Method and apparatus for distributing products to vehicle occupants

An automatic sales machine for receiving a product at a toll station, the sales machine comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory connected to said processor storing a program to control the operation of said processor;
• the processor operative with the program in the memory to:
• receive an account identifier that indicates an account;
• detect receipt of a product;
• determine a product identifier corresponding to the product;
• determine whether there is an association between the product identifier and the account identifier;
• process a transaction based on the account identifier and the product identifier;
• determine a first location identifier representing a dispensing location associated with the product;
• determine a second location identifier representing a return location associated with the product;
• calculate a transaction amount based on the first location identifier and the second location identifier;
• and
• process the transaction based on the transaction amount.

An automatic sales machine for receiving a product at a toll station, the sales machine comprising:

• means for receiving an account identifier indicating an account;
• means for detecting receipt of a product;
• means for determining a product identifier corresponding to the product;
• means for determining whether there is an association between the product identifier and the account identifier;
• means for processing a transaction based on the account identifier and the product identifier;
• means for determining a first location identifier representing a dispensing location associated with the product;
• means for determining a second location identifier representing a return location associated with the product;
• means for calculating a transaction amount based on the first location identifier and the second location identifier;
• and
• wherein the means for processing the transaction operates based on the transaction amount.