The present application claims priority from U.S. patent application No.14/825,888 entitled "SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WINE preservation system and method" filed on 8, 13, 2015 and U.S. patent application No.14/826,111 entitled "SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WINE PROCESSING system and method" filed on 12, 17, 2014, and related to U.S. patent application No.62/093,356 filed on 8, 13, 2015, 8, 32 entitled "SYSTEMSAND METHODS FOR WINE PROCESSING (WINE PROCESSING system and method"), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Detailed Description
The subject matter now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments. The subject matter may, however, be embodied in many different forms and, thus, the subject matter covered or claimed is not intended to be construed as limited to any exemplary embodiments set forth herein; the exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative. Also, the scope of claimed or encompassed subject matter is appropriately broad. The subject matter may be embodied as, for example, a method, apparatus, component, or system, among others. Thus, an embodiment may take the form of, for example, hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof (other than software per se). The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
In the drawings, some features may be exaggerated to show details of particular components (and any dimensions, materials, and the like shown in the figures are illustrative and not limiting). Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the disclosed embodiments.
Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. In addition, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but not other embodiments.
Any combination and/or subset of the elements of the methods described herein can be combined with each other, selectively performed or not performed based on various conditions, repeated any desired number of times, and implemented in connection with any suitable system, apparatus, and/or process in any suitable order. The methods described and depicted herein can be implemented in any suitable way, such as by software running on one or more computer systems. The software may include computer-readable instructions stored in a tangible computer-readable medium (e.g., a memory of a computer system) and executable by one or more processors to implement the methods of the various embodiments.
Exemplary wine processing System
Fig. 1A-1F depict exemplary embodiments of systems for preserving a liquid, dispensing a liquid, and regulating and maintaining the temperature of a liquid (e.g., wine). The exemplary embodiments may also be used in conjunction with any other desired liquid.
Fig. 1A depicts an exemplary appearance of a system according to various aspects of the present disclosure. In this example, the system includes a touch screen 102, a spout 106 for dispensing liquid and a drip tray 108 for capturing liquid or cleaning solution, the touch screen 102 displaying one or more pour buttons 104 to control the system.
The exemplary system of FIG. 1A may display various information and control options to a user via the touch screen 102. For example, the system displays an image of a label from a container of wine or other liquid, thereby enabling a new consumer experience to remember the brands of the brewery without physically displaying the container (e.g., a wine bottle). The touch screen 102 may also be configured to allow a user to access additional information about the wine or other liquid, such as information about the brewery that produced the wine, the area in which the grapes were grown (e.g., nanopak), the grape variety or blend grape variety (e.g., Meritage), the year (harvest information), and the wine grade. Alternate embodiments may utilize non-touch screen displays, such as LCD screens, OLED screens, TFTs, and electronic ink, in conjunction with a user input device (e.g., keyboard and/or mouse).
The user may dispense wine by utilizing the digitized supply button 104 built into the touch screen 102, but may also select wine from all wine bottles through the touch screen 102 using mechanical buttons, shared buttons, or switches for all wine bottles. The supply button 104 enables the user to select the amount of pour. The wines are then dispensed through the outer spout 106, each wine having a dedicated spout 106. Alternative embodiments enable a shared spout for multiple bottles of wine, but systems utilizing dedicated spouts 106 have the advantage of keeping each wine authentic.
In the example shown in fig. 1A, the supply button 212 may be configured to dispense a predetermined amount of liquid from a liquid container. In some embodiments, the amount of liquid dispensed is dependent on the number of times the user presses the supply button 104. For example, the user may press the supply button 104 once for a 1 ounce taste pour, twice for a 5 ounce standard pour, or three times for a 9 ounce serving pour, although any desired amount may be dispensed. In other embodiments, the touch screen 102 may include dedicated buttons for each amount of pour.
In one embodiment, the system employs a single button for each wine bottle, and the button changes color, becoming darker and darker each time it is pressed to show the amount of pouring. The wine is then dispensed through the outer spout 106 for each wine. Alternative embodiments enable a shared spout for multiple bottles of wine, but the system has the advantage of keeping each wine authentic.
