公开(公告)号：US10676339B2

公开(公告)日：2020-06-09

申请号：US15845766

申请日：2017-12-18

Applicant: PepsiCo, Inc.

Inventor： Sam Karol ,  Robert W. Balstad ,  Anthony Romano ,  Alberto Pravato ,  Alessandro Roncato

IPC: B67D1/12 ,  B67D1/10 ,  B67D1/00 ,  B67D1/08 ,  G07F13/06

Abstract: A method of determining a sold-out state of a beverage dispenser is provided. The method includes providing a beverage dispenser including a pump having a gas exhaust port, a dispensing valve, and a sensor disposed on the pump gas exhaust port. The method may include activating the beverage dispenser to dispense a beverage through the dispensing valve and during the activating, sensing a gas exhaust pattern of the pump. The method may also include generating a signal based on the sensed gas exhaust pattern and determining whether the beverage dispenser is in a normal-pour state or a sold-out state. The method may also include providing feedback about the sold-out state to a user interface of the beverage dispenser.

公开(公告)号：US11208315B2

公开(公告)日：2021-12-28

申请号：US15943395

申请日：2018-04-02

Applicant: PepsiCo, Inc.

Inventor： Robert Crawford ,  Sam Karol

IPC: B67D1/08 ,  G06Q20/40 ,  B67D1/00 ,  H04L29/06

Abstract: Unattended beverage dispensers configured to dispense one or more beverages after authenticating a customer and associating the customer with a customer account. An unattended beverage dispenser may include a user interface with a biometric sensor configured to identify a biometric characteristic of a customer. A controller associated with the unattended beverage dispenser may authenticate a customer based on a biometric characteristic and associate the authenticated customer with a customer account. After authenticating a customer, the controller may allow beverage dispensing from the unattended beverage dispenser in accordance with a beverage dispensing rule associated with the customer's account.