System for providing customized coffee

Abstract

A user-customized coffee serving system is disclosed. A user-customized coffee serving system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a coffee making robot that, when a customer's identification information is input, extracts an order history corresponding to the customer's identification information and recommends a coffee with high preference based on the extracted order history, and a camera that recognizes the customer's face when there is no order history corresponding to the customer's identification information. The coffee making robot includes an emotion estimation unit that analyzes the customer's face image to estimate the customer's emotion, a coffee recipe generation unit that generates a customized coffee recipe using the customer's emotion information estimated by the emotion estimation unit, and a gripper operation unit that, when a recommended customized coffee recipe is selected, controls a gripper to produce coffee according to the selected customized coffee recipe, and when coffee production is completed, controls the gripper to transfer the coffee to a discharge tray.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a user-customized coffee serving system, and more specifically, to a user-customized coffee serving system that recommends coffee recipes using the user's existing purchase history and facial analysis results. Background Technology

[0003] One of the challenges faced by self-employed business owners in operating their businesses is staffing. While labor costs now account for a significant portion of operating expenses, the reality is that hiring high-quality personnel remains difficult despite these high costs.

[0004] Consequently, there is a growing trend of businesses utilizing unmanned vending machines and robots. While early unmanned vending machines were limited to selling simple items like water or beverages, the range of products available for sale has recently expanded significantly, leading to the operation of businesses that rely solely on vending machines.

[0005] With the increasing trend of unmanned stores, unmanned coffee shops utilizing coffee robots are gaining popularity. Generally, these unmanned coffee shops operate in a manner where, upon a customer placing an order, a robot operates the coffee machine to prepare the coffee, and once preparation is complete, the robot serves the coffee to the customer.

[0006] In these unmanned coffee shops, coffee ordering and preparation are carried out through kiosk devices and robots, making it possible to operate the coffee shop without the need for separate personnel.

[0007] As such, while unmanned stores have many advantages, they fail to reflect situations that could be considered when orders were taken directly by a person. For instance, people who value emotional interaction may want recommendations for coffee types based on their mood and circumstances when ordering.

[0008] Currently, coffee robots installed in unmanned stores brew coffee and provide information such as bean types for user convenience, but this is merely informational. Therefore, to eliminate resistance to unmanned stores and secure a wider customer base, a system capable of replacing emotional interaction with users is required. Prior art literature

[0010] Published Patent Application No. 10-2021-0089110 The problem to be solved

[0011] To solve the aforementioned problems, the technical objective of the present invention is to provide a user-customized coffee serving system that determines the user's emotional state through their existing purchase history and facial recognition, and recommends a suitable coffee recipe according to the user's emotional state.

[0012] The problems solved by the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. means of solving the problem

[0014] As a means to solve the aforementioned technical problem, a user-customized coffee serving system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a coffee making robot that, when a customer's identification information is input, extracts an order history corresponding to the customer's identification information and recommends a coffee with high preference based on the extracted order history, and a camera that recognizes the customer's face when there is no order history corresponding to the customer's identification information. The coffee making robot comprises an emotion estimation unit that analyzes the customer's face image to estimate the customer's emotion, a coffee recipe generation unit that generates a customized coffee recipe using the customer's emotion information estimated by the emotion estimation unit, and a gripper operation unit that, when a recommended customized coffee recipe is selected, controls a gripper to make coffee according to the selected customized coffee recipe, and when coffee making is completed, controls the gripper to transfer the coffee to a discharge tray.

[0015] The above-mentioned emotion estimation unit can further estimate the gender and age group of the orderer.

[0016] The above coffee making robot further includes an information collection unit that collects weather information and time information, and the coffee recipe generation unit can generate a customized coffee recipe by further reflecting the estimated gender and age group, and the collected weather information and time information.

[0017] The above coffee recipe generation unit can determine the type of coffee beans, the degree of grinding of the beans, the water temperature during coffee extraction, and the concentration of the coffee according to the customer's emotional information.

