CN110675560A

CN110675560A - Automatic beverage machine and order processing method for automatic beverage machine

Info

Publication number: CN110675560A
Application number: CN201910873387.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 段金瑞
Original assignee: Megarobo Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Megarobo Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-09-16
Filing date: 2019-09-16
Publication date: 2020-01-10

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides an automatic beverage machine, which comprises a first input device, a controller, a beverage making device and a mechanical arm, wherein the automatic beverage machine further comprises a second input device and is also provided with a buffer area, and the first input device is used for receiving order information; the second input device is used for receiving goods taking information; the controller is used for controlling the beverage making device and the mechanical arm to make corresponding beverages according to the order information, controlling the mechanical arm to store the made beverages which are not taken by the user immediately into the buffer area according to the order information, and controlling the mechanical arm to place the beverages in the buffer area corresponding to the taking information to the designated position according to the taking information. This automatic drink machine is provided with the buffer, can deposit the drink that the preparation, the user were not got promptly, and automatic drink machine can make many cups of drink like this and wait for the user to get, has reduced the length of time that the user waited for, has improved user experience.

Description

Automatic beverage machine and order processing method for automatic beverage machine

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of intelligent retail, and more particularly to an automated beverage machine and an order processing method for an automated beverage machine.

Background

At present, with the development of technology, the method for selling food in the food industry is influenced by the internet technology and changes continuously. Various semi-automatic and fully automatic retail devices, such as automatic beverage machines, are available on the market. These automated beverage machines typically receive orders placed on-site, either by customer or automated beverage machine, and then place the beverage directly into the access port after the beverage is made. The user takes the just made drink on site. In this case, for example, making a cup of coffee or juice may take several minutes, requiring the user to wait in line. Especially when many users purchase during peak hours, users often queue long teams. The user experience is poor, and the part of users can easily give up purchasing the required drinks.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. The invention provides an automatic beverage machine and an order processing method for the automatic beverage machine.

According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an automatic beverage machine comprising a first input device, a controller, a beverage making device and a robot arm, wherein the automatic beverage machine further comprises a second input device and is further provided with a buffer, wherein,

the first input device is used for receiving order information;

the second input device is used for receiving goods taking information;

the controller is used for controlling the beverage making device and the mechanical arm to make corresponding beverages according to the order information, controlling the mechanical arm to store the made beverages which are not taken by the user immediately into the buffer area according to the order information, and controlling the mechanical arm to place the beverages in the buffer area corresponding to the taking information to the designated position according to the taking information.

Illustratively, the first input device includes a communication interface for receiving remote order information,

the controller controls the mechanical arm to store the made beverage which is taken by the user in a non-immediate mode into the buffer area according to the order information, and the controller realizes the following operations:

determining that the made beverage is a beverage which is not taken by the user immediately according to the remote order information;

controlling the mechanical arm to place the beverage which is not taken immediately by the user into the buffer area;

the step of controlling the mechanical arm to place the drinks in the buffer area corresponding to the goods taking information to the specified position according to the goods taking information is realized through the following operations:

determining drinks corresponding to the goods taking information in the buffer area according to the goods taking information;

and controlling the mechanical arm to place the beverage corresponding to the goods taking information to the specified position.

Illustratively, the first input device further comprises a human-computer interaction input device for receiving the on-site order information,

the controller is also used for determining that the made beverage is the beverage which is taken on site according to the on-site order information and controlling the mechanical arm to place the beverage which is taken on site to the specified position.

Illustratively, the buffer zones are disposed on both sides of the robot arm.

Illustratively, be provided with the multilayer supporter that is used for placing the drink that the user was not got promptly in the buffer.

Illustratively, the buffer includes: a warm area for storing hot beverages in the consumer non-ready-to-drink beverage and/or a cold area for storing cold beverages in the consumer non-ready-to-drink beverage.

Illustratively, the second input device comprises a camera for shooting a two-dimensional code presented by a client of the user, wherein the two-dimensional code contains the pickup information.

Illustratively, the designated position is provided with a lifting mechanism, which is movable between a first position and a second position under the control of the controller, wherein,

when the lifting mechanism is located at the first position, the controller is used for controlling the mechanical arm to place the beverage corresponding to the goods taking information in the buffer area on the lifting mechanism according to the goods taking information and controlling the lifting mechanism to move to the second position so that a user can take the beverage corresponding to the goods taking information.

