vending machine

Abstract

A beverage vending machine with a detection device that detects the time of switching on, switching off, standby operation of the beverage vending machine, the time of a beverage dispensing, the type of beverage dispensed and / or beverage parameters, and transmits this information to an evaluation / control unit connected to it, which is designed to evaluate the data transmitted by the detection device and determine a future switch-on time, a future switch-off time, a future standby time, a future beverage preselection and / or beverage parameters, and to switch the beverage vending machine on, off, keep it in standby mode and / or set a future beverage preselection and / or future beverage parameters based on the determined future switch-on time, switch-off time, standby time, and / or the future beverage preselection and / or future beverage parameters, characterized in that the evaluation / control unit is designed in such a way thatthat it averages the recorded switch-on times and uses this to determine the future switch-on time, or that it selects the earliest switch-on time of the day from the recorded switch-on times and sets it as the future switch-on time.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a beverage vending machine with a detection device. The invention also relates to a method for operating such a beverage vending machine.

[0002] Modern beverage vending machines are either constantly ready for operation or switch to a standby mode after a predefined period of inactivity. Private beverage vending machines, such as coffee machines, are typically only switched on for beverage preparation and then switched off again. However, a disadvantage of manual switching is that the user has to wait a relatively long time for the machine, such as a fully automatic coffee machine, to be ready for use. Furthermore, if the user forgets to switch the machine off after use, it remains switched on indefinitely unless it has a standby mode, thus consuming a lot of energy unnecessarily.

[0003] Vending machines are also known, for example, from EP 2 441 361 A1 and DE 10 2014 211 094 A1.

[0004] The present invention therefore deals with the problem of providing a beverage vending machine with which the disadvantages known from the prior art can be overcome.

[0005] This problem is solved according to the invention by the subject matter of claim 1 and the method of claim 6. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0006] The present invention is based on the general concept of designing a beverage vending machine in such a way that it recognizes typical usage modes or types, derives a usage pattern from this, and can, for example, align switching on, switching off, or beverage preselection with the determined user modes by means of a learned usage pattern. The beverage vending machine according to the invention is thus designed as a self-learning device that uses a detection device to record and document the typically user-related actions, processes this data via a corresponding evaluation / control device, and uses the recorded data to control the beverage vending machine in the future, in particular switching it on, switching it off, or making a beverage preselection. The beverage vending machine according to the invention thus utilizes a form of artificial intelligence.Advantageously, such an AI algorithm does not need to be explicitly told which parameters it should process and how. It learns automatically from user behavior, which can be used to predict user behavior and make it more convenient through appropriate preselection. The beverage vending machine according to the invention has a detection device that records the time of switching on, switching off, standby operation of the beverage vending machine, the time of beverage dispensing, as well as the type of beverage dispensed and / or beverage parameters, and transmits this information to an evaluation / control unit connected to it. The latter is designed in such a way that it processes the data transmitted by the detection device, i.e., the switch-on time, the switch-off time, the standby operation, etc.The system analyzes the type of beverage dispensed and / or its parameters to determine future activation times, deactivation times, standby times, and / or beverage presets and parameters. Based on these parameters, the system then activates, deactivates, and maintains standby mode, and / or adjusts the beverage presets and parameters. This significantly increases user convenience, as the system can, for example, recognize that a user orders an espresso at a specific time each day of the week, such as 7:00 AM on weekdays, 8:00 AM on Saturdays, and 9:30 AM on Sundays.Until the vending machine according to the invention has determined a certain usage pattern and can control the aforementioned parameters accordingly, it is of course necessary for the user to manually switch on the vending machine and / or select their beverage. However, after a certain number of regular dispensing cycles and / or regular dispensing times, the vending machine recognizes / learns this usage pattern and can, for example, switch itself on shortly before the normal switching-on time and thus already be ready for operation when the customer or user approaches. Proximity sensors are, of course, not required for this.

[0007] The beverage vending machine according to the invention also offers a significant increase in convenience by, for example, recording the standby duration. This can be achieved, for instance, by allowing a user to have a specific number of drinks prepared only within a specific time frame each day of the week. For example, two espressos on weekdays, two café cremas on Saturdays, and two café cremas followed an hour later by two cappuccinos on Sundays. The beverage vending machine according to the invention is capable of recognizing such usage patterns and adjusting the standby time or duration accordingly. The evaluation / control unit switches the machine off immediately after two drinks have been dispensed on weekdays and Saturdays, but only after the second round of drinks on Sundays. This saves the user the trouble of manually switching the machine off or, on Sundays, switching it back on because it had switched off too early.This significantly increases user comfort and saves time, as fewer manual settings and entries are required. An adapted and optimized standby duration also results in energy savings.

