JP7486769B2 - Beverage production device and recipe creation method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to beverage manufacturing technology.

Beverage production devices that produce coffee beverages and the like have been proposed (e.g., Patent Documents 1 to 3).

In addition, some beverage production devices produce beverages according to various production conditions (recipe) for producing beverages.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 05-081544 JP 2003-024703 A JP 2013-66697 A

Users may want to know more about the beverages provided by the beverage production device.

In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a beverage production device and a recipe creation method that are designed to convey information about beverages to users in a way that is as easy to understand as possible.

The beverage production apparatus of the present invention which solves the above-mentioned object is as follows:
A storage means for storing recipes to be used for some or all of the steps of beverage production;
A display means for displaying a selection display for selecting one beverage from a plurality of beverages;
an acquisition means for acquiring from the storage means a recipe for the beverage selected in the selection display;
a processing means for executing a process for producing the beverage by referring to parameters included in the recipe acquired by the acquisition means;
a production means for producing the beverage in accordance with the process executed by the processing means;
A beverage production device comprising:
The beverage production includes a number of steps,
A recipe creation mode for creating new recipes ;
The display means displays a recipe for each beverage in the selection display ,
the recipe creation modes include a first recipe creation mode in which a new recipe is completed by inputting some parameters for the plurality of processes, and a second recipe creation mode in which a new recipe is completed by inputting other parameters for the plurality of processes in addition to the some parameters input in the first recipe creation mode,
The other parameters that are not input in the first recipe creation mode are configured to be automatically input with predetermined values,
the first recipe creation mode is a recipe creation mode in which the part of parameters for the plurality of processes can be input in the same manner as in the second recipe creation mode;
It is characterized by:

Also,
the second recipe creation mode is a recipe creation mode in which a new recipe is completed by inputting parameters that are automatically input in the first recipe creation mode in addition to the part of parameters that are input in the first recipe creation mode;
The present invention may be characterized in that:
moreover,
The beverage is coffee.
The present invention may be characterized in that:

The present invention provides a beverage production device and a recipe creation method that are designed to convey information about beverages to users in a way that is as easy to understand as possible.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the beverage production device. FIG. 2 is a partial front view of the beverage production device of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a functional schematic diagram of the beverage production device of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a separation device. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the drive unit and the extraction vessel; 6A and 6B are diagrams showing the extraction vessel of FIG. 5 in a closed state and an open state. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of a portion of the upper unit and the lower unit. FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 7 . FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device of the beverage production device of FIG. 1 . 4A and 4B are flowcharts showing an example of control executed by the control device. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a liquid delivery amount adjusting device capable of functioning as a water tank. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cross-sectional structure of a liquid delivery amount adjustment device. FIG. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating some operation examples of the liquid delivery amount adjusting device. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of control executed by the control device. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating an operation mode of the liquid delivery rate adjusting device in a beverage production process. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating an operation mode of the liquid delivery rate adjusting device in a beverage production process. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing changes in air pressure in an extraction container during a beverage production process. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a table of an extraction process S3' stored in a storage unit shown in FIG. 10; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing changes in air pressure and amount of hot water in a brewing vessel during a beverage production process. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing changes in target and actual values of air pressure and amount of hot water in an extraction container during a beverage production process. 1 is a diagram showing a communication system including a beverage production device, an information display device, and a server according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a server. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an information display device. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in a server. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of control of the information display device. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of control of the server. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a display unit of the information display device. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a display unit of the information display device. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a display unit of the information display device. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a beverage production device 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an information display device 12 on which a recipe list is displayed. This figure shows a screen that is displayed when the "Daito Blend" recipe Re1 on the left side of the display screen shown in Figure 32 is tapped. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an information display device 12 on which a list of recipe management applications is displayed. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a start-up screen of a tour recipe management application. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an explanatory screen for setting a first-stage extraction method. FIG. 13 shows a screen for inputting the grind size of the beans, which is one of the parameters for grinding. A figure showing a screen for inputting bean information in the second stage. A figure showing a screen for selecting bean information in the second stage. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a screen for inputting varistor information in the third stage. 41A is a flowchart showing a method for creating a recipe on the screen for inputting varistor information shown in FIG. 40, and FIG. 41B is a schematic diagram showing an outline of a recipe creation program. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a screen for selecting varistor information at the third stage. FIG. 13 shows a start screen for creating a recipe card in the fourth step. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an input screen for a recipe card. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a confirmation screen for the registered contents. This figure shows a detailed display screen that is displayed by tapping the bean information icon Ci2 shown in Figure 45. FIG. 13 illustrates a recipe registration completion screen. 1A is a flowchart showing a characteristic recipe creation method for a tour, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing an overview of a recipe creation program. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing parameter names that can be input when creating a recipe by an expert. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display screen on which five recipes are displayed in ranking order. FIG. 51 is a diagram showing a display screen that is displayed when the simplified display 1806d of the third ranked "August Recommendation #1" shown in FIG. 50 is tapped. This figure shows the display screen that appears when the first main hot water supply amount icon I5 is tapped. 13 is a diagram showing data for managing recipe constraints stored in a storage unit 1303 of a server 1201. FIG. FIG. 51 is a diagram showing a display screen that is displayed when the simplified display 1805d of the second ranked “original recipe 004” shown in FIG. 50 is tapped. This figure shows the screen that appears when you tap icon I5 for the first main hot water supply amount for a recipe that is restricted from being modified. This is a diagram showing how menu items are expanded by tapping the menu button 120m provided in the upper right corner of the display screen shown in FIG. 33. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a display screen for correcting parameters of the air pressure delivered from the compressor 70 during the period T11 shown in FIG. 18. 31A is a diagram showing a display screen displayed on the information display device 12 during execution of the grinding process (step S2) shown in FIG. 11, and FIG. 31B is a diagram showing a table of reference values for error judgment stored in the control unit 121 of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing examples of error displays displayed on the information display device 12 during execution of a grind process. 12 is a diagram showing a display screen displayed on the information display device 12 during the execution of the steaming pouring process (step S11) shown in FIG. 11. 11A is a diagram showing a display screen displayed on the information display device 12 while the transparent extraction process (step S17) shown in FIG. 11 is being executed, and FIG. 11B is a diagram showing a display screen displayed on the information display device 12 when the transparent extraction process (step S17) shown in FIG. 11 is completed. 33 is a diagram showing a state in which a modification report window MW1 is displayed on the display screen of the recipe list shown in FIG. 32. FIG. FIG. 63 is a diagram showing a display screen that is displayed when the confirmation icon W7 shown in FIG. 62 is tapped. 63 is a diagram showing a state in which a modification report window MW1 different from the modification report window MW1 shown in FIG. 62 is displayed on the display screen of the recipe list. FIG. 64 is a diagram showing a display screen that is displayed when the confirmation icon W7 shown in FIG. 63 is tapped. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example in which a modification report window is displayed to inform the user that a parameter of a delivery pressure has been changed. FIG. 67 is a diagram showing a display screen that is displayed when the confirmation icon W7 shown in FIG. 66 is tapped. 13 is a flowchart showing a recipe chart display process. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a screen for displaying a recipe chart. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing each parameter of a recipe in a table format. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a recipe chart screen. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a system including a beverage production device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a server. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a mobile terminal. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an information display device. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the process of extracting coffee. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the process of extracting coffee. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a top screen of an application displayed on a mobile terminal. FIG. 13 illustrates a service screen. FIG. 13 illustrates a service screen. FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a service screen. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for searching by flavor executed on the setting screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for displaying a setting screen according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to a second embodiment. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for displaying a setting screen according to a third aspect. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to a third embodiment. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for displaying a setting screen according to a fourth aspect. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to a fourth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for displaying a setting screen according to a fifth aspect. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a flow from brewing coffee to acquiring history information. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for acquiring characteristics and characteristic levels from comments on a beverage. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to a fifth aspect. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of data stored in a database 1309 of a server 1201. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for displaying a setting screen according to a sixth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to a sixth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to a sixth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to a sixth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for acquiring and displaying preference information according to a seventh embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to a seventh embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for acquiring and displaying preference information according to an eighth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to an eighth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for displaying a setting screen according to a ninth aspect. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to a ninth aspect. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for acquiring and displaying preference information according to a tenth aspect. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to a tenth aspect. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen according to a tenth aspect.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<1. Overview of the beverage production device>
1 is an external view of a beverage production device 1. The beverage production device 1 of this embodiment is a device that automatically produces a coffee beverage from roasted coffee beans and liquid (water in this case), and is capable of producing one cup's worth of coffee beverage per production operation. The roasted coffee beans that serve as the raw material can be stored in a canister 40. A cup placement section 110 is provided at the bottom of the beverage production device 1, and the produced coffee beverage is poured into the cup from a pouring section 10c.

The beverage production device 1 is equipped with a housing 100 that forms the exterior and encloses the internal mechanism. The housing 100 is broadly divided into a main body 101 and a cover 102 that covers part of the front and part of the side of the beverage production device 1. The cover 102 is provided with an information display device 12. In this embodiment, the information display device 12 is a touch panel display that is capable of displaying various information as well as accepting input from the device administrator and beverage consumers. The information display device 12 is attached to the cover 102 via a movement mechanism 12a, and can be moved up and down within a certain range by the movement mechanism 12a.

The cover portion 102 is also provided with a bean inlet 103 and an opening/closing door 103a for opening and closing the bean inlet 103. By opening the opening/closing door 103a, it is possible to put roasted coffee beans other than the roasted coffee beans stored in the canister 40 into the bean inlet 103. This makes it possible to provide a special cup of coffee to the beverage consumer.

In this embodiment, the cover portion 102 is made of a light-transmitting material such as acrylic or glass, and constitutes a transparent cover whose entirety is made translucent. Therefore, the mechanism inside covered by the cover portion 102 can be seen from the outside. In this embodiment, a part of the production section that produces coffee beverages can be seen through the cover portion 102. In this embodiment, the main body portion 101 is made entirely non-translucent, and its inside is difficult to see from the outside.

Figure 2 is a partial front view of the beverage production device 1, showing a part of the production section that is visible to the user when viewed from the front of the beverage production device 1. The cover section 102 and the information display device 12 are shown in phantom lines.

The housing 100 at the front of the beverage production device 1 has a double structure consisting of a main body 101 and a cover 102 on its outer side (front side). Some of the mechanisms of the production unit are located between the main body 101 and the cover 102 in the front-to-rear direction, and can be seen by the user through the cover 102.

In this embodiment, some of the mechanisms of the manufacturing unit that are visible to the user through the cover 102 include the collecting and conveying unit 42, grinders 5A and 5B, the separating device 6, and the extraction container 9, which will be described later. A rectangular recess 101a recessed toward the back side is formed in the front part of the main body 101, and the extraction container 9 and the like are located at the back side of this recess 101a.

Being able to see these mechanisms from the outside through the cover portion 102 may make inspections and operation checks easier for managers. In addition, beverage consumers may be able to enjoy the process of making coffee beverages.

The cover part 102 is supported at its right end on the main body part 101 via a hinge 102a so that it can be opened and closed freely in a sideways manner. An engagement part 102b that keeps the main body part 101 and the cover part 102 in a closed state is provided at the left end of the cover part 102. The engagement part 102b is, for example, a combination of a magnet and iron. By opening the cover part 102, the administrator can inspect part of the manufacturing part mentioned above inside.

In this embodiment, the cover 102 is of a horizontal opening type, but it may be of a vertical opening type (upper or lower opening type) or of a sliding type. Also, the cover 102 may be configured so that it cannot be opened or closed.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the functions of the beverage production device 1. The beverage production device 1 includes a bean processing device 2 and an extraction device 3 as coffee beverage production sections.

The bean processing device 2 produces ground coffee beans from roasted coffee beans. The extraction device 3 extracts coffee liquid from the ground beans supplied from the bean processing device 2. The extraction device 3 includes a fluid supply unit 7, a drive unit 8 (see FIG. 5) described below, an extraction container 9, and a switching unit 10. The ground beans supplied from the bean processing device 2 are fed into the extraction container 9. The fluid supply unit 7 feeds hot water into the extraction container 9. Coffee liquid is extracted from the ground beans in the extraction container 9. The hot water containing the extracted coffee liquid is sent to cup C as a coffee beverage via the switching unit 10.

2. Fluid supply unit and switching unit
The configuration of the fluid supply unit 7 and the switching unit 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. First, the fluid supply unit 7 will be described. The fluid supply unit 7 supplies hot water to the extraction container 9 and controls the air pressure in the extraction container 9. In this specification, when the air pressure is exemplified by a number, it means absolute pressure unless otherwise specified, and the gauge pressure is the air pressure with the atmospheric pressure being 0 atmospheres. The atmospheric pressure refers to the air pressure around the extraction container 9 or the air pressure of the beverage production device 1. For example, when the beverage production device 1 is installed at a point at 0 m above sea level, the atmospheric pressure is the reference air pressure (1013.25 hPa) at 0 m above sea level of the International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) established in 1976 by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The fluid supply unit 7 includes pipes L1 to L3. Pipe L1 is a pipe through which air flows, and pipe L2 is a pipe through which water flows. Pipe L3 is a pipe through which both air and water can flow.

The fluid supply unit 7 includes a compressor 70 as a pressurized source. The compressor 70 compresses and sends out atmospheric air. The compressor 70 is driven, for example, by a motor (not shown) as a drive source. The compressed air sent out from the compressor 70 is supplied to a reserve tank (accumulator) 71 via a check valve 71a. The air pressure inside the reserve tank 71 is monitored by a pressure sensor 71b, and the compressor 70 is driven to maintain a predetermined air pressure (7 atm (6 atm gauge pressure) in this embodiment). The reserve tank 71 is provided with a drain 71c for draining water, which allows water generated by the compression of the air to be drained.

The water tank 72 stores hot water (water) that makes up the coffee beverage. The water tank 72 is provided with a heater 72a that heats the water in the water tank 72 and a temperature sensor 72b that measures the temperature of the water. The heater 72a maintains the temperature of the stored hot water at a predetermined temperature (120 degrees Celsius in this embodiment) based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 72b. For example, the heater 72a is turned ON when the temperature of the hot water is 118 degrees Celsius and turned OFF when it is 120 degrees Celsius.

The water tank 72 is also provided with a water level sensor 72c. The water level sensor 72c detects the level of the hot water in the water tank 72. When the water level sensor 72c detects that the water level has dropped below a predetermined level, water is supplied to the water tank 72. In the present embodiment, tap water is supplied via a water purifier (not shown). An electromagnetic valve 72d is provided midway along the pipe L2 from the water purifier. When the water level sensor 72c detects a drop in the water level, the electromagnetic valve 72d opens to supply water, and when the predetermined water level is reached, the electromagnetic valve 72d closes to cut off the water supply. In this way, the hot water in the water tank 72 is maintained at a constant water level. Water may be supplied to the water tank 72 each time hot water used to make a coffee beverage is discharged.

The water tank 72 is also provided with a pressure sensor 72g. The pressure sensor 72g detects the air pressure in the water tank 72. The water tank 72 is supplied with the air pressure in the reserve tank 71 via the pressure regulating valve 72e and the solenoid valve 72f. The pressure regulating valve 72e reduces the air pressure supplied from the reserve tank 71 to a predetermined air pressure. In this embodiment, the pressure is reduced to 3 atmospheres (2 atmospheres in gauge pressure). The solenoid valve 72f switches between supplying and blocking the air pressure adjusted by the pressure regulating valve 72e to the water tank 72. The solenoid valve 72f is controlled to open and close so that the air pressure in the water tank 72 is maintained at 3 atmospheres, except when tap water is supplied to the water tank 72. When tap water is supplied to the water tank 72, the solenoid valve 72h reduces the air pressure in the water tank 72 to a pressure lower than the water pressure of the tap water (for example, less than 2.5 atmospheres) so that the water tank 72 is smoothly replenished with tap water by the water pressure of the tap water. The solenoid valve 72h switches whether or not the water tank 72 is opened to the atmosphere, and opens the water tank 72 to the atmosphere when the pressure is reduced. In addition, the solenoid valve 72h opens the water tank 72 to the atmosphere when the air pressure inside the water tank 72 exceeds 3 atmospheres, other than when tap water is being supplied to the water tank 72, and maintains the water tank 72 at 3 atmospheres.

Hot water in the water tank 72 is supplied to the extraction vessel 9 via the check valve 72j, the solenoid valve 72i, and the pipe L3. Hot water is supplied to the extraction vessel 9 by opening the solenoid valve 72i, and the supply of hot water is cut off by closing it. The amount of hot water supplied to the extraction vessel 9 can be managed by the opening time of the solenoid valve 72i. However, the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 72i may also be controlled by measuring the supply amount. A temperature sensor 73e that measures the temperature of the hot water is provided in the pipe L3, and the temperature of the hot water supplied to the extraction vessel 9 is monitored.

The air pressure in the reserve tank 71 is also supplied to the extraction vessel 9 via the pressure regulator valve 73a and the solenoid valve 73b. The pressure regulator valve 73a reduces the air pressure supplied from the reserve tank 71 to a predetermined air pressure. In this embodiment, it reduces the pressure to 5 atmospheres (4 atmospheres in gauge pressure). The solenoid valve 73b switches between supplying and blocking the air pressure adjusted by the pressure regulator valve 73a to the extraction vessel 9. The air pressure in the extraction vessel 9 is detected by the pressure sensor 73d. When the extraction vessel 9 is pressurized, the solenoid valve 73b is opened based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 73d, and the extraction vessel 9 is pressurized to a predetermined air pressure (up to 5 atmospheres (4 atmospheres in gauge pressure) in this embodiment). The air pressure in the extraction vessel 9 can be reduced by the solenoid valve 73c. The solenoid valve 73c switches whether or not to open the extraction vessel 9 to the atmosphere, and opens the extraction vessel 9 to the atmosphere when there is an abnormal pressure (for example, when the pressure in the extraction vessel 9 exceeds 5 atmospheres).

When one coffee beverage is produced, in this embodiment, the inside of the extraction container 9 is washed with tap water. The solenoid valve 73f is opened during washing, and tap water is supplied to the extraction container 9.

Next, the switching unit 10 will be described. The switching unit 10 is a unit that switches the destination of the liquid discharged from the extraction container 9 to either the pouring section 10c or the waste tank T. The switching unit 10 includes a switching valve 10a and a motor 10b that drives the switching valve 10a. When discharging the coffee beverage in the extraction container 9, the switching valve 10a switches the flow path to the pouring section 10c. The coffee beverage is poured from the pouring section 10c into a cup C. When discharging the waste liquid (tap water) and residue (ground beans) during cleaning, the flow path is switched to the waste tank T. In this embodiment, the switching valve 10a is a three-port ball valve. Since the residue passes through the switching valve 10a during cleaning, a ball valve is preferable for the switching valve 10a, and the motor 10b switches the flow path by rotating its rotating shaft.

<3. Bean processing device>
The bean processing device 2 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The bean processing device 2 includes a storage device 4 and a grinding device 5.

<3-1. Storage device>
The storage device 4 includes a plurality of canisters 40 in which the roasted coffee beans are stored. In the present embodiment, three canisters 40 are provided. The canisters 40 include a cylindrical main body 40a that stores the roasted coffee beans, and a handle 40b provided on the main body 40a, and are configured to be freely attached to and detached from the beverage production device 1.

Each canister 40 may contain different types of roasted coffee beans, and the type of roasted coffee beans used to produce a coffee beverage may be selected by an operational input to the information display device 12. Different types of roasted coffee beans are, for example, roasted coffee beans of different varieties. Different types of roasted coffee beans may also be roasted coffee beans of the same variety but with different roast degrees. Different types of roasted coffee beans may also be roasted coffee beans of different varieties and roast degrees. At least one of the three canisters 40 may contain roasted coffee beans that are a mixture of roasted coffee beans of multiple varieties. In this case, the roasted coffee beans of each variety may have the same roast degree.

In this embodiment, multiple canisters 40 are provided, but only one canister 40 may be provided. Also, when multiple canisters 40 are provided, the same type of roasted coffee beans may be stored in all or multiple canisters 40.

Each canister 40 is removably attached to a conveyor 41, which is a weighing and conveying device. The conveyor 41 is, for example, an electric screw conveyor, and automatically weighs a predetermined amount of roasted coffee beans contained in the canister 40 and sends it downstream.

Each conveyor 41 discharges the roasted coffee beans to the downstream collecting and conveying section 42. The collecting and conveying section 42 is composed of a hollow member, and forms a conveying passage for the roasted coffee beans from each conveyor 41 to the grinding device 5 (particularly the grinder 5A). The roasted coffee beans discharged from each conveyor 41 move inside the collecting and conveying section 42 by their own weight and flow down to the grinding device 5.

The collecting and conveying section 42 has a guide section 42a formed at a position corresponding to the bean inlet 103. The guide section 42a forms a passage that guides the roasted coffee beans introduced from the bean inlet 103 to the grinding device 5 (particularly the grinder 5A). This makes it possible to produce coffee beverages using the roasted coffee beans introduced from the bean inlet 103 as an ingredient, in addition to the roasted coffee beans contained in the canister 40.

<3-2. Crushing equipment>
The grinding device 5 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 4. Figure 4 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the separating device 6. The grinding device 5 includes grinders 5A and 5B, and a separating device 6. The grinders 5A and 5B are mechanisms for grinding the roasted coffee beans supplied from the storage device 4. The roasted coffee beans supplied from the storage device 4 are ground by the grinder 5A, and then further ground into powder by the grinder 5B, and are fed into the extraction container 9 from the discharge pipe 5C.

Grinders 5A and 5B have different grinding sizes for beans. Grinder 5A is a grinder for coarse grinding, and grinder 5B is a grinder for fine grinding. Grinders 5A and 5B are both electric grinders, and include a motor as a drive source and a rotary blade driven by the motor. By changing the rotation speed of the rotary blade, it is possible to change the size (particle size) of the ground roasted coffee beans.

The separator 6 is a mechanism for separating unwanted materials from ground beans. The separator 6 includes a passage 63a disposed between the grinders 5A and 5B. The passage 63a is a hollow body that forms a separation chamber through which ground beans that fall freely from the grinder 5A pass. A passage 63b that extends in a direction intersecting the direction in which the ground beans pass (in this embodiment, the vertical direction) is connected to the passage 63a, and a suction unit 60 is connected to the passage 63b. The suction unit 60 sucks in the air in the passage 63a, thereby sucking in light objects such as chaff and fine powder. This allows unwanted materials to be separated from the ground beans.

The suction unit 60 is a centrifugal separation mechanism. The suction unit 60 includes a blower unit 60A and a collection container 60B. In this embodiment, the blower unit 60A is a fan motor, and exhausts the air in the collection container 60B upward.

The collection container 60B includes an upper portion 61 and a lower portion 62 that can be detachably engaged. The lower portion 62 is cylindrical with an open top and a bottom, forming a space for accumulating unwanted materials. The upper portion 61 constitutes a lid that is attached to the opening of the lower portion 62. The upper portion 61 includes a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 61a and an exhaust tube 61b formed coaxially therewith. The blower unit 60A is fixed to the upper portion 61 above the exhaust tube 61b so as to suck in air from within the exhaust tube 61b. A passage portion 63b is connected to the upper portion 61. The passage portion 63b opens to the side of the exhaust tube 61b.

Driving the blower unit 60A generates air currents as indicated by arrows d1 to d3 in FIG. 4. These air currents draw air containing unwanted material from passage 63a through passage 63b into collection container 60B. Because passage 63b opens to the side of exhaust tube 61b, the air containing unwanted material swirls around exhaust tube 61b. Unwanted material D in the air falls due to its own weight and is collected in a part of collection container 60B (accumulating on the bottom surface of lower portion 62). The air passes through the inside of exhaust tube 61b and is exhausted upward.

A number of fins 61d are integrally formed on the circumferential surface of the exhaust tube 61b. The fins 61d are arranged in the circumferential direction of the exhaust tube 61b. Each fin 61d is inclined obliquely with respect to the axial direction of the exhaust tube 61b. The provision of such fins 61d promotes the circulation of air containing unwanted matter D around the exhaust tube 61b.

In this embodiment, the lower part 62 is made of a translucent material such as acrylic or glass, and constitutes a transparent container with the entire part being a translucent part. The lower part 62 is also covered by the cover part 102 (Figure 2). A manager or beverage consumer can see the unwanted material D accumulated in the lower part 62 through the cover part 102 and the peripheral wall of the lower part 62. For the manager, it may be easy to check when the lower part 62 should be cleaned, and for beverage consumers, being able to see that the unwanted material D has been removed may increase their expectations for the quality of the coffee beverage being produced.

In this embodiment, the roasted coffee beans supplied from the storage device 4 are first coarsely ground by the grinder 5A, and as the coarsely ground beans pass through the passage 63a, unwanted materials are separated by the separator 6. The coarsely ground beans from which the unwanted materials have been separated are then finely ground by the grinder 5B. The unwanted materials separated by the separator 6 are typically chaff and fine powder. These can degrade the taste of the coffee beverage, and so removing the chaff and the like from the ground beans can improve the quality of the coffee beverage.

The roasted coffee beans may be ground using one grinder (single-stage grinding). However, in this embodiment, two-stage grinding using two grinders 5A and 5B makes it easier to make the ground beans uniform in particle size, and the degree of extraction of the coffee liquid can be made constant. When grinding the beans, heat may be generated due to friction between the cutter and the beans. By using two-stage grinding, heat generation due to friction during grinding can be suppressed, and deterioration of the ground beans (e.g. loss of flavor) can also be prevented.

In addition, by going through the stages of coarse grinding → separation of unwanted materials → fine grinding, the mass difference between the unwanted materials and the ground beans (the required part) can be increased when separating unwanted materials such as chaff. This not only increases the efficiency of separating the unwanted materials, but also prevents the ground beans (the required part) from being separated as unwanted materials. In addition, by having an unwanted material separation process that uses air suction between the coarse grinding and the fine grinding, heat generation from the ground beans can be suppressed by air cooling.

<4. Drive unit and extraction vessel>
<4-1. Overview>
The drive unit 8 and the extraction vessel 9 of the extraction device 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the drive unit 8 and the extraction vessel 9. Most of the drive unit 8 is enclosed in a main body 101.

The drive unit 8 is supported by a frame F. The frame F includes upper and lower beams F1, F2 and a column F3 that supports the beams F1, F2. The drive unit 8 is broadly divided into three units: an upper unit 8A, a middle unit 8B, and a lower unit 8C. The upper unit 8A is supported by the beam F1. The middle unit 8B is supported by the beam F1 and column F3 between the beams F1 and F2. The lower unit 8C is supported by the beam F2.

The extraction container 9 is a chamber including a container body 90 and a lid unit 91. The extraction container 9 may also be referred to as a chamber. The middle unit 8B includes an arm member 820 that detachably holds the container body 90. The arm member 820 includes a holding member 820a and a pair of shaft members 820b spaced apart on the left and right. The holding member 820a is an elastic member such as resin formed into a C-shaped clip, and holds the container body 90 by its elastic force. The holding member 820a holds the left and right sides of the container body 90, and the front side of the container body 90 is exposed. This makes it easier to see the inside of the container body 90 when viewed from the front.

The container body 90 can be attached to and detached from the holding member 820a by manual operation, and the container body 90 is attached to the holding member 820a by pressing the container body 90 backward in the front-to-rear direction against the holding member 820a. In addition, the container body 90 can be separated from the holding member 820a by pulling the container body 90 forward in the front-to-rear direction from the holding member 820a.

The pair of shaft members 820b are rods extending in the front-rear direction, and are members that support the holding member 820a. In this embodiment, the number of shaft members 820b is two, but it may be one or three or more. The holding member 820a is fixed to the front end of the pair of shaft members 820b. The pair of shaft members 820b are advanced and retreated in the front-rear direction by a mechanism described later, which causes the holding member 820a to advance and retreat in the front-rear direction, thereby performing a moving operation that moves the container body 90 in parallel in the front-rear direction. The middle unit 8B can also perform a rotation operation that inverts the extraction container 9 upside down, as described later.

<4-2. Extraction vessel>
The extraction container 9 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the extraction container 9 in a closed state and an open state. As described above, the extraction container 9 is turned upside down by the middle unit 8B. The extraction container 9 of No. 6 is in a basic position in which the lid unit 91 is located on the upper side. In the following description, when the vertical positional relationship is described, it means the vertical positional relationship in the basic position unless otherwise specified. It shall be.

The container body 90 is a bottomed container, and has a bottle shape with a neck portion 90b, a shoulder portion 90d, a body portion 90e, and a bottom portion 90f. A flange portion 90c is formed at the end of the neck portion 90b (the upper end portion of the container body 90) and defines an opening 90a that communicates with the internal space of the container body 90.

The neck portion 90b and the body portion 90e both have a cylindrical shape. The shoulder portion 90d is the portion between the neck portion 90b and the body portion 90e, and has a tapered shape such that the cross-sectional area of the internal space gradually decreases from the body portion 90e side toward the neck portion 90b side.

The lid unit 91 is a unit that opens and closes the opening 90a. The opening and closing operation (raising and lowering operation) of the lid unit 91 is performed by the upper unit 8A.

The container body 90 includes a body member 900 and a bottom member 901. The body member 900 is a cylindrical member with an open top and bottom that forms a neck portion 90b, a shoulder portion 90d, and a body portion 90e. The bottom member 901 is a member that forms the bottom portion 90f, and is inserted and fixed into the lower portion of the body member 900. A seal member 902 is interposed between the body member 900 and the bottom member 901 to improve the airtightness inside the container body 90.

In this embodiment, the main body member 900 is made of a translucent material such as acrylic or glass, and constitutes a transparent container with the entire body being a transparent portion. The manager and beverage consumers can see the extraction status of the coffee beverage inside the container body 90 through the cover portion 102 and the main body member 900 of the container body 90. For the manager, it may be easy to check the extraction operation, and for the beverage consumer, the extraction status may be enjoyable.

A convex portion 901c is provided in the center of the bottom member 901, and this convex portion 901c is provided with a communication hole that connects the inside of the container body 90 to the outside, and a valve (valve 903 in Figure 8) that opens and closes this communication hole. The communication hole is used to discharge waste liquid and residue when cleaning the inside of the container body 90. A seal member 908 is provided on the convex portion 901c, and the seal member 908 is a member for maintaining airtightness between the upper unit 8A or lower unit 8C and the bottom member 901.

The lid unit 91 has a hat-shaped base member 911. The base member 911 has a convex portion 911d and a flange portion 911c that overlaps with the flange portion 90c when closed. The convex portion 911d has the same structure as the convex portion 901c in the container body 90, and is provided with a communication hole that connects the inside of the container body 90 to the outside and a valve (valve 913 in FIG. 8) that opens and closes this communication hole. The communication hole of the convex portion 911d is mainly used to inject hot water into the container body 90 and to deliver the coffee beverage. The convex portion 911d is provided with a seal member 918a. The seal member 918a is a member for maintaining airtightness between the upper unit 8A or the lower unit 8C and the base member 911. The lid unit 91 is also provided with a seal member 919. The seal member 919 improves the airtightness between the lid unit 91 and the container body 90 when the lid unit 91 is closed. The lid unit 91 holds a filter for filtration.

<4-3. Upper unit and lower unit>
The upper unit 8A and the lower unit 8C will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a front view showing the configuration of a portion of the upper unit 8A and the lower unit 8C, and Figure 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of Figure 7.

The upper unit 8A includes an operation unit 81A. The operation unit 81A performs opening and closing (raising and lowering) operations of the lid unit 91 relative to the container body 90, and opening and closing operations of the valves of the protrusions 901c and 911d. The operation unit 81A includes a support member 800, a holding member 801, a lifting shaft 802, and a probe 803.

The support member 800 is fixed so that its relative position with respect to the frame F does not change, and houses the holding member 801. The support member 800 also has a communication part 800a that connects the pipe L3 to the inside of the support member 800. Hot water, tap water, and air pressure supplied from the pipe L3 are introduced into the support member 800 via the communication part 800a.

The holding member 801 is a member capable of removably holding the lid unit 91. The holding member 801 has a cylindrical space into which the convex portion 911d of the lid unit 91 or the convex portion 901c of the bottom member 901 is inserted, and is equipped with a mechanism for removably holding them. This mechanism is, for example, a snap ring mechanism that engages with a certain pressing force and disengages with a certain separation force. Hot water, tap water, and air pressure supplied from the pipe L3 can be supplied into the extraction container 9 via the communication portion 800a and the communication hole 801a of the holding member 801.

The holding member 801 is also a movable member that is provided so as to be able to slide up and down within the support member 800. The lifting shaft 802 is provided so that its axial direction is the up and down direction. The lifting shaft 802 airtightly penetrates the top of the support member 800 in the up and down direction, and is provided so as to be able to be lifted up and down relative to the support member 800.

The top of the holding member 801 is fixed to the lower end of the lifting shaft 802. The lifting shaft 802 moves up and down to slide the holding member 801 up and down, allowing the holding member 801 to be attached to and detached from the protrusions 911d and 901c. In addition, the lid unit 91 can be opened and closed relative to the container body 90.

A screw 802a that constitutes a lead screw mechanism is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the lift shaft 802. A nut 804b is screwed onto this screw 802a. The upper unit 8A is equipped with a motor 804a, and the nut 804b is rotated in place (without moving up and down) by the driving force of the motor 804a. The lift shaft 802 moves up and down as the nut 804b rotates.

The lift shaft 802 is a tubular shaft with a through hole in the center axis, and the probe 803 is inserted into this through hole so that it can slide up and down. The probe 803 airtightly penetrates the top of the holding member 801 in the vertical direction, and is provided so that it can be lifted up and down relative to the support member 800 and the holding member 801.

The probe 803 is an operator that opens and closes the valves 913, 903 provided inside the convex portions 911d, 901c. The valves 913, 903 can be changed from a closed state to an open state by lowering the probe 803, and can be changed from an open state to a closed state by raising the probe 803 (due to the action of a return spring, not shown).

A screw 803a that constitutes a lead screw mechanism is formed on the outer periphery of the probe 803. A nut 805b is screwed onto this screw 803a. The upper unit 8A is equipped with a motor 805a, and the nut 805b is arranged to rotate in place (without moving up and down) by the driving force of the motor 805a. The probe 803 rises and falls as the nut 805b rotates.

The lower unit 8C includes an operation unit 81C. The operation unit 81C is configured by inverting the operation unit 81A up and down, and opens and closes the valves 913, 903 provided inside the protrusions 911d, 901c. The operation unit 81C is also configured to be able to open and close the lid unit 91, but in this embodiment, the operation unit 81C is not used to open and close the lid unit 91.

The following is a description of operation unit 81C, which is generally the same as the description of operation unit 81A. Operation unit 81C includes a support member 810, a holding member 811, an elevation shaft 812, and a probe 813.

The support member 810 is fixed so that its relative position with respect to the frame F does not change, and houses the holding member 811. The support member 810 also has a communication part 810a that communicates between the switching valve 10a of the switching unit 10 and the inside of the support member 810. The coffee beverage, tap water, and ground bean residue in the container body 90 are introduced into the switching valve 10a via the communication part 810a.

The holding member 811 has a cylindrical space into which the convex portion 911d of the lid unit 91 or the convex portion 901c of the bottom member 901 is inserted, and is equipped with a mechanism for removably holding them. This mechanism is, for example, a snap ring mechanism that engages with a certain pressing force and disengages with a certain separation force. The coffee beverage, tap water, and ground bean residue in the container body 90 are introduced into the switching valve 10a via the communication portion 810a and the communication hole 811a of the holding member 811.

The holding member 811 is also a movable member that is provided so as to be able to slide up and down within the support member 810. The lift shaft 812 is provided so that its axial direction is the up and down direction. The lift shaft 812 airtightly penetrates the bottom of the support member 800 in the up and down direction, and is provided so as to be able to be lifted up and down relative to the support member 810.

The bottom of the holding member 811 is fixed to the lower end of the lifting shaft 812. The holding member 811 slides up and down as the lifting shaft 812 moves up and down, allowing the holding member 811 to be attached to and detached from the protrusions 901c and 911d.

A screw 812a that constitutes a lead screw mechanism is formed on the outer periphery of the lift shaft 812. A nut 814b is screwed onto this screw 812a. The lower unit 8C is equipped with a motor 814a, and the nut 814b is rotated in place (without moving up and down) by the driving force of the motor 814a. The lift shaft 812 moves up and down as the nut 814b rotates.

The lift shaft 812 is a tubular shaft with a through hole in the center axis, and the probe 813 is inserted into this through hole so that it can slide up and down. The probe 813 airtightly penetrates the bottom of the holding member 811 in the vertical direction, and is provided so that it can be lifted up and down relative to the support member 810 and the holding member 811.

The probe 813 is an operator that opens and closes the valves 913, 903 provided inside the convex portions 911d, 901c. The valves 913, 903 can be changed from a closed state to an open state by the rise of the probe 813, and can be changed from an open state to a closed state by the fall of the probe 813 (due to the action of a return spring, not shown).

A screw 813a that constitutes a lead screw mechanism is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the probe 813. A nut 815b is screwed onto this screw 813a. The lower unit 8C is equipped with a motor 815a, and the nut 815b is arranged to rotate in place (without moving up and down) by the driving force of the motor 815a. The probe 813 rises and falls as the nut 815b rotates.

<4-4. Central Unit>
The middle unit 8B will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the middle unit 8B. The middle unit 8B includes a support unit 81B that supports the extraction container 9. The support unit 81B includes a unit body 81B' that supports a lock mechanism 821 in addition to the arm member 820 described above.

The locking mechanism 821 is a mechanism for maintaining the lid unit 91 in a closed state relative to the container body 90. The locking mechanism 821 includes a pair of gripping members 821a that vertically clamp the flange portion 911c of the lid unit 91 and the flange portion 90c of the container body 90. The pair of gripping members 821a has a C-shaped cross section that clamps and fits the flange portion 911c and the flange portion 90c, and is opened and closed in the left-right direction by the driving force of the motor 822. When the pair of gripping members 821a is in a closed state, as shown by solid lines in the enclosed diagram of FIG. 9, each gripping member 821a fits into the flange portion 911c and the flange portion 90c so as to clamp them vertically, and the lid unit 91 is airtightly locked to the container body 90. In this locked state, even if the holding member 801 is raised by the lifting shaft 802 to open the lid unit 91, the lid unit 91 will not move (the lock is not released). In other words, the locking force of the locking mechanism 821 is set stronger than the force used to open the lid unit 91 using the holding member 801. This makes it possible to prevent the lid unit 91 from opening relative to the container body 90 in the event of an abnormality.

When the pair of gripping members 821a are in an open state, as shown by the dashed lines in the enclosed diagram in Figure 9, each gripping member 821a is separated from the brim portion 911c and the flange portion 90c, and the lock between the lid unit 91 and the container body 90 is released.

When the holding member 801 is holding the lid unit 91 and the holding member 801 is raised from the lowered position to the raised position, if the pair of gripping members 821a are in the open state, the lid unit 91 is separated from the container body 90. Conversely, if the pair of gripping members 821a are in the closed state, the holding member 801 is disengaged from the lid unit 91, and only the holding member 801 is raised.

The middle unit 8B also includes a mechanism for moving the arm member 820 horizontally in the forward and backward directions using the motor 823 as a drive source. This allows the container body 90 supported by the arm member 820 to move between a rear extraction position (state ST1) and a front bean insertion position (state ST2). The bean insertion position is a position where ground beans are inserted into the container body 90, and ground beans ground by the grinder 5B are inserted through the discharge pipe 5C shown in FIG. 2 into the opening 90a of the container body 90 from which the lid unit 91 has been separated. In other words, the position of the discharge pipe 5C is above the container body 90 which is positioned at the bean insertion position.

The extraction position is a position where the container body 90 can be operated by the operation unit 81A and the operation unit 81C, is a position on the same axis as the probes 803 and 813, and is a position where coffee liquid is extracted. The extraction position is a position further back than the bean input position. Figures 5, 7, and 8 all show the container body 90 in the extraction position. In this way, by making the position of the container body 90 different for inputting ground beans and extracting coffee liquid and supplying water, it is possible to prevent steam generated during coffee liquid extraction from adhering to the discharge pipe 5C, which is the supply part for ground beans.

