Priming method and apparatus for beverage machine, and dispensing method for beverage machine, beverage machine and storage medium

Abstract

A priming method and apparatus for a beverage machine, and a dispensing method for a beverage machine, a beverage machine and a storage medium. The priming method comprises: on the basis of a priming command, controlling a target tube to start dispensing from a dispensing outlet of a beverage machine, and acquiring a first dispensed volume of a target material which is output by the target tube and flows out of the dispensing outlet of the beverage machine; after the first dispensed volume is greater than a preset dispensed volume threshold, controlling the target tube to execute at least two dispensing operations under the same driving parameter; for each dispensing operation, acquiring a second dispensed volume of the target material from the target tube which flows out of the dispensing outlet of the beverage machine during the dispensing operation; and on the basis of whether the respective second dispensed volumes of the at least two dispensing operations meet a preset dispensing stability requirement, determining whether a priming operation is completed. The solution is conducive to ensuring that air and impurities in a tube can be fully discharged after a priming operation is completed and the tube can stably dispense materials at a constant speed, thereby reducing the possibility of wasted cups of a current beverage.

Description

Methods and devices for filling the tube of a beverage machine, dispensing methods, beverage machines, and storage media.

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411950668.2, filed on December 27, 2024, entitled "Method and apparatus for filling a tube of a beverage machine, dispensing method, beverage machine, storage medium", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of beverage machines, specifically to a method and apparatus for filling a beverage machine, a dispensing method, a beverage machine, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0003] A beverage machine is an automated device used to provide various beverages on demand, such as water, juice, soft drinks, coffee, and tea. Before using a beverage machine, a full-pipe operation needs to be performed to ensure that the pipes are filled with the appropriate material and that there is no air in the pipes, allowing the material to flow out smoothly.

[0004] In related technologies, the commonly used method for filling the pipe is as follows: after filling the pipe, the pump connected to the pipe is controlled to run a preset number of full-pipe revolutions. When the pump reaches the preset number of full-pipe revolutions, the full-pipe operation is confirmed to be complete. Alternatively, after filling the pipe, the pump of the beverage machine is controlled to run. When the weight on the electronic scale at the beverage machine's dispensing base is detected to be fixed, the full-pipe operation is confirmed to be complete. This method may result in air or a small amount of cleaning water being discharged to the outlet in some parts of the pipe during the full-pipe process, creating a situation where the first half of the pipe is filled with water and the second half with air. When the pump runs, the water is discharged, and the electronic scale can still detect the weight, leading the user to mistakenly believe that the beverage machine is full. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems. This solution helps to ensure that air and impurities in the pipeline can be completely removed after the full-pipe operation is completed, and that the pipeline can stably and uniformly output beverages, thereby reducing the possibility of waste cups in the current beverage industry.

[0006] According to a first aspect of this application, a method for filling a beverage machine's pipe is provided. The method includes: according to a full-pipe command, controlling a target pipe to start dispensing from the beverage machine's outlet, and obtaining a first dispensing quantity of the target material output from the target pipe flowing out of the beverage machine's outlet; after the first dispensing quantity exceeds a preset dispensing quantity threshold, controlling the target pipe to perform at least two dispensing operations under the same driving parameters; for each dispensing operation, obtaining a second dispensing quantity from the target pipe flowing out of the beverage machine's outlet under that dispensing operation; and determining whether the full-pipe operation is completed based on whether the second dispensing quantities of the at least two dispensing operations meet a preset dispensing stability requirement.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the driving parameters include the number of pulses of the pump used to drive the target pipeline to output, and controlling the target pipeline to perform at least two output operations under the same driving parameters includes controlling the pump to run at least twice with the same preset number of pulses to drive the target pipeline to perform at least two output operations.

[0008] In one possible implementation, different target pipelines correspond to their respective preset number of pulses.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the preset number of pulses in the target pipeline is positively correlated with the viscosity of the target material output from the target pipeline.

[0010] In one possible implementation, determining whether a full-pipe operation is completed based on whether the second output quantity of at least two output operations meets a preset output stability requirement includes: calculating the range between the second output quantities; determining that a full-pipe operation is completed when the range is less than a preset weight change threshold; and controlling the target pipeline to perform at least two output operations again under the same driving parameters when the range is greater than or equal to the preset weight change threshold.

[0011] In one possible implementation, different target pipelines correspond to their respective preset weight change thresholds.

