Method and Apparatus for Controlling a Vending Machine
First Claim
1. A vending machine characterized in that the graphical user interface for operating said vending machine is implemented as DVD Menu structures on a DVD disc medium placed in a DVD player or implemented as DVD-like Menu structures on a DVD-like medium in a DVD-like player, whereby said DVD-like player supports at least a level of user interactivity, comparable to the navigation features available in the current DVD platform technology.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A solution comprising cost-effective methods and techniques for converting a traditional vending machine into a vending machine with a graphical user interface, multimedia advertising and info kiosk capabilities. A key aspect of this invention is the integration of a consumer DVD player in a vending machine, in which the graphical user interface is implemented as DVD Menu structures stored on a DVD disc that also contains the video clips. Another aspect of this invention, is the changed logic of a traditional vending machine to delay item dispense until a video clip has been played. The present invention provides interfacing methods between a DVD player, a Vending Machine Controller and an optional microcontroller. These methods can be used to implement a communication protocol between a DVD player and a microcontroller. The methods and techniques of the invention can be integrated in an MDB peripheral device of a vending machine.
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Citations
119 Claims
- 1. A vending machine characterized in that the graphical user interface for operating said vending machine is implemented as DVD Menu structures on a DVD disc medium placed in a DVD player or implemented as DVD-like Menu structures on a DVD-like medium in a DVD-like player, whereby said DVD-like player supports at least a level of user interactivity, comparable to the navigation features available in the current DVD platform technology.
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63. A method for playing back a random clip without possible repeats on a DVD player, said method using a scratch card algorithm characterized in that said algorithm
plays back clips on a DVD disc medium placed in said DVD player; -
is implemented by setting and resetting bits in a number of GPRM registers on said DVD player; is implemented using instructions in the pre statements and/or post statements section of PGC title objects stored on said DVD disc medium; can be split over several PGC title objects to overcome the maximum amount of possible consecutive instructions in one pre statements or post statements section if necessary, and if this is the case instructions are used to jump in the post statements section of one PGC title object to the pre statements section of another PGC title object with the next block of instructions; comprises the steps of; checking if all movies have been played by checking if all the bits in a number of GPRM registers are set to 1; clearing the scratch card if all movies have been played by clearing all the bits in a number of GPRM registers to 0; drawing a random number using a pseudo-random number generator by calling an instruction that returns a random number and stores this number in a GPRM register; checking if the movie with index number equal to the drawn random number was already played by checking the scratch card by checking if the proper bit value in the proper GPRM register is set to 1; redrawing a random number if the movie was already played, whereby this process of redrawing continues until a random number is found for which the corresponding movie with the index number equal to the drawn random number is not played yet; scratching the movie index in a scratch card register by setting the proper bit value in the proper GPRM register to 1; playing the random movie on said DVD player by jumping to the proper PGC title object; - View Dependent Claims (103)
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66. A method for playing back a clip out of a sequence of clips in sequential order on a DVD player, said method comprising the steps of:
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checking if a counter reaches a maximum value by checking the current counter value stored in a GPRM register on said DVD player with a defined maximum value in another GPRM register on said DVD player; resetting a counter to 0 when it reaches a maximum value by setting the counter value stored in a GPRM register on said DVD player to 0; increasing the counter value with 1 by increasing the counter value stored in a GPRM register on said DVD player with 1; playing a movie with index number equal to the counter value stored in a GPRM register on the DVD player by jumping to the proper PGC title object;
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- 69. A method for playing back clips on a DVD player selected from a microcontroller equipped with an IR sender, said method using a clip selection algorithm implemented by sending a sequence of IR commands from said microcontroller through said IR sender to said DVD player.
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77. A communication method between a stand-alone consumer DVD player and a microcontroller, characterized in that said microcontroller associated with proper electronics monitors signals on the video and/or audio outputs of said DVD player, when said DVD player plays a PGC title object (“
- Control Movie”
), providing a means to send a signal from said DVD player to said microcontroller. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 89, 95)
- Control Movie”
- 84. A communication method between a microcontroller and a stand-alone consumer DVD player, characterized in that said microcontroller is associated with an IR sender providing a means to send a signal from said microcontroller to said DVD player.
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90. A communication method between a microcontroller and a stand-alone consumer DVD player, characterized in that an output port of said microcontroller is associated with electronics connected to any future input port on said DVD player providing a means to send a signal from said microcontroller to said DVD player.
- 91. A vending machine peripheral device that communicates with a Vending Machine Controller in a vending machine, characterized in that said peripheral device provides a graphical user interface for operating said vending machine, and that said graphical user interface is implemented as DVD Menu structures on a DVD disc medium placed in a DVD player or implemented as DVD-like Menu structures on a DVD-like medium in a DVD-like player, whereby said DVD-like player supports at least a level of user interactivity, comparable to the navigation features available in the current DVD platform technology.
Specification