Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SENSING DEVICES AND SYSTEMS
INCLUDING EXAMPLES OF PAIRING SENSING DEVICES TO CONTAINERS
TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] Examples described herein include examples of sensing devices which
may obtain
a weight of an associated container and transmit the weight to a computing
system.
Examples of pairing the sensing device to a container, e.g. a keg, are
described which may
take place using a software application, such as a software application on a
mobile
communication device.
BACKGROUND
[002] Establishments such as restaurants and bars frequently receive
products consumed
by customers, such as beverages, from distributors. When an establishment runs
low on
certain products, the establishment typically contacts the distributor to
resupply the
establishment's stock of products. However, this process can be time
consuming,
especially when it is difficult for the establishment to ascertain the
quantity of certain
products, such as when those products are supplied in bulk, such as in kegs.
[003] Moreover, establishments such as restaurants may change their product
offerings
from time to time, such as by changing available brew types. It may be time
consuming to
keep updated menus available for consumers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0041 FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a sensing device arranged in
accordance with
examples described herein.
[005] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a sensing device arranged in
accordance with
examples described herein.
[006] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a sensing device arranged in
accordance with
examples described herein.
[007] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of components included in a
sensing device
arranged in accordance with examples described herein.
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[008] FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a bottom view of the sensing
device shown in
Figure 1 - Figure 3 arranged in accordance with examples described herein.
[009] FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a system arranged in accordance
with examples
described herein.
[010] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method in accordance with examples
described herein.
[011] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method arranged in accordance with
examples described
herein.
[012] FIG. 9 is a screenshot from a user device display arranged in
accordance with
examples described herein.
[013] FIG. 10 is a screenshot from a user device display arranged in
accordance with
examples described herein.
[014] FIG. 11 is a screenshot from a user device display arranged in
accordance with
examples described herein.
[015] FIG. 12 is a screenshot from a user device display arranged in
accordance with
examples described herein.
[016] FIG. 13 is a screenshot from a user device display arranged in
accordance with
examples described herein.
[017] FIG. 14 is an illustration of a display screen providing a report
arranged in
accordance with examples described herein.
[018] FIG. 15 is a display image of a digital display of a menu arranged in
accordance
with examples described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[019] Certain details are set forth below to provide a sufficient
understanding of
embodiments of the invention. However, it will be clear to one skilled in the
art that
embodiments of the invention may be practiced without various of these
particular details.
In some instances, well-known beverage industry components, circuits, control
signals,
timing protocols, computing system components, and software operations have
not been
shown in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the described
embodiments of
the invention.
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,
1020] Examples described herein include systems and methods which
include sensing
devices positioned under containers. The sensing devices may detect a weight
of the
container and transmit that weight to a computing system. In this manner,
amounts of
liquid remaining in the containers may be monitored remotely using the sensing
devices.
In some examples, a container positioned above a particular sensing device may
be
changed (e.g. when the container is depleted, a new container may be placed on
the sensing
device). The new container may or may not be the same size as the previous
container,
and the new container may or may not have the same type of contents as the
previous
container. In some examples described herein, a user may be notified that the
sensing
device should be paired with the new container placed on the sensing device.
The pairing
process may associate the sensing device with a size of the container and
contents of the
container placed on the sensing device. In some examples, a user may utilize a
mobile
communication device to associate the sensing device with the size and
contents of the new
container.
10211 Examples described herein include systems and methods for
displaying inventory
information. In some examples, sensing devices may be positioned under
containers. The
sensing devices may detect weights of each of the containers, and transmit the
weights to
one or more computing systems. Based on the weights, and in some examples
further
based on a size of the container, a relative fullness of each container may be
determined.
The available liquids (e.g. beers) may be displayed on a digital display. In
some examples,
some or all of the available liquids may be displayed together with one or
more icons
indicative of the size or type of container from which they may be provided,
and/or the
relative fullness of those containers. Other information relating to the
available liquids,
e.g. the price and/or age, may also be provided.
10221 In some examples, a sensing device may be associated with a
particular size and/or
contents of a container using user input from a computing device, such as from
a mobile
phone or other mobile communication device. Generally, associating the sensing
device
with the particular size and/or contents of the container may refer to storing
an association
between these elements (e.g. storing a relationship, such as by storing a
sensing device ID
in a database together with a size and/or contents of a container, or linked
to the size and/or
contents of the container).
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10231 In some examples, a sensing device may be associated with a tap at a
particular
location. The sensing device may be associated with a tap, for example, by
having a
separate identification device (e.g. an RFID tag) encoded with an
identification of the tap.
To associate the tap with a particular sensing device, the sensing device may
be paired with
the RFID tag encoding the tap number of the tap. Pairing the sensing device
may generally
refer to storing an association between the sensing device and the tap number
(e.g. by
storing the sensing device ID and the tap number in a database). To pair the
sensing device
with a tap number, the separate identification device (e.g. an RFID tag) may
be read by the
sensing device and the tap number encoded by the identification device may be
transmitted
to a computing system together with the sensing device ID.
[024] Examples described herein may make use of sensing devices that may be
positioned beneath a container for use in weighing the container and
transmitting a weight
of the container to a computing system. The weight of the container may be
used, for
example, to monitor contents of the container and/or product inventory.
[025] Generally, any container may be used. In some examples, containers
intended to
hold liquids may be used. For example, kegs, barrels, vats, home water
containers, or
buckets may be used. In some examples, containers intended to hold food may be
used. In
some example, the container may include an outlet for dispensing the liquid
(e.g. a valve
and/or an outlet port). The liquid monitored may include, but not be limited
to, beer, wine,
spirits, juice, milk, water, soda, syrup, or vinegar.
[026] Generally, the draft beer industry employs re-usable aluminum kegs to
distribute
draft beer. The kegs may be simple aluminum containers (e.g. containers) that
can be filled
with beer, pressurized, and then the beer flows out of a top-mounted valve.
The keg
typically embodies no technology beyond a simple pressure valve on the top.
Kegs may
have a spherical round bottom that is surrounded or collared with a round
aluminum sheath
that allows the keg to sit upright and level. This collar on the bottom of the
keg, combined
with the spherical round bottom, creates a constructed void or space under the
keg (e.g.
false bottom). In some examples, sensing devices described herein may be
placed entirely
within that constructed void or space (e.g. false bottom). The edges of the
round aluminum
sheath in those examples may not rest on the floor, rather the sensing device
may rest on
the floor, and the bottom of the keg container may be supported by the sensing
device,
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with the collar raised above the floor. In some examples, sensing devices
described herein
may be placed beneath the collar such that the collar rests on the sensing
device. Generally,
sensing devices described herein may be positioned to weigh a container, such
as a keg.
1027] In some examples, a tap may be used to interface with kegs described
herein and to
dispense liquid from the keg. Generally, a number of taps may be fixed in
place in a
location (e.g. at a restaurant) and different kegs may from time-to-time be
attached to any
given tap. Examples described herein provide for associating (e.g. pairing) a
sensing
device to a particular tap. In this manner, example sensing devices described
herein may
transmit a tap number to which they are associated to a computing system.
[028] An example sensing device 102 is shown in Figure 1. The sensing
device 102
includes pad 104 and body 106. An overall diameter of the sensing device 102
may be
such that the sensing device 102 may be positioned under any of a variety of
container
sizes. For example, the sensing device 102 may fit under 1/2 barrel, 40 liter,
50 liter, 1/4
barrel, and 1/6 barrel kids in some examples. The kegs may be fabricated from
any of a
variety of materials including, but not limited to, steel, aluminum, plastic,
rubberized
material, other commercially used materials, or combinations thereof.
[029] The sensing device 102 may be constructed of material sufficiently
strong to carry
the large weight loads of containers described herein (e.g. a full keg) and
capable of
operating at low temperatures, such as would be encountered in a refrigerated
location, and
may include various types of plastics, composites, metals, and/or alloys.