The middle unit 8B also includes a mechanism for rotating the support unit 81B around a shaft 825 in the front-rear direction using a motor 824 as a drive source. This allows the position of the container body 90 (extraction container 9) to be changed from an upright position (state ST1) in which the neck portion 90b is on the top to an inverted position (state ST3) in which the neck portion 90b is on the bottom. While the extraction container 9 is rotating, the locking mechanism 821 maintains the state in which the lid unit 91 is locked to the container body 90. The extraction container 9 is inverted upside down between the upright position and the inverted position. In the inverted position, the convex portion 911d is located at the position of the convex portion 901c in the upright position. In the inverted position, the convex portion 901c is located at the position of the convex portion 911d in the upright position. Therefore, in the inverted position, the operation unit 81A can perform the opening and closing operation of the valve 903, and the operation unit 81C can perform the opening and closing operation of the valve 913.

<5. Control Device>
The control device 11 of the beverage production machine 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a block diagram of the control device 11.

The control device 11 controls the entire beverage production device 1. The control device 11 includes a processing unit 11a, a memory unit 11b, and an I/F (interface) unit 11c. The processing unit 11a is, for example, a processor such as a CPU. The memory unit 11b is, for example, a RAM or ROM. The I/F unit 11c includes an input/output interface that inputs and outputs signals between an external device and the processing unit 11a. The I/F unit 11c also includes a communication interface that is capable of data communication with a server 16 via a communication network 15 such as the Internet. The server 16 is capable of communicating with a mobile terminal 17 such as a smartphone via the communication network 15, and is capable of receiving information such as reservations for beverage production and impressions from the mobile terminal 17 of a beverage consumer, for example.

The processing unit 11a executes a program stored in the memory unit 11b, and controls the actuator group 14 based on instructions from the information display device 12, or the detection results of the sensor group 13, or instructions from the server 16. The sensor group 13 is various sensors (e.g., hot water temperature sensors, mechanism operating position detection sensors, pressure sensors, etc.) provided in the beverage production device 1. The actuator group 14 is various actuators (e.g., motors, solenoid valves, heaters, etc.) provided in the beverage production device 1.

<6. Operation control example>
An example of the control process of the beverage production device 1 executed by the processing unit 11a will be described with reference to Figures 11(A) and (B). Figure 11(A) shows an example of control related to one coffee beverage production operation. The state of the beverage production device 1 before a production instruction is issued is called a standby state. The states of each mechanism in the standby state are as follows:

The extraction device 3 is in the state shown in FIG. 5. The extraction container 9 is in an upright position and in the extraction position. The locking mechanism 821 is in a closed state, and the lid unit 91 closes the opening 90a of the container body 90. The holding member 801 is in a lowered position and is attached to the convex portion 911d. The holding member 811 is in a raised position and is attached to the convex portion 901c. The valves 903 and 913 are in a closed state. The switching valve 10a connects the communication portion 810a of the operation unit 81C with the waste tank T.

When an instruction to produce a coffee beverage is received in the standby state, the process in FIG. 11 (A) is executed. In S1, a preheating process is executed. This process involves pouring hot water into the container body 90 to preheat the container body 90. First, valves 903 and 913 are opened. This places pipe L3, extraction container 9, and waste tank T in a connected state.

Solenoid valve 72i is opened for a predetermined time (e.g., 1500 ms) and then closed. This allows hot water to be injected from the water tank 72 into the extraction vessel 9. Next, solenoid valve 73b is opened for a predetermined time (e.g., 500 ms) and then closed. This pressurizes the air inside the extraction vessel 9, facilitating the discharge of the hot water into the waste tank T. Through the above process, the inside of the extraction vessel 9 and pipe L2 are preheated, which reduces the cooling of the hot water during the subsequent production of a coffee beverage.

In S2, the grinding process is performed. Here, the roasted coffee beans are ground, and the ground beans are put into the container body 90. First, the locking mechanism 821 is opened, and the holding member 801 is raised to the raised position. The lid unit 91 is held by the holding member 801 and rises together with the holding member 801. As a result, the lid unit 91 is separated from the container body 90. The holding member 811 is lowered to the lowered position. The container body 90 is moved to the bean input position. Next, the storage device 4 and the grinding device 5 are operated. As a result, a cup's worth of roasted coffee beans is supplied from the storage device 4 to the grinder 5A. The roasted coffee beans are ground in two stages by the grinders 5A and 5B, and unwanted materials are separated by the separator 6. The ground beans are put into the container body 90.

The container body 90 is returned to the extraction position. The holding member 801 descends to the descended position and the lid unit 91 is attached to the container body 90. The locking mechanism 821 is closed, and the lid unit 91 is airtightly locked to the container body 90. The holding member 811 rises to the ascended position. Of the valves 903 and 913, the valve 903 is closed and the valve 913 is open.

In S3, the extraction process is performed. Here, coffee liquid is extracted from the ground beans in the container body 90. Figure 11 (B) is a flowchart of the extraction process in S3.

In S11, in order to steam the ground beans in the extraction container 9, hot water less than one cup's worth is poured into the extraction container 9. Here, the solenoid valve 72i is opened for a predetermined time (e.g., 500 ms) and then closed. This allows hot water to be poured from the water tank 72 into the extraction container 9. After that, the process waits for a predetermined time (e.g., 5,000 ms) and ends S11. This process allows the ground beans to steam. Steaming the ground beans releases the carbon dioxide gas contained in the ground beans, improving the subsequent extraction effect.

In S12, the remaining amount of hot water is poured into the extraction container 9 so that one cup of hot water is contained in the extraction container 9. Here, the solenoid valve 72i is opened for a predetermined time (e.g., 7000 ms) and then closed. This causes hot water to be poured from the water tank 72 into the extraction container 9.

The process of S12 allows the inside of the extraction vessel 9 to reach a temperature exceeding 100 degrees Celsius (e.g., about 110 degrees Celsius) at 1 atmosphere. Next, in S13, the inside of the extraction vessel 9 is pressurized. Here, the solenoid valve 73b is opened for a predetermined time (e.g., 1000 ms) and then closed, and the inside of the extraction vessel 9 is pressurized to an atmosphere at which hot water will not boil (e.g., about 4 atmospheres (about 3 atmospheres gauge pressure)). After that, the valve 913 is closed.

Next, this state is maintained for a predetermined time (e.g., 7000 ms) to perform immersion-type coffee liquid extraction (S14). This allows coffee liquid to be extracted by immersion under high temperature and pressure. The following effects can be expected from immersion-type extraction under high temperature and pressure. First, high pressure makes it easier for hot water to penetrate into the ground beans, promoting the extraction of coffee liquid. Second, high temperature promotes the extraction of coffee liquid. Third, high temperature reduces the viscosity of the oil contained in the ground beans, promoting the extraction of the oil. This allows the production of a highly fragrant coffee beverage.

The temperature of the hot water (hot water) needs to be above 100 degrees Celsius, but a higher temperature is more advantageous in terms of extracting the coffee liquid. On the other hand, increasing the temperature of the hot water generally increases costs. Therefore, the temperature of the hot water may be, for example, 105 degrees Celsius or more, or 110 degrees Celsius or more, or 115 degrees Celsius or more, or may be, for example, 130 degrees Celsius or less, or 120 degrees Celsius or less. The air pressure may be such that the hot water does not boil.

In S15, the pressure inside the extraction container 9 is reduced. Here, the pressure inside the extraction container 9 is switched to the pressure at which the hot water boils. Specifically, the valve 913 is opened, and the solenoid valve 73c is opened for a predetermined time (e.g., 1000 ms) and then closed. The inside of the extraction container 9 is opened to the atmosphere. After that, the valve 913 is closed again.

The pressure inside the extraction vessel 9 is suddenly reduced to an air pressure lower than the boiling point pressure, and the hot water inside the extraction vessel 9 boils all at once. The hot water and ground beans inside the extraction vessel 9 are explosively scattered inside the extraction vessel 9. This allows the hot water to boil evenly. It also promotes the destruction of the cell walls of the ground beans, further promoting the subsequent extraction of the coffee liquid. This boiling also stirs the ground beans and hot water, promoting the extraction of the coffee liquid. In this way, this embodiment can improve the efficiency of coffee liquid extraction.

In S16, the extraction container 9 is inverted from the upright position to the inverted position. Here, the holding member 801 is moved to the raised position, and the holding member 811 is moved to the lowered position. Then, the support unit 81B is rotated. After that, the holding member 801 is returned to the lowered position, and the holding member 811 is returned to the raised position. In the inverted position of the extraction container 9, the neck portion 90b and the lid unit 91 are positioned on the lower side.

In S17, a permeable type coffee liquid extraction is performed, and the coffee beverage is delivered to cup C. Here, the switching valve 10a is switched to connect the pouring section 10c to the passage section 810a of the operation unit 81C. In addition, both valves 903 and 913 are opened. Furthermore, the solenoid valve 73b is opened for a predetermined time (e.g., 10,000 ms) to set the inside of the extraction container 9 to a predetermined pressure (e.g., 1.7 atm (0.7 atm gauge pressure)). In the extraction container 9, the coffee beverage in which the coffee liquid is dissolved in the hot water passes through the filter provided in the lid unit 91 and is delivered to cup C. The filter prevents ground bean residue from leaking out. This completes the extraction process.

In this embodiment, the extraction efficiency of the coffee liquid can be improved by combining the immersion extraction in S14 and the permeation extraction in S17. When the extraction container 9 is in an upright position, the ground beans are piled up from the body 90e to the bottom 90f. On the other hand, when the extraction container 9 is in an inverted position, the ground beans are piled up from the shoulder 90d to the neck 90b. The cross-sectional area of the body 90e is larger than the cross-sectional area of the neck 90b, so the ground beans are piled up thicker in the inverted position than in the upright position. In other words, the ground beans are piled up relatively thinly and widely when the extraction container 9 is in an upright position, and relatively thickly and narrowly when the extraction container 9 is in an inverted position.

In the case of this embodiment, the immersion extraction of S14 is performed with the extraction container 9 in an upright position, so the hot water and the ground beans can come into contact over a wide area, improving the extraction efficiency of the coffee liquid. However, in this case, there is a tendency for the hot water and the ground beans to only come into partial contact. On the other hand, the permeation extraction of S17 is performed with the extraction container 9 in an inverted position, so the hot water comes into contact with more ground beans as it passes through the accumulated ground beans. The hot water comes into contact with the ground beans more evenly, further improving the extraction efficiency of the coffee liquid.

Returning to FIG. 11(A), after the extraction process of S3, the discharge process of S4 is performed. Here, the process for cleaning the inside of the extraction container 9 is performed. The extraction container 9 is cleaned by returning the extraction container 9 from the inverted position to the upright position and supplying tap water (purified water) to the extraction container 9. Then, the inside of the extraction container 9 is pressurized, and the water inside the extraction container 9 is discharged into the waste tank T together with the ground bean residue.

This completes one coffee beverage production process. Thereafter, the same process is repeated for each production command. The time required to produce one coffee beverage is, for example, approximately 60 to 90 seconds.

<7. Summary of device configuration>
As described above, the beverage production device 1 includes the bean processing device 2 and the extraction device 3 as a production section. More specifically, the bean processing device 2 includes the storage device 4 and the grinding device 5, and the extraction device 3 includes the fluid supply unit 7, the drive unit 8, the extraction container 9, and the switching unit 10 (see Figs. 2 and 3). The grinding device 5 receives a cup of roasted coffee beans from the storage device 4 and performs two-stage grinding of the beans using the grinders 5A and 5B. At this time, unnecessary substances such as chaff are separated from the ground beans by the separation device 6. After the ground beans are put into the extraction container 9, hot water is poured into the extraction container 9 by the fluid supply unit 7, the position of the extraction container 9 is inverted by the drive unit 8, and the liquid is sent from the extraction container 9 to a cup C by the switching unit 10, and a cup of beverage is provided.

A part of the production unit is covered by a cover unit 102 configured as a transparent cover that is entirely transparent, and is visible to a user (e.g., an administrator of the beverage production device 1, a beverage consumer, etc.) from outside the beverage production device 1. In this embodiment, of the production unit, a plurality of canisters 40 that are part of the storage device 4 are exposed, and other elements are substantially housed within the housing 100, but in other embodiments, the entire production unit may be housed within the housing 100. In other words, the cover unit 102 may be provided so as to cover at least a portion of the production unit.

At least a part of the production section is covered by the cover section 102 so that it can be seen from outside the beverage production device 1. For example, if the user is the manager of the beverage production device 1, the manager may be able to prepare the beverage and inspect the operation of the device. If the user is a purchaser of the beverage, the purchaser may be able to wait for the beverage to be produced while increasing his or her expectations for the beverage. For example, the extraction container 9 of the extraction device 3 is visible from outside the beverage production device 1 through the cover section 102, and the extraction process, which is of relatively high interest to the user among several processes for producing the beverage, can be observed. The drive unit 8 acts as a posture change unit that changes the posture of the extraction container 9, and as described above, the extraction container 9 is a movable part that can be turned upside down in the production section. Therefore, the inversion operation of the extraction container 9 is relatively likely to attract the user's interest, and by making it possible for the user to observe it, it may be possible to entertain the user.

On the other hand, in order to further improve the quality of beverages provided by the beverage production device 1, improvements are also required in various aspects, such as process improvements and the configuration and control aspects of the beverage production device 1 to achieve this. One example is making changes to some of the elements of the beverage production device 1. Below, with reference to Figures 12 to 14, an example of a liquid delivery rate adjustment device 720 that can function as the water tank 72 in Figure 3 will be described.

8. Configuration Example of Liquid Delivery Amount Adjustment Device
FIG. 12 shows a schematic diagram of the liquid delivery rate adjustment device 720. FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 12 and a cross-sectional view of another example (configuration example EX31). Like the water tank 72, the liquid delivery rate adjustment device 720 is a tank for storing hot water (water) constituting a coffee beverage, and is also a device having a function for delivering a constant amount of hot water. This makes it possible to sequentially deliver the hot water required for one cup of coffee beverage, and also makes it possible to change the amount of hot water delivered at that time. In the following description, components having the same functions as components related to the water tank 72 are given the same reference numerals.

The liquid delivery rate adjustment device 720 has a tank 720a that accumulates hot water. The outer wall of the tank 720a includes a peripheral wall 721, an upper wall 723 joined to the upper end of the peripheral wall 721, and a bottom wall 724 joined to the lower end of the peripheral wall 721, and the tank 720a has an overall cylindrical shape as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 13. A partition wall 722 is provided inside the tank 720a, and the internal space is divided by the partition wall 722 into an outer cylindrical space 725 and an inner cylindrical space 726A. In this example, the partition wall 722 is a cylindrical wall body arranged concentrically with the peripheral wall 721, but the partition wall 722 may be eccentric with respect to the peripheral wall 721 as shown in the configuration example EX31 of FIG. 13.

Space 725 constitutes a storage section that stores hot water. Space 725 is also referred to as storage section 725. Movable member 727c is disposed at the top of space 726A, and space 726 below it constitutes a storage section that stores hot water. Space 726 is also referred to as storage section 726. By separating storage section 725 and storage section 726 with a common wall body, partition wall 722, tank 720a can be made smaller than if they were divided by separate walls.

The storage section 725 is provided with a heater 72a that heats the water in the storage section 725 and a temperature sensor 72b that measures the temperature of the water. The heater 72a maintains the temperature of the accumulated hot water at a predetermined temperature (here, 120 degrees Celsius) based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 72b. For example, the heater 72a is turned ON when the hot water temperature is 118 degrees Celsius and turned OFF when it is 120 degrees Celsius.

A pipe that supplies the air pressure in the reserve tank 71 (see FIG. 3) is connected to the portion of the upper wall 723 that defines the storage section 725, and a solenoid valve 72f is provided at this pipe. The liquid delivery rate adjustment device 720 is equipped with a sensor (not shown; for example, a sensor equivalent to the pressure sensor 72g in FIG. 3) that detects the air pressure in the storage section 725, and the solenoid valve 72f switches between supplying and blocking the air pressure regulated by the pressure regulating valve 72e (see FIG. 3) to the storage section 725. The solenoid valve 72f is controlled to open and close so that the air pressure in the storage section 725 is maintained at 3 atmospheres, except when tap water (purified water) is being supplied to the storage section 725.

A pipe that connects the storage section 725 to the atmosphere is connected to the portion of the upper wall 723 that defines the storage section 725, and a solenoid valve 72h is provided at this pipe. When tap water is supplied to the storage section 725, the solenoid valve 72h reduces the air pressure in the storage section 725 to less than 2.5 atmospheres so that the water pressure of the tap water allows the tap water to be smoothly replenished to the storage section 725. The solenoid valve 72h switches whether or not the inside of the water tank 72 is opened to the atmosphere, and when the pressure is reduced, the solenoid valve 72h opens the inside of the storage section 725 to the atmosphere. In addition to when tap water is supplied to the storage section 725, when the air pressure in the storage section 725 exceeds 3 atmospheres, the solenoid valve 72h opens the storage section 725 to the atmosphere and maintains the storage section 725 at 3 atmospheres.

A pipe L2 that supplies tap water to the reservoir 725 is connected to the portion of the bottom wall 724 that defines the reservoir 725, and a solenoid valve 72d is provided at the pipe L2. The solenoid valve 72d is controlled to open and close based on the detection results of a water level sensor 72c (described later), and controls the level of hot water in the reservoir 725.

A pipe L2' for discharging the hot water in the storage section 725 is connected to the portion of the bottom wall 724 that defines the storage section 725, and a solenoid valve 72d' is provided at this portion. The solenoid valve 72d' is opened when discharging the hot water in the storage section 725, and the hot water in the storage section 725 is discharged to the pipe L2'.

Storage section 726 is a space whose volume can be changed by the movement of movable member 727c. Hot water is supplied to storage section 726 from storage section 725 via piping 728a, solenoid valve 728, and piping 728b. Pipe 728a connects the portion of bottom wall 724 that defines storage section 725 to solenoid valve 728. Pipe 728b connects the portion of bottom wall 724 that defines storage section 726 to solenoid valve 728.

In the example of FIG. 12, solenoid valve 728 is a three-way valve that can switch between communication and blocking between pipes 728b and 728a, and communication and blocking between pipes 728b and 728c. Solenoid valve 728 can also block any of the pipes from each other. Pipe 728c is a pipe for sending hot water from storage section 726 to extraction container 9.

By switching between communication and cut-off between pipes 728b and 728a, it is possible to switch between communication and cut-off between storage section 725 and storage section 726. By switching between communication and cut-off between pipes 728b and 728c, it is possible to switch between sending out and storing hot water in storage section 726.

When pipes 728b and 728a are in communication with each other, solenoid valve 728 blocks pipes 728b and 728c. Conversely, when pipes 728b and 728c are in communication with each other, solenoid valve 728 blocks pipes 728b and 728a. The arrows shown on solenoid valve 728 in the figure indicate the operating state of solenoid valve 728, and in the example of Figure 12, they show a state in which pipes 728b and 728c are in communication with each other and pipes 728b and 728a are in communication with each other.

Here, solenoid valve 728 is a three-way valve, and solenoid valve 728 is used to switch between these two. However, it is also possible to use a configuration in which pipe 728b is divided into two, and a valve is provided to switch between communication and cut-off between pipe 728b and pipe 728a, and a valve is provided to switch between communication and cut-off between pipe 728b and pipe 728c.

The liquid delivery rate adjustment device 720 includes a drive unit 727. The drive unit 727 is controlled in response to the amount of hot water delivered from the storage section 726, and changes the volume of the storage section 726. The amount of hot water required for one cup of coffee varies depending on the size of the coffee cup. The drive unit 727 adjusts the volume of the storage section 726 so that an appropriate amount of hot water is delivered from the storage section 726 in response to the size of the coffee cup, etc.

The drive unit 727 is a mechanism that changes the volume of the storage section 726 by moving the movable member 727c up and down. The movable member 727c is a piston-shaped member that is inserted into the space 726A and configured to slide up and down, and its bottom surface 727d forms the upper wall of the storage section 726. From this perspective, the movable member 727c may be referred to as a piston unit or the like, and the space 726A may be referred to as a cylinder unit or the like. The volume of the storage section 726 changes as the bottom surface 727d rises and falls.

The volume of the storage section 726 can also be changed by moving the position of the lower or side walls, rather than by moving the position of the upper wall as in this example.

The movable member 727c includes a seal member (not shown) that forms a seal with the inner surface of the partition wall 722, and slides liquid-tightly on the inner surface of the partition wall 722. However, a groove 727e that extends in the vertical direction is formed on the circumferential surface of the movable member 727c, and the groove 727e has a gap with the inner surface of the partition wall 722.

The groove 727e is formed so as to communicate with the opening 722a that penetrates the partition wall 722 in the thickness direction. The opening 722a is formed at a position above the highest water level of the hot water in the storage section 725 (the position of the sensor 731b described later), and is an air communication section that communicates the storage section 725 with the space 726A. The air communicates between the storage section 725 and the storage section 726 via the opening 722a and the groove 727e, and the air pressure in these spaces is the same. Note that if the storage sections 725 and 726 are always at atmospheric pressure, separate passages that communicate with the atmosphere may be provided.

The drive unit 727 includes a motor 727a supported by the upper wall 723 as a drive source, and also includes a screw shaft 727b as a moving mechanism for moving the movable member 727c. The screw shaft 727b extends in the vertical direction and rotates by the driving force of the motor 727a. The movable member 727c has a screw hole 727f that opens on its upper surface, and the screw shaft 727b engages with this screw hole 727f. The movable member 727c is provided with a rotation stop (not shown), and moves in the vertical direction by the rotation of the screw shaft 727b. The rotation stop may be, for example, a concave and convex portion extending in the vertical direction provided on the inner surface of the partition wall 722 and the circumferential surface of the movable member 727c.

Here, a screw mechanism consisting of a screw shaft 727b and a screw hole 727f is used as the moving mechanism for moving the movable member 727c, but this is not limited to this and other mechanisms such as a rack-pinion mechanism can also be used.

The water level sensor 72c is a measurement unit that measures the level of the hot water in the storage section 725. The water level sensor 72c includes a hollow cylindrical storage section 729 that extends vertically, a float 730 provided within the storage section 729, and a lower sensor 731a and an upper sensor 731b that detect the float 730.

Storage section 729 communicates with storage section 725 through communication section 729a, which is located below sensor 731a, and also communicates with storage section 725 through communication section 729b, which is located above sensor 731b. Hot water in storage section 725 flows into storage section 729 through communication section 729a. Communication section 729b is an air communication section that connects storage section 725 and storage section 729, and air communicates between storage section 725 and storage section 729 through communication section 729b. Therefore, the level of hot water in storage section 729 is equal to the level of hot water in storage section 725.

In this example, the storage section 729 is made of a transparent material such as glass or acrylic. This allows the hot water level in the storage section 729 to be visible from the outside, and as a result, the user can check the hot water level in the storage section 725. Of course, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a transparent section is provided in part of the peripheral wall (721) of the storage section 725 to make the water level visible.

The float 730 can be any type that floats on hot water within the reservoir 729.

Sensors 731a and 731b are, for example, optical sensors (photointerrupters) that detect float 730 from outside storage section 729. When sensor 731a detects float 730, solenoid valve 72d is opened to supply water to storage section 725. In other words, sensor 731a monitors the lower limit of the hot water level in storage section 725. The lower limit of the water level is set at a position higher than heater 72a, preventing dry heating by heater 72a.

When the float 730 is detected by the sensor 731b, the solenoid valve 72d is closed to stop the supply of water to the storage section 725. In other words, the sensor 731b monitors the upper limit of the hot water level in the storage section 725.

It is also possible to construct a configuration equivalent to the water level sensor 72c inside the storage section 725. However, as in this example, constructing the water level sensor 72c outside the storage section 725 makes it easier to check the water level in the storage section 725 from outside.

Next, an example of the operation of the liquid delivery rate adjustment device 720 will be described with reference to FIG. 14. First, the volume of the storage section 726 is adjusted by the drive unit 727 according to the cup size, etc. State ST61 shows this state. In the example of the figure, the movable member 727c is lowered, and the volume of the storage section 726 is set to a smaller volume than the example of FIG. 13. The solenoid valve 728 communicates between the pipes 728b and 728c, and hot water is not supplied from the storage section 725 to the storage section 726.

When the volume of the storage section 726 is set, the drive unit 727 is stopped, and the solenoid valve 728 connects the pipes 728b and 728a. The air pressure of the storage section 725 and the storage section 726 is the same, and the storage section 726 is located on the bottom side of the tank 720a. Therefore, hot water is supplied from the storage section 725 to the storage section 726 due to the head pressure of the hot water in the storage section 725. In this example, the storage section 726 is formed at a position lower than the lowest water level of the hot water in the storage section 725 (the position of the sensor 731a), so there is always a head difference between the storage section 725 and the storage section 726 (the hot water in the storage section 725 is higher). Therefore, hot water is supplied from the storage section 725 to the storage section 726 until the storage section 726 is full. State ST62 shows the state in which the storage section 726 is full. Hot water also enters groove 727e, but the volume of groove 727e is sufficient to ensure air communication, so the amount can be kept extremely small.

In this example, the storage section 726 is not provided with a heater 72a, but since the storage section 726 is surrounded by the storage section 725, the heat retention performance of the stored hot water can be ensured. Note that the volume of the storage section 726 may be changed by the drive unit 727 in state ST62.

There are other methods for supplying hot water from storage section 725 to storage section 726, but in this example, hot water can be supplied with a relatively simple configuration by utilizing the head difference between storage section 725 and storage section 726.

Next, the hot water stored in the storage section 726 is discharged. As shown in state ST63, by connecting pipes 728b and 728c by the solenoid valve 728, hot water can be discharged from pipe 728c to the extraction container 9 by its own weight or by the air pressure of the storage section 726. After the hot water discharge starts, the operation state of the solenoid valve 728 can be cut off for both pipes, so that the hot water in the storage section 726 can be discharged in stages. For example, it is possible to interrupt the discharge of hot water for the steaming process (S11 in FIG. 11(B)), and then perform a process of discharging the remaining hot water (S12 in FIG. 11(B)).

In either case, the entire amount of hot water stored in the storage section 726 is sent out. The entire amount can be confirmed by checking the opening time of the solenoid valve 728 (the communication time between the pipes 728b and 728c). Each time the hot water stored in the storage section 726 is sent out, the solenoid valve 72d may be opened to supply the storage section 725 with water equivalent to that amount.

According to the above example, the amount of hot water dispensed can be adjusted. The amount of liquid dispensed is generally adjusted by using a flow sensor to open and close a valve based on the detection results. However, in the case of high-temperature liquids or special liquids, compatible flow sensors may not be commercially available or may be expensive. In contrast, according to the above example, by adopting a method of adjusting the volume of the storage section 726, the amount of hot water dispensed can be adjusted without the need for a flow sensor.

9. Example of operation control when using a liquid delivery amount adjustment device
By using the liquid delivery rate adjustment device 720, it is possible, for example, to change a part of the production process to further improve the quality of the beverage provided by the beverage production device 1. An example of the control process of the beverage production device 1 executed by the processing unit 11a (see FIG. 10) of the control device 11 will be described below with reference to FIG. 15. For the explanations omitted below, please refer to the steps in FIG. 11(A) and FIG. 11(B) and the operation of the liquid delivery rate adjustment device 720 in FIG. 12 to FIG. 14.

Figure 15 shows an example of control related to one coffee beverage production operation. First, the preheating process (referred to as S1' to distinguish it from S1 in Figure 11 (A)) is divided into at least two heating steps S101 and S102.

S101 is a process of pouring hot water into the extraction container 9 (container body 90) and pre-heating the extraction container 9. First, solenoid valve 728 is controlled to connect pipes 728a and 728b, and a small amount of hot water is moved from storage section 725 to storage section 726. Then, solenoid valve 728 is controlled to connect pipes 728b and 728c, and the hot water in storage section 726 is sent to the extraction container 9 via pipe L3. Next, solenoid valve 73b is controlled to pressurize the extraction container 9, and the hot water in the extraction container 9 is discharged into waste tank T.

By performing S101, the inside of the extraction container 9 and the pipes L2 to L3 are preheated, which prevents the hot water from cooling down during the production of the beverage in each process described below. Also, by performing S101, it may be possible to wash away residues (residual liquid, etc.) in the flow path that have occurred during the previous or previous extractions.

S102 is a process of supplying the steam generated in the storage sections 725 and 726 into the container body 90 to heat the extraction container 9. This steam can be generated by reducing the pressure inside the storage sections 725 and 726 and boiling the hot water in the storage sections 725 and 726, and can be achieved by a procedure similar to that of S15 (see FIG. 11(B)). After the supply of steam to the extraction container 9 or the heating of the extraction container 9 using the steam is completed, the solenoid valve 728 is controlled to shut off the pipes 728b and 728c.

By performing S102, it is possible to heat the entire extraction vessel 9 evenly. This makes it possible to extract liquid from ground beans at a desired temperature without unevenness, which can result in improved beverage quality. In addition, in S102, the air pressure in the reservoirs 725 and 726 drops and the liquid therein begins to boil, which can cause the liquid to be stirred and the temperature to be uniform.

Additionally, the pipe L3, which functions as a connection between the storage sections 725 and 726 and the extraction vessel 9 and forms a flow path therebetween, is also heated in S102 together with the extraction vessel 9. This prevents the liquid from cooling as it passes through the pipe L3.

Here, as described above, the extraction vessel 9 has valves 903 and 913, which act as inlets and outlets for hot water as the liquid used in the extraction, the beverage liquid (coffee liquid in this example) obtained by the extraction, or the steam used for heating in S102. In this example, in S102, steam flows into the extraction vessel 9 from the valve 913 and flows out of the extraction vessel 9 from the valve 903. When the steam flows into the extraction vessel 9 from the valve 913, the valve 903 is open, so that when the steam is liquefied in the extraction vessel 9, the liquid can flow out of the extraction vessel 9 from the valve 903 without remaining in the extraction vessel 9 for a long time. According to this aspect, for example, when producing a beverage by each process described below, the taste, flavor, etc. of the beverage is not unintentionally diluted, which is advantageous for improving the quality of the beverage.

Alternatively, after the extraction vessel 9 is filled to a certain extent with steam, both valves 903 and 913 may be closed and the extraction vessel 9 may be vibrated. The generation of vibrations in the extraction vessel 9 can be achieved by motors 823 and/or 824 (see FIG. 9) of the middle unit 8B. By applying vibrations to the extraction vessel 9 that is filled to a certain extent with steam, the steam spreads evenly inside the extraction vessel 9, making it possible to heat the entire extraction vessel 9 evenly.

In addition, instead of or in addition to S102, heating of the extraction vessel 9 with steam may be performed before S101. That is, the order of S101 and S102 may be reversed, or S102 may be performed twice in total, before and after S101. By performing S102 before S101, it may be easier to remove residues generated during the previous or past extractions in S101.

After the preheating process S1' is performed as described above, S2 is performed in the same manner as in FIG. 11(A), followed by the extraction process (referred to as S3' to distinguish it from S3 in FIG. 11(A)). In the extraction process S3', the actual pouring of molten metal S12 is divided into at least two pouring steps (S121 and S122). The first pouring step, S121, is performed after S11 and before S13. Then, S13 to S16 are performed in the same manner as in FIG. 11(B).

Here, in S14, the ground beans to be extracted are piled up in a relatively thin pile in the upright extraction container 9, and these ground beans are immersed in the hot water supplied in S121. In S15, the hot water in the extraction container 9 is boiled, and in S16, the extraction container 9 is inverted to an inverted position, and then after/together with S17, S122, which is the second pouring of hot water, is performed.

For the sake of distinction, in the figure, S122 is shown to be performed after S17, but preferably, S122 is performed substantially simultaneously with S17 after S17 starts. In another embodiment, S17 may be performed substantially simultaneously with S122 after S122 starts. That is, S122 and S17 may be performed at least partially in parallel, and are combined into a single process, such as pouring and sending process K.

As mentioned above, when the extraction container 9 is in the upright position, the ground beans are piled up from the body 90e to the bottom 90f, whereas when the extraction container 9 is in the inverted position, the ground beans are piled up from the shoulder 90d to the neck 90b. That is, the extraction container 9 includes a thick section from the body 90e to the bottom 90f and a thin section from the shoulder 90d to the neck 90b, and the ground beans are piled up in the thick section in the upright position and in the thin section in the inverted position.

During the permeation extraction in S17, the extraction vessel 9 is in an inverted position, so the hot water in the extraction vessel 9 passes through the ground beans that are piled up thicker than in the upright position, and comes into contact with the ground beans evenly, making it possible to achieve high efficiency permeation extraction. Here, the second pouring of hot water, S122, is performed at the same time as S17, so the extraction vessel 9 receives additional hot water by S122 while sending out the beverage obtained by the immersion extraction using the hot water received in S121. The additional hot water that flows into the extraction vessel 9 by S122 is not actually used for the immersion extraction but is mainly used for the permeation extraction. This type of extraction mode makes it possible to effectively impart the unique taste of permeation extraction to the beverage, making it possible to improve the quality of the beverage.

The amount of hot water poured in S121 and the amount of hot water poured in S122 may be set or changed by the user, for example, i.e., the ratio of immersion extraction to permeation extraction may be adjustable. This may make it possible to produce a beverage with a quality that meets the user's preferences.

Figures 16(a) to 16(h) and Figures 17(i) to 17(o) are schematic diagrams for explaining the control mode of the liquid delivery rate adjustment device 720 in correspondence with each step of Figure 15 described above. For ease of understanding, a simplified model of the liquid delivery rate adjustment device 720 is used in the following explanation, and the solenoid valve 728, which is a three-way valve, is shown as a valve 7281 that switches between communication and cut-off between pipes 728a and 728b, and a valve 7282 that switches between communication and cut-off between pipes 728b and 728c.

Figure 16 (a) shows the initial state of the liquid delivery rate adjustment device 720, and the beverage production device 1 is waiting for an instruction to start producing a beverage. In the initial state, both valves 7281 and 7282 are closed, as shown diagrammatically in the figure.

Figures 16(b) and 16(c) show aspects of the liquid delivery rate adjustment device 720 corresponding to S101 above (heating treatment of the extraction vessel 9 using a small amount of hot water). In the process of Figure 16(b), valve 7281 is opened to move a small amount of hot water from storage section 725 to storage section 726 as shown by the dashed arrow. Next, after closing valve 7281, in the process of Figure 16(c), valve 7282 is opened to supply the hot water in storage section 726 to the extraction vessel 9 as shown by the dashed arrow. This heats the inside of the extraction vessel 9 and the pipes L2 and L3.

16(d) to 16(e) show the embodiment of the liquid delivery amount adjustment device 720 corresponding to S102 (heating treatment of the extraction vessel 9 using steam). In the process of FIG. 16(d), the pressure in the storage sections 725 and 726 is reduced to boil the hot water in the storage sections 725 and 726, thereby generating steam in the storage sections 725 and 726. Since the valve 7282 is in an open state, the generated steam is supplied to the extraction vessel 9 via the pipe 728c, as shown by the dashed arrow. In addition, in the process of FIG. 16(d), the hot water in the storage sections 725 and 726 can be stirred by the boiling, and if the temperature of the stirred hot water does not reach a predetermined value (for example, 118 degrees Celsius), the heater 72a (see FIG. 12) is driven. Thereafter, in the process of FIG. 16(e), the valve 7282 is closed to stop the supply of steam to the extraction vessel 9. This allows the entire extraction vessel 9 to be heated uniformly.

16(f) to 16(h) show the state of the liquid delivery amount adjustment device 720 corresponding to the preparation step for performing the extraction process S3'. After the pressure in the storage sections 725 and 726 is returned to 3 atmospheres in the step of FIG. 16(f), the valve 7281 is opened in the step of FIG. 16(g) to move one cup of hot water (e.g., about 180 cc) from the storage section 725 to the storage section 726 as shown by the dashed arrow. After the movement of the hot water from the storage section 725 to the storage section 726 is completed, the valve 7281 is closed in the step of FIG. 16(h). The amount of one cup may be preset or selected by the user, may be determined based on the size of the cup placed on the placement section 110, or may be a fixed value. Although not shown here, a grinding process (step S2) may be performed in parallel between the steps in Figures 16(f) to 16(h), thereby shortening the time it takes to complete the production of the beverage.

Figures 17(i) to 17(j) show the state of the liquid delivery rate adjustment device 720 corresponding to the steaming hot water pouring process (step S11). Valve 7282 is opened in the step of Figure 17(i), and after a predetermined time has elapsed, valve 7282 is closed in the step of Figure 17(j). This causes a portion of the hot water stored in the storage section 726 (e.g., about 30 cc) to flow into the extraction container 9 for steaming in S11, as shown by the dashed arrow.

Figures 17(k) to 17(l) show the state of the liquid delivery rate adjustment device 720 corresponding to the first pouring of hot water for the main extraction (step S121). After the steaming of the ground beans is completed, the valve 7282 is opened in the step of Figure 17(k), and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the valve 7282 is closed in the step of Figure 17(l). This causes a portion of the remaining hot water in the storage section 726 (e.g., about 40 cc) to flow into the extraction container 9, as shown by the dashed arrow.

Although not shown here, steps S13 to S16 are carried out after the step in FIG. 17(l). Details will be described later, but in this example, in S13, hot water (e.g., about 30 cc) is poured while pressurizing the inside of the extraction vessel 9.

Figure 17 (m) shows the state of the liquid delivery rate adjustment device 720 corresponding to the second pouring of hot water for the main extraction (step S122). By opening the valve 7282 in the process of Figure 17 (m), the remaining hot water (e.g., about 80 cc) in the storage section 726 additionally flows into the extraction vessel 9, as shown by the dashed arrow. As mentioned above, S122 is performed approximately simultaneously with S17, and the hot water flowing into the extraction vessel 9 here is not substantially used for immersion extraction, but is mainly used for permeation extraction.

After that, when substantially all of the beverage is delivered from the extraction container 9 to the cup, S17 is completed. Here, after S122 and before the completion of S17, it is possible to incidentally use the steam in the storage sections 725 and 726 and the air pressure from the compressor 70 to promote the delivery of the beverage. The steam in the storage sections 725 and 726 can be generated in the same procedure as S102 (steps of Figures 16(d) to 16(e)). That is, in the step of Figure 17(n), the pressure in the storage sections 725 and 726 is reduced and the hot water is boiled to generate steam in the storage sections 725 and 726, and the steam is supplied to the extraction container 9 via the pipe 728c. At that time, as in the step of Figure 16(d), the hot water in the storage sections 725 and 726 is appropriately stirred, and the heater 72a can be driven as necessary. Then, in the step of Figure 17(o), the valve 7282 is closed to stop the supply of the steam. Furthermore, when promoting the delivery of the beverage, the pressure inside the extraction container 9 can be adjusted to, for example, about 1.6 to 2 atmospheres.

Figure 18 is a diagram for explaining the change in air pressure inside the extraction container 9 during extraction process S3'. The horizontal axis represents the time axis, showing periods T1 to T11 as well as the steps (S11, etc.) corresponding to periods T1 to T11. The vertical axis represents the air pressure P inside the extraction container 9 during each of periods T1 to T11. Note that periods T1 to T11 are shown in Figure 18 as being of equal length, but in reality, the lengths of periods T1 to T11 may be the same or different.

The period T1 to T2 corresponds to the steaming hot water pouring process (step S11). During period T1, the inside of the extraction container 9 is pressurized to approximately 1.8 atmospheres, and steaming hot water (approximately 30 cc) is poured into the extraction container 9. The timing of the hot water flow into the extraction container 9 may be any time within period T1, but may also be set or selected in advance by the user, or may be changed depending on the type of beverage. The hot water is then used to steam the ground beans. This period (approximately 15 seconds) is referred to as period T2.

Period T3 corresponds to the first pouring of hot water (step S121). During period T3, the pressure inside the extraction vessel 9 is increased to 3 atmospheres, and hot water for the main extraction (about 40 cc) is poured into the extraction vessel 9 in step S121.

Period T4 corresponds to pressurization S13 in the extraction container 9. During period T4, the pressure in the extraction container 9 is increased to 5 atmospheres, and hot water (approximately 30 cc) is poured into the extraction container 9.

