METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING VENDING MACHINE OFFERS

• US 20110161146A1
• Filed: 03/07/2011
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Signorelli, Paul D., O'Neil, V. Michael, Jorasch, James A., Tedesco, Daniel E., Gelman, Geoffrey M., Lee, Sih Y., Walker, Jay S., Breitenbach, Paul T.
• Application Number:
  US13/042,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161146A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0223 based on inventory
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0247 Calculate past, present or future revenues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/24 with change-giving
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

Systems, methods, and articles of manufacture for providing promotions at vending machines, such as by providing vending machine subscriptions to a category of products, are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a vending machine, an available promotion; and

causing, by the vending machine and in response to a coin inventory level of the vending machine, the promotion to be output.

2. A vending machine, comprising:

a processing device; and

a memory in communication with the processing device, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the processing device result in;

determining an available promotion; and

causing, in response to a coin inventory level of the vending machine, the promotion to be output.

3. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processing device result in:

determining an available promotion; and

causing, in response to a coin inventory level of a vending machine, the promotion to be output.