Systems and methods of multi-touch concurrent dispensing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Beverage dispensing machines with touch-sensitive displays struggle to handle multiple concurrent user inputs, often requiring separate interfaces and facing challenges in interpreting 'touch and hold' inputs alongside simultaneous multi-touch events.

Innovation Solution

A beverage dispenser 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, enabling simultaneous or concurrent dispensing from multiple nozzles based on user inputs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single touch-sensitive display is used for beverage dispensing, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to handle multiple concurrent user inputs is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of user interfacesVSAvoidconcurrent user handling capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The touch-sensitive display is segmented into multiple independent touch zones, each capable of receiving and processing touch inputs separately. The system divides the display surface into distinct operational areas that can be independently activated by different users simultaneously, enabling multi-user concurrent access without requiring multiple separate interfaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from handling single-touch sequential input to multi-touch simultaneous input by utilizing the spatial dimension of the touch display. Multiple touch points are detected across different zones of the display at the same time, allowing parallel processing of multiple user requests through spatial differentiation rather than temporal sequencing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multi-touch display is used to detect multiple inputs, then concurrent user capability is improved, but difficulty in detecting and measuring touch gestures increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemulti-touch input detectionVSAvoidgesture interpretation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The display is divided into multiple touch zones with predetermined functional assignments. Each zone is independently monitored for touch events, and the system processes touch inputs based on their specific zone locations. This segmentation simplifies gesture interpretation by mapping touch events in each zone to specific predefined actions rather than requiring complex analysis of multi-finger gestures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically distinguishes between single-user and multi-user scenarios by analyzing the spatial distribution and temporal patterns of touch events across different zones. The touch-sensitive display self-manages the complexity of multi-touch detection by having each zone independently report its touch state, allowing the system to automatically determine user intent without requiring complex gesture recognition algorithms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If traditional touch interface is used, then ease of operation is maintained, but user throughput and dispensing speed are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch interface usabilityVSAvoiduser throughput

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The touch interface is segmented into multiple independent operational zones that can be simultaneously activated. Each zone maintains simple, intuitive touch controls familiar to users, while the system processes multiple zone activations in parallel. This allows multiple users to independently select beverages using simple touch gestures without interfering with each other, thereby maintaining ease of operation while increasing overall throughput.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables continuous parallel processing of multiple user requests by simultaneously monitoring and responding to touch events across multiple zones. Rather than processing user inputs sequentially, the system maintains continuous operation by handling multiple touch events concurrently, eliminating idle time and maximizing dispensing throughput while keeping the interface simple for each individual user.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS11226733B2Systems and methods of multi-touch concurrent dispensing

Publication Date: 2022.01.18 MARMON FOODSERVICE TECH INC

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.