System for preparing drink or food product

Abstract

FIELD: food industry.SUBSTANCE: invention relates to electrically controlled systems for preparing a beverage or food product, by means of which the beverage or food product is obtained from a portioned capsule comprising a code encoding information about the preparation. The system comprises a container for accommodating a precursor material that includes a precursor of a beverage and / or food product, and a device for preparing a beverage and / or food product or its precursor from said precursor material, the container includes: a machine-readable code that stores preparation information, wherein the code extends along a coding line and includes a number of discrete positions that either contain or do not comprise an element for at least partially coding preparation information, the device includes: a code reading system for obtaining a digital image of the code that includes a colour model in which the colours of the areas are represented as values; a processing unit for processing the precursor material of the container, and an electrical circuit for controlling the processing unit based on the preparation information read from the code and the code reading system, wherein the electrical circuit is configured to: sum the values of the colour model for the zone of the line section that includes the coding line and the code elements; determining the position of the code based on said sum, and reading discrete positions based on the determined position of the code on said image, in which the electrical circuit is configured to assign colour model values to areas, wherein the area includes: an individual pixel of a digital image, or a grouping of multiple pixels in a digital image.EFFECT: increasing the user convenience compared to conventional beverage preparation devices and in an improved beverage preparation process.15 cl, 18 dwg

Description

[0001] Field of application of the invention

[0002] This description relates to electrically controlled systems for preparing a beverage or food product, by which the beverage or food product is obtained from a portion capsule containing a code encoding preparation information.

[0003] Prerequisites for the creation of the invention

[0004] Beverage preparation systems comprise a beverage preparation device and a capsule. The capsule contains a single portion of a beverage-forming precursor material, such as ground coffee or tea. The beverage preparation device is configured to perform the beverage preparation process within the capsule, typically by applying heated water under pressure to the precursor material. This treatment of the capsule results in at least partial extraction of the precursor material from the capsule in the form of a beverage.

[0005] This configuration of the beverage preparation device has gained great popularity due to 1) increased user convenience compared to conventional beverage preparation devices (e.g., compared to a manual stovetop espresso machine) and 2) an improved beverage preparation process in which: the preparation information encoded in the code on the capsule is read by the device, and the preparation information is used by the device to optimize the preparation process in a manner specific to the capsule. In particular, the encoded preparation information may contain operating parameters selected during the beverage preparation process, including: fluid temperature; fluid pressure; preparation duration; and fluid volume.

[0006] Various codes have been developed previously, an example of which is presented in EP 2594171 A1, according to which a code is applied to the periphery of the capsule flange. The disadvantage of such a code is that it requires precise placement on the capsule so that it can be read when the capsule is rotated relative to the code reader. Another example of a code is presented in WO 2017144575 A1. The disadvantage of this code is that special reference elements are required to determine the position of the code, which are located in the center and / or on the outer periphery of the circular coding lines, and the center points of said reference elements are used to determine the reference line used to identify the position of the code.

[0007] Thus, despite the efforts already put into developing the mentioned systems, further improvements are desirable.

[0008] Statement of the invention

[0009] The present description provides a system comprising a container for containing a precursor material and a device for preparing a beverage and / or food product or its precursor from the precursor material. In some embodiments, the container includes machine-readable code storing preparation information. In some embodiments, the container contains the precursor material.

[0010] In embodiments, the code extends along the coding line and includes a number of discrete positions that either contain or do not contain an element for at least partially encoding preparation information.

[0011] In embodiments, the device includes: a code reading system for obtaining a digital image of a code (including a coding line) and matching a color model to the digital image; a processing unit for processing a container precursor material and an electrical circuit for controlling the processing unit based on preparation information read from the code and the code reading system.

[0012] In embodiments, the electrical circuit is configured to: sum the values ​​of the color model along the coding line, including the code elements and the coding line itself; determine the position of the code based on said sum; and read discrete positions based on the determined position of the code on said image.

[0013] When implementing in practice an electrical circuit for determining the positional location (for example, the angle of a coding line on a digital image) of a coding line by summing the values ​​(for example, numerical values) of a color model by which the digital image is created, along the line, as well as for the elements that form the code, the location of the coding line can be accurately determined using the said sum, in contrast to parallel non-coding lines, which may have a different sum.

[0014] Since the code elements (if present at a discrete position) are located on the coding line, these elements also contribute to the sum of the values ​​and thus to the identification of the code position. Consequently, this code is highly effective, compared to individual elements used solely for positional identification. If an element is absent at a discrete position, the coding line intersects this discrete position. Therefore, the coding line, even when an element is absent, also contributes to the sum of the values ​​and thus to the identification of the code position.

[0015] Compared to prior art devices, including those described in WO 2017144575 A1, the code for the embodiment may be more convenient since only the color model values ​​need to be summed and compared with the condition, whereas the known device specified in the reference requires determining the location of individual elements that form the reference section of the code, finding the center point of said elements and fitting a virtual reference line to it.

[0016] In embodiments, preparation information is encoded at discrete positions using Golay coding. With this coding, the electrical circuit may only require the position of the coding line to read the code, since Golay coding does not require a location module or a reference section as a reserved bit sequence to identify the beginning and end of code repetitions containing the data section.

[0017] As used herein, the term "Golay code" or "Golay coding" may refer to a type of binary code that may have a linear structure and error correction. A Golay code may encode a specified number of unique values. The Golay code may not contain a location module or a reference region for locating a data region; instead, the unique values ​​may be organized as repetitions. The circuit may determine the preparation information based on a key-value database paradigm, such as a stored relationship in an electrical memory, with the unique value used as a key for retrieving the preparation information.

[0018] As used in this document, the term "color model" or "color system" may refer to a mathematical model that describes how to represent color (including shades of gray and tones with wavelengths in the infrared and ultraviolet regions) as values. These values ​​may be numeric. Examples of color models include: shades of gray; the RGB, RYG, and CMY color models; and other models with values ​​assigned to tones with wavelengths in the infrared and / or ultraviolet regions. A set of values ​​may be referred to as a color space or space.

[0019] The term "sum-based" as used herein may refer to the calculation of a code position and / or coding line, including the step of summing values, such as by numerical addition. For example, it may include determining whether the sum or a value derived from the sum (e.g., an average or other similar value) satisfies one or more of the following conditions: has crossed a threshold; is the largest in the data set; is the smallest in the data set.

[0020] The term "along and coding line" as used in this document in relation to the values ​​of the color model may refer to the coding line or the zone of the section of the line, which includes the coding line, divided into areas extending in the longitudinal direction along the coding line, including all (for example, from the beginning to the end of the coding line in the image) sections of the said line or a substantial part thereof, for example, at least 80% or 90%. These areas have a color model value that is summed up.

[0021] The term "at least partial encoding" as used herein may refer to the cooking information in the code, or to the direct encoding of the value of the cooking information parameter, for example, this value may be any numerical value between the maximum and the minimum, and / or it may refer to the cooking information in the code, encoded by an identifier associated with the parameter, which is searched in the electronic memory of the device to obtain the value for said parameter.

[0022] The term “location-based” as used in this document may refer to a code read using the calculated location of a reference line.

[0023] As used herein, the term "digital image" may refer to a digital representation of a physical image (e.g., a code printed on a container). A digital image may consist of pixels, each of which has a finite size and position, defined as a coordinate (e.g., the center point of a pixel), as well as color model values ​​and, optionally, intensity. A digital image may be a fixed-size, vector, or raster image.

[0024] In embodiments, the electrical circuit is configured to assign color model values ​​to regions, wherein a region includes an individual pixel of a digital image or a grouping of multiple pixels in a digital image. The regions may have a coordinate assigned to indicate their spatial location. By using regions that contain a group of pixels (e.g., by downscaling the image), computational efficiency can be improved. Alternatively, the pixel size can be determined at the desired resolution.

[0025] In embodiments, the electrical circuit is configured to sum the aforementioned color model values ​​for a line section, which include the transverse dimension of one or more regions and the longitudinal dimension of one or more regions corresponding to the longitudinal length that includes the coding region with the code located therein. By arranging the line section so that it extends along the entire longitudinal dimension of the coding region, the coding region can be divided into a number of transversely adjacent line sections, each of which has a summed value that includes the aforementioned sum of the values ​​of the regions that contain this line section. Thus, the digital image can be advantageously idealized by an array of summed values ​​for each line section.

[0026] As used herein, the term "coding region" may refer to a region of a digital image that includes a code. For example, a code (including repetitions of the code) may be located in a coding region that includes the circular region of the circular closure element of a classic Nespresso® capsule. Said circular region may not include the outer peripheral portion where the closure element connects to the flange portion.

[0027] In embodiments, the transverse dimension of the coding line is smaller than the transverse dimension of the line section. By configuring the transverse dimension of the coding line (for example, when the coding line is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the line) so that it is smaller than the transverse dimension of the line section, the coding line can be completely contained within the line section, so that it can substantially influence the values ​​for the regions and, therefore, influence the sum of said values. In an example, the transverse dimension of the coding line is less than 20% or 10% of the transverse dimension of the line section.

[0028] In embodiments, the electrical circuit is configured to determine said sum for each of a plurality of line sections located adjacent to one another in the transverse direction. By applying the sum to be calculated for an adjacent line section, the entire digital image or coding region can be processed and idealized using an array of summed values ​​for each line section.

[0029] In embodiments, the electrical circuit is configured to determine said sum in relation to a coding line located at a plurality of different angles to a reference axis, and to determine, based on said sum, an alignment position in which the coding line is aligned with respect to the reference axis.

[0030] By implementing an electrical circuit for determining said sum (for example, for a line section) with respect to a digital image located at a plurality of different angles (for example, by increasing the angle of the digital image to the longitudinal direction of the line section in a range of 0-180 degrees inclusive in 3- or 5-degree increments), the digital image can be easily rotated until a condition based on the sum of the values ​​is determined under which the coding line is identified as aligned (including substantially aligned) in the longitudinal direction (in which it is aligned with the line section).

[0031] In embodiments, the code position is determined based on the variance of said sum of values. By implementing an electrical circuit for determining the position of a coding line of a code based on the variance of the sum of values ​​(e.g., for a section of a line), the code and coding line can be successfully distinguished from other non-coding lines (e.g., from a section of a line that does not include a code or coding line) of a digital image.

[0032] For example, with a longitudinally aligned coding line, if the code and coding line are within a line section, this has a significant impact on the sum. Therefore, this sum can be identified from the sum for a parallel line section that includes a non-coding line. Therefore, the variance of the sums is large and can be used to distinguish between a code and coding line that are not longitudinally aligned.

