Patents by Inventor Sam KAROL

Sam KAROL 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).

  • Publication number: 20220112070
    Abstract: Unattended beverage dispensers configured to dispense one or more beverages after authenticating a customer and associating the customer with a customer account. An unattended beverage dispenser may include a user interface with a biometric sensor configured to identify a biometric characteristic of a customer. A controller associated with the unattended beverage dispenser may authenticate a customer based on a biometric characteristic and associate the authenticated customer with a customer account. After authenticating a customer, the controller may allow beverage dispensing from the unattended beverage dispenser in accordance with a beverage dispensing rule associated with the customer's account.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventors: Robert CRAWFORD, Sam KAROL
  • Patent number: 11208315
    Abstract: Unattended beverage dispensers configured to dispense one or more beverages after authenticating a customer and associating the customer with a customer account. An unattended beverage dispenser may include a user interface with a biometric sensor configured to identify a biometric characteristic of a customer. A controller associated with the unattended beverage dispenser may authenticate a customer based on a biometric characteristic and associate the authenticated customer with a customer account. After authenticating a customer, the controller may allow beverage dispensing from the unattended beverage dispenser in accordance with a beverage dispensing rule associated with the customer's account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: PepsiCo, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Crawford, Sam Karol
  • Patent number: 10676339
    Abstract: A method of determining a sold-out state of a beverage dispenser is provided. The method includes providing a beverage dispenser including a pump having a gas exhaust port, a dispensing valve, and a sensor disposed on the pump gas exhaust port. The method may include activating the beverage dispenser to dispense a beverage through the dispensing valve and during the activating, sensing a gas exhaust pattern of the pump. The method may also include generating a signal based on the sensed gas exhaust pattern and determining whether the beverage dispenser is in a normal-pour state or a sold-out state. The method may also include providing feedback about the sold-out state to a user interface of the beverage dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: PepsiCo, Inc.
    Inventors: Sam Karol, Robert W. Balstad, Anthony Romano, Alberto Pravato, Alessandro Roncato
  • Publication number: 20190300357
    Abstract: Unattended beverage dispensers configured to dispense one or more beverages after authenticating a customer and associating the customer with a customer account. An unattended beverage dispenser may include a user interface with a biometric sensor configured to identify a biometric characteristic of a customer. A controller associated with the unattended beverage dispenser may authenticate a customer based on a biometric characteristic and associate the authenticated customer with a customer account. After authenticating a customer, the controller may allow beverage dispensing from the unattended beverage dispenser in accordance with a beverage dispensing rule associated with the customer's account.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Robert CRAWFORD, Sam KAROL
  • Publication number: 20190185311
    Abstract: A method of determining a sold-out state of a beverage dispenser is provided. The method includes providing a beverage dispenser including a pump having a gas exhaust port, a dispensing valve, and a sensor disposed on the pump gas exhaust port. The method may include activating the beverage dispenser to dispense a beverage through the dispensing valve and during the activating, sensing a gas exhaust pattern of the pump. The method may also include generating a signal based on the sensed gas exhaust pattern and determining whether the beverage dispenser is in a normal-pour state or a sold-out state. The method may also include providing feedback about the sold-out state to a user interface of the beverage dispenser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Sam KAROL, Robert W. BALSTAD, Anthony ROMANO, Alberto PRAVATO, Alessandro RONCATO