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Home , 85C Bakery Cafe, Bess Eaton, Hollys Coffee, Hudsons Coffee, Second Cup

US 20110260440A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2011/0260440 A1 HAFF et al. (43) Pub. Date: Oct. 27, 2011

(54) DISPOSABLE CUP WITH INTERNAL AND (52) U.S. Cl...... 283/67; 206/459.1 EXTERNAL FLUID LEVEL INDICATORS AND METHOD (57) ABSTRACT A method for using an associated visual implementing appa (76) Inventors: Maurice HAFF, Bethesda, MD ratus with which a first person may audibly or otherwise (US); John M. White, Bethesda, specify, e.g., a head nod, to a second person the amount of MD (US) unoccupied volume or void to be available in an illustrated cup when partially filled with or other liquid, in (21) Appl. No.: 12/955,409 response to an easily understood inquiry by the second per son. The method includes the steps of a first person exhibiting (22) Filed: Nov. 29, 2010 the illustrated cup to a second person while inquiring as to the unoccupied Volume desired to remain while making refer Related U.S. Application Data ence to the illustrated cup. The visual implementing appara (60) Provisional application No. 61/327,887, filed on Apr. tus cup includes repeating vertically oriented illustrations, the 26, 2010. illustrations being at least one of representations of human fingers, cows, text based words describing cow Sounds, num bers, geographic shapes, logos, and/or indentations. The Publication Classification repeating illustrations being representative of the relative (51) Int. C. remaining proportional Void levels in the cup and residing on B42D IS/00 (2006.01) at least one of the exterior and/or the interior of the cup near B65D 85/00 (2006.01) the rim thereof.

Patent Application Publication Oct. 27, 2011 Sheet 1 of 4 US 2011/0260440 A1

Patent Application Publication Oct. 27, 2011 Sheet 2 of 4 US 2011/0260440 A1

Solicit instructions from customer with an inquiry such as "leave room for Cream"

Dispense coffee in cup with minimum unfilled volume Yes

Exhibit a Cup or a graphical image of a Cup, annotated with fill-level markers such as a depiction of human fingers visible to the 27 Customer; induire as to unoCCupied Cup volume desired referencing fill-level markers

Receive customer response to inquiry; fill Cup to requested level leaving Customer 26 Specified unoccupied volume in Cup

Dispense filled Cup to Customer 28 Patent Application Publication Oct. 27, 2011 Sheet 3 of 4 US 2011/0260440 A1

Patent Application Publication Oct. 27, 2011 Sheet 4 of 4 US 2011/0260440 A1 Fig. 4