The automatic beverage machine is further provided with a discarding port, and the designated position is provided with an article detection sensor for detecting whether the beverage at the designated position is taken away;

the controller is also used for timing the beverage at the designated position, controlling the lifting mechanism to move back to the first position when the timing exceeds a goods taking threshold and detecting that the beverage at the designated position is not taken away, and controlling the mechanical arm to feed the beverage at the designated position into the discarding opening or replace the beverage back to the buffer area.

Illustratively, the automatic beverage maker is further provided with a discard port,

the controller is also used for timing the drinks in the buffer area, and when the timing exceeds a discarding threshold value, the mechanical arm is controlled to send the drinks in the buffer area into the discarding opening.

According to another aspect of embodiments of the present invention, there is also provided an order processing method for an automatic beverage machine, the automatic beverage machine comprising a first input device, a controller, a beverage making device and a robotic arm, the automatic beverage machine further comprising a second input device and further being provided with a buffer zone, the method comprising:

receiving order information using the first input device;

controlling the beverage making device and the mechanical arm to make corresponding beverages by using the controller according to the order information;

controlling the mechanical arm to store the manufactured beverage which is not taken by the user to the buffer area by using the controller according to the order information;

receiving pickup information using the second input device;

and controlling the mechanical arm to place the drinks in the buffer area corresponding to the goods taking information to a specified position by using the controller according to the goods taking information.

The automatic beverage machine in the above scheme is provided with the buffer zone, can temporarily store the prepared beverage for waiting for the user to get, reduces the waiting time of the user, and improves the user experience.

The foregoing description is only an overview of the technical solutions of the present invention, and the embodiments of the present invention are described below in order to make the technical means of the present invention more clearly understood and to make the above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more clearly understandable.

Drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in more detail embodiments of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention and not to limit the invention. In the drawings, like reference numbers generally represent like parts or steps.

Figure 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an automatic beverage machine according to one embodiment of the present invention;

figure 2 shows a schematic structural view of an automatic beverage machine according to one embodiment of the present invention;

figure 3 shows a schematic flow diagram of an order processing method for an automatic beverage machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more apparent, exemplary embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the described embodiments are merely a subset of embodiments of the invention and not all embodiments of the invention, with the understanding that the invention is not limited to the example embodiments described herein. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments of the invention described herein without inventive step, shall fall within the scope of protection of the invention.

As mentioned above, various automatic beverage machines are available on the market, which make a cup of beverage and place the made beverage in the access opening. And after the user takes the prepared drink from the goods taking opening, another cup of drink is prepared. This is difficult to meet the needs of making finished drinks in advance and reducing user wait. To at least partially address the above issues, embodiments of the present invention provide an automatic beverage machine. The automatic beverage machine is used for automatically making and providing corresponding beverages according to the order information of the user. It will be appreciated that an automated beverage machine is an intelligent system that is capable of automatically completing the processing of order information without the need for assistance and supervision by management personnel. The automatic beverage machine comprises a buffer area, wherein the buffer area can be used for temporarily storing the prepared beverage, so that the beverage can be prepared in advance. Under the condition that the drinks ordered by the user are temporarily stored in the buffer area, the user can immediately take the temporarily stored drinks before arriving at the automatic drink machine. Therefore, the automatic beverage machine reduces the waiting time of the user and improves the user experience. Fig. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an automatic beverage machine 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 1, the automatic beverage maker 100 includes a first input device 110, a beverage making device 120, a second input device 140, a robot arm 150, and a controller 160, and is provided with a buffer zone 130.

The first input device 110 is used for receiving order information. The order information may include information of the user, information of the purchased beverage (referred to as beverage information for short), information of the automatic beverage machine, and the like. For example, the user information may include user identification information, an identification code, or a verification code for identifying the identity of the user submitting the order. Specifically, the information of the user may be a mobile phone number of the user, a user name of system login, and the like. The beverage information may include the type, quantity, etc. of the beverage for the automatic beverage mechanism to act on the beverage desired by the user. Taking coffee as an example, the types of beverages may include cup capacity, sugar degree, hot and cold, concentration, variety, etc. It will be appreciated that one order may order multiple beverages, and therefore, the beverage information may include the number of beverages. Optionally, the order information may further include an order identifier, order price information, and the like.

The above-mentioned manner of receiving order information may be various. For example, the order information is received from a client or server of the user in wired or wireless communication. Thus, the first input means may comprise a wired or wireless network interface and/or a near field communication means.

