Autonomous Retail Kiosk

Abstract

An autonomous retail kiosk for serving beverages and a method of operating the autonomous retail kiosk, the autonomous retail kiosk comprising two or more manufacturing workcells and a carousel, each manufacturing workcell comprising a beverage dispenser, a presentation station, and a robotic arm for moving beverages between the carousel, are provided.

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] Known autonomous retail systems for serving beverages fall into several different categories. First, there are "vending machine" type retail systems, which dispense bottled, canned or other packaged beverages to the customer. Then there are "self-service" retail systems, in which the customer manually places a beverage container under a beverage dispenser, the dispenser pours the beverage into the container, and the customer removes the container, caps it, and adds condiments if necessary. An example of a "self-service" retail system is described in International Publication WO 2014 / 075833 (also published as U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015 / 0245734 A1). A problem with vending machine type retail systems is that they are typically only capable of serving cold beverages. Self-service retail systems are generally capable of producing hot and cold beverages, such as coffee and iced coffee. However, as mentioned above, self-service retail systems require the customer to manually place a beverage container under a beverage dispenser and cap it if necessary. This leaves resources, such as beverage containers and lids, freely accessible to the customer. This results in issues around hygiene levels and potential tampering with said resources. Furthermore, self-service retail systems are limited in the storage capacity of such machines. As a result, they can typically only be located in areas where an attendant can continually monitor and replenish resources, including the aforementioned beverage containers and lids. Furthermore, self-service retail systems are typically located in areas where an attendant is available to assist users with problematic "unfortunate journeys," particularly those that occur after payment. Thus, there is a need for a more reliable system that can be used in locations where no attendant is present. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0002] In an attempt to solve the problems associated with existing self-service retail systems, a number of autonomous retail kiosks for dispensing beverages have been developed. The kiosks attempt to replicate the functionality of a human serving in a cafe or coffee shop by providing a finished beverage to the consumer in a covered beverage container. However, existing autonomous retail kiosks are highly complex and have limited resource redundancy to deal with the failure of any one resource. If any one resource, such as a beverage dispenser, fails, the autonomous kiosk will go out of service and will be unable to serve beverages. There is a need for an improved autonomous retail kiosk for dispensing beverages that addresses these issues. [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] According to a first aspect, an autonomous retail kiosk for serving beverages is provided. The autonomous retail kiosk comprises two or more manufacturing workcells and a carousel, where each of the manufacturing workcells comprises a beverage dispenser for dispensing a liquid, a presentation station for presenting a beverage to a user, and a robotic arm for moving beverages between the beverage dispenser, the presentation station, and the carousel. The carousel receives a beverage container from a first robotic arm in a first workcell and delivers the beverage container to a second robotic arm in a second workcell, thereby moving the beverage container from the first workcell to the second workcell.

[0004] The planes in which each of the robotic arms moves may include a lateral plane, a vertical plane, and a transverse plane.

[0005] Optionally, the autonomous retail kiosk may further comprise one or more beverage makers that dispense beverages to the beverage dispenser. Optionally, the beverage dispenser is a tiltable and liftable movable beverage dispenser head. Optionally, the presentation station comprises a rotating platform. Optionally, the autonomous retail kiosk further comprises one or more direct beverage dispensers configured to provide ingredients or steps to the cup (e.g., ice, mixer head, muffin, ice cream portion).

[0006] Optionally, the autonomous retail kiosk comprises two substantially identical manufacturing workcells having bilateral symmetry.

[0007] Each of the robotic arms may move beverage containers from a beverage container dispenser to a beverage dispenser, move beverage containers from the beverage dispenser to a carousel, and move beverage containers from the carousel to a presentation station.

[0008] Optionally, the autonomous retail kiosk further comprises a beverage container lid station with a beverage container lid device for the two or more manufacturing workcells. Alternatively, each of the two or more manufacturing workcells may further comprise one or more beverage container lid stations with a beverage container lid device.

[0009] Optionally, the autonomous retail kiosk further comprises a beverage container disposal unit for receiving discarded beverages from the robotic arm.

[0010] Optionally, the carousel is further configured to receive said beverage container from said robotic arm and hand over said beverage container to the same robotic arm, thereby storing the beverage container.

[0011] In a second aspect, a method of operating an autonomous retail kiosk with two or more manufacturing workcells and a carousel is provided, the method including, in a first manufacturing workcell, dispensing a beverage container from a beverage container dispenser to a first robotic arm, moving the beverage container to the carousel with the first robotic arm, and, in a second manufacturing workcell, removing the beverage container from the carousel with either the first robotic arm or a second robotic arm.

[0012] Optionally, the method further includes moving the beverage container from the beverage container dispenser to a first beverage dispenser using the first robotic arm, and dispensing liquid from the first beverage dispenser into the beverage container.

[0013] Optionally, the method further comprises presenting the beverage to a user by placing a beverage container at a presentation station using either the first robotic arm or the second robotic arm.

[0014] Optionally, a second robotic arm in a second manufacturing workcell is used to remove the beverage container from said carousel. The method further includes the steps of dispensing liquid from a beverage dispenser in the second manufacturing workcell into the beverage container, presenting the beverage to a user by placing the beverage container at a presentation station using the second robotic arm; Includes.

[0015] Optionally, a second robotic arm in a second manufacturing workcell is used to remove the beverage container from said carousel. The method further includes dispensing liquid from a beverage dispenser in the second manufacturing workcell into the beverage container, moving the beverage container to the carousel using the second robotic arm, removing the beverage container from the carousel using either the first robotic arm or the second robotic arm in the second manufacturing workcell, and presenting the beverage to a user by placing the beverage container at a presentation station using either the first robotic arm or the second robotic arm. Includes.

