US 10,127,518 B2 · System and kiosk for commerce of optical media through multiple locations

Abstract

A kiosk (200) dispenses and receives recorded optical disk media (214) using an interconnected (107) system central server computer (300) through an Internet Service Provider (401). The system central server (300) contains databases and processing, and is connected to a credit verification system (410). The central databases collect inventory administration information and customer data from the kiosks (200) including credit card and email addresses (105). The central server (300) initiates credit verification and sends receipts to customers via email (105). The central server (300) maintains databases that are used for remote inventory control and administration of the kiosk network. A kiosk (200) has the capability to identify a recorded disk (214) for automated restocking and may also perform quality assessment (800) of a recorded disk (214). A kiosk (200) may also provide publishing-on-demand or act as a portal for remotely served advertisement. Kiosk (200) preferably includes a rotating carousel 950 extruded to hold about one hundred DVDs. A digital camera (1000) with kiosk (200) captures a digital image of the disk barcode and internal software rotates the image to “read” the barcode, to control inventory and access issues.

Claims42

Dependent claims

A method for distributing optical recorded media to and from users, comprising:

coupling one or more kiosks to a central server via the Internet, each of the kiosks containing a plurality of optical recorded media;
determining, at the server, inventory of the optical recorded media of each of the kiosks;
supporting a web site on the central server, wherein the web site is accessible to the users via remote personal computers, and wherein the web site is configured to make information relating to the inventory of each of the kiosks available to the users via the remote personal computers;
routinely obtaining, at the server, operational status of each of the kiosks;
automatically interfacing with a first user via a touch screen at a first kiosk in a first transaction for first local optical recorded media, the touch screen providing a touch-selectable listing of optical recorded media, including the first local optical recorded media, contained within the first kiosk, the first kiosk being one of the kiosks, the first user being one of the users;
automatically communicating between the first kiosk and the server to authorize the first transaction;
dispensing the first local optical media from the first kiosk to the first user if the first transaction is approved;
and
accepting return of the first local optical media into rentable inventory of a second kiosk, the second kiosk being another one of the kiosks.

6 more elements

A method for distributing optical recorded media to users, the method comprising:

coupling a plurality of kiosks to a central server, wherein each of the kiosks contain an inventory of optical recorded media;
supporting a web site on the central server,
wherein the web site is accessible to users via remote computers, and
wherein the web site enables the users to obtain information related to the kiosk inventory;
receiving, via the web site, a first request from an individual user for information related to the kiosk inventory;
in response to receiving the first request, providing the requested information to the individual user via the web site;
receiving, via the web site, a second request from the individual user to reserve a selected optical recorded media at a selected kiosk;
in response to receiving the second request, reserving the selected optical recorded media at the selected kiosk;
receiving, at the selected kiosk, a request from the individual user for the selected optical recorded media, the request including user information;
communicating at least a portion of the user information between the selected kiosk and the central server for authorization to dispense the selected optical recorded media to the individual user;
at least partially in response to communicating the user information, receiving authorization to dispense the selected optical recorded media;
and
in response to receiving the authorization, dispensing the selected optical recorded media to the individual user from the selected kiosk.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and kiosk for commerce of optical media through multiple locations

Life of this patent

System and kiosk for commerce of optical media through multiple locations

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims42