Food / drink production system

Abstract

Provided is a food / drink production system with which it is possible to customize each serving on the basis of individual settings by a user or customer.　A food / drink production device 1 in the food / drink production system produces a food or drink by adding a plurality of sub-components to a base component. The food / drink production device 1 is equipped with a sub-component injection part 24 and a control unit 111. The sub-component injection part 24 includes syringes 241 respectively for the plurality of sub-components, from which given sub-components contained therein are discharged by extrusion parts in predetermined amounts. The control unit 111 performs control such that one or more sub-components to be injected, among the plurality of sub-components, are discharged in predetermined amounts from the respective syringes 241 containing the sub-components to be injected and are introduced into a container B which contains the base component.

Description

Food and beverage manufacturing system

[0008] ,

[0007] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a food and beverage manufacturing system.

[0002] Regarding an apparatus for preparing a beverage from a capsule and a beverage dispenser machine provided with the apparatus, the technique of Patent Document 1 below is known.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 5193258

[0004] In recent years, for example, there has been a demand for fine customization of flavors per serving (customization at a low level such as milliliters or microliters). However, the conventional techniques including Patent Document 1 have not been able to meet this demand. In other words, at present, it is not possible to manufacture and provide food and beverages customized for each serving based on individual settings (orders) of users or customers.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide a food and beverage manufacturing system capable of manufacturing food and beverages customized for each serving based on individual settings of users or customers.

[0006] To achieve the above object, a food and beverage manufacturing system according to one aspect of the present invention is a food and beverage manufacturing system that manufactures food and beverages by adding a plurality of sub-components to a base component, and includes: a sub-component injection unit having a syringe for outputting a specified amount of a filled predetermined sub-component by an extrusion unit for each of the plurality of sub-components; and a control unit that executes control to output the injection target by the specified amount from the syringe filled with the injection target for each of one or more injection targets among the plurality of sub-components and administer the injection target to a container filled with the base component.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture food and beverages customized for each serving based on individual settings of users or customers.

[0008] This figure shows an example of the outline of the service that can be realized by a food and beverage manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the food and beverage manufacturing system of the present invention. This figure shows an example of the configuration of one embodiment of the food and beverage manufacturing system of the present invention. This block diagram shows an example of the hardware configuration of the food and beverage manufacturing apparatus in the food and beverage manufacturing system of Figure 2. This is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the food and beverage manufacturing apparatus of Figure 3 that constitutes the food and beverage manufacturing system of Figure 2. This figure shows an example of the flow of manufacturing customized food and beverages based on the individual settings of the user. This figure shows the sub-component injection section of Figures 1 and 5. This is a view of the sub-component injection section of Figure 6 from diagonally above.

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] First, with reference to Figure 1, an overview of the services (hereinafter referred to as "the Services") that can be realized by the food and beverage manufacturing system of the present invention (see Figure 2, which will be described later) will be explained. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overview of the Services that can be realized by a food and beverage manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the food and beverage manufacturing system of the present invention.

[0011] This service allows customized food and beverages to be produced for each serving using a food and beverage production device 1, and then provided to user U in a state where the produced food and beverages are filled, for example, into a dedicated container B. In this service, the food and beverage production device 1 is equipped with a food and beverage production unit 2 for producing customized food and beverages for each serving.

[0012] For example, the food and beverage manufacturing unit 2 of this embodiment manufactures food and beverages (for example, beverages customized to a desired flavor) by adding a plurality of sub-components (for example, multiple types of aromas) to a base component (for example, a base beverage such as coffee, tea, or carbonated water) filled in a container B. Such a food and beverage manufacturing unit 2 includes a sub-component injection unit 24 and a control unit 111 (for example, a CPU 11, etc.) that controls the sub-component injection unit 24.

[0013] The sub-component injection unit 24 has a syringe 241 (for example, a syringe, as described later; see Figure 5) for each of the multiple sub-components, which dispenses a predetermined amount of the filled sub-components using an extrusion unit described later. The control unit 111 executes a control to dispense a predetermined amount of the injection target from the syringe 241 filled with the injection target for each of the multiple sub-components to be injected, and to administer it into the container B filled with the base component.