[0016] The method further includes removing the beverage container from the carousel using either the first robotic arm or the second robotic arm in the second manufacturing workcell, and presenting the beverage to a user by placing the beverage container at a presentation station using either the first robotic arm or the second robotic arm.

[0017] Optionally, the method further includes receiving information at the controller regarding availability of ingredients or hardware resources of two or more manufacturing workcells, determining whether one or more of the two or more manufacturing workcells, alone or in combination, are capable of producing the beverage based on the information, and performing the above-mentioned method based on the determination. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1a] FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified example layout of an automated beverage system. [Figure 1b] FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified example layout of an automated beverage system. [Figure 2a] FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic diagram of an arrangement of work cells around a carousel. [Figure 2b] FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic diagram of an arrangement of work cells around a carousel. [Figure 2c]FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic diagram of an arrangement of work cells around a carousel. [Figure 2d] FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic diagram of an arrangement of work cells around a carousel. [Figure 2e] FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic diagram of an arrangement of work cells around a carousel. [Diagram 3] 1A-1C illustrate example carousel combinations for use in an automated beverage system. [Figure 4] 1 is an exemplary flow chart illustrating a method of operation of the system of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] The term "degree of freedom" is used interchangeably with "number of axes" herein to define the motor capabilities of a robot arm. For example, a robot arm with one degree of freedom or one axis can move along a linear x-axis. A robot arm with two degrees of freedom or two axes can move horizontally and vertically in one x / z plane. A robot arm with three degrees of freedom or three axes can move horizontally, vertically, forward and backward in x / y / z space. A robot arm with four degrees of freedom can move horizontally, vertically, forward and backward in x / y / z space and can also orient an object along one axis (e.g., yaw). A robot arm with five degrees of freedom or five axes can move horizontally, vertically, forward and backward in x / y / z space and can orient an object along two axes (e.g., yaw and pitch). A robot arm with six degrees of freedom or six axes can move horizontally, vertically, and backward / forward in x / y / z space and can also orient an object along three axes (e.g., yaw, pitch, and roll).

[0020] As used herein, the term "resource" refers to both hardware resources, such as a robotic arm, beverage dispenser, presentation station, beverage maker, beverage container dispenser, beverage waste module, ice dispenser, beverage container leader, carousel(s), and consumable resources, such as coffee beans, milk, beverage containers, beverage container leaders, water, flavored syrups, ice, and the like.

[0021] FIG. 1a illustrates an example layout of an autonomous retail kiosk 100 according to the present disclosure. The autonomous retail kiosk 100 may be an automated beverage system. The autonomous retail kiosk 100 of FIG. 1 includes two overlapping work envelopes 110, 120. An area in which a robotic arm can operate may be referred to as a work envelope. As used herein, the term "manufacturing workcell" refers to a group of hardware resources located within the work envelope of one robotic arm. Preferably, each manufacturing workcell includes a beverage dispenser 113a, 113b for dispensing liquids, a presentation station 114 for presenting beverages to consumers, and a robotic arm 115a, 115b for moving beverages between the beverage dispenser 113a, 113b, the presentation station 114, and the carousel 130. The automated beverage system may include an ice dispenser (not shown in FIG. 1). The consumer may be a human or machine operator or user of the autonomous retail kiosk 100.

[0022] Each manufacturing workcell may further include a beverage maker 150, or the beverage maker 150 may be shared between the workcells. A first manufacturing workcell 111a includes a beverage container dispenser 112a, a beverage dispenser 113a, and a presentation station 114a. A robotic arm 115a of the first manufacturing workcell 111a is operable to access each of the beverage container dispenser 112a, the beverage dispenser 113a, and the presentation station 114a. The robotic arm 115a is also configured to access the carousel 130. Arrows in FIG. 1a indicate the flow of beverage containers around and between the workcells via the carousel 130.

[0023] Figure 1b illustrates an example layout of an autonomous retail kiosk 100 according to the present disclosure. Preferably, each manufacturing workcell includes a beverage dispenser 113a, 113b for dispensing liquids, a presentation station 114 for presenting beverages to consumers, and a robotic arm 115a, 115b for moving beverages between the beverage dispenser 113a, 113b, the presentation station 114, and the carousel 130. Not shown in Figure 1b is an ice dispenser.

[0024] In the embodiment shown in Figure lb, the robotic arm 115 exhibits three degrees of freedom and can move in the xy, yz, and xz planes, the presentation station 114 has one degree of freedom and consists of a rotatable platform, the beverage dispenser 113 exhibits two degrees of freedom and can move up and down and can also tilt, the beverage container dispenser 112 exhibits one degree of freedom and can rotate, the beverage container lid device 140 exhibits two degrees of freedom and can move up and down as well as rotate, the beverage container lid carousel 141 exhibits one degree of freedom and can rotate, and the carousel 130 exhibits one degree of freedom and can rotate. The arrows in Figure lb indicate the robotic arms and their range of motion.

[0025] An autonomous retail kiosk 100 may have any number of work cells 111 arranged around a common central carousel 130, as shown in Figures 2a-2e. For example, there may be five work cells arranged around the common central carousel 130. In a configuration with five work cells arranged around the common central carousel 130, two of the work cells may be arranged side-by-side and two more work cells may be arranged back-to-back with the first two work cells to form a rectangle centered around the carousel 130, with additional work cells arranged at either end of the rectangle.

[0026] In some cases, four work cells are arranged around a common central carousel 130. In a configuration with four work cells arranged around a common central carousel 130, two of the work cells are arranged side-by-side and two more work cells are arranged back-to-back with the first two work cells to form a rectangle with the carousel 130 at its center. Alternatively, three work cells can be arranged around the central carousel 130. In a configuration with three work cells arranged around a common central carousel 130, two of the work cells are arranged side-by-side and one more work cell is arranged back-to-back with the first two work cells to form a triangle with the carousel 130 at its center. Alternatively, three work cells can be arranged in a row.

