System, method, and apparatus for purchasing, dispensing, or sampling of products

• US 10,121,132 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transparensee, LLC
• Original Assignee: Transparensee, LLC
• Inventors: Salvucci, Denise Lisa, Kline, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggoner, Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US15/360,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20170076266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 700238
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0034 for controlling the amount of each component
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0888 Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means)
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/023 Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising

Abstract

A product dispenser includes a product sampling portion configured to contain a product to be sampled. The product sampling portion includes a product sample dispenser. A packaged product portion is configured to contain and dispense a packaged product corresponding to a product to be sampled.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a food or beverage product dispenser, the apparatus configured:

a. to dispense, responsive to a request indicative of an acceptance, generated by a mobile application, from a mobile device configured to receive push notifications intended for the mobile application associated with a plurality of intended recipients, the push notifications offering, to the plurality of intended recipients, dispensing of a custom mix from the product dispenser, the custom mix comprising at least a first food or beverage and a second food or beverage;

b. the apparatus further configured to communicate with a mobile application of a user, wherein the mobile application enables the user to request, via wireless communication with the food or beverage product dispenser, a custom mix of a food or beverage product to be dispensed from the product dispenser, the custom mix comprising a user-chosen combination of the first food or beverage and the second food or beverage;

c. the apparatus further configured to determine or display a custom mix price based on a first price per unit volume of the first food or beverage and a second price per unit volume of the second food or beverage, the first food or beverage and the second food or beverage intended to be dispensed in variable volumes from the food or beverage dispenser;

d. wherein the first price per unit volume comprises a surcharge for the first food or beverage, the first food or beverage having a first calorie count per unit volume that exceeds a second calorie count per unit volume of the second food or beverage, and the first price per unit volume of the first food or beverage exceeds the second price per unit volume of the second food or beverage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is associated with a display configured to display the custom mix price, and wherein the displayed custom mix price varies according to and is based on a dispensed volume of the custom mix and a caloric content of the custom mix comprising a user-chosen combination of the first food or beverage and the second food or beverage first food or beverage.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the display is associated with at least one of the food or beverage dispenser or a wireless communication device configured to communicate wirelessly with the food or beverage dispenser.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to dispense a predetermined number of calories of the first food or beverage.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus is configured to determine a quantity of a calorie-containing beverage dispensed and to stop dispensing of the calorie-containing beverage once the quantity of the calorie-containing beverage dispensed comprises a predetermined quantity of calories.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the food or beverage product dispenser comprises a beverage dispenser configured, responsive to a government regulation, to charge a higher price per unit volume for a first beverage intended to be dispensed from the beverage dispenser relative to a second beverage intended to be dispensed from the beverage dispenser, wherein the first beverage has a higher calorie count per unit volume than the second beverage, and wherein the surcharge comprises a tax.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first beverage intended to be dispensed from the beverage dispenser is a sugar-containing beverage.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is configured to determine a quantity of the sugar-containing beverage dispensed and to discourage overconsumption of the sugar-containing beverage by issuing a warning responsive to a request to dispense the sugar-containing beverage in a quantity comprising an amount of calories exceeding a predetermined caloric amount.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the beverage dispenser is further associated with a recognition device enabling a parameter of a user of the beverage dispenser to be identified, and enabling an offering of a beverage from the dispenser based at least in part on the parameter of the user.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to display, on a display associated with the apparatus, a calorie count specific to the custom mix comprising a user-chosen combination of the first food or beverage and the second food or beverage.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the push notification alerts the plurality of intended recipients of a location for the food or beverage product dispenser at which the offering is valid.

12. A product dispenser configured:

a. to dispense both packaged or unpackaged samples of a product sampling, and purchased packaged or unpackaged products corresponding to the product sampling;

b. to communicate with a wireless communication device configured to receive push notifications intended for a mobile application associated with a plurality of intended recipients, the push notifications offering the product sampling, wherein the product sampling is intended to be dispensed from the product dispenser at a plurality of designated locations, the offering requiring, as a condition of acceptance of the offer, the completion of a post-sample data acquisition operation by an intended recipient of the product sampling;

c. to dispense, responsive to acceptance of the offering by the intended recipient, the product sampling in a size smaller than the purchased packaged or unpackaged products corresponding to the product sampling;

d. to query the intended recipient, via a mobile device associated with the intended recipient, or via a user interface associated with the product dispenser, the query seeking post-sample data acquisition from the intended recipient; and

e. to transmit or store the post-sample data to a storage device.

13. The product dispenser of claim 12, wherein the product dispenser comprises a food or beverage product dispenser configured:

a. to display or determine a price of a food or beverage product intended to be dispensed from the food or beverage product dispenser;

b. wherein the price includes a surcharge for a first food or beverage product intended to be dispensed from the food or beverage product dispenser, the first food or beverage product having a first calorie count per unit volume that exceeds a second calorie count per unit volume of a second food or beverage product intended to be dispensed from the food or beverage product dispenser.

14. The product dispenser of claim 13, wherein the product dispenser comprises a beverage dispenser, and the first food or beverage product comprises a sugar-containing beverage.

15. The product dispenser of claim 13, wherein the product dispenser comprises a beverage dispenser configured to communicate with a mobile application of a user, wherein the mobile application enables the user to request a custom mix of a beverage to be dispensed from the beverage dispenser.

16. The product dispenser of claim 12, wherein at least one of the packaged or unpackaged samples of a product sampling comprises a free sample.

17. The product dispenser of claim 16 wherein the product dispenser is configured to dispense both packaged and unpackaged purchased products.

18. A method comprising:

a. initiating a push notification intended for a mobile application associated with a plurality of intended recipients, the push notification offering, to the plurality of intended recipients, dispensing of a custom mix intended to be dispensed from a product dispenser, the custom mix comprising at least a first food or beverage and a second food or beverage;

b. receiving, via wireless communication of a mobile device of a user with the food or beverage product dispenser, a request that a user-chosen custom mix of a food or beverage product be dispensed from the product dispenser, the user-chosen custom mix comprising a combination of the first food or beverage and the second food or beverage;

c. determining or displaying a custom mix price based on a first price per unit volume of the first food or beverage and a second price per unit volume of the second food or beverage, the first food or beverage and the second food or beverage intended to be dispensed in variable volumes from the food or beverage product dispenser;

d. wherein the first price per unit volume comprises a surcharge for the first food or beverage, the first food or beverage having a first calorie count per unit volume that exceeds a second calorie count per unit volume of the second food or beverage, and the first price per unit volume of the first food or beverage exceeds the second price per unit volume of the second food or beverage.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying on the food or beverage product dispenser a total calorie count for the user-chosen custom mix.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying on the food or beverage product dispenser the custom mix price, wherein the displayed custom mix price varies according to and is based on a dispensed volume of the user-chosen custom mix and a caloric content of the user-chosen custom mix.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the combination of the first food or beverage and the second food or beverage is selected by the user.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the first food or beverage comprises a sugar-containing beverage, and the surcharge comprises a tax.