[0012] In one possible implementation, determining whether the full-pipe operation is completed based on whether the second output quantity of at least two output operations meets the preset output stability requirements further includes: determining that the full-pipe operation is completed when the range is less than a preset weight change threshold and when each second output quantity is greater than a preset accuracy threshold; and controlling the target pipeline to perform at least two output operations again under the same driving parameters when the range is greater than or equal to the preset weight change threshold or when at least one second output quantity is less than the preset accuracy threshold.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the preset weight change threshold is determined based on the preset output quantity allowable error corresponding to the target pipeline, or the preset weight change threshold is determined based on the threshold setting information input by the user.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the beverage machine includes multiple dispensing pipes, and the method further includes: determining one dispensing pipe as the current target pipe among the multiple dispensing pipes according to a full pipe command; and automatically determining the next dispensing pipe as the target pipe among the multiple dispensing pipes after the full pipe operation of the current target pipe is completed.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the output operation is performed three times.

[0016] According to a second aspect of this application, a method for dispensing beverages from a beverage machine is also provided, comprising: filling multiple dispensing pipes in the beverage machine with the aforementioned method for filling the pipes; and controlling at least one dispensing pipe in the beverage machine to dispense beverages according to the beverage recipe of the target beverage, thereby obtaining the target beverage.

[0017] According to a third aspect of this application, a full-pipe device for a beverage machine is also provided, comprising: a first control module, configured to control a target pipe to start dispensing from the outlet of the beverage machine according to a full-pipe command, and to acquire a first dispensing quantity of the target material output from the outlet of the beverage machine; a second control module, configured to control the target pipe to perform at least two dispensing operations under the same driving parameters after the first dispensing quantity exceeds a preset dispensing quantity threshold; an acquisition module, configured to acquire a second dispensing quantity of the target pipe flowing out of the outlet of the beverage machine for each dispensing operation; and a determination module, configured to determine whether the full-pipe operation is completed based on whether the second dispensing quantities of the at least two dispensing operations meet a preset dispensing stability requirement.

[0018] According to the fourth aspect of this application, a beverage machine is also provided for performing the above-described method for filling a beverage tube and for performing the above-described method for dispensing beverages.

[0019] According to a fifth aspect of this application, a storage medium is also provided, on which program instructions are stored. When the program instructions are run, they are used to execute the above-described method for filling a beverage tube and the above-described method for dispensing beverages.

[0020] In the above technical solution, by monitoring the first output volume of the beverage machine during the full-pipe process, when the first output volume exceeds a preset output volume threshold, it is determined that at least a certain weight of material in the target pipe has been discharged. This helps to determine whether air and clean water in the target pipe have been expelled. By obtaining the second output volume of each dispensing operation, it is possible to determine whether the output of the pipe currently performing the full-pipe operation is stable. This helps to ensure that air and clean water in the pipe can be completely expelled after the full-pipe operation is completed, and that the pipe can discharge material stably and at a uniform speed. This ensures the smooth discharge of the target material in subsequent dispensing operations and also controls the actual output volume of material during the full-pipe process, which helps to save material. On the other hand, by controlling the target pipe to perform at least two dispensing operations under the same driving parameters, it helps to ensure that the second output volumes of each dispensing operation are comparable, thereby quickly and accurately determining whether the full-pipe operation has been completed.

[0021] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the more detailed description of the embodiments of this application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of this application and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this application to explain this application and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components or steps.

[0023] Figure 1 shows a schematic flowchart of a method for filling a beverage machine according to an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 2 shows a schematic block diagram of a full tube device for a beverage machine according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application more apparent, exemplary embodiments according to this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments of this application. It should be understood that this application is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein. Based on the embodiments of this application described herein, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without inventive effort should fall within the protection scope of this application.

[0026] To at least partially solve the above-mentioned technical problems, embodiments of this application provide a method and apparatus for filling a beverage machine, a dispensing method, a beverage machine, and a storage medium.

[0027] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic flowchart of a method for filling a beverage machine's tube according to an embodiment of this application. According to a first aspect of this application, a method for filling a beverage machine's tube is provided, the method including steps S110, S120, S130, and S140.

[0028] In step S110, according to the full pipe command, the target pipe is controlled to start dispensing from the outlet of the beverage machine, and the first output quantity of the target material from the target pipe flowing out of the outlet of the beverage machine is obtained.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the target pipeline can be a dispensing pipeline connected to a replenished hopper of the beverage machine. After replenishing any hopper, a full-pipe operation can be performed on the dispensing pipeline connected to that hopper. The target material dispensed by the target pipeline can be any liquid material, such as drinking water, syrup, juice, milk, etc. After replenishing a hopper that is low on material, the control device for the beverage machine can generate a full-pipe command. Alternatively, the user can input a full-pipe command through an input device (e.g., keyboard, joystick, button, etc.) connected to the control device. The full-pipe command can indicate the dispensing pipeline to be full-pipe operated. The control device can determine the target pipeline based on the full-pipe command and perform an initial full-pipe operation on the target pipeline. The initial full-pipe operation may include controlling the pump connected to the target pipeline (i.e., the pump used to drive the dispensing of the target pipeline) to operate, so that the target material begins to be dispensed from the dispensing port of the beverage machine through the target pipeline. A weight sensor (such as an electronic scale) can be installed below the outlet of the beverage machine. The control device can obtain the measurement value of the weight sensor in real time, and based on the measurement value, it can obtain the first output quantity of the target material output from the target pipeline in real time.

