System and method for creating a personalized consumer product
View Patent ↗A system and method for creating a personalized consumer product are provided. The system and method of the present disclosure enables a user, e.g., a consumer, to customize products containing solids and/or fluids by allowing a server communicating over the global computer network, e.g., the Internet, to provide product preferences of a user to a product or a mixing device, e.g., a product or beverage dispenser. The method for creating a product according to a user's preferences over a network includes the steps identifying a product to a server over the network; identifying a user to the server over the network; retrieving the user's product preferences from a database at the server based on the product's identity and user's identity; transmitting the user's product preferences to the product over the network; and mixing at least one element contained within the product based on the user's product preferences.
1. A system for customizing a product according to a user's preferences comprising: a remote server including a database configured to store a product preference of a predetermined product for at least one user; and
a first communication module within the product and in communication with the remote server;
wherein the remote server is configured to receive the identity of the predetermined product and the identity of the at least one user, retrieve the product preference from the database based on the identity of the predetermined product and the identity of the least one user and transmit the product preference to the first communication module.
2. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the transmitted product preference is a formulation including a predetermined amount of at least one element.
3. The system as in claim 2 , wherein the at least one element is a fluid, a solid or any combination thereof.
4. The system as in claim 2 , wherein the server is configured to communicate at least one question to a terminal of the at least one user for prompting the user with the at least one question relating to the predetermined product and the server is further configured for determining the formulation based on at least one response of the user.
5. The system as in claim 4 , wherein the server is further configured for issuing an identity code for the user and cross-referencing the identity code to the formulation.
6. The system as in claim 5 , wherein the server is configured for storing the identity code and cross-referenced formulation in the database.
7. The system as in claim 6 , wherein the terminal is configured to transmit the identity code to the server.
8. The system as in claim 7 , wherein the identity code is stored as an Internet cookie on the terminal.
9. A product to be consumed by a user comprising:
a housing containing at least one element to produce a final product;
a controller disposed with the housing and configured to control an amount of the at least one element disposed within the housing;
a communication module disposed within the housing and configured to transmit an identifier of the product to a server over a network, receive product preferences of the user from the server based on the identifier and communicate to the controller the received product preferences of the user for formulating the final product; and
an exit port disposed on the housing for dispensing the final product to the end user.
10. The product as in claim 9 , wherein the final product is a toothpaste, a shampoo, a conditioner, a beverage or a soap.
11. The product as in claim 9 , wherein the at least one element is a fluid, a solid or any combination thereof.
12. The product as in claim 9 , wherein the communication module is configured to receive the product preferences of the user via hardwired or wireless communications from the server over the network.
13. A beverage dispenser comprising:
at least one compartment containing an element of a beverage;
at least one valve coupling the at least one compartment to a dispensing section configured to dispense the beverage;
a mixing chamber for mixing the beverage;
a user interface module configured to receive an identity of a user and an identifier of the beverage;
a communication module configured to transmit the identifier of the beverage to a server over a network; and
a controller configured to actuate the at least one valve to control an amount of the element to be dispensed and to actuate the mixing chamber based on user generated beverage product preferences.
14. The beverage dispenser of claim 13 , wherein the user interface module further comprises a voice recognition module for receiving the identity of the user.
15. The beverage dispenser of claim 13 , wherein the user interface module further comprises a wireless communication device for receiving the identity of the user.
16. The beverage dispenser of claim 15 , wherein the wireless communication device is configured to receive credit information of the user.
17. The beverage dispenser of claim 13 , wherein the user interface module further comprises a card reader for receiving the identity of the user.
18. The beverage dispenser of claim 17 , wherein the card reader is configured to receive credit information of the user.
19. The beverage dispenser of claim 18 , wherein the communication module is further configured to transmit the credit information of the user to the server over the network.
20. The beverage dispenser of claim 13 , wherein the user interface module further comprises a display for displaying the product preferences to the user, wherein the user interface module is further configured to receive confirmation of the product preference from the user.