NETWORKED VENDOR FOR WORKPLACE OR CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT

• US 20160307391A1
• Filed: 06/29/2016
• Published: 10/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PepsiCo Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PepsiCo Incorporated
• Inventors: HAMMONDS, Marcus, PERRY, Marco
• Granted Patent: US 10,163,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/38 in which the magazines are horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Aspects of the invention described herein provide an apparatus and method for networked vending. According to embodiments described herein, a vending machine is provided that may be installed and managed by the venue in which it is installed. Consumers may purchase vending products from the vending machine using cashless accounts managed by an external device in communication with the vendor. The venue may manage the inventory for the vending machine by placing orders for single product inserts to be loaded in the vending machine.

Claims

1. A vending machine for use in a networked environment, comprising:

a frame having an exterior surface, wherein the frame defines an interior area;

at least one rack in the interior area, configured to hold at least one insert for holding a plurality of vending products, wherein the at least one insert displays readable identification data;

at least one insert sensor, configured to read the readable identification data;

at least one weight sensor engaged with the rack, configured to determine weight data for the at least one insert;

a consumer input device, configured to receive consumer information data; and

a processor, coupled to the at least one insert sensor, the at least one weight sensor, the consumer input device, and a network connection, and configured to;

receive vending data, wherein the vending data may comprise at least one selected from the group of;

the readable identification data from the at least one insert sensor, the weight data from the at least one weight sensor, and the consumer information data from the consumer input device; and

transmit the vending data over the network connection.

2. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the readable identification data is contained on a conductive ink label adhered to the insert, and wherein the at least one insert sensor is configured to read the readable identification data on the conductive ink label.

3. The vending machine of claim 2, wherein the readable identification data comprises information about the plurality of vending products in the insert.

4. The vending machine of claim 3, wherein the information about the plurality of vending products in the insert consists of a type of product and a number of the product.

5. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the weight data consists of a first weight of the insert determined before a vending product is removed, and a second weight of the insert determined after the vending product is removed.

6. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the consumer input device is a sensor, and wherein the sensor is configured to receive the consumer information data from a consumer RFID tag.

7. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the consumer input device is a keypad, and wherein a consumer enters the consumer information data on the keypad.

8. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the consumer information data comprises a consumer account status and a consumer account balance.

9. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the vending machine further comprises a display screen for displaying at least one selected from the group of:

a consumer account status;

a consumer account balance;

or a description of a vended product.

10. A method of vending a product from a networked vending machine, the vending machine comprising at least one insert containing a plurality of vending products, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, at a consumer input device, consumer information data;

(b) transmitting over a network by a processor in communication with the consumer input device, the consumer information data;

(c) determining, by a weight sensor in communication with the processor, a first weight of the at least one insert, before a vending product is removed;

(d) determining, by the weight sensor in communication with the processor, a second weight of the at least one insert after a vending product is removed;

(e) receiving, at the processor, the first weight and the second weight; and

(f) transmitting over the network by the processor, the first weight and the second weight.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

(g) receiving via the network at the processor, a consumer account balance; and

(h) displaying, at a display in communication with the processor, the consumer account balance.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the consumer input device is a sensor configured to read an RFID tag, and wherein the consumer information data comprises at least one of the following:

a consumer account status or a consumer account balance.

13. A system for managing a networked vending machine, the system comprising:

a vending machine, wherein the vending machine comprises;

at least one rack in an interior area, configured to hold at least one insert for holding a plurality of vending products;

at least one insert sensor, configured to read identification data on the at least one insert;

at least one weight sensor engaged with the rack, configured to determine weight data for the at least one insert;

a consumer input device, configured to receive consumer information data; and

a processor, coupled to the at least one insert sensor, the at least one weight sensor, the consumer input device, and a network connection, and configured to receive and transmit data over the network; and

a memory, wherein the memory contains computer-executable instructions for managing at least one consumer account and inventory for the vending machine.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the identification data is contained on a conductive ink label adhered to the insert, and wherein the at least one insert sensor is configured to read the identification data on the conductive ink label.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the identification data comprises information about the plurality of vending products in the insert.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the information about the plurality of vending products in the insert consists of a type of product and a number of the product.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the weight data consists of a first weight of the insert determined before a vending product is removed, and a second weight of the insert determined after the vending product is removed.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the consumer input device is a sensor, and wherein the sensor is configured to receive the consumer information data from a consumer RFID tag.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the consumer information data comprises a consumer account status and a consumer account balance.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the vending machine further comprises a display screen for displaying any of the following:

a consumer account status;

a consumer account balance;

or a description of a vended product.