Multi-Touch Beverage Dispenser for Concurrent User Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Beverage dispensing machines struggle with concurrent multi-touch inputs, as existing touch-sensitive displays often require multiple user interfaces and struggle to accurately interpret 'touch and hold' inputs when multiple users interact simultaneously, leading to inefficiencies in dispensing custom beverages.
Innovation Solution
A beverage dispenser equipped with a touch-sensitive graphical display that receives and interprets multiple touch inputs, using a computer to identify icons and gesture inputs, and control valves for concurrent dispensing of beverages, allowing simultaneous or concurrent dispensing from multiple nozzles based on user inputs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single touch-sensitive display is used for multiple users, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to accurately interpret concurrent multi-touch inputs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the touch-sensitive display interface into multiple independent dispensing arrangements, where each arrangement can be independently controlled by different users. The system divides touch inputs by spatial location on the display, allowing simultaneous independent operation of multiple dispensing arrangements without interference between users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer that receives raw touch inputs from the touch-sensitive display and translates them into discrete dispensing arrangement-specific commands. This intermediary layer resolves the ambiguity of concurrent touches by mapping touch locations to specific dispensing arrangements and their associated control functions.
2Productivity
If multi-touch display is used for concurrent dispensing, then user throughput is improved, but difficulty in detecting and measuring individual touch inputs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the touch-sensitive display into multiple zones, each corresponding to a specific dispensing arrangement. This spatial segmentation allows the system to easily identify and process individual touch inputs by their location, enabling concurrent dispensing operations without difficulty in detecting individual touches.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the touch-sensitive display are assigned different functions and characteristics based on their location. Each region is optimized for specific dispensing arrangement controls, allowing the system to detect and interpret touch inputs with high accuracy by considering the local context of where each touch occurs on the display.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and method for beverage dispense from a plurality of users include a beverage dispenser with a touch-sensitive graphical display. A computer of the beverage dispenser receives touch event data, points and identifies one or more GUI sections of a plurality of GUI sections associated with the received touch event data points. The computer further operates to interpret a touch event input and provide a command responsive to the input to an associated dispensing unit.