SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING VENDING INFORMATION
First Claim
1. A method for communicating vending information for a plurality of vendible media products having entertainment content therein to a control center, comprising the steps of:
- loading the vendible media products into an article transport storage unit;
assigning the article transport storage unit to a vending apparatus, where the vending apparatus comprises an article transport storage unit receiving station and at least one article storage rack;
receiving vending transaction data at the vending apparatus, the vending transaction data being representative of a plurality of vending transactions;
storing the vending transaction data in a memory;
loading the article transport storage unit into the article transport storage unit receiving station of the vending apparatus;
automatically transferring the vendible media products from the article transport storage unit to the at least one storage rack for later rental or purchase; and
,transmitting the vending transaction data from the memory to the control center after the article transport storage unit has been loaded.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for communicating vending information for a digital video disc is provided. A plurality of vending transaction data is received, wherein each of the plurality of data comprises a transaction timestamp and corresponds to a rental transaction for a digital video disc. The plurality of vending transaction data is stored in a memory of a vending apparatus, and is encrypted. It is determined whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed since a first transmission of transaction data from the vending apparatus, and a communication request is transmitted upon such determination to a remote control center. A signal is received at the vending apparatus from a control center in response to the communications request, and a plurality of vending transaction data is transmitted to the remote control center in response to receiving the signal.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method for communicating vending information for a plurality of vendible media products having entertainment content therein to a control center, comprising the steps of:
-
loading the vendible media products into an article transport storage unit; assigning the article transport storage unit to a vending apparatus, where the vending apparatus comprises an article transport storage unit receiving station and at least one article storage rack; receiving vending transaction data at the vending apparatus, the vending transaction data being representative of a plurality of vending transactions; storing the vending transaction data in a memory; loading the article transport storage unit into the article transport storage unit receiving station of the vending apparatus; automatically transferring the vendible media products from the article transport storage unit to the at least one storage rack for later rental or purchase; and
,transmitting the vending transaction data from the memory to the control center after the article transport storage unit has been loaded. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
10. A system for communicating vending information for a vendible media product to a control center controller via a transaction network, the vendible media product having entertainment content therein, comprising:
-
a vending machine; an article transport storage unit that may be removably installed into the vending machine, where the article transport storage unit stores a plurality of vendible media products and automatically transfers the vendible media products from the article transport storage unit to the vending machine; and
,a vending controller for sending vending transaction data to the control center controller via the transaction network after the article transportation storage unit is installed into the vending machine, wherein the vending transaction data corresponds to one or more rental transactions for the vendible media product. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
-
-
17. A system for communicating vending information for a vendible media product to a remote control center via a transaction network, the vending information being gathered by a plurality of vending machines and the vendible media product having entertainment content therein, comprising:
-
an article transport storage unit that may be removably installed into one of the vending machines, wherein the article transport storage unit stores vendible media products and automatically transfers the vendible media products from the article transport storage unit to the vending machine; and
,a vending controller for transmitting vending transaction data to the remote control center via the transaction network after the article transport storage unit is installed, wherein the vending transaction data corresponds to a rental transaction. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
-
-
20. A method for communicating vending information for a digital video disc having entertainment content therein to a remote control center, comprising the steps of:
-
receiving vending transaction data, wherein the vending transaction data includes a transaction timestamp and corresponds to a rental transaction for a digital video disc; storing the vending transaction data in a memory of a vending apparatus; encrypting the vending transaction data; loading an article transport storage unit; transmitting a communication request to the remote control center from the vending apparatus upon a determination that the article transport storage unit has been loaded; receiving at the vending apparatus a signal from the remote control center in response to the communication request; transmitting the vending transaction data to the remote control center in response to receiving the signal; and
,deleting the vending transaction data from the memory after the vending transaction data has been transmitted.
-
Specification