The system depicted in FIG. 1A provides several major advantages over existing systems. First, the digital control enables users to interact and learn more about the wine, which helps breweries build their brands. Second, the system allows the user to accurately pour the proper amount of wine, eliminating human error. For wine houses, restaurants, bars and other establishments, this eliminates a large amount of waste that can be as high as 20% (or more) of its alcohol cost. Manual hand-held systems currently available on the market often do not have measurement capability, so users cannot know exactly how much wine they are pouring. This can cause significant losses to the restaurant for expensive bottled wine served in cups. Furthermore, by enabling people to accurately measure calorie intake, the system builds on a large trend for people to track calories. The system is more intuitive, easier to use, and faster than existing systems.
The system shown in FIG. 1A may be incorporated into various other systems and structures. Referring now to FIG. 1B, the system of FIG. 1A is shown as a built-in appliance that can be used with joinery and other recessed facilities. In this example, the system includes a built-in cabinet housing 114, the cabinet housing 114 having a space frame 110 configured to attach to a cabinet. In some embodiments, the space frame 110 is configured to retrofit existing fixtures without modification, thereby enabling individual fixtures to be used. The system has a recessed cup tray 116 on which a user can place cups for serving wine and allows the drip tray to be integrated rather than protruding from the machine, making the appearance neat. Since there is no rear vent, the system also uses an upward facing vent 112 to vent the hot air from the cooling system at the front, and vent 112 is upward to avoid blowing directly towards the user.
FIG. 1C illustrates an exemplary partial cutaway view of the internal workings of the system shown in FIG. 1A, while FIG. 1D depicts a close-up view of the system in FIG. 1C. In this example, the system includes a gas source comprising a shared inert gas canister 126 that supplies gas to both enclosures. The gas tank 126 may contain any desired inert gas or combination of inert gases, including argon, carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen, helium, xenon, krypton, and/or neon. The replaceable gas canister 126 may be of any desired size and is preferably large enough to support filling multiple wine containers. In one exemplary embodiment, the gas canister 126 is sized to be capable of pressurizing about twenty to about one hundred bottles, but alternative embodiments are capable of pressurizing as little as one or two bottles, up to several hundred bottles. Alternative embodiments may include an inert gas generator (not shown) instead of (or in addition to) the inert gas tank 126. The inert gas generator can generate the inert gas in any suitable manner, such as by performing a fractional distillation of air.
The gas cylinder 106 may be shared between multiple containers of wine (or other liquid) in the system, so that multiple wines can be served at once at any time. The enclosure in this example is sealable, allowing a constant temperature to be maintained within the enclosure, and helping to prevent injury to broken glass containers. While the exemplary system in fig. 1C depicts a cylindrical enclosure for holding wine bottles, alternative embodiments may utilize enclosures configured to hold any kind of liquid contained in any desired container. In the example shown in fig. 1C, the wine bottle is inserted upside down into the bottle holder 120. This configuration overcomes, among other things, the disadvantages of previous systems that require a person to manually (and simultaneously) hold the wine bottle and dispensing system to pour the wine. Furthermore, the system in fig. 1C allows each wine container to be inserted into its respective cylinder, enabling the wine to be fed naturally by gravity, thereby significantly reducing the amount of pressure required to extract the wine.
The enclosure/cylinder may be configured to increase or decrease the circumference to handle a wide range of wine bottles and secure them so that they cannot move. Each cylinder includes a rear bottle retainer 122 to embrace the bottom of the wine bottle and also to embrace the neck of the wine bottle with a neck retainer 121, the neck retainer 121 further helping to secure the wine bottle against further movement. This configuration is more stable than alternative systems that merely support the narrow neck of a wine bottle. In addition, each enclosure/cylinder can protect a user from injury if the wine bottles (or other containers) explode due to the pressure of the inert gas injected into each wine bottle. Exposure to hazards from exploding containers is a problem faced by previous systems.
A wine bottle (or other container) may be inserted into each enclosure through an opening (e.g., a doorway or other closable access opening). The opening may be located on any suitable portion of the enclosure. The opening may be closed by a door or other mechanism to retain the container within the enclosure. Once the door is closed, the dynamically adjustable inner portion of the container expands or contracts to a perfect circumference to hold the container snugly as described above, and can be adjusted for any "punt" (i.e., a circular groove in the bottom of the bottle).