The beverage making device 120 is used for making a corresponding beverage according to the order information received by the first input device 110 under the control of the controller 160. Further, the beverage can be coffee, milk tea, fruit juice, etc. Specifically, the beverage making device 120 may sequentially start each process of making a beverage corresponding to the order information received by the first input device 110 when receiving the related instruction of the controller 160.

The beverage making device 120 may include one or more holding tanks for holding ingredients needed to make the beverage. For example, the beverage making device 120 is a coffee maker, which may include a storage bin for storing coffee beans, a refrigerator for storing milk, a storage bin for storing syrup, and/or a water tank for storing drinking water, etc. The coffee machine can instantly wash hot water in the heating pot into brewed coffee powder through automatic bean grinding, automatic powder pressing and automatic brewing, so as to extract the internal essence of the coffee to generate the coffee with strong fragrance. In addition, the beverage making device 120 may also periodically perform self-cleaning. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific construction principle and implementation process, and will not be described herein for brevity.

The buffer area 130 is used for temporarily storing the beverage that is made by the beverage making device 120 and is not taken by the user. The buffer area 130 is a space for temporarily storing drinks. Drinks that are temporarily waiting for the user to pick up may be placed in the buffer 130. The buffer area 130 can be divided into reasonable spaces to better store drinks. For example, the buffer space can be divided into a plurality of layers of buffer spaces, and each layer of buffer space can be divided into a plurality of storage areas, so that more drinks can be stored. And the storage areas for storing different types of drinks can be further divided, so that the mouthfeel of the drinks is better ensured. For example, dividing a heat preservation area and a cold storage area; or the buffer area of the special flavor beverage and the buffer area of the common beverage are divided so as to reduce the influence of the odor of the special flavor beverage on the common beverage.

Optionally, the buffer area 130 may include one or more storage sub-areas for storing a cup of beverage. For the case that the buffer area 130 includes a plurality of storage sub-areas, the storage sub-areas for storing each cup of beverage may be numbered, and based on the numbers, the corresponding relationship between the storage sub-areas for each cup of beverage in the buffer area 130 and the stored beverage may be established, so as to facilitate the accurate positioning of each cup of beverage. For example, the robotic arm 150 is facilitated to grasp or carry a beverage.

The second input device 140 is used for receiving the pickup information. The goods taking information is used for determining the beverage to be taken. The beverage to be received can be 1 cup or more. The pickup information may include order information. Based on the order information, the beverage information purchased by the order can be determined, and further the beverage to be picked can be determined. The pickup information may further include information of the user and drink information, and the drink to be picked up may be determined based on the information of the user and the drink information. The above-mentioned mode for receiving the goods-taking information can be various. For example, the pick-up information is extracted from a two-dimensional code or a bar code presented by a client of the user, or the pick-up information can also be received by receiving the pick-up code input by the user based on the human-computer interaction device.

The robotic arm 150 is used to perform beverage making and/or beverage handling operations under the control of the controller 160. The robotic arm 150 occupies space and may include one or more connected rotatable and/or retractable arms and end effectors. The arm is used to move or rotate and the end effector is used to perform grasping and/or releasing operations. For example, the end effector may be a jaw that can be opened and closed, or may be another operation tool. The robot arm 150 moves according to a corresponding route and performs a predetermined action in response to a control command from the controller 160. Specifically, the robotic arm 150 effects movement in three dimensions in response to control commands, and performs related actions at specific locations. Such as a beverage preparation location, a location where beverages are stored in the buffer 130 or a location where goods are taken, etc. Specifically, for example, in each process of making the beverage, the cup is transported to a corresponding position of the beverage making device 120, such as a coffee powder outlet, a milk outlet, a water outlet, etc.; the beverage produced by the beverage producing device 120 is deposited into the buffer 130 or other location.

The controller 160 is configured to control the beverage making device 120 and the robot 150 to make a corresponding beverage according to the order information received by the first input device 110. Under the control of the controller 160, the beverage making device 120 and the robot 150 can cooperate with each other to complete the beverage making process.

The controller 160 is further configured to control the robotic arm 150 to deposit the prepared beverage that is not taken by the user into the buffer area 130 according to the order information. It will be appreciated that with an automated beverage machine according to embodiments of the present application, an order for a beverage that a user is not taking immediately may be received. A beverage that is not a drink taken by the user is a beverage for which the user order time differs from the pre-fetch order time by more than a certain threshold. The specific threshold may be 5 to 10 minutes. Wherein the pre-fetch order time is a time when the user desires to get the purchased beverage. Assume that the user places an order 10: 00 a.m., and selects a prefetch time in the order of 14 a.m.: 00, the beverage corresponding to the order is the beverage which is not taken by the user. In one example, in the above process, a correspondence of a drink to a particular storage area in the buffer 130 is established.

