RU2788933C1 - Coffee machine - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: preparation of coffee.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to small household appliances for the kitchen, in particular, to coffee machines. Coffee machine with the option of setting user operation parameters, modifying the existing recipes and composing new recipes is characterised by the presence of a wireless data transceiver module for the communication with a device with an installed application and with another smart household appliance, as well as the presence of a gesture-controlled interface and a display whereon user information can be added. In particular, said information may include icons of recipes composed by the user and messages, including ones with recipe icons attached. The coffee machine is equipped with condition monitoring means used to track, among other things, the storage term of water in the tank. User operation parameters include the functions of activating/deactivating pre-wetting and primary release and the scheduling option.

EFFECT: easier starting of user programs and exchange thereof between users, expanded number of beverages available for preparation, and the possibility of remote control and monitoring of the status using another smart household appliance.

14 cl, 1 dwg

Description

Technical field

The invention relates to small household appliances for the kitchen, in particular, to coffee machines with the ability to set user settings and remotely monitor the state of the device from the application, and can be used in light industry in the production of coffee machines.

State of the art

Currently, there is a wide range of coffee machines on the market that allow you to prepare drinks according to recipes compiled by the user, as well as having a delayed start function and the ability to remotely monitor the status of the machine through the application.

So from the document CN 107232985 A, a coffee machine is known with the ability to set the strength and volume of the drink, the control and monitoring of which can be carried out from the application. In particular, in the application, the user can set the time by which the drink must be prepared. The coffee machine is equipped with a water level sensor in the tank and a liquid level sensor in the drip tray. When a lack of water for preparing a drink or filling the drip tray is detected, a notification is sent to the user.

However, this coffee machine does not allow you to make drinks with milk, create new recipes and share them with other users. The well-known coffee machine also lacks the functions of disabling the primary flow and enabling / disabling pre-wetting, and the monitoring of the state does not include tracking the time the water is stored in the tank. The possibility of linking with smart devices is also not provided.

From document CN 208689411 U, a coffee machine is known that can be controlled and monitored from an application. The user can set the type and degree of coffee roast, volume, time and temperature of the preparation of the drink. The user also has access to the history of the preparation of drinks with a listing of user-defined parameters, such as temperature, pressure, volume and temperature. The display of the coffee machine can display any videos and images set by the user.

However, this coffee machine is also not designed to prepare drinks with milk, does not have the function of creating individual recipes and sharing them between users. A link with another smart device is not provided.

Known coffee machines disclosed in US patent 2008201241 A1. This document describes a network of coffee machines with centralized control, characterized by the possibility of compiling individual recipes by the user. When compiling a recipe, the user adds selected ingredients, such as shots of espresso and milk, to the virtual cup in the quantities he needs. The size of the virtual cup can also be selected by the user from the list. The user can edit existing recipes by adding and removing ingredients from them. While filling the virtual cup, a dynamic table is displayed on the screen containing information about the energy value of the drink, updating whenever the user adds or removes ingredients, as well as the amount of ingredients, expressed in grams and milliliters. The user can save the recipe he has compiled and share it with other users by pressing the virtual "Share" button.

Users who have received a recipe can start preparing it on any network coffee machine by entering the drink identification number. The user has access to the function of setting the preparation of a drink at a specific time: the application has the ability to select the nearest coffee machine and set the time interval after which the drink should be ready. Coffee machines of the network have the ability to prepare orders for groups of people. At the same time, the names of people and the identification numbers of drinks are indicated on the glasses.

However, unlike the claimed solution, the network's coffee machines are not designed for home use, so they do not have the ability to be customized for a specific user. In particular, the user cannot save icons on the screen of the coffee machine that correspond to programs for preparing drinks according to individual recipes, select images / videos to display on the screen in standby and preparation modes, leave messages on the screen for other users, link the coffee machine with another smart device. All operations are performed exclusively through the application. The user is also not provided with information about the state of the coffee machine, in particular about the filling level of the drip tray, about the residual level of water for making drinks and about the need to replace it.

The proposed coffee machine allows you to make changes to standard recipes and prepare drinks according to recipes compiled by the user, save the latter and assign icons selected by the user on the screen, which simplifies and speeds up the procedure for preparing drinks according to individual recipes. The user can also save a message on the screen for other users, and the icon of the drink preparation program can be attached to the message, which allows you to start the process of preparing the recommended drink by pressing one button. While to perform a similar operation on the network coffee machine described in US 2008201241 A1, you need to enter an identifier number. In the case of a predetermined sequence of drinks, the start of preparation of each subsequent one is also started by pressing one button. The machine has a pre-drink off function to save time and a pre-drink on/off function to vary the taste of coffee according to user preferences. The claimed coffee machine is equipped with means for remote monitoring of the state of the system through the application, in particular, a timer for storing water in the tank, so that the user can change the water in a timely manner. Additional advantages of the claimed coffee machine include the ability to bind to another home smart device, which allows its operation to be controlled remotely using a connected device. The coffee machine is also equipped with gesture recognition, which allows you to easily and quickly launch the desired programs without the need to interact with the control panel or wireless devices.

