System and kiosk for commerce of optical media through multiple locations

• US 10,127,518 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2001
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Redbox Automated Retail LLC (Chicken Soup For The Soul Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Redbox Automated Retail LLC (Chicken Soup For The Soul Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Barber, William H., Tomasi, Philip J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Asfand M
• Application Number:
  US99/034,44
• Time in Patent Office: 6,336 Days
• Field of Search: 707 10, 707101-104, 705 16- 19, 705 67, 705 20, 194205
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/163 for film projection apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/069 by box-like containers, e.g. videocassettes, books

Abstract

A kiosk (200) dispenses and receives recorded optical disk media (214) using an interconnected (107) system central server computer (300) through an Internet Service Provider (401). The system central server (300) contains databases and processing, and is connected to a credit verification system (410). The central databases collect inventory administration information and customer data from the kiosks (200) including credit card and email addresses (105). The central server (300) initiates credit verification and sends receipts to customers via email (105). The central server (300) maintains databases that are used for remote inventory control and administration of the kiosk network. A kiosk (200) has the capability to identify a recorded disk (214) for automated restocking and may also perform quality assessment (800) of a recorded disk (214). A kiosk (200) may also provide publishing-on-demand or act as a portal for remotely served advertisement. Kiosk (200) preferably includes a rotating carousel 950 extruded to hold about one hundred DVDs. A digital camera (1000) with kiosk (200) captures a digital image of the disk barcode and internal software rotates the image to “read” the barcode, to control inventory and access issues.

Claims

1. A method for distributing optical recorded media to and from users, comprising:

coupling one or more kiosks to a central server via the Internet, each of the kiosks containing a plurality of optical recorded media;

determining, at the server, inventory of the optical recorded media of each of the kiosks;

supporting a web site on the central server, wherein the web site is accessible to the users via remote personal computers, and wherein the web site is configured to make information relating to the inventory of each of the kiosks available to the users via the remote personal computers;

routinely obtaining, at the server, operational status of each of the kiosks;

automatically interfacing with a first user via a touch screen at a first kiosk in a first transaction for first local optical recorded media, the touch screen providing a touch-selectable listing of optical recorded media, including the first local optical recorded media, contained within the first kiosk, the first kiosk being one of the kiosks, the first user being one of the users;

automatically communicating between the first kiosk and the server to authorize the first transaction;

dispensing the first local optical media from the first kiosk to the first user if the first transaction is approved; and

accepting return of the first local optical media into rentable inventory of a second kiosk, the second kiosk being another one of the kiosks.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein accepting return of the first optical media further comprises:

capturing a digital image of a first code on the first optical media and scanning the image to determine a group identifier, the group identifier indicating which of the kiosks the first optical media may be returned to; and

accepting the first optical media into rentable inventory of the second kiosk when the second kiosk is associated with the group identifier.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein capturing a digital image comprises capturing a second code on the first optical media and scanning the image to determine a disk identifier, the disk identifier uniquely identifying the first optical media, and reporting inventory of the first optical media to the central server if the first optical media is accepted at the second kiosk.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein one or both of the first code and second code comprise a bar code.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining inventory at the server comprises tracking inventory movement of the first optical media between the first kiosk and the second kiosk.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining and storing one or more images through an image capturing device located within, or in proximity to, the first kiosk.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein obtaining one or more images further comprises imaging a person proximal to the first kiosk.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein obtaining one or more images further comprises imaging a person interacting with the first kiosk.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein obtaining one or more images further comprises imaging a person conducting a user identification or credit card input at the first kiosk.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting the images to the central server.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically interfacing with a second user at a second kiosk in a second transaction for second local optical recorded media, the second local optical media contained within the second kiosk, the second kiosk being one of the kiosks and not the first kiosk, the second user being one of the users;

automatically communicating between the second kiosk and the server to authorize the second transaction; and

