. A container may be formed of various materials, such as metal or plastic or paper or a combination thereof. The material may be selected such that the material is one or more of: food safe; the material can withstand the pressure and / or temperature of the preparation process; and the material is biodegradable. The container may be defined as a capsule, wherein the capsule may have an internal volume of 20ml to 100ml. The capsule includes a coffee capsule, for example, or Capsules (including Classic, Professional, Vertuo, Dolce Gusto or other capsules). The container may be defined as a receptacle, wherein the receptacle may have an internal volume of 150ml to 350ml. The receptacle is typically for consumption from the end user and includes a pot for consumption via a utensil including a spoon and a cup for drinking from it. The container may be defined as a pouch, wherein the pouch is formed of a flexible material including plastic or foil. The pouch may have an internal volume of 150ml to 350ml, or 200ml to 300ml, or 50ml to 150ml.

[0072] As used herein, the term "external device" or "external electronic device" or "peripheral device" may include electronic components external to the machine, such as those co-located with the machine or remote from the machine, which communicate with the machine via a computer network). The external device may include a communication interface for communicating with the machine and / or server system. The external device may include devices including: a smart phone; a PDA; a video game controller; a tablet computer; a laptop; or other similar devices.

[0073] As used herein, the term "server system" may refer to electronic components external to the machine, such as those arranged at a location remote from the machine, which communicate with the machine through a computer network. The server system may include a communication interface for communicating with the machine and / or external devices. The server system may include: a network-based computer (e.g., a remote server); a cloud-based computer; any other server system.

[0074] As used herein, the term "system" or "beverage or food preparation system" may refer to a combination of two or more of the following: a beverage or food preparation machine; a container; a server system; and peripheral devices.

[0075] As used herein, the term "beverage" may refer to any substance that can be processed into a substance suitable for drinking, which may be iced or hot. A beverage may be one or more of the following: solid (e.g., a solid suspended in a liquid); liquid; gel; paste. A beverage may include one or a combination of the following: tea; coffee; hot chocolate; milk; liqueur; vitamin composition; herbal tea / infusion; infusion / flavored water; and other substances. As used herein, the term "food" may refer to any substance that can be processed into a nutrient for eating, which may be iced or hot. A food may be one or more of the following: solid; liquid; gel; paste. A food may include: yogurt; mousse; parfait; soup; ice cream; sorbet; custard; smoothie; other substances. It should be understood that there is a degree of overlap between the definitions of beverages and foods, for example, a beverage may also be a food, and therefore the machine for preparing a beverage or food does not exclude the preparation of both.

[0076] As used herein, the term "precursor material" may refer to any material that can be processed to form part or all of a beverage or food. The precursor material may be one or more of the following: powder; crystals; liquid; gel; solid; and others. Examples of precursor materials that form beverages include: ground coffee; milk powder; tea leaves; cocoa powder; vitamin compositions; herbs, such as for forming herbal / infused teas; flavorings; and other similar materials. Examples of precursor materials that form foods include: dried vegetables or broth, as anhydrous soup powders; powdered milk; flour-based powders, including custard; powdered yogurt or ice cream; and other similar materials. Precursor materials may also refer to any pre-precursor material that can be processed into a precursor material as defined above, i.e., any precursor material that can be subsequently processed into a beverage and / or food. In an example, the pre-precursor material includes coffee beans that can be ground and / or heated (e.g., roasted) into a precursor material.

[0077] Precursor material may also refer to any pre-precursor material that can be processed into a precursor material as defined above, i.e., any precursor material that can be subsequently processed into a beverage and / or food. In an example, the pre-precursor material comprises coffee beans that can be ground and / or heated (e.g., roasted) into a precursor material.

[0078] As used herein, the term "fluid" (for a fluid supplied by a fluid conditioning system) may include one or more of the following: water; milk; other. As used herein, the term "conditioning" for a fluid may refer to changing the physical properties of the fluid and may include one or more of the following: heating or cooling; stirring (including frothing via whipping to introduce bubbles, and mixing to introduce turbulence); portioning into single serving amounts suitable for use with single serving containers; pressurizing to, for example, brewing pressure; carbonation; skimming / purging; and other conditioning processes.

[0079] As used herein, the term "processing unit" may refer to an arrangement in which a precursor material may be processed into a beverage or a food product. The term "processing unit" may refer to an arrangement in which a pre-precursor material may be processed into a precursor material.

[0080] As used herein, the term "container processing unit" may refer to an arrangement that can process a container to obtain an associated beverage or food from a precursor material. The container processing unit may be arranged to process the precursor material by one or more of the following: dilution; heating; cooling; mixing; whipping; dissolving; soaking; infusion; extraction; conditioning; pressurization; brewing; and other processing steps. Therefore, the container processing unit may implement a series of units according to the processing steps, and the series of units may include: an extraction unit (which can implement pressurization and / or heat, such as heating or cooling, brewing process); a mixing unit (which mixes the beverage or food in a container, which is then used for consumption by an end user); a distribution and dissolution unit (which extracts a portion of the precursor material from a reservoir, processes it by dissolution and distributes the portion into a container), and other similar units.

[0081] As used herein, the term "bulk material processing unit" may refer to an arrangement in which bulk material of a pre-precursor material may be processed into a precursor material. The bulk material processing unit may be arranged to process the pre-precursor material by one or more of the following: heating; cooling; grinding; mixing; soaking; conditioning; other processing steps. The bulk material processing unit may supply bulk material to a container from which it is extracted and processed.

[0082] As used herein, the term "preparation process" may refer to preparing a beverage or food from a precursor material or preparing a pre-precursor material from a precursor material. The preparation process may refer to a process executed by an electrical circuit system to control a container processing unit to process the precursor or pre-precursor material.

[0083] As used herein, the term "electrical circuit system" or "circuit system" or "control electrical circuit system" may refer to one or more hardware and / or software components, examples of which may include one or more of the following: an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or other logic gate structure; electronic / electrical components (which may include a combination of transistors, resistors, capacitors, inductors, etc.); one or more processors (for example, the electrical circuit system may refer to the structure of the processor); non-volatile memory (for example, implemented by one or more memory devices) that may store one or more software or firmware programs; combinational logic circuits; the aforementioned interconnections. The electrical circuit system may be located entirely at the machine, or distributed between one or more of the following: the machine; an external device; a server system.

[0084] As used herein, the term "processor" or "processing resource" may refer to one or more units for processing, examples of which include ASICs, microprocessors, FPGAs, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), state machines, or other suitable components. The processor may be configured to execute a computer program, for example, which may be in the form of machine-readable instructions that may be stored in non-volatile memory and / or programmable logic. The processor may have various arrangements corresponding to those discussed for the circuit system (e.g., an onboard machine) or distributed as part of a system. As used herein, any machine-executable instructions or computer-readable media may be configured to cause the disclosed method to be performed, for example, by a machine or system disclosed herein, and may therefore be used synonymously with the term method or with each other.

[0085] As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium / medium" or "data storage device" may include any medium capable of storing a computer program, and may take the form of any conventional non-transitory memory, such as one or more of the following: random access memory (RAM); CD; hard drive; solid state drive; memory card; DVD. The memory may have various arrangements corresponding to those discussed for the circuit system.

[0086] As used herein, the term "communication resource" or "communication interface" may refer to hardware and / or firmware used for electronic information transfer. Communication resources / interfaces may be configured for wired communication ("wired communication resources / interfaces") or wireless communication ("wireless communication resources / interfaces"). Wireless communication resources may include hardware for transmitting and receiving signals over the air, and may include various protocol implementations, such as the 802.11 standard described in the Institute of Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Bluetooth standard from the Bluetooth Technology Alliance of Kirkland, Wash. TM; Universal Serial Bus (USB); High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) or other protocol implementations. The machine may include communication resources for wired or wireless communication with external devices and / or server systems.

[0087] As used herein, the term "network" or "computer network" may refer to a system for electronic information transfer between multiple devices / apparatuses. A network may, for example, include one or more networks of any type, which may include: a public land mobile network (PLMN); a telephone network (e.g., a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and / or a wireless network); a local area network (LAN); a metropolitan area network (MAN); a wide area network (WAN); an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network; a private network; the Internet; an intranet.

