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METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A VENDING MACHINE

  • US 20100070075A1
  • Filed: 11/19/2009
  • Published: 03/18/2010
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2001
  • Status: Abandoned Application
First Claim
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1. A vending machine for dispensing packages to users of the vending machine, each said package containing at least one article therein, the vending machine comprising:

  • at least one package storage area located inside the vending machine which is operable to store said packages inside which are loaded therein by a vending machine operator;

    at least one package retrieving device operable to selectively retrieve the packages from the package storage area and to dispense the packages, via a dispensing port of the vending machine, to users of the vending machine who have operated the vending machine in a manner that has satisfied requirements which cause a cycle of dispensing operation of the vending machine;

    a processing unit which includes a substantially unalterable program which is installed therewith, which program causes said vending machine to be operable for permitting the dispensing of the packaged articles from the vending machine for a predetermined number of package dispensing cycles to a plurality of successive different users of the vending machine who have satisfied the requirements which cause successive cycles of dispensing operation of the vending machine, andwherein said processing unit includes a program means for keeping track of the total number of package dispensing cycles provided by said vending machine to said plurality of successive different users of said vending machine, for at least partially disabling the vending machine from dispensing at least some of the packages which are stored inside the vending machine to any further ones of said plurality of successive different users of the vending machine, said processing unit causing said at least partial disabling to occur subsequent to said predetermined number of package dispensing cycles having been reached, and said processing unit including further program means for;

    (1) thereafter maintaining said vending machine in said at least partially disabled state irrespective of the efforts of the further ones of said plurality of successive different users trying to operate said payment and selection apparatus in a manner so as to initiate successive cycles of dispensing operation of the vending machine, and (2) for re-enabling the vending machine so as to again allow package dispensing cycles to be caused by successive different users of the vending machine, in response to said further program means receiving a continuation code.

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