The amount of hot water poured can be adjusted between periods T3 and T4, and for example, pouring of about 70 cc of hot water can be completed in period T3. Periods T3 and T4 are common in that hot water is poured while pressurizing the inside of the extraction vessel 9, but in this example, the pressurization modes are different. For example, during the pressurization from period T3 to T4, the pressurization mode becomes gentle halfway (P = about 3 atmospheres). For example, the timing between periods T3 and T4 may be defined as an inflection point of the atmospheric pressure P. By controlling or adjusting the pressurization mode from period T3 to T4, it may be possible to widen the range of expressible tastes, flavors, etc. of the beverage obtained in the subsequent process of immersion extraction S14.

Period T5 corresponds to immersion extraction S14. After the pressure inside the extraction container 9 reaches 5 atmospheres, this state is maintained. This period (approximately 9 seconds) is referred to as period T5. As a result, coffee liquid, which is the beverage liquid, is extracted from the ground beans, which are the subject of extraction. Note that the length of period T5 may be shortened to 1 second.

The period T6 to T8 corresponds to the decompression S15 in the extraction vessel 9. In the period T6 to T7, the decompression is performed in two stages. In the period T6, the pressure in the extraction vessel 9 is first reduced from 5 atmospheres to 1.5 atmospheres in a relatively short time (rapid decompression), and then the system waits for a predetermined period (approximately 3 seconds). Next, in the period T7, the pressure in the extraction vessel 9 is reduced to 1 atmosphere, and then the system waits for a predetermined period (approximately 1 second).

As described above, the liquid in the extraction vessel 9 is boiled and stirred by the decompression S15. According to the decompression mode of this example, first, a part of the liquid in the extraction vessel 9 is boiled and stirred by the first stage of decompression in period T6, and then the other part of the liquid in the extraction vessel 9 can be boiled and stirred by the second stage of decompression in period T7. Therefore, for example, it is possible to appropriately stir the entire liquid in the extraction vessel 9, which may be advantageous when the extracted beverage liquid has unevenness in concentration or composition. After that, the pressure in the extraction vessel 9 is returned to 1.5 atmospheres in period T8 to stabilize the boiling and push the liquid (for example, about 5 cc) that may remain in the flow path (pipes L2, L3, etc.) into the extraction vessel 9.

Period T9 corresponds to the inversion S16 of the extraction container 9 and the subsequent waiting period (approximately 2 seconds). The timing of the start of period T9 corresponds to the timing of the execution of the inversion S16. During period T9, in the extraction container 9 inverted in S16, the ground beans to be extracted are piled up in a relatively thick layer at the bottom of the extraction container 9. Also, during period T9, the pressure inside the extraction container 9 is reduced to 1 atmosphere.

The period T10-T11 corresponds to the permeation extraction S17, whereby the beverage is delivered from the extraction container 9 to the cup C. As mentioned above, the second pour S122 is performed at approximately the same time as S17, and the additional hot water (approximately 80 cc) that flows into the extraction container 9 is used primarily for the permeation extraction. In this example, a total of approximately 185 cc of beverage is provided.

In this example, the pressure inside the extraction container 9 is pressurized to 1.6 atmospheres after S122 in period T10, and then the pressure inside the extraction container 9 is pressurized to 2 atmospheres in the following period T11 to promote the delivery of the beverage. In period T10, the steam from the storage sections 725 and 726 is used to promote the delivery of the beverage, and in period T11, the air pressure from the compressor 70 is used to promote the delivery of the beverage. That is, in period T10, a relatively high temperature gas is used to promote the delivery of the beverage, and in period T11, a relatively low temperature gas is used to promote the delivery of the beverage. This makes it possible to provide all of the beverage to be delivered (including the liquid in the flow path) appropriately to the cup in a relatively short time.

The above-mentioned periods T1, etc. are more specifically associated with each step such as S11 or its sub-steps and are summarized as shown in FIG. 19.

Figure 19 shows a table of extraction process S3' stored in memory unit 11b shown in Figure 10.

As mentioned above, in FIG. 18, periods T1 to T11 are shown diagrammatically as being of equal length, whereas in FIG. 19, specific periods are shown in length.

Period T6 is a process for rapidly reducing the pressure inside the extraction vessel 9 to 1.5 atmospheres, but it may also be an atmosphere release process (first half) in which the inside of the extraction vessel 9 is opened to the atmosphere. In such a case, period T7 is an atmosphere release process (second half) in which the inside of the extraction vessel 9 is opened to the atmosphere.

In addition, while period T10 is a beverage delivery process using steam and period T11 is a beverage delivery process using air pressure, both periods T10 and T11 may be beverage delivery processes using steam or beverage delivery processes using air pressure. In other words, period T10 may be a beverage delivery process (first half) and period T11 may be a beverage delivery process (second half).

Furthermore, whether in period T10 or period T11, a fluid (which may be liquid or gas) having a temperature higher than that of the liquid in the extraction vessel 9 may be supplied to the extraction vessel 9. The liquid referred to here is hot water that can be used for beverages.

The table shown in FIG. 19 may be acquired by the control device 11 shown in FIG. 10 from the server 16 via the communication network 15. In addition to the table shown in FIG. 19, multiple types of tables are prepared. These tables are prepared for each type of brewing target (type of coffee beans) or each roasting method. Furthermore, these tables are prepared for each tendency of beverage taste, and the user can select from them according to his/her preference. The user's selection can be realized by the information display device 12, which is a touch panel type display.

FIG. 20 shows a waveform in FIG. 18 that indicates the amount of hot water in the extraction container 9 (how the amount of hot water changes) that changes over time. In this example, about 185 cc of beverage is provided in total. This FIG. 20 shows the target value (or set value) of the air pressure and the amount of hot water in the extraction container 9 that change over time, and how these actual values change may be additionally plotted on the information display device 12 (see FIG. 1, etc.). The display screen of the information display device 12 as shown in FIG. 20 may be displayed on the information display device 12 by the user selecting a dedicated display mode. This may allow the user to wait without getting bored when the user is a purchaser of a beverage. Also, when the user is an administrator of the device 1, the user may be able to check whether the beverage is being produced properly by the device 1.

Figure 21 shows the actual values of the air pressure and amount of hot water in the extraction vessel 9 plotted over time (in real time) on the target values as information that can be displayed on the information display device 12 during the production of a beverage. That is, Figure 21 is a waveform showing the change in the actual values of the air pressure and amount of hot water in the extraction vessel 9 added to Figure 20. These actual values can be measured as actual values by a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor. In the figure, the solid line shows the change in the target value of the air pressure in the extraction vessel 9 when extracting one cup of beverage, and the dashed line shows the change in the actual measured value of the air pressure in the extraction vessel 9. The dashed line shows the change in the target value of the amount of hot water in the extraction vessel 9, and the dashed line shows the change in the actual measured value of the amount of hot water in the extraction vessel 9.

21 shows that the process is currently in the middle of period T6 (S15), and the actual measured values of the air pressure and the amount of hot water in the extraction container 9 are plotted from period T1 to that point (the middle of period T6). Here, the actual measured value of the air pressure in the extraction container 9 at this point is 1.2 atm, and the actual measured value of the amount of hot water is 100 cc. The above measured values are also plotted in the subsequent processes. The display screen of the information display device 12 as shown in FIG. 21 may be displayed on the information display device 12 by the user selecting a dedicated display mode. This allows the user to quickly respond to the occurrence of leakage in the flow path, malfunctions in each element (piping, valves, etc.) that forms the flow path, etc., when the actual measured value has not reached the target value or is significantly different from the target value.

In FIG. 21, an example is shown in which the target values for the air pressure and the amount of hot water in the extraction container 9, as well as changes in their actual measurements, are displayed on the information display device 12, but only a part of these may be displayed on the information display device 12. For example, changes in only the target value and actual measurement of the air pressure may be displayed, or changes in only the target value and actual measurement of the amount of hot water may be displayed. Alternatively, the calculation results of the target values and actual measurements (for example, changes in the amount of deviation between them) may be displayed.

The manner in which the target values for the air pressure and the amount of hot water in the extraction container 9 change is prepared in advance as a number of patterns, from which the user can select the one that suits his/her preference. Information indicating the above-mentioned multiple patterns may be stored in advance in the memory unit 11b (see FIG. 10), for example, or may be obtained from the server 16 via the communication network 15. The above-mentioned selection by the user can be realized by the information display device 12, which is a touch panel type display.

When one cup of beverage is brewed, the changes in the target values and actual values of the air pressure and amount of hot water in the brewing container 9 are displayed on the information display device 12 over the entire period T1 to T11, and information showing them can be stored, for example, in the memory unit 11b. Therefore, the user can display the information again by performing a specified operation via the information display device 12 as necessary. This allows the user to check, for example, the changes in the target values and actual values when beverages were brewed in the past.

Note that periods T1 to T11 are illustrated as being of equal length in all of Figures 18, 20, and 21, but these should be displayed on the actual information display device 12 at intervals that correspond to the actual time lengths.

As described above, according to this embodiment, in S102 of the preheating process S1', the extraction vessel 9 is heated by steam generated in the storage sections 725 and 726 capable of storing high-temperature liquid (hot water) in the liquid delivery rate adjustment device 720. This makes it possible to heat the entire extraction vessel 9 uniformly, and for example, in the subsequent permeation extraction S17, it becomes possible to extract a beverage liquid (coffee liquid) without unevenness at a desired temperature, resulting in a high-quality beverage.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the ground beans to be extracted are piled up in the extraction container 9 in an upright position and immersed in liquid (hot water). This liquid is poured into the extraction container 9 by step S121, which is the first pouring of hot water. After that, the extraction container 9 is turned upside down to increase the thickness of the pile of ground beans (see S16), and the beverage liquid is sent from the inverted extraction container 9 to a cup via the pouring part 10c (see S17). The remaining liquid (hot water) is additionally poured into the extraction container 9 during this delivery by step S122, which is the second pouring of hot water. The additionally poured liquid is mainly used for permeation extraction, and according to this extraction mode, it is possible to impart a unique taste of permeation extraction to the beverage, for example. In addition, it is possible to adjust the ratio of immersion extraction and permeation extraction, and in some cases it is possible to widen the range of tastes, flavors, etc. that can be expressed. As a result, it is possible to achieve high quality beverages.

Next, we will explain the ideas that allow users to easily select their favorite beverage. In the following explanation, components with the same names as components explained so far may be assigned the same symbols as those used so far.

First, a communication system (hereinafter, simply referred to as the system) including the beverage production device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 22. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a system 1200 including the beverage production device 1. The system 1200 includes a server 1201, information display devices 1202, 1204, and beverage production devices 1203, 1205. The information display devices 1202, 1204 according to this embodiment display a ranking of beverage information that can be instructed to be produced by the beverage production devices 1203, 1205. Here, the beverage production devices 1203, 1205 correspond to the beverage production device 1, and the information display devices 1202, 1204 correspond to the information display device 12. The server 1201 and the information display devices 1202, 1204 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network 1206 such as the Internet. The information display devices 1202, 1204 and the beverage production devices 1203, 1205 may be present, for example, in a store that provides coffee beans and beverages, and the information display devices 1202, 1204 may be capable of communicating via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

Figure 23 is a configuration diagram of the server 1201. The processing unit 1301 includes, for example, a CPU, and controls the server 1201. In this embodiment, the operation of the server 1201 is realized, for example, by the processing unit 1301 loading a program stored in the storage unit 1303 into the memory 1302 and executing it. The memory 1302 is also used as a working memory for the CPU of the processing unit 1301. The storage unit 1303 stores basic control programs, data, and parameters for the operation of the server 1201. In addition, various databases are constructed in the storage unit 1303, and for example, a beverage information database (DB) 1303a, a user information DB 1303b, and a production history DB 1303c (hereinafter also referred to as DBs 1303a to 1303c) described below are stored, and for example, an application capable of providing the above-mentioned services is stored.

The communication interface (I/F) 1304 is configured according to the medium of the network 1206, such as wired or wireless. The display unit 1305 is, for example, a display, and displays, for example, a user interface screen to the administrator of the server 1201. The operation unit 1306 is, for example, a keyboard and mouse, and can accept operations from the administrator.

The data processing unit 1307 includes, for example, at least one of a CPU and a GPU, and performs operations such as extracting data based on data acquisition requests to DBs 1303a to 1303c (described below) and adding data based on data update requests. The units in FIG. 23 can be connected to each other via a bus 1308.

Figure 24 is a diagram showing the configuration of the information display device 1202. As described above, the information display device 1202 corresponds to the information display device 12. The processing unit 1401 includes, for example, a CPU, and controls the information display device 1202 in an overall manner. The operation of the information display device 1202 in this embodiment is realized, for example, by the processing unit 1401 loading a program stored in the storage unit 1403 into the memory 1402 and executing it. The memory 1402 is used as a working memory for the CPU of the processing unit 1401. The storage unit 1403 stores basic control programs, data, and parameters for the operation of the information display device 1202.

The communication I/F 1404 is configured according to the medium of the network 1206, such as wired or wireless, and is configured to be able to communicate with the server 1201. The short-range wireless communication I/F 1405 communicates using a communication method different from that used by the communication I/F 1404, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). In this embodiment, the information display device 1202 may be able to communicate with other information display devices 1204 that are in the vicinity, for example, installed in the same store, via the short-range wireless communication I/F 1405.

The display unit 1407 is a touch panel and displays a user interface screen for the user to use the beverage production device 1203. The operation unit 1408 can receive operations from the user and includes hardware keys such as a confirm key. When the display unit 1407 is a touch panel, the operation unit 1408 may be realized as a software key on the touch panel. In one example, the display unit 1407 may be a display unit (e.g., a transparent touch panel display means constituting the cover unit 102, an information display device 12, etc.) provided in the beverage production device, a mobile terminal carried by a user (e.g., a smartphone, a mobile phone, etc., a tablet), a mobile terminal that can be operated by a manager such as a store clerk (e.g., a smartphone, a mobile phone, etc., a tablet), a PC screen, a POS terminal in a store where the beverage production device is installed, a signage, etc., or a screen of a POS terminal that integrates various code readers such as a cash register and/or a barcode. The display unit of the POS terminal may be the display unit 1407, which displays various rankings, allows a recipe to be selected by touch operation, and displays various code displays such as a QR code (registered trademark) or other images on paper as information on beverage production to be made by the beverage production device desired by the user. The paper display may be read by a camera provided in the beverage production device, and information on beverage production may be identified from the display read to produce a beverage. The POS terminal and the beverage production device may be connected by a signal line (e.g., the Internet) or wirelessly (e.g., the Internet), and a recipe may be selected by touch operation on the display unit of the POS terminal, and information on beverage production to be made by the beverage production device desired by the user may be transmitted by a signal to the beverage production device, and the beverage may be made by the beverage production device desired by the user. In this case, the information may or may not be transmitted via a server.

The imaging unit 1409 is a camera and generates imaging data of a still image. The imaging unit 1409 can, for example, capture beans brought to the store by a user or capture a two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit of a mobile terminal. By capturing a two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit of a mobile terminal, the information display device 1202 can communicate with the mobile terminal using a method other than communication using the communication I/F 1404 or the short-range wireless communication I/F 1405. The main body I/F 1406 is an interface unit with the beverage production device 1203 and transmits, for example, coffee bean selection information and extraction recipe information set by the user via the display unit 1407 or the operation unit 1408 to the beverage production device 1203. The components in FIG. 24 can be connected to each other via a bus 1410.

Figures 25 (A) to 25 (C) are diagrams showing an example of data stored in DBs 1303a to 1303c stored in the memory unit 1303 of the server 1201. Figure 25 (A) is data 1500 stored in beverage information DB 1303a. Data 1500 includes recipe ID 1501, creator information 1502 indicating the creator of the recipe, production count information 1503 indicating the number of times the beverage information has been selected and produced by users in the past, raw material information, production method, and type 1512, 1513. The raw material information includes bean information 1504 indicating the type of beans, production area information 1505 indicating the production area of the beans, and roast level information 1506 indicating the roast level of the beans. The production method also includes the amount of beans used in one extraction 1507, bean grind size 1508, amount of steaming water 1509, steaming time 1510, and amount of extraction water 1511. Type 1512 is type information indicating whether the beverage is a hot beverage or an iced beverage, and type 1513 is type information indicating the flavor of the beverage. Note that in this embodiment, production count information 1503 is described as the number of times that a beverage corresponding to production count information 1503 has been produced by multiple beverage production devices, but production count information 1503 may be stored for each beverage production device.

Figure 25 (B) is exemplary data 1520 of user information DB 1303b. The user may be a store, or a store clerk or customer of the store. Data 1520 includes ID information 1521 indicating a user identifier, name information 1522 indicating the user's name, age information 1523 indicating the user's age, and gender information 1524 indicating the user's gender. In one example, data 1520 may further include information corresponding to the user's address, the user's nickname information, and the user's photo data.

FIG. 25(C) is exemplary data 1530 of production history DB 1303c. Data 1530 includes user information 1531 relating to the user who instructed the production, date and time information 1532 relating to the production date and time, recipe ID 1533 corresponding to the produced beverage, machine ID 1534 corresponding to the beverage production device that produced the beverage, and store ID 1535 corresponding to the store in which the beverage production device is installed. In one example, data 1530 may further include price information corresponding to the price of the produced beverage, etc.

Next, referring to FIG. 26, the process executed by the information display device 1202 to display beverage information will be described. The process of FIG. 26 is realized by the processing unit 1401 loading a program (app) stored in the storage unit 1403 into the memory 1402 and executing it when the startup process of the information display device 1202 and the beverage production device 1203 is completed. First, the processing unit 1401 identifies a category for displaying the beverage information (S1601). As described later, the category may be identified based on an operation input by the user via the operation unit 1408, or may be identified by the processing unit 1401 of the information display device 1202 reading out a setting value stored in the memory 1402 or the storage unit 1403. Next, the processing unit 1401 acquires the beverage information from the server 1201 based on the identified category (S1602). In this embodiment, the processing unit 1401 transmits information indicating the identified category to the server 1201, and the server 1201 extracts beverage information from the beverage information DB 1303a based on the received information indicating the category, and transmits the beverage information to the information display device 1202. However, in one example, the information display device 1202 may store the beverage information in the storage unit 1403, and read the beverage information from the storage unit 1403 based on the identified category.

Now, referring to FIG. 27, an example of the process executed by the server 1201 to transmit beverage information to the information display device 1202 will be described. The process in FIG. 27 is realized by the processing unit 1301 loading a program (app) stored in the storage unit 1303 into the memory 1302 and executing it when the startup process of the server 1201 is completed. First, the processing unit 1301 receives a category from the information display device 1202 (S1701).

Next, the processing unit 1301 extracts beverage information from the beverage information DB 1303a based on the received category (S1702). For example, if the received category is bean information 1504 of the raw material information, the data processing unit 1307 sorts the beverage information DB by bean type, calculates the number of times recipes with the same bean information are produced, and extracts the bean type and the number of times they are produced. In addition, for each bean type, the recipe with the highest number of times it is produced is extracted. Next, the processing unit 1301 transmits the extracted bean type and number of times it is produced to the information display device 1202 (S1703).

In addition, in S1702, the processing unit 1301 may extract a predetermined number (e.g., five) of beverage information items that have been produced frequently. In another example, the processing unit 1301 may extract beverage information that is stored in the storage unit 1303 and is recommended to the user. Alternatively, when user information of a user who has requested beverage information is acquired from the information display device 1202, the beverage information may be extracted including beverage information of beverages that the user frequently instructs to be produced. In other words, in S1702, the beverage information may be extracted including beverage information other than the beverage information that has been produced most frequently.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 26, the processing unit 1401 displays the acquired beverage information on the display unit 1407 (S1603).

Here, an example of beverage information displayed on the display unit 1407 will be described with reference to FIG. 28. Screen 1800 of the display unit 1407 is an example of a screen that is displayed when "Recipes" is specified as the category.

At the top of screen 1800, recipe 1801, barista 1802, and flavor 1803 are displayed as selectable categories. Recipe 1801 is a category for acquiring beverage information based on the number of times each recipe has been produced in beverage information DB 1303a. Barista 1802 is a category for acquiring beverage information based on the number of times each creator has been produced in beverage information DB 1303a. Flavor 1803 is a category for acquiring beverage information based on the number of times each type 2 1513 has been produced in beverage information DB 1303a. Note that any parameter of beverage information, such as bean information 1504 or origin information 1505 in beverage information DB 1303a, may be selectable as a category.

In the example of FIG. 28, recipe 1801 is selected, so the information display device 1202 displays beverage information for each recipe, with recipes 1804 to 1808 displayed in ranking order. Here, ranking display refers to displaying a predetermined number of recipes in descending order of the number of times the beverage has been brewed (manufactured) that have been selected and drawn by the user in the past. For example, recipe 1804 corresponds to the beverage information of recipe ID 1 in FIG. 25(A), and other information such as creator information 1502, bean information 1504, type 1512, and type 1513 are also displayed. Note that in the ranking display of S1603, if beverage information recommended in S1602 is obtained, the recommended beverage information is also displayed.

Beverage information can be displayed in multiple display orders, including ranked and non-ranked. In the case of non-ranked display, the beverage information may be displayed in order of name. For example, if a "Name" field is prepared for each row in FIG. 25(A), and recipes that can be selected by the user are registered on the server with the name of recipe ID "1" as "Recipe A," the name of recipe ID "2" as "Recipe C," and the name of recipe ID "3" as "Recipe B," when displaying recipe information in order of name, "Recipe A," "Recipe B," and "Recipe C" are displayed from the top of the screen in this order. Here, the higher the position on the screen, the higher the ranking. The same applies below unless otherwise specified.

In the case of non-ranked display, the beverage information may be displayed in an order according to the order information registered corresponding to the beverage information. For example, if a "name" field and an "order information" field are prepared for each row in FIG. 25(A), and the following recipes are registered on the server as user-selectable recipes: recipe ID "1" with the name "Recipe A" and "order information" "3", recipe ID "2" with the name "Recipe C" and "order information" "2", and recipe ID "3" with the name "Recipe B" and "order information" "1", in the case of non-ranked display of recipe information, "Recipe B", "Recipe C", and "Recipe A" may be displayed in this order from the top of the screen.

In the case of non-ranked display, the beverage information is displayed in order according to the order information registered corresponding to the beverage information, and if the order information is the same, the beverage information is displayed in order of name. For example, if a "Name" field and an "Order Information" field are prepared for each row in FIG. 25(A), and the following recipes are registered on the server as user-selectable recipes: recipe ID "1" with the name "Recipe A" and "Order Information" with "3", recipe ID "2" with the name "Recipe C" and "Order Information" with "3", and recipe ID "3" with the name "Recipe B" and "Order Information" with "1", in the case of non-ranked display of recipe information, "Recipe B", "Recipe A", and "Recipe C" are displayed in this order from the top of the screen.

It may also be possible to display the rankings taking into account the results of administrator operations. Administrator operations here refer to operations that can be changed, for example, on an administration screen that is displayed when an administrator password or the like is entered. For example, a "priority" field may be prepared for each row in FIG. 25(A), and the "priority" of recipe ID "1" may be set to "A", the "priority" of recipe ID "2" to "C", and the "priority" of recipe ID "3" to "C" by administrator operations. If the number of times recipes were selected by users during a certain period was 10 times for recipe ID "1", 5 times for recipe ID "2", and 12 times for recipe ID "3", the recipes may be displayed in the order of recipe ID "3", recipe ID "1", and recipe ID "2" from the top of the screen without taking into account the priority (administrator operations), or the order of recipe ID "1", recipe ID "3", and recipe ID "2" may be displayed from the top of the screen with the priority (administrator operations) taken into account. Here, priority A is the highest priority, followed by B, C, and so on in alphabetical order.

Priority may be set by an administrator not only for each recipe, but also for each category, such as for each recipe or each bean. For example, let us assume that the administrator has set the "priority" of recipe ID "1" to "A", the "priority" of recipe ID "2" to "C", the "priority" of recipe ID "3" to "C", and the "priority" of recipe ID "4" to "C", and then the administrator has set the "priority" of each bean to "B" for bean "A" and "A" for bean "B". If the number of times recipes selected by a user during a certain period is recipe ID "1" 10 times, recipe ID "2" 5 times, recipe ID "3" 12 times, and recipe ID "4" 1 time, then the recipes may be ranked in the order of recipe ID "1", recipe ID "3", recipe ID "2", and recipe ID "4" from the top of the screen, taking into account the priority (administrator operation). Also, the bean ranking may be ranked in the order of bean "B" and bean "A" from the top of the screen, taking into account the priority (administrator operation).

In the example shown in FIG. 25, a ranking display is shown based on information on the number of selections made by users over a certain period of time collected from beverage production machines installed around the world, but the present invention is not limited to this. Ranking display based on information on the number of selections made by users over a certain period of time collected from one or more beverage production machines installed around the world is also possible, ranking display based on information on the number of selections made by users over a certain period of time collected from one or more beverage production machines installed in Japan is also possible, ranking display based on information on the number of selections made by users over a certain period of time collected from beverage production machines installed in a certain area of a certain store (for example, one or more beverage production machines installed on the first floor of a five-story store), and ranking display based on information on the number of selections made by users over a certain period of time collected from a beverage production machine that will be issuing production instructions in the future may also be possible.

25(A)-(C) show an example of displaying the ranking based on the number of selections made by the user during a certain period collected from the beverage production device, but the present invention is not limited to this. The ranking may be displayed according to the amount of products sold during a certain period from information collected from sources other than the beverage production device, such as a website operated independently on the Internet. For example, the amount of varieties of beans sold during a certain period on an EC (electronic commerce) site may be stored in a server or the like, and the coffee beans to be produced by the beverage production device may be displayed on the screen in a ranking according to the amount. Specifically, if the amount of beans "B" sold during a certain period on the EC site is twice that of beans "A", the recipe using beans "B" may be displayed preferentially over the recipe using beans "A" (for example, in the case of the recipe in FIG. 25(A), recipe ID "4", recipe ID "1", recipe ID "2", and recipe ID "3" may be displayed from the top of the screen). Of course, the ranking may be displayed using both the number of selections made by the user during a certain period collected from the beverage production device and information collected from sources other than the beverage production device. For example, if beans "B" sell twice as much as beans "A" during a certain period on an EC site, and the number of times that users selected recipes for beverage production devices during that period was recipe ID "1" 10 times, recipe ID "2" 5 times, recipe ID "3" 12 times, and recipe ID "4" 1 time, then the screen may display recipe ID "4", recipe ID "3", recipe ID "1", and recipe ID "2" in that order from the top.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 26, the processing unit 1401 checks whether the category for displaying beverage information on the display unit 1407 has been changed (S1604). For example, if the user selects barista 1802 or flavor 1803 in FIG. 28, the processing unit 1401 determines that the category has been changed (Yes in S1604) and returns the process to S1601. If none of recipe 1801, barista 1802, and flavor 1803 has been selected (No in S1604), the processing unit 1401 determines whether the next displayed beverage information has been selected (S1605). For example, if any of recipes 1804 to 1808 in FIG. 28 has been selected, the processing unit 1401 determines that beverage information has been selected (Yes in S1605) and instructs the beverage production device 1203 to produce a beverage corresponding to the selected beverage information (S1606). For example, in S1606, the processing unit 1401 instructs the beverage production device 1203 to produce a beverage by transmitting the values of production methods 1507 to 1511 in FIG. 25 via the main body I/F 1406. If beverage information is not selected (No in S1605), the processing unit 1401 returns the process to S1604 and waits for a change of category or selection of beverage information. Note that the user who specified the category in S1601 may be different from the user who selects the beverage information in S1605.

Next, after instructing the production of the beverage, the information display device 1202 notifies the server 1201 that the beverage has been produced (S1607). In one example, when the server 1201 receives a notification that a beverage has been produced from the information display device 1202, it increments the number of times the beverage has been produced for the recipe corresponding to the produced beverage by one. That is, the beverage information DB 1303a also operates as a storage unit for the number of times the beverage has been selected. In one example, the information display device 1202 transmits to the server 1201 information on the user who instructed the production of the beverage, date and time information, and information on the beverage production device 1203 that produced the beverage, and the server 1201 may update the history information by adding records (1531 to 1535) to the production history DB 1303c. That is, the production history DB 1303c may also operate as a storage unit that stores the number of times the beverage has been selected for each user. In this way, the ranking display can be updated by collecting information indicating that production has been performed from at least one information display device or beverage production device and updating the number of times the beverage has been produced.

Here, an example of processing when it is determined that a category change has occurred in S1604 of FIG. 26 will be described. Here, processing when barista 1802 of FIG. 28 is selected will be described. In this case, the processing unit 1401 determines that "barista" has been selected as the category (S1601) and transmits a signal to the server 1201 indicating that the category is barista. When the server 1201 receives the signal (S1701), it extracts beverage information from the beverage information DB 1303a (S1702). In S1702, the server 1201 controls the data processing unit 1307 to compile the data in the beverage information DB 1303a by creator and extract beverage information. For example, the data processing unit 1307 sums up the number of times recipes with the same creator information 1502 are manufactured, and calculates the number of times manufactured for each creator. In addition, for each creator, the manufacturing method (1507 to 1511) of the recipe with the most number of times manufactured is extracted. That is, for each creator, the number of times a recipe was selected to produce a beverage and the combination of the creator's representative recipes are extracted and transmitted to the information display device 1202 (S1703).

Figure 29 shows a screen 1900 that is displayed on the display unit 1407 when the category is barista (creator). In addition to the categories (1801-1803), the screen also displays beverage information 1901-1903 ranked by creator. For example, beverage information 1901 indicates that a beverage corresponding to a recipe created by creator "BBBB BBBB" has been produced 1267 times, and beverage information 1902 indicates that a beverage corresponding to a recipe created by creator "XX Company" has been produced 1091 times. Here, when the selection button for beverage information 1901 is pressed, the processing unit 1401 determines that the beverage information has been selected (Yes in S1605), and instructs the beverage production device 1203 to produce a beverage corresponding to the recipe created most frequently among the recipes by creator "BBBB BBBB" (S1606). In one example, the creator can set a recommended recipe, and when the category is creator and the creator is selected, the beverage production device 1203 may be instructed to produce a beverage corresponding to the recommended recipe.

Figure 30 shows a screen 2000 displayed on the display unit 1407 when the category is type 2 (flavor). In addition to the categories (1801 to 1803), the screen displays beverage information 2001 and 2006 for each flavor in a ranking order. For example, the beverage information 2001 indicates that beverages with the flavor "vanilla" have been produced 4107 times, and the beverage information 2006 indicates that beverages with the flavor "chocolate" have been produced 1725 times. Here, when beverage information with the flavor "vanilla" is selected, multiple beverage information with the flavor "vanilla" may be displayed, for example, for each recipe (2002 to 2004). In one example, the recipes 2002 to 2004 may also be displayed in a ranking order, that is, in order of the number of times they have been produced. In this way, by displaying the information in a hierarchical ranking order, the user can easily select a preferred beverage. The user can check other recipes by pressing the "View more "vanilla" recipes" button 2005.

As described above, this embodiment provides a device that allows a user receiving a beverage to easily select a beverage to be produced based on a predetermined beverage category.

<Other embodiments>
In this embodiment, the description has been given assuming that there is one category for displaying beverage information, but in one example, multiple categories may be specified to display beverage information. For example, if barista (creator) and flavor are specified as categories, the number of times one or more recipes with the same barista and flavor are produced may be calculated and beverage information may be displayed. This allows beverage information to be displayed by arbitrarily combining categories that the user considers important, so that a device that allows the user who receives the beverage to easily select a beverage to produce can be provided.

As exemplified above, the display mode of the ranking display may differ for each category. For example, in the case of category A (e.g., ranking display by recipe, FIG. 28), the top rankings are displayed at the top of the screen, the lower the rankings are displayed at the bottom of the screen, and when displaying information on further lower rankings, the user uses up-down scrolling to search, while in the case of another category B (e.g., ranking display by barista, FIG. 29), the top rankings are displayed at the left side of the screen, the lower the rankings are displayed at the right side of the screen, and when displaying information on further lower rankings, the user uses left-right scrolling to search. This changes not only the text information but also the operation mode, so that it may be easier for the user to understand which category of ranking display he or she is viewing. As another example, for example, in the case of category A (e.g., ranking display by recipe, FIG. 28), a certain number of options are displayed at once (five in FIG. 28), and in the case of another category B (e.g., ranking display by barista, FIG. 29), a different number of options are displayed at once (three in FIG. 29), and the display mode may be different.

Note that while FIG. 25(A) shows an example of beverage information DB 1303a that can be registered by the administrator, the administrator, a user, or a person requested by the administrator (e.g., a barista) may create recipes using the additional drawing screen and add them to the beverage information DB 1303a.

In this case, some fields such as the "priority" field, "order information" field, and "name" field cannot be registered by users or baristas, and can only be registered and modified by administrators through administrator operations. Of course, it is also possible to allow users to register and modify these fields.

Also, FIG. 25(A) does not mean that all recipes registered in beverage information DB 1303a that can be registered by the administrator can be used by the user to make beverages, but rather a field for setting permission/prohibition, such as an "Allowed" field, may be provided for each recipe, and only recipes with a value of "Allowed" in the "Allowed" field may be used by the user to make beverages, and recipes with a value of "Prohibited" may not be used by the user to make beverages. Also, only recipes with a value of "Allowed" in the "Allowed" field may be displayed so that the user can select them, and those "Prohibited" recipes may not be displayed in the user selection display. Specifically, a "store" field may be prepared for each row in FIG. 25(A), and when the administrator operates to register the value of the "store" field for recipe ID "1" as "store A", the value of the "store" field for recipe ID "2" as "store A", and the value of the "store" field for recipe ID "3" as "store B", store A may display information for recipe ID "1" and information for recipe ID "2" as recipes selectable by the user, allowing the user to select them, and store B may display information for recipe ID "2" as a recipe selectable by the user, allowing the user to select them. In another example, the restriction of selectable recipes based on the registered contents of the above-mentioned "permission" field and "store" field may also be applied to the ranking display shown in various examples.

Summary of the embodiment
The above embodiments disclose at least the following devices.

1. The control device (e.g., 1202, 1203) of the above embodiment is
a first reception means for receiving from a user a designation of a category of a beverage to be produced by the beverage production unit;
an acquisition means for acquiring beverage information corresponding to the category accepted by the first acceptance means from a storage unit;
a display means for displaying the beverage information acquired by the acquisition means;
a second receiving means for receiving from a user a designation of one of the beverage information displayed by the display means;
an output means for outputting a beverage preparation instruction to a beverage preparation section based on the one beverage information selected by the second reception means;
having
The display means displays a ranking of the plurality of pieces of beverage information corresponding to the category.

According to this embodiment, it may be possible to provide a device that allows the user receiving the beverage to easily select the beverage to be produced.

2. In the above control device,
The display means displays the plurality of pieces of beverage information in accordance with the number of times the beverage information has been selected by a user in the past, thereby displaying the beverage information in a ranking manner.

According to this embodiment, it may be possible to provide a device that allows a user receiving a beverage to easily select a beverage to be produced by displaying the rankings.

3. In the above control device,
The first and second accepting means accept designations from a plurality of users.

According to this embodiment, it may be possible to provide a device that allows a user receiving a beverage to easily select the beverage to be produced based on specifications from multiple users.

4. In the above control device,
the acquiring means acquires user information including at least one of an age and a gender of a user of the beverage production apparatus from the storage unit;
The display means displays the beverage information taking into consideration the user information.

According to this embodiment, it may be possible to provide a device that makes it easy to select the beverage to be produced based on information about the user who will be receiving the beverage.

5. In the above control device,
The ranking display is based on information collected from a plurality of the beverage production units.

According to this embodiment, it may be possible to provide a device that allows the user receiving the beverage to easily select the beverage to be produced.

6. In the above control device,
The beverage information includes at least one of information on raw materials for producing the beverage, information on a production recipe relating to a method for producing the beverage, and information on at least one creator of the production recipe.

According to this embodiment, it may be possible to provide a device that allows a user who receives a beverage to easily select a beverage to be produced based on at least one of information about ingredients, information about the production recipe, and information about the creator.

7. In the above control device,
The instruction is given to the beverage production section of the beverage production device.

According to this embodiment, it may be possible to provide a device that allows the user receiving the beverage to easily select the beverage to be produced.

8. The method of the above embodiment includes:
a first receiving step of receiving from a user a designation of a category of a beverage to be produced by the beverage production unit;
an acquisition step of acquiring, from a storage unit, beverage information corresponding to the category accepted in the first acceptance step;
a display step of displaying the beverage information acquired in the acquisition step;
a second receiving step of receiving, from a user, a designation of one of the beverage information displayed in the display step;
an output step of outputting an instruction to prepare a beverage to a beverage preparation unit based on the one beverage information selected in the second reception step;
Including,
In the display step, a plurality of pieces of beverage information corresponding to the category are displayed in a ranking order.

According to this embodiment, it may be possible to provide a device that allows the user receiving the beverage to easily select the beverage to be produced.

9. The program of the above embodiment causes a computer to function as each of the means of the control device described in any one of the above embodiments 1 to 7.

According to this embodiment, it may be possible to provide a device that allows the user receiving the beverage to easily select the beverage to be produced.

Next, we will explain the methods we use to communicate information about beverages to users in a way that is easy to understand.

Figure 31 is a block diagram of the beverage production device 1.

The control device 11 shown in FIG. 31 is the same as the control device 11 shown in FIG. 10, and as shown in FIG. 10, has a processing unit 11a, a memory unit 11b, and an I/F unit 11c. The production unit 18 shown in FIG. 31 is a combination of the actuator group 14 and the sensor group 13 shown in FIG. 10, and the actuator group 14 is driven to produce a coffee beverage. Note that the production of a coffee beverage here is in a broad sense, and includes each process (steps S11 to S16) in the extraction process S3, in addition to the permeation extraction (step S17) shown in FIG. 11 that ultimately produces the coffee beverage. It also includes the preheating process S1, the grinding process (step S2), and the discharge process S4 shown in FIG. 11.

The information display device 12 shown in FIG. 31 is the same as the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 10, and is specifically a touch panel display that can display various information and accept operations from the device manager and beverage consumers. That is, in this information display device 12, the display screen becomes the reception unit 122. The information display device 12 also has a control unit 121 and an imaging unit 123. The control unit 121 has a processing unit 121a, a memory unit 121b, and an I/F unit 121c, just like the control device 11. The processing unit 121a controls the reception unit 122 and the imaging unit 123. The imaging unit 123 is a camera and generates still image capture data and moving image capture data. The control unit 121 receives a reception signal from the reception unit 122 in response to the operation. When the control unit 121 receives the reception signal, it transmits an instruction signal to the control device 11 to instruct the control device 11 to execute processing in response to the reception signal. In the control device 11, the processing unit 11a transmits a control signal to the actuator group 14 in the manufacturing unit 18 in response to the instruction signal, and controls the driving of the actuator group 14. The control device 11 also transmits a response signal indicating that the driving of the actuator group 14 has been completed, etc., to the control unit 121 of the information display device 12. In the control unit 121, the processing unit 121a transmits a control signal to the reception unit 122 instructing the control unit 121 to display an operation acceptance display indicating that an operation has been accepted, or to display a completion display based on the reception of a response signal, etc. The control unit 121 also receives shooting data from the shooting unit 123 and stores it in the memory unit 121b.

The I/F unit 121c of the control unit 121 includes an input/output interface that inputs and outputs signals between an external device and the processing unit 121a. In addition, in the beverage production device 1 shown in FIG. 31, the I/F unit 121c in the information display device 12 includes a communication interface that can perform data communication with the server 16 via a communication network 15 such as the Internet. The server 16 shown in FIG. 31 can communicate with a mobile terminal 17 such as a smartphone via the communication network 15.

Furthermore, the beverage production device 1 shown in FIG. 31 has an air pressure sensor 124. The air pressure sensor 124 detects the atmospheric pressure in the location where the beverage production device 1 is installed, and outputs the detection result as a sensor signal. The control unit 121 of the information display device 12 acquires the sensor signal.