Thus, the object of the present invention is to provide a coffee machine with the possibility of remote control and status monitoring, carried out both with the help of electronic devices that communicate with the coffee machine over a wireless network, and using a gesture interface; with the possibility of adjusting recipes of the standard list, compiling your own and adding user information to the display; as well as with the possibility of setting user parameters of work and the possibility of preparing a given sequence of drinks.

The technical result of the claimed invention is the simplification of launching the execution of user programs and their exchange between users, expanding the number of drinks available for preparation, as well as providing the possibility of remote control and monitoring of the state using another smart home device.

Disclosure of invention

The set goal, the technical result required and obtained by using the invention are achieved by the fact that the coffee machine, with the ability to set user operation parameters, change existing recipes and create new ones, is characterized by the presence of a wireless data transceiver module for communication with a device with an installed application and another smart home device , as well as the presence of a gesture interface and a display on which user information can be added.

Recipes are made by specifying the number of shots of espresso, milk and water.

An extra shot of espresso can be added to any recipe.

When compiling a recipe, the display shows information about the volume of the drink received, as a number in milliliters, or as a picture of a cup, small, medium or large, indicating the corresponding number of milliliters.

The user can save the recipe execution program on the display as an icon of his choice.

In standby or cooking mode, user-selected images or videos can be displayed.

Custom messages can be added to the display, including those with a drink preparation icon attached to them.

The coffee machine is characterized by the presence of a multi-drink preparation mode, where the launch of the preparation program for each subsequent drink is carried out by pressing one button.

The coffee machine is characterized by the presence of state monitoring means, including means for determining the residual level and duration of water storage in the tank and means for determining the liquid level in the drip pan.

Before each launch of any program, the user is provided with information about the residual water level in the tank, which is determined either by direct measurement using a liquid level sensor, or calculated on the assumption that with each installation of the water tank it is filled to a certain volume.

In case of exceeding the specified period of storage of water, a notification of the corresponding content is sent to the user.

The set operating parameters include enabling and disabling the functions of pre-wetting and primary strait; setting the time by which the drink should be prepared.

The coffee machine is characterized by the presence of a calorie counting function that provides the user with a graph of calorie consumption.

Reception and transmission of data between a portable device and a coffee machine, as well as between a smart device and a coffee machine, is carried out using any type of communication / connection, such as Wi-Fi and / or Bluetooth, and / or mobile cellular communication GSM, 3G, 4G, LTE , and/or via ultra-low power data links forming complex wireless mesh networks such as ZigBee and/or LoRa and/or LoRaWAN and/or LPWAN and/or 6L0WPAN and/or Z-wave .

The smart device associated with the coffee machine can be any smart device, such as a smart toothbrush, a smart kettle, a smart refrigerator, a smart speaker, etc.

Brief description of the drawings

The essence of the invention is illustrated by drawings.

Figure 1 shows a block diagram of the proposed coffee machine, a diagram of data exchange between the coffee machine and a portable device with an installed application, as well as between the coffee machine and a smart Smart device, in the presented version, a smart toothbrush.

Coffee machine 1 can be implemented on the basis of the following functional blocks:

2 - blocks for preparing drinks;

3 - block for monitoring the state of the system;

4 - a control unit, including a control panel 5 with a display 6, a unit for receiving and transmitting data via a wireless communication protocol 7 and a gesture recognition unit 12.

Beverage preparation unit 2 includes all means necessary to obtain ready-made drinks from raw materials. This includes, in particular, containers for liquids such as milk and water, means for loading coffee (horn and/or capsule housing, bean container, etc.), means for processing raw materials such as means for pressurizing and heating, cappuccinators and the like, means for moving raw materials inside the coffee machine, means for withdrawing finished ingredients and / or a drink.

The state monitoring block 3 includes means for monitoring the state of individual elements of the preparation block 2.

The control unit 4 receives data from the state monitoring unit 3, which after processing can be displayed on the display 6 or transferred to a portable device 8.

User commands are also transmitted to the control unit 4. Either by direct entry using the control panel 5, or remotely from the application.

Figure 1 also introduced the following notation:

9 - router;

10 - cloud server;

11 - smart toothbrush.

The presented block diagram is given as an example and does not limit other embodiments of wireless communication between the coffee machine and remote control devices 8 and 11, as well as the range of smart devices with which the proposed coffee machine can be associated.