[0030] In step S120, after the first output quantity is greater than the preset output quantity threshold, the target pipeline is controlled to perform at least two output operations under the same driving parameters.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the preset output threshold can be set by the user according to actual needs, for example, it can be set to 1g. After the first output exceeds the preset output threshold, it can be determined that there is liquid in the target pipeline. Specifically, after the first output exceeds the preset output threshold, the pump connected to the target pipeline can be controlled to run at least twice according to preset drive parameters (e.g., number of revolutions, or rotation speed and running time, or number of pulses, etc.) to control the target pipeline to perform two or more output operations under the same drive parameters. Taking a triaxial peristaltic pump connected to the target pipeline as an example, each pulse of the triaxial peristaltic pump is equivalent to 1 / 3 revolution. When performing each output operation, the triaxial peristaltic pump can be controlled to rotate N / 3 revolutions, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The number of revolutions of the triaxial peristaltic pump corresponding to each output operation can be equal to N / 3 revolutions.

[0032] In step S130, for each dispensing operation, the second dispensing volume of the target pipe flowing out of the dispensing port of the beverage machine under that dispensing operation is obtained.

[0033] In one possible implementation, after each dispensing operation, the measurement value of the weight sensor below the dispensing port of the beverage machine can be obtained to determine the second dispensing quantity of the target material dispensed from the target pipeline in that dispensing operation. In some embodiments, for each dispensing operation, the control device for the beverage machine can obtain the measurement value of the weight sensor in real time from the start of the dispensing operation. When the measurement value stabilizes, that is, when the measurement value at a certain moment is the same as the measurement value at the previous moment, the second dispensing quantity corresponding to that dispensing operation can be determined based on the stable measurement value. In other embodiments, the dispensing duration of each dispensing operation can be determined based on the driving parameters of the pump connected to the target pipeline. From the start of the dispensing duration, after the sum of the dispensing duration and the preset delay duration, the control device can determine the second dispensing quantity corresponding to that dispensing operation based on the measurement value of the weight sensor at the current moment.

[0034] In step S140, it is determined whether the full tube operation is completed based on whether the second output quantity in at least two output operations meets the preset output stability requirements.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the preset output stability requirement may include, for example, that the difference between the second output quantity and the theoretical output quantity in each output operation is less than or equal to a preset difference threshold. The theoretical output quantity can be calculated using the drive parameters of the pump connected to the target pipeline, and each output operation corresponds to the same theoretical output quantity. The preset difference threshold can be set by the user according to actual conditions. Alternatively, the preset output stability requirement may include, for example, that the range between each second output quantity is less than a preset weight change threshold. Similarly, the preset weight change threshold can be set by the user according to actual conditions. Alternatively, the preset output stability requirement may include, for example, that the range between each second output quantity is less than a preset weight change threshold and each second output quantity is greater than a preset accuracy threshold. The preset accuracy threshold may be, for example, the measurement accuracy of a weight sensor. When each second output quantity in each output operation meets the preset output stability requirement, it can be determined that the full pipe operation is complete.

[0036] In the above technical solution, by monitoring the first output volume of the beverage machine during the full-pipe process, when the first output volume exceeds a preset output volume threshold, it is determined that at least a certain weight of material in the target pipe has been discharged. This helps to determine whether air and clean water in the target pipe have been expelled. By obtaining the second output volume of each dispensing operation, it is possible to determine whether the output of the pipe currently performing the full-pipe operation is stable. This helps to ensure that air and clean water in the pipe can be completely expelled after the full-pipe operation is completed, and that the pipe can discharge material stably and at a uniform speed. This ensures the smooth discharge of the target material in subsequent dispensing operations and also controls the actual output volume of material during the full-pipe process, which helps to save material. On the other hand, by controlling the target pipe to perform at least two dispensing operations under the same driving parameters, it helps to ensure that the second output volumes of each dispensing operation are comparable, thereby quickly and accurately determining whether the full-pipe operation has been completed.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the driving parameters include the number of pulses of the pump used to drive the target pipeline to output, and controlling the target pipeline to perform at least two output operations under the same driving parameters includes controlling the pump to run at least twice with the same preset number of pulses to drive the target pipeline to perform at least two output operations.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the driving parameters may include the number of pulses of the pump used to drive the output of the target pipeline. The number of pulses may represent the total number of pulses within a specific time period. Specifically, the preset number of pulses may be set by the user, for example, it may be set to 1. Alternatively, the preset number of pulses may be determined based on the viscosity of the target material output by the target pipeline. During each output operation, the pump can be controlled to run according to the preset number of pulses, and the preset number of pulses corresponding to each output operation is the same.