Top RB Crown X-20 Chin Hair

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(GAEREFLUL

US 2011/0260440 A1 Oct. 27, 2011

DISPOSABLE CUP WITH INTERNAL AND (, Japan and ); Hudsons Coffee (); EXTERNAL FLUID LEVEL INDICATORS Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea (USA); It's a Grind Coffee House AND METHOD (USA); Nairobi Java House (Kenya); Java U (); Jittery Joe's (USA); Juan Valdez Cafe Colombia; Kaffebrenneriet (Norway); Kotowa Coffee House (Panama); 0001. This application claims the benefit of U.S. provi (USA); Lavazza (Europe); Lettieri (Canada); McCafe sional application Ser. No. 61/327,887, filed Apr. 26, 2010. (owned by McDonald's Corporation); Mecca (Aus tralia); Mokador Concept Bars (Italy & Worldwide); MUD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Coffee; Mugg & Bean (South Africa); (Austra lia): Narasus coffee (India); New World coffee (New York, 0002 1. Field of the Invention USA); Old Town White Coffee (Malaysia); Pacific Coffee 0003. The present invention is related to simultaneously Company (Hongkong); Peaberry Coffee (USA); Peet's Cof extracting explicit instructions from a customer and provid fee & Tea (USA); Port City Java (USA); PT's Coffee Roast ing those instructions reliably to a server providing coffee ing Co.; Robin's Donuts (Canada); Harris Coffee Roasters service using a graphical depiction of the instructions to aid in (New Zealand); Second Cup (Canada); Segafredo Zanetti the information transfer. More particularly, the invention is (Italy); ; Sen Karde Sler Kiraathanesi (Originated directed to an apparatus and associated method(s) of obtain in Turkey, very big Franchising); Pasqua Coffee: Seattle's ing specificity as to the Volume of coffee to be placed in a cup Best Coffee (USA); Secret Recipe (MALAYSIA); Sleepless or the unoccupied Volume (void) to remain for Subsequent In Seattle (); Torrefazione Italia (USA); Stump addition of a diluting agent, after partial filling of a cup with town Coffee Roasters (USA, originated in Portland, Oreg.); coffee, tea, syrup, etc. (Germany); (also owns Bess Eaton) 0004 2. Background of the Invention and Related Art (Canada); Timothy's World Coffee (Canada); Trung Nguyen 0005 According to the National Coffee Association, cof Coffee (): Tully's Coffee (USA); Ueshima Coffee fee consumption in the United States reached 400 million Company (Japan); (Canada); Wayne's Coffee cups per day in 2008. Growth in the out-of home specialty (Originated in Sweden, locations throughout Scandinavia); coffee market has remained strong, even in a down economy. Williams Fresh Cafe (Canada); Woyton (Germany); Ya Kun The specialty coffee industry has grown dramatically over the Kaya Toast (a chain of kopitiams based in Singapore); Zarraf two decades beginning in 1990. A good example of this fas Coffee. Given the immensity and the widespread appeal of growth is that experienced by the Starbucks company. After coffee and the accompanied dilution thereof, the scope for completing a public stock offering in the 1990s, Starbucks has application of this invention is accordingly large as well. grown to more than 15,000 stores worldwide, each store serving 100s if not 1000s of cups of coffee each day. Some 0007. Many of these coffee chains attempt to differentiate estimates of annual disposable cup usage by Starbucks their coffee products by various roasting methods that pro (alone!) are reported to be about 4 billion units. According to duce differing degrees of bold flavor. Companies