PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES FOR VENDING A PLURALITY OF PRODUCTS VIA DEFINED GROUPS

• US 20080039972A1
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2003
• 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: Lee, Sih, Gelman, Geoffrey, Breitenbach, Paul, Jorasch, James, Signorelli, Paul, Tedesco, Daniel, Walker, Jay
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

Products and processes are disclosed for defining at least one inventory group. This at least one inventory group includes at least two products that are available for sale by a vending machine. The vending machine outputs an indication of products that the at least one inventory group includes. The vending machine receiving, from a customer, a selection of a first product that the at least one inventory group includes. The vending machine processes a sale of a unit of the first product and a respective unit of at least one additional product for a single price.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

outputting, by a vending machine, a first indication of a first subset of products sold be the vending machine that are part of a first inventory group, wherein the outputting of the first indication comprises selectively illuminating a first set of LED devices, and wherein each LED device of the first set of LED devices is coupled proximately to at least one product of the first subset of products;

outputting, by the vending machine, a second indication of a second subset of products sold be the vending machine that are part of a second inventory group, wherein the outputting of the second indication comprises selectively illuminating a second set of LED devices, and wherein each LED device of the second set of LED devices is coupled proximately to at least one product of the second subset of products;

outputting, by the vending machine, an offer for a customer to purchase a first product from the first subset of products and a second product from the second subset of products for a single package price;

receiving an indication, by the vending machine and from the customer, of a selection of the first product;

receiving an indication, by the vending machine and from the customer, of a selection of the second product;

receiving, by the vending machine, an indication of a payment, by the customer, of the single package price; and

dispensing, by the vending machine and in response to the receiving of the indication of the payment of the single package price by the customer, a unit of the first product and a unit of the second product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the single package price comprises an amount that is less than a sum of a first retail price of the first product and a second retail price of the second product.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the single package price comprises one dollar.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each LED device of the first set of LED devices is operable to illuminate a green color and wherein each LED device of the second set of LED devices is operable to illuminate a red color.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, by the vending machine, of the indication of the payment, by the customer, of the single package price, comprises:

receiving an indication that the customer desires to redeem an amount of pre-paid credits stored in an account associated with the customer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the single package price comprises a number of generic product units and wherein the receiving, by the vending machine, of the indication of the payment, by the customer, of the single package price, comprises:

receiving an indication that the customer desires to redeem an amount of generic product units stored in an account associated with the customer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first inventory group is defined by being populated with the top fifty-percent of products sold by the vending machine based on profit contribution factor.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device in communication with the processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to;

perform the method of claim 1.

9. A medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to:

perform the method of claim 1.