The gas delivery system in fig. 1C includes a needle 123 for piercing a closure in a container (e.g., a cork of a wine bottle) to dispense liquid from the container and supply inert gas to the container. The needle 123 may be adapted to pierce a variety of different materials, including cork, engineered cork, plastic, rubber, wood, metal, and combinations thereof. The needle 123 may include at least one passage, such as a gas passage through the needle for supplying inert gas to the liquid container, and a liquid passage through the needle for dispensing liquid from the container.
In fig. 1C, the needle 123 is hidden within the appliance and is motorized, with one end of the needle coupled to a motor and gear 128 adapted to push the needle through the closure. This has several advantages over prior systems. First, the use of a motorized solution eliminates the need for human intervention, making it simpler and more reliable. Second, the system is safer than prior systems because the needle 123 is contained within the enclosed instrument, preventing a person from accidentally injuring himself with the needle. Third, exemplary embodiments may include a liquid temperature sensor attached to the needle 123 or embedded within the needle 123 for monitoring the temperature of the liquid within the container. Alternative embodiments may utilize a non-motorized version that is still motorized and allows the needle 123 to be concealed. The needles 123 may be connected to the gas canister 126 by a gas delivery system including a quick release needle mechanism 124, which includes a conduit mechanism that allows gas to be delivered from the gas canister 126 to each needle 123 as needed.
As shown in fig. 1C, the gas delivery system may include a connector (e.g., quick release mechanism 124) that includes a needle 123 and may be separated from the rest of the system to allow, for example, easy replacement, repair, and cleaning. Embodiments of the present disclosure further differ from previous systems by integrating a cleaning mechanism (not shown). In some embodiments, the cleaning mechanism may comprise a reservoir for water or another cleaning liquid, the reservoir being coupled to a pump for pumping the water or cleaning fluid through the needle 123. The cleaning mechanism may be controlled by a computer system that allows the system to automatically clean itself without human intervention. The system may also include a heating element to heat the water/fluid prior to pumping the water/fluid through the system. This is a significant advantage over existing systems that require special chemicals and take 30-60 minutes to clean (usually manually). Alternative tubing configurations may include a check valve after the argon solenoid and a check valve after the wine solenoid and before the spout.
The connector may also include (or be coupled to) one or more spouts (e.g., spout 106 in fig. 1A) for dispensing liquid from one or more containers. The connector may further comprise a seal adapted to engage the container to prevent leakage of liquid from the container. Examples of such seals are described in more detail below with reference to fig. 2A-2E.
The gas in the inert gas container 126 may be pressurized to any desired pressure. In some exemplary embodiments, the inert gas is pressurized at 5 pounds Per Square Inch (PSI) or more. The gas delivery system in the example depicted in fig. 1C includes a pressure regulator 127 to maintain a consistent pressure within the liquid container while enabling a canister with a much higher pressure to effectively power a large number of wine bottles. When the canister 126 is empty, the canister 126 can be easily exchanged with a gas delivery system that includes a non-destructive gas connection comprising a combination of threads and rubber seals to prevent gas from leaking out of the system.
As shown in fig. 1C, two envelopes are adapted to hold wine bottles, wherein each wine bottle has a wider body portion and a narrower neck portion with a closure at the neck portion of each wine bottle. The wine bottle is held in each of the envelopes upside down (i.e. with the neck below the body portion). In addition to the advantage of reducing the pressure necessary for the gas delivery system to dispense liquid from the containers, inverting the wine bottle in an enclosure/cylinder helps to reduce the length of tubing required to deliver inert gas to each liquid container, as compared to conventional systems that push tubing all the way to the bottom of the wine bottle. In such conventional systems, the wine must be pushed from the bottom upwards, which requires more pressure than with the gravity feed method of the present disclosure. Alternate embodiments applicable to other types of containers may also position the containers as appropriate to take advantage of gravity feed.
FIG. 1E illustrates a side view of the internal mechanisms of the system shown in FIGS. 1A-1D. This view shows a pair of cameras 130 to capture images of a label on a liquid container contained in the enclosure. In this example, the camera 130 is mounted on the exterior of an enclosure that holds the liquid container, and captures an image of the label through a transparent portion of the enclosure. In an alternative embodiment, a single camera may also be shared to capture tags in multiple enclosures.
