Dispensing system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dispensing systems in bars and restaurants face inefficiencies in tracking container usage, managing deposits, and accurately accounting for drink sales, leading to issues like premature or late replacement of containers, fraudulent practices, and incorrect stock estimation.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing system featuring containers with unique identification tags that can be read by devices, integrating with a database to track usage, manage deposits, and connect with till systems for accurate accounting and inventory management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual tracking of container usage is used, then system complexity is low, but productivity and accuracy of tracking container usage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing system integrates multiple functions into a single automated system: it tracks container usage through RFID tags, manages deposit transactions, monitors container durability, and maintains inventory records. This multi-functional integration resolves the contradiction by automating tracking operations (improving productivity) while consolidating complexity into a unified system (managing device complexity).
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical tracking methods with automated electronic RFID reading and database management. RFID tags on containers are automatically read by sensors at dispensing points, eliminating the need for manual recording and significantly improving tracking efficiency while transferring complexity from human operators to automated electronic systems.
2Reliability
If deposit tokens are given out with each container, then reliability of deposit management is improved, but loss of time in payment operations worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically handles deposit management through RFID tag reading and database transactions. When a container is dispensed, the system automatically records the deposit association. When returned, the deposit is automatically processed and refunded or transferred. This self-service automation maintains reliable deposit tracking while eliminating manual payment operations, resolving the time loss contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where RFID readers automatically detect container status and trigger appropriate deposit management actions. The database receives real-time updates on container dispensing and return, automatically adjusting deposit records without requiring manual intervention, thus maintaining reliability while reducing time loss.
3Reliability
If container replacement is done without tracking rinsing operations, then device complexity is low, but reliability of container durability assessment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary tracking of each container's usage history, recording the number of rinsing operations and dispensing events in the database. This preliminary data collection enables reliable durability assessment when replacement decisions are made, resolving the contradiction by establishing a tracking infrastructure that provides accurate container lifecycle information.
Solution Approach 2:
The RFID tags serve as intermediaries between the physical container and the digital tracking system. Each tag stores a unique identifier that links the physical container to its usage history in the database. This intermediary mechanism enables reliable durability tracking without requiring complex sensors on the containers themselves, managing the complexity trade-off.
4Loss of information
If stock levels are estimated without actual consumption data, then device complexity is low, but loss of information on actual consumption worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback loops where RFID readers at dispensing points automatically record each container usage event in the database. This real-time data capture provides accurate consumption information for inventory management. The database continuously updates stock levels based on actual dispensing and return transactions, eliminating estimation errors while managing complexity through automated data collection and processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual inventory estimation with automated electronic tracking. RFID tags on containers provide automatic identification and tracking throughout the dispensing and return process. The database processes this electronic data to maintain accurate real-time inventory records, substituting manual estimation methods with automated electronic information systems that eliminate information loss.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a system consisting ofa) a plurality of containers having an information label which contains a unique and distinct container identification that can be read out,b) a first read device for reading out container identifications from information labels and for generating a data string on the basis of the read out container identification,c) a database (4) for storing the data string in a database entry andd) a control device which initiates the transmission of the generated data string to the database (4).