[0018] The above coffee making robot may further include an input unit that receives a coffee order request signal and a control unit that controls a camera to recognize a face when a person is detected within a preset detection area, and controls an emotion estimation unit to analyze the recognized face when the coffee order request signal is input. Effects of the invention

[0020] According to the present invention, there is an effect of providing a user-customized coffee serving system that estimates the emotional state of a coffee orderer through facial recognition and provides a customized coffee recipe according to the orderer's emotional state.

[0021] Furthermore, since the system retains order history based on the customer's identification information, customers can easily reorder previously purchased coffee. Additionally, if customers wish to receive recommendations for different coffees depending on their situation, facial recognition allows for recommendations tailored to their emotional state. This recommendation system enables coffee recommendations that take the customer's emotions into account, even when coffee is prepared by a robot.

[0022] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0024] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a user-customized coffee serving system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a coffee making robot according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a pipe cleaner for a coffee machine illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a pipe cleaner for a coffee machine illustrated in FIG. 1, and, FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing user-customized coffee according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0025] The above objects, other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be easily understood through the following preferred embodiments associated with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided to ensure that the disclosed content is thorough and complete and to ensure that the spirit of the invention is sufficiently conveyed to those skilled in the art.

[0026] In this specification, when a component is described as being on another component, it means that it may be formed directly on the other component or that a third component may be interposed between them. Additionally, in the drawings, the thicknesses of the components are exaggerated for the effective description of the technical content.

[0027] Furthermore, when it is stated that the first element (or component) operates or is executed on (ON) the second element (or component), it should be understood that the first element (or component) operates or is executed in the environment where the second element (or component) operates or is executed, or operates or is executed through direct or indirect interaction with the second element (or component).

[0028] Where any element, component, device, or system is described as including a component consisting of a program or software, it should be understood that, even without explicit mention, that element, component, device, or system includes hardware (e.g., memory, CPU, etc.) or other programs or software (e.g., an operating system or drivers required to run the hardware) necessary for the execution or operation of that program or software.

[0029] Furthermore, unless otherwise specified regarding the implementation of any element (or component), it should be understood that the element (or component) may be implemented in software, hardware, or in any form that combines both software and hardware.

[0030] Furthermore, the terms used herein are for describing the embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. In this specification, the singular form includes the plural form unless specifically stated otherwise in the text. As used in this specification, 'comprises' and / or 'comprising' do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components to the mentioned components.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a user-customized coffee serving system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 1, a user-customized coffee serving system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a coffee machine (100), a coffee making robot (200), a kiosk device (300), a camera (400), and a remote management server (500).

[0034] The coffee machine (100) is a device for extracting coffee, and can be either automatic or semi-automatic. In the case of an automatic coffee machine, when operation is instructed while the coffee beans and water are filled, a series of processes from grinding the beans to extracting the coffee proceeds automatically to provide the final finished coffee. The operation of the coffee machine (100) can be performed by the coffee manufacturing robot (200) described later.

[0035] The coffee making robot (200) can perform a series of operations to provide the user-customized coffee serving service. When the coffee machine (100) is automatically equipped, the coffee making robot (200) performs the operation of operating the coffee machine (100), and when the coffee machine (100) is semi-automatically equipped, it directly performs part of the coffee making process. In this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, a multi-joint handling robot form has been exemplified, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the coffee making robot (200) may be in the form of a robot capable of autonomous driving in addition to a handling robot.

[0036] If the coffee making robot (200) is a handling robot, the coffee machine (100) and the coffee making robot (200) can be installed inside a booth (B). If a booth (B) is installed, it is preferable that the booth (B) be made of a transparent material so that a customer (or coffee orderer) can observe the operation of the coffee making robot (200).

[0037] The coffee making robot (200) structurally includes an arm regardless of its shape, and a gripper is detachably mounted on the end of the arm. Using this gripper, operations such as operating the coffee machine (100), making coffee, and grasping a cup can be performed. Additionally, the gripper may be provided differently depending on the intended use and can be changed as needed to perform the desired operation.

[0038] In addition, the coffee manufacturing robot (200) receives various request signals and selection signals, including a coffee order request signal, from the customer, generates different coffee recipes according to the customer, and manufactures coffee according to the generated coffee recipe and provides it to the customer. The operation of the coffee manufacturing robot (200) will be described in more detail in FIG. 2, which will be described later.