[0014] The food and beverage manufacturing unit 2 can dispense a specified amount of the injection target from a syringe 241 filled with the injection target, as the sub-component injection unit 24 is controlled by the control unit 111. As a result, the food and beverage manufacturing unit 2 can administer the injection target to a container B filled with the base component.

[0015] Therefore, in this service, customized food and beverages can be manufactured in the food and beverage manufacturing unit 2, and these customized food and beverages can be provided to user U in container B. In this service, a sub-component injection unit 24 is provided which dispenses a specified amount of the injection target from a syringe 241 filled with the injection target, so that customized food and beverages can be manufactured for each serving.

[0016] To provide further explanation regarding the food and beverage manufacturing unit 2, it is equipped with a robotic arm unit 21 capable of appropriately moving the container B during the food and beverage manufacturing process. The robotic arm unit 21 is a so-called articulated robot, and its movement is controlled by the control unit 111. The robotic arm unit 21 has a gripping unit 211 at the tip of the arm that, for example, grips the container B.

[0017] Furthermore, the food and beverage manufacturing unit 2 includes a base component filling unit 22 (described later with reference to Figure 4) for filling container B with one or more base components. The food and beverage manufacturing unit 2 also includes a drive unit 23 (described later with reference to Figure 5) for moving the aforementioned extrusion units of each of the multiple syringes 241 in the sub-component injection unit 24.

[0018] Furthermore, the food and beverage manufacturing unit 2 is equipped with a detection unit 25 that detects the amount of sub-components administered to a container B filled with base components. The detection unit 25 is configured to detect the amount of the detected sub-components and transmit it to the control unit 111. By transmitting the detected amount of sub-components to the control unit 111, it is possible to achieve, for example, the administration of sub-components at the microliter level.

[0019] Furthermore, the food and beverage manufacturing unit 2 is equipped with a stirring unit 26 (described later with reference to Figure 4) for stirring the food and beverage, which consists of a base component and a sub-component added to the base component. The food and beverage manufacturing unit 2 is also equipped with a container output unit 27 that outputs from the food and beverage manufacturing unit 2 to provide the user U with a container B filled with the stirred food and beverage.

[0020] In this service, when customizing food and beverages, user U can do so using either a user terminal UT that the user carries and operates themselves, or a selection unit 161 (described later with reference to Figure 4) pre-installed in the food and beverage manufacturing device 1. For example, in the case of a user terminal UT, a dedicated application program (hereinafter simply referred to as "app") can be downloaded and installed in advance from the food and beverage manufacturing device 1 or a device (not shown) under the management of the service provider that manages the food and beverage manufacturing device 1, and customization can be performed using the app.

[0021] The app (and similarly the selection unit 161) can assist in selecting, for example, a combination of flavor and taste. This service offers over 1,000,000 options through combinations, and can assist in this selection. While a detailed explanation is omitted, this embodiment allows for the calculation of an accurate arithmetic aroma composition (and this calculation can be applied not only to aromas but also to supplements (including nutritional supplements)).

[0022] This service utilizes various types of data for the calculations described above, including machine data, flavor data, ingredient data, recipe data, personal profile data (user U's age, gender, surveys, onboarding profiling, etc.), app social data (sharing, likes, voting, gifts, etc.), event data (season, time, weather, location, habits, etc.), order data (orders, customizations, user ratings, favorites, etc.), and health data (e.g., weight, activity, sleep, etc., shared in conjunction with other apps).

[0023] This service utilizes the data described above, allowing for over 1,000,000 options in terms of flavor and taste combinations, for example.

[0024] This service, for example, can recommend suitable combinations on the app screen (it has a recommendation function). Specifically, it can recommend suitable combinations for "taste," "aroma," "texture," and "nutrition (supplements)" using a five-level display (illustration omitted).

