Temperature-controlled beverage maker

Abstract

A beverage maker comprises: a mixing container arranged to receive a beverage product; and a stirrer driven by a drive motor arranged to mix the beverage product within the mixing container. A cooling circuit is arranged to cool the beverage product within the mixing container, while a temperature sensor is arranged to detect a temperature associated with the beverage product and to output a temperature signal, and a memory is arranged to store a recipe comprising a first temperature value corresponding to a first target temperature. A controller in communication with the memory is arranged to: i) receive the temperature signal, and ii) control the temperature associated with the beverage product by controlling the cooling circuit based on the received temperature signal, the first temperature value, and a manual temperature adjustment. A user interface is arranged to receive a user input to adjust the manual temperature adjustment.

Description

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application is a partial continuation of U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 415,817, filed on January 18, 2024, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to beverage manufacturing machines, and more particularly to a beverage manufacturing machine that includes temperature control of a beverage product during processing. Background Art

[0004] Frozen beverage machines, which may also be referred to as semi - frozen beverage machines or slush beverage machines, typically include a transparent tank or mixing container in which a beverage product is received and processed, the processing including cooling, often transforming the beverage product from a pure liquid (or a combination of liquid and ice portions) into a frozen or semi - frozen product such as a smoothie, slush drink, smoothie, ice cream, or other frozen or semi - frozen product, which is then dispensed. The cooled product is typically dispensed through a faucet, tap, or dispenser located near the front and bottom of the container. Thus, as used herein, the term "frozen beverage machine" is not limited to a device that only makes beverages or frozen beverages, but includes a device that cools a received beverage product to produce a cooled output in any of a variety of cooled, frozen, and semi - frozen forms. Beverage products typically consist of water or a mixture of milk and syrup, flavoring powders, or other additives that impart the desired taste and color to the beverage product.

[0005] Some existing frozen beverage machines include a mixing system within the mixing container, the mixing system having mixing blades or augers that are rotated by a motor via a drive shaft and drive assembly. Some existing frozen beverage machines include a refrigeration system having a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator (i.e., a cooler) for receiving refrigerant from the compressor, where the evaporator is located near or within the mixing container to cool the beverage product during processing.

[0006] Some existing frozen beverage machines include a controller that controls the operations of the frozen beverage machine related to making a beverage product. Existing frozen beverage machines may include a computer - controlled program that controls the temperature of a frozen food product during processing. Summary of the Utility Model

[0007] In various embodiments, the present application addresses the deficiencies associated with controlling the temperature of a beverage product using a recipe in a more adaptive and user - specific manner.

[0008] This application describes an illustrative system, method, and apparatus that enable a beverage maker to automatically control the temperature of a beverage product based on a preset recipe target temperature stored in a memory, while further allowing a user to adjust the preset temperature via user input to enable a frozen beverage maker to more flexibly achieve a desired temperature and / or texture customized for different user preferences. This application also describes an illustrative system, method, and apparatus that enable a beverage maker to automatically control the temperature of a beverage product based on a preset recipe target temperature stored in a memory, while further monitoring conditions such as current or power of a drive and / or agitator motor, and increasing the temperature of the beverage product if the current or power is too high to reduce the thickness of the beverage product, and thereby reducing the current and / or power used by the drive and / or agitator motor to prevent damage to the drive motor.

[0009] In one aspect, a beverage maker includes: a mixing container configured to receive a beverage product; and an agitator driven by a drive motor and configured to mix the beverage product within the mixing container. The beverage maker further includes: a cooling circuit and / or device configured to cool the beverage product within the mixing container; a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature associated with the beverage product and output a temperature signal; and a memory configured to store a beverage object representing a beverage type, the beverage object specifying a first temperature value corresponding to a first target temperature. A controller in communication with the memory is configured to: i) receive the temperature signal, and ii) control the temperature associated with the beverage product by controlling the cooling circuit based on the received temperature signal, the first temperature value, and / or a manual temperature adjustment and / or a temperature offset. The frozen beverage maker further includes a user interface configured to receive user input to adjust the manual temperature adjustment.

[0010] The temperature associated with the beverage product may include the temperature of the beverage product, the temperature of a cooling element for cooling the beverage product, and / or the temperature of a refrigerant for cooling the beverage product. The controller may adjust the first target temperature by adding a manual temperature adjustment to the first target temperature. The manual temperature adjustment may include a positive or negative temperature value. The manual temperature adjustment may include a temperature range at, above, and below the first target temperature. The manual temperature adjustment may be adjusted in increments greater than or equal to 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 1, and / or 2 degrees Celsius.

[0011] In some embodiments, the memory includes a plurality of recipes, each of the recipes including a temperature value corresponding to a target temperature. The cooling circuit and / or device may include a refrigeration circuit that includes an evaporator. The evaporator may be part of a closed-loop refrigeration circuit and / or system that includes a condenser and a compressor. The controller may be configured to control the temperature associated with the beverage product by activating the compressor to circulate refrigerant through the evaporator to cool the beverage product and deactivating the compressor to stop the flow of refrigerant through the evaporator to stop cooling of the beverage product. The controller may control the temperature associated with the beverage product by comparing the received temperature signal with a first temperature value adjusted based on a manual temperature adjustment and, in response, activating or deactivating the cooling circuit to match the received temperature signal to the first temperature value adjusted by the manual temperature adjustment, and thereby adjusting the temperature associated with the beverage product to an approximate target temperature adjusted by the manual temperature adjustment. In some embodiments, the cooling circuit includes a thermoelectric cooling (TEC) system that implements, for example, the Peltier effect.

[0012] In another aspect, a method for manufacturing a beverage product includes: receiving the beverage product in a mixing container; mixing the beverage product within the mixing container using a stirrer driven by a drive motor; cooling the beverage product within the mixing container using a cooling circuit; measuring the temperature associated with the beverage product via a temperature sensor and outputting a temperature signal; storing in a memory a beverage object representing a beverage type, the beverage object specifying a first temperature value corresponding to a first target temperature; receiving the temperature signal at a controller; controlling, by the controller, the temperature associated with the beverage product by controlling the cooling circuit based on the received temperature signal, the first temperature value, and a manual temperature adjustment; and receiving a user input to adjust the manual temperature adjustment.