The exemplary system in fig. 1E includes a temperature control system that includes a pair of thermoelectric cooling units 132 to enable the system to both cool and heat the liquid in the container to a perfect drinking temperature. In an alternative embodiment, the temperature control system may comprise a vapor compression refrigeration system coupled to each enclosure. In other embodiments, the temperature control system may be adapted to warm the liquid in the container with ambient air or a heating element. An alternative cooling configuration may include a single centrally located thermoelectric assembly having one or more servo operated flaps to direct cooling air to one or both sides at a time as desired.
The temperature control system may include or be in communication with one or more temperature sensors. For example, the temperature control system may communicate with a temperature sensor attached to (or embedded in) the needle 123 to directly monitor the temperature of the liquid in the container. Additionally or alternatively, the temperature control system may comprise an infrared temperature sensor for measuring the temperature outside the container and/or a temperature sensor adapted to measure the temperature of the air within the enclosure.
FIG. 1F depicts a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment. In this example, the cylindrical enclosure includes a plurality of fixed points to hold the wine bottle against movement so that a high quality image can be captured. The system includes a digital camera 130 disposed within the enclosure to capture an image of a wine label 140. As with other embodiments described herein, the enclosure may be of any size, shape, and configuration, and may be adapted to hold any type of liquid container. The system may include an illumination source (not shown) disposed within the enclosure for illuminating the container and its label for the camera 130. In one exemplary embodiment, the illumination source is stationary and adapted to disperse light evenly over the label of the container, even when the label is affixed to a curved surface.
The enclosure may include a mechanism for rotating the wine bottle (not shown) so the user can simply place the wine bottle in the enclosure without worrying about the placement of the label relative to the camera. The rotation mechanism then rotates the wine bottle and allows the digital camera 130 in the enclosure to capture images of the front and rear wine labels. Other alternative embodiments may utilize a cylindrical camera or multiple cameras, thereby eliminating the need to reposition the wine bottle. Another alternative embodiment utilizes an indicator on the appliance to let the user know to rotate the wine bottle so that the camera can capture an image. In one embodiment, for example, a first camera may be disposed within the enclosure to capture an image of a front label on a container (e.g., a wine bottle), while a second camera may be disposed within the enclosure opposite the first camera to capture an image of a rear label of the container.
The computer system 142 communicates with the digital camera 130 and receives images of the labels on the liquid containers from the camera. Computer system 142 may include a processor, memory, and any other suitable components, such as those described with respect to computing devices 310 and 320 in fig. 3 (see below). The memory may store instructions for programming the computer system to implement various functions when the instructions are executed by the processor. The computer system 142 may store the image of the tag in a memory coupled to the computer system, including various forms of internal read-only and random-access memory, a local database 144, and storage media in communication with the computer system 142 over a network, such as the cloud/internet 147.
The computer system 142 analyzes the image of the label to identify the liquid in the container. In some exemplary embodiments, the computer system may utilize Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and/or image recognition to analyze the image to read text, recognize symbols, and identify other features of the label. The computer system 142 may access a database, such as a local database 144, that stores information about different wines and other liquids to identify the liquid in the container based on the information on the label. The computer system may also access one or more remote databases through a cloud/internet connection 147. The benefit of using a cloud database is that it can be constantly updated, allowing greater opportunity to match images. Several of these components may be combined into a single component that performs multiple functions.
The computer system 142 may also be in communication with and adapted to control one or more functions of the temperature control system and the gas delivery system of the system. For example, the computer system 142 may be adapted to control a gas delivery system to supply an inert gas into the container in coordination with dispensing liquid from the container. The dispensing of the liquid may be initiated by the user through the touch screen 102 or through another user interface. In some embodiments, dispensing the liquid is premised on the user being successfully authenticated to operate the system via the electronic access code. In this case, the system remains locked unless and until the user enters the correct electronic access code through the touch screen 102. This allows parents to block young children from obtaining alcoholic beverages, allowing hotels and restaurants to provide guests and customers with self-serve beverages by selectively providing access codes, among other things. Likewise, physical access to the system (including the enclosure holding the wine or other liquid) may be prevented by a lock controlled by the computer system 142.
