Apparatus And Method For Monitoring And Control Of Remotely Located Equipment

• US 20090013028A1
• Filed: 07/02/2007
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crane Payment Innovations, Inc. (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Crane Merchandising Systems Incorporated (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Godwin, Bryan W., Canter, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,959,028 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A remote data acquisition and transmission system for vending machines may be provided. The system may comprise a vending machine and at least one host device. The vending machine may comprise a vending machine controller; and an Internet Protocol (IP) network interface operable to communicate operation data to and from the vending machine controller. The at least one host device may be communicatively coupled to the IP network interface via at least one IP network, and the host device may be operable to communicate operation data to and from the IP network interface.

Claims

1. A remote data acquisition and transmission system for vending machines, comprising:

a vending machine comprising;

a vending machine controller; and

an Internet Protocol (IP) network interface operable to communicate operation data to and from the vending machine controller;

at least one host device communicatively coupled to the IP network interface via at least one IP network, the host device operable to communicate operation data to and from the IP network interface.

2. The system of claim 1, the at least one IP network operable to communicate operation data between the at least one host device and the IP network interface using at least one protocol selected from the group consisting of hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), file transfer protocol (FTP), simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), simple object access protocol (SOAP), and simple network management protocol (SNMP).

3. The system of claim 1, the IP network interface comprising an IP server.

4. The system of claim 3, the IP server operable to generate electronic mail comprising operation data to the host.

5. The system of claim 1, the IP network interface comprising a web server.

6. The system of claim 5, the web server operable to serve web pages comprising operation data.

7. The system of claim 1, the host device comprising a web browser operable to display operation data.

8. The system of claim 7, the web browser further operable to alter operation data.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the IP network interface is addressable by an IP address, and the system further comprises a domain name service operable to permit the at least one host device to address the IP network interface by a fixed uniform resource locator (URL), regardless of whether the IP address for the IP network interface is static or dynamic.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the IP network supported by wireless transmissions; and

the IP network interface comprising a wireless transceiver for communicating via the IP network.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the IP network supported by wire-line transmissions; and

the IP network interface comprising a wire-line transceiver for communicating via the IP network.

12. The system of claim 1, the operation data comprising at least one of:

(a) dispensing and inventory data, (b) cash levels, and (c) equipment status data.

13. The system of claim 1, the vending machine comprising a beverage dispensing device.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the vending machine controller comprises the IP network interface.

15. The system of claim 1, the vending machine further comprising an audit device, the audit device comprising the IP network interface.

16. The system of claim 1, the host device comprising a simple network management protocol (SNMP) management station.

17. The system of claim 16, the vending machine comprising an SNMP agent or subagent.

18. A remote data acquisition and transmission system for industrial machines, comprising:

an industrial machine comprising;

a controller; and

an Internet Protocol (IP) network interface operable to communicate operation data to and from the controller;

at least one host device communicatively coupled to the IP network interface via at least one IP network, the host device operable to communicate operation data to and from the IP network interface.

19. The system of claim 18, the at least one IP network operable to communicate operation data between the at least one host device and the IP network interface using at least one protocol selected from the group consisting of hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), file transfer protocol (FTP), simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), simple object access protocol (SOAP), and simple network management protocol (SNMP).

20. The system of claim 18, the IP network interface comprising an IP server.

21. The system of claim 20, the IP server operable to generate emails comprising operation data to the host.

22. The system of claim 18, the IP network interface comprising a web server.

23. The system of claim 22, the web server operable to serve web pages comprising operation data.

24. The system of claim 18, the host device comprising a web browser operable to display operation data.

25. The system of claim 24, the web browser further operable to alter operation data.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the IP network interface is addressable by a first IP address, and the system further comprises a domain name service operable to permit the at least one host device to address the IP network interface by a fixed uniform resource locator (URL), regardless of whether the IP address for the IP network interface is static or dynamic.

27. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

the IP network supported by wireless transmissions; and

the IP network interface comprising a wireless transceiver for communicating via the IP network.

28. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

the IP network supported by wire-line transmissions; and

the IP network interface comprising a wire-line transceiver for communicating via the IP network.

29. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller comprises the IP network interface.

30. The system of claim 18, the industrial machine comprising an audit device, the audit device comprising the IP network interface.

31. The system of claim 18, the host device comprising a simple network management protocol (SNMP) management station.

32. The system of claim 31, the industrial machine comprising an SNMP agent or subagent.

33. A method of remote data acquisition and transmission, comprising:

interfacing at least one Internet Protocol (IP) network interface with a remote vending machine, the IP network interface operable to communicate operation data to and from the remote vending machine;

communicatively coupling the IP network interface to a host device operable to communicate operation data to and from the IP network interface;

communicating operation data between the IP network interface and the remote vending machine; and

communicating operation data between the host device and the IP network interface.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein communicating operation data between the host device and the IP network interface comprises communicating operation data using at least one protocol selected from the group consisting of hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), file transfer protocol (FTP), simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), simple object access protocol (SOAP), and simple network management protocol (SNMP).

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising displaying the operation data on the host device.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising altering the operation data using a web browser.

37. The method of claim 33, further comprising permitting the host device to address the IP network interface by a fixed uniform resource locator (URL), regardless of whether an IP address associated with the IP network interface is static or dynamic.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein communicating operation data between the host device and the IP network interface comprises communicating operation data over a wireless network.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein communicating operation data between the host device and the IP network interface comprises communicating operation data over a wire-line network.

