DISPOSABLE CONTAINER WITH SIGNAL PRODUCING ELEMENTS

Abstract

A disposable container for use with a system for dispensing a predetermined amount of a liquid. The container is filled with a dry beverage or the like and sealed, and has printed thereon using a metallic ink a plurality of lines or rings, each configured to generate a distinctive response to an imposed electromagnetic signal as a data bit detectable by a sensor proximate to the container. The sensor outputs to a processor a plurality of bits as a series of sequential bits. The processor initiates an action based on the sequence of bits.

Description

This application takes priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/728,638 entitled “Apparatus, System, and Method for the Exchange of Information”, filed Nov. 20, 2012, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein.

BACKGROUND

A vending machine provides various snacks, beverages, and other products to consumers. The idea is to vend products without need of a cashier. After paying, a product may become available, for example, by: the machine releasing it, so that it falls in an open compartment accessible to the purchaser, or a machine-pour into a container, or placed into a container by the customer, such as by the unlocking of a door, drawer, turning of a knob, etc. Sometimes the product is not just released, but also prepared; this may be the case, for example, with vended coffee or a ticket that is printed after paying.

A full line vending company may set up several types of vending machines that sell a wide range of products. The types of products include candy, cookies, chips, fresh fruit, milk, cold food, coffee, bottles and/or cans of soda, and even frozen products like ice cream. These products can be sold from various types of vending machines that include coffee, snack, cold food, 20-oz. bottle machines, and glass-front bottle machines.

With the increase in specialized vending, these machines have become increasingly unwieldy and/or the number of selections in the machines has become more limited than desired. In particular, when a flavored beverage is purchased, the drinks are pre-mixed and bottled or canned. Providing a large selection of such beverages entails keeping a vending machine stocked with a large number of bottles or cans. Thus, a need exists for a way to reduce the number or volume of stocked items while maintaining the number of selections in an overall product choice.

SUMMARY

A disposable container for use with a system for dispensing a predetermined amount of a liquid. The container is filled with a dry beverage or the like and sealed, and has printed thereon using a metallic ink a plurality of lines or rings, each configured to generate a distinctive response to an imposed electromagnetic signal as a data bit detectable by a sensor proximate to the container. The sensor outputs to a processor a plurality of bits as a series of sequential bits. The processor initiates an action based on the sequence of bits.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate disclosed embodiments and/or aspects and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention, the scope of which is determined by the claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates an aspect of an exemplary implementation in accordance with the herein disclosed systems and methods.

FIG. 2 illustrates an aspect of an exemplary implementation in accordance with the herein disclosed systems and methods.

FIG. 3 illustrates an aspect of an exemplary implementation in accordance with the herein disclosed systems and methods.

FIG. 4 illustrates an aspect of an exemplary implementation in accordance with the herein disclosed systems and methods.

FIG. 5 illustrates an aspect of an exemplary implementation in accordance with the herein disclosed systems and methods.

FIG. 6 illustrates an aspect of an exemplary implementation in accordance with the herein disclosed systems and methods.

FIG. 7 illustrates an aspect of an exemplary implementation in accordance with the herein disclosed systems and methods.

FIG. 8 illustrates an aspect of an exemplary implementation in accordance with the herein disclosed systems and methods.

FIG. 9 illustrates an aspect of an exemplary implementation in accordance with the herein disclosed systems and methods.

FIG. 10 illustrates an aspect of an exemplary implementation in accordance with the herein disclosed systems and methods.

FIG. 11 illustrates an aspect of an exemplary implementation in accordance with the herein disclosed systems and methods.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions provided herein may have been simplified to illustrate aspects that are relevant for a clear understanding of the herein described processes, machines, manufactures, and/or compositions of matter, while eliminating, for the purpose of clarity, other aspects that may be found in typical devices, systems, and methods. Those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art may recognize that other elements and/or steps may be desirable and/or necessary to implement the devices, systems, and methods described herein. Because such elements and steps are well known in the art, and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present disclosure, a discussion of such elements and steps may not be provided herein. However, the present disclosure is deemed to inherently include all such elements, variations, and modifications to the described aspects that would be known to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.

The disclosure describes a method to identify and/or initiate a program or other action of an automated liquid dispensing system. The automated liquid dispenser system may operate with drop-in disposable containers containing at least one dry ingredient which, when punctured by a needle or other means and injected with a predetermined amount of liquid such as water, will dispense a specific amount of the liquid mixed with the dry ingredient(s). The containers can be filled with dry medication, dry beverage mix, dry pet foods, and the like, and the liquid may be dispensed into a cup or bottle having a predetermined size.

