BEVERAGE DISPENSING SYSTEM WITH INDIVIDUALIZED HYDRATION RECOMMENDATIONS - Patent application

Abstract

A method of dispensing a personalized beverage mix includes receiving a predicted amount of fluid lost by a user through sweating based on activity data indicative of a type of activity performed and one or more parameters for the activity, receiving a measured amount of electrolytes lost by the user through sweating, generating a personalized beverage mix recipe based on the predicted amount of fluid lost by the user and the measured amount of electrolytes, the recipe including a second amount of fluid to replenish at least a portion of the predicted amount of fluid lost by the user and an amount of electrolyte additive to replenish at least a portion of the measured amount of electrolytes lost by the user, and dispensing the personalized beverage mix according to the recipe.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 296,236, filed January 4, 2022, entitled "BEVERAGE DISPENSING SYSTEM WITH PERSONALIZED HYDRATION RECOMMENDATIONS," which is incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to beverage dispensing systems, and more particularly to systems and methods for generating and dispensing personalized beverage mixtures. A beverage dispensing system may be configured to produce additive-enhanced (e.g., flavored) beverages by mixing streams of additives (e.g., syrups, concentrates, sweeteners, flavors, etc.) with water and / or other types of diluents (e.g., milk, coffee, etc.). For example, a beverage dispensing system may dispense separate streams of additives and water that are mixed upon entry of each stream into a container such as a cup or bottle. More recently, certain beverage dispensing systems have been developed that allow users to customize beverage mixes, for example to produce beverages with customized flavor profiles. However, even beverage dispensing systems that allow users to customize their beverages may only allow for a limited number of additive combinations. Certain users (e.g., athletes) may benefit from additional customization options, such as the ability to include additives other than flavors.

[0003] Sports drinks are one example of a beverage that can benefit from more advanced customization options. For example, sports drinks are often intended to replace a significant portion of the fluid and electrolytes that athletes lose through sweat. Excessive sweating without adequate electrolyte replacement can, for example, lead to low blood sodium (i.e., hyponatremia), which can impair performance and health. Although rare, the risk of hyponatremia is increased in athletes who sweat more than average and / or consume large amounts of low-electrolyte beverages (e.g., plain water). Thus, in some cases, an athlete's biometric data (e.g., weight, hydration level, heart rate, water intake, carbohydrate intake, protein intake, supplement intake, sodium intake, blood pressure, expended and intended effort, body temperature, blood oxygen level, etc.) and nutritional intake may be closely monitored to tailor an individualized hydration program for the athlete. However, creating an individualized hydration program is often time-consuming and expensive, especially for non-professional athletes who do not have access to trainers and coaches with extensive knowledge in sports nutrition. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One implementation of the present disclosure is a method of dispensing a personalized beverage mix that includes receiving a predicted amount of fluid lost by a user through sweating based on activity data indicative of a type of activity performed and one or more parameters for the activity, receiving a measured amount of electrolytes lost by the user through sweating, generating a personalized beverage mix recipe based on the predicted amount of fluid lost by the user and the measured amount of electrolytes, the recipe including a second amount of fluid to replenish at least a portion of the predicted amount of fluid lost by the user and an amount of electrolyte additive to replenish at least a portion of the measured amount of electrolytes lost by the user, and dispensing the personalized beverage mix according to the recipe.

[0005]

[00036] In some embodiments, the one or more activity parameters include at least one of: duration of the activity, intensity of the activity, or surrounding environmental conditions.

[0006] In some embodiments, the activity data is provided as user input to a user device operated by a user, or is collected automatically by the user device as the user performs the activity.

[0007] In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving physical parameters for the user, including at least one of the user's height, weight, or gender. In some such embodiments, the amount of electrolytes lost by the user is determined further based on at least one of the user's height, weight, or gender.

[0008] In some embodiments, measurements of the amount of electrolyte lost by the user are collected by sensors placed on the user's skin.

[0009] In some embodiments, the sensor is a chemical electrolyte sensor configured to provide a visual indicator of the amount of electrolyte lost.

[0010] In some embodiments, the sensor is an electronic electrolyte sensor configured to transmit data wirelessly.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method further includes displaying, via a user interface, an indication of the amount of fluid in the personalized beverage mix.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method further includes displaying, via a user interface, an indication of the user's risk of dehydration.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving a user input indicating at least one of a flavoring or a sweetener to add to the fluid. In some such embodiments, the recipe for creating the personalized beverage mix further includes an amount of the flavoring or sweetener.

[0014] Another implementation of the present disclosure is a method of dispensing a personalized beverage mix that can include receiving a predicted amount of fluid and a predicted amount of electrolytes lost by a user through sweating based on activity data indicative of a type of activity performed and one or more parameters for the activity, generating a personalized beverage mix recipe based on the predicted amount of fluid and the predicted amount of electrolytes lost by the user, the recipe including a second amount of fluid to replenish at least a portion of the predicted amount of fluid lost by the user and an amount of an electrolyte additive to replenish at least a portion of the predicted amount of electrolytes lost by the user, and dispensing the personalized beverage mix according to the recipe.

[0015]

[00036] In some embodiments, the one or more activity parameters include at least one of: duration of the activity, intensity of the activity, or surrounding environmental conditions.

[0016] In some embodiments, the activity data is provided as user input to a user device operated by a user, or is collected automatically by the user device as the user performs the activity.

[0017] In some embodiments, the activity data further includes a measure of the user's electrolyte loss based on data received from a wearable device worn by the user.

[0018] In some embodiments, the wearable device is a sweat sensor placed on the user's skin.

[0019] In some embodiments, a face of the wearable device is scanned using a camera on a user device operated by the user to determine a measurement of electrolyte loss.

[0020] In some embodiments, the method further includes displaying, via a user interface, an indication of the amount of fluid in the personalized beverage mix.

[0021] In some embodiments, the method further includes displaying, via a user interface, an indication of the user's risk of dehydration.

[0022] In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving physical parameters for the user, including at least one of the user's height, weight, or gender. In some such embodiments, the amount of electrolytes lost by the user is determined further based on at least one of the user's height, weight, or gender.

[0023] Yet another implementation of the present disclosure is a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause one or more processors to perform operations including receiving activity data indicative of a type of activity performed by a user and one or more parameters for the activity; predicting a first amount of fluid lost by the user through sweating during the activity; receiving a measurement of an amount of electrolytes lost by the user through sweating from a sensor disposed on the user's skin; generating a personalized beverage mix recipe based on the first amount of fluid lost by the user and the measured amount of electrolytes, the recipe including a second amount of fluid to replenish at least a portion of the first amount of fluid lost by the user and an amount of electrolyte additive to replenish at least a portion of the measured amount of electrolytes lost by the user; and transmitting a control signal to a beverage dispensing device to cause the beverage dispensing device to dispense the personalized beverage mix according to the recipe.

