Beverage equipment and control method thereof
By combining contact and non-contact sensors into a sensing system, and selecting a sensing strategy based on associated information, the problem of insufficient sensing accuracy in beverage equipment when automatically adjusting the height of the beverage outlet is solved, achieving higher sensing accuracy and a better user experience.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202410840944.3
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-06-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-02
AI Technical Summary
Existing beverage equipment lacks sufficient sensing accuracy when automatically adjusting the height of the beverage outlet, which can easily lead to damage to the outlet or container, or even container tipping over.
The sensing system employs a combination of contact and non-contact sensors. It selects appropriate sensors based on associated information and drives the outlet to the target position according to the sensing results, ensuring sensing accuracy.
It improves the accuracy of automatic adjustment of beverage outlet height, reduces the risk of container contamination and damage, and enhances the user experience.
Smart Images
Figure CN121242389A_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of beverage equipment, and in particular, to a beverage equipment and a control method thereof. BACKGROUND
[0002] A beverage equipment is used to provide a beverage. For example, as a kind of beverage equipment, a coffee machine is used to provide coffee. The beverage equipment is provided with a beverage outlet to provide the beverage to a user through the beverage outlet. In use, a user places a container such as a cup under the beverage outlet to receive the beverage flowing out of the beverage outlet. The space under the beverage outlet can only accommodate containers with a specific height, which brings inconvenience to the use of the beverage equipment.
[0003] In order to accommodate containers with different heights, the outlet part of the beverage equipment provided with the beverage outlet can have a lifting function. When dealing with a higher container, the beverage outlet can be lifted to a higher height to facilitate the placement and removal of the container. Correspondingly, when dealing with a lower container, the beverage outlet can be lowered to a lower height to reduce the risk of beverage splashing.
[0004] Determining the height of the container is a prerequisite for automatically adjusting the height of the beverage outlet. As a way, the relative position of the outlet part and the container can be sensed during the lowering of the beverage outlet to reserve a suitable height for the placement and removal of the container. It is best to sense the relative position of the outlet part and the container every time to ensure that the lowering process stops in time. If sensing fails, the outlet part that continues to lower may cause undesirable consequences, such as damage to the outlet part or the container, or the container tipping over. SUMMARY
[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a beverage equipment and a control method thereof to improve the accuracy of automatically adjusting the height of the beverage outlet.
[0006] The beverage device comprises an outlet portion, a driving apparatus, a sensing system and a controller. The outlet portion is provided with a supply port for supplying a beverage to a container. The driving apparatus is configured to drive the outlet portion and / or the container to move so as to approach each other. The sensing system comprises a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor is configured to sense whether the outlet portion contacts the container during the approach of the outlet portion to the container, and the second sensor is configured to non-contactly sense whether the outlet portion reaches a proximity position relative to the container. The controller is configured to execute a control method, which comprises: obtaining association information associated with a reliability of a sensing result of the container by the second sensor; determining a sensing strategy according to the association information, the sensing strategy indicating a cooperation manner of the first sensor and the second sensor; and during the approach of the outlet portion to the container, controlling the sensing system according to the sensing strategy to obtain a first sensing result, and controlling the driving apparatus according to the first sensing result so that the outlet portion reaches a target position relative to the container, wherein the beverage is supplied to the container through the supply port at the target position.
[0007] The beverage device provided by the present disclosure has both contact and non-contact sensors for sensing the relative position relationship between the outlet portion and the container. The control method provided by the present disclosure determines different sensing strategies by association information, i.e., selecting the first sensor or the second sensor, and the association information is associated with the reliability of the sensing result of the container by the second sensor. In this way, when the reliability of the association information associated with the sensing result of the container by the second sensor is high, the beverage device obtains the first sensing result by the second sensor; when the reliability of the association information associated with the sensing result of the container by the second sensor is low, the beverage device obtains the first sensing result by the first sensor, which helps to improve the sensing accuracy of the relative position between the outlet portion and the container.
[0008] In a possible implementation, the association information is input by a user to the beverage device.
[0009] The association information is input by a user to the beverage device, which can ensure the reliability of the association information.
[0010] In a possible implementation, the association information is used to indicate which one of a plurality of categories the beverage belongs to.
[0011] For a beverage device that provides beverages of a plurality of categories, the user includes the operation of selecting the beverage category in the process of using the beverage device. In this way, when the association information is obtained, no additional operation steps are required for the user.
[0012] In a possible implementation, the plurality of categories comprises a first category and a second category, wherein the reliability associated with the second category is higher than the reliability associated with the first category.
[0013] The sensing result of the second sensor on the container has a higher credibility associated with the second category than a credibility associated with the first category, so that when the user selects the second category, the beverage device can improve the sensing accuracy of the relative position of the outlet and the container by obtaining the sensing result through the second sensor.
[0014] In a possible implementation, the first category and the second category are classified based on the temperature of the beverage, the first category includes a low-temperature category, and the second category includes a high-temperature category, and the low-temperature category has a lower temperature than the high-temperature category.
[0015] Containers for holding beverages of the low-temperature category and the high-temperature category have different characteristics. In general, containers for holding beverages of the high-temperature category need to consider conditions such as heat insulation, and therefore the material selection will avoid transparent glass or plastic. In this way, when the second sensor senses the relative position of the outlet and the container holding the beverage of the high-temperature category, the possibility of sensing failure due to abnormal reflection of light will be reduced, which is conducive to improving the accuracy of sensing. In other words, the sensing result of the second sensor on the container has a higher credibility associated with the high-temperature category than a credibility associated with the low-temperature category.