[0088] As used herein, the term "code" may refer to a storage medium that encodes preparation information. The code may be formed of a plurality of units, which may be referred to as elements or markings. The element may implement a reference portion and a data portion, wherein the reference portion enables the location of the data portion that encodes the preparation information. The code may be arranged as a two-dimensional code that is processed via a digital image obtained from a camera of a code reader. It should be understood that the code may therefore exclude a pure surface finish or branding on a container that is not configured in any way for information storage.

[0089] As used herein, the term "preparation information" may refer to one or more of the following: a parameter having a value as defined herein; a recipe as defined herein; an identifier for looking up one or more parameters, all of which may be used to control a processing unit or other component for processing a precursor material. The identifier may be encoded as binary information, where the absence or presence of a unit at a position specifies a logical 1 or a logical 0.

[0090] As used herein, the term "parameter" may refer to a variable used as an input for a control (e.g., RPM) and / or a property of a beverage / food or a precursor thereof (e.g., fluid target temperature or volume) during a preparation process and / or controlled by a processing unit. Depending on the specific implementation of the processing unit, the parameter may vary. Examples include: volume of a particular component of the beverage and / or food; fluid temperature; fluid flow rate; operating parameters of the processing unit, such as RPM for a centrifugation-based extraction unit or closing force for a hydraulic brewing unit; order of dispensing of ingredients of the beverage and / or food; operating time for a pump or heat exchanger, for example; agitation (e.g., degree of foaming); any of the foregoing defined for one or more stages, wherein the preparation process consists of a series of continuous, discrete stages. Parameters that may be associated with a container processing unit, including a bulk material processing unit, may include one or more of the following: grinding parameters, including intensity; heating temperature. The parameter may have a value, which may be numerical and may vary in predetermined increments between predetermined limits, such as water temperature may vary in 5 degree increments between 60 degrees and 90 degrees.

[0091] As used herein, the term "recipe" or "control data set" may refer to a combination of parameters used by a processing unit to prepare a specific beverage and / or food product, such as a full set or a partial set as input.

[0092] As used herein, the term "preparation process" may refer to the preparation of a beverage or food from a precursor material or the preparation of a pre-precursor material from a precursor material. The preparation process may refer to a process executed by an electrical circuit system to control a processing unit to process the precursor or pre-precursor material.

[0093] As used herein, the term "code reading process" may refer to the process of reading a code to extract preparation information (which may include identifiers and / or parameters). The process may include one or more of the following steps: obtaining a digital image of a code or a code signal; extracting a bit sequence from the code; identifying a finder portion of the code in the sequence; using the finder portion to locate a data portion; and extracting the preparation information from the data portion.

[0094] [General system description]

[0095] refer to Figure 1 , the system 2 includes a machine 4, a container 6, a server system 8, and a peripheral device 10. The server system 8 communicates with the machine 4 via a computer network 12. The peripheral device 10 communicates with the machine 4 via the computer network 12.

[0096] In a variant implementation not illustrated: the peripheral devices and / or the server system are omitted.

[0097] Although computer network 12 is illustrated as being the same between machine 4, server system 8, and peripheral device 10, other configurations are possible, including: different computer networks for intercommunication between each device; server system communicating with machine via peripheral device (rather than directly). In a specific example: peripheral device communicates via a wireless interface (e.g., using Bluetooth TM protocol) to communicate with the machine; and the server system communicates with the machine via a wireless interface (e.g., using the IEE 802.11 standard) and also via the Internet.

[0098] [machine]

[0099] refer to Figure 2 The machine 4 includes: a processing unit 14 for processing a precursor material; an electrical circuit system 16; and a code reading system 18.

[0100] The electrical circuit system 16 controls the code reading system 18 to read the code from the container 6 (at Figure 2 The electrical circuit system 16 uses the preparation information to control the processing unit 14 to perform a preparation process in which the precursor material is processed into a beverage or a food or a precursor of a beverage and / or a food.

[0101] [First Example of Processing Unit]

[0102] refer to Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 In a first example of a processing unit 14 , the unit includes a container processing unit 20 and a fluid conditioning system 22 .

[0103] The container processing unit 20 is arranged to process the container 6 to obtain a beverage or food from a precursor material (not illustrated) therein. The fluid conditioning system 22 conditions the fluid supplied to the container processing unit 20. The electrical circuit system 16 uses the preparation information read from the container 6 to control the container processing unit 20 and the fluid conditioning system 22 to perform the preparation process.

[0104] [Fluid conditioning system]

[0105] refer to Figure 3, the fluid conditioning system 22 includes a reservoir 24; a pump 26; a heat exchanger 28; and an outlet 30 for conditioning the fluid. The reservoir 24 contains a fluid that is typically sufficient for multiple preparation processes. The pump 26 displaces the fluid from the reservoir 24, through the heat exchanger 26 and to the outlet 30 (which is connected to the container processing unit 20). The pump 26 can be implemented as any suitable device for driving the fluid, including: a reciprocating engine; a rotary pump; other suitable arrangements. The heat exchanger 28 is implemented to heat the fluid and may include: an in-line thermal block type heater; a heating element for directly heating the fluid in the reservoir; other suitable arrangements.

[0106] In variant embodiments not illustrated: the pump is omitted, for example, the fluid is fed to the container processing unit by gravity, or is pressurized by a mains water supply; the reservoir is omitted, for example, the water is supplied by a mains water supply; the heat exchanger is arranged to cool the fluid, for example, the heat exchanger may include a refrigeration-type circulating heat pump; the heat exchanger is omitted, for example, the mains water supply supplies water at a desired temperature; the fluid conditioning system includes a filtration / purification system, such as a UV light system, the degree of which the filtration / purification system is applied to the fluid is controllable; the carbonation system controls the degree of carbonation of the fluid.

[0107] [Container handling unit]

[0108] The container handling unit 20 can be implemented using a range of configurations, as illustrated below in Examples 1 to 6. Generally, in examples where the machine 2 includes a guide portion into which the container is inserted and guided by gravity (e.g., under its own weight) to the container handling unit 20, the container handling unit 20 is arranged together with a container holding portion and a closing portion that are movable between a container receiving position and a container handling position in a depth direction that is perpendicular (including substantially perpendicular) to a conveying direction of the guide portion.

[0109] refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 A first example of a container handling unit 20 is for handling containers arranged as capsules 6 (a suitable example of a capsule is shown in Figure 7 The container handling unit 20 is configured as an extraction unit 32 to extract the beverage from the capsule 6. The extraction unit 32 includes a capsule holding portion 34 and a closing portion 36. The extraction unit 32 can be moved to a capsule receiving position ( Figure 4 ), in which the capsule receiving position, the capsule holding portion 34 and the closing portion 36 are arranged to receive the capsule 6 therebetween. The extraction unit 32 can be moved to the capsule extraction position ( Figure 5), in which capsule extraction position the capsule holding portion 34 and the closing portion 36 form a seal around the capsule 6 and beverage can be extracted from the capsule 6. The extraction unit 32 may be actuator driven or manually movable between said positions.

[0110] The outlet 30 of the fluid conditioning system 22 is arranged as an injection head 38 on the capsule holding part 34 to inject the conditioning fluid into the capsule 6 (usually under high pressure) at the capsule extraction position. The beverage outlet 40 on the closing part 36 is arranged to capture the extracted beverage and convey the extracted beverage from the extraction unit 32.

[0111] The extraction unit 32 is arranged to prepare a beverage by applying a pressurized (e.g., 10 to 20 bar), heated (e.g., 50 to 98 degrees Celsius) fluid to the precursor material within the capsule 6. The pressure increases over a predetermined amount of time until it exceeds the rupture portion of the capsule 6 (at Figure 4 and Figure 5 This causes the portion to rupture and dispense the beverage into the beverage outlet 40.

[0112] In a variant embodiment not shown, although the injection head and the beverage outlet are shown as being arranged on the capsule holding part and the closing part, respectively, they may be arranged alternatively, including: the injection head and the beverage outlet are arranged on the closing part capsule holding part and; or both are arranged on the same part. In addition, the extraction unit may include two parts arranged as the capsule holding part, for example for a capsule symmetrical around a flange, including Professional capsules. Examples of suitable extraction units are provided in EP 1472156 A1 and in EP 1784344 A1 and provide hydraulically sealed extraction units.

