Beverage dispensing systems and methods

Abstract

A beverage dispensing system comprises a beverage dispenser electrically coupled to a point of sale. The point of sale has an input module, a beverage selection module, and a dispensing module. The input module includes a user interface configured to receive a user identification and a beverage selection. The beverage selection module receives data from the input module that includes the beverage selection and identifies an ingredient in the beverage selection. The dispensing module receives data from one or both of the input module and the beverage selection module that includes the beverage selection and the ingredient. The dispensing module also generates a beverage dispensing instruction based at least in part on the beverage selection and the ingredient. The beverage dispenser receives data from the dispensing module that includes the beverage dispensing instruction and dispenses a beverage according to the beverage dispensing instruction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A beverage dispensing system, comprising:
 a point of sale having:
 an input module including a user interface configured to receive a user identification and data including a beverage selection, 
 a beverage selection module that receives data from the input module that includes the beverage selection and identifies at least one ingredient in the beverage selection, 
 a dispensing module that receives data from at least one of the input module and the beverage selection module that includes the beverage selection and the at least one ingredient and generates a beverage dispensing instruction that is based at least in part on the beverage selection and the at least one ingredient; and 
   a plurality of beverage dispensers electrically coupled to the point of sale, wherein a first beverage dispenser of the plurality of beverage dispensers receives data from the dispensing module that includes the beverage dispensing instruction and dispenses a beverage according to the beverage dispensing instruction and sends data back to the point of sale confirming that at least a portion of the beverage dispensing instruction was dispensed properly.   
     
     
         2 . The beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the point of sale and the first beverage dispenser are integrated into a single device. 
     
     
         3 . The beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the point of sale and the first beverage dispenser are remote from each other. 
     
     
         4 . The beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the point of sale and the first beverage dispenser are electrically coupled to each other by a wireless connection. 
     
     
         5 . The beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the dispensing module automatically generates the beverage dispensing instruction after receiving the data from the at least one of the input module and the beverage selection module. 
     
     
         6 . The beverage dispensing system of  claim 5 , wherein a dispensing element of the first beverage dispenser automatically receives the data from the dispensing module that includes the beverage dispensing instruction and automatically dispenses the beverage according to the beverage dispensing instruction. 
     
     
         7 . The beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface is a touch-screen computing device. 
     
     
         8 . The beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the beverage selection includes at least one cocktail. 
     
     
         9 . The beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ingredient includes at least one liquor. 
     
     
         10 . The beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the beverage selection includes at least two ingredients, and wherein a first ingredient includes a liquor and a second ingredient includes a mixer. 
     
     
         11 . The beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the beverage dispensing instruction include a recipe for creating the beverage selection. 
     
     
         12 . The beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the beverage selection includes at least two ingredients and the beverage dispensing instruction includes a recipe for mixing the at least two ingredients to create the beverage selection. 
     
     
         13 . The beverage dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the point of sale further includes a tracking module that receives data from the input module including the beverage selection and stores information relating to the beverage selection in a data store. 
     
     
         14 . A beverage dispensing system, comprising:
 a user interface configured to receive data from a user relating to at least one beverage selection;   a processor electrically coupled to the user interface, the processor configured to:
 receive data relating to the at least one beverage selection, 
 identify at least one ingredient in the at least one beverage selection, 
 generate a beverage instruction based at least in part on the at least one beverage selection and the at least one ingredient, the beverage instruction including data relating to the quantity of the at least one ingredient and the manner in which the at least one ingredient is dispensed; and 
   a plurality of beverage dispensers electrically coupled to the processor, the beverage dispensers configured to receive data that includes the beverage instruction and dispense a beverage according to the beverage instruction.   
     
     
         15 . The beverage dispensing system of  claim 14 , wherein the user interface and at least one of the plurality of beverage dispensers are remote from each other. 
     
     
         16 . The beverage dispensing system of  claim 14 , wherein a first beverage dispenser of the plurality of the beverage dispensers automatically receives data that includes the beverage instruction after the processor generates the beverage instruction. 
     
     
         17 . The beverage dispensing system of  claim 16 , wherein the first beverage dispenser automatically dispenses the beverage after the beverage dispenser receives the beverage instruction. 
     
     
         18 . A method of dispensing a beverage, comprising:
 receiving a beverage selection and a user identification from a user interface;   identifying at least one ingredient in the beverage selection;   generating a beverage instruction based at least in part on the at least one beverage selection and the at least one ingredient, wherein the beverage instruction includes data relating to a quantity of the at least one ingredient and the manner in which the at least one ingredient is to be dispensed; and   creating a beverage according to the beverage instruction and dispensing the beverage from a first beverage dispenser of a plurality of beverage dispensers electrically coupled to the user interface.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the user interface and the first beverage dispenser are remote from each other. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the beverage is automatically created based on the beverage instruction and the beverage is automatically dispensed from the first beverage dispenser.