BEVERAGE CAPSULE, BEVERAGE PREPARATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING A BEVERAGE CAPSULE

Abstract

A capsule for beverage preparations in a brewing machine, the capsule including a capsule container that is filled with an extraction product and has an essentially quadratic base, and a capsule cover that closes the capsule container. The capsule has at least one first optically readable code on the base of the capsule container, the code having a two-dimensional arrangement of several first code elements, which respectively contain information from which one of several possible orientations of the code on the plane of the base can be derived in a unique manner. The invention also relates to a capsule and to an associated system including a brewing machine and to a method for identifying the type of capsule.

Claims

1. A capsule for drinks preparation in a brewing machine, wherein the capsule comprises a capsule beaker that is filled with an extraction material and has an essentially square base, and a capsule cover closing the capsule beaker, said capsule having at least one first optically readable code on the base of the capsule beaker, said code comprising a two-dimensional arrangement of several first code elements, which each comprise information, from which one of several possible alignments of the code in the plane of the base can be unambiguously derived.

2. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the first code comprises a number of essentially identical and essentially identically aligned first code elements.

3. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the first code elements comprise at least two straight line sections, which are adjacent to one another at a predefined angle.

4. The capsule according to claim 3, wherein at least one line section of the first code elements runs essentially parallel to the outer edges of the essentially rectangular or square code.

5. The capsule according to claim 3, wherein at least one line section of the first code elements runs essentially parallel to the outer edges of the square base.

6. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the first code elements are essentially L-shaped.

7. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the first code elements comprise at least one arch section.

8. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the code elements are lasered onto the base of the capsule beaker or into the base.

9. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the first code comprises 50-400 code elements.

10. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the first code is subdivided into a regular, imagined arrangement of code fields, which at least in pairs are grouped into code groups, wherein only a single code field within a code group is provided with a code element.

11. The capsule according to claim 9, wherein the local position of a code element within the code group comprises information.

12. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein at least one second optically readable code on the base of the capsule beaker, said second optically readable code comprising a two-dimensional arrangement of several second code elements, which lie radially outside the first code with respect to a middle point of the first code.

13. The capsule according to claim 12, wherein the first code elements and the second code elements are essentially identical and the first code elements are aligned differently compared to the second code elements.

14. A system for preparing a drink from a capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising: a brewing machine comprising: a brewing chamber for receiving a capsule with a capsule beaker with an essentially square base, an optical detection unit for reading out a code with a two-dimensional arrangement of several code elements on the base while the capsule is located in a read position above the brewing chamber, wherein four different alignments of the capsule are possible in the read position and the detection unit is designed in a manner such that it recognises the alignment of the code elements and derives the alignment of the code from this, wherein the system further comprises a capsule with a square base carrying the code, wherein the code comprises the code elements from which elements the detection unit derives the alignment of the code.

15. A method for identifying a capsule with a capsule beaker with an essentially square base and with a code with a two-dimensional arrangement of several code elements on the base, in a brewing machine for preparing a drink, the method comprising the steps of: transferring the capsule inserted into the brewing machine by the user, into a read position, recognising code elements and determining the alignment of the code on the basis of the alignment of the code elements, decoding the code and identifying the capsule type on the basis of the information contained in the code.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0070] Embodiment examples of the invention are hereinafter described by way of figures. In the figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same or analogous elements. There are shown in:

[0071] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a capsule for drinks preparation,

[0072] FIG. 2 is a lateral view of the capsule according FIG. 1,

[0073] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a brewing machine, which is designed for receiving a capsule,

[0074] FIG. 4 is a schematic and simplified representation of a detection unit, which is provided in the machine and is for visually detecting the code on the base of the capsule beaker,

[0075] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a first code, which is provided on the base of the capsule beaker,

[0076] FIG. 6 is a simplified and schematic representation of a regular subdivision of the first code into individual code fields, code groups and code words,

[0077] FIG. 7 shows different positions of a code element in different code fields of a code group,

[0078] FIG. 8 is a simplified schematic representation of a base of the capsule beaker with a first and with a second code and

