Beverage dispensing and monitoring system

Abstract

A beverage operations control system of an establishment such as a bar communicates with numerous wireless beverage control devices that monitor and control the pouring of beverages. The system provides monitoring and predictive analysis based on the monitoring, including real-time modifications to the operations of the beverage control devices.

1 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A system for monitoring and controlling pouring of liquid from a plurality of bottles, comprising:
 a plurality of wireless beverage control devices each associated with a respective bottle of the plurality of bottles, each wireless beverage control device comprising:
 an insert configured to frictionally engage with an interior surface of the respective bottle; 
 a flow control device to selectively block the liquid or allow the liquid to flow through the wireless beverage control device; 
 a flow sensor that measures the flow of the liquid through the wireless beverage control device; 
 wireless communication circuitry; 
 control circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to receive a pour instruction via the wireless communication circuitry to cause the flow control device to allow a flow of the liquid through the wireless beverage control device, to monitor data received from the flow sensor while the flow of the liquid is allowed, generate a pour alert based on the monitored data from the flow sensor, and to cause the wireless communication circuitry to transmit the pour alert; and 
 a battery configured to provide power to operate the flow control device, the flow sensor, and the control circuitry. 
   
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 41 , further comprising a beverage operations system, wherein the beverage operations system comprises:
 a wireless communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with each of the respective wireless beverage control devices via the respective wireless communication circuitry of the respective wireless beverage control device;   a memory comprising instructions stored thereon; and   a processor coupled to the wireless communication interface and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions to:
 provide, to respective beverage control devices of the plurality of wireless beverage control devices, one or more pour instructions; 
 receive, from the plurality of beverage control devices, a plurality of the pour alerts; and 
 modify which of the respective control beverage devices receive the one or more of the pour instructions based on the plurality of the pour alerts. 
   
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein the control circuitry of each beverage control device is further configured to receive an input signal, and where the causing of the flow control device to allow flow of the liquid through the beverage control device is based on the input signal. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein each wireless beverage control device further comprises a second sensor, wherein the second sensor receives power from the battery, wherein the second sensor measures movement of the beverage control device, and wherein the input signal comprises the measured movement. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein each beverage control device further comprises a user interface, and wherein the input signal comprises information received from the user interface. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the user interface comprises a button or a touchscreen, and wherein the information comprises a selection of the button or a portion of the touchscreen. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein each beverage control device further comprises a second sensor. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the control circuitry of each beverage control device is further configured to monitor second data received from the second sensor whether or not the flow of the liquid is allowed, wherein the control circuitry of each beverage control device is further configured to generate a second alert based on the monitored second data from the second sensor and to cause the wireless communication circuitry to transmit the second alert. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 48 , wherein the second sensor comprises a sensor that measures an environmental characteristic. 
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 49 , wherein the environmental characteristic comprises temperature or humidity. 
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 49 , wherein the environmental characteristic comprises battery level or attachment to the respective bottle. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the control circuitry of each beverage control device is further configured to monitor second data received from the second sensor and to generate the pour alert based on both the monitored data from the flow sensor and the monitored second data from the second sensor. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 52 , wherein the second sensor comprises a temperature sensor that measures a temperature of the liquid within the respective beverage control device. 
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 52 , wherein the second sensor comprises a presence sensor that measures a presence of the liquid within the respective beverage control device. 
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein each beverage control device further comprises a user interface, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to provide visual information to a user via the user interface based on the received pour instruction. 
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 55 , wherein the user interface comprises a light or LED, and wherein the visual information comprises a change of an appearance of the light or the LED. 
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 55 , wherein the user interface comprises a touch screen, and wherein the visual information comprises a change of an appearance of the touch screen. 
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 55 , wherein the visual information corresponds to an indication that a bottle should be selected for a pour, an indication that a bottle is one of a number of possible bottles to pour, or an identifier for a brand or type of drink. 
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 55 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured the visual information is further based on the monitored data received from the flow sensor, and wherein the visual information corresponds to an indication that a pour is complete, a pour is almost complete, a bottle needs to be changed, or a pour error. 
     
     
         60 . A method for monitoring and controlling pouring of liquid from a plurality of bottles, comprising:
 providing, from a first battery of a plurality of batteries each associated with a respective beverage wireless beverage control device of a plurality of wireless beverage control devices, power to components of a first wireless beverage control device of the plurality of wireless beverage control devices, wherein the components comprise a first flow control device, a first flow sensor, a first wireless communication circuitry, and a first control circuitry;   receiving, by a plurality of communication circuitries each associated with at least a subset of the plurality of wireless beverage control devices, a pour instruction;   determining, by the first control circuitry, that the pour instruction corresponds to a first bottle associated with the first wireless beverage control device;   causing, by the first control circuitry, the first flow control device to allow a flow of a liquid through the first wireless beverage control device;   monitoring, by the first control circuitry, data received from the first flow sensor while the flow of the liquid is allowed;   generating, by the first control circuitry, a pour alert based on the monitored data from the first flow sensor;   providing, by the first control circuitry to the first wireless communication circuitry, the pour alert; and   transmitting, by the first wireless communication circuitry, the pour alert.