Products and processes for vending a plurality of products

• US 20050027601A1
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Tedesco, Daniel E., Gelman, Geoffrey M., Lee, Sih Y., Walker, Jay S., Signorelli, Paul D., Breitenbach, Paul T.
• Application Number:
  US10/902,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20050027601A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 with dispensing of lottery tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/72 Auxiliary equipment, e.g. for lighting cigars, opening bottles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/24 with change-giving
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

Products and processes are disclosed for defining at least one inventory group. This at least one inventory group includes at least two products that are available for sale by a vending machine. The vending machine outputs an indication of products that the at least one inventory group includes. The vending machine receiving, from a customer, a selection of a first product that the at least one inventory group includes. The vending machine processes a sale of a unit of the first product and a respective unit of at least one additional product for a single price.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

defining at least one inventory group,

in which the at least one inventory group includes at least two products that are available for sale;

outputting an indication of products that the at least one inventory group includes;

receiving, from a customer, a selection of a first product that the at least one inventory group includes; and

processing a sale of a unit of the first product and a respective unit of at least one additional product for a single price.

2. The method of claim 1, in which defining at least one inventory group comprises:

defining the at least one inventory group based on at least one of;

a time remaining until a restock date of a vending machine, and

a time remaining until an expiration date of at least one product that is available for sale.

3. The method of claim 2, in which defining at least one inventory group comprises:

determining a first time remaining until an expiration date of a second product that is available for sale; and

defining the at least one inventory group to include the second product based on the first time remaining.

4. The method of claim 1, in which defining at least one inventory group comprises:

defining the at least one inventory group based on at least one of;

an actual sales rate of at least one product that is available for sale, and

a target sales rate of at least one product that is available for sale.

5. The method of claim 4, in which defining at least one inventory group comprises:

determining a first actual sales rate of a second product that is available for sale; and

defining the at least one inventory group to include the second product based on the first actual sales rate.

6. The method of claim 4, in which defining at least one inventory group comprises:

determining a first target sales rate of a second product that is available for sale; and

defining the at least one inventory group to include the second product based on the first target sales rate.

7-41. -41. cancelled.