[0079] FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of two different code elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0080] The capsule 10, which is represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, includes a pot-like capsule beaker 11 with a square capsule base 12. The capsule beaker 11 is away from the base 12 closed with a capsule cover 16 extending over the complete cross section of the capsule beaker 11. The capsule cover 16 and the side walls 14 of the capsule beaker 11 form an outwardly projecting flange section 18. The peripheral flange section 18, apart from a closure function, also serves for guiding and aligning the capsule. A receiver 21, which is provided on a brewing machine 20 and is typically in the form of an insertion or receiving shaft, can have a geometry corresponding to the outer contour of the capsule 10, which is represented in a lateral view in FIG. 2, so that the capsule can be introduced into the receiver of the brewing machine 20, compellingly in an orientation or alignment, in which the base 12 of the capsule beaker faces a detection unit 24.

[0081] Given a correct positioning of the capsule 10 in a read position L within the brewing machine 20, there are still four different possible orientations of the capsule 10 and of the optically readable or visually recognisable code 50 provided on the base 12, due to the square geometry of the base 12 of the capsule beaker 11 and of the essentially square, peripheral flange section. The different and several possible alignments of the code 50 are due to rotations of the capsule with respect to its imagined rotation axis 15, which extends essentially perpendicularly to the base 12 and perpendicularly to the capsule cover 16, and which in particular can coincide with a geometrical middle point of the base 12 and capsule cover 16.

[0082] The brewing machine 20, which is shown in FIG. 3 is envisaged for receiving at least one capsule 10 which, by way of insertion into the receiver 21, can firstly be held in a read position L. In this read position L, the code 50 provided on the outer side of the base 12 of the capsule beaker 11 can be visually detected by way of the detection unit 24 and fed to a picture evaluation, by way of which picture evaluation the coded information can be decoded. A brewing chamber 26, in which the capsule 10 filled with the extraction product is pierced and the extraction material can be brought into contact with a fluid envisaged for the extraction procedure, in particular hot water, is located after the read position L. The extract, which is to say the drink, prepared in this way and manner can subsequently be collected via an outlet 29, in a drinks vessel, which is not explicitly shown. The spent capsule 10 can then be fed to a capture container 28 after the brewing procedure, and this container needs to be emptied now and again.

[0083] The brewing machine 20 is moreover provided with a control 30, which amongst others is coupled to the detection unit 24. A picture evaluation can either be contained in the detection unit 24 or in the control 30. The brewing procedure can be controlled, however at the minimum can be influenced, by reading out the code information of the capsule 10. The code 50, for example, can contain information concerning a preset brewing program, which can be automatically selected by the control 30 after the recognition and reading-out of the code 50. The operating comfort of the brewing machine 20 can be increased and improved in this manner.

[0084] The brewing machine can moreover be provided with a motor, which is not represented in FIG. 3 and which opens and closes the brewing chamber. This motor can likewise be controlled by the control, so that the capsule is automatically be transferred into the brewing chamber 26 after a successful recognition and reading out of the code. The operating comfort for the user is increased by way of this.

[0085] The detection unit 24 is represented in a simplified manner in the schematic representation according to FIG. 4. The detection unit 24 in particular includes a camera 25, which with its optical axis typically essentially coincides roughly with the middle point 55 of a first code 50 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, as soon as the capsule 10 is located within the brewing machine 20 in the read position L. A first code 50 on the base 12 of the capsule beaker 11 is represented schematically in FIG. 5. The first code 50 has an at least imagined middle point 55, which lies centrically or centrally within the outer edges 54 of the first code 50.

[0086] The first code 50 moreover includes a two-dimensional arrangement of several first code elements 52. Each of the first code elements 52 contains information, from which one of several possible alignments of the code 50 in the plane of the base 12 is unambiguously derivable. The code 50 can be arranged in total in four different alignments in the X-Y plane, which is represented in FIGS. 5 and 6 and which, for example, represents the picture plane of the detection unit 24 or coincides with this. The individual alignments can be assumed, for example, by way of a rotation of the capsule 10 in each case by 90° with respect to its rotation axis 15. The rotation axis 15 of the capsule beaker 11 can thereby coincide with the imagined middle point 55 of the first code 50.

