Electronic vending machine management method
OwnerFrank Ruskin, Anton K. Simson +2inventors
InventorsFrank Ruskin, Anton K. Simson, Henri J.A. Charmasson, Peter C. Brusso
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Abstract
A method for centralized mass processing of substitutable, good-holding magazines used in conjunction with computer-controlled vending machines. A memory-chip-mounting smart-card is used, not only to enter into the machines the magazine location and price of the various goods, but also to carry a sales transaction record of the replaced magazine, thus avoiding the need for magazine locking mechanisms and other security measures.
Claims15
In a method for exploiting at least one vending machine installed at a vending site, said machine including:
- a magazine, said magazine having a plurality of slots, each of said slots holding a specific type of sellable good,
- means for electrically accumulating records of good-selling transactions, and
- means for assigning and displaying a specific selling price to each type of sellable good, an improvement which comprises:
- recording in a data storage implement, located remotely from said site, programming information including identities and locations of slots in said magazine and a price for each type of sellable good held in said slots;
- contemporaneously with the refilling of said machine, transmitting from said implement to said machine said programming information;
- and
- downloading from said machine and onto said implement accumulated records of good-selling transactions.
A method for processing vending machines from a central location in connection with a plurality of vending sites, each site having at least one of said machines, each of said machines having a plurality of slots in a sellable good magazine and each of said slots holding a specific type of sellable goods, said method comprising the steps of:
- assigning to each machine an identification code;
- establishing a plurality of price-and-location menus for said machines, each of said menu listing the slot locations in a machine of a series of different goods and a sale price of each of said goods;
- keeping a record of each of said machines by identification numbers and related ones of said menus;
- at said central location:
- recording on a storage medium a route distribution database including machine identification codes, menus and site identification codes;
- at each of said sites and in at least one of said machines,
- compiling an account of good-selling transactions of goods previously installed in said machine;
- downloading from said machine and onto said medium, said compiled account;
- reading from said medium and writing into said machine, a price and location menu corresponding to said identification code including a type of goods in each of said slots and the price said type of goods is to be sold;
- refilling said machines in accordance with said menus.
In a method for exploiting at least one vending machine having means for electrically accumulating records of good-selling transactions and means for electronically accepting programming information assigning selling prices to different goods loaded in a plurality of dispensing locations, an improvement which comprises:
- recording on a machine-readable medium a database of machine programming information including an item price for each of said locations;
- causing said machine to read from said medium and to write into said machine said information;
- and
- downloading from said machine onto said medium accumulated records of good-selling transactions;
- wherein said steps of reading and recording comprise using an Internet connected device as said medium.
A vending machine which comprises:
- a magazine having a plurality of slots for holding a diversity of sellable goods;
- a data processor programmed to assign sale prices to goods held in said slots,
- to compile an account of sales of goods out of said slots,
- to accept from an remote device menu instructions specifying said sale prices, and
- to unload said account to said device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.