such as Wikipedia, there are 100s of other coffee service chains doing Starbucks are known for their heavily roasted . For business around the world as well. Estimates of total dispos those customers that prefer dilution of such bold flavored able cup usage by the retail coffee service industry exceed coffees with liquids such as cream, “half & half or milk, the 200 billion units. serving portions often leave insufficient room in the cup in 0006. The following are identified as a partial listing of which to place the personally desired quantity of Such dilut coffee service chains: Allann Brothers (Oregon, USA); AMT ing agents. Coffee (mostly at railway stations); Aroma Espresso Bar (Is 0008 Instructions regarding the amount of “room for rael); ; and beans (Netherlands); Balzac cream’ given to a server by a customer purchasing a cup of Coffee (Germany); Barnie's Coffee and Tea Company; Bar coffee often lack sufficient specificity to produce adequate ista Coffee (India); ; Blenz (Canada); Blue remaining unoccupied Volume in the cup to accommodate the Castle Coffee (Battle Ground, Wash., USA); Bridgehead Cof amount of diluting agent desired by the customer. This often fee (, Canada); Cafe Coffee Day (India); Café Hillel results in the outcome where the customer, after noting that (Israel); Café du Monde (USA); Caffè Nero (UK); Caffe there is insufficient unoccupied Volume remaining in the cup, Ritazza; Cafe Rouge: Campus Suite; (USA) pouring out a portion of the coffee. This disposal is usually Clements Café (Belfast, Northern Ireland); CC's Coffee done in a conveniently in-store located trash can lined with a (Based in Baton Rouge); The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (USA); thin walled plastic bag that is potentially Subject to melting Coffee 1: ; CoffeeBull Pty Ltd (Perth, Aus when exposed to a the extremely hot beverage. tralia); Coffee-Inn (Lithuania); Coffee People; Coffee 0009. The result of the foregoing sequence of events is Republic (UK); Coffee Heaven (operates in several countries wasted coffee and the potentially excessive mess of a melted in Eastern Europe); coffee Planet Corporation; Coffee Time liner in a trash can also filled with trash. The wasted coffee (Canada); Country Style Donuts (Canada); represents significant lost revenue and lost profit to a retail (UK); Cuppy's Coffee; Davinci Coffee (South Korea); establishment doing large retail Volume Such as Starbucks. Diedrich Coffee (also owns Coffee People, Coffee Plantation Had the cup, and 1,000s like it, not been over filled, the (Arizona) and US Gloria Jean's locations); Dome (Australia); dumped coffee could have been used to fill 100s of other cups Double Coffee (in the Baltic states and Ukraine); Doutor sold to Subsequently served customers. From a per-unit-of (Japan); Douwe Egberts (Netherlands); Dunkin' Donuts product sold perspective, the amount of coffee beverage that (USA); Dunn Bros (USA); Duran Coffee Store (Panama); must be produced to fill the cups sold would be reduced by Dutch Bros. Coffee; 85C Cafe (Republic of eliminating over-fill waste. Such elimination of waste would ()); Fanzin Coffee & Tea (Turkey); Figaro (Philip also reduce the “cost of goods sold and increase the amount pines); Flocafé (Greece); Frans Café (Brazil); Gimme Coffee of profit obtained from the sale of each cup of coffee. In (USA); Gloria Jean's; Havanna (Argentina); Hollys Coffee addition, if the plastic liner in a trash can is melted by hot US 2011/0260440 A1 Oct. 27, 2011