[0113] In a second example of a container handling unit (not illustrated), an extraction unit similar to the first example is provided, however, the extraction unit operates at a lower pressure and by centrifugation. Examples of suitable capsules are Vertuo capsules. A suitable example is provided in EP 2594171 A1. In such an example (or indeed other examples), the guide portion may be omitted and the container manually loaded into the extraction unit.

[0114] In a third example (not illustrated), the capsule processing unit operates by dissolving a beverage precursor selected to dissolve under high pressure and temperature fluid. The extraction unit is arranged similarly to the first and second examples, however, the pressure is lower and therefore a sealed extraction unit is not required. Specifically, the fluid may be injected into the cover of the capsule and the rupture portion is located in the base of the storage portion of the capsule. Examples of suitable capsules are or Dolce Gusto capsules. Examples of suitable extraction units are disclosed in EP 1472156 A1 and in EP 1784344 A1.

[0115] In a fourth example (not illustrated) in which the container is arranged as a sac, the container handling unit implements an extraction unit operable to receive a sac and inject a fluid from a fluid conditioning system at an inlet of the sac. The injected fluid is mixed with a precursor material within the sac to at least partially prepare a beverage, which leaves the sac via an outlet of the sac. Examples of such arrangements are provided in WO2014125123 A1 or in WO2022023578A1.

[0116] In a fifth example (not illustrated), the container processing unit is arranged as a mixing unit to prepare a beverage or food precursor stored in a container, which is a container for consumption from an end user. The mixing unit includes an agitator (e.g., a planetary mixer; a spiral mixer; a vertical cutting mixer) to mix the beverage or food precursor in the container; and a heat exchanger to heat / cool the beverage or food precursor. The fluid supply system can also supply fluid to the container. An example of such an arrangement is provided in WO2014067987 A1.

[0117] In (unillustrated) the sixth example, the container handling unit is arranged as a distribution and dissolving unit. The distribution and dissolving unit is arranged to extract a single portion of a beverage or food precursor from the storage portion of the machine (which may include any multi-portion container, which includes a pouch or box). The distribution and dissolving unit is arranged to mix the extracted single portion with the conditioned fluid from the fluid conditioning system, and the beverage or food is distributed in a container. The example of this type of arrangement is provided in EP14167344A.

[0118] [Second Example of Processing Unit]

[0119] refer to Figure 6 In a second example of a processing unit 14 , the unit comprises a bulk material processing unit 42 .

[0120] The bulk material handling unit 42 is arranged to receive bulk pre-precursor material from the container 6 (suitable examples are discussed in detail below). Figure 8 The electrical circuit system 16 uses the preparation information read from the container 6 to control the bulk material processing unit 42 to perform the preparation process.

[0121] The user manually resents the container 6 to the code reading system 18 of the machine 4 to read the code (as will be discussed). The user then opens the container 6 and dispenses the pre-precursor material (not illustrated) disposed therein into the bulk material processing unit 42. The bulk material processing unit 42 processes the bulk pre-precursor material into a precursor material.

[0122] In a specific example, the precursor material is coffee beans, and the bulk material processing unit 42 is arranged to roast and / or grind the coffee beans to provide the precursor material.

[0123] In a variant embodiment not illustrated, the loose material processing unit is alternatively configured to include: utilizing a dispensing system to open and dispense the pre-precursor from the capsule for subsequent processing (for example, it may include a cutting tool to cut open the container and an extractor (such as a scoop) to extract the pre-precursor material); the pre-precursor material can be processed in the container and dispensed from the container or provided to the user in the container through the aforementioned examples.

[0124] [Code reading system]

[0125] refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The code reading system 18 is arranged to read a code 44 arranged on the cover of the container 6. The code reading system 18 is integrated with the extraction unit 32 of the first example of the container handling unit 20. The code 44 is read by the extraction unit 32 at the capsule extraction position (e.g. Figure 4 shown).

[0126] The code reading system 18 includes a code reader 46 having an image capture unit and a read head housing the image capture unit for capturing a digital image of the code 44. Examples of suitable image capture units include the Sonix SN9S102; the Snap Sensor S2 imager; an oversampled binary image sensor; other similar systems.

[0127] The electrical circuitry 18 includes image processing circuitry (not illustrated) to identify codes in digital images and extract preparation information. An example of image processing circuitry is a Texas InstrumentsTMS320C5517 processor running a code processing program.

[0128] In a variant embodiment not illustrated, the code reading system is separated from the container processing unit, including: the code reading system is arranged in a channel in which a user places a container and conveys the container to the container processing unit; the code reading system is arranged to read a code on a container positioned to receive a beverage from a beverage outlet of the dispensing and dissolving unit. In another variant embodiment not illustrated, the code reading system is arranged to read a code at a different position of the container (e.g., on a flange of a restraining portion). In another variant embodiment not illustrated, the code is a one-dimensional code and is read by relative movement between a code reader and the code to generate a code signal.

[0129] [Control electrical circuit system]

[0130] refer to Figure 7 , the electrical circuit system 16 is implemented to control the electrical circuit system 48 to control the processing unit 14 to perform the preparation process. Figure 7 In the embodiment of the present invention, for illustrative purposes, the processing unit 14 is illustrated as a first example, and the processing unit includes a container processing unit 20 and a fluid supply unit 22.

[0131] The electrical circuit systems 16, 48 at least partially implement (e.g., in combination with hardware): an input unit 50 for receiving input from a user confirming that the machine 4 will perform a preparation process; a processor 52 for receiving input from the input unit 50 and providing a control output to the processing unit 14; and a feedback system 54 for providing feedback from the processing unit 54 during the preparation process, which feedback can be used to control the preparation process.

[0132] The input unit 50 is implemented as a user interface, which may include one or more of the following: a button, such as a joystick button or a push button; a joystick; an LED; a graphic or character LDC; a graphic screen with touch sensing and / or screen edge buttons; other similar devices; a sensor for determining whether a container has been supplied to the machine by a user.

[0133] The feedback system 54 may implement one or more of the following or other feedback control-based operations:

[0134] A flow sensor is used to determine the outlet 30 (at Figure 3 Flow rate / volume of the fluid (shown in ), which can be used to meter the correct amount of fluid to the container 6 and thus adjust the power to the pump 26;

[0135] a temperature sensor to determine the temperature of the fluid to the outlet 30 of the fluid supply unit 22, which temperature sensor may be used to ensure that the temperature of the fluid to the container 6 is correct and to regulate the power to the heat exchanger 28 accordingly);

[0136] a level sensor to determine whether the level of fluid in the reservoir 24 is sufficient for the preparation process;

[0137] A position sensor, the position sensor is used to determine the position of the extraction unit 32 (eg, a capsule extraction position or a capsule receiving position).

[0138] It will be appreciated that the electrical circuit system 16, 44 is suitably adapted to other examples of the processing unit 14, such as for the second example of a container processing system, where the feedback system may be used to control the rotational speed of the capsule.

[0139] [container]

[0140] refer to Figure 8 A first example of a container 6 for use with a first example of a processing unit 14 includes a container 6 arranged as a capsule 6. The capsule 6 includes a closure member 56 and a body portion 62 including a storage portion 58 and a flange portion 60.

[0141] The storage portion 58 includes a cavity (not shown) for storing the precursor material. The cavity of the storage portion extends from the flange portion 60 in the depth direction 106. Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the storage portion 56 is perforated by the injection head 38 to supply the conditioned fluid into the capsule.

[0142] The storage portion 58 is formed of a paper material. The storage portion 58 has a thickness of 0.2 mm. The closing member 56 is formed of a paper material. The closing member 58 has a thickness of 0.15 mm.

[0143] As used herein, "paper" may refer to a sheet material formed at least in part from a sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically treating cellulose fibers derived from one or more of: wood; rags; grass; or other plant sources in water; draining the water through a fine mesh, leaving the fibers evenly distributed on the surface; followed by pressing and drying.

[0144] The closing member 56 closes and can hermetically seal the storage portion 58, and includes a flexible film. Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the closing member 56 is perforated to eject the beverage / food.

[0145] The flange portion 60 is formed integrally with the storage portion. The flange portion 60 is disposed at the junction of the storage portion 58 and the closure member 56 and comprises a planar extension of the storage portion 58 that overlaps a portion of the closure member secured thereto to hermetically seal the precursor material. The flange portion 60 extends in a plane defined by the transverse direction 102 and the longitudinal direction 100. Thus, the closure member is planar in said plane.

