Mobile-Controlled Beverage Dispensing for Touchless Hygiene
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional beverage dispensing systems require physical interaction, leading to hygiene issues due to frequent touching and potential germ spread, especially in high-usage environments like workplaces and cafeterias.
Innovation Solution
A touchless beverage dispensing system that allows users to wirelessly connect their mobile device to the dispenser via a QR code or similar digital graphic, enabling selection and control through a mobile app or web platform, establishing a WebSocket Secure connection for remote operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If physical interaction with the dispenser is required for beverage selection, then the device complexity remains low, but hygiene is compromised due to frequent touching and germ spread
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mobile device as an intermediary between the user and the beverage dispenser. The mobile device communicates with the dispenser via QR code scanning and WebSocket connections, allowing users to select beverages without physically touching the dispenser. This intermediary approach eliminates direct contact while maintaining system functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical physical interaction (pushing buttons, touching the dispenser) with electronic/digital communication methods. Users scan QR codes with their mobile devices and control the dispenser through wireless communication protocols, substituting mechanical contact with electronic signaling.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If touchless control via mobile device is implemented, then hygiene is improved by eliminating contact, but ease of operation may deteriorate due to additional connection steps
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having the dispenser automatically generate and display QR codes, and by pre-establishing WebSocket connection infrastructure. When a user scans the QR code, the connection is already prepared, reducing the perceived complexity for the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device serves as the user's personal interface, allowing them to control the dispenser from their own device. The system adapts to the user's existing mobile device rather than requiring them to learn a new interface, making operation more convenient.
3Ease of operation
If QR code scanning and WebSocket connection are required, then touchless operation is achieved, but loss of time increases due to connection establishment
Solution Approach 1:
The WebSocket connection infrastructure is pre-established and ready on both the dispenser and mobile device sides. The QR code contains pre-configured connection information, allowing for rapid connection establishment without manual configuration or lengthy setup procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system skips traditional manual connection setup steps by using QR code scanning to automatically initiate and establish the WebSocket connection. This rushes through the connection establishment process in a single action rather than requiring multiple configuration steps.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for beverage dispensing are disclosed herein. The beverage dispensing system can receive a connection request to pair a mobile computing device with a beverage dispensing device via a network. The connection request can include an identifier that can be verified to match a current identifier associated with the beverage dispersing device. The beverage dispensing system can generate a session between the mobile computing device and the beverage dispensing device that replicates a user interface of the beverage dispensing device on the mobile computing device. The beverage dispensing system can receive inputs from the mobile computing device during the session to obtain configuration parameters for a beverage and dispense the beverage from a nozzle based on the configuration parameters.