Vending machine acquisition system

Abstract

Data from vending machines are acquired by a resident data acquisition unit (DAU) implanted in each vending machine. This unit senses coins in, coins out, products dispensed and door openings, among other activities, and provides a data base which records all of these activities. The DAU also determines whether a door opening was unauthorized and, if so, includes in the data base an indication of an unauthorized entry and the relative time of that entry. Each vending machine data acquisition unit (DAU) is interrogated by a data transfer unit (DTU) carried by a route service person and the information from each DAU is stored in the data transfer unit. Each DTU has an identification code number by which it identifies itself to the DAU whenever an interrogation is attempted. This identification code number is stored by the DAU in the data base as part of the information which is provided to subsequent interrogating DTUs. The data transfer unit then disgorges the recorded information in a central data converting unit (DCU) which services a number of DTUs. The data converting unit provides an instant summary of the information by vending machine and route, and also converts the information to standard computer language for subsequent processing in a full-size computer. Included in the information summary is a listing of the identification code number for each of the last four DTUs to interrogate the particular DAU, along with the time of each interrogation, and unauthorized entry flag, if applicable. The time of any unauthorized entry, where no interrogation was attempted, is also listed and flagged.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.