Systems and Methods for Providing Portion Control Programming in a Product Forming Dispenser

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for configuring portion control for a dispenser apparatus. A plurality of beverage ingredients may be associated with the dispenser apparatus, and a plurality of selectable beverages may be formed from the plurality of beverage ingredients. Input for one or more preferences associated with portion control may be received. Stored information associated with at least one of the plurality of selectable beverages may be accessed. At least one portion control for at least one of the plurality of selectable beverages may be determined based at least in part on at least a portion of the received input and at least a portion of the accessed information.

The claimed invention is: 
     
         1 . A method of facilitating a portion control dispense of a beverage by a beverage dispenser, comprising:
 providing a graphical user interface displaying a plurality of selectable beverage indicators and a plurality of selectable cup size indicators, the plurality of selectable beverage indicators corresponding to a plurality of beverages, the plurality of selectable cup size indicators corresponding to a plurality of available cup sizes;   receiving a selection of a beverage from the plurality of selectable beverage indicators in the graphical user interface;   receiving a selection of a cup size from the plurality of selectable cup size indicators in the graphical user interface;   configuring a portion control dispense of the selected beverage based on the selected cup size; and   dispensing the selected beverage from the beverage dispenser in an amount corresponding to the selected cup size.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing a graphical user interface displaying a plurality of selectable beverage indicators and a plurality of selectable cup size indicators comprises providing a plurality of graphical user interfaces for displaying the plurality of selectable beverage indicators and the plurality of selectable cup size indicators. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing a graphical user interface displaying a plurality of selectable beverage indicators and a plurality of selectable cup size indicators comprises providing a scrollable graphical user interface for displaying the plurality of selectable beverage indicators and the plurality of selectable cup size indicators. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing a graphical user interface displaying a plurality of selectable beverage indicators and a plurality of selectable cup size indicators further comprises displaying one or more beverage additive indicators, the one or more beverage additive indicators corresponding to one or more beverage additives for adding to the selected beverage. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more beverage additives comprises one or more flavor modifiers. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing a graphical user interface displaying a plurality of selectable beverage indicators and a plurality of selectable cup size indicators further comprises displaying one or more ice selection indicators corresponding to an amount of ice for adding to the selected beverage. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing a graphical user interface displaying a plurality of selectable beverage indicators and a plurality of selectable cup size indicators further comprises displaying a selectable stop indicator for stopping the dispense of the selected beverage. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing a graphical user interface displaying a plurality of selectable beverage indicators and a plurality of selectable cup size indicators further comprises displaying a selectable top-off indicator. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving a selection of the selectable top-off indicator; and   in response to receiving the receiving the selection of the selectable top-off indicator, performing one or more of the following actions following a completion of the dispense of the selected beverage from the beverage dispenser in an amount corresponding to the selected cup size:
 initiating an additional dispense of a predetermined amount of the selected beverage; 
 initiating an additional dispense of the selected beverage for a predetermined length of time, and 
 initiating an additional dispense of the selected beverage until another selection is received from the graphical user interface. 
   
     
     
         10 . A dispenser apparatus configured to facilitate a portion control dispense of a beverage, comprising:
 a controller operable to:
 provide a graphical user interface displaying a plurality of selectable beverage indicators and a plurality of selectable cup size indicators, the plurality of selectable beverage indicators corresponding to a plurality of beverages, the plurality of selectable cup size indicators corresponding to a plurality of available cup sizes; 
 receive a selection of a beverage from the plurality of selectable beverage indicators in the graphical user interface; 
 receive a selection of a cup size from the plurality of selectable cup size indicators in the graphical user interface; 
 configure a portion control dispense of the selected beverage based on the selected cup size; and 
 dispense the selected beverage in an amount corresponding to the selected cup size. 
   
     
     
         11 . The dispenser apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the graphical user interface further displays one or more beverage additive indicators corresponding to one or more beverage additives for adding to the selected beverage, the one or more beverage additives comprising one or more flavor modifiers. 
     
     
         12 . The dispenser apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the graphical user interface further displays one or more ice selection indicators corresponding to an amount of ice for adding to the selected beverage. 
     
     
         13 . The dispenser apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the graphical user interface further displays a selectable stop indicator for stopping the dispense of the selected beverage. 
     
     
         14 . The dispenser apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the graphical user interface further displays a selectable top-off indicator. 
     
     
         15 . The dispenser apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the controller is further operable to:
 receive a selection of the selectable top-off indicator; and   perform one or more of the following actions in response to the selection of the selectable top-off indicator and following a completion of the dispense of the selected beverage in an amount corresponding to the selected cup size:
 initiate an additional dispense of a predetermined amount of the selected beverage; 
 initiate an additional dispense of the selected beverage for a predetermined length of time, and 
 initiate an additional dispense of the selected beverage until another selection is received from the graphical user interface. 
   
     
     
         16 . A beverage forming dispenser comprising:
 an input device operable to receive one or more selections associated with a portion control dispense of a beverage;   an output device for displaying a graphical user interface comprising a plurality of selectable beverage indicators and a plurality of selectable cup size indicators, the plurality of selectable beverage indicators corresponding to a plurality of beverages, the plurality of selectable cup size indicators corresponding to a plurality of available cup sizes; and   a controller, in communication with the input device and the output device, the controller being operable to:
 provide the graphical user interface on the output device; 
 receive, from the input device, a selection of a beverage from the plurality of selectable beverage indicators displayed in the graphical user interface; 
 receive, from the input device, a selection of a cup size from the plurality of selectable cup size indicators displayed in the graphical user interface; 
 configure a portion control dispense of the selected beverage based on the selected cup size; and 
 dispense the selected beverage in an amount corresponding to the selected cup size. 
   
     
     
         17 . The beverage forming dispenser of  claim 16 , wherein the graphical user interface comprises a plurality of graphical user interfaces for displaying the plurality of selectable beverage indicators and the plurality of selectable cup size indicators. 
     
     
         18 . The beverage forming dispenser of  claim 16 , wherein the graphical user interface comprises a scrollable graphical user interface for displaying the plurality of selectable beverage indicators and the plurality of selectable cup size indicators. 
     
     
         19 . The beverage forming apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the graphical user interface further comprises one or more of a selectable beverage additive indicator and an ice selection indicator, the selectable beverage additive indicator corresponding to at least one flavor modifier for adding to the selected beverage. 
     
     
         20 . The beverage forming apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a selectable stop indicator to stop the dispense of the selected beverage and a selectable top-off indicator to initiate an additional beverage dispense following a completion of the dispense of the selected beverage in an amount corresponding to the selected cup size.