coffee dumped in the can, the liner may fail when removed 0017. In another preferred embodiment, the present inven from the can, creating a mess on the floor that must be cleaned tion is directed to providing a method for training serving up by an employee. This situation represents increased oper staff personnel to mix beverages served in a cup, including ating costs due to lost productivity. prepared beverages such as coffee , the method 0010 Currently, the cups used in the industry lack any enabling the serving staff personnel to enhance their skill in visible delineation of the fill level in the cup and do not judging the amount of different ingredients to be placed in a provide an explicit means for extracting from a customer cup, the cup being annotated with level indicators on at least instructions as to the amount of unoccupied Volume desired to one of the exterior and/or the interior of the cup. accommodate a diluting agent. Thus, a means is needed to more specifically regulate the amount of coffee placed in a BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS cup and to specify the unoccupied Volume or void remaining. The regulated fill amount, and consequent proportionally 0018 FIG. 1 is a drawing of a first and a second paper cup unoccupied Volume, having greater specificity in response to annotated on the exterior. a customer's instructions simply solicited by serving staff 0019 FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a methodofusing a paper personnel through easily understood inquiry, would eliminate cup graphically annotated with fill level indicators. waste, reduce cost, increase profit, and avoid trash can bag 0020 FIG. 3 is a drawing of a paper cup graphically anno failures. tated on the interior with fill level indicators. 0021 FIG. 4 is a drawing of a paper cup presently used by SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION the Starbucks company showing graphical images displayed on the cup Such as a logo. 0011. The present invention is directed to providing a 0022 FIG. 5 shows another type of indicator for the rate of method and apparatus for regulating the amount of coffee final dilution of the cup contained beverage. beverage placed in a cup by a server in response to a custom er's explicit instructions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED 0012 More particularly, the present invention is directed EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION to providing an explicit method and a visual implementing apparatus with which a customer can specify the amount of 0023. In brief: FIG. 1 is a drawing of a first and second coffee beverage placed in a cup by a server, the customer paper cup each graphically annotated on the exterior with a responding to an easily understood inquiry by the server. graphic image of three human fingers serving as fill level 0013. In another preferred embodiment, the present inven indicators with which a server can inquire of a customer tion is directed to providing an explicit method and visual specificity as to the volume of coffee desired as a ratio to implementing apparatus with which a customer may specify unoccupied Volume to remain for accommodating a diluting the amount of unoccupied Volume to be available in a cup agent, such as milk, cream, artificial flavoring Substances, or when partially filled with coffee beverage, in response to an any combination thereof. FIG. 2 is a flow diagramofa method easily understood inquiry by a server, the cup being annotated of using a paper cup graphically annotated with fill level with level markings on at least one of the exterior and/or the indicators to extract from a customer specific instructions as interior of the cup. to the desired amount of coffee in relation to the unoccupied 0014. In another preferred embodiment, the present inven Volume after filling, the unoccupied Volume being available tion is directed to providing an explicit method and a visually for addition of a diluting agent Such as milk, cream, artificial implementing apparatus by which a server may obtain greater flavoring substances, or any combination thereof. FIG. 3 is a specificity from a customeras to the amount of coffee bever drawing of a paper cup graphically annotated on the interior age to be placed in a cup, the cup being annotated with level with fill level markers with which a server can inquire of a markings on at least one of the exterior and/or the interior of customer specificity as to the Volume of coffee desired as a the cup. ratio to unoccupied Volume to remain for accommodating a 0015. In another preferred embodiment, the present inven diluting agent such as milk, cream, artificial flavoring Sub tion is directed to providing an explicit method and a visually stances, or any combination thereof. FIG. 4 is a drawing of a implementing apparatus by which a first server may obtain paper cup presently used by the Starbucks company showing greater specificity from a customeras to the unoccupied Vol graphical images displayed on the cup such as the Starbucks ume to be available in a cup when partially filled with coffee logo that could be used by a server as reference points in beverage by a second server, said specificity of unoccupied determining specificity as to the Volume of coffee desired as volume being conveyed from the first server to the second a ratio to unoccupied Volume to remain for accommodating a server audibly or by placing physical markings on the cup, diluting agent such as milk, cream, artificial flavoring Sub said unoccupied Volume being available for addition of a stances, or any combination thereof. diluting agent, such as milk, cream, artificial flavoring Sub 0024. In detail: Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a stances, or any combination thereof. schematic illustration of one preferred embodiment of the 0016. In another preferred embodiment, the present inven present invention 10 illustrating a representation of easily tion is directed to providing a method for training serving conveyed and understandable graphical fill level indicators 12 staff personnel to conserve beverages served in a cup, includ in the form of line drawings of human fingers oriented per ing beverages such as coffee and tea, the method enabling the pendicular to a vertical line extended through the fillable serving staff personnel to enhance their skill in judging the volume of a cup, from base 13 to rim 11, and partially extend amount of unoccupied Volume in the cup that will satisfy a ing around the circumference of the cup. In response to an response by a customer to inquiry by the serving staff per audible first person customer request or visual que to a server Sonnel Such as “leave room for cream’, the cup being anno to “leave room for cream’, the second person server may tated with level markings on at least one of the exterior and the obtain greater specificity as to the desired cup-to-cup propor interior of the cup. tional unoccupied Volume (void) to remain in the cup through US 2011/0260440 A1 Oct. 27, 2011