Implementation of the invention

Most modern coffee machines provide the ability to prepare drinks from a limited list that does not take into account the individual preferences of a particular user. In particular, the user cannot increase the amount of milk or coffee, or combine several modes in one preset.

The claimed coffee machine provides the user with the ability to change the recipes of the standard list in accordance with individual preferences, and also allows you to create new ones. In particular, the user can set the required number of shots of espresso, milk and hot water to obtain a unique drink that matches his taste preferences. When compiling a recipe, the user is shown the final volume of the drink, taking into account the volumes of milk and water, which is automatically recalculated each time an ingredient is added or removed, so that the user can control the volume of the resulting drink.

You can set the desired combination of ingredients directly using the coffee machine’s control panel equipped with a display or remotely from an application installed on a portable device with the ability to communicate via a wireless communication protocol. The display of the total volume is carried out on the display of the coffee machine or in the application.

A user-created recipe can be stored in the coffee machine's memory, remote control device or on the server, and an icon to start its execution can be added to the control panel display. The icon is set by the user and can be selected from the coffee machine's standard library, transferred from a remote control device or downloaded from the Internet.

The ability to save a recipe and place the start button for its preparation directly on the coffee machine display makes the process of re-brewing a new drink extremely simple and fast, and an individual icon allows you to quickly find the desired drink on the control panel display.

The user can also change any of the saved drinks, according to a standard recipe or to an individual one, by adding an espresso shot to it.

The energy value of all prepared drinks is stored in the application. Based on the received data, calorie consumption statistics are built, which, upon request, can be presented to the user.

The ability to turn on and off the pre-wetting function also allows you to vary the taste of coffee according to the individual needs of the user.

The coffee machine has the function of adding text messages to the display with the option of attaching a drink icon. Thus, the user can leave reminders, notes for other users of the coffee machine, as well as recommend drinks to them with the ability to start preparing the latter with one touch. What makes the process of sharing recipes between users simple and fast.

In the standby and / or cooking mode, any information selected by the user can also be displayed on the display. In particular, these can be photographs, graphics, videos of an informational or entertaining nature.

The coffee machine is characterized by the presence of a program for preparing a given sequence of drinks. The choice of drinks and the start of preparation of the first of them can be carried out directly on the display of the coffee machine or remotely through the application, and the start of preparation of each subsequent one is carried out by pressing one button on the control panel, which makes it possible to quickly prepare several drinks.

The coffee machine has a delayed start function: the user can set the time that the drink needs to be prepared. When using this function, it is possible to disable the primary flow.

Monitoring the status of the beverage preparation system is carried out using monitoring tools, which include measuring the water level in the tank and the time of its storage, as well as measuring the liquid level in the drip pan. A sensor can be used to determine the residual water level, or the residual level can be calculated based on the assumption that the tank is initially filled with the same volume of water. Determining the liquid level in the drip tray is carried out by direct measurement, and the storage time of water in the tank can be counted from the moment it is installed. Data obtained using monitoring tools can be displayed on the display or transmitted wirelessly to the application. The user can set a limit for the duration of water storage, after which the coffee machine will send him a notification of the corresponding content. Said notification may be displayed or sent to the application.

It should be noted that remote control of the operation of the claimed coffee machine is also possible using another smart home device.

As a rule, a smartphone is used as a remote control device over a wireless network using an application, since it is almost always near the user, allowing you to quickly receive information from the controlled device and send commands to it. However, there are situations when using a smartphone is difficult or requires a large number of actions. For example, if the user is in the bathroom, busy cleaning or working in the kitchen, holding a child or pet in her arms. In addition, the user can forget about the location of the smartphone, and then he will have to spend extra time searching to launch programs from the application.

The claimed coffee machine has the function of wireless connection to other smart home devices, which allows you to control and monitor its status remotely, without using a smartphone.

In particular, it can be connected wirelessly to a smart toothbrush, as shown in Fig. 1, whereby the user can, for example, start preparing a breakfast drink while in the bathroom, or schedule the morning in the evening; quickly record and save a new drink recipe or add a message to the coffee machine display for other users. If the user command cannot be executed, for example, due to a lack of ingredients, a notification will be sent to the toothbrush.

It should be noted that the coffee machine can be connected to any other smart home device capable of receiving, processing and wirelessly transmitting user commands, as well as receiving, processing and reproducing data transmitted by the coffee machine. Any smart device can act as such a smart device, for example, a smart toothbrush, a smart TV, a smart kettle, a smart refrigerator, a smart speaker, a smart vacuum cleaner, etc.

