CARD DISPENSING APPARATUSES AND ASSOCIATED METHODS OF OPERATION

• US 20110071666A1
• Filed: 11/05/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coinstar Asset Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Outerwall Inc.
• Inventors: Winters, Gregory P., Martin, Douglas A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,233,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/231
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 1/28 compartmented to receive piles side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/03 indicating an entity which is measured, estimated, evaluated, calculated or determined but which does not constitute an entity which is adjusted or changed by the control process per se
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/1117 pivotable, e.g. around an axis perpendicular to transport direction, e.g. arranged at rear side of sheet support
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/15 Height, e.g. of stack
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/22 Distance
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/51 Encoders, e.g. linear
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1125 variable thickness
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1914 Cards, e.g. telephone, credit and identity cards
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/0816 separating from the top of pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/0883 Construction of suction grippers or their holding devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/44 Simultaneously, alternately, or selectively separating articles from two or more piles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 7/02 by feelers or detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 7/20 Controlling associated apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/04 in which magazines the articles are stored one vertically above the other
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/14 with means for raising the stack of articles to permit delivery of the topmost
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/1657 the picking arrangements using suction

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for dispensing magnetic stripe cards, smart cards, other cards, and/or other items from kiosks and other structures are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a card dispensing apparatus includes at least a first card hopper and a card transport assembly. The first card hopper is configured to hold a stack of cards that includes at least a first card stacked on a second card. The card transport assembly includes a card carrier configured to lift the first card off the second card and transfer the first card toward a card outlet. Methods are also disclosed for monitoring card stacks in a card dispensing apparatus and for prereading cards prior to sale to expedite dispensing operations. Devices are also disclosed for maintaining the alignment or levelness of top cards in stacks of cards having embossing or other raised features that cause uneven stacking.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a card stack in an enclosure, the enclosure containing a card dispensing apparatus operably positioned proximate the card stack, the method comprising:

determining a height of the card stack a first time with the card dispensing apparatus;

determining the height of the card stack a second time with the card dispensing apparatus;

comparing the height of the card stack determined the first time to the height of the card stack determined the second time; and

when the height of the card stack determined the first time is different than the height of the card stack determined the second time, transmitting information related to the card stack to a remote computer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein when the height of the card stack determined the first time is greater than the height of the card stack determined the second time, transmitting information includes transmitting a message to the remote computer indicating that cards have been removed from the card stack without being purchased.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein when the height of the card stack determined the first time is greater than the height of the card stack determined the second time, transmitting information includes transmitting a message to the remote computer indicating that cards have been manually removed from the card stack without using the card dispensing apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein when the height of the card stack determined the first time is less than the height of the card stack determined the second time, transmitting information includes transmitting a message to the remote computer indicating that cards have been added to the card stack.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the height of the card stack a second time includes determining the height after a selected event, but prior to dispensing a card from the card stack.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the selected event is the passage of a preset period of time.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the selected event is receiving a request to dispense a selected card from the card stack, and wherein the method further comprises removing the selected card form the card stack and dispensing the selected card from the enclosure.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the card dispensing apparatus includes a stepper motor that drives a card selector into a card hopper holding the card stack, and wherein determining a height of the card stack a first time includes counting the steps of the stepper motor to bring the card selector into contact with a top card in the card stack.

9. A method for operating a card dispensing apparatus positioned within an enclosure, the apparatus containing a plurality of cards in at least a first card stack, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a first card;

in response to receiving the request for the first card;

removing the first card from the card stack; and

dispensing the first card from the enclosure;

after the first card has been removed from the card stack, measuring a stack height of the card stack a first time;

receiving a request for a second card;

in response to receiving the request for the second card;

measuring the stack height of the card stack a second time;

comparing the stack height measured the first time to the stack height measured the second time;

when the stack height measured the first time is different than the stack height measured the second time, sending information related to the difference in stack height to a computer; and

dispensing the second card from the enclosure.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein sending information related to the stack height includes sending information to a central computer connected to a plurality of card dispensing apparatuses via a network.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein sending information related to the stack height includes sending information relating to a change in the number of cards in the stack.

