Dispensing machine
AssigneeMars, Incorporated
InventorsDavid Meacock, Neil Harrington
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dispensing machine for dispensing items to customers comprising a cabinet having at least one window, a plurality of supports for supporting a plurality of different items to be dispensed to customers, a pointing device for selecting a desired item from the plurality of items, an indicator associated with the pointing device and operable to provide an indication, visible through the window, of which item is being selected by the pointing device without dispensing said selected item, and a dispensing mechanism for dispensing the selected item in response to a dispensing instruction.
Claims15
A dispensing machine for dispensing items to customers, the dispensing machine comprising:
- a cabinet having at least one window;
- a plurality of supports for supporting a plurality of different items to be dispensed to customers;
- a pointing device operable to select a desired item from the plurality of items, wherein the pointing device consists of a human interface device that allows a user to input spatially continuous and multi-dimensional data using physical gestures;
- an indicator associated with the pointing device and operable to provide an indication, visible through the window, of which item is being selected by the pointing device without dispensing said selected item;
- and
- a dispensing mechanism operable to dispense the selected item in response to a dispensing instruction.
A method for operating a dispensing machine for dispensing items to customers, the method comprising the steps of:
- using a pointing device for selecting a desired item wherein the pointing device consists of a human interface device that allows a user to input spatially continuous and multi-dimensional data using physical physical gestures, the selection comprising moving an indicator, wherein the indicator is operable to provide an indication, visible to customers through at least one window of the dispensing machine, to show which item is being selected by the pointing device without dispensing said selected item;
- and
- dispensing a selected item in response to a dispensing instruction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.