The computer system 142 may also be programmed to communicate information about the liquid dispensed by the system to a point-of-sale system to generate an invoice to the customer about the liquid dispensed. Such information may include an identifier to the customer (e.g., including or based on an electronic access code), the amount of liquid dispensed from the system, the identity of the liquid dispensed, the price of the liquid, and other information. Likewise, information about the liquid can be communicated to other computing devices in communication with the computer system 142, such as the user's wireless device and/or the restaurant manager's computing device. This may help customers to, among other things, remember and learn about the wine they tasted from the system with ease. This may also help the user of the system to monitor the status of the system, including determining when the container in the enclosure is empty, needs to be replaced, and identifying when the system needs cleaning or repair.
Referring again to fig. 1A, the computer system 142 may display an image of the label of the container held within the enclosure on a display screen (e.g., the touch screen 102). The images may be images captured by the camera 130, thereby providing a user of the system with a visual indication of the contents of the containers in each enclosure.
The touch screen 102 (or other display used in conjunction with embodiments of the present disclosure) may be activated by a proximity sensor that detects the presence of a user near the display. The touch screen 102 may also (or alternatively) be activated in response to a user touching the touch screen 102.
In conjunction with identifying the liquid within the container, the computer system 142 may be programmed to determine a consumption temperature of the identified liquid, and control the temperature control system to adjust and maintain the temperature of the identified liquid to the determined consumption temperature. In this way, different liquids (e.g. wine) held in different enclosures may be maintained at respectively different drinking temperatures.
In one exemplary embodiment, the control of the temperature control system by the computer system comprises: the method includes measuring an initial temperature of the liquid contained in the enclosure with a temperature sensor, comparing the initial temperature of the liquid to a desired serving temperature of the liquid, determining a viscosity of the liquid, and estimating an amount of time required for the temperature control system to adjust the temperature of the liquid to the desired serving temperature based on the initial temperature of the liquid and its viscosity. Embodiments of the present disclosure may display the remaining time to adjust the temperature of the liquid, for example, via the touch screen 102, or even automatically prevent the wine from being poured from the container until the desired drinking temperature is reached.
Wine preservation and distribution
Fig. 2A-2E illustrate embodiments of systems for wine preservation according to various aspects of the present disclosure. While the embodiments disclosed herein are described with particular reference to storing and dispensing wine from a wine bottle, one skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments of the present disclosure may be used to store and dispense other types of liquids from a variety of containers.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide various advantages and improvements over existing systems. The embodiments described herein help eliminate the need to train restaurant or brewery taste room personnel to use specialized equipment, as some or all of the functions of the system can be automated. The disclosed embodiments further improve upon existing systems by utilizing a computer to measure wine exiting the appliance, thereby ensuring a zero waste or zero surplus of stable pours. Furthermore, the system disclosed herein can be combined with integrated computerized cooling and warming, ensuring that wine is automatically served on demand at perfect drinking temperature. The disclosed embodiments can support both small gauge needles that do not damage the cork, thereby enabling resealing of the wine bottle, and large gauge needles that can pour very quickly to overcome the limitations of existing non-motorized solutions. This speeds up the delivery time from up to 25 seconds to less than 5 seconds, making the brewers, waiters and taster staff more efficient and profitable for their establishment.
Fig. 2A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a needle that may be used in conjunction with embodiments of the present disclosure. The needle 230 overcomes the limitations of many non-coring needles used with conventional systems. The needle 230 has two hollow chambers so that an inert gas (e.g., argon) can be delivered to the wine bottle (through gas channel 235) while liquid can be extracted from the wine bottle (through wine channel 234). The gas channel 235 is coupled to the gas source 201, while the wine channel 234 is coupled to the spout 206. This enables the system to continuously supply multiple cups of wine without slowing down or requiring the user to re-pressurize the wine bottle 202.
The exterior of the needle 230 is at least partially threaded 232. The needle 230 may be mechanically controlled (via a motor connector 236) by a motor adapted to push the needle 230 through the closure of the wine bottle 202 while rotating the needle 230 to cause the needle 230 to penetrate the closure using the threads 232. Any desired motor may be utilized, including stepper motors, linear actuators, or other motors.