[0013] In another aspect, a beverage manufacturing machine includes a mixing container arranged to receive a beverage product, and a stirrer driven by a drive motor and arranged to mix the beverage product within the mixing container. The beverage manufacturing machine further includes: a cooling circuit arranged to cool the beverage product within the mixing container; a temperature sensor arranged to measure the temperature associated with the beverage product and output a temperature signal; a motor condition sensor arranged to measure the motor condition associated with the drive motor and output a motor condition signal; and a memory arranged to store a first temperature value corresponding to a first target temperature and to store a motor condition limit. A controller in communication with the memory is arranged to: i) receive the temperature signal, ii) receive the motor condition signal, and iii) control the temperature associated with the beverage product by controlling the cooling circuit based at least on the received temperature signal, the received motor condition signal, the first temperature value, and the motor condition limit.

[0014] In some embodiments, when the magnitude (e.g., current or power level) of the received motor condition signal is equal to or greater than the motor condition limit, the controller deactivates the cooling circuit. The controller may determine a second temperature value corresponding to a second target temperature, where the magnitude of the received motor condition signal is below the motor condition limit. The controller may control the temperature associated with the beverage product by controlling the cooling circuit based on the second temperature value. In some embodiments, the controller deactivates the cooling circuit until the temperature associated with the beverage product is approximately equal to the second target temperature.

[0015] Motor condition may include current, power, torque, rotational speed, rotational acceleration, noise, and / or heat output. The motor condition sensor may include a motor current sensor, a motor voltage sensor, a motor torque sensor, a motor rotation sensor, a sound sensor, and / or a temperature sensor. A user interface may be arranged to receive user input to adjust a manual temperature adjustment. The controller may control the temperature associated with the beverage product by controlling the cooling circuit based on the received temperature signal, the received motor condition signal, the first temperature value, the motor condition limit, and / or the manual temperature adjustment. The controller may adjust the first target temperature by adding the manual temperature adjustment to the first target temperature.

[0016] In yet another aspect, a method for manufacturing a beverage product includes: receiving the beverage product in a mixing container; mixing the beverage product within the mixing container using a stirrer driven by a drive motor; cooling the beverage product within the mixing container using a cooling circuit; measuring a temperature associated with the beverage product via a temperature sensor and outputting a temperature signal; measuring a motor condition associated with the drive motor via a motor condition sensor and outputting a motor condition signal; storing in a memory a first temperature value corresponding to a first target temperature and storing a motor condition limit; receiving the temperature signal and the motor condition signal at a controller; and controlling a temperature associated with the beverage product by controlling the cooling circuit based on the received temperature signal, the received motor condition signal, the first temperature value, and / or the motor condition limit.

[0017] One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the systems, methods, and apparatuses described herein may be applicable to other types of food products, such as making and / or processing (without limitation) ice cream, frozen yogurt, other creams, and the like. While this disclosure describes examples of beverage manufacturing machines that process various frozen and / or semi-frozen beverage products, the systems, apparatuses, and methods described herein are not limited to such beverage products and are capable of processing and / or making other types of beverage products, such as cold beverage products and / or chilled beverage products. As used herein, the terms "mixing," "mixed," or "mixes" are not limited to combining multiple ingredients together, but also include mixing a beverage product or liquid having a single ingredient or no added ingredients. For example, a beverage product may consist only of water that is mixed by a stirrer during processing, i.e., the portion of water that is agitated and / or blended while the stirrer rotates. This can advantageously achieve a more uniform temperature of the water and / or liquid throughout the mixing container, for example, by mixing portions of water and / or liquid having different temperatures.

[0018] Reading the following detailed description and reviewing the associated drawings will make the advantages of these and other structures apparent. The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are merely explanatory and do not limit the aspects of the present disclosure that are claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The present disclosure will be more fully understood in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 A perspective view of a frozen beverage manufacturing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0021] Figure 2 Shows a Figure 1 view of various internal components within the housing and mixing container of the beverage manufacturing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 3 shows a front view of a beverage manufacturing machine according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 1

[0023] Figure 4 is a block diagram of an example of a control system of a beverage manufacturing machine according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 1

[0024] Figure 5 is a close-up view of a user interface according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 6 is a graph of coarse and fine temperature settings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 7 is a close-up view of another user interface according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 8 is a graph of temperature values associated with automatic recipe temperature target temperatures and manual temperature adjustments;

[0028] Figure 9 is a graph of drive motor current and temperature versus time when a frozen beverage manufacturing machine is processing a beverage product by Figure 1

[0029] Figure 10 is a flowchart of a process for manufacturing a chilled beverage product using a food type for initial or coarse temperature and / or texture control and then using user input to subsequently fine-tune the temperature and / or texture of the beverage product; and

[0030] Figure 11 is a flowchart of a process for automatically detecting when the drive motor current is too high and / or when the beverage product is too thick and, in response, adjusting the temperature of the beverage product to reduce the drive motor current and / or increasing the temperature of the beverage product to reduce the thickness of the beverage product. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In the following description, like components have the same reference numerals regardless of the different illustrated embodiments. For clarity and conciseness in illustrating embodiments, the drawings may not necessarily reflect proper scale and may show some structures in a somewhat schematic form. The present disclosure may describe and / or illustrate a structure in one embodiment and describe and / or illustrate the structure in the same or similar manner and / or in combination with or in place of the structure of one or more other embodiments.

[0032] In the specification and claims, for the purpose of describing and defining the present application, the terms "about" and "substantially" represent the inherent degree of uncertainty attributable to any quantitative comparison, value, measurement, or other representation. In addition, the terms "about" and "substantially" represent the degree to which a quantitative representation can differ from the stated reference without causing a fundamental change in the basic function of the subject matter being discussed. Open-ended terms such as "comprise / include" and / or the plural form of each term include the listed parts and may include additional parts not listed, while terms such as "and / or" include one or more of the listed parts and combinations of the listed parts. The use of terms such as "top", "bottom", "above", "below", etc. is only for the clear description of the present disclosure and does not limit the structure, orientation, and / or operation of the present disclosure in any way.

[0033] Certain aspects of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and apparatuses that address the need for a more adaptive and user-specific handling of beverage products to ensure user-expected and more satisfactory product outcomes, such as a desired user-specific texture and temperature of the beverage product being processed.