[0027] Preferably, two workcells are arranged around a common central carousel 130. The two workcells are preferably symmetrical on both sides.

[0028] Robot Arm In the following, reference will be made generally to the robot arm 115 and the work cell 110, but it will be understood that the robot arm 115b and the work cell 111b (or any further work cell 111) may be configured to operate in a substantially similar manner. Each work cell 111 comprises a robot arm 115 for moving beverage containers. Preferably, the robot arm 115 comprises a number of actuators configured to move the robot arm 115. The robot arm 115 may exhibit any number of degrees of freedom. For example, the robot arm 115 may exhibit 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 degrees of freedom. Preferably, the robot arm 115 exhibits three degrees of freedom. Three degrees of freedom are sufficient to move an object along any or all of the x, y, and z axes. Preferably, the robot arm 115 is configured to move in lateral, vertical, and transverse planes (xy, yz, and xz). In other words, the robot arm 115 is preferably configured to move up and down, left and right, and forward and backward. A robot arm constructed in this way can be considered as an r,z,psi spherical coordinate system. In other words, the robot arm preferably comprises a rotating hub (which sweeps out an arc in the psi direction) that can be raised and lowered (moved up and down in the z direction) and that can change the length of the protruding robot arm (moved along the radial, r, direction). Robot arms exhibiting fewer degrees of freedom are likely to be cheaper, simpler, and more reliable than robot arms exhibiting more degrees of freedom.

[0029] The robot arm 115 can be operated by any number of actuators. Theoretically, the robot arm 115 may be operated by any type of actuator. Preferably, the robot arm 115 is operated by an electronic actuator, such as an electronic motor.

[0030] The robot arm 115 may include a movable gripper for holding the beverage container or a fixed gripper for holding the beverage container. Preferably, the robot arm 115 includes a fixed gripper for holding the beverage container. Preferably, the fixed gripper for holding the beverage container is C-shaped or U-shaped. The beverage container is typically cone-shaped. Thus, the diameter of the C-shaped gripper is between the minimum and maximum diameters of the beverage container. As a result, the C-shaped hand can effectively grip and lift the beverage container when moved in a vertical plane relative to the beverage container. The robot arm 115 may be configured to receive the beverage container from the beverage container dispenser 112, as described further below. The fixed gripper on the robot arm 115 preferably has a high friction surface for effectively gripping the container.

[0031] The robot arm 115 is preferably located at or near the center of the work cell 111 so that the various hardware resources are within the working range of the robot arm 115. Locating the robot arm 115 at the center of the work cell 111 means that a less complex robot arm 115 with fewer degrees of freedom is required to access each hardware resource. Locating the robot arm 115 at the center of the work cell 111 may also allow for the use of a simpler robot arm 115 that does not need to rotate a full 360 degrees or rotate continuously.

[0032] Thus, the robotic arm 115 is preferably configured to move beverage containers between hardware resources contained within the work cell 111 or shared among multiple work cells 111. The robotic arm 115 may be configured to move beverage containers from a beverage container dispenser to a beverage dispenser 113, or from a beverage container dispenser to a carousel 130. The robotic arm 115 may be configured to move beverage containers from a carousel 130 to a beverage dispenser 113, or from a beverage dispenser 113 to a carousel 130. The robotic arm 115 may be configured to move beverage containers from a beverage container dispenser to an ice dispenser, or from an ice dispenser to a beverage dispenser 113. The robotic arm 115 may be configured to move beverage containers from a beverage dispenser 113 to an ice dispenser. The robotic arm 115 may be configured to move beverage containers from an ice dispenser to a carousel 130, or vice versa. The robotic arm 115 may be configured to move the beverage container from the ice dispenser or from the beverage dispenser 113 to the beverage container lid device. The robotic arm 115 may be configured to move the beverage container from the beverage container lid device 140 to the presentation station 114 or the carousel 130. The robotic arm 115 may be configured to move the beverage container from the carousel 130 to the beverage container lid device 140. The robotic arm 115 may be configured to move the beverage container from the carousel 130 to the presentation station 114. The robotic arm 115 may be configured to move the beverage container from the beverage container dispenser or from the ice dispenser to a waste receptacle. The robotic arm 115 may be configured to move the beverage container from the carousel 130 to a beverage container disposal unit. The robotic arm 115 may be configured to move the beverage container from the beverage dispenser 113 to a beverage container disposal unit. The robotic arm 115 may be configured to move the beverage container from the beverage container lid device 140 to a beverage container disposal unit.The robotic arm 115 may be configured to move the beverage container from the presentation station 114 to a beverage container disposal unit.

[0033] Beverage dispenser Each work cell 111 is provided with a beverage dispenser 113 for dispensing beverages. Preferably, the beverage dispenser 113 is in the form of a movable beverage dispenser head with a beverage dispenser nozzle. The beverage dispense head may be liftable (i.e. movable up and down). The beverage dispense head may be tiltable so that the angle of the beverage dispenser head and the beverage dispense nozzle can be varied to optimise the dispensing of liquid. Preferably, the beverage dispense head is liftable and tiltable. In other words, preferably, the beverage dispense head exhibits two degrees of freedom and is a two-axis robot. Preferably, the angle of the beverage dispense head is adjustable, such that the angle of the beverage dispense head relative to the beverage container can be adjusted. Preferably, when in the dispensing position, the angle of the beverage dispense head is between 45 degrees and 15 degrees with respect to the beverage container from which the beverage dispense head can dispense a beverage. More preferably, the angle of the beverage dispense head is between 40 degrees and 25 degrees with respect to the beverage container from which the beverage dispense head can dispense a beverage. Most preferably, the angle of the beverage dispensing head is 38 degrees relative to the beverage container from which it can dispense a beverage. The beverage dispenser 113 can be arranged to move between a stored position and a beverage dispensing position. The beverage dispenser 113 may be arranged to move to a stored position to allow a greater range of motion for the robotic arm 115 when moving the beverage container into and out of position to dispense a beverage into the beverage container. Once the beverage container has been moved into the correct position, the beverage dispenser 113 is lowered to a dispensing position and the dispensing head is tilted to the required angle specified depending on the beverage to be dispensed.

