In one embodiment, the present disclosure includes a cloud based management system controlling a plurality of automated food production systems residing at different locations. A machine learning algorithm may be used to modify recipe data to customize recipes.

Disclosed is an automatic-cooking-and-processing vending system for frozen-food, comprising the low-temperature chamber, the object-moving system, the product shelves, the low-temperature chamber equipment, the food container; the said low-temperature chamber equipment is inside the low-temperature chamber, or connected to the casing of the low-temperature chamber; the low-temperature chamber equipment contains hot-air source and the humid-air source; the product shelves is inside the low-temperature chamber with disposable food containers placed on; the object-moving system is inside the low-temperature chamber. This system has the air-circulating system, which can force the outer hot-and-humid air to come inside in one-way from a cold chamber, so as to isolate the hot-and-humid air. Further disclosed is a food-automatic-cook-and-processing system, which may be used in the automatic-cooking-and-processing vending system, comprising a series of auto piercing food-processing devices for disposable food containers and different foods, and with the working patterns of these devices.

A novel food station comprises first and second pluralities of cubbies, each sized to enclose a food portion container, and a food collection hatch that is selectively externally accessible. A heating system can controllably heat one or more of the first plurality of cubbies independently of the first plurality of cubbies, and a cooling system can cool one or more of the second plurality of cubbies independently of the first plurality of cubbies. An internal transport system including an end effector that temporarily couples to the portion container carrier of a selected cooled cubby of the second plurality of cubbies and can controllably move the food portion container carrier to a selected heated cubby or to the food collection hatch.

The invention provides a vending machine for dispensing hot packaged food. The vending machine includes a storage and dispenser unit comprising plural dispensing trays arranged in an array for storing one or more packaged foods, a frame, and a carrier structure. Each individual dispensing tray includes a pivotable gate and a slideway inclined by a tilting angle from a horizontal axis. The carrier structure comprises a carrying arm having an engaging feature; and an engaging mechanism for actuating the pivotable gate. The engaging mechanism is configured to move the carrying arm towards the individual dispensing tray such that the engaging feature actuates the pivotable gate from a locked position to an unlocked position. The packaged food is prevented from sliding down when the pivotable gate is at the locked position. The packaged food is slidable relative to the individual dispensing tray when the pivotable gate is at the unlocked position.

A cubby unit includes a unit housing, a plurality of cubbies disposed within the unit housing, and an interface positioned along the unit housing. Each of the plurality of cubbies includes a cubby housing defining an internal compartment and a door coupled to the cubby housing. The door facilitates accessing the internal compartment of the cubby housing. The interface provides a cubby selection interface that facilitates manual assignment of a respective cubby to a respective order by an employee.

A system and method for automatic deployment of at least one outdoor small cell. The method comprises dynamically collecting traffic data corresponding to a geographic location associated with a cellular network by a data collection module [202]. Next, a data collection module [204] automatically identifies a group of spatial grids from the one or more cells within the geographic location based on the traffic data and automatically determines one or more locations within the geographic locations for deploying the at least one outdoor small cell based on the identified group of spatial grids. A backhaul link clearance module [206] automatically determines a backhaul connection between the one or more determined locations with the cellular network. An azimuth planning module [208] automatically determines an azimuth for the at least one outdoor small cell based on the determined connection. A deployment unit [210] deploy the at least one outdoor small cell.

The present application provides a merchandiser. The merchandiser may include an ambient compartment with at least one ambient product therein, a temperature controlled compartment with at least one temperature controlled product therein, and a vending module in communication with the temperature controlled compartment such that the vending module dispenses a temperature controlled product in response to an ambient product being placed in the vending module.

A vending machine system for loading and dispensing pre-baked unpackaged food including a fixed cartridge disposed in a refrigerator of a vending machine, and a transport cartridge adapted to removably attach to the fixed cartridge, the transport cartridge operable for holding trays of unpackaged food and loading the trays of unpackaged food from the transport cartridge into the fixed cartridge, wherein, when the transport cartridge is removably attached to the fixed cartridge, a front opening of the transport cartridge aligns with a front opening of the fixed cartridge, and wherein the rack of the transport cartridge aligns with the conveyor system of the fixed cartridge such that trays of unpackaged food within the transport cartridge can simultaneously be transitioned from the rack to the conveyor system.

A computationally implemented system and method that is designed to, but is not limited to: electronically receiving user status information regarding a particular individual living being including living being identification associated with the particular individual living being to at least in part electronically generate, based at least in part upon the user status information, one or more selection menus electronically identifying at least in part one or more candidate ingestible products, the electronically generated one or more selection menus to be electronically outputted to provide, via electronically enabled input in response thereto, selection opportunity of the one or more candidate ingestible products subject to ingestion by the particular individual living being prior to selection of at least one candidate ingestible product as at least one selected ingestible products via the electronically enabled input in response to the electronically outputted one or more selection menus.

In one embodiment, a system includes: a robotic arm assembly; a plurality of components arranged around the robotic arm assembly and positioned within reach of the robotic arm assembly; and a controller configured to control operation of the robotic arm assembly within the system. Each of the plurality of components is configured to either: store ingredients under predetermined environmental conditions; store food preparation tools; dispense ingredients; blend, cook, or assemble ingredients into a completed food item; provide cleaning functionality to the system and/or components thereof; provide user access to completed food items; or display information relevant to a food item or preparation thereof to users. Methods of using such systems to prepare and dispense food items are also disclosed, and generally include translating recipes into instructions executable by the robotic arm assembly and/or components of the system, communicating such instructions to the robotic arm assembly, and executing such instructions.