[0034] Figure 1 A perspective view of a beverage making machine 100 according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The frozen beverage making machine 100 includes a housing 102 and a mixing container 104. The housing 102 may include a user interface 112 for receiving user input to control the frozen beverage making machine 100 and / or output or display information. The user interface 112 may include one or more buttons, dials, switches, touchscreens, indicators, LEDs, and the like. The user interface 112 may display status information, including, for example, the temperature of the beverage product within the mixing container 104, an indicator of the current recipe and / or program being implemented, a timer associated with the progress of the ongoing and / or current recipe and / or program. The user interface 112 may provide the user with an indicator and / or warning regarding, for example, when the recipe is complete or when the user is expected to perform an action associated with processing the beverage product. The user interface 112 may include an optional menu for beverage types (e.g., recipes) and / or programs for different types of beverage products, such as, but not limited to, smoothies, slushies, milkshakes, margaritas, daiquiris, piña coladas, sno-cones, cold drinks, semi-frozen drinks, frozen drinks, and the like.

[0035] The housing 102 can include a removable panel 114 along one side of the housing 102. The panel 114 can include a plurality of openings that facilitate airflow to help cool components within the housing 102. The housing 102 can include an upper housing section 122 that is arranged to couple with the rear end of the mixing container 104 when the mixing container 104 is attached to the housing 102. The mixing container 104 can include a wall or a portion thereof that is transparent to enable an observer to see the beverage product within the mixing container 104 during processing. The mixing container 104 can include a pour opening 106 through which the mixing container 104 can receive ingredients for processing the beverage product within the mixing container 104. Figure 1 The pour opening 106 is shown in a closed configuration with a lid that seals the opening 106. The lid can be removably removable or movable in a detachable manner to open or close the opening 106. The pour opening 106 can include a grille that prevents a user from reaching into the mixing container 104 when the pour opening 106 is open, i.e., when the lid is not installed. The mixing container 104 can include a dispenser assembly 108 having a user handle 120, a spout (not shown), and a spout guard and / or lid 116. The dispenser assembly 108 enables a user to open the spout connected to the wall of the mixing container 104 by pulling down on the handle 120 to dispense a processed (e.g., cooled) beverage product from the mixing container 104. The user can close the spout by pushing the handle 120 back to its upright position ( Figure 1 as shown in) and thereby stop dispensing the processed beverage product.

[0036] A frozen beverage maker or, more simply, a beverage maker 100 can include a lever 110 that enables a locking connection of the mixing container 104 to the housing 102 that includes the upper housing section 122. Figure 1Shows the lever 110 in a locked and / or closed position, whereby the mixing container 104 engages and / or is coupled to the housing 102 and the upper housing section 122. In the closed and / or engaged position, the lever 110 ensures a watertight seal to prevent leakage of the beverage product from the mixing container 104. The lever 110 can be placed in the closed, coupled, and / or engaged position by sliding the mixing container 104 against the upper housing section 122 and then rotating the lever 110 in a clockwise direction until its handle rests on or around the top surface of the upper housing section 122. The lever 110 can be released from the mixing container 104 by pulling and / or rotating the lever 110 in a counterclockwise direction towards the front of the mixing container 104, which disengages and / or separates the mixing container 104 from the housing 102 and the upper housing section 122. Once released, the mixing container 104 can be slid in a forward direction (away from the upper housing section 122) for complete disassembly and / or removal from the housing 102. The frozen beverage maker 100 can also include a water tray 118 that is positioned below the dispenser assembly 108 and is arranged to collect any beverage product that is not properly dispensed from the mixing container 104 into, for example, a user cup.

[0037] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A view of various internal components within the housing 102 and the mixing container 104 of the frozen beverage maker 100. The frozen beverage maker 100 includes a cylindrical evaporator 202 that is surrounded by an auger and / or agitator 204. The agitator 204 can include one or more mixing blades and / or protrusions that extend helically around the evaporator and / or cooler 202. The agitator 204 can be driven to rotate by a central drive shaft within the mixing container 104. The drive shaft can be surrounded by the evaporator 202. However, in various embodiments, the evaporator 202 does not rotate. The drive shaft can be coupled to a drive motor 208 via a gear assembly 210. In some embodiments, the drive motor 208 is an AC motor, but another type of motor can be used, such as but not limited to a DC motor. The drive motor 208 can include a motor fan 212 that is arranged to provide air cooling to the motor 208. Although Figure 2 Shows an embodiment in which the drive motor 208 is not coaxially aligned with the drive shaft for rotating the agitator 204, but in other embodiments, the motor 208 can be coaxially aligned with the drive shaft. During the processing of the beverage product, the motor 208 can operate continuously at one or more speeds to drive the continuous rotation of the agitator 204 and thereby provide continuous mixing of the beverage product within the mixing container 104. The water tray 118 can be removably attached from its operating position as shown in Figure 1 For example, the water tray 118 can be mounted and / or stored on the side panel of the housing 102, as shown in Figure 3Shown as the water tray 304. In certain embodiments, rotation of the agitator 204 causes the blades arranged in a spiral pattern to push the cooled beverage product to the front of the mixing container 104. During processing, portions of the beverage product may freeze on the surface of the evaporator due to being cooled by the evaporator. In some embodiments, the blades of the rotating agitator 204 scrape the frozen portions of the beverage product from the surface of the evaporator while mixing the cooled beverage product and pushing the cooled beverage product toward the front of the mixing container 104.

[0038] The frozen beverage maker 100 may include a refrigeration circuit and / or system to provide cooling of the beverage product and / or control the temperature of the beverage product within the mixing container 104. The refrigeration circuit may include a compressor 214, an evaporator 202, a condenser 216, a condenser fan 218, a bypass valve, and conduits that carry refrigerant in a closed loop between the refrigeration circuit components to facilitate cooling and / or temperature control of the beverage product in the mixing container 104. Operation of the refrigeration circuit may be controlled by a controller, such as controller 402, as further described herein with respect to Figure 4 The frozen beverage maker 100 may also include a condensate collection tray 220 that is arranged to collect any liquid condensate caused by cooling from the evaporator 202. Figure 2 The tray 220 is shown in the inserted position. The tray 220 may be removably inserted from a slot within the housing 102 to be able to collect the condensate liquid when inserted into the slot and then effectively removed to an empty tray 220 and then reinserted into the slot for subsequent liquid collection.

[0039] Figure 3 Shown is Figure 1 a front view of the frozen beverage maker 100. The frozen beverage maker 100 may include a user interface 112 on the front surface of the housing 102. In other embodiments, the user interface 112 may be located on the side, top, or back of the housing 102. The frozen beverage maker 100 may include a power interface (not shown) arranged to receive AC power from a power outlet. In some embodiments, the frozen beverage maker 100 may include one or more batteries housed within the housing 102 and arranged to provide power to the various components of the frozen beverage maker 100. The frozen beverage maker 100 may also include a printed circuit board (PCB) 222 within the housing 102. The frozen beverage maker may include a mounting 302 on one side of the housing 102, where the water tray 118 may be mounted to the mounting when not in use (shown as the water tray 304 in Figure 3 ), for example, during transportation of the frozen beverage maker 100. As will be described with respect to Figure 4As will be explained, the PCB 222 may include a control system 400 that is arranged to automatically control certain operations of the frozen beverage maker 100.

[0040] Figure 4 FIG. is a block diagram showing an exemplary control system 400 of a frozen beverage maker 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The control system 400 may include a microcontroller, a processor, a system-on-chip (SoC), a client device, and / or a physical computing device, and may include a hardware and / or a virtual processor. In some embodiments, as Figure 4 shown, the control system 400 and its components each relate to physical hardware, while in some embodiments, one, more, or all of the components may be implemented using an emulator or a virtual machine. In any case, the electronic control system 400 may be implemented on physical hardware, such as in the frozen beverage maker 100.

[0041] Similarly, as Figure 4 shown, the control system 400 may include a user interface 212 and / or 112 having, for example, a keyboard, a keypad, one or more buttons, a dial, a touchpad, or a sensor readout (e.g., a biometric scanner) and one or more output devices, such as a display, a speaker for audio, an LED indicator, and / or a light indicator. The control system 400 may also include a communication interface 410, such as a network communication unit that may include a wired communication component and / or a wireless communication component, which may be communicatively coupled to a controller and / or a processor 402. The network communication unit may utilize any of a variety of proprietary or standardized network protocols, such as Ethernet, TCP / IP (to name just a few of many protocols), to enable communication between the processor 402 and another device, network, or system. The network communication unit may also include one or more transceivers that utilize Ethernet, power line communication (PLC), Wi-Fi, cellular, and / or other communication methods. For example, the control system 400 may send one or more communications associated with the status of the frozen beverage maker 100 to a user's mobile device, such as sending a warning to the mobile device when a recipe is complete and / or a beverage product is ready to be dispensed, or indicating that there is insufficient or no beverage product in the mixing container.

[0042] The control system 400 may include processing elements, such as a controller and / or a processor 402, which includes one or more hardware processors, where each hardware processor may have a single or multiple processor cores. In one embodiment, the processor 402 includes at least one shared cache that stores data (e.g., computing instructions) utilized by one or more other components of the processor 402. For example, the shared cache may be local cache data stored in a memory for faster access by components that make up the processing element of the processor 402. Examples of processors include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU) and / or a microprocessor. The controller and / or the processor 402 may utilize a computer architecture based on (but not limited to) the 8051 architecture, 68HCX, 80X86, and similar computer architectures. The processor 402 may include, but is not limited to, an 8-bit, 12-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, or 64-bit architecture. Although Figure 4 not shown in the figure, the processing element that makes up the processor 402 may also include one or more other types of hardware processing components, such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and / or a digital signal processor (DSP).

[0043] Figure 4It is also shown that the memory 404 can be operable and communicatively coupled to the controller 402. The memory 404 can be a non-transitory medium configured to store various types of data. For example, the memory 404 can include one or more storage devices 408, which include non-volatile storage devices and / or volatile memory. Volatile memory such as random access memory (RAM) can be any suitable non-permanent storage device. The non-volatile storage device 408 can include one or more disk drives, optical drives, solid state drives (SSDs), tape drives, flash memory, read only memory (ROM), and / or any other type of memory designed to maintain data for a certain duration after a power-off or shutdown operation. In some configurations, if the allocated RAM is not sufficient to hold all the working data, the non-volatile storage device 408 can be used to store overflow data. The non-volatile storage device 408 can also be used to store programs that are loaded into the RAM when these programs are selected for execution. The data storage area and / or the storage device 408 can be arranged to store multiple beverage product making and / or processing instruction programs associated with multiple beverage product processing sequences (i.e., recipes). Such beverage making and / or processing instruction programs can include instructions for the controller and / or the processor 402 to perform the following operations: start or stop one or more motors and / or compressors 414 (e.g., motor 208 and / or compressor 214), start or stop the compressor 214 to regulate the temperature of the beverage product being processed in the mixing container 104, operate one or more motors 414 (e.g., motor 208 and / or compressor 214) during certain periods of a particular beverage product processing sequence, operate the motor 208 at certain speeds during certain time periods of the recipe, issue one or more prompt instructions to the user interface 412 and / or 112, and the one or more prompt instructions are output to the user to illicit a response, action, and / or input from the user. One or more beverage type objects can be stored in the memory in the form of digital objects (or records) representing beverage types (e.g., slush, cocktail, shaved ice beverage, juice, dairy product, other types of beverages), defining and / or referencing data such as temperature values and / or other setting values associated with the beverage type, wherein the beverage type object can also include computational instructions and / or computer programs defining the functions, actions, and / or processing sequences to be performed on the digital objects.

[0044] Those of ordinary skill in the art know that software programs can be developed, coded, and compiled in various computing languages for various software platforms and / or operating systems, and then loaded and executed by processor 402. In one embodiment, the compilation process of a software program can transform program code written in one programming language into another computer language so that processor 402 can execute the programming code. For example, the compilation process of a software program can generate an executable program that provides encoded instructions (e.g., machine code instructions) to processor 402 to implement a specific non-generic specific computing function.

[0045] After the compilation process, the encoded instructions can be loaded from storage device 408, from memory 404, and / or embedded within processor 402 (e.g., via a cache or on-board ROM) as computer-executable instructions or process steps. Processor 402 can be configured to execute the stored instructions or process steps to execute the instructions or process steps to transform electronic control system 400 into a non-generic specific specially programmed machine or device. Stored data, such as data stored by data storage area and / or storage device 408, can be accessed by processor 402 during the execution of the computer-executable instructions or process steps to indicate one or more components within control system 400 and / or other components or devices external to system 400. For example, a recipe can be arranged in a lookup table and / or database within data storage area 408 and accessed by processor 402 when executing a specific recipe selected by a user via user interface 412 and / or 112.

[0046] User interface 412 and / or 112 can include a display, a position input device (e.g., a mouse, a touchpad, a touch screen, or the like), a keyboard, a keypad, one or more buttons, one or more dials, a microphone, a speaker, or other forms of user input and output devices. The user interface components can be communicatively coupled to processor 402. When the user interface output device is or includes a display, the display can be implemented in various ways, including by a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT) or a light emitting diode (LED) display, such as an OLED display.