[030] In some examples, the body 106 is toroidal (e.g. doughnut-shaped,
annular, ring-
shaped, or circular and defining a center aperture), which may facilitate
grasping the
sensing device by placing a hand in the aperture. Other shapes may also be
used, including
circular and spoked (e.g. having a center portion with load cells positioned
in arms
radiating outward from the center portion). Generally, the sensing device may
be shaped to
provide multiple load cells at different points on a container bottom to aid
in accurately
weighing the container and minimizing tipping or rocking of the container.
[031] In some examples, the sensing device 102 may fit within an inner
diameter of a
cavity at a bottom of the container, for example within a false bottom of a
keg. In other
examples, the sensing device 102 may be positioned under a bottom-most portion
of the
container (e.g. the rims of the keg which would normally rest on a floor or
other supporting
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surface may be placed on the sensing device 102). In some examples, the
sensing device
102 may be clipped or otherwise attached to a container, but attachment may
not be made
in other examples.
[032] The sensing device 102 includes one or more pads, such as pad 104, on
a top
surface of the sensing device 102. The pads, including pad 104, may be made of
any of a
variety of materials, including but not limited to, rubber. The pad 104 may
have radially
inwardly sloped (e.g., downwardly sloping in radially inward directions) top
surfaces
which may facilitate gripping the container (e.g. keg) placed above the
sensing device 102
and may aid in keeping the sensing device 102 from shifting when the container
(e.g. keg)
is moved. The inwardly sloped top surfaces of pad 104 may additionally or
instead assist
the container (e.g. keg) in self centering on top of the sensing device 102.
[033] Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a sensing device arranged in
accordance with
examples described herein. The sensing device 102 includes body 106 having
slot 202 and
additional slots. The slots may be sized and shaped to receive a respective
one of the pad
104. For example, the slots may be arcuate shaped. Posts, such as post 204 may
project
from a bottom surface 206 of slot 202, and any or all of the remaining slots.
There may be
any number of posts, and the posts may support the pad 104. The posts may be
open, e.g.
hollow.
[034] When placed beneath a container (e.g. a keg), a bottom surface of the
container
may be supported by one or more of the pads, such as the pad 104. The sensing
device 102
may be used to weigh a container placed on the sensing device 102.
[035] Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of a sensing device arranged in
accordance with
examples described herein. Pad 104 A bottom surface of each may include a
number (e.g.
two) recesses, such as recess 304. The number of recesses may be selected, and
each recess
may be sized to receive a respective one of posts, such as the post 204.
Extending from the
bottom surface within each recess, such as the recess 304, may be a
projection, such as the
projection 306, which may be sized and shaped to engage with (e.g. be snap
locked into)
the respective post, such as the post 204. A distal end of the projection may
press down on
an electrical element (e.g. a load cell, such as load cell 308) when a keg
rests upon one or
more of the pads, such as the pad 104. Electronics mounted on a circuit board
associated
with one or more of the load cells, such as the circuit board 310 associated
with the load
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cell 308, may measure the change in an electrical characteristic of the
associated load cell,
which characteristic may vary with the weight of the container. Thus, a weight
of the
container may be determined from the measurements of the electrical
characteristics of the
multiple load cells included in the sensing device 102. In the example of
Figure 1 - Figure
3, eight load cells may be used, each positioned beneath one of the
projections, with two
projections provided per pad. Load cells and the electronics mounted on
circuit boards
form a weight sensing arrangement that may be used to sense the weight of a
container
(e.g. keg) placed on sensing device 102.
[036] Figure 4 is a schematic illustration of components included in a
sensing device
arranged in accordance with examples described herein. The components shown in
Figure
4 may be housed within the sensing device, for example the sensing device 102
of Figure 1
- Figure 3 or other sensing devices described herein. The sensing device 102
may include
processing unit(s) 408, memory 406, ID device reader 410, load cell(s) 402,
and
transceiver 404.
[037] Load cell(s) 402 may generally be implemented using one or more
pressure
sensors, which in at least one embodiment may be implemented using an analog
electronic
device that converts weight into an analog value calibrated to the weight of a
full keg.
When the sensing device 102 is placed under a container (e.g. a keg), the load
cell(s) 402
may be supported by the floor or other surface and may be positioned to weigh
the
container. In some use scenarios, containers (e.g. kegs) may be stacked on top
of each
other. In such situations, the system vendor can supply a rigid, hard plastic
mat (not
shown) that can fit on the top of a container to provide a hard, level surface
for a sensing
device to be positioned on the next layer up to weigh a container placed on
that sensing
device. In examples stacking scenarios, the sensing devices on the bottom
containers can
be adjusted to account for there being more than one container resting on top
of the load
cell(s) 402, such as by transferring weight information to/from the containers
above.
[038] The load cell(s) 402 register pressure from the weight of the
container. One or more
processing unit(s) 408 (e.g. processor(s)) may be provided in the sensing
device. For
example, the processing unit(s) 408 may be implemented using one or more
microcontrollers, which may include one or more analog-to-digital converters
(ADCs). In
some examples, the system may be calibrated for an anticipated weight of a
full container
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such that when a full container that has a maximum volume and weight is placed
on the
sensing device, the load cell(s) 402 may register a maximum analog value,
which may be
converted into a digital value by the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) . In
some examples,
the conversion uses an 8-bit value, while in others, another range of digital
outputs (such as
0-20, or, in other embodiments, 0-10, 0-50, 0-100, or 0-240) is used. Using
this latter form
as an example, as the container is depleted, the value changes from 20 to 19,
18, 17, etc. all
the way down to 0 (zero) in some examples, which may be the value
corresponding to the
weight of an empty container. Calibration parameters to associate the full
container weight
with the maximum analog value and the empty container weight with the minimum
analog
value may be stored, for example, in memory 406.
[039] The weight value (e.g. 0-20) may be provided to transceiver 404 for
transmission,
e.g. to a gateway as described herein. In some examples, the transceiver 404
may be
implemented using a separate transmitter and receiver. In some examples the
transmitter
and receiver may be combined. The transceiver 404 may transmit using any of a
variety of
wireless techniques and/or protocols. For example, the transceiver 404 may
communicate
with a local gateway using ZigBee protocols, Bluetooth protocols, other IEEE
802.15
protocols or IEEE 802.11 protocols, or similar wireless protocols. In some
examples the
local gateway may communicate with a larger network (e.g. a cellular telephone
network
or a mesh network). In other examples, the transceiver 404 itself may
communicate to the
larger network directly (e.g. a cellular telephone network or a mesh network).
Other
wireless or wired data transmission technologies may also be used.
[040] In some embodiments, the sensing device may remain asleep and wake up
periodically to receive a signal related to the current weight of the keg,
communicate with
the network (e.g., the cellular network, which may be via the local
uplink/gateway) and
transfer data to and/or from a database (which may take approximately 10-20
seconds in
some embodiments), then go back to sleep. In one embodiment, the sensing
device wakes
up and communicates with the network once every hour. In other embodiments,
the
sensing device may wake up more or less frequently depending on the time of
day or the
day of the week/year. In still other embodiments, the sensor wakes up based on
a schedule
received from a database, which may be adjusted by the database. For example,
if an
algorithm evaluating data from a database determines that beer A is selling
quickly and
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beer B is not selling quickly, a command can be sent through the network to
one or more
sensing devices associated with beer A (e.g., through a cellular network,
which may be
sent to the sensor via a local uplink/gateway) instructing the one or more
sensors
associated with beer A to wake up and communicate with the database every 20
minutes
and/or a command can be sent through the network to one or more sensing
devices
associated with beer B instructing the one or more sensing devices associated
with beer B
to wake up and communicate with the database every 2 hours. In addition to
sending
instructions modifying the wake up schedule of a sensor, other software
updates may also
be delivered wirelessly from the network to the sensor/transmitter and/or the
uplink.
Software updates and other parameters may be stored, for example in the memory
406 of
Figure 4 and executed by the processing unit(s) 408 in Figure 4.
