Patent ID: 8688277

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: an input mechanism that is configured to receive requests to produce brewed beverages; a controller that is configured to control the performance of a plurality of chemical or mechanical processes, each of which contributes to the production of a brewed beverage or a component thereof, and to effect movement of a cup into which a brewed beverage is to be dispensed from a first position corresponding to a first location at which at least one of the plurality of chemical or mechanical processes is performed to a second position corresponding to a second location at which at least one other of the plurality of chemical or mechanical processes is performed; wherein in response to receiving a request to produce a specified brewed beverage through the input mechanism, the controller is configured to effect the production of the specified brewed beverage, wherein producing the specified beverage comprises performing one or more of the plurality of chemical or mechanical processes at the first location corresponding to the first cup position, moving the cup to the second position corresponding to the second location, and performing at least one other of the plurality of chemical or mechanical processes at the second location; and wherein in effecting the production of the specified brewed beverage, the controller is further configured to monitor one or more process parameters during the performance of one of the performed chemical or mechanical processes and to effect an adaptive application of one or more process accelerators during the performance of the one of the performed chemical or mechanical processes based on the one or more monitored parameters, the controller being further configured to vary, during the adaptive application of the one or more process accelerators, the adaptive application of the one or more process accelerators over time and in accordance with a predetermined profile corresponding to the one of the performed chemical or mechanical processes and the one or more monitored parameters.