[0025] The container B provided to user U in this service is reusable. For example, if user U brings it, or if container B is collected as appropriate, container B is washed in the washing section (not shown) of the food and beverage manufacturing device 1 before being filled with food or beverage (base and sub-components are filled). If user U does not bring a container B, for example, one stored in the food and beverage manufacturing device 1 will be used. Although not particularly limited, even when using container B stored in the food and beverage manufacturing device 1, it will be washed before being filled with food or beverage.

[0026] Container B is, for example, a cylindrical bottle-shaped container with a lid. Container B is designed to allow stirring without direct contact with the food or beverage inside (the aforementioned structure of container B will be briefly explained in the stirring section 26 described later).

[0027] The configuration and structure of the sub-component injection unit 24 in the food and beverage manufacturing unit 2 will be described later with reference to Figures 5 to 7.

[0028] Next, with reference to Figure 2, the configuration of an information processing system that realizes the provision of the above-mentioned service, i.e., one embodiment of the food and beverage manufacturing system of the present invention, will be described. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of one embodiment of the food and beverage manufacturing system of the present invention.

[0029] The food and beverage manufacturing system shown in Figure 2 is configured to include n food and beverage manufacturing devices 1-1 to 1-n, each located in a field of n (where n is an integer value of 1 or more), a user terminal UT, and a server SV. The food and beverage manufacturing devices 1-1 to 1-n, the user terminal UT, and the server SV are interconnected via a network N such as the Internet.

[0030] Server SV is an information processing device managed by the provider of this service, and it performs various processes for managing each of the food and beverage manufacturing devices 1-1 to 1-n (for example, processes for managing the inventory levels of each food and beverage). Hereafter, when it is not necessary to distinguish between food and beverage manufacturing devices 1-1 to 1-n individually, they will be collectively referred to as "Food and Beverage Manufacturing Device 1" as described above in Figure 1.

[0031] As shown above in Figure 1, the food and beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 is capable of manufacturing customized food and beverages for each serving and providing them to user U in the form of container B. The food and beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 is equipped with an information processing device.

[0032] The user terminal UT is an information processing device operated by user U, and consists of a smartphone, tablet, personal computer, etc.

[0033] Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the food and beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the food and beverage manufacturing apparatus in the food and beverage manufacturing system shown in Figure 2.

[0034] The food and beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 comprises a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a bus 14, an input / output interface 15, an input unit 16, an output unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, a drive 20, and a food and beverage manufacturing unit 2.

[0035] The CPU 11 executes various processes according to the program recorded in the ROM 12 or the program loaded into the RAM 13 from the storage unit 18. The RAM 13 also appropriately stores data necessary for the CPU 11 to execute various processes.

[0036] The CPU 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are interconnected via a bus 14. An input / output interface 15 is also connected to this bus 14. An input / output interface 15 is connected to an input unit 16, an output unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, a drive 20, and a food and beverage manufacturing unit 2.

[0037] The input unit 16 is composed of, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel, etc., and accepts input of various types of information. The input unit 16 is also provided with a selection unit 161 (see Figure 5) that allows the user U to customize food and beverages.

[0038] The output unit 17 consists of a display such as an LCD and a speaker, and outputs various information as images and sounds. The storage unit 18 consists of DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and stores various data. The communication unit 19 communicates with other devices (for example, the user terminal UT and server SV in Figure 2) via a network N including the Internet.

[0039] A removable medium 30, which consists of a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, or the like, is appropriately mounted on the drive 20. The program read from the removable medium 30 by the drive 20 is installed in the storage unit 18 as necessary. Also, the removable medium 30 can store various data stored in the storage unit 18 in the same manner as the storage unit 18.

[0040] The food and drink manufacturing unit 2 manufactures food and drink customized for each service and outputs a container B filled with the manufactured food and drink. The food and drink manufacturing unit 2 will be described later while referring to FIG. 4 and the like.

[0041] Although not shown in the drawings, the user terminal UT and the server SV in FIG. 2 can also have basically the same configuration as the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 3. Therefore, the description of the hardware configuration of the user terminal UT and the server SV of the food and drink manufacturing system is omitted.

