# US 2010/0169196 A1 · Food Vending Machine System Incorporating a High Speed Stored Energy Oven

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- Number: US 2010/0169196 A1
- Document ID: US20100169196A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/345,899
- Filed: 2008-12-30
- Published: 2010-07-01
- Earliest claimed: 2008-12-30
- Assignees: De Luca Oven Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Nicholas P. De Luca
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100169196A1

## CPC

- G07F 9/105: {Heating or cooling means, for temperature and humidity control, for the conditioning of articles and their storage (dispensers for food articles requiring a processing by temperature treatment or conditioning before they are ready for dispensing G07F17/0064)}
- G06Q 30/04: Billing or invoicing
- G07F 17/0078: {Food articles which need to be processed for dispensing in a hot or cooked condition, e.g. popcorn, nuts}
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A novel vending machine system integrating a food storage container and a high speed stored energy cooking oven capable of cooking foods in under one minute such as that further described by U.S. Provisional Application 60/822,028 filed on Aug. 10, 2006 as well as co-pending application “Wire Mesh Thermal Radiative Element and Use in a Radiative Oven” filed on Dec. 30, 2008 by De Luca. The invention disclosing a novel configuration for the oven incorporating storage, a system allowing for the proper cooking of items and food positioning, an activation system, and an invoicing system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vending machine comprising:
a high speed stored energy oven capable of cooking foods at accelerated times;
a food storage container;
an energy storage device used to power the high speed oven.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the high speed oven is capable of cooking foods in under 1 minute.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the food storage container is refrigerated so as to keep foods chilled and/or frozen.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the food storage container is accessible by the end-user or consumer of the food.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vending machine of claim 1, wherein food storage container is equipped with sensing means to detect the type of food placed into or removed from the container.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The vending machine of claim 5, further comprising radio frequency, vision, weight, infrared, or bar code sensing equipment.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The vending machine of claim 5, further comprising an electronic transmission system to communicate which foods have been placed into or removed from the storage container.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The vending machine of claim 1, further comprising an electronic control and communication system.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The vending machine of claim 8, further comprising a communication system to transmit and receive information detailing the type of food removed from the storage container.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The vending machine of claim 9, further comprising an oven controller that has operating parameters changed by information detailing the type of food removed from the storage container.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The vending machine of claim 10, further comprising parameters for operating the oven including the running voltage, cycle times, cycle profile, rack spacing, and fan speeds.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The vending machine of claim 1 wherein the energy storage system is located below or partially below the food storage container.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The vending machine of claim 12 wherein the energy storage system comprises batteries.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The vending machine of claim 1 wherein the high speed oven is located above or partially above the food storage container.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The vending machine of claim 1 wherein the high speed oven further comprises a sensing mechanism to detect the food placed within it.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The vending machine of claim 14 wherein the high speed oven further comprises radio frequency, vision, weight, infrared, or bar code sensing equipment.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The vending machine of claim 15 further comprising a transmission system to transmit the information regarding the food placed within the oven to a control system.

### Claim 18

A process of vending foods comprising:
placing one or more foods within a storage container;
detecting the one or more foods removed from the storage container within close proximity to or within a high speed cooking oven;
modifying parameters associated with the operation of a high speed cooking oven based on the detection of the type of food to be cooked within the high speed cooking oven;
cooking the foods within the high speed cooking oven;
removing the cooked foods from the high speed cooking oven.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The process of vending foods of claim 18 further comprising:
detecting the food removed from the storage container within close proximity to or within a high speed cooking oven;
modifying parameters associated with the operation of the high speed cooking oven based on the detected food;

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The process of vending foods of claim 18 further comprising:
registering the items placed within the storage container to a data registry system;
detecting the one or more items removed from the storage container and comparing the item or items to the data registry system;

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The process of vending foods of claim 18, wherein information is transferred electronically between a data registry system, a high speed oven, and a food storage container.

### Claim 22 (depends on 18)

The process of claim 18 wherein the storage container is physically accessible by the end-user.

### Claim 23

A process of purchasing food using a vending system comprising:
selecting the food item desired to be cooked from a storage container;
scanning the package or participating in an action allowing for the sensing of the item to be cooked;
placing the item within a high speed cooking oven;
removing the cooked item from a high speed cooking oven.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The process of purchasing food of claim 23 further comprising:
pressing an activation switch.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The process of purchasing food of claim 23 further comprising:
identifying oneself as the user of the high speed oven via electronic means.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The process of claim 25 in which said method involves the use of an id card fitted with a bar code, magnetic stripe, radio frequency chip, or other identification.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The process of claim 25 in which said identification is linked to an internet account for billing and cooking preference purposes.

### Claim 28 (depends on 23)

The process of claim 23 further comprising charging or invoicing for the food as well as the high speed oven cooking cycle.

### Claim 29

The process of invoicing or charging a customer for the use of a vending machine incorporating both a storage receptacle for food as well as food cooking or conversion equipment comprising the steps of:
determining a cycle charge for the use of the conversion or cooking process;
billing or invoicing or obtaining legal tender in compensation for the cycle charge associated with the use of the conversion or cooking process.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The process of claim 29 wherein said food cooking or conversion equipment is a high speed stored energy oven.

### Claim 31 (depends on 29)

The process of claim 29 further comprising:
determining a charge for the food sold in the vending machine;
billing or invoicing or obtaining legal tender in compensation for the food sold and used in the conversion or cooking process.