Vending machine for change round-up

• US 20140316563A1
• Filed: 05/09/2014
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael K. Dershem
• Original Assignee: Michael K. Dershem
• Inventors: Dershem, Michael K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,202,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/10 Tax strategies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/00 Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/24 with change-giving
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/023 Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/04 Means for returning surplus or unused coins

Abstract

Vending machines for rounding-up donations for charities. The machines allow consumers to donate change from transactions, or other amounts, to a charity through a purchase of goods or services from the machines.

Claims

1. A computer processor, for use in association with a vending machine having rows and columns comprising a plurality of vending locations from which a product or service will be vended, wherein at least a row or a column is designated to allow for a consumer which will give a consumer an option to contribute money to a charity in conjunction with purchase of a the product or service and wherein at least one other row or one other column does not allow for a donation to a charity in conjunction with the purchase of a product or service, and wherein the product or service is located in the row or the column designated to allow for a donation, the computer processor comprising a module for processing a message which asks the consumer whether the consumer wishes to contribute to the charity in conjunction with the choice of a vending location from the designated rows and columns;

a payment receiving module for processing payment for a product or service to be vended by the vending machine and for allowing a consumer to make charitable contributions and wherein the charitable donation in an amount designated by the consumer to the charity after the purchase has been chosen by the consumer;

a module for processing a multiple accounting to allow for more than one un-linked entities to receive payments in connection with payment for the product and the donation to a charity, the un-linked entities being the charity and at least one of a group comprising an owner of the vending machine and a third party; and

a module for allocating the payments between the charity and the un-linked entities and to reconcile the amounts that were for the product or service purchase from the vending machine, the donation to the charity and the payments to the third party.

2. The computer processor of claim 1, wherein the message center comprises an electronic readout.

3. The computer processor of claim 1 wherein the payment receiving apparatus comprises a credit/debit card input device.

4. The computer processor of claim 1, wherein the payment receiving apparatus further comprises a keypad for allowing a consumer to specify an amount of money which the consumer desires to be donated to the charity in association with the purchase.

5. The computer processor of claim 1, wherein the payment receiving apparatus further comprises a processor for allowing the vending machine to round-up the purchase price to the nearest monetary amount, wherein said nearest monetary may be designated for the charity.

6. The computer recited in claim 1, further comprising a wireless access point wireless communications concerning the purchase or charitable contribution.

7. A method for use in conjunction with a vending machine having a computer processor for implementing the method and rows and columns comprising a plurality of vending locations from which a product or service will be vended to a consumer, wherein at least a row or a column is designated to allow for a contribution to charity in conjunction with the purchase of a product or service and at least one other row or one other column does not allow for a contribution to a charity, and wherein the product or service is located in the row or the column designated to allow for the contribution, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a determination that a the consumer that has chosen the vending location form the designated rows and columns wishes to donate money to a the charity in conjunction with a purchase from a the vending machine using the computer processor;

allowing the consumer to designate an amount of money to be donated to the charity after a the product or service has been vended from the vending machine, wherein the computer processor tracks the designated amount of money;

accounting with the computer processor from the purchase the specific amount that the consumer desires to be donated to the charity as a product or service will be vended from the vending machine; and

wherein the accounting is a multiple accounting to allow for more than one un-linked entities to receive payments in connection with payment for the product and the donation to a charity, the un-linked entities being the charity and at least one of a group comprising an owner of the vending machine and a third party;

allocating with the computer processor the payments between the charity and the un-linked entities and reconciling the amounts that were for the product or service purchase from the vending machine, the donation to the charity and the payments to the third party.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the accounting comprises designating an amount to be contributed to the charity as a result of the purchase.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the accounting comprises determining an amount of change due from the purchase.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the accounting comprises a rounding of an amount to a next highest monetary value.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of providing an indication that the vending machine allows a consumer to contribute to charity as a result of a purchase of goods or services from the vending machine.