an easily understood audible or visual inquiry by the server of 0028. The method disclosed in FIG. 2 can also be used to “one finger, two fingers, or three fingers' while exhibiting the train serving staff personnel to conserve beverages served in illustrated cup to the customer. The customer will understand a cup, including beverages Such as coffee and tea, the method that three fingers represent a greater unoccupied Volume for enabling the serving staff personnel to enhance their skill in accommodating a greater Volume of a diluting agent than judging the amount of unoccupied Volume in the cup that will does one or two fingers. Armed with this level of specificity, satisfy a response by a customerto inquiry by the serving staff the server can provide the customer with the coffee productas personnel Such as “leave room for cream’, the cup being desired by the customer either directly or through a third annotated with level markings on at least one of the exterior person order filler, while eliminating or at least reducing the and the interior of the cup. likelihood that the customer will dump a portion of the coffee, 0029. The method disclosed in FIG. 2 can also be used for wasting what could otherwise be sold to another customer. training serving staff personnel to mix beverages served in a 0025 Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a schematic cup, including prepared beverages such as coffee cappuccino, illustration of another preferred embodiment of the present the method enabling the serving staff personnel to enhance invention 20 illustrating a representation of easily conveyed their skill injudging the amount of different ingredients to be and understandable fill level indicators 22 in the form of line placed in a cup, the cup being annotated with level markings drawings of human fingers oriented parallel to a vertical line on at least one of the exterior and the interior of the cup. extended through the fillable volume of a cup, from base 23 to 0030 Referring now to FIG.3, there is shown a schematic rim 21, and partially extending around the circumference of illustration of another preferred embodiment of the present the cup. In response to a customer request to a server to “leave invention 10 illustrating a representation of fill level indica room for cream’, the server may obtain greater specificity as tors 14 easily understandable by a server and corresponding to the desired cup-to-cup proportional unoccupied Volume to Substantially equivalent indicators 12 residing on the exte (void) to remain in the cup through an easily understood rior of the cup, and configured in the form of line drawings of inquiry by the server Such as "one finger, two fingers, or three human fingers oriented perpendicular to a vertical line fingers' while exhibiting the illustrated cup to the customer. extended through the fillable volume of a cup and partially The customer will understand that three fingers represent a extending around the interior circumference of the cup. greater unoccupied Volume for accommodating a greater Vol 0031. In another preferred embodiment, an alternative ume of a diluting agent than does one or two fingers. Armed illustration form may be used instead of or in addition to the with this level of specificity, the server can provide the cus finger illustrations as fill level indicators and may be aug tomer with the coffee product as desired by the customer, mented by /2 indicators (or further finer divisions/4, /s, etc.) while eliminating or at least reducing the likelihood that the to provide further precision. An illustration such as multiple customer will dump a portion of the coffee, wasting what cows or other symbols (i.e. Smiley faces, brand marks, etc.) could otherwise be sold to another customer. shown one above the others can be applied to the exterior of 0026. While the cups used to dispense coffee in retail the cup. In response to a customer request to a serverto “leave outlets are often comprised of paper, and in Some cases an room for cream’, the server may obtain greater specificity as insulating material, it is anticipated that sealant covered to the desired unoccupied Volume to remain in the cup graphical fill level illustrations as described in the present through an easily understood inquiry of “one cow, two cows, invention can also be deposited upon cups made of other or three cows” while exhibiting the illustrated cup to the materials, such as plastic or Styrofoam in addition to those customer. The customer will understand that three cows rep made of paper. Cups fabricated from materials such as paper, resent a greater unoccupied Volume for accommodating a plastic, and Styrofoam are generally intended to be dispos greater Volume of a diluting agent than does one or two cows. able. Armed with this level of specificity, the server can provide the 0027. Referring now to FIG. 2, in one preferred embodi customer with the coffee product as desired by the customer, ment shown in chart 20, a server can Solicit explicit instruc while eliminating or at least reducing the likelihood that the tions 22 from a customeras to the desired unoccupied Volume customer will dump a portion of the coffee, wasting what to remain after partial filling of a cup with coffee, by first could otherwise be sold to another customer. The cups may making a general inquiry of a customer Such as "leave room also be illustrated on the interior with substantially corre for cream” and if the answer is in the partial/uncertain affir sponding cows to provide the server with a means to more mative 25, then making a more specific inquiry 27. The more accurately gage the amount of unoccupied Volume to retain in specific inquiry by a server can be facilitated by exhibiting to the cup. the customera cup illustrated with drawings or photographs 0032. In another preferred embodiment, an alternative of human fingers as shown in FIG.1, accompanied by a verbal illustration form may be used instead of the finger or cow inquiry such as “one finger, two fingers, or three fingers.” illustrations as fill level indicators. An illustration of multiple Because of the verbal inquiry and the relative placement of text based words representing the sounds verbalized by cows the illustrated human fingers 12 or the number of human such as “moo' can be shown one above the others applied to fingers 22 on the exhibited cup in FIG. 1, the customer will the exterior of cup. Numbers may also be applied in combi recognize the relative unoccupied Volume that will remain in nation with text. In response to a customer request to a server the cup after partial filling by the server. Armed with that to “leave room for cream’, the server may obtain greater recognition, the customer can make an informed decision specificity as to the desired unoccupied Volume to remain in knowing their preferred ratio of coffee to dilution agent. The the cup through an easily understood inquiry of “one moo, result of the customer's decision can be conveyed to the server two moos, or three moos” while exhibiting the illustrated cup in clearly understandable and quantifiable terms, such as "one to the customer. The server may optionally elect to mimic a finger' or “two fingers' or “three fingers', that can be acted bovine sound while articulating the word “moo’. The cus upon specifically by the server at 26 and the cup with suffi tomer will understand that three moos represent a greater cient void for dilution is provided at 28. unoccupied Volume for accommodating a greater Volume of a US 2011/0260440 A1 Oct. 27, 2011