10411 The memory 406 may be implemented using generally any storage device,
e.g.
flash memory. The memory 406 may store (and in some examples may be
preprogrammed
with) several parameters. One of these parameters may be an ID number
corresponding to
the individual sensing device. For example, each sensing device may have its
own unique
ID number (e.g. serial number) that is programmed into the software (e.g.
encoded in
memory 406) when the sensing device is manufactured. In addition to the ID
Number, the
software version number may be pre-programmed in some examples. The keg
transmitter
software may also be programmed with certain functions and intelligence. For
example,
the software may be programmed at the factory to perform various functions,
including
waking itself up at predetermined times, at specific intervals of time, or
upon the
occurrence of specific events or actions and transmitting a signal via a
wireless network
(e.g., ZigBee, Bluetooth, or other) to check whether it is in range of a
gateway. When the
transmitter is shipped to an equipped warehouse, the sensing device can first
wake up and
connect with a gateway. At that point, the keg transmitter can begin to check
for a gateway
every hour or other interval.
10421 Sensing devices described herein may include an ID device reader 410
or other
receiver that may receive data from an identification device (e.g. an RFID
device). The
identification device may in some examples encode a number of a tap to which
the sensing
device will be associated. In some examples, the identification device may
additionally or
instead encode a characteristic of the fluid within the container to be placed
on the sensing
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device. Examples of characteristics of the fluid within a container includes,
but is not
limited to, the brand-name, type, manufacture date, or other characteristic
about the fluid a
distributor, retail seller, or consumer would be concerned with. ID device
reader 410 may
be contained within a compartment (e.g., receiver cavity) of the sensing
device that may be
covered by a cover, and may optionally include a waterproof strip.
[043] The ID device reader 410 may include an antenna, which may be the
same or a
different antenna than used to implement transceiver 404. The antenna for the
ID device
reader 410 may be contained within the same compartment as the remainder of
the ID
device reader 410. The ID device reader 410 may be implemented using a printed
circuit
board (PCB).
[044] In some examples, the ID device reader 410 and ID devices may be
configured for
short range use to avoid interference with other RFID devices that may be
present nearby.
For example, in one embodiment, the pairing system and RFID device have a
maximum
pairing range of approximately 15 feet. In other examples, the pairing system
and RFID
device have a maximum pairing range of approximately five (5) feet. In yet
other
examples, the pairing system and RFID device have a maximum pairing range of
approximately two (2) feet. In still further examples, the pairing system and
RFID device
have a maximum pairing range of approximately one (1) foot. The short range
pairing
feature may have particular advantages in environments where there are
multiple
containers with a sensing devices and RFID device attached to each container.
1045] The transceiver 404 may communicates with a wireless network and may
transmit
information concerning the ID of the sensing device and the tap to which the
sensing
device is associated (which may be received from an ID device reader 410),
and/or
information about the weight of the container to the wireless network. In some
examples,
transmissions from the sensing device may include a characteristic of the
fluid in the
container which the sensing device is positioned to weigh. In some examples,
characteristics of the fluid in the container and/or a size and contents of
the container may
be obtained from a user application operating on a separate user device as
described herein.
[046] Transceiver 404 may be contained in a compartment (e.g., transceiver
cavity) of the
sensing device, covered by cover, and an optional waterproof strip may be
included to
inhibit water from entering into the transceiver compartment. In some
examples,
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=
transceiver 404 may be relatively planar in appearance and may be on a printed
circuit
board (PCB). In some examples, transceiver 404 is both a receiver and a
transmitter
capable of two-way communication with an ID device (e.g., RFID device)
associated with
the container containing information about the tap to which the container is
associated
and/or liquid contained within the container.
[047] Sensing devices may include a battery compartment for housing a
battery to
provide electrical power to the various components of the sensing device. The
battery
compartment may be covered by a cover and an optional waterproof strip.
[048] A bottom view of the sensing device 102 is shown in Figure 5. The
body 106 may
include a plate that may rest on a floor or other supporting surface. A
receiving area 504 is
shown that may receive an identification device (e.g. an RFID tag). The
receiving area 504
is sized such that the tag may, for example, be placed or slid on the
receiving area 504
while a user is holding the sensing device 102 and prior to placing the
sensing device 102
on the floor or other supporting surface. When positioned on the receiving
area 504, a user
may depress button 502 to pair the sensing device 102 with the information
encoded on the
identification device. While a button is shown in Figure 5, other user
interfaces may be
used in other examples, or no interface may be needed to begin the pairing,
rather, the
placement of the identification device itself on or near the receiving area
504 may be
sufficient. An indicator 506 (e.g. light, speaker) may be provided to indicate
that the
sensing device 102 has been paired with the information (e.g. the sensing
device 102 has
stored the information encoded on the identification device).
[049] In some examples, a tap number may be encoded on the identification
device. The
identification device may be used to pair the sensing device 102 with a tap.
Accordingly,
the sensor may transmit a tap number, in some examples together with a sensor
ID number,
to a computing system. By providing a mechanism to pair the sensing device 102
with a
tap, a user may update the association if the sensing device is moved to a
different tap (e.g.
by pairing the sensing device with a different identification device). In this
manner,
accurately maintaining an association between sensing devices and taps may be
facilitated
without a user needing to access or manipulate themselves a database including
sensor ID
numbers, for example.
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[050] In some examples, sensing devices may additionally be paired with
information
relating to a type and contents of a container placed on the sensing device.
In some
examples, the pairing of container type and contents may similarly be
performed using an
identification device encoded with the container type and/or contents.
However, in some
examples, pairing of the container type and contents to a sensing device may
be performed
by a user using software on a computing system and the association (e.g.
pairing) may be
performed remotely.
[051] While sensing devices positioned beneath containers to weigh the
containers have
been described with references to Figure 1 - Figure 5, in other examples, top-
mounted or
other sensing devices may be used to assess a liquid level in a container. Top-
mounted
sensing devices may use sound wave technology to send a sound wave through the
top of
the container. A transducer may be provided to produce sound waves which may
bounce
off the top of the liquid (e.g. beer) and return to the sensing device. The
interval of time
between the time at which the sound wave was sent and the time at which the
return sound
wave was received would be measured. This measurement would be transmitted to
a
computing system, which may convert the time interval into a percentage of
volume of the
liquid remaining. A short time interval would mean a fuller keg. A longer time
would
mean an emptier keg.
[052] Examples of sensing devices are also described in U.S. Patent
9,221,667, entitled
"Draft beer supply chain systems and methods," PCT Publication WO 2013/177554
entitled "Draft beer supply chain systems and methods", U.S. Published
Application
2014/0174568 entitled "Draft beer supply chain system and method," and PCT
Publication
WO 2015/066594 entitled "Draft beer supply chain systems and methods". Figure
6 is a
schematic illustration of a system arranged in accordance with examples
described herein.
The system of Figure 6 includes a computing system 602, gateway 610, and
mobile
communication device 624. The system of Figure 6 may include any number of
containers
(including depicted keg 614, keg 616, and keg 618) positioned to be weighed
(e.g. placed
on top of) by respective sensing devices - e.g. sensing device 612, sensing
device 620, and
sensing device 622. Identification devices may be associated with each
container - e.g.
identification device 626 associated with keg 614, identification device 628
associated
with keg 616 and identification device 630 associated with keg 618.
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[053] Although kegs are described with respect to Figure 6, any containers
may be used
in other examples.
[054] Each of the kegs - keg 614, keg 616, and keg 618 in Figure 6 may be
connected to a
tap, as shown in Figure 6. In some examples, the taps may be numbered, and may
have
numbers displayed and/or tagged on the tap line itself The identification
devices - e.g.
identification device 626, identification device 628, and identification
device 630 may each
be encoded with a particular tap number. For example, the identification
devices may be
implemented using RFID tags encoded with the particular tap numbers. In other
examples,
QR codes or other encoding techniques may be used. In some examples, the tap
number
may be printed on the identification device. The identification devices may be
connected to
the associated kegs in some examples (e.g. by affixing them to the kegs, tying
them to the
kegs, placing them on the kegs). In some examples, the identification devices
may not be
connected to the associated kegs. In some examples, the identification devices
may be
connected to and/or placed near the associated taps. When someone desires to
pair a
sensing device to a particular tap, the identification device associated with
the tap may be
obtained and used to pair with the sensing device (e.g. by placing the
identification device
within range of the sensing device and optionally pushing a button to initiate
pairing).