[0039] The kiosk device (300) includes a display that provides information about coffee beans and menu information to customers, and receives various request signals from customers, such as selecting coffee beans and ordering coffee. The request signals received by the kiosk device (300) from the orderer may include a coffee order request signal, the orderer's identification information, a coffee bean selection signal, a customized coffee recipe selection signal, etc. Here, the orderer's identification information may be a code entered by the orderer when placing the first order, and may include an ID, nickname, arbitrary code, and phone number, etc.

[0040] The kiosk device (300) is configured to communicate with the coffee making robot (200) via wired or wireless means. Accordingly, when a request signal is input from a customer, the kiosk device (300) transmits the request signal received from the customer to the coffee making robot (200). In this embodiment, the kiosk device (300) is exemplified as being provided separately from the coffee making robot (200), but depending on the situation, the kiosk device (300) may be provided in a combined form with the coffee making robot (200).

[0041] The camera (400) captures video and generates a face image by recognizing the face of the person who ordered the coffee. Additionally, the camera (400) can be used to capture video inside the store or booth (B), and depending on the situation, it can be used as a CCTV for the store or an existing CCTV can be applied as the camera (400). The face image captured by the camera (400) may include multiple people (the person who ordered and the person who ordered the coffee)

[0042] The camera (400) may be an IP (Internet Protocol) camera, and the type of camera applied to the IP camera is irrelevant. For example, any one of a dome type, box type, bullet type, and PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) type may be applied.

[0043] The remote management server (500) is a server equipped to enable network communication with the kiosk device (300), the coffee making robot (200), and the camera (400), and can provide various information for the user-customized coffee provision service. For example, the remote management server (500) can update various firmware, etc. required for the operation of the kiosk device (300) and the coffee making robot (200) to the latest version. In addition, the remote management server (500) can receive video captured by the camera (400).

[0045] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a coffee making robot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 2, a coffee making robot (200) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an input unit (210), an emotion estimation unit (220), an information collection unit (230), a coffee recipe generation unit (240), a gripper operation unit (250), a network interface unit (250), a storage unit (270), and a control unit (280).

[0047] The input unit (210) receives a coffee order request signal. The input unit (210) may be connected to a kiosk device (300), and when a customer inputs a coffee order request signal using the kiosk device (300), it can receive the signal.

[0048] The emotion estimation unit (220) analyzes the orderer's face image to estimate the orderer's emotion. The emotion estimation unit (220) can estimate the emotion from the face image by applying a previously disclosed AI (Artificial Intelligence) emotion recognition technology. Basically, the AI ​​emotion recognition technology can recognize emotions such as laughter, frowning, and surprise by analyzing the image. By analyzing the face image in the emotion estimation unit (220), the gender and age group can be estimated.

[0049] When the emotion estimation unit (220) receives an image captured by the camera (400), it detects a face area from the received image. After detecting the face area, the emotion estimation unit (220) detects face points constituting the face, defines facial muscles based on the face points, and tracks the movement of the defined facial muscles to extract parameters effective for emotion estimation, thereby finally estimating the emotion.

[0050] The emotions ultimately estimated by the emotion estimation unit (220) can be defined as happiness, sadness, surprise, anger, disgust, and fear. This is an example of human emotions, and the emotions estimated by the emotion estimation unit (220) are not limited to these. That is, as the AI ​​model applied to the emotion estimation unit (220) is trained, human emotions can be more specific and their types can be changed. In addition, even if human emotions are defined as the six types mentioned above, they can be further subdivided by assigning an intensity to each emotion.

[0051] A Deep Belief Network (DBN) can be applied as an AI model. The DBN model is built by stacking Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBM) and Sigmoid Belief Networks (SBN), and it has the advantage of faster processing speed compared to other deep learning models because it requires less time for training.

[0052] The information collection unit (230) collects additional information such as weather information and time information. The additional information collected by the information collection unit (230) can be reflected when the emotion estimation unit (220) estimates the customer's emotion. Generally, people's emotions can change under the influence of weather and surrounding environment, and it has been confirmed through experiments that coffee selection can vary depending on the weather and emotions.

[0053] In addition, even if the same coffee beans are used, the taste may vary depending on the weather of the day. This can also be reflected when generating a customized coffee recipe in the coffee recipe generation unit (240) described later.

[0054] The biological capacity of coffee beans and people varies depending on the weather. Temperature has the greatest impact on the taste of coffee. The extraction speed differs depending on whether the weather is hot or cold, and consequently, the taste changes. The higher the temperature, the faster the extraction, resulting in coffee with more pronounced acidity. Conversely, the lower the temperature, the slower the extraction, reducing acidity and producing coffee with emphasized nutty and bitter flavors.

[0055] High humidity increases moisture absorption by coffee beans. In humid weather, beans absorb more moisture, which can lead to under- or over-extraction. Under-extracted coffee has a strong acidity and shallow flavor, while over-extracted coffee has a strong bitter taste. Conversely, in dry weather, the low moisture content of the beans causes extraction to occur quickly. This disrupts the balance of acidity and bitterness, potentially making the flavor feel monotonous or overpowering.

[0056] Atmospheric pressure and wind also affect the taste of coffee. When the atmospheric pressure is high, the bitterness of the coffee may be emphasized. As such, weather and environment have a significant impact on the taste of coffee. Reflecting this situation, the weather information collected by the information collection unit (230) can be further incorporated when generating a customized coffee recipe.

[0057] The coffee recipe generation unit (240) generates a customized coffee recipe using the customer's emotional information estimated by the emotional estimation unit (220). The customized coffee recipe includes the type of coffee beans, the degree of grinding of the beans, the extraction pressure during coffee extraction, the water temperature, and the concentration of the coffee, and allows for the selection of milk content, milk substitutes, and sweetness adjustment. To select whether to include milk and sweetness, the coffee recipe generation unit (240) can select a customized coffee recipe by considering the customer's order history and preferences.

[0058] Additionally, the coffee recipe generation unit (240) can generate a customized coffee recipe by further reflecting additional information collected by the information collection unit (230). For example, an example of a customized coffee recipe being generated by reflecting time information in the coffee recipe generation unit (240) is summarized in Table 1.

[0059] division Customized coffee recipes morning hours Recommended coffee with a strong aroma and high caffeine content afternoon time Recommended smooth and aromatic coffee nighttime Recommended coffee with low caffeine and a smooth taste

[0060] Table 1 is merely some examples for generating customized coffee recipes. That is, the coffee recipe generation unit (240) generates a customized coffee recipe by primarily reflecting the customer's emotions, and additionally incorporates additional information from the information collection unit (230).

[0061] Additionally, the coffee recipe generation unit (240) can recommend the coffee based on the previous order history if the customer's emotional information is a positive emotion such as happiness. However, if the customer's emotional information is a negative emotion such as sadness or anger, it can recommend coffee with added sweetness or coffee with a good aroma.

[0062] A deep learning model may also be used in the operation of the coffee recipe generation unit (240). The deep learning model may be implemented to match coffee recipes according to the customer's emotional information using a preset dataset, and as the operation of the deep learning model applied to the coffee recipe generation unit (240) is repeated, learning is repeated so that more accurate coffee recipe matching according to emotional information can be achieved.

[0063] The gripper operating unit (250) controls the gripper to manufacture coffee according to the selected customized coffee recipe when the customized coffee recipe generated by the coffee recipe generating unit (240) is finally selected by the customer. Additionally, when the coffee manufacturing is completed, the gripper operating unit (250) controls the gripper to transfer the coffee to a discharge tray (not shown) to provide the coffee to the customer.

[0064] The gripper corresponds to the robot's hand and serves as an end effector. In this embodiment, a 2-finger type gripper is exemplified, but it is not limited thereto and can be changed to a 3-finger type, etc. A silicone cover may be placed on the tip of the gripper to prevent the cup from slipping when the gripper grasps the cup.

[0065] Generally, when selling coffee using a robot, disposable cups are mainly used. That is, a cup holder (not shown) on which a disposable cup is placed is positioned within the operating range of the coffee making robot (200), and the coffee making robot (200) is configured to pick up a disposable cup from the cup holder and place it on the coffee dispensing outlet of the coffee machine (100). For this reason, the increased use of disposable items due to coffee sales using a robot can lead to environmental problems. As a solution to this problem, personal tumblers can be used instead of disposable cups even when selling coffee using a robot.