[0033] The term “variance-based” as used in this document may refer to the directly realized variance or to a realized value related to the variance, such as standard deviation, etc.

[0034] In embodiments, the transverse dimension of the coding line is selected to be less than 20% or 10% of the transverse dimension of the code element. By implementing the coding line so that it is relatively thin compared to the code element, the presence of the coding line cannot be interpreted as the presence of a code element at the discrete position during the reading step. However, the presence of the coding line ensures an optimal effect on the values ​​when summing said values. Alternatively, the coding line may not be formed at the discrete position of the code element.

[0035] In embodiments, the code is organized using the summation of said color model values ​​along the coding line so that they are within a first range of values, and adjacent non-coding lines that are parallel to the coding line include the summation of the color model values ​​within a second range of values.

[0036] By realizing that the sum of the values ​​for the line section containing the coding line is within the first range, and the sum of the values ​​for the parallel line section that does not include the coding line is within the second range, the coding line and non-coding lines can be easily distinguished.

[0037] This can be achieved by ensuring that sections of the line that do not contain the coding line do not contain significant imprints or formations that produce a value comparable to the value of the code and the coding line. For example, the placement of advertising or other information in the coding area can be controlled to ensure the code can be distinguished.

[0038] In embodiments, the code and the coding line are configured to be one of a diffusely reflective or a specularly reflective object, and the frame is formed as the other of a diffusely reflective or a specularly reflective object. The term "frame" used herein may refer to a non-coding line, including an area that does not include the coding line and the code element; this term may cover an area of ​​a discrete code position that does not include the element.

[0039] In embodiments, the electrical circuit is configured to define diffusely reflective or specularly reflective regions as color tone values. For example, diffusely reflective regions may be assigned a low value in a grayscale color model, while specularly reflective regions may be assigned a high value in a grayscale color model. This distribution may be advantageous since the code visibility may be less obvious compared to the generation of the code and coding line using color printing.

[0040] In some embodiments, the code is located on the outer surface of the container. The outer surface on which the code is located is in the first color range (e.g., it is a surface enclosing it).

[0041] In embodiments, the code extends along the outer surface along a linear coding line and includes a number of discrete positions that either contain or do not contain an element for at least partially coding information about the preparation, wherein the element and the coding line are made in the second color range.

[0042] In embodiments, the summation of color tones along a linear coding line can be identified in contrast to that of an adjacent parallel linear non-coding line (or any other line) that runs along said outer surface. In embodiments, the device includes: a code reading system for reading a container code; a processing unit for processing a precursor material of the container and an electrical circuit for controlling the processing unit based on the preparation information read from the code, and wherein the code reading system is configured to determine the location of the code from an image of said outer surface based on said summation of color tones.

[0043] When executing a code on a coding line that has a specific color range compared with other parts of the outer surface image (such as non-coding lines), the code position can be successfully determined based on the summation of the numerical values ​​of the color tones, for example, with low processing overhead and / or with high accuracy.

[0044] The term "outer surface" as used herein may refer to any surface of the container that can produce an image for reading by a code reading system; it may include the outer surface of the closure element, the storage portion, or the flange portion that connects the closure element and the storage portion. Examples of suitable closure elements and substrates can be taken from the concepts and examples described herein relating to containers and / or closure elements. Suitable designs and / or working parts are described, for example, in EP 2569230.

[0045] The term "first color range" as used herein may refer to a specific range of color tones. For example, this range may include relatively dark colors, including black, dark blue, dark green, dark purple, or relatively light colors, including white, light red, and yellow. Such a range may also be defined by a gray scale (in real shades of gray or in the colors of the mentioned range converted to shades of gray) - for example, for an 8- or 16-bit gray scale, the first 0-100 bits may cover the first color range (i.e., black - dark gray). Similarly, bit color may be implemented, including 8- or 16-bit.

[0046] The term "second color range" is defined as for the first color range, but is different from it - for example, if the first color range includes relatively dark colors, then the second color range includes relatively light colors; if the first color range includes bits 150-255 (i.e., from white to light gray of the 8-bit gray scale), then the second color range includes bits 0-100 (i.e., from black to dark gray).

[0047] As used herein, the term "discrete position" may refer to a reserved and distinct position in a sequence of discrete positions that may or may not contain an element as a means of encoding information, typically in the form of a bit.

[0048] The term "summation of color tones along a linear coding line" as used herein may refer to a coding line (or a representative segment encompassing a coding line) analyzed as a series of elements, for example, with a pixel or combination of pixels defining the element, with a representative value of the color tones of each defined element. The representative value may be the sum of the values ​​for each color tone, or it may be an average value, i.e., the sum of the values ​​for each color tone divided by the number of selected elements. In an example in which the coding line is formed from a second color range covering an 8-bit gray scale in the range of 0-100 bits, each element is assigned a value from 0 to 100, which is summed over all elements and optionally divided by the number of elements.

[0049] As used herein, the term "non-coding line" may refer to any line that may extend parallel to a coding line and does not include the coding line or the element that forms the code. A non-coding line typically consists of one or more lines located immediately adjacent to the code.

[0050] As used herein, the term "identifiable value compared to the value for an adjacent parallel linear non-coding line" may refer to a sum value, as described previously, that is substantially different for a coding line compared to the value for a non-coding line - for example, in the 8-bit gray scale example, the difference may be at least 50. The sum value may also be identifiable from any other parallel line in the image, such as a non-coding line or other, in the same manner.

[0051] As used in this document, the term "determining the location of a code from an image" may refer to identifying the position or angular relationship of a coding line on which a code is located with respect to an image of the code being processed.

[0052] In embodiments, the first color range includes one of a comparatively light color, and the second color range includes the other of a comparatively light color or a comparatively dark color. Using these ranges, it is possible to easily distinguish regions that form a code from those regions that do not.

[0053] In embodiments, the determined location includes determining the rotational position of the code based on the angle at which the coding line passes relative to a reference axis associated with the image. For example, the code image may be assigned an arbitrary 2-dimensional axis, and the coding line may be determined to be at a certain angle to the X-axis.

[0054] In embodiments, the code reading system is configured to increase the rotation angle of said image within a predetermined range and select from said range a rotation angle at which the coding line is aligned with the reference axis, to update the rotational position of the image. For example, the reference X-axis may remain in a fixed position, and the outer surface image may be gradually rotated in increments of 2-5 degrees relative to the center until it is determined that the coding line is sufficiently aligned with the X-axis.

[0055] In embodiments, the code is read in the aforementioned rotational position along the coding line in a first direction, and if an error is detected, the code is read along the coding line in a second, opposite direction. With this design, the directional code can be successfully read in the correct direction.

[0056] In embodiments, a line along a coding line has a greater variance for the first color range and the second color range due to said absence or presence of a code element, in contrast to a line along said adjacent non-coding line, and the code reading system is configured to determine the location of the code in said image by identifying the coding line based on the coding line formed by said greater variance. For example, an area including the coding line and the non-coding line can be idealized as a segment (which is increased in thickness compared to the thickness of the coding line to include the width of the code element). The segment can be divided into elements. In the example with an 8-bit gray scale, the variance of the color tone values ​​of the element is determined for the segment.Because the coding line includes a significant number of code elements that make up the second color range, or missing elements that make up the outer surface and hence the first color range (the non-coding line in some examples may only include the first color range), the line with higher variance defines the coding line.

[0057] As used herein, the term "variance-based" may refer to a numerical quantity that either represents or is related to the variance, including the standard deviation.

[0058] In embodiments, the code location determined by the dispersion includes a lateral offset from the reference axis.

[0059] In embodiments, the transverse thickness of the coding line is selected to be relatively narrow (e.g., less than 20% or 10%) compared to the code element. In embodiments, the code reading system is configured to determine the variance of the coding line at a lower resolution than when determining the aforementioned color tones. When determining the variance in a low-resolution mode, which is selected so that the relatively thin coding line does not affect the variance determination, the presence of the coding line cannot prevent a high variance for the code, calculated to determine the code location.

[0060] In some embodiments, the code is implemented as a repeating element that is repeated along the coding line. For example, the coding line may include 2-4 code repetitions, any of which can be read to extract the preparation information. This design may be more reliable, as the repetitions can be compared with each other, or if one repetition is damaged, another repetition can be used.

[0061] The embodiments have multiple coding lines, each offset from and parallel to one another. With multiple coding lines, if one coding line is damaged, another coding line can be used.

[0062] In embodiments, the determined location involves determining the location of the coding line with the longest length based on the aforementioned variance. By identifying the longest coding line, the highest probability of successful code reading can be achieved, since the longest coding line includes the greatest number of code repetitions.

[0063] In some embodiments, the discrete positions are arranged so as to be directly adjacent to one another. In some embodiments, the end region of the element that is not adjacent to another element is curved. It has been found that curving the outer region of the element produces a more aesthetically pleasing object that appears less like code.

[0064] In some embodiments, the container includes a storage portion and a closure element, wherein the outer surface containing the code and coding line is located on the closure element. The container may include an axis of rotation that passes through the center of the closure element. In some embodiments, the coding line extends between the edges of the closure element and bisects it, and the image represents the entire closure element. The resulting image of the closure element may be circular, and the closure element may also be circular.

[0065] In some embodiments, the non-coding line (which may be directly adjacent to the coding line or located separately from it) includes only the first color range. With this design, the coding line can be easily distinguished from the non-coding line.

[0066] In embodiments, the non-coding line (which may be directly adjacent to the coding line or located separately from it) includes a first color range and a portion of a second color range, which may be formed by one or more objects that are not associated with the code. However, the portion of the second color range may be selected to be less identifiable (e.g., in terms of dispersion or tone summation) compared to that provided by the code and / or coding line.With this design, the coding line can be easily distinguished from the non-coding line during processing, and the non-coding line can include other objects, including a logo, trademark, text, an image that can provide one or more of the following or other effects: information about the container to the user, such as a coffee blend; a more aesthetically pleasing outer surface as opposed to a surface on which only the code is applied, and other objects so that the user does not focus on the code.

[0067] In embodiments, the code reading system is configured to read a code based on the location determination and decoding the read code using some algorithm, such as the Golay algorithm.

[0068] The present description provides a device for preparing a beverage and / or food product or a precursor thereof from a container containing a precursor material and a code, wherein the device includes elements of the system device according to any of the previous embodiments or another embodiment described herein.