[0034] Alternatively, or additionally, the robotic arm may be arranged to tilt the beverage container relative to the beverage dispenser head to achieve an optimum liquid dispensing height and angle into the beverage container.

[0035] Carousel The autonomous retail kiosk comprises a carousel 130. The carousel 130 is configured to store beverage containers and enable the transfer of beverage containers between work cells. The carousel 130 preferably comprises a number of beverage container stands attached to a belt. The container stands may be spaced, preferably evenly, around the belt. The belt is movable so that the beverage container stands can also be moved. Thus, the beverage containers on the beverage container stands can move around the carousel 130. The carousel 130 may be configured such that the beverage containers placed on the beverage container stands are transported around the entire range of motion of the belt (i.e., in a loop) and arrive at the same point. The carousel 130 belt is preferably located, at least partially, within the working range of the robotic arms of the autonomous retail kiosk. In this manner, the carousel 130 is configured to receive beverage containers from all robotic arms present in the kiosk and to transfer beverage containers to all robotic arms present in the kiosk. Thus, the carousel 130 is configured to pass beverage containers between work cells of an autonomous retail kiosk. This has the advantage that if hardware or consumable resource(s) are not available in one work cell 111, beverage containers can be freely passed between work cells to fulfill a beverage order. The work envelope robotic arm of any work cell 111 can be configured to access multiple beverage containers on the carousel 130 located within the range of motion of the robotic arm. The carousel effectively exhibits one degree of freedom by moving a belt in either direction.

[0036] The carousel 130 may be arranged to move the beverage container stands in stages so that when stationary, the beverage container stands are positioned in a consistent location accessible to the robotic arms. That is, the beverage container stands are movable around the carousel 130 between a series of positions, as shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows an example of a carousel made up of a number of beverage container stands 131a, ..., 131g, which are positioned at respective stationary load positions A, B, C, ..., G. With each movement of the carousel, the beverage container stands move to align with stationary load positions A through G. As shown in FIG. 3, the robotic arm 115a can access stationary positions A and B, and the robotic arm 115b can access stationary positions E, F, and G. The robotic arms 115a and 115b in FIG. 3 can access two and three of the predetermined positions, respectively. However, FIG. 3 is illustrative, and the robotic arm 115 may be configured to access more or fewer load positions, and in practice a symmetrical system is preferred.

[0037] The robotic arms 115a and 115b can deposit beverage containers at any of the stationary locations within their respective work envelopes, and can retrieve beverage containers from any of the stationary locations within their work envelopes. The robotic arms simply rotate about one axis and extend and retract the arms in a radial direction to access stationary locations on the carousel. The carousel can be manipulated to move beverage containers in either direction. One or more of the stationary load locations accessible by the robotic arm 115 minimizes the extension of the robotic arm. Thus, it may be a preferred load location, such as load location A shown in FIG. 3. When the carousel is in heavy use, the beverage container stand at load location A may already have a beverage container placed thereon, and the robotic arm 115a may be instructed to use load location B when in use, in case a simultaneous operation is being performed by another robotic arm.

[0038] The carousel 130 may be configured such that the robotic arm of the first work cell 111 places the beverage container on the beverage container stand of the carousel 130, the carousel 130 operates to move the beverage container within reach of the robotic arm of the second work cell 111, and the robotic arm of the second work cell 111b removes the beverage container from the beverage container stand of the carousel 130. Alternatively, or additionally, the carousel 130 may be arranged such that the robotic arm of the first work cell 111a places the beverage container on the beverage container stand of the carousel 130. The carousel 130 may then be arranged to store the beverage container for a period of time. The robotic arm of the first work cell 111a may then remove the beverage container from the beverage container stand of the carousel 130.

[0039] The beverage container stands may include a sensor or sensors arranged to determine whether any stand has a beverage container placed thereon and provide a feedback signal to the control circuitry of the system. Such sensors may be any suitable sensor known in the art, such as a weight sensor, a capacitance sensor, or an optical sensor.

[0040] Presentation Station Each work cell 111 may include a presentation station 114 for presenting a beverage to a consumer. The robotic arm 115 is configured to place a beverage container at the presentation station 114. Because the autonomous retail kiosks of the present disclosure are typically enclosed, the presentation station 114 may function as an airlock for safety and sanitation reasons, i.e., in embodiments, may prevent a user from accessing the interior of the kiosk. In embodiments, the presentation station 114 includes a rotating platform to which a bell jar is affixed. An opening large enough to accommodate the robotic arm and the beverage container is present on one side of the bell jar. The robotic arm 115 and presentation station 114 may place the beverage container on the rotating platform within the bell jar by the robotic arm moving through the opening. The robotic arm 115 is positioned to retract outside the bell jar after placing the beverage container on the rotating platform. The presentation station 114 is then positioned to rotate so that the opening of the bell jar faces the consumer and the beverage container is presented to the consumer. The presentation station 114 may be positioned to rotate 240 degrees. Presentation station 114 exhibits one degree of freedom, which is rotation about an axis normal to its surface.

