A portion capsule for the preparation of a beverage with the aid of a beverage production machine, the portion capsule having a base element with a cavity for receiving a beverage raw material and having a capsule lid which closes the cavity, the base element includes a capsule bottom, a circumferential flange, and a capsule wall which extends from the capsule bottom to the circumferential flange, the capsule lid being fastened to the flange, the portion capsule having a feature which can be visually detected, in particular, by a detector of the beverage production machine.

A system for making beverages comprising a brewing unit (2) and a capsule (4) containing a powdered food substance (5), the capsule (4) comprising an outer casing (6) and a recognition element (11) placed inside the outer casing (6), wherein the brewing unit (2) comprises a first piercing unit (17), a lighting device (26) associated with the first piercing unit (17) for lighting the recognition element (11), a detecting device (13) configured to detect a return light radiation from the recognition element (11) and an electronic control unit, wherein, moreover, the recognition element (11) has a reading surface (12) which forms a convexity directed towards the detecting device (13).

A portion capsule for producing a beverage includes a base element having a cavity in which a beverage raw material is provided and which is closed by a membrane fastened to the base element.

Capsule for the preparation of a beverage comprising a container and a beverage ingredient contained therein, wherein the container comprises a code adapted for being identified or read by external reading means, wherein the code is arranged on the container to be read while the capsule is rotated around an axis of rotation traversing the capsule.

A system for making beverages comprising a brewing unit (2) and a capsule (4) containing a powdered food substance (5), the capsule (4) comprising an outer casing (6) and a recognition element (11) placed inside the outer casing (6), wherein the brewing unit (2) comprises a first piercing unit (17), a lighting device (26) associated with the first piercing unit (17) for lighting the recognition element (11), a detecting device (13) configured to detect a return light radiation from the recognition element (11), and supplying means for supplying hot water inside the capsule (4) inserted in the infusion chamber (3), wherein, moreover, the hot water supplying means are configured to supply the hot water inside the capsule (4) at a reading surface (12) of the recognition element (11) towards which the lighting device (26) and the detecting device (13) are directed in order to execute a cleaning step for cleaning the recognition element (11) if the capsule is not recognised.

The invention relates to a container (1) for use in a beverage preparation machine. The container (1) has a non-symmetrical shape such that it is inserted functionally inside the beverage preparation machine with a specific orientation. The container (1) comprises a container body (2) having a back side (40) and a front side (3), the back side (40) and the front side (3) delimiting a compartment adapted to be traversed by water injected therein by the beverage preparation machine through the back side (40), and a plant material for preparing a tea beverage, the plant material being inside said compartment. The front side (3) comprises at least one discharge opening (31) arranged in the upper half, preferably arranged in the upper third part, of said front side (3) when said container (1) is functionally inserted in the beverage preparation machine in order to keep water in the compartment at a defined level (L) that is above the median height (M) of said container (1), before the tea beverage is dispensed outside said container (1), thus allowing soaking of the plant material in said water.

A system for making beverages comprising a brewing unit (2) and a capsule (4) containing a powdered food substance (5), the capsule (4) comprising a recognition element (11) placed inside an outer casing (6), wherein the brewing unit (2) comprises a first piercing unit (17), a lighting device (26) configured to light the recognition element (11), a detecting device (13) configured to detect a return light radiation from the recognition element (11) and an electronic control unit programmed to execute a comparing step, wherein real data are compared with saved reference data and to manage brewing in a different way if the real data match reference data or do not, compared with if the comparing step indicates that the real data do not match the reference data, wherein the reference data comprise one or more combinations of division of the total intensity received in a main band, into a plurality of separate secondary bands of wavelengths, which are included in the main band.

Proposed is a cartridge system (1) for producing a beverage, said cartridge system (1) being insertable into a beverage preparation machine (3), wherein: the cartridge system (1) includes a cartridge (2), which has a reservoir (6) filled with a beverage substance (7); and a cartridge receptacle (10) connected to the cartridge (2), said cartridge receptacle (10) having a mixing chamber (8) that can be fluidically connected to the reservoir (6); and including a fluid supply (12) that leads to the mixing chamber (8); the cartridge system (1) further comprising an identification means for identifying the cartridge system in the beverage preparation machine (3).

Container for a beverage preparation machine or foodstuff preparation machine, the container for containing beverage or foodstuff material comprises a code encoding preparation information, in particular preparation information for a beverage preparation machine or foodstuff preparation machine to prepare a beverage or a foodstuff with beverage or foodstuff material contained in the container, the code comprising a reference portion and a data portion. The reference portion comprises at least one reference configuration defining a virtual reference line. The data portion comprises a virtual encoding line intersecting the virtual reference line at a virtual intersection point and a sequence of data units comprising at least two data units aligned at a distance from each other along the virtual encoding line for encoding a sequence of operations of the preparation information. Each data unit of the sequence of data units encodes an operation of the sequence of operations, wherein a relative position of each data unit in the sequence of data units encodes a nature of the encoded operation and wherein a distance between the data unit and the virtual intersection point and/or a distance between the data unit and another data unit of the sequence of data units or of another sequence of data units encodes a value of a condition for the performance of the encoded operation.

An apparatus for making beverages using capsules (2) containing a food substance, having at least one image acquisition device (13) suitable for capturing images in electronic format, which show at least one portion of a capsule (2) located in an image capture zone (14) and which operates in the visible spectrum, a lighting device (15) associated with the capture zone (14) for lighting with light in the visible spectrum said portion of a capsule (2), and a detecting device (17) for detecting the presence of a capsule (2) at the capture zone (14) and/or the arrival of a capsule (2) in the capture zone (14), the detecting device (17) being operatively associated with the lighting device (15) for causing the switching of the lighting device (15) from a switched off condition to a switched on condition, depending on the detection of the presence of a capsule (2) at the capture zone (14) and/or of the arrival of a capsule (2) in the capture zone (14).