Vending machine for vending age-restricted products using a credit card and associated methods

• US 20020029196A1
• Filed: 05/08/2001
• Published: 03/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chesterfield Holdings LLC (Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Chesterfield Holdings LLC (Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barth, Merlyn W., Metcalf, Jonathan H., OʼLeary, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,539,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/005 Details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

An improved vending machine for vending age-restricted products is disclosed. The vending machine preferably uses a customer'"'"'s credit card to obtain age verification information from a consumer reporting agency via a modem. In a preferred embodiment, a customer inputs customer information, preferably a credit card number, into the vending machine. The vending machine obtains permission from the customer to use the customer information to retrieve the customer'"'"'s age. Thereafter, the age data is either retrieved from a server farm containing the age of the customer corresponding to the credit card, or is retrieved via modem from the database of a consumer reporting agency. Additionally, the modem connection allows the creditworthiness of the credit card to be checked via access to a credit card company database. If the age and credit card of the customer can be verified in this fashion, the vending machine then vends the product to the customer.

Claims

1. A method of vending products from a vending machine, the method comprising:

(a) inputting customer information into the vending machine;

(b) sending the customer information to a first database to retrieve age information indicative of the customer'"'"'s age; and

(c) determining, on the basis of the age information, whether a product in the vending machine can be vended to the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer information is a credit card number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer information is contained on a card, and the card is a credit card.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein inputting the customer information constitutes the use of a key pad.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein inputting the customer information constitutes the use of a card reader.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first database is a third party database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first database stores the age information upon vending a product to the customer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first database is a server farm.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first database resides inside the vending machine.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first database stores the age information upon vending a product to the customer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first database is a server farm.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the customer information to a second database to verify credit approval.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein step (c) further comprises determining, on the basis of the credit approval, whether a product in the vending machine can be vended to the customer.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising inputting additional information into the vending machine to enable the retrieval of the age information from the first database.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising asking the customer permission to send the customer information to the first database.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising paying for the vended product using the customer information.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the customer information to a first database to retrieve age information indicative of the customer'"'"'s age further comprises sending the customer information to an intermediate database.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein intermediate database stores the age information upon vending a product to the customer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the intermediate database is a server farm.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of checking the first database to see if age information is present on the first database, and if such age information is not present, then sending the customer information to a second database to retrieve the age information.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first database is a server farm.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the second database is a third party database.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising paying for the vended product using cash.

25. The vending machine of claim 24, wherein the customer information is a credit card number.

26. The vending machine of claim 24, wherein the input device is a key pad.

27. The vending machine of claim 24, wherein the input device is a card reader.

28. The vending machine of claim 24, wherein the first database stores the age information upon vending a product to the customer.

29. The vending machine of claim 24, further comprising a communication device for sending the customer information to a second database to retrieve the age information.

30. The vending machine of claim 24, further comprising a communication device for sending the customer information to a second database to retrieve credit verification.

31. The vending machine of claim 24, further comprising a payment slot for paying for the vended product using cash.

24. A vending machine for vending products using customer information, comprising:

(a) an input device for receiving the customer information;

(b) a first database capable of storing age information indicative of the customer'"'"'s age, the age information being retrievable from the customer information; and

(c) a microprocessor for receiving the age information and enabling the purchase of a product from the vending machine depending on the age information.

32. A vending machine for vending products using customer information, comprising:

(a) an input device for receiving the customer information;

(b) a communication device for sending the customer information to a first database capable of storing age information indicative of the customer'"'"'s age, the age information being retrievable from the customer information; and

(c) a microprocessor for receiving the customer'"'"'s age and enabling the purchase of a product from the vending machine depending on the age information.

33. The vending machine of claim 32, wherein the customer information is a credit card number.

34. The vending machine of claim 32, wherein the input device is a key pad.

35. The vending machine of claim 32, wherein the input device is a card reader.

36. The vending machine of claim 32, wherein the first database stores the age information upon vending a product to the customer.

37. The vending machine of claim 36, wherein the first database is a server farm.

38. The vending machine of claim 32, wherein the first database is a third party database.

39. The vending machine of claim 32, wherein the communication device is also used for sending the customer information to a second database containing credit verification, the credit verification being retrievable from the first customer information.

40. The vending machine of claim 32, further comprising a payment slot for paying for the vended product using cash.

41. A system, comprising:

(a) at least one vending machine, the at least one vending machine capable of receiving customer information from a customer;

(b) a first database in communication with the at least one vending machine, the first database capable of storing age information indicative of the customer'"'"'s age, the age information being retrievable from the customer information; and

(c) a microprocessor for receiving the customer'"'"'s age and enabling the purchase of a product from the vending machine depending on the age information.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the customer information is a credit card number.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the first database is contained in at least one vending machine.

44. The system of claim 41, wherein the microprocessor is contained in at least one vending machine.

45. The system of claim 41, wherein the microprocessor is contained in the first database.

46. The system of claim 41, further comprising a plurality of vending machines, each in communication with the first database.

47. The system of claim 41, wherein the first database stores the age information upon vending a product to the customer.

48. The system of claim 41, wherein the first database is a server farm.

49. The system of claim 41, wherein the first database contains consumer information.

50. The system of claim 41, wherein the first database is a third party database.

51. The system of claim 41, wherein the first database is in communication with a second database, and wherein the first database is capable of sending the customer information to the second database.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein credit approval is retrievable by the second database using the customer information.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein the age information is retrievable by the second database using the customer information.