Beverage capsule, beverage preparation system and method for identifying a beverage capsule
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage capsules with codes for brewing machines face challenges in reading codes due to contamination and structural limitations, particularly in horizontal brewing machines, leading to reduced success rates and potential capsule discard.
Innovation Solution
A beverage capsule with a two-dimensional code on its base, featuring geometrically arranged code elements that provide orientation information, allowing for robust decoding without reliance on finder patterns, and can be read with reduced contamination risk and simpler detection unit requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a code is applied to the lid or cover membrane of the capsule, then the code can be easily applied during manufacturing, but the code reading is difficult due to contamination from beverage residues and splashes in horizontal brewing machines
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing the code on the lid or cover membrane as in prior art, the patent inverts the approach by placing the code on the base of the capsule. This inversion moves the code away from the contamination-prone area near the beverage exit to the cleaner base area, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture while significantly improving code reading reliability in horizontal brewing machines.
2Ease of operation
If a detection unit is provided on the side of the capsule lid to read the code, then the code can be read during brewing, but the detection unit is exposed to contamination from beverage residues and splashes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the detection approach by reading the code on the base of the capsule rather than on the lid. This allows the detection unit to be positioned to read the base code, away from the contamination zone, while still enabling code reading during the brewing process in horizontal machines.
3Loss of information
If QR codes or 2-D codes are used on capsules, then more information can be encoded, but the codes are vulnerable to contamination from beverage splashes and limescale deposits making them unreadable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by placing the code specifically on the base of the capsule where contamination is minimal. This localized placement strategy allows the use of information-rich 2-D codes while protecting them from the harmful effects of beverage splashes and limescale that affect codes placed on the lid or in areas exposed to beverage flow.
4Measurement precision
If finder patterns are included in 2-D codes for robust recognition, then code recognition can be achieved, but the maximum achievable robustness is limited and the codes require more computing power and camera optics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the code structure by using a specific 2-D code design with particular properties suited for capsule bases. This includes using codes that can be reliably read from the base position, potentially with different geometric characteristics or error correction properties that are optimized for the base placement scenario, thereby achieving robust recognition without excessive complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a capsule (10) for beverage preparations in a brewing machine (20), said capsule comprising a capsule container (11) which is filled with an extraction product and has an essentially quadratic base (12), and a capsule cover (16) which closes the capsule container (11). Said capsule is characterized by at least one first optically readable code (50) on the base (12) of the capsule container (11), said code having a two-dimensional arrangement of several first code elements (52, 53) which respectively contain information from which one of several possible orientations of the code (50) on the plane of the base (12) can be derived in a unique manner. The invention also relates to a capsule (10) and to an associated system comprising a brewing machine (20) and to a method for identifying said type of capsule (10).