[0042] Through the cooperation of various hardware and various software that make up the food and drink manufacturing system of FIG. 2 including the food and drink manufacturing apparatus 1 of FIG. 3, the food and drink manufacturing apparatus 1 can execute various processes.

[0043] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the food and drink manufacturing apparatus and the server in FIG. 3 that make up the food and drink manufacturing system of FIG. 2. Regarding components such as the CPU 11, by adding the symbol of each device after the hyphen (-) at the end of the symbol, it is made clear that they are components of each device. For example, the CPU 1 of the food and drink manufacturing apparatus is described as "CPU 11-1", while the CPU 11 of the server SV is described as "CPU 11-SV".

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4, in the food and drink manufacturing unit 2 of the food and drink manufacturing apparatus 1, a robot arm unit 21, a base component filling unit 22, a drive unit 23, a sub-component injection unit 24, a detection unit 25, a stirring unit 26, and a container output unit 27 function. Also, in the CPU 11-1, a control unit 111 functions.

[0045] The robot arm unit 21 is an articulated robot as shown in FIG. 1, and its movement is controlled by the control unit 111. The robot arm unit 21 has a gripping part 211 for the container B at the tip of this arm. The robot arm unit 21 makes a movement to move the container B to a predetermined position each time in each manufacturing stage such as cleaning of the container B, filling of the base component into the container B, administration of the sub-component, stirring of the food and drink, output of the container B filled with the food and drink, etc.

[0046] When the food and drink is, for example, a beverage, the base component filling unit 22 fills the container B with one or more beverages serving as the base until a predetermined amount. Also, when the food and drink is, for example, food, the base component filling unit 22 fills the container B with one or more foods serving as the base until a predetermined amount.

[0047] The drive unit 23 executes control for moving each extrusion part of the plurality of syringes 241 (see FIGS. 5 to 7) in the sub-component injection unit 24. The drive unit 23 has a linear motor 231 here (see FIGS. 5 to 7; the linear motor 231 is taken as an example).

[0048] The sub-component injection unit 24 has a structure in which a plurality of syringes 241 for outputting a predetermined sub-component (components such as aroma (fragrance, flavoring agent), supplement, etc.) of a specified amount by an extrusion part are provided for each of the plurality of sub-components (described later with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7). The above-mentioned specified amount includes a very small amount such as microliters in this embodiment.

[0049] The sub-component injection unit 24 of this embodiment is a so-called dispenser unit for injecting (administering) the sub-component. The sub-component injection unit 24 has a plurality of syringes 241 with the same specified amount, and N (N is an integer value of 2 or more) of them are provided for each of the N types of specified amounts or N types of uses.

[0050] For example, if the specified volume is in milliliters or microliters, there will be two types, and at least two sub-component injection units 24 will be provided. Also, if the application is aromatherapy or supplements, there will be two types, so at least two sub-component injection units 24 will be provided (this does not mean that the types or number are limited to these). In Figure 1, these are shown as sub-component injection units 24-1 to 24-N, but when referring to them collectively regardless of the number, they will be shown as sub-component injection units 24.

[0051] The detection unit 25 detects the amount of the sub-component to be administered to the container B filled with the base component. The detection unit 25 detects the amount of the sub-component and transmits it to the control unit 111 (contributing to the administration of sub-components at the microliter level, for example).

[0052] The stirring unit 26 stirs a container filled with a base component, or a container filled with food or beverage consisting of the base component and sub-components added thereto. The stirring unit 26 in this embodiment has a structure that allows stirring without directly touching the food or beverage.

[0053] Specifically, the stirring unit 26 includes a container mounting platform on which a container B filled with base components can be placed, and a platform rotation mechanism for rotating the container mounting platform. The container mounting platform has a container holding portion formed therein to hold the container B so that it follows the rotation of the platform. In this embodiment, the container holding portion is formed in the shape of a convex portion (or concave portion) that engages with the bottom of the container B (note that the bottom of the container B has a concave portion (or convex portion) that engages with the container holding portion).

[0054] The container output unit 27 outputs container B, which is filled with the stirred food or beverage, from the food and beverage manufacturing unit 2 in order to provide the container B to the user U (so that container B can be removed from the container outlet of the food and beverage manufacturing device 1).