[0146] The capsule 6 is of circular cross-section so that it is rotationally symmetrical about the axis 108. In this way, the user can present the capsule to the machine 2 in any orientation about the axis 108. The capsule 6 has a diameter of 53 mm, which is measured across the outer periphery or inner periphery of the flange portion 60 in the plane of the flange portion 60. The capsule 6 can be configured to have different sizes, which are characterized by different depths, for example: 7 mm; 12 mm; 15 mm; 18 mm; and 21 mm. Each size of the capsule 6 is compatible with the first example and the second example of the code reading system 18, as will be discussed.

[0147] In a variant embodiment not illustrated, the closing member may be arranged to be convex or concave relative to the storage portion. For example, for a convex arrangement, the center of the closing member may extend into the storage portion by up to 1 mm ± 10% or 20% in the depth direction. The minimum depression may be 0.2 mm. For example, for a concave arrangement, the center of the closing member may extend away from the storage portion by up to 4 mm ± 10% or 20% in the reverse depth direction. The minimum depression may be 0.5 mm.

[0148] In non-illustrated variant embodiments: the main body portion includes a flange portion that is not integrally formed with the storage portion and connected to the storage portion; the main body portion includes an omitted flange portion, for example, the closing member is wrapped around the storage portion; the container can be a non-rotationally symmetrical shape, such as a square cross-section or other shape; the capsule is alternatively sized to include an outer circumference or inner circumference across the flange portion of 40mm to 70mm or 53mm±10% or 20%, and a depth of any of the described depths±10% or 20%; the thickness of the storage portion may have a thickness of 0.1mm to 0.4mm or 0.2±20% or 30%; the thickness of the closing member may have a thickness of 0.05mm to 0.3mm or 0.15±20% or 30%; and the storage portion and / or the closing member may be made of or include different materials, for example, including plastic or aluminum-based materials.

[0149] refer to Fig. 9A second example of a container 6 for use with a second example of a processing unit 14 includes a container 6 arranged as a pouch and includes: an arrangement of sheet material 62 joined at a peripheral seam 64 to define an internal volume for storing a precursor material (not illustrated), and an opening 66 that a user opens to dispense the precursor material into a loose material processing unit 42.

[0150] [Code layout]

[0151] refer to Figure 8 The code 44 may be arranged on the outer surface of the container 6 at any suitable location such that the code can be read by the code reading system 18 .

[0152] In a first example, the code 44 is arranged at a central area of ​​the closure member 56. Thus, the code can be read by any code reader aligned with the center of the container. In a second example, the code is replicated throughout the closure member so that it can be read from any external location on the closure member 56. With such an arrangement, the closure member does not require any specific alignment with the storage portion, which simplifies the cutting and assembly process of the container 6.

[0153] In a variant embodiment not illustrated, the code may be arranged on the flange portion 60 (including on either side) and on the storage portion 58. The code may also be arranged on the closing member, but not on the intermediate area.

[0154] exist Fig. 9 In the second example shown, the code 44 is disposed at various locations on the sheet material 62 , including distally of the seam 64 .

[0155] [Preparation process]

[0156] refer to Fig.10 , illustrating a process for preparing a beverage / food from a precursor material:

[0157] Box 70 : The user supplies the container 6 to the machine 4 .

[0158] Box 72: The electrical circuit system 16 (eg, the input unit 50 thereof) receives a user instruction to prepare a beverage / foodstuff from a precursor, and the electrical circuit system 16 (eg, the processor 52) initiates the process.

[0159] Box 74: The electrical circuit system 16 controls the processing unit 14 to process the container (eg, in the first example of the container processing unit 20, the extraction unit 32 receives the capsule from the location ( Figure 4 )Move to the capsule extraction position ( Figure 5 )).

[0160] Box 76: The electrical circuit system 16 controls the code reading system 18 to provide a digital image of the code 6 of the container.

[0161] Block 78: The code processing circuitry of the electrical circuitry 16 processes the digital image to extract the preparation information.

[0162] Box 80: The electrical circuit system 16 executes the preparation process based on the preparation information by controlling the processing unit 14. In the first example of a processing unit, this includes controlling the fluid conditioning system 22 to supply fluid to the container processing unit 20 at the temperature, pressure and duration specified in the preparation information.

[0163] The electrical circuit system 16 then controls the container handling unit 20 to move from the capsule extraction portion through the capsule ejection position to eject the container 6 and back to the capsule receiving position.

[0164] In alternative embodiments not shown: the above-mentioned frames may be executed in a different order, for example, frame 72 may be executed before frame 70 or frame 76 may be executed before frame 74; a frame may be omitted, for example, frame 70 may be omitted when the machine stores capsule boxes.

[0165] Frame 76 and frame 78 may refer to code reading and processing processes. Frame 80 may be referred to as a preparation process. Electrical circuit system 16 includes instructions for the preparation process (or multiple preparation processes), for example as program code. In an embodiment, processor 52 implements instructions stored on a memory (not illustrated).

[0166] As part of the preparation process, electrical circuit system 16 may obtain additional preparation information from server system 8 and / or peripheral device 10 via computer network 12 using a communication interface (not illustrated) of the machine.

[0167] [General description of code]

[0168] refer to Fig.11 , the code 44 is formed of a plurality of circular cells 80 arranged on a surround 82. The cells 80 are dark (e.g., one of the following colors: black, dark blue, purple, dark green), and the surround 82 is a relatively light color (e.g., one of the following colors: white, light blue, yellow, light green), so that the contrast is sufficient for the image capture unit 46 to distinguish them. The cells 80 of the code can be configured to be read in the infrared and / or visible bands.

[0169] The shape of the cell 80 is circular. As used herein, the term "shape" with respect to a cell may refer to an exact shape or an approximation of the actual shape, which may occur due to printing or other manufacturing precision variations.

[0170] In variant embodiments not illustrated: the unit is light-colored, while the surround is dark-colored; the unit has different shapes, including one or a combination of the following shapes: triangle, polygon, in particular quadrilateral such as square or parallelogram; other suitable shapes.

[0171] The cell 80 typically has a cell length of 50 μm to 200 μm. As used herein, the term "cell length" for the cell 80 may refer to a suitably defined distance of the cell 80, such as: for a circular shape, a diameter; for a square, a side length; for a polygon, a distance between opposite or adjacent vertices; for a triangle, a hypotenuse. The cell 80 is stepped with an accuracy of about 1 μm.

[0172] The unit 80 is formed by printing (e.g., by means of an inkjet printer). As an example of printing, the ink may be a conventional printer ink, and the substrate may be: polyethylene terephthalate (PET); aluminum coated with lacquer (as present on Nespresso Classic capsules) or other suitable substrates.

[0173] In variant embodiments not illustrated: the cells are alternatively formed, including by embossing, imprinting or other suitable means, and are alternatively dimensioned, for example, to a cell length of 80 μm to 120 μm.

[0174] Further references Fig.11 , the unit 80 is organized into: a reference part R, which is used to locate and determine the orientation of the code 44; and a data part D, which is used to store preparation information.

[0175] The cells 80 of the code 44 arranged as the reference portion R include three reference cells 84. The reference cells 84 have a unique spatial arrangement in the code 44 to allow the reference portion R to be recognized by the electrical circuit system 16 in the digital image (e.g., having a stored relationship on its memory). The unique spatial arrangement includes the reference cells 84 arranged at three of the vertices of the virtual rectangle around the origin O at the center of the rectangle, with specific distances between the reference cells 84.

[0176] In alternative embodiments not illustrated, the reference portion is alternatively implemented to include: different arrangements of reference cells, such as rectangles that are circles or other shapes; different numbers of reference cells, such as 4 or 5; and the reference cells may have a unique shape that can be identified from the shapes of other cells that form the code.

[0177] The arrangement of the reference cells 84 enables a single reference line r to be defined at a particular vector relative to the cells 84. The reference line r is virtual and is determined by the electrical circuit system 16 (eg, having a stored relationship on its memory).

