Illuminated interactive coaster

The invention relates to a device for illuminating beverage bases, such as beer mats. For this purpose, the device designed as a coaster has illuminants which illuminate the drinking vessels set up on the coaster. Furthermore, the coaster serves as an interactive assembly for interaction and communication within catering establishments with the host, the staff and the guests.

Applications of illuminated drink coasters are known in the prior art. So in the<de-docref CY="DE" DNUM="29919755" KI="U1">DE 299 19 755 U1</de-docref> describes a light coaster for vessels, in particular drinking vessels, which has a device with illuminants for illuminating the drinking vessels. The illuminants provided for this purpose are preferably arranged inside the coaster.

Furthermore, after the <de-docref CY="EP" DNUM="1524931" KI="B1">EP 1 524 931 B1</de-docref> a pedestal has become known, which serves to place vessels on it. The vessels are to be understood in particular as drinking glasses of any kind. This stand is intended to achieve an optically pleasing effect by illuminating the liquid in the vessel. Furthermore, the aim of the solution is to keep the manufacturing costs low and at the same time to prevent the theft of the lighting coasters. And to replace the previous small, portable light sources, the coasters are designed to be suitable for storing several glasses. These are then inevitably too large and bulky, making unauthorized theft of the coasters considerably more difficult. This base also uses light sources that serve to illuminate the liquids in the vessels. The base also has one or preferably a plurality of switches with which the light sources can be switched on and off manually.

Are also announced after the <de-docref CY="DE" DNUM="10239008" KI="A1">DE 102 39 008 A1</de-docref> Loomi glasses described therein or glasses, bottles or other translucent objects with advertising displays that are often printed on the outside of the glasses and are thus made visible. For this purpose, the contents or the objects cast / engraved into the glass are illuminated using integrated light sources. For this purpose, the light sources and the other components used for the voltage supply are integrated into the translucent objects. Switch devices are also assigned to the light sources.

The <de-docref CY="DE" DNUM="202004017719" KI="U1">DE 20 2004 017 719 U1</de-docref> also describes a beverage lighting system for carrying beverage containers, in particular drinking vessels. With this beverage lighting, the beverages of the carrying devices are illuminated and the desired effects are thus generated during the provision and on the way to the end user. For this purpose, the illuminants and the device for power supply are arranged in the carrying device.

The one from the <de-docref CY="DE" DNUM="202016000607" KI="U1">DE 20 2016 000 607 U1</de-docref> claimed subject relates to a commercially available beer mat, in that a battery, button cell or a rechargeable battery is integrated. This voltage source is used to supply an LED mounted on a printed circuit board. As soon as an object is placed on the beer mat, the LED is activated using a switch and the object is illuminated from below. The aim of the solution is to use commercially available cardboard or paper coasters in which the electronics, including the battery, are integrated. The influence of the integrated components on the thickness of the article is to be prevented.

After <de-docref CY="US" DNUM="6082866" KI="A">US 6,082,866 A</de-docref> an illuminated coaster is proposed, which consists of an assembly that also serves to optically highlight a selected drink. For this purpose, the assembly is designed as a round housing and has an essentially flat, translucent surface. This assembly is detachably attached to the underside of the beverage container. Chemical illuminants housed in the assembly, which are activated by shaking, serve as light sources.

Who continues in the <de-docref CY="US" DNUM="6793363" KI="B1">US 6,793,363 B1</de-docref> Illuminated coaster described has a base which has a frustoconical configuration. An elastic, insulating sheath attached to the upper end of the body is made of foam rubber, polyurethane or another suitable material. This envelope forms the space for receiving the container. A lighting system for lighting and a power source is located in the recording room and projects light upwards into the container.

The one with the <de-docref CY="DE" DNUM="20101721" KI="U1">DE 201 01 721 U1</de-docref> Coaster made known has a support surface for storing beverage containers, which has a sensor for detecting the pressure acting on the support surface. This sensor is followed by an evaluation device for evaluating the sensor signals present at the output of the sensor. A signal transmitter is connected to the output of the evaluation device and is activated when the sensor signals reach a limit value specified in the evaluation device. With this pedestal, an active pedestal was created that emits signals, in particular optical and acoustic signals, when the contact surface is pressurized. These signals can be used to signal whether, in particular, a beverage container designed as a glass is still filled with a beverage such as wine, beer or an anti-alcoholic beverage. By sending out such signals, the innkeeper of a restaurant or restaurant can be shown from a distance that the glass on which the base is standing is no longer sufficiently filled. The base expediently has the shape of a lid, which in particular resembles the internal shape of conventional beer mats. The signal modules are preferably arranged in the interior of the base.