diluting agent than does one or two moos. Armed with this 0036) A similar apparatus and method may be likewise level of specificity, the server can provide the customer with employed for ordering alcoholic mixed beverages. The cus the coffee product as desired by the customer, while elimi tomer may specify 1 cube, 2 cubes, 3 cubes, to describe the nating or at least reducing the likelihood that the customer quantity of high proof alcohol containing beverage to be will dump a portion of the coffee, wasting what could other added to the consuming cup before dilution by an additive, wise be sold to another customer. The cups may also be i.e., juice, Soda, etc. The indicators may be drawings of cubes, illustrated on the interior with substantially corresponding brand images, progressively tipsy Smiley faces, college mas text to provide the server with a means to more accurately cots, etc. proceeding upwardly from a lower portion of the gauge the amount of unoccupied Volume to retain in the cup. disposable cup. The bartender may have a price chart relating 0033. In another preferred embodiment, alternative but to the increased high proof liquid quantity. A customer may perhaps less entertaining illustrations may be used instead of order a "3 Cowboy” gin and tonic. This would indicate that the finger, cow, or text illustrations as fill level indicators. An the gin added predilution would be 3 "Cowboy” mascots illustration in the form of simple bars can be applied to the cup deep. The more specific the instructions, the more satisfied comprising lines shown one above the other oriented perpen the customer. dicular to a vertical line extended through the filable volume 0037 Referring to the schematic illustration of FIG. 3, in of the cup and partially extending around the circumference another preferred embodiment a two dimensional graphic of the cup. The bars may alternatively be applied in parallel to image may be employed in the method of the present inven said vertical line with the bars being of differing lengths, tion displaying a representation of fill level indicators 14 on a where the lengths represent different fill levels. In response to cup 10, easily understandable by a server and corresponding a customer request to a server to “leave room for cream’, the to Substantially equivalent indicators 12 residing on the exte server may obtain greater specificity as to the desired unoc rior of the cup, and configured in the form of line drawings of cupied Volume to remain in the cup through an easily under human fingers, cows, or other graphic images including stood inquiry such as “one bar, two bars, or three bars’ while logos, text or bars as previously disclosed, oriented perpen exhibiting the illustrated cup to the customer. The customer dicular to a vertical line extended through the filable volume will understand that three bars represent a greater unoccupied of a cup, from base 13 to rim 11, and partially extending Volume for accommodating a greater Volume of a diluting around the interior circumference of the cup. In response to a agent than does one or two bars. Armed with this level of customer request to a server to “leave room for cream’, the specificity, the server can provide the customer with the cof server may obtain greater specificity as to the desired unoc fee productas desired by the customer, while eliminating or at cupied volume to remain in the cup through an easily under least reducing the likelihood that the customer will dump a stood inquiry Such as "one finger, two fingers, or three fin portion of the coffee, wasting what could otherwise be sold to gers' or “one cow, two cows, or three cows” while another customer. The cups may also be illustrated on the referencing the displayed graphic image of the illustrated cup interior with substantially corresponding bars to provide the to the customer. The customer will understand that an indi server with a means to more accurately gage the amount of cation Such as three cows represents a greater unoccupied unoccupied Volume to retain in the cup. Volume for accommodating a greater Volume of a diluting 0034. In preferred embodiments where images, text, or agent than does an indication Such as one or two cows. Armed bars are applied to the interior of a cup, Sealants may be with this level of specificity, the server can provide the cus employed to prevent the Substance used to apply the images, tomer with the coffee product as desired by the customer, text, or bars from being dissolved by liquids with which the while eliminating or at least reducing the likelihood that the cup may be filled. customer will dump a portion of the coffee, wasting what 0035. In another preferred embodiment, alternative but could otherwise be sold to another customer or reducing the perhaps even less entertaining fill level indicators may be amount of coffee needed to satisfy a customer purchase and used instead of the finger, cow, text, or bar illustrations. Fill lower the cost of goods sold. The cups provided to customers level indicators in the form of simple highlighted indentations may also be manually illustrated by the server marking on the 19 can be applied to a cup shown one above the other oriented exterior of the cup with a marking device, the markings Sub perpendicular to a vertical line extended through the fillable stantially corresponding to the number of fingers, cows, or Volume of the cup and partially extending around the circum other images to provide the server with a means to more ference of the cup. In response to a customer request to a accurately gage the amount of unoccupied Volume to retain in server to “leave room for cream’, the server may obtain the cup. greater specificity as to the desired unoccupied Volume to 0038. In another preferred embodiment of the method of remain in the cup through an easily understood inquiry of the present invention, a cup may be displayed by a server to a “one dent, two dents, or three dents” while exhibiting the customer, while making an inquiry regarding the desire for illustrated cup to the customer. The customer will understand the use of cream. In response to a customer request to a server that three dents represent a greater unoccupied Volume for to “leave room for cream’, the server may obtain greater accommodating a greater Volume of a diluting agent than specificity as to the desired unoccupied Volume to remain in does one or two dents. Armed with this level of specificity, the the cup through an easily understood inquiry such as "one server can provide the customer with the coffee product as finger, two fingers, or three fingers' while referencing the desired by the customer, while eliminating or at least reducing server's fingers placed on the exterior of the cup substantially the likelihood that the customer will dump a portion of the in the position of the finger image of the illustrated cup shown coffee, wasting what could otherwise be sold to another cus in FIG. 1. The customer will understand that an indication tomer. The indentations applied to the cup may be made Such as three fingers represents a greater unoccupied Volume sufficiently deep so as to be visible on the interior to provide for accommodating a greater Volume of a diluting agent than the server with a means to more accurately gage the amount of does an indication Such as one or two fingers. Armed with this unoccupied Volume to retain in the cup. level of specificity, the server can provide the customer with US 2011/0260440 A1 Oct. 27, 2011