[0066] When ordering coffee, the customer may input a request signal to use a personal tumbler. When such a request is input, the gripper operating unit (250) moves the gripper to a designated personal tumbler gripping position (not shown) to grip the personal tumbler placed by the customer. The gripper grips the personal tumbler under the control of the gripper operating unit (250) and places it on the coffee outlet of the coffee machine (100), and the coffee extracted by the coffee machine (100) is poured into the personal tumbler. When the coffee extraction is completed, the gripper operating unit (250) grips the personal tumbler and transfers it to the coffee dispensing tray. Through this process, the coffee making robot (200) can provide coffee in a personal tumbler and reduce the use of disposable cups.

[0067] Additionally, when a request signal to use a personal tumbler is input, a cleaning function for the personal tumbler may be further provided. The coffee machine (100) includes a hot water supply function and a steam supply function. Accordingly, the coffee making robot (200) uses a gripper to grasp the personal tumbler, positions the personal tumbler at the water outlet (not shown) of the coffee machine (100), and then supplies hot water or steam. Through this operation, hot water or steam is supplied to the personal tumbler, and the gripper operating unit (250) controls the gripper to grasp the personal tumbler, moves to a sink (not shown) or wastewater outlet (not shown), and rotates the gripper to discharge the water contained in the personal tumbler. This operation can be repeated several times, for example, two to three times, to implement the cleaning function for the personal tumbler. This cleaning function can be set to be performed mandatorily when the coffee making robot (200) grasps the personal tumbler in a situation where a personal tumbler usage request signal is input, or it can be set to be performed only when a tumbler cleaning request signal is input from a customer.

[0068] The network interface unit (250) supports network communication of the coffee making robot (200). For example, the network interface unit (250) can communicate with a remote management server (500) and a manager terminal device (not shown) to transmit and receive certain information.

[0069] The storage unit (270) stores all information necessary for the operation of the coffee making robot (200). For example, the storage unit (270) may store information necessary for the operation of the AI ​​model, including the dataset of the AI ​​model used in the emotion estimation unit (220) and the coffee recipe generation unit (240).

[0070] The control unit (280) controls the overall operation of the coffee making robot (200). That is, the control unit (280) controls signal input and output between the input unit (210), the emotion estimation unit (220), the information collection unit (230), the coffee recipe generation unit (240), the gripper operation unit (250), the network interface unit (250), and the storage unit (270).

[0071] The control unit (280) controls the camera (400) to recognize a face when a person is detected within a preset detection area. Additionally, when a coffee order request signal is input, the control unit (280) controls the emotion estimation unit (220) to analyze the face recognized by the camera (400).

[0073] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a pipe cleaner for a coffee machine illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0074] Various pipes are provided in the coffee machine (100) to allow liquids such as water and milk to flow through. Generally, a method of repeatedly passing hot water through the pipes placed inside the coffee machine (100) is used to clean them. Although the method of passing hot water through the pipes is the most commonly used method, there is a problem in that it is difficult to expect a sufficient cleaning effect due to limescale, etc. when the coffee machine (100) is used for a long time.

[0075] In order to resolve these problems, the present embodiment describes a pipe cleaner (700) specifically equipped for cleaning the pipe (120) of a coffee machine (100), and the pipe (120) to which the pipe cleaner (700) shown in the present embodiment is applied may be formed of a hard material such as plastic.

[0076] The pipe cleaning machine (700) includes a driving unit (710), a screw-type moving shaft (720), and a rotating brush (730).

[0077] The drive unit (710) receives power and supplies rotational driving force to the rotating brush (730). The drive unit (710) may be connected to the power supply unit (not shown) of the coffee machine (100) and configured to receive power from the coffee machine (100), and in some cases, may be configured to receive power from a battery (not shown).

[0078] The screw-type moving shaft (720) is formed in a rod shape, but the outer surface is formed in a spiral screw shape. One end of the screw-type moving shaft (720) is connected to the driving unit (710), and at the other end, an anti-detachment panel (722) is formed extending vertically from both sides of the screw-type moving shaft (720) to prevent the rotating brush (730) from coming off.