[0016] In a possible implementation, the first category and the second category are classified based on the number of servings of the beverage, the first category includes a multi-cup category, and the second category includes a single-cup category, wherein when the beverage belongs to the multi-cup category, the beverage is supplied to multiple containers through the outlet; and when the beverage belongs to the single-cup category, the beverage is supplied to a single container through the outlet.
[0017] When the outlet supplies beverages to multiple containers, there may be a situation that the heights of the multiple containers are inconsistent. In this case, the first sensor is more accurate in sensing the relative position of the outlet and the container. The second sensor is more suitable for the case where the beverage belongs to the single-cup category. In other words, the sensing result of the second sensor on the container has a higher credibility associated with the single-cup category than a credibility associated with the multi-cup category.
[0018] In a possible implementation, the determining of the sensing strategy according to the association information includes: determining the sensing strategy as the first sensing strategy when the beverage belongs to the second category, wherein the first sensing strategy includes disabling the first sensor and obtaining the first sensing result through the second sensor.
[0019] The sensing result of the second sensor on the container has a higher credibility associated with the second category than a credibility associated with the first category, so that when the beverage belongs to the second category, the beverage device obtains the sensing result through the second sensor.
[0020] In a possible implementation, the sensing system comprises a third sensor configured to non-contact sense whether the container is located at the pickup position, and the associated information comprises a second sensing result obtained by the third sensor.
[0021] The container is not placed at the pickup position, which reduces the sensing accuracy. The third sensor is configured to sense whether the container is located at the pickup position, which helps improve the sensing accuracy of the relative position between the outlet and the container.
[0022] In a possible implementation, the determining the sensing strategy according to the associated information comprises: in a case where the second sensing result indicates that the container is located at the pickup position, determining the sensing strategy as a second sensing strategy, wherein the second sensing strategy comprises disabling the first sensor and obtaining the first sensing result by the second sensor.
[0023] The third sensor senses that the container is located at the pickup position, which indicates that the container can be non-contact sensed, and the first sensing result is obtained by the second sensor at this time, which helps improve the sensing accuracy of the outlet and the container.
[0024] In a possible implementation, the second sensor and the third sensor are the same type of sensor.
[0025] The second sensor and the third sensor are the same type of sensor, which can ensure the consistency of the sensing result and reduce the risk of sensing failure.
[0026] In a possible implementation, the associated information comprises category information and the second sensing result, wherein the sensing system comprises a third sensor configured to non-contact sense whether the container is located at the pickup position to obtain the second sensing result; and the category information is input by a user to the beverage device, and indicates which of a plurality of categories the beverage belongs to.
[0027] The associated information comprises the information input by the user and the second sensing result, which can more accurately determine the reliability of the sensing result of the second sensor on the container and the associated information, and can improve the effectiveness of the sensing.
[0028] In a possible implementation, the plurality of categories includes a first category and a second category, and the trustworthiness associated with the second category is higher than the trustworthiness associated with the first category; and the determining the sensing strategy according to the association information includes: in a case where the beverage belongs to the first category and the second sensing result indicates that the container is located at the access position, determining the sensing strategy as a third sensing strategy, where the third sensing strategy includes: obtaining the first sensing result by the second sensor according to the second sensing result; or in a case where the beverage belongs to the second category and the second sensing result indicates that the container is not located at the access position, determining the sensing strategy as a fourth sensing strategy, where the fourth sensing strategy includes: obtaining the first sensing result by the first sensor according to the second sensing result.
[0029] The trustworthiness of the second sensing result associated with the sensing result of the container by the second sensor is higher than the trustworthiness of the category information associated with the sensing result of the container by the second sensor. When the second sensing result indicates that the container is located at the access position, it means that the container can be sensed non-contactly, and the trustworthiness of the sensing result of the container by the second sensor is high, at this time, even if the beverage belongs to the first category, the sensing result is obtained by the second sensor to ensure the accuracy of sensing. When the second sensing result indicates that the container is not located at the access position, it means that the container cannot be sensed non-contactly, and the trustworthiness of the sensing result of the container by the second sensor is low, at this time, even if the beverage belongs to the second category, the sensing result is obtained by the first sensor to ensure the accuracy of sensing.
[0030] In a possible implementation, the control method further includes: in a case where the first sensing result indicates that the outlet portion is in contact with the container, controlling the driving device so that the outlet portion is moved away from the container to reach the target position; or in a case where the first sensing result indicates that the outlet portion reaches the approach position relative to the container, controlling the driving device so that the outlet portion is stopped at the approach position relative to the container, and the approach position is taken as the target position.
[0031] In the contact sensing, the driving device drives the outlet portion to contact the container, and then the controller moves the container away to reach the target position, so that after the beverage is supplied to the container through the supply port, the user can smoothly take out the container. Similarly, in the non-contact sensing, the driving device drives the outlet portion to move to the position close to the container and stops, so that after the beverage is supplied to the container through the supply port, the user can smoothly take out the container.
[0032] In a possible implementation, the outlet portion includes a contact piece, and in the process that the outlet portion approaches the container, the contact piece is in contact with the container to be active to trigger the first sensor.
[0033] Due to the presence of the contact piece, the container is in contact with the contact piece to trigger the sensor.