Meanwhile, the control device 11 acquires monitor signals from the actuator group 14 that indicate the driving status, etc. The control device 11 also acquires sensor signals from the sensor group 13 in the production unit 18. The control device 11 monitors the production status of the coffee beverage in the production unit 18 by acquiring the monitor signals and sensor signals, and transmits the monitoring results based on the monitor signals and sensor signals to the control unit 121. The monitoring results may be the monitor signals or sensor signals themselves. Alternatively, when the monitor signals or sensor signals indicate a certain value, the certain value may be converted into another value and used as the monitoring result, or information obtained from the certain value may be used as the monitoring result. For example, information indicating whether or not a certain value exceeds a threshold value may be used as the monitoring result. However, it is not preferable for the processing load of the processing unit 11a to increase in order to obtain the monitoring results based on the monitor signals and sensor signals.

As described above, a response signal and monitoring results are transmitted from the control device 11 to the control unit 121 of the information display device 12. These response signals and monitoring results correspond to so-called logs, and are stored in the memory unit 121b of the control unit 121. Note that some logs are transmitted from the control device 11 to the control unit 121 at predetermined intervals (for example, at intervals of 500 ms).

Figure 32 shows the information display device 12 displaying a list of recipes.

A list of recipes is displayed on the display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 32. The display screen of this list of recipes may be the home screen of the display unit of the information display device 12, or may be a selection screen that is selected from a menu item that is expanded when the menu button 120m displayed in the upper right corner is tapped.

Three recipes are displayed in a simplified form in the recipe list shown in FIG. 32. Tapping the previous page icon 120b displayed on the left side displays the three recipes on the previous page in a simplified form, and tapping the next page icon 120f displayed on the right side displays the three recipes on the next page in a simplified form. In FIG. 32, recipe Re1 with the recipe name "Daito Blend" is displayed in a simplified form on the left side, recipe Re2 with the recipe name "Pacamala Morning" is displayed in a simplified form in the center, and recipe Re3 with the recipe name "G Shop Original" is displayed in a simplified form on the right side. All three of these recipes Re1, Re2, and Re3 have been created recently, and the word "NEW" is displayed in the upper right corner to indicate that they are new recipes.

Here, the recipe will be explained once again, although there are some overlapping parts with the explanation so far. The recipe includes information on various production conditions for producing a beverage, bean information, recipe creator information, etc. In other words, the recipe is used for some or all of the processes of producing a beverage. This recipe is managed in a database as shown in FIG. 25 in the server 1201 shown in FIG. 23 (corresponding to the server 16 shown in FIG. 31). In addition, the recipe is stored in the memory unit 121b of the information display device in each beverage production device 1. In this memory unit 121b, as in the memory unit 1303 of the server 1201, the recipe may be managed in a database, or it may simply be stored. In addition, the memory unit 121b may continue to store the recipe, or it may acquire the recipe from the server 16 before producing a beverage, store it only while the beverage is being produced, and erase the recipe from the memory unit 121b after the beverage is produced. Alternatively, only a portion of the recipe information (e.g., bean information or recipe creator information) may be stored in the memory unit 121b, and the remaining information of the recipe (e.g., information on the production conditions) may be obtained from the server 16 before the beverage is produced, and the remaining information may be deleted from the memory unit 121b after the beverage is produced. The recipe stored in the memory unit 121b of the information display device is encrypted.

The bean information and creator information contained in the recipe are displayed when the user selects a beverage. The information on the production conditions is parameters (setting values) used for some or all of the processes of producing the beverage. The processing unit 11a of the control device 11 shown in FIG. 31 references the memory unit 121b of the information display device 12 and controls the actuator group 14 shown in FIG. 31 according to the parameters. For example, the processing unit 11a controls the opening and closing of various valves shown in FIG. 3, controls the rotation speed of the rotary blade in the grinding device 5, controls the operation of the heater 72a, and controls the operation of the compressor 70 according to the parameters.

In each of the recipes Re1, Re2, and Re3, a place of origin display Rm indicating the place of origin of the beans is displayed in the upper left corner. Below the place of origin display Rm, a name display Rb indicating the name of the beans is displayed. Below the name display Rb, a roasting degree display Rr indicating the roasting degree of the beans is displayed in graphic form. Furthermore, below that, icons Rih and Ric indicating type 1 (whether the beverage is a hot beverage or an iced beverage) described with reference to FIG. 25 are displayed. Note that an icon indicating type 2 (type information indicating the flavor of the beverage) described with reference to FIG. 25 may also be displayed. In each of the recipes Re1, Re2, and Re3 shown in FIG. 32, the hot beverage icon Rih is lit, and the iced beverage icon Ric is grayed out. In addition, a size icon Ris indicating the size of the cup is also displayed at the right end. A recipe name display Rn is displayed in the vertical center of the recipe, and an image Im is displayed below it together with the name of the recipe creator. This image Im is an image taken of the recipe creator (the creator in FIG. 25(A)). In recipe Re1 for "Daito Blend" on the left, an image Im of a face is displayed along with the name of the barista, "M. FFFFFF." In recipe Re2 for "Pacamala Morning" in the center, an image Im of a face is displayed along with the name of the barista, "S. VVVV." In recipe Re3 for "G Shop Original" on the right, an image Im of a face is displayed along with the name of the G Shop manager, "Koda Taro." And at the very bottom, the price Pr of the coffee drink with that recipe name is displayed.

Tap on a displayed recipe to view details about it.

Figure 33 shows the screen that appears when you tap the "Daito Blend" recipe Re1 on the left side of the display screen shown in Figure 32.

The display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 33 displays recipe information based on a recipe card (see FIG. 44) described later. Here, recipe information for "Daito Blend" is displayed. Compared to the simply displayed recipe Re1 shown in FIG. 32, details of the taste, such as the bitterness indication Ra1 and the sourness indication Ra2, are displayed graphically. In addition, the recipe creator's comments Rc are also displayed. Furthermore, this screen displays an introduction Rh of the recipe creator along with the image Im. The image Im in FIG. 33 is an image of the creator of this recipe. In addition, a paid icon Rip is also displayed in the upper right corner, indicating that this recipe is a paid recipe. The paid icon Rip shown in FIG. 33 indicates that a fee has been charged. The recipe for "Daito Blend" is a paid recipe that has been made public and has usage restrictions that prevent it from being used unless a fee is charged. The term "public disclosure" as used herein means that, for example, recipe information as shown in FIG. 33 is automatically transmitted to information display devices 12 located all over the world via the server 1201 shown in FIG. 23, and the outline of the recipe can be known only on the store management screen of each information display device 12 (the same applies below). However, all of the parameters required for manufacturing are not made public. The term "public disclosure" may mean disclosure on a screen that can be seen by customers of the store, not limited to the store management screen, or the recipe information disclosed on the server 1201 may be made visible from each store, instead of being automatically transmitted (the same applies below). A paid recipe is displayed on the display screen of the recipe list shown in FIG. 32 only when the store or the like charges the fee and releases the usage restrictions. Then, for a recipe whose usage restrictions have been released, a paid icon Rip is displayed on the display screen of the recipe information in FIG. 33 to indicate to customers that it is a paid recipe, and a premium feeling can be appealed to customers. Paid recipes for which usage restrictions have not been lifted may be displayed on the recipe list display screen shown in FIG. 32, but in this case, the recipe information display screen may not be displayed, or even if it is displayed, the extraction icon 120e described below will not be displayed, making it impossible to extract.

In addition, a menu button 120m is provided at the top right of the screen, and a back icon 120r1 and an extraction icon 120e are provided at the bottom of the screen. Tapping the back icon 120r1 returns to the recipe list screen shown in FIG. 32. The extraction icon 120e displays the price of the coffee drink with this recipe name. The price of the coffee drink may be included in the recipe for that coffee drink, or may be stored separately from the recipe. For example, the price may be stored in the storage unit 121b in association with the recipe.
When the extraction icon 120e is tapped, the transaction information is sent to a point of sale (POS) system (not shown), and the transaction process is executed in the POS system. In addition, in the beverage production device 1, the coffee production process shown in FIG. 11 is started.

Next, we will explain how to create a recipe. Recipe creation is performed using a recipe management application installed on the information display device 12.

Figure 34 shows an information display device 12 on which a list of recipe management apps is displayed.

A list of recipe management apps is displayed on the display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 34. The display screen of this list of recipe management apps is a screen selected from the menu items that are expanded when the menu button 120m displayed on the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 32 is tapped (see FIG. 56). Note that when the back icon 120r2 displayed in the upper right corner is tapped, the screen returns to the screen showing the list of recipes shown in FIG. 32.

Three recipe management applications, Expert, Tour, and Standard, are installed on the information display device 12, and these recipe management applications are executed by the processing unit 121a shown in FIG. 31. The display screen of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 34 displays an Expert icon 120ei, a Tour icon 120ti, and a Standard icon 120si. The Expert and Standard recipe management applications will be described later, and here, the creation of a new recipe using the Tour recipe management application will be described. To launch the Tour recipe management application, tap the Tour icon 120ti displayed in the center.

Figure 35 shows the start-up screen of the tour recipe management application.

In the recipe management application for the tour, a recipe is created by proceeding in an interactive format. Hereinafter, the creation of a new recipe is referred to as a tour, after the name of the application. The start-up screen displayed on the display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 35 indicates that the recipe creation can be interrupted even during the tour, and that the completed recipe is stored in the storage unit 1303 of the server 1201 (corresponding to the server 16 shown in FIG. 31) described with reference to FIG. 23, or in a database constructed in the storage unit 121b of the information display device 12. In addition, two new creation icons 120ni and a paused icon 120si are displayed at the bottom of the start-up screen. When the paused icon 120si shown in FIG. 35 is tapped, the tour that was paused due to input or selection of bean information is resumed. When the new creation icon 120ni is tapped, the tour is started. Note that when the back icon 120r3 displayed in the upper right corner is tapped, the screen returns to the screen in which the list of recipe management applications is displayed, as shown in FIG. 34.

The tour consists of five stages, with the fifth and final stage marking the completion of the tour, i.e., the creation of a new recipe. The first stage involves setting the extraction method, which involves setting parameters relating to the production method shown in FIG. 25(A). The second stage involves inputting or selecting bean information, which involves setting parameters relating to ingredient information shown in FIG. 25(A). The third stage involves inputting or selecting barista information, which involves setting parameters to be saved in user information DB 1303b, which is shown in FIG. 25(B). The fourth stage involves creating a recipe card.

Figure 36 shows an explanatory screen for setting the first stage extraction method.

The display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 36 displays a display screen displaying the setting of the brewing method and text. A progress chart PC is displayed on this display screen so that the progress of the tour can be seen. From the progress chart PC shown in FIG. 36, it can be seen at a glance that the current stage is the first stage. In addition, "This is the movement of the beverage production device" is displayed as an explanation of the setting of the brewing method for the first stage. This explanation is written so that the user can easily understand, but the "movement of the beverage production device" is determined by various parameters related to the production method. The recipe includes various parameters related to the production method, and the collection of various parameters related to the production method ("production method" shown in FIG. 25(A)) corresponds to the parameters that make up the recipe. Therefore, "This is the movement of the beverage production device," which is an explanation of the setting of the brewing method, corresponds to an explanation of the parameters.

On the explanatory screen shown in FIG. 36, tapping the pause icon Si1 located in the upper right corner will interrupt the tour. On the other hand, tapping the next icon Nx1 located at the bottom will move to a screen for inputting parameters related to the manufacturing method.

Figure 37 shows the screen for entering the grind size of the beans, which is one of the parameters for grinding.

The input of parameters for the manufacturing method in the tour is divided into six steps, including grinding, steaming, main hot water supply, pressurization, stirring, and cup delivery. In the input of parameters for grinding, the amount of beans (g), the grinding size of the beans (μm), and the chaff removal strength (chaff removal rate) (%) are input. In the display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 37, the color of the grind icon Gi changes, indicating that parameters for grinding are currently being input. In addition, an animation AM is displayed on the left side of the screen, which shows a schematic diagram of a part of the beverage manufacturing device 1 shown in FIG. 1. In this animation AM, a schematic diagram 5M of the grinding device 5 shown in FIG. 2, a schematic diagram 6M of the separation device 6, a schematic diagram 9M of the extraction container 9, and a schematic diagram CM of the cup C shown in FIG. 3 are displayed. In the screen shown in FIG. 37, the schematic diagram 5M of the grinding device 5 shows how coffee beans are being ground, and the animation AM also indicates that parameters for grinding are being input. Also, on the display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 37, the amount of beans has been input, and the grind size of the beans is being input. On the right side of the screen, it is displayed that the range of grind size that can be input is 250 μm or more and 500 μm or less, and below that, a minus icon Mi and a plus icon Pi are displayed with the parameter display PP, which is the currently input value, in between. When the minus icon mi is tapped once, the parameter display PP is reduced by 1, and when the plus icon pi is tapped once, the parameter display PP is increased by 1. The user taps the minus icon Mi or the plus icon Pi to input the desired value for the grind size parameter within the input range.

Note that the screen shown in FIG. 37 that accepts input of parameters does not display an explanation of the parameters, but for example, an explanation such as "This is the movement of the beverage production device" shown in FIG. 36 may be displayed on the screen shown in FIG. 37, or an explanation of an individual parameter such as "This is the grain size of the ground beans in the grinding device" may be displayed.

In the parameter input screen, an interrupt icon Si2 is located in the upper right corner, and an end icon EN1 and a save icon NX2 are located below. When the interrupt icon Si2 is tapped, the tour is interrupted, and the parameters input or selected on the displayed screen are saved in the memory unit 1303 of the server 1201 (corresponding to the server 16 shown in FIG. 31) or in a database constructed in the memory unit 121b of this information display device 12 (the same applies in the following explanation). On the other hand, when the end icon EN1 is tapped, the tour can be ended without saving the parameters input or selected on the displayed screen in the database (the same applies in the following explanation). When the save icon NX2 is tapped, the parameters input or selected on the displayed screen are saved in the database as setting values, and the screen moves to the next screen (the same applies in the following explanation). The next screen after the screen shown in FIG. 37 is a screen for inputting parameters for steaming. When inputting parameters for steaming, the amount of steaming water (g) and the steaming time (seconds) for steaming the beans are input.

The input screen for parameters after the steaming stage will not be described, but the input of parameters for the main hot water supply includes the total amount of hot water (amount of hot water poured in) (g), the amount of hot water supplied for the first time (g), and the waiting time after the first main hot water supply (seconds). The input of parameters for pressurization includes the extraction pressure (bar), extraction time (seconds), the first pressure reduction (bar), and the waiting time after the first pressure reduction (seconds). The input of parameters for stirring includes the rest time before rotation (seconds), the shaking pattern, and the rest time after rotation (seconds). The input of parameters for cup delivery includes the delivery pressure (bar). There are other parameters related to the manufacturing method, and in the tour, fewer parameters are input than when creating a new recipe using the expert recipe management application described later. On the other hand, in the tour, more parameters are input than when creating a new recipe using the standard recipe management application described later. In the tour, the same number of parameters as when creating a new recipe using the standard recipe management application may be input, or fewer parameters may be input.

When the setting of the brewing method is completed, the display unit of the information display device 12 may display a response message saying "The setting of the brewing method has been completed.", or may display an explanatory message saying "This completes the setting of the behavior of the beverage production device." Note that instead of displaying "This is the behavior of the beverage production device" as shown in FIG. 36 first, the explanatory message "This completes the setting of the behavior of the beverage production device." may be displayed after completion.

Figure 38 shows the screen for inputting bean information in the second stage.

The display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 38 displays a display screen displaying bean information and text. A progress chart PC is also displayed on this display screen, and it is clear at a glance that the current stage is the second stage. In addition, "This is the information on the beans you want to use." is displayed as an explanation for inputting or selecting bean information for the second stage. Again, this is written so that the user can easily understand, but the "information on the beans you want to use" is determined by various parameters related to the ingredient information. A recipe contains various parameters related to ingredient information, and the collection of various parameters related to ingredient information ("ingredient information" shown in FIG. 25(A)) corresponds to the parameters that make up the recipe. Therefore, the explanation for inputting or selecting bean information, "This is the information on the beans you want to use.", also corresponds to an explanation of the parameters.

In addition, in the screen shown in FIG. 38, a new creation icon Ni1 and a selection icon Se1 are arranged on the left side. The color of the new creation icon Ni1 shown in FIG. 38 has changed, and it is notified that the new creation icon Ni1 has been tapped. When the new icon Ni1 is tapped, new bean information is created. In the screen shown in FIG. 38, an input field B1 for inputting the name of the bean, an input field B2 for inputting the country of origin of the bean, an input field B3 for inputting the farm where the bean was harvested, an input field B4 for inputting the altitude where the bean was harvested, an input field B5 for inputting the variety of the bean, and an input field B6 for inputting the refining method of the bean are displayed. In FIG. 38, all of these input fields B1 to B6 have been completed. When inputting, when any of the input fields to be inputted is tapped, a software keyboard (screen keyboard) appears on the display screen (see FIG. 46), and character input becomes possible. Below the input field, there is a roast level display B7, where multiple cells are arranged in a horizontal row, with the leftmost cell indicating a lighter roast and the rightmost cell indicating a darker roast, and the position of the tapped cell indicates the degree of roast of the beans.

As described above, the screen shown in FIG. 38 displays a parameter explanation such as "This is information about the beans you want to use" together with an input field B1-B6 for inputting bean information and an input display for accepting parameter input such as the roast level display B7. Note that the parameter explanation display for the production method such as "This is the operation of the beverage production device" shown in FIG. 36 and the input display for accepting parameter input for the production method in FIG. 37 are displayed on separate screens (displayed at different times), but they may be displayed on the same screen (displayed simultaneously) as in the screen shown in FIG. 38. Also, the parameter explanation display shown in FIG. 38 and the input display for accepting parameter input for raw material information may be displayed on separate screens (displayed at different times).

In the screen shown in FIG. 38, the interrupt icon Si2 is located in the upper right corner, and the end icon EN1 and save icon NX2 are located below.

Figure 39 shows the screen for selecting bean information in the second stage.

The progress chart PC is also displayed on the display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 39, and it is clear at a glance that the current stage is the second stage. In addition, a parameter explanation display such as "This is the information on the beans you want to use" is also displayed. In the screen shown in FIG. 39, the color of the selection icon Se1 out of the new creation icon Ni1 and the selection icon Se1 has changed, indicating that the selection icon Se1 has been tapped. When the selection icon Se1 is tapped, selection is made from existing data regarding bean information. The existing data is data including parameters such as the name of the beans, the country of origin of the beans, the farm where the beans were harvested, the altitude at which the beans were harvested, the variety of the beans, the refining method of the beans, and the roasting degree of the beans. The screen shown in FIG. 39 displays an existing data display B8 that displays the existing data line by line. In the existing data display B8 in FIG. 39, the color of the second existing data from the top (existing data with the bean name "αβγ Geisha") has changed, indicating that this existing data has been selected. When you tap the save icon NX2 shown in Figure 39, each parameter included in the existing data selected on the displayed screen is saved as a setting value in the database, and you move to the third screen for inputting or selecting barista information.

Figure 40 shows the screen for entering varistor information in the third step.

The display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 40 displays a display screen with the text "Barista Information". The progress chart PC is also displayed on this display screen, and it is clear at a glance that the barista is currently at the third stage. In addition, "This is information about the recipe creator. It will also be used in rankings." is displayed as an explanation for inputting or selecting barista information for the third stage. "Also used in rankings" here means that the parameters entered or selected here are displayed in the ranking display described with reference to FIG. 29. A recipe includes various parameters related to the recipe creator, and the collection of various parameters related to the recipe creator (one of which is "creator" shown in FIG. 25(A)) corresponds to the parameters that make up the recipe. Therefore, the explanation for inputting or selecting barista information, "This is information about the recipe creator. It will also be used in rankings.", corresponds to an explanation of parameters.

Also, in the screen shown in FIG. 40, a new creation icon Ni2 and a selection icon Se2 are arranged on the left side. The new creation icon Ni2 shown in FIG. 40 has changed color, indicating that the new creation icon Ni2 has been tapped. Tapping the new icon Ni2 will create new barista information. The screen shown in FIG. 40 displays a character input field H1 for inputting the name of the recipe creator and a character input field H2 for inputting the comments of the recipe creator. In FIG. 40, these character input fields H1 and H2 are empty. When inputting, as with the input of bean information described above, when any of the input fields to be inputted is tapped, a software keyboard (screen keyboard) appears on the display screen (see FIG. 46), allowing character input. Furthermore, in the screen shown in FIG. 40, an image captured by the camera 1230 provided in the information display device 12 is displayed in the image input field H3. Next to the image input field H3, a message is displayed encouraging the user to tap the shutter button Shu to take a photo and confirm the captured image.

As explained above, the screen shown in FIG. 40 displays an explanation of the parameters, such as "This is information about the recipe creator. It will also be used in rankings," along with displays that accept parameter input, such as text input fields H1 and H2 and an image input field H3 for inputting barista information.

In the screen shown in FIG. 40, an interrupt icon Si2 is also located in the upper right corner, and an end icon EN1 and a save icon NX2 are located below. When the save icon NX2 shown in FIG. 40 is tapped, the name of the recipe creator, as well as the comments of the recipe creator and the captured image entered in the image input field H3 and confirmed by tapping the shutter button Shu, are saved in the database as parameter setting values and included in the recipe. Note that the captured image may be saved separately from the recipe, but even in this case it is saved in association with the recipe.

Figure 41 (a) is a flowchart showing how to create a recipe on the screen for inputting barista information shown in Figure 40.

The recipe creation method here first executes a start step (step SH1) in which a screen for inputting barista information shown in FIG. 40 is displayed on the display unit of the information display device 12. As described above, the screen for inputting barista information shown in FIG. 40 corresponds to the recipe creation display screen used when creating the recipe, including input of parameters such as the name of the recipe creator and the recipe creator's comments.

Next, while the screen for inputting barista information shown in FIG. 40 is displayed, a photographing step (step SH2) is executed in which an image is taken by the camera 1230. That is, while an image taken by the camera 1230 is displayed in the image input field H3 provided on the screen shown in FIG. 40, the shutter button Shu is tapped to confirm the captured image. In FIG. 40, the recipe creator is photographed, but instead of the recipe creator, the introducer of the recipe may be photographed, or the person who drank the beverage of the recipe may be photographed. Also, objects other than people (for example, coffee beans in the bean information of this recipe) may be photographed. Furthermore, by pressing and holding the shutter button Shu, it may be possible to capture not only still images but also videos. For example, the captured image may be a video explaining the coffee bean farm of the bean information of this recipe.

Next, the save step (step SH3) is executed by tapping the save icon NX2. In this save step (step SH3), the image captured in the capture step (step SH2) is associated with parameters such as the name of the recipe creator and the comments of the recipe creator, and stored in the memory unit 1303 of the server 1201 (corresponding to the server 16 shown in FIG. 31) described with reference to FIG. 23, or in the memory unit 121b of the information display device 12 in which the camera 1230 is provided.

The recipe creation techniques described above can also be used as software.

Figure 41 (b) is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the recipe creation program.

The recipe creation program RP1 shown in FIG. 41(b) is executed within an information display device 12 equipped with a processing unit 121a for executing the program, a camera 1230 for taking images, and a display screen, and is a recipe creation program that causes the information display device 12 to operate as a recipe creation device. The program constructs on the information display device 12 an acquisition means RP11 for acquiring recipes to be used for some or all of the processes for producing a beverage, a display control means RP12 for displaying some or all of the recipes acquired by the acquisition means RP11 on the display screen, and a storage control means RP13 for storing images captured by the camera 1230 in association with the recipe.

The storage control means RP13 associates the images captured by the camera 1230 with the recipes and stores them in the memory unit 1303 of the server 1201 (corresponding to the server 16 shown in FIG. 31) or in the memory unit 121b of this information display device 12.

In the above description,
"An acquisition means (e.g., an information display device 12 or a processing unit 121a) for acquiring a recipe to be used for some or all of the processes of beverage production;
a processing means (e.g., a control device 11 or a processing unit 11a) for carrying out a process for producing a beverage (e.g., a process for controlling the opening and closing of various valves shown in FIG. 3, a process for controlling the rotary blades in the grinding device 5, a process for controlling the drive of the heater 72a, a process for controlling the drive of the compressor 70, etc.) by referring to parameters (e.g., amount of beans, grinding size of beans, amount of steaming water, steaming time, amount of extracted hot water (amount of injected hot water), amount of first main hot water supply, amount of second main hot water supply, amount of pressurized hot water supply, extraction pressure, extraction time, rest time before rotation, rest time after rotation, delivery time, delivery pressure, name of beans, country of origin of beans, roast level of beans, name of recipe creator, etc.) included in the recipe acquired by the acquisition means;
A production means (e.g., the actuator group 14 shown in FIG. 31 (the grinding device 5 and the extraction device 3 shown in FIG. 3 )) that operates by the process executed by the processing means to produce a beverage;
An image capturing means (e.g., a camera 1230) for capturing an image;
A beverage production device comprising:
The image captured by the imaging means can be stored in association with the recipe (for example, in the storage unit 1303 of the server 1201 (corresponding to the server 16 shown in FIG. 31 ) or in the storage unit 121 b of the information display device 12).
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He explained:

The term "manufacturing beverages" used here has a broad meaning and includes not only the final production of beverages, but also the preparations prior to final production and the production of intermediates.

Furthermore, there may be multiple types of manufacturing means and the recipe may include parameters for each of the multiple types of manufacturing means, or there may be multiple types of parameters for one manufacturing means and the recipe may include multiple types of parameters for one manufacturing means.

The recipe may also be one that has been downloaded from a server via a communication network. In this case, the restriction may be that downloading is prohibited.

The beverage production device may also include an acquisition unit [e.g., information display device 12 or I/F unit 11c] that acquires a recipe including parameters, a processing unit [e.g., actuator group 14, production unit 18] that executes processing to produce a beverage, and a control unit [e.g., control device 11 or processing unit 11a] that controls the processing unit according to the parameters included in the recipe acquired by the acquisition unit.

The image stored in association with the recipe may be a still image or a video. For example, the image may be a video explaining the beverage (more specifically, a video explaining the farm where the coffee beans that are the raw material for the beverage are grown).

Additionally, the image stored in association with the recipe may be an image of a person or an image of an object (e.g., coffee beans).

Also,
"A display means for displaying a part or all of the recipe [for example, a display unit of the information display device 12] is provided,
The display means, in a state where a part or all of the recipe is displayed, also displays an image stored in association with the recipe (for example, displaying an image Im in the recipe information shown in FIG. 33, or displaying an image Im in the simply displayed recipes Re1, Re2, and Re3 shown in FIG. 32).
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"A display unit (e.g., a display unit of the information display device 12) is provided that displays a selection display (e.g., a display of a recipe list shown in FIG. 32) for selecting one beverage from a plurality of beverages,
The processing means executes a process for producing a beverage by referring to parameters included in a recipe of the beverage selected in the selection display (e.g., a beverage for which the display of recipe information shown in FIG. 33 is displayed) (e.g., executed by tapping an extraction icon 120e shown in FIG. 33 );
The display means displays an image stored in association with the recipe of each beverage in the selection display (for example, displays an image Im in the simplified display of recipes Re1, Re2, and Re3 shown in FIG. 32 ).
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

The display means may display, for each beverage in the selection display, an image stored in association with the recipe for that beverage as the introducer of the recipe, or as the person who has drunk the beverage.

Also,
"The display means displays, for each beverage in the selection display, an image stored in association with the recipe of the beverage as the creator of the recipe [for example, in the simplified display of recipes Re1, Re2, and Re3 shown in FIG. 32, an image Im is displayed together with the name of the barista].
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"The manufacturing means is a means for processing the extraction target [for example, the extraction device 3 shown in FIG. 3],
The recipe includes information to be extracted (e.g., bean information),
The display means also displays, for each beverage in the selection display, information on the extraction target included in the recipe of the beverage [e.g., origin indication Rm, name indication Rb, roast level indication Rr].
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"The display means also displays the price of each beverage in the selection display [e.g., the price Pr of a coffee beverage].
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

The price of the beverage may be included in the recipe for the beverage, or may be stored in the memory unit separately from the recipe.

Also,
"The display means displays a recipe creation display used when creating the recipe [for example, a new recipe creation display by a recipe management application for a tour (FIGS. 34 to 47)],
The photographing means photographs the display means while the display means is displaying the recipe creation display (for example, while displaying the barista information input screen shown in FIG. 40 ),
An image captured by the image capturing means while the display means is displaying the recipe creation display can be stored in association with a recipe completed using the recipe creation display (for example, can be stored in a storage unit 1303 of a server 1201 (corresponding to the server 16 shown in FIG. 31 ) or in a storage unit 121 b of this information display device 12).
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"A storage means (e.g., a storage unit 121b of the information display device 12) that stores the recipe,
The acquisition means (e.g., the processing unit 121a of the information display device 12) acquires the recipe from the storage means.
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

The beverage production device described above includes: "an acquisition means for acquiring a recipe to be used in some or all of the processes for producing a beverage;
a processing means for executing a process for producing a beverage by referring to parameters included in the recipe acquired by the acquisition means;
a production means operable by the process carried out by said processing means to produce a beverage;
An image capturing means for capturing an image;
A beverage production device comprising:
The image captured by the image capturing means can be stored together with the recipe.
The beverage production apparatus may be a beverage production apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The features of the beverage production apparatus described above can be applied to this beverage production apparatus.

The beverage production device described above may also be "a device equipped with an acquisition means for acquiring a recipe to be used in some or all of the processes for producing a beverage, and an image capture means for capturing images, characterized in that the images captured by the image capture means can be stored in association with the recipe," and the features of the beverage production device described above can be applied to this device.

In addition, in the above description,
"A recipe creation method including parameters for producing a beverage in a beverage production device [e.g., beverage production device 1] equipped with a display means [e.g., a display unit of information display device 12] and an image capture means [e.g., camera 1230] [e.g., amount of beans, grinding size of beans, amount of steaming water, steaming time, amount of extracted hot water (amount of poured hot water), amount of first main hot water supply, amount of second main hot water supply, amount of pressurized hot water supply, extraction pressure, extraction time, stationary time before rotation, stationary time after rotation, delivery time, delivery pressure, name of beans, country of origin of beans, roast level of beans, name of recipe creator, etc.],
a start step (e.g., step SH1 shown in FIG. 41 ) of starting, on the display means, a recipe creation display used in creating the recipe, including input of the parameters;
an image capturing step (e.g., step SH2 shown in FIG. 41 ) of capturing an image by the image capturing means while the recipe creation display is displayed on the display means;
a storage step (e.g., step SH3 shown in FIG. 41 ) for storing the image captured in the capturing step in a storage means in association with the completed recipe using the recipe creation display;
A recipe creation method characterized by having the following (for example, the recipe creation method shown in FIG. 41)
He also explained:

The photographing in the photographing step may be performed by displaying a message instructing the user to take a photograph within the recipe creation display [for example, a text message such as "A photo will be taken. Please look at the camera above. If you wish to take a photograph, please tap the shutter button." displayed on the barista information input screen shown in FIG. 40 ].

The photographing step may involve photographing a person or an object. When photographing a person, the person may be someone related to the recipe currently being created, such as the creator of the recipe or the person introducing the recipe. When photographing an object, the object may be an ingredient of the beverage for the recipe currently being created (e.g., coffee beans).

The storage means in the saving step may be a storage means in the beverage production device, or may be a server connected via a communication network.

Also, "a recipe creation program that is executed in a device [e.g., information display device 12] that includes a processing unit [e.g., processing unit 121a] that executes a program and an image capturing means [e.g., camera 1230], and causes the device to operate as a recipe creation device,
On the device,
An acquisition means (e.g., acquisition means RP11 shown in FIG. 41(b)) for acquiring a recipe to be used for some or all of the steps of producing a beverage;
and a storage control means for storing an image captured by the imaging means in association with the recipe, for example, a storage control means RP13 shown in FIG. 41(b) . A recipe creation program (for example, a recipe creation program RP1 shown in FIG. 41(b) ) may be constructed.

The device further includes a display unit (e.g., a display unit of the information display device 12),
On the device,
A recipe creation program that constructs a display control means (e.g., a display control means RP12 shown in FIG. 41(b)) that displays a part or all of the recipe acquired by the acquisition means on the display means.

In addition, in the above explanation, any constituent element expressed as "means" can be replaced with "part."

Figure 42 shows the screen for selecting varistor information at the third stage.

The progress chart PC is also displayed on the display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 42, and it is clear at a glance that the current stage is the third stage. In addition, an explanatory display of the parameters such as "This is the recipe creator's information. It will also be used for rankings" is also displayed. In the screen shown in FIG. 42, the color of the selection icon Se2 out of the new creation icon Ni2 and the selection icon Se2 has changed, indicating that the selection icon Se2 has been tapped. When the selection icon Se2 is tapped, a selection is made from existing data for the barista information. The existing data is data that includes parameters such as the name of the recipe creator, the comments of the recipe creator, and the photographed image. In the screen shown in FIG. 42, an existing data display H4 is displayed in which the existing data is displayed line by line. In the existing data display H4 in FIG. 42, the color of the second existing data from the top (existing data with the recipe creator's name "B. VVVV") has changed, indicating that this existing data has been selected. In the screen shown in FIG. 42, the photographed image is not displayed in the existing data display H4, but if a swipe operation is performed to the right, a photographed image is displayed line by line. When you tap the save icon NX2 shown in Figure 42, each parameter included in the existing data selected on the displayed screen is saved as a setting value in the database, and the screen moves to the fourth stage, the screen for creating a recipe card.

Figure 43 shows the start screen for the fourth step of creating a recipe card.

The display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 43 displays a display screen with the text "Create a recipe card." A progress chart PC is also displayed on this display screen, and it is clear at a glance that the user has reached the fourth stage. The screen shown in FIG. 43 is the start screen that explains that a recipe card will now be created. On this start screen, tapping the interrupt icon Si1 located in the upper right corner interrupts the tour. On the other hand, tapping the next icon Nx1 located at the bottom transitions to the recipe card input screen.

Figure 44 shows the recipe card input screen.

The recipe card is the source of the recipe information described with reference to FIG. 33. Some of the parameters that have been input so far are displayed on the recipe card, and an input field for parameters that can be input on this input screen is also displayed. Below the text display on the recipe card, there is a recipe name input field R1 for inputting the recipe name. The recipe name is a parameter that is input on the input screen of this recipe card. Below the recipe name input field R1, there is a bitterness display section R2 that graphically displays the bitterness of the coffee drink produced according to this recipe, and a sourness display section R3 that graphically displays the sourness. Both the bitterness display section R2 and the sourness display section R3 display bitterness or sourness on five levels using five cells R2s, R3s arranged on the circumference, and when any cell is tapped, the number of levels corresponding to the position of the tapped cell is displayed in the center. In addition, the display mode of each cell changes clockwise up to the tapped cell.

In the upper right corner, two icons Rih and Ric are displayed, which indicate type 1 (whether the beverage is a hot beverage or an iced beverage) described with reference to FIG. 25. When either icon is tapped, it lights up, and the other icon is grayed out. In FIG. 44, the icon Rih indicating a hot beverage is tapped and lights up, and the icon Ric indicating an iced beverage is grayed out. A size icon Ris indicating the size of the cup is also displayed. When the size icon Ris is tapped, the icon type changes in the following order: espresso size, S size, M size, L size, espresso size, S size, and so on. In FIG. 44, the size icon Ris is M size. Furthermore, a paid icon Rip is displayed on the right edge, which indicates that this recipe is a paid recipe. When the paid icon Rip is tapped, it lights up, when it is tapped again, it becomes grayed out, when it is tapped again, it changes to a non-public icon, and when it is tapped again, it lights up. This is repeated. If the recipe creator wants to make the recipe publicly available as a paid recipe with usage restrictions that cannot be used without paying, the paid icon Rip is turned on. The paid icon Rip shown in FIG. 44 is turned on. On the other hand, if you want to make the recipe publicly available as a free recipe so that it can be enjoyed by any store, turn off the paid icon Rip. If you don't want people to use it even if you pay for it, display the prohibition icon.

Below these icons are displayed some of the parameters of the bean information that have been set by inputting or selecting the bean information described with reference to Figures 38 and 39. That is, a bean producing country display section R4, a bean name display section R5, and a roast level display section R6 are provided and each is displayed.

Further below that, a comment display field R7 is provided. This comment display field R7 displays the comments of the recipe creator that have been set by inputting or selecting the barista information described using Figures 40 and 42.

In addition, an image display section R8 is provided below the bitterness display section R2, and a recipe creator name display section R9 is provided next to it. The image display section R8 displays the captured image that has been set by inputting or selecting the barista information described with reference to Figures 40 and 42, and the recipe creator name display section R9 displays the name of the recipe creator that has also been set by inputting or selecting the barista information.

Below the recipe creator name display field R9 is a recipe creator introduction input field R10. The recipe creator introduction is a parameter that is entered on the recipe card input screen. Whether entering text into the recipe name input field R1 described above or into the introduction input field R10, tapping the input field causes a software keyboard (screen keyboard) to appear on the display screen (see Figure 46), allowing text input.

As explained above, the parameters that are input for the first time on the recipe card input screen shown in FIG. 44 are the recipe name in the recipe name input field R1, an introduction to the recipe creator in the introduction input field R10, the bitterness of the coffee drink in the bitterness display area R2, the sourness of the coffee drink in the sourness display area R3, type 1 indicated by the hot drink icon Rih and the iced drink icon Ric, the size of the coffee drink indicated by the size icon Ris, and whether the recipe is paid or not indicated by the paid icon Rip, or whether it is prohibited from being made public indicated by the prohibited from being made public icon. It is to be noted that type 2 (type information indicating the flavor of the drink) described using FIG. 25 may also be input on this input screen.

In the input screen shown in FIG. 44, an interrupt icon Si2 is also located in the upper right corner, and an end icon EN1 and a save icon NX2 are located below. When the save icon NX2 shown in FIG. 44 is tapped, the recipe name and an introduction to the recipe creator are saved in the database as parameter setting values and included in the recipe. In addition, the bitterness and sourness of the coffee drink are saved in the database as type 3 following type 2 shown in FIG. 25(A), the distinction between hot and iced drinks is saved in the database as type 1, the size of the coffee drink is saved in the database as type 4, and whether the recipe is paid or not and the prohibition of disclosure are saved in the database as type 5, each of which is included in the recipe. Then, the screen moves to a confirmation screen for the registered contents.

Figure 45 shows the confirmation screen for the registration details.

The display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 45 displays an extraction method icon Ci1, a bean information icon Ci2, a barista information icon Ci3, and a recipe name icon Ci4, which correspond to the first to fourth rows of the tour. Next to the extraction method icon Ci1, the bean amount and grind size values entered in the extraction method setting described with reference to FIG. 37 and set in the database are displayed. Next to the bean information icon Ci2, the name of the beans set in the database by inputting or selecting the bean information described with reference to FIG. 38 and FIG. 39 is displayed. It is also displayed whether the bean information is newly created or selected from existing data, and in FIG. 45, "New" is displayed, indicating that the information is newly created. Next to the barista icon Ci3, the name of the recipe creator set in the database by inputting or selecting the barista information described with reference to FIG. 40 and FIG. 42 is displayed. It is also displayed here whether the barista information is newly created or selected from existing data, and in FIG. 45, "New" is displayed, indicating that the information is newly created. The recipe name entered on the recipe card input screen described with reference to FIG. 44 is displayed next to the recipe name icon Ci4. As also displayed on the confirmation screen shown in FIG. 45, tapping the extraction method icon Ci1, bean information icon Ci2, barista information icon Ci3, and recipe name icon Ci4 switches to a detailed display.

Figure 46 shows the detailed display screen that is displayed by tapping the bean information icon Ci2 shown in Figure 45.

The detailed display screen shown in FIG. 46 displays the same displays as those displayed on the bean information input screen shown in FIG. 38, which accept the input of parameters such as input fields B1 to B6 for inputting bean information and roast level display B7. In FIG. 46, by tapping input field B6 for inputting the bean refining method, a software keyboard (screen keyboard) SKB appears, allowing character input. By tapping the edit icon MOi at the bottom, the edited content on this detailed display screen is overwritten and saved in the database. On the other hand, if confirmation is completed and no edits are to be made, by tapping the close icon CLi at the top right, the detailed display screen shown in FIG. 46 returns to the registration content confirmation screen shown in FIG. 45.