[0039] The above technical solution controls the output of the target pipeline by controlling the number of pump pulses. It can directly control the operating conditions of the pump to ensure smooth output of the target pipeline. Furthermore, by controlling the number of pump pulses corresponding to each output operation to be the same, the second output quantity obtained from two output operations can be compared.

[0040] In one possible implementation, different target pipelines correspond to their respective preset number of pulses.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the target material output from the target pipeline can have a corresponding viscosity. It is understood that when the target material has high viscosity, its flowability is low, and a larger number of pulses are required. For example, for a highly viscous target material, one pulse output from the triaxial peristaltic pump (equivalent to 0.33 rotations) may not be sufficient to dispense the material due to its high viscosity. Therefore, the preset number of pulses for the target pipeline used to dispense highly viscous target materials can be 2. In other words, in this embodiment, the triaxial peristaltic pump used to drive the target pipeline to dispense the material can output 2 pulses each time a dispensing operation is performed. Specifically, different viscosities of target materials can correspond to different preset number of pulses, and correspondingly, each target pipeline used to dispense different target materials can correspond to its own preset number of pulses.

[0042] In the above technical solution, different target pipelines can have different preset pulse numbers. This can ensure that after the pump outputs the preset number of pulses, the corresponding target material can be smoothly discharged. It also helps the obtained second output quantity to be compatible with the properties of the corresponding target material. Thus, the second output quantity can more accurately represent the stability of the output of the target pipeline.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the preset number of pulses in the target pipeline is positively correlated with the viscosity of the target material output from the target pipeline.

[0044] In one possible implementation, the target material output from the target pipeline can have a corresponding viscosity, which can measure the internal friction of the fluid, and the unit of measurement can be Pascal-second (Pa·s) or centipoise (cP). In some embodiments, materials with a viscosity less than a preset viscosity can be classified as first-class materials, and materials with a viscosity greater than or equal to the preset viscosity can be classified as second-class materials. In this case, the preset number of pulses corresponding to the first-class materials can be a first number, and the preset number of pulses corresponding to the second-class materials can be a second number, with the first number being less than the second number. In other embodiments, the ratio between the preset number of pulses in the target pipeline and the viscosity of the target material can be a specific value; the higher the viscosity of the target material, the higher the preset number of pulses in the target pipeline. More specifically, the viscosity of each type of material can be preset by the user through an input device.

[0045] In the above technical solution, the preset number of pulses in the target pipeline can be positively correlated with the viscosity of the target material being produced. This helps to ensure that the target pipeline can still smoothly produce the target material when the viscosity of the target material is high. When the viscosity of the target material is low, the pump outputs a smaller preset number of pulses, which can avoid excessive output of the target material and waste of the target material.

[0046] In one possible implementation, determining whether a full-pipe operation is completed based on whether the second output quantity of at least two output operations meets a preset output stability requirement includes: calculating the range between the second output quantities; determining that a full-pipe operation is completed when the range is less than a preset weight change threshold; and controlling the target pipeline to perform at least two output operations again under the same driving parameters when the range is greater than or equal to the preset weight change threshold.

[0047] In one possible implementation, after obtaining the second output quantity corresponding to at least two output operations, the maximum and minimum second output quantities can be determined among the second output quantities, and the difference between the maximum and minimum second output quantities can be calculated as the range between the second output quantities. It is understood that since the target pipeline performs each output operation under the same driving parameters, the theoretical value of the second output quantity for each output operation is equal. The larger the range between the second output quantities, the more unstable the output of the target pipeline. When the range is less than a preset weight change threshold, it can be determined that each second output quantity meets the preset output stability requirement, thus confirming that the full-pipe operation is complete. When the range is greater than or equal to the preset weight change threshold, it can be considered that the output stability of the target pipeline does not meet the output requirements, and the process returns to the step of controlling the target pipeline to perform at least two output operations under the same driving parameters.

[0048] The above technical solution determines whether the full pipe operation is completed based on the range of the second output quantity of at least two output operations. The range can accurately and intuitively represent the differences between each output operation, thereby quickly and accurately determining whether each output operation of the target pipeline is stable, and the judgment result of whether the full pipe operation is completed is relatively accurate.

[0049] In one possible implementation, different target pipelines correspond to their respective preset weight change thresholds.

[0050] In one possible implementation, different target pipelines can correspond to their respective target materials. When the properties of the target material (e.g., viscosity, density, etc.) are different, the preset weight change threshold corresponding to the target pipeline used to produce the target material can be different. Taking drinking water as an example, and the pump driving the target pipeline being a triaxial peristaltic pump, the weight of drinking water produced by the triaxial peristaltic pump for each pulse output is 1.5g to 2g. For target materials with a density higher than that of drinking water, the weight of the target material produced by the triaxial peristaltic pump for each pulse output can be greater than the weight of drinking water produced by one pulse output. Taking syrup as an example, and the pump driving the target pipeline still being a triaxial peristaltic pump, because syrup has high viscosity and unstable properties, the weight range of syrup produced by the triaxial peristaltic pump for each pulse output is relatively wide, for example, it can be 0.5g to 3g. Therefore, the weight range produced by target materials with different properties can be different under the same driving parameters, and correspondingly, the target pipelines used to produce target materials with different properties can correspond to their respective preset weight change thresholds.