[0178] In this particular example, the reference cells 84 define a first imaginary line (not shown) and a second imaginary line (not shown) using the right-hand rule, where: the thumb represents the first imaginary line intersecting the centers of two of the reference cells 84; the index finger represents the second imaginary line intersecting the centers of two of the reference cells, one of which is common to the first imaginary line; and the second finger enters the plane of the page of the code 44. The reference line r extends from the origin O and is parallel to the first imaginary line and orthogonal to the second imaginary line.

[0179] In variant embodiments not illustrated, the reference line may be alternatively defined: the reference line may comprise an actual line drawn on the code; the reference line may have an alternative geometrical arrangement relative to the reference cell.

[0180] The unit 80 of the code 44 arranged as the data portion D includes a data unit 86. The data unit 86 is arranged on an encoding line E intersecting with a reference line r. The encoding line E is virtual and is determined by the electrical circuit system 16, (e.g., the encoding line has a predefined radius stored on its memory). The center of the circle of the encoding line E is arranged at the origin O of the reference portion R. Therefore, the reference line r intersects the encoding line E, and the tangent of the encoding line is orthogonal to the reference line r. There are two encoding lines E1, E2, each of which has a data unit 86.

[0181] In variant embodiments not illustrated: other numbers of encoding lines are implemented, including 3, 4 or 5; the encoding lines may have non-circular shapes, including rectangular or triangular; the encoding lines comprise actual lines drawn on the code.

[0182] The encoding line E includes one or more individual data portions, each of which includes a starting position 88 and a data unit 86, which is arranged along the encoding line E at a certain distance d from the starting position 88 as a variable for encoding the parameters of the preparation information. The starting position 88 is virtually defined and can be determined by the electrical circuit system 16 (for example, the starting position can be stored in its memory). The individual data portion may also include an end position (not illustrated), which defines the maximum allowable distance d of the data unit 80 from the starting position 88 along the encoding line E. Both the starting position and the end position are virtually formed.

[0183] For the first encoding line E1, the data portion includes two separate data portions: for the first separate data portion, the distance d can be any continuous distance from the starting position 88 at the reference line r to the first data unit 86 clockwise from the reference line r; for the second separate data portion, the distance d can be any continuous distance from the starting position 88 at the data unit 86 of the first separate data portion (therefore, the starting position is a variable) to the midpoint m between the subsequent two data units 86 in the clockwise direction.

[0184] For the second encoding line E2, the data portion includes a single data portion for which the distance d can be any of a plurality of discrete distances, which are illustrated as discrete positions 90 from the starting position 88 at the reference line r, each position being associated with a different value of the parameter. In the example, there are 10 discrete positions 90.

[0185] The incremental distance may be defined as the distance between the starting position 88 and the ending position divided by the total number of positions in the data portion D that a data unit 86 may occupy (which is 10 for E2).

[0186] In variant embodiments not illustrated: the starting position may be arranged at any position on the coding line, including being spaced apart from a reference line; there may be multiple starting positions on the coding line, each starting position having an associated data unit; the starting position may be formed as a unit as part of the code rather than being virtually defined; the coding line may include a combination of parameters encoded by continuous distances and discrete positions; more than one or two data units on the coding line may define a parameter, which may be determined as an average of the positions; and the data portion may include any appropriate number of separate data portions.

[0187] The code 44 includes an outer perimeter 92 within which the cells 80 are arranged. The outer perimeter 92 is rectangular in shape and has a size of 600 μm to 1600 μm, or about 1100 μm. The code 44 may be repeated so that multiple repetitions of the code 44 are arranged within a single digital image so that one or several best captured repetitions of the code may be selected for processing.

[0188] In non-illustrated variant embodiments: the outer periphery can be alternatively shaped, including circular; the outer periphery can have alternative sizes, including larger or smaller than the exemplary range. In non-illustrated variant embodiments, the data portion alternatively encodes the value of the parameter, including as alphanumeric symbols or other arrangements.

[0189] refer to Fig.12 , relative to Fig.11The code processing process for extracting the preparation information performed by the electrical circuit system 16 (or its code processing circuit system) includes:

[0190] Step 1 - Identify the location of the code unit

[0191] Box 100 : A digital image of the code 44 is obtained via the code reading system 118 .

[0192] Block 102 : Allocate pixels to dark areas in the digital image that may represent the unit 80 .

[0193] Box 104: If several pixels are grouped close to each other, it is determined that cell 80 exists.

[0194] Block 106: For each determined cell, determine the center of the pixel grouping by, for example, a feature extraction rule to determine the coordinates of the center of the cell.

[0195] In unmodified embodiments not illustrated, alternative processing techniques for determining cells and coordinates may be implemented, including other techniques for locating the center of a cell or identifying a cell as present, for example, a magnification level may be implemented such that a single pixel is determined to be a cell, and the center of a cell may be determined to be the center of a pixel.

[0196] Step 2 - Locate the reference part of the code and the reading angle

[0197] refer to Fig.13 , relative to Fig.11 The processing of code 44 includes:

[0198] Block 108: Locate reference portion R by searching the coordinates of cells 80 of code 44 to identify a unique separation and geometric arrangement of reference cells 84. This may be accomplished by geometric rules including Pythagoras and trigonometry or other suitable rules. The separation and geometric arrangement may be stored on electrical circuit system 16 and accessed during the search.

[0199] Block 110: Using stored relationships to define the positions of origin O and reference line r for the located reference portion R. The arrangement of origin and reference line may be stored on the electrical circuitry 16 and mapped to the coordinates of the located reference portion.

[0200] Block 112: For each cell (except cells of the reference portion), determine which encoding line E the cell belongs to based on the distance from the origin O. The electrical circuit system 16 may store a radius range for each encoding line E and use geometric rules to determine the distance of each cell from the origin O and within which radius range it falls.

[0201] Box 114: For each cell (except the cells of the reference part), determine the angle α1, α2 relative to the reference line r. It should be noted that this angle represents the circumferential distance and can be used interchangeably. The angle can be calculated via the known geometric relationship between the coordinates of the reference line r and the virtual line extending from the origin O and passing through the associated cell.

[0202] Step 3 - Determine the values ​​of the parameters of the preparation information.

[0203] refer to Fig.13 , relative to Fig.11 The processing of code 44 includes:

[0204] Block 116: Determine the encoding distance d for each individual data portion. This is accomplished by a set of rules for determining the encoding distance d stored by the electrical circuit system 16. This may include one or more of the following: the number of individual data portions on each encoding line; the starting position 88 of each data portion; whether a single cell or multiple cells represent a data unit 86; and other suitable relationships.

[0205] For example, refer to Fig. 9 , the rule for determining the encoding distance d of the encoding line E1 includes: two separate data parts; the starting position 88 of the first separate data part is at the intersection between the reference line r and the encoding line E1; the starting position 88 of the second separate data part is at the data unit 86 of the first separate data part; the data unit 86 of the first separate data part is represented as a single unit of the code 44; the data unit 86 of the second separate data part is represented as two units of the code 44.

[0206] For example, refer to Fig.11 , the rules for determining the encoding distance d of the encoding line E2 include: a single individual data portion; the starting position 88 is at the intersection between the reference line r and the encoding line E2; the data unit 86 of the first individual data portion is represented as a single unit of the code 44.

[0207] Box 118 : Convert the encoded distance d for each data portion into a value of the parameter This is achieved by implementing a set of rules for converting distances of values ​​stored by the electrical circuit system 16 .

[0208] For example, for the encoded line E1: the first separate data portion can encode the water volume of the brewing process, where the distance d is any continuous value linearly related to the water volume; and the second separate data portion can encode the time of the brewing process, where the encoded distance d is any continuous value related to the time index.

[0209] For example, for encoding line E2: a single separate data portion may encode the water temperature of the brewing process, where the encoding distance d is a discrete value that changes incrementally by 5 degrees Celsius for each discrete position 90, and the rule specifies which 5 degree increment is closest to the determined encoding distance d.

[0210] In variant embodiments not illustrated, other rules may be implemented, including: other mathematical functions relating the encoding distance to the value of a parameter; and whether the encoding distance is an average of the distances of several separate data portions, and other suitable relationships.