[055] Sensing devices may be placed under the respective kegs to weigh the
respective
kegs. The sensing devices may be implemented using any sensing devices
described
herein, including with regard to Figure 1 - Figure 5.
[056] The sensing devices - e.g. sensing device 612, sensing device 620,
and sensing
device 622, may be within range of gateway 610. For example, the sensing
devices may be
sufficiently near the gateway 610 to be able to transmit data to the gateway
610. The
sensing devices may communicate with the gateway 610 using wireless
communication
techniques including, but not limited to, ZigBee and/or Bluetooth
communication. The
gateway 610 may communicate with the computing system 602 using communication
techniques, including, but not limited to, cell phone communication protocols,
and/or
Ethernet.
[057] Gateway 610 may in some examples be implemented using a self-
contained unit
that can be, for example, mounted on the wall, such as outside of the beer
cooler, of an on-
premises retailer (e.g. bar or restaurant) that contracted with their local
beer distributor to
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use the service described herein. The gateway 610 may be a moisture-resistant,
shock-
resistant plastic box that contains radio receivers, computer hardware,
computer software,
and/or radio transmitters.
[058] The computing system 602 may communicate with multiple gateways. Each
gateway, such as the gateway 610, may have its own unique serial number that
is encoded
in the gateway software (e.g. stored at the gateway).
[059] The gateway 610 may perform two functions in some examples. First, a
hardware
radio receiver and software stack of the gateway 610 may receive data
transmissions from
each sensing device within its range, which are typically the sensing devices
in the nearby
cooler or within the establishment where the gateway 610 is positioned. For
example, the
gateway 610 may receive data transmissions from sensing device 612, sensing
device 620,
and sensing device 622. Second, the receiver of the gateway 610 may receive
the data,
organize the data, and tag the data with information unique to the gateway 610
(e.g. the
gateway's unique serial number and version number or other gateway ID) . Once
the
receiver and software stack has organized that data, it may be sent to a
different, perhaps
wider network, e.g., a CDMA, GMA or like standard cellular connection gateway
(e.g. the
gateway 610 may be a "CDMA gateway").
[060] Recall information about the tap to which each container (e.g. keg)
is connected
may also be communicated to the sensing devices (e.g. Sensing device 612,
sensing device
620, and sensing device 622) using a separate ID device (such as an RFID
device). The
identification devices (e.g. Identification device 626, identification device
628, and
identification device 630), may be attached to the respective containers (e.g.
Keg 614, keg
616, and keg 618), and may be paired with the sensing devices associated with
those
containers (e.g. Sensing device 612, sensing device 620, and sensing device
622). For
example, identification device 626 may be paired with sensing device 612 to
reflect that
keg 614 is connected to a particular tap number. In this manner, sensing
device 612 may
obtain the tap number and transmit the tap number, together with the sensing
device ID
number, to the gateway 610, which may in turn provide the information to
another network
(e.g. a CDMA network), such that the information may be provided to the
computing
system 602.
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=
[061] The gateway 610 may include a transmitter/receiver that contains both
radio
hardware and software. The gateway 610 in some examples may be provided by a
wireless
carrier partner, such as Verizon Communications. In some examples, of course,
GSM
and/or other wireless data transmission protocols may be used instead of or in
addition to
CDMA. The gateway 610 may join the carrier's data service by connecting the
closest cell
phone tower to the on premise retailer where the gateway has been placed. The
gateway
610 may relay the data from sensing devices that have been collected by the
gateway 610.
The gateway 610 may communicate with the carrier's network to determine the
location
(e.g. longitude and latitude) of the gateway 610 and may transmit that
location, its software
version number, and/or data collected by the gateway 610 to the computing
system 602.
[062] In some examples, a CDMA gateway may not available, feasible, or
desirable. Data
from the sensing devices may be received by a hardware radio receiver and
software stack
in communication with the Internet via Wi-Fi or Ethernet access to a Local
Area Network
(LAN), which may in turn provide the data to computing system 602.
[063] To setup the system, sensing devices (e.g. Sensing device 612,
sensing device 620,
and sensing device 622) may be paired to taps (e.g. using identification
devices encoded
with tap numbers) and placed under the containers connected to those taps.
Once the
sensing devices are placed, they may be in radio range to join a network
including the
sensing devices of others or all containers at the premises (e.g. in the
cooler) as well as the
gateway 610. When the sensing device joins the network, the sensing device may
begin
transmitting data. The data transmitted can include one or more weight
parameters (e.g. a
relative weight such as 0-20 as described herein, and/or a weight) indicative
of the weight
of the container placed on the sensing device, an ID number of the sensing
device (e.g.,
#KS1234), and/or the version number of the software of the sensing device
(e.g., yen .0).
[064] The data may be transmitted to the gateway 610. The gateway 610 may
act as a
conductor collecting data from all sensing devices at the location (e.g. in
the cooler and/or
on the premises) and may maintain its own serial number (#UG5678) and its own
location
data (e.g., latitude and longitude, such as latitude: 39.77572; longitude: -
86.15569). The
gateway may collect sensor data and add its own data that may be transmitted
via the
carrier's cell phone data network to the computing system 602. So an example
data feed
may look like:
CA 02928939 2016-04-29
[065] sensing device sends a data string:
[066] keg sensor_seria1=KS1234&;weight_parameter=10&;keg sensor
version=1.0&;g
ateway_version=1.0&;keg rfid=1234
[067] This data string may be received by the gateway 610, and the gateway
embedded
software adds its data. The combined data string in this example would then
be:
[068] uplink_gateway_seria1=UG1234&;1ong=39.77572&;lat=-86.15569&;=5&;
keg_sensor_seria1=KS1234&;weight_parameter=10&;keg sensor version=1.0&;gateway
version=1.0&;keg rfid=1234
[069] When there are multiple sensing devices communicating with a single
gateway, the
combined data string may look like:
[070] uplink_gateway_serial¨UG1234&;long=39.77572&;lat=-
86.15569&;=5&;keg sensor_seria1=KS1234&;weight_parameter=10&;keg_sensor_versio
n=1.0&;gateway version=1.0&;keg rfid=1234;keg_sensor
seria1=KS5678;weight_param
eter=4&;keg sensor version=1.0&;gateway version=1.0&;keg rfid=5678;keg sensor
ser
ial¨KS91011&;weight_parameter=3&;keg_sensor_version=1.0&;gateway_version=1.0;ke
g_rfid=9 1011
[071] The data may be collected and sent by the gateway through the cell
data network,
then over the Internet to the computing system 602. Upon receipt by the
computing system
602, the collected data from the sensing devices can be correlated and saved
in a database
(e.g. in memory 606) in many different ways.
[072] The sensing device Serial Number may be correlated to an SKU that
matches the
beer brand and type. The correlation between the Serial Number and SKU may be
preprogrammed into the computing system 602 or may be provided via a user
device
application as described herein.
[073] For example, a user may provide an indication that taps 1-3 have been
tapped to
kegs container beer brand and type "Bell's Founder's Ale," which is
SKU998877665544,
and if Serial Numbers KS0000 through KS1234 have been assigned to taps 1-3,
then when
the computing system receives data from Sensor Serial Number KS1234, the
computing
system may write the data into the database as being associated with that SKU,
beer brand
and type "Bell's Founder's Ale." The computing system software can have
programmed
intelligence that also converts the weight parameter into a percentage of
volume. So, for
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example, if the keg sensor sends a weight measurement of 10 on a scale of 0-
20, that
means the keg is half-weight, thus half-full. The computing system software
may convert
weight to volume. 20 is full, for example, 100%. 0 is empty, 0%. The scale of
0-20 is,
therefore, converted by the computing system software to 20 steps of volume in
percentage
units.