[0055] The control unit 111 in the CPU 11 receives customization requests from the user terminal UT or the selection unit 161 pre-installed in the food and beverage manufacturing apparatus 1, and executes the control of each of the above-described configurations of the food and beverage manufacturing unit 2. Specifically, the control unit 111 controls the movement of the robot arm unit 21 to move the container B to a predetermined position. The control unit 111 also controls the base component filling unit 22 to fill the container B with one or more base food and beverages until a predetermined amount is reached.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 111 controls the linear motor 231 (drive unit 23) that moves the respective extrusion parts (e.g., plungers) of the multiple syringes 241 in the sub-component injection unit 24.

[0057] Furthermore, the control unit 111 determines one or more sub-components necessary for manufacturing the food or beverage (final product) to be provided to the user, and determines the injection amount (target specified amount) of each of these one or more sub-components. Based on the amount of sub-components administered (actual amount) by the detection unit 25, the control unit 24 controls the sub-component injection unit 24 so that each of the one or more sub-components is injected in the target specified amount. Here, the one or more sub-components necessary for manufacturing the food or beverage (final product) to be provided to the user, and the target specified amount of each of these one or more sub-components, are determined in principle according to a menu that is pre-set for each food or beverage (final product). The reason this is a principle is that the user can freely customize the type, number of types, and injection amount of each sub-component to be administered to the base component of the food or beverage (final product) in order to optimize the taste and quantity of the food or beverage (final product) by operating the user terminal UT. In other words, the user operates the user terminal UT to give customization instructions (hereinafter referred to as "customization instructions") regarding at least some of the types, number, and respective injection amounts of sub-components to be added to the base components of the food and beverage (final product). The user terminal UT transmits the customization instructions to the food and beverage manufacturing apparatus 1. When the control unit 111 of the food and beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 receives the customization instructions from the user terminal UT, it makes appropriate adjustments to the sub-components in the menu based on the customization instructions, and based on the results of these adjustments, it determines one or more sub-components necessary to manufacture the food and beverage (final product) to be provided to the user, and determines the target specified amount for each of those one or more sub-components.

[0058] Furthermore, the control unit 111 controls a stirring unit 26 for stirring the food and beverage, which consists of a base component filled in container B and a sub-component added to the base component. The control unit 111 also controls a container output unit 27 for outputting the container B, which is filled with the stirred food and beverage, from the food and beverage manufacturing unit 2. The control unit 111 also controls a washing unit (reference numerals omitted) for washing container B.

[0059] Furthermore, the control unit 111 detects the remaining amount of base components and the remaining amount of sub-components filled in the sub-component injection unit 24, and performs control to transmit the detection results to the server SV via the network N. The CPU 11-CV of the server SV functions as an inventory management unit 51. The inventory management unit 51 acquires the detection results of the remaining amount of base components and the remaining amount of sub-components filled in the sub-component injection unit 24, which are transmitted for each food and beverage manufacturing device 11-1 to 11-n, and manages the remaining amount of base components and sub-components filled in the sub-component injection unit 24. When the remaining amount of at least some of the base components and sub-components in a predetermined food and beverage manufacturing device 1 falls below a threshold, the inventory management unit 51 notifies the predetermined food and beverage manufacturing device 1 or a device managed by a component replenisher (not shown) of an alert to replenish the components that have fallen below the threshold.

[0060] The selection unit 161 mentioned above is, for example, a touch panel or the like, provided as an input unit 16. The selection unit 161 is located at an appropriate position on the outside of the food and beverage manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0061] Next, we will explain an example of the food and beverage manufacturing process with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 shows an example of the food and beverage manufacturing process customized based on the user's individual settings.

[0062] First, customization requests based on the individual settings of user U are made from the user terminal UT as shown in step S1a (or from the selection unit 161 pre-installed in the food and beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 as shown in step S1b). The methods of making customization requests include both selecting a desired final product (recipe) from a plurality of options and selecting a desired sub-component (flavor, etc.) from a plurality of options (e.g., adding banana flavor).

