Vending machine interface
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsPaul Hough, Gabriel Lawrence Silva, Eric R. Auzas, Kevin Lowell Hudson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various systems and methods for providing a vending machine interface system are provided herein. A vending machine interface system installed in a vending machine includes a peripheral interface to receive data from a peripheral payment device connected to the vending machine, the data indicating an amount received; an inventory interface to determine a current price of a product; and a vending machine controller interface to transmit a signal to a legacy vending machine controller, the signal causing the vending machine to dispense the product.
Claims25
A vending machine interface system installed in a vending machine to retrofit the vending machine, the system comprising:
- a peripheral interface to receive data from a peripheral payment device connected to the vending machine, the data indicating an amount received;
- an inventory interface to determine a current price of a product and a corresponding legacy price of the product, the current price of the product advertised on the vending machine, and the legacy price of the product used by a legacy vending machine controller before and after the retrofit;
- and
- a vending machine controller interface to transmit a signal to the legacy vending machine controller when the amount received is at least the current price, the signal emulating the legacy price to the legacy vending machine controller, thereby providing a price translation between the current price and the legacy price, and causing the vending machine to dispense the product.
A method of providing a vending machine interface system installed in a vending machine to retrofit the vending machine, the method comprising:
- receiving data at the vending machine interface system, from a peripheral payment device connected to the vending machine interface system, the data indicating an amount received;
- determining a current price of a product and a corresponding legacy price of the product, the current price of the product advertised on the vending machine, and the legacy price of the product used by a legacy vending machine controller before and after the retrofit;
- and
- communicating with the legacy vending machine controller of the vending machine when the amount received is at least the current price, to transmit a signal to the legacy vending machine controller, the signal emulating the legacy price to the legacy vending machine controller, thereby providing a price translation between the current price and the legacy price, and causing the vending machine to dispense the product.
At least one non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions for providing a vending machine interface system to retrofit the vending machine, which when executed by the vending machine interface system, cause the vending machine interface system to:
- receive data at the vending machine interface system, from a peripheral payment device connected to the vending machine interface system, the data indicating an amount received;
- determine a current price of a product and a corresponding legacy price of the product, the current price of the product advertised on the vending machine, and the legacy price of the product used by a legacy vending machine controller before and after the retrofit;
- and
- communicate with a legacy vending machine controller of the vending machine to transmit a signal to the legacy vending machine controller when the amount received is at least the current price, the signal emulating the legacy price to the legacy vending machine controller, thereby providing a price translation between the current price and the legacy price, and causing the vending machine to dispense the product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.