Control of a network connected dispensing device via a network

• US 10,019,865 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Solutions Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Solutions Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Torresani, Giorgio, Sawyer, Jeffrey Scott, Sawhney, Puneet, Groves, Austin S., Patel, Drashti Sunit
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/169,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20170345246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 700236, 700241, 700244
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2645 Vending, distribute drinks
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A system may include a client device. The client device may receive, from a set of vending devices and via a network connecting the set of vending devices with the client device, sensor data relating to a status of the set of vending devices. The client device may generate a user interface associated with providing information identifying the status of the set of vending devices. The client device may provide, for display, the user interface based on generating the user interface. The client device may detect, based on providing the user interface, a selection of an adjustment that is to be performed for a particular vending device of the set of vending devices. The client device may transmit, via the network, an instruction to the particular vending device to cause the adjustment to be performed for the particular vending device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

one or more devices to implement;

a first module to communicate with a set of dispensing devices via a network,

each dispensing device, of the set of dispensing devices, being associated with dispensing an item based on a received selection,

each dispensing device, of the set of dispensing devices, including a communications module associated with transmitting information between the first module and one or more sensors of the dispensing device;

a second module to communicate with a set of user devices,

each user device, of the set of user devices, being utilized in association with operations relating to the set of dispensing devices;

a third module to communicate with a set of reference data structures,

a particular reference data structure, of the set of reference data structures, being associated with providing a schedule of event data, relating to different upcoming events located in a particular area, to a particular dispensing device, of the set of dispensing devices, located in or near the particular area; and

a fourth module to communicate with a client device,

the client device being associated with providing a management user interface for managing the network and the set of dispensing devices,

the client device being associated with detecting an interaction with the management user interface,

the client device to cause an alteration to a configuration associated with the set of dispensing devices based on the interaction with the management user interface,

the alteration to the configuration of the particular dispensing device being based upon at least the schedule of event data related to an event of the different upcoming events located in the particular area.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more cloud servers to obtain sensor data regarding the one or more sensors from the first module and provide processed sensor data for display via the management user interface.

3. The system of claim 2, where the one or more cloud servers are to process the sensor data using a particular processing technique,

the particular processing technique including at least one of:

a machine learning technique,

a heuristic technique,

a regression technique,

an optimization technique, or

an image processing technique.

4. The system of claim 1, where one or more dispensing devices, of the set of dispensing devices, are to receive dynamic pricing information based on the interaction with the management user interface.

5. The system of claim 1, where the one or more devices are further to implement:

a fifth module to cause sensor data to be provided from the first module to the fourth module for display via the management user interface.

6. The system of claim 1, where the one or more devices are further to implement:

a fifth module to determine a set of locations of a set of devices connected to the network and provide information identifying the set of locations for display via the management user interface.

7. A system, comprising:

a client device to;

receive, from a plurality of vending devices and via a network connecting the plurality of vending devices with the client device, sensor data relating to a status of the plurality of vending devices,

the sensor data including location data, sales data, and health data regarding a health of the plurality of vending devices;

generate a user interface associated with providing information identifying the status of the plurality of vending devices,

the information identifying the status of the plurality of vending devices including information identifying a present status and a predicted status,

the predicted status being determined based on a data model;

provide, for display, the user interface based on generating the user interface;

detect, based on providing the user interface, a selection of an adjustment that is to be performed for a particular vending device of the plurality of vending devices; and

transmit, via the network, an instruction to the particular vending device to cause the adjustment to be performed for the particular vending device,

the instruction being based upon a reference data module including a set of reference data structures,

a particular reference data structure, of the set of reference data structures, being associated with providing a schedule of event data, relating to different upcoming events located in a particular area, to the particular vending device, of the plurality of vending devices, located in or near the particular area,

the client device transmitting the instruction to the particular vending device to cause the adjustment to be performed for the particular vending device based upon at least the schedule of event data related to an event of the different upcoming events located in the particular area.

8. The system of claim 7, where the network is configured to route the sensor data from the plurality of vending devices to the client device based on one or more time intervals.

9. The system of claim 8, where the one or more time intervals include a near real-time time interval.

10. The system of claim 8, where the one or more time intervals include a first time interval associated with a first portion of the sensor data and a second time interval associated with a second portion of the sensor data.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a service orchestrator to;

receive the instruction from the client device; and

cause an integration module of the particular vending device to cause the adjustment to be performed for the particular vending device.

12. The system of claim 7, where the set of reference data structures store particular information,

the particular information including:

weather data relating to the particular area in which the particular vending device is located.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a service orchestrator to cause the particular information to be obtained from the reference data module and provided to the client device to cause the client device to adjust one or more operations relating to the particular vending device based on the particular information.

14. A method comprising:

receiving data by a device of a group of devices of a virtual network,

the data including first data, second data, and third data,

the first data being received from a plurality of sensor devices integrated into a plurality of vending devices connected to the virtual network,

the plurality of vending devices including a corresponding plurality of communications modules associated with routing information between the plurality of vending devices and the device,

the second data being received from a plurality of user devices being utilized by a plurality of users to coordinate operations associated with the plurality of vending devices,

the third data being received from one or more reference data structures connected to the virtual network;

generating, by the device, a user interface including a set of user interface elements,

a first user interface element, of the set of user interface elements, being associated with providing a portion of the data for display,

a second user interface element, of the set of user interface elements, being associated with receiving a user input associated with altering management of the plurality of vending devices;

detecting, by the device, a user interaction with the second user interface element;

transmitting, by the device, information associated with altering management of the plurality of vending devices to a particular vending device, of the plurality of vending devices, or a particular user device, of the plurality of user devices, based on detecting the user interaction; and

receiving an instruction, by the device, indicating an alteration to the management of the plurality of vending devices,

the instruction indicating that a configuration of a particular component of the particular vending device is to be altered,

the alteration to the configuration of the particular component of the particular vending device being based upon at least a schedule of event data related to different upcoming events located in a particular area, to the particular vending device, of the plurality of vending devices, located in or near the particular area.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing the user interface for display via a client device based on generating the user interface; and

where detecting the user interaction comprises;

receiving information identifying the user interaction with the user interface.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

routing fourth data from the particular vending device to the client device for display via the first user interface element.

17. The method of claim 14, where

the instruction indicates that a particular entity is to be deployed to perform a particular action relating to the particular vending device,

the particular entity being associated with the particular user device;

and

where transmitting the information associated with altering the management of the plurality of vending devices comprises;

transmitting the information to the particular user device based on receiving the instruction indicating the alteration to the management of the plurality of vending devices.

18. The method of claim 14,

where transmitting the information associated with altering the management of the plurality of vending devices comprises:

transmitting the information to the particular vending device to cause the configuration of the particular component to be altered.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting information to the plurality of vending devices to indicate an interval with which to provide the first data; and

where receiving the data comprises;

receiving the first data at the interval based on transmitting the information to indicate the interval.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

establishing a plurality of connections to the plurality of vending devices via a network to cause the plurality of vending devices to be connected to the virtual network.