System, Method, And Apparatus For Mixing, Blending, Dispensing, Monitoring, And Labeling Products

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed that enable certain establishments that serve self-serve food and/or serve food via vending machines, to comply with recently issued FDA rules for providing calorie content and Nutrition Facts information to consumers. The calorie content and/or Nutrition Facts may be displayed on an electronic display, printed on a label, and/or provided via an audible signal, and/or may be provided in real time.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A blender comprising:
 a motorized housing having mounted thereto a bayonet-mounted container, the bayonet-mounted container configured to contain and blend a food or beverage product, and to yield a food or beverage product for immediate consumption;   a weighing apparatus engaged with the blender, the weighing apparatus comprising one or more pressure sensors positioned beneath the motorized housing, the weighing apparatus configured to determine the weight of a food or beverage product after the food or beverage product is placed in the bayonet-mounted container;   an input device configured to receive Nutrition Facts information specific to the food or beverage product via coded indicia applied to the food or beverage product or packaging therefor; and   an output device communicatively coupled with the input device and the weighing apparatus, the output device configured to produce an output comprising a Nutrition Facts label specific to the food or beverage product for immediate consumption, based on the weight of the food or beverage product and the Nutrition Facts information specific to the food or beverage product.   
     
     
         2 . The blender of  claim 1 , wherein the input device is a bar code scanner. 
     
     
         3 . The blender of  claim 2 , wherein the output device comprises a printer, and the output comprises a printed Nutrition Facts label specific to the food or beverage product for immediate consumption. 
     
     
         4 . The blender of  claim 2 , wherein the output device comprises a display configured to display the output, wherein the output comprises a virtual Nutrition Facts label specific to the food or beverage product for immediate consumption. 
     
     
         5 . The blender of  claim 4 , wherein the output comprises a virtual Nutrition Facts label specific to the food or beverage product for immediate consumption transmitted to a mobile device of a user. 
     
     
         6 . The blender of  claim 2 , wherein the weighing apparatus comprises one or more piezoelectric transducers positioned beneath the motorized housing. 
     
     
         7 . The blender of  claim 3 , wherein the Nutrition Facts label specific to the food or beverage product for immediate consumption comprises a Nutrition Facts section and a receipt section, the receipt section comprising sales receipt information specific to the food or beverage product for immediate consumption. 
     
     
         8 . The blender of  claim 3 , wherein the Nutrition Facts label specific to the food or beverage product for immediate consumption comprises an adhesive backing. 
     
     
         9 . A blender comprising:
 a housing;   a blending container;   a reader configured to receive, via readable coded indicia, first data comprising a weight or a volume of a food or beverage product intended to be placed in the blending container, the reader further configured to receive second data comprising Nutrition Facts information specific to the food or beverage product intended to be placed in the blending container, the reader further configured to receive the first and second data via the readable coded indicia applied either to:   (a) the food or beverage product, or   (b) to packaging containing the food or beverage product; and   a display configured to display a virtual Nutrition Facts label comprising Nutrition Facts information specific to a food or beverage product for immediate consumption blended by the blender, based on the net weight or the volume of the food or beverage product placed in the blending container.   
     
     
         10 . The blender of  claim 9 , the blender further comprising a weighing mechanism configured to determine a net weight of a food or beverage product after being placed in the blending container; wherein the housing comprises a base, and the weighing mechanism comprises one or more piezoelectric transducers beneath the base. 
     
     
         11 . The blender of  claim 9 , further comprising a printer within the housing, the printer configured to print and dispense a printed Nutrition Facts label corresponding to the virtual Nutrition Facts label. 
     
     
         12 . The blender of  claim 11 , wherein the printed Nutrition Facts label comprises a graduated label applicable to a container. 
     
     
         13 . The blender of  claim 9 , wherein the reader comprises a scanner configured to scan coded indicia of at least a first ingredient and a second ingredient, the coded indicia comprising Nutrition Facts and a weight or volume specific to the first ingredient and the second ingredient, and further wherein the blender is configured to combine the first ingredient with the second ingredient to yield a food or beverage product for immediate consumption. 
     
     
         14 . The blender of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first ingredient and the second ingredient comprises a packaged food or beverage comprising a package to which the coded indicia is applied. 
     
     
         15 . The blender of  claim 9 , wherein the reader comprises a bar code scanner, and the readable coded indicia comprises a bar code. 
     
     
         16 . A blender comprising:
 a. a motorized housing that engages a rotor blade configured to process food and/or beverages within a bayonet-mounted blending container;   b. the housing comprising a scanner configured to scan a code associated with a food or beverage ingredient intended to be placed within the bayonet-mounted blending container, via readable coded indicia applied either to:
 i. the food or beverage ingredient, or 
 ii. to packaging containing the food or beverage ingredient; 
   c. a processor configured to:
 i. determine completion of a blending operation of a first food or beverage ingredient and a second food or beverage ingredient placed within the blending container, the blending operation resulting in a blended food or beverage product for immediate consumption; and 
 ii. determine Nutrition Facts specific to the first food or beverage ingredient and the second food or beverage ingredient based on readable coded indicia associated with the first food or beverage ingredient and the second food or beverage ingredient subsequent to the readable coded indicia having been scanned by the scanner; and 
 iii. determine resulting Nutrition Facts specific to the blended food or beverage product for immediate consumption; and 
 iv. parse the resulting Nutrition Facts specific to the blended food or beverage product for immediate consumption into a Nutrition Facts label specific to the blended food or beverage product for immediate consumption; and 
   e. at least one of:
 i. a display on the blender configured to display a virtual Nutrition Facts label specific to the blended food or beverage product for immediate consumption; or 
 ii. a printer configured to print and dispense the Nutrition Facts label specific to the blended food or beverage product for immediate consumption; or 
 iii. an output device configured to wirelessly transmit information comprising a virtual Nutrition Facts label specific to the blended food or beverage product for immediate consumption to at least one of:
 1. a printer remote from the blender, the printer configured to print the Nutrition Facts label specific to the blended food or beverage product for immediate consumption; or 
 2. a remote display configured to display the virtual Nutrition Facts label specific to the blended food or beverage product for immediate consumption. 
 
   
     
     
         17 . The blender of  claim 16 , wherein the blender further comprises at least one of:
 a. a user interface configured to enable a user of the blender to enter a weight or a volume, and Nutrition Facts data for, the food or beverage ingredient intended to be placed within the blending container; and   b. an input device configured to enable the blender to communicate wirelessly with a handheld device of a user to enable communication a weight or a volume, and Nutrition Facts data for, the food or beverage ingredient intended to be placed within the blending container.   
     
     
         18 . The blender of  claim 16 , further comprising a weighing mechanism configured to determine a net weight of a food or beverage ingredient after being placed in the blending container; wherein the housing comprises a base and the weighing mechanism comprises one or more pressure sensors positioned beneath the motorized housing. 
     
     
         19 . The blender of  claim 9  wherein the reader comprises a bar code scanner and the readable coded indicia comprises a bar code. 
     
     
         20 . The blender of  claim 18  wherein the one or more pressure sensors comprise piezoelectric transducers.