[0051] In the above technical solution, different target pipelines can correspond to their own preset weight change thresholds. This allows the preset weight change thresholds corresponding to each target pipeline to be adapted to the output requirements of the corresponding target material, which helps to ensure that the preset weight change thresholds have strong reference value. This ensures that the comparison results based on the range of each second output quantity and the preset weight change thresholds are reference-worthy, which is conducive to obtaining accurate judgment results on whether the full pipe operation has been completed.

[0052] In one possible implementation, determining whether the full-pipe operation is completed based on whether the second output quantity of at least two output operations meets the preset output stability requirements further includes: determining that the full-pipe operation is completed when the range is less than a preset weight change threshold and when each second output quantity is greater than a preset accuracy threshold; and controlling the target pipeline to perform at least two output operations again under the same driving parameters when the range is greater than or equal to the preset weight change threshold or when at least one second output quantity is less than the preset accuracy threshold.

[0053] In one possible implementation, the preset output stability requirement may include a range between the second output quantities being less than a preset weight change threshold, and each second output quantity being greater than a preset accuracy threshold. When the second output quantity is greater than the preset accuracy threshold, the difference between the weight sensor's measured value and the true value (i.e., measurement error) can be considered negligible. Preferably, the weight sensor's measurement accuracy (e.g., 0.5g) can be used as the preset accuracy threshold. When the range is greater than or equal to the preset weight change threshold, or when at least one second output quantity is less than the preset accuracy threshold, it can be determined that each second output quantity does not meet the preset stability requirement, and thus it can be considered that the full-pipe operation has not been completed, requiring a return to the step of performing at least two output operations under the same drive parameters on the target pipeline.

[0054] The above technical solution comprehensively determines whether the full-pipe operation is completed based on the comparison results of the range of each second output quantity with the preset weight change threshold and the results of each second output quantity with the preset accuracy threshold. Under the premise of ensuring that each output operation of the target pipeline is a normal output, it can determine whether each output operation of the target pipeline is stable. This helps to avoid the situation where the second output quantity corresponding to each output operation is too small due to too much air in the target pipeline, and the stability of each output operation cannot be accurately determined based on the range of each second output quantity.

[0055] In one possible implementation, the preset weight change threshold is determined based on the preset output quantity allowable error corresponding to the target pipeline, or the preset weight change threshold is determined based on the threshold setting information input by the user.

[0056] In one possible implementation, the preset output quantity tolerance corresponding to the target pipeline can be a specific value defined by the user, or the user can preset a proportional coefficient, such as 0.005, based on actual output requirements. In this case, the preset output quantity tolerance can be determined based on the product of the theoretical output of the target pipeline under the current driving parameters and the proportional coefficient. In some embodiments, the preset weight change threshold can be equal to the preset output quantity tolerance. In other embodiments, the user can input threshold setting information through an input device, which can indicate the magnitude of the preset weight change threshold. The control device can determine the preset weight change threshold based on the threshold setting information input by the user.

[0057] The above technical solution can determine the preset weight change threshold based on the preset output quantity allowable error corresponding to the target pipeline. This can adapt to the output requirements of the target material corresponding to the target pipeline. The preset weight change threshold can also be determined based on the threshold setting information input by the user. This can realize the flexible adjustment of the preset weight change threshold based on user experience when the actual output requirements of the target material are adjusted. It has strong controllability and a wide range of application scenarios.

[0058] In one possible implementation, the beverage machine includes multiple dispensing pipes, and the method further includes: determining one dispensing pipe as the current target pipe among the multiple dispensing pipes according to a full pipe command; and automatically determining the next dispensing pipe as the target pipe among the multiple dispensing pipes after the full pipe operation of the current target pipe is completed.

[0059] In one possible implementation, each refill operation can refill material in one or more hoppers of the beverage machine. In some embodiments, a full-pipe command can instruct one or more outlet pipes to perform a full-pipe operation. When the number of outlet pipes indicated by the full-pipe command is multiple, the control device for the beverage machine can randomly select one outlet pipe as the current target pipe. After determining that the full-pipe operation of the current target pipe has been completed, the next outlet pipe can be randomly selected from the remaining outlet pipes as the current target pipe, until it is determined that the full-pipe operation has been completed for all outlet pipes indicated by the full-pipe command. In other embodiments, the full-pipe command can instruct one or more outlet pipes to perform a full-pipe operation, and the priority order for performing the full-pipe operation on the corresponding outlet pipes. Specifically, each outlet pipe of the beverage machine can have a pipe number, and the priority order can be, for example, in ascending order of pipe number; or, the priority order can also be, for example, according to the order of refilling. According to the full pipe command, one of the multiple output pipes can be selected as the current target pipe. After the current target pipe is filled, the next output pipe is selected as the target pipe according to the priority order.