[0024] Various objects, aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent and better understood by reference to the detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters identify corresponding elements throughout and in which like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and / or structurally similar elements. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for generating and dispensing personalized beverage mixes, according to some embodiments. [Diagram 2] 2 illustrates an alternative configuration of the system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a hydration recommendation subsystem for generating personalized beverage recipes, according to some embodiments. [Figure 4] 1 is a flow diagram of a process for generating and dispensing a personalized beverage mix, according to some embodiments. [Diagram 5] 1 is an exemplary interface for providing activity data for generating a personalized beverage recipe, according to some embodiments. [Figure 6] 13 illustrates another example interface for providing activity data for generating a personalized beverage recipe, according to some embodiments. [Figure 7A] 13 illustrates yet another example interface for providing activity data for generating a personalized beverage recipe, according to some embodiments. [Figure 7B] 13 illustrates yet another example interface for providing activity data for generating a personalized beverage recipe, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8] 1 is an example of a sensor for detecting electrolyte levels lost by a user, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Referring generally to the figures, systems and methods for generating and dispensing personalized beverage mixtures are illustrated, according to some embodiments. In particular, the systems and methods described herein can generate a personalized beverage recipe based on one or more variables related to a user (e.g., physical and / or physiological characteristics) and / or an activity (e.g., exercise) performed by the user. The physical characteristics of the user may include, for example, the user's height, weight, etc. As described in more detail below, activity parameters may include the type of activity, the time spent performing the activity, the intensity of the activity, etc. Based on the user's physical characteristics and / or activity parameters, the amount of fluid and / or electrolytes lost by the user through sweating may be predicted and / or determined, which may subsequently be used to generate a personalized beverage recipe.

[0027] In contrast, many pre-made or commercially available sports drinks aimed at replenishing athletes' fluid and electrolyte levels do not take into account the differences in fluid and electrolyte losses experienced by various athletes. Furthermore, typical sports drinks often do not take into account changes in the type and intensity of activity, or even environmental factors (e.g., wind, temperature, humidity, etc.), that may affect the amount of fluid and electrolytes an athlete loses. As an example, many common sports drinks contain roughly 18 millimoles of sodium per liter (mmol / L), while sodium concentrations in human sweat have been known to vary from approximately 10 mmol / L to 90 mmol / L, depending on the various physical characteristics and activity parameters identified above.

[0028] Even custom hydration programs created by trainers, coaches, and the like may face certain drawbacks. As previously mentioned, for non-professional athletes, and indeed many professional athletes, it is often prohibitively expensive to utilize trained professionals to create a custom hydration program. Many custom hydration programs also require the user to order a mix of specific electrolyte additives, which can be costly and difficult to source. The user must then find a clean water source to mix their own custom drink with the specific electrolyte additives. Furthermore, some hydration programs only take into account the total amount of fluid lost through sweating, and therefore do not provide an accurate, customized electrolyte balance for an individual user.

[0029] To address such issues, the systems and methods described herein can generate personalized beverage recipes that provide specific, tailored amounts of fluid and electrolyte additives to aid in a user's recovery. As described in more detail below, the personalized recipes can take into account differences in the physical attributes of various users, and can also take into account differences in activity intensity, duration, environmental factors, and personal preferences, such as flavorings, carbohydrate levels, and the like. The personalized beverage recipes can then be utilized to automatically dispense personalized beverage mixes for the user with specific amounts of fluids and electrolytes, among other additives. Additional features and advantages of the dynamic beverage system are described in more detail below.

[0030] Personalized Beverage Dispensing System Referring first to FIG. 1, a block diagram of a system 100 for generating and dispensing a personalized beverage mix is ​​shown, according to some embodiments. Specifically, the system 100 may be configured to first generate a personalized beverage mix recipe based on various parameters of the activity performed by the user, and possibly based on the user's physical characteristics. The recipe may define a personalized combination (e.g., ratios and amounts) of fluid (e.g., water) and electrolyte additives, along with various other additives such as flavorings, sugars, etc., tailored to the user's needs. The system 100 may then automatically dispense the personalized beverage mix based on the recipe. As described herein, the user may be an athlete or any other person who performs an activity (e.g., an activity) or task over a period of time. However, it will be understood that any person, even those who do not perform an activity or have not performed an activity, may use and benefit from the benefits of the system 100 described herein.

[0031] System 100 is shown to include a hydration recommendation subsystem 102 configured to generate a personalized beverage mix recipe. Subsystem 102, described in more detail below with respect to FIG. 3, may receive activity data and / or user data from one or more of user interface 104, user device 106, or sensor 108, and then uses this data to generate the recipe. In FIG. 1, for example, activity data (1) and user data (2) are shown to be received by subsystem 100 from one or both of user interface 104 and wearable device 106. In some embodiments, additional user preferences (3), such as flavors, sweeteners, or other additives to be included in the personalized beverage mix, may also be received from user interface 104.

[0032] As described herein, activity data may be any data related to any activity performed by a user (e.g., an athlete), such as the type of activity, the duration of the activity, the intensity of the activity, the ambient environmental conditions (e.g., wind speed, ambient temperature, humidity, terrain, etc.) while the activity was being performed. In some embodiments, the activity data is specific to the type of activity (e.g., exercise) performed. For example, activity data for a user running on a treadmill may include the speed and / or incline of the treadmill. In some embodiments, as described below, at least a portion of the activity data is recorded by the user device 106. In some embodiments, and as described below, at least a portion of the activity data is entered by a user into the user interface 104. However, it will be understood that the user interface 104 and the user device 106 may be utilized in conjunction to collect a variety of activity data.

[0033] The user data may be any data relating to a physical or physiological characteristic of the user. In some embodiments, the user data includes physical characteristics such as the user's height and weight, but may also include the user's age and / or gender. In this regard, the user data may include any physical characteristics that affect the amount of fluid and / or electrolytes lost by the user during a period of activity. For example, a larger male athlete may lose more fluid through sweating than, for example, a smaller female athlete. In some embodiments, the user data includes physiological characteristics of the user, such as resting heart rate, maximum heart rate, typical blood oxygen levels, etc. The electrolytes described herein may include one or more of sodium, calcium, potassium, chloride, phosphate, and magnesium.

