AUTOMATED BUSINESS SYSTEM AND METHOD OF VENDING AND RETURNING A CONSUMER PRODUCT

• US 20090143905A1
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donald Blust, Thomas Driscoll
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Blust, Donald, Driscoll, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,041,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/241
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/069 by box-like containers, e.g. videocassettes, books
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

System and method of dispensing disc-based media and other consumer products. A user can interact with an automated business system to select disc-based media for rental and/or purchase. The automated business system can retrieve the selection from the interior of the automated business system and dispense the selection through a port to the user. The automated business system can retrieve the selection from the port in a return process.

Claims

1. A method of servicing a disc-based media system, the method comprising:

accessing the disc-based media system with a remote computer terminal;

communicating with one of a server and a retrieval system within the disc-based media system;

diagnosing performance of the server and the retrieval system; and

correcting problems associated with the disc-based media system.