[0047] The sensor 406 can include one or more sensors that detect and / or monitor the condition of the beverage product within the mixing container 104, the condition associated with the components of the frozen beverage maker 100, and / or the condition of the refrigerant or coolant within the refrigeration circuit. The condition can include (but is not limited to) the rotation, rotational speed, and / or movement of a device or component (such as a motor), the rate of such movement, the frequency of such movement, the direction of such movement, motor current, motor voltage, motor power, motor torque, temperature, pressure, the fluid content in the container 104, the position of the device or component (such as whether the pour opening 106 is open or closed), and / or the presence of the device or component (such as whether the shield 116 is installed). The types of sensors can include, for example, an electrical metering chip, a Hall sensor, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, an optical sensor, a current sensor, a torque sensor, a voltage sensor, a camera, other types of sensors, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The frozen beverage maker 100 can include one or more temperature sensors positioned at various locations within the mixing container 104, such as on or around the lower front region within the mixing container 104, on or around the upper front region within the mixing container 104, on or around the upper rear region within the container 104, within one or more coils of the evaporator 202, and / or within the housing 102.

[0048] The sensor 406 can also include one or more safety and / or interlock switches that prevent or enable the operation of certain components, such as a motor, when certain conditions are met (e.g., when the lid or cover for the opening 106 is attached or closed and / or when there is a sufficient content of beverage product in the container 104, enabling the activation of the motor 208 and / or 414). Those of ordinary skill in the art will know that the electronic control system 400 can include other components well known in the art, such as Figure 4 a power supply and / or an analog / digital converter not explicitly shown in

[0049] In some embodiments, the control system 400 and / or the processor 402 includes a system-on-chip (SoC) having a plurality of hardware components, including but not limited to:

[0050] a microcontroller, a microprocessor, or a digital signal processor (DSP) core and / or a multi-processor system-on-chip (MPSoC) having more than one processor core;

[0051] a storage area, including options of read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and flash memory;

[0052] a timing source, including an oscillator and a phase-locked loop;

[0053] Peripheral devices, including counter timers, real-time timers, and power-on reset generators;

[0054] External interfaces, which include industry standards such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), FireWire, Ethernet, Universal Synchronous / Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter (USART), Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI);

[0055] Analog interfaces, which include analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs); and

[0056] Voltage regulators and power management circuits.

[0057] The SoC includes the hardware described above, as well as software that controls microcontrollers, microprocessors, and / or DSP cores, peripheral devices, and interfaces. Most SoCs are developed from pre-certified hardware blocks of hardware components (e.g., referred to as modules or parts, which represent IP cores or IP blocks) and software drivers that control their operation. The above list of hardware components is not exhaustive. The SoC may include protocol stacks that drive industry standard interfaces such as Universal Serial Bus (USB).

[0058] Once the overall architecture of the SoC has been defined, individual hardware components can be described in an abstract language called RTL, which represents the register transfer level. RTL is used to define the behavior of the circuit. The hardware components are connected together in the same RTL language to produce a complete SoC design. In digital circuit design, RTL is a design abstraction that models synchronous digital circuits based on the flow of digital signals (data) between hardware registers and the logical operations performed on those signals. RTL abstractions are used in hardware description languages (HDLs) such as Verilog and VHDL to create high-level representations of circuits from which lower-level representations and ultimately the actual wiring can be derived. Design at the RTL level is a typical practice in modern digital design. Verilog is standardized as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1364 and is an HDL used to model electronic systems. Verilog is most commonly used for the design and verification of digital circuits at the RTL abstraction level. Verilog can also be used to verify analog circuits and mixed-signal circuits, as well as for the design of genetic circuits. In some embodiments, the various components of the control system 400 are implemented on a printed circuit board (PCB) such as PCB 222.

[0059] In operation in certain embodiments, a user fills the mixing container 104 with ingredients associated with a beverage product via the pour opening 106. The user selects the type of beverage product to be processed via the user interface 112. For example, the user selects a recipe for a "Margarita". In some embodiments, the user selects the product type and / or recipe before filling the mixing container 104, and the user interface 112 provides one or more indicators or queues (visible and / or audible) indicating to the user to add ingredients to the mixing container 104. The mixing container 104 may include one or more fill sensors that detect when there is a sufficient amount or content of ingredients and / or fluid within the mixing container 104. The one or more fill sensors may provide a signal to the processor 402 indicating when the container 104 is fully filled or not filled. If the fill sensor 406 indicates that the container 104 is not fully filled, the processor 402 may prevent the operation of the frozen beverage maker 100 (e.g., prevent the activation of the motor 208 and / or other components). A lid sensor may be associated with the opening 106, whereby the lid sensor sends an open and / or closed signal to the processor 402 indicating whether the opening 106 is open or closed. If the lid sensor indicates that the opening 106 is open and / or not closed, the processor 402 may prevent the operation of the frozen beverage maker 100. Depending on the sensed condition, the user interface 112 may provide an indication of the condition, e.g., the container 104 is fully filled or not fully filled and / or the opening 106 is not closed, to enable the user to take appropriate action.

[0060] Once the mixing container 104 is filled with ingredients, the user can provide an input, such as a button press, to start processing the beverage product based on the selected recipe. Processing may include activating the motor 208 to drive the rotation of the agitator 204 and / or the blade 206 to effect mixing of the ingredients of the beverage product. Processing may also include activating the refrigeration circuit, including activating the compressor 214 and the condenser fan 218. The compressor 214 facilitates the flow of refrigerant through one or more coils of the evaporator 202 and through the condenser 216 to provide cooling and / or temperature control of the beverage product within the mixing container 104. The processor 402 may control the operation of various components such as the motor 208 and the compressor 214. To regulate the temperature at a particular setting associated with the recipe, the processor 402 may activate / start and / or deactivate / stop the compressor 214 to start or stop the flow of refrigerant through the coils of the evaporator 202 and thereby start or stop the cooling of the beverage product within the mixing container 104.

[0061] By cooling a beverage product to a specific temperature, slush and / or ice particles can be formed within the beverage product. Generally, the amount of particles and / or texture of the beverage product corresponds to the temperature of the beverage product, i.e., the lower the temperature, the greater the amount of particles (and / or the larger the size of the particles) and / or the more viscous the beverage product. The user interface 112 can enable a user to fine-tune and / or adjust a preset temperature associated with a recipe to enable the user to adjust the temperature and / or texture of the beverage product to a more desired temperature and / or texture.

