A contactless locker system includes a set of laterally adjacent lockers that includes a first locker configured to store a first food item prepared by a restaurant. The first locker includes a first door that automatically opens and closes without a user physically touching the first door and a second door that automatically opens and closes without a user physically touching the second door.

The present invention provides a food and/or beverage item counting device to be provided in a food and/or beverage item provision system including a transport path that passes along a customer table to transport carriers each configured to allow a food and/or beverage item to be placed thereon, the food and/or beverage item counting device including: a first information acquiring unit disposed upstream of the table and configured to acquire information relating to each of the carriers on the transport path; a second information acquiring unit disposed downstream of the table and configured to acquire information relating to each of the carriers on the transport path; and a first calculating unit configured to calculate the number of the food and/or beverage items taken out from the transport path to the table, wherein each of the carriers is provided with identification information for identifying the carrier.

A system and method for a vending machine is provided. One embodiment has a user interface configured to receive a plurality of user selections of a plurality of food products of interest from the user; a robotic system configured to transport a container to a plurality of food tanks to receive food products dispensed from selected ones of the plurality of food tanks, wherein a unique machine readable code is printed on an outside surface of at least one of the container and a container seal; and a scanner configured to scan the machine readable code. Wherein prior to delivery of the container with the machine readable code, the controller system controls the robotic system so that the scanner acquires the machine readable code, and wherein the controller system associates at least food product information with the received machine readable code information.

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 for dispensing one or more products can include one or more product containers, each with a port for dispensing a product, a housing with one or more container cavities for removably receiving the product containers, one or more quantity sensors for detecting a quantity of product within one or more product containers, one or more actuators for dispensing product from one or more product containers, and a controller configured to monitor or control one or more aspects of the system.

An improved dispenser unit for dispensing bulk food items, including a cabinet having at least one hopper having a drum with product compartments, a deflector and flexible gate valve, a dispense assembly, and a control system. The dispense assembly may or may not include one or more belts and/or sensors. The product compartments include flexible and/or elastic membranes, which dynamically change the effective product storage volume within a compartment, and eliminate rigid or semi-rigid pinch points between the drum and drum compartment. A product flow divider may be positioned above the receiving container in the dispense assembly, said divider configured to cause the dispensed product to divide into two or more flow streams into the receiving container. The receiving container may be vibrated or oscillated.

An apparatus and method for storing medical products such as pharmaceutical and medical products in climate controlled storage devices includes climate control systems in communication with inventory access and tracking systems.

A mobile terminal includes: a wireless communication unit configured to communicate with a beverage-making apparatus; a display unit; and at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to: receive, through the wireless communication unit, beverage-making state information indicating a state of the beverage-making apparatus; and generate content to be output through the display unit, based on the received beverage-making state information of the beverage-making apparatus.

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.

An interactive and customizable food delivery system with a high degree of personalization. The system provides for the personalization of a product and product label thereby delivering a client-specified food product based upon their recipe input through a computer device interface. Through use of a computer interface, such as a mobile computing device or “smart phone,” personal computer, or even through a unique computerized kiosk located at a fixed location, the user can input recipes or order products from existing recipes. The product is prepared either locally or remotely and is then delivered or shipped to the user with a customized label indicating ingredients and other information.