System including a handheld device for checking inventory of vending machines

• US 20060074777A1
• Filed: 10/05/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eric E. Anderson
• Original Assignee: Eric E. Anderson
• Inventors: Anderson, Eric E.
• Application Number:
  US10/958,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20060074777A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system for facilitating the monitoring and managing of the inventory of vending machines utilizing a handheld inventory checker capable of communicating with the vending machines to communicate therebetween data corresponding to the remaining inventory of each checked vending machine. The handheld inventory checker includes software to monitor the inventory and based upon the data received from the communications from the vending machine, calculate and display the type and number of required items to be restocked in each particular vending machine.

Claims

1. A device for checking the inventory of vending machines, said device comprising:

a communicator for facilitating the transfer of data between the device and the vending machine;

a display for displaying information corresponding to data transferred from the vending machine; and

a control panel for facilitating user input into the device.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said communicator includes a wireless communication system for facilitating wireless data communications between the device and the vending machines.

3. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said communicator includes a network port for facilitating wired data communications between the device and the vending machines.

4. The device as recited in claim 1, and further including software for processing at least a portion of the data received from the vending machines to determine needed inventory of the vending machines.

5. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said communicator includes a wireless communication system for facilitating wireless data communications between the device and the vending machines;

and the device includes software for processing at least a portion of the data received from the vending machines to determine needed inventory of the vending machines.

6. A system for monitoring and managing the inventory of vending machines, said system comprising:

an inventory monitoring device within at least one vending machine for monitoring the inventory of goods of the at least one vending machine;

a communication device within the at least one vending machine connected to the inventory monitoring device; and

a handheld inventory checker, the handheld inventory checker including a communication device, wherein said communication device of the handheld inventory checker and the communication device of the vending machine facilitate data communications between the vending machine and the handheld inventory checker.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein said handheld inventory checker includes a control panel for user input.

8. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein each of said communication device of the handheld inventory checker and the communication device of the vending machine include a wireless communication device to facilitate wireless communication between the handheld inventory checker and the vending machine.

9. The system as recited in claim 6, and further including a computer, said computer capable of communication with the handheld inventory checker.

10. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein said handheld inventory checker includes software for processing at least a portion of the data received from the at least one vending machine to determine needed inventory of the vending machine.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein said software further for monitoring historical inventory of the at least one vending machine.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said software further for projecting future inventory based upon the historical inventory of the at least one vending machine.

13. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein said at least one vending machine includes an identification code.

14. A system for monitoring and managing the inventory of vending machines, said system comprising:

an inventory monitoring device within at least one vending machine for monitoring the inventory of goods of the at least one vending machine;

a communication device within the at least one vending machine connected to the inventory monitoring device;

a handheld inventory checker, the handheld inventory checker including a communication device, wherein said communication device of the handheld inventory checker and the communication device of the vending machine facilitate data communications between the vending machine and the handheld inventory checker; and

software for processing data corresponding to inventory of goods.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the software is in the handheld inventory checker.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said handheld inventory checker includes a control panel for user input and a display for displaying to the user at least data corresponding to the inventory of goods of the at least one vending machine.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein each of said communication device of the handheld inventory checker and the communication device of the vending machine include a wireless communication device to facilitate wireless communication between the handheld inventory checker and the vending machine.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein said software further for monitoring historical inventory of the at least one vending machine.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein said software further for projecting future inventory based upon the historical inventory of the at least one vending machine.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein said at least one vending machine includes an identification code.