Ice merchandiser with on-product financial payment system

• US 10,206,525 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2015
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leer Inc (Dexter Apache Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Leer Inc (Dexter Apache Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huffar, William M., Dieter, Stephen J., Matt, Terry D., Miller, John A., Truesdale, Nicholas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goyea, Olusegun
• Application Number:
  US14/921,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20160113422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 705 28, 235375, 235376, 235382
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 10/02 for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets A47F10/06 takes precedence; hand-carts B62B; baskets B65D
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/24 for storing bins ice bins F25C5/182
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/04 specially adapted for storing deep-frozen articles F25D11/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/042 Air treating means within refrigerated spaces air conditioning in general F24F
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/0417 using an UV-lamp
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2331/801 Bags
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/006 Details of the software used for the vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/105 Heating or cooling means, for temperature and humidity control, for the conditioning of articles and their storage dispensers for food articles requiring a processing by temperature treatment or conditioning before they are ready for dispensing G07F17/0064

Abstract

An ice merchandiser for storing bagged ice for purchase by a customer is provided. The ice merchandiser includes a payment system for facilitating a bagged ice product transaction at the ice merchandiser. The payment system includes a mass determination module structured to determine a mass of bagged ice product removed during the bagged ice product transaction and a transaction module structured to determine an amount of currency required for the bagged ice product transaction based on the determined mass of bagged ice product removed.

Claims

1. An ice merchandiser for storing bagged ice product for purchase by a customer, the ice merchandiser comprising:

a housing that defines a cavity for storing the bagged ice product;

a payment system for facilitating a bagged ice product transaction at the ice merchandiser, the payment system including;

a mass determination module structured to;

determine a mass of bagged ice product removed during the bagged ice product transaction; and

determine a bag quantity of a type of bagged ice product removed from the ice merchandiser based on the determined mass; and

a transaction module structured to unlock a door of the ice merchandiser to enable removal of bagged ice product based on a validation of payment information of the customer, and determine an amount of currency required for the bagged ice product transaction based on the determined bag quantity of the type of bagged ice product removed.

2. The ice merchandiser of claim 1, wherein the payment system further includes an input module structured to receive an input, the input including at least one of a type of bagged ice product to be purchased, an amount of the type of bagged ice product to be purchased, an initiation for the bagged ice product transaction, a confirmation that the bagged ice product transaction is complete, and one or more pieces of identifying information to validate the bagged ice product transaction.

3. The ice merchandiser of claim 1, wherein the ice merchandiser further includes one or more load cells communicably coupled to the mass determination module, wherein the one or more load cells are structured to measure the mass of bagged ice product removed during the bagged ice product transaction.

4. The ice merchandiser of claim 3, wherein the one or more load cells are located at least one of within and outside of the cavity.

5. The ice merchandiser of claim 1, wherein the mass determination module includes a filter processor structured to remove inaccurate weight data from use in the determination of the mass of bagged ice product removed.

6. The ice merchandiser of claim 5, wherein the filter processor includes a timer structured to determine a constant mass of bagged ice product remaining in the ice merchandiser for a preset period of time.

7. An ice merchandiser for storing bagged ice for purchase by a customer, the ice merchandiser comprising:

a housing defining a cavity;

a door coupled to the housing;

a platform located in the cavity for holding a bagged ice product;

a load cell structured to measure a mass of the bagged ice product; and

a payment system communicably coupled to the load cell, wherein the payment system is structured to unlock the door based on a validation of payment information of the customer, determine a mass of bagged ice product removed during a bagged ice product transaction, determine a bag quantity of a type of bagged ice product removed from the ice merchandiser based on the determined mass, and determine an amount of currency required for the bagged ice product transaction based on the determined bag quantity of the type of bagged ice product removed.

8. The ice merchandiser of claim 7, wherein the load cell is located at least one of within and outside of the cavity.

9. The ice merchandiser of claim 7, wherein the load cell is included with the platform.

10. The ice merchandiser of claim 7, wherein the payment system is structured to receive only a payment card, the payment card including at least one of a credit card, a debit card, and a rewards card.

11. The ice merchandiser of claim 7, wherein payment system is structured to determine an initiation and a completion of the bagged ice product transaction.

12. The ice merchandiser of claim 11, wherein the initiation of the bagged ice product transaction is based on the payment system receiving a payment card.

13. The ice merchandiser of claim 11, wherein the completion of the bagged ice product transaction is based on at least one of an input indicating that the bagged ice product transaction is complete and a constant mass of bagged ice product remaining in the ice merchandiser detected for a preset amount of time.

14. A method of operating an ice merchandiser, comprising:

receiving an initiation of a bagged ice product transaction;

validating the bagged ice product transaction;

unlocking a door of the ice merchandiser to enable removal of bagged ice product during the bagged ice product transaction based on the validation;

receiving weight data, the weight data corresponding to a mass of bagged ice product stored by the ice merchandiser;

determining that the bagged ice product transaction is complete;

determining a mass of bagged ice product removed by a customer during the bagged ice product transaction based on the weight data;

determining a bag quantity of a type of bagged ice product removed from the ice merchandiser based on the determined mass of bagged ice product removed; and

charging the customer for the determined bag quantity and type of bagged ice product removed.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the bagged ice product transaction is initiated by receiving at least one of an input to begin the bagged ice product transaction and a payment card.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the payment card includes at least one of a credit card, a debit card, and a rewards card.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein determining that the bagged ice product transaction is complete is based on at least one of receiving an input indicating that the bagged ice product transaction is complete and the weight data indicating that a constant mass of bagged ice product is remaining in the ice merchandiser for a preset period of time after the bagged ice product transaction has been initiated.

18. A system for an ice merchandiser for storing bagged ice for purchase by a customer, the system comprising:

one or more processors coupled to one or more memory devices, the one or more memory devices having instructions stored therein that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to;

determine a mass of bagged ice product removed during a bagged ice product transaction;

determine a bag quantity of a type of bagged ice product removed from the ice merchandiser based on the determined mass;

unlock a door of the ice merchandiser to enable removal of bagged ice product based on a validation of payment information of the customer; and

determine an amount of currency required for the bagged ice product transaction based on the determined bag quantity of the type of bagged ice product removed.