[0069] In embodiments, the processing unit includes a container processing unit and a fluid processing system, and an electrical circuit configured to control the container processing unit and the fluid processing system based on the preparation information read from the code. In embodiments, the processing unit is designed as a bulk material processing unit, and the electrical circuit is configured to control the bulk material processing unit to process a bulk precursor material dispensed from the container or contained in the container, based on the preparation information read from the code.

[0070] The present description provides a container for containing a precursor material for use with a device for preparing a beverage or food product, or a precursor thereof. The device may be implemented in accordance with any previous embodiment or another embodiment described herein.

[0071] In embodiments, the container includes machine-readable code storing information about the preparation for processing of the precursor material. The code may include any feature of the preceding embodiment or another embodiment described herein.

[0072] In embodiments, the code extends along the coding line and includes a number of discrete positions that either contain or do not contain an element for at least partially encoding preparation information.

[0073] In embodiments, the sum of the values ​​of the color model corresponding to the digital image of the code along the coding line can be identified, as opposed to that of the adjacent parallel linear non-coding line, to determine the position of the code based on said sum.

[0074] In embodiments, the container includes an outer surface containing machine-readable code that includes any feature from the previous embodiments or another embodiment described herein. The code stores preparation information for use in a preparation process performed by said device, wherein the device is controlled based on the preparation information to prepare a beverage and / or a food product, or its precursor.

[0075] The present description provides a substrate for attachment to a container for accommodating a precursor material for use in a device for preparing a beverage and / or food product or a precursor thereof, wherein the substrate includes an outer surface containing a machine-readable code including any feature from the previous embodiments or another embodiment described herein.

[0076] As used herein, the term "substrate" may refer to any suitable code carrier that can be used to attach the code to the container, examples of which include: a sticker; a cardboard member for receiving an adhesive strip; a closure member and other suitable devices.

[0077] The present description provides the use of a container according to any previous embodiment or another embodiment described herein for a device according to any previous embodiment or another embodiment described herein.

[0078] The present description provides a method for reading information on the preparation for processing of a precursor material, which is encoded by a code on a container containing the precursor material. The method can be implemented for reading the code according to any of the preceding embodiments or another embodiment described herein.

[0079] In embodiments, the method includes: fitting a color model to a digital image of a code; summing up the values ​​of the color model along a coding line, including code elements and the coding line itself; determining the position of the code based on said sum and reading discrete positions of the code that contain or do not contain an element for at least partially encoding preparation information based on the determined position of the code on said image.

[0080] The present description provides a method for reading a code on the outer surface of a capsule, which includes generating an image of the outer surface of the capsule, which includes a code, and reading said code.

[0081] In embodiments, the method includes obtaining color tone summation results for lines (e.g., segments) extending across an image and determining a code location based on said color tone summation.

[0082] In embodiments, the method includes obtaining, for lines (e.g., a segment) extending across an image, a variance (including a value associated with the variance) of a first color range and a second color range, and determining a code location based on said variance of color tones.

[0083] The method may be implemented within the framework of a method for preparing a beverage or food product, or a precursor thereof, in which the processing unit is controlled based on the preparation information to perform the preparation process on the precursor material.

[0084] The present description provides an electrical circuit for implementing the method according to the previous embodiment or another embodiment described herein.

[0085] The present description provides a machine-readable medium containing a program code for implementing the method according to the previous embodiment or another embodiment described herein.

[0086] The preceding summary of the invention is presented to outline the essence of some embodiments in order to provide a basic understanding of aspects of the inventive subject matter described herein. Accordingly, the above-described features are merely examples and should in no way be construed as narrowing the scope or spirit of the inventive subject matter described herein. Moreover, the embodiments described above and / or below may be combined in any suitable combination to provide additional embodiments. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments, a brief description of the figures, and the claims.

[0087] Brief description of figures

[0088] Aspects, features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numbers denote like elements.

[0089] Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a system showing an embodiment of a system for preparing a beverage or food product or a precursor thereof.

[0090] Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a system showing an embodiment of the device of the system shown in Fig. 1.

[0091] Fig. 3 is an illustrative diagram showing an embodiment of the fluid conditioning system of the device shown in Fig. 2.

[0092] Fig. 4A and 4B are illustrative diagrams showing an embodiment of a container processing system of the device shown in Fig. 2.

[0093] Fig. 5 is an illustrative diagram showing an embodiment of the device shown in Fig. 2, which includes a bulk material processing unit.

[0094] Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an electrical control circuit for the device shown in Fig. 2.

[0095] Fig. 7 and 8 show an illustrative diagram showing an embodiment of a container of the system shown in Fig. 1.

[0096] Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the cooking process that is performed by the system shown in Fig. 1.

[0097] Fig. 10 is a view showing an image of the closing element of the container shown in Fig. 7, comprising an outer surface and a coding line.

[0098] Fig. 11 is a view showing, on an enlarged scale, a portion of the image shown in Fig. 10 containing a code.

[0099] Fig. 12 is a view showing, on an enlarged scale, a portion of the image shown in Fig. 10 and 11 containing a code.

[0100] Fig. 13 is a view showing the upper and lower views of the view shown in Fig. 10 in two different rotation positions.

[0101] Fig. 14 is a contour graph showing the average color tone for a segment for a rotational position of an image depending on the lateral position of the segment.

[0102] Fig. 15 is a graphical representation showing the dependence of the lateral position of a segment on the standard deviation for the lower image shown in Fig. 13.

[0103] Fig. 16 and 17 are block diagrams showing methods for implementing the method for determining the location and reading the code shown in Fig. 10, which is performed by the system shown in Fig. 1.

[0104] Detailed Description of Embodiments

[0105] Before describing several embodiments of the system, it should be understood that the system is not limited to the design characteristics or method steps given in the following description. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the advantage of the present description lies in the fact that the system is capable of other embodiments and can be practiced or implemented in a variety of ways.

[0106] This description may be better understood in light of the following explanations.

[0107] The term "device" as used herein may refer to an electrically powered device that: can prepare a beverage and / or food product from a precursor material or can prepare a precursor material from a precursor material from which a beverage and / or food product can subsequently be prepared. The device may carry out said preparation by one or more of the following processes: dilution; heating; cooling; mixing; whisking; dissolving; impregnation; steeping; extraction; conditioning; infusion; grinding and other similar processes. The device may be sized to fit on a kitchen work surface, for example, its length, width and height may be less than 70 cm.As used herein, the term "prepare" in relation to a beverage and / or food product may refer to the preparation of at least a portion of the beverage and / or food product (e.g., the beverage is prepared by the said device in whole or in part so that the end user can manually add additional fluid, including milk and / or water, before consumption).

[0108] The term "container" as used herein may refer to any configuration containing a precursor material, for example, in the form of a single portion or a portioned quantity. The container may have a maximum capacity such that it can only contain one portion of the precursor material. The container may be disposable, for example, it is physically changed after the preparation process, which may include one or more of: perforations for supplying a fluid to the precursor material; perforations for dispensing a beverage / food product from the container; opening by the user for extraction of the precursor material. The container may be configured to operate with a container processing unit of the device, for example, it may include a flange for aligning and guiding the container through it or placing it on said unit.The container may include a rupture section that is configured to rupture when exposed to a specific pressure to release the beverage / food product. The container may have a membrane for closing the container. The container may have various shapes, including one or more of: a truncated cone; a cylinder; a disk; a hemisphere; a bag; another similar shape. The container may be made of various materials, such as metal or plastic or a combination thereof. The requirements for selecting a material are as follows: compatibility with food products; resistance to pressure and / or temperature of the preparation process. The container may be made in the form of a capsule, wherein the capsule may have an internal volume of 20-100 ml. The capsule includes a coffee capsule, such as a Nespresso® capsule (including Classic, Professional, Vertuo, Dolce Gusto or another capsule). The container may be made in the form of a receiving vessel, wherein the receiving vessel may have an internal volume of 150-350 ml.The receiving vessel is typically intended for consumption by the end user and includes a cup for consumption with a utensil, including a spoon, and a drinking cup. The container may be a pouch made of a flexible material, including plastic or foil. The pouch may have an internal volume of 150-350 ml, 200-300 ml, or 50-150 ml.

[0109] As used herein, the term "external device" or "external electronic device" or "peripheral device" may include electronic components located outside the device, such as those located in the same location as the device or components remote from the device that communicate with the device over a computer network. An external device may comprise a communication interface for communicating with the device and / or a server system. An external device may comprise devices including: a smartphone; a PDA; a game controller; a tablet; a laptop; or other similar device.

[0110] As used herein, the term "server system" may refer to electronic components located outside the device, such as those located in a remote location from the device, that communicate with the device over a computer network. The server system may include a communication interface for communicating with the device and / or an external device. The server system may include: a network computer (e.g., a remote server); a cloud computer; or any other server system.

[0111] As used herein, the term "system" or "beverage or food preparation system" may refer to a combination of any two of: a beverage or food preparation device; a container; a server system; and a peripheral device.

[0112] As used herein, the term "beverage" may refer to any substance that can be processed to produce a drinkable substance that may be chilled or hot. The beverage may be one or more of: a solid; a liquid; a gel; a paste. The beverage may include one or a combination of: tea; coffee; hot chocolate; milk; cordial; vitamin composition; herbal tea / infusion; infused / flavored water and other substance. The term "food product" as used herein may refer to any substance that can be processed to produce a nutritious substance intended for consumption that may be chilled or hot. The food product may be one or more of: a solid; a liquid; a gel; a paste. The food product may include: yogurt; mousse; parfait; soup; ice cream; sorbet; custard; smoothie; other substance.It should be understood that the definitions of a beverage and a food product may overlap to some extent, for example, a beverage may also be a food product, and therefore when a device is said to be used for preparing a beverage or a food product, this does not exclude the preparation of both.

[0113] As used herein, the term "precursor material" may refer to any material that can be processed to form part or all of a beverage or food product. The precursor material may be one or more of: a powder; crystals; a liquid; a gel; a solid; and others. Examples of a precursor material that forms a beverage include: ground coffee; dry milk; tea leaves; cocoa powder; a vitamin composition; herbs, such as for producing a herbal infusion / tea; a flavoring additive, and other similar material. Examples of a precursor material that forms a food product include: dried vegetables or broth in the form of anhydrous dry soup concentrate; dry milk; flour-based powders, including custard; dry mix for making yogurt or ice cream, and other similar material.A precursor material may also refer to any preliminary precursor material that can be processed to produce a precursor material as defined above, i.e., any precursor material that can subsequently be processed to produce a beverage and / or food product. In one example, a preliminary precursor material includes coffee beans, which can be ground and / or heated (e.g., roasted) to produce a precursor material.