[074] The gateway can add its data to show the location of not only the
gateway, but also
the location of the sensing devices that it is collecting data from. As an
example, assume
that in the computing system software the gateway serial number UG1234 has
been
assigned to the location of retailer "Scotty's Bar and Restaurant." So when
the transmission
of data from a sensing device is made through the gateway, the location of the
keg may be
known. So, for example, a sensing device KS1234 with weight parameter 10 may
be
transmitted to the computing system 602 through gateway 610 . The computing
system
602 may already have a stored location of the gateway 610, the association of
the keg
sensing device to SKU Beer Type, and the conversion of weight to volume. When
each
transmission of data occurs computing system assigns a date and time stamp
converted
from UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) to local time. So when the transmission
of data
occurs, and the computing system receives the data, the data is converted to
report that the
particular keg of "Bell's Founder's Ale" currently located at "Scotty's Bar
and Restaurant"
is 50% full at 10PM today, which may be recorded in a single time zone such as
UTC/GMT. When using a single time zone, the software optionally converts the
UTC time
stamp into local time.
[075] KS1234=Bell's Founder's Ale
[076] UG1234=Scotty's Bar and Restaurant
[077] Volume= 50% (weight value of 10 converted to %)
[078] Date-Time= 10.27.14 10:00:15 PM UTC
[079] The embedded software in the sensing devices can have intelligence
built in. For
example, the sensing device software may regulate the time factor of how often
the data is
transmitted from the sensing device to the gateway. In one example, the
software is set to
send data every hour time period, but that time period can be changed. The
sensing device
software may have the intelligence to transmit data only if the weight value
has changed.
The sensing device can also have the ability to transmit the ambient
temperature around the
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container (e.g. the cooler temp) and the sending sensing device's remaining
battery life as a
percentage.
10801 In some examples, the sensing device may use short-range radio
technology (e.g.,
ZigBee and/or Bluetooth) to connect and send data through the gateway. In some
examples, the sensing device itself may make a direct wireless (e.g. cell data
and/or
Ethernet) connection so that the sensing device can transmit its data directly
to the
computing system 602.
10811 Although one gateway is shown in Figure 6, it is to be understood
that many
gateways, which may each be positioned at different locations (e.g. different
establishments or different areas within a single establishment, or both), may
communicate
with the computing system 602.
10821 The computing system 602 may be implemented using any of a variety
of
computing systems, including but not limited to one or more desktop, server,
laptop, or
other computers. In some examples, the computing system 602 may provide
software as a
service (SaaS). The computing system 602 generally includes one or more
processing
unit(s) 604. The processing unit(s) 604 may be implemented using one or more
processors,
for example, having any number of cores. In some examples, the processing
unit(s) 604
may include circuitry, including custom circuitry, and/or firmware for
performing
functions described herein.
[083] The computing system 602 may include memory 606. The memory 606 may
be
implemented using any storage medium accessible to the processing unit(s) 604.
For
example, RAM, ROM, Flash, SSD, hard drive, optical storage, or combinations
thereof,
may be used to implement memory 606. The memory 606 may store associations
described herein between sensing device IDs, taps, container size, container
contents (e.g.
brand, brew type, identification of liquid in the container), container
weight, and/or
location. Other aspects of the environment that may be sensed and transmitted
by sensing
devices described herein may also be stored including, but not limited to,
temperature,
humidity, light level, and combinations thereof
10841 The computing system 602 includes computer readable media 608 which
may be
encoded with instructions executable by the processing unit(s) 604. The
computer readable
media 608, for example, may be encoded with executable instructions for sensor
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management. The executable instructions for sensor management may include
instructions
for receiving data from one or more gateways described herein, including
gateway 610,
and processing that data (e.g. to identify a location from which the data was
transmitted,
identify a weight or fractional fullness of a container based on received
data). The
executable instructions for sensor management may further include instructions
for
identifying, based on changes in weight communicated by one or more sensing
devices,
that a new or different container had been placed on a sensing device. The
executable
instructions for sensor management may further include instructions for
providing a
notification that a new or different container had been placed on a sensing
device and
providing suggestions for the size and/or content of the container, examples
of which are
described herein.
[085] It is to be understood that the arrangement of computing components
of the
computing system 602 may be quite flexible, and although shown as collocated
components, the shown components may be distributed in some examples. The
computer
readable media 608 and the memory 606 may in some examples be implemented
using the
same media, and in other examples may be implemented using different media.
The
computing system 602 may further include any number of input devices, output
devices,
and/or peripheral components.
10861 Mobile communication device 624 may be implemented using any user
communication device, including but not limited to, a desktop, laptop,
cellular phone,
tablet, appliance, automobile, or combinations thereof. The mobile
communication device
624 may be programmed with an application (e.g. the mobile communication
device 624
may have one or more processing unit(s) and computer readable media encoded
with
instructions which, when executed, cause the mobile communication device 624
to
perform described functions) for associating one or more sensing devices with
a size and
contents of a container. For example, the mobile communication device 624 may
be
programmed to receive a notification from computing system 602 that a new or
different
container had been placed on a particular sensing device. The mobile
communication
device 624 may receive and provide to a user and/or may generate and provide
to a user
one or more recommendations for the size and content of the new or different
container. A
user may utilize the mobile communication device 624 to input the size and
contents of the
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new or different container, and the size and contents may be communicated to
the
computing system 602 and associated with the sensing device in the memory 606.
1087] The mobile communication device 624 may include a display for
display of
notifications and/or recommended size and contents of containers. The display
may
additionally or instead be used to display data from the memory 606 pertaining
to an
inventory of containers. The mobile communication device 624 may be
implemented with
any of a number of input devices including, but not limited to, a touchscreen,
keyboard,
mouse, microphone, or combinations thereof
[088] Figure 7 is a flowchart of a method in accordance with examples
described herein.
The method 700 is shown as a sequence of blocks. In some examples, the blocks
may be
re-ordered and/or the actions described with respect to some blocks may happen
simultaneously or overlapping in time.
[0891 A sensing device may be paired with a tap in block 702. Any sensing
device
described herein may be used to pair with a tap. Pairing may be effected in a
number of
ways. In some examples, a tap number may be pre-programmed in the sensing
device (e.g.
the tap number may be stored in a memory of the sensing device (and/or
transmitted with
or without storage) at the factory or prior to or contemporaneously with
delivery to a
location of use). In some examples, an identification device (e.g. an RFID
tag, a QR code,
a paper with a printed number) may be encoded with a tap number. The
identification
device may be read by the sensing device (e.g. using an RFID reader and/or
camera). For
example, an RFID tag encoded with a tap number may be placed in a receiving
area, such
as receiving area 504 of Figure 5 of a sensing device. Once placed, a user may
initiate
pairing by, for example pressing button 502. As described with respect to
Figure 5, and
indicator may be provided to indicate when pairing is complete. The encoded
number may
be decoded and stored in a memory of the sensing device and/or transmitted
without
storage.
[090] In this manner, a particular sensing device may be associated with a
tap number. In
some examples, pairing with a tap may not be performed. However, it may be
advantageous in some examples to provide a process to pair a sensing device
with a tap so
a sensing device may be more easily changed between taps. If a sensing device
is moved to
CA 02928939 2016-04-29
a different tap, the block 702 may be repeated to pair the sensing device with
a different
tap.
[091] In block 704, a container (e.g. a keg) may be placed on the sensing
device. In some
examples, the container may be positioned relative to the sensing device in
such a way to
allow the sensing device to measure contents of the sensing device (e.g. in
some examples,
the container may be below the sensing device). Any of the sensing devices
described
herein may be used to implement block 704. The sensing device may begin to
obtain a
weight of the container (including the weight of the contents of the
container). In other
examples, the sensing device may begin to measure the contents.
[092] In block 706, the sensing device may transmit the tap number to a
gateway (and/or
directly to a computing system in some examples). Additionally or instead, the
sensing
device may transmit an ID of the sensing device to the gateway (and/or
directly to a
computing system in some examples).
