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US 7,577,496 B2Granted
System for vending physical and information items
AssigneeWalker Digital, LLC
InventorsJay S. Walker, Daniel E. Tedesco
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vending machine handles a purchase transaction by receiving a payment, receiving a product selection from the customer, and dispensing the product indicated by the product selection. As part of the same transaction, the vending machine offers an information item such as an audio recording or a video recording. The vending machine also receives from the customer a destination address, which may be an e-mail address. The vending machine or a system of which it is part transmits the information item to the received destination address.
Claims31
A system, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a storage device in communication with the processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to:
- offer a plurality of physical products for sale via a vending machine;
- maintain an inventory of a plurality of data files available via the vending machine;
- define a first package by packaging a first subset of the plurality of offered physical products with a first subset of data files from the inventory of data files;
- define a second package by packaging a second subset of the plurality of offered physical products with a second subset of data files from the inventory of data files;
- receive an indication, from a customer, of a selection of the first package;
- receive an indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package;
- dispense, after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package, the first subset of the plurality of offered physical products;
- and
- provide, to the customer, after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package, the first subset of data files.
9 more elements
A medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to:
- offer a plurality of physical products for sale via a vending machine;
- maintain an inventory of a plurality of data files available via the vending machine;
- define a first package by packaging a first subset of the plurality of offered physical products with a first subset of data files from the inventory of data files;
- define a second package by packaging a second subset of the plurality of offered physical products with a second subset of data files from the inventory of data files;
- receive an indication, from a customer, of a selection of the first package;
- receive an indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package;
- dispense, after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package, the first subset of the plurality of offered physical products;
- and
- provide, to the customer, after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package, the first subset of data files.
6 more elements
A method, comprising:
- offering a plurality of physical products for sale via a vending machine;
- maintaining an inventory of a plurality of data files available via the vending machine;
- defining, by the vending machine, a first package by associating a first subset of the plurality of offered physical products with a first subset of data files from the inventory of data files;
- defining, by the vending machine, a second package by associating a second subset of the plurality of offered physical products with a second subset of data files from the inventory of data files;
- receiving by the vending machine, an indication, from a customer, of a selection of the first package;
- receiving, by the vending machine, an indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package;
- dispensing, by the vending machine and after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package, the first subset of the plurality of offered physical products;
- and
- providing, to the customer, after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package, the first subset of data files.
6 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a storage device in communication with the processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to:
- offer a plurality of physical products for sale via a vending machine;
- maintain an inventory of a plurality of data files available via the vending machine;
- define a first package by associating a first subset of the plurality of offered physical products with a first subset of data files from the inventory of data files;
- define a second package by associating a second subset of the plurality of offered physical products with a second subset of data files from the inventory of data files;
- receive an indication, from a customer, of a selection of the first package;
- receive an indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package;
- dispense, after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package, the first subset of the plurality of offered physical products;
- and
- provide, to the customer, after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package, the first subset of data files.
9 more elements
A medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to:
- offer a plurality of physical products for sale via a vending machine;
- maintain an inventory of a plurality of data files available via the vending machine;
- define a first package by associating a first subset of the plurality of offered physical products with a first subset of data files from the inventory of data files;
- define a second package by associating a second subset of the plurality of offered physical products with a second subset of data files from the inventory of data files;
- receive an indication, from a customer, of a selection of the first package;
- receive an indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package;
- dispense, after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package, the first subset of the plurality of offered physical products;
- and
- provide to the customer, after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package, the first subset of data files.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.