[0114] As used herein, the term "fluid" (with respect to a fluid supplied by a fluid conditioning system) may include one or more of: water; milk; other. As used herein, the term "conditioning" with respect to a fluid may refer to a change in its physical property and may include one or more of the following: heating or cooling; agitation (including foaming by whisking to introduce bubbles and stirring to create turbulent flow); dispensing a single-serving quantity suitable for use with a single-serving container; increasing the pressure, such as to brewing pressure; carbonation; filtration / purification and other conditioning process.

[0115] As used herein, the term "processing unit" may refer to a system capable of processing a precursor material to produce a beverage or food product. It may also refer to a system capable of processing a preliminary precursor material to produce a precursor material. The processing unit may have any suitable embodiment, including a container processing unit or a bulk material processing unit.

[0116] As used herein, the term "container processing unit" may refer to a system that can process a container to obtain a corresponding beverage or food product from a precursor material. The container processing unit may be configured to process the precursor material by one or more of the following: dilution; heating; cooling; mixing; whipping; dissolving; impregnation; steeping; extraction; conditioning; pressurization; infusion; and: another processing step.Thus, the container processing unit may be implemented as a series of units depending on the processing stage, which may include: an extraction unit (in which a pressure brewing and / or thermal brewing process, such as heating or cooling, may be implemented); a mixing unit (in which a beverage or food product is mixed in a receiving vessel for consumption by the end user); a dispensing and dispersion unit (in which a portion of the precursor material is extracted from the repository, processed by dispersion, and dispensed into a receiving vessel) and: another similar unit.

[0117] The term "bulk material processing unit" as used herein may refer to a system that can process bulk material of a precursor material to produce a precursor material. The bulk material processing unit may be configured to process the precursor material by one or more of the following: heating; cooling; attrition; mixing; impregnation; conditioning; another processing step. The bulk material may be fed to the bulk material processing unit in a container from which it is removed and processed.

[0118] The term "preparation process" as used herein may refer to the process of preparing a beverage or food product from a precursor material or preparing a precursor material from a precursor material. The preparation process may refer to processes performed by an electrical circuit for controlling a container processing unit for processing said precursor or precursor material.

[0119] As used herein, the term "electrical circuit" or "circuit" or "electrical control circuit" may refer to one or more hardware and / or software components, examples of which may include: an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC); electronic / electrical components (which may include combinations of transistors, resistors, capacitors, inductors, etc.); one or more processors; a non-transitory storage medium (e.g., implemented using one or more memory devices) that may store one or more programs or firmware; a combined logic circuit; connections of the foregoing. The electrical circuit may be located entirely within the device or distributed among one or more of: the device; external devices; a server system.

[0120] As used herein, the term "processor" or "processing resource" may refer to one or more processing units, examples of which include an ASIC, a microcontroller, a field-programmable integrated circuit (FPGA), a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a state machine, or other suitable component. The processor may be configured to execute a computer program, such as one that may take the form of machine-readable instructions that may be stored on a non-transitory storage medium and / or in programmable logic. The processor may have various configurations consistent with those described for the circuit, such as embedded or distributed within the system.In this document, any device-executable instructions or machine-readable media may be configured to initiate the implementation of the described method, such as by a device or system as described herein, and may therefore be used as synonyms for the term "method" or each other.

[0121] As used herein, the term "machine-readable medium / carrier" or "data storage" may include any medium capable of storing a computer program and may take the form of any conventional non-transitory storage medium, such as one or more of: random access memory (RAM); CD; hard disk; solid state drive; memory card; DVD. The storage device may have various configurations consistent with those described for the diagram.

[0122] As used herein, the term "communications media" or "communications interface" may refer to hardware and / or firmware for transmitting information electronically. The communications media / interface may be for wired communications ("wired communications media / interface") or wireless communications ("wireless communications media / interface"). Wireless communications media may include hardware for transmitting and receiving signals over radio waves and may include various protocol implementations, such as the 802.11 standard described in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Bluetooth™ from the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Kirkland, WA). Wired communications media may include: Universal Serial Bus (USB); High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI); or other protocol implementations.The device may include communication means for wired or wireless communication with an external device and / or a server system.

[0123] As used herein, the term "network" or "computer network" may refer to a system for transmitting information electronically between a plurality of devices. The network may, for example, include one or more networks of any type, which may include: a public land mobile network (PLMN); a telephone network (e.g., a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and / or a wireless network); a local area network (LAN); a metropolitan area network (MAN); a wide area network (WAN); an Internet Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network; a private network; the Internet; an Intranet.

[0124] The term "code" as used herein may refer to an information storage medium that encodes preparation information. The code may be an optically readable code, such as a barcode. The code may be formed from multiple blocks, which may be referred to as elements or markers.

[0125] The term "preparation information" as used herein may refer to information related to the preparation process. The information mentioned may vary depending on the embodiment of the processing unit. The parameters that may be associated with the processing unit of the container that contains the fluid processing system may include one or more of: fluid pressure; fluid temperature; fluid mass / volume flow rate; fluid volume; fluid filtration / purification parameters; fluid carbonation parameters. The parameters that may be associated with the processing unit of the container that contains the bulk material processing unit may include one or more of: grinding parameters, including intensity; heating temperature.More general parameters may include one or more of: geometric parameters of the container, such as shape or volume; precursor type; phase identifier, when the preparation process is divided into several phases, whereby each phase contains a set of one or more of the above-mentioned parameters; duration, including phase duration (e.g., duration of application of the phase parameters or any of the above-mentioned parameters in general); and container identifier, which may be, for example, used to track consumption of containers for the purpose of re-ordering or searching for information in a server system; expiration date, recipe identifier, which can be used to search for a recipe stored in the device memory for use with the container.

[0126] General description of the system

[0127] As shown in Fig. 1, the system 2 includes a device 4, a container 6, a server system 8 and a peripheral device 10. The server system 8 communicates with the device 4 via a computer network 12. The peripheral device 10 communicates with the device 4 via a computer network 12.

[0128] In embodiments that are not shown: the peripheral device and / or the server system are omitted.

[0129] Although the computer network 12 is shown identically between the device 4, the server system 8, and the peripheral device 10, other configurations are possible, including: a different computer network for interaction between each of the devices: the server system communicates with the device through the peripheral device, rather than directly. In a specific example, the peripheral device communicates with the device via a wireless interface, such as the Bluetooth™ protocol, and the server system communicates with the device via a wireless interface, such as the IEE802.11 standard, as well as via the Internet.

[0130] Device

[0131] As shown in Fig. 2, the device 4 comprises: a processing unit 14 for processing the precursor material; an electrical circuit 16 and; a code reading system 18.

[0132] The electrical circuit 16 controls the code reading system 18 to read the code (not shown in Fig. 2) from the container 6 and determine the preparation information from it. The electrical circuit 16 uses the preparation information to control the processing unit 14 to perform the preparation process in which the precursor material is processed to obtain a beverage or food product, or its precursor.

[0133] First example of processing block

[0134] As shown in Fig. 3 and 4, in the first example of the processing unit 14, said unit comprises a container processing unit 20 and a fluid conditioning system 22.

[0135] The container processing unit 20 is configured to process the container 6 to obtain a beverage or food product from a precursor material contained therein (not shown). The fluid conditioning system 22 provides conditioning of the fluid supplied to the container processing unit 20. The electrical circuit 16 uses the preparation information read from the container 6 to control the container processing unit 20 and the fluid conditioning system 22 to perform the preparation process.

[0136] Fluid air conditioning system

[0137] As shown in Fig. 3, the fluid conditioning system 22 includes a tank 24; a pump 26; a heat exchanger 28 and an outlet channel 30 for the conditioned fluid. The tank 24 contains a fluid, as a rule, in an amount sufficient for a variety of cooking processes. The pump 26 displaces the fluid from the tank 24 through the heat exchanger 26 and into the outlet channel 30 (which is connected to the container processing unit 20). The pump 26 can be implemented in the form of any suitable device for pumping the fluid, including: a reciprocating pump; a rotary pump; another suitable system. The heat exchanger 28 is designed to heat the fluid and may include: a linear heater of the thermal block type; a heating element for heating the fluid directly in the tank; another suitable system.

[0138] In embodiments that are not shown: there is no pump, for example, the fluid is fed by gravity to the container processing unit or is under pressure in the water supply network; there is no tank, for example, water is supplied from the water supply network; the heat exchanger is configured to cool the fluid, for example, it can include a refrigeration-type heat pump); the heat exchanger is absent, for example, water of the required temperature is supplied from the water supply network; the fluid conditioning system includes a filtration / purification system, for example a UV radiation system, the degree of impact of which on the fluid can be controlled; a carbonation system that controls the degree of saturation of the fluid with carbon dioxide.

[0139] Container Processing Unit

[0140] The container processing unit 20 can be implemented in various configurations, as shown in Examples 1-6 below.

[0141] As shown in Fig. 4A and 4B, the first example of the container processing unit 20 is for processing a container formed in the form of a capsule 6 (a suitable example of a capsule is shown in Fig. 7, which will be described), to prepare a beverage. The container processing unit 20 is designed as an extraction unit 32 for extracting a beverage from the capsule 6. The extraction unit 32 includes a portion 34 for holding the capsule and a closing element 36. The extraction unit 32 is configured to move to a capsule receiving position (Fig. 4A), in which the portion 34 for holding the capsule and the closing element 36 are arranged to receive the capsule 6. The extraction unit 32 is configured to move to a capsule extraction position (Fig. 4B), in which the portion 34 for holding the capsule and the closing element 36 form a seal around the capsule 6 and the beverage can be extracted from the capsule 6.The extraction unit 32 may be driven by a motor or moved manually between the said positions.

[0142] The outlet channel 30 of the fluid conditioning system 22 is formed by an injection head 38 for supplying the conditioned fluid into the capsule 6 in the capsule extraction position, typically under high pressure. The beverage outlet 40 is configured to capture the extracted beverage and supply it from the extraction unit 32.

[0143] The extraction unit 32 is configured to prepare a beverage by supplying a pressurized (for example, 10-20 bar), heated (for example, to 50-98°C) fluid medium to the precursor material inside the capsule 6. The pressure increases over a predetermined period of time until the pressure for the rupture section, which is the closing element of the capsule 6, is exceeded, resulting in the rupture of said element and the dispensing of the beverage into the beverage outlet 40.