[0008] Furthermore, the beverage dispenser according to the invention is able, for example via its detection device, to detect a beverage purchase at a specific time and thereby determine and set a future beverage preselection. For example, if the user frequently orders an espresso with the strength setting "Normal" and then a caffè crema with the strength setting "Very Strong" on weekdays, this can be detected by the detection device and evaluated by the evaluation / control unit so that the beverage dispenser either switches itself on at a habitual beverage purchase time or is switched on by the user and then selects this detected beverage preselection with the associated parameters, i.e., the espresso with the strength setting "Normal" and the caffè crema with the strength setting "Very Strong". This saves the user from having to select this beverage twice.

[0009] Overall, the coffee machine according to the invention offers the user the significant advantage of adapting itself to the user's usage patterns in a self-learning manner, thus requiring fewer interactions with the machine, saving time, and increasing user satisfaction. Naturally, the machine does not impose any restrictions on the user, as the user can always manually override the evaluation / control unit and, for example, select a different beverage.

[0010] According to the invention, the evaluation / control unit is designed to average the recorded activation times and calculate the future activation time from this average. For example, if the vending machine is switched on once at 8:00 a.m., once at 7:55 a.m., and once at 8:05 a.m. on weekdays, the evaluation / control unit can determine that the future activation time is 8:00 a.m. Alternatively, according to the invention, the evaluation / control unit is designed to select the earliest activation time of the day from the recorded activation times and set it as the future activation time. In the previous example, this would mean that after a certain learning process, the evaluation / control unit switches the vending machine on daily, or on weekdays, at 7:55 a.m. This ensures that the vending machine is already switched on and ready for use when the user typically approaches.

[0011] In a further advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention, the evaluation / control unit is designed to average the recorded switch-off times. If, for example, the beverage vending machine according to the invention is manually switched off once at 4:00 p.m., once at 5:00 p.m., and once at 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, the evaluation / control unit can calculate the average value, i.e., 5:00 p.m., and set it as the future switch-off time. Alternatively, it is of course also conceivable that the evaluation / control unit is designed to select the latest switch-off time from the recorded switch-off times and set it as the future switch-off time, thereby ensuring that the beverage vending machine is typically available for operation for as long as the user normally requires, according to their habits.

[0012] The detection device is suitably designed to detect a beverage type, in particular espresso or cappuccino, and / or beverage parameters, such as beverage quantity, grind setting, coffee quantity, and / or coffee strength, and transmit this information to the evaluation / control unit. For example, if a user selects a cappuccino with an increased coffee quantity, an increased milk quantity, and a comparatively fine grind, the detection device can record this and transmit it to the evaluation / control unit. The latter will then use these parameters as the basis for future beverage selections when the user requests another cappuccino. For instance, if five espressos are prepared on weekday mornings and eight cappuccinos after lunch, the evaluation / control unit can determine that future beverage selections will be cappuccinos.The selection is based, for example, on the most recently chosen or most frequently chosen beverage. A self-learning algorithm thus predicts user behavior. Naturally, it's also conceivable that the future beverage selection adapts to or changes according to the time of day, so that, in this case, an espresso is set as the default beverage in the morning, while after lunch it's a cappuccino.

[0013] The detection device is suitably designed to record the dispensing of coffee beans from different bean containers and transmit this information to the connected evaluation / control unit. The latter can be configured to register the bean container transmitted by the detection device and determine and select the bean container to be chosen in the future, particularly the preferred one. It is also conceivable that user-defined beverage profiles could be created, allowing selected beverages or beverage parameters to be assigned to each user and used as the basis for future pre-selection. The evaluation / control unit could also be configured to pre-select user-defined beverage profiles according to a predefined sequence, for example, always selecting the beverage profile "Tina" before the beverage profile "Max".

[0014] The present invention is further based on the general idea of ​​providing a method for operating such a beverage vending machine, in which the detection device detects a time of switching on, switching off, standby operation of the beverage vending machine, a time of beverage dispensing, a type of beverage dispensed and / or beverage parameters and transmits this information to an evaluation / control device connected to it, which evaluates the data transmitted by the detection device and determines a future switch-on time, a future switch-off time, a future standby time and / or a future beverage preselection and / or future beverage parameters and, based on the determined future switch-on time, switch-off time, standby time, switches the beverage vending machine on, switches it off, keeps it in standby and / or sets a future beverage preselection and / or future beverage parameters.This offers a significant increase in convenience, since, using the inventive method, a user-specific usage pattern can be recognized / learned after a certain number of regular dispensing cycles and / or regular dispensing times, and thus the vending machine can be switched on, for example, shortly before the normal switching-on time, before the customer or user approaches.

