Method, Apparatus, and System for Monitoring Amount of Liquid Poured From Liquid Containers

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention provide a system for monitoring liquid consumption at one or more establishments. At each establishment, the system includes one or more spouts and a local computer. Each spout is mounted on a liquid container. Also, each spout generates data regarding the amount of liquid poured from the spout's container. The local computer at each establishment collects data generated by the spouts at the establishment. In some embodiments, a wireless network links the local computer and the spouts at each establishment. The system also includes an external computer that gathers the data collected by the local computers of the establishments monitored by the system. In some embodiments, the external computer is located outside of all the establishments, while in other embodiments this computer is located within one of the establishments. Some embodiments of the invention provide a free-pour spout. This spout mounts on an open orifice of a liquid container and measures the amount of liquid poured from the liquid container. This spout has a housing and a passageway defined within the housing. It also has a detection circuit that detects fluid flow through the passageway. In addition, this spout has a measuring circuit that generates data relating to fluid flow when the detection circuit detects fluid flow through the passageway.

1 - 58 . (canceled) 
     
     
         59 . A spout for mounting on an open orifice of a liquid container and for measuring the amount of liquid poured from a liquid container, the spout comprising:
 a) a passageway having a plurality of dimensional attributes designed to ensure laminar fluid flow through the passageway when the spout is tilted; and   b) a circuit for generating data relating to fluid flow through the passageway.   
     
     
         60 . The spout of  claim 59 , wherein the passageway has a length and a diameter, and the ratio of the length and the diameter is no more than a particular value. 
     
     
         61 . The spout of  claim 60 , wherein the particular value is 20. 
     
     
         62 . The spout of  claim 59  further comprising a breather tube for allowing better fluid flow through the passageway. 
     
     
         63 . The spout of  claim 59  further comprising a tilt switch for detecting when the spout is tilted. 
     
     
         64 . The spout of  claim 59 , wherein the data relating to fluid flow is a duration of time that the spout is tilted. 
     
     
         65 . The spout of  claim 59  further comprising an engage switch for determining when the spout is mounted on an open orifice of a liquid container. 
     
     
         66 . The spout of  claim 65  further comprising a light-emitting diode, the light-emitting diode configured to blink when the spout is mounted on an open orifice of a liquid container and when the spout is tilted. 
     
     
         67 . The spout of  claim 59  further comprising a transmitter for transmitting the generated data. 
     
     
         68 . An apparatus for physically coupling to a liquid container and for generating data regarding the amount of liquid poured from the liquid container, the apparatus comprising:
 a) a microcontroller for receiving an interrupt when the liquid container is tilted and measuring a duration of time that the liquid container remains tilted; and   b) a transmitter for transmitting the duration.   
     
     
         69 . The apparatus of  claim 68  further comprising a tilt switch for detecting that the liquid container is tilted. 
     
     
         70 . The apparatus of  claim 69  further comprising a combinatorial logic for generating an interrupt when the tilt switch detects that the liquid container is tilted. 
     
     
         71 . The apparatus of  claim 68  further comprising an engage switch for detecting that the apparatus is physically coupled to the liquid container. 
     
     
         72 . The apparatus of  claim 71  further comprising a combinatorial logic for generating an interrupt when the engage switch detects that the apparatus is physically coupled to the liquid container. 
     
     
         73 . The apparatus of  claim 72 , wherein the microcontroller receives the interrupt from the combinatorial logic and generates an engage signal that the apparatus is physically coupled to the liquid container. 
     
     
         74 . The apparatus of  claim 73 , wherein the transmitter transmits the engage signal. 
     
     
         75 . An apparatus for physically coupling to a liquid container, the apparatus comprising:
 a) at least one electronic component for generating data for a pour event; and   b) a transmitter for transmitting the generated data multiple times.   
     
     
         76 . The apparatus of  claim 75 , wherein the data comprises time data. 
     
     
         77 . The apparatus of  claim 76 , wherein the time data is a duration. 
     
     
         78 . The apparatus of  claim 75 , wherein the at least one electronic component also generates data for an engage event. 
     
     
         79 . The apparatus of  claim 78 , wherein the transmitter transmits the data for the engage event multiple times. 
     
     
         80 . The apparatus of  claim 75 , wherein the transmitter transmits the generated data multiple times at random intervals.