[0034] The user interface 104 may be any device capable of receiving user input (including, for example, activity data and / or user data) and, in some embodiments, displaying data and graphics. Thus, the user interface 104 may include a user input device (e.g., a keypad, keyboard, mouse, joystick, buttons, switches, touch screen, etc.) and a display device (e.g., any type of LED or LCD screen). The user interface 104 may also include a processor (e.g., a general purpose processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a collection of processing components, or other suitable electronic processing components) and memory (e.g., RAM, ROM, flash memory, hard disk storage, etc.) capable of interpreting received user input and / or generating and displaying a graphical interface. In the example of FIG. 1, the user interface 104 is shown as a separate component from the subsystem 102. For example, the user interface 104 may be a mobile phone, electronic tablet, laptop, desktop computer, workstation, or the like that is communicatively coupled to the subsystem 102. However, in other embodiments, the user interface 104 is a component of the subsystem 102 itself. For example, the user interface 104 may be directly coupled to the subsystem 102 or may be attached to the subsystem 102.

[0035] User device 106 may be any computing device that a user may carry and may generally be configured to receive and / or record activity data and user data. Thus, user device 106 may include a processor (e.g., a general-purpose processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a collection of processing components, or other suitable electronic processing components) and memory (e.g., RAM, ROM, flash memory, hard disk storage, etc.) for storing and executing instructions (e.g., programs or software applications). In some embodiments, user device 106 also includes a user interface (e.g., similar to or the same as user interface 104), such as a touch screen, that allows a user to view and / or input information. For example, user device 106 may be a smartphone that a user carries (e.g., in a pocket) or a smartwatch that a user wears.

[0036] The user device 106 may be configured to record activity data in response to a prompt from the user or automatically. Thus, the user device 106 may include various sensors, transceivers, or other components for recording activity data. For example, the user device 106 may include a GPS transceiver and / or an accelerometer for recording the user's movements (e.g., pace, steps, distance traveled, etc.). In another example, the user device 106 may include various sensors (e.g., optical SpO2 sensor, optical pulse sensor, etc.) for measuring the user's heart rate, blood oxygen, or other physiological parameters. In some embodiments, the user device 106 may automatically detect when the user begins an activity or exercise based on the various sensor data. For example, the user device 106 may determine that the user is exercising if the user's heart rate increases, which often coincides with increased movement.

[0037] In some embodiments, the user device 106 is configured to receive a user input identifying a type of activity (e.g., running, rowing, cycling, etc.). In other embodiments, the user device 106 can automatically determine the type of activity based on the motion data and / or the location data. For example, the user's speed may indicate whether the user is running or biking. In another example, the location data may indicate whether the user is on or following a roadway, sidewalk, trail, etc. In some embodiments, the user's motion data and heart rate may also be used to determine the intensity of the activity. Once an activity is detected, the user device 106 may also record the time (i.e., duration) the user spent performing the activity. Additionally, the user device 106 may be communicatively coupled to an external network, such as the Internet, and may obtain environmental data therefrom. For example, the user device 106 may receive weather data from an online weather service indicating temperature, humidity, wind speed, etc.

[0038] As briefly mentioned above, the user interface 104 and the user device 106 are shown in the example of FIG. 1 as being separate components. However, it will be appreciated that the user interface 104 and the user device 106 may be parts of a common device in some embodiments. For example, the user interface 104 and the user device 106 may both be components of a user device, such as a smartphone or smartwatch, carried by a user. In another example, as previously mentioned, the user interface 104 may be a component of the subsystem 102, and the user device 106 is a separate device carried by a user. Accordingly, all such possible configurations of the system 100 are contemplated herein.

[0039] The sensor 108 may be a sweat sensor or similar device configured to measure the amount of electrolytes lost by the user (e.g., through sweating). In particular, the sensor 108 may be worn on the user's skin and may detect the amount of electrolytes released through the user's skin. In some embodiments, the sensor 108 is a chemical electrolyte sensor as described in one or both of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 138,964, filed January 19, 2021, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 276,860, filed November 8, 2021, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In some such embodiments, the sensor 108 may react with electrolytes present in a sample of the user's sweat to determine the level of one or more electrolytes in the sweat. As shown in FIG. 8, the electrolyte level may be displayed, for example, on the surface of the sensor 108, which will be described in more detail below. Thus, in some such embodiments, electrolyte measurements (4) may be received by subsystem 102 via user input of the electrolyte level (e.g., to either user interface 104 or user device 106) or by scanning the face of sensor 108, such as with a camera on user device 106.

[0040] In some embodiments, the sensor 108 is an electroelectrolyte sensor as described in PCT Patent Application No. PCT / US21 / 55417, filed October 18, 2021, which is also incorporated by reference in its entirety. For example, the sensor 108 may measure various properties of the user's sweat, such as one or more of impedance, conductivity, refractive index, temperature, or combinations thereof, to determine the amount of electrolyte lost by the user. In some embodiments, the sensor 108 may wirelessly transmit an indication of the amount of electrolyte directly to the system 102 (e.g., as electrolyte measurement (4)) or indirectly via the user device 106 (not shown).

[0041] Upon receiving the activity data (1), user data (2), additional preferences (3), and / or electrolyte measurements (4), the subsystem 102 may be configured to generate a unique recipe for a personalized beverage mix. As briefly discussed above, the recipe may indicate at least an amount of fluid for the personalized beverage mix and an amount of electrolyte additive to mix with the amount of fluid. The amount of fluid for the personalized beverage mix may be intended to fully or at least partially replenish an amount of fluid lost by the user, for example, through sweating. For example, if it is determined (e.g., using the activity data (1) and / or the user data (2)) that the user has lost or is projected to lose 500 mL of fluid through sweating, the amount of fluid for the personalized beverage mix may be at or near about 500 mL, although in some examples, an amount of fluid for the personalized beverage mix that is more or less than the amount of fluid lost through sweating may be beneficial.

[0042] In some embodiments, the amount of fluid and the amount of electrolyte additive to mix are determined based at least in part on the total amount of fluid for the personalized beverage mix. For example, the amount of electrolyte additive may be determined based on a desired electrolyte concentration in the personalized beverage mix. As previously mentioned, many commercially available sports drinks contain electrolytes at a concentration of 18 mmol / L, but the subsystem 102 may determine that a particular user requires electrolytes at a concentration of 25 mmol / L. Thus, in this example, the subsystem 102 may determine the amount of fluid and the amount of electrolyte additive to mix for the personalized beverage mix to achieve the concentration of 25 mmol / L.

[0043] In other embodiments, the amount of electrolyte additive is determined without taking into account the final amount of fluid in the personalized beverage mix. For example, the subsystem 102 may directly determine the amount of electrolytes lost by the user so that a corresponding amount of electrolyte additive can be mixed with any amount of fluid. In this manner, the final concentration of electrolytes in the personalized beverage mix may (or may not) be based on the total amount of fluid for the personalized beverage mix.