With the after the <de-docref CY="DE" DNUM="202006003621" KI="U1">DE 20 2006 003 621 U1</de-docref> Interactive container coaster described has been created a container coaster for beverage containers, such as glasses, mugs, jugs, etc., with which the processes of a catering trade can be simplified. By means of sensors arranged thereon, states of the beverage container, for example its fill level, temperature, position and the like, as well as the wishes of the guest are recognized in a simple manner. Depending on the detected quantities, the individual information of the coaster is transmitted by means of a transmission unit.

The device according to US 2018/0 078 068 A1 has a coaster part which is configured in such a way that it can accommodate a beverage container. Another holder part fastened to the coaster part is provided for accommodating personal items. The coaster and the holder attached to it are made from a flat blank that has a tab at a first end and a slot at a second end. The holder can be formed by folding up part of the flat blank so that the tab can be inserted into the slot. The subject relates to a barware, in particular to a combination of coasters and electronic device holder. With this arrangement, it should be possible to set up a personal electronic device such as a mobile phone in restaurants or bars in safe and dry places. Likewise, forgetting the cell phone when leaving the restaurant is to be prevented.

According to US 2005/0 013 129 A1, a cup support with an irradiation device is described, which consists of a body with a perforated base, a permeable receiving space, an irradiation unit and a switch. A switching element of the switch is inserted into a rear cover of the permeable receiving space via a circuit board of the radiation unit embedded in the permeable receiving space. While a cup is placed on the surface of the body, the weight of the cup can activate the switching element. The electromagnetic waves generated when a cell phone is received or dialed are received by the receiver of the switching module and the circuits of the radiation unit are then activated. As a result, the LEDs controlled by the IC chips then generate variable light.

Furthermore describes the <de-docref CY="US" DNUM="6778813" KI="B1">US 6 778 813 B1</de-docref> an audio system / cup assembly that includes a beverage cup and a removable audio system bottom. In addition, the assembly can also include a removable adapter base so that the cup can be inserted into a vehicle cup holder. The cup has a threaded opening on its underside for fastening the audio system base or the adapter base. The audio system base and the adapter base each have an upper part that is screwed into the threaded opening at the bottom of the cup to secure the base to the cup. Preferably the cup has a handle and the top of the audio system base is threaded. The thread is engaged with the internal thread surface of the threaded opening on the bottom of the cup to direct the audio system controls towards a person holding the audio system / cup assembly and the speaker (s) towards a person holding the audio system Cup assembly holds to position when the audio system base is fully screwed into the threaded opening in the bottom of the cup.

All of the solutions known from the prior art and described above have the disadvantage that they require a high outlay in terms of materials and the evaluation modules and the necessary transmission units, together with the respective coasters, must be available on site as a functional unit.

The object of the invention is therefore to create an interactive illuminated pedestal that requires less material technology and enables the use of individual assemblies of the users for the interaction and communication.

This object is achieved by the interactive illuminated base according to the descriptive features according to claim 1. Advantageous further developments of the interactive illuminated base are described by the features of claims 2 to 3.

A low outlay in terms of material technology for the implementation of the interactive coaster is achieved in that the pedestal has a storage area for parking a beverage container and, in the interior, a prefabricated receiving space in which the mobile terminal device is provided. The mobile terminal has illuminants, an evaluation unit and a radio transmission unit. The bulbs of the mobile device illuminate the beverage container. In a first embodiment, the coaster has a weight sensor for detecting the fill level of the beverage container and controls the light intensity of the illuminant as well as the recording function of the camera and / or the microphone of the mobile terminal. A further embodiment consists in that the mobile terminal has a weight sensor for detecting the fill level of the beverage container, which controls the light intensity of the illuminant and the recording function of the camera and / or the microphone of the mobile terminal.