[0041] Beverage manufacturer Each work cell 111 preferably comprises a beverage maker 150 connected to a beverage dispenser 113. Alternatively, one beverage maker 150 may correspond to multiple beverage dispensers of different work cells. Alternatively, multiple beverage makers 150 may correspond to one beverage dispenser of one work cell. The beverage maker 150 may produce any kind of beverage. The beverage maker 150 may produce soft drinks by mixing flavor syrup with fresh water or carbonated water. The beverage maker 150 may produce hot beverages such as coffee and tea. The beverage maker 150 may produce coffee from coffee beans or coffee grounds. Preferably, the beverage maker 150 may produce coffee from coffee beans. Preferably, the beverage maker may also produce hot and cold milk, including foamed milk for coffee beverages such as cappuccino, latte, flat white, etc.

[0042] Beverage container dispenser Each work cell 111 preferably includes a beverage container dispenser. Alternatively, one beverage container dispenser may serve multiple workstations. The beverage container dispenser is arranged to feed a beverage container to a gripper of the robotic arm. Preferably, the beverage container dispenser is configured to dispense a single beverage container from a stack of beverage containers by rotating a screw having a screw thread configured to move between and separate the beverage containers. Preferably, the beverage container dispenser includes a carousel of beverage container dispensers that is rotatable to align the correct beverage container dispenser with the drop position. The beverage container dispensers may use known means for separating the beverage containers.

[0043] beverage container lid device Each work cell 111 may comprise a beverage container lid machine 140. Preferably, the beverage container lid machine 140 is disposed between the two work cells 111a, 111b and arranged to lid beverage containers disposed in either of the two work cells 111a, 111b. Preferably, the beverage container lid machine 140 comprises a robotic arm. Preferably, said robotic arm exhibits two degrees of freedom or two-axis degrees of freedom. Preferably, said robotic arm is movable up and down and rotatable about a z-axis. Preferably, the beverage container lid machine 140 further comprises a rotating carousel 141 arranged to hold a variety of lids. The rotating carousel 141 is rotatably configured to position different lids under the robotic arm. In operation, the beverage container lid machine 140 may be configured such that the robotic arm removes a lid from the rotating carousel 141 and then applies the lid to a beverage container.

[0044] Beverage container disposal unit The autonomous retail kiosk may include a beverage container disposal unit for discarding beverage containers. Such a unit may desirably allow for the disposal of spoiled or uncollected beverages. The beverage container disposal unit may be configured to receive the beverage container from the robotic arm. Each workcell 111 may include a beverage container disposal unit. Alternatively, the beverage container disposal unit may be shared by multiple workcells 111a,...,111n. In another embodiment, the beverage container may be moved to the beverage container disposal unit from another location within the carousel or automated retail kiosk by an actuator, such as an arm that slams the beverage container into the beverage container disposal unit.

[0045] Ice dispenser The autonomous retail kiosk may include an ice dispenser for dispensing ice into beverage containers to create iced beverages, such as iced lattes. Each work cell 111 may include an ice dispenser, or the ice dispenser may be shared among multiple work cells 111a,...,111n.

[0046] Preferably, the ice dispenser includes a single ice machine with an ice chute for supplying ice to each work cell. Preferably, the ice chute includes a steering element for steering the ice to a particular work cell. This configuration avoids the need for a robotic arm to reach a common location and allows for a single ice machine per autonomous retail kiosk.

[0047] The autonomous retail kiosk may include additional resources that are shared among the work cells 111a, ..., 111n or that are provided only to one work cell 111. For example, the autonomous retail kiosk may further include a device configured to dispense food items, such as a muffin or a portion of ice cream, into a beverage container for serving to a patron. The autonomous retail kiosk may further include a device configured to dispense an aerosol or whipped cream into a beverage container for serving to a patron. The autonomous retail kiosk may further include a device configured to dispense a portion of frozen yogurt into a beverage container for serving to a patron. The autonomous retail kiosk may further include a mixer for preparing a blended beverage.

[0048] Layout The layout shown in Figure 1 is comprised of low DOF robots working in concert accessible by a 3 DOF robotic arm. The presence of a carousel 130 and the utilization of at least two work cells allows for high operational efficiency while improving failover capabilities based on low cost robotic equipment. The autonomous retail systems described herein including multiple work cells and linked by a carousel can be configured such that components within each work cell can work together to provide an improved autonomous retail system having improved functionality and / or simpler components than the prior art.

[0049] Method for operating an autonomous retail kiosk - Patents.com The present disclosure also provides various methods of operating an autonomous retail kiosk that includes two or more manufacturing workcells and a carousel 130. The method may include dispensing a beverage container from a beverage container dispenser to a first robotic arm in a first manufacturing workcell and using the first robotic arm to move the beverage container to a first loading position on the carousel 130. The carousel may then store the beverage container for a predetermined time that depends on order information or machine status information. The beverage container may be stored by the carousel in a carousel position that is not within the work envelope of a workcell or robotic arm. If necessary, the carousel may use either the first robotic arm in a first manufacturing workcell or a second robotic arm in a second manufacturing workcell to move the beverage container to a loading position for removal from the carousel 130. In this manner, the beverage container may be easily passed between workcells or temporarily stored on the carousel as needed. This allows the autonomous retail kiosk to operate for an extended period of time before the consumables within the kiosk need to be replenished. Each work cell has access to certain consumables from each other work cell present in the autonomous retail kiosk.