[0087] What can be recognised is that all first code elements 52 of the first code 50 are designed in an identical or essentially identical manner. They have an L-shaped contour with a first line section 52a, which extends horizontally in FIG. 5 and FIG. 9 and with a second, essentially vertically aligned line section 52b. With the alignment of the code 50 and of its individual code elements 52, which is represented in FIGS. 5 and 9, the intersection point of the line sections 52a, 52b lies at the bottom left. A short limb or the first line section 52a extends horizontally to the right from the intersection point, whereas the longer, i.e. the second line section 52b extends vertically upwards from the intersection point of the line sections 52a, 52b.

[0088] This arrangement and alignment of the individual line sections 52a 52b renders possible an unambiguous determining of the alignment of the associated code element 52 and of the code 50, which is formed by this. In particular, a pointer structure 56 can be unambiguously assigned to the code element 52. Here, for example, a pointer structure 56 in the extension of the second line section 52b is shown in FIG. 9, wherein the pointer structure 56 points away from the intersection point of the two line sections 52a, 52b. On rotating the code 50 and its code elements 52, for example by 90° in the clockwise direction, a corresponding rotation of the line sections 52a, 52b as well of the associated pointer structure 56 results. This would then point horizontally to the right. The alignment or the orientation of the code 50 in the plane of the base 12, between the several possible alignments, can be determined comparatively simply as well as with a reduced effort concerning software and hardware technology by way of determining the alignment of a single arbitrary code element 52, due to the fact that all code elements 52 are aligned essentially identically to one another and by way of the orientation of the code elements 52 being fixedly linked to the orientation of the code 50.

[0089] Hereby, it is particularly advantageous if at least one line section 52a, 52b of the first code elements 52 runs essentially parallel to the outer edges 13 of the square base 12 and/or essentially parallel to the outer edges 54 of the essentially rectangular or square code 50. Moreover, a right-angled arrangement of the differently long line sections 52a, 52b has been found to be advantageous for a particularly robust and precise position recognition of the code elements 52. The detection unit 24 in particular can include a regular, two-dimensional arrangement of several detector pixels, which can be arranged horizontally next to one another and vertically below one another, corresponding to the X-Y plane. Even with a low resolution of the detection unit or even with imaging errors, a picture recognition which is adequate for determining the alignment of the code 50 can still be provided due to the fact that the line sections 52a, 52b of the first code elements 52 are either aligned vertically or horizontally with respect to the X-axis and Y-axis respectively.

[0090] The use of L-shaped code elements 52 is only described by way of example and does not necessarily need to be provided. Basically, it is also conceivable to use other code elements 53, for example with a C-shaped basic geometry and with an arch section 53a, as is shown in FIG. 9. U-shaped, V-shaped or T-shaped code elements or code elements in the form of asymmetrical surface areas are conceivable to the same extent. The only requirement concerning the code elements is that they inherently define a clear and unambiguous orientation in the plane.

[0091] In FIG. 6 it is represented schematically as to how the first code 50 is subdivided into a regular imagined arrangement of code fields 61, 62, 63, 64, which at least in pairs are grouped into code groups 60. Hereby, only a single code field 61, 62, 63, 64 within a code group 60 is provided with a code element 52, whereas the remaining code fields 61, 62, 63, 64 of a code group 60 remain free of code elements 52. The different conceivable positions of a code element 52 in a code group 60, which is formed from in total four code fields 61, 62, 63, 64, are shown in FIG. 7. The four code groups 60, which are represented in FIG. 7, each represent one of four different conditions. Inasmuch as this is concerned, a code group 60, which is formed from in total four code fields, represents information of in total 2 bits (2.sup.2=4).