[0063] Next, the food and beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 receives a customization request and executes the control of each of the above-described configurations of the food and beverage manufacturing unit 2. That is, as shown in step S2, the sub-component injection unit 24 administers the sub-component according to the customization request to the container B filled with the base component.

[0064] At this time, i.e., when the subcomponent is administered, as shown in step S3, the amount of the subcomponent administered is detected by the detection unit 25, and this detected amount of the subcomponent is fed back to the control unit 111. Therefore, based on the dosage, it is possible to administer the subcomponent at, for example, a microliter level.

[0065] After step S3, although not specifically shown in the diagram, the food and beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 completes the series of manufacturing processes by performing stirring in the stirring unit 26 and outputting the container B filled with food and beverages in the container output unit 27.

[0066] Next, with reference to Figures 6 and 7, the subcomponent injection unit 24, which enables the administration of subcomponents at, for example, a microliter level, will be described. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the subcomponent injection unit of Figures 1 and 5. Figure 7 is a view of the subcomponent injection unit of Figure 6 from an oblique angle above.

[0067] The sub-component injection unit 24 comprises, for example, a plurality of syringes 241 for administering sub-components at the microliter level, and holding units 244 and 245 for holding the plurality of syringes 241. In this embodiment, each of the plurality of syringes 241 is of the same size and has a syringe, a plunger, and a needle 242. The syringes are filled with sub-components from a tank (not shown) via piping 243. The needle 242 is designed to have a passage diameter that enables the administration of sub-components at the microliter level (it can be administered in microliter-level drops. The sub-component injection unit 24 can dispense components such as fragrances, scents, and supplements in microliter droplets).

[0068] The sub-component filled in the syringe is dispensed towards the needle 242 by the movement of the plunger, which acts as the extrusion unit, and is then administered into container B, which is filled with the base component. In this embodiment, the movement of the plunger is performed by a linear motor 231 (the linear motor 231 is just an example; air, for example, can also be used).

[0069] The sub-component injection unit 24 is arranged with multiple syringes 241 tilted as shown in the figure, so that the needles 242 of each syringe 241 are directed toward container B. Furthermore, each of the multiple syringes 241 is arranged circumferentially around the axis of the sub-component injection unit 24. As can be seen from the above configuration and structure, the sub-component injection unit 24 is a device that allows for customization of flavor.

[0070] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and any modifications, improvements, etc., that can achieve the objectives of the present invention are considered to be included in the present invention. In the above-described embodiment, the subcomponent was administered using a "syringe," but it is not limited to this, and a similar device (similar instrument) such as a dischargeable cartridge may be used. Preferably, the cartridge is a part that is easy to replace.

[0071] Furthermore, the system configuration shown in Figure 2 and the hardware configuration of the food and beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 3 are merely illustrative examples for achieving the objectives of the present invention and are not particularly limited.

[0072] Furthermore, the functional block diagram shown in Figure 4 is merely illustrative and not particularly limiting. In other words, it is sufficient that the food and beverage manufacturing system in Figure 2 is equipped with the functionality to execute the various processes described above as a whole, and the functional blocks and databases used to realize this functionality are not particularly limited to the example in Figure 4.

[0073] Furthermore, the location of the functional blocks and database is not limited to Figure 4 and can be any location. For example, at least a portion of the functional blocks and database located on the food and beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 side may be provided on the user terminal UT side or on another information processing device not shown.

[0074] Furthermore, the series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or by software. Also, a single functional block may consist of hardware alone, software alone, or a combination of both.

[0075] When a series of processes are executed by software, the programs that make up that software are installed on a computer or other device from a network or storage medium. The computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware. Alternatively, the computer may be a computer capable of performing various functions by installing various programs, such as a server, a general-purpose smartphone, or a personal computer.

[0076] Such recording media containing programs may consist not only of removable media (not shown) distributed separately from the main unit of the device to provide the program to the user, but also of recording media provided to the user in a state where they are pre-installed in the main unit of the device.