[0062] The processor 402 can perform processing of the beverage product in one or more stages and / or for a set period of time until a desired temperature and / or texture is determined. The processor 402 can receive one or more temperature signals from one or more temperature sensors 408 within the mixing container 104 to determine the temperature of the beverage product. The processor 402 can determine the temperature of the beverage product by determining the average temperature of the temperatures detected by the plurality of temperature sensors 408. The processor 402 can determine the temperature of the beverage product based on the detected temperature from one sensor 408 within the mixing container 104 and / or based on the temperature of the refrigerant detected by the refrigerant temperature sensor 408. Once the processor 402 has completed determining the stage and / or sequence of the recipe, the processor 402 can provide a visual and / or audio indication that the recipe is complete and ready for dispensing via the user interface 116. In response, the user can place a cup or container beneath the dispenser assembly 108 and pull the handle 120 in a downward direction to open a spout located approximately at the lower front wall of the mixing container 104, thereby dispensing the beverage product into the cup or container. Once filled, the user can close the spout by pushing the handle 120 back to Figure 2 its upright position as shown. In an embodiment where the handle 120 is spring-biased to a closed position, the user can release their hold on the handle 120 and thereby allow the spring force to move the handle 120 away from the user and rotate upward back to the upright and closed position.

[0063] Figure 5 is a close-up view of a user interface, such as the user interface 112. According to Figure 5In the view, the user interface 112 may include a power button 502, a beverage type indicator panel 504, a manual temperature adjustment and / or temperature offset indicator 506, a manual temperature adjustment interface 508, a beverage type control dial 510, and a cooling button 512. A user may use the power button 502 to turn on or off the frozen beverage maker 100. The user may select a beverage type to process a class of beverage products by turning the dial 510 until the selected beverage type is indicated via the panel 504. The user may select, for example, a slush, cocktail, shaved ice beverage, juice, or dairy / milkshake beverage type. The dial 510 may also include button features that enable the user to start or stop the processing of the beverage type by pressing the dial 510. The manual temperature adjustment interface 508 may include a left button and a right button that enable the user to adjust the temperature within a temperature offset band, such as the Figure 6 temperature offset band 602 for a milkshake recipe. The user may select the cooling button 512 to initiate a cooling program and / or recipe, whereby the beverage maker 100 and / or the controller 402 maintains the beverage product within the mixing container 104 at a cold temperature without forming a frozen or semi-frozen beverage product. In some embodiments, the same cold temperature is maintained for any beverage type. For example, the controller 402 may receive a signal indicating the selection of the cooling button 512 and lower the temperature to a predefined temperature (e.g., within a range) and maintain the temperature at or near the predefined temperature, which should not cause any beverage type to freeze. In another embodiment, the controller 402 may receive a signal indicating the selection of the cooling button 512 and the selection of a beverage type from the beverage type control dial 510 and lower the temperature to a predefined temperature (e.g., within a range) defined for the particular beverage type (e.g., as specified by a beverage type object in the memory) and maintain the temperature at or near the predefined temperature, which should not cause the beverage type to freeze.

[0064] Figure 6 is a graph of the coarse and fine temperature settings associated with processing a beverage product, where such temperature settings may be stored as temperature values in the memory, as described elsewhere herein. For example, when the user selects a dairy and / or milkshake recipe using the dial 510 and starts a frozen beverage processing sequence and / or recipe, the controller 402 will control the process of the dairy / milkshake recipe to adjust the temperature of the beverage product to Figure 6In the graph, there is a rough temperature setting 604 at -4 degrees Celsius. Before, during, or after reaching the rough temperature setting 604, the user can fine-tune or adjust the rough target temperature of the beverage type by setting a temperature offset using the manual temperature adjustment interface 508. The user can press the left arrow button to decrease the recipe target temperature in increments of approximately 0.4 degrees Celsius to approximately -5.2 degrees Celsius. As the temperature decreases, the thickness and / or amount of the frozen beverage particles increases. Accordingly, the manual temperature adjustment indicator 506 can include a "thickness" label. However, different labels can be used, such as "temperature offset" or "temperature adjustment" and the like.

[0065] The user can press the right arrow button to increase the recipe target temperature in increments of approximately 0.4 degrees Celsius to approximately -2.8 degrees Celsius. As the temperature increases, the thickness and / or amount of the frozen beverage particles decreases. The manual temperature adjustment indicator 506 can include one or more light indicators that are illuminated in a configuration corresponding to the selected temperature offset. For example, the manual temperature adjustment indicator 506 can have a center light indicator that indicates a 0-degree Celsius offset (i.e., no offset) is selected. The offset indicator 506 can include light indicators corresponding to each offset increment selected above or below the rough setting (e.g., the 0-degree Celsius offset point). Figure 6 Also shown are temperature offsets and / or manual adjustment bands associated with various types of beverage products, such as milkshakes, Frappuccinos, cocktails, light and traditional beverage products. Each temperature band can include a center, rough, and / or target beverage type temperature, as well as user-selectable fine-tuning offset temperatures above and below the beverage type target temperature. In some embodiments, the temperature offset band associated with one recipe is different from the temperature offset band of a different recipe, resulting in different temperature offset increments between different recipes.

[0066] Figure 7 is a close-up view of another user interface according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. According to Figure 7 the view, the user interface 112 can include a power button 708, a beverage type selector / indicator panel 702, a manual temperature adjustment and / or temperature offset indicator 706, and a manual temperature adjustment dial 704. The user can use the power button 708 to turn the beverage maker 100 on or off. The user can select a beverage type to process a class of beverage products by pressing a button associated with the selected beverage type, such as a SLUSHI. The selection of a particular beverage type can be indicated by the illumination of a light indicator associated with the selected beverage type button. For example, Figure 7It is shown that the slush drink type has been selected by the illumination of the white LED indicator near the slush button. The user can select, for example, slush drinks, slushies or cocktails, shaved ice drinks, frozen juices or dairy / milkshake drink types. The manual temperature adjustment dial 704 can be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise to set the temperature value and / or the target temperature setting within a general range of the beverage product temperature value. For example, the manual temperature adjustment indicator 706 can include 10 temperature values or settings corresponding to the target temperature shown in, for example, Figure 8 as shown.

