Systems and methods for vending machine customer account management

• US 20060247824A1
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2004
• 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: Tedesco, Daniel E., Lee, Sih Y., Walker, Jay S., Signorelli, Paul D., Breitenbach, Paul T., Breitenbach, Matthew D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/241
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• 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 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10

Abstract

Some embodiments are associated with providing, establishing, registering, administering, and/or managing vending machine subscription accounts. In some embodiments, third parties may administer and/or manage subscription-vending accounts associated with customers.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing an offer for a subscription to products offered for sale by a vending machine;

receiving an indication of an acceptance of the offer; and

registering the subscription, wherein the registering comprises;

determining a customer associated with the subscription;

determining a third party associated with the subscription; and

determining a subscription identifier associated with the subscription.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the registering further comprises:

storing an indication of each of (i) the customer, (ii) the third party, and (iii) the subscription identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more parameters governing the subscription.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more parameters are defined by the third party.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detect a presence of the customer proximate to the vending machine;

instructing the customer to provide payment;

receiving an indication of payment provided by the customer; and

determining that the payment exceeds a pre-defined threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the providing of the offer for the subscription is based at least in part on the determination that the payment exceeds the pre-defined threshold.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the subscription offer is provided to the customer in exchange for the provided payment.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether to provide the subscription offer.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the subscription offer from a plurality of available subscription offers.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscription identifier is determined by receiving an indication of the subscription identifier from at least one of the customer and the third party.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication of the subscription identifier comprises biometric data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscription identifier is defined by the vending machine.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the subscription identifier to the customer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the subscription identifier is provided to the customer via at least one of (i) e-mail, (ii) sound, (iii) graphical display, or (iv) a voucher.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a vending machine, an indication of a subscription identifier;

receiving an indication of a product selection;

determining a parameter governing a subscription associated with the identifier, wherein the parameter is defined by a third party;

determining whether the product selection is in conformance with the third-party parameter governing the subscription; and

dispensing, in the case that the product selection is determined to be in conformance with the third-party parameter governing the subscription, the selected product.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting a presence of a customer in proximity to the vending machine; and

instructing the customer to provide the subscription identifier.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the receiving of the subscription identifier comprises at least one of:

(i) receiving an indication of the subscription identifier via a keypad;

(ii) receiving an indication of the subscription identifier via a biometric device;

(iii) receiving an aural indication of the subscription identifier; and

(iv) receiving an indication of the subscription identifier by reading a voucher comprising the indication.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

verifying the subscription identifier.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein in the case that it is determined that the product selection is not in conformance with the third-party parameter governing the subscription, further comprising:

outputting a message, the message comprising a description associated with the reason that the product selection was determined not to be in conformance with the third-party parameter governing the subscription.

20. A method, comprising:

receiving funds from a third party;

establishing, based on the receipt of the funds from the third party, a subscription account for a customer, wherein the subscription account entitles the customer to redeem units of products offered for sale by a vending machine;

receiving, from the third party, an indication of a definition of a parameter associated with the subscription account for the customer;

receiving, after the establishment of the subscription account for the customer, an indication of a product selection made by the customer at the vending machine;

determining whether the product selection satisfies the parameter defined by the third party; and

dispensing, in the case that the product selection is determined to satisfy the parameter defined by the third party, the selected product to the customer.