Container-less custom beverage vending invention

Abstract

Methods and apparatus describing a convenience beverage vending machine and its operation are described. An embedded computer interface allows consumers to create their own drinks or choose from a menu of drinks. Drinks are dispensed in a re-usable container. The beverages may be made from hot water, cold water or carbonated water that is mixed with various flavors of syrup, sweeteners and nutritional supplements. Identification may be presented and the computer recognizes the consumer and pulls up that consumer's account to determine funds available and previous drink selections and mixtures. The machine may incorporate an automatic cleaning cycle for both the valves and the dispense area.

1 . A beverage dispensing system comprising:
 one or more beverage dispensers for dispensing a user defined custom beverage;   one or more memory devices in communication with the one or more beverage dispensers, wherein the one or more memory devices store one or more user accounts containing user account information and user preferences in electronic form;   an authentication device for identifying a user of the one or more beverage dispensers having a user account;   a user interface for selection of a beverage to be dispensed based on the user preferences; and   wherein the one or more beverage dispensers will only dispense a beverage where the user is an authorized user.   
     
     
         2 . A beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein a user is determined to be an authorized user where there are adequate means to pay for a beverage to be dispensed. 
     
     
         3 . A beverage dispensing system of  claim 2 , wherein the adequate means comprises one or more of a payment, a credit, a debit or a redemption, wherein the adequate means further comprises one or more of a credit stored on the user account, a link to a credit card, a debit card or a bank account stored on the user account, or a payment device incorporated within the one or more beverage dispensers, wherein the payment device comprises at least one of a cash machine, a coin machine, a credit card reader, a debit card reader, a credit reader device or a redemption device. 
     
     
         4 . A beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more beverage dispensers further comprise one or more of flavor ingredients and relative strengths of the flavor ingredients selectable by a user, and a sweetener type and relative sweetness level of the sweetener type selectable by a user to define the custom beverage. 
     
     
         5 . A beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more beverage dispensers further comprise one or more water choices comprising a temperature range from cold to hot selectable by a user, and a carbonation level from none to fully carbonated selectable by a user to define the custom beverage. 
     
     
         6 . A beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more beverage dispensers comprise:
 a plurality of reservoirs holding separate ingredients to be used in beverage recipes,   a mixing manifold interconnected with the plurality of reservoirs;   a processor to control the mixing manifold to mix any combination of the plurality of separate ingredients, the processor being adapted to customize a beverage by controlling the mixing of certain combinations and amounts of the plurality of separate ingredients based on the user preferences;   wherein the processor regulates the mixing manifold based on the user's preferences to mix a customized beverage from the separate ingredients held within the plurality of reservoirs, wherein the customized beverage comprises water and one or more selected from the group consisting of one or more flavor ingredients, one or more acids, one or more sweeteners and one or more supplements held within the plurality of reservoirs; and   a dispense nozzle in communication with the mixing manifold to dispense the customized beverage that has been mixed in the mixing manifold.   
     
     
         7 . A beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the authentication device comprises one or more of a user input device for providing a user identifier, or a reader configured to read one or more devices on which a user identifier is contained. 
     
     
         8 . A beverage dispensing system of  claim 7 , wherein the user identifier comprises a user name or a user password, and wherein the one or more devices comprises a magnetic stripe card, a smart card, an RFID device, a computer, a mobile device or a digital audio player. 
     
     
         9 . A beverage dispensing system of  1 , wherein the one or more beverage dispensers are in communication with the one or more memory devices over a computer network, and wherein the user account information and user preferences are accessible from the one or more memory devices and made available at the one or more beverage dispensers when a user has been identified via the authentication device, wherein the user interface is in communication with the one or more memory devices for a user to access and manage user account information and user preferences. 
     
     
         10 . A beverage dispensing system of  claim 9 , wherein the user preferences comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of a user's history of beverages dispensed from the one or more beverage dispensers, a user's favorite beverages, a user's mixing instructions for creating a customized beverage or recommended beverages for the user. 
     
     
         11 . A beverage dispensing system of  claim 9 , wherein the user interface is in communication with the one or more beverage dispensers and includes an input for selecting and storing the user's favorite beverages and the user's mixing instructions for creating a customized beverage to be dispensed from the beverage dispensing system. 
     
     
         12 . A beverage dispensing system of  claim 9 , wherein the user interface is at least one of incorporated within the one or more beverage dispensers or is remote from the one or more beverage dispensers and is in communication with the one or more memory devices over a network. 
     
     
         13 . A beverage dispensing system of  claim 9 , wherein the user interface further comprises an interactive display for displaying the user preferences when a user has been identified via the authentication device, and allowing the user to select from the user preference the type of beverage to be dispensed. 
     
     
         14 . A beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a device to verify the presence of a container into which the beverage will be dispensed and to only permit the beverage to be dispensed when a container has been verified in proper position. 
     
     
         15 . A beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a device to determine at least one of the volume or size of the container into which the beverage will be dispensed to regulate the amount of beverage to be dispensed. 
     
     
         16 . A beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a device to measure an exterior temperature of a container into which the beverage has been dispensed and to inform the user of a potential hot surface when the temperature exceeds a predefined value. 
     
     
         17 . A beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface further comprises an input for one or more personalized beverage names to be designated by a user and with each personalized beverage name being associated with a particular user defined custom beverage created by the user, wherein the one or more personalized beverages are stored in the one or more memory devices for being shared with other users to try, wherein the user interface further comprises a display for listing the one or more personalized beverage names of the user defined custom beverages to be offered to other users to try. 
     
     
         18 . A beverage dispenser of  claim 17 , wherein the input of the user interface further comprises a designation of a rating of the one or more personalized beverage names after the associated user defined custom beverage has been tried by other users, and with the rating being stored in the one or more memory devices, wherein at least one of the top rated or top selling of the one or more personalized beverage names are displayed on the user interface. 
     
     
         19 . A beverage dispenser of  claim 1 , further comprising an automatic cleaning cycle stored in the one or more memory devices and operable for initiating cleaning of the one or more beverage dispensers at defined times. 
     
     
         20 . A beverage dispenser of  claim 1 , further comprising a parental control stored in the one or more memory devices and programmed for designating permitted usage by a child user comprising one or more of:
 a defined number of beverages permitted to be consumed over a given time period;   types of beverages permitted to be consumed;   specific ingredients that may or may not be consumed; and   one or more specific nutritional supplements to be included in each custom beverage.