[0067] Figure 8 is a graph of the temperature values associated with the automatic recipe target temperature and the manual temperature adjustment. Figure 8 The graph of Figure 8 shows temperature values 1 to 10, where setting #1 is at -1.3 degrees Celsius and setting #10 is at -7.2 degrees Celsius. The ten temperature settings of the graph of Figure 8 correspond to the ten light indicators of the manual temperature adjustment indicator 706. In operation, when the user selects a drink type, such as a milkshake (MILKSHAKE), by pressing the corresponding button in the drink type selector / indicator panel 702, the adjacent indicator of the button lights up. Additionally, if the approximate or automatic temperature value associated with the milkshake is about -4.0 degrees Celsius, which corresponds to Figure 8 setting #7 in the graph of

[0068] then seven indicators (i.e., light bars) will be lit in the manual adjustment indicator 706. The light bars can be dimmed or flashed periodically until the target temperature is reached and / or detected by the controller 402. The interface 112 can emit an audible sound, such as a beep or a sequence of beeps, when the target temperature is reached. When the target temperature is reached, the dimmed or flashing illumination can change to a brighter and / or steady illumination. In some embodiments, once the target temperature is reached, the controller 402 will cycle the compressor 214 on and off to maintain the temperature of the beverage product within a target temperature range above and / or below the target temperature. For example, the range can be greater than or equal to about 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, or 1.0 degrees Celsius above and below the beverage product target temperature. As long as the temperature remains within the target temperature range, the controller 402 will not initiate a warning (e.g., audible output) or a change in the state of any of the indicators of the indicator 706.

[0068] If the user wants to further lower the target temperature and / or increase the target thickness of the milkshake to Figure 8 setting #10 of Figure 8 then the user can turn the dial 704 until all 10 light indicators are lit. If the user wants to increase the target temperature to Figure 8 setting #3 of Figure 7 and / or decrease the target thickness of the milkshake, then the user can turn the dial 704 until three indicator bars of the indicator 706 are lit, as shown in Figure 7 AlthoughFigure 7 An interface for manually adjusting the temperature using a dial 704 is shown, but other types of interfaces can be used, such as but not limited to up / down buttons, touchscreens, or slider switches.

[0069] Figure 8 Also shown is how each increment of temperature change between each of temperature settings #1 through #10 can be non-linear to account for sufficient variation in the thickness of the chilled or frozen beverage product. As the temperature is decreased, a greater temperature change is required to cause a change in the amount or thickness of the frozen beverage particles within the beverage product. For example, the temperature increment 802 (between settings #4 and #5) is approximately 0.6 degrees Celsius, while the temperature increment 804 (between settings #8 and #9) in the lower temperature range is approximately -1.0 degrees Celsius. In other embodiments, the increment of temperature change between settings can be constant, resulting in a linear temperature range. Although Figure 7 and Figure 8 show a range of 10 temperature values or settings, any number of settings and / or temperature ranges can be implemented.

[0070] Figure 9 is a graph of the drive motor 208 current and the beverage product temperature versus time as the frozen beverage machine 100 of Figure 1 processes a beverage product. Figure 9 The graph of Figure 9The graph shows how the current 902 applied to drive motor 208 increases as the temperature 904 decreases, which causes an increase in the thickness of the beverage product, which in turn causes an increase in the resistance of the beverage product to the rotation of agitator 204, which in turn requires increased motor power and / or current 902 to drive agitator 204 against the resistance. When the current 902 or power or torque reaches or exceeds a threshold or motor condition limit 906, such as approximately 40 watts and / or approximately 0.3 amperes of current, the controller 402 can deactivate the cooling circuit, i.e., stop the flow of coolant and / or refrigerant to evaporator 202, to allow the temperature 904 to increase and thereby reduce the thickness of the beverage product to reduce the current 902 of drive motor 208 below the motor condition limit 906. The controller 402 can automatically adjust the temperature setting associated with a particular beverage type that may have been fine-tuned by manual temperature adjustment and / or user selection of a temperature offset to a new temperature setting corresponding to a second target temperature, where the magnitude of the motor current 902 is below the motor condition limit 906. The second target temperature can be set, for example, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.25, 1.5, or 2.0 degrees Celsius higher than the initial and / or first target temperature (a relatively small higher offset). In this way, the controller 402 prevents overcurrent conditions and possible damage to drive motor 208. This also prevents excessive accumulation of ice within mixing vessel 104, i.e., prevents drive motor 208 from stopping, such that the operation of beverage machine 100 and agitator 204 can continue. Otherwise, drive motor 208 will stop and beverage machine 100 will be jammed, blocking the output of slush from mixing vessel 104 and requiring the user to defrost and / or unblock mixing vessel 104 before normal operation can resume. Thus, this stall prevention enables beverage machine 100 to provide some slush output. Additionally, overcurrent or power conditions of drive motor 208 caused by an object blocking the rotation of agitator 204 can be prevented. The controller 402 can perform actions such as shutting down compressor 214 in addition to stopping drive motor 208. Figure 9 The graph also shows how the controller 402 can continuously and / or periodically monitor the temperature associated with the beverage product within mixing vessel 104 via temperature sensor 406 to effect continuous control of components such as compressor 214 and other components of frozen beverage machine 100 to effect automatic control of the temperature of the beverage product.

[0071] Figure 10It is a flowchart of process 1000 for manufacturing a chilled beverage product by using a formulation for initial or coarse temperature and / or texture control and then using user input to fine-tune the temperature and / or texture of the beverage product. In certain embodiments, process 1000 includes: receiving a beverage product in a mixing container 104 (step 1002); mixing the beverage product within the mixing container 104 using a mixer and / or agitator 204 driven by a drive motor 208 (step 1004); cooling the beverage product within the mixing container 104 using a cooling circuit such as a refrigeration circuit including an evaporator 202 (step 1006); detecting the temperature associated with the beverage product via a temperature sensor 406 and outputting a temperature signal (step 808); storing in a memory 408 a beverage object representing a beverage type, the beverage object specifying a first temperature value and / or setting corresponding to a first target temperature (step 1010); receiving the temperature signal at a controller 402 (step 1012); controlling, by the controller 402, the temperature associated with the beverage product by controlling the cooling circuit based on the received temperature signal, the first temperature value, and / or a manual temperature adjustment, such as by activating or deactivating a compressor 214 to initiate or stop refrigerant flow through the evaporator 202 (step 1014); and receiving user input to adjust the manual temperature adjustment (step 1016). The user input may indicate a desired thickness corresponding to the manual temperature adjustment. In some embodiments, the manual adjustment may be customized according to the beverage type. In certain embodiments, the manual adjustment is common for all beverage types. In some embodiments, the manual adjustment is finer and / or for a smaller range specific to the beverage type (e.g., corresponding to Figure 6 ), and in other embodiments is coarser and / or for a larger range not specific to the beverage type, i.e., spanning multiple (e.g., all) beverage types, thereby giving the user greater freedom in adjusting the thickness and / or temperature.