The controller 160 is further configured to control the mechanical arm 150 to place the beverage in the buffer area 130 corresponding to the pickup information to a designated position according to the pickup information received by the second input device 140. Based on the pickup information, the controller 160 may determine the beverage to be picked up that corresponds to the pickup information. In the foregoing example, the controller 160 controls the mechanical arm 150 to place the beverage at a specific storage area in the buffer area 130 to a designated position according to the corresponding relationship between the beverage and the specific storage area. The designated position can be a beverage transfer or temporary storage position, and the beverage placed at the designated position can be transported to other positions or a goods taking port; or the designated position is a goods taking opening, so that a user can take the drink from the goods taking opening.

Illustratively, the controller 160 is further configured to control the robotic arm 150 to place the beverage prepared by the beverage preparation device 120 and ready to be taken by the user at the aforementioned designated position directly according to the pickup information, so as to be picked up by the user. The beverage that the user gets is the beverage that the user wants and can get immediately. For the case of a customer placing an order on site, the beverage placed for the order may be the beverage the customer has taken. The user-ready drink may be placed in a designated location immediately after the preparation is complete, rather than in the buffer 130. Therefore, the working efficiency of the automatic beverage machine is improved, and the waiting time of a user is reduced.

This automatic drink machine 100 is provided with buffer 130, can deposit the drink that the preparation, the user got soon, and automatic drink machine can make many cups of drink like this and wait for the user to get, has reduced the time of user's waiting, has improved user experience.

Illustratively, the first input device 110 includes a communication interface for receiving remote order information.

Based on the communication interface, remote order information submitted by the user through the client may be received, which is understood to mean submitted via a network rather than being conceptually remote in geographic distance.

The client may be a user's cell phone, tablet, personal computer, or other smart device. The user can complete order submission operations through an APP, an applet, a webpage or the like on the client. After the user submits order information (called order placing for short), the first input device 110 may receive the order information based on the communication interface via the server. The remote orders may include orders submitted by the client on-site and may also include orders submitted by the client on a network connection elsewhere off-site.

It can be understood that, with respect to the remote order information, it is not possible to determine whether the user places an order before the automatic beverage machine, and therefore, the beverage ordered by the remote order submission can be regarded as a beverage that the user does not take immediately. The beverage corresponding to the remote order information can be stored in the buffer area 130 after the beverage is completely made, so as to wait for the user to pick up the beverage.

The remote order information is received based on the communication interface and the made beverage is temporarily stored for the user, so that the user can conveniently submit the order through a network, the queuing condition caused by the on-site order submission can be reduced, and the user experience is improved.

It is understood that the controller 160 can control the beverage making device 120 and the robotic arm 150 to cooperate with each other to make a corresponding beverage according to the remote order information, such as the pre-order time therein. After the beverage is made, the controller 160 controls the robot 150 to store the made beverage, which is not immediately taken by the user, in the buffer 130 so as to provide a making space for the next beverage, in order to make the next beverage without affecting the automatic beverage maker 100. In one example, the above-described operation of the controller 160 is realized by the following sub-operations.

Firstly, the beverage made is determined to be the beverage which is not taken by the user immediately according to the remote order information. As mentioned above, the beverage corresponding to the remote order information is a beverage that the user does not take immediately. The controller 160 can determine that the ordered beverage is a beverage that the user did not take immediately according to the remote order information after receiving the remote order information.

The robotic arm 150 is then controlled to place the user non-ready-to-take beverage into the buffer zone 130. As previously described, the buffer zone 130 may include one or more holding sub-zones, each holding sub-zone for holding a cup of beverage. In the placing process, a one-to-one correspondence relationship between the storage sub-areas and the beverages stored therein is established. In one example, the controller 160 may store a table containing the correspondence information described above.

It is understood that in the case where there is a vacant holding sub-area in the buffer area 130, the controller 160 may control the robot arm 150 to place the beverage into the vacant holding sub-area of the buffer area 130.

It is understood that when the user gets a beverage before the automatic beverage machine, the controller 160 controls the mechanical arm 150 to place the beverage corresponding to the pickup information in the buffer area 130 to a designated position according to the pickup information by the following sub-operations.