40. The method of claim 33, the operation data comprising at least one of:

(a) dispensing and inventory data, (b) cash levels, and (c) equipment status data.

41. The method of claim 33, the vending machine comprising a beverage dispensing device.

42. A method of remote data acquisition and transmission, comprising:

interfacing at least one Internet Protocol (IP) network interface with remote industrial machine, the IP network interface operable to communicate operation data to and from the remote industrial machine;

communicatively coupling the IP network interface to a host device operable to communicate operation data to and from the IP network interface;

communicating operation data between the IP network interface and the remote industrial machine; and

communicating operation data between the host device and the IP network interface.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein communicating operation data between the host device and the IP network interface comprises communicating operation data using at least one protocol selected from the group consisting of hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), file transfer protocol (FTP), simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), simple object access protocol (SOAP), and simple network management protocol (SNMP).

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising displaying the operation data on the host device.

45. The method of claim 42, further comprising altering the operation data using a web browser.

46. The method of claim 42, further comprising permitting the host device to address the IP network interface by a fixed uniform resource locator (URL), regardless of whether an IP address associated with the IP network interface is static or dynamic.

47. The method of claim 42, wherein communicating operation data between the host device and the IP network interface comprises communicating operation data over a wireless network.

48. The method of claim 42, wherein communicating operation data between the host device and the IP network interface comprises communicating operation data over a wire-line network.

49. A vending machine comprising:

a controller operable to control operations of the vending machine and to monitor vending machine operation data; and

an Internet Protocol (IP) network interface operable to;

communicate operation data to and from the controller; and

communicate operation data with an IP network.

50. The vending machine of claim 49, the IP network interface operable to communicate operation data with the IP network using at least one protocol selected from the group consisting of hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), file transfer protocol (FTP), simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), simple object access protocol (SOAP), and simple network management protocol (SNMP).

51. The vending machine of claim 49, the IP network interface comprising an IP server.

52. The vending machine of claim 51, the IP server operable to generate emails comprising operation data.

53. The vending machine of claim 49, the IP network interface comprising a web server.

54. The vending machine of claim 53, the web server operable to serve web pages comprising operation data.

55. The vending machine of claim 49, the IP network interface further operable to, via the IP network, communicate operation data to a host device operable to display the operation data.

56. The vending machine of claim 49, the IP network interface further operable to, via the IP network, receive operation data from a host device operable to alter the operation data.

57. The vending machine of claim 49, wherein the IP network interface is addressable by an IP address, and the IP network interface is configured to be communicatively coupled to a domain name service operable to permit a host device communicatively coupled to the IP network interface to address the IP network interface by a fixed uniform resource locator (URL), regardless of whether the IP address for the IP network interface is static or dynamic.

58. The vending machine of claim 49, further comprising:

the IP network interface operable to communicate via wireless transmissions; and

the IP network interface comprising a wireless transceiver for communicating via the IP network.

59. The vending machine of claim 49, further comprising:

the IP network operable to communicate via wire-line transmissions; and

the IP network interface comprising a wire-line transceiver for communicating via the IP network.

60. The vending machine of claim 49, the operation data comprising at least one of:

(a) dispensing and inventory data, (b) cash levels, and (c) equipment status data.

61. The vending machine of claim 49, the vending machine comprising a beverage dispensing device.

62. The vending machine of claim 49, wherein the vending machine controller comprises the IP network interface.

63. The vending machine of claim 49, the vending machine further comprising an audit device, the audit device comprising the IP network interface.

64. The vending machine of claim 49, further comprising a simple network management protocol (SNMP) agent or subagent.

65. An audit device for auditing a vending machine, the audit device comprising:

a multi-drop bus (MDB) interface for communicating with an MDB interface of a vending machine controller (VMC) in the vending machine;

a data exchange (DEX) interface in for communicating with a DEX interface of the VMC in the vending machine; and

an Internet Protocol (IP) network interface for communicating operation data with an IP network.

66. The audit device of claim 65, the IP network interface operable to communicate operation data with the IP network using at least one protocol selected from the group consisting of hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), file transfer protocol (FTP), simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), simple object access protocol (SOAP), and simple network management protocol (SNMP).

67. The audit device of claim 65, the IP network interface comprising an IP server.

68. The audit device of claim 67, the IP server operable to generate emails comprising operation data.

69. The audit device of claim 65, the IP network interface comprising a web server.

70. The system of claim 69, the web server operable to serve web pages comprising operation data.

71. The audit device of claim 65, the IP network interface further operable to, via the IP network, communicate operation data to a host device operable to display the operation data.

72. The audit device of claim 65, the IP network interface further operable to, via the IP network, receive operation data from a host device operable to alter the operation data.

73. The audit device of claim 65, wherein the IP network interface is addressable by an IP address, and the IP network interface is configured to be communicatively coupled to a domain name service operable to permit a host device communicatively coupled to the IP network interface to address the IP network interface by a fixed uniform resource locator (URL), regardless of whether the IP address for the IP network interface is static or dynamic.

74. The audit device of claim 65, further comprising:

the IP network interface operable to communicate via wireless transmissions; and

the IP network interface comprising a wireless transceiver for communicating via the IP network.

75. The audit device of claim 65, further comprising:

the IP network operable to communicate via wire-line transmissions; and

the IP network interface comprising a wire-line transceiver for communicating via the IP network.

76. The audit device of claim 65 further comprising a simple network management protocol (SNMP) agent or subagent.