[0034] In a possible implementation, the second sensor has a target sensing range; the second sensor is triggered when the container enters the target sensing range, to control the driving device so that the outlet portion reaches the target position relative to the container.
[0035] According to the beverage device provided by the present disclosure, the second sensor is triggered when the container enters the target sensing range, so that the container does not need to be in contact with the outlet portion, and the situation that the outlet portion contaminates the beverage in the container is avoided.
[0036] In a possible implementation, the second sensor is arranged on the outlet portion and has a target sensing range, wherein during the approach of the outlet portion to the container, the second sensor is triggered when the container enters the target sensing range as the outlet portion reaches the approach position relative to the container.
[0037] The approach position is taken as the target position when the outlet portion reaches the approach position relative to the container, so that the second sensor can be triggered, and the outlet portion is prevented from continuing to approach downward and being in contact with the container.
[0038] In another aspect, the present disclosure also provides a beverage device, which includes an outlet portion, a driving device, a sensing system, and a controller. The outlet portion is provided with a supply port for supplying beverage to a container. The driving device is used to drive the outlet portion and / or the container to move so as to approach each other. The sensing system includes a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein during the approach of the outlet portion to the container, the first sensor is used to sense whether the outlet portion is in contact with the container, and the second sensor is used to non-contactingly sense whether the outlet portion reaches an approach position relative to the container. The controller is configured to perform the control method described above.
[0039] The beverage device provided by the present disclosure is provided with the first sensor and the second sensor, which are used to sense the relative position of the outlet portion and the container during the descent of the outlet portion. Different sensing strategies are determined by the association information, and the controller can drive the outlet portion according to the sensing results under different sensing strategies, so that the outlet portion reaches a target position relative to the container, and the beverage is supplied to the container through the supply port at the target position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0040] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments.
[0041] It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present disclosure, and should not be considered as limiting the scope.
[0042] It should also be understood that the same or similar reference signs are used to represent the same or similar elements in the drawings.
[0043] It should also be understood that the drawings are only schematic, and the sizes and proportions of the elements in the drawings are not necessarily accurate.
[0044] Figure 1 is a schematic view of a beverage equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0045] Figure 2 is Figure 1 is a flowchart of a control method of a beverage equipment.
[0046] Figure 3 is Figure 1 is a flowchart of a control method of a beverage equipment.
[0047] Figure 4 is Figure 1 is a flowchart of another control method of a beverage equipment.
[0048] Figure 5 is Figure 1 is a flowchart of still another control method of a beverage equipment.
[0049] Figure 6 is Figure 1 is a structural schematic view of a part of an outlet portion of a beverage equipment.
[0050] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a control device of a beverage equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0051] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the implementation of the present disclosure can be various, and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein, which are presented merely to more fully and clearly convey the understanding of the present disclosure.
[0052] In the related art, in order to adapt to containers of different heights, the outlet portion of the beverage equipment can have a lifting function, and the beverage equipment can automatically adjust the beverage outlet height according to the sensed height of the container to ensure that the outlet portion can stop in time during the lowering process. A contact sensor or a non-contact sensor can be used to sense the height of the container. The contact sensor has the advantage of being able to accurately sense the height of the container, however, since the contact sensor needs to contact the container to achieve sensing, it is easy to contaminate the container. The non-contact sensor has the advantage of not contaminating the container due to contact, however, since the sensing accuracy of the non-contact sensor can be affected by the sensing principle and the material of the container, for example, if the sensing principle of the non-contact sensor is to achieve according to the light reflected by the container, and in the case of a transparent material (such as glass material) of the container, the sensing failure due to abnormal reflection of light can occur, thereby causing the outlet portion to fail to stop in time and damage the outlet portion or the container, or cause the container to overturn.
[0053] To solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a control method of a beverage equipment, which can select a proper sensor to perform sensing according to associated information indicating the reliability of the sensing result of the sensor to the container, and drive the outlet part to reach the correct position relative to the container according to the sensing result. In this way, in the case of using a non-contact sensor to perform sensing, the non-contact sensor is preferred to perform sensing, otherwise the contact sensor is used to perform sensing, thereby reducing the possibility of the container being contaminated due to the contact between the outlet part and the container while ensuring accurate sensing.
[0054] Exemplary beverage apparatus
[0055] The present disclosure provides a beverage equipment 100. The beverage equipment 100 can be used to provide a beverage. In some examples, the beverage equipment 100 can be involved in the preparation of the beverage. For example, the beverage equipment 100 can prepare raw materials or intermediate materials into a beverage by means of brewing or mixing, etc. For example, in particular, the beverage equipment 100 can be a coffee machine. Of course, in other examples, the beverage equipment 100 can not be involved in the preparation of the beverage, but store the prepared beverage and provide it to the user.
[0056] For the convenience of understanding, the configuration of the beverage equipment 100 is exemplified below. It should be understood that the configuration of the beverage equipment 100 should not be limited to the description herein. For example, one or more elements introduced below can be omitted or replaced, and the layout relationship between multiple elements can be replaced, without contradiction.