[0072] Figure 11It is a flowchart of process 1100 for automatically detecting when the drive motor current is too high and / or when the beverage product is too thick, and in response, adjusting the temperature of the beverage product to reduce the drive motor current and / or increasing the temperature of the beverage product to reduce the thickness of the beverage product. In certain embodiments, process 1100 includes: receiving a beverage product in mixing container 104 (step 1102); mixing the beverage product within mixing container 104 using a mixer and / or agitator 204 driven by drive motor 208 (step 1104); cooling the beverage product within mixing container 104 using a cooling circuit such as evaporator 202 (step 1106); measuring the temperature associated with the beverage product via temperature sensor 406 and outputting a temperature signal (step 1108); measuring the motor condition associated with drive motor 208 via motor condition sensor 406 and outputting a motor condition signal (step 1110); storing a first temperature value corresponding to a first target temperature and storing a motor condition limit in memory 408 (step 1112); receiving the temperature signal and the motor condition signal at controller 402 (step 1114); and controlling the temperature associated with the beverage product by controlling the cooling circuit based at least on the received temperature signal, the received motor condition signal, the first temperature setting, and the motor condition limit, such as by activating or deactivating compressor 214 to initiate or stop the flow of refrigerant through evaporator 202 (step 1116).

[0073] In some embodiments, when the motor condition signal exceeds the motor knock threshold, which may cause the motor current or power to be too high and / or high enough to damage the drive motor 208 due to excessive ice accumulation within the mixing vessel 104, the controller 402 may stop and / or deactivate the drive motor 208 to stop the rotation of the agitator 204. For example, excessive ice accumulation can be caused by filling the mixing vessel with only water or a liquid consisting primarily of water. Shutting down the drive motor 208 can also prevent damage to the agitator 204 caused by excessive accumulation of hard ice. The controller 402 may perform other actions in addition to or alternatively to deactivating the drive motor 208, such as issuing a warning to the user via the user interface 112 to add more ingredients, such as sugar or alcohol, to the beverage product, or issuing a warning to the user to shut down the beverage machine 100. Different motor shutdown thresholds for the motor 208 may be set higher than the motor knock threshold limit. In this way, the controller 104 may attempt to increase the temperature in the mixing vessel 104 when the motor knock threshold limit is reached, but only shut down and / or stop the drive motor 208 when the motor shutdown threshold is reached to prevent damage to the drive motor 208. The controller 104 may take action based on determining whether the motor knock threshold limit or the motor shutdown limit has been reached or exceeded for a period of time, such as 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 5 seconds or more. By observing the motor current and / or power for a period of time, false positives and / or readings of the current and / or power can be eliminated.

[0074] It should be understood that the various embodiments described herein are not limited to making frozen or semi-frozen beverages, but may be applied to producing cold beverage products that are colder than the received beverage product, but not frozen or semi-frozen. For example, in some embodiments, the same or similar mechanisms and / or techniques may be used as part of a cold drink machine to produce, maintain, and dispense cold drinks.

[0075] As discussed with respect to Figure 4 the actions associated with configuring or controlling a frozen beverage machine, such as the frozen beverage machine 100, and the processes described herein may be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to control or perform all or some of the operations described herein. All or part of the frozen beverage machine 100 system and process may be configured or controlled by dedicated logic circuitry, such as FPGAs and / or ASICs or embedded microprocessors localized to the instrument hardware.

[0076] A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data includes all forms of non-volatile storage regions, including, for example, semiconductor storage devices such as EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory), EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), and flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM (compact disc read-only memory) and DVD-ROM (digital versatile disc read-only memory).

[0077] Elements of the different embodiments described may be combined to form other embodiments not specifically recited heretofore. Elements may be omitted from the previously described systems without adverse effect on their operation or on the operation of the overall system generally. Additionally, various individual elements may be combined into one or more individual elements to perform the functions described in this specification.

Claims

1. A beverage making machine, characterized in that: include: a mixing container arranged to receive a beverage product; an agitator driven by a drive motor and arranged to mix the beverage product in the mixing container; a cooling circuit arranged to cool the beverage product within the mixing container; a temperature sensor arranged to detect a temperature associated with the beverage product and to output a temperature signal indicative of the detected temperature; a memory arranged to store a beverage object representing a beverage type, the beverage object specifying a first temperature value corresponding to a first target temperature; a controller in communication with the memory and arranged to: i) receive the temperature signal, and ii) control the temperature associated with the beverage product by controlling the cooling circuit based on the received temperature signal, the first temperature value, and a manual temperature adjustment; and A user interface is arranged to receive the manual temperature adjustment from a user.

2. The beverage making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that The temperature associated with the beverage product includes at least one of: a temperature of the beverage product, a temperature of a cooling element used to cool the beverage product, and a temperature of a refrigerant used to cool the beverage product.

3. The beverage making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that The controller adjusts the first target temperature by adding the manual temperature adjustment to the first target temperature.

4. The beverage making machine according to claim 3, characterized in that The manual temperature adjustment includes one of a positive temperature value and a negative temperature value.

5. The beverage making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that The manual temperature adjustment includes a temperature range that includes temperatures at least one of the first target temperature, above the first target temperature, and below the first target temperature.

6. The beverage making machine according to claim 5, characterized in that The manual temperature adjustment may be adjustable in increments greater than or equal to one of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 1, and 2 degrees Celsius.

7. The beverage making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that The memory includes a plurality of beverage objects, each of the beverage objects representing a respective beverage type and specifying a temperature value corresponding to a respective target temperature.

8. The beverage making machine according to claim 2, characterized in that The cooling circuit comprises an evaporator.

9. The beverage making machine according to claim 8, characterized in that The evaporator is part of a closed-loop refrigeration circuit including a condenser and a compressor, and the controller is configured to control the temperature associated with the beverage product by activating the compressor to circulate the refrigerant through the evaporator to cool the beverage product, and deactivating the compressor to stop the refrigerant from flowing through the evaporator to stop cooling of the beverage product.

10. The beverage making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that The controller controls the temperature associated with the beverage product by comparing the received temperature signal with the first temperature value adjusted based on the manual temperature adjustment, and in response, activating or deactivating the cooling circuit to match the received temperature signal to the first temperature value adjusted by the manual temperature adjustment, and thereby adjusting the temperature associated with the beverage product to the target temperature adjusted by the manual temperature adjustment.

11. The beverage making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that The user received input indicates a desired thickness of a cooled beverage product, the desired thickness corresponding to the manual temperature adjustment.

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