[0211] [Code formation]

[0212] Example 1

[0213] refer to Fig.14 In the first example, the code 44 with the outermost coding line E1 (which has the largest radius and is located at the farthest side of the reference portion R) encodes three values ​​of the same parameter of the preparation information, which are encoded successively according to the order of use of the parameters, as will be discussed. Each of the values ​​is encoded with a single data unit 86, which can be arranged at any consecutive position d from the starting position.

[0214] For the first value, it is encoded with the data unit 86 at the clockwise position closest to the reference line r. The starting position 88 is the intersection with the reference line r. The encoding distance d is from the reference line r to the data unit 86.

[0215] For the second value, it is encoded with the third data unit 86 located clockwise from the reference line r. The starting position 88 is the second data unit 86 located clockwise from the reference line r. The encoding distance d is from the second data unit 86 to the third data unit 86.

[0216] For the third value, it is encoded with the fifth data unit 86 clockwise from the reference line r. The starting position 88 is the fourth data unit 86 clockwise from the reference line r. The encoding distance d is from the fourth data unit 86 to the fifth data unit 86.

[0217] Although not shown, the end position of each value defines the maximum encoding distance d for each of the three values. The distance from the starting position 88 to the end position is equal for all three values ​​to provide similar accuracy for each value.

[0218] The first value, the second value, and the third value are durations of operating one or more components of the processing unit of the machine. The component is one or more of: a mixer of a mixing unit of the processing unit; a heat exchanger of a fluid conditioning system of the processing unit; a pump of the fluid conditioning system; a flow path control system of the fluid conditioning system (e.g., a valve that, when actuated, enables fluid from the fluid conditioning system to bypass a container in the processing unit and be discharged directly as part of a beverage / food); other similar components.

[0219] The additional value of the parameter is encoded as the encoded distance d2 between the data units 86 of the adjacent values ​​in the counterclockwise direction from and to the data unit 86 at the starting position 88. As shown in the figure, the two encoded distances d2 are encoded between the encoding of the second and first values ​​and the encoding of the third and second values. The additional value is the duration between the operations in which the component is not operated. Therefore, the additional value and the value encode the on / off sequence according to the order of use.

[0220] The outermost coding line E3 encodes only the values ​​of parameters of the preparation information using data units at any consecutive distance from the associated starting position (eg, there is no binary information or encoding of units at predetermined positions on the outermost coding line).

[0221] In variant embodiments not illustrated: other numbers of values ​​(or additional values) for the same parameter may be encoded on the outer coding lines, for example 2 or 4; the values ​​may be encoded in an order different from the order used; the outer coding lines may also encode binary information, for example as part of an identifier, as will be discussed; values ​​other than time may be encoded.

[0222] In a variant embodiment, the data unit at the starting position may be omitted, for example the starting position is a predetermined distance away from the data unit encoding the preceding value in the clockwise direction, or is the data unit for the preceding value.

[0223] The inner coding line E3 having the smallest radius and being closest to the reference portion R encodes the value of the parameter using a coding distance d which is the average m distance of two data units 86 which can be arranged at a position starting from the starting position 88 which is located at the intersection of the coding line E3 and the reference line r.

[0224] The inner coding line E3 also encodes binary information of the preparation information, which is encoded as the absence or presence of a cell at each of five predetermined positions 90 (none of which is shown as including a data cell). The predetermined positions 90 are fixed relative to the two most adjacent data cells 86 (which have the largest clockwise position) on the inner coding line E3, which encodes the parameters as previously described.

[0225] On the inner encoding line E3, the distance between two cells 86 is a fixed distance n, which is stored by the electrical circuit system 16. The distance p between each of the five predetermined positions 90 is a fixed equal distance, which is stored by the electrical circuit system 16 and is different from the distance between two cells 86. In this way, the predetermined positions 90 can be distinguished from the cells 86. The clockwise distance from the nearest neighboring data cell 86 and the nearest predetermined position 90 can be any distance different from the distance n between the data cells 86, for example, it can be the distance p.

[0226] In variant embodiments not illustrated, there are other numbers of predetermined positions, such as 2 or 4 or 6 or 8, etc.

[0227] The intermediate coding line E2 adjacent to the innermost coding line E3 (e.g., it is directly adjacent with no other coding lines in between) encodes the preparation information in the same format as the innermost coding line E3. That is, the value of the parameter is encoded as the average distance of two data units 86, both of which can be arranged at a position from the starting position 88, and the binary information is encoded as the absence or presence of a unit at a predetermined position 90 relative to one of the units encoding the parameter on the intermediate coding line. Therefore, the same detailed description and possible variations as for the innermost coding line E3 apply to the intermediate coding line E2 and are not repeated for the sake of simplicity.

[0228] The binary information of the innermost encoded line E3 and the middle encoded line E2 includes an identifier, which is distributed on the two lines.

[0229] Binary information is also encoded as the absence or presence of cells at predetermined positions 94 at vertices defining a square, said vertices being outside the outermost encoding line E1, the binary information also comprising an identifier.

[0230] In the example where there are five predetermined positions 90 on both encoding lines E2, E3 and four predetermined positions outside the outermost encoding line El, the length of the identifier is 14 bits. The identifier can be used to look up additional preparation information stored on the electrical circuit system 16 (eg, including the value of a parameter).

[0231] In variant embodiments not illustrated: the predetermined positions outside the outermost coding lines can be omitted; the identifier does not need to be distributed in three different arrangements of the predetermined positions, for example it can be arranged in one or more arrangements, for example only on the inner coding lines.

[0232] Both data units 86 encoding the value of the parameter on the innermost encoding line E3 and on the intermediate encoding line E2 adjacent to the innermost encoding line can be arranged at a predetermined position in a predetermined number of predetermined positions (not shown) arranged relative to the starting position 88, wherein each position specifies a different value of the parameter. Therefore, the average encoding distance m also occupies only a predetermined distance. The predetermined positions are arranged successively, wherein each predetermined position specifies an increasing magnitude of the parameter by a clockwise position, for example, there may be 10 predetermined positions, which successively encode values ​​from 0 to 18 in increments of 2.

[0233] In variant embodiments not illustrated, the predetermined positions may encode other maximum and minimum values ​​with different increments, the predetermined positions may not be in sequence or may decrease the magnitude of the parameter by clockwise position.

[0234] In a variant implementation not illustrated: the two data units encoding the value of the parameter on the innermost coding line and on the intermediate coding line adjacent to the innermost coding line can be arranged at any continuous position from the starting position (for example, to the ending position).

[0235] The parameters encoded by the two data units of the inner coding line and / or the middle coding line closest to the innermost coding line can be: parameters associated with the closing force of the extraction unit (e.g., the force between the capsule holding part and the closing part); the displacement position of the extraction unit (e.g., the displacement of the capsule holding part and / or the closing part); the fluid volume or fluid flow rate applied by the pump of the fluid conditioning system of the processing unit; the temperature of the heat exchanger of the fluid conditioning system, etc.

[0236] Example 2

[0237] refer to Fig.15 The outermost encoding line E3, the innermost encoding line E1 and the middle encoding line E2 are as described for the first example, including associated variations, which are not described for the sake of brevity.

[0238] The second example includes a second intermediate encoding line E4 arranged between the outermost encoding line E1 and the intermediate encoding line E2.

[0239] The second intermediate encoding line E4 encodes two values ​​of the same parameter of the preparation information, which are encoded sequentially according to the order in which the parameter is used, as will be discussed. Each of the values ​​is encoded using a single data unit 86, which can be arranged at any one of a predefined number of discrete positions 90, where each position specifies a different value of the parameter.

[0240] The second intermediate coded line E4 also encodes the value of a further parameter of the preparation information. These values ​​are encoded using a single data element 86 which can be arranged at any one of a predefined number of discrete positions 90, each position specifying a different value of the parameter.

[0241] For the first value of the same parameter, there are 8 predetermined positions 90 equidistant from each other, wherein the first predetermined position 90 is arranged at the starting position 88, which is located at the intersection of the second intermediate encoding line E4 and the reference line r, and the eighth predetermined position 90 is arranged at the end position. In this example, the data unit 86 is arranged at the fifth predetermined position 90.

[0242] For the second value of the same parameter, there are 8 predetermined positions 90 equidistant from each other, wherein the first predetermined position 90 is arranged at a predetermined distance from the starting position 88, and the eighth predetermined position 90 is arranged at the ending position. In this example, the data unit 88 is arranged at the eighth predetermined position 90.