[0144] In embodiments that are not illustrated, although the injection head and beverage outlet are shown as located on the capsule holding portion and the capsule closure, respectively, they may be arranged differently, including the injection head and beverage outlet may be located on the capsule closure and the storage portion, respectively, or both on the same portion. Furthermore, the extraction unit may include both parts configured as a capsule holding portion, for example for capsules symmetrical with respect to the flange, including the Nespresso® Professional capsule.

[0145] Examples of suitable extraction units are provided in EP 1472156 A1 and EP 1784344 A1, which are incorporated herein by reference, and propose a hydraulically sealed extraction unit.

[0146] The second example (not shown) of the container processing unit includes an extraction unit similar to the first example, but the extraction unit operates at lower pressure and by centrifugation. An example of a suitable capsule is the Nespresso® Vertuo capsule. A suitable example is provided in document EP 2594171 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0147] In a third example (not shown), the capsule processing unit operates by dispersing a beverage precursor, which is selected for dissolution, with a fluid under high pressure and high temperature. This configuration is similar to the extraction unit of the first and second examples, but the pressure is lower, and therefore a sealed extraction unit is not required. In particular, the fluid can be supplied to the capsule lid, and the rupture section is located at the base of the retained portion of the capsule. An example of a suitable capsule is the Nespresso® Dolce Gusto capsule. Examples of suitable extraction units are described in EP 1472156 A1 and EP 1784344 A1, which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0148] In a fourth example (not shown), in which the container is in the form of a bag, the container processing unit implements an extraction unit configured to receive such a bag and inject a fluid from a fluid conditioning system into its inlet. The injected fluid is mixed with a precursor material inside the bag to at least partially prepare a beverage, which exits the bag through its outlet. An example of such a configuration is presented in document WO 2014125123 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0149] In a fifth example (which is not shown), the container processing unit is designed as a mixing unit for preparing a beverage or food precursor, which is stored in a container that is a receiving vessel and is intended for consumption by an end user from the vessel. The mixing unit comprises a mixing device (e.g., a planetary mixer; a screw mixer; a vertical cutting mixer) for mixing and a heat exchanger for heating / cooling the beverage or food precursor in the receiving vessel. A fluid supply system may also supply fluid to the receiving vessel. An example of such a configuration is presented in document WO 2014067987 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0150] In a sixth example (not shown), the container processing unit is designed as a dispensing and dispersing unit. The dispensing and dispersing unit is configured to extract a single portion of a beverage or food precursor from a storage section of the device (which may include any multi-portion container, including a bag or box). The dispensing and dispersing unit is configured to mix the extracted single portion with a conditioned fluid from a fluid conditioning system and dispense the beverage or food into a receiving vessel. An example of such a configuration is presented in document EP 14167344 A, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0151] Second example of processing block

[0152] As shown in Fig. 5, in the second example of the processing unit 14, said unit comprises a bulk material processing unit 42.

[0153] The bulk material processing unit 42 is configured to receive a bulk precursor material from the container 6 (a corresponding example is shown in Fig. 8, as will be described) and process the precursor material to obtain a precursor material. The electric circuit 16 uses the preparation information read from the container 6 to control the bulk material processing unit 42 to perform the preparation process.

[0154] The user manually retransmits the container 6 to the code reading system 18 of the device 4 for code reading (as described below). The user then opens the container 6 and introduces the precursor material (not shown) located therein into the bulk material processing unit 42. In the bulk material processing unit 42, the bulk precursor material is processed to obtain the precursor material.

[0155] In a specific example, the precursor material is coffee beans, and the bulk material processing unit 42 is configured to roast and / or grind the coffee beans to obtain the precursor material.

[0156] In embodiments that are not shown, the bulk material processing unit has an alternative configuration, including: a dispensing system for opening and dispensing the precursor material from the capsule for subsequent processing (for example, it may include a cutting tool for cutting the container and an extraction module, such as a spatula, for extracting the precursor material); the precursor material can be processed in the container and either dispensed from the container in accordance with the example described above, or provided to the user in the container.

[0157] Code reading system

[0158] As shown in Fig. 4A and 4B, the code reading system 18 is configured to read the code 44 located on the closing member of the container 6. The code reading system 18 is built into the extraction unit 32 of the first example of the container processing unit 20. The code 44 is read when the extraction unit 32 is in the capsule extraction position (as shown in Fig. 4B).

[0159] The code reading system 18 includes an image capturing unit 46 for capturing a digital image of the code 44. Examples of a suitable image capturing unit 46 include the Sonix SN9S102; the Snap Sensor S2 imager; an oversampling binary image sensor; and other similar systems.

[0160] The circuit diagram 18 includes an image processing circuit (not shown) for identifying the code in the digital image and extracting the cooking information. An example of the image processing circuit is a Texas Instruments TMS320C5517 processor, which executes the code processing program.

[0161] In various embodiments that are not shown, the code reading system is separated from the container processing unit, including: it is located in a channel in which the user places the container and along which the container is moved into the container processing unit; it is configured to read a code on a receiving vessel, which is configured to receive a beverage from the beverage outlet of the dispensing and dispersing unit. In additional embodiments that are not shown, the code reading system is implemented alternatively, for example, the code reading system is located on a device for reading the container code, which the user manually approaches the image capturing device. In additional embodiments that are not shown, the code reading system is configured to read a code in another location of the container, for example, on a flange portion or a storage area.

[0162] Control circuit diagram

[0163] As shown in Fig. 6, the electrical circuit 16 is implemented as an electrical control circuit 48 for controlling the processing unit 14 to perform the cooking process. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, for illustrative purposes, the processing unit 14 is shown as a first example, which includes a container processing unit 20 and a fluid supply unit 22.

[0164] The electrical circuit 16, 48 at least partially implements (for example, in combination with hardware): an input unit 50 for receiving input data from a user confirming that the device 4 should perform a cooking process; a processor 52 for receiving input data from the input unit 46 and for transmitting control output data to the processing unit 14 and a feedback system 54 for providing feedback from the processing unit 54 during the cooking process, which can be used to control the cooking process.

[0165] The input unit 50 is implemented as a user interface that may include one or more of: buttons, such as a joystick button or a push button; a joystick; LEDs; graphic or character LCD displays; a graphic display with touch input and / or buttons at the edges of the screen; another similar device; a sensor for determining whether a container has been fed into the device by the user.

[0166] The feedback system 54 may implement one or more of the following or other operations based on feedback control:

[0167] a flow sensor for detecting the flow rate / volume of fluid in the outlet channel 30 (shown in Fig. 3) of the fluid supply system 22, which can be used to dose the correct amount of fluid into the container 6 and thus regulate the power of the pump 26;

[0168] a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the fluid in the outlet channel 30 of the fluid supply unit 22, which can be used to ensure the correct temperature of the fluid in the container 6 and thus regulate the power of the heat exchanger 28);

[0169] level sensor for detecting that the fluid level in the tank 24 is sufficient for the cooking process;

[0170] a position sensor for detecting the position of the extraction unit 32 (for example, a capsule extraction position or a capsule receiving position).

[0171] It should be understood that the electrical circuit 16, 48 is appropriately adapted for other examples of the processing unit 14, for example: for the second example of the container processing system, the feedback system can be used to control the rotation speed of the capsule; for the bulk material processing unit, the feedback system can be used to implement control of the grinding speed and / or heating temperature.

[0172] Container

[0173] As shown in Fig. 7, the first example of the container 6, which is intended for use with the first example of the processing unit 14, is a container 6 formed in the form of a capsule. The capsule includes: a closing member 56; a storage portion 58 and a flange portion 60.

[0174] The storage section 58 includes a cavity for storing a precursor material (not shown). The closing element 56 closes the storage section 58 and includes a flexible membrane. The flange portion 60 is located at the junction of the storage section 58 and the closing element 56 and includes an overlap of each section, which are fastened together to hermetically seal the precursor material. The capsule 6 has a diameter of 2-5 cm and an axial length of 2-4 cm. As shown in Figs. 4A and 4B, the storage section 58 is perforated by an injection head 38 to supply conditioned fluid into the capsule.

[0175] Capsule 6 has an axis 57 of rotational symmetry that passes through the center 59 of the closing element 56 (although not shown in the side view of Fig. 7, capsule 6 has a circular cross-section when viewed in the plane of the closing element 56).

[0176] Details of the design, manufacture and / or extraction of (beverage) containers and / or closures are described, for example, in EP 2155021, EP 2316310, EP 2152608, EP 2378932, EP 2470053, EP 2509473, EP 2667757 and EP 2528485.

[0177] As shown in Fig. 8, the second example of the container 6, which is intended for use with the second example of the processing unit 14, includes the container 6 formed in the form of a bag, and includes: a structure of sheet material 62 connected along peripheral seams 64, forming an internal volume for storing a precursor material (not shown); and an opening 66, which the user opens to dispense the precursor material into the bulk material processing unit 42.

[0178] Code location

[0179] Referring to Fig. 7 and 8, the code 44 is located on the outer surface of the container 6 in any suitable position so that it can be read by the code reading system 18. In the first example shown in Fig. 7, the code 44 is located on the closing element 56. In embodiments that are not illustrated, the code can be located on the flange portion 60 (including on both sides) and in the storage area 58. In the second example shown in Fig. 8, the code 44 is located in various positions on the sheet material 62, including the distal seams 64.

[0180] Cooking process

[0181] Fig. 9 shows an example of the implementation of a method for preparing a beverage / food product from a precursor material.

[0182] Block 70: The user feeds container 6 into device 4.

[0183] Block 72: The electric circuit 16 (for example, its input block 50) receives a user command to prepare a beverage / food from the predecessor, and the electric circuit 16 (for example, the processor 52) initiates the process.

[0184] Block 74: The electric circuit 16 controls the processing unit 14 to process the container (for example, in the first example of the container processing unit 20, the extraction unit 32 moves from the capsule receiving position (Fig. 4A) to the capsule extraction position (Fig. 4B)).

[0185] Block 76: The electrical circuit 16 controls the code reading system 18 to read the code 44 on the container 6 and provide a digital image of the code.

[0186] Block 78: Electric circuit code processing circuit 16 processes the digital image to extract cooking information.

[0187] Block 80: The electrical circuit 16, based on the cooking information, executes the cooking process by controlling the processing unit 14. In the first example of the processing unit, this includes: controlling the fluid conditioning system 22 to supply the fluid at the temperature, pressure, and duration of time mentioned in the cooking information to the container processing unit 20.

[0188] Then, the electric circuit 16 controls the container processing unit 20 so that it moves from the capsule extraction section to the capsule removal position for removing the container 6 and back to the capsule receiving position.

