US 5,482,139 A · Automated drive-up vending facility

Abstract

An automated drive-up vending facility (10) and method utilizes a plurality of automatic transaction machines (12) located around the periphery of a storage building (14), whereby customers can drive their vehicles along side the building, insert an account/debit card into a card reader (16), and make product selections via a touch screen display terminal (18). The products are stocked within building (14), and an automated picking/sorting subsystem (20) retrieves the selected products for deposit into a dispensing chute (22). Selection and product information is provided at the display terminals (18) via an interactive menu driven program. Selection of products subject to sales restrictions automatically actives video conferencing equipment (26) so that a sales attendant can confirm customer authorization to purchase the selected product. Customer purchasing history is stored and analyzed to improve a product's chances of promotional marketing influencing a customer's product selection prior to the completion of a vending transaction.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An automated drive-up vending system comprising:

a storage facility for housing a plurality of saleable goods, wherein the sale of at least some of said plurality of saleable goods may be subject to particular restrictions;
at least one customer input means positioned outside of said storage facility, said at least one customer input means being accessible to an occupant of a vehicle when the vehicle is positioned adjacent to said at least one input means;
an automated goods retrieval means located within said storage facility which is responsive to said at least one customer input means for retrieving any goods which are selected by a customer;
a goods dispensing means for delivering to the customer the goods retrieved by said retrieval means;
and
a purchase authorization means comprising:
means for detecting customer selection of a good subject to a sales restriction;
means responsive to said detection means for automatically providing direct communication between the customer and an authorization attendant;
means for communicating customer identification information to the authorization attendant;
and
means remotely operated by the authorization attendant for enabling completion of the restricted goods sales transaction upon attendant verification of acceptable customer identification information.

8 more elements

An automated drive-up vending system comprising:

a storage facility for housing a plurality of saleable goods, wherein the sale of at least some of said plurality of saleable goods may be subject to particular restrictions;
at least one customer input means positioned outside of said storage facility, said at least one customer input means being accessible to an occupant of a vehicle when the vehicle is positioned adjacent to said at least one input means;
an automated goods retrieval means located within said storage facility which is responsive to said at least one customer input means for retrieving any goods which are selected by a customer;
a goods dispensing means for delivering to the customer the goods retrieved by said retrieval means;
means for storing customer purchase information to accumulate a purchase history;
and
means for analyzing said purchase history to determine a customer purchase profile for use in marketing particular goods.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automated drive-up vending facility

Life of this patent

Automated drive-up vending facility

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20