The confirmation screen shown in FIG. 45 also has an interrupt icon Si2 in the upper right corner. Also, an OK icon OKi is located at the bottom. Tapping this OK icon OKi transitions to a recipe registration completion screen.

Figure 47 shows the recipe registration completion screen.

The display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 47 displays a display screen displaying the text "Recipe registration completed." This display screen also displays a progress chart PC, and it is clear at a glance that the fifth stage of the tour has been completed. A jump icon JPi is located at the bottom of the recipe registration completion screen. Tapping this jump icon JPi transitions to a screen displaying a list of recipe management apps as shown in FIG. 34.

The distinctive features of the recipe creation method in the tour described above can be summarized as shown in Figure 48 (a).

Figure 48 (a) is a flowchart showing a characteristic recipe creation method for a tour.

In the recipe creation method shown in FIG. 48(a), first, a first step St11 is executed. In this first step St11, an explanation of parameters such as the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 25(A) is given on the display unit of the information display device 12. Specifically, text such as "This is the operation of the beverage manufacturing device" is displayed on the explanatory screen shown in FIG. 36. Next, input is accepted for various parameters of the manufacturing method. Specifically, a screen for accepting input of parameters such as the grind size of the beans, as shown in FIG. 37, is displayed. In this first step St11, the explanation of the parameters and the acceptance of parameter input are performed on different screens.

Next, the second step St12 is executed. This second step St12 is a step related to bean information. The bean information corresponds to the raw material information shown in FIG. 25(A). In the second step St12, an input screen for bean information shown in FIG. 38 is displayed. On this input screen, a parameter explanation display such as "This is the information on the beans you want to use" and a display that accepts the input of parameters such as input fields B1 to B6 for inputting bean information and a roast level display section B7 are displayed on the same screen.

Finally, the third step St13 is executed. This third step St13 is a step related to barista information. Barista information corresponds to the information of the creator, etc., shown in FIG. 25(A). In the third step St13, an input screen for barista information, as shown in FIG. 40, is displayed. On this input screen, an explanation of parameters, such as "This is information about the recipe creator. It will also be used for rankings," and a display for accepting input of parameters, such as character input fields H1 and H2 and an image input field H3, for inputting barista information, are displayed on the same screen.

In the recipe creation method described above, the input of parameters is accepted, and the accepted parameters are saved when moving to the next step. In the recipe creation method here, only a portion of the parameters that can be input in the recipe creation by an expert described later are input and saved. For parameters other than those input here, the processing unit 121a shown in FIG. 31 automatically inputs values according to the input parameter values or standard values, and the recipe is completed. For example, in the input of parameters for the manufacturing method in the second step St12 shown in FIG. 48(a), only the total amount of hot water, that is, the extracted hot water amount (amount of hot water poured) and the first main hot water supply amount are input, and the second main hot water supply amount, etc. are not input. However, the processing unit 121a shown in FIG. 31 calculates the second main hot water supply amount from the input extracted hot water amount and the first main hot water supply amount, and stores it in the memory unit 1303 of the server 1201 (corresponding to the server 16 shown in FIG. 31) described using FIG. 23, or in the memory unit 121b of the information display device 12.

The recipe creation techniques described above can also be used as software.

Figure 48 (b) is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the recipe creation program.

The recipe creation program RP2 shown in FIG. 48(b) is executed in an information display device 12 having a processing unit 121a for executing a program and a display screen, and is a recipe creation program that causes the information display device 12 to operate as a recipe creation device. The recipe creation program constructs on the information display device 12 an acquisition means RP21 that acquires a recipe to be used for some or all of the processes of beverage manufacturing, a reception means RP22 that receives input of parameters included in the recipe on the display screen, and a display control means RP23 that displays some or all of the recipe acquired by the acquisition means RP21 on the display screen, and causes the information display device 12 to execute a recipe creation operation that explains a first parameter included in the recipe on the display screen and receives input of the first parameter by the reception means, and then explains a second parameter included in the recipe by the display means and receives input of the second parameter by the reception means.

In the above description,
"An acquisition means (e.g., an information display device 12 or a processing unit 121a) for acquiring a recipe to be used for some or all of the processes of beverage production;
a processing means (e.g., a control device 11 or a processing unit 11a) for carrying out a process for producing a beverage (e.g., a process for controlling the opening and closing of various valves shown in FIG. 3, a process for controlling the rotary blades in the grinding device 5, a process for controlling the drive of the heater 72a, a process for controlling the drive of the compressor 70, etc.) by referring to parameters (e.g., amount of beans, grinding size of beans, amount of steaming water, steaming time, amount of extracted hot water (amount of injected hot water), amount of first main hot water supply, amount of second main hot water supply, amount of pressurized hot water supply, extraction pressure, extraction time, rest time before rotation, rest time after rotation, delivery time, delivery pressure, name of beans, country of origin of beans, roast level of beans, name of recipe creator, etc.) included in the recipe acquired by the acquisition means;
A production means (e.g., the actuator group 14 shown in FIG. 31 (the grinding device 5 and the extraction device 3 shown in FIG. 3 )) that operates by the process executed by the processing means to produce a beverage;
A reception unit (e.g., the reception unit 122 shown in FIG. 31 ) that receives input of parameters included in the recipe;
A display means capable of displaying information (e.g., a display unit of the information display device 12);
A beverage production device comprising:
a recipe creation operation (e.g., creation of a new recipe using a tour recipe management application) can be executed in which the display means explains a first parameter (e.g., a parameter relating to the production method shown in FIG. 25(A)) included in a recipe (e.g., an explanation such as "This is the operation of the beverage production device" displayed on the screen shown in FIG. 36) and the reception means inputs the first parameter (e.g., input on the screen shown in FIG. 37), and then the display means explains a second parameter (e.g., a parameter relating to the ingredient information shown in FIG. 25(A)) included in a recipe (e.g., an explanation such as "This is information on the beans you want to use" displayed on the screen shown in FIG. 38) and the reception means inputs the second parameter (e.g., input on the screen shown in FIG. 38);
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He explained:

The term "manufacturing beverages" used here has a broad meaning and includes not only the final production of beverages, but also the preparations prior to final production and the production of intermediates.

Furthermore, there may be multiple types of the manufacturing means and the recipe may include parameters for each of the multiple types of the manufacturing means, or there may be multiple types of parameters for one manufacturing means and the recipe may include multiple types of parameters for one manufacturing means.

The recipe may also be one that has been downloaded from a server via a communication network. In this case, the restriction may be that downloading is prohibited.

The beverage production device may also include an acquisition unit [e.g., information display device 12 or I/F unit 11c] that acquires a recipe including parameters, a processing unit [e.g., actuator group 14, production unit 18] that executes processing to produce a beverage, and a control unit [e.g., control device 11 or processing unit 11a] that controls the processing unit according to the parameters included in the recipe acquired by the acquisition unit.

Also,
"When the reception means receives the input of the parameter, the display means displays a display indicating that the input of the parameter has been received [for example, a display PP of the parameter which is the current input value shown in FIG. 37].
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

The display indicating that the input of the parameter has been accepted may be the input value of the parameter, or a display such as "Input accepted."

Also,
"The display of the explanation of the first parameter by the display means and the display indicating that the input of the first parameter has been accepted by the display means may be displayed simultaneously (for example, on the same screen as in the screen shown in FIG. 38).
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"The display of the explanation of the first parameter by the display means and the display indicating that the input of the first parameter has been accepted by the display means may be displayed at different times (for example, the display of the explanation of parameters related to the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 36 and the display accepting the input of parameters related to the manufacturing method in FIG. 37 may be displayed on separate screens).
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

The explanation of the first parameter may be displayed first, followed by a display indicating that the input of the first parameter has been accepted. Alternatively, conversely, the display indicating that the input of the first parameter has been accepted may be displayed first, followed by a display of the explanation of the first parameter.

The display of the explanation of the second parameter by the display means and the display indicating that the input of the second parameter has been accepted by the display means may be displayed simultaneously or at different times. Also, the display of the explanation of the first parameter and the display indicating that the input of the first parameter has been accepted may be displayed simultaneously, while the display of the explanation of the second parameter and the display indicating that the input of the second parameter has been accepted may be displayed at different times.

Also,
"The recipe creation operation is an operation executed from the start of creation of the recipe through multiple stages (e.g., five stages) to the completion of the recipe,
The display means displays a progress level indicating which stage the user has progressed to among the multiple stages (for example, displays a progress level chart PC shown in FIG. 38, etc.).
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

The recipe creation operation may be an operation performed within one of the multiple stages, or may be an operation performed across two of the multiple stages.

The beverage production device described above may also be "a device equipped with an acquisition means for acquiring a recipe used for some or all of the processes of beverage production, a reception means for receiving input of parameters included in the recipe, and a display means capable of displaying information, characterized in that after explaining a first parameter included in the recipe by the display means and receiving the input of the first parameter by the reception means, the device is capable of executing a recipe creation operation in which a second parameter included in the recipe is explained by the display means and the reception means receives the input of the second parameter." and the features of the beverage production device described so far can be applied to this device.

In addition, in the above description,
"A method for creating a recipe that includes processing for producing a beverage [for example, processing for controlling the opening and closing of various valves shown in FIG. 3, processing for controlling the rotary blades in the grinding device 5, processing for controlling the drive of the heater 72a, processing for controlling the drive of the compressor 70, etc.] by referring to parameters for producing a beverage [for example, amount of beans, grinding size of beans, amount of steaming water, steaming time, amount of extracted hot water (amount of poured hot water), amount of first main hot water supply, amount of second main hot water supply, amount of pressurized hot water supply, extraction pressure, extraction time, rest time before rotation, rest time after rotation, delivery time, delivery pressure, name of beans, country of origin of beans, roast level of beans, name of recipe creator, etc.] in a beverage production device equipped with a receiving means [for example, the receiving unit 122 shown in FIG. 31] and a display means [for example, the display unit of the information display device 12],
a first step (e.g., a first step St11 shown in FIG. 48 ) of displaying an explanation of a first parameter included in the recipe (e.g., a parameter relating to the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 25(A)) by the display means (e.g., displaying an explanation such as “This is the movement of the beverage manufacturing device” displayed on the screen shown in FIG. 36 ) and receiving an input of the first parameter by the receiving means (e.g., receiving an input on the screen shown in FIG. 37 );
A second step (for example, a second step St12 shown in FIG. 48) in which the display means displays an explanation of a second parameter (for example, a parameter related to raw material information shown in FIG. 25(A)) included in the recipe (for example, a display of an explanation such as "This is information on the beans you want to use" displayed on the screen shown in FIG. 38) and the reception means receives input of the second parameter (for example, input reception on the screen shown in FIG. 38);
A recipe creation method comprising the steps of:
He also explained:

Also,
"The first step is a step in which, when the receiving means receives the input of the first parameter, the display means displays a display indicating that the input of the first parameter has been received [for example, a display PP of the parameter which is the current input value shown in FIG. 37],
The second step is a step in which, when the receiving means receives the input of the second parameter, the display means displays a message indicating that the input of the second parameter has been received (for example, the display of the input fields B1 to B6 and the roasting degree display section B7 shown in FIG. 38).
A recipe creation method characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
At least one of the first step and the second step is a step in which, while an explanation of a parameter is being displayed, the input of the parameter is accepted [for example, the explanation and the input are displayed on the same screen as in the screen shown in FIG. 38 ].
A recipe creation method characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"At least one of the first step and the second step is a step in which an explanation of a parameter is displayed first, and after the display of the explanation of the parameter is completed, an input of the parameter is accepted (for example, a display of an explanation of a parameter related to the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 36 is displayed, and after the display of the explanation is completed, a display for accepting an input of a parameter related to the manufacturing method in FIG. 37 is displayed)"
A recipe creation method characterized by the above.
He also explained:

For example, the first step may be a step in which the input of the first parameter is accepted while the explanatory display of the first parameter is being executed, and the second step may be a step in which the input of the second parameter is accepted while the explanatory display of the second parameter is being executed. The first step may be a step in which the explanatory display of the first parameter is executed first and the input of the first parameter is accepted after the explanatory display of the first parameter is finished, and the second step may be a step in which the explanatory display of the second parameter is executed first and the input of the second parameter is accepted after the explanatory display of the second parameter is finished. The first step may be a step in which the input of the first parameter is accepted while the explanatory display of the first parameter is being executed, and the second step may be a step in which the explanatory display of the second parameter is executed first and the input of the second parameter is accepted after the explanatory display of the second parameter is finished. The first step may be a step in which the explanatory display of the first parameter is first executed, and then the input of the first parameter is accepted after the explanatory display of the first parameter is completed, and the second step may be a step in which the input of the second parameter is accepted while the explanatory display of the second parameter is being executed.

Also, "a recipe creation program that is executed in an apparatus [e.g., the information display device 12] that includes a processing unit [e.g., the processing unit 121a] that executes a program and a display unit [e.g., the display unit of the information display device 12] and causes the apparatus to operate as a recipe creation apparatus,
On the device,
An acquisition means (e.g., acquisition means RP21 shown in FIG. 48(b)) for acquiring a recipe to be used for some or all of the steps of producing a beverage;
A reception unit (e.g., reception unit RP22 shown in FIG. 48( b)) that receives input of parameters included in a recipe;
and a display control means [for example, display control means RP23 shown in FIG. 48(b)] for displaying a part or all of the recipe acquired by the acquisition means on the display means, and causing the device to execute a recipe creation operation of explaining a first parameter included in the recipe by the display means and accepting an input of the first parameter by the acceptance means, and then explaining a second parameter included in the recipe by the display means and accepting an input of the second parameter by the acceptance means. [for example, recipe creation program RP1 shown in FIG. 48(b)].

In the above explanation, any constituent element expressed as "means" can be replaced with "part."

Next, the expert recipe management application will be described. When the expert icon 120ei shown in FIG. 34 is tapped, a table showing parameter names and their setting values in one row each, and the software keyboard (screen keyboard) SKB shown in FIG. 46 are displayed on the display unit of the information display device 12.

Figure 49 shows the parameter names that can be entered when creating an expert recipe.

When creating a recipe using the expert recipe management application, it becomes possible to input parameters that could not be input when creating a recipe using the tour recipe management application. The parameter names shown in FIG. 49 are examples of parameter names that can be input when creating a recipe in the expert, and it may be possible to input even more parameters.

When creating a recipe in an expert, each parameter except for the parameter of the image of the creator is directly input by operating the screen keyboard SKB. The image of the creator is an image captured by the camera 1230 provided on the information display device 12. Note that the input is not limited to direct input by operating the screen keyboard SKB, and selection input from a pull-down list may also be used.

When creating recipes in an expert, an assist function that can be switched on and off is provided. If this assist function is turned off, the recipe will not be completed unless all of the parameters shown in FIG. 49 are entered. On the other hand, if the assist function is turned on and the required parameters are entered, the remaining parameters are automatically entered by the processing unit 121a shown in FIG. 31 according to the values of the entered parameters or standard values, and the recipe will be completed.

In Type 5 shown in FIG. 49, information about recipe constraints is set. In Type 5, paid recipe information and publication prohibition information, which are represented by the paid icon Rip described above, are set, but in addition, display restricted recipe information, copy-prohibited recipe information, and modification-prohibited recipe information, which will be described in detail later, are also set. Once the recipe constraint information set in Type 5 is set, the setting contents cannot be changed unless the change conditions are satisfied. On the other hand, if the change conditions are satisfied, the setting contents may be changed automatically, or the setting contents may be changed by the user's operation.

Next, we'll explain the recipe constraints.

Figure 50 shows a display screen showing five recipes ranked.

The display screen shown in FIG. 50, like the display screen shown in FIG. 28, displays a simplified display 1804d of "Bean A's Recommended Recipe" in the first place of the ranking, and a simplified display 1805d of "Original Recipe 004" in the second place. Also, a simplified display 1806d of "August Recommendation #1" is displayed in the third place. Each simplified display displays an image Im taken by the camera 1230 provided in the information display device 12 when creating the recipe. Note that this image Im may be an image taken by a device other than the camera 1230 provided in the information display device 12, and is not limited to an image taken when creating the recipe. In the simplified display 1804d of "Bean A's Recommended Recipe", an image of the recipe creator (individual) named AAA AAAAAA is displayed. On the other hand, in the simplified display 1806d of "August Recommendation #1", the recipe creator is XX Company (corporation), and an image of coffee beans is displayed.

The display screen shown in FIG. 50 differs from the display screen shown in FIG. 28 in that the simplified display 1804d of the first-place recipe "Bean A Recommended Recipe" is displayed in a grayed-out display mode, and text display LM such as "Please pay" is added. Also, the simplified display 1805d of the second-place recipe "Original Recipe 004" is not grayed-out, but text display LD such as "Display restrictions apply" is added. On the other hand, the simplified displays of the recipes from the third place onwards are the same as those in the display screen shown in FIG. 28.

Figure 51 shows the display screen that appears when the simplified display 1806d of the third-ranked "August Recommendation #1" shown in Figure 50 is tapped.

In the display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 51, a simplified display 1806d of "Recommendations for August #1" is displayed at the top, and icons representing multiple parameters are displayed below it. In the display screen shown in FIG. 51, 12 icons I1 to I12 are displayed in two rows, one above the other. When the next page icon Inx displayed at the bottom center of the display screen is tapped, the next page in which icons representing multiple parameters are displayed is displayed. That is, icons representing parameters from the 13th parameter onwards can be displayed. For each icon, the parameter name is displayed above a figure that symbolizes the content of the parameter in an easy-to-understand manner, and the parameter (set value) is displayed below the figure. Of these icons, the icon I8 for the additional hot water supply amount is displayed in a grayed-out display mode, and a specific value is not displayed. An icon displayed in a grayed-out display mode indicates that the parameter is not set. Note that instead of the icon displayed in a grayed-out display mode, an icon in which another parameter is set may be displayed. In the display screen shown in FIG. 51, the details of the recipe content are displayed by displaying 11 icons. However, only part of the recipe content is displayed, not all of it. The display screen shown in FIG. 51 has a different display format than the display screen shown in FIG. 33.

A back icon Ir and an extraction icon Id are provided at the bottom of the display screen shown in FIG. 51. Tapping the back icon Ir returns to the display screen showing the rankings shown in FIG. 50. Tapping the extraction icon Id switches to an accounting screen showing the price of the coffee drink with this recipe name, and the accounting information is sent to a Point of Sale (POS) system (not shown), which then executes accounting processing. Additionally, the beverage production device 1 starts the coffee production processing shown in FIG. 11.

On the other hand, if you tap on the icon representing the 11 parameters, an input window will appear and you can change the parameters (setting values).

Figure 52 shows the display screen that appears when you tap icon I5 for the first main hot water supply amount.

In the display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 52, an input window IW1 is displayed so as to overlap with icons I1 to I12 representing 12 parameters. In this input window IW1, the maximum value (MAX 60) and the minimum value (MIN 10) of the modifiable range are displayed, and a number sequence W1 in which the values between the maximum value and the minimum value are arranged at intervals of one is displayed. An input frame W2 is placed in the center of the number sequence W1, and in the input window IW1 shown in FIG. 52, 42 is located in the input frame W2. The number sequence W1 can be moved by a swipe operation, and the value in the input frame W2 can be changed. When the decision icon W3 prepared at the bottom is tapped, the value located in the input frame W2 is stored in the database as a parameter (setting value), and the input window IW1 disappears. In this way, the parameter stored in the database up to that point is overwritten with the new parameter, and the parameter modification is completed.

As described above, the operation of making the input window IW1 appear from the screen on which icons representing multiple parameters are arranged and displayed, and inputting parameters (setting values) was an operation for correcting parameters, but it is the same for creating a new recipe. That is, in creating a new recipe using the standard recipe management application, which is started by tapping the standard icon 120si shown in FIG. 34, parameters (setting values) are input and stored in the database by the same operation. In the creation screen of a new recipe in standard, for example, icons I1 to I12 representing 12 parameters shown in FIG. 51 are displayed. Here, icons for which no parameters are set are displayed in a grayed-out display mode, such as the icon I8 for the amount of additional hot water supply shown in FIG. 51, and no specific value is displayed. In inputting parameters, when an icon is tapped, an input window IW1 as shown in FIG. 52 appears, and the parameters can be changed by swiping. When the decision icon W3 is tapped with the parameter desired by the recipe creator positioned in the input frame W2, the numerical value positioned in the input frame W2 is stored in the database as the parameter (setting value), and the input window IW1 disappears. This is how new parameters are set.

By tapping the next page icon Inx displayed at the bottom center of the display screen, the 13th and subsequent parameters can be input. For example, it is possible to tap the next page icon Inx once or multiple times to display an icon in which the image of the recipe creator is a parameter. The input window IW1 of this icon may be configured to display the image input field H3 shown in FIG. 40. When creating a new recipe in Standard, it is necessary to input the 12 parameters displayed on the display screen corresponding to the first page shown in FIG. 51, but it is optional to input the parameters displayed on the display screen of the second page and subsequent pages. For parameters that have not been input on the display screen of the second page and subsequent pages, the processing unit 121a shown in FIG. 31 automatically inputs the parameters according to the input parameter values or standard values, and the recipe is completed. The completed recipe is stored in the storage unit 1303 of the server 1201 (corresponding to the server 16 shown in FIG. 31) described using FIG. 23, or in the storage unit 121b of the information display device 12.

Next, a case where the simplified display 1804d of the first ranked "Bean A Recommended Recipe" displayed in a grayed-out display mode as shown in FIG. 50 is tapped will be described. When the simplified display 1804d of the "Bean A Recommended Recipe" displayed in a grayed-out display mode is tapped, no change occurs on the display screen. In other words, the screen does not switch to the screen showing the details of the recipe content as shown in FIG. 51, and the tap operation is not accepted. The recipe of the first ranked "Bean A Recommended Recipe" shown in FIG. 50 is a recipe with a usage restriction that cannot be used unless a fee is paid. This usage restriction can protect the profits of the creator of this recipe. Note that the tap operation is accepted, but this recipe is a paid recipe that cannot be used unless a fee is paid. It is also possible to switch to a display screen that displays an explanation to that effect. The text display LM such as "Please pay" shown in FIG. 50 corresponds to a display that notifies the user of the conditions for releasing the restriction.

When the menu button 120m provided in the upper right corner of the display screen shown in FIG. 32 is tapped, a menu item is displayed in which a billing screen (not shown) is prepared (see FIG. 56). On this billing screen, billing for the recipe "Bean A Recommended Recipe" can be performed. As a specific example, billing is performed by credit card settlement, and the fact that billing has been performed is transmitted to the server 1201 (corresponding to the server 16 shown in FIG. 31) described with reference to FIG. 23. Recipe constraints are managed in a recipe management database constructed in the memory unit 1303 of the server 1201.

Figure 53 shows data stored in the memory unit 1303 of the server 1201 that manages recipe constraints.

As described above, paid recipe information is recorded in Type 5 for each recipe. Each recipe is stored in a database in beverage information DB 1303a shown in FIG. 23. In addition, recipe IDs are managed in beverage information DB 1303a. User IDs are managed in user information DB 1303b shown in FIG. 23. Machine IDs are managed in production history DB 1303c shown in FIG. 23.

The memory unit 1303 of the server 1201 manages the machine IDs held by each user ID, and the server 1201 periodically checks whether communication is possible with the beverage production device 1 of each machine ID. The data shown in FIG. 53 records that communication was not possible with the beverage production device 1 with machine ID 4 (hereinafter referred to as machine ID4) held by a person with user ID 2 (hereinafter referred to as user ID2), and therefore a serviceman from the operating company that operates the server 1201 contacted user ID2 and is currently investigating the reason for the inability to communicate.

Furthermore, the storage unit 1303 of the server 1201 manages usable and unusable recipes by recipe ID for each machine ID. For example, recipes with recipe IDs 1 to 20 are recipes that have been stored in each beverage production device 1 since it was first sold. In the beverage production device 1, the recipes are encrypted and stored in the storage unit 121b of the information display device. Of the recipes with recipe IDs 1 to 20, recipes with recipe IDs 1 to 15 are usable recipes with no usage restrictions. On the other hand, recipes with recipe IDs 16 to 20 are recipes with usage restrictions that cannot be used without paying a fee. Even if a recipe with usage restrictions is stored in the beverage production device 1, it cannot be used to produce a coffee beverage unless a usage restriction release code is input. The usage restriction release code is a code that is generated for each machine ID, and is invalid even if it is input to a beverage production device 1 with a different machine ID.

For example, if a person with user ID 1 (hereinafter referred to as ID1 person) performs billing processing for recipe ID 16 on a beverage production device 1 with machine ID 2 (hereinafter referred to as ID2 machine), a message is sent to server 1201 indicating that billing processing for recipe ID 16 has been performed on ID2 machine. Upon receiving this, server 1201 deletes recipe ID 16 from the list of unusable recipe IDs on ID2 machine and adds recipe ID 16 to the list of usable recipe IDs on ID2 machine. Server 1201 then transmits a usage restriction release code for recipe ID 16 to ID2 machine, and upon receiving this, ID2 machine inputs the usage restriction release code, enabling the use of the recipe with recipe ID 16.

For recipes with usage restrictions, only data that allows for a simple display as shown in FIG. 50 is stored in the beverage production device 1, and when billing processing is performed, the server 1201 transmits the entire recipe data instead of a usage restriction release code, allowing production according to that recipe.

To further supplement the data shown in FIG. 53, the ID1 person creates recipe ID32 on machine ID2. When creating the recipe, recipe ID32 is registered as a recipe with a usage restriction that cannot be used without paying a fee. Since recipe ID32 is a recipe created on that machine, it is available for use on machine ID2, and is registered as an available recipe ID in the management in the storage unit 1303 of the server 1201. However, recipe ID32 is not registered as an available recipe ID even on other machines of the ID1 person (beverage production device 1 of machine ID1 and beverage production device 1 of machine ID3). Note that recipe data of recipe ID32 may be transmitted via the server 1201 to other machines with the same user ID to make it available. Recipe ID32 created by ID1 person is made public as a recipe with a usage restriction. For example, it is made public as data that can be displayed simply as shown in FIG. 50 or as recipe information as shown in FIG. 33, but all of the parameters required for production are not made public. A person with user ID 3 (hereafter referred to as ID3) sees the public release of the recipe with recipe ID 32 and performs the billing process for recipe ID 32 on beverage production device 1 with machine ID 5 (hereafter referred to as machine ID5), making the recipe with recipe ID 32 available for use on machine ID5.

Person ID2 creates recipe ID23 on machine ID4. When creating the recipe, recipe ID23 is registered as a recipe with no usage restrictions. This recipe ID23 is also made public, and person ID3 can download recipe ID23 free of charge from server 1201 to each of the two machines he owns (machine ID5 and beverage production device 1 with machine ID6) and use it.

It is also possible to make it so that even if a recipe is usable, it cannot be used unless a communication confirmation code is input at regular intervals. Alternatively, it is also possible to make it so that the production process of the beverage production device 1 itself cannot be executed unless a communication confirmation code is input at regular intervals. The communication confirmation code is sent from the server 1201 when the server 1201 periodically checks whether communication with the beverage production device 1 of each machine ID is possible. In this way, the value of the beverage production device 1 and the value of the recipe can be protected even if the beverage production device 1 goes missing along with the user.

Next, we will explain what happens when you tap the simplified display 1805d of the second-ranked "Original Recipe 004" shown in Figure 50.

Figure 54 shows the display screen that appears when the simplified display 1805d of the second-ranked "Original Recipe 004" shown in Figure 50 is tapped.

The display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 54 displays a simplified display 1805d of "Original Recipe 004" at the top, with icons representing multiple parameters displayed in a row below that. The display screen shown in FIG. 54 displays 12 icons I1 to I12 arranged in two rows, one above the other. Note that the next page icon Inx displayed at the bottom center of the display screen can be tapped to display the next page, on which icons representing the 13th and subsequent parameters are displayed.

In the simplified display 1805d of the second-ranked "original recipe 004" shown in FIG. 50, a text display LD such as "display restricted" was added. In the display screen shown in FIG. 54, the parameters (setting values) of the icons I4 to I7 of the parameters related to the amount of hot water are hidden. The text display LD such as "display restricted" on the ranking display screen in FIG. 50 suggests that there is a restriction that the parameters related to the amount of hot water are not displayed. Even if the user tries to check the parameters related to the amount of hot water in other display modes, the parameters related to the amount of hot water are not displayed in any display mode. The display restriction here is a restriction to protect the secrecy of the recipe, especially the secrecy of the manufacturing conditions, and the recipe can be used. That is, even if the extraction icon Id shown in FIG. 50 is tapped, the screen switches to an accounting screen in which the price of the coffee drink of this recipe name is displayed, and the accounting information is sent to a point of sale (POS) system (not shown), and the POS system executes the accounting process. In addition, in the beverage manufacturing device 1, the coffee manufacturing process shown in FIG. 11 is started. Note that the display restriction here applies to some of the parameters that make up the recipe, but it may apply to all of the parameters. Also, the display restriction may apply to all of the parameters for the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 25(A).

The recipe creator can set display restrictions for some or all of the parameters of a recipe when creating the recipe. Information for recipes with display restrictions is set to Type 5. Note that it is possible to set display restrictions for recipes with usage restrictions that cannot be used without paying a fee, even if a fee has been paid.

In addition to display restrictions, recipe restrictions include restrictions prohibiting modification and copying. Recipe creators can also set restrictions prohibiting modification and copying when creating a recipe. Information about recipes with restrictions prohibiting modification and copying is set to Type 5. Note that even if a recipe has a usage restriction that means it cannot be used without paying a fee, it is possible to add restrictions prohibiting modification and copying.

Even if you display the contents of a recipe that has restrictions that prohibit modification, icons I1 to I12, which represent multiple parameters as shown in Figure 51, will be displayed.

Figure 55 shows the screen that appears when you tap icon I5 for the first hot water supply for a recipe that has a restriction that prohibits modifications.

The display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 55 does not display the input window IW1, unlike the display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 52, and instead displays a change prohibition window RW. In this change prohibition window RW, the number sequence W1 shown in FIG. 52 is not displayed, and only the parameter value that has already been set (40 in this case) is displayed, and text such as "Cannot be changed." The change prohibition window RW disappears automatically after being displayed for a predetermined time, and the display unit of the information display device 12 returns to the display screen shown in FIG. 51. The restriction of prohibiting modification here is intended to ensure that the recipe of the recipe creator is faithfully reproduced. For example, if a recipe created by a world-famous barista is modified without the barista's permission and a coffee drink is sold, the coffee drink will no longer be a reproduction of the coffee drink brewed by the world-famous barista, and the taste and aroma may differ, which may damage the reputation of the barista. The restriction of prohibiting modification is also intended to prevent such a thing from happening.

The restriction on prohibiting modification here may apply to some or all of the parameters that make up the recipe. The restriction on prohibiting modification may also apply to all of the parameters for the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 25(A).

Figure 56 shows how menu items are expanded by tapping the menu button 120m located in the upper right corner of the display screen shown in Figure 33.

The menu items ME displayed on the display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 56 include an item ME1 for returning to the home screen (for example, the display screen of the recipe list shown in FIG. 32), an item ME2 for displaying a ranking display (for example, the ranking display shown in FIG. 28 to FIG. 30), an item ME3 for displaying a list of recipe management applications shown in FIG. 34, an item ME4 for displaying the above-mentioned billing screen, a recipe copy item ME5 for copying the recipe of the currently displayed recipe information (here, the recipe of "Daito Blend"), and other items ME6. Of these items, the recipe copy item ME5 is displayed in a grayed-out display mode, and even if the item of the recipe copy item ME5 is tapped, the parameter values included in the recipe of "Daito Blend" cannot be copied. In other words, the recipe of "Daito Blend" is restricted from being copied. Copying a recipe is used when creating a new recipe with reference to the copied recipe. For example, it is convenient to be able to copy a recipe when you want to make modifications to a recipe you created previously while leaving the recipe as it is. However, just like modifying a recipe, creating a new recipe based on someone else's recipe, especially one created by a famous barista, should be prohibited if it is considered to be recipe theft. Restrictions against copying can be used as a means to prohibit such behavior.

As explained using FIG. 55, some recipes have restrictions that prohibit modification, but there are also parameters that may actively encourage modification. For example, depending on the environment in which the beverage production device 1 is installed, it may be better to modify the parameters. As shown in FIG. 18, FIG. 19, and FIG. 20, the beverage production device 1 attempts to accurately control the air pressure inside the extraction container 9. The air pressure changes depending on the altitude of the location where the beverage production device 1 is installed. For this reason, the beverage production device 1 shown in FIG. 31 modifies the pressure of the pressurized fluid supplied to the extraction container 9 in response to a sensor signal from the air pressure sensor 124.

Figure 57 shows a display screen for modifying the parameters of the air pressure delivered by the compressor 70 during the period T11 shown in Figure 18.

When the icon I12 of the discharge pressure shown in FIG. 51 is tapped, the input window IW2 shown in FIG. 57 appears on the display unit of the information display device 12. In the input window IW2 shown in FIG. 57, the maximum value (MAX 3.0) and the minimum value (MIN 1.2) of the correctable range are displayed, as in the input window IW1 shown in FIG. 52, and a sequence W4 in which the numerical values between the maximum value and the minimum value are arranged at intervals of 0.1 is displayed. The input frame W2 is arranged in the center of the sequence W4, and in the input window IW2 shown in FIG. 57, 2.0 is located in the input frame W2. The user can move the sequence W4 by a swipe operation, and can change the numerical value of the input frame W2 to a desired value within the correctable range. Furthermore, in the input window IW2 shown in FIG. 57, an air pressure correction icon W5 is prepared in the lower right. When the air pressure correction icon W5 is tapped, air pressure correction is performed according to the altitude of the place where the beverage production device 1 is installed. Since the atmospheric pressure decreases the higher the altitude at which the beverage production device 1 is installed, for example, if the pressure management of this beverage production device 1 is based on the atmospheric pressure at an altitude of 0 m, the atmospheric pressure correction will also lower the parameter value the higher the altitude at which the beverage production device 1 is installed above 0 m. Conversely, the parameter value will be corrected to be higher the lower the altitude at which the beverage production device 1 is installed below 0 m.

The temperature and humidity of the installation environment of the beverage production device 1 may also affect the taste and aroma of the coffee beverage. The amount of steaming water, the steaming time, the hot water tank temperature, etc. may be corrected according to the temperature of the installation environment. The amount of steaming water, the steaming time, etc. may also be corrected according to the humidity of the installation environment. Furthermore, the installation environment also includes the hardness and pH of the water in the area where the beverage production device 1 is installed. The amount of beans, the amount of hot water poured, etc. may be corrected according to the hardness and pH of the water.

In the above description,
"An acquisition means (e.g., an information display device 12 or a processing unit 121a) for acquiring a recipe to be used for some or all of the processes of beverage production;
a processing means (e.g., a control device 11 or a processing unit 11a) for carrying out a process for producing a beverage (e.g., a process for controlling the opening and closing of various valves shown in FIG. 3, a process for controlling the rotary blades in the grinding device 5, a process for controlling the drive of the heater 72a, a process for controlling the drive of the compressor 70, etc.) by referring to parameters (e.g., amount of beans, grinding size of beans, amount of steaming water, steaming time, amount of extracted hot water (amount of injected hot water), amount of first main hot water supply, amount of second main hot water supply, amount of pressurized hot water supply, extraction pressure, extraction time, rest time before rotation, rest time after rotation, delivery time, delivery pressure, name of beans, country of origin of beans, roast level of beans, name of recipe creator, etc.) included in the recipe acquired by the acquisition means;
A production means (e.g., the actuator group 14 shown in FIG. 31 (the grinding device 5 and the extraction device 3 shown in FIG. 3 )) that operates by the process executed by the processing means to produce a beverage;
A beverage production device comprising:
The acquisition means is capable of acquiring recipes with restrictions (e.g., restrictions on prohibition of use, restrictions on prohibition of display of a part or all of the recipe, restrictions on prohibition of modification, restrictions on prohibition of copying, etc.).
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He explained:

The term "manufacturing beverages" used here has a broad meaning and includes not only the final production of beverages, but also the preparations prior to final production and the production of intermediates.

Furthermore, there may be multiple types of the manufacturing means and the recipe may include parameters for each of the multiple types of the manufacturing means, or there may be multiple types of parameters for one manufacturing means and the recipe may include multiple types of parameters for one manufacturing means.

The recipe with the restriction may be one that has been downloaded from a server via a communication network. In this case, the restriction may be that downloading is prohibited.

The beverage production device may also include an acquisition unit [e.g., information display device 12 or I/F unit 11c] that acquires a recipe including parameters, a processing unit [e.g., actuator group 14, production unit 18] that executes processing to produce a beverage, and a control unit [e.g., control device 11 or processing unit 11a] that controls the processing unit according to the parameters included in the recipe acquired by the acquisition unit.

Also,
"A storage means (e.g., the storage unit 121b of the information display device 12) is provided that stores the recipe with the constraints,
The acquisition means (e.g., the processing unit 121a of the information display device 12) acquires the recipe with the constraints from the storage means.
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"The restriction is that it is not possible to produce a beverage using the recipe [for example, a usage restriction that does not allow use without paying a fee] [for example, a simplified display 1804d of the first-ranked "Recommended Recipe for Bean A" displayed in a grayed-out display mode as shown in FIG. 50 and with a text display LM such as "Please pay" added],
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
" Equipped with a display means [e.g., a display unit of the information display device 12],
The restriction is that a part of the information representing the recipe [for example, a parameter related to the amount of hot water] or all of the information is not displayed on the display means [for example, the parameters (setting values) of the icons I4 to I7 of the parameters related to the amount of hot water shown in FIG. 54 are not displayed].
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"The restriction is to prohibit the creation of a copy of the recipe (for example, the recipe copy item ME5 shown in FIG. 56 in a grayed-out display mode)."
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"The recipe with the restriction can be turned into a recipe without the restriction by paying a fee (for example, the recipe with recipe ID 32 that can be used on the beverage production device with machine ID 5 owned by the user with user ID 3 in FIG. 53 ).
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"The restriction means prohibiting modification of the contents of the recipe, in whole or in part, (for example, by displaying a modification prohibition window RW shown in FIG. 55 and displaying text such as "Modifications not permitted").
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"The parameters are adjustable according to the installation environment of the beverage production apparatus [e.g., altitude] [e.g., correction by tapping the air pressure correction icon W5 shown in FIG. 57].
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

The installation environment also includes temperature, humidity, and the hardness and pH of the water in the area where the device is installed.
"The recipe is encrypted [for example, the recipe stored in the storage unit 121b of the information display device is encrypted],
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

The beverage production device described above may also be "a device equipped with an acquisition means for acquiring a recipe used for some or all of the processes of beverage production, characterized in that the acquisition means is capable of acquiring a recipe with restrictions." The features of the beverage production device described so far can be applied to this device. This device may be a beverage production device such as a coffee maker with a hot water supply function. Alternatively, it may be an electronic device (e.g., a mobile terminal) that does not have a production function. It may also be a grinding device 5.

In addition, in the above explanation, any constituent element expressed as "means" can be replaced with "part."

Next, we will explain how we detect errors.

As described above, logs such as response signals and monitoring results are transmitted from the control device 11 shown in FIG. 31 to the control unit 121 of the information display device 12 and stored in the control unit 121. Note that some logs are transmitted from the control device 11 to the control unit 121 at predetermined intervals (for example, at intervals of 500 ms).

The control unit 121 of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 31 performs error determination. The control unit 121 stores reference values, conditions, and the like for performing error determination. For example, if the value represented by the acquired monitor signal or sensor signal is equal to or greater than a reference value, the control unit 121 determines that an error has occurred, or conversely, determines that no error has occurred. The control unit 121 also stores a recipe. The control unit 121 may determine whether or not an error has occurred based on the information and manufacturing conditions sent from the control device 11. Alternatively, the control unit 121 may determine whether or not an error has occurred using multiple monitoring results.