[0044] In either case, the total amount of electrolyte additive may be less than the upper threshold to avoid producing a formulation that would be too concentrated for consumption. In some embodiments, the upper threshold is about 60 mmol / L of electrolyte additive. As used herein, unless otherwise specified, "about" means ±20% of the associated value. For example, about 60 mmol / L encompasses the range of 48 mmol / L to 72 mmol / L. Concentrations above this upper limit may, for example, be too salty for many users or may otherwise adversely affect the flavor profile of the dispensed beverage.

[0045] Once generated, the recipe (5) may be transmitted to a beverage dispensing machine 110 configured to dispense one or more fluids and additives according to the recipe. In particular, the beverage dispensing machine 110 may dispense a base fluid, such as water, and one or more additives (e.g., flavorings, nutrients, sweeteners, etc.), including electrolyte additives, to create a personalized beverage mix. In some embodiments, the beverage dispensing machine 110 is functionally equivalent to or the same as the beverage dispensing machines described in detail in one or both of U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 639,361, filed February 20, 2020, and U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 257,958, filed January 5, 2021, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0046] Although shown as separate components in the example of FIG. 1 , it should be understood that one or both of the subsystem 102 and the user interface 104 may be components of the beverage dispensing machine 110. That is, one or both of the subsystem 102 and the user interface 104 may be integrated into the beverage dispensing machine 110. As an example, the user interface 104 may be mounted directly to the beverage dispensing machine 110 (e.g., on a front side of the beverage dispensing machine 110) such that a user may directly input activity data and / or user data into the beverage dispensing machine 110. As another example, the subsystem 102 may be integrated into the beverage dispensing machine 110 such that one or more processors and / or memory devices of the beverage dispensing machine 110 implement the functionality of the subsystem 102 described above.

[0047] In yet another embodiment, the subsystem 102 may be or be hosted on a server or other computing device (i.e., a remote server) separate from the beverage dispensing machine 110. In such an embodiment, the subsystem 102 may communicate with any of the components of the system 100 via any suitable wired or wireless network. For example, the subsystem 102 may receive activity data and / or user data (1, 2) from one or both of the user interface 104 and the user device 106 via an Internet connection and may transmit the recipe (5) to the beverage dispensing machine 110 via the Internet or another private connection. In some embodiments, the subsystem 102 may transmit the predicted amount of fluid and / or the measured or predicted electrolyte loss due to sweating to the beverage dispensing machine 110, which are then used by the beverage dispensing machine 110 to determine the recipe (5). It will be understood that all such possible configurations of the beverage dispensing machine 110, and therefore the system 100, are contemplated herein.

[0048] 2, an alternative configuration 200 of the system 100 is shown, according to some embodiments. In many respects, the alternative configuration 200 is similar to the configuration of the system 100 described above with respect to FIG. 1. For example, the user interface 104, the user device 106, and the sensors 108 may provide activity data (1), user data (2), additional preferences (3), and / or electrolyte measurements (4) to the subsystem 102, which generates a recipe (5) that is then provided to the beverage dispensing device 110. However, the alternative configuration 200 is also shown to include a smart container 212 into which the personalized beverage mix is ​​dispensed.

[0049] For simplicity, the smart container 212 will be described herein as a form of reusable water bottle having a resealable cap. However, it will be understood that the smart container 212 may be any type of cup, mug, bottle, or other container capable of holding fluid (e.g., for human consumption). In general, the smart container 212 may include a processor, memory, and / or various sensors to determine the amount of fluid in the smart container 212 and / or to detect when and therefore how often a user is drinking. For example, a sensor located in the cap of the smart container 212 may continuously or periodically (e.g., at regular time intervals) measure the level of fluid in the smart container 212, and these levels can be evaluated (e.g., by comparing the levels at various time steps) to determine whether the user has consumed any of the fluid. To continue with this example, the difference between the fluid level at the first time step and the fluid level at the second time step may indicate that the user has consumed a drink (e.g., if the fluid level is relatively low in the second time step) or that the smart container 212 is full (e.g., if the fluid level is relatively high in the second time step).

[0050] In some embodiments, the smart container 212 can transmit the fluid level measurements (6) to an external device (e.g., a user device such as user device 106) so that the external device can use the fluid level measurements to perform various calculations. In this manner, the external device can handle most of the calculations required to determine changes in fluid level, thereby reducing computational requirements, battery usage, etc. for the smart container 212. As shown in FIG. 2, for example, the smart container 212 may transmit the fluid level measurements (6) to the subsystem 102. The subsystem 102 can then utilize the fluid level measurements to determine not only the fill level of the smart container 212, but also the rate at which the user is consuming fluid.

[0051] In some embodiments, the subsystem 102 is configured to remind the user to drink from the smart container 212. For example, the subsystem 102 may determine that the user is not meeting a daily intake of fluid levels or consuming a recommended amount of fluid to replenish activity losses, and may generate and display (e.g., via the user interface 104 or by sending a command to the user device 106) a notification prompting the user to drink. In some embodiments, the subsystem 102 may also determine (e.g., based on a recipe generated by the subsystem 102, as described above) a portion of the fluid in the smart container 212 that the user must consume to replenish activity losses. For example, the subsystem 102 may present (e.g., via the user interface 104 or by sending a command to the user device 106) an instruction to the user that the user should consume a percentage of the fluid in the smart container 212 to replenish losses due to sweating.

[0052] In some embodiments, a user profile is maintained by the subsystem 102 or another remote computing device (not shown) that tracks the personalized beverage mix dispensed by the beverage dispensing device 110. For example, each time a personalized beverage mix is ​​dispensed from the beverage dispensing device 110, the user profile may be updated to include an indication of the amount of fluid dispensed, the amount of electrolyte additive dispensed, and / or the formula used to generate the personalized beverage mix. In some embodiments, the user's consumption of personalized beverage mix is ​​also tracked based on fluid level readings in the smart container 212 to monitor and / or predict levels of hydration for the user. Additional details and features of the user profile are discussed in more detail below.

[0053] Referring now to FIG. 3, a block diagram illustrating the subsystem 102 in more detail is shown, according to some embodiments. As previously mentioned, the subsystem 102 may be configured to generate a unique recipe for a personalized beverage mix based on one or more of the activity data, the user data, and additional preferences of the user (e.g., flavors, sweeteners, etc.). In some embodiments, the recipe is also generated based on electrolyte measurements from the sweat sensor. In this manner, the unique recipe may improve the user's recovery or rehydration (e.g., from a period of activity) by tailoring the recipe to the user's individual needs. Additionally, the subsystem 102 may enable the beverage dispensing device 110 to automatically dispense a recipe-based personalized beverage mix, which may be significantly more convenient for the user than other hydration programs that require the user to mix their own beverage.

