Products and processes for vending machine gift certificates

• US 20050182678A1
• Filed: 02/14/2005
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• 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., Tedesco, Robert C., Downs, Michael D., Walker, Jay S., Breitenbach, Paul T.
• Application Number:
  US11/057,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20050182678A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.240
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0223 based on inventory
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• 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

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention includes outputting, from a vending machine, an inactive voucher which includes a voucher identifier. A request to activate the voucher and a payment are received. An amount of payment is determined based on the voucher identifier, and at least the amount of payment is received. The voucher is activated, and then a request to redeem the voucher is received. A gift that corresponds to the voucher is determined, and the gift is provided via the vending machine.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a payment for a first product at a vending machine;

dispensing the first product from the vending machine after the step of

receiving the payment at the vending machine;

outputting, from the vending machine, a paper which bears indicia

representing a series of alphanumeric characters,

in which the step of outputting is performed substantially simultaneously with the step of dispensing,

in which the series of alphanumeric characters corresponds to a database record denoting an inactive voucher;

after the step of outputting, receiving a request to activate the voucher;

after the step of outputting, receiving a payment at the vending machine;

determining, based on the series of alphanumeric characters, an amount of payment;

receiving at least the amount of payment;

activating the voucher by modifying the database record to denote an active voucher;

after the step of activating the voucher, receiving a request to redeem the voucher,

in which the step of receiving a request to redeem the voucher includes receiving the series of alphanumeric characters;

determining a gift that corresponds to the voucher after the step of receiving a request to redeem the voucher; and

providing the gift via the vending machine.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the step of outputting, from the vending machine, a paper which bears indicia representing a series of alphanumeric characters comprises:

commanding a printer to print the indicia representing a series of alphanumeric characters on the paper.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising after the step of commanding a printer to print, ejecting the paper from the vending machine.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the step of providing the gift via the vending machine comprises:

dispensing a second product from the vending machine without receiving a retail price of the second product.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving an indication of the second product via an input device of the vending machine before the step of dispensing the second product; and

determining that the second product corresponds to the voucher before the step of dispensing the second product.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the step of providing the gift via the vending machine comprises:

I

increasing an amount of funds that are available to pay for a purchase of a product from the vending machine.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the step of activating the voucher by modifying the database record to denote an active voucher comprises:

outputting, from the vending machine, a second paper which bears indicia representing the series of alphanumeric characters.

8. The method of claim 1, in which the indicia representing a series of alphanumeric characters comprises:

a barcode representing the series of alphanumeric characters.

9. The method of claim 1, in which the indicia representing a series of alphanumeric characters comprises:

a printed series of alphanumeric characters.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a message before receiving the request to redeem the voucher.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

printing the message on the paper.

12. The method of claim 10, in which the step of providing the gift via the vending machine comprises:

outputting the message.

13. The method of claim 10, in which the step of receiving the message before receiving the request to redeem the voucher comprises:

receiving a name;

and in which the step of providing the gift via the vending machine comprises outputting the name.

14. The method of claim 10, in which the step of receiving the message before receiving the request to redeem the voucher comprises:

displaying an indication of a plurality of messages; and

receiving a selection of at least one of the messages.

15. The method of claim 10, in which the step of receiving the message before receiving the request to redeem the voucher comprises:

activating a recording device to record for an interval of time.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a gift of the voucher before receiving the request to activate the voucher.

17. The method of claim 16, in which setting a gift of the voucher comprises:

setting the gift of the voucher based on a previously-dispensed product.

18. The method of claim 16, in which setting a gift of the voucher comprises:

setting the gift of the voucher based on inventory data of the vending machine.

19. The method of claim 16, in which setting a gift of the voucher comprises:

setting the gift of the voucher based on sales data of the vending machine.

20. The method of claim 1, in which the series of alphanumeric characters consists of a series of from seven alphanumeric characters to sixteen alphanumeric characters.

21. A method comprising:

outputting, from a vending machine, a voucher which includes a voucher identifier,

in which the voucher is inactive;

after the step of outputting, receiving a request to activate the voucher;

after the step of outputting, receiving a payment at the vending machine;

determining, based on the voucher identifier, an amount of payment;

receiving at least the amount of payment;

activating the voucher, thereby yielding an active voucher;

after the step of activating the voucher, receiving a request to redeem the voucher,

determining a gift that corresponds to the voucher; and

providing the gift via the vending machine.

22. A method comprising:

retrieving, from a storage device, at least one rule that defines a triggering event;

determining that the triggering event has occurred;

after determining that the triggering event has occurred, outputting from a vending machine a voucher which includes a voucher identifier,

in which the voucher is inactive;

after the step of outputting, receiving a request to activate the voucher;

activating the voucher, thereby yielding an active voucher;

after the step of activating the voucher, receiving a request to redeem the voucher,

determining a gift that corresponds to the voucher; and

providing the gift via the vending machine.