[0077] In this specification, the step of describing a program to be recorded on a recording medium includes not only processes that are performed chronologically in that order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically, but are executed in parallel or individually.

[0078] In summary, a food and beverage manufacturing system to which the present invention applies only needs to have the following configuration, and can take various forms. That is, a food and beverage manufacturing system to which the present invention applies (for example, the food and beverage manufacturing system shown in Figure 2) is a food and beverage manufacturing system that produces food and beverages (beverages or food) by adding a plurality of sub-components (for example, a plurality of aromas, supplements, etc.) to a base component (for example, a base beverage such as coffee, tea, or carbonated water, or a base food), and has a sub-component injection unit (for example, the sub-component injection unit 24 in Figures 5 to 7) which has a syringe (for example, the syringe 241 in Figures 5 to 7 (dispenser, etc.)) for each of the plurality of sub-components that outputs a predetermined amount of the filled sub-components by an extrusion unit (for example, the plunger of the syringe 241 in the sub-component injection unit 24 in Figures 5 to 7), It is sufficient to have a control unit (for example, control unit 111 in Figure 4, etc.) that performs control to dispense a predetermined amount of the injection target (for example, a microliter of a droplet of fragrance, air freshener, supplement, etc.) from the syringe filled with the injection target for each of the plurality of sub-components to be injected, and administer it into a container (for example, container B in Figure 1) filled with the base component.

[0079] Such a food and beverage manufacturing system allows for the production of customized food and beverages for each serving, based on the individual settings of the user or customer.

[0080] Furthermore, a food and beverage manufacturing system to which the present invention is applied (for example, the food and beverage manufacturing system shown in Figure 2) further includes a detection unit (for example, the detection unit 25 in Figures 1, 4, and 5) for detecting the amount of the sub-component administered to the container filled with the base component, and the control unit can perform control to output the injection target in a predetermined amount from the syringe based on the detection result of the detection unit.

[0081] Furthermore, a food and beverage manufacturing system to which the present invention is applied (for example, the food and beverage manufacturing system shown in Figure 2) further comprises a drive unit (for example, the drive unit 23 in Figures 1, 4, and 5) having a linear motor (for example, the linear motor 231 in Figures 6 and 7) for moving the extrusion portion of each of the plurality of syringes, and the control unit can control the linear motor of the drive unit to output the injection target in a predetermined amount from the syringe.

[0082] Furthermore, it is preferable that the food and beverage manufacturing system to which the present invention is applied (for example, the food and beverage manufacturing system shown in Figure 2) is equipped with N sub-component injection units, each having a plurality of syringes with the same specified amount, for each of N types of specified amounts or N types of uses (for example, if the uses are aroma and supplements, there are two types and the number is two).

[0083] Furthermore, a food and beverage manufacturing system to which the present invention is applied (for example, the food and beverage manufacturing system shown in Figure 2) may further include a selection unit (for example, the selection unit 161 in Figures 4 and 5) that selects one or more injection targets from among the plurality of sub-components.

[0084] Furthermore, in a food and beverage manufacturing system to which the present invention is applied (for example, the food and beverage manufacturing system shown in Figure 2), it is preferable that the control unit determines one or more of the sub-components necessary for manufacturing the food and beverage to be manufactured according to a menu prepared in advance for manufacturing the food and beverage to be manufactured, and determines the specified target amount of each of the one or more sub-components (the above is described with reference to Figure 4, including the functions of the control unit 111).

[0085] Furthermore, in a food and beverage manufacturing system to which the present invention is applied (for example, the food and beverage manufacturing system shown in Figure 2), it is preferable that the control unit further acquires customization instructions from the user regarding at least a part of the types, number, and respective injection amounts of the sub-components to be administered to the base component of the food and beverage, adjusts the sub-components in the menu based on the customization instructions, determines one or more of the sub-components necessary to manufacture the food and beverage based on the results of the adjustment, and determines the specified target amounts for each of the one or more sub-components (the above is described with reference to Figure 4, including the functions of the control unit 111).