[0054] Subsystem 102 is shown to include processing circuitry 302, further including a processor 304 and memory 310. Processor 304 may be a general purpose processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a collection of processing components, or other suitable electronic processing components. In some embodiments, processor 304 is configured to execute program code stored on memory 310 to cause subsystem 102 to perform one or more operations. Memory 310 may include one or more devices (e.g., memory units, memory devices, storage devices, etc.) for storing data and / or computer code to complete and / or facilitate various processes described in this disclosure.

[0055] In some embodiments, memory 310 includes tangible computer-readable media that stores code or instructions executable by processor 304. Tangible computer-readable media refers to any medium capable of providing data that causes subsystem 102 (i.e., machine) to operate in a particular manner. Exemplary tangible computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, volatile, non-volatile, removable, and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Thus, memory 310 may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard drive storage, temporary storage, non-volatile memory, flash memory, optical storage, or any other suitable memory for storing software objects and / or computer instructions. Memory 310 may include database components, object code components, script components, or any other type of information structures to support the various activities and information structures described in this disclosure. The memory 310 may be communicatively connected to the processor 304, such as via the processing circuitry 302, and may include computer code for executing (e.g., by the processor 304) one or more processes described herein.

[0056] Although shown as individual components, it will be appreciated that various different types and quantities of processors and memories can be used to implement the processor 304 and / or memory 310. For example, the processor 304 may represent a single processing device or multiple processing devices. Similarly, the memory 310 may represent a single memory device or multiple memory devices. Additionally, in some embodiments, the subsystem 102 may be implemented within a single computing device (e.g., one server, one housing, etc.). In other embodiments, the subsystem 102 may be distributed across multiple servers or computers (e.g., which may be in distributed locations). For example, the subsystem 102 may include multiple distributed computing devices (e.g., multiple processors and / or memory devices) in communication with each other that cooperatively perform operations. In some embodiments, the subsystem 102 may be a component of the beverage dispensing system 110 and thus may share the processor 304 and / or memory 310 with the beverage dispensing system 110. For example, the beverage dispensing apparatus 110 may include one or more processors and memory devices that implement the functions of the subsystems 102 described herein.

[0057] The memory 310 is shown to include a loss calculator 312 configured to determine or predict the amount of fluid and electrolytes lost by the user through sweating. In particular, the loss calculator 312 may predict the amount of fluid lost by the user through sweating based on activity data and / or user data. As previously mentioned, the activity data may include at least the type of activity (e.g., running, cycling, rowing, hiking, kayaking, etc.), the duration of the activity, the intensity of the activity (e.g., light, moderate, heavy), and the ambient environmental conditions (e.g., wind speed, ambient temperature, humidity, terrain, etc.), along with any other data that may be relevant to determining or predicting the amount of energy expended by the user through the activity and thus the amount of sweating. In some embodiments, additional activity data specific to the type of activity being performed may also be used to predict the amount of fluid lost through sweating. For example, activity data for rowing may include an average rowing pace (e.g., in meters per second).

[0058] The loss calculator 312 may also utilize user data to predict the amount of fluid lost through sweating. User data may include physical characteristics of the user, such as height, weight, sex, and age, as well as resting heart rate, maximum oxygen consumption (e.g., max VO 2 ) and other physiological characteristics. In some embodiments, historical activity data is also used (e.g., average pace, average distance traveled, etc.). As previously discussed, all of these activity and user parameters may affect the amount of fluid lost by the user through sweating. In some embodiments, loss calculator 312 may use a model for the user to predict the amount of fluid loss. For example, the activity data and / or user data discussed above may be used as inputs to a model to predict (e.g., as an output of the model) the amount of fluid lost. In some embodiments, the model may be an artificial intelligence model, such as a neural network model. In other embodiments, other types of algorithms for predicting the amount of fluid lost through sweating may be utilized.

[0059] In some embodiments, the loss calculator 312 may also predict the amount of electrolytes lost by the user through sweating based on the activity data and / or user data. Vigorous activity (e.g., determined based on duration, pace, etc.) may, for example, cause the user to lose more sweat than light activity. In another example, environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, etc. may have a significant effect on the amount of sweat, and therefore electrolytes, that the user loses. Similar to predictions about the amount of fluid lost, electrolyte loss may also be predicted using a model of the user or another type of algorithm. However, in some embodiments, the loss calculator 312 may receive measurements of electrolyte loss from the sensor 108, which may be a chemical or electrical sweat sensor as described above.

[0060] In some such embodiments, if the sensor 108 is a digital or electro-sweat sensor, the electrolyte loss measurements may be received wirelessly from the sensor 108. For example, the sensor 108 may transmit electrolyte data via a short-range or low-power wireless connection (e.g., Bluetooth). In another example, the user device 106 may be configured to wirelessly scan the sensor 108 (e.g., using RFID or similar technology) to receive the electrolyte loss data. In some embodiments, if the sensor 108 is a chemical sweat sensor, the user device 106 may be configured to scan the sensor 108 (e.g., using a camera) to determine the level of electrolytes in the user's sweat. In other such embodiments, the user may manually input the level of electrolytes indicated by the sensor 108 via a user interface presented on the user device 106. Further details of the sensor 108 are described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 8.

[0061] In some embodiments, the amount of fluid lost through sweating may be calculated based at least in part on the measured electrolyte loss in the user. For example, loss calculator 312 may be configured to predict the amount of fluid lost through sweating based on the levels of electrolytes present in the user's sweat. In some such embodiments, user data and / or activity data may be used to inform this prediction. For example, user data and / or activity data may be used to predict the amount of fluid lost for a variety of different electrolyte concentrations in the user's sweat.

[0062] The memory 310 is also shown to include a mixture generator 314 configured to generate a personalized beverage mix recipe based on the fluid and electrolyte loss data determined by the loss calculator 312. As previously described, the recipe may be configured to replenish (i.e., replace) at least a portion of the fluid and / or electrolytes lost by the user. For example, if the loss calculator 312 predicts that the user has lost 750 mL of fluid due to sweating, the recipe generated by the mixture generator 314 may include a corresponding amount of fluid (e.g., water). It will be appreciated that the amount of fluid in the personalized beverage mix will not necessarily be exactly equal to the amount of fluid lost by the user due to sweating. For example, the personalized beverage mix recipe may include a relatively lesser or a relatively greater amount of fluid. The mixture generator 314 may also be configured to determine an amount of electrolyte additive to add to the amount of fluid to achieve a desired electrolyte concentration. For example, if the recipe includes 500 mL of water and requires an electrolyte concentration of 20 mmol / L, the mixture generator 314 may determine that the recipe should include 10 mmol / L of electrolyte additive. However, as previously mentioned, the mixture generator 314 may take into account an upper threshold for electrolyte concentration so as not to generate a recipe that is too concentrated (e.g., too salty) for consumption. In one example, this upper threshold is approximately 60 mmol / L of electrolyte additive.