[0057] Reference Figure 1 The beverage equipment 100 can include a body 10 and an outlet part 20 mounted on the body 10. The outlet part 20 can be provided with a supply port 30 at the bottom. The beverage can flow from the inside of the body 10 to the supply port 30 and flow out through the supply port 30. The user can place a container 200 such as a cup below the supply port 30 to take the beverage from the supply port 30. As an example, the beverage equipment 100 can, but not necessarily, include a platform 40 below the supply port 30. When taking the beverage, the container 200 can be placed on the platform 40. It can be understood that the beverage equipment 100 can also be a beverage machine integrated with multiple functions. For the beverage equipment 100 integrated with multiple functions at the same time, the number of supply ports 30 can be multiple or can be multiple simultaneously connected.
[0058] Continuing to refer to Figure 1 The beverage equipment 100 further includes a driving device 50, a sensing system 60 and a controller 70.
[0059] The drive device 50 is used to drive the outlet portion 20 and / or the container 200 to move so as to approach each other. The drive device 50 can include a motor and a transmission component. The transmission component is connected between the motor and / or a platform on which the container 200 is placed, and is used to transmit the kinetic energy of the motor to the outlet portion 20 and / or the platform 40. The transmission component can be, for example, a mechanical transmission mechanism such as a gear, a belt, a chain, etc., and embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. The transmission component can also be a component using electric transmission, magnetic transmission or hydraulic transmission.
[0060] The sensing system 60 includes a first sensor 61 and a second sensor 62. The first sensor 61 is used to sense whether the outlet portion 20 and the container 200 are in contact during the approach of the outlet portion 20 and the container 200, and the second sensor 62 is used to non-contactingly sense whether the outlet portion 20 reaches the approach position relative to the container 200. Specifically, the first sensor 61 can be a contact sensor, for example, a pressure-sensitive sensor. The second sensor 62 can be a non-contact sensor, also known as a proximity sensor, which can replace a contact sensor such as a limit switch, and can sense without contacting the sensing object. The proximity sensor is used to sense the movement information of the sensing object (for example, whether the distance between the proximity sensor and the sensing object is less than a preset threshold), and convert the movement information into an electrical signal to achieve sensing, for example, by means of eddy current generated in the metal body of the sensing object caused by electromagnetic induction, changes in electrical signals caused by the proximity of the sensing object, sensing of reflected light signals, etc. The proximity sensor can be, for example, an eddy current sensor, a Hall sensor, a photoelectric sensor, etc.
[0061] For example, a pressure-sensitive sensor and a photoelectric sensor can be arranged on the surface of the outlet portion 20 facing the container 200. In the case of a transparent material container such as a glass container, when the outlet portion 20 is in contact with the container 200, the relative movement of the outlet portion 20 and the container 200 is stopped by the sensing result of the pressure-sensitive sensor. In the case of an opaque material container such as a paper cup, when the outlet portion 20 approaches the container 200, the relative movement of the outlet portion 20 and the container 200 is stopped by the sensing result of the photoelectric sensor.
[0062] The controller 70 is configured to perform a control method of the beverage device 100. The first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62 sense the relative position between the outlet portion 20 and the container 200 during the descent of the outlet portion 20 or the ascent of the platform 40 on which the container 200 is placed. The first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62 correspond to different sensing strategies. The controller 70 can drive the outlet portion 20 or the platform 40 according to the sensing results under different sensing strategies, so that the outlet portion 20 reaches a target position relative to the container 200, so that the beverage is supplied to the container 200 through the supply port 30 at the target position. For example, the controller 70 stops the relative movement of the outlet portion 20 and the container 200 according to the electrical signal generated by the first sensor 61 when the sensing strategy is suitable for using the first sensor 61. The controller 70 stops the relative movement of the outlet portion 20 and the container 200 according to the electrical signal generated by the second sensor 62 when the sensing strategy is suitable for using the second sensor 62.
[0063] Method of controlling an exemplary beverage apparatus
[0064] Reference Figure 2 The present disclosure also provides a control method S10 of a beverage device 100. The control method S10 of the beverage device 100 can be implemented on the beverage device 100 mentioned above, and in particular, can be executed by the controller 70 in the beverage device 100. Of course, the control method S10 of the beverage device 100 can also be applied to a smart terminal such as a smart phone, a computer, etc. connected to the beverage device 100, and the present disclosure does not particularly limit this. The control method S10 of the beverage device 100 includes:
[0065] In step S11, the association information is obtained. Specifically, the association information is used to indicate information associated with the reliability of the sensing result of the sensor to the container, that is, the association information directly or indirectly characterizes the sensor adapted to the container. For example, the association information can be input by the user to the beverage device 100, so that the reliability of the association information can be ensured. In order to improve the user experience, the above-mentioned association information can be determined according to the normal operation of the user. For example, the user can input through the operation interface on the beverage device 100, or through the operation interface on the control panel in communication connection with the beverage device 100, or through the operation interface of a smart terminal such as a smart phone, a computer, etc. wirelessly connected to the beverage device 100.
[0066] In step S12, the sensing strategy is determined according to the association information, and the sensing strategy indicates the cooperation mode of the first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62. That is, it can be indicated that the first sensor 61 is used for sensing, or it can be indicated that the second sensor 62 is used for sensing.
[0067] At step S131, it is instructed to perform sensing by the first sensor 61. The association information is associated with the reliability of the sensing result of the second sensor 62 on the container 200, and when the association information is associated with low reliability of the sensing result of the second sensor 62 on the container 200, it is instructed to perform sensing by the first sensor 61.
[0068] At step S132, it is instructed to perform sensing by the second sensor 62, and when the association information is associated with high reliability of the sensing result of the second sensor 62 on the container 200, it is instructed to perform sensing by the second sensor 62.