[0060] The above technical solution can perform full-pipe operations one by one on each of the multiple output pipelines that need to be full-pipe operated, and determine whether the full-pipe operation has been completed. It has a high degree of automation and saves manpower.

[0061] In one possible implementation, the output operation is performed three times.

[0062] In one possible implementation, the target pipeline can be controlled to perform three output operations to obtain three sets of second output quantities that correspond one-to-one with the three output operations. Based on these three sets of second output quantities, it can be determined whether the full pipe operation has been completed.

[0063] In the above technical solution, the output operation is executed three times, which can ensure that the material consumption in the full pipe operation is not too large, and it is also beneficial to ensure that each second output quantity can be used as a reference value to determine whether the full pipe operation is completed.

[0064] According to a second aspect of this application, a method for dispensing beverages from a beverage machine is also provided, comprising: filling multiple dispensing pipes in the beverage machine with the aforementioned method for filling the pipes; and controlling at least one dispensing pipe in the beverage machine to dispense beverages according to the beverage recipe of the target beverage, thereby obtaining the target beverage.

[0065] In one possible implementation, if no product has been dispensed from the target beverage before the full-pipe operation, the dispensing pipeline for all materials included in the beverage formula can be controlled to dispense the target beverage according to the beverage formula. Alternatively, if some products have already been dispensed from the target beverage before the full-pipe operation, the remaining undispensed materials and their corresponding dispensing quantities can be determined according to the beverage formula, and the dispensing pipeline for these remaining undispensed materials can be controlled to dispense the target beverage.

[0066] The above technical solution allows for the dispensing of the target beverage after the target pipeline is fully filled. This facilitates the dispensing of the target beverage even after the pipeline is fully filled, thereby reducing the possibility of wasted cups.

[0067] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic block diagram of a full-pipe device 200 for a beverage machine according to one embodiment of this application. According to a third aspect of this application, a full-pipe device for a beverage machine is also provided, comprising:

[0068] The first control module 210 is used to control the target pipeline to start dispensing from the outlet of the beverage machine according to the full pipe command, and to obtain the first output quantity of the target material output from the target pipeline flowing out of the outlet of the beverage machine.

[0069] The second control module 220 is used to control the target pipeline to perform at least two output operations under the same driving parameters after the first output quantity is greater than the preset output quantity threshold.

[0070] The acquisition module 230 is used to acquire the second output volume of the target pipeline flowing out of the beverage machine's outlet for each output operation.

[0071] The determination module 240 is used to determine whether the full tube operation is completed based on whether the second output quantity of at least two output operations meets the preset output stability requirements.

[0072] According to a fourth aspect of this application, a beverage machine is also provided for performing the above-described method for filling a beverage tube and for performing the above-described method for dispensing beverages.

[0073] According to a fifth aspect of this application, a storage medium is also provided, on which program instructions are stored. When the program instructions are executed by a computer or processor, the computer or processor performs corresponding steps of the beverage machine full-pipe method described in the embodiments of this application, and is also used to perform corresponding steps of the beverage machine dispensing method described in the embodiments of this application, and to implement corresponding modules in the beverage machine full-pipe device according to the embodiments of this application, or corresponding modules in the beverage machine full-pipe device described in the embodiments of this application. The storage medium may include, for example, a memory card of a smartphone, a storage component of a tablet computer, a hard disk of a personal computer, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a USB memory, or any combination of the above storage media. A computer-readable storage medium may be any combination of one or more computer-readable storage media.

[0074] According to a sixth aspect of this application, a computer program product is also provided, including computer program instructions, which, when executed, are used to perform the full-pipe method of the beverage machine as described above, and also to perform the dispensing method of the beverage machine as described above.

[0075] Those skilled in the art can understand the specific implementation and beneficial effects of the above-described method for filling the tube of a beverage machine by reading the detailed description of the tube filling method above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0076] Example

[0077] Example 1. A method for filling the tube of a beverage machine, comprising:

[0078] According to the full pipe command, control the target pipe to start dispensing from the outlet of the beverage machine, and obtain the first output quantity of the target material output from the target pipe flowing out of the outlet of the beverage machine;

[0079] After the first output quantity exceeds the preset output quantity threshold, the target pipeline is controlled to perform at least two output operations under the same driving parameters;

[0080] For each dispensing operation, the second dispensing volume of the target pipeline flowing out of the dispensing port of the beverage machine in that dispensing operation is obtained;

[0081] Whether the full tube operation is completed is determined based on whether the second output quantity of each of the at least two output operations meets the preset output stability requirements.

