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

• US 20080109110A1
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Published: 05/08/2008
• 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: Gelman, Geoffrey, Jorasch, James, Signorelli, Paul, Lee, Sih, Tedesco, Daniel, Breitenbach, Paul, Walker, Jay
• Granted Patent: US 7,912,581 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/232
• 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:

presenting, to a customer and via a vending machine, an offer to purchase at least two products for a single package price, wherein a first product must be selected from a first inventory group and wherein a second product must be selected from a second inventory group;

receiving an indication that the customer desires to purchase the first product from the first inventory group and a third product also from the first inventory group;

presenting, to the customer and via the vending machine, an offer to purchase the first and third products for a single price that is greater than the single package price;

receiving an indication of a payment of the single greater price by the customer; and

dispensing, in response to the receiving of the indication of payment of the single greater price, the first and third products to the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer to purchase the at least two products for the single package price is presented in response to a selection, by the customer, of a package mode at the vending machine.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting indications of which products sold by the vending machine are included in the first and second inventory groups.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the outputting comprises selectively illuminating one or more lighting devices proximate to each product position within the vending machine.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more lighting devices comprise a first color LED to indicate products in the first inventory group and a second color LED to indicate products in the second inventory group.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the offer to purchase the at least two products for the single package price comprises an indication that the customer may select a product associated with an indication by the first color LED lighting devices and another product associated with an indication by the second color LED lighting devices.

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

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.