[0063] In some embodiments, the mixture generator 314 may also generate the recipe based on additional user-defined additives. That is, the mixture generator 314 may include one or more of the flavorings, sweeteners, or other additives selected by the user in the generated recipe. For example, in addition to any electrolyte additives, the user may wish to include a flavoring and / or sweetener (e.g., sugar or other carbohydrate) to enhance the personalized beverage mixture. In some embodiments, the additional additives are selected by the user via a user interface presented on the user device 106. In any case, after generating the personalized beverage mixture recipe, the mixture generator 314 may be configured to transmit the recipe to the beverage dispensing device 110. In some such embodiments, upon receiving the recipe, the personalized beverage mixture may be dispensed by the beverage dispensing device 110. In other embodiments, such as when the subsystem 102 is part of the beverage dispensing device 110, the beverage dispensing device 110 may simply initiate dispensing of the personalized beverage mixture in response to the generation of the recipe.

[0064] In some embodiments, the generated recipes and / or any of the aforementioned activity data and user data may be stored in database 318. For example, database 318 may keep a log of the user's activity data to improve prediction of fluid and / or electrolyte loss over time. In some embodiments, the user data may be stored in a user profile in database 318 so that the user does not need to periodically input characteristics such as height, weight, etc. That is, the user characteristics may be used to generate a user profile that the user can subsequently access (e.g., by entering credentials into a web portal or software application) to generate new recipes or modify existing recipes. In this manner, after the initial generation of the user profile, only new activity data may be required to generate the personalized beverage mix recipes.

[0065] The memory 310 is also shown to include a user interface (UI) generator 316 configured to generate any of the user interfaces described herein. In particular, the UI generator 316 may be configured to generate a user interface that allows a user to input activity data, user data, and / or any additional preferences prior to generating a personalized beverage mix recipe. In some embodiments, the UI generator 316 may also generate a user interface that presents information to the user related to the recipe, such as the amount of fluid and / or the amount of electrolyte additives in the recipe. For example, recipe parameters may be presented to the user so that the user may manually mix the personalized beverage mix, if desired. In some embodiments, the user is presented with at least an indication of the amount of fluid the user should consume to replace a projected amount of fluid lost due to sweating, as described in more detail below with respect to FIG. 5. In some embodiments, the user may also be warned about the risk of dehydration.

[0066] 3, the subsystem 102 is also shown to include a communication interface 320 that may facilitate communication between the subsystem 102 and any external components or devices. For example, the communication interface 320 may provide means for transmitting data to or receiving data from the sensor 108 and / or the beverage dispensing device 110, as discussed above. Thus, the communication interface 320 may be or include a wired or wireless communication interface (e.g., a jack, antenna, transmitter, receiver, transceiver, wire terminal, etc.) for performing data communication. However, as discussed above, it should be understood that the subsystem 102 may be a component of the beverage dispensing device 110 and thus may communicate directly with the beverage dispensing device 110 (e.g., via a communication bus or data bus). For example, the subsystem 102 may share processing components (e.g., processor and memory) and / or the subsystem 102 may be implemented using the processor and memory of the beverage dispensing device 110.

[0067] In various embodiments, communication via the communication interface 320 may be direct (e.g., local wired or wireless communication) or over a network (e.g., a WAN, the Internet, a cellular network, etc.). For example, the communication interface 320 may include a WiFi transceiver for communicating over a wireless communication network. In another example, the communication interface 320 may include a cellular or mobile phone communication transceiver. In yet another example, the communication interface 320 may include a low power or short range wireless transceiver (e.g., Bluetooth). As previously mentioned, the communication interface 320 may also include an internal data bus for coupling the subsystem 102 with various other processing units and / or memories of the beverage dispensing system 110.

[0068] Generate personalized beverage recipes 4, a flow diagram of a process 400 for generating and dispensing a personalized beverage mix is ​​shown, according to some embodiments. As previously mentioned, in some embodiments, the process 400 is performed by the subsystem 102. For example, if the subsystem 102 is a component of the beverage dispensing system 110, the process 400 may be performed directly or indirectly by the beverage dispensing system 110. However, as previously mentioned, in various other embodiments, the process 400 may be performed by multiple components of the system 100. For example, certain steps of the process 400 may be performed by the subsystem 102, and other steps may be performed by the user device 106. It will also be appreciated that certain steps of the process 400 may be optional, and that in some embodiments, the process 400 may be implemented using fewer than all steps.

[0069] In step 402, activity data associated with an activity performed by a user is received. In some embodiments, this activity data is received via user input to a user device (e.g., user device 106), such as a smartphone and / or smartwatch. For example, the user device may display an interface (e.g., of a software application or web interface) that includes multiple input fields or other graphical elements that allow the user to identify activity data such as type of activity, duration of the activity, intensity of the activity, ambient environmental conditions, pace, etc. In other embodiments, activity data collected automatically, or at least semi-automatically, while the user is performing the activity is received from the user device. For example, the user device (e.g., a smartwatch) may run a software application that tracks the user's movements (e.g., speed, direction, distance, etc.) and / or physiological parameters (e.g., heart rate, blood oxygen, etc.). In some embodiments, certain data may be collected automatically from remote sources. For example, the user device may obtain environmental data from an online weather service and / or mapping service. Again, in other embodiments, the activity data is received as a combination of user input and collected data. For example, certain activity data (eg, duration, distance, pace, etc.) may be collected automatically by the user device, and additional activity data (eg, type and intensity of activity) may be provided as user input.

[0070] In some embodiments, step 402 also includes receiving user data. As previously discussed, the user data may include any physical and / or physiological information about the user, such as height, weight, sex, age, etc. In some embodiments, the user data is provided as user input to the user device. For example, the user data may be used to generate a user profile. This user profile may then be stored such that the user data may be retrieved at some later time, requiring the user to provide additional input.

