Abstract: The disclosure concerns a dispensing system, having at least one dispense location with at least one dispensing head configured to dispense a beverage through a bottom portion of a container. In one aspect, the dispensing head may dispense a plurality of different beverage ingredients which a user may select to dispense a custom beverage. In another aspect the dispensing system comprises a modular dispensing system having a plurality of dispense locations each connected through piping to a central, remote ingredient system.
Abstract: A vending machine includes a product storage cabinet having a housing defining a storage compartment for storing a product and a door movably connected to the housing. A product sensor is configured to detect removal of the product from the storage compartment. The vending machine further includes a control assembly configured to control operation of the vending machine. The control assembly includes a support structure, a control unit mounted on the support structure, a transceiver mounted on the support structure, and a power supply mounted on the support structure. The control assembly is configured to receive information from collected by the product sensor to determine an identity of the product removed from the storage compartment.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 28, 2021
Date of Patent:
May 2, 2023
Assignee:
PepsiCo, Inc.
Inventors:
Cheuk Chi Lau, Xuejun Li, Yong Jin Serock, Bilal Bajwa, Naga Vankadari
Abstract: A method for dispensing a beverage container to a consumer. The method includes receiving in a beverage container dispenser a first beverage container that contains a beverage corresponding to a beverage selection of a user. The method further includes dispensing a second beverage container containing the beverage from a temperature-regulated compartment of the beverage container dispenser. The second beverage container that is dispensed from the temperature-regulated compartment corresponds to the beverage selection of the user.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 16, 2020
Date of Patent:
May 2, 2023
Assignee:
PepsiCo, Inc.
Inventors:
Prashant Deshpande, Gurmeet Singh Bhutani, Brian D. Kelly, Wilton Brown
Abstract: A water filter cartridge includes a sediment filter, a carbon filter, and a core having a tubular body with openings that allow water to flow through the core. The core defines an open central area, and the core supports the sediment filter and the carbon filter. A nanofiltration unit is arranged within the open central area of the core. The nanofiltration unit includes a tubular filter element defining a central volume, and a plurality of filaments arranged within the central volume.
Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a container for dispensing equal doses of a flowable solid. The container may include a body defining an interior volume including a storage volume, an outlet passage, and a dosing chamber in communication with the storage volume and the outlet passage. The container may include a closure that has a lid and a plunger. The lid may be rotatably coupled to the body such that it rotates about a first axis from a closed position to an open position. The plunger may be rotatably coupled to the lid and configured to seal the dosing chamber. The container may be configured to dispense a dose of the flowable solid when the plunger is in the unsealed position and the container is at least partially inverted, and each dose may have an equal volume.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 2, 2021
Date of Patent:
April 4, 2023
Assignee:
PepsiCo, Inc.
Inventors:
Xavier Cortadellas, Syed Peer, Toby Richard David Wingfield, Albert Kwak, Charles Simon Paradise, Emma Pearl Willmer-Shiles
Abstract: Beverage coolers for storing and cooling bottled beverages. A beverage cooler may include a cooling chamber cooled by a refrigeration system, and openings in the cooling chamber for receiving bottled beverages to be chilled. The openings may have doors and/or seals to minimize heat exchange between the cooling chamber and the environment with or without bottles disposed in the openings. Each of the openings may have a visual indicator, such as a plurality of LEDs, configured to indicate the temperature of the bottle disposed in the opening.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 3, 2018
Date of Patent:
March 28, 2023
Assignee:
PepsiCo, Inc.
Inventors:
Emad Jafa, Eleonor Dorin Stoenescu, Thomas Henry Hellier, James Simon Oliver
Abstract: This disclosure provides aqueous steviol glycoside compositions as well as syrups and beverages comprising these compositions. In certain embodiments, the aqueous steviol glycoside composition comprises water and a sweetening composition, wherein the sweetening composition is solubilized in the water and comprises a stevioside composition and rebaudioside D.
Abstract: Beverage chillers are disclosed. A beverage chiller may include a container platform that receives a beverage container and a chiller tank. The chiller tank may have a central axis and may have an agitator. The chiller tank may be filled with water. A conveyor may move the container platform and beverage container into the chiller tank. The container platform and beverage container may rotate in a first direction in the chiller tank and the agitator may rotate the water in a second direction.
Type:
Application
Filed:
November 8, 2022
Publication date:
March 16, 2023
Applicant:
PepsiCo, Inc.
