Beverage dispensing system
AssigneeValidFill LLC
InventorPeter Dorney
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A beverage dispensing system has a container with an upper lip, a bottom and a cylindrical sidewall. A read/write radio frequency identification tag is on a container. A beverage dispenser has a plurality of dispensing valves associated with a plurality of different beverages. Each valve has an actuator. A reader is operatively coupled with respect to the tag for communicating with the tag and for communicating with the actuator. An electronic system is operatively coupled to the tag and the actuators and the reader.
Claims15
A method for dispensing a beverage from a dispenser having a plurality of dispensing valves, each valve of said plurality of dispensing valves being associated with at least one actuator and at least one beverage, said method comprising:
- locating a container having a read/write radio frequency identification tag coupled thereto by engaging an actuator associated with one of the dispensing valves;
- activating an RF device that is capable of reading and writing information to and from said tag, said information including user data and purchase information wherein said RF device is activated when the actuator is activated;
- reading said user data and purchase information from said tag;
- interpreting said user data and purchase information received by said RF device from said tag;
- opening one or more dispensing valves in response to said user data and purchase information;
- commencing the dispensing of a selected beverage;
- and
- writing updated user data and purchase information onto said tag.
A beverage dispensing system comprising:
- a container;
- a read/write radio frequency identification tag coupled to the container;
- a plurality of dispensing valves;
- a plurality of actuators, each corresponding to at least one valve of said plurality of valves, each actuator being adapted to commence the dispensing of a beverage through said valve;
- an RF device capable of reading and writing information to and from said tag, said RF device being activated to read and write information to and from said tag when one of said plurality of actuators is engaged;
- and
- an electronic system operatively coupled to said at least one dispensing valve and said RF device for interpreting information received by said RF device from said tag and for opening one or more of said plurality of dispensing valves in response to said information, said electronic system being configured to enable said RF device to read and write information to each one of a plurality of tags by locating the position of each tag and by associating each tag with a particular actuator that has been activated by a user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.