[0079] The rotating brush (730) is formed in a circular donut shape, and a movable shaft insertion part (732) is formed in the center to be fitted onto a screw-type movable shaft (720), and a plurality of bridges (734) are formed connecting the movable shaft insertion part (732) and the circular edge. A screw corresponding to the screw shape of the screw-type movable shaft (720) is formed on the inner side of the movable shaft insertion part (732). It is preferable that the plurality of bridges (734) be arranged at regular intervals from each other.

[0080] A plurality of bristles are mounted on the side of the rotating brush (730). Additionally, a fixing groove (736) is formed on one side of the rotating brush (730) and is recessed into the inner side of a circular rim. The fixing groove (736) can be formed in the width direction of the rotating brush (730), and one can be formed on the side of the rotating brush (730), or a pair can be formed at positions facing each other. A fixing projection (122) is formed protruding longitudinally from the inner side of the tube (120) so that the fixing groove (736) can act to fix the position between the rotating brush (730) and the screw-type moving shaft (720). Referring to the plan view in I and I', when the fixing projection (122) and the fixing groove (736) come into contact with each other while the rotating brush (730) is rotating, the position of the rotating brush (730) and the screw-type moving shaft (720) can be fixed.

[0081] To explain the shape of the rotating brush (730), if we look at the plan view at the part where the screw-type moving shaft (720) and the rotating brush (730) are connected, namely I and I', we can see that the rotating brush (730) has a shape similar to a car wheel.

[0082] When rotational driving force is supplied to the rotating brush (730) through the driving unit (710), the rotating brush (730) moves while rotating along the screw-type moving shaft (720) from the top to the lower anti-detachment panel (722). As shown in the plan view in I and I', the brush provided on the side of the rotating brush (730) contacts the inside of the tube (120) of the coffee machine (100), and cleaning of the inside of the tube (120) can be performed according to the rotational movement of the rotating brush (730). At this time, water can be supplied to the inside of the tube (120), and the water supplied to the inside of the tube (120) can flow through the space formed between the bridges (734).

[0083] The pipe washer (700) may be manually connected to one side of the pipe (120), or may be connected to slide electrically to one side of the pipe (120) to the extent permitted by the internal space of the coffee machine (100).

[0085] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a pipe cleaner for a coffee machine illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0086] In the previous embodiment, a pipe cleaner (700) applicable to a pipe (120) formed of a hard material, such as plastic, was described. However, the coffee machine (100) includes a significant number of pipes (120') formed of a flexible material, such as silicone, in addition to the pipe (120) formed of a hard material. Accordingly, in this embodiment, a pipe cleaner (700') applicable to a pipe (120') formed of a flexible material will be described.

[0087] The pipe washer (700) described in the previous embodiment and the pipe washer (700') in this embodiment have similar structures. Therefore, the description of the identical structure is omitted, and only the differing structures are described here.

[0088] A wire (740) is connected to the drive unit (710') and positioned in the same direction as the tube (120'). Unlike the screw-type moving shaft (720) in the previous embodiment, the wire (740) is formed of a flexible material. Since the tube (120') in this embodiment is made of a flexible material, if a rigid material like that of the screw-type moving shaft (720) were used, it could cause damage to the tube (120'). Therefore, in this embodiment, a wire (740) made of a flexible material is applied.

[0089] A rotating brush (730') is fitted onto the wire (740). Since the structure of the rotating brush (730') is the same as in the previous embodiment, the illustration and description thereof are omitted. As the wire (740) is made of a flexible material, the driving unit (710') does not provide rotational driving force to the rotating brush (730') but provides driving force that drives it in a linear direction. The rotating brush (730') cleans the inside of the tube (120') while moving up and down along the wire (740).

[0090] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a pipe cleaner (700, 700') that cleans various pipes (120, 120') inside a coffee machine (100) by means of a rotating brush (730, 730') that is driven by an electric motor. By means of this pipe cleaner (700, 700'), the conventional pipe cleaning method, which is performed only with water, can be replaced with automatic cleaning using a brush, thereby enabling the provision of cleaner coffee from the coffee machine (100).

