INSTORE INFORMATION DISPENSING SYSTEM

• US 3,792,437 A
• Filed: 12/20/1971
• Issued: 02/12/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gerald W. Gillespie, Solomon Krasnick, Stanley P. Blumenthal
• Original Assignee: Gerald W. Gillespie, Solomon Krasnick, Stanley P. Blumenthal
• Inventors: Blumenthal, Stanley P., Krasnick, Solomon, Gillespie, Gerald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US05/210,027
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 340/152R,153R
• US Class Current: 340/5.91
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/10 mechanically operated

Abstract

A couponning system for instore dispensing of directory and discount information. The couponning system is preprogrammed with an exchangeable record medium having audio directory information and information on items being discounted. The record medium also contains data for printing coupons with discount information to be presented with the purchase of special items. Actuation of a keyboard addresses a particular point on the record medium which is rapidly accessed to provide the information, and if called for by further keyboard actuation, the printing of a discount coupon. An automated production system provides for the rapid production of recording mediums for periodic replacement in the coupon dispensing system distributed throughout a plurality of user stores.

Claims

1. An automated information dispensing system selec-tively operative to provide users with selected information and further operative in response to user selections to provide a ticket indicating desired associated information, said system comprising:

a record medium;

means for sensing indicia in said record medium;

said record medium having one or more positioning control indicia indicating division of said medium into indicia containing message blocks;

each of said message blocks having first and second portions with first and second signals associated with the message block indicia;

a terminal having a plurality of selectable actuators operative in response to user actuation of one of said actuators to provide a corresponding unique selection signal;

each of said message blocks having a corresponding unique selection signal associated therewith;

means responsive to said selection signals for positioning said record medium in accordance with sensed control indicia to provide sensing of indicia in the selected message block corresponding to that selection signal;

means for providing information in a transitory form to said user of said ticket dispensing system in response to first electrical signals;

first data means for applying the indicia sensed in a first portion of the selected message block to said transitory information providing means as said first electrical signals;

means for providing said tickets to said user with printing representative of second electrical signals; and

second data means operative in response to user actuation of one of said actuators for applying the indicia sensed in a second portion of the selected message block to said ticket providing means as said second electrical signals whereby said ticket is provided with printing representative of the signals in said second portion.

2. The information dispensing system of claim 1 wherein:

said second data means is only operative in response to user actuation of a further one of said actuators.

3. The information dispensing system of claim 1 wherein:

the indicia in the first portion of each said message block indicate the nature of the indicia in the second portion of said message block and the indicia is provided on sAid tickets in response to the signals in the second portion of the same said message block.

4. The information dispensing system of claim 1 wherein:

said terminal includes actuators of first and second types; and

means are provided for responding to selective actuation of actuators of said first type to inhibit operation of said ticket providing means whereby no ticket may be provided.

5. The information dispensing system of claim 1 further including:

means for generating electrical signals representative of calendar data;

means responsive to the calendar data signals for causing said tickets to be provided with indicia indicating the calender data from said calendar data generator.

6. The information dispensing system of claim 5 further including:

an internal power source for said data generator operative to maintain accurate calendar data in the absence of other normal operating power supplied to said ticket dispensing system.

7. An in-store dispensing system operative to provide audio information for generating shopper interest and further operative to provide item discount coupons in response to a shopper coupon request, said coupon dispensing system comprising:

a record medium having registered thereon indicia in a plurality of message blocks positionally identified by control indicia, each message block containing indicia representative of predetermined audio information and indicia representative of predetermined discount coupon data;

means for sensing the indicia in message blocks in said record medium;

shopper actuateable means for selecting audio information and discount coupon data and operative to provide a selection signal indicating a corresponding message block containing that information and data;

means responsive to said selection signal and operative in association with said sensing means for positioning said record medium in correspondence with said control indicia for sensing of indicia in the selected message block;

an audio signaling system operative to provide sound reproduction of audio signals;

a coupon printing system operative to print said discount coupons with discount information in response to digital signals;

means for applying the sensed indicia representative of said audio information to said audio signaling system as said audio signals; and

means for applying the sensed indicia representative of coupon discount data to said printing system as said digital signals.

8. The in-store dispensing system of claim 7 wherein:

said indicia sensing means is automatically operative to sense said audio information representing indicia in response to shopper actuation of said selecting means; and

print request means are provided for shopper actuation to cause sensing of said discount indicia and printing of a corresponding coupon in response to actuation thereof.

