AUTOMATED DISPENSING SYSTEM

• US 3,786,421 A
• Filed: 05/25/1972
• Issued: 01/15/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bobby G. Gower, Wolfgang J. Wostl
• Original Assignee: Bobby G. Gower, Wolfgang J. Wostl
• Inventors: Wostl, Wolfgang J., Gower, Bobby G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US05/256,748
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 340/149A,152R 235/61.7B
• US Class Current: 235/381
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/14 responsive to input of recorded programmed information, e.g. on punched cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/72 Auxiliary equipment, e.g. for lighting cigars, opening bottles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1075 PIN is checked remotely

Abstract

An automated article dispensing system, such as a vehicle service station, capable of dispensing goods in response to activation by an authorized holder of a credit card, and not requiring an attendant. The customer inserts the credit card into a control console and the identifying indicia from the credit card are checked to ensure they correspond to a valid credit account. If so, the control console is enabled to permit the customer to select the goods desired. If desired, the system can also require the customer to insert a personal identification code which is checked to verify that the customer is an authorized user of the credit account. The sale price and quantity are applied by the control console to a data bank for billing and inventory. If the credit account is invalid, the credit card is captured by the control console. If the credit account is questionable, the credit card is returned without enabling the selection of goods. Means are included fo ensuring that the customer does not forget to pick up his credit card and receipt. Means are also included to provide premiums such as trading stamps and premium tokens.

Claims

1. An automated system for dispensing goods to customers comprising:

a. a plurality of dispensing means, each including enabling means, first control means, and outlet means;

each said dispensing means, in response to actuation of its said first control means during application of an enabling signal to its said enabling means, continuously dispensing a quantity of goods and generating at least one of a quantity signal, indicative of the quantity of the goods dispensed, and a value signal, indicative of the value of the goods dispensed;

b. card receiver means including means for receiving a credit card, means for identifying indicia on the credit card, means for generating an output signal indicative of such indicia, means releasing the credit card, and means for generating a card removed signal upon removal of the credit card from the card receiver means;

c. selection means responsive to selection by a customer of one of said plurality of dispensing means for generating a selection signal indicative of the selected one of the plurality of dispensing means;

d. additional control means associated with said dispensing means, said selection means, and said card receiver means, said additional control means, upon generation of a card receiver means output signal, a selection signal, and a card removed signal, applying to the enabling means of the one of said plurality of dispensing means indicated by the selection signal an enabling signal to enable said one of the plurality of dispensing means to dispense goods; and

e. data transmission means associated with said plurality of dispensing means, said card receiver means, said selection means, and said additional control mEans and adapted for connection to a data bank for transmitting to the data bank signals indicative of the selected one of the plurality of dispensing means, of the identifying indicia, and of the at least one of the quantity signal and the value signal.

2. means responsive to a validation indication signal indicative of the first credit card validity state for generating the enabling signal.

3. An automated system as claimed in claim 1 in which said additional control means includes means for receiving a security code indication generated by a customer, means for providing a security indication signal in response to comparison of a received security code indication with a customer code indication, the security indication signal being indicative of the validity state of the received security code indication, and means responsive to a security indication signal indicative of a first security code indication validity state for generating the enabling signal.

4. An automated system as claimed in claim 3 in which said additional control means further includes means responsive to a security indication signal indicative of a second security code indication validity state for inhibiting generation of the enabling signal.

5. An automated system as claimed in claim 3 in which said additional control means further includes means for generating the customer code indication by performing an algorithm on identifying indicia on a credit card within said card receiver means.

6. An automated system as claimed in claim 1 in which said additional control means includes:

7. An automated system as claimed in claim 6 in which said additional control means further includes means responsive to a validation-indication signal indicative of a second credit card validity state for inhibiting generation of the enabling signal.

8. An automated system as claimed in claim 7 in which said additional control means further includes means responsive to a validation indication signal indicative of the second credit card validity state for inhibiting release of the credit card to the card receiver means outlet.

9. An automated system as claimed in claim 6 in which said data bank is a remotely located centralized data processing system and in which said data transmission means includes cable means connecting at least one of said additional control means, said selection means, said plurality of dispensing means, and said card receiver means to said remotely located centralized data processing system.

10. An automated system as claimed in claim 1 in which said additional control means includes sensing means for sensing the state of said system and instruction means responsive to said sensing means for providing instructional messages to customers.

11. An automated system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising premium dispensing means coupled to said additional control means and responsive to a signal indicative of the at least one of the quantity signal and the value signal being of at least a preset amount for dispensing premiums.

12. An automated system as claimed in claim 11 in which said premium dispensing means includes a premium stamp dispenser and means responsive To the at least one of the quantity signal and the value signal for actuating said premium stamp dispenser to dispense premium stamps.

13. An automated system as claimed in claim 11 in which said premium dispensing means includes a premium token dispenser for dispensing a premium token in response to the at least one of the quantity signal and the value signal being indicative of at least a preset amount.

14. An automated system for dispensing fuel to customers comprising:

a. fuel pump means, including enabling means, first control means, and outlet means;

said fuel pump means, in response to actuation of said first control means during application of an enabling signal to said enabling means, continuously dispensing fuel and generating at least one of a quantity signal, indicative of the quantity of fuel dispensed, and a value signal, indicative of the value of fuel dispensed;

b. card receiver means including means for receiving a credit card, means for identifying indicia on the credit card, means for generating an output signal indicative of such indicia, means releasing the credit card, and means for generating a card removed signal upon removal of the credit card from the card receiver means;

c. additional control means associated with said dispensing means and said card receiver means, said additional control means, upon generation of a card receiver means output signal and a card removed signal, applying to the enabling means of said fuel pump means an enabling signal to enable said fuel pump means to dispense fuel; and

d. data transmission means associated with said fuel pump means, said card receiver means, and said additional control means and adapted for connection to a data bank for transmitting to the data bank signals indicative of the identifying indicia and of the at least one of the quantity signal and the value signal.

15. An automated system as claimed in claim 14 in which said additional control means includes means for receiving a security code indication generated by a customer, means for providing a security indication signal in response to comparison of a received security code indication with a customer code indication, the security indication signal being indicative of the validity state of the received security code indication, means responsive to a security indication signal indicative of a first security code indication validity state for generating the enabling signal, and means responsive to a security indication signal indicative of a second security code indication validity state for inhibiting generation of the enabling signal.

16. An automated system as claimed in claim 15 in which said additional control means further includes means for generating the customer code indication by performing an algorithm on identifying indicia on a credit card within said card receiver means.

17. An automated system as claimed in claim 15 in which said additional control means further includes means responsive to a security indication signal indicative of the second security code indication validity state for inhibiting release of the credit card to the card receiver means outlet.

18. An automated system as claimed in claim 14 in which said plurality of dispensing means include at least one fuel pump.