[0189] In embodiments that are not shown: the above-mentioned blocks may be performed in a different order, for example, block 72 before block 70 or block 76 before block 74; some blocks may be absent, for example, when the device contains a capsule cassette, block 70 may be absent; alternatively, in blocks 70-76, the user brings the container code to the code reading system and, after reading it, opens said container and introduces the preliminary precursor material into the processing unit.

[0190] Blocks 76 and 78 may relate to the code reading and processing process. Block 80 may relate to the cooking process. Electrical circuit 16 includes instructions, such as program code, for the cooking process (or a plurality thereof). In one embodiment, processor 52 executes instructions stored in memory (not shown).

[0191] During the cooking process, the electrical circuit 16 may receive additional cooking information via the computer network 12 from the server system 8 and / or the peripheral device 10 using a communication interface (not shown) of the device.

[0192] Outer surface and code description

[0193] As shown in Fig. 10 and 11, the entire outward facing surface of the closing element 56 includes an outer surface 70, which includes a code 72 and coding lines 74 that extend however the code 72.

[0194] The outer surface 70 shown is circular. In embodiments not illustrated, other shapes, including square ones, are also possible.

[0195] Outer surface and features

[0196] The outer surface 70 is formed in a first color range, which in this example includes relatively light colors of an 8-bit grayscale color system, such as decimal numbers 200-255. Other objects formed on the outer surface 70 are formed in a second color range, which in this example includes relatively dark colors of an 8-bit grayscale color system, such as decimal numbers 0-50.

[0197] In embodiments that are not illustrated, other color systems may be implemented, including: 1-bit monochrome; 8-bit color; 16-bit grayscale; and 16-bit color.

[0198] On the outer surface 70, there are formed non-coding lines 76, 78, 80, 82, which can be defined as any line that extends along the outer surface 70, which is parallel to the coding lines 74 and the code 72, but does not intersect any of them.

[0199] Non-coding line 76 extends so that it is directly adjacent to code 72. Non-coding line 78 extends distal to code 72. Both non-coding lines 76 and 78 are completely formed in the first color range.

[0200] The non-coding line 80 extends distally to the code 72 and includes the intersecting portion of the object 84, which, in particular, contains the trademark / logo 86. The non-coding line 82 extends distally to the code 72 and includes the intersecting portion of the objects 84, which, in particular, contains the trademark / logo 86 and the text 88, providing information about the type of beverage produced by the precursor material in the container 6. The objects 84 are formed in the second color range. Therefore, both non-coding lines 80 and 82 are formed from the composition of the first color range and the second color range. The shape and composition of objects 84 are selected in such a way that non-coding lines 76, 78, 80, 82 make up a composition of the second color range, which is clearly smaller than for the composition of coding line 74, for example, it can be 20 or 50% smaller.

[0201] In embodiments that are not illustrated, other objects may be formed on the outer surface, including in different positions.

[0202] Although not explicitly shown, it should be understood that the corresponding non-coding lines can be depicted on all sections of the outer surface 70 that do not contain the coding lines 74 and the code 72. In addition, it should be understood that the non-coding lines are not physically formed on the outer surface 70, but rather they should be considered only as idealized virtual lines of the outer surface 70 during image processing, as will be described below. The thickness of the non-coding lines 76-82 can be provided as the thickness of the coding line 74 (or an increased thickness during dispersion processing, as will be described below), since during the processing of the image of the outer surface 70, it is broken into a number of adjacent lines, as will be described below.

[0203] Code and coding line

[0204] As shown in Fig. 10-12, the code 72 extends along the outer surface 70 along the linear coding line 74, which extends in the longitudinal direction 100. As can be best seen in Fig. 12, the code 72 includes a number of discrete positions 90, which either contain or do not contain the element 92. The elements 92 and the coding line 74 are formed in the second color range. The element 92 encodes a bit as 0 or 1 based on the absence or presence of the element in the discrete position 90. The discrete positions 90 are located at predetermined intervals, i.e., with a step, along the coding line 74, which in this example are directly adjacent to each other, so that they can be predictably found and read.

[0205] As shown in Fig. 10, the code 72 is formed as a repeating element 94, which is sequentially repeated in the same order along the coding line 74. For example, the coding line 74 may include 1-3 or another number of code repetitions, any of which can be read to extract the preparation information.

[0206] In the example, the repeating element 94 includes 23 discrete positions 90, therefore, the code 72 has a length of 23 bits. The 23-bit long message at least partially encodes information about the preparation, for example, it can be used as a key associated with a specific set of parameters that determine the method of action with the key-value database paradigm, which is a stored relationship in the electronic memory of the electrical circuit 16. Alternatively, the values ​​​​encoded by one or more bits can be directly associated with the value of the parameter, for example, bits 0-7 encode 1 of 256 values ​​​​of water temperature, which are interpreted and converted into a temperature based on the relationship stored in the electronic memory of the electrical circuit 16.

[0207] In embodiments that are not illustrated: the code is repeated only once, and the code may contain any number of discrete positions, such as 16 or 32.

[0208] As can be best seen in Fig. 10, there are a plurality of coding lines 74 (four are shown), each of which is offset in the transverse direction 102 from each other and parallel to each other with the same repetitions 94 in the code 72. Therefore, any repetition from any coding line 74 can be read to extract the preparation information. In particular, the repetitions 94 on adjacent coding lines 72 are offset in the longitudinal direction by half the length of the code, so that in the event of damage to the area of ​​the outer surface 70, there is an increased probability of having an undamaged repetition of the code 94 on it.

[0209] In embodiments that are not illustrated, only one coding line may be present, and the repetitions may have other longitudinal offsets, including a quarter of the code length, or the longitudinal offset may be absent.

[0210] As shown in Fig. 12, for the elements 92 of code 72 that are not adjacent to other elements 92, the outer end region 96 has a curved end profile, so that it tapers symmetrically with an increase in longitudinal extension relative to the coding line 74 with a narrowing of the transverse thickness toward the apex. The elements 92 of code 72 that are adjacent on both sides to other elements 92, so that the end regions are not outer, have a square shape.

[0211] As used herein, the term "shape" with respect to elements may refer to the exact shape or approximation to the actual shape that may result from printing or other manufacturing precision variations.

[0212] In embodiments that are not illustrated, the elements have a different shape, including one or a combination of the following shapes: triangular, polygonal, in particular quadrangular, such as a square or parallelogram; another suitable shape.

[0213] In embodiments, the thickness in the transverse direction 102 of the coding line 74 is selected to be relatively narrow (for example, less than 20% or 10%) compared to the element 92 of the code 72, it can be, for example, 0.2 mm for an element of 1.1 mm length.

[0214] The element 92 typically has a length of 1.1 mm. The term "element length" used herein with respect to the element 92 may refer to a correspondingly specified size of the element 92, for example, for a round shape - the diameter, for a square - the side length; for a polygon - the distance between opposite or adjacent vertices; for a triangle - the hypotenuse. The elements 92 are preferably arranged with an accuracy of approximately 0.05 mm. Taking into account the direct 92 adjacency of the elements, they have a pitch of 1.1 mm.

[0215] Elements 92 and coding line 74 are formed by printing, for example using an inkjet printer. When printing, the ink may be standard printer ink, and the substrate may be made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), varnished aluminum (as on Nespresso Classic capsules), or another suitable substrate.

[0216] In embodiments not illustrated, the elements are formed by alternative methods, including embossing, engraving, or other suitable means. The elements may have various sizes, such as an element length of 0.5-2 mm.

[0217] In a particular embodiment, the elements and the coding line are designed (for example, by etching or engraving, or by using a diffusely reflective paint or other coating on a mirror reflector, such as aluminum) in such a way that they represent one of the diffusely reflective or specularly reflective objects, and the non-coding lines (or areas that do not contain the elements or the coding line) are designed in such a way that they represent the other of the diffusely reflective or specularly reflective objects. Such an implementation may be advantageous, since in a digital image, the specular reflection may represent a first range of values, such as light color tones, and the diffuse reflection may represent a second range of values, such as dark color tones, of the color model. That is, the intensity of the reflection may determine the value of the color model.However, the visibility of the code may be less obvious than generating value ranges through printing.

[0218] Summation of color tones

[0219] Due to the physical formation of the coding line 74, it should be understood that if the outer surface 70 is divided into areas that are called pixels (as shown by the grid in Fig. 11, where the coding line 74 has a thickness of approximately two pixels), and if each pixel is assigned a tone on the gray scale, then the sum of the decimal numbers associated with the tones of said pixels along the length and width of the coding line 74 can be identified, in contrast to that for adjacent parallel linear non-coding lines 76, 78, 80, 82, as shown in Fig. 10 (or any other line), which extend along said outer surface 70. This is due to the fact that these non-coding lines either do not contain the second color range, or contain a reduced part of the color of the second color range.

[0220] The two-pixel-thick area extending between the edges of the outer surface, which in this example includes the coding line, is called a "section" or "line section." The pixel that forms the segment is called an "element" or "region."

[0221] In particular, since the decimal numbers for the 74-bit encoding line refer to the second color range (rather than being fully or partially related to the first color range, as for non-encoding lines), the sum of the decimal numbers divided by the number of pixels will be significantly smaller than for a non-encoding line. This quantity is called the "segment average hue" or "average hue," where in this example, an element represents a pixel, and the average corresponds to the number of elements in the segment. Thus, a segment can have a single segment average hue value.

[0222] In embodiments that are not illustrated, elements or regions other than individual pixels may be considered - for example, one color tone (i.e., value) may be assigned to an element that includes a group of 4, 6 or 9 pixels arranged in squares or rectangles, wherein said elements may have a total width equal to the width of the coding line 74.

[0223] In Fig. 13 (upper image), in embodiments where the position of the code 72 is initially unknown (and shown by dashed local coordinate lines as opposed to solid global coordinate lines), the image of the outer surface 70 is divided into longitudinal segments 98 that have a width of two pixels (as described previously). Although only one segment 98 is shown, the segments extend across the entire transverse width of the image. For each segment 98 in Fig. 13 (upper image), the average color tone of the segment is calculated.

[0224] The image is then rotated around the axis of symmetry 59 (see Fig. 7 - the axis is in the center of the circular image) by three degrees, and the process is repeated for each segment 98 with the calculated average color tone of the segment. The process is then repeated until the image is rotated 180 degrees.

[0225] In embodiments that are not illustrated, the image is rotated by a different amount, including 2 or 4 degrees.