[0050] The flow chart shown in FIG. 4 describes a method for operating an automated kiosk according to the present disclosure. The method is described with initial reference to a first work cell and a first robotic arm. The numbering of the work cells, robotic arms, etc. is for illustrative purposes and can be varied within the scope of the present disclosure. At 400, an instruction is received at the autonomous retail kiosk. The instruction may be received via a wired or wireless connection from a local area network, a wide area network, or the Internet. The instruction may be received from a user interface provided on the automated retail kiosk itself. The instruction may include information regarding the order to be produced. The order may be comprised of one or more beverages that include different sets of ingredients and require different machine resources to complete. The instruction may specify that the order is to be produced using only the resources of work cell 1, or that it is to be produced using a combination of work cell 1 and work cell 2. The instruction may further specify that the ordered beverage is to be produced partially or entirely and then stored in a carousel for a predetermined time or until a further user condition is met. The user condition may further command that the user come within a certain distance of the automated retail kiosk or that the orders stored in the carousel be released and presented to the user.

[0051] At 401, a first robotic arm is moved to the beverage container dispenser and a beverage container is dispensed at 402 as described above. At 403, if the command specifies that the order is to be completed in a workcell other than workcell 1, the beverage container is moved by the robotic arm to the carousel and loaded onto the beverage container stand. If the command does not specify that the order is to immediately continue in workcell 2, the beverage container is moved by the carousel to a storage position (406) where it can remain until further commands are received.

[0052] If, at 405, the instruction specifies that the order should continue in another workcell, e.g., workcell 2, then the carousel moves the beverage container to the work envelope of workcell 2 at 407 so that a second robotic arm can remove the beverage container from the carousel and continue the order.

[0053] If, at 403, the instructions specify that the order is to be produced in workcell 1, the method proceeds to 409. The instructions can specify that all or part of the order is to be produced in workcell 1. That is, a first portion of the beverage may be produced, and then the beverage may be stored on a carousel to be completed at a second, later time. At 409, the robotic arm moves the beverage container to a beverage dispenser, which dispenses all or part of the beverage at 410. At 411, it is determined whether the order is for immediate completion in the first workcell. If the instructions specify that it is not for immediate completion in the first workcell, the robotic arm moves the beverage container (containing the fully or partially completed beverage) to the carousel and loads it (404). From there, the process may continue in either workcell 2 (steps 405, 407, etc.) or may be completed in workcell 1 (dashed progress line in FIG. 4). The carousel can return the beverage container from the storage location to the work envelope of workcell 1 so that the first robotic arm can receive the beverage container and proceed to 409 to continue producing the beverage, or move the beverage container to a lid device at 412 to complete the order. The lid is dispensed by the lid device in a manner described at 413. The robotic arm then moves the beverage container to a presentation station at 414. The finished product is presented to a user at 415.

[0054] 4, there are steps related to other portions of the beverage, such as, for example, moving the beverage container to an ice dispenser to dispense ice. Such steps may be performed at any suitable time during the beverage production steps, particularly between beverage production steps 409 and 410 or between beverage production steps 409 and 410.

[0055] In another embodiment, the method of operation may include dispensing a beverage container from a beverage container dispenser to a first robotic arm, dispensing liquid from a beverage dispenser 113 in a first manufacturing workcell into the beverage container, and placing the beverage container on a carousel. The method may further include removing the beverage container from the carousel 130 with a second robotic arm in a second manufacturing workcell, dispensing liquid from a beverage dispenser 113 in the second manufacturing workcell into the beverage container, and presenting the beverage container to a consumer by placing the beverage at a presentation station 114 with the second robotic arm. This is useful when a beverage is partially completed in a first workcell and is transferred to another (second) workcell to complete the beverage before being loaded onto the carousel 130 and presented to a patron at the presentation station. This may be necessary when a first manufacturing workcell constitutes a first portion of ingredients required to produce a beverage and a second workcell constitutes the remaining portion of ingredients required. The autonomous retail kiosk may be configured to store partially completed beverages that are the subject of asynchronous ordering by a user, i.e. beverages ordered not for immediate presentation to the user. When placing an order, the user may specify a future time at which the beverage will be presented. Thus, the carousel may be used as a storehouse to minimize waiting times when a user arrives at the kiosk to pick up a product.

[0056] In another preferred embodiment, when a second robotic arm in the second manufacturing workcell is used to remove the beverage container from the carousel 130, the method further includes the steps of dispensing liquid from a beverage dispenser 113 in the second manufacturing workcell into the beverage container and moving the beverage container to the carousel 130 using the first second robotic arm, and further includes the steps of removing the beverage container from the carousel 130 using one of the first robotic arm or the second robotic arm in the second manufacturing workcell and presenting the beverage container to a consumer by placing the beverage at the presentation station 114 using one of the first robotic arm or the second robotic arm.

[0057] In embodiments, kiosk 100 and / or its components or subsystems may include computing devices, microprocessors, modules, and other computers or computing devices, which may be any programmable device configured to accept digital data as input, process the input according to instructions or algorithms, and provide a result as output. In an embodiment, the computing and other such devices discussed herein may be, be configured, include, or be coupled to a central processing unit (CPU) configured to execute instructions of a computer program. Thus, the computing and other such devices discussed herein are configured to perform basic arithmetic, logical, and input / output operations.