[0243] For other values ​​of the other parameters, there are 9 predetermined positions 90 equidistant from each other, wherein the first predetermined position 90 is arranged at a predetermined distance from the starting position 88 and the ninth predetermined position is arranged at the ending position. In this example, the data unit is arranged at the first predetermined position 90.

[0244] The distances between the predetermined positions 90 of the first, second and further values ​​along the encoding line E4 are all equal. In order to more conveniently identify where the predetermined positions 90 of the first, second and further values ​​begin and end, the distances between adjacent starting and ending positions of different values ​​are different from the equidistant distances between the predetermined positions 90 of the aforementioned data units.

[0245] The predetermined positions are arranged successively, wherein each predetermined position specifies an increasing magnitude of the parameter by a clockwise position, for example, for 8 predetermined positions, they successively encode values ​​from 0 to 14 in increments of 2.

[0246] In variant embodiments not illustrated, the predetermined positions may encode other maximum and minimum values ​​with different increments, the predetermined positions may not be sequential or may decrease the magnitude of the parameter through clockwise positions; there may be other numbers of predetermined positions.

[0247] In a variant embodiment not illustrated: there are other numbers of values ​​encoded in the same way on the second intermediate coding line, for example 2, 4, 5; in the second example, the intermediate coding line E2 can be omitted; the values ​​encoded on the second intermediate coding line can all be for the same parameters or different parameters or have some of the same parameters as shown in the figure; one or more of the values ​​of the second intermediate coding line can be encoded continuously as discussed for the outermost coding line; there can be a different number of predetermined positions for these values, typically in the case of encoding the same value, such as in the example where there are eight predetermined positions for the first and second values, there are the same number of predetermined positions; the parameters encoded by the second intermediate coding line as described can be arranged on other coding lines, for example on the outermost or innermost coding line.

[0248] The first and second values ​​of the parameter encoded by the second intermediate encoding line E4 and the further values ​​are settings of components of the processing unit when operated (the operation of the components is discussed above for the outermost encoding lines). The settings may be, for example, operating values ​​(e.g., the temperature of a heat exchanger or a constant flow rate value of a pump or a flow control value associated with a fluid conditioning system) and / or operating frequencies (e.g., the pulse frequency of a heat exchanger or a pump).

[0249] The two or more values ​​of the same parameter encoded by the second intermediate encoding line E4 are arranged in an order corresponding to the two or more values ​​of the parameter on the outermost encoding line E1 and in an order of use. For example, the first value on the second intermediate encoding line E4 is a setting for the first operating time encoded on the outermost encoding line E1, and so on. The two or more values ​​of the same parameter of the intermediate encoding line encode the flow rate of a pump of a fluid conditioning system of a processing unit or the temperature of a heat exchanger of a fluid conditioning system.

[0250] In variant embodiments not illustrated: other parameters are encoded as those discussed; the ordering of two or more values ​​of the same parameter encoded by the second intermediate encoding line is arranged in an order and usage order that does not correspond to the two or more values.

[0251] Although the code is illustrated herein as being disposed on a container, it will be understood that the code may be integrally formed on the container or on a separate substrate such as an attachment device (not illustrated) which may be attached to: the container, such as by an adhesive or other method; to a machine, such as as a tab for arrangement between the container and a code reader so that an existing code reading arrangement may be used, or; other components, such as a handheld component including a code reader arranged for presentation to the machine by a user, which code reader may be appropriately arranged for manual code reading.

[0252] The attachment device may alternatively be configured for attachment to a machine, such as via a clamp or bracket, so that the same code is read independently of the container being read. The attachment device may position the code (or codes) between the container and the code reader so that the machine reads the code as if the code were positioned on the container.

[0253] It should be understood that any disclosed method (or corresponding apparatus, program, data carrier, etc.) may be executed by a host or a client, depending on the specific implementation (i.e., the disclosed method / apparatus is a form of one or more communications and may therefore be executed from any "point of view" (i.e., a manner corresponding to one another)). In addition, it should be understood that the terms "receiving" and "transmitting" encompass "input" and "output" and are not limited to an RF environment of transmitting and receiving radio waves. Thus, for example, a chip or other device or component for implementing an implementation scheme may generate data for output to another chip, device or component, or have input data from another chip, device or component, and such output or input may be referred to as "transmitting" and "receiving", including the gerund form, i.e., "transmitting" and "receiving" and such "transmitting" and "receiving" in an RF environment.

[0254] As used in this specification, any statements in the style "at least one of A, B, or C" and the statement "at least one of A, B, and C" use a disjunctive "or" and a disjunctive "and" such that these statements include any and all combinations of A, B, C, and several permutations, i.e., A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B in any order, A and C in any order, B and C in any order, and A, B, C in any order. In such statements, more or less than three features may be used.

[0255] In the claims, any reference marks placed between brackets should not be interpreted as limiting the claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps other than those listed in the claims. In addition, as used herein, the term "one" or "a kind" is defined as one (kind) or more than one (kind). In addition, when introductory phrases such as "at least one" and "one or more" are used in the claims, it should not be understood that any other claim element introduced with the indefinite article "one" or "a kind" will limit the claim element containing such introduction to only one such element, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "one" or "a kind". The same is true for the case of using definite articles. Unless otherwise specified, terms such as "first" and "second" are used to arbitrarily distinguish the elements described by such terms. Therefore, these terms are not necessarily intended to represent the time or other priority of such elements. The pure fact of stating certain measures in mutually different claims does not mean that the combination of these measures cannot be used advantageously.

[0256] Unless otherwise expressly indicated as incompatible, or the physics or other aspects of the embodiments, examples or claims prevent such combinations, the features of the foregoing embodiments and examples and the following claims may be combined in any suitable arrangement, especially where there is a beneficial effect to do so. This is not limited to any particular beneficial effect, but may come from an "after-the-fact" beneficial effect. That is, the combination of features is not limited to the form described, especially not to the form (e.g., numbering) of one or more examples, one or more embodiments or one or more dependent claims. In addition, this also applies to phrases "in one embodiment", "according to one embodiment", etc., which are merely wording styles and should not be understood as limiting the following features to a single embodiment, but to all other cases of the same or similar wording. That is, reference to "one", "a kind" or "some" embodiments may be reference to any one or more and / or all embodiments disclosed or combinations thereof. Similarly, similarly, reference to "the" embodiment may not be limited to the previous embodiment.

[0257] As used herein, any machine-executable instructions or computer-readable media can perform the methods disclosed herein, and thus can be used synonymously with or in conjunction with the term method.

[0258] The above description of one or more specific implementations provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of various specific implementations of the present disclosure.

[0259] Index List

[0260] 2 System

[0261] 4 Machines

[0262] 14 Processing Units

[0263] 20 Container handling unit (first example)

[0264] 32 Extraction Units

[0265] 34 Capsule holding part

[0266] 36 Closing part

[0267] 38 Injection head

[0268] 40 Beverage Export

[0269] 22 Fluid Conditioning System

[0270] 24 Storage

[0271] 26 Pumps

[0272] 28 Heat exchanger

[0273] 30 Exit

[0274] 42 Bulk material handling unit (second example)