[0069] Taking the scenario that the user selects cold drinks or hot drinks as an example, assuming that the user usually uses a glass cup to hold cold drinks and uses a paper cup to hold hot drinks, the selection result of the user for cold drinks or hot drinks can be taken as the association information, and the container is predicted to be a glass cup or a paper cup according to the association information. For example, when it is determined that the user selects cold drinks, it is indicated that the user is likely to use a glass cup, and therefore the first sensor 61 can be triggered to perform sensing, and when it is determined that the user selects hot drinks, it is indicated that the user is likely to use a paper cup, and therefore the second sensor 62 can be triggered to perform sensing.
[0070] At step S14, the sensing system 60 is controlled according to the sensing strategy to obtain a first sensing result.
[0071] In an embodiment, the first sensor 61 or the second sensor 62 can be controlled to work, for example, only the first sensor 61 or the second sensor 62 is connected with the controller, and the obtained sensing result is taken as the first sensing result. Alternatively, the first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62 can also be controlled to normally work, but only the sensing result of the first sensor 61 or the second sensor 62 is taken as the first sensing result.
[0072] At step S15, the driving device 50 is controlled according to the first sensing result, so that the outlet portion 20 reaches a target position relative to the container 200, and the beverage is supplied to the container 200 through the supply port 30 at the target position.
[0073] In an embodiment, the first sensing result can be an electrical signal sensed by the first sensor 61 or the second sensor 62, and the controller determines whether the outlet portion 20 contacts or approaches the container 200 according to the electrical signal. Alternatively, the first sensing result can be a digital signal generated by a chip on the first sensor 61 or the second sensor 62 according to the sensed electrical signal, and the controller determines whether the outlet portion 20 contacts or approaches the container 200 according to the digital signal.
[0074] Further, the association information can be used to indicate many features. As an example, the association information can be used to indicate which of a plurality of categories the beverage belongs to. For a beverage device that provides beverages of a plurality of categories, the user includes the operation of selecting the beverage category in the process of using the beverage device. In this way, when the association information is obtained, no additional operation steps are required for the user.
[0075] Further, the plurality of categories of beverages can include a first category and a second category, wherein the reliability of the sensing result of the second sensor 62 on the container 200 associated with the second category can be higher than the reliability associated with the first category. In this way, when the user selects the second category, the beverage device 100 obtains the sensing result through the second sensor 62, which can improve the sensing accuracy of the relative position of the outlet portion 20 and the container 200.
[0076] There are many ways to classify beverages, and the present disclosure does not make special limitations. As an example, the first category and the second category can be classified based on the temperature of the beverage, the first category includes a low-temperature category, and the second category includes a high-temperature category, the low-temperature category has a lower temperature relative to the high-temperature category. The container 200 for holding low-temperature category and high-temperature category beverages has different characteristics. Generally speaking, the container 200 for holding high-temperature category beverages needs to consider heat insulation and other conditions, so the material selection will avoid transparent glass or plastic. In this way, when the second sensor 62 senses the relative position of the outlet portion 20 and the container 200 holding the high-temperature category beverage, the possibility of sensing failure due to abnormal reflection of light will be reduced, which is beneficial to improve the accuracy of sensing. In other words, the reliability of the sensing result of the second sensor 62 on the container 200 associated with the high-temperature category is higher than the reliability associated with the low-temperature category.
[0077] Of course, the first category and the second category can also be classified based on the number of servings of the beverage. For example, the first category includes a multi-cup category, and the second category includes a single-cup category, wherein in the case of a beverage belonging to a multi-cup category, the beverage is supplied to multiple containers 200 through the outlet portion 20. In the case of a beverage belonging to a single-cup category, the beverage is supplied to a single container 200 through the outlet portion 20. When the outlet portion 20 supplies beverages to multiple containers 200, there can be a situation where the heights of the multiple containers 200 are inconsistent. At this time, the relative position of the outlet portion 20 and the container 200 is sensed by the first sensor 61, which is more accurate. The second sensor 62 is more suitable for the case where the beverage belongs to a single-cup category. In other words, the reliability of the sensing result of the second sensor 62 on the container 200 associated with the single-cup category is higher than the reliability associated with the multi-cup category.
[0078] Figure 3is a schematic flowchart of a control method S10 of the beverage equipment 100 provided by the present disclosure, wherein the association information is used to indicate which category the beverage belongs to. The control method S10 comprises:
[0079] In step S11, the association information is obtained, which is used to indicate which category the beverage belongs to.
[0080] In step S121, it is determined which category the beverage belongs to.
[0081] If the beverage belongs to the first category, step S141 is performed, the second sensor 62 is disabled, and the first sensing result is obtained by the first sensor 61, i.e. sensing whether the outlet portion 20 is in contact with the container 200.
[0082] In step S151, the driving device 50 is controlled so that the outlet portion 20 is moved away from the container 200 to reach the target position. Specifically, the sensing mode is contact sensing, at this time the driving device 50 can drive the outlet portion 20 to be in contact with the container 200, and then the driving device 50 drives the outlet portion 20 to move away from the container 200 to reach the target position, so that after the beverage is supplied to the container 200 through the supply port 30, the user can smoothly take out the container 200.
[0083] Returning to step S121, if the beverage belongs to the second category, step S142 is performed, and the sensing strategy is determined as the first sensing strategy, i.e. the first sensor 61 is disabled and the first sensing result is obtained by the second sensor 62, i.e. non-contact sensing whether the outlet portion 20 reaches the approach position relative to the container 200.