the coffee product as desired by the customer, while elimi mark in the color band on the cup with a marking device to nating or at least reducing the likelihood that the customer memorialize the customer's instruction. will dump a portion of the coffee, wasting what could other 0042. In another preferred embodiment, a first server hav wise be sold to another customer or reducing the amount of ing obtained greater specificity for the unoccupied Volume coffee needed to satisfy a customer purchase and lower the desired by a customer may convey said specificity to a second cost of goods sold. The cups provided to customers may be server audibly by verbalizing words such as “one finger, two manually illustrated by the server marking on the exterior of fingers, or three fingers' plus a description of the coffee the cup with a marking device, the markings Substantially product ordered such as “Grande' or other product descriptor. corresponding to the number offingers indicated by the cus Words such as “one cow, two cows or three cows” or “one tomer, providing the server with a means to more accurately moo, two moos or three moos' plus the product descriptor gage the amount of unoccupied Volume to retain in the cup. may also be used. It is anticipated that any combination of 0039. In another preferred embodiment of the method of words and Sounds representing fill level indicators may be the present invention, a cup may be displayed by a server to a used with a product descriptor to convey to a second server the customer, while making an inquiry regarding the desire for unoccupied Volume specified by the customer to a first server. the use of cream. In response to a customer request to a server 0043. In another preferred embodiment, images represent to “leave room for cream’, the server may obtain greater ing fill level indicators may be sized proportionally to the specificity as to the desired unoccupied Volume to remain in capacity of a cup on which they are printed, images dimen the cup through an easily understood inquiry referencing a sions on a larger capacity cup being larger than image dimen graphical illustration printed on a cup to serve other purposes, sions on a smaller capacity cup, and thus representing a larger Such as a store brand logo. Referring to unoccupied Volume to remain in the cup after filling with 0040 FIG. 4, one example would be a server referencing coffee or other beverage. For example, the image size of three the Starbucks logo 100 printed on the exterior of the cup 40 fingers printed on a cup with a 12 ounce Volume capacity may and making an inquiry Such as “top of the logo' while dis be less than the image size of three fingers printed on a cup playing the cup to the customer. Any other graphical image having a 16 ounce Volume capacity. Further, the relative size printed on the cup could also be used as a reference point to may correspond to a specific Volume, such as one finger equal obtain greater specificity as to the unoccupied Volume to to one ounce, two fingers equal to two ounce, or any other remain in the cup as desired by the customer. Images such as Volume amount that may be designated for manufacturing the the rectangles and associated text 200 presently printed ver Cup. tically between the top rim of the cup and the bottom rim on 0044) Empirical evidence reveals unexpected results the Starbucks paper cups may be used as reference points in regarding the potential impact on corporate value resulting the method of the present invention. The server may make an from deployment of the present invention. Evidence collected inquiry such as “top of this box' while pointing to one of the from brief interviews of serving staff at multiple Starbucks rectangles printed on the Starbucks cup. The server may elect stores in several states in different regions of the United States to mark the cup with a marking device to memorialize the (e.g. Maryland, Oklahoma, Utah, California) indicates that customer's instruction. 40 to 50 percent of coffee beverage purchased is filter coffee 0041. In another preferred embodiment of the present and approximately 90 percent of Starbucks customers desire invention as shown in FIG. 5, a cup 50 may be displayed by a “room for cream’ when purchasing a cup of filter coffee server to a customer, the cup having a color band 52 posi regardless of coffee type or cup size. Servers acknowledge tioned partially or entirely around the circumference of the that the specific amount of room for cream is unknown to upper portion of the cup, while making an inquiry regarding them after customer affirmation that they desire “room for the desire for the use of cream. The color band may display a cream” in the cup, so the cup is filled to a greater level than gradient of the employed color (for example but not limited to desired by the customer about half the time, resulting in brown) the color gradient ranging from visually darker to customer dumping into store trash receptacles a portion the lighter in shade from the top of the color band to the bottom of coffee served. Reportedly, Starbucks presently uses approxi the color band. The shading in the color gradient approxi mately 3 billion disposable paper cups annually. Empirical mately represents the resulting color of the coffee when the evidence reveals that more than 1.2 billion cups offilter coffee cup is filled with coffee to the level of a particular shade in the (in the range of 40% to 50%) are served annually by Star gradient and a diluting agent such as milk or cream is added bucks, with over 1 billion (approximately 90%) served where up to a level near the top of the color band. The coffee when customers desire "room for cream” to remain in the cup. diluted with milk or cream would relatively resemble in shade Considering that about half the time to make more “room for the shading in the color band at the fill level selected by the cream” customers dump a portion of the coffee served, that customer. Variation would result depending on which diluting equates to dumping a portion of the coffee served from about agent is used and the type and brew strength of coffee dis 500 million cups. If the amount of coffee dumped is in the pensed. In response to a customer request to a server to “leave range of 5% to 10% of the volume of each cup, the result room for cream’, the server may obtain greater specificity as would be wasted coffee in a total volume in the range of 25 to to the desired unoccupied Volume to remain in the cup 50 million cups. Reportedly the cost of the beverage content through an easily understood inquiry Such as "how much of filter coffee sold by Starbucks is approximately S0.20 per room for cream’ while referencing the gradations in the color cup. Applying empirical evidence, this would indicate that the band 52. The customer would understand that the shades in cost to Starbucks of the wasted coffee is in the range of S5 to the color band correspond approximately to the shade of the S10 million per year. If this cost was avoided through imple coffee beverage obtainable when the cup is filled with coffee mentation of the present invention by Starbucks company, beverage to a specific level in the color band and a volume of profitability could be increased by as much as S10 million per diluting agent such as milk or cream is Subsequently added up year. Considering that as of June 2010, the price/earnings to the top of the color band. The server may elect to place a ratio reported for Starbucks was around 25 to 1, implemen US 2011/0260440 A1 Oct. 27, 2011

