Setting the level of fill in a cup used with a beverage dispenser

Abstract

A device for filling a receptacle with a beverage and a user interface for allowing a user to select a desired level of fill of beverage in the receptacle. The interface includes a mechanism for detecting an object below the outlet, such that the receptacle can be filled with the beverage up to the user selected level of fill, wherein the detection mechanism is arranged to detect a position of a human finger or a hand-held freely movable pointing instrument, which human finger or pointing instrument is adjacent to and pointing towards a side of the receptacle, so that the level of fill of the receptacle is determined from the detected position of the finger or pointing instrument the user-selected level of fill and the beverage is dispensed to fill the receptacle up to that level. The device is useful in coffee or other beverage dispensing machines.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for filling a receptacle with a beverage comprising means for filling via an outlet a receptacle located below the outlet and a user interface for allowing a user to select a desired level of fill of beverage in the receptacle, the interface comprising means for detecting an object below the outlet, the filling means being arranged to fill the receptacle up to the user selected level of fill, wherein the detecting means is arranged to detect a position of a human finger or a hand-held freely movable pointing instrument, which human finger or pointing instrument is adjacent to and pointing towards a side of the receptacle, with the filling means being arranged to derive from the detected position of the finger or pointing instrument the user-selected level of fill and to fill the receptacle up to the level. 
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , which further comprises a detector arranged to detect the height of the receptacle, the means for filling being arranged to fill the receptacle only if the detected position of the finger or pointing instrument represent the user-selected level of fill and is located below the detected height of the receptacle, with the finger or pointing instrument detecting means optionally forming the height detector. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , which further comprises a detector arranged to detect the presence of the receptacle under the outlet of the filling means, the filling means being arranged to stop filling when the receptacle is moved away from under the outlet, with the finger or pointing instrument detecting means optionally forming the presence detector. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the detecting means is arranged to detect a withdrawal motion of the pointing finger or pointing instrument from adjacent the receptacle, with the filling means being arranged to fill the receptacle to a level corresponding to the position of the pointing finger or pointing instrument immediately before its withdrawal. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , which further comprises a detector of beverage level in the receptacle during filling, with the finger or pointing instrument detecting means optionally forming the level detector. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the user-interface is arranged to provide a feed-back to the user as to the position of the finger or pointing instrument relative either to the receptacle or as to the level of beverage in the receptacle, with the user-interface optionally including a screen or a touch screen. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the feed-back includes the formation of a user-visible light spot on an inner wall of the receptacle. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the user-interface is arranged to provide a representation of a receptacle and at least one representation of a level in the receptacle. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein at least one level representation follows any vertical motion of the pointing finger or pointing instrument along and adjacent a side of the receptacle, with the level representation optionally including a representation of a finger or pointing instrument. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein at least one level representation indicative of the level of beverage in the receptacle during filling is arranged to rise in accordance with the filling of the receptacle. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the finger or pointing instrument detecting means includes a light detector 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the finger or pointing instrument detecting means includes a light emitter. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the finger or pointing instrument detecting means includes a series of photo-emitters for emitting light beams and a corresponding series of photo-receivers for detecting the light beams emitted by the emitters. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the selected level of fill may be changed by a user during the filling of the receptacle via the finger or pointing instrument detecting means. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the finger or pointing instrument detecting means is arranged to detect a vertical position of the pointing finger or pointing instrument indicative of the user-selected level of fill. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the finger or pointing instrument detecting means is arranged to detect a horizontal position of the pointing finger or pointing instrument indicative of a different parameter of a beverage to be filled in the receptacle, with the parameter including temperature, beverage strength or mixing ratio of the beverage. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the finger or pointing instrument detecting means is arranged to detect the horizontal position of the pointing finger or pointing instrument in a peripheral space outside and adjacent the receptacle. 
     
     
         18 . A device for filling a receptacle with a beverage comprising a mechanism for filling via an outlet a receptacle located below the outlet and a user interface for allowing a user to select a desired level of fill of beverage in the receptacle, the interface comprising an object detector for detecting an object below the outlet, the filling mechanism being arranged to fill the receptacle up to the user selected level of fill, wherein the object detector means is arranged to detect a position of a human finger or a hand-held freely movable pointing instrument, which human finger or pointing instrument is adjacent to and pointing towards a side of the receptacle, with the filling mechanism being arranged to derive from the detected position of the finger or pointing instrument the user-selected level of fill and to fill the receptacle up to the level. 
     
     
         19 . A coffee machine that includes the device of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         20 . A coffee machine that includes the device of  claim 18 .