A modular liquid vending system positionable at a selected location for a selected period of time, and method of using same, including a housing having a floor, opposing side walls and opposing end walls. At least one fill terminal is positioned within the housing and has an outlet accessible by a customer to provide a selected quantity of the liquid. At least one storage tank suitable for storing the liquid is positioned within the housing and is connected to the fill terminal. The vending system is transportable by a vehicle to the selected location for the selected period of time.

A fuel station controller to dispense fuel and drinks, a fuel station including the fuel station controller, and a product management subsystem including sensors communicatively coupled with the fuel station controller. The controller includes a housing comprising product modules having connectors adapted to connect conductors from an ingestible product dispenser, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled with the product modules and comprises processing instructions operable to receive a value indicative of a quantity of an ingestible product in a box to be dispensed by the ingestible product dispenser and to generate an empty box alert if the value is below an empty box setpoint.

A liquid product distribution network includes a liquid product distribution monitoring and reporting apparatus for operation in association with a tap handle flow monitoring and reporting apparatus. The liquid product distribution monitoring and reporting apparatus includes a radio transmitter device and sensing circuitry for sensing and communicating physical properties associating with the keg. A tap handle flow monitoring and reporting apparatus senses flow of a liquid through a tap includes a tap handle radio transmitter device for fitting within and protected by a tap handle and a low-energy consumption tap handle radio/processing module. A mobile communications device with geographic position sensing device and/or said tap handle flow monitoring and reporting apparatus passively and without user interaction within the liquid product distribution network, without using network uplink/gateway circuit devices for sensing and reporting fluid storage, flow, and financial operations relating to the distribution of said liquid product throughout the liquid product distribution network.

A liquid product distribution network includes a liquid product distribution monitoring and reporting apparatus for operation in association with a tap handle flow monitoring and reporting apparatus. The liquid product distribution monitoring and reporting apparatus includes a radio transmitter device and sensing circuitry for sensing and communicating physical properties associating with the keg. A tap handle flow monitoring and reporting apparatus senses flow of a liquid through a tap includes a tap handle radio transmitter device for fitting within and protected by a tap handle and a low-energy consumption tap handle radio/processing module. A mobile communications device with geographic position sensing device and/or said tap handle flow monitoring and reporting apparatus passively and without user interaction within the liquid product distribution network, without using network uplink/gateway circuit devices for sensing and reporting fluid storage, flow, and financial operations relating to the distribution of said liquid product throughout the liquid product distribution network.

The object of the invention is a device and method for dispensing hot and cold liquid products in a dispensing machine, stored in containers (2) provided with a cap (1), and wherein said device comprises a storage mechanism (19) for the products, a dispensing mechanism (9) that collects and heats the product, an uncapping mechanism (16) intended to remove the cap (1) from the container (2), and a turning mechanism (8) that rotates the container (2) pouring the product in a vessel to be consumed by the user.

The object of the invention is a device and method for dispensing hot and cold liquid products in a dispensing machine, stored in containers (2) provided with a cap (1), and wherein said device comprises a storage mechanism (19) for the products, a dispensing mechanism (9) that collects and heats the product, an uncapping mechanism (16) intended to remove the cap (1) from the container (2), and a turning mechanism (8) that rotates the container (2) pouring the product in a vessel to be consumed by the user.

A food preparation unit receives unit input in the form of an image selected by a user of a vending machine or client device application. The food preparation unit translates the image into a format that is recognizable by further components of the unit. The food preparation unit represents the image as a set of instructions for the components of the unit. The instructions comprise a selection of sauces to dispense, a dispensing method, and a dispensing nozzle. The food preparation unit identifies a starting location of the dispensing nozzle and dispenses the selected sauce from the dispensing nozzle in the form of the chosen image.

A system and method for creating a mixed consumable item may include displaying a first set of selectable indicia on a touchscreen, where the indicia may be (i) indicative of respective consumable ingredients and (ii) distinctly positioned relative to one another. A swype gesture may be received from a user via the touchscreen that forms a path extending between a first position and a second position that touches or passes close to multiple selectable indicia. From the first set of consumable ingredients, a plurality of combinations of consumable ingredients most likely to have been intended to be selected by the user based on the path of the swype gesture may be predicted. Selectable predicted combinations of consumable ingredients may be displayed on the touchscreen to enable one of the selectable combinations of consumable ingredients to be selected by the user for mixing by a dispenser of consumable items.

A method for producing a product by way of a drinks preparation machine, including the steps of, by way of a machine backend for a drinks preparation machine, receiving a backend order. The backend order includes an identifier for the identification of a preparation prescript, as well as a configuration identifier. A preparation prescript is determined by way of determining, in the case that the identifier is the same as an individual identifier, a preparation prescript that in one of several user profiles is assigned to the individual identifier. The user profile is determined in accordance with the configuration identifier. By way of the machine backend, a machine order is generated to the drinks preparation machine, wherein the machine order specifies the preparation prescript. By way of the drinks preparation machine, the product is produced in accordance with the preparation prescript.

A platform for onsite creation of consumable liquids is provided. The platform includes a liquid generating machine, a set of cubes, compatible bottles, and a user interface device. The platform effectively decentralizes the production consumable liquids, such as drinking waters, enhances the consumer's experience with a brand, significantly increases consumers' choices while simplifying the consumption process (buying the water, carrying it, getting rid of/recycling the plastic bottle, etc.). The platform includes customizable liquid generating recipes associated with the cubes that may be provided through a network or local database and a security feature that allows the authorization of users to generate and access controlled liquids.