[0086] Furthermore, a food and beverage manufacturing system to which the present invention is applied (for example, the food and beverage manufacturing system shown in Figure 2) may further include a stirring unit (for example, the stirring unit 26 shown in Figure 4) for stirring the container filled with the base component, or the container filled with the food and beverage consisting of the base component and the sub-components administered thereto.

[0087] Furthermore, a food and beverage manufacturing system to which the present invention is applied (for example, the food and beverage manufacturing system shown in Figure 2) may have n food and beverage manufacturing devices (where n is an integer value of 1 or more) each having the sub-component injection unit and the control unit (for example, food and beverage manufacturing devices 1-1 to 1-n shown in Figure 2), and each of the n food and beverage manufacturing devices may further be provided with an inventory management unit (for example, the inventory management unit 51 shown in Figure 4) for managing the remaining amounts of the base component and the sub-component.

[0088] 1, 1-1 to 1-n... Food and beverage manufacturing apparatus, 2... Food and beverage manufacturing section, 11... CPU, 12... ROM, 13... RAM, 14... Bus, 15... Input / Output interface, 16... Input section, 17... Output section, 18... Storage section, 19... Communication section, 20... Drive, 21... Robot arm section, 22... Base component filling section, 23... Drive section, 24... Sub-component injection section, 25... Detection section, 26... Stirring section, 27... Container output section, 30... Removable media, 51... Inventory quantity management section, 111... Control section, 211... Gripping section, 231... Linear motor, 241... Syringe, 242... Needle, 243... Piping, 244, 245... Holding section, B... Container, U... User, UT... User terminal

Claims

1. A food and beverage manufacturing system that manufactures food and beverages by adding a plurality of sub-components to a base component, comprising: a sub-component injection unit having a syringe for each of the plurality of sub-components that dispenses a predetermined amount of a predetermined sub-component from a filled sub-component via an extrusion unit; and a control unit that performs control to dispense a predetermined amount of the injection target from the syringe filled with the injection target for each of the plurality of sub-components that is to be injected into a container filled with the base component.

2. The food and beverage manufacturing system according to claim 1, further comprising a detection unit for detecting the amount of the sub-component administered to the container filled with the base component, wherein the control unit performs control to output the injection target from the syringe in a predetermined amount based on the detection result of the detection unit.

3. The food and beverage manufacturing system according to claim 1, further comprising a drive unit having a linear motor for moving the extrusion portion of each of the plurality of syringes, wherein the control unit controls the linear motor of the drive unit to perform control so that the syringes are dispensed in a predetermined amount.

4. The food and beverage manufacturing system according to claim 1, wherein the sub-component injection unit, each having a plurality of syringes with the same specified amount, is provided in N units for each of N types of specified amounts (where N is an integer value of 2 or more) or N types of uses.

5. The food and beverage manufacturing system according to claim 1, further comprising a selection unit for selecting one or more injection targets from among the plurality of subcomponents.

6. The food and beverage manufacturing system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines one or more sub-components necessary for manufacturing the food and beverage to be manufactured, according to a menu prepared in advance for manufacturing the food and beverage to be manufactured, and determines the specified target amount of each of the one or more sub-components.

7. The food and beverage manufacturing system according to claim 6, further comprising: the control unit obtaining, as a customization instruction, a user's instruction to customize at least a part of the types, number, and respective injection amounts of the sub-components to be administered to the base component of the food and beverage; adjusting the sub-components in the menu based on the customization instruction; determining one or more of the sub-components necessary to manufacture the food and beverage based on the result of the adjustment, and determining the specified target amount for each of the one or more sub-components.

8. The food and beverage manufacturing system according to claim 1, further comprising a stirring unit for stirring the container filled with the base component, or the container filled with the food and beverage consisting of the base component and the sub-components administered thereto.

9. The food and beverage manufacturing system according to claim 1, wherein there are n food and beverage manufacturing apparatuses (where n is an integer value of 1 or more) each having the sub-component injection unit and the control unit, and each of the n food and beverage manufacturing apparatuses further comprises an inventory management unit for managing the remaining amounts of the base component and the sub-component.

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