[0092] The rule, according to which each code group 60 is provided with only a single code element 52 has the effect that the surface density of first code elements 52 normalised onto the surface area size of the code groups 60 is constant over the entire surface of the first code 50. Moreover, each arbitrary surface segment of the first code 50, which has an integer number of code groups, has an identical density of information. Finally, the local position of a code element within the code group is a carrier of the information concerned. The code information can be stored in the code by way of a single type of identical code elements 52, due to the fact that the code information is contained in the position of the individual code elements 52 relative to the code groups 60 or relative to the outer edge 54 of the code 50.

[0093] Moreover, one envisages a code group 60 including at least four code fields 61, 62, 63, 64 and, entailed by this, a minimum information with a 2 bit length. Moreover, several code groups 60 and/or several code fields 61, 62, 63, 64 can be grouped together into a code word 70. With the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the code groups 60, which are provided in the left upper square of the code 50, are grouped together into a code word 70, which in total includes sixteen code fields 61, 62, 63, 64.

[0094] According to the requirement that a code group 60 is permitted to contain or include only a single code element 52, a first integrity test of the code 50 can be effected independently of a decoding of the code 50 and thus already directly on the basis of a recorded picture of the code 50. If, for example, the detection unit 24 recognises that more than one code element 52 is contained in several code fields 60, then the respective code regions can be rejected. The number of code elements 52 within a code word 70 can be examined in the same way and manner.

[0095] Moreover, one envisages code information of the code 50 being redundantly contained in several code words 70, for example via a Reed-Solomon coding or another form of redundancy coding. In this way and manner, it can be ensured that the code 50 and the code information contained in this can be read out in a reliable manner in the case of regional contamination in the region of the code 50 or of the detection unit 24. Thereby, in particular it is conceivable for the imaging and read-out quality of individual code words 70 to be determined, for example, by way of assigning and identifying individual code elements 52 to and with individual code words 70. If, for example, a demanded number of code elements 52 for the code word 70 should not be contained in a recorded picture, then this is an indication that the code word 70 concerned has been affected by contamination or is subject to an imaging error. Of the quantity of code words 70, it is typically only those that have a predefined number of code elements 52 that are selected for the decoding.

[0096] If not enough complete code words 70 are present for the decoding, then several estimations or assumptions to be considered can be made at the respective locations. Then, in the course of an integrity test of the code information subsequently resulting from the respective assumption and/or of the individual information bits, after decoding it can be decided whether the assumption was correct or not. Accordingly, a different assumption can also be made on the basis of the integrity test. This procedure can be repeated iteratively until the code information resulting from the made assumption fulfils the criteria of the integrity test.

[0097] Apart from the grouping of individual code groups 60, which is represented in FIG. 6, a code word 70 can basically also consist, for example, of one or more code groups and additionally of one or more code fields, so that the total number of code fields 61, 62, 63, 64 of a code word 70 is an odd numbered multiple of the number of code fields 61, 62, 63, 64 per code group 60. Hereby, it is conceivable for individual code fields 61, 62, 63, 64 to contain a type of test bit or test code, whereas the code words 70 are the carriers of the actual code information.

[0098] In the further embodiment of a capsule 10, according to the representation of FIG. 8, it is conceivable for not only a first code 50, but yet a second code 150 to be provided on the base 12 of the capsule beaker 11, additionally to the first code 50. Whereas the first code 50 with its first code elements 52 is arranged roughly centrally or in a middle region of the base 12, the second code 150 with its second code elements 52′, with respect to the geometrical middle point of the first code 50 is located radially outside the first code 50. In the embodiment according to FIG. 8, the second code 150 completely encloses the first code 50 in the peripheral direction. The first and second code 50, 150 thereby each have a rectangular or square outer contour. In other words, the first code 50 is located within the second code 150.

[0099] The codes 50, 150 however are not designed in an overlapping manner. There are solely first code elements 52 belonging to the first code that are located in the region of the inner lying first code 50. The second code elements 52′ can be designed identically to the first code elements 52′. In this case however, one then envisages the first and second code elements 52, 52′ being aligned differently for the unambiguous and improved differentiation of the first and second code 50, 150. Here, all first code elements 52 are aligned in an essentially identical manner, whereas all second code elements 52′ are aligned in an essentially identical manner. In the embodiment example shown in FIG. 8, the orientation of the second code elements 52′ is rotated in the anticlockwise direction by 90° in comparison to the orientation of the first code elements 52.

