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US 8,523,065 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for recycling RFID tags for disposable cups
AssigneeValidFill LLC
InventorsJeremy L. Wade, Gregory M. Edelson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
We provide a system and method for temporarily coupling a beverage purchase with an RFID tag or other media, then recovering the RFID tag or other media for reuse after the beverage has been dispensed. Media may be, for example, but are not limited to cards (including plastic, cardboard, or paper cards), keychains, or key fobs.
Claims11
A method for re-use of media for authorizing beverage dispensation, comprising:
- reading beverage information from a re-usable medium, removably associated with a container into which beverage is dispensed, at a reader associated with a beverage dispenser;
- and
- (a) when the information authorizes dispensing a beverage:
- dispensing a beverage into the container;
- updating the re-usable medium with revised beverage information;
- and
- repeating the steps of reading, dispensing, and updating until the information does not authorize dispensing a beverage;
- and
- (b) when the information does not authorize dispensing a beverage:
- refusing to dispense a beverage;
- indicating that a beverage will not be dispense;
- collecting the re-usable medium;
- placing new beverage information on the re-usable medium;
- and
- providing the re-usable medium to a person different than an immediately previous holder of the reusable medium.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.