Figure 58 (a) shows the display screen displayed on the information display device 12 while the grinding process (step S2) shown in Figure 11 is being executed.

The right half of the display screen displays an animation 12AM consisting of a schematic diagram of the beverage production device 1 shown in FIG. 1. In this animation 12AM, a schematic diagram 40M of the canister 40 shown in FIG. 2, a schematic diagram 42M of the collecting and conveying unit 42, a schematic diagram 5M of the grinding device 5, a schematic diagram 6M of the separating device 6, a schematic diagram 9M of the extraction container 9, and a schematic diagram CM of the cup C shown in FIG. 3 are displayed. The animation 12AM is displayed so that it is possible to see which process is currently being performed according to the actual coffee beverage production process. In the display screen shown in FIG. 58(a), the schematic diagram 5M of the grinding device 5 shows how coffee beans are being ground. In addition, a character display area 12CA is provided on the left side of the display screen to display the currently performed process in text. In the display screen shown in FIG. 58(a), the text "Grinding in progress" is displayed in the character display area 12CA.

Figure 58 (b) is a diagram showing a table of error judgment criteria values stored in the control unit 121 of the information display device 12 shown in Figure 31.

As described above, the grinding device 5 is provided with a motor as a driving source and a rotary blade driven by the motor, and the size (particle size) of the ground roasted coffee beans can be changed by changing the rotation speed of the rotary blade. The current value of the motor increases when the rotary blade is grinding the roasted coffee beans compared to when the rotary blade is rotating idly. In addition, the hardness of the roasted coffee beans differs depending on the type of roasted coffee beans and the roasting level of the roasted coffee beans. The harder the roasted coffee beans are, the higher the current value of the motor when grinding the roasted coffee beans. In the table shown in FIG. 58(b), the reference value of the motor value when grinding the roasted coffee beans is specified for each type of bean (bean A, bean B, etc.) and three levels of roasting level (light roast, medium roast, dark roast). The reference value of the current value here is the cumulative value of the current value in a certain period (e.g., 10 seconds) (e.g., cumulative value every 250 ms).

In addition, in FIG. 58(b), a table of roasted coffee beans and reference values is shown for ease of understanding, but in reality, information such as the type of beans and the three levels of roasting is compiled as various production conditions (recipe) for producing coffee beverages, and the reference value for the motor current value is also included in the recipe.

The control device 11 acquires a monitor signal containing a value representing the current value of the motor at a predetermined interval (e.g., every 250 ms) while grinding is being performed. Each time the control device 11 acquires a monitor signal, it transmits the value representing the current value of the motor contained in the monitor signal as a monitoring result (log) to the control unit 121 of the information display device 12.

The control unit 121 of the information display device 12 knows the currently used recipe from the reception operation in the reception unit 122. Therefore, the control unit 121 can obtain from the recipe which roasted coffee beans are being ground, and can also obtain from the recipe the reference value of the motor current value corresponding to the roasted coffee beans currently being ground. Each time the monitoring result is transmitted, the control unit 121 adds up the values transmitted as the monitoring result and calculates the cumulative value of the current value for a certain period (e.g., 10 seconds) (e.g., the cumulative value every 250 ms). When the cumulative value is calculated, it is confirmed whether the cumulative value is below the reference value, and if the cumulative value is below the reference value, it is determined that the grinding device 5 has not ground the roasted coffee beans and a no-bean error has occurred. In producing a coffee beverage, the inside of the extraction container 9 is pressurized during the final filtration extraction (step S17 shown in FIG. 11) to promote the delivery of the coffee beverage. If the production of a coffee beverage continues without roasted coffee beans, there is no resistance from the accumulation of ground beans during the delivery, and the hot water will gush out of the extraction container 9 with considerable force, which is dangerous. For this reason, when the control unit 121 determines that a no-beans error has occurred, it transmits the determination result to the control device 11, and the control device 11 transmits a control signal to the production unit 18 to stop the rotation of the motor of the grinding device 5. As a result, the motor of the grinding device 5 stops rotating. Furthermore, when the control unit 121 determines that a no-beans error has occurred, it transmits a control signal to the reception unit 122 instructing it to display an error.

Figure 59 shows an example of an error message displayed on the information display device 12 while the grind process is being performed.

An error display is displayed so as to overlap the display screen shown in FIG. 58(a). That is, on the display screen of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 59, an error display 12EB with the words "No beans error" is displayed so as to overlap the schematic diagram 5M of the grinding device 5. In addition, a text display 12ES of "Emergency stop" is displayed so as to overlap the text display area 12CA in which the words "Grinding in progress" are displayed.

When the control unit 121 determines that a no-beans error has occurred, the beverage production device 1 remains in a stopped state until an instruction to start producing a coffee beverage from the very beginning again is issued.

In this example, the determination is based on the current value, but it is not limited to the current value, and any value of an electrical parameter may be used, for example, the power consumption value. Also, the determination is based on the accumulated value over a certain period of time, but it may be the maximum value, minimum value, or average value over the certain period of time.

Figure 60 shows the display screen displayed on the information display device 12 while the steaming pouring process (step S11) shown in Figure 11 is being performed.

In the steaming water pouring process, ground beans are placed into the container body 90 with the lid unit 91 open, and after the lid unit 91 is closed, a quantity of hot water less than one cup is poured into the extraction container 9 to steam the ground beans.

The display screen of the information display device 12 shown in Figure 60 also displays an animation 12AM on the right half, which is made up of a schematic diagram of the beverage production device 1 shown in Figure 1. Here, ground beans are displayed in the schematic diagram 90M of the container body 90 with the schematic diagram 91M of the lid unit 91 open, and then the schematic diagram 91M of the lid unit 91 is displayed being closed. Additionally, the text display area 12CA on the left side of the display screen displays the text "Pouring hot water for steaming in progress."

As explained using the enclosed diagram in FIG. 9, the extraction container 9 is provided with a pair of gripping members 821a that are opened and closed in the left-right direction by the driving force of the motor 822. When the pair of gripping members 821a is in the closed state, as shown by solid lines in the enclosed diagram in FIG. 9, each gripping member 821a fits into the flange portion 911c of the lid unit 91 and the flange portion 90c of the container body 90 so as to sandwich them from above and below, and the lid unit 91 is airtightly locked to the container body 90. On the other hand, in order to open the lid unit 91, the pair of gripping members 821a must be in the open state. The extraction container 9 is provided with an open state detection sensor that detects that the pair of gripping members 821a are in the open state position and a closed state detection sensor that detects that the pair of gripping members 821a are in the closed state position. When the steaming pouring process is started, the control device 11 outputs a control signal to the production unit 18 to move the pair of gripping members 821a to the open state position. The control device 11 confirms that the pair of gripping members 821a has reached the open state position by acquiring a sensor signal indicating that the pair of gripping members 821a has been detected from the open state detection sensor. When the input period required for inputting ground beans has elapsed, the control device 11 outputs a control signal to the production unit 18 to move the pair of gripping members 821a in the open state position to the closed state position. In the initial operation executed when the beverage production device 1 is powered on, the pair of gripping members 821a in the open state position is also moved to the closed state position. In the initial operation, the control device 11 measures the time (arrival time) from outputting a control signal to move the pair of gripping members 821a to the closed state position to acquiring a sensor signal indicating that the pair of gripping members 821a has been detected from the closed state detection sensor, and transmits the arrival time to the control unit 121 of the information display device 12. The control unit 121 stores the arrival time as a reference time. In this way, the reference time, which is the reference value, is updated to a time corresponding to the state of the extraction container 9 at the time of powering on, every time the power is turned on. That is, some of the various production conditions (recipe) for producing a coffee beverage are modified according to individual differences in the beverage production device 1. Because the state of the extraction container 9 varies depending on the condition of the motor 822 that moves the pair of gripping members 821a, the meshing condition of the power transmission mechanism (e.g., the gear train), the magnitude of rotational resistance, etc., by modifying part of the recipe, it becomes possible to produce a coffee beverage more accurately.

In the steaming pouring process, the control device 11 measures the time (arrival time) from when it outputs a control signal to move the pair of gripping members 821a to the closed position to when it acquires a sensor signal indicating that the pair of gripping members 821a has been detected from the closed state detection sensor, and transmits the arrival time to the control unit 121 as a monitoring result. If the arrival time transmitted as the monitoring result is longer than the reference time by a certain time or more, the control unit 121 determines that an error has occurred regarding the lid unit 91. The certain time here may be 0 seconds, but a certain amount of time is given in consideration of error. For example, if the reference time is 300 ms and the monitoring result time is 500 ms or more, the pair of gripping members 821a has been closed, but it took 200 ms longer to reach the closed state. This is thought to be due to ground bean residue or the like adhering to the flange portion 911c of the lid unit 91 or the flange portion 90c of the container body 90, and the control unit 121 determines that a cleaning error has occurred. When the control unit 121 determines that a cleaning error has occurred, it sends a control signal to the reception unit 122 to instruct it to display a warning. On the other hand, because the lid unit 91 is locked, it does not send a control signal to the production unit 18 to stop the steaming water pouring process, and allows the steaming water pouring process to continue. The control unit 121 does not need to send the determination result to the control device 11.

The display screen shown in FIG. 60(a) displays a warning display 12WC urging cleaning below the character display area 12CA in which the words "Pouring hot water for steaming is in progress" are displayed so as not to overlap the character display area 12CA.

In addition, if the reference time is 300 ms and 700 ms has elapsed in the steaming pouring process, but the control device 11 cannot obtain a sensor signal indicating that the pair of gripping members 821a has been detected from the closed state detection sensor, the control device 11 transmits a time-over result to the control device 121 as a monitoring result. In this case, the pair of gripping members 821a is not in the closed state, the lid unit 91 is not locked, and the control device 121 determines that a lock error has occurred in the lid unit 91. When the control device 121 determines that a lock error has occurred in the lid unit 91, it transmits the determination result to the control device 11, and the control device 11 transmits a control signal to the production unit 18 to stop the steaming pouring process. As a result, the steaming pouring process is stopped, and steaming pouring is not performed in the extraction container 9. When the control device 121 determines that a lock error has occurred in the lid unit 91, it transmits a control signal to the reception unit 122 to instruct the display of an error.

Figure 60 (b) shows an example of an error message that is displayed on the information display device 12 while the steaming water pouring process is being performed.

On the display screen of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 60(b), an error display 12EC with the words "Lid unit lock error" is displayed so as to overlap the schematic diagram 91M of the lid unit 91 and the schematic diagram 90M of the container body 90. In addition, a text display 12ES with the words "Emergency stop in progress" is displayed so as to overlap the text display area 12CA in which the words "Pouring hot water for steaming in progress" are displayed.

When the control unit 121 determines that a lock error has occurred in the lid unit 91, the beverage production device 1 remains stopped until it is switched to manual mode. In manual mode, the manager of the beverage production device 1 manually discharges the ground beans that have been placed in the container body 90 from the container body 90. The manager also investigates the reason why the pair of gripping members 821a did not close.

In this example, the control device 11 measures the arrival time, but the control unit 121 of the information display device 12 may measure the arrival time. In this case, the control unit 121 acquires a log from the control device 11 indicating that a control signal has been output to move the pair of gripping members 821a to the closed state position. The control unit 121 is also configured to acquire a log from the control device 11 indicating that a sensor signal has been acquired indicating that the pair of gripping members 821a has been detected from the closed state detection sensor.

Figure 61 (a) is a diagram showing the display screen displayed on the information display device 12 while the transparent extraction process (step S17) shown in Figure 11 is being executed.

In the permeation extraction process, the coffee beverage in which the coffee liquid is dissolved in hot water in the inverted extraction container 9 passes through a filter installed in the lid unit 91 and is delivered to the cup C.

The display screen of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 61(a) also displays an animation 12AM on the right half, which is made up of a schematic diagram of the beverage production device 1 shown in FIG. 1. Here, the display shows a coffee beverage being sent from a schematic diagram 9M of the inverted extraction container 9 to a schematic diagram CM of a cup C. Additionally, the text "Transparent extraction in progress" is displayed in the text display area 12CA on the left side of the display screen.

As shown in FIG. 18, during the period T10 and period T11 in which the permeation extraction process is being performed, the air pressure in the extraction container 9 is maintained at a target value. To maintain the air pressure in the extraction container 9 at a target value, the control device 11 opens and closes the solenoid valve 728 shown in FIG. 12 etc. during the period T10, and opens and closes the solenoid valve 73b shown in FIG. 3 during the period T11. The control device 11 outputs a valve opening control signal that opens the solenoid valve 728 during the period T10. The control device 11 also outputs a valve opening control signal that opens the solenoid valve 73b during the period T11. When the control device 11 outputs these valve opening control signals, it transmits a monitoring result (log) indicating that the valve opening control signal has been output to the control unit 121 of the information display device 12. The valve opening control signal corresponds to one of the items that indicate the supply condition of the fluid supplied to the extraction container 9. The control unit 121 counts the number of times that the monitoring result has been received, and obtains the count value of the number of pressurizations during the period T10 and the count value of the number of pressurizations during the period T11, respectively. The reference value for the number of times of pressurization in period T10 and the reference value for the number of times of pressurization in period T11 are also included in various production conditions (recipes) for producing a coffee beverage. The control unit 121 checks whether the count value is below a reference value (e.g., 20 times), and if the count value is below the reference value, determines that a filter clogging error has occurred in which the filter is clogged and the delivery of the coffee beverage is prevented. When the control unit 121 determines that a filter clogging error has occurred, it transmits a control signal to the reception unit 122 instructing it to display a warning. Meanwhile, the permeation extraction process has ended, and there is no need for the control unit 121 to transmit a control signal to stop the permeation extraction process to the production unit 18, and there is no need for the control unit 121 to transmit the determination result to the control device 11.

Figure 61 (b) is a diagram showing the display screen displayed on the information display device 12 when the transparent extraction process (step S17) shown in Figure 11 is completed.

The display screen of the information display device 12 shown in Figure 61 (b) also displays an animation 12AM consisting of a schematic diagram of the beverage production device 1 shown in Figure 1 on the right half. Here, the display shows that extraction from the inverted extraction container 9 has finished, and steam is rising from the schematic diagram CM of the cup C. The text "Coffee is ready" is displayed in the text display area 12CA on the left side of the display screen. Furthermore, a warning display 12WF encouraging cleaning of the filter is displayed below the text display area 12CA so as not to overlap the text display area 12CA.

The number of pressurizations was counted by the control unit 121 of the information display device 12, but the control device 11 may also count and transmit the count value to the control unit 121 as the monitoring result. In this case, when the transparent extraction process is completed, the monitoring results up until the completion of the transparent extraction process are transmitted to the control unit 121 all at once.

The error detection in the three processes has been explained above, but all error detection is performed by the control unit 121 of the information display device 12, rather than by the control device 11 that controls the manufacturing unit 18, so the processing load on the control device 11 is reduced.

The control unit 121 of the information display device 12 may also perform error determination in processes other than those described here. In this way, the processing load on the control device 11 can be further reduced.

In the above description,
"A first control unit (e.g., control unit 121) that controls a reception unit (e.g., reception unit 122) that receives an operation,
A second control unit (e.g., control device 11) that controls a production unit (e.g., production unit 18) that produces a beverage;
Equipped with
The second control unit monitors the beverage production status in the production unit and transmits the monitoring results (e.g., a log) to the first control unit;
The first control unit determines whether or not an error has occurred in the manufacturing unit based on the monitoring result.
A beverage production device characterized by the above feature [e.g., beverage production device 1].
He explained:

Also,
"A first control unit [e.g., the control unit 121] that accepts an operation,
A processing unit (e.g., a production unit 18) that executes a process for producing a beverage;
A second control unit (e.g., a control device 11) that monitors the processing status in the processing unit and transmits the monitoring result to the first control unit;
Equipped with
The first control unit determines whether or not an error has occurred in the processing unit based on the monitoring result.
A beverage production device [e.g., beverage production device 1] characterized by the above.
That is, the manufacturing section can be replaced with the processing section, and the same applies hereinafter.

Also,
"A first control unit [e.g., the control unit 121] that accepts an operation,
A processing unit (e.g., a production unit 18) that executes a process for producing a beverage;
A second control unit (e.g., a control device 11) that transmits information about the processing unit to the first control unit;
Equipped with
The first control unit determines whether or not an error has occurred in the processing unit based on the information.
A beverage production device [e.g., beverage production device 1] characterized by the above.
That is, the monitoring result can be replaced with information related to the processing unit, and the same applies hereinafter.

The manufacturing unit may be built into the main body, and the receiving unit may be attached to the outer circumferential surface of the main body. Furthermore, the receiving unit may be movably attached to the outer circumferential surface of the main body, or may be attached so that its orientation can be adjusted. The second control unit may also be built into the main body. The first control unit may be separate from the receiving unit, or may be integrated with it.

The manufacturing department's production of beverages is meant in a broad sense, and includes not only the final production of beverages, but also preparations prior to final production and the production of intermediates.

The error may be an error that makes it impossible to produce a beverage, a preventative error that currently allows the beverage to be produced but which will eventually make it impossible to produce a beverage if left unchecked, or an error that allows the beverage to continue to be produced even if left unchecked (for example, an error completely unrelated to the production of a beverage).

Also,
"When the beverage production in the production unit is completed (e.g., the permeation extraction process is completed), the second control unit transmits the monitoring result (e.g., the count value of the number of pressurizations) until the production is completed to the first control unit.
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"The second control unit transmits the monitoring result during the production of the beverage in the production unit [e.g., the current value of the motor] to the first control unit at a predetermined period [e.g., a period of 250 ms] during the production.
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"The first control unit instructs the execution of an error notification (for example, an error display 12EB of "no beans error" shown in FIG. 59, an error display 12EC of "lid unit lock error" shown in FIG. 60(b)) when the determination result indicates that an error has occurred in the manufacturing unit.
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"When the first control unit determines that an error (e.g., a no-bean error, a lid unit lock error) has occurred in the manufacturing unit, the first control unit transmits the determination result (e.g., a determination result) to the second control unit,
The second control unit, upon receiving the determination result, stops the production of the beverage in the production unit (for example, the example shown in FIG. 59 or the example shown in FIG. 60(b)).
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"The manufacturing unit is a unit that crushes the extraction target [for example, a crushing device 5],
The second control unit monitors a value (e.g., a current value or a power consumption value, which is a cumulative value, a maximum value, a minimum value, or an average value over a certain period of time) that changes based on the resistance when the manufacturing unit crushes the extraction target,
The first control unit determines that an error (e.g., a no-bean error) has occurred in the production unit when the value falls below a reference value.
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

The second control unit transmits the monitoring result regarding the value to the first control unit, and the monitoring result regarding the value may represent the value, or may represent whether or not the value is below the reference value.

The manufacturing unit may be electrically driven to crush the extraction target, and the second control unit may monitor, as the value, the value of an electrical parameter (e.g., a current value or a power consumption value) when the manufacturing unit crushes the extraction target.

The object to be extracted may be beans or leaves.

Also,
"The first control unit performs the determination using a reference value that varies depending on the hardness of the extraction target [for example, a reference value shown in a table of FIG. 58(b) (a reference value included in a recipe)].
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"The manufacturing unit has a movable member [e.g., a pair of gripping members 821a] that moves from a first position [e.g., an open position] to a second position [e.g., a closed position],
the second control unit monitors a time required for the moving member to reach the second position from the first position,
The first control unit determines that an error (e.g., a lid unit lock error) has occurred in the manufacturing unit when the arrival time exceeds a reference time (e.g., 700 ms).
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

The second control unit transmits a monitoring result regarding the arrival time to the first control unit, and the monitoring result regarding the arrival time may indicate the arrival time or may indicate whether the arrival time has exceeded the reference time.

The first control unit may also set the reference time based on the arrival time of the moving member in an initial operation that is executed when the beverage production device is powered on.

Also,
"The manufacturing unit [e.g., the extraction device 3] supplies a fluid [e.g., the steam generated in the storage units 725 and 726 and the air from the compressor 70] [e.g., the solenoid valve 728, the solenoid valve 73b], and sends out a beverage generated from a liquid and an extraction target by the pressure of the fluid,
The second control unit monitors the supply state of the fluid (for example, the number of times the solenoid valve is opened (the number of times the pressure is applied)),
The first control unit determines whether or not an error that prevents the beverage from being dispensed (e.g., a filter clogging error) has occurred based on the monitoring result.
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

The second control unit may transmit the monitoring results regarding the supply status to the first control unit.

The manufacturing unit may include a supply pipe for supplying a fluid, a valve provided on the supply pipe, and an extraction vessel that contains a liquid and an object to be extracted and is connected to the supply pipe. Furthermore, the extraction vessel may include a filter through which the beverage passes, and the first control unit may determine whether an error has occurred that the filter is clogged based on the monitoring result.

Next, we will explain how to modify the recipe based on logs such as response signals and monitoring results sent from the control device 11 to the control unit 121 of the information display device 12.

Figure 62 shows the modification report window MW1 displayed on the recipe list display screen shown in Figure 32.

In the example described with reference to Figs. 62 to 67, the display screen of the recipe list shown in Fig. 32 corresponds to the home screen. As described with reference to Fig. 58, when the grinding process (step S2) shown in Fig. 11 is executed, the control unit 121 of the information display device 12 monitors the current value of the motor when the roasted coffee beans are being ground. If the cumulative current value does not fall below the reference value based on the standard beverage production device 1 shown in Fig. 58 (b) but approaches a predetermined range, it can be estimated that the grinding capacity of the grinding device 5 of this beverage production device 1 is not sufficient to grind the beans finely to the current bean grinding particle size value. For this reason, the control unit 121 modifies the bean grinding particle size value to a larger value. That is, the control unit 121 modifies the parameters based on the log of the current value. For example, when the result of performing the grinding process (step S2) according to the recipe "Recommended for August #1" is that the accumulated value of the current value approaches within a predetermined range with respect to the reference value, the control unit 121 corrects the value of the bean grinding particle size in the recipe to a value obtained by adding 0.3 to the value, and temporarily stores the corrected value. The value added here may be a predetermined value. Alternatively, it may be a value according to the difference between the accumulated value of the current value and the reference value. In other words, the smaller the difference, the larger the value added. Then, when the display on the display unit returns to the home screen, the control unit 121 displays the correction report window MW1 shown in FIG. 62 on the display unit, and notifies the user that the parameter of the bean grinding particle size has been changed. At the bottom of the correction report window MW1, a back icon W6 and a confirmation icon W7 are provided. When the back icon W6 is tapped, the correction report window MW1 disappears, and the display returns to the home screen of the recipe list. The parameter of the bean grinding particle size in the recipe "Recommended for August #1" stored in the storage unit 121b of the information display device 12 is overwritten with the value obtained by adding 0.3. Alternatively, the database of this beverage production device 1, which is managed by the server 16, is modified. On the other hand, when the confirmation icon W7 is tapped, an input window IW3 appears on the display unit of the information display device 12.

Figure 63 shows the display screen that appears when the confirmation icon W7 shown in Figure 62 is tapped.

In the display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 63, the correction report window MW1 shown in FIG. 62 disappears, and instead the input window IW3 is displayed. In the input window IW3 shown in FIG. 63, the maximum value (MAX 0.40) and the minimum value (MIN 0.10) of the correctable range are displayed, as in the input window IW1 shown in FIG. 52, and a sequence W8 in which the numerical values between the maximum value and the minimum value are arranged at intervals of 0.01 is displayed. In the center of the sequence W8, the input frame W2 is arranged, and in the input window IW3 shown in FIG. 63, 028 is located in the input frame W2. The user can move the sequence W8 by a swipe operation, and can change the numerical value in the input frame W2 to a desired value within the correctable range. Note that the value of the parameter before correction based on the log by the control unit 121 is 0.25, and this value of 0.25 is underlined in the sequence W8 to indicate that it is the value before correction. When the decision icon W3 provided at the bottom is tapped, the numerical value located in the input frame W2 is stored as a parameter for the bean grind size in the recipe "August Recommendation #1" stored in the memory unit 121b of the information display device 12. Alternatively, the database of this beverage production device 1 managed by the server 16 is modified. Also, when the decision icon W3 is tapped, the input window IW3 disappears and the screen returns to the home screen of the recipe list.

Figure 64 shows a diagram in which a revision report window MW1 different from the revision report window MW1 shown in Figure 62 is displayed on the recipe list display screen.

As explained with reference to FIG. 61, when the transparent extraction process (step S17) shown in FIG. 11 is executed, the control unit 121 of the information display device 12 monitors the count value of the number of pressurizations. Even if the delivery of the coffee beverage from the extraction container 9 is completed, the valve open control signal is repeatedly output during the delivery time set by the parameter, and pressurization is repeated. When the delivery of the coffee beverage from the extraction container 9 is completed, the device enters an empty state, and the number of pressurizations per unit time increases. The parameter for the delivery time is set based on the state when the filter becomes clogged to a certain extent after the beverage production device 1 has started operating for some time. When the filter becomes clogged, the time until the coffee beverage is delivered from the extraction container 9 becomes longer. For this reason, the delivery time is set to be somewhat longer. After the warning display 12WF shown in FIG. 61(b) is displayed to prompt the user to clean the filter and the filter is cleaned, the delivery time set by the parameter becomes too long. When the count value of the number of pressurizations reaches a predetermined number of times that is considerably greater than the reference number of times for checking for clogging of the filter, it is considered that the delivery of the coffee beverage is completed and the blank state is repeated many times. Therefore, when the count value of the number of pressurizations reaches a predetermined number of times, the control unit 121 performs a correction to change the value of the delivery time to a shorter value. That is, the control unit 121 corrects the parameter based on the log of the output of the valve opening control signal. The correction of the delivery time parameter here is not a correction limited to a specific recipe, but a correction for all recipes targeted for this beverage production device 1. When the display on the display unit returns to the home screen, the control unit 121 displays the correction report window MW2 shown in FIG. 64 on the display unit, and notifies the user that the parameter of the delivery time has been changed for all recipes. A back icon W6 and a confirmation icon W7 are also provided at the bottom of this correction report window MW2. When the back icon W6 is tapped, the correction report window MW2 disappears and the screen returns to the home screen of the recipe list. The parameters of the delivery time in all recipes stored in the memory unit 121b of the information display device 12 are overwritten with a value subtracted by 5 seconds. Alternatively, the database of this beverage production device 1 managed by the server 16 is corrected. On the other hand, when the confirmation icon W7 is tapped, an input window IW4 appears on the display unit of the information display device 12.

Figure 65 shows the display screen that appears when the confirmation icon W7 shown in Figure 63 is tapped.

In the display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 65, the correction report window MW2 shown in FIG. 64 disappears, and instead the input window IW4 is displayed. In the input window IW4 shown in FIG. 65, a correction icon W9 and a cancel icon W10 are displayed, and the user is prompted to tap one of the icons. When the correction icon W9 is tapped, the parameters of the sending time in all recipes stored in the storage unit 121b of the information display device 12 are overwritten with a value obtained by subtracting 5 seconds. Alternatively, the database of this beverage production device 1 managed by the server 16 is corrected. On the other hand, when the cancel icon W10 is tapped, the change of the sending time parameters for all recipes is canceled, and the sending time remains at the original value. In addition, whether the correction icon W9 or the cancel icon W10 is tapped, the input window IW4 disappears and the screen returns to the home screen of the recipe list. Note that, even if a predetermined time has passed without tapping any of the icons, the input window IW4 disappears and the screen returns to the home screen of the recipe list. In this case, the sending time parameter is corrected. However, you may choose to keep the original value without modification.

If the discharge time parameter is modified to a shorter time, the cycle time for producing a coffee beverage (the time until completion of the discharge process S4 shown in Figure 11) can be shortened.

On the other hand, if the count value of the number of pressurizations does not fall below the reference number for checking for filter clogging but approaches a predetermined range, it can be assumed that the filter, which was previously clean, has started to become clogged. For this reason, the control unit 121 modifies the parameter of the delivery pressure due to the air pressure from the compressor 70 during the period T11 shown in FIG. 18 to a larger value. That is, the control unit 121 also modifies the parameter here based on the log of the output of the valve open control signal. As with the delivery time described above, the modification of the delivery pressure parameter here is not limited to a specific recipe, but is a modification for all recipes targeted by this beverage production device 1. When the display on the display unit returns to the home screen, the control unit 121 displays a modification report window on the display unit to notify that the delivery pressure parameter has been changed for all recipes.

Figure 66 shows an example of a modification report window being displayed to inform the user that a delivery pressure parameter has been changed.

The correction report window MW3 shown in FIG. 66 notifies the user of the change in the discharge pressure parameter and recommends that the original value be restored if the filter has been cleaned. A back icon W6 and a confirmation icon W7 are also provided at the bottom of this correction report window MW3. When the back icon W6 is tapped, the correction report window MW3 disappears and the screen returns to the home screen of the recipe list. The discharge pressure parameter for all recipes stored in the memory unit 121b of the information display device 12 is overwritten with a value to which 0.1 atmospheres has been added. Alternatively, the database of this beverage production device 1 managed by the server 16 is corrected. On the other hand, when the confirmation icon W7 is tapped, an input window IW5 appears on the display unit of the information display device 12.

Figure 67 shows the display screen that appears when the confirmation icon W7 shown in Figure 66 is tapped.

In the display unit of the information display device 12 shown in FIG. 67, the correction report window MW3 shown in FIG. 66 disappears, and instead the input window IW5 is displayed. The input window IW5 shown in FIG. 67 displays a correction icon W11 and a cancel icon W12. Here too, when the filter has been cleaned, it is recommended to return to the original value, and the user is prompted to tap one of the icons. When the correction icon W11 is tapped, the parameters of the discharge pressure in all recipes stored in the storage unit 121b of the information display device 12 are overwritten with a value to which 0.1 atmosphere has been added. Alternatively, the database of this beverage production device 1 managed by the server 16 is corrected. On the other hand, when the cancel icon W12 is tapped, the change of the parameters of the discharge pressure for all recipes is canceled, and the discharge pressure remains at the original value. Moreover, whether the correction icon W11 or the cancel icon W12 is tapped, the input window IW5 disappears, and the screen returns to the home screen of the recipe list. If a predetermined time has passed without any of the icons being tapped, the input window IW5 will disappear and the screen will return to the home screen of the recipe list. In this case, the discharge pressure parameter will be corrected. However, it is also possible to leave the original value unchanged.

If the delivery pressure parameter is modified to a higher pressure, it is possible to reduce the difficulty in delivering the coffee beverage.

When modifying parameters based on logs, a confirmation icon W7 is provided so that the user can confirm the modifications, but modifications may be made without the user having to confirm, or without notifying the user that modifications have been made.

In addition, a recipe for extracting coffee from certain coffee beans (e.g., coffee beans from Costa Rica) may be modified based on historical information in the log when coffee is extracted from other coffee beans (e.g., coffee beans from Costa Rica). For example, if the coffee delivery time is determined to be longer than a threshold value by referring to historical information when coffee is extracted from certain coffee beans (e.g., coffee beans from Panama), there is a possibility that the filter is gradually becoming clogged, as described above. Therefore, coffee may be extracted not according to the recipe but by a beverage production operation that differs in part from the recipe based on historical information (log), such as increasing the coffee delivery pressure by 5% in the recipe when coffee is extracted from certain coffee beans (e.g., coffee beans from Panama) as well as when coffee is extracted from other coffee beans (e.g., coffee beans from Costa Rica).

In addition, when coffee is extracted using a beverage production operation that is partially different from the recipe based on the history information (log), information regarding the beverage production operation that is partially different from the recipe may be included in the history information (log) of the extraction, or may be stored in association with the history information (log).

In addition, when coffee is extracted by deviating some of the beverage production operations from the recipe based on historical information (logs), it may be notified that the coffee is not extracted according to the recipe in a manner different from when coffee is extracted according to the beverage production operations according to the recipe. For example, when coffee is extracted according to the beverage production operations according to the recipe, the time until the coffee extraction is completed may be displayed in black numbers, but when coffee is extracted according to the beverage production operations that differ in part from the recipe based on historical information (logs), the time until the coffee extraction is completed may be displayed in red numbers.

Furthermore, the types of parameters that can be adjusted based on the logs are not limited to the bean grind size, delivery time, and delivery pressure described here.

In the above description,
"An acquisition means (e.g., an information display device 12 or a processing unit 121a) for acquiring a recipe to be used for some or all of the processes of beverage production;
a processing means (e.g., a control device 11 or a processing unit 11a) that executes a process for producing a beverage by referring to parameters included in the recipe acquired by the acquisition means (e.g., amount of beans, grinding size of beans, amount of steaming water, steaming time, amount of extracted hot water (amount of poured hot water), amount of first main hot water supply, amount of second main hot water supply, amount of pressurized hot water supply, extraction pressure, extraction time, stationary time before rotation, stationary time after rotation, delivery time, delivery pressure, name of beans, country of origin of beans, roasting level of beans, name of recipe creator, etc.);
A production means (e.g., the actuator group 14 shown in FIG. 31 (the grinding device 5 and the extraction device 3 shown in FIG. 3 )) that operates by the process executed by the processing means to produce a beverage;
A beverage production apparatus comprising:
the processing means is capable of executing a process for producing a beverage by referring to parameters (e.g., the grinding size in the example shown in FIG. 62, the delivery time in the example shown in FIG. 64, and the delivery pressure in the example shown in FIG. 66) corrected based on a log (e.g., a response signal or a monitoring result transmitted from the control device 11 to the control unit 121 of the information display device 12) relating to at least one of the processing means and the production means;
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He explained:

The term "manufacturing beverages" used here has a broad meaning and includes not only the final production of beverages, but also the preparations prior to final production and the production of intermediates.

Furthermore, there may be multiple types of the manufacturing means and the recipe may include parameters for each of the multiple types of the manufacturing means, or there may be multiple types of parameters for one manufacturing means and the recipe may include multiple types of parameters for one manufacturing means.

The recipe may also be one that has been downloaded from a server via a communication network. In this case, the restriction may be that downloading is prohibited.

The beverage production device may also include an acquisition unit [e.g., information display device 12 or I/F unit 11c] that acquires a recipe including parameters, a processing unit [e.g., actuator group 14, production unit 18] that executes processing to produce a beverage, and a control unit [e.g., control device 11 or processing unit 11a] that controls the processing unit according to the parameters included in the recipe acquired by the acquisition unit.

Also,
"A second processing means for acquiring the log [for example, the processing unit 121a of the information display device 12] is provided,
The second processing means corrects the parameters referred to by the processing means based on the acquired log (e.g., the motor current value when the roasted coffee beans are ground, the valve opening control signal in the permeation extraction process (step S17)).
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"A display means (e.g., a display unit of the information display device 12) is provided for displaying a selection display (e.g., a display in the input window IW3 shown in FIG. 63, a display in the input window IW4 shown in FIG. 65, a display in the input window IW5 shown in FIG. 67) that allows a user to select whether or not to modify the parameters,
The second processing means causes the display means to display the selection display based on the acquired log,
When the user selects to modify the parameter in the selection display (for example, when the user taps the determination icon W3 when 028 is located in the input frame W2 shown in FIG. 63, when the user taps the modification icon W9 shown in FIG. 65, or when the user taps the modification icon W11 shown in FIG. 67), the second processing means modifies the parameter based on the log, and the processing means executes a process for producing a beverage by referring to the modified parameter,
If the user does not select to modify the parameters in the selection display (for example, if the user taps the confirm icon W3 when 025 is located in the input frame W2 as shown in FIG. 63, if the user taps the cancel icon W10 as shown in FIG. 65, or if the user taps the cancel icon W12 as shown in FIG. 67), the processing means executes a process for producing a beverage by referring to the unmodified parameters.
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"A storage means (e.g., a storage unit 121b of the information display device 12) is provided to store the parameters,
The second processing means (e.g., the processing unit 121a of the information display device 12) acquires the parameters from the storage means,
The storage means newly stores the parameters corrected by the second processing means.
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

The term "storing new data" here refers to either overwriting or adding new data.

Also,
"An extraction vessel [e.g., extraction vessel 9] is provided in which a liquid and an extraction target are contained,
The production means is a device (e.g., a compressor 70, a pipe L1, and an electromagnetic valve 73b) that repeatedly supplies a fluid to the extraction vessel for a predetermined time (e.g., a delivery time set by a parameter),
A beverage produced from the liquid and the extraction target is sent out from the extraction vessel by the pressure of the fluid supplied from the production means,
The parameter is a value representing the predetermined time [e.g., a sending time] [e.g., FIG. 64 and FIG. 65],
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"The log related to the manufacturing means indicates that a fluid has been supplied to the extraction vessel [e.g., a valve opening control signal for the solenoid valve 73b],
Based on the log, the number of fluid supplies [e.g., the number of pressurizations] during the specified time is counted. If the counted number is greater than a reference number, the specified time [e.g., the delivery time] is corrected to a shorter time [e.g., FIG. 64 and FIG. 65].
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"An extraction vessel [e.g., extraction vessel 9] is provided in which a liquid and an extraction target are contained,
The production means supplies a fluid to the extraction vessel (e.g., a compressor 70, a pipe L1, and an electromagnetic valve 73b),
A beverage produced from the liquid and the extraction target is sent out from the extraction vessel by the pressure of the fluid supplied from the production means,
The parameter is a value representing the pressure of the fluid supplied from the production means [e.g., the value of the air pressure discharged from the compressor 70] [e.g., Figs. 66 and 67];
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"The log relating to the manufacturing means indicates that a fluid has been supplied to the extraction vessel,
Based on the log, the number of fluid supplies (e.g., the number of pressurizations) during a predetermined period of time is counted. If the count is less than a reference number, the pressure (e.g., the delivery pressure) is corrected to a higher pressure (e.g., FIG. 66 and FIG. 67).
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

Also,
"The manufacturing means is a grinding means [e.g., a grinding device 5] that grinds roasted coffee beans to obtain ground beans, and the grinding means is capable of adjusting the grinding size of the roasted coffee beans,
The log relating to the manufacturing means is a value that changes based on the resistance when the grinding means grinds the roasted coffee beans [for example, a current value or a power consumption value, which is a cumulative value, a maximum value, a minimum value, and an average value over a certain period of time],
The parameter is the grinding size value [e.g., Figs. 62 and 63];
A beverage manufacturing device characterized by the above.
He also explained:

If the value based on the log is lower than the threshold value, the grinding size may be corrected to a larger size.

In addition, in the above explanation, any constituent element expressed as "means" can be replaced with "part."

Next, other examples of recipe display on the information display device 12 will be described using Figs. 68 to 71. Note that the reference numerals shown in Figs. 68 to 71 will be used in principle only in the explanation using Figs. 68 to 71, and even if duplicate reference numerals are shown in other drawings, the reference numerals shown in Figs. 68 to 71 will take precedence in the explanation using Figs. 68 to 71.

Figure 71 is a diagram showing another example of a display related to a recipe displayed on the information display device 12. In this embodiment, as shown in screen 2101 of Figure 71 (a), the parameters of a recipe registered in the beverage production device 1 can be displayed as a chart. In this embodiment, the term "chart" includes the meaning of each form of expression such as a diagram, a table, and a graph. In screen 2101, charts 2102, 2103, 2104, and 2105 showing the measurement values in the beverage production device 1 obtained based on the recipe, and a recipe chart 2106 showing the parameter values of the recipe are displayed. In screen 2101, the horizontal axis indicates each control process of the beverage production device 1 described in Figure 11 etc., and the vertical axis indicates the magnitude of each parameter.

Chart 2102 is a measurement of the pressure inside the extraction container 9, and chart 2103 is a measurement of the temperature of the coffee beverage pouring part 10c. Chart 2104 is a measurement of the temperature of the flow path, for example, the measurement of the temperature sensor 73e provided in the pipe L3. Chart 2105 is a measurement of the water temperature in the water tank 72. These measurement values are not limited to those shown in FIG. 71(a), and other values measured inside the beverage production device 1 may be displayed.

The recipe chart 2106 represents the parameters of the recipe registered in the beverage production device 1, and in FIG. 71(a), it represents the pressure in the extraction container 9, which is one of the parameters of the registered recipe. In FIG. 71(a), the pressure in the extraction container 9 is represented as an example of the recipe chart 2106, but other parameters such as the amount of hot water in the extraction container 9 may be represented. By using the screen 2101 as shown in FIG. 71(a), the user may be able to compare the parameters represented by the recipe with the measured values in the beverage production device 1. The user may be a staff member or manager who provides coffee beverages using the beverage production device 1, or a general customer who has ordered a coffee beverage.