9. The in-store dispensing system of claim 8 further including:

a plurality of further shopper actuable means for selecting audio information only; and

means responsive to actuation of one of said further shopper actuable means for inhibiting printing of a discount coupon.

10. The in-store dispensing system of claim 7 further including:

means for inhibiting said shopper actuateable means from further selections during sensing of said audio information indicia.

11. The in-store dispensing system of claim 7 further including:

means for generating calendar and store data to indicate time and date and store of purchase;

said means for applying said coupon discount data being operative to apply both said calendar and store data and said sensed discount coupon indicia to said printing means to provide printing of information in predetermined locations on said coupon indicating coupon item purchased, time of purchase and store of purchase.

12. The in-store dispensing system of claim 7 wherein:

said printing means is operative to provide said printed informatIon indicating coupon item, time and store in a machine readable print format.

13. The in-store dispensing system of claim 12 further including:

means for machine reading of said machine readable print format to provide item, time and store signals for a plurality of redeemed coupons; and

means for machine analyzing said item, time and store signal to provide an output indication of use of said dispensing system.

14. The in-store dispensing system of claim 7 wherein:

said record medium is interchangeably applied to said dispensing system for sensing and positioning by said respective sensing and positioning means.

15. The in-store dispensing system of claim 14 wherein:

said record medium is an endless loop of magnetic tape having recorded thereon said message blocks in a plurality of parallel information channels and said control indicia in one or more parallel control channels.

16. The in-store dispensing system of claim 15 further including:

means for recording audio information and discount coupon data representing indicia on said magnetic tape in selected message blocks associated with control indicia in response to audio and digital inputs.

17. A system for distribution of information proximate to points of use for said information and operative on demand to provide requested predetermined information in a transitory form and to provide associated data on a printed ticket, said system com-prising:

a plurality of record mediums;

means for registering indicia in said record mediums to represent predetermined information further including;

input means for receiving signals representative of said transitory form information and said associated data;

means for recording control indicia in said record mediums to define a plurality of message block portions in each of said record mediums;

means for arranging said received signals in a predetermined sequence of successive groups each containing different transitory information and associated data;

means for recording indicia in said record mediums representative of said groups of information and data and operative to record a group in each message block portion with a predetermined correspondence between the position of each of said message block portions and the position in said predetermined sequence of the groups recorded in said message blocks;

a plurality of information distribution consoles, each console including;

means for interchangeably receiving and variably positioning one of said plurality of record mediums;

means for sensing indicia in said received record medium;

selector means for presenting an indication of predetermined information available from said console and operative in response to an operator selection of a portion of said available information to generate an address signal representative of the selected portion of information;

means responsive to said address signal for causing said positioning means to position said received record medium for sensing of indicia by said sensing means in message block portions corresponding to said address signal;

means for providing information in said transitory form in response to indicia in a first part of the sensed message block portion;

means operative in response to sensed indicia in a second part of said sensed message block portion for providing said printed ticket with data thereon representing the sensed indicia in said second part.

18. The system for distribution of information of claim 17 wherein:

said selector means is operative to provide a print signal in response to predetermined operator activation thereof; and

said printed ticket providing means is further operative in response to said print signal in providing said printed ticket.

19. The system for distribution of information of claim 17 wherein:

said printed ticket providing means is operative to provide a portion of said data thereon in a machine readable forM; and

means are provided for receiving a plurality of returned printed tickets for sensing the indicia in said machine readable form to provide signals representative thereof.

20. A method of distributing information proximate to points of use for said information and responding to a use demand for pro-viding requested predetermined information in a transitory form and for providing associated data on a printed ticket, said method comprising the steps of:

registering in a record medium indicia to represent infor-mation and including the steps of;

recording control indicia in said record medium to define a plurality of message block portions in each of said record mediums;

recording in the message block portions of said record medium indicia representative of said prede-termined information and associated data;

providing at locations proximate to said points of use an indication of information and associated data being distributed in accordance with an associated, interchangeable record medium;

enabling selection by a user of desired information from the information and associated data being distributed;

responding to a selection of desired information for sensing predetermined information indicia in a corresponding message block portion of said associated record medium;

providing transitory distribution of information represented by said sensed indicia;

enabling a request by said user for said printed ticket containing associated data;

responding to one of said requests to cause sensing of the associated data in said corresponding message block portion; and

providing said printed ticket containing data representa-tive of said sensed associated data.

21. The method of distributing information of claim 20 further including the step of printing on said printed ticket machine readable data indicating the time and location of providing said ticket.