Method and apparatus for defining and utilizing product location in a vending machine

• US 20060102645A1
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• 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., Lee, Sih Y., Walker, Jay S., Signorelli, Paul D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,041,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/75
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0223 based on inventory
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/36 in which the magazines are of helical or spiral form
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

In accordance with one embodiment, a vending machine comprises a plurality of receptacles for holding units of products, each receptacle operable to hold a respective plurality of units in a series. The vending machine further comprises a dispensing mechanism operable to dispense, from each receptacle, a first unit in the respective plurality of units, the dispensing mechanism thereby being operable to dispense only a first unit from the respective series at a time. The vending machine further comprises a means for determining, for a unit, information allowing a relationship among the unit and a location of the unit in the receptacle to be determined.

Claims

1. A vending machine, comprising:

a plurality of receptacles for holding units of products, each receptacle operable to hold a respective plurality of units in a series;

a dispensing mechanism operable to dispense, from each receptacle, a first unit in the respective plurality of units, the dispensing mechanism thereby being operable to dispense only a first unit from the respective series at a time; and

means for determining, for a unit, information allowing a relationship among the unit and a location of the unit in the receptacle to be determined.

2. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the means for determining information comprises a memory of the vending machine.

3. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the means for determining information comprises a remote memory accessible by the vending machine via a network.

4. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the means for determining information comprises a memory associated with a unit of a product.

5. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a radio frequency identification tag.

6. The vending machine of claim 1, further comprising:

means for performing an action based on the information

7. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the information defines, for a position, an identity of the unit.

8. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the information defines, for an identity of the unit, a position of the unit.

9. A vending machine, comprising:

a plurality of receptacles for holding units of products, each receptacle operable to hold a respective plurality of units in a series;

a dispensing mechanism operable to dispense, from each receptacle, a first unit in the respective plurality of units, the dispensing mechanism thereby being operable to dispense only a first unit from the respective series at a time; and

a means for determining, for a unit of product stored in the vending machine, a position defined by an x, y and z coordinate.

10. A method for loading a vending machine, comprising:

providing, to a vending machine, data that allows, for a unit of product stored in the vending machine, a determination of a relationship among the unit and a location of the unit in a receptacle of the vending machine,

wherein the vending machine comprises;

a plurality of receptacles for holding units of products, each receptacle operable to hold a respective plurality of units in a series; and

a dispensing mechanism operable to dispense, from each receptacle, a first unit in the respective plurality of units, the dispensing mechanism thereby being operable to dispense only a first unit from the respective series at a time.

11. A method, comprising:

storing, in a memory of a vending machine, an indication of a first price and an indication of a second price associated with a single receptacle of the vending machine, the receptacle being operable to store a plurality of units of products,

wherein only one of the indication of the first price and the indication of the second price is active at a time;

storing, in the memory of the vending machine, a rule for determining which one of the indication of first price and the indication of the second price is to be active, the rule being a rule based at least on inventory data of the vending machine.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein

the indication of the first price comprises an indication that a unit of product next available for vending from the receptacle is available for inclusion in a package of products, and

the indication of the second price comprises an indication that a unit of product next available for vending from the receptacle is not available for inclusion in a package of products.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein

the indication of the first price comprises a first monetary amount required for purchase of a unit of product next available for vending from the receptacle, and

the indication of the second price comprises a second monetary amount required for purchase of a unit of product next available for vending from the receptacle.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the rule comprises a rule based on an inventory status of the receptacle.

15. A method, comprising:

storing, in a memory of a vending machine, an indication of a first number of units of a first product placed in a receptacle of the vending machine and an indication of a second number of units of a second product placed in the receptacle,

wherein the units of the first product and the units of the second product are placed in the receptacle one behind another such that only a single unit of one of the first product and the second product can be vended from the vending machine at a time;

storing, in the memory, a first price associated with the first product and a second price associated with the second product;

storing, in the memory, a rule for determining which price is to be displayed as the price associated with the receptacle,

wherein the rule indicates that either the first price or the second price is to be displayed based on whether a unit of the first product or a unit of the second product is next available for vending from the vending machine.

16. A method, comprising:

determining, for a receptacle of a vending machine, a first product that is a product next available for vending from the receptacle;

determining, for the receptacle, a second product stored in the receptacle, the second product being stored behind the first product and thus not being next available for vending from the receptacle;

determining that a predetermined rule has been satisfied, thereby determining that a process is to be executed to facilitate making the second product next available for vending from the receptacle; and

executing the process.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein executing the process comprises:

outputting a promotion for the first product in an effort to make the second product available for vending from the receptacle.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein determining that a predetermined rule has been satisfied comprises:

determining that a demand for the second product exceeds a predetermined threshold.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein determining that a predetermined rule has been satisfied comprises:

determining that a consumer has indicated an interest in purchasing the second product and that the second product is not next available for vending from any other receptacle of the vending machine.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein determining that a predetermined rule has been satisfied comprises:

determining that a demand for the first product is below a predetermined threshold.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein determining that a predetermined rule has been satisfied comprises:

determining that profit management data indicates that it would be advantageous to an operator of the vending machine for the second product to be next available for vending from the receptacle.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the product inventory management data comprises at least one of the following:

a profitability of at least one of the first product and the second product;

a cost to the operator of at least one of the first product and the second product;

an ideal product velocity of at least one of the first product and the second product;

a current product velocity of at least one of the first product and the second product;

a request from a customer for the first product; and

an indication of positions in which units of at least one of the first product and the second product are located in the vending machine.