[093] In block 708, the sensing device may periodically transmit an
indicator of the
weight of the associated container (including contents of the container) to
the gateway
(and/or directly to a computing system in some examples). The indicator of the
weight may
be the weight itself, or it may be a value corresponding to a relative
fullness of the
container as described herein. The gateway 610 of Figure 6 may be used to
implement the
method 700. For example, the sensing device 612, sensing device 620, and
sensing device
622 may transmit to gateway 610 in block 706 and block 708. Any frequency of
transmissions may be used in blocks 706 and 708, including regular and
irregular updates.
Any wired or wireless communication mechanism may be used, including, for
example,
ZigBee or Bluetooth.
[094] In block 710, the gateway may transmit the weight and/or tap number
and/or sensor
ID to a computing system. For example, the gateway 610 may communicate with
the
computing system 602 of Figure 6 in block 710. In this manner, the computing
system 602
may maintain an accurate and up-to-date association between sensor ID, tap
number, and
weight of the associated container (and contents thereof). The associations
may be stored,
for example in the memory 606 in any of a variety of forms, including a
database. Any
frequency of transmissions between the gateway and the computing system may be
used.
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CA 02928939 2016-04-29
The communication may occur using any wired or wireless communication
mechanism,
including, for example, a cellular protocol and/or Ethernet.
[095] Figure 8 is a flowchart of a method arranged in accordance with
examples
described herein. The method 800 is shown as a sequence of blocks. In some
examples, the
blocks may be re-ordered and/or the actions described with respect to some
blocks may
happen simultaneously or overlapping in time.
[096] In block 802, an association may be stored between a tap and a sensor
ID. For
example, the association may be stored by the computing system 602 in the
memory 606
of Figure 6, and the association may be implemented in a database. In block
804, an
indication of a weight detected by a sensing device may periodically be
received. For
example, the indication of weight may be received by the computing system 602,
and may
be stored by the computing system 602, for example in the memory 606, in
association
with the sensor ID of the sensing device providing the weight indication. In
some
examples, the weight indication may be converted into an actual weight value
and/or a
relative fullness indicator of the container being monitored by the sensing
device.
[097] In block 806, when the periodic weight transmissions meet a
predetermined
criteria, a notification may be pushed to a user device to pair a next
container (e.g. keg).
Pairing a next container generally refers to associating a size and/or
contents of a container
with the sensing device associated with that container. Generally, a user
device may
receive a notification to pair a sensing device with a next container when the
container is
depleted and/or changed. Accordingly, the predetermined criteria used in block
806 may be
criteria indicative of a depletion and/or change of container. For example, if
consecutive
weight readings increase by greater than a threshold amount, a user
notification may be
sent to pair the next container. In another example, if an indication of
weight drops below a
first threshold (e.g. below 15 percent fullness in some examples, below 10
percent fullness
in some examples, below 5 percent fullness in some examples, below 2.5 percent
fullness
in some examples), followed by a subsequent indication of weight over a second
threshold
(e.g. over 80 percent fullness in some examples, over 85 percent fullness in
some
examples, over 90 percent fullness in some examples, over 95 percent fullness
in some
examples), a user notification may be sent to pair the next container. The
executable
instructions for sensor management encoded on the computer readable media 608
of Figure
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6 may include instructions for analyzing the indications of weight received
from a sensing
device and evaluating the indications of weight in accordance with the
predetermined
criteria, and pushing the notification to a user device responsive to the
predetermined
criteria being met. In some examples, the predetermined criteria and any
thresholds used
may be stored in memory 606 and/or other storage accessible to the computing
system 602.
10981 When the predetermined criteria are met, indicating depletion and/or
change of a
container associated with a sensing device, the computing system 602 may
notify a user
associated with the sensing device. A user may have an account indicating an
association
with particular sensing devices (e.g. an owner or manager of an establishment
utilizing
several sensing devices). The computing system 602 may notify the user of the
need to pair
a next keg, for example, by pushing a notification (which may be implemented
as an email,
text message, audio message, video message, or other notification) to a user
device
associated with the user. For example, a notification may be sent to a user's
phone number,
email address and may be accessed using a user device. The user device may be
programmed with an application to receive such notifications. The notification
would
generally include a message indicating a particular tap number had been
depleted and/or
replaced and a prompt to indicate the container size and contents of the next
container.
[099] In some examples, instead of evaluating periodic weight readings in
block 806 to
determine when to push a notification to a user device to pair a next
container, a signal
may be sent from the sensing device specifically indicative of a change of
container. For
example, an individual responsible for changing containers associated with the
sensing
device may depress a button or other input on the sensing device which may be
programmed to transmit a signal through the gateway to a computing system
indicative of
a container change. Responsive to the signal indicative of a container change,
the
computing system may notify a user device to pair a next container.
101001 In block 808, suggested pairings may be provided to the user device.
For example,
one or more suggested sizes and/or contents of a container may be provided to
and/or
displayed at the user device (e.g. Mobile communication device 624) for
selection by a
user to associate with the sensing device. The executable instructions for
sensor
management encoded in the computer readable media 608 may include instructions
for
providing the suggested pairings. In some examples, executable instructions
encoded on
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computer readable media and executed by one or more processing unit(s) of the
user
device (e.g. included in a user device application) may include instructions
for providing
and displaying the suggested pairings.
[0101] The suggested pairings may be made based on the indication of weight
received
from the sensing device. The suggested pairing may include a size and contents
of the
container suggested to be paired with the sensing device. Examples of sizes
include, for
example, 1/2 barrel, 40 liter, 50 liter, 1/4 barrel, and 1/6 barrel kegs.
Examples of contents
include particular brands and brew types of beer products (e.g. Coors, Coors
Light, Elysian
Space Dust IPA, Guinness). In some examples, the contents may include the
brewery
name, beer type (e.g. pilsner, IPA, amber, brown, stout, seasonal), alcohol
content, and/or
name, or combinations thereof Generally, contents refers to the identity of
the liquid in the
container.
[0102] For example, a database of full weights of various container sizes
and/or contents
may be reviewed for those having weights corresponding to the indication of
weight
received from the sensing device. Those having matching weights, and/or
matching
weights within a range, may be provided as suggested pairings. In some
examples, a fixed
range of weights may be allocated to each of a plurality of sizes of
containers (e.g.
different size kegs), and a size keg may be suggested whose weight range
corresponds with
the indication of weight provided by the sensing device.
[0103] In some examples, the suggested pairings may be based on inventory.
For example,
the computing system 602 and/or mobile communication device 624 may access a
stored
database reflecting available inventory at a location where the sensing device
is in
operation. The suggested pairings provided in block 808 may be selected from
the
available inventory. In some examples, both the available inventory and
expected weight
of the available inventory may be used to provide the suggested pairings. For
example,
containers in the available inventory whose expected weight matches (within a
range) the
indication of weight of the new container received from the sensing device may
be
provided as suggested pairings.
[0104] In some examples, the suggested pairings (and/or an order in which
suggested
pairings are displayed) may be based on popularity of certain liquids at the
location
housing the sensing device, or popularity within a larger group of locations
including the
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CA 02928939 2016-04-29
location housing the sensing device. For example, suggested pairings may be
based on
consumption data of what contents have been selling quickly and/or profitably
at the
location. The location may be the establishment at which the sensing device is
operating.
The location may be the city, state, zip code, country, or other geographical
area in which
the sensing device is operating. The location may be a type of establishment -
e.g. sports
bar, upscale restaurant. A database of usage data across many systems may be
consulted in
making the recommendation. For example, the memory 606 or other memory
accessible to
the computing system 602 may store usage data obtained through sensing devices
in the
system of Figure 6 and/or in other systems utilizing sensing devices and
accessible to the
computing system 602. The usage data may be utilized to formulate
recommendations in
accordance with popular and/or profitable brews.
[0105] The suggested pairings may be displayed, for example, in a list or
other graphical
display on a user device (e.g. Mobile communication device 624 of Figure 6).
In some
examples, a user may search, using the user device, for suggested pairings. In
some
examples, the suggested pairings may appear based on partial input from a user
(e.g. if a
user begins to type C 0 ... suggested pairings for "Coors" and "Coors Light"
and other
available suggestions beginning with CO may be provided).