[0275] 16 Electrical circuit system

[0276] 48 Control electrical circuit system

[0277] 50 Input Units

[0278] 52 Processors

[0279] 54 Feedback System

[0280] 18 Code reading system

[0281] 46 Image Capture Unit

[0282] 6 Container

[0283] Capsule - Example 1

[0284] 56 Capping part

[0285] 44 Code

[0286] 80 units

[0287] R Reference section

[0288] 84 Reference Units

[0289] R Reference Line

[0290] O origin

[0291] D Data section

[0292] 86 data units

[0293] E-coded line

[0294] d Distance

[0295] 88 starting position

[0296] 90 Discrete Positions

[0297] I Code Identification Section

[0298] 94 discrete locations

[0299] 96 Identification Units

[0300] 82 Surrounding

[0301] 92 Outer perimeter

[0302] 58 Constraints

[0303] 60 Flange part

[0304] Capsule - Example 2

[0305] 62 Sheet Materials

[0306] 64 Seams

[0307] 68 Opening

[0308] 8 Server System

[0309] 10 Peripheral devices

[0310] 12 Computer Networks

Claims

1. A container for containing a precursor material, the container being intended for use with a machine for preparing a beverage and / or a food product or a precursor thereof, the container comprising a machine-readable code storing preparation information for use with a preparation process performed by the machine, the code comprising: a reference portion (R) for locating the code, and a data portion (D) for storing the preparation information, wherein the reference portion comprises reference cells arranged to uniquely define a linear virtual reference line (r), wherein the data portion comprises data cells encoding at least in part the value of a parameter of the preparation information as a geometric distance (d) of the data cell from a starting position along each of a plurality of virtual coding lines (E), wherein the plurality of encoding lines are circular and arranged to intersect the reference line (r), and the innermost encoding line has a smaller radius than the outermost encoding line, in: 1) The outermost coding lines encode two or more values ​​of the same parameter, the two or more values ​​are encoded sequentially according to the order in which the parameters are used, and each of the values ​​is encoded using a single data unit that can be arranged at any consecutive position from the starting position; 2) the innermost coding line encodes the value of a parameter, the value of the parameter being encoded as the average distance of two data units from the starting position, and; 3) The innermost coding line encodes binary information of the preparation information, the binary information being encoded as the absence or presence of a cell at a predetermined position relative to one of the cells encoding the parameter on the innermost coding line.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein each of the two or more values ​​of the same parameter encoded on the outermost coding line is a duration of operation of one or more components of a processing unit of the machine, And the starting position associated with the value comprises a data unit, and the distance (d2) between the starting position and the data unit encoding the adjacent value encodes the duration between operations in which the component is not operated.

3. A container according to claim 2, wherein the component is one or more of the following: a mixer of a mixing unit of the processing unit; a heat exchanger of a fluid conditioning system of the processing unit; a pump of the fluid conditioning system of the processing unit; a flow path control unit of the fluid conditioning system.

4. A container according to any one of claims 2 or 3, wherein the intermediate coding line adjacent to the outermost coding line encodes the value of another parameter encoded using a single data unit, and the single data unit: can be arranged at one position of a predetermined number of positions arranged relative to a starting position, wherein each position specifies a different value of the parameter, or; can be arranged at any continuous position starting from the starting position.

5. A container according to claims 2 and 4, wherein the further parameters of the intermediate coding lines adjacent to the outermost coding lines encode, for each of the operations, the setting of the component when operated.

6. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein an intermediate coding line adjacent to the outermost coding line encodes two or more values ​​of the same parameter, each of which is encoded using a single data unit, which: can be arranged at one of a predetermined number of positions arranged relative to a starting position, wherein each position specifies a different value of the parameter, or; can be arranged at any consecutive position starting from the starting position.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein the two or more values ​​of the same parameter are arranged in an order corresponding to the order of use of the two or more values ​​of the parameter on the outermost coding line.

8. The container according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the two or more values ​​of the same parameter of the intermediate coding line are the flow rate of a pump of a fluid conditioning system of a processing unit or the temperature of the heat exchanger of the fluid conditioning system.

9. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein an intermediate coding line adjacent to the innermost coding line encodes a value of a parameter, the value of the parameter being encoded as the average distance of two data units from a starting position on the intermediate coding line, and encoding binary information as the absence or presence of a cell at a predetermined position relative to one of the cells encoding the parameter on the intermediate encoding line, And the binary information includes identifiers distributed on the innermost encoding line and the middle encoding line.

10. The container of claim 9, wherein the binary information is additionally encoded as the absence or presence of a cell at a vertex defining a square, wherein the vertex is outside the outermost encoding line, and the binary information comprises the identifier.

11. A substrate for attachment to a container for containing precursor material and for use with a machine for preparing a beverage and / or food product or a precursor thereof, or for attachment to the machine, the substrate comprising a machine-readable code storing preparation information for use with a preparation process performed by the machine, the code comprising: a reference portion (R) for locating the code, and a data portion (D) for storing the preparation information, wherein the reference portion comprises reference cells arranged to uniquely define a linear virtual reference line (r), wherein the data portion comprises data cells encoding at least in part the value of a parameter of the preparation information as a geometric distance (d) of the data cell from a starting position along each of a plurality of virtual coding lines (E), wherein the plurality of encoding lines are circular and arranged to intersect the reference line (r), and the innermost encoding line has a smaller radius than the outermost encoding line, in: 1) The outermost coding lines encode two or more values ​​of the same parameter, the two or more values ​​are encoded sequentially according to the order in which the parameters are used, and each of the values ​​is encoded using a single data unit that can be arranged at any consecutive position from the starting position; 2) the innermost coding line encodes the value of a parameter, the value of the parameter being encoded as the average distance of two data units from the starting position, and; 3) The innermost coding line encodes binary information of the preparation information, the binary information being encoded as the absence or presence of a cell at a predetermined position relative to one of the cells encoding the parameter on the innermost coding line.

12. A machine for preparing a beverage and / or a food product or a precursor thereof, the machine comprising: A code reading system, the code reading system is used to read the code of the container; a processing unit, the processing unit being used to process the precursor material in the container; and an electrical circuit system for controlling the processing unit based on the preparation information read from the code, The electrical circuit system is configured to perform the following steps: Locating a reference portion (R) of said code; positioning a data portion (D) of said code using a linear line defined by said reference portion (R); Reading two or more encoded values ​​of the same parameter of the preparation information from the outermost circular encoding line (E) of the data portion (D), encoding the values ​​sequentially according to the order of use of the parameters, the values ​​being encoded as a single data unit, the single data unit being able to be arranged as a geometric distance (d) along the encoding line at any consecutive position from a starting position on the encoding line; reading the encoded value of the parameter of the preparation information from the innermost circular encoding line (E) of the data portion (D), the value being encoded as the average distance of two data units, both arranged at a geometric distance (d) along the encoding line from a starting position on the encoding line; The binary information of the preparation information is read on the innermost circular encoding line (E), the binary information being encoded as the absence or presence of a cell at a predetermined position on the encoding line relative to one of the cells encoding the parameter on the innermost encoding line.

13. A system comprising a container according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and a machine according to claim 12.

14. Use of a container according to any one of claims 1 to 10 for a machine for preparing beverages and / or foodstuffs or precursors thereof according to claim 12.

15. A method for encoding preparation information using a code, the method comprising: arranging reference elements of the code to define a reference portion (R) for positioning the code, wherein the reference portion is arranged to define a linear virtual reference line (r); On the outermost circular coding line (E) of the data portion (D), two or more values ​​of the same parameter of the preparation information are encoded, the values ​​are encoded sequentially according to the order in which the parameters are used, the values ​​are encoded as a single data unit, and the single data unit can be arranged at any consecutive position from the starting position on the coding line as a geometric distance (d) along the coding line; encoding, on the innermost circular coding line (E) of the data portion (D), the value of the parameter of the preparation information, the value being encoded as the average distance of two data units, the two data units being arranged at a geometric distance (d) along the coding line from a starting position on the coding line; On the innermost circular coding line (E), binary information of the preparation information is encoded, which is encoded as the absence or presence of a unit at a predetermined position on the coding line relative to one of the units encoding the parameter on the innermost coding line.

16. A method of reading preparation information from a code for use in a preparation process, wherein a machine is controlled based on the preparation information to prepare a beverage and / or a food product or a precursor thereof, the method comprising: Locating a reference portion (R) of said code; positioning a data portion (D) of said code using a linear line defined by said reference portion (R); Reading two or more encoded values ​​of the same parameter of the preparation information from the outermost circular encoding line (E) of the data portion (D), encoding the values ​​sequentially according to the order of use of the parameters, the values ​​being encoded as a single data unit, the single data unit being able to be arranged as a geometric distance (d) along the encoding line at any consecutive position from a starting position on the encoding line; reading the encoded value of the parameter of the preparation information from the innermost circular encoding line (E) of the data portion (D), the value being encoded as the average distance of two data units, both arranged at a geometric distance (d) along the encoding line from a starting position on the encoding line; The binary information of the preparation information is read on the innermost circular encoding line (E), the binary information being encoded as the absence or presence of a cell at a predetermined position on the encoding line relative to one of the cells encoding the parameter on the innermost encoding line.

17. Electrical circuit system for implementing the method according to claim 16.

18. A computer-readable medium comprising a program code for implementing the method according to claim 16.

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