[0071] At step 404, the amount of fluid and corresponding amount of electrolytes lost by the user through sweating is determined. As previously described, the activity data and / or user data may be used to predict (i.e., estimate) both the amount of fluid and the amount of electrolytes lost by the user through sweating while performing an activity. In some embodiments, the amount of electrolytes lost through sweating is measured by a sweat sensor placed on the user's skin. In some such embodiments, an indication of the amount of electrolytes lost is received wirelessly from the sweat sensor. In other such embodiments, a camera or other optical sensor on the user device is used to scan the sweat sensor to read an indication of the amount of electrolytes lost. For example, the sweat sensor may be a chemical sweat sensor that displays one or more color bars based on the level of electrolytes in a sweat sample.

[0072] At step 406, user input is optionally received identifying one or more additional additives for the personalized beverage mix. In some embodiments, the user input is received from a user device, similar to the activity data and / or user data described above. The one or more additional additives may include, for example, flavorings, sweeteners, etc. that may enhance the personalized beverage mix based on user preferences. For example, it may be desirable to include sugar or another high calorie sweetener (e.g., corn syrup) in the personalized beverage mix to replenish carbohydrates consumed by the user for energy during exercise.

[0073] At step 408, a recipe for a personalized beverage mix is ​​generated. In particular, the recipe may include an amount of fluid, an amount of electrolyte additive, and / or an amount of one or more additional additives to include in the personalized beverage mix. The amount of fluid may correspond to an amount of fluid, such as water, that the user should consume to replenish at least a portion of the fluid lost through sweating. In some embodiments, the amount of fluid represents a total amount of the personalized beverage mix intended to rehydrate the user. Similarly, the amount of electrolyte additive (e.g., sodium or a combination of electrolytes) may correspond to an amount of electrolytes lost by the user through sweating. In some embodiments, the recipe may indicate a specific amount (e.g., in mmol) of electrolyte additive to add to the amount of fluid. In other embodiments, the recipe may indicate a concentration of the electrolyte in the personalized final beverage mix. From the concentration of the electrolyte, the amount of electrolyte additive may be determined.

[0074] At step 410, a user interface showing the recipe details is optionally displayed. The user interface, which may be displayed via the user device or on a display device of the beverage dispensing device, may indicate the amount of fluid the user should consume to replenish the predicted amount of fluid lost through sweating. For example, the user interface may indicate that the user should "drink Y ml of fluid," where Y is the amount indicated in the recipe. In some embodiments, the fluid may be a commercially available sports drink (e.g., with a possible electrolyte concentration of 18 mmol / L). However, the fluid may rather be a personalized beverage mix. In some embodiments, the user interface may also indicate the concentration and / or total amount of electrolyte additives included in the personalized beverage mix.

[0075] At step 412, the personalized beverage mix is ​​dispensed. In some embodiments, where process 400 is performed primarily by a beverage dispensing device, the beverage dispensing device may dispense the personalized beverage mix in response to generating the recipe. In other embodiments, the recipe generated at step 408 may be sent to the beverage dispensing device for later dispensing the beverage. In some such embodiments, the recipe may be stored (e.g., in database 318) such that a user may retrieve the recipe and have the beverage dispensing device dispense the personalized beverage mix. For example, a user may have to travel to the beverage dispensing device and upon arrival at the beverage dispensing device may interact with a user interface to have the beverage dispensing device dispense the personalized mixed beverage. In other such embodiments, the beverage dispensing device may dispense the personalized beverage mix in response to receiving the recipe.

[0076] 5, an exemplary interface 500 for providing activity data for generating a personalized beverage recipe is shown, according to some embodiments. In this example, the interface 500 may represent a user interface displayed on the user device 106, or any other portable user device (e.g., a smartphone or smartwatch). The interface 500 is shown to include multiple fields and / or graphical elements that allow a user to input information such as a user identification, environmental data (e.g., humidity, wind, and temperature), user data (e.g., weight and height), activity duration, pace, etc. In this example, the interface 500 is shown populated with data related to a first rower. Thus, it will be appreciated that certain fields of the interface 500 may vary based on a particular user and / or type of activity. For example, for a user cycling, the interface 500 may include additional fields such as pace (e.g., miles / hour), distance (e.g., miles), altitude, etc.

[0077] Once fully populated, the user may select a submit button (e.g., “Submit”) to have the user device 106 or subsystem 102 perform calculations using the entered activity and user data. Specifically, the entered data may be used to predict the amount of fluid the user has lost due to the activity, and possibly the amount of electrolytes the user has lost. A personalized drink mix recipe may then be generated. In this example, the total amount of fluid included in the recipe is displayed in a field that indicates to the user that they should drink 629 mL of fluid (e.g., plain water, sports drink, or personalized drink mix) to replenish the lost fluid. The interface 500 may also present an indication of the user's risk of dehydration. In this case, the user is determined to be “normally hydrated” or not at serious risk of dehydration.

[0078] 6, another exemplary interface 600 for providing activity data and generating a personalized beverage recipe is shown, according to some embodiments. Specifically, interface 600 may be an example of a web interface for receiving user input and displaying hydration data. In many respects, interface 600 may be similar to interface 500 described above in that it includes multiple fields for user input of activity and user data. For example, interface 600 is shown to include fields for receiving the user's weight and height, as well as activity duration, ambient temperature, humidity level, and wind level. Additionally, interface 600 is shown to include fields in which the user may enter specific activity data, such as power output (e.g., in steady cycling), speed and grade (e.g., in running on a treadmill), and pace (e.g., in steady rowing). In this example, based on the activity and user data, interface 600 provides a recommendation to the user that they should consume 845 mL of fluid.

[0079] 7A and 7B, additional exemplary interfaces 700 and 750 are shown for providing activity data to generate a personalized beverage recipe, according to some embodiments. Similar to interface 600, interfaces 700 and 750 may be examples of user-accessible web interfaces (i.e., online "hydration calculators") for calculating the amount of fluid and / or electrolytes that will be consumed to replenish those lost through sweat. Looking first at FIG. 7A, interface 700 includes fields in which a user may define the type of activity (e.g., "rugby"), the duration of the activity (e.g., 85 minutes), the ambient or outside temperature (e.g., 14° C.), the intensity of the activity (e.g., "light"), the user's gender (e.g., "male"), the user's weight (e.g., 85 kg), and the user's height (e.g., 184 cm). Once captured, the user may select the "Calculate your results" icon to predict the amount of fluid and / or electrolytes lost due to sweating, followed by the amount of fluid and electrolyte additives for a personalized drink mix.

[0080] In some embodiments, selecting the "Calculate your results" icon may present interface 750, shown in FIG. 7B. In some embodiments, interface 750 is presented as a pop-up or overlay to interface 700. Interface 750 may present the results of a calculator run using the user's activity data and user data. In this example, interface 750 indicates that the user should consume 122.1 mL, or 0.12 L of fluid. In some embodiments, interface 750 may also present a total number of bottles (e.g., of a particular volume, such as 750 mL), cups, or other predefined measurement that the user should consume. In this example, the user has selected a bottle size of 750 mL, which is used to determine that the user should consume 0.16 bottles of fluid.

