Systems and methods for collecting vend data from, and exchanging information with, vending machines and other devices
First Claim
1. A communication device for use with a vending machine, the communication device comprising:
- a body configured to be attached to a portion of the vending machine;
a controller supported by the body, wherein the controller is configured to receive information from the vending machine; and
a transmitter operably connected to the controller, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit at least a portion of the information received from the vending machine to a data collection device spaced apart from the communication device.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for exchanging information with vending machines and other devices are described herein. A vending machine configured in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes a monetary input device and a data transceiver. The monetary input device can be configured to receive monetary instruments (e.g., coins, bills, or cards) from users of the vending machine. The data transceiver is configured to wirelessly transmit information received from the monetary input device to a data collection device spaced apart from the transceiver. In one embodiment, the vending machine can further include a metering component operably connected to the monetary input device and the transceiver. The metering component can be configured to compile vend data based on information received from the monetary input device. In this embodiment, the data transceiver can be configured to wirelessly transmit the vend data to the data collection device.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A communication device for use with a vending machine, the communication device comprising:
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a body configured to be attached to a portion of the vending machine;
a controller supported by the body, wherein the controller is configured to receive information from the vending machine; and
a transmitter operably connected to the controller, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit at least a portion of the information received from the vending machine to a data collection device spaced apart from the communication device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A data transceiver for use with a vending machine, the data transceiver comprising:
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a body configured to be attached to a portion of the vending machine;
a microcontroller supported by the body, wherein the microcontroller is configured to receive vend data from the vending machine; and
an optical transceiver module operably connected to the microcontroller, wherein the optical transceiver module includes an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver, wherein the infrared receiver is configured to receive instructions from a data collection device spaced apart from the data transceiver, and wherein the infrared transmitter is configured to transmit at least a portion of the vend data to the data collection device in response to the instructions. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A vending machine comprising:
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a monetary input device configured to receive a monetary instrument from a user; and
a transmitter configured to receive information from the monetary input device, wherein the transmitter is further configured to wirelessly transmit the information to a data collection device spaced apart from the transmitter. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system comprising:
a vending machine, the vending machine including;
a monetary input device configured to receive a monetary instrument from a user; and
a transmitter configured to receive vend information from the monetary input device; and
a data collection device spaced apart from the vending machine, wherein the data collection device is configured to wirelessly receive the vend information from the transmitter. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions configured to cause a data transceiver associated with a vending machine to transmit information by a method comprising:
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receiving a request for vend data; and
in response to receiving the request, wirelessly transmitting the vend data to a data collection device spaced apart from the vending machine. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for use with a vending machine, the method comprising:
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receiving a first monetary input from a first user;
receiving a second monetary input from a second user; and
wirelessly transmitting information related to the first and second monetary inputs from the vending machine to a remote device spaced apart from the vending machine. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method for servicing a vending machine, the method comprising:
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collecting money from within the vending machine;
wirelessly collecting vend data from the vending machine, wherein the vend data is associated with the collected money; and
transferring the vend data to a remote computing system. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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38. A system for use with a vending machine, the system comprising:
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means for receiving a first monetary input from a first user;
means for receiving a second monetary input from a second user; and
means for wirelessly transmitting information related to the first and second monetary inputs from the vending machine to a data collection device spaced apart from the vending machine. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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Specification