12. A computer-implemented method of dispensing cards from an enclosure, the method comprising:

placing a stack of cards in the enclosure;

temporarily removing a first card from the stack of cards;

reading identification information from the first card;

storing the identification information in memory;

placing the first card back in the stack of cards;

receiving a request to dispense the first card; and

in response to receiving the request;

removing the first card from the stack of cards; and

dispensing the first card from the enclosure.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

retrieving the identification information from memory; and

sending the identification information to a remote computer to activate an account associated with the first card.

14. The method of claim 12:

wherein removing a first card includes removing the first card from a card hopper;

wherein reading identification information from the first card includes moving the first card past a card reader spaced apart from the card hopper; and

wherein placing the first card back in the stack of cards includes placing the first card back in the card hopper.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein placing a stack of cards in the enclosure includes placing a first stack of cards in a first card hopper, wherein the method further comprises:

placing a plurality of additional card stacks in additional card hoppers;

temporarily removing a top card from each of the additional card stacks;

reading identification information from each of the top cards; and

placing each of the top cards back in their respective card stack.

16. A card dispensing apparatus comprising:

a card hopper;

a plurality of cards stacked in the card hopper, wherein each of the cards includes raised features that extend above a surface of the individual card; and

a plurality of card spacers stacked in the card hopper between successive cards to form an alternating stack of cards and card spacers, wherein the individual card spacers include;

a flat substrate having a cutout portion shaped and sized to fit around the raised features on the individual cards to prevent the cards from stacking unevenly.

17. The card dispensing apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a movable card carrier having a card selector head, wherein the card selector head includes a first suction cup spaced apart from a second suction cup; and

wherein the individual card spacers are shaped and sized to provide contact surfaces for the first and second suction cups to attach to the card spacers and lift the card spacers out of the card hopper.

18. The card dispensing apparatus of claim 16 wherein the raised features have a first thickness and the card spacers have a second thickness that is slightly greater than the first thickness.

19. The card dispensing apparatus of claim 16 wherein the raised features have a thickness of about 0.02 inch and the card spacers have a thickness of about 0.025 inch.

20. The card dispensing apparatus of claim 16 wherein the raised features include embossing, and wherein the cutout portion gives the card spacer a generally U-shape to fit around the embossing.

21. The card dispensing apparatus of claim 16 wherein the card hopper is a vertical card hopper that holds the plurality of cards and card spacers in a vertical stack.

22. A device for maintaining the alignment of a top card in a vertical stack of wallet-sized cards, the device comprising:

a base having a surface portion configured to contact a bottom card in the card stack;

at least one leg extending downwardly from the base; and

at least one resilient member extending downwardly from the base and spaced apart from the leg, wherein the resilient member is configured to compress under the weight of the card stack causing the base to pivot downwardly about the leg and maintain alignment of the top card in the card stack.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein the at least one leg includes two legs positioned toward an end portion of the base, and wherein the at least one resilient member includes a spring positioned toward an opposite end portion of the base.

24. The device of claim 22 wherein the base has a generally rectangular shape approximately the size of a wallet-sized card, wherein the at least one leg includes a first leg positioned proximate a first corner portion of the base and a second leg positioned proximate a second corner portion of the base, and wherein the at least one resilient member includes a single coil spring positioned between a third corner portion and a forth corner portion of the base.

25. The device of claim 22 wherein the leg has a first length and the resilient member is a spring having a second length in an uncompressed state, and wherein the second length is approximately equal to the first length.

26. A card dispensing apparatus comprising:

at least one card hopper;

a plurality of cards stacked in the card hopper, wherein individual cards have uneven thicknesses; and

a card stack leveling device positioned in the card hopper adjacent to the stack of cards, the leveling device comprising;

a base contacting an end card in the card stack;

at least one leg extending away from the base; and

at least one compressible member spaced apart from the leg and extending away from the base, wherein the compressible member is configured to elastically compress under the weight of the card stack causing the base to pivot about the leg.

27. The card dispensing apparatus of claim 26 wherein the hopper is a vertical card hopper, wherein the card stack is a vertical card stack, and wherein the leveling device is positioned beneath the vertical card stack in contact with a lower-most card.