# US 2019/0172291 A1 · Automated stockroom for service management, dispensing & asset control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0172291 A1 - Document ID: US20190172291A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/209,208 - Filed: 2018-12-04 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-04 - Assignees: Black Hills Solutions - Applicants: Black Hills Solutions - Inventors: Jonathan Naseath - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190172291A1 ## CPC - G07C 9/00912: {for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like} - G06Q 10/105: Human resources - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - 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 Systems and methods are discussed to dispense and manage assets throughout an assets management system. Some embodiments include a methods and systems that receive an employee ID from an employee ID card associated with an employee via the card reader; determine one or more approved assets held within one or more of the plurality of lockers that are available to be dispensed to the employee; provide a listing of the one or more approved assets held within the plurality of lockers via the user interface; receive an indication from a user via the user interface specifying a specific asset of the one or more approved assets; determine a specific locker of the plurality of lockers where the specific asset is located; and dispense the specific asset stored within specific locker by unlocking the one or more electromechanical lock associated with the specific locker. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An asset dispensing kiosk comprising: a plurality of lockers having electromechanical locks; a user interface; a card reader configured to read employee ID cards; and a kiosk controller communicatively coupled with the plurality of lockers, the user interface, and the card reader, the kiosk controller configured to: receive an employee ID from an employee ID card associated with an employee via the card reader; determine one or more approved assets held within one or more of the plurality of lockers that are available to be dispensed to the employee; provide a listing of the one or more approved assets held within the plurality of lockers via the user interface; receive an indication from a user via the user interface specifying a specific asset of the one or more approved assets; determine a specific locker of the plurality of lockers where the specific asset is located; and dispense the specific asset stored within specific locker by unlocking the one or more electromechanical lock associated with the specific locker. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The asset dispensing kiosk according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of lockers include a USB connection. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The asset dispensing kiosk according to claim 1, wherein the kiosk controller is further configured to authenticate the employee associated with the employee Id. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The asset dispensing kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising a code reader configured to read visual code displayed on an asset, wherein the kiosk controller is further configured to: read a code on the specific asset; and confirm that the specific asset was the proper asset to be dispensed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The asset dispensing kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising a code reader configured to read visual code displayed on an asset, wherein the kiosk controller is further configured to: read a code on the specific asset; and record in a database that the employee associated with the employee ID received the specific asset including the code on the specific asset and the employee ID. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The asset dispensing kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising a communication interface, wherein the kiosk controller is further configured to: send the employee ID to a remote server via the communication interface; and receive a listing of approved one or more approved assets from the remote server. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The asset dispensing kiosk according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of lockers includes a sensor that can detect the presence or absence of an asset within the locker, and wherein the kiosk controller can receive a signal from each sensor indicating whether an asset is located within corresponding locker. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The asset dispensing kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising a digital camera that records an interaction with a user. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The asset dispensing kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising a digital camera, wherein the kiosk controller is further configured to: receive a digital image from the digital camera; and perform facial recognition on the digital image. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The asset dispensing kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising a VR interface that communicates with a user. ### Claim 11 A method for operating an asset dispensing kiosk comprising: receiving an employee ID from an employee ID card associated with an employee, the employee ID being received via a card reader; determining one or more approved assets held within one or more of a plurality of lockers associated with a kiosk that are available to be dispensed to the employee; providing a listing of the one or more approved assets held within the plurality of lockers via a user interface; receiving an indication from a user via the user interface specifying a specific asset of the one or more approved assets; determining a specific locker of the plurality of lockers where the specific asset is located; and dispensing the specific asset stored within specific locker by unlocking the specific locker. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising authenticating the employee associated with the employee Id. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising: reading a code on the specific asset after the asset has been dispensed using a code reader; and confirming that the specific asset was the proper asset to be dispensed ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising: sending the employee ID to a remote server via a communication interface; and receiving a listing of approved one or more approved assets from the remote server ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising reading a code on the specific asset after the asset has been dispensed using a code reader; and recording in a database that the employee associated with the employee ID received the specific asset including the code on the specific asset and the employee ID. ### Claim 16 An asset dispensing kiosk comprising: a dispensing subsystem; a user interface; a card reader configured to read user ID cards; a communication interface; and a kiosk controller communicatively coupled with the dispensing subsystem, the user interface, the communication interface, and the card reader, the kiosk controller configured to: receive an user ID from an user ID card associated with an user via the card reader; determine one or more approved assets that are available to be requested by the user; provide a listing of the one or more approved assets to the user via the user interface; receive an indication from a user via the user interface specifying a specific asset of the one or more approved assets; determine whether the specific asset is available to be dispensed by the dispensing subsystem; and in the event the specific asset is not available to be dispensed by the dispensing subsystem, send a request to a cloud server requesting delivery of the specific asset. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The asset dispensing kiosk according to claim 16, wherein the kiosk controller is further configured to: in the event the specific asset is available to be dispensed by the dispensing subsystem, dispense the specific asset via the dispensing subsystem. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The asset dispensing kiosk according to claim 16, wherein the kiosk controller is further configured to: receive an indication that the specific asset has been loaded within the dispensing subsystem; receive an indication user interface and/or the card reader that the user is ready to retrieve the specific asset; and dispense the specific asset from the dispensing subsystem. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The asset dispensing kiosk according to claim 16, wherein the dispensing subsystem comprises one or more lockers that include a USB connector. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The asset dispensing kiosk according to claim 16, further comprising a code reader configured to read visual code displayed on an asset, wherein the kiosk controller is further configured to: read a code on the specific asset; and confirm that the specific asset was the proper asset to be dispensed.