[0082] Example 2. According to the method of Example 1, wherein the driving parameters include the number of pulses of the pump used to drive the output of the target pipeline, and controlling the target pipeline to perform at least two output operations under the same driving parameters includes:

[0083] The pump is controlled to run at least twice with the same preset number of pulses to drive the target pipeline to perform the at least two discharge operations.

[0084] Example 3. The method described in Example 1 or 2, wherein different target pipelines correspond to their respective preset number of pulses.

[0085] Example 4. The method according to any one of Examples 1-3, wherein the preset number of pulses in the target pipeline is positively correlated with the viscosity of the target material output from the target pipeline.

[0086] Example 5. The method according to any one of Examples 1-4, wherein determining whether the full tube operation is completed based on whether the second output quantity of each of the at least two output operations meets the preset output stability requirement includes:

[0087] Calculate the range between each of the second output quantities. When the range is less than a preset weight change threshold, determine that the full pipe operation is completed. When the range is greater than or equal to the preset weight change threshold, control the target pipeline to perform at least two more output operations under the same driving parameters.

[0088] Example 6. The method according to any one of Examples 1-5, wherein different target pipelines correspond to their respective preset weight change thresholds.

[0089] Example 7. The method according to any one of Examples 1-6, wherein determining whether the full tube operation is completed based on whether the second output quantity of each of the at least two output operations meets the preset output stability requirement further includes:

[0090] When the range is less than a preset weight change threshold and each of the second output quantities is greater than a preset accuracy threshold, the full tube operation is determined to be completed.

[0091] When the range is greater than or equal to the preset weight change threshold or at least one of the second output quantities is less than the preset accuracy threshold, the target pipeline is controlled to perform at least two output operations under the same driving parameters.

[0092] Example 8. The method according to any one of Examples 1-7, wherein the preset weight change threshold is determined based on the preset output quantity allowable error corresponding to the target pipeline, or the preset weight change threshold is determined based on threshold setting information input by the user.

[0093] Example 9. The method according to any one of Examples 1-8, wherein the beverage machine includes a plurality of dispensing pipes, and the method further includes:

[0094] Based on the full pipe command, one output pipe is determined from multiple output pipes as the current target pipe;

[0095] After the full-pipe operation of the current target pipeline is completed, the next output pipeline is automatically selected from multiple output pipelines as the target pipeline.

[0096] Example 10. The method according to any one of Examples 1-9, wherein the output operation is performed three times.

[0097] Example 11. A method for dispensing beverages from a beverage machine, comprising:

[0098] The multiple outlet pipes in the beverage machine are filled using the full-pipe method of any one of Examples 1-10;

[0099] According to the beverage recipe of the target beverage, at least one outlet pipe in the beverage machine is controlled to dispense the beverage to obtain the target beverage.

[0100] Example 12. A full-pipe device for a beverage machine, comprising:

[0101] The first control module is used to control the target pipeline to start dispensing from the outlet of the beverage machine according to the full pipe command, and to obtain the first output amount of the target material output from the target pipeline flowing out of the outlet of the beverage machine.

[0102] The second control module is used to control the target pipeline to perform at least two output operations under the same driving parameters after the first output quantity is greater than the preset output quantity threshold.

[0103] The acquisition module is used to acquire the second output quantity of the target pipeline flowing out of the outlet of the beverage machine in each output operation.

[0104] The determination module is used to determine whether the full tube operation is completed based on whether the second output quantity of each of the at least two output operations meets the preset output stability requirements.

[0105] Example 13. A beverage machine, wherein the method for performing the full tube method of the beverage machine as described in any one of Examples 1-10 is also used to perform the dispensing method of the beverage machine as described in Example 11.

[0106] Example 14. A storage medium storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions, when executed, are used to perform a method for filling a tube in a beverage machine as described in any one of Examples 1-10, and also to perform a method for dispensing beverages in a beverage machine as described in Example 11.

[0107] Although exemplary embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various changes and modifications can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this application. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this application as claimed in the appended claims.

[0108] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0109] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be ignored or not executed.

[0110] Numerous specific details are set forth in the specification provided herein. However, it will be understood that embodiments of this application may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this specification.

[0111] Similarly, it should be understood that, in order to streamline this application and aid in understanding one or more of the various inventive aspects, features of this application may sometimes be grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof in the description of exemplary embodiments of this application. However, this approach should not be construed as reflecting an intention that the claimed application requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as reflected in the corresponding claims, its inventive point lies in solving the corresponding technical problem with features fewer than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into that detailed description, wherein each claim itself is a separate embodiment of this application.

[0112] Those skilled in the art will understand that, apart from the mutual exclusion of features, all features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) and all processes or units of any method or apparatus so disclosed can be combined in any combination. Unless otherwise expressly stated, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature that serves the same, equivalent, or similar purpose.