The pointed tip 236 of the needle 230 helps to minimize the force required to insert the needle 230 into the closure/cork of a wine bottle and minimizes coring to prevent leakage. Moreover, this design enables the needle 230 to have a much larger diameter than the needle 205 because the threads 232 create a negative force and help reduce the force required to insert the needle 230. The larger needles in turn enable faster pouring speeds, reducing the pressure required, and thereby reducing the risk of explosion of the wine bottles.
As with the needle 205, the needle 230 may be mechanically inserted and retracted in the closed assembly, eliminating the risk of human error, the hazard of a wine bottle explosion under pressure, or the hazard of the needle injuring the user. Computer control of the supply of gas to the needle 230 and the dispensing of liquid from the needle 230 also enables accurate pour rates and amounts, enables measurement of gas consumption, and enables measurement of dispensed liquid.
The screw mechanism 232 may include positive or negative threads (i.e., threads designed for clockwise or counterclockwise rotation), and these threads may cover a portion or all of the screw 230. The wine passage 234 and the gas passage 235 may be of any length, diameter and configuration. In the example shown in fig. 2D, the gas channel 235 is longer than the wine channel 234, so that gas injected into the wine bottle is not drawn into the wine channel, thereby helping to prevent erratic pouring and splashing.
In this example, the diameter of the gas passages 235 is 0.06 inches to achieve the appropriate flow rate, but other alternative diameters or shapes may be used. Once the bottle is pressurized, wine is extracted from the wine passage 234, in this example the wine passage 234 is 0.105 inches in diameter to achieve a flow rate of 1 ounce per second at 15psi, although other alternative diameters and passage shapes may be used.
Fig. 2B shows additional features of the needle 230. The needle 230 includes a gas fitting 241 coupled to the gas channel 235 and a wine tube fitting 242 coupled to the wine channel 234. The gas connection 241 enables the system to be easily and securely connected to the pressurized gas source 201, while the wine pipe connection 242 enables the system to be connected to an outlet for dispensing wine, such as the spout 206. The snap ring 243 allows the entire mechanism to be easily connected and disconnected from the wine dispensing system for cleaning or replacement in the event of damage. In addition, the O-ring 244 helps form a tight seal to prevent leakage, but alternative mechanisms may be used to prevent leakage. A housing 245 surrounds the fittings 241, 242 to maintain a clean food safe environment.
Fig. 2C illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the drive and guide mechanism 250. In this example, the motor is connected to a motor drive shaft 251, the motor drive shaft 251 utilizing a rotating mechanism to reduce friction, but a linear actuator or similar linear force may also be applied. Alternate embodiments may allow for manual insertion by a user pushing a plate connected to the drive shaft.
By using multiple guide shafts 252, the needle 230 is held in place, but a single guide shaft may also be used. When the system inserts the needle 230 into a wine bottle, the seal 253 is attached to the neck portion of the wine bottle (against the outside of the wine bottle rim) to prevent liquid in the wine bottle from leaking out of the closure. In this example, the seal 253 is formed of rubber, but any other desired alternative material may be used. Fig. 2D shows the system of fig. 2C after the motor has been successfully actuated to drive the needle 230 through the closure of the wine bottle.
Fig. 2E shows another view of the mechanism in fig. 2C and 2D. In this example, the system utilizes a stepper motor 265 to insert and withdraw a needle 230 (labeled "cork screw") into and out of the closure, although other motor or manual means may be employed. The lead screw 261 is connected to a stepper motor 265 to drive the cork screw 230, and the lead screw 264 is tightened by a lead screw nut 264. Manifold 262 connects cork screws 230 to pressurized gas source 201 and dispensing spout 206 to supply wine. Finally, the cork screw 1400 may be mechanically inserted into and withdrawn from the cork.
System 260 may be coupled to a computing device (e.g., computing device 310 or 320 in fig. 3). In such embodiments, the computing device may be programmed to monitor and control the position of the cork screw 230, the amount of liquid that has been extracted, and the amount of gas that has been injected. This can all be calculated by knowing the pressure of the gas, the initial volume of the wine bottle, the diameter of the tube and the subsequent flow rate. By utilizing the system, the accurate dumping amount can be automatically realized without user intervention.
