System and method for selling a rental media product

• US 20060254862A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Redbox Automated Retail LLC (Chicken Soup For The Soul Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Redbox Automated Retail LLC (Chicken Soup For The Soul Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Hoersten, Eric
• Application Number:
  US11/408,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20060254862A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 186/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/004 Restocking arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/007 wherein the storage and dispensing mechanism are configurable in relation to the physical or geometrical properties of the articles to be stored or dispensed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/04 in which magazines the articles are stored one vertically above the other
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/26 Endless bands
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/48 the storage containers or supports, e.g. magazine, being pivotally mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/50 the storage containers or supports being rotatably mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/54 about vertical axes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 : for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/005 : for the hiring of content carriers, e.g. of DVDs or CDs reverse vending for box-like objects such as videocassettes G07F7/069
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 : for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 : for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/069 : by box-like containers, e.g. videocassettes, books
• 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 9/023 : Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 : for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/10 : Casings or parts thereof, e.g. with means for heating or cooling

Abstract

A system and method for selling a rental digital video disc is provided. A request from a user to rent the digital video disc is received. First transaction data from a user interface is received, wherein the first transaction data comprises financial information corresponding to a user financial account. An electronic mail address is received, corresponding to a specific user. The digital video disc is vended from a vending machine, and it is determined whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed since a prior transmission of an electronic mail message to the electronic mail address. Upon such a determination, an electronic mail message is transmitted to the electronic mail address, wherein the message comprises a uniform resource locator specifying an Internet website through which the rental digital video disc can be purchased. The method also comprises the step of receiving second transaction data via the Internet website.

Claims

1. A method for selling a rental media product having entertainment content therein, comprising the steps of:

receiving transaction data from a user interface, wherein the transaction data comprises an electronic mail address for a user;

vending the rental product from a vending apparatus to the user; and

,

transmitting an electronic mail message to the electronic mail address, wherein the electronic mail message comprises an invitation to purchase the rental media product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the rental media product is a digital video disc.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of receiving the transaction data and vending the rental media product are automatically performed at least in part by a vending controller within the vending apparatus.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of transmitting the electronic mail message is performed by a central controller at a location remote from the vending apparatus.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic mail message comprises a uniform resource locator specifying an Internet website through which the rental media product can be purchased.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

querying a database to determine whether the rental product has been marked for sale.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

querying a database to determine a sale price for the rental product.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving a user identification from the user interface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user identification comprises one of a series of digits corresponding to a credit card account, and a billing zip code corresponding to the credit card account.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed since a prior transmission of an electronic mail message to the electronic mail address.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of transmitting the electronic mail message is based on a determination that the predetermined period of time has elapsed.

12. A system for selling a rental media product having entertainment content therein, comprising:

a central controller for receiving first transaction data from a vending controller, wherein the first transaction data comprises an identifier corresponding to the rental media product and an electronic mail address corresponding to a user;

an electronic mail application for transmitting an electronic mail message to the electronic mail address, wherein the electronic mail message comprises an invitation to purchase the rental media product; and

,

a purchase application for receiving second transaction data from the user, wherein the second transaction data comprises a request to purchase the rental media product.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the rental media product is a digital video disc.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the central controller is located at a first location and the vending controller is located at a second location remote from the first location.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the electronic mail message comprises a uniform resource locator specifying an Internet website through which the rental media product can be purchased.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the purchase application receives a user identification from the user, wherein the user identification is one of a series of digits corresponding to a credit card account, and a billing zip code corresponding to the credit card account.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the electronic mail application determines whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed since a prior transmission of an electronic mail message to the electronic mail address.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the electronic mail application transmits the electronic mail message upon a determination that the predetermined period of time has elapsed.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the first transaction data comprises financial information corresponding to a financial account of the user, and wherein the second transaction data does not comprise financial information.

20. A method for selling a rental digital video disc having entertainment content therein, comprising:

receiving a request from a user to rent the rental digital video disc;

receiving first transaction data from a user interface, wherein the first transaction data comprises financial information corresponding to a user financial account;

receiving an electronic mail address from the user interface corresponding to a specific user and related to the user financial account;

vending the digital video disc from a vending machine comprising the user interface;

determining whether a predetermined period of time has passed since a prior transmission of a first electronic mail message to the electronic mail address;

transmitting a second electronic mail message to the electronic mail address upon a determination that the predetermined period of time has elapsed, wherein the second electronic mail message comprises a uniform resource location specifying an Internet website through which the rental digital video disc can be purchased; and

,

receiving second transaction data via the Internet website, wherein the second transaction data comprises a user identifier corresponding to the user financial account without any of the financial information.