Inventors:
Prashant DESHPANDE, Gurmeet BHUTANI, Brian KELLY, Wilton BROWN
Abstract: A contactless autofill dispenser includes a housing and a dispense area for receiving a cup. The dispenser includes a supply of consumable product disposed within the housing. The dispenser includes an outlet connected to the supply and extending from the housing into the dispense area for dispensing the consumable product into the cup. The dispenser includes a controller disposed within the housing and connected to the supply, wherein the controller is configured to control dispensing of the consumable product from the outlet. The dispenser includes a time of flight sensor attached to or with a direct line of sight into the dispense area and connected to the controller.
Abstract: The present disclosure provides high purity rebaudioside J and methods of making high purity rebaudioside J. The application also provides the use of rebaudioside J as a sweetener, and in particular, the use in beverages.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 18, 2017
Date of Patent:
February 21, 2023
Assignee:
PepsiCo, Inc.
Inventors:
Shawn Erickson, Christophe Galopin, Laura Nattress, William Bonorden
Abstract: Beverage dispensers are disclosed. A beverage dispenser may include a carbonation pump, pressure tank, and a pressure switch configured to active the pressure pump when a pressure in the pressure tank falls below a threshold pressure. The pressure switch may cause the carbonation pump to shut off when the pressure in the pressure tank exceeds an upper threshold pressure. The beverage dispenser may be convertible from a carbonated beverage dispenser to a non-carbonated beverage dispenser.
Abstract: A multi-layered packaging film includes (a) an outer print layer, (b) an inner product-side layer, and (c) a lamination layer interposed between the outer print layer and the inner product-side layer.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 30, 2020
Date of Patent:
February 21, 2023
Assignee:
PepsiCo, Inc.
Inventors:
Pak Meng Cham, Sridevi Narayan-Sarathy, Brad Dewayne Rodgers, Adam Johnson, Satyabrata Samanta
Abstract: A method of presenting product information in a vending machine may include detecting audio information from a consumer and converting the audio information to a text string. The method may include identifying a keyword in the text string, and determining products from a product database associated with the keyword. The method may include returning a list of the products that correspond to the keyword.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 22, 2020
Date of Patent:
February 21, 2023
Assignee:
PepsiCo, Inc.
Inventors:
Emad Jafa, Cheuk Chi Lau, Xuejun Li, Darren Ling, Bernard Yang
Abstract: Vending machines for storing and dispensing products to consumers in a space-efficient manner. A vending machine may include a product compartment, a product storage system, a support structure, a dispensing port, and a product delivery system. The support structure may elevate the product compartment and form a void beneath the product compartment. Other structures may occupy the void beneath the product compartment, or humans may walk through the void beneath the product compartment. A product may be automatically moved from the product compartment to the dispensing port using the product delivery system.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 13, 2018
Date of Patent:
January 31, 2023
Assignee:
PepsiCo, Inc.
Inventors:
Emad Jafa, Cheuk Chi Lau, Xuejun Li, Yong Serock, Wai Ting Chan, Samuel Luke Johnstone, Martyn Thomas Mitchell, Euan Morrison, Erik David Williams
Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments for anomaly detection using machine learning models (MLMs) and similarity regularization. An embodiment operates by obtaining data for a first product, a second product, and a target product. The data include a set of sparse data points for the target product. Next, similarity scores between the target product and the first product and the second product may be calculated. The embodiment further operates by generating a target MLM associated with the target product using a regularization penalty. The regularization penalty is based on the similarity scores and distances between a target set of coefficients for the target MLM and coefficients for a first MLM and a second MLM associated with the first product and the second product, respectively. The embodiment may then detect an anomaly associated with the target product by feeding the target MLM with a feature vector associated with the target product.
Abstract: A method for identifying a product removed from a cabinet includes detecting visual characteristics of the product removed from the cabinet by a camera within the cabinet. The method may include detecting an identifier on the product removed from the cabinet by an identifier sensor, and comparing the visual characteristics and the identifier to a database of product information. The product removed from the cabinet may be identified based on the comparison of the visual characteristics and the identifier to the database of product information.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 1, 2020
Date of Patent:
December 13, 2022
Assignee:
PepsiCo, Inc.
Inventors:
Xuejun Li, Yong Jin Serock, Cheuk Chi Lau
Inventors:
Niklas Gustafsson, Maria Hanshella R. Magno, Andrew Richard Phinney, Klaus Rosburg, Koby Hebborn Trout, Marc Thomas Wiescinski, Marcos Orlando Ortiz, Joseph Thomas Gar Jun Smith, Matthew Stewart Twiss, Daniel K. Patu