First, the beverage corresponding to the pickup information in the buffer 130 is determined according to the pickup information. Then, the mechanical arm 150 is controlled to place the beverage corresponding to the pickup information to the designated position.

The pickup information may be order information itself or related beverage identification information generated according to the order information, such as an order number, a pickup code, or a mobile phone verification code. The pickup information may include beverage identification information such as the type of beverage and the number of beverages corresponding to each type.

Based on the pickup information, the controller 160 may determine whether the beverage corresponding to the pickup information is manufactured completely, and in a case where the manufacturing is not started or the manufacturing is not completed, the controller 160 may prompt the user that the beverage to be picked up is not manufactured completely by sending a prompt message.

In the case that the beverage has been made, the controller 160 may determine a beverage corresponding to the pickup information in the buffer area 130. In one example, the controller 160 can determine the specific location of the beverage corresponding to the pickup information in the buffer area 130, for example, which storage sub-area, according to the beverage identification information in the pickup information. After determining the specific position of the beverage corresponding to the pickup information in the buffer area 130, the mechanical arm 130 may be controlled to place the beverage at a designated position, such as a pickup port, for the user to pick up.

Illustratively, the pickup information may be carried by a two-dimensional code. The second input device 140 of the automatic beverage maker 100 includes a camera for photographing a two-dimensional code presented by the user's client, the two-dimensional code containing the pickup information. In one example, the pickup information may be generated and sent to the user's client by the automatic beverage machine 100 according to the order information after placing an order. The user can use the pickup information to pick up the ordered beverage at the automatic beverage machine. Optionally, the user aims the two-dimensional code presented by the client at a camera of the automatic beverage machine 100, and the second input device 140 captures the two-dimensional code through the camera to obtain the pickup information. Based on the pickup information, the beverage that the user needs to pick up can be determined.

The goods taking information is obtained based on the camera shooting two-dimensional code, so that user input can be avoided, and the efficiency and accuracy of obtaining the goods taking information are improved.

Alternatively, the second input device 140 may further include a human-machine interaction input device for receiving pickup information of the user. The human-computer interaction input device may comprise a touch screen, a keyboard or a mouse, and the like. The user can directly input the goods taking information through the man-machine interaction input device. The goods taking information can be order number, goods taking code or mobile phone verification code and other information.

In addition to the communication interface, the first input device 110 may also include a human interaction input device for receiving field order information. It will be appreciated that the first input device 110 and the second input device 140 may be implemented using the same human interaction input device.

The on-site order information refers to order information which is directly input to the automatic beverage machine through the operation of the automatic beverage machine by a user and is not submitted through a network. The human-computer interaction input device may comprise a touch screen, a keyboard or a mouse, and the like. Optionally, the human interaction input device may further comprise a communication device based on near field communication technology. In one example, a user fills in an order through a client before arriving at the automatic beverage machine, and transmits the order information from the client to the automatic beverage machine through a near field communication technology based on a human-computer interaction input device. In another example, the first input device 110 may also include a camera. Firstly, generating two-dimensional code information of an order by using a client. And then the two-dimension code information can be shot or scanned by a camera to receive the site order information.

Based on the human-computer interaction input device, the order information can be received under the condition that no network exists, the dependence on the network is reduced, and the application range of the automatic beverage machine is widened.

It is understood that the on-site order is an order that the user submitted in front of the automatic beverage machine. Finished drinks made based on the on-site order information need not be stored in the buffer 130. The controller 160 is further configured to determine that the prepared beverage is a ready-to-drink beverage based on the on-site order information and control the robotic arm 150 to place the ready-to-drink beverage at the designated location. The designated position is, for example, a goods taking opening, so that the user can take the purchased beverage.

To more clearly illustrate the present invention, fig. 2 shows a schematic structural view of an automatic beverage maker 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 2, the automatic beverage maker 200 includes a display 210, an ice maker 220, a cup dropping module 230, a code spraying module 240, a cup taking module lifting mechanism 250, a robot arm 260, and is provided with a buffer area 270, a two-dimensional code scanning area 280, and an on-site ordering area 290.

The field ordering area 290 includes a first input device for receiving field order information. The first input device may be a touch screen. The user can complete the on-site ordering operation by using the touch screen so as to submit on-site order information.

As previously mentioned, the automatic beverage maker 200 may further comprise a further first input device (not shown), such as a communication interface, for receiving remote order information.