Advantageously for effective lighting, the mobile terminal is inserted into the receiving space in such a way that the illuminants of the mobile terminal are arranged through the insertion below the translucent openings made in the shelf of the coaster. The lighting device proves to be efficient if, after the insertion of the mobile terminal into the receiving space of the coaster, the display of the mobile terminal, which can be controlled by software and the color and / or light intensity, is arranged below the translucent openings in the storage surface of the coaster. An effective detection of existing lighting conditions and movements of the users is made possible if, after the insertion of the mobile terminal into the receiving space of the coaster, the camera of the mobile terminal is arranged below at least one translucent opening made in the storage surface of the coaster. The control of the lamps as well as the interaction and communication is advantageously carried out by means of the mobile terminal inserted in the receiving area of ​​the coaster using an “app” software. For the control, interaction and communication, the coaster advantageously has a weight sensor which controls the light intensity as well as the recording function of the camera and / or the microphone of the mobile terminal. Permanent and uninterrupted functions of the device are effectively achieved if the mobile terminal has an inductive receiving unit, which can be switched on for the purpose of charging the energy-supplying battery with an inductive energy transmission module which is inserted within the support surface of the coaster. The range of possible lighting effects is expanded efficiently if the mobile end device has LED assemblies which, after the insertion of the mobile end device into the receiving space of the coaster, are arranged together with the display below the translucent openings and by means of the mobile end device for producing mixed light effects being controlled. Protection against contamination and impairments caused by liquids penetrating into the receiving space is effectively achieved if the translucent openings of the coaster are designed as translucent materials which are introduced into recesses in the storage surface. Further reductions in the technical expenditure on materials are achieved efficiently if the mobile terminal has a weight sensor which controls the light effects generated by the display and / or the LED assemblies and the recording function of the camera and / or the microphone of the mobile terminal.

The invention will be explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment. In the drawing shows<ul list-style="none" id="ul_0001"><li id="ul_0001_0001"><figref>1</figref>: the schematic structure of the coaster and</li><li id="ul_0001_0002"><figref>2</figref>: the position of the mobile device before fitting into the receiving space of the coaster.</li></ul>

The schematic representation of the <figref>1</figref> shows a possible embodiment of the interactive illuminated coaster <b>1</b> with the recording room brought into it <b>2</b>. This recording room<b>2</b> serves as a space for the insertion of a mobile device <b>4</b>, which can be designed as a smartphone, for example. This mobile device<b>4</b> serves after insertion in the recording room <b>2</b> as a means of lighting, interaction and communication. The recording room<b>2</b> is designed to have certain mobile devices <b>4</b> can accommodate the same external dimensions. So-called adapters are used to increase the range of applications for the inclusion of other mobile devices. In any application, the design of the recording room allows<b>2</b> the arrangement of the display <b>5</b> below translucent openings <b>3</b>. The generation of lighting effects for lighting the on the counter<b>7</b> The display takes over the placed beverage container <b>5</b> of the mobile device <b>4</b>. In connection with one also below the translucent openings<b>3</b> positioned LED assembly <b>6</b> of the mobile device <b>4</b> then light mixtures can also be made. The light generated in different colors and brightnesses passes through the translucent openings <b>3</b> to the beverage container and illuminates the beverage content. The functional processes are controlled by a device created for this purpose and in the mobile device<b>4</b> saved "app". So after calling the "app" via the microphone of the mobile device<b>4</b> Orders are placed using a language program and the dialogue with guests or the operating staff is carried out. Using a weight sensor, the lighting is controlled by the "app" in such a way that the color of the beverage changes when the weight changes and thus the level. This change in color is then a signal for the staff to ensure that drinks are replenished in good time. In addition to the optical signaling, there is also the option of transmitting the orders or signaling via radio to a central point via the existing fill levels of the drinks.

The representation of the <figref>2</figref> shows the location of the mobile device <b>4</b> before insertion in the recording room <b>2</b>. the display<b>5</b> is facing upwards and therefore after insertion under the translucent opening <b>3</b> positioned. The one from the display<b>5</b> and / or the LED assembly <b>6</b> Controlled light effects can be created through the translucent opening <b>3</b> to on the shelf <b>7</b> the standing beverage container.

Reference list

<dl tsize="1"><dt>1</dt><dd>Coasters</dd><dt>2</dt><dd>Recording room</dd><dt>3</dt><dd>translucent opening</dd><dt>4</dt><dd>mobile device</dd><dt>5</dt><dd>Display</dd><dt>6</dt><dd>LED assembly</dd><dt>7</dt><dd>Storage space</dd></dl>