Reception and transmission of data between a portable device and a coffee machine, as well as between a smart device and a coffee machine, is carried out using any type of communication / connection, such as Wi-Fi and / or Bluetooth, and / or mobile cellular communication GSM, 3G, 4G, LTE , and/or via ultra-low power data links forming complex wireless mesh networks such as ZigBee and/or LoRa and/or LoRaWAN and/or LPWAN and/or 6L0WPAN and/or Z-wave .

Data exchange can be carried out according to the scheme shown in fig. 1. Coffee machine 1 and remote control devices 8 and 11 can be connected to one router 9 connected to a cloud server 10 that stores user data.

The coffee machine is equipped with a gesture interface: the user can launch various programs using gestures, without having to interact with the buttons on the control panel. This makes it easy to operate the coffee machine, for example, when working in the kitchen when your hands are wet or dirty. The gesture interface can be implemented using any known gesture recognition sensors and programmable integrated circuits that allow receiving and processing information about the received gestures and launching the execution of the corresponding program. For example, PAJ7620U2 or any similar sensor can be used as such a sensor.

As follows from the description of possible implementations of the claimed invention, the proposed coffee machine achieves the claimed technical result, namely, simplification of launching the execution of user programs and exchanging them between users, expanding the list of drinks available for preparation, as well as providing the possibility of remote control and monitoring of the state using another smart device. household device.

Considering the novelty of the set of essential features, the technical solution of the problem, the inventive step and the materiality of all general and particular features of the invention, proven in the "Prior Art" and "Disclosure of the Invention" sections, proven in the "Implementation and Industrial Implementation of the Invention" section, technical feasibility and industrial applicability inventions, the solution of the set inventive problems and the confident achievement of the required technical result in the implementation and use of the invention, in our opinion, the claimed invention satisfies all the requirements for patentability for inventions.

The analysis also shows that all general and particular features of the invention are essential, since each of them is necessary, and together they are not only sufficient to achieve the purpose of the invention, but also allow the invention to be implemented industrially.

Claims (14)

1. A coffee machine with the ability to set user operation parameters, change existing recipes and create new ones, characterized by the presence of a wireless data transceiver module for communication with a device with an installed application and other smart home devices, as well as the presence of a gesture interface based on gesture recognition sensors and programmable integrated circuits that allow receiving and processing information about the received gestures and launching the execution of the corresponding program, a display capable of adding user information, as well as the presence of condition monitoring tools, including means for determining the residual level and duration of water storage in the tank and means for determining the liquid level in drip pan. 2. The coffee machine according to claim. 1, characterized in that it is made with the ability to save user recipes, with a given number of shots of espresso, milk and water. 3. The coffee machine according to claim. 1, characterized in that it is made with the possibility of adding an additional shot of espresso to any recipe. 4. The coffee machine according to claim 2, characterized in that it is configured to display on the display, when compiling a recipe, information about the volume of the received drink in the form of a number in milliliters or in the form of an image of a cup, small, medium or large, indicating the corresponding number of milliliters. 5. The coffee machine according to claim. 2, characterized in that it is made with the possibility of saving the program for the execution of the compiled recipe on the display by the user in the form of an icon chosen by him. 6. The coffee machine according to claim. 1, characterized in that it is configured to display on the display in standby or cooking mode selected by the user images or videos. 7. The coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it is configured to add custom messages to the display, including those with an icon for preparing a drink attached to them. 8. The coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized by the presence of a multi-drink preparation mode, where the launch of the preparation program for each subsequent drink is carried out by pressing one button. 9. The coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it is configured to transmit information to the user before each launch of the program about the residual water level in the tank, which is determined either by direct measurement using a liquid level sensor, or is calculated on the assumption that at each installation the water tank is filled to a certain volume. 10. The coffee machine according to claim 9, characterized in that in case of exceeding the predetermined storage period of water, a notification of the corresponding content is sent to the user. 11. The coffee machine according to claim. 1, characterized in that the set operating parameters include enabling and disabling the functions of pre-wetting and primary strait; setting the time by which the drink should be prepared. 12. The coffee machine according to claim. 1, characterized in that it is made with the ability to count calories, providing the user with a graph of calorie consumption. 13. The coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the reception and transmission of data between the portable device and the coffee machine, as well as between the smart device and the coffee machine, is carried out using a type of communication / connection, such as Wi-Fi and / or Bluetooth, and / or mobile cellular communication GSM, 3G, 4G, LTE, and/or via ultra-low power data links forming complex wireless networks with mesh topology, such as ZigBee and/or LoRa and/or LoRaWAN and/or LPWAN, and/or 6L0WPAN and/or Z-wave. 14. The coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the smart device associated with the coffee machine is from the series: smart toothbrush, smart speaker, smart TV, smart refrigerator, smart kettle, smart vacuum cleaner.

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