The process for displaying screen 2101 in Figure 71 (a) is described below.

Figure 69 is a diagram showing an example of a screen 1901 for displaying the screen 2101 of Figure 71 (a). The screen 1901 is, for example, a maintenance screen that can be viewed by an administrator of the beverage production device 1. The screen 1901 displays, for example, the status of each part, such as the motor driver and the water level sensor, and the implementation items of the test mode. The button 1902 on the screen 1901 is an instruction button for displaying the screen 2101 based on a recipe registered in the beverage production device 1. When the button 1902 is pressed, for example, the recipe is switched from the table format displayed as shown in Figure 70 to a recipe chart 2106 on the screen 2101.

Figure 70 is a diagram showing an example in which each parameter of a recipe registered in the beverage production device 1 is displayed in a table format. The recipe 2001 in Figure 70 may be, for example, acquired based on the contents set on the setting screen displayed on the mobile terminal 17 shown in Figure 10, or may be based on the contents set on the screen 1901. Or, it may be based on the contents accepted on the information display device 12 when the beverage production device 1 sends out a coffee beverage. The recipe 2001 is acquired, for example, by pressing the load button 1909 on the screen 1901, and is displayed by pressing the recipe change button 1908. That is, the user may display the registered recipe information in a table format once, and then display it in a chart on the screen 2101 by pressing the button 1902. The setting value 2002 of the recipe 2001 indicates the setting value accepted on the setting screen, and the transmission value 2003 is a value for controlling the beverage production device 1. The set value 2002 and the transmission value 2003 are in a unit-converted relationship; for example, the transmission value 2003 for an extraction time of "8" means a value converted to "8000" seconds.

Selection item 1903 on screen 1901 accepts the selection of options when displaying a chart of a recipe. That is, the measurement values for the items for which selection has been accepted are displayed on screen 2101 together with recipe chart 2106. For example, when item 1905 is selected, chart 2105 is displayed on screen 2101. When item 1906 is selected, chart 2104 is displayed on screen 2101. When item 1907 is selected, chart 2103 is displayed on screen 2101. Selection item 1903 displays a number of optional items according to the types of measurement values that can be displayed on screen 2101.

When button 1902 is pressed while item 1904 is selected, only recipe chart 2106 is displayed, as in screen 2111 of FIG. 71(b). Such display control may narrow down the information displayed on the screen, improving the convenience of correcting recipe parameters (changing the recipe) for the user.

On the recipe chart 2106 of the screen 2111, the user can correct the parameters of the recipe by touch operation or the like. As a user's change operation, it is possible to accept movement of the points represented by black circles on the recipe chart 2106, for example, in the time axis direction or in the parameter magnitude direction. In this case, when accepting movement of one point in the parameter magnitude direction, adjacent points in that process are also moved in conjunction. For example, when point 2112 in the "wait after rotation" process is moved in the direction increasing the pressure value (i.e., upward in the figure), adjacent point 2113 in the "wait after rotation" process is also moved in the direction increasing the pressure value in conjunction.

In the above, when the item 1904 is selected, only the recipe chart 2106 is displayed, but it may be displayed together with the items selected in the items 1905 to 1907. With such a configuration, the user may be able to change the recipe while comparing it with the desired measurement value. After accepting the correction of the parameters of the recipe on the screen 2111, when the save button 1910 on the screen 1901 is pressed, the recipe including the information of the changed parameters is registered as a changed recipe. Also, an example of correcting the recipe by correcting the recipe chart 2106 has been shown, but the charts of the measured values 2102 to 2105, etc. may be registered as a recipe and called up when producing a beverage to make it usable as a recipe. Also, the charts of the measured values 2102 to 2105, etc. may be corrected on the screen 2101 in the same manner as the method (e.g., touch operation) exemplified so far as the method of correcting the recipe chart 2106, and registered as a recipe, and called up when producing a beverage to make it usable as a recipe. In addition, a chart of the target pressure in the extraction vessel 9 has been given as an example of a recipe chart representing the parameter values of the recipe, but a chart of the target amount of hot water, a chart of the temperature, and a chart of the water temperature at a specific location inside the coffee machine (e.g., the extraction vessel 9) can also be displayed on the screen 2101 as recipe charts, modified in the same way as the method (e.g., touch operation) that has been given as an example of a method for modifying the recipe chart 2106 so far, registered as a recipe, and called up when producing a beverage so that it can be used as a recipe.

Figure 68 is a flowchart showing the display process of the recipe chart. The process of Figure 68 is realized, for example, by the processing unit 11a loading and executing a program stored in the memory unit 11b.

In S101, the processing unit 11a waits for receipt of an instruction to display the recipe chart 2106. Here, an instruction to display the recipe chart 2106 is, for example, pressing the button 1902. If it is determined that an instruction to display the recipe chart 2106 has been received, the process proceeds to S102.

In S102, the processing unit 11a acquires option information for displaying the recipe chart 2106. Here, the option information is, for example, the selection information of items 1904 to 1907 of the selection item 1903.

In S103, the processing unit 11a generates display data based on the option information acquired in S102. For example, the processing unit 11a acquires the measurement values of the items selected in items 1905 to 1907, and generates display data for displaying a chart. In addition, the processing unit 11a generates display data for displaying a recipe chart 2106 based on the recipe 2001 in FIG. 70. In S104, the processing unit 11a causes the information display device 12 to display the display data generated in S103. At that time, the processing unit 11a may be controlled so that either screen 2101 or screen 2111 is displayed depending on the selection status of the selection item 1903.

In S105, the processing unit 11a determines whether or not a correction has been made to the recipe chart 2106. For example, if the point 2112 has moved on the screen 2111 and the save button 1910 on the screen 1901 has been pressed, it is determined that a correction has been made to the recipe chart 2106. If it is determined that no correction has been made to the recipe chart 2106, the processing of FIG. 68 is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that a correction has been made to the recipe chart 2106, the processing proceeds to S106.

In S106, the processing unit 11a registers the recipe including the parameters corrected on the screen 2111 as a changed recipe. At that time, the changed recipe may be registered in place of the recipe before the change (i.e., updated), or a different name may be accepted and registered together with the recipe before the change. After S106, the processing of FIG. 68 ends.

In the above description, the screens in Figs. 69 to 71 are described as being displayed on the information display device 12. However, they may be displayed on a device other than the beverage production device 1, rather than on the information display device 12. For example, the screens in Figs. 69 to 71 may be displayed on the mobile terminal 17 shown in Fig. 10 or a PC connected to the communication network 15. In this case, the processing unit 11a transmits data (e.g., an HTML file) for displaying the screens in Figs. 69 to 71 to the mobile terminal 17 or PC in the system via the communication network 15. By configuring in this way, for example, a user in a remote location (e.g., an administrator) may be able to change a recipe registered in the beverage production device 1 on his or her own maintenance PC and transmit the contents of the changed recipe to the beverage production device 1.

The display process of the recipe chart shown in FIG. 68 may be executed by the processing unit of the information display device 12 by loading a program stored in the memory unit.

Summary of the embodiment
The beverage production device of the above embodiment is characterized by comprising a display control means (S104) for displaying registered recipe parameter information in a chart on a display unit (12, 17), a reception means (S105) for receiving a change operation for the parameter information displayed by the display control means, and a registration means (S106) for registering a recipe including the parameter information changed by the change operation as a changed recipe. With such a configuration, when the recipe parameter information is displayed in a chart and a change operation for the parameter information is received, the recipe including the changed parameter information can be registered as a changed recipe.

The change operation is also characterized in that it is a change operation on at least one of the parameter magnitude and time span (FIG. 71(b)). The change operation is also characterized in that it is a change operation on a chart (FIG. 71(b)). With such a configuration, it is possible to accept a change operation on at least one of the parameter magnitude and time span on a chart.

The display control means also causes the display unit to display the measured values obtained based on the registered recipe (FIG. 71(a)). With such a configuration, for example, it is possible to display the change in pressure obtained based on the recipe.

The device further includes an acquisition means (1909) for acquiring information on the parameters represented by the registered recipe. With such a configuration, it is possible to acquire information on parameters stored in, for example, a table format.

The display unit (12) is also characterized in that it is provided in the beverage production device. The display unit (17) is also characterized in that it is provided in a device different from the beverage production device. With such a configuration, recipe parameter information can be displayed in a chart on a display unit provided in the beverage production device or on a display unit provided in a device different from the beverage production device.

Next, using Figures 72 to 114, we will explain how a user who is to receive a beverage can easily select at least one of the type of beverage, the ingredients of the beverage, and the manufacturing method of the beverage based on the desired characteristics of the beverage. Note that the reference numerals shown in Figures 72 to 114 will, in principle, be used only in the explanation using Figures 72 to 114, and even if duplicate reference numerals are shown in other drawings, the reference numerals shown in Figures 72 to 114 will take precedence in the explanation using Figures 72 to 114.

First, referring to FIG. 72, an application system (hereinafter, simply referred to as a system) including a beverage production device 1 will be described. FIG. 72 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a system 1200 including a beverage production device 1. The system 1200 includes a server 1201, a mobile terminal 1202, an information display device 1203, and a beverage production device 1204. Here, the beverage production device 1204 corresponds to the beverage production device 1, and the information display device 1203 corresponds to the information display device 12. The mobile terminal 1202 is, for example, a smartphone owned by a user. The server 1201, the mobile terminal 1202, and the information display device 1203 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network 1205 such as the Internet. The information display device 1203 and the beverage production device 1204 are, for example, present in a store that provides coffee beans and beverages, and short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be performed between the mobile terminal 1202 owned by the user and the information display device 1203.

In the system 1200, the server 1201 can provide various coffee-related services (functions) through an app downloaded to the mobile terminal 1202. The functions provided by the server 1201 include, for example, a service related to points that can be used at stores (cafes, etc.), a mail-order site service for coffee beans, a review service related to purchases such as comments and ratings, and a custom recipe service described below. The services provided by the server 1201 are not limited to these, and may also include, for example, a cafe search service and a service for processing photographed data taken by the mobile terminal 1202 so that the user can upload the coffee they ordered to SNS. The user can enjoy the various coffee-related services described above by starting the app downloaded from the server 1201 by clicking, etc.

Figure 73 is a diagram showing the configuration of the server 1201. The processing unit 1301 includes, for example, a CPU, and controls the server 1201 in an integrated manner. The operation of the server 1201 in this embodiment is realized, for example, by the processing unit 1301 loading a program stored in the storage unit 1303 into the memory 1302 and executing it. The memory 1302 is also used as a working memory for the CPU of the processing unit 1301. The storage unit 1303 stores basic control programs, data, and parameters for the operation of the server 1201. In addition, various databases 1309 are constructed in the storage unit 1303, and the databases are constructed based on, for example, review information, comment information, and custom recipe information transmitted from the mobile terminal 1202 of each user. In addition, the storage unit 1303 stores various applications 1310, for example, applications that can provide the above-mentioned services. A user can download the applications to the mobile terminal 1202 as apps by accessing the server 1201 via the mobile terminal 1202.

The communication interface (I/F) 1304 is configured according to the medium of the network 1205, such as wired or wireless. The display unit 1305 is, for example, a display, and displays a user interface screen to an administrator who creates the database 1309. The operation unit 1306 is, for example, a keyboard and mouse, and can accept operations from the administrator.

The data processing unit 1307 includes, for example, a GPU, and executes processing based on the big data transmitted from each user's mobile terminal 1202. In some cases, the big data transmitted from each user's mobile terminal 1202 is constructed as a database 1309, and in other cases, the processing results in the data processing unit 1307 are constructed as a database 1309. The units in FIG. 73 can be connected to each other via a bus 1308.

Figure 74 is a diagram showing the configuration of the mobile terminal 1202. As described above, the mobile terminal 1202 is, for example, a smartphone carried by a user. The processing unit 1401 includes, for example, a CPU, and controls the mobile terminal 1202 in an overall manner. The operation of the mobile terminal 1202 in this embodiment is realized, for example, by the processing unit 1401 loading a program stored in the storage unit 1403 into the memory 1402 and executing the program. The memory 1402 is also used as a working memory for the CPU of the processing unit 1401. The storage unit 1403 stores basic control programs, data, and parameters for the operation of the mobile terminal 1202. The storage unit 1403 also stores the application 1310 downloaded from the server 1201.

The microphone 1404 inputs the user's voice, and the speaker 1405 outputs the voices of other users and plays messages based on specified voice data. The imaging unit 1406 is a camera and generates imaging data for still images and moving images. The display unit 1407 is a touch panel and displays, for example, an icon for starting the application 1310 and various user interface screens related to the application 1310. The display unit 1407 can also accept operations from the user via the touch panel. The operation unit 1408 can also accept operations from the user, such as a power button and a volume adjustment button.

The communication I/F 1409 is configured according to the medium of the network 1205, such as wired or wireless. The short-range wireless communication I/F 1410 communicates using a communication method different from that used by the communication I/F 1409, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). In this embodiment, the mobile terminal 1202 can transmit recipe custom information, etc. to the information display device 1203 via the short-range wireless communication I/F 1410. The components in FIG. 74 can be connected to each other via a bus 1411.

Figure 75 is a diagram showing the configuration of the information display device 1203. As described above, the information display device 1203 corresponds to the information display device 12. The processing unit 1501 includes, for example, a CPU, and controls the information display device 1203 in an overall manner. The operation of the information display device 1203 in this embodiment is realized, for example, by the processing unit 1501 loading a program stored in the storage unit 1503 into the memory 1502 and executing the program. The memory 1502 is used as a working memory for the CPU of the processing unit 1501. The storage unit 1503 stores basic control programs, data, and parameters for the operation of the information display device 1203.

The communication I/F 1504 is configured according to the medium of the network 1205, such as wired or wireless. The short-range wireless communication I/F 1505 communicates using a communication method different from that used by the communication I/F 1504, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). In this embodiment, the information display device 1203 can receive recipe customization information and the like from the mobile terminal 1202 via the short-range wireless communication I/F 1505.

The display unit 1507 is a touch panel and displays a user interface screen for the user to use the beverage production device 1204. The operation unit 1508 can receive operations from the user and includes hardware keys such as enter. When the display unit 1507 is a touch panel, the operation unit 1508 may be realized as software keys on the touch panel.

The imaging unit 1509 is a camera and generates imaging data of a still image. The imaging unit 1509 can, for example, image beans brought to the store by a user or image a two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit 1407 of the mobile terminal 1202. By imaging a two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit 1407 of the mobile terminal 1202, the information display device 1203 can communicate with the mobile terminal 1202 using a method other than communication using the communication I/F 1504 or the short-range wireless communication I/F 1505. The main body I/F 1506 is an interface with the control device 11 and transmits, for example, coffee bean selection information and extraction profile information set by the user via the display unit 1507 or the operation unit 1508 to the control device 11. The components in FIG. 75 can be connected to each other via a bus 1510.

Figure 76 is a diagram illustrating the process in which a user customizes a recipe using a mobile terminal 1202 in the system 1200, and then extracts coffee using a beverage production device 1204.

First, the user launches application 1310, which has been downloaded in advance from server 1201, by clicking an icon displayed on display 1407 of mobile terminal 1202 (step 1601). When application 1310 is launched on mobile terminal 1202, a login screen for logging in to server 1201 is displayed on display 1407 of mobile terminal 1202. The user enters the ID and password acquired in advance on the login screen (step 1602). If authentication by server 1201 is successful, server 1201 returns the TOP screen of application 1310 to mobile terminal 1202.

Figure 78 is a diagram showing an example of the TOP screen of application 1310 displayed on display unit 1407 of mobile terminal 1202. Display area 1801 displays the name of application 1310, "ABC app." Display area 1802 displays the current points held by the user. The user can use these points to purchase coffee beans, for example, from an online shop. Display area 1803 displays a list of services that application 1310 can provide. The user can click on each of display areas 1804, 1805, 1806, and 1807, and clicking any of them displays the screen for that service.

Display area 1804 is a store search service, for example, where a user can search for cafes that are affiliated with a points service. Display area 1805 is a review service, for example, where a user can post comments and ratings on cafes that they have visited. Display area 1806 is a coffee bean mail order service, where a user can browse an online coffee bean shop and purchase coffee beans. Display area 1807 is a custom recipe service, where a user can adjust the brewing profile on the mobile device 1202.

Figure 79 is a diagram showing an example of a service screen that is displayed when a user clicks on display area 1805. In display area 1901, the name of application 1310, "ABC app", is displayed. In display area 1902, rating information is displayed, and a user can rate the coffee purchased at a cafe that the user visited. In display area 1903, a comment field is displayed, and a user can enter a comment about the cafe that the user visited. When post button 1904 is pressed, the content entered by the user in this review service is confirmed. In this embodiment, when the content is confirmed by pressing post button 1904, the confirmed content is transmitted to server 1201. With such a configuration, server 1201 can collect review information from each user and analyze it with data processing unit 1307.

Figure 80 shows an example of a service screen that is displayed when the user clicks on display area 1807. The user can adjust the amount of extracted hot water, etc. on the mobile terminal 1202 using the screen in Figure 80. The screen in Figure 80 is basically the same as the setting items displayed on the information display device 1203, and the user can adjust the amount of extracted hot water, etc. to their preferred values on the mobile terminal 1202 before visiting the cafe.

Display area 2001 allows the user to adjust and set the amount of beans as desired. Display area 2002 allows the user to adjust and set the grind size as desired. Display area 2003 allows the user to adjust and set the amount of steaming water as desired. Display area 2004 allows the user to adjust and set the steaming time as desired. Display area 2005 allows the user to adjust and set the amount of extraction water as desired. Display area 2006 allows the user to adjust and set the extraction pressure as desired. Display area 2007 allows the user to adjust and set the extraction time as desired.

Button 2008 is a button for confirming the contents of display areas 2001 to 2007. In the case of FIG. 80, when button 2008 is pressed, the contents of display areas 2001 to 2007 are saved and a two-dimensional code is displayed. A user visits a cafe and can transmit the contents of display areas 2001 to 2007 to information display device 1203 by holding the two-dimensional code displayed on mobile terminal 1202 over imaging unit 1509 of information display device 1203. Button 2008 does not have to be a button for displaying a two-dimensional code. For example, button 2008 may be a button for confirming and saving the contents of display areas 2001 to 2007, or the contents of display areas 2001 to 2007 may be transmitted to information display device 1203 via short-range wireless communication I/F 1410.

By making it possible to adjust parameters for brewing a coffee drink as shown in FIG. 80 on the mobile terminal 1202, the user can easily experience the sensation of brewing coffee like a barista. In this embodiment, the parameters for brewing a coffee drink as shown in FIG. 80 are referred to as an brewing profile or recipe.

Refer to FIG. 76 again. When the mobile terminal 1202 receives the TOP screen from the server 1201 in step 1603, the user clicks on the display area 1807 to adjust and set the extraction profile on FIG. 80 (step 1604). Then, as described above, the user visits the cafe and transmits the setting information from the mobile terminal 1202 to the information display device 1203 (step 1605). Here, the setting information is, for example, the contents of the display areas 2001 to 2007 in FIG. 80. The setting information may be transmitted by a two-dimensional code or by short-distance wireless communication.

When the information display device 1203 acquires the setting information, the information display device 1203 transmits the setting information to the control device 11 of the beverage production device 1204 via the main body I/F 1506 (step 1606). The beverage production device 1204 extracts a coffee beverage based on the setting information (step 1607).

Figure 77 is a diagram illustrating the process in system 1200, from when a user customizes a recipe on the information display device 1203 to when coffee is extracted using the beverage production device 1204.

In FIG. 76, the user adjusted the extraction profile on the mobile terminal 1202, but in FIG. 77, the user adjusts the extraction profile on the information display device 1203 at a cafe.

The user adjusts and sets the extraction profile on the user interface screen displayed on the display unit 1507 of the information display device 1203 (step 1701). Here, the user interface screen basically displays the same items as those displayed in FIG. 80. When the information display device 1203 acquires the setting information, it transmits the setting information to the control device 11 of the beverage production device 1204 via the main body I/F 1506 (step 1702). The beverage production device 1204 extracts a coffee beverage based on the setting information (step 1703).

Figure 81 is a diagram showing an example of a service screen that is displayed when the user clicks on display area 1807. Using the screen in Figure 81, the user can adjust any of the parameters of the extraction profile, such as the amount of extracted hot water, on the mobile terminal 1202. The screen in Figure 81 is basically the same as the setting items displayed on the information display device 1203, and the user can adjust the amount of extracted hot water, etc. to their preferred values on the mobile terminal 1202 before visiting the cafe. Note that display areas 2001 to 2008 are the same as those in Figure 80, so their explanation will be omitted.

The service screen shown in FIG. 81 has a "Taste Search" button 2101, an "Image Search" button 2102, a "History Search" button 2103, and an "Order" button 2104. The "Taste Search" button 2101, the "Image Search" button 2102, and the "History Search" button 2103 are pressed by the user when starting the process of obtaining information (beverage information) from the server 1201 regarding any of the beverage characteristic information, extraction profile, ingredients, and price.

<First Aspect>
In this embodiment, a process executed by the mobile terminal 1202 when the user presses the "flavor search" button 2101 will be described.

Figure 82 is a flowchart showing the processing of the mobile terminal 1202. The processing shown in Figure 82 is realized by the processing unit 1401 loading a program (app) stored in the storage unit 1403 into the memory 1402 and executing it.

First, in S2201, the processing unit 1401 controls the display unit 1407 to display a setting screen for acquiring beverage information. Details of the setting screen will be described later with reference to FIG. 83. In S2201, the processing unit 1401 that has displayed the setting screen 2300 of FIG. 83 advances the process to S2202 and waits until a user operation is received via the display unit 1407, the operation unit 1408, or the microphone 1404. If the processing unit 1401 determines that a user operation has been received (Yes in S2202), the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S2203 and determines whether the operation received in S2202 is a press of the "Reflect in Recipe" button. If the user operation received by the processing unit 1401 is not a press of the "Reflect in Recipe" button (No in S2203), the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S2204 and determines whether the operation is a switch of characteristics used to acquire beverage information. If the user operation received by the processing unit 1401 is to switch characteristics (Yes in S2204), the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S2208 and updates the screen to display the switched characteristics. If the user operation received by the processing unit 1401 is not to switch characteristics (No in S2204), the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S2205 and determines whether or not a characteristic level has been selected. If the user operation received by the processing unit 1401 is to select a characteristic level (Yes in S2205), the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S2206 and acquires information about characteristics (characteristic information) from the storage unit 1403 of the server 1201 or the mobile terminal 1202. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S2207 and updates the screen. The process when the "Reflect in recipe" button is pressed in S2203 (Yes in S2203) will be described later.

Next, FIG. 83 shows an example of the setting screen displayed in S2201. The setting screen 2300 includes a graph area 2301 and a legend area 2302. Note that in the example of FIG. 83, only the axes are displayed in the graph area 2301 of the initial setting screen 2300.

In the example of FIG. 83, the legend area 2302 allows selection of characteristics related to the taste of coffee ("bitterness", "sweetness", "acidity", "aroma", "aftertaste", and "body"), with "bitterness", "sweetness", and "acidity" being selected. In the following explanation, unless otherwise stated, the parameters used to obtain coffee beverage information will be referred to as "characteristics". Note that the characteristics selected to obtain beverage information on the initial display of the setting screen may be stored in the program as default values, or may be set by the user.

In the graph area 2301, "bitterness" 2303, "sourness" 2304, and "sweetness" 2305 set by the user are displayed as axes of a graph (a three-axis radar chart in this example) corresponding to the characteristics "bitterness," "sweetness," and "sourness" selected in the legend area 2302. In addition, multiple values (levels) can be selected for each axis, and in this embodiment, integers from 0 to 40 can be selected as the minimum and maximum levels of each characteristic.

In this embodiment, the description will be given assuming that each of "bitterness" 2303, "sourness" 2304, and "sweetness" 2305 can have a selectable level from 0 to 40, but different characteristics may have at least one of different minimum and maximum levels selectable. For example, the characteristic "bitterness" 2303 may have a selectable level from 0 to 40, and the characteristic "sourness" 2304 may have a selectable level from 0 to 20. Depending on the characteristic, the level may not be a numerical value, and may be, for example, "present" or "absent", or "weak", "medium", or "strong". In other words, it is sufficient if multiple values can be taken for one characteristic. The selectable levels for each of these characteristics may be stored in the program as default values.

Now, assume that point 2306, which corresponds to level 30 of the attribute "bitterness" 2303, is pressed on the setting screen 2300 in FIG. 83. In this case, the operation received in S2202 is not the pressing of the "Reflect in recipe" button (No in S2203), so the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S2204. In S2204, it is determined whether the operation received in S2202 is a change in attribute. A change in attribute refers to a change in the attribute selection in the legend area 2302 in FIG. 83. Since the operation of point 2306 does not correspond to a change in attribute (No in S2204), the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S2205. In S2205, it is determined whether the operation received in S2202 is a selection of the attribute level. Since the operation at point 2306 is a selection of the attribute level (level 30 for the attribute "bitterness") (Yes in S2205), the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S2206. In S2206, the mobile terminal 1202 acquires attribute information from the database 1309 of the server 1201 based on the attribute level specified by the user operation.

Now, referring to FIG. 101, an example of data held by database 1309 is shown. FIG. 101(A) is a user information database (DB) 4110 that stores information about beverages ordered by users. FIG. 101(B) is a preparation profile DB 4120 that stores preparation profile IDs and corresponding preparation profile parameters. FIG. 101(C) is a characteristic information DB 4130 that stores characteristic information and corresponding ingredient information and preparation profile IDs.

The user information DB 4110 includes a user identifier 4111, date and time information 4112, bean information 4113, origin information 4114, roast level information 4115, preparation profile ID 4116, machine information 4117, rate information 4118, and comment information 4119. The user identifier 4111 may be any information that the user can be identified by the server 1201, and in one example, includes a user identifier (ID). In another example, the user identifier 4111 includes at least one of the user's email address, the mobile terminal identifier, and the user's name. The date and time information 4112 includes information corresponding to the date and time when the user ordered a beverage. The bean information 4113 indicating the type of beans, the origin information 4114 indicating the origin of the beans, and the roast level information 4115 indicating the roast level of the beans are called raw material information. In addition, the preparation profile ID 4116 stores a key for acquiring data stored in the preparation profile DB 4120. Machine information 4117 stores the identifier of the machine that prepared the beverage. Rate 4118 and comment 4119 store the user's rating and comment on the beverage acquired via the service screen of FIG. 79.

The preparation profile DB 4120 includes a preparation profile ID 4121 and a preparation profile including at least one of the amount of beans 4122, grind size 4123, amount of steaming water 4124, steaming time 4125, amount of extraction water 4126, extraction pressure 4127, and extraction time 4128. In one example, the preparation profile includes the items in the display area of FIG. 81.

The characteristic information DB4130 includes bean information 4131, origin information 4132, roast level information 4133, preparation profile ID 4134, bitterness 4135, sweetness 4136, sourness 4137, priority 4138, and price 4139. Bitterness 4135, sweetness 4136, and sourness 4137 are characteristic information, and the characteristic information in the characteristic information DB4130 corresponds to the characteristics "bitterness", "sweetness", "sourness", "aroma", "aftertaste", and "body" displayed in the legend area 2302 in FIG. 83.

In one example, data is added to the user information DB 4110 when a user orders a beverage, or when the user rates or comments on the beverage ordered from the server 1201 via the mobile terminal 1202. Data may also be added to the characteristic information DB 4130 by authorized users, such as coffee shops or baristas.

In S2206, the processing unit 1401 transmits the attribute level specified by the user operation (level 30 for the attribute "bitterness" in the example of FIG. 83) to the server 1201 to request acquisition of attribute information. In one example, in S2206, the processing unit 1401 may acquire attribute information based on the attribute level specified by the user operation (level 30 for the attribute "bitterness" in the example of FIG. 83). The server 1201 that receives the attribute level determines whether or not there is data corresponding to the attribute level specified by the user operation from the attribute information database, and searches for a dataset that includes the matching attribute level. In this embodiment, the dataset refers to one row of data stored in the attribute information DB 4130. In the example of FIG. 101, the server 1201 identifies the dataset in the first row of the attribute information DB 4130 in FIG. 101 (A, COL (Colombia), light roast, 1, 30, 20, 22, 5, 550), which is a dataset that matches the "bitterness" level 30, and transmits it to the mobile terminal 1202.

In one example, a dataset may be identified that has the same characteristic as the received characteristic level and has the smallest error level. That is, a dataset may be identified that has a characteristic level different from the characteristic level transmitted from the mobile terminal 1202. The mobile terminal 1202 that has acquired the dataset from the server 1201 stores the dataset in the memory 1402 or the storage unit 1403, and proceeds to S2207.

In this embodiment, the characteristic information acquired by the mobile terminal 1202 from the server 1201 in S2206 is described as one or more data sets in the characteristic information DB 4130, but in one example, some data in the data set, such as the priority 4138, may not need to be acquired.

In S2207, the mobile terminal 1202 updates the setting screen 2300. FIG. 84 shows a setting screen that is displayed when a data set of one characteristic information is acquired from the server 1201 after the characteristic level is selected in FIG. 83. The setting screen 2400 shown in FIG. 84 includes a graph area 2301 and a legend area 2302, similar to FIG. 83. In addition to the characteristic axes 2303-2305, the graph area 2301 plots markers 2401-2403 on the levels (bitterness level 30, sourness level 22, sweetness level 20) corresponding to the characteristic (bitterness, sourness, and sweetness) selected as the axis from the acquired data set, and each marker is connected by a line 2406. The setting screen 2400 also displays an area 2404 that displays raw material information from the acquired data set, and a "Reflect in recipe" button 2405.

Note that in this specification, it is described that if a predetermined number or less of data sets are acquired in S2206, the "Reflect in recipe" button 2405 is displayed in S2207. However, in one example, the "Reflect in recipe" button 2405 may be always displayed and may become pressable if a predetermined number or less of data sets are acquired in S2206.

Next, the processing unit 1401 returns the process to S2202 and waits until a user operation is received.

Next, a setting screen that is displayed when the user drags the point 2401 plotted at the bitterness level of 30 on the setting screen 2400 to change the bitterness level from 30 to 22 will be described. Since this user operation also results in the selection of the characteristic level, the processing unit 1401 acquires characteristic information again in S2206 of FIG. 82. Note that the description will be given assuming that one data set is acquired again in S2206. Then, in S2207, the graph area 2301 is updated.

Figure 85 shows the setting screen that is displayed when the user drags the point 2401 plotted at bitterness level 30 on the setting screen 2400 to change the bitterness level from 30 to 22. In this example, the point 2401 corresponding to bitterness level 30 among the characteristics 2406 is updated to points 2501, 2402, and 2502 based on the bitterness level changed to 22 by the user's operation and the characteristic information reacquired based on the bitterness level 22. The area 2404 displaying the raw material information may also be updated based on the acquired characteristic information. The control unit 1401 then returns the process to S2202 again.

Next, a case will be described in which the user taps "Depth" in the legend area 2302 on the setting screen 2500 to view the level of the "Depth" characteristic of the current data set. In this case, the user operation corresponds to switching the characteristic (Yes in S2204). Therefore, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S2208 and updates the screen.

86 shows an example of a screen displayed when the user switches the characteristics used for searching recipes on the setting screen 2500. In the graph area 2601 of the setting screen 2600 of FIG. 86, bitterness 2303, sourness 2304, and sweetness 2305, as well as richness 2601 are displayed in a four-axis radar chart in this example. As can be seen from the examples so far, the level of each characteristic is displayed using a radar chart with the number of axes corresponding to the number of characteristics selected by the user. In addition, the processing unit 1401 obtains the level of the characteristic "richness" from the characteristic information obtained in S2206 and plots it on the axis of richness 2601. Next, the processing unit 1401 returns the process to S2202 and waits until a user operation is received. Although not described, the operation of hiding (reducing) the characteristics used to obtain beverage information and the operation of simultaneously displaying or hiding multiple characteristics can also be realized by similar processing.

Next, the operation of the processing unit 1401 when the user presses the "Reflect in recipe" button 2405 on the setting screen 2600 in FIG. 86 will be described. When the processing unit 1401 determines that a user operation has been received (Yes in S2202), the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S2203 and determines whether the "Reflect in recipe" button has been pressed. In this example, it determines that the "Reflect in recipe" button has been pressed (Yes in S2203), advances the process to S2209, and acquires a preparation profile.

In S2209, the processing unit 1401 transmits the preparation profile ID included in the acquired characteristic information to the server 1201 via the communication I/F 1409 or the short-range wireless communication I/F 1410. The server 1201 that has received the preparation profile ID from the mobile terminal 1202 acquires a preparation profile from the preparation profile DB 4120 based on the preparation profile ID and transmits it to the mobile terminal 1202. The mobile terminal 1202 that has received the preparation profile advances the process to S2210 and transitions from the setting screen 2600 to the service screen shown in FIG. 81.

Then, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S2211, and reflects the acquired preparation profile in the parameters of the display areas 2001 to 2007 of the service screen. The processing unit 1401 then advances the process to S2212, and waits until the user presses the order button 2104. Note that the user may be able to change any of the parameters of the display areas 2001 to 2007 of the service screen before pressing the order button 2104.

When the user presses the order button 2104 (Yes in S2212), the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S2213 and outputs the preparation profile. In one example, the mobile terminal 1202 may transmit setting information including the preparation profile to the information display device 1203 via the short-range wireless communication I/F or communication I/F 1409 (step 1605). Alternatively, the mobile terminal 1202 may display a two-dimensional barcode such as a QR code (registered trademark) on the display unit 1407 and transmit the setting information including the preparation profile to the imaging unit 1509 of the information display device 1203.

As described above, in this embodiment, by selecting a level of a characteristic related to the taste of a beverage from a range of characteristic levels, beverage information corresponding to the selected level can be obtained. This allows the user to specify a beverage, beverage ingredients, or beverage preparation profile based on the user's own preferences.

In addition, in this embodiment, one or more characteristics related to the beverage can be selected, and the range of characteristic levels to be displayed can be changed according to the selection of the one or more characteristics. This allows beverage information to be obtained using the characteristics that the user is particular about.

In addition, in this embodiment, at least one of information about ingredients and information about a preparation profile is acquired as beverage information. This allows the beverage production device to be controlled to prepare a specified beverage based on the level selected by the user.

In addition, in this embodiment, at least a portion of the acquired characteristic information is output to the beverage production device. This allows the beverage production device to be controlled to prepare a beverage previously specified by the user.

In addition, in this embodiment, at least a portion of the beverage information is output via either short-range wireless communication or a two-dimensional barcode. This allows the beverage production device to be controlled without directly operating it.

In this embodiment, the level of each characteristic is displayed by a radar chart, but it may be displayed in other ways. For example, the label of each characteristic (e.g., "bitterness", "sweetness", "acidity", etc.) may be arranged in the row direction, and the level of each characteristic may be represented by the number of coffee bean icons arranged in the column direction of the corresponding row, or in a bar graph-like manner that is easy for the user to understand.

<Second Aspect>
In the first mode, in the setting screen displayed in S2201 of Fig. 82, only axes corresponding to characteristics are displayed in the graph area, and the user may select a level of a characteristic that is not registered in the server's database. In the second mode, a display corresponding to the levels of the characteristics registered in the server's database is performed, and an indicator that should be a guide when the user selects a level is displayed. Note that a description of the same configuration or processing as in the first mode is omitted.

Figure 87 is a flowchart showing details of the processing of S2201 according to the second aspect. In S2701, the processing unit 1401 acquires a data set stored in the characteristic information DB 4130 of the server 1201. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the processing to S2702, and displays a setting screen including the characteristic information contained in the acquired data set. Thereafter, the processing advances to S2202. The subsequent processing is similar to that of the first aspect, and therefore will not be described.

Figure 88 shows an example of the initial display of the setting screen related to the second aspect. In this example, we will explain it as if three data sets are stored in the characteristics information DB 4130 of the server 1201.

The setting screen 2800 in FIG. 88 displays a graph area 2801 and a legend area 2802. The graph area 2801 plots characteristic information 2807-2809 contained in three data sets stored in the characteristic information DB 4130 of the server 1201. In this way, by plotting all the data sets stored in the characteristic information DB 4130 in advance, the user can understand what options are available.

When the user taps level 30 (point 2806) on the bitterness axis 2803 plotted in the graph area 2801, the processing unit 1401 judges Yes in S2202, No in S2203, No in S2204, and Yes in S2205, and proceeds to S2206. Next, since the dataset corresponding to level 30 of the bitterness characteristic has been narrowed down to only characteristic 2807, the screen may be updated in S2207 so as not to display characteristics 2808 and 2809 of the two datasets other than that dataset, and may be updated to the same screen as that shown in FIG. 84.

As described above, in this embodiment, the levels of the characteristics registered in the server's database can be displayed, and an indicator that can serve as a guide when the user selects a level can be displayed.

<Third Aspect>
In the second aspect, all data sets are displayed in the graph area 2801. When the number of data sets of characteristic information stored in the characteristic information DB 4130 of the server 1201 becomes large, the visibility of the graph area 2801 may become poor. In the third aspect, the data sets of characteristic information registered in the server database are processed to display the range of selectable characteristic levels, and an indicator that should serve as a guide when the user selects a level is displayed. Note that a description of the same configuration or processing as in the first or second aspect will be omitted.

Figure 89 is a flowchart showing details of the processing of S2201 according to the third aspect. In S2901, the processing unit 1401 acquires characteristic information stored in the characteristic information DB 4130 of the server 1201. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the processing to S2902, and performs data processing, described below, on the characteristic information included in the acquired data set. Thereafter, the processing advances to S2903, and the initial display of the setting screen is performed. Thereafter, the processing advances to S2202. The subsequent processing is the same as in the first aspect, and therefore description is omitted.

The data processing of S2902 is processing for identifying a range of characteristic levels based on multiple pieces of characteristic information. In one example, the range of characteristic levels may be identified based on the minimum and maximum levels of the same characteristic contained in multiple pieces of characteristic information. In other words, for each of all characteristics, the minimum and maximum levels of the characteristic contained in the characteristic information may be obtained, and the range from the minimum to the maximum may be determined as the "selectable level range" of the characteristic.

In another example, the range of selectable levels may be generated based on statistical values such as the mean, median, or variance of the levels of the same characteristic contained in all the characteristic information.

In one example, the processes of S2901 to S2902 may be executed by the processing unit 1301 of the server 1201. That is, the mobile terminal 1202 that executed S2201 may request the server 1201 to generate an initial display screen, and the processing unit 1301 may specify a range of characteristic levels based on data in the database 1309 and transmit the range to the mobile terminal 1202. The mobile terminal 1202 may then display the received range of characteristic levels.

Figure 90 shows an example of the initial display of the setting screen relating to the third aspect. The setting screen 3000 in Figure 90 displays a graph area 3001 and a legend area 3002. The graph area 3001 displays an axis 3003 for the characteristic "bitterness", an axis 3004 for "sourness", and an axis 3005 for "sweetness", as well as a selectable range 3006 based on the range of characteristic levels identified in S2902. In the example of Figure 90, it can be seen that for all data sets stored in the characteristic information DB 4130, for example, the characteristic "bitterness" is in the range of levels 19 to 30. Similarly, it can be seen that all data sets are in the range of levels 21 to 38 for the characteristic "sourness".

In this way, by displaying in advance the range of characteristic levels generated based on the data sets stored in the characteristic information DB 4130, the user can use this as a guide when selecting a level. Furthermore, even if the number of data sets of characteristic information stored in the characteristic information DB 4130 becomes large, the user can select the characteristic level while maintaining good visibility.

When the user taps level 30 (point 3007) on the bitterness axis 3003 plotted in the graph area 3001, the processing unit 1401 judges Yes in S2202, No in S2203, No in S2204, and Yes in S2205, and proceeds to S2206. Next, when the data set corresponding to level 30 of the characteristic "bitterness" is narrowed down to one, the screen is updated in S2207 so that the range of characteristic levels is not displayed, and the screen may be updated to the same as that shown in FIG. 84.