[0100] However, differing from this, it is conceivable, for example, for the second code elements 52′ to have a geometry that is different to the L-shaped contour, for example a C-shaped contour or a U-shaped contour, which as such can be visually differentiated from the contour and geometry of the first code elements 52. For determining the alignment of the first and second code 50, 150, it is basically sufficient if only one of the first and second code elements 52, 52′ contains information from which one of several possible alignments of the code 50, 150 in the plane of the base 12 can be unambiguously derived. Point-like or rotationally symmetrical code elements can basically also be used instead of rotated L-shaped second code elements 52′.

[0101] The first and second codes 50, 150 typically contain different code information. The first code 50 typically includes information provided for a brewing procedure, for example with regard to a brewing program, water quantity, brewing temperature, brewing pressure, flow rate, pump power, brewing time or pre-brewing time, whereas the outer lying code 150, which is possibly only optionally to be used for certain brewing machines 20 contains further additional information concerning the extraction material, such as, for example, a sell-by-date, a production location, a location of origin or a batch number.

[0102] The different or the differently aligned code elements 52, 52′ permit a visual separation of the first and second code 50, 150, so that these can be detected, read out and decoded separately and independently of one another. The alignment of the second code elements 52′ relative to the outer edges 54 of the first code 50 or of the second code 150 as well as the arrangement of the second code elements 52′ amongst one another, in particular their arrangement in an at least imagined or virtual subdivision into code fields 61, 62, 63, 64, code groups 60 and code words 70 can be designed essentially identically to the first code elements 52. The first code 50 as well as the second code 150 can be recognised, read out and decoded with one and the same picture evaluation in this way and manner.

[0103] The redundancy test here is selected in a manner such that the code information can be decoded already with a readability of 10% to 15% of the code surface. The code information is quasi uniformly distributed over the surface of the code 50 by way of the homogenous distribution of code groups 60 and code words 70 over the surface of the code 50. This renders the code 50 particularly robust given regional contamination or imaging errors

[0104] An integrity and plausibility test of code words 70 can be achieved directly on the bit level and on picture level due to the predefined constraint that a code group 60 formed from code fields 61, 62, 63, 64 includes exactly one code element 52. Moreover, a constant write time for the code 50 on the base 12 of the capsule beaker 11 can be achieved by the homogeneous distribution of the code elements within code groups. This can be achieved by a writing device, which has a writing time that is proportional to the surface to be written. The writing device can be designed as a galvo laser scanner for example. On writing or inscribing the base 12 by way of laser for instance, it is always the same number of code elements 52 that are written per unit of time.

[0105] It is even conceivable to carry out an integrity test of the code 50 or of the code words 70 or code groups 60, which are contained in the code 50, purely on the picture level. The better the integrity test is effected on the picture level, the less test bits are to be added to the code words 70. It is even conceivable to carry out an integrity test of the code 50 completely on the picture level, so that one can largely make do without test bits within the code 50.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0106] 10 capsule [0107] 11 capsule beaker [0108] 12 base [0109] 13 outer edge [0110] 14 side wall [0111] 15 rotation axis [0112] 16 capsule cover [0113] 18 flange section [0114] 20 brewing machine [0115] 21 receiver [0116] 22 brewing unit [0117] 24 detection unit [0118] 25 camera [0119] 26 brewing chamber [0120] 28 capture container [0121] 29 outlet [0122] 30 control [0123] 50 code [0124] 52 code element [0125] 52′ code element [0126] 52a line section [0127] 52b line section [0128] 53 code element [0129] 53a arch section [0130] 54 outer edge [0131] 55 middle point [0132] 56 pointer structure [0133] 60 code group [0134] 61 code field [0135] 62 code field [0136] 63 code field [0137] 64 code field [0138] 70 code word [0139] 150 code