[0081] 8, an example of a sensor for detecting the level of electrolytes lost by a user is shown, according to some embodiments. Specifically, the example sensor shown in the figure may be one of the chemical sweat sensors described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 138,964 or U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 276,860, as previously described. Thus, the example sensor may be worn on the skin of a user to detect the level of electrolytes in the user's sweat. The level of electrolytes may be displayed by one or more bars (e.g., shown between "low" and "high" markings), which may be colored or filled in (e.g., may change color) based on the concentration of electrolytes in the sweat.

[0082] For example, each "bar" on the sensor may correspond to a concentration of an electrolyte, with one bar indicating a concentration between 5 and 20 mmol, two bars indicating a concentration between 25 and 40 mmol, three bars indicating a concentration between 45 and 60 mmol, and four bars indicating a concentration above 65 mmol. In some embodiments, the electrolyte concentration indicated by the sensor may be manually identified by a user and entered into a user interface, as described above. However, in other embodiments, a camera of a user device may be used to read or scan the sensor. For example, the user device may analyze a captured image of the sensor using any suitable image processing technique to identify the number of colored or filled bars, thereby identifying the electrolyte concentration.

[0083] Configuration of an Exemplary Embodiment The structure and configuration of the systems and methods as shown in the various exemplary embodiments are merely exemplary. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, numerous modifications are feasible (e.g., changes in the size, dimensions, structure, shape, and proportions of the various elements, parameter values, mounting configurations, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.). For example, the positions of elements may be reversed or otherwise changed, and the nature or number or location of individual elements may be modified or changed. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be changed or re-ordered according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0084] The present disclosure contemplates methods, systems, and program products on any machine-readable medium for performing various operations. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using existing computer processors, or by dedicated computer processors for suitable systems incorporated for this or another purpose, or by hardwired systems. Embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure include program products that include machine-readable media having or for storing machine-executable instructions or data structures. Such machine-readable media can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer, or other machine having a processor. By way of example, such machine-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer, or other machine having a processor.

[0085] When information is transferred or presented to a machine over a network or another communications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired or wireless), the machine properly views the connection as a machine-readable medium. Thus, any such connection is properly termed a machine-readable medium. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of machine-readable media. Machine-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data that cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing machine to perform a certain function or group of functions.

[0086] Although each figure shows a particular order of method steps, the order of steps may differ from that shown. Also, two or more steps may be performed simultaneously or with partial concurrency. Such variations will depend on the software and hardware systems selected and the designer's choices. All such variations are within the scope of this disclosure. Similarly, software implementations may be performed using standard programming techniques employing rule-based logic and other logic to perform the various connection, processing, comparison, and decision steps.

Claims

1. 1. A method of dispensing a personalized beverage mix, comprising: receiving a predicted amount of fluid lost by the user through sweating based on activity data indicative of a type of activity performed and one or more parameters for the activity; receiving a measurement of the amount of electrolytes lost by the user through sweating; generating a recipe for the personalized beverage mix based on the predicted amount of fluid lost by the user and the measured amount of electrolytes, the recipe including a second amount of fluid to replace at least a portion of the predicted amount of fluid lost by the user and an amount of an electrolyte additive to replace at least a portion of the measured amount of electrolytes lost by the user; Dispensing the personalized beverage mix according to the recipe; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more activity parameters include at least one of a duration of the activity, an intensity of the activity, or an ambient environmental condition.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the activity data is provided as user input to a user device operated by the user or is collected automatically by the user device as the user performs the activity.

4. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving physical parameters for the user including at least one of a height or a weight of the user, wherein the amount of electrolytes lost by the user is determined further based on the height or the weight of the user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measurement of the amount of electrolyte lost by the user is collected by a sensor placed on the user's skin.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the sensor is a chemical electrolyte sensor configured to display a visual indicator of the amount of electrolyte lost.

7. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sensor is an electronic electrolyte sensor configured to wirelessly transmit or visually display an indication of the amount of electrolyte lost.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying an indication of the amount of fluid in the personalized beverage mix via a user interface.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying an indication of the user's risk of dehydration via a user interface.

10. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input indicating at least one of a flavoring or a sweetener to add to the fluid, wherein the recipe for the personalized beverage mix further includes an amount of the flavoring or sweetener.

11. 1. A method of dispensing a personalized beverage mix, comprising: receiving a predicted amount of fluid and electrolytes lost by the user through sweating based on activity data indicative of a type of activity performed and one or more parameters for the activity; generating the personalized beverage mix recipe based on the predicted amount of fluid lost by the user and the predicted amount of electrolytes, the recipe including a second amount of fluid to replace at least a portion of the predicted amount of fluid lost by the user and an amount of electrolyte additive to replace at least a portion of the predicted amount of electrolytes lost by the user; Dispensing the personalized beverage mix according to the recipe; A method comprising:

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more activity parameters include at least one of a duration of the activity, an intensity of the activity, or an ambient environmental condition.

13. 13. The method of claim 11 or 12, wherein the activity data is provided as user input to a user device operated by the user, or is collected automatically by the user device as the user performs an activity.

14. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the activity data further includes a measure of electrolyte loss of the user based on data received from a wearable device worn by the user.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the wearable device is a sweat sensor placed on the user's skin.

16. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein a camera of a user device operated by the user is used to scan a face of the wearable device to determine the measurement of electrolyte loss.

17. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying an indication of the amount of fluid in the personalized beverage mix via a user interface.

18. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying an indication of the user's risk of dehydration via a user interface.

19. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving physical parameters for the user including at least one of a height or a weight of the user, wherein the amount of electrolytes lost by the user is determined further based on the height or the weight of the user.

20. When executed by one or more processors: receiving activity data indicative of a type of activity performed by a user and one or more parameters for the activity; predicting a first amount of fluid lost by the user through sweating during the activity; receiving a measurement of an amount of electrolytes lost by the user through sweating from a sensor placed on the user's skin; generating a personalized beverage mix recipe based on the first amount of fluid and the measured amount of electrolytes lost by the user, the recipe including a second amount of fluid to replace at least a portion of the first amount of fluid lost by the user and an amount of electrolyte additive to replace at least a portion of the measured amount of electrolytes lost by the user; transmitting a control signal to a beverage dispensing device to cause the beverage dispensing device to dispense the personalized beverage mixture according to the recipe; A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform operations that include:

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