The two-dimensional code scanning area 280 includes a camera. The two-dimensional code is used for shooting the two-dimensional code presented by the client of the user, and the two-dimensional code contains goods taking information.

The automatic beverage maker 200 further includes a controller and a beverage making device (both not shown), the latter being, for example, a coffee maker. The controller controls the beverage making device and the mechanical arm 260 to make corresponding beverages according to the order information received by the first input device.

Optionally, the automatic beverage maker 200 includes a cup drop module 230, a code spray module 240, and an ice maker 220. The cup dropping module 230 is used for storing paper cups and delivering different paper cups according to the types of drinks in the order information. For example, paper cups can include mugs, medium cups, and small cups. The paper cup is provided by the cup dropping module 230, so that the operation is simple and the realization is easy. The code spraying module 240 is configured to spray identification information of the beverage, such as order information or other related information of the beverage, on the paper cup sent by the cup dropping module 230 according to the order information. The identification information of the beverage is used for identifying the beverage in the cup. For example, one or more of the beverage information such as name, type and number of the beverage. The ice maker 220 is used to make and/or store ice cubes. The presence of the ice maker 220 may enable the automatic beverage maker 200 to provide cold beverages according to the needs of the user, improving the user experience.

In one example, the controller controls the robot arm 260 to grab the paper cup delivered from the cup drop module 230 and move it to the code spraying module 240. After the code spraying operation is completed by the code spraying module 240, the controller controls the mechanical arm 260 to grab the paper cup at the code spraying module 240 according to the order information and move the paper cup to the outlet of the ice maker 220 or the beverage making device. It will be appreciated that if the beverage requires ice, the paper cup is moved below the ice maker 220. In this case, the paper cup may first receive ice cubes output from the ice maker 220. The controller then controls the robotic arm 260 to move the paper cup to the outlet of the beverage making device. If the beverage does not need to be iced, the paper cup is directly moved to the lower part of the beverage making device. Therefore, after the beverage making device makes the beverage corresponding to the order information, the made beverage can be just output to the paper cup, so that the making of the beverage corresponding to the order information is completed.

It is to be understood that the cup dropping module 230, the code spraying module 240, and the ice maker 220 described above are optional, and not necessary. For example, the controller may control the robotic arm 260 to grasp an empty paper cup at a particular location rather than using the cup drop module 230 to eject the paper cup. The controller may identify the drink based only on the order information, thereby omitting the code spraying module 240.

The automatic beverage maker 200 is provided with a buffer zone 270 and a cup taking module lifting mechanism 250. As described above, the buffer 270 is used to store drinks that have been made that are not ready for consumption by the user. The cup taking module lifting mechanism 250 is disposed at the above-mentioned designated position, and is movable between a first position and a second position under the control of the controller.

After the beverage is made, the controller determines whether the made beverage is the beverage which is not taken by the user immediately or the beverage which is taken by the user immediately on site according to the order information.

For drinks that the user is not taking immediately, the controller controls the robotic arm 260 to deposit it into the buffer 270. Buffer 270 may include a plurality of storage sub-sections, represented in FIG. 2 by small circles. Each storage subarea is used for storing a cup of drink. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, buffer 270 includes 7 deposit subsections.

The buffer zones 270 may be disposed on both sides of the robot arm 260. As shown in fig. 2, the robot arm 260 is provided with 3 and 4 storage sub-areas on both sides thereof, respectively. It can be understood that the mechanical arm 260 can move in the space of the operation area, and the buffer area 270 is disposed on two sides of the mechanical arm 260, so that on one hand, the movement amount of the mechanical arm 260 can be reduced, and the operation of the mechanical arm is facilitated, and on the other hand, the space size of the buffer area 270 can be increased, so that more drinks can be stored, and the space utilization rate of the buffer area 270 is improved.

Illustratively, a multi-layer shelf (not shown) for holding non-ready drinks is disposed in the buffer area 270. More drinks can be stored by the multilayer shelf, and the utilization rate of the buffer area 270 is improved. In addition, the multi-layer arrangement also ensures that the mechanical arm 260 can conveniently operate the beverage.