A container inserted horizontally through a template access hole or port hole in a mechanism will have a series of metallic lines printed on the package or substrate. A cylindrical beverage container may have a series of metallic lines of different thickness or length, and/or concentric metallic circles printed on them using a highly conductive metallic ink. Such an ink may contain copper gold silver aluminum or other conductive metals. Each metallic ring represents a data bit. A start bit and an end bit have identifiably different electromagnetic responses to a imposed electromagnetic signal which may be detected by a sensor. The sensor may detect, for example, the lines' or circles' response pattern or resonance or oscillation induced by the imposed signal, and may be compared to a specified response or otherwise measured to determine the bits represented by the lines or rings.

A cartridge or container containing powdered coffee, tea, or other dry mix may be introduced into a processing device manually or automatically, depending on the application. The dry mix may be sealed inside a cylindrical, truncated conical, or other geometric configured container with an end cover and/or sealant applied after the container is filled. The user may place the container in a predetermined receiving space on the device, and by means of gravity or pressing an lever or the like on the device, container may move perpendicularly across a sensor's detection field. In another embodiment, a sensor may be moved across and orthogonal to a horizontally disposed area on the sealant cover. A needle or hollow pin may then be inserted into the container to inject a liquid to be mixed with the dry ingredients, to dispense a solution of the liquid mixed with the dry ingredient(s).

Another embodiment may perform certain automated actions. For example, a container containing powdered coffee, tea, or other dry beverage mix may sealed inside a cylindrical container or the like with an end cover or sealant applied after the cartridge is filled. The user may place the cylinder or container or cartridge in a receiving position on a mechanism. A sensor may recognize that the cartridge or container is in place and proceed to put the cartridge in a position for processing. For example, the process can be a medical process such as dispensing medication, such as by pressing on a pressure rod such as types used in syringes to automatically dispense medication. Predetermined amounts of pressure may thereby be applied, such as into catheters or other such receiving material.

A radio frequency (RF) responsive metallic ink may cause a response to an imposed electromagnetic (EM) field or signal, which may be detected by a balanced or tuned electronic oscillator or mixer. The ink can electrically be seen as capacitive or inductive. This metallic ink or other structured mass responsive to high-frequency energy, will cause a reaction on the on the flow of electrons in any electromagnetic field. This electromagnetic field generated by an oscillator or oscillating circuit, will either be shifted in phase, frequency, reactance inductance, These are changes interpreted by the sensor as single binary bits, the output is a series of sequential bits. They are then sent to a mini or micro processor. The microprocessor may then signal or otherwise initiate a required action automatically without human input.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated in exemplary forms with a certain degree of particularity, it is noted that the description and illustrations have been made by way of example only. Numerous changes in the details of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and steps may be made. Accordingly, such changes are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure, the protected scope of which is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A method to identify a program for an automated dispensing system for liquid containers, comprising:

imposing an electromagnetic signal on a sealed container having a plurality of electrically conductive rings, each ring distinctively responsive to the electromagnetic signal and representative of a data bit;

reading with a sensor the response of at least a portion of the rings to the signal to detect the rings' respective data bits; and

outputting to a processor the detected bits as a series of sequential bits; and

automatically initiating by the processor an action at least partially based on the series of bits.

2. A disposable container for use with a system for dispensing a predetermined amount of a liquid, comprising:

a continuous sidewall with a bottom, the sidewall and bottom defining a container having an external surface and an internal cavity with an opening at the top;

a container cover adapted to sealably cover the opening at the top of the container; and

a plurality of metallic lines disposed on the external surface of the container, each line configured to generate a distinctive response to an imposed electromagnetic signal as a data bit detectable by a sensor proximate to the container.

3. The container of claim 2, wherein the metallic lines are printed on the external surface of the container.

4. The container of claim 2, wherein the container forms a right circular cylinder or truncated cone, and the metallic lines form a plurality of concentric circles on the bottom of the container.

5. The container of claim 2, wherein the metallic lines are formed using a metallic ink printed on the container.

6. The container of claim 2, wherein the metallic lines comprise at least one of copper, gold, silver, or aluminum.

7. The container of claim 4, wherein each metallic ring represents a data bit.

8. The container of claim 7, wherein a first predetermined one of the rings represents a start bit, and a second predetermined one of the rings represents an end bit, and wherein the start bit ring and the end bit ring have responses to an imposed electromagnetic signal that are detectibly distinct by an external sensor proximate to the container.

9. The container of claim 2, wherein:

the container contains a dry mix which, when combined with water, forms a beverage; and

the dry beverage mix is sealed inside the container by applying the cover after the container is filled with the dry beverage mix.

10. The container of claim 2, wherein the container is filled with a medication.

11. The container of claim 2, wherein the container is filled with a pet food.