[0226] Fig. 14 shows a 2-dimensional contour plot of the average color tones of a segment for a rotation angle depending on the transverse position of the segment. The rotation angle in Fig. 13 (upper image) corresponds to column 104 in Fig. 14. The rotation angle in Fig. 13 (lower image), in which the coding line 74 is aligned with the longitudinal direction 100, corresponds to column 106 in Fig. 14. It should be noted that for column 106 there are a number of localized low regions 108 of the average color tone of the segment. This characteristic feature makes it possible to identify the desired position of the code 72.

[0227] In embodiments that are not illustrated, the position of the code may be determined, for example, by arranging the code so that it extends along a direction defined by an asymmetric structural reference element formed on the capsule.

[0228] Definition of dispersion

[0229] With the code 72 in such a position, when it is aligned with the longitudinal direction 100, as shown in Fig. 13 (lower image), a preferred coding line 74 is selected for processing by determining (this time instead of the average color tone of the segment) the variance (or standard deviation) of the color tones of the element for each segment 98.

[0230] Figure 15 shows the transverse position of segment 98 as a function of the standard deviation for segment 98. Some optional processing of the raw deviation data is applied, which may include Top Hat transform functions and baseline removal. Since there are four coding lines 74 in Figure 13, four peaks 110 are present in the deviation graph. This is due to the fact that, due to the aforementioned absence or presence of the code element 92 72 in discrete positions 90 on the segment including the coding line 74, there is a higher dispersion of the first color range and the second color range than for the segment including any of the non-coding lines 76-82.In particular, since the non-coding lines 76, 78 in the immediate vicinity of the coding lines 74 do not include any objects 84, they have a comparatively low dispersion, which provides improved localization of points with high dispersion due to their proximity to the coding line 74.

[0231] The highest peak 110 corresponds to the longest coding line 74, which is subsequently selected for processing because, due to its length, it has the highest chance of including one or more full repetitions of the code 72.

[0232] It should be noted that since the coding line 74 is a solid line, the dispersion will be extremely low when read directly. Therefore, the segment thickness when determining the dispersion increases in transverse thickness in accordance with the transverse thickness of the elements 92 of the code 72. Since the coding line 74 is selected so that it is relatively thin compared to the transverse thickness of the code elements, this does not affect the dispersion. Thus, the average color tones are sampled at a high resolution, and the dispersions are sampled at a relatively low resolution.

[0233] To ensure that the 72 code maintains high variance, restrictions on the coding pattern may be implemented, whereby it may be required that the code cannot be absent or present for more than a predetermined number of consecutive elements, such as 3 or 4 or 5.

[0234] In embodiments not illustrated, the variance (or deviation), as described above, is also used to determine the correct code rotation—for example, the correct rotation is determined for the rotation position at which the segment variance produces the highest peaks. In such an embodiment, the coding line may be omitted.

[0235] Read code and decode

[0236] When the position and location of the coding line 74 are determined for reading, the elements 92 at the discrete positions 90 are read.

[0237] In the first example (not shown), the code includes an initial sequence of a specified reserved sequence consisting of 0s and 1s. When reading the code, the processing program searches for this reserved sequence of absent and present elements. The data sequence is located at a known position (e.g., stored in the memory device of the electrical circuit 16) relative to the initial sequence—for example, the data sequence could be the immediately preceding 8 bits. Therefore, after the location of the initial sequence is determined, the data sequence can be read to extract data from the code.

[0238] In the second example (not shown), the code repetition 94 has a known length, for example, 23 bits, and elements along the coding line are read, and the repetition element 94 is identified based on the mentioned numerical repetitions having the mentioned known length. The code processing program implements a Golay decoder to extract data from the code.

[0239] In the event of an error that prevents data extraction: in the first example, for example, the initial sequence cannot be localized, or in the second example, the Golay decoder returns 4-7 bit errors, then the code can be read in the reverse direction, for example in Fig. 13 (lower image), the image is rotated 180 degrees and the 90 discrete positions are read again.

[0240] In case of data integrity error: In the first example, the parity bit in the data sequence may show an error, or in the second example, the Golay decoder returns 0-3 bit errors, then the data can be corrected, for example, based on matching with a close known data sequence stored in memory.

[0241] The type of errors presented above can also be eliminated by selecting a different code repetition from the same coding line 74 or a different coding line 74. Moreover, repetitions from two different coding lines can be stitched together based on a repetition having a known length.

[0242] Image code processing method

[0243] As shown in Fig. 16, the method for processing the image of the code 72 includes the following steps (which can be considered as an expansion of the block 78 shown in Fig. 9).

[0244] Block 120: Convert the outer surface image 70 to the designated color system (for example, in the examples, it is 8-bit gray scale).

[0245] Block 122: see Fig. 13 and 14 - for each step of increasing the rotation, obtaining for segments extending in the longitudinal direction 100, average color tones of the segments.

[0246] Block 124: determining the angle of the coding lines 74 from the average color tones of the segment based on the highest proportions of the second color range and aligning the local axis of the coding lines 74 in accordance with the general longitudinal direction 102, as shown in Fig. 13 (lower image).

[0247] Block 126: Identification of coding line 74 to be processed based on segment dispersion.

[0248] Block 128: Repeat reading the code from the mentioned line.

[0249] Block 130: If an error is detected, read the code in the other direction, and / or if a correctable error is detected, correct the error in the code. If the error cannot be corrected during the cooking process, the default cooking information set can be used.

[0250] Block 132: Converts the code-encoded data into cooking information parameter values ​​using the rule stored in the circuit memory 16.

[0251] Although the code is shown herein as being located on the container, it should be understood that the code may be integral with the container or formed on a separate substrate (not shown) that may be attached to the container.

[0252] The first example of the processing method

[0253] Next, a first example of a method for processing a digital image of a code to extract cooking information encoded by the code will be described with reference to Fig. 17. In the first example of the method, any of the features of the previous embodiments can be implemented, including related variants, the description of which is not repeated for brevity.

[0254] In block 200, code reading system 18 receives a digital image of code 72 with a color model applied to the digital image. In this example, the color model is a grayscale color model.

[0255] In block 202, the electrical circuit 16 sums up the color model values ​​along the coding line, including the code elements and the coding line itself.

[0256] In block 204, the electrical circuit 16 determines the position of code 44 based on the mentioned sum.

[0257] In block 206, the electrical circuit 16 reads the discrete positions 90 to determine the presence or absence of the element 92, taking into account the determined position of the code 72 on the said image.

[0258] For block 200, grayscale color model values ​​are fitted to areas that contain one pixel.

[0259] In embodiments that are not illustrated, the scale of the regions is reduced to include a group of pixels, such as 2x2 pixels per region; another color model may be implemented.

[0260] As shown in Fig. 10, the digital image shown as an example includes a coding region 140, within which a code 72 and coding lines 74 are located. Since the code 72 is located on a circular closing element 56, the digital image includes a closing element 56 with a rim of a flange portion outlining a circular coding region 140. As described previously, there are a plurality of coding lines 74, each of which has ends at the points of intersection with the edge of the coding region 140. Each coding line can contain more than one repetition of the code 72. Due to the circular shape of the coding region, the coding lines 72 have different lengths.

[0261] In embodiments that are not illustrated: there is one coding line; each of the one or more coding lines includes only one repetition in the code; the coding region may have a different shape, such as a square or triangular; all coding lines may have the same length, such as for a square coding region; the coding line may have a different shape, such as a circle or square.

[0262] In block 204 (see Fig. 13 - upper image), the digital image is divided into sections of virtual lines 98 that extend with a length in the longitudinal direction 100 and have a width in the transverse direction 102. The line sections have a width that covers several regions (for example, 2-6) and a length corresponding to the length of the coding region 140. Although only one section of the line 98 is shown, it should be understood that sections of adjacent parallel lines are implemented in the transverse direction 102 to divide the entire coding region 140. The values ​​of the regions for the section of the line 98 are summed up to obtain an array of total values ​​with one total value for each section of the line 98.

[0263] The total value can be averaged by dividing the sum by the number of regions. Averaging in this manner can provide a convenient way to handle line sections of different lengths (or widths). Alternatively, the line sections can be selected to be of the same size, eliminating the need for averaging. It should be understood that both implementation options are based on the sum of the values.

[0264] The angular position of the digital image is rotated around a central axis (for example, axis 59 shown in Fig. 7, which is located in the center of the circular coding region). Rotation in increments of 3 or 5 degrees is applied a total of 60 or 36 times, respectively, until the digital image is rotated 180 degrees. For each rotation position, an array of summed values ​​is calculated. A two-dimensional graph of the summed values ​​depending on the rotation position is shown for illustrative purposes in Fig. 14. The graph shown in Fig. 14 can be obtained using various filtering / processing methods, for example, including a Radon transform with a high-pass filter.

[0265] In Fig. 14, for the set of array values ​​indicated in column 106, the code 72 and the coding lines 74 are arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction 100, as shown in the lower image shown in Fig. 13. It can be seen that for column 106, the total values ​​vary from low values ​​(indicated by dark areas) to high values ​​(indicated by light areas).

[0266] Low values ​​are given by sections of 98 lines that include the coding line 74 and the code 72. This is due to the influence of the code elements and the coding line on the sum of the values. High values ​​are given by sections of 98 lines that do not include the coding line 74 and the code 72, i.e., the non-coding lines of the non-coding lines 76, 78, 80, 82, as described earlier. Therefore, in the presence of the code 72 and the coding lines 74 located parallel to the longitudinal direction 100, the code is organized using the summation of the said color model values ​​along the coding line so that they are within the first range of values, and the adjacent non-coding lines, which are parallel to the coding line, include the summation of the color model values ​​within the second range of values.

[0267] Accordingly, the standard deviation of the summed values ​​for the array associated with column 106 has the largest deviation value. This determines the position of code 72 based on the aforementioned sum of values.

[0268] In embodiments not illustrated, a single coding line with one or more code repetitions may be present. In such an example, a section of one line may be implemented to encompass a coding line passing through the center of rotation; for example, the section of the line may extend through the center of the digital image. The alignment state of the coding line in the longitudinal direction may be determined by the rotational position with a total value that is the smallest (or largest, depending on how the color model is implemented).

[0269] In embodiments that are not illustrated, for previously considered line sections of the same size, the alignment condition of the coding line in the longitudinal direction may be determined by the rotation position with the total value for the line section at the rotation position crossing the threshold value, which eliminates the need to calculate the standard deviation.