As explained above, in this embodiment, the range of selectable levels of the characteristics registered in the server's database is displayed, and an indicator that should serve as a guide when the user selects a level is displayed. This makes it possible to display an indicator that the user can use to select the characteristic level while maintaining visibility, even if the amount of characteristic information registered in the database becomes large.

Note that, while FIG. 90 shows an example in which the selectable range 3006 based on the range of the levels of the identified characteristic is displayed in a radar chart, this is not limiting. For example, the fact that the characteristic "bitterness" is within the range of levels 19 to 30 may be shown to the user in the form of a bar graph. In such a case, the labels of each characteristic (e.g., "bitterness", "sweetness", "sourness", etc.) are arranged in the row direction, and 18 white coffee bean icons are arranged in the column direction in the row of the characteristic "bitterness", followed by 12 black coffee bean icons, and a predetermined number of further white coffee bean icons, so that the black coffee bean icons can indicate that the level is within the range of 19 to 30.

<Fourth aspect>
In the third aspect, the ranges of the characteristic levels of all the characteristic information stored in the database are displayed together in the graph area 2801. In one example, the range of the characteristic level for each bean may be displayed as a guide when the user selects the characteristic level. In the fourth aspect, a mobile terminal is described that acquires the characteristic information registered in the server database, processes it for each type of bean, and displays an index that should be a guide when the user selects the level. Note that a description of the same configuration or processing as any of the first to third aspects is omitted.

Figure 91 is a flowchart showing details of the processing of S2201 executed by the processing unit 1401 of the mobile terminal according to the fourth aspect. In S3101, the processing unit 1401 acquires a data set stored in the characteristic information DB 4130 of the server 1201. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S3102, and extracts characteristic information corresponding to one type of bean from the acquired data set.

Then, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S3103, processes the characteristic information, generates display data in S3104, and determines whether display data has been generated for all types of beans included in the acquired data set in S3105. If it is determined that display data has not been generated for all types of beans (No in S3105), the processing unit 1401 returns the process to S3102, and extracts characteristic information corresponding to another type of beans. If it is determined that display data has been generated for all types of beans (Yes in S3105), the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S3106, and performs initial display of the setting screen based on all the generated display data. Then, the processing advances to S2202. The subsequent processes are the same as those in the first aspect, and therefore will not be described. Note that the characteristic information process in S3103 may specify the range of characteristic levels based on multiple pieces of characteristic information, similar to the characteristic information process in S2902.

Figure 92 shows an example of the initial display of the setting screen related to the fourth aspect. Note that in the example of Figure 92, the explanation will be given assuming that data sets for two types of beans (beans A and beans B) are stored in the characteristic information DB 4130.

The setting screen 3200 in FIG. 92 displays a graph area 3201 and a legend area 3202. The graph area 3201 displays characteristic axes 3203-3205, as well as the characteristic level range 3206 of bean type "A" and the characteristic level range 3207 of bean type "B" as the display data generated in S3104.

In this way, by displaying the range of characteristic levels for each type of bean in advance, which is generated based on the data set stored in the characteristic information DB 4130, the user can use this as a guide when selecting a level. In addition, by displaying the range of characteristic levels for each type of bean, the user can understand the characteristic levels that are unique to a particular type of bean.

Next, the operation of the processing unit 1401 when the user taps on point 3208 in FIG. 92 will be described. Point 3208 is a point of level 35 of the characteristic "bitterness", which is not within the range 3206 of the characteristic level of bean A but is within the range 3207 of the characteristic level of bean B.

In this case, in one example, the range of characteristic levels of the dataset having the selected characteristic level may be displayed. FIG. 93 shows an example of a settings screen when level 35 of the characteristic "bitterness" is tapped in FIG. 92. In the graph area 3201 of FIG. 93, characteristic axes 3203-3205 similar to those in FIG. 92 are displayed, and a range 3301 of characteristic levels of a dataset having the same characteristic level as point 3208 is displayed. That is, in the example of FIG. 93, the user selects point 3208, but this is an example of operation in which multiple datasets can be selected.

Note that the characteristic level corresponding to point 3208 is included in the characteristic level range 3207 of bean B only, and is not included in the characteristic level range 3206 of bean A, so the characteristic level range of bean A is not displayed.

Next, referring to FIG. 94, the operation when the user drags and moves point 3208 in the display of FIG. 93 will be described. FIG. 94 shows the operation when the level of the selected characteristic is changed from point 3208, which corresponds to level 35 of the characteristic "bitterness", to point 3402, which corresponds to level 32 of the characteristic "bitterness". In this case, although point 3402 is within the characteristic level range 3207 of bean B, it is outside the characteristic level range 3206 of bean A, so that the characteristic level range 3206 of bean A is not displayed. Furthermore, if the characteristic level range of a dataset having the same characteristic level as point 3402 after the change changes, the characteristic level range changes, for example, from range 3301 to range 3401.

Next, a setting screen that is displayed when the user taps point 3209 in the display of FIG. 92 will be described. Point 3209 is a point at level 28 of the characteristic "bitterness," and is included in the range 3206 of the characteristic levels of bean A and the range 3207 of the characteristic levels of bean B. It is also assumed that there are two data sets that have the same characteristic level as point 3209.

In this case, the processing unit 1401 may display the characteristic information contained in the two data sets, as well as the ingredient information 3501, 3502 of the two data sets, and the "Reflect in recipe" button 3503. The user can obtain a preparation profile (S2209) by pressing either ingredient information 3501 or 3502 to select it and then pressing the "Reflect in recipe" button 3503 (Yes in S2203).

Alternatively, the level of the attribute "sourness" may be further selected. In that case, either data set may be selected by tapping point 3504 or point 3505.

Note that in the display of FIG. 95, the characteristic level range 3206 of bean A and the characteristic level range 3207 of bean B are continuously displayed, but it is also possible to display two data sets having the same characteristic level as point 3209 and hide ranges 3206 and 3207.

In one example, when multiple pieces of ingredient information are displayed, the processing unit 1401 may recommend one of the beverages based on the information included in the data set. The operation of the processing unit 1401 when the user taps the point 3209 in the display of FIG. 92 will be described with reference to FIG. 96.

When displaying the ingredient information 3501 and 3502, the processing unit 1401 displays the recommended ingredients based on at least one of the priority information 4138 and the price information 4139 included in the data set. In one example, the ingredients in the characteristic information DB 4130 store information on bean stock, and the processing unit 1401 may display the recommended ingredients based on the information on the bean stock.

As described above, in this embodiment, the range of characteristic levels registered in the server's database can be displayed for each bean, and an indicator that can serve as a guide when the user selects a level can be displayed.

In one example, the range of attribute levels may be displayed by origin or roast level rather than by bean.

<Fifth aspect>
In the first to fourth aspects, the user's preference is selected using any one of the levels of the characteristics "bitterness", "sweetness", "sourness", "aroma", "aftertaste", and "richness". In one example, the characteristics for selecting the user's preference may be changeable. In the fifth aspect, a process for changing the characteristics for selecting beverage information to be acquired based on an image of the beverage will be described.

In this embodiment, when the "Image Search" button 2102 in FIG. 81 is pressed, the processing unit 1401 of the mobile terminal 1202 executes the process in FIG. 82. In addition, in the process of S2201 in FIG. 82, the process shown in FIG. 97 is performed.

Figure 97 is a flowchart showing a process for initial display of a setting screen according to the fifth aspect. First, in S3701, the processing unit 1401 acquires axis information from the server 1201. The axis information is information about the item of the characteristic used to acquire beverage information, for example, information about the item of the column of the characteristic information 4140 in the characteristic information DB 4130 in Figure 101. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S3702, and acquires a data set stored in the characteristic information DB 4130 of the server 1201. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S3702, and performs data processing on the characteristic information included in the acquired data set, and advances the process to S3704, and performs an initial display corresponding to the acquired characteristic information.

Next, an example of a process for changing an item of the characteristic information 4140 stored in the characteristic information DB 4130 of the server 1201 will be described with reference to Figs. 98 and 99. Fig. 98 is a diagram for explaining the flow from brewing coffee to acquiring history information. The process up to step 1607 of brewing coffee is the same as that in Fig. 76, so the explanation will be omitted.

When the coffee extraction is completed, the beverage production device 1204 sends a completion notification to the information display device 1203 (step 3801). The information display device 1203 that receives the completion notification generates history information based on the setting information received in step 1605, and sends the history information to the server 1201 (step 3802). In one example, the history information includes at least one of the preparation profile, preparation profile ID, information related to the identifier of the beverage production device 1204, raw material information, user identifier, and date and time information when the order was received. The server 1201 that receives the history information adds a record to the user information DB 4110 based on the history information. In one example, the record includes the user information 4111, date and time information 4112, bean information 4113, origin information 4114, roast level 4115, preparation profile ID 4116, and machine information 4117 of the user information DB.

Furthermore, the user who drinks the brewed coffee may send a comment and a rating of the drink via the mobile terminal 1202 (step 3803). The comment may be input via the comment input screen of FIG. 79. For example, the rating information in the display area 1902 of FIG. 79 may correspond to the rate 4118 of the user information DB 4110, and the comment information in the display area 1903 may be stored so as to correspond to the comment 4119 of the user information DB 4110.

Next, referring to FIG. 99, a process in which the server 1201, which has a user information DB 4110 storing user history information, extracts beverage characteristics for a user to select a beverage based on the history information will be described. The process in FIG. 99 is executed by the processing unit 1301 of the server 1201 when the server 1201 has stored a predetermined number of pieces of history information, at a predetermined time interval, or at a timing instructed by the server administrator.

First, in S3901, the processing unit 1301 acquires a data set of the user information DB 4110 from the database 1309. Next, the processing unit 1301 advances the process to S3902, analyzes the comments included in the data set, and extracts words that are frequently included in the comments. Next, the processing unit 1301 advances the process to S3903, and determines the characteristics of the beverage used by the user to search for a beverage preparation profile based on the words that are frequently included in the comment information. In one example, words that are frequently included in the comment information and are similar to terms already registered in the database 1309 as characteristics, such as "bitter" and "sour," may be excluded. In another example, adjectives that represent colors such as "redness" and "whiteness" that are recalled when drinking coffee may be extracted to determine the characteristics. In another example, nouns such as "blueberry" and "almond" that are recalled when drinking coffee may be extracted to determine the characteristics. That is, the processing unit 1301 extracts words that can be images of coffee based on a predetermined rule. Next, the processing unit 1301 advances the process to S3904 and registers the determined characteristic column in the characteristic information 4140 of the characteristic information DB 4130.

Then, the processing unit 1301 advances the process to S3905 and acquires comment information of a data set in which at least any of the bean information 4113, the place of origin information 4114, the roasting degree information 4115, and the preparation profile ID 4116 are the same. In this embodiment, comment information of a data set in which the bean information 4113, the place of origin 4114, the roasting degree 4115, and the preparation profile ID 4116 are all the same is acquired. Note that, although this embodiment is described as acquiring comment information of all users, it is also possible to acquire comment information of only one user, or to acquire comments of some users based on age, address, etc.

Then, the processing unit 1301 advances the process to S3906 and calculates the determined characteristic level for the group of data sets. In one example, the characteristic level may be the percentage of the number of comments in the group that use the determined characteristic word. The characteristic level may also be determined based on the number of individual users in the comments in the group that use the determined characteristic word. Alternatively, the characteristic level may be determined by natural language processing based on the distance in vector space between the characteristic and the group or the distance in vector space between the characteristic and the comments.

Then, the processing unit 1301 advances the process to S3907, and registers the calculated characteristic levels in a dataset that matches the raw material information of the group in the characteristic information DB 4130 and the preparation profile ID 4134. The processing unit 1301 then advances the process to S3908, and determines whether all characteristic levels have been calculated for all dataset groups.

When it is determined that all characteristic levels have been calculated for all groups (Yes in S3908), the processing unit 1301 ends the processing in FIG. 99. If there is a group for which the characteristic levels have not been calculated (No in S3908), the processing unit 1301 advances the processing to S3905 and calculates the characteristic levels of another group.

FIG. 100 shows an example of a setting screen displayed on the display unit 1407 of the mobile terminal 1202 that executed the process of FIG. 97. The setting screen 4000 of FIG. 100 displays a graph area 4001 and a legend area 4002. The graph area 4001 displays an axis 4003 of the characteristic "redness", an axis 4004 of "freshness", an axis 4005 of "whiteness", and a selectable range 4006 based on the range of the characteristic levels identified in S3703. In this example, the axis information acquired by the processing unit 1401 in S3701 is displayed in the legend area 4002, and a predetermined number of axes are displayed in the graph area 4001. In the example of FIG. 100, it can be seen that, for all data sets stored in the characteristic information DB 4130, for example, the characteristic "redness" is within the range of levels 19 to 30.

The processing that occurs after the initial display of the settings screen is the same as that described in the first aspect, so a detailed description will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the characteristics and characteristic levels related to the image of the beverage used to obtain beverage information have been described as being generated from user comments, but like taste characteristics such as "bitterness" and "sweetness," they may be set by the barista or store, or by the user.

In this way, by displaying the characteristic levels stored in the characteristic information DB 4130 in advance, the user can use this as a guide when selecting a level. Also, by generating characteristics and characteristic levels based on the comment information stored in the user information DB 4110, the impression the user had of the coffee when drinking it can be quantified and displayed.

<Sixth aspect>
In the first to fifth aspects, the user's preference is selected based on characteristics such as the taste or image of the coffee. In one example, a guide for the user to select the level of the characteristics may be displayed based on preference information about the coffee ordered by the user. In the fifth aspect, a process of displaying the history information of the user's orders in association with the characteristics of the coffee will be described.

Figure 102 shows an example of a process for searching for a preparation profile from history information and information related to the characteristics of a beverage according to the sixth aspect.

First, in S3101 to S3106, as in the fourth aspect, the processing unit 1401 transmits user information to the server 1201, acquires a data set from the characteristic information DB 4130 stored in the server 1201, and performs display based on the data set. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S4201, and acquires data from the user information DB 4110 of the server 1201. Next, based on the raw material information (bean information, origin information, and roast level) and preparation profile ID in the user information DB 4110 and the characteristic information DB 4130, characteristic information corresponding to the history information of coffee that the user has ordered is acquired from the characteristic information DB 4130. Next, the history information is displayed on the display unit 1409, superimposed on the characteristic information stored in the characteristic information DB 4130.

Then, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S2202. The subsequent processes are the same as those in any of the first to fifth aspects, and therefore will not be described.

Figure 103 shows an example of a setting screen for the sixth aspect.

The setting screen in FIG. 103 displays a graph area 4301 and a legend area 4302. The graph area 4301 displays characteristic axes 4303-4305, a range 4306 of the characteristic levels generated in S3104, and characteristic information 4307 and 4308 corresponding to two pieces of history information as the preference information generated in S4201.

Next, referring to FIG. 104, the operation when the user taps on point 4309 will be described. In this example, point 4309 is not included in the characteristic information corresponding to the user's history information, and the characteristic information DB 4130 will be described assuming that there is one piece of characteristic information including the characteristic level corresponding to point 4309. When the user taps on point 4309, the processing unit 1401 identifies the characteristic information corresponding to the characteristic level of point 4309, and displays it on the screen as characteristic information 4401. The processing unit 1401 may also display raw material information 4402 corresponding to characteristic information 4401, and a "Reflect in recipe" button 4403.

In the example of FIG. 104, the characteristic level range 4306 and the preference information 4307 and 4308 of the characteristic information DB 4130 remain displayed even after the point 4309 is tapped, but in one example, at least one of them may be switched to hidden.

Next, FIG. 105 shows a setting screen that is displayed when the characteristic "richness" is tapped in the legend area 4302 in FIG. 104 to change the characteristic to be displayed. The graph area 4301 of the setting screen 4300 in FIG. 105 displays richness 4501 in addition to bitterness 4303, sourness 4304, and sweetness 4305 in FIG. 104. The processing unit 1401 also obtains the level or range of levels of the characteristic "richness" for the characteristic information 4306, history information 4307, 4308, and the tapped characteristic 4401, and plots them on the axis "richness" 2601. The subsequent processing is similar to the first to fifth aspects, and therefore will not be described.

As described above, in this embodiment, the level of the characteristics of the coffee ordered by the user can be displayed as preference information. This allows the user to understand their own preferences from the history of the coffees they have ordered.

In the sixth aspect, the characteristic level of the coffee ordered (purchased) by the user is displayed. In one example, the preference information may be displayed based on the history of the characteristic levels selected by the user. In this case, the database 1309 may have a database that stores the characteristic levels transmitted from the terminal to the server 1201 in association with the user identifier. In addition, the preference information displayed on the terminal in such a case does not need to include multiple characteristic levels as in the history information 4307 in FIG. 103, for example, and may be displayed as points having only one characteristic level. In addition, the history of the characteristic levels selected by the user and the history of the characteristic levels of the beverage purchased by the user may be displayed simultaneously by processing such as assigning different markers. Alternatively, the preference information may be generated based on the history of the characteristic levels selected by the user and the purchase history, for example by not displaying the history of the characteristic levels selected by the user if the history matches the characteristic level of the beverage purchased by the user.

In this embodiment, the range of characteristic levels in characteristic information DB4130 is displayed together with the user's preference information, but it is also possible to display only the user's preference information.

<Seventh aspect>
In the sixth aspect, the user's history information is acquired and displayed. In one example, the mobile terminal 1202 may process the user's history information and display it.

Figure 106 shows an example of the process of acquiring and displaying user preference information according to this embodiment. In S4601, the processing unit 1401 acquires user information stored in the user information DB 4110 of the server 1201. In the seventh embodiment, the preference information is the level of characteristics of coffee that the user has ordered, as in the sixth embodiment. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S4602, where it performs data processing, described below, on the history information included in the acquired data set. Thereafter, the processing advances to S4603, where it performs the initial display of the setting screen. Thereafter, the processing advances to S2202. The subsequent processes are similar to at least one of the first to sixth embodiments, and therefore will not be described.

The data processing of S4602 is a process for identifying the range of characteristic levels of coffees that the user has ordered in the past, based on multiple pieces of characteristic information corresponding to the preference information. In one example, the range of characteristic levels may be identified based on the minimum and maximum levels of multiple coffee characteristics corresponding to multiple pieces of preference information (history information). In other words, for each of the characteristics corresponding to all of the history information, the minimum and maximum levels of the characteristic may be obtained, and the range from the minimum to the maximum may be determined as the "range of characteristic levels corresponding to the history information."

In another example, the range of selectable levels may be generated based on statistical values such as the mean, median, variance, etc. of the characteristic levels corresponding to all historical information.

FIG. 107 shows an example of the initial display of the setting screen according to the seventh aspect. A graph area 4701 and a legend area 4702 are displayed on the setting screen 4700 of FIG. 107. The graph area 4701 displays an axis 4703 for the attribute "bitterness", an axis 4704 for "sourness", an axis 4705 for "sweetness", a range 4706 of selectable attribute levels stored in the attribute information DB 4130 generated in S3104, and a range 4707 of attribute levels based on history information. In the example of FIG. 107, it can be seen that the range of attribute levels based on history information, for example, for the attribute "bitterness", is within a range of levels 20 to 35. Similarly, it can be seen that the attribute "sourness" is within a range of levels 19 to 28.

In this way, by displaying the range of characteristic levels based on the user information DB 4110 in advance, the user can use it as a guide to understand their own preferences. Furthermore, even if the number of data sets in the user information DB 4110 becomes large, the user can select the characteristic level while maintaining good visibility.

<Eighth aspect>
In a seventh aspect, a range of levels of characteristics of beverages included in a user's purchase history is displayed. In one example, additional preference information may be used to display the user's own preferences in an easily understandable manner. In the seventh aspect, a process of displaying preference information based on a user's rating of coffee is described.

Figure 108 shows an example of a process for acquiring and displaying characteristic information corresponding to the preference information according to this embodiment. In S4801, the processing unit 1401 acquires preference information (user information) stored in the user information DB 4110 of the server 1201. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S4802, and extracts preference information having the same rate information 4118 from the acquired preference information. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S4803, and performs data processing on the characteristic information corresponding to the preference information having the same rate information 4118. In one example, characteristic information corresponding to the adjustment profile ID 4116 of the preference information having the same rate information 4118 is identified, and a range of characteristic levels corresponding to history information having the same rate may be identified based on the minimum and maximum values of the characteristic levels. In addition, a range of selectable characteristic levels may be generated based on statistical values such as the average value, median value, and variance of the characteristic levels corresponding to the history information.

In one example, if the rating is a number between 1 and 5, S4803 may extract, for example, user information with a rating between 0 and 2, between 2 and 4, or 4 or more. In other words, user information with different rating information 4118 may be grouped together, and the history information may be grouped based on a predetermined condition. This allows detailed scoring when the user rates, while at the same time allowing the user to easily check the rating when it is displayed.

In one example, preference information to be used for generating display data may be further selected from the grouped preference information. For example, up to 100 pieces of preference information may be selected in order of most recent date and time information 4112. This makes it possible to display the range of levels of coffee characteristics preferred by the user in response to changes in the user's preferences over time.

Then, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S4804, and generates display data for the range of characteristic levels corresponding to the preference information. The processing unit 1401 advances the process to S4805, and determines whether display data has been generated for all types of rates based on characteristic information corresponding to the preference information. If it is determined that display data has not been generated for all types of rates (No in S4805), the processing unit 1401 returns the process to S4802, and extracts characteristic information corresponding to another type of rate. If it is determined that display data has been generated for all types of rates (Yes in S4805), the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S4806, and performs an initial display of the setting screen based on all the generated display data. Then, the processing advances to S4202. The subsequent processes are the same as those in the seventh aspect, and therefore will not be described.

Next, FIG. 109 shows an example of an initial display of a setting screen relating to the eighth aspect. A graph area 4701 and a legend area 4702 are displayed on the setting screen 4700 of FIG. 109. The graph area 4701 displays an axis 4703 for the characteristic "bitterness", an axis 4704 for "sourness", an axis 4705 for "sweetness", and a range 4706 of selectable characteristic levels stored in the characteristic information DB 4130 generated in S3104. The graph area 4701 also displays a range 4901 of characteristic levels based on history information with a rate of 0 or more, a range 4902 of characteristic levels based on history information with a rate of 2 or more, and a range 4903 of characteristic levels based on history information with a rate of 4 or more.

In this way, by displaying in advance the range of characteristic levels that correspond to the user's preference information, the user can use this as a guide to understand their own preferences.

<Ninth aspect>
In the sixth to eighth aspects, the user's preference information is displayed together with the initial display of the setting screen. In one example, the display of the user's preference information may be switched in the process of the user selecting the level of the characteristic. In the ninth aspect, a process of switching the display based on the date and time information when the user ordered coffee will be described.

Figure 110 shows an example of a process for displaying a setting screen related to the ninth aspect.

First, in steps S3101 to S3106 in FIG. 110(A), similar to the fourth aspect, the processing unit 1401 transmits user information to the server 1201, acquires a data set from the characteristic information DB 4130 stored in the server 1201, and performs display based on the data set. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S5001, and performs the process in FIG. 110(B).

First, in S5002, data is obtained from the user information DB 4110 of the server 1201. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S5003, and extracts preference information in which the date and time information 4112 of the user information, i.e., the date and time when the user purchased coffee, matches a predetermined condition. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S5004, and performs data processing on the history information. In one example, the data processing in S5004 may be the same as the data processing described in the seventh aspect. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S5005, and generates display data, and in S5006, performs display based on the display data.

Then, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S2202. The process from S2202 onwards is the same except for the option change operation described below, so the description is omitted.

When a period option change operation is accepted in S2202, the operation is not pressing the "Reflect in recipe" button, switching an axis, or selecting a characteristic level (No in S2203, S2204, and S2205), so the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S5007. In S5007, the processing unit 1401 determines that the period option change operation is one of the option changes (Yes in S5007), advances the process to S5001, and displays the preference information again.

111 shows an example of the initial display of the setting screen according to the ninth aspect. The setting screen 5100 in FIG. 111 displays a graph area 5101, a legend area 5102, and an option area 5103. The graph area 5101 displays an axis 5103 of the characteristic "bitterness", an axis 5104 of "sourness", an axis 5105 of "sweetness", a level range 5107 of the characteristic information stored in the characteristic information DB 4130 generated in S3104, and a level range 5108 of the characteristic corresponding to the preference information. In the option area 5106, "within a week", "within a month", "this time last year", and "entire period" can be selected as a date and time information condition for narrowing down the preference information to be displayed in the graph area 5101. When any of the selectable date and time information conditions is selected in the option area 5106, the processing unit 1401 determines that a change operation of the period option has been accepted.

In the example of FIG. 111, "This time last year" 5109 is selected, and the characteristics information of coffee ordered, for example, between 13 months ago and 11 months ago from the date and time of the user's operation, is displayed in range 5108. This allows the user to understand the coffee that he or she liked to drink last year. This allows the user to understand changes in the user's own preferences over time.

The user can obtain characteristic information by, for example, selecting a characteristic level on the graph area 5101. The operation when the user selects a characteristic level has been described in any of the first to eighth aspects, so a description thereof will be omitted.

<Tenth Aspect>
In the ninth aspect, a process of switching the displayed preference information based on date and time information was described. In one example, the preference information of one or more users may be displayed. In the tenth aspect, a process of switching the displayed preference information based on a user identifier will be described. Note that a description of the same configuration or process as any of the first to ninth aspects will be omitted.

Figure 112 shows an example of a process for displaying preference information according to the tenth aspect. The process in Figure 112 shows details of the process of S5001 in Figure 110 (A).

First, in S5202, the processing unit 1401 acquires preference information from the user information DB 4110 of the server 1201. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S5203, and extracts the user identifier 4111 of the preference information, that is, the preference information whose user identifier matches a predetermined condition. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S5204, and performs data processing on the characteristic information corresponding to the preference information. In one example, the data processing of S5204 may be the same as the data processing described in the ninth aspect. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S5205, and generates display data. Next, the processing unit 1401 advances the process to S5206, and determines whether display data has been generated for the preference information of all users to be displayed. If it is determined that display data has not been generated for the preference information of all users to be displayed (No in S5206), the processing returns to S5203, and the preference information of another user is extracted. If it is determined that display data has been generated for all user preference information to be displayed (Yes in S5206), the process proceeds to S5207, and display is performed based on the display data.

In this embodiment, preference information is displayed for each user, but preference information may also be displayed for each group.

As described in the first aspect, the characteristic information DB4130 receives characteristic information input by the barista. Therefore, the characteristic information DB4130 may be treated as the preference information of a user called "barista." In this case, instead of all data sets, only data sets including priority information 4138 that meets certain conditions may be treated as the preference information of the "barista." In other words, only data sets recommended by the barista may be treated as the preference information of the barista.

Figure 113 shows an example of the initial display of the setting screen related to the tenth aspect. The setting screen 5300 of Figure 113 displays a graph area 5301, a legend area 5302, and an option area 5303. The graph area 5301 displays an axis 5303 of the characteristic "bitterness", an axis 5304 of "sourness", an axis 5305 of "sweetness", and a range 5307 of the level of the characteristic information stored in the characteristic information DB4130 generated in S3104. The graph area 5301 also displays a range 5308 of the characteristic level based on the barista's preference information and a range 5309 of the characteristic level based on the user's own preference information. In the option area 5306, at least one of the barista 5311, the user 5312, friend user A, and friend user B can be selected as a user identifier condition for narrowing down the preference information to be displayed in the graph area 5301. When the selection of a selectable user is changed in the option area 5306, the processing unit 1401 determines that an operation to change the user option has been accepted, and executes the process shown in FIG. 112 again. Point 5310 is within the range 5308 of characteristic levels corresponding to the barista's preference information, but is outside the range 5309 of characteristic levels corresponding to the user's own preference information.

Next, the screen that is displayed again when the user taps point 5310 in FIG. 113 will be described with reference to FIG. 114. Note that the same reference numerals are used for components that are the same as those in FIG. 113. Also, in this example, the characteristic information corresponding to the characteristic level of the tapped point 5310 is assumed to be two pieces of characteristic information, 5404 and 5405.

In FIG. 114, characteristic information 5404 and 5405 corresponding to the characteristic level of point 5310 may be displayed in graph area 5301, and raw material information 5401 and 5402 corresponding to characteristic information 5404 and 5405, as well as a "Reflect in recipe" button 5403 may be displayed.

In this example, the characteristic level of the tapped point 5301 is outside the range 5309 of characteristic levels corresponding to the user's own preference information, so range 5309 may be switched to hidden.

In addition, in the characteristic information 5404, one of the characteristics 5303 to 5305 displayed in the graph area 5301, the characteristic "sourness", is outside the characteristic level range 5308 corresponding to the barista's preference information. On the other hand, in the characteristic information 5405, all of the characteristics 5303 to 5305 displayed in the graph area 5301 are included in the characteristic level range 5308 corresponding to the barista's preference information. Therefore, the processing unit 1401 may recommend the ingredient information 5401 corresponding to the characteristic information 5405 rather than the ingredient information 5402 corresponding to the characteristic information 5404. Note that the processing unit 1401 may recommend one of the preparation profiles based on other factors such as price information, rather than only the user's preference information.

<Other Aspects>
In this embodiment, the preparation profile to be output to the information display device 1203 is selected, but the embodiment may be used for other purposes. For example, the "reflect in recipe" function may be replaced with a function for purchasing coffee beans online.

The above first to tenth aspects can be combined as desired. For example, the third embodiment and the fifth aspect can be combined to display a range of levels of image characteristics such as "redness" in addition to taste characteristics such as "bitterness" of the data set stored in the characteristic information DB 4130 in the initial display of the setting screen.

Although the user operates the device via a mobile terminal, the characteristic level may also be selected via the information display device 1203.

In this specification, an example has been given in which at least one of the range of selectable characteristics and history information (preference information) is displayed using a radar chart, but this is not limiting. For example, if the characteristic "bitterness" is in the range of levels 19 to 30 and the characteristic "bitterness" of coffee previously ordered is in the range of levels 15 to 20, the level range may be displayed in the row direction on a bar graph with the labels "bitterness" and "order history: bitterness". Alternatively, the range of selectable characteristics and order history may be displayed using two lines in different formats on the label "bitterness". Any type of graph may be used, such as a bubble chart or a line graph.

The various aspects described above disclose at least the following devices.
1. The device of the above aspect (e.g. 1202, 1203)
display means for displaying a range of levels of selectable beverage taste attributes (e.g., 2303, 3006);
a receiving means for receiving a user's selection of a level of the characteristic from within the range;
Acquiring means for acquiring beverage information (e.g., 2404, 2406, preparation profile) corresponding to the level of the received characteristic;
has.

According to this aspect, beverage information may be presented based on a selection of a level of the attribute from the user.
2. In the above device,
the display means displays a range of levels of a plurality of taste-related attributes of the beverage;
the accepting means accepts a user's selection of levels of the plurality of characteristics from within the range;
The acquiring means acquires beverage information corresponding to the received levels of the plurality of characteristics.

According to this aspect, beverage information may be presented based on multiple selections of attribute levels from a user.
3. The above device is
a second receiving means for receiving a selection of a taste characteristic of a beverage used to obtain the beverage information;
a switching means for switching a display by the display means in accordance with the selection of the characteristic accepted by the second accepting means;
has.

According to this aspect, a user may be able to select the characteristics used to obtain the beverage information.
4. In the above device,
The second accepting means accepts a selection of a plurality of characteristics related to the taste of the beverage;
The switching means switches the display by the display means in accordance with the selection of the plurality of characteristics accepted by the second accepting means.

According to this aspect, a user may be able to select multiple characteristics to use to obtain beverage information.
5. In the above device,
The beverage information includes at least one of information on raw materials for preparing the beverage and information on a preparation profile.

According to this aspect, it may be possible to present at least one of information on ingredients for preparing a beverage and information on a preparation profile based on a user's selection of a level of the characteristic.
6. In the above device,
the display means displays a range of levels of selectable beverage taste attributes associated with the ingredient;
If the selection of the characteristic level accepted by the accepting means is within a range of the characteristic levels associated with a plurality of raw materials,
The beverage beverage apparatus further includes a determination unit that determines whether to cause the acquisition unit to acquire beverage information associated with any one of the plurality of ingredients.

According to this aspect, even if there are multiple candidate beverage information to be acquired, it may be possible to determine which beverage information to acquire.
7. In the above device,
The determining means determines, based on a user operation, whether to cause the acquiring means to acquire beverage information associated with any one of the plurality of ingredients.

According to this aspect, even if there are multiple candidate beverage information items to be acquired, it may be possible to determine which beverage information item to acquire based on a user operation.
8. In the above device,
The determining means determines whether to cause the acquiring means to acquire beverage information associated with any one of the plurality of ingredients, without being based on a user operation.

According to this aspect, even if there are multiple candidate beverage information items to be acquired, it may be possible to determine which beverage information item to acquire without relying on a user operation.
9. In the above device,
The beverage is a coffee beverage, and the information on ingredients is the type of coffee beans.

According to this aspect, beverage information may be obtained for the coffee beverage based on the selection of the level of the characteristic.
10. In the above device,
The preparation profile includes at least one of an amount of roasted coffee beans, a grind size, an amount of steeping water, a steeping time, an amount of extraction water, an extraction pressure, and an extraction time.

According to this aspect, based on the selection of the level of the characteristic, it may be possible to obtain beverage information including at least one of the amount of roasted coffee beans, the grind size, the amount of steaming water, the steaming time, the amount of extraction water, the extraction pressure, and the extraction time.
11. In the above device,
The taste characteristics of the beverage include bitterness, sourness, and/or sweetness.

According to this aspect, beverage information may be obtained based on a selection of levels of attributes including bitterness, sourness, and/or sweetness.
12. The above device comprises:
The beverage preparation device further includes an output unit that outputs at least a portion of the beverage information acquired by the acquisition unit to a beverage preparation device that prepares a beverage.

According to this aspect, it may be possible to control the beverage production device to output at least a portion of the obtained beverage information based on the selection of the level of the characteristic to prepare a desired beverage.
13. In the above device,
The output means outputs at least a part of the beverage information via either short-range wireless communication or a two-dimensional barcode.

According to this aspect, it may be possible to output at least a part of the beverage information to the beverage production device via either short-range wireless communication or a two-dimensional barcode, without directly operating the beverage production device.
14. In the above device,
the display means displays a minimum level, a maximum level, a selectable minimum level, and a selectable maximum level as the level of each characteristic;
The range of levels of the characteristic refers to the range from the lowest selectable level to the highest selectable level.

According to this aspect, it may be possible to select the level of the characteristic for which there is corresponding beverage information.
15. In the above device,
The display means indicates a recommended minimum level and a recommended maximum level for each characteristic level.

According to this embodiment, it may be possible to display the range of recommended levels.
16. The above device comprises:
a second switching means for switching a display of the selectable beverage taste characteristic level or the range of selectable beverage taste characteristic levels displayed on the display means when the receiving means receives a selection of the characteristic level by the user from within the range;
has.

According to this aspect, if there are still selectable levels of a characteristic available even after the user has selected the level of the characteristic, it may be possible to switch the display to allow further selection.
17. The method of the above aspect comprises:
A display step (e.g., S2201) of displaying a range of levels of a taste characteristic of a beverage;
a receiving step (e.g., S2205) of receiving a user's selection of a level of the characteristic from within the range;
An acquisition step (e.g., S22) of acquiring beverage information corresponding to the level of the received characteristic.
06) and
has.

According to this aspect, beverage information may be presented based on a selection of a level of the attribute from the user.
18. The program of the above aspect,
The present invention causes a computer to function as each of the means of the apparatus described in any one of 1 to 16 above.

According to this aspect, it may be possible to present beverage information based on a user's selection of a characteristic level.

In the above explanation, coffee beverages are the main subject, but teas such as Japanese tea and black tea, soups, and other beverages can also be the subject. In addition, a distinction can be made between unground coffee beans as the extraction raw material and ground powder (ground coffee beans) as the extraction target, but in a broad sense, both unground coffee beans and ground coffee beans can be called extraction targets. In this specification, extraction targets in the broad sense are simply referred to as extraction targets. Therefore, examples of extraction targets include coffee beans, raw coffee beans, ground coffee beans, roasted coffee beans, ground roasted coffee beans, unroasted coffee beans, ground unroasted coffee beans, powdered coffee beans, instant coffee, coffee in pods, etc., and examples of beverages include coffee beverages, etc., and examples of beverage liquid include coffee liquid, but these are not limited to these. In addition, the extraction targets include tea leaves such as Japanese tea, black tea, and oolong tea, ground tea leaves, vegetables, crushed vegetables, fruits, crushed fruits, grains, crushed grains, mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms, crushed mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms, mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms dried after heating, crushed mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms dried after heating, fish such as bonito, crushed fish such as bonito, fish such as bonito dried after heating, crushed fish such as bonito dried after heating, seaweed such as kelp, crushed seaweed such as kelp, seaweed such as kelp dried after heating, seaweed such as kelp dried after heating The extract may be, for example, a crushed product obtained by heating and drying meat such as beef, pork, or chicken, a crushed product obtained by heating and drying the meat, a crushed product obtained by heating and drying the meat, a crushed product obtained by heating and drying the meat, a crushed product obtained by heating and drying the bone, etc., and the beverage may be, for example, Japanese tea, black tea, oolong tea, vegetable juice, fruit juice, soup, broth, soup, etc., and the beverage liquid may be, for example, an extract such as Japanese tea extract, black tea extract, oolong tea extract, vegetable extract, fruit extract, mushroom extract, fish extract, meat extract, bone extract, etc. Note that, although the examples refer to water, tap water, purified water, hot water, and wash water, any of the descriptions may be replaced with another description, for example, water may be replaced with hot water, or hot water may be replaced with water, and all may be replaced with liquid, steam, high-temperature water, cooling water, cold water, etc. For example, if it is stated that the object to be extracted (e.g., ground roasted coffee beans) and hot water are placed in the extraction vessel 9, it may be replaced with a statement that the object to be extracted (e.g., ground roasted coffee beans) and cold water (which may simply be water) are placed in the extraction vessel 9, in which case it may be considered as an extraction method for cold brew coffee or the like, or as a beverage production device.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and examples, and the contents of these can be combined with each other without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and may be partially modified depending on the purpose, etc. Furthermore, the individual terms described in this specification are used only for the purpose of explaining the present invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the strict meaning of the terms, and may also include their equivalents. For example, expressions such as "device" and "part" may be replaced with "unit" and "module", etc.

Reference Signs List 1 Beverage production device 2 Bean processing device 3 Extraction device 4 Storage device 5 Crushing device 6 Separation device 7 Fluid supply unit 9 Extraction vessel 11 Control device 11a Processing unit 12 Information display device

Claims (3)

A storage means for storing recipes to be used for some or all of the steps of beverage production;
A display means for displaying a selection display for selecting one beverage from a plurality of beverages;
an acquisition means for acquiring from the storage means a recipe for the beverage selected in the selection display;
a processing means for executing a process for producing the beverage by referring to parameters included in the recipe acquired by the acquisition means;
a production means for producing the beverage in accordance with the process executed by the processing means;
A beverage production device comprising:
The beverage production includes a number of steps,
A recipe creation mode for creating new recipes ;
The display means displays a recipe for each beverage in the selection display ,
the recipe creation modes include a first recipe creation mode in which a new recipe is completed by inputting some parameters for the plurality of processes, and a second recipe creation mode in which a new recipe is completed by inputting other parameters for the plurality of processes in addition to the some parameters input in the first recipe creation mode,
The other parameters that are not input in the first recipe creation mode are configured to be automatically input with predetermined values,
the first recipe creation mode is a recipe creation mode in which the part of parameters for the plurality of processes can be input in the same manner as in the second recipe creation mode;
A beverage production device comprising: 2. The beverage production apparatus according to claim 1,
the second recipe creation mode is a recipe creation mode in which a new recipe is completed by inputting parameters that are automatically input in the first recipe creation mode in addition to the part of parameters that are input in the first recipe creation mode;
A beverage production device comprising: 3. The beverage production apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The beverage is coffee.
A beverage production device comprising:

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