[0084] In step S152, the driving device 50 is controlled so that the outlet portion 20 is stopped at the approach position relative to the container 200, and the approach position is taken as the target position. Specifically, the sensing mode is non-contact sensing, at this time the driving device 50 can drive the outlet portion 20 to stop when it moves to a position close to the container 200, so that after the beverage is supplied to the container 200 through the supply port 30, the user can smoothly take out the container 200.
[0085] It can be understood that there are many ways to realize the disabling of the second sensor 62, for example, the second sensor 62 can be turned off, at this time only the first sensor 61 is connected with the controller, and the corresponding sensing result is taken as the first sensing result. In some other examples, the second sensor 62 can also not be turned off, but its sensing result is ignored, and only the sensing result of the first sensor 61 is taken as the first sensing result.
[0086] Continuing to refer to Figure 1The sensing system 60 can further include a third sensor 63 for non-contact sensing whether the container 200 is located at the access position, and the associated information includes a second sensing result obtained by the third sensor 63. The container 200 is not placed at the access position, which reduces the sensing accuracy. The third sensor 63 is arranged to sense whether the container 200 is located at the access position, which helps to improve the sensing accuracy of the relative position between the outlet portion 20 and the container 200.
[0087] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a control method S10-1 of the beverage device 100, which can be implemented on the beverage device 100 including the third sensor 63. The control method S10-1 includes:
[0088] At step S11-1, the associated information, i.e., the second sensing result obtained by the third sensor 63, is acquired.
[0089] At step S12-1, in the case that the second sensing result indicates that the container 200 is located at the access position, the sensing strategy is determined as the second sensing strategy, i.e., the first sensor 61 is disabled and the first sensing result is obtained by the second sensor 62. When the third sensor 63 senses that the container 200 is located at the access position, it indicates that the container 200 can be non-contact sensed, and at this time, the first sensing result is obtained by the second sensor 62, which helps to improve the sensing accuracy of the relative position between the outlet portion 20 and the container 200.
[0090] At step S15-1, the driving device 50 is controlled so that the outlet portion 20 is stopped at the approach position relative to the container 200, and the approach position is taken as the target position.
[0091] It can be understood that the second sensor 62 and the third sensor 63 can be the same type of sensor. The second sensor 62 and the third sensor 63 are the same type of sensor, which can ensure the consistency of the sensing result and reduce the risk of sensing failure.
[0092] The associated information can further include category information and the second sensing result, wherein the sensing system 60 includes a third sensor 63 for non-contact sensing whether the container 200 is located at the access position to obtain the second sensing result; and the category information is input by the user to the beverage device 100, and the category information indicates which one of a plurality of categories the beverage belongs to. The associated information includes both the information input by the user and the second sensing result, so that the credibility of the sensing result of the second sensor 62 on the container 200 and the associated information can be more accurately judged, and the effectiveness of the sensing can be improved.
[0093] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a control method S10-2 of the beverage device 100, which includes:
[0094] At step S11-2, the association information is acquired. The association information includes the category information and the second sensing result.
[0095] At step S121-2, in the case that the beverage belongs to the first category and the second sensing result indicates that the container 200 is located at the access position, the sensing strategy is determined as a third sensing strategy: the first sensing result is obtained by the second sensor 62 according to the second sensing result. The reliability of the second sensing result associated with the sensing result of the container 200 by the second sensor 62 is higher than the reliability of the category information associated with the sensing result of the container 200 by the second sensor 62. When the second sensing result indicates that the container 200 is located at the access position, it means that the container 200 can be sensed non-contactly, and the reliability of the sensing result of the container 200 by the second sensor 62 is high. At this time, even if the beverage belongs to the first category, the sensing result is obtained by the second sensor 62 to ensure the accuracy of sensing.
[0096] At step S15-2, the driving device 50 is controlled so that the outlet portion 20 is stopped at the approach position relative to the container 200, and the approach position is taken as the target position.
[0097] If the beverage belongs to the second category and the second sensing result indicates that the container 200 is not located at the access position, step S122-2 is performed after step S11-2 to determine the sensing strategy as a fourth sensing strategy: the first sensing result is obtained by the first sensor 61 according to the second sensing result. When the second sensing result indicates that the container 200 is not located at the access position, it means that the container 200 cannot be sensed non-contactly, and the reliability of the sensing result of the container 200 by the second sensor 62 is low. At this time, even if the beverage belongs to the second category, the sensing result is obtained by the first sensor 61 to ensure the accuracy of sensing.
[0098] Reference Figure 6 In order to trigger the first sensor 61, the outlet portion 20 can further include a contact piece 22, wherein the contact piece 22 is activated by contacting the container 200 (not shown in the figure) during the approach of the outlet portion 20 to the container 200 to trigger the first sensor 61. According to the beverage equipment 100 provided by the present disclosure, the first sensor 61 can be triggered by the contact of the container 200 with the contact piece 22 due to the presence of the contact piece 22.
[0099] Continuing to refer to Figure 6The bottom of the outlet portion 20 can further comprise a support 21 and an action mechanism 23. The contact member 22 is movable relative to the support 21. When the contact member 22 is contacted by the container 200, the contact member 22 is moved relative to the support 21 by the container 200. When any part of the contact member 22 is contacted by the container 200, the action mechanism 23 is activated, and the first sensor 61 is triggered to generate a sensing signal.
