METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN A VENDING MACHINE

• US 20100237091A1
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alessandro Ratti, Aviel Dafna, Brent D. Garson, Ezio Cesare Ratti
• Original Assignee: Alessandro Ratti, Aviel Dafna, Brent D. Garson, Ezio Cesare Ratti
• Inventors: RATTI, ALESSANDRO, DAFNA, AVIEL, RATTI, EZIO CESARE, GARSON, BRENT D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,234,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/226
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/16 Delivery means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

During operation of a vending machine, an image is obtained of an area of interest in the vending machine. As a product selected by a customer moves toward a product retrieval location, images of the area of interest are obtained and transmitted to the data base. Images in the data base are compared to determine whether or not the selected product has moved to the area of interest.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of providing a vending machine having a plurality of product dispensing devices and a product retrieval location where a customer has access to a selected product, moving to selected product from one of the product dispensing devices along a path which extends from the one product dispensing device to the product retrieval location, and obtaining an image of the selected product as the selected product moves along the path toward the product retrieval location.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 further including the steps of sequentially obtaining a plurality of images of a selected portion of the path along which the selected product moves toward the product retrieval location prior to and during movement of the selected product along the selected portion of the path.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2 further including the step of comparing images of the selected portion of the path along which the selected product moves to determine when the selected product is in one of the images.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 further including the step of providing a stripe which extends across the path along which the selected product moves from the one product dispensing device to the product retrieval location, said step of obtaining an image of the selected product as the selected product moves along the path is performed with a portion of the selected product disposed between the stripe and the imaging device.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 further including the step of obtaining a first image of a selected portion of the path along which the selected product moves toward the product retrieval location, storing the first image in a data base, obtaining a second image of the selected portion of the path along which the product moves toward the product retrieval location, and comparing the second image of the selected portion of the path along which the product moves toward the retrieval location to the first image stored in the data base to determine whether or not the product appears in the second image.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said step of comparing the second image of the selected portion the path along which the product moves to the first image stored in the data base includes comparing a perimeter portion of the second image to a perimeter portion of the first image stored in the data base.

7. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said steps of obtaining a first image and obtaining a second image are performed while the selected product moves toward the product retrieval location.

8. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said step of obtaining a first image is performed prior to movement of the selected product toward the product retrieval location.

9. A vending machine for use in vending products, said vending machine comprising a housing, a plurality of product dispensing devices disposed in said housing, said product dispensing devices being operable to dispense a product selected by a customer, a product retrieval location where the customer has access to a selected product dispensed by one of said product dispensing devices, said product retrieval location being disposed in said housing at a location which is lower than a location where said product dispensing devices are disposed in said housing, an area of interest disposed in said housing at a location which is lower than the location where said product dispensing devices are disposed in said housing and which is higher than the location where said product retrieval location is disposed in said housing, said area of interest being disposed along a path which a product moves from one of said product dispensing devices to said product retrieval location, and an imaging device disposed in said housing, said imaging device being operable to obtain an image of said area of interest as the product moves away from one of said product dispensing devices through said area of interest toward said product retrieval location.

10. A vending machine as set forth in claim 9 further including a data base disposed in said housing, said data base be effective to hold an image of said area of interest prior to movement of a product through said area of interest, and a comparator disposed in said housing and operable to compare the image in said data base to the image of said area of interest as the product moves through said area of interest.

11. A vending machine as set forth in claim 9 further including a stripe which extends across said area of interest in a direction transverse to the path along which a product moves from one of said product dispensing devices, said imaging device being operable to obtain an image of said area of interest with at least a portion of the product disposed between said stripe and said imaging device.

12. A vending machine as set forth in claim 11 wherein said stripe includes a series of relatively light and dark areas.

13. A vending machine as set forth in claim 9 wherein said imaging device is continuously operable to obtain images of said area of interest, said vending machine including controls which are disposed in said housing and provide an output signal in response to a change in the image obtained by operation of said imaging device.

14. A vending machine as set forth in claim 9 wherein said imaging device being operable to obtain images of said area of interest prior to and after a product moves through said area of interest to enable said imaging device to be utilized to deter theft of products from said vending machine.