dispensing the second local optical media to the second user, at the second kiosk, if the second transaction is approved.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising managing the first and second kiosks from the central server.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising communicating advertising information from the server to a third kiosk, the third kiosk being one of the kiosks, and communicating the advertising information to users at the third kiosk.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein communicating the advertising information further comprises one of (a) displaying the information on a screen at the third kiosk and (b) audibly communicating the information to the users through speakers at the third kiosk.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising backing up at least part of information stored in the central server within internal memory within the first kiosk.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising profiling user transactions at the second kiosk and communicating advertising information at the second kiosk based on the profiling of user transactions.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising profiling user transactions at the first kiosk and communicating advertising information at the first kiosk based on the profiling of user transactions.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising managing advertising information communicated to users at any of the kiosks within the group of kiosks.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining inventory of each of the kiosks via Internet access through the central server; and

communicating information related to the inventory of the first kiosk to the first user via the web site.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising emailing discount coupons to the first user through the Internet and based on the inventory.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein routinely obtaining operational status comprises identifying one or more alarm states associated with the first kiosk.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

automatically identifying the alarm states; and

automatically sending information about the alarm states to an administrator associated with the central server.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising communicating one or both of voice and text messages to the administrator as a message communicated by one or more of email and a mobile phone, pager or other wireless device.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating automatic, individually-targeted promotions at one or more of the kiosks.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein generating automatic, individually-targeted promotions further comprises processing unique promotion codes.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein processing unique promotion codes further comprises obtaining the promotion codes from the touch screen at the first kiosk.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein processing unique promotion codes further comprises obtaining the promotion codes from a magnetic card swipe through a reader at the first kiosk.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising distributing an individually-targeted coupon to one or more users of the system.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein distributing an individually-targeted coupon further comprises distributing a coupon to a user of the first kiosk.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein distributing an individually-targeted coupon to a user further comprises distributing a coupon activated by a transaction at the first kiosk.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the central server, a query from the first user via the web site, wherein the query contains a request for information related to the inventory of the first kiosk; and

in response to receiving the query, communicating information related to the inventory of the first kiosk to the first user via the web site.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising, in response to receiving the query, communicating information related to the location of the first kiosk to the first user via the web site.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the central server, a query from the first user via the web site, wherein the query contains a request for information related to the first kiosk; and

in response to receiving the query, communicating information related to the location of the first kiosk to the first user via the web site.

34. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the central server, a communication from the first user via the web site, wherein the communication is related to a request to reserve the first local optical media for the first user; and

in response to receiving the communication from the first user, communicating information from the central server to the first kiosk, wherein the information causes the first kiosk to reserve the first local optical media for the first user.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising receiving payment from the user via the web site, wherein the payment is related to the reserved first local optical media.

36. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from one of the users via one of the remote personal computers to receive emails related to the inventory of the kiosks via the web site.

37. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from one of the users via the web site to purchase optical media from one of the kiosks.

38. A method for distributing optical recorded media to users, the method comprising:

coupling a plurality of kiosks to a central server, wherein each of the kiosks contain an inventory of optical recorded media;

supporting a web site on the central server,

wherein the web site is accessible to users via remote computers, and

wherein the web site enables the users to obtain information related to the kiosk inventory;

receiving, via the web site, a first request from an individual user for information related to the kiosk inventory;

in response to receiving the first request, providing the requested information to the individual user via the web site;

receiving, via the web site, a second request from the individual user to reserve a selected optical recorded media at a selected kiosk;

in response to receiving the second request, reserving the selected optical recorded media at the selected kiosk;

receiving, at the selected kiosk, a request from the individual user for the selected optical recorded media, the request including user information;

communicating at least a portion of the user information between the selected kiosk and the central server for authorization to dispense the selected optical recorded media to the individual user;

at least partially in response to communicating the user information, receiving authorization to dispense the selected optical recorded media; and

in response to receiving the authorization, dispensing the selected optical recorded media to the individual user from the selected kiosk.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising receiving, via the web site, payment from the individual user to rent the selected optical recorded media.

40. The method of claim 38 further comprising receiving, via the web site, a third request from the individual user to receive emails related to the kiosk inventory via the web site.

41. The method of claim 38 wherein the user information includes identification information.

42. The method of claim 39 wherein the user information includes payment information.