Contoller and method of controlling an integrated system for dispensing and blending/mixing beverage ingredients

Abstract

A method of controlling an integrated beverage system that comprises a dispensing module that dispenses one or more ingredients into a beverage container and a blending/mixing module that blends and/or mixes the ingredients in the beverage container, the method comprising: controlling the dispensing module and the blending/mixing module to prepare first and second beverages concurrently or sequentially.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of controlling an integrated beverage system that comprises:
 a dispensing module that dispenses ice and at least one additional ingredient according to a first recipe script executed by a controller into a first container and dispenses said ice and said at least one additional ingredient according to a second recipe script executed by said controller into a second container, wherein said first and second recipe scripts can be the same or different scripts;   a first blending/mixing module that blends and/or mixes ice and said one additional ingredient in said first container; and   a second blending/mixing module that blends and/or mixes ice and said at least one additional ingredient in said second container,   said method comprising:
 controlling said dispensing module, said first blending/mixing module to prepare a first beverage in said first container and said second blending/mixing module to prepare a second beverage in said second container, wherein the controller is capable of preparing the first beverage and the second beverage both concurrently and/or sequentially with blending and/or mixing said ice and said at least one additional ingredient. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said blending and/or mixing of said ice and at least one additional ingredient in said first container is initiated during or before said dispensing module dispenses said ice and said at least one additional ingredient into said second container. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more other ingredients are selected from the group consisting of: water, at least one flavor, and at least one additive. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first recipe script comprises a beverage container size, a user selected beverage, and a first ingredient, and, based on said beverage container size, said first ingredient and said user selected beverage type, controlling said dispenser module to portion said first ingredient. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 using a first micro-controller that responds to user data entered via a user entry device to provide said first recipe script and said second recipe script; and   using a second micro-controller that uses said first recipe script and said second recipe script to control said dispensing module in the dispensing of a first set of said at least one additional ingredient into said first container and a second set of said at least one additional ingredient into said second container, respectively; and   using a third micro-controller that uses said first recipe script and said second recipe script to blend and/or mix said first and second sets of ingredients in said first container and said second container to produce said first beverage and said second beverage, respectively.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said first and/or second blending/mixing modules comprises a spindle assembly that is rotatable and that is movable substantially vertically into and out of said first container or said second container, and further comprising with said third micro-controller using said first recipe script or said second recipe script to drive a first motor that rotates said spindle assembly and a second motor that moves said spindle assembly substantially vertically. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said first recipe script or said second recipe script includes a size of said first container, a speed and dwell time for each of a plurality of blending levels in said first container, and further comprising with said third micro-controller using said first recipe script or said second recipe script to move said spindle assembly substantially vertically to each of said levels and to rotate said spindle assembly at each level with the speed and for the dwell time for that level according to said first recipe script or said second recipe script. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said integrated beverage system further comprises an interactive display, and wherein said program causes said controller to present a series of interactive screens on said display, to respond to user entries via said interactive screens to define a first set of said one or more other ingredients and a second set of said one or more other ingredients for said first beverage and said second beverage, respectively, to provide said first recipe script and said second recipe script for said first beverage and said second beverage, respectively, and to use said first recipe script and said second recipe script to control said dispensing module to dispense said first set of ingredients and said second set of ingredients into said first container and said second container, respectively, on a time shared basis. 
     
     
         9 . A controller for an integrated beverage system that comprises:
 wherein said integrated beverage system comprises:
 a dispensing module that dispenses ice and one or more other ingredients according to a first recipe script executed by the controller into a first container and dispenses said ice and said at least one additional ingredient according to a second recipe script executed by said controller into a second container, wherein said first and second recipe scripts can be the same or different scripts; 
 a first blending/mixing module that blends and/or mixes said ice and said one or more other ingredients in said first container; and 
 a second blending/mixing module that blends and/or mixes ice and said at least one additional ingredient in said second container; 
   wherein said controller comprises:
 a controller apparatus that controls said dispensing module and said first and second blending/mixing modules to prepare a first beverage in a first container and a second beverage in a second container concurrently and/or sequentially. 
   
     
     
         10 . The controller of  claim 9 , wherein said controller apparatus controls said dispensing module and said first and/or second blending/mixing modules based on beverage requests received from a user operated entry device. 
     
     
         11 . The controller of  claim 9 , wherein said one or more other ingredients are selected from the group consisting of: water, flavor and additive. 
     
     
         12 . The controller of  claim 9 , wherein said controller apparatus monitors conditions of said integrated beverage system via connections to one or more sensors of said integrated beverage system. 
     
     
         13 . The controller of  claim 9 , wherein said integrated beverage system further comprises an ice maker, and wherein said controller apparatus controls said dispensing module to deliver said ice to at least one of said first container and said second container. 
     
     
         14 . The controller of  claim 9 , wherein said dispensing module comprises a plurality of storage containers, wherein said at least one additional ingredient is a plurality of other ingredients, wherein said plurality of said other ingredients are stored in separate ones of said plurality of storage containers, and wherein said controller apparatus controls said dispensing module to deliver at least one of said plurality of said other ingredients from a corresponding storage container to said first container or said second container. 
     
     
         15 . The controller of  claim 14 , wherein said plurality of storage containers are flexible bags. 
     
     
         16 . The controller of  claim 14 , wherein said dispensing module further comprises a single dispensing nozzle for said plurality of storage containers, wherein said controller apparatus controls said dispensing module to deliver a selection of said other ingredients from said separate ones of said plurality of storage containers via separate delivery paths to said nozzle for dispensing to said first container or said second container. 
     
     
         17 . The controller of  claim 9 , wherein said controller apparatus comprises a plurality of micro-controllers that control said dispensing module and said first and/or second blending/mixing modules to prepare said first beverage and said second beverage based on said first recipe script and said second recipe script, respectively. 
     
     
         18 . The controller of  claim 17 , wherein said first recipe script comprises such selectable elements as a beverage container size, a user selected beverage, optional fluid types and quantities, optional additive types and quantities, blender profiles, optional mixer profiles, operator instructions for the different additives and a first ingredient, and wherein at least one of said micro-controllers, based on said beverage container size, said first ingredient and said user selected beverage, controls said dispenser module to portion said first ingredient. 
     
     
         19 . The controller of  claim 17 , wherein said micro-controllers comprise:
 a first micro-controller that responds to user data entered via a user entry device to provide said first and second recipe scripts; and   a second micro-controller that uses said first and second recipe scripts to control said dispensing module in the dispensing of a first set of said at least one additional ingredient into said first container and a second set of said at least one additional ingredient into said second container, respectively; and   a third micro-controller that uses said first and second recipe scripts to blend and/or mix said first and second sets of other ingredients in said first and second containers to produce said first and second beverages, respectively.   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for controlling an integrated beverage system that comprises a dispensing module that dispenses ice and at least one additional ingredient according to a first recipe script into a first container and dispenses said ice and said at least one additional ingredient according to a second recipe script into a second container, wherein said first and second recipe scripts can be the same or different scripts; a first blending/mixing module that blends and/or mixes said ice and said at least one additional ingredient in said first container; and a second blending/mixing module that blends and/or mixes said ice and said at least one additional ingredient in said second container, said non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:
 executable with a computer apparatus instructions of said program to control said dispensing module and said first and/or second blending/mixing modules to prepare a first beverage in a first container and/or a second beverage in a second container concurrently and/or sequentially.