[0058] Computing devices and other devices discussed herein may include memory. Memory may comprise volatile or non-volatile memory as required by an associated computing device or processor to provide space for executing instructions or algorithms as well as to provide space for storing the instructions themselves. In an embodiment, volatile memory may include, for example, random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or static random access memory (SRAM). In an embodiment, non-volatile memory may include, for example, read-only memory, flash memory, ferroelectric RAM, hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic tape or optical disk storage. Such enumeration is not intended to limit the types of memory that may be used, as these embodiments are intended to be given by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0059] In an embodiment, the system or components thereof may be composed of or include various modules or engines, each of which may be configured, programmed, configured, or otherwise adapted to autonomously perform a function or set of functions. As used herein, the term "engine" is defined as an actual device, component, or arrangement of components implemented using hardware, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or field programmable gate array (FPGA), or as a combination of hardware and software, such as a microprocessor system and a set of program instructions that (during execution) transform the microprocessor system into a special purpose device, adapting the engine to implement a particular function. An engine may also be implemented as a combination of certain functions facilitated solely by hardware and other functions facilitated by a combination of hardware and software. In certain implementations, at least a portion, and possibly all, of the engines may be executed on a processor(s) of one or more computing platforms that are configured with hardware (e.g., one or more processors, data storage, etc.) that executes an operating system, system programs, and application programs, and the engines may also be implemented using multitasking, multithreading, distributed (e.g., cluster, peer-peer, cloud, etc.) processing, or other such techniques, as appropriate. Thus, each engine may be implemented in a variety of physically feasible configurations and should not generally be limited to the specific implementations exemplified herein unless such limitations are expressly invoked.In addition, an engine may itself be composed of multiple sub-engines, each of which may be considered an engine in its own right. Further, while in the embodiments described herein each of the various engines corresponds to a defined autonomous function, it should be understood that in other contemplated embodiments each function may be distributed among multiple engines. Similarly, in other contemplated embodiments multiple defined functionalities may be implemented by a single engine performing those functions, possibly in parallel with other functions, or distributed differently among a different set of engines than specifically illustrated in the examples herein.

[0060] It should be understood that the individual steps used in the methods of the present disclosure may be performed in any order and / or simultaneously so long as the disclosure remains operable.Further, it should be understood that the apparatus and methods of the present disclosure may include any number or all of the described embodiments so long as the disclosure remains operable.

[0061] Various embodiments of systems, devices, and methods have been described herein. These embodiments are provided by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention. Furthermore, it should be understood that the various features of the described embodiments can be combined in various ways to create numerous additional embodiments. Furthermore, while various materials, dimensions, shapes, configurations, positions, etc. have been described for use with the disclosed embodiments, others than those disclosed may be utilized without departing from the scope of the claimed invention.

[0062] Those of ordinary skill in the relevant art will recognize that embodiments may be comprised of fewer features than are illustrated in the individual embodiments described above. The embodiments described herein are not meant to be an exhaustive listing of the ways in which various features may be combined. Thus, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations of features; rather, the embodiments may be comprised of combinations of different individual features selected from different individual embodiments, as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, elements described with respect to one embodiment may be implemented in other embodiments, even if not described in such embodiment, unless otherwise specified. Although a dependent claim may refer to a specific combination with one or more other claims in the claims, other embodiments may also include a combination of the dependent claim with the subject matter of each of the other dependent claims, or a combination of one or more features with other dependent or independent claims. Such combinations are proposed herein unless it is stated that a specific combination is not intended. Furthermore, it is also intended to include features of a claim in other independent claims, even if the claim is not directly dependent on the independent claim.

[0063] Furthermore, the use of the phrases "one embodiment," "one embodiment," or "some embodiments" in this specification means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

[0064] The incorporation by reference of the above documents is limited so that no subject matter contrary to the express disclosure herein is incorporated. The incorporation by reference of the above documents is further limited so that no claims contained in the documents are incorporated herein by reference. The incorporation by reference of the above documents is further limited so that no definitions set forth in the documents are incorporated herein by reference, unless expressly included herein.

[0065] For purposes of claim interpretation, it is expressly intended that the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6 not be invoked unless the specific words "means for" or "step for" appear in the claim.

[0066] Clause 1 1. An autonomous retail kiosk for dispensing beverages, comprising: two or more manufacturing workcells; Carousel and Equipped with Each of the manufacturing workcells comprises: a beverage dispenser for dispensing liquid; a presentation station for presenting a beverage to a user; a robotic arm for moving beverages between the beverage dispenser, the presentation station and the carousel; Equipped with The carousel receives a beverage container from a first robotic arm in a first work cell and delivers the beverage container to a second robotic arm in a second work cell, thereby moving the beverage container from the first work cell to the second work cell.

[0067] Clause 2 The autonomous retail kiosk described in clause 1, characterized in that the planes in which each of the robotic arms moves include a horizontal plane, a vertical plane and a transverse plane.

[0068] Clause 3 3. An autonomous retail kiosk as described in clause 1 or 2, further comprising one or more beverage makers supplying beverages to the beverage dispensers.

[0069] Clause 4 3. An autonomous retail kiosk as described in clause 1 or 2, characterized in that the beverage dispenser is a movable beverage dispenser head that is tiltable and liftable.

[0070] Clause 5 5. An autonomous retail kiosk as described in any one of clauses 1 to 4, characterized in that the presentation station comprises a rotating platform.

[0071] Clause 6 6. An autonomous retail kiosk as described in any of clauses 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises two substantially identical manufacturing workcells having bilateral symmetry.

[0072] Clause 7 Each of the robotic arms moving the beverage container from a beverage container dispenser to the beverage dispenser; moving the beverage container from the beverage dispenser to the carousel; 7. An autonomous retail kiosk as described in any of clauses 1 to 6, characterized in that the beverage containers are moved from the carousel to the presentation station.

[0073] Clause 8 a beverage container lid station including a beverage container lid machine for the two or more manufacturing workcells; Or an autonomous retail kiosk as described in any of clauses 1 to 7, characterized in that each of the two or more manufacturing workcells comprises one or more beverage container lid stations equipped with a beverage container lid device.

[0074] Clause 9 9. An autonomous retail kiosk as described in any of clauses 1 to 8, further comprising a beverage container disposal unit for receiving discarded beverages from the robotic arm.

[0075] Clause 10 An autonomous retail kiosk as described in any of clauses 1 to 9, characterized in that the carousel is further configured to receive the beverage container from the robotic arm and hand over the beverage container to the same robotic arm, thereby storing the beverage container.