Illustratively, the buffer 270 includes: a holding area for holding hot beverages in the consumer non-ready drink and/or a cooling area (not shown) for holding cold beverages in the consumer non-ready drink. It will be appreciated that beverages made by the automatic beverage machine may include hot and cold beverages. The heat preservation area for storing the hot drink can be arranged and used for placing the prepared hot drink in the heat preservation area, so that the situation that the hot drink is cooled and the taste is influenced can be avoided. Similarly, a cold storage area for storing cold drink can be arranged for placing the prepared cold drink in the cold storage area, so that the cold drink can be prevented from changing temperature and further influencing the taste. In a word, the mouth feel of the drink can be ensured and the user experience is improved by arranging the heat preservation area and/or the cold storage area.

For beverages located in the buffer zone corresponding to the pick information or beverages that are determined on-site based on the order information, the controller may control the robotic arm 260 to place the beverages at a specified location, such as the location of the cup-taking module lifting mechanism 250 shown in fig. 2, based on the pick information or the order information.

The cup taking module lifting mechanism 250 is movable between a first position and a second position under the control of the controller. In the embodiment shown in fig. 2, the line between the first position and the second position is in a vertical direction. The first location is above the second location and is coplanar with the buffer 270. When the cup taking module lifting mechanism 250 is at the first position, the controller controls the mechanical arm 260 to place the beverage corresponding to the goods taking information or the order information onto the cup taking module lifting mechanism 250 according to the goods taking information or the order information. And continues to control the cup taking module lifting mechanism 250 to move to the second position. The second position is an open access opening, and the user can remove the beverage when the beverage is brought to the second position by the cup access elevator mechanism 250.

Based on get a glass module elevating system 250, can remove the drink to open the mouth of getting goods from confined operation space, be convenient for the user to get the drink.

It will be appreciated that the designated location of the automatic beverage maker 200 is for the user to pick up the beverage, and that space is limited. To avoid its long-term occupancy, the proper operation of the automatic beverage machine 200 is delayed. Illustratively, the designated position of the automatic beverage machine is provided with an article detection sensor for detecting whether the beverage at the designated position is taken away. The article detection sensor is, for example, an infrared sensor. The automatic beverage machine is also provided with a discarding port. The discard port is used for discarding the beverage. For example, the disposal opening may be provided with a waste bin, and the drink fed into the disposal opening is directly discarded in the waste bin. The controller is also used to time the beverage placed at the specified location, for example, from the time it is placed at the specified location or the time it is moved to the second location.

If the time does not exceed the pick threshold and a drink is detected at the designated location being removed, the controller may control the cup-taking module lift mechanism 250 to move back to the first position. The get-threshold is a period of time reserved for the user to get the drink. The pick-up threshold may be preset according to different circumstances, for example, 1 to 5 minutes.

If the timing exceeds the pick threshold and it is detected that the beverage at the designated location has not been removed, the controller controls the cup-taking module lift mechanism 250 to move back to the first position and controls the robotic arm 260 to deliver the beverage at the designated location to the discard port or to reposition it back to the buffer 270. If introduced into the discard port, the beverage is completely discarded. If placed back into the buffer 270, the beverage may still be placed again in the designated location for re-serving to the user.

Similarly to the beverage at the designated location, the controller may also be used to time the beverage at the buffer, e.g. from the moment the made beverage is made or the made beverage is placed at the buffer. When the count exceeds the discard threshold, the robotic arm 260 is controlled to deliver the beverage from the buffer into the discard port. The discard threshold may be a preset time period, such as 5 to 30 minutes. The discard thresholds for different types of beverages may be the same or different. Optionally, the discard threshold is set according to the speed of reduction of the mouthfeel of the drink. The faster the taste of the beverage is reduced, the smaller the discarding threshold value is; otherwise, the reverse is carried out. Therefore, the situation that resources of the automatic beverage machine are occupied meaninglessly is avoided, and the working efficiency of the automatic beverage machine is improved. Furthermore, beyond the discard threshold, the mouthfeel of the beverage will decrease and may no longer be acceptable to the user.

Alternatively, in the case that the beverage ordered by the user has been completely prepared, in response to the operation of actively canceling the order by the user, the controller may control the mechanical arm 260 to feed the beverage corresponding to the order into the discard port.

Optionally, the automatic beverage machine 200 may further include a display 210, which may be used to display order information of the beverage currently being made by the automatic beverage machine 200, order information of the beverage to be taken, order information of the beverage to be made, and other relevant status information, so as to facilitate the user to view the progress status of the relevant order. It may also be used to display the display contents set by the merchant to facilitate the user to know the selling contents of the automatic beverage machine 200, or may also display the contents such as advertisement. The presence of the display 210 provides more information to the user, enhancing the user experience.

