Retrofit audit system

• US 20030158625A1
• Filed: 10/22/2002
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crane Payment Innovations, Inc. (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Mars Incorporated
• Inventors: Ross, Robert D., Carstens, Jeffrey M., Genoff, Gordon
• Granted Patent: US 6,839,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

An audit system for connection to vending machines is described. In an implementation, the audit system includes an audit monitor containing a microprocessor capable of reading information from at least one of a vending machine or from an operational device. The audit system also includes at least one sub-module coupled to the audit monitor and capable of detecting additional information.

Claims

1. A retrofit audit system comprising:

a master module containing a microprocessor capable of reading information directly from a target vending machine control system or operational device, the master module including at least one communication port;

a plurality of sub-modules connected to the at least one communication port of the master module, the sub-modules capable of detecting additional information from the target vending machine or operational device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 where at least one sub-module contains a microprocessor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sub-modules include at least one of a linear motor monitor, a matrix motor monitor, a direct linear motor monitor and a direct matrix motor monitor.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the direct linear motor monitor and the direct matrix motor monitor include shift registers, and wherein at least two direct linear motor monitors and at least two direct matrix motor monitors can be daisy chained together.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is able to read DEX/UCS based audit data from the target vending machine control system or operational device and combine that information with additional information directly monitored from the target vending machine.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is able to read DDCMP based audit data from the target vending machine control system or operational device and combine that information with additional information directly monitored from the target vending machine.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is able to read Printer based audit data from the target vending machine control system or operational device and combine that information with additional information directly monitored from the target vending machine.

8. The apparatus according to claims 6 or 7 wherein the microprocessor is able to correlate and transform the retrieved DDCMP and printer based audit data from the target vending machine control system or operational device into the current vending industry standard data format.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is able to correlate and transform the information directly monitored from the target vending machine into the current vending industry standard data format.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is able to transmit the collected and transformed data via the current vending industry standard protocols and data formats.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an illuminated DEX/UCS audit port socket.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is configured for the target vending machine via specialized commands and configuration messages.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising circuitry in at least one sub-module to detect when monitored AC signals are in the portion of the cycle when they are valid.

14. An audit system comprising:

an audit monitor controller containing a microprocessor and a plurality of input interface components operable to read information from at least one of a vending

machine control system and an operational device, and including a plurality of output components; and

at least one motor sub-module coupled to the audit monitor controller for monitoring vending machine motors.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the motor sub-module is at least one of a linear motor monitor and a matrix motor monitor.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the motor sub-module is at least one of a direct linear motor monitor and a direct matrix motor monitor.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the direct linear motor monitor and the direct matrix motor monitor includes shift registers, such that at least two direct linear motor monitors or at least two direct matrix motor monitors can be connected together in a daisy-chain configuration.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the audit module includes an DEX/UCS interface for reading DEX/UCS based audit data and combines that information with additional information from a vending machine.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the DEX/JUCS interface is a socket, and the audit module includes a light means that illuminates the socket.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the audit module reads DDCMP based audit data and combines that information with additional information from a vending machine.

21. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the audit module reads printer-based audit data and combines that information with additional information from a vending machine.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the microprocessor correlates and transforms the DDCMP audit data into vending industry standard data format.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the microprocessor correlates and transforms the printer-based audit data into vending industry standard data format.

24. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the microprocessor correlates and transforms data from a vending machine into vending machine industry standard data format.

25. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the microprocessor transmits data collected from a vending machine via vending industry standard protocols and data format.

26. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the direct linear motor module includes circuitry to detect when monitored AC signals are valid.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the monitored AC signals include at least one of motor signals, credit signals and cash counter signals.

28. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a user button.