[0100] It can be understood that the term "movable" should be interpreted broadly, which can refer to linear movement or rotation. In the present disclosure, "movable" is intended to at least cover both cases.
[0101] The present disclosure does not particularly limit the way of triggering the sensor. As one possible way, the above description of the first sensor 61 is continued. Figure 6 The action mechanism 23 can comprise an action member 231, an acting member 232 and an arm 233. The first sensor 61 can be a micro switch 61. The spring 611 of the micro switch 61 can be located above one arm 233. When the action member 231 is driven by the acting member 232, the arm 233 located below the spring 611 is lifted to apply force to the spring 611, so that the spring 611 is moved. When the spring 611 moves to a critical point, an instantaneous action is generated to quickly connect or disconnect the movable contact and the fixed contact at the end of the spring 611, thereby triggering the first sensor 61.
[0102] The above description of the first sensor 61 is continued. Figure 1 The second sensor 62 can have a target sensing range. When the container 200 enters the target sensing range, the second sensor 62 is triggered to control the driving device 50, so that the outlet portion 20 reaches a target position relative to the container 200. According to the beverage device 100 provided by the present disclosure, the second sensor 62 can be triggered when the container 200 enters the target sensing range, so that the container 200 does not need to be in contact with the outlet portion 20, thereby avoiding the situation that the outlet portion 20 contaminates the beverage in the container 200.
[0103] It can be understood that the non-contact sensor (i.e. the second sensor 62) does not necessarily need to be arranged on the outlet portion, as long as it can sense whether the outlet portion reaches a close position relative to the container. In addition, the non-contact sensor does not necessarily need to be movable. For example, a plurality of sensors, for example, 10, are uniformly arranged in the up-down direction on the beverage device without considering the cost. It is assumed that the 5th sensor does not sense the container, which indicates that the height of the container is located below the height of the lower 4 sensors. Then, the corresponding number of revolutions of the motor can be controlled, and the target position can be a certain position after moving downward, or the highest position, i.e. the position without further movement.
[0104] Further, the second sensor 62 is arranged on the outlet portion 20 and has a target sensing range, in the process that the outlet portion 20 approaches the container 200, when the outlet portion 20 reaches the approaching position relative to the container 200, the container 200 enters the target sensing range to trigger the second sensor 62. The approaching position is taken as the target position when the outlet portion 20 reaches the approaching position relative to the container 200, so that the second sensor 62 can be triggered while avoiding the outlet portion 20 continuing to approach downward and contacting the container 200.
[0105] Exemplary beverage apparatus control device
[0106] With reference to Figure 7 The disclosure provides a control device 800 of a beverage equipment. The control device 800 of the beverage equipment can include an acquisition module 810, a determination module 820 and a control module 830.
[0107] The acquisition module 810 is configured to acquire association information. The association information can be information used to indicate the reliability associated with the sensing result of the sensor to the container 200, i.e. the association information directly or indirectly indicates the sensor adapted to the container 200.
[0108] The determination module 820 is configured to determine a sensing strategy according to the association information, the sensing strategy indicating the cooperation mode of the first sensor and the second sensor.
[0109] The control module 830 is configured to control the sensing result obtained by the sensing system 60 according to the sensing strategy to control the driving device 50, so that the outlet portion 20 reaches the target position relative to the container 200.
[0110] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the association information can be used to indicate which one of a plurality of categories the beverage belongs to. Among them, the beverage can be classified based on the temperature of the beverage, for example, the first category includes a low-temperature category, and the second category includes a high-temperature category. The beverage can also be classified based on the serving size of the beverage, for example, the first category includes a multi-cup category, and the second category includes a single-cup category.
[0111] When the beverage belongs to the second category, the determination module 820 is configured to determine the sensing strategy as a first sensing strategy, i.e. disabling the first sensor 61 and obtaining the first sensing result through the second sensor 62; when the beverage belongs to the first category, the determination module 820 is configured to disable the second sensor 62 and obtain the first sensing result through the first sensor 61.
[0112] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the association information can be used to indicate whether the container 200 is located at the pickup position. When the association information indicates that the container 200 is located at the pickup position, the determination module 820 is configured to determine the sensing strategy as a second sensing strategy, i.e. disabling the first sensor 61 and obtaining the first sensing result through the second sensor 62.
[0113] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the association information can be used to indicate which category the beverage belongs to and whether the container is located at the access position. Further, when the association information indicates that the beverage belongs to the first category and the second sensing result indicates that the container is located at the access position, the determining module 820 is configured to determine the sensing strategy as the third sensing strategy, i.e. the first sensing result is obtained by the second sensor 62 according to the second sensing result. When the association information indicates that the beverage belongs to the second category and the second sensing result indicates that the container is not located at the access position, the determining module 820 is configured to determine the sensing strategy as the fourth sensing strategy, i.e. the first sensing result is obtained by the first sensor 61 according to the second sensing result.
[0114] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the sensing system 60 obtains the sensing result by sensing whether the outlet portion 20 contacts the container 200, the control module 830 is configured to control the driving device 50 according to the sensing result, so that the outlet portion 20 is moved away from the container 200 to reach the target position. When the sensing system 60 obtains the sensing result by non-contact sensing whether the outlet portion 20 reaches the access position relative to the container 200, the control module 830 is configured to control the driving device 50 according to the sensing result, so that the outlet portion 20 is stopped at the access position relative to the container 200, and the access position is taken as the target position.