According to another aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, there is also provided an order processing method for the automatic beverage machine 100 or the automatic beverage machine 200. FIG. 3 shows a schematic flow diagram of an order processing method 300 according to one embodiment of the invention. As shown in fig. 3, the method 300 includes at least the following steps.

In step S310, order information is received by using the first input device.

And step S320, controlling the beverage making device and the mechanical arm to make corresponding beverages by using the controller according to the order information.

And step S330, controlling the mechanical arm to store the manufactured beverage which is not taken by the user into a buffer area by using the controller according to the order information.

Step S340, receiving the pickup information by using the second input device.

And step S350, controlling the mechanical arm to place the beverage in the buffer area corresponding to the goods taking information to a specified position by using the controller according to the goods taking information.

A person skilled in the art can understand specific implementations of the order processing method by reading the above description related to the automatic beverage machine 100 and the automatic beverage machine 200, and details are not described herein for brevity. According to the order processing method, the drinks which are made in advance can be stored in the buffer area, so that the user can immediately pick up the drinks stored in the buffer area, the waiting time of the user is shortened, and the user experience is improved.

Although the illustrative embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the foregoing illustrative embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention thereto. Various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative elements and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware or combinations of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the implementation. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.

In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and method may be implemented in other ways. For example, the above-described device embodiments are merely illustrative, and for example, the division of the units is only one logical functional division, and other divisions may be realized in practice, for example, a plurality of units or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be omitted, or not executed.

In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. It is understood, however, that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the invention and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. However, the method of the present invention should not be construed to reflect the intent: that the invention as claimed requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that all of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and all of the processes or elements of any method or apparatus so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where such features are mutually exclusive. Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise.

Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that while some embodiments described herein include some features included in other embodiments, rather than other features, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention and form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination.

The various component embodiments of the invention may be implemented in hardware, or in software modules running on one or more processors, or in a combination thereof. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a microprocessor or Digital Signal Processor (DSP) may be used in practice to implement some or all of the functionality of some of the modules for use in an automatic beverage machine according to embodiments of the present invention. The present invention may also be embodied as apparatus programs (e.g., computer programs and computer program products) for performing a portion or all of the methods described herein. Such programs implementing the present invention may be stored on computer-readable media or may be in the form of one or more signals. Such a signal may be downloaded from an internet website or provided on a carrier signal or in any other form.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in a claim. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the unit claims enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The usage of the words first, second and third, etcetera do not indicate any ordering. These words may be interpreted as names.

The above description is only for the specific embodiment of the present invention or the description thereof, and the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of the changes or substitutions within the technical scope of the present invention, and the changes or substitutions should be covered within the protection scope of the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An automatic beverage machine, comprising a first input device, a controller, a beverage making device and a mechanical arm, characterized in that the automatic beverage machine further comprises a second input device and is further provided with a buffer area, wherein,

the first input device is used for receiving order information;

the second input device is used for receiving goods taking information;

2. The automatic beverage maker of claim 1 wherein the first input device includes a communication interface for receiving remote order information,

3. The automated beverage machine of claim 2, wherein the first input device further comprises a human interaction input device for receiving on-site order information,

4. The automated beverage maker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the buffer zones are disposed on both sides of the robotic arm.

5. The automatic beverage machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a multi-layer shelf for placing non-ready drinks for a user is provided in the buffer area.

6. The automatic beverage machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said buffer comprises: a warm area for storing hot beverages in the consumer non-ready-to-drink beverage and/or a cold area for storing cold beverages in the consumer non-ready-to-drink beverage.

7. The automatic beverage machine of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second input device includes a camera for capturing a two-dimensional code presented by a client of a user, the two-dimensional code containing the pickup information.

8. The automatic beverage machine of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an elevator mechanism is provided at the designated location, the elevator mechanism being movable between a first position and a second position under the control of the controller, wherein,

9. The automatic beverage machine according to claim 8, wherein the automatic beverage machine is further provided with a discard port, and the designated location is provided with an article detection sensor for detecting whether the beverage at the designated location is taken away;

10. The automatic beverage machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is further provided with a discard mouth,

11. An order processing method for an automatic beverage machine comprising a first input device, a controller, a beverage making device and a robotic arm, characterized in that the automatic beverage machine further comprises a second input device and is further provided with a buffer zone, the method comprising:

receiving order information using the first input device;

receiving pickup information using the second input device;