Patent ID: 8032251

Claim:
A control panel for hot beverage dispensing machines designed for preparing and dispensing a plurality of different beverages, the beverages are selectable by means of the control panel and are prepared and dispensed upon having been selected, the control panel comprises: a touch screen panel for displaying a plurality of icons and identifying a touched icon of the plurality of icons, the plurality of icons include a first set of icons of which, each icon represents one of the plurality of beverages and a second set of icons of which, each icon represents one of a plurality of desired preferences of beverage preparation; a first selection mechanism for, in accordance with a touched icon of the first set, selecting a desired beverage, initiating a predetermined beverage preparation process, and visually representing the beverage preparation process on the touch screen panel in its chronological sequence; a second selection mechanism for, in accordance with a touched icon of the second set, selecting a setting of a mode of preparation of the selected beverage in accordance with a touched icon of the second set, the touched icon of the second set of icons changes the predetermined beverage preparation process; and a third selection mechanism for, in accordance with a touched icon of individual settings key icons, selecting and saving a desired combination of the touched icons of the first and second sets.