Patents by Inventor Benjamin John Kingston
Benjamin John Kingston has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20230289747Abstract: A vessel is assigned a unique vessel identifier (620). Before or after the vessel is filled, the vessel identifier is encoded into a machine-readable code that is printed or etched onto the vessel (630; 640). The code may have the property that it can be quickly read by a scanner from a variety of different angles and vessel orientations. When the vessel is sold to a user, the user may scan the machine-readable code (or a different code placed on a label associated with the vessel) using a smartphone (710), and the unique vessel identifier is linked to a user account associated with the user (740). Later, when the user places the empty vessel in the recycling stream, a scanner or camera placed in the recycling facility scans or captures the machine-readable code on the vessel and extracts the vessel identifier from the code (810; 820).Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2021Publication date: September 14, 2023Inventors: Joshua Casey SCHWARBER, Allen LINEBERRY, Benjamin John KINGSTON, David CARREWYN, Matthew BAKER, Axel KLING, Patrick ETESSE
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Patent number: 11544697Abstract: One embodiment may include a machine for providing beverages. The machine may include a reader configured to read data representative of an available balance for a user to obtain beverages from the machine from a machine-readable medium and electronics. The electronics may be configured to receive the data from the machine-readable medium in response to the user positioning the machine-readable medium within reading distance of the reader, enable the user to dispense a beverage into a vessel, and update the available balance of the machine-readable medium so as to reduce or prevent the user from dispensing unlimited beverages.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2018Date of Patent: January 3, 2023Assignee: The Coca-Cola CompanyInventors: Benjamin John Kingston, Akhil Karibandi, Chetan Polavaram, Thomas Stubbs, Jevawn Roberts, Scott Harrison, Stan Kaplita, Christopher Dennis, Gregg Carpenter, Joshua Casey Schwarber, Tao Peng
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Patent number: 11397916Abstract: A machine and process for providing consumer products may include a set of positions configured to contain consumer products or containers in which ingredients are used to form consumer products. The consumer products or containers may include radiofrequency identification (RFID) tags. A set of antennas, where at least one antenna is disposed at each position, may be configured to output and receive RF signals. A transceiver may be in electrical communication with the antennas, and be configured to generate the RF signals. A processor may be in communication with the transceiver, and be programmed to (i) receive RFID signals from the RFID tags at the set of positions, and (ii) identify locations of the RFID tags to determine that corresponding consumer products or containers of ingredients are in correct positions.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2018Date of Patent: July 26, 2022Assignee: The Coca-Cola CompanyInventor: Benjamin John Kingston
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Patent number: 11377338Abstract: The present application provides a beverage dispensing system. The beverage dispensing system may include a cooler and a beverage dispenser positioned within the cooler. The beverage dispenser may include a nozzle, a flow of water, an internal carbonation system in communication with the flow of water and the nozzle, and a number of internal ingredient containers in communication with the nozzle such that the beverage dispenser produces a beverage at the nozzle within the cooler.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2018Date of Patent: July 5, 2022Assignee: THE COCA-COLA COMPANYInventors: Stan C. Kaplita, Scott Cuppari, Douglas Jon McDougall, Benjamin John Kingston
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Publication number: 20200184410Abstract: A machine and process for providing consumer products may include a set of positions configured to contain consumer products or containers in which ingredients are used to form consumer products. The consumer products or containers may include radiofrequency identification (RFID) tags. A set of antennas, where at least one antenna is disposed at each position, may be configured to output and receive RF signals. A transceiver may be in electrical communication with the antennas, and be configured to generate the RF signals. A processor may be in communication with the transceiver, and be programmed to (i) receive RFID signals from the RFID tags at the set of positions, and (ii) identify locations of the RFID tags to determine that corresponding consumer products or containers of ingredients are in correct positions.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 16, 2018Publication date: June 11, 2020Inventor: Benjamin John KINGSTON
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Publication number: 20200134960Abstract: One embodiment may include a machine for providing beverages. The machine may include a reader configured to read data representative of an available balance for a user to obtain beverages from the machine from a machine-readable medium and electronics. The electronics may be configured to receive the data from the machine-readable medium in response to the user positioning the machine-readable medium within reading distance of the reader, enable the user to dispense a beverage into a vessel, and update the available balance of the machine-readable medium so as to reduce or prevent the user from dispensing unlimited beverages.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2018Publication date: April 30, 2020Inventors: Benjamin John Kingston, Akhil Karibandi, Chetan Polavaram, Thomas Stubbs, Jevawn Roberts, Scott Harrison, Stan Kaplita, Christopher Dennis, Gregg Carpenter, Joshua Casey Schwarber, Tao Peng
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Publication number: 20200079637Abstract: The present application provides a beverage dispensing system. The beverage dispensing system may include a cooler and a beverage dispenser positioned within the cooler. The beverage dispenser may include a nozzle, a flow of water, an internal carbonation system in communication with the flow of water and the nozzle, and a number of internal ingredient containers in communication with the nozzle such that the beverage dispenser produces a beverage at the nozzle within the cooler.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2018Publication date: March 12, 2020Inventors: Stan C. KAPLITA, Scott CUPPARI, Douglas Jon McDOUGALL, Benjamin John KINGSTON
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Publication number: 20170101302Abstract: Embodiments are provided for determining and managing an inventory. The position of an object in an inventory may be determined by utilizing an interrogator to send multiple request signals to a tag attached to the object. Each of the request signals may be communicated by the interrogator at a different frequency. The interrogator may then receive multiple reply signals from the tag. The interrogator may then determine the position of the tag (and thus the object) along a transmission line from phase measurements of the reply signals. A dispenser inventory may be managed. The dispenser may identify an ingredient packaging to be inserted into an ingredient matrix of the dispenser. The dispenser may then receive a user input of a location within the ingredient matrix where the identified ingredient packaging has been inserted.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2015Publication date: April 13, 2017Applicant: THE COCA-COLA COMPANYInventors: Daniel S. Quartarone, Benjamin John Kingston, David R. Newman
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Patent number: 7164353Abstract: A method and system for testing a plurality of RFID devices disposed on a common carrier. In one embodiment, the RFID devices are evenly spaced along the length of the carrier, and the system comprises a short-range tester, a long-range tester and a computer, the short-range tester being coupled to the computer and having a short-range testing position, the long-range tester being coupled to the computer and having a long-range testing position, the long-range testing position being spaced downstream from the short-range testing position by a known number of device positions. In use, an RFID device of interest is first positioned at the short-range testing position, and the short-range tester reads a unique identifier for that RFID device and communicates the identifier to the computer. The carrier is then advanced so that subsequent RFID devices are read by the short-range tester.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2004Date of Patent: January 16, 2007Assignee: Avery Dennison CorporationInventors: David John Puleston, Benjamin John Kingston, Ian J. Forster