[0106] In block 810, an indication of pairing may be received from a user
device. The
indication may be made at the user device, for example, by indicating one of
the suggested
pairings (e.g. by clicking, touching, highlighting or speaking). In some
examples, the
indication may be made by typing a size and/or content of the container using
an input
device. The indication may not always be one of the suggested sizes and/or
contents.
[0107] Once the indication of the pairing is received (e.g. at the
computing system 602 of
Figure 6), the indicated size and/or contents may be stored in association
with the tap and
sensing device, for example in the memory 606. In this manner, the memory 606
may
include updated associations between sensing device IDs, taps, and sizes
and/or contents of
containers. The data may be used to provide reports, notifications, menus, or
other displays
and/or analysis.
[0108] In some examples, user input may not be used to pair size and/or
contents with a
next container. In some examples, a sequence of sizes and/or contents may be
stored (e.g.
in memory 606 of Figure 6 and/or in a sensing device itself). For example, if
a known
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sequence of containers will be placed on a sensing device (e.g. Beer A
followed by Beer B
followed by Beer C, the sequence may be stored). When the predetermined
criteria
indicative of a container replacement is met in block 806, instead of pushing
a notification,
the next size and contents in the sequence may be associated with the sensing
device, and
the new association stored, e.g. in the memory 606.
[0109] A sequence of screenshots from a user device display are described
herein to
illustrate a user view of matching a container to a tap in accordance with
examples
described herein. The sequence of screenshots, shown in Figure 9 - Figure 13
refer to the
tap instead as "tag". In some examples described herein, sensing devices may
be associated
with a number, which may be a tap number, or may be an arbitrary or other
number. As
described herein, the association between the sensing device and the number
may be made,
for example, using an identification device encoded with the number. The
number is
referred to as a 'tag' number in Figure 9 - Figure 13. In some examples, the
'tag' number
may be a tap number.
[0110] The screenshots in Figure 9 - Figure 13 may be displayed, for
example, on mobile
communication device 624 of Figure 6.
10111] Screenshot 900 of Figure 9 illustrates a view that may be presented
to a user on
opening an application on a user device (e.g. Mobile communication device 624)
for
interacting with containers monitored by sensing devices described herein. The
screenshot
900 depicts a listing of containers managed by the user, together with their
contents and
relative fullness. For example, the entry 906 shows that tag #1 (which may be
tap #1 in
some examples) is associated with a beer entitled "Floozy..." from Black
Bottle brewery,
and is 82% full. The data displayed in the listing of containers may be
obtained from a
database including in formation received from sensing devices described
herein, such as
from computing system 602 of Figure 6. The keg icon displayed with each entry
may
correspond to a size of the container, and the icon may be shaded with a color
or other
shading indicative of the relative fullness and contents (e.g. color may be
selected in
accordance with the contents, and fill level may correspond with relative
fullness).
[0112] The notification 902 may be displayed if a sensing device needs to
be matched to a
container. For example, the notification 902 may be pushed to the user device
in block 806
of Figure 8. The notification 902 appears as a banner at a top of the
inventory listing in the
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screenshot 900 of Figure 9. However, other notification formats may be used,
including
but not limited to, a pop-up, a new page, a separate notification listing in
the application, or
other indications that a sensing device needs to be paired with a container.
The notification
902 simply indicates a number of sensing devices (referred to as 'tags' in the
notification
902) which need to be paired to containers, one in the example of the
notification 902. A
user interface element 904 is provided to allow a user to begin a process of
matching the
sensing device to a container. The user interface element 904 is implemented
as a button
for a touchscreen in the screenshot 900, however, other user interface
elements may be
used. On indicating that the user wishes to begin the matching process (e.g.
by clicking or
touching or otherwise selecting the user interface element 904), the
screenshot 1000 may
be displayed.
[0113] The screenshot 1000 provides an indication of which sensing device
(e.g. using a
number, such as a tap number, associated with that sensing device) is in need
of matching
with a container. For example, the screenshot 1000 shows that there is
"unmatched product
on tag #778). The icon 1002 may be presented showing a container number in
need of
matching.
[0114] A user may be presented with a listing 1004 of suggested contents of
the container
to be matched. For example, the listing 1004 provides a listing of beers
including "High
Esteem" and "Coors Light". Each item in the listing may include a beer name,
brewery,
alcohol content, brew type, and/or logo associated with the beer name and/or
brewery. The
suggested contents may be received, for example, in block 808 of Figure 8. The
suggested
contents may be based on a variety of factors, including inventory, size,
popularity, etc. as
described herein.
[0115] The user may also be explicitly presented with an option to rematch
the container
with a recently selected product, through user interface element 1006. The
user may also
be explicitly presented with an option to search for a size and/or contents of
a container to
match, through user interface element 1008. The user interface element 1006
and the user
interface element 1008 may be implemented, for example, using links that may
be touched,
clicked, or otherwise selected by a user. Selecting the user interface element
1006 may
result in the user being presented with a listing or other display of recently-
selected
products for matching to the sensing device. Selecting the user interface
element 1008,
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indicating a user would like to search themselves for a product to match, may
result in the
display shown in screenshot 1100.
[0116] The screenshot 1100 indicates a user may be presented with a search
box 1102 for
entering all or a portion of a name or other product aspect (e.g. brewery,
brew type) for
searching. In some examples, a search may be made using a user's known
inventory, in
other examples, a more global listing of content types may be used.
[0117] In the example of screenshot 1100, a user has entered "Yuengling" in
the search
box 1102. Results are shown in results list 1104, and include, for example,
"Yuengling
Black", "Yuengling Traditional Lager," etc. The results may be ordered by
availability in
the user's inventory, popularity, or other factors. The results may be
provided to the user
device, for example in block 808 of Figure 8.
[0118] A user may also select a size of the container to be matched to the
sensing device.
Suggested sizes may be displayed in the screenshot 1100. For example,
suggested size
1106 is shown, together with additional possible sizes. The suggested size may
correspond,
for example, with a weight of the container as measured by the sensing device.
In the
example of the screenshot 1100, the suggested size 1106 is a 1/2 barrel keg.
[0119] Selecting "Yuengling Traditional Lager" (e.g. by clicking, touching,
or otherwise
selecting its listing or a user interface element associated with the listing)
may result in the
screenshot 1200 being displayed.
[0120] The screenshot 1200 includes a confirmation request 1202 to confirm
the user's
selection of contents to match to the sensing device. The confirmation request
1202 of
Figure 12 requests confirmation to "Match Yuengling Traditional Lager to tag
#778" and
indicates that the size to be matched is 1/2 barrel (BBL).
[0121] The user's selection of a size (e.g. the suggested size 1106) may be
made by
touching, clicking, or otherwise selecting the size. In some examples, the
suggested size
may be selected by default in the absence of a user interaction. The
screenshot 1200
includes a confirmation request 1204 confirming the suggested size, for
example, by
highlighting the suggested size with a box and/or checkmark indicator.
[0122] A user may confirm the match by touching, clicking or otherwise
selecting a user
interface element associated with the confirmation request 1202. On
confirmation by the
user, the association between the sensing device, tap (e.g. tag) number, and
size and
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contents of the container may be provided to a computing system and stored,
for example
in block 810 of Figure 8. On confirming the match, the screenshot 1300 may be
displayed.
[0123] The screenshot 1300 includes a confirmation notification 1302
indicating that a size
and contents of a container have been matched to a sensing device. For
example, the
confirmation notification 1302 reports "Yuengling Traditional Lager now
matched!" and
indicates the size is 1/2 BBL and the tag number is 778. A logo associated
with the
selected contents may be displayed associated with the tap and/or tag number
for ease in
confirmation.
[0124] Examples of systems described herein may accordingly allow for a
computing
system to collect data regarding inventory in a collection of containers -
e.g. the keg
fullness, size, contents, date, time, and/or location data coming from sensing
devices
positioned to weigh or otherwise determine the relative contents of the
containers.
