Products and processes for controlling access to vending machine products

• US 20050187656A1
• Filed: 02/22/2005
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings 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., Walker, Jay S., Breitenbach, Paul T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,353,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention includes receiving a request to purchase a product from a vending machine. At least one question to be output is determined, and the determined question is output. An interface is provided which that permits at least one answer to the at least one question to be entered by a customer. At least one answer to the at least one question is received via the interface. Based on the answer, a level of access to one or more products available for sale by the vending machine is determined. A product is provided if the level of access permits providing of a product.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request to purchase a product from a vending machine;

determining at least one question to be output;

outputting the determined question;

providing an interface that permits at least one answer to the at least one question to be entered by a customer;

receiving, via the interface, at least one answer to the at least one question;

determining, based on the answer, a level of access to one or more products available for sale by the vending machine; and

providing a product if the level of access permits providing of a product.

2. The method of claim 1, in which determining, based on the answer, a level of access to one or more products available for sale by the vending machine comprises:

determining, based on whether the answer is correct, a level of access to one or more products available for sale by the vending machine.

3. The method of claim 1, in which determining, based on the answer, a level of access to one or more products available for sale by the vending machine comprises:

determining, based on whether a threshold number of answers are correct, a level of access to one or more products available for sale by the vending machine.

4. The method of claim 1, in which determining, based on the answer, a level of access to one or more products available for sale by the vending machine comprises:

determining, based on the answer, a set of products which may be dispensed.

5. The method of claim 4, in which determining, based on the answer, a set of products which may be dispensed comprises:

determining, if the answer corresponds to a first answer, a first set of products which may be dispensed; and

determining, if the answer corresponds to a second answer, a second set of products which may be dispensed.

6. The method of claim 1, in which determining, based on the answer, a level of access to one or more products available for sale by the vending machine comprises:

determining, based on the answer, a monetary value to be added to a credit balance of the vending machine;

and in which providing a product if the level of access permits providing of a product comprises;

adding the monetary value to the credit balance of the vending machine.

7. The method of claim 6, in which determining, based on the answer, a monetary value to be added to a credit balance of the vending machine comprises:

determining, if the answer corresponds to a first answer, a first monetary value to be added to a credit balance of the vending machine; and

determining, if the answer corresponds to a second answer, a second monetary value to be added to a credit balance of the vending machine.

8. The method of claim 1, in which outputting the determined question comprises:

outputting a question that is related to at least one of nutrition and health.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether to output a question;

in which the step of outputting the determined question is performed based on the determination of whether to output a question.

10. The method of claim 9, in which determining whether to output a question comprises:

determining, based on the product requested to be purchased, whether to output a question.

13. The method of claim 11, in which determining, based on the answer, a level of access to one or more products available for sale by the vending machine comprises:

determining, based on the answer, a set of products which may be dispensed.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a request to purchase a product from a vending machine;

determining, based on the product requested to be purchased, whether to output a question;

determining at least one question to be output by comparing the product requested to be purchased with a database of criteria for determining questions;

outputting the determined question on a display device of the vending machine;

providing a graphical interface on a touch screen, in which the graphical interface permits at least one answer to the at least one question to be entered by a customer and received by the vending machine,

in which the interface defines a set of actuatable graphical buttons, each button corresponding to a possible answer;

receiving, via the graphical interface, at least one answer to the at least one question;

determining, based on whether the answer is correct, a level of access to one or more products available for sale by the vending machine; and

providing a product if the level of access permits providing of a product.

12. The method of claim 11, in which outputting the determined question comprises:

outputting a question that is related to at least one of nutrition and health.

14. A method comprising:

receiving a request to purchase a product from a vending machine;

determining, based on the product requested to be purchased, whether to output a question by comparing the product requested to be purchased with a first database of criteria;

determining at least one question and an enumerated list of possible answers to be output by comparing the product requested to be purchased with a second database of criteria;

outputting the determined question and an enumerated set of possible answers on a touch screen of the vending machine;

providing a graphical interface on the touch screen, in which the graphical interface permits one of the possible answers to be selected by a customer and received by the vending machine,

in which the interface defines a set of actuatable graphical buttons, each button corresponding to one of the set of possible answers and each button displaying text that represents the corresponding possible answer;

receiving, via the graphical interface, a selection of one possible answer;

determining, based on whether the selected answer is correct, whether any product may be dispensed by comparing the selected answer with the second database of criteria; and

providing a product if it is determined that any product may be dispensed.

15. The method of claim 14, in which determining, based on whether the selected answer is correct, whether any product may be dispensed by comparing the selected answer with the second database of criteria comprises:

determining, based on the selected answer, a set of products which may be dispensed.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

dispensing one of the set of products which may be dispensed.