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

• US 10,417,624 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2018
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• 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:
  US16/179,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20190073648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 700231-244
• 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. A method comprising:

a. initiating a push notification intended for a mobile application associated with a plurality of intended recipients, the push notification offering a customized food or beverage to be dispensed from a product dispenser;

b. receiving a response to the push notification indicative of an acceptance of the offering, the acceptance generated via the mobile application;

c. receiving, via a wireless communication between a mobile device and the product dispenser, the mobile device associated with an intended recipient and the mobile application, a request that the product dispenser dispense the customized food or beverage, the customized food or beverage comprising a mix selected by the intended recipient; and

d. authorizing dispensing of the mix from the product dispenser.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the customized food or beverage comprises a free sample.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mix comprises a beverage mix of a first user-chosen beverage and a second user-chosen beverage.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the customized food or beverage comprises a purchased product.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the customized food or beverage comprising a mix selected by the intended recipient comprises a mix enabled via the mobile application.

6. The method of claim 1, further including verifying that the intended recipient is located proximate the product dispenser.

7. The method of claim 1, further including displaying calorie information specific to the customized food or beverage on a display associated with the product dispenser.

8. The method of claim 1, including monitoring the intended recipient'"'"'s consumption of the customized food or beverage via an RFID chip embedded in a container specific to the intended recipient.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the monitoring includes determining a quantity or caloric content of the customized food or beverage consumed by the intended recipient, and transmitting a warning notice to the intended recipient if a predetermined quantity or caloric content of the customized food or beverage product has been consumed.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the authorizing dispensing includes verifying that the intended recipient has created an account capable of paying for the purchased product.

11. A system comprising a product dispenser configured to dispense a user-customized food or beverage product, the product dispenser configured to communicate wirelessly with a mobile device of an intended user, and to dispense the user-customized food or beverage product responsive to a request from the intended user made via the mobile device, the request from the intended user responsive to acceptance of a push notification offer directed to the intended user, the push notification offer intended for a mobile application associated with the mobile device of the intended user, the push notification offering the user-customized food or beverage product to be dispensed from the product dispenser.

12. The system of claim 11, the acceptance having been generated via the mobile application.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the user-customized food or beverage product comprises a user-selected mix enabled via the mobile application.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the product dispenser comprises a wireless communication device, the product dispenser being configured to enable dispensing of the user-customized food or beverage product responsive to the request from the intended user made via the mobile device, the request received by the product dispenser via wireless communication of the wireless communication device with the mobile device of the intended user.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the product dispenser comprises a display configured to display calorie information specific to the user-customized food or beverage product based on a quantity of the user-customized food or beverage product.

16. The system of claim 13, the system configured to enable the user-selected mix enabled via the mobile application to be preselected by the intended user.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the product dispenser is configured with a recognition device configured to recognize the intended user.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

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

b. receiving a response to the push notification indicative of an acceptance of the offering, the acceptance generated via the mobile application;

c. receiving, via a wireless communication between a mobile device and the product dispenser, the mobile device associated with an intended recipient of the push notification and the mobile application, a request that the product dispenser dispense the custom mix, wherein the custom mix comprises a user-selected mix enabled via the mobile application; and

d. authorizing dispensing of the user-selected mix from the product dispenser.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the user-selected mix comprises a mix selected by the intended recipient via the mobile application in advance of initiating the push notification.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting information intended to enable display of calorie information specific to the user-selected mix on a display associated with the product dispenser.