[0115] It should be understood that the term “comprising” and its variations, used in the present disclosure, are open-ended, i.e., “comprising but not limited to”. The term “according to” means “at least in part according to”. The term “one embodiment” means “at least one embodiment”; the term “another embodiment” means “at least another embodiment”.
[0116] It should be understood that although the terms “first” or “second” and the like can be used in the present disclosure to describe various elements (such as the first sensor and the second sensor), these elements are not limited by these terms, and these terms are only used to distinguish one element from another.
[0117] The protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and any person skilled in the art can think of changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed by the present disclosure, which should be covered by the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A control method for a beverage equipment, characterized in that, The beverage equipment includes: The export section is equipped with a supply port for supplying beverages to containers; A driving device for driving the outlet and / or the container to move so that they approach each other; A sensing system includes a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein, during the process of the outlet portion approaching the container, the first sensor is used to sense whether the outlet portion is in contact with the container, and the second sensor is used to non-contactly sense whether the outlet portion has reached an approach position relative to the container; and A controller is configured to execute the control method, the control method comprising: Obtain association information, which is related to the reliability of the sensing results of the second sensor on the container; Based on the associated information, a sensing strategy is determined, the sensing strategy indicating the cooperation method between the first sensor and the second sensor; and As the outlet approaches the container, the sensing system is controlled according to the sensing strategy to obtain a first sensing result, and the driving device is controlled according to the first sensing result to make the outlet reach a target position relative to the container, wherein the beverage is supplied to the container through the supply port at the target position.
2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The associated information is input by the user into the beverage device.
3. The control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The associated information is used to indicate which of the various categories the beverage belongs to.
4. The control method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The multiple product categories include a first product category and a second product category, wherein the credibility associated with the second product category is higher than the credibility associated with the first product category.
5. The control method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first category and the second category are classified based on the temperature of the beverage. The first category includes low-temperature beverages, and the second category includes high-temperature beverages. The low-temperature beverages have a lower temperature than the high-temperature beverages.
6. The control method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first category and the second category are classified based on the number of servings of the beverage. The first category includes multi-cup beverages, and the second category includes single-cup beverages. In the case of a multi-cup beverage, the beverage is supplied to multiple containers through the outlet. In the case of a single-cup beverage, the beverage is supplied to a single container through the outlet.
7. The control method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that, The step of determining the sensing strategy based on the associated information includes: If the beverage belongs to the second category, the sensing strategy is determined to be a first sensing strategy, wherein the first sensing strategy includes disabling the first sensor and obtaining the first sensing result through the second sensor.
8. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sensing system includes a third sensor for non-contactly sensing whether the container is located at a receiving position, and the associated information includes a second sensing result obtained through the third sensor.
9. The control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The step of determining the sensing strategy based on the associated information includes: If the second sensing result indicates that the container is located at the receiving position, the sensing strategy is determined to be a second sensing strategy, wherein the second sensing strategy includes disabling the first sensor and obtaining the first sensing result through the second sensor.
10. The control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The second sensor and the third sensor are sensors of the same type, and the sensor is any one of an eddy current sensor, a Hall sensor, or a photoelectric sensor.
11. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The associated information includes product category information and second sensing results. The sensing system includes a third sensor, which is used to non-contactly sense whether the container is located at the receiving position in order to obtain the second sensing result. The category information is input by the user into the beverage device, and the category information indicates which of several categories the beverage belongs to.
12. The control method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The multiple product categories include a first product category and a second product category, and the confidence level associated with the second product category is higher than the confidence level associated with the first product category; determining the sensing strategy based on the association information includes: If the beverage belongs to the first category and the second sensing result indicates that the container is located at the receiving position, the sensing strategy is determined as a third sensing strategy, wherein the third sensing strategy includes: obtaining the first sensing result through the second sensor based on the second sensing result; or If the beverage belongs to the second category and the second sensing result indicates that the container is not located at the receiving position, the sensing strategy is determined as the fourth sensing strategy, wherein the fourth sensing strategy includes: obtaining the first sensing result through the first sensor based on the second sensing result.
13. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: If the first sensing result indicates that the outlet is in contact with the container, the drive device is controlled to move the outlet away from the container to reach the target position; or... If the first sensing result indicates that the outlet has reached the approach position relative to the container, the drive device is controlled so that the outlet stops at the approach position relative to the container, and the approach position is taken as the target position.
14. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outlet includes a contact member, which, during the process of the outlet approaching the container, contacts and moves with the container to trigger the first sensor.
15. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second sensor has a target sensing range; when the container enters the target sensing range, the second sensor is triggered to control the drive device so that the outlet reaches the target position relative to the container.
16. The control method according to claim 1 or 15, characterized in that, The second sensor is disposed on the outlet and has a target sensing range. During the process of the outlet approaching the container, when the outlet reaches a close position relative to the container, the container enters the target sensing range to trigger the second sensor.
17. A beverage equipment, characterized in that, include: The export section is equipped with a supply port for supplying beverages to containers; A driving device for driving the outlet and / or the container to move so that they approach each other; A sensing system includes a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein during the process of the outlet approaching the container, the first sensor is used to sense whether the outlet is in contact with the container, and the second sensor is used to non-contactly sense whether the outlet has reached an approach position relative to the container. as well as The controller is configured to perform the control method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.