tation of the present invention by Starbucks could increase the 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said unoccupied volume corporate value of Starbucks company by as much as S250 specification in combination with a product description is million, or about S0.30 per share outstanding. conveyed audibly by the second person server to a third 0045. In addition to reducing coffee waste and the cost of person server. goods sold, implementation of the present invention by coffee 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said illustrations are service providers such as Starbucks, where the customer adds representative of the diluted appearance of said coffee or a diluting agent, will produce a more customized product and other liquid post dilution when said coffee or other fluid has experience, responsive to customer instructions. Delivering a been added to a threshold on said illustration corresponding more customized product and experience will potentially to said diluted appearance. result in greater customer satisfaction. 6. A visual method implementing apparatus with which a 0046. The present invention can also be employed by cof first person may specify to a second person the amount of fee service providers such as “Dunkin Donuts', where dilut unoccupied void volume to be available in an illustrated cup ing agents (e.g., cream) are added by the server before deliv when partially filled with coffee or other liquid, in response to ering the ordered coffee product to the customer. This would an easily understood inquiry by the second person, the appa create a more customized product and experience for the ratus comprising: customer, responsive to customer instructions. Delivering a a disposable cup including illustrations; more customized product and experience will potentially the illustrations being vertically oriented on said cup and result in greater customer satisfaction. including at feast one of representations of human fin 0047. While the invention has been described with refer gers, cows, text based words describing cow Sounds, ence to exemplary embodiments, it is understood that the numbers, geographic shapes, logos, and indentations, words that have been used are words of description and illus said illustrations representing relative fill levels in the tration, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be cup and residing on at least one of the exterior and the made, within the purview of the appended claims, as pres interior of the cup. ently stated and as amended, without departing from the 7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein; Scope and spirit of the invention in its aspects. Although the the amount of coffee to be placed in a cup is determined by invention has been described with reference to particular Selection of the number of images of said human fingers, means, materials and embodiments, the invention is not cows, text based words describing cow Sounds, num intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed; rather, the bers, geographic shapes, logos, or indentations, as illus invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures, trated on the cup. methods and uses, such as are within the scope of the 8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said unoccupied Vol appended claims. ume determines the amount of a diluting agent that may be We claim: added. 1. A method using a visual implementing apparatus with which a first person customer may specify to a second person 9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein: server the amount of unoccupied volume to be available in an said illustrations are representative of the diluted appear illustrated cup when partially filled with coffee or other liq ance of said coffee or other liquid post dilution when uid, in response to an easily understood inquiry by the second said coffee or other fluid has been added to a threshold person server, the method comprising: on said illustration corresponding to said diluted appear exhibiting the illustrated cup to the first person; aCC. inquiring from the second to the first person as to the 10. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said images are remaining unoccupied Volume in the illustrated cup covered by a sealant. desired by the first person post filling of said cup with 11. A method for using a visually implementing apparatus said liquid, during said inquiry step making reference to in the form of an illustrated cup to train serving staff person the illustrated cup, wherein the visually implementing nel to conserve beverages served in a cup, including bever apparatus being exhibited comprises the illustrated cup, ages such as coffee and tea, the method comprising: the illustrations being vertically oriented on said cup directing a first person to specify to a second person the near a rim of said cup and being at least one of repre amount of unoccupied Volume to be available in an sentations of human fingers, cows, text based words illustrated cup when partially filled with coffee or other describing cow Sounds, numbers, repeating shapes, liquid, in response to an easily understood inquiry by the logos, and indentations, said illustrations representing second person exhibiting the illustrated cup; relative remaining cup proportional Void levels in the directing the second person to inquire as to the unoccupied cup when filled in accord with expressed instructions of Volume desired by the first person, making reference to said first person, said illustrations residing on at least one the illustrated cup; wherein, of the exterior and the interior of the cup; and, the visually implementing apparatus comprises the illus said first person specifying said remaining Void to said trated cup, the illustrations being at least one of repre second person by reciting aphrase identifying a cup void sentations of human fingers, cows, text based words associated with the level of a recited illustration on said describing cow Sounds, numbers, geographic shapes, cup spaced from said rim. logos, and indentations, said illustrations representing 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of coffee to relative fill levels in be placed in a cup is determined by the selection of the the cup and residing on at least one of the exterior and the number of images of said human fingers, cows, text based interior of the cup; and, wherein, the method enables serving words describing cow Sounds, numbers, geographic shapes, staff personnel to enhance their skill injudging the amount of logos, and indentations, as illustrated on the cup. unoccupied Volume in the cup that will satisfy a response by 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said unoccupied volume a customer to inquiry by the serving staff personnel to leave determines the amount of a diluting agent that may be option room for cream. ally added in a subsequent step by either of said first or second person.