[0076] Clause 11 1. A method of operating an autonomous retail kiosk comprising two or more manufacturing workcells and a carousel, comprising: dispensing a beverage container from a beverage container dispenser to a first robotic arm in a first manufacturing workcell; and moving the beverage container with the first robotic arm to the carousel; removing the beverage container from the carousel in a second manufacturing workcell using either the first robotic arm or a second robotic arm; The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

[0077] Clause 12 moving the beverage container from the beverage container dispenser to a first beverage dispenser with the first robotic arm; dispensing liquid from the first beverage dispenser into the beverage container; 12. The method according to claim 11, comprising:

[0078] Clause 13 13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, comprising the step of presenting a beverage to a user by placing the beverage container at a presentation station using either the first robotic arm or the second robotic arm.

[0079] Clause 14 A second robotic arm in the second manufacturing workcell is used to remove the beverage container from the carousel, the robotic arm performing the steps of: dispensing liquid from a beverage dispenser in the second manufacturing workcell into the beverage container; presenting the beverage to a user by placing the beverage container at a presentation station using the second robotic arm; 13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, comprising:

[0080] Clause 15 using a second robotic arm in the second manufacturing workcell to remove the beverage container from the carousel, the method comprising the steps of: dispensing liquid from a beverage dispenser in the second manufacturing workcell into the beverage container; moving the beverage container to the carousel using a second robotic arm; removing the beverage container from the carousel using either a first robotic arm or a second robotic arm in the second manufacturing workcell; presenting a beverage to a user by placing the beverage container at a presentation station using either the first robotic arm or the second robotic arm; 13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, comprising:

[0081] Clause 16 1. A method of operating an autonomous retail kiosk, comprising: receiving, at a controller, information regarding availability of components or hardware resources of two or more manufacturing workcells; determining whether one or more of the two or more manufacturing workcells are capable of producing the beverages, singly or in combination, based on the information; performing a method according to any one of clauses 11 to 15 based on said determination. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

Claims

1. 1. An autonomous retail kiosk for dispensing beverages, comprising: two or more manufacturing work cells; Carousel and Equipped with Each of the manufacturing workcells comprises: a beverage dispenser for dispensing liquid; a presentation station for presenting a beverage to a user; a robotic arm for moving beverages between the beverage dispenser, the presentation station and the carousel; Equipped with The carousel receives a beverage container from a first robotic arm in a first work cell and delivers the beverage container to a second robotic arm in a second work cell, thereby moving the beverage container from the first work cell to the second work cell.

2. 10. The autonomous retail kiosk of claim 1, wherein the planes in which each of the robotic arms moves include a horizontal plane, a vertical plane, and a transverse plane.

3. 3. The autonomous retail kiosk of claim 1 or 2, further comprising one or more beverage makers that supply beverages to the beverage dispensers.

4. 3. The autonomous retail kiosk of claim 1 or 2, wherein the beverage dispenser is a movable beverage dispenser head that is tiltable and liftable.

5. The autonomous retail kiosk of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the presentation station comprises a rotating platform.

6. 6. An autonomous retail kiosk as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising two substantially identical manufacturing workcells having bilateral symmetry.

7. Each of the robotic arms is moving the beverage container from a beverage container dispenser to the beverage dispenser; moving the beverage container from the beverage dispenser to the carousel; 7. An autonomous retail kiosk as claimed in any preceding claim, adapted to move the beverage containers from the carousel to the presentation station.

8. a beverage container lid station including a beverage container lid machine for the two or more manufacturing workcells; 8. An autonomous retail kiosk as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein each of the two or more manufacturing workcells comprises one or more beverage container lid stations equipped with a beverage container lid machine.

9. 9. The autonomous retail kiosk of claim 1, further comprising a beverage container disposal unit for receiving discarded beverages from the robotic arm.

10. 10. The autonomous retail kiosk of claim 1, wherein the carousel is further configured to receive the beverage container from the robotic arm and hand over the beverage container to the same robotic arm, thereby storing the beverage container.

11. 1. A method of operating an autonomous retail kiosk comprising two or more manufacturing workcells and a carousel, comprising: dispensing a beverage container from a beverage container dispenser to a first robotic arm in a first manufacturing workcell; and moving the beverage container to the carousel using the first robotic arm; removing the beverage container from the carousel in a second manufacturing workcell using either the first robotic arm or a second robotic arm; The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

12. moving the beverage container from the beverage container dispenser to a first beverage dispenser with the first robotic arm; dispensing liquid from the first beverage dispenser into the beverage container; 12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

13. 13. The method of claim 11 or 12, comprising presenting a beverage to a user by placing the beverage container at a presentation station using either the first robotic arm or the second robotic arm.

14. A second robotic arm in the second manufacturing workcell is used to remove the beverage container from the carousel, the robotic arm performing the steps of: dispensing liquid from a beverage dispenser in the second manufacturing workcell into the beverage container; presenting the beverage to a user by placing the beverage container at a presentation station using the second robotic arm; 13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, comprising:

15. using a second robotic arm in the second manufacturing workcell to remove the beverage container from the carousel, the method comprising the steps of: dispensing liquid from a beverage dispenser in the second manufacturing workcell into the beverage container; moving the beverage container to the carousel using a second robotic arm; removing the beverage container from the carousel using either a first robotic arm or a second robotic arm in the second manufacturing workcell; presenting a beverage to a user by placing the beverage container at a presentation station using either the first robotic arm or the second robotic arm; 13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, comprising:

16. 1. A method of operating an autonomous retail kiosk, comprising: receiving, at a controller, information regarding availability of components or hardware resources of two or more manufacturing workcells; determining whether one or more of the two or more manufacturing workcells are capable of producing the beverages, singly or in combination, based on the information; Based on said determination, performing a method according to any one of claims 11 to 15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

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