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 system for monitoring liquid consumption at an establishment, the system comprising:
 a) a plurality of devices, each device physically coupled to a liquid container, wherein each device transmits data regarding the pouring of liquid from the liquid container;   b) a local computer at the establishment for collecting the data transmitted by the devices; and   c) a set of external servers outside of the establishment for obtaining from the local computer data related to the data collected by the local computer and for generating business-related reports on the data obtained from the local computer, wherein the servers communicatively couple to the local computer through the Internet.   
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 59 , wherein the data obtained by the set of external servers is the same exact data collected by the local computer. 
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 59 , wherein the data obtained by the set of external servers is derived from the data collected by the local computer. 
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 59 , wherein the set of external servers comprises one server. 
     
     
         63 . The system of  claim 59 , wherein the set of external servers comprises two external servers. 
     
     
         64 . The system of  claim 63 , wherein a first external server computes actual amounts of liquid poured from a plurality of the liquid containers based on the data obtained from the local computer. 
     
     
         65 . The system of  claim 64 , wherein a second external server generates the business-related reports. 
     
     
         66 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the business-related reports relate to costs associated with the actual amounts of liquid poured from the liquid containers. 
     
     
         67 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the business-related reports relate to sale values associated with the actual amounts of the poured liquid. 
     
     
         68 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the business-related reports relate to remaining inventory of liquids. 
     
     
         69 . The system of  claim 63 , wherein the first and second external servers operate on one computer. 
     
     
         70 . The system of  claim 63 , wherein the first and second external servers operate on different computers. 
     
     
         71 . A system for monitoring liquid consumption at an establishment, the system comprising:
 a) a plurality of devices, each device physically coupled to a liquid container, wherein each device generates a duration of time that the liquid container remains tilted and transmits the duration as data;   b) a local computer at the establishment for collecting the data generated by the devices;   c) an external server outside of the establishment for obtaining from the local computer data relating to the duration collected by the local computer.   
     
     
         72 . The system of  claim 71 , wherein the devices are spouts. 
     
     
         73 . The system of  claim 72 , wherein the spouts are mounted on open orifices of the liquid containers. 
     
     
         74 . The system of  claim 71 , wherein the duration comprises a summation of time interval measurements. 
     
     
         75 . The system of  claim 74 , wherein each time interval measurement is 100 milliseconds. 
     
     
         76 . The system of  claim 74 , wherein the time interval measurements are weighted time interval measurements. 
     
     
         77 . The system of  claim 70  wherein the data is transmitted by a wireless transmitter. 
     
     
         78 . The system of  claim 77  further comprising a wireless receiver that receives the data transmitted by the wireless transmitter. 
     
     
         79 . The system of  claim 78  wherein the wireless receiver is part of the local computer. 
     
     
         80 . The system of  claim 78  wherein the wireless receiver is communicatively coupled to the local computer. 
     
     
         81 . A system for monitoring liquid consumption at a plurality of establishments, the system comprising:
 a) for each establishment, a plurality of devices, each device physically coupled to a liquid container, wherein each device generates data regarding the amount of liquid poured from the spout's container.   b) for each establishment, a local computer at the establishment for collecting data generated by the devices at the establishment.   c) an external server outside a plurality of the establishments that communicatively connects to a plurality of the local computers through a communication network, the external server for obtaining from a plurality of the local computers data relating to the data collected by the local computers.   
     
     
         82 . The system of  claim 81 , wherein the external server is located at one of the plurality of establishments.