All of these improvements create a very efficient mechanism for dispensing wine quickly and accurately, while achieving long term storage, making it an ideal choice for consumers in many homes, restaurants, hotel rooms, and numerous other environments.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system that may be used in conjunction with various embodiments. Although FIG. 3 illustrates various components of a computer system, it is not meant to represent any particular configuration or manner of interconnecting the components. Other systems having fewer or more components may also be utilized.
In fig. 3, system 300 includes a computer system 310, computer system 310 including a processor 312, a memory 314, and a user interface 316. Computer system 310 may include any number of different processors, memory components, and user interface components, and may interact with any other desired systems and devices in conjunction with embodiments of the present disclosure.
The functions of the computer system 310, including the steps of the methods described above (in whole or in part), may be implemented by the processor 312 executing computer readable instructions stored in the memory 314 of the system 310. The memory 314 may store any computer readable instructions and data, including software applications, applets, and embedded operating code. Portions of the functionality of the methods described herein may also be implemented by software running on one or more of the user computing devices 320.
The functionality of the system 310 or other systems and devices operating in conjunction with embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by various hardware components that store machine-readable instructions, such as Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), and/or Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs). Systems according to aspects of certain embodiments may operate in conjunction with any desired combination of software and/or hardware components. The processor 312 retrieves and executes instructions stored in the memory 314 to control the operation of the system 310. Any type of processor may be used in conjunction with embodiments of the present disclosure, such as an integrated circuit microprocessor, microcontroller, and/or Digital Signal Processor (DSP). Memory 314 operating in conjunction with embodiments of the present disclosure may include any combination of different storage devices, such as a hard disk drive, Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), flash memory, or any other type of volatile and/or non-volatile memory. The data can be stored in the memory 314 in any desired manner, such as in a relational database.
The system 310 includes a user interface 316, which user interface 316 may include any number of input devices (not shown) to receive commands, data, and other appropriate input. The user interface 1416 may also include any number of output devices (not shown) to provide data, notifications, and other information to the user. Typical I/O devices may include mice, keyboards, modems, network interfaces, printers, scanners, cameras and other devices.
The system 310 can communicate with one or more user computing devices 320 and other systems and devices in any desired manner, including over a network 330. The system 310 and/or the user computing device 320 may be or include or operate with a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a mobile user communication device, a mobile phone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a tablet computer, an electronic book or reader, a digital camera, a video game console, and/or any other suitable computing device.
Network 330 may include any electronic communication system or method.Communication between components operating in conjunction with embodiments of the present disclosure may be accomplished using any suitable communication method, such as a telephone network, an extranet, an intranet, the Internet, an interactive device point (point of sale device, personal digital assistant (e.g., PDA), etcPalm) Mobile phone, kiosk, etc.), online communications, satellite communications, offline communications, wireless communications, transponder communications, Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), Virtual Private Network (VPN), networked or linked devices, keyboard, mouse, and/or any suitable communications or data entry modality. The systems and devices of the present disclosure may utilize the TCP/IP communication protocol, as well as IPX, Appletalk, IP-6, NetBIOS, OSI, any tunneling protocol (e.g., IPsec, SSH), or any number of existing or future protocols.
Although the present disclosure includes a method, it is contemplated that the method may be embodied as computer program instructions in a tangible computer readable carrier, such as magnetic or optical memory or magnetic or optical disk. All structural, chemical, and functional equivalents to the elements of the above-described exemplary embodiments that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the present claims. Moreover, it is not necessary for a device or method to address each and every problem sought to be solved by the present disclosure, for it to be encompassed by the present claims. Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. All claim elements herein should not be construed in accordance with the provisions of U.S. code 35, article 112, paragraph 6, unless the element is explicitly recited using the phrase "means for …". As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes" or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
If terms similar to "A, B or at least one of C," "A, B and C," "one or more A, B or C," or "one or more of A, B and C" are used, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted to mean that a may be present in an embodiment alone, B may be present in an embodiment alone, C may be present in an embodiment alone, or any combination of elements A, B and C may be present in a single embodiment, e.g., a and B, A and C, B and C, or a and B and C.
Variations and modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope of the disclosure. These and other changes or modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure as expressed in the following claims.