Accordingly, a database may be built containing near-real-time inventory
levels including
type of beer, size of keg, and relative fullness of the keg. This information
may be used in
a wide variety of ways.
[0125] In some examples, computing systems described herein can be set up
with
individual accounts for each Bar and Restaurant retailer and their various
individual
establishment locations using the service. A representative of the retailer
can set up
accounts for each individual in their organization who interacts with keg
beer. The setup
process can include adding each individual's smart phone/mobile phone number.
The
representative can set up rules based on their organization's structure and
individual needs.
One function in the day-to-day operation can be to provide an insight into the
current status
of their keg beer inventory. The representative can log onto the computing
system, then
review the current inventory and set rules for alerts based on depletion rates
of keg beer. In
various embodiments, these alerts can take on the form of SMS texts sent to
mobile
phones, notifications resident within the application itself or associated,
integrated
applications, popup push alerts that are part of iPhone, Android and other
smart phone
formats, emails sent out, recorded voice alerts sent to phones, and other
forms. The alerts
can be sent to retail workers based on their current location. The system
software can take
advantage of the location-based service built into each smart phone. The
worker may only
get alerts if they are in the geographical longitude and latitude area that
has already been
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defined in the database by the recording of the gateway assigned to their
place of work.
This can assure that workers will not get alerts during their off-shift hours,
for example. A
manager who would like to get alerts when he is off-site from his retail
location can
override this function.
[0126] In other embodiments, alerts take the form of visual flashing lights
and integration
into other software in the restaurant including, but not limited to, POS
terminals (Point of
Sale, electronic "Cash Registers"). The retail representative can assign a
value to certain
beer brands and types and customize alert based on the value of the beer, that
is, the
importance of not running out of that beer. For example, the retailer might
not value the
"Stroh's Light" beer as much as the "Bell's Founder's Ale." So the retailer
representative
might set up the computing system to automatically alert the designated
retailer
representative when the Stroh's reaches 10% remaining, while the more valuable
Bell's
would automatically alert when the remaining beer in the computing system as
40%
remaining. In some examples, patterns in the rate of consumption of each
product are taken
into account, and depletion events are forecasted so that alerts can be raised
and orders can
be placed "just in time."
[0127] When an alert is sent to the retailer, there can be multiple paths
(e.g., four paths)
that they can use to re-order the keg that is running low. If the alert comes
to the retailer's
phone, they can re-order by sending an SMS text message directly to their beer
distributor
sales rep, or by sending an SMS text message to an SMS gateway that is
controlled by the
system vendor and connected by EDT (Electronic Data Interchange) into the beer
distributor's ordering system. Another option can be to activate a button in
the user
interface to initiate a voice call to their beer distributor's sales rep.
There can also be
iPhone and Android smartphone applications that have a re-ordering function
built-in,
connecting by EDI to the beer distributor's ordering system. The interface of
the
smartphone application may have a visual alert with the button option "re-
order now,"
which the retailer can choose.
[0128] In some examples, the retailer can set their account to have the
computing system
automatically submit re-orders on kegs based on rules they set for each brand
and type of
beer. For example they can set a rule to automatically re-order "Bell's
Founder's Ale" if
CA 02928939 2016-04-29
the depletion level has dropped below 40% and the day of the week is Wednesday
through
Friday.
[0129] Retailers can have standard reports accessible to them via the
computing system
web-based platform or mobile app. These reports can include current and past
inventory
reports, current and past keg depletion rates, and other reports key to their
operation.
[0130] Beer distributor sales representatives can see all of their accounts
and the current
state of each retailer's keg inventory. The sales representative can see when
alerts on low
kegs were sent out to retailers, who the alert was sent out to, and what
action (if any) was
taken by the retailer to re-order the depleting, or depleted, keg. The
management of the
beer distributor can have a near-real-time view of current beer depletion
across all of their
retail accounts. This near-real-time data can allow them to more efficiently
control their
inventory of kegs in their warehouse based on trends in usage.
[0131] The near-real-time data that the presently disclosed process may be
collecting can
also be used by breweries to determine what beers are being sold and at what
rate. They
then can adjust what beers they are planning to brew and in what quantity they
brew the
beer. In the case of large breweries, they can adjust the purchasing of the
ingredients of
beer components on the grain futures market. The system vendor can also sell
data to
marketing data firms who track trends in consumer consumption.
[0132] An API (Application Programming Interface) can be developed to allow
other
applications to access system data for real time software applications.
[0133] Figure 14 is an illustration of a display screen providing a report
arranged in
accordance with examples described herein. The display screen 1400 may be
implemented,
for example, on a display of the mobile communication device 624 of Figure 6.
The
display is showing a "Days on tap report" providing a list of containers at a
location and a
length of time they have been tapped. The display screen 1400 illustrates two
containers -
container 1402 and container 1404. Both containers are kegs in the example of
Figure 14.
The report displays a relative fullness of each keg, obtained in accordance
with data
received from sensing devices associated with the kegs. The container 1402 is
9% full and
the container 1404 is 38% full. The display screen 1400 further provides the
contents of
each of the containers. The container 1402 contains Double Skull Doppelback
from EPIC
Brewing Company, which is an 8.6% alcohol content Doppelback. The container
1404
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contains Soft Parade form Short's Brewing Company, which is a 7.5% alcohol
content fruit
beer. The length of time each container has been tapped is also shown. The
container 1402
has been tapped for 15 days and 6 hours. The container 1404 has been tapped
for 4 days
and 12 hours. The length of time is based on a time elapsed since a first
weight reading for
the container was received from an associated sensing device. The display
screen 1400
further illustrates a logo providing a graphical illustration of a size and a
relative fullness
of each container.
[0134] Recommendations may be displayed on the display screen 1400. For
example, the
recommendation 1406 is shown - to consider putting the Double Skull Doppelback
on
special because it has been on tap greater than a threshold time.
[0135] The executable instructions for sensor management encoded on the
computer
readable media 608 of Figure 6 may include instructions for providing reports,
including
the days on tap report shown in Figure 14. The data used to generate the
report may be
stored in the memory 606 and/or other memory accessible to the computing
system 602. In
some examples, the mobile communication device 624 of Figure 6 may be
programmed to
provide reports, such as the days on tap report shown in Figure 14.
[0136] Figure 15 is a display image of a digital display of a menu arranged
in accordance
with examples described herein. Data collected using sensing devices described
herein may
be used to provide digital signs, including menus and/or listings of available
liquids.
[0137] The menu 1500 lists the contents of ten taps available at an
establishment. The
contents are listed including beer name, brewery name, alcohol content, and
beer type. An
icon is provided by each listed contents illustrating a type, size, and
relative fullness of the
container. Different icons may be used for different keg types, and the keg
may be depicted
at a fullness level in accordance with a fullness of the keg, as indicated by
a transmission
from one or more sensing devices described herein. In some examples, a color
of the icon
(e.g. a color of the liquid shown filling the keg to a fullness level in each
icon) may be
selected in accordance with the type of beer (e.g. a lighter brown for
pilsner, reddish brown
for amber, dark brown for stout). The menu 1500 further includes pricing
information for
various sizes available for purchase at the establishment.
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[0138] In this manner, a menu may be dynamically updated using data
received from one
or more sensing devices described herein, e.g. data in the memory 606 or other
storage
devices of Figure 6.
[0139] The menu 1500 may be displayed on any display device including, but
not limited
to, a television, monitor, LCD or LED display, touchscreen, tabletop display,
projected
display, or augmented or virtual reality display. In some examples, Google
ChromeCast or
similar devices may be used to display data (e.g. Menu 1500) from one or more
other
devices (e.g. Computing system 602 and/or mobile communication device 624 of
Figure 6)
onto a connected display screen. The data on the menu 1500 may be dynamically
updated
in accordance with information received from sensing devices in systems
described herein.
For example, if a container is changed and a new container paired with a
sensing device,
the previous product may cease to be displayed on the menu 1500 and the size
and
contents of the next container may be displayed on the menu 1500 in its place.
[0140] From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific
embodiments of
the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various
modifications
may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention.
33