[0015] The inventive method also allows for a significant increase in convenience by, for example, recording the standby duration. This can be achieved, for instance, by having a user prepare a specific number of drinks each day of the week, only within a specific time frame. For example, two espressos on weekdays, two caffè cremas on Saturdays, and two caffè cremas on Sundays, followed by two cappuccinos an hour later. The inventive method is capable of recognizing such a usage pattern and adjusting the standby time or duration accordingly, so that the evaluation / control unit switches off the beverage dispenser immediately after two drinks have been dispensed on weekdays and Saturdays, but only after the second round of drinks on Sundays. This saves the user the trouble of manually switching it off or, on Sundays, switching it back on because the machine had switched off too early.This not only increases user comfort and saves time, but also saves energy through an adapted and optimized standby duration.

[0016] In an advantageous further development of the method according to the invention, the evaluation / control unit averages the recorded activation times and calculates the future activation time from this average, or it selects the earliest activation time of the day from the recorded activation times and sets this as the future activation time. Thus, if, for example, the vending machine is activated once at 8:00 a.m., once at 7:55 a.m., and once at 8:05 a.m. on weekdays, the evaluation / control unit determines that the future activation time is 8:00 a.m. In the second example, this would mean that, after a certain learning process, the evaluation / control unit activates the vending machine daily, or on weekdays, at 7:55 a.m. This ensures that the vending machine is already activated and ready for use when the user typically approaches.

[0017] In a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, the evaluation / control unit averages the recorded switch-off times. If, for example, the beverage vending machine according to the invention is manually switched off once at 4:00 p.m., once at 5:00 p.m., and once at 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, the evaluation / control unit calculates the average value, i.e., 5:00 p.m., and sets this as the future switch-off time. Alternatively, it is of course also conceivable that the evaluation / control unit selects the latest switch-off time from the recorded switch-off times and sets this as the future switch-off time, thereby ensuring that the beverage vending machine is typically available for operation for as long as the user normally requires, according to their habits.

Claims

[1] Vending machine with a detection device that detects the time of switching on, switching off, standby operation of the vending machine, the time of a beverage dispensing, the type of beverage dispensed and / or beverage parameters and transmits this information to an evaluation / control unit connected to it, which is designed to evaluate the data transmitted by the detection device and determine a future switch-on time, a future switch-off time, a future standby time, a future beverage preselection and / or beverage parameters and, based on the determined future switch-on time, switch-off time, standby time, switches the vending machine on, switches it off, keeps it in standby mode and / or sets a future beverage preselection and / or future beverage parameters. characterized by, that the evaluation / control device is designed in such a way that it averages the recorded switch-on times and determines the future switch-on time from this, or that it selects the earliest switch-on time of the day from the recorded switch-on times and sets it as the future switch-on time. [2] Vending machine according to claim 1, characterized by that the evaluation / control device is designed in such a way that it averages the recorded switch-off times and determines the future switch-off time from this, or that it selects the latest switch-off time from the recorded switch-off times and sets it as the future switch-off time. [3] Vending machine according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized bythat the recording device is designed in such a way that it records a type of beverage, in particular espresso, cappuccino, and / or beverage parameters, such as beverage quantity, grind setting, coffee quantity and / or coffee strength, and transmits this information to the evaluation / control device. [4] Vending machine according to claim 3, characterized by , that the evaluation / control unit is designed in such a way that it bases the future beverage preselection on the most frequently purchased beverage. [5] Vending machine according to claim 3, characterized by , that the evaluation / control unit is designed in such a way that it bases the future beverage preselection for that time on the beverage most frequently purchased at a given time. [6] A method for operating a beverage vending machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the detection device detects a time of switching on, switching off, standby operation of the beverage vending machine, a time of beverage dispensing, a type of beverage dispensed and / or beverage parameters and transmits this information to an evaluation / control device connected to it, which evaluates the data transmitted by the detection device and determines a future switch-on time, a future switch-off time, a future standby time, a future beverage preselection and / or beverage parameters and, based on the determined future switch-on time, switch-off time, standby time, switches the beverage vending machine on, switches it off, keeps it in standby and / or sets a future beverage preselection and / or future beverage parameters. [7] Method according to claim 6, characterized bythat the evaluation / control unit averages the recorded switch-on times and determines the future switch-on time from this, or that it selects the earliest switch-on time of the day from the recorded switch-on times and sets it as the future switch-on time. [8] Method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized by that the evaluation / control unit averages the recorded switch-off times and determines the future switch-off time from this, or that it selects the latest switch-off time from the recorded switch-off times and sets it as the future switch-off time. [9] Method according to any one of claims 7 to 8, characterized by, that the recording device records a beverage type, in particular espresso, cappuccino, and / or beverage parameters, such as beverage quantity, grind setting, coffee quantity and / or coffee strength, and transmits it to the evaluation / control device, wherein the evaluation / control device bases the future beverage preselection on the most frequently purchased beverage, or wherein the evaluation / control device bases the future beverage preselection on the most frequently purchased beverage at a particular time.