[0113] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that although some embodiments herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not others, combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this application and form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

[0114] The various component embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware, or as software modules running on one or more processors, or a combination thereof. Those skilled in the art will understand that microprocessors or digital signal processors (DSPs) can be used in practice to implement some or all of the functions of some modules in the full-pipe device for a beverage machine according to embodiments of this application. This application can also be implemented as an apparatus program (e.g., a computer program and computer program product) for performing part or all of the methods described herein. Such an implementation of this application can be stored on a computer-readable medium, or can take the form of one or more signals. Such signals can be downloaded from an Internet website, provided on a carrier signal, or provided in any other form.

[0115] It should be noted that the above embodiments are illustrative of this application and not restrictive, and that those skilled in the art can devise alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses should not be construed as limiting the claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claims. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. This application can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the unit claims enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc., does not indicate any order. These words can be interpreted as names.

[0116] The above are merely specific embodiments or descriptions of specific embodiments of this application. The scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. The scope of protection of this application shall be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for filling a beverage machine's tube, characterized in that, include: According to the full pipe command, control the target pipe to start dispensing from the outlet of the beverage machine, and obtain the first output quantity of the target material output from the target pipe flowing out of the outlet of the beverage machine; After the first output quantity exceeds the preset output quantity threshold, the target pipeline is controlled to perform at least two output operations under the same driving parameters; For each dispensing operation, the second dispensing volume of the target pipeline flowing out of the dispensing port of the beverage machine in that dispensing operation is obtained; Whether the full tube operation is completed is determined based on whether the second output quantity of each of the at least two output operations meets the preset output stability requirements.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving parameters include the number of pulses used to drive the pump output from the target pipeline, and controlling the target pipeline to perform at least two output operations under the same driving parameters includes: The pump is controlled to run at least twice with the same preset number of pulses to drive the target pipeline to perform the at least two discharge operations.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Different target pipelines correspond to their own preset number of pulses.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The preset number of pulses in the target pipeline is positively correlated with the viscosity of the target material output by the target pipeline.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The step of determining whether the full-pipe operation is completed based on whether the second output quantity of each of the at least two output operations meets the preset output stability requirements includes: Calculate the range between each of the second output quantities. When the range is less than a preset weight change threshold, determine that the full pipe operation is completed. When the range is greater than or equal to the preset weight change threshold, control the target pipeline to perform at least two more output operations under the same driving parameters.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Different target pipelines correspond to their respective preset weight change thresholds.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of determining whether the full-pipe operation is completed based on whether the second output quantity of each of the at least two output operations meets the preset output stability requirements further includes: When the range is less than a preset weight change threshold and each of the second output quantities is greater than a preset accuracy threshold, the full tube operation is determined to be completed. When the range is greater than or equal to the preset weight change threshold or at least one of the second output quantities is less than the preset accuracy threshold, the target pipeline is controlled to perform at least two output operations under the same driving parameters.

8. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The preset weight change threshold is determined based on the preset output quantity allowable error corresponding to the target pipeline, or the preset weight change threshold is determined based on the threshold setting information input by the user.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The beverage machine includes multiple dispensing pipes, and the method further includes: Based on the full pipe command, one output pipe is determined from multiple output pipes as the current target pipe; After the full-pipe operation of the current target pipeline is completed, the next output pipeline is automatically selected from multiple output pipelines as the target pipeline.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The output operation is executed three times.

11. A method for dispensing beverages using a beverage machine, characterized in that, include: The method for filling multiple outlet pipes in the beverage machine as described in any one of claims 1-10 is used to fill the pipes. According to the beverage recipe of the target beverage, at least one outlet pipe in the beverage machine is controlled to dispense the beverage to obtain the target beverage.

12. A full-pipe device for a beverage machine, characterized in that, include: The first control module is used to control the target pipeline to start dispensing from the outlet of the beverage machine according to the full pipe command, and to obtain the first output amount of the target material output from the target pipeline flowing out of the outlet of the beverage machine. The second control module is used to control the target pipeline to perform at least two output operations under the same driving parameters after the first output quantity is greater than the preset output quantity threshold. The acquisition module is used to acquire the second output quantity of the target pipeline flowing out of the outlet of the beverage machine in each output operation. The determination module is used to determine whether the full tube operation is completed based on whether the second output quantity of each of the at least two output operations meets the preset output stability requirements.

13. A beverage machine, characterized in that, The device is used to perform the method of filling the tube of the beverage machine as described in any one of claims 1-10, and also to perform the method of dispensing the beverage machine as described in claim 11.

14. A storage medium on which program instructions are stored, characterized in that, The program instructions, when executed, are used to perform the method of filling the tube of the beverage machine as described in any one of claims 1-10, and also to perform the method of dispensing beverages as described in claim 11.

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