US 2022/0101370 A1 · System for Monitoring a Vending Machine

Abstract

A system for monitoring a vending machine is presented, the vending machine includes a controller and associated memory configured to store information associated with the condition of the vending machine. The vending machine also has a first short range transceiver configured to transmit the information associated with the condition of the vending machine, a first distance. A plurality of mobile devices each having a second short range transceiver and a first long range transceiver, the mobile devices configured to receive information associated with the condition of the vending machine and transmit it via the long range transceiver. A second long range transceiver is associated with a server coupled to the second long range transceiver. The server configured to receive the information associated with the condition of the vending machine, the server configured to send a signal to a subset of the plurality mobile device to induce the mobile device to be transported to within the first distance from the vending machine.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for transmitting indications of a status of a vending machine to a server device using a mobile device intermediary to the vending machine and the server device, the method comprising:

configuring a telemetry device coupled to the vending machine to transmit, using the mobile device, an indication of the status of the vending machine to the server device at fixed intervals, wherein the server device receives the transmissions from the telemetry device at the fixed intervals;
determining, by the server device, that the indication is not received from the telemetry device at a current fixed interval of the fixed intervals;
in response to determining that the indication is not received from the telemetry device at the current fixed interval, transmitting a message from the server device to the mobile device, the message including a request to relocate the mobile device to a location proximate to the vending machine;
after the message is transmitted from the server device, using the telemetry device to detect that the mobile device is at the location proximate to the vending machine;
and
in response to the telemetry device detecting that the mobile device is at the location proximate to the vending machine, causing the mobile device, as an intermediary, to transmit the indication for the current fixed interval from the telemetry device to the server device.

3 more elements

An apparatus for updating a status of a vending machine based on indications of the status transmitted by a telemetry device coupled to the vending machine using a mobile device intermediary to the vending machine and the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a memory;
and
a processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to:
receive the indication of the status of the vending machine from the telemetry device coupled to the vending machine at fixed intervals, wherein the telemetry device transmits the indication using a mobile device;
determine that the indication is not received from the telemetry device at a current fixed interval of the fixed intervals;
transmit a message to the mobile device in response to a determination that the indication is not received from the telemetry device at the current fixed interval, wherein the telemetry device is configured to detect whether the mobile device is at a location proximate to the vending machine after message is transmitted and to use the mobile device as an intermediary to transmit the indication for the current fixed interval in response to detecting that the mobile device is at the location proximate to the vending machine;
receive the indication for the current fixed interval after transmitting the message to the mobile device;
and
update the status of the vending machine based on the received indication for the current fixed interval.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System for Monitoring a Vending Machine

Life of this patent

System for Monitoring a Vending Machine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20