[0270] In block 126, with the position of code 72 and coding line 74 known, discrete positions 90 can be read along coding line 74 in the manner described previously. Any of the coding lines, identified in transverse position by dispersion, can be selected for code reading. Code 72 is encoded using the Golay algorithm, so the entire coding line can be read from beginning to end.

[0271] In embodiments: another encoding is implemented, such as a code with a reserved sequence of bits encoded by the absence or presence of an element in a discrete position, to perform the function of a locator / reference area identified for detecting a data area; the coding line may be omitted, the position of the code may be determined by the influence of the code elements on the values, as described in the previous methods, or the position may be determined by the reference area, as described in WO 2017144575 A1.

[0272] It should be understood that any of the described methods (or corresponding devices, programs, storage media, etc.) can be implemented by either the host computer or the client, depending on the specific implementation (i.e., the described methods / devices represent a form of communication(s) and therefore can be implemented from any "point of view," i.e., in accordance with the types of methods / devices). Furthermore, it should be understood that the terms "receive" and "transmit" encompass "input" and "output" and are not limited to the radio frequency context of transmitting and receiving radio waves.Therefore, for example, a chip or other device or component for implementing embodiments may generate data for output to another chip, device or component or have it as input from another chip, device or component, and such output or input may be denoted by the words "transmit" and "receive" or "transmission" and "reception", also implying "transmission" and "reception" in the radio frequency context.

[0273] When used in this specification, in any phrase in the style of "at least one of A, B, or C" and the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C," the disjunctive conjunction "or" and the coordinating conjunction "and" are used in such a way that these phrases include any and all, jointly and severally, permutations of the elements A, B, C, that is, only A, only B, only C, A and B in any order, A and C in any order, B and C in any order, and A, B, C in any order. More or less than three elements may be used in such phrases.

[0274] In the claims, any position numbers given in parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps other than those listed in the claim. Furthermore, the singular forms used herein are defined as one or more than one. Including the use of such introductory phrases as "at least one" and "one or more" in the claims shall not be construed as implying that the introduction of another claim element with grammatical singular forms limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim element to inventions containing only one such element, even if the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and grammatical singular forms.The same applies to the indication of a specific quantity. Unless otherwise specified, terms such as "first" and "second" are used to designate an arbitrary distinction between the elements described by such terms. Therefore, these terms do not necessarily serve to indicate temporal or other priority of such elements. The mere fact that certain indicators are indicated in mutually distinct claims does not indicate that a combination of these indicators cannot be used to achieve an advantage.

[0275] Unless otherwise expressly indicated as incompatible or unless the embodiments, examples, or claims exclude the possibility of such a combination from a physical or other point of view, the features of the above embodiments and examples and the claims presented below may be combined in any suitable configuration, especially in cases where a beneficial effect is achieved. This is not limited to any particular advantage, but, on the contrary, may arise due to an ex post facto advantage. This means that the combination of features is not limited to the described forms, in particular the form (e.g., numbering) of the example(s), embodiment(s), or dependence on the claim(s). Moreover, this also applies to the phrases "in one embodiment," "in accordance with an embodiment," and the like., which are merely stylistic variations of the wording and should not be construed as limiting the following features to a particular embodiment with respect to all other instances of the same or similar wording. That is, a reference to "one" or "some" embodiment(s) may be a reference to any one or more, and / or all, or combination(s) of embodiments described herein. Similarly, a reference to a "certain" embodiment may not be limited to the immediately preceding embodiment.

[0276] As used herein, any device-executable instructions or machine-readable media can implement the described method and, therefore, can be used as synonyms for the term "method" or each other.

[0277] The above description of one or more embodiments serves as an illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the present invention to the precise form described herein. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be learned from practice of various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0278] List of designations

[0279] 2 - system

[0280] 4 - device

[0281] 14 - processing block

[0282] 20 - Container Processing Unit (First Example)

[0283] 32 - Extraction Block

[0284] 34 - Capsule holding area

[0285] 36 - closing element

[0286] 38 - injection head

[0287] 40 - Drink outlet

[0288] 22 - Fluid conditioning system

[0289] 24 - tank

[0290] 26 - pump

[0291] 28 - heat exchanger

[0292] 30 - output channel

[0293] 42 - Bulk Material Handling Unit (Second Example)

[0294] 16 - Electrical diagram

[0295] 48 - Electrical control circuit

[0296] 50 - Input block

[0297] 52 - processor

[0298] 54 - Feedback system

[0299] 18 - Code Reading System

[0300] 46 - Image Capture Unit

[0301] 6 - container

[0302] Capsule - example 1

[0303] 56 - closing section

[0304] 44, 72 - code

[0305] 70 - outer surface

[0306] 90 - discrete positions

[0307] 92 - code element

[0308] 96 - end region

[0309] 94 - repetition

[0310] 74 - coding line

[0311] 76, 78, 80, 82 - non-coding line

[0312] 84 - object

[0313] 86 - Trademark / Logo

[0314] 88 - text

[0315] 58 - storage area

[0316] 60 - flange part

[0317] Package - example 2

[0318] 62 - sheet material

[0319] 64 - seams

[0320] 68 - hole

[0321] 8 - server system

[0322] 10 - Peripheral device

[0323] 12 - Computer network

[0324] 100 - longitudinal direction

[0325] 102 - transverse direction.

Claims

1. A system comprising a container for containing a precursor material, including a beverage and / or food precursor, and a device for preparing a beverage and / or food product or its precursor from said precursor material, The container includes: machine-readable code storing information about the preparation, wherein the code extends along the coding line and includes a number of discrete positions that either contain or do not contain an element for at least partially encoding information about the preparation, the device includes: a code reading system for obtaining a digital image of the code, which includes a color model in which the colors of the areas are represented as values; a processing unit for processing the container precursor material, and an electrical circuit for controlling the processing unit based on the cooking information read from the code and the code reading system, wherein the electrical circuit is designed with the possibility of: summing up the values ​​of the color model for a zone of a line section that includes the coding line and code elements; determining the position of the code based on the said amount, and reading discrete positions based on a certain position of the code on said image, in which the electrical circuit is configured to assign color model values ​​to areas, wherein the area includes: an individual pixel of a digital image, or a grouping of multiple pixels in a digital image.

2. The system according to paragraph 1, in which the electrical circuit is configured to sum the said values ​​of the color model for a section of the line, which includes: the transverse dimension of one or more regions, and the longitudinal dimension of one or more areas corresponding to the longitudinal length that includes the coding area with the code located therein.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the transverse dimension of the coding line is less than the transverse dimension of the line section.

4. The system according to any one of paragraphs 2 or 3, in which the electrical circuit is configured to: determining the said sum for each of a plurality of line sections located next to each other in the transverse direction.

5. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the electrical circuit is configured to: determining the said sum in relation to a coding line located at many different angles to the reference axis, and determining, based on said sum, the alignment position at which the coding line is aligned with the reference axis.

6. A system according to any preceding claim in which the position of the code is determined on the basis of the variance of the said sum of values.

7. A system according to any preceding paragraph, in which the code includes one or more of the following provisions: the transverse dimension of the coding line is selected to be less than 20% or 10% of the transverse dimension of the code element; the code is designed as a repeating element that is repeated along the coding line; there are a plurality of coding lines, each of which is shifted in the transverse direction relative to each other and parallel to each other, contains a repetition of the code, and the repetitions on adjacent coding lines are shifted in the longitudinal direction; and in discrete positions, the preparation information is encoded as a data section using Golay coding without using a location module or a reference section as a reserved bit sequence to identify the beginning and end of repetitions of the code containing the data section.

8. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the code and the coding line are designed to be one of a diffusely reflective or a specularly reflective object, and the frame surrounding said coding line and code is formed as the other of a diffusely reflective or a specularly reflective object, and the electrical circuit is configured to determine diffusion-reflective or specular-reflective areas in the form of color tone values.

9. A device for preparing a beverage and / or food product or its precursor from a container containing a precursor material that includes a beverage and / or food product precursor and a machine-readable code, wherein the device includes: a code reading system for obtaining a digital image of the code, which includes a color model in which the colors of the areas are represented as values; a processing unit for processing the container precursor material, and an electrical circuit for controlling the processing unit based on the cooking information read from the code and the code reading system, wherein the code extends along the coding line and includes a number of discrete positions that either contain or do not contain an element for at least partially encoding information about the preparation, and the electrical circuit is designed with the ability to: summing up the values ​​of the color model for a zone of a line section that includes the coding line and code elements; determining the position of the code based on the said amount, and reading discrete positions based on a specific code position on the said image, in which the electrical circuit is configured to assign color model values ​​to regions, wherein the region includes: an individual pixel of a digital image, or a grouping of multiple pixels in a digital image.

10. A container for containing a precursor material, which includes a precursor of a beverage and / or food product, and which includes a machine-readable code storing information on the preparation for processing of the precursor material, wherein the code extends along the same linear coding line and includes a number of discrete positions that either contain or do not contain an element for at least partially coding the preparation information, and the code is designed as a repeating element that is sequentially repeated in the same order along the coding line.

11. The container of claim 10, wherein there are a plurality of coding lines, each of which is offset in the transverse direction relative to each other and parallel to each other, contains a repetition of the code, and the repetitions on adjacent coding lines are offset in the longitudinal direction.

12. A container according to item 10 or 11, in which the transverse dimension of the coding line is selected to be less than 20% or 10% of the transverse dimension of the code element.

13. An accessory to a container for placing a precursor material, including a precursor of a beverage and / or food product, and including a machine-readable code storing information on the preparation for processing of the precursor material from the container, wherein the code extends along the same linear coding line and includes a number of discrete positions that either contain or do not contain an element for at least partially coding the preparation information and the code is designed as a repeating element that is sequentially repeated in the same order along the coding line.

14. An accessory to a container according to claim 13, in which there is a plurality of coding lines, each of which is offset in the transverse direction relative to each other and parallel to each other, contains a repetition of the code, and the repetitions on adjacent coding lines are offset in the longitudinal direction.

15. A method for reading preparation information for processing a precursor material that includes a beverage and / or food precursor and that is encoded with a code on a container containing the precursor material, comprising: obtaining a digital image of the code, which includes a color model in which the colors of the areas are represented as values; summation of the color model values ​​for a zone of a line section that includes the coding line and code elements; determining the position of the code based on the said amount, reading discrete positions of a code that contain or do not contain an element for at least partially encoding information on the preparation based on a determined position of the code on said image, and assigning color model values ​​to regions, where a region includes: an individual pixel of a digital image, or a grouping of multiple pixels in a digital image.

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