[0092] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing user-customized coffee according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0093] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, a method for providing customized coffee to a user according to an embodiment of the present invention is described. It is assumed that a customer who wishes to order coffee visits a store or booth (B) where a coffee making robot (200) is installed.

[0094] The orderer enters their identification information into the kiosk device (300) (S10). At this time, if the orderer has previously used the user-customized coffee service, they enter the previously registered identification information, and if they are using the user-customized coffee service for the first time, they can register new identification information.

[0095] The orderer's identification information is transmitted to the coffee making robot (200). The control unit (280) determines whether the orderer's identification information is stored in the storage unit (270) and determines whether a previous order history exists along with the identification information (S11).

[0096] If the order history of the orderer exists in the storage unit (270) (S11-Y), the control unit (280) extracts the order history of the orderer (S12) and controls the camera (400) to recognize the orderer's face.

[0097] The camera (400) recognizes the customer's face and generates a face image (S13), and provides the face image to the emotion estimation unit (220). Accordingly, the emotion estimation unit (220) estimates the customer's emotion using the customer's face image (S14).

[0098] The coffee recipe generation unit (240) generates a customized coffee recipe for the customer based on the customer's emotion estimated by the emotion estimation unit (220) (S15). The customized coffee recipe generated by the coffee recipe generation unit (240) is provided to the customer, and the customer is asked whether to order coffee based on the customized coffee recipe (S16).

[0099] If the customer wants to order coffee according to a customized coffee recipe (S16-Y), the coffee manufacturing robot (200) performs a coffee manufacturing operation according to the customized coffee recipe generated by the coffee recipe generation unit (240) to manufacture coffee and then provides it to the customer (S17).

[0100] If, in step S16, the customer does not want a customized coffee recipe (S16-N), the customer is allowed to order a different coffee according to their taste (S18). When a new coffee order is entered from the customer, the coffee making robot (200) makes the coffee ordered by the customer and provides it to the customer (S19).

[0101] Through this process, customers can receive personalized coffee recommendations based on their previous order history and facial emotion recognition without selecting a coffee menu item, and if they do not want personalized recommendations, they can order a coffee that suits their taste.

[0103] Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention may be implemented in other specific forms without altering its technical concept or essential features. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims set forth below rather than by the detailed description above, and all modifications or variations derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0105] 100: Coffee machine 200: Coffee making robot 300: Kiosk device 400: Camera 500: Remote management server

Claims

Claim 1 A user-customized coffee providing system characterized by comprising: a coffee making robot that, when the customer's identification information is input, extracts an order history corresponding to the customer's identification information and recommends a coffee with high preference based on the extracted order history; and a camera that recognizes the customer's face when there is no order history corresponding to the customer's identification information; wherein the coffee making robot includes: an emotion estimation unit that analyzes the customer's face image to estimate the customer's emotion; a coffee recipe generation unit that generates a customized coffee recipe using the customer's emotion information estimated by the emotion estimation unit; and a gripper operation unit that, when the recommended customized coffee recipe is selected, controls a gripper to make coffee according to the selected customized coffee recipe, and when the coffee making is completed, controls the gripper to transfer the coffee to a discharge tray. Claim 2 A user-customized coffee serving system according to claim 1, wherein the emotion estimation unit further estimates the gender and age group of the orderer. Claim 3 A user-customized coffee providing system according to paragraph 2, wherein the coffee making robot further comprises an information collection unit that collects weather information and time information, and the coffee recipe generation unit further incorporates the estimated gender and age group, and the collected weather information and time information to generate the customized coffee recipe. Claim 4 A user-customized coffee providing system according to claim 1, wherein the coffee recipe generating unit determines the type of coffee beans, the degree of grinding of the coffee beans, the temperature of the water during coffee extraction, and the concentration of the coffee according to the customer's emotional information. Claim 5 A user-customized coffee providing system according to claim 1, wherein the coffee making robot further comprises: an input unit that receives a coffee order request signal; and a control unit that controls the camera to recognize a face when a person is detected within a preset detection area, and controls the emotion estimation unit to analyze the recognized face when the coffee order request signal is input.

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