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.
Claims26
A method, comprising:
- receiving, from a customer, an indication of a selection of a product offered for sale by a vending machine;
- receiving an indication of a payment amount provided by the customer in exchange for the selected product;
- determining, based on the payment amount and a price associated with the product, an amount of change due to the customer;
- dispensing, after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the selected product, a unit of the selected product;
- determining, based on the amount of change due to the customer, a digital file;
- and
- transmitting, after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the selected product, the digital file to a device associated with the customer.
A medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to:
- receive, from a customer, an indication of a selection of a product offered for sale by a vending machine;
- receive an indication of a payment amount provided by the customer in exchange for the selected product;
- determine, based on the payment amount and a price associated with the product, an amount of change due to the customer;
- dispense, after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the selected product, a unit of the selected product;
- determine, based on the amount of change due to the customer, a digital file;
- and
- transmit, after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the selected product, the digital file to a device associated with the customer.
A system, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor result in:
- receiving, from a customer, an indication of a selection of a product offered for sale by a vending machine;
- receiving an indication of a payment amount provided by the customer in exchange for the selected product;
- determining, based on the payment amount and a price associated with the product, an amount of change due to the customer;
- dispensing, after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the selected product, a unit of the selected product;
- determining, based on the amount of change due to the customer, a digital file;
- and
- transmitting, after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the selected product, the digital file to a device associated with the customer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.