Vending system
First Claim
1. A vending system (1) for selling products or services to purchasers having mobile communicators (6) enabled to a wireless internet connection (7), characterised in that the system comprises:
- means to permit a customer to communicate to an operator (4), via an internet connection, the identity of a vending machine (2) at which he is located;
means by which the operator (4) can authorise via the Internet connection an identified vending machine (2) to make a sale to the purchaser, means (4) to notify said purchaser via the internet connection.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
System and procedure for implementing a service in a telecommunication system comprising a first terminal device (1), a control centre (2) comprising means for handling short messages and/or data calls, an automatic apparatus (3) comprising a second terminal device (4) and a control unit (5) connected to it, a telecommunication network (6) comprising an intelligent network (7), said intelligent network containing means (8) for determining charge and location data and producing voice messages, a first telecommunication connection (9) and a second telecommunication connection (10). In the system, the first terminal device (1) and the second terminal device (4) as well as the control centre (2) are connected to the telecommunication network (6). In the procedure, a product is ordered by making a call from the first terminal device (1) to a number shown on the automatic apparatus (3). The control unit (5) controls the automatic apparatus (3) and the second terminal device (4) disposed in the automatic apparatus (3) in such a way that the customer will get the product ordered. If the automatic apparatus has run out of the product or is having a malfunction, then the customer is informed about it by sending a voice message.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A vending system (1) for selling products or services to purchasers having mobile communicators (6) enabled to a wireless internet connection (7), characterised in that the system comprises:
- means to permit a customer to communicate to an operator (4), via an internet connection, the identity of a vending machine (2) at which he is located;
means by which the operator (4) can authorise via the Internet connection an identified vending machine (2) to make a sale to the purchaser, means (4) to notify said purchaser via the internet connection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15)
- means to permit a customer to communicate to an operator (4), via an internet connection, the identity of a vending machine (2) at which he is located;
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8. A system according to any proceeding claim, wherein said means to notify the purchaser comprises a database (DB2) of the operator (4) containing the identity codes of the authorised customers.
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9. A system according to any proceeding claim, wherein said communicator (2) is connected to the internet (5) through a cellular network (7).
- 10. A system according to any proceeding claim, wherein said means to permit a customer to communicate to an operator the identity of a vending machine comprises a radio frequency (RF) interface (10) able to automatically establish a bi-directional communication link between said vending machine and said communicator and to automatically transmit to the customer an identity code when the customer is in the vicinity of the machine.
- 12. A system according to any proceeding claim, comprising means permitting a customer to transmit via the internet (5) identifying data of a vending machine (2) to an outside authorisation centre (11) and further means permitting said outside authorisation centre (11) to notify to the operator (4) via the internet (5) of an authorisation to make a sale.
Specification