Merchandise transaction machine and system with emergency operational modes

• US 4,997,076 A
• Filed: 06/22/1989
• Issued: 03/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IVDM Limited
• Original Assignee: I V D M Limited
• Inventors: Hirschfeld, Gidoon, Shotland, Abraham
• Primary Examiner(s): Skaggs, H. Grant
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US07/369,864
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 194/205, 194/210, 194/211, 194/212, 194/213, 194/350, 221/21, 221/87, 221/88, 221/89, 221/134, 221/191, 414/273, 235/381, 235/382, 235/383, 235/385, 186/55, 186/56, 364/479
• US Class Current: 194/212
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/069 by box-like containers, e.g. videocassettes, books
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 194/906 Video cassette vendor

Abstract

A vending machine having an access port through which articles are delivered and returned in connection with keypad selected transactions performed by a robotic transporter programmed through a computer control system, is provided with an emergency storing bin within which articles are accepted for return only during transaction shutdowns caused by those malfunctions of the robotic transporter which persist after it undergoes a recovery process. Those transactions of the transporter, aborted by failure of a scanner to read identification data on returned articles placed in the access port, may be resumed by selective input of such identification data to the computer control system through the keypad.

Claims

1. In a machine for storing, dispensing and returning articles, including means for storing the articles, a transaction port through which the articles are delivered and returned, a scanner, robotic means for transport of the articles between the transaction port and the article storing means during an operational mode, gripper means carried by the robotic means for releasably holding the articles during said transport between the transaction port and the storage means, the scanner being movably mounted on the gripper means for limited displacement thereon to identify the articles within the transaction port and the storing means, means responsive to failure of the scanner to identify the articles for aborting operation of the robotic means during said operational mode thereof, a keyboard and means responsive to selective entry through the keyboard of identifying data corresponding to the articles in the transaction port for resuming the aborted operation of the robotic means.

2. The combination of claim 1 including additional storage means for separately storing the returned articles and means selectively enabled through the keyboard for accepting return of the articles to the additional storage means in response to transaction shutdown of the robotic means.

3. In a machine for storing, dispensing and returning articles, including first article storage means for storing the articles, a transaction port through which the articles are delivered and returned, scanner means for identifying the articles within the transaction port during an operational transaction mode, robotic means for transport of the articles between the transaction port and the first article storage means during an operational mode, gripper means carried by the robotic means for releasably holding the articles during transport between the transaction port and the first article storage means, means for detecting a transaction shutdown during transport of a returned article by the robotic means between the transaction port and the first article storage means, so that the robotic means cannot position the returned article in the first article storage means, additional second storage means for separately storing the returned articles when one of said transaction shutdowns is detected, a keyboard, and means selectively enabled through the keyboard for accepting return of the articles to the additional second article storage means upon detection of one of said transaction shutdowns by said detecting means.

13. The improvement as defined in claim 3 including scanner means for identifying the articles in the transaction port, means responsive to failure of the scanner means to identify the articles in the transaction port, for aborting the normal return mode of operation of the robotic means, and means responsive to selective entry of identifying data corresponding to the articles in said port for resuming the aborted operation of the robotic means in the normal return mode.

4. In a machine for storing, dispensing and receiving articles, including a transaction port through which said articles are delivered and returned during normal delivery and return modes, transaction storage means within which the articles are received from said transaction port in the normal return mode, robotic means for transporting the articles between the storage means and the transaction port in said normal modes, detection means responsive to malfunction of the robotic means during said normal modes for generating error signals and programmed control means responsive to said error signals for operating the robotic means in a recovery mode tending to restore operation of the robotic means to said normal modes, the improvement residing in handling return of the articles in an emergency return mode, including emergency storing means separate from the transaction storage means for receiving the articles and selectively operable means enabled by failure to restore operation to said normal return mode for accepting said return of the articles during the emergency return mode to the emergency storing means.

5. The improvement as defined in claim 4 including means for detecting and counting the articles returned to the emergency storing means, said programmed control means being operatively connected to the detecting and counting means for preventing said acceptance of returned articles in said emergency return mode in response to storage of a predetermined number of the articles within the emergency storing means.

6. The improvement as defined in claim 5 wherein the emergency storing means includes an additional port through which the articles are returned during the emergency return mode and power operated door means for controlling opening of the emergency storing means through the additional port.

7. The combination of claim 6 including scanner means for identifying the articles in the transaction port.

8. The improvement as defined in claim 7 including means responsive to failure of the scanner means to identify the articles in the transaction port for aborting the normal return mode of operation of the robotic means and means responsive to selective entry of identifying data corresponding to the articles in said transaction port for resuming the aborted operation of the robotic means in the normal return mode.

9. The improvement as defined in claim 4 wherein the emergency storing means includes an additional port through which the articles are returned during the emergency return mode and power operated door means for controlling opening of the emergency storing means through the additional port.

10. The improvement as defined in claim 9 including scanner means for identifying the articles in the transaction port, means responsive to failure of the scanner means to identify the articles in the transaction port for aborting the normal return mode of operation of the robotic means and means responsive to selective entry of identifying data corresponding to the articles in said transaction port for resuming the aborted operation of the robotic means in the normal return mode.

11. The improvement as defined in claim 4 including a cabinet enclosing a travel compartment within which the robotic means is located, at least one front door assembly hingedly connected to the cabinet on which the transaction storage means and the transaction port are mounted for exposure to the travel compartment in a closed position thereof, and access door means mounted on the cabinet in rearwardly spaced relation to the front door assembly for selectively opening the travel compartment to expose the robotic means and the transaction storage means in the closed position of the front door assembly.

12. The improvement as defined in claim 11 wherein the emergency storing means includes an additional port fixedly mounted by the cabinet in substantially coplanar relation to the transaction port in the closed position of the front door assembly.

14. In combination with a machine having means for transport of products between storage and access locations, code reading means for generating operational enabling data, a keyboard, sensor means monitoring operation of the transport means for generating motion control data, a computer control system connected to the sensor means and the code reading means for operation of the transport means in response to entry of said enabling data and the motion control data, connecting means connecting the keyboard to the control system for programming said operation of the transport means in selected operational modes, emergency means for separately storing the products returned to the machine, and means responsive to the motion control data generated by the sensor means reflecting malfunction of the transport means for disabling the transport means through the control system while enabling said return of the products to the emergency storing means.

15. In a vending machine including a cabinet enclosing a travel compartment having at least one front door assembly, means pivotally mounting the door assembly for displacement between an open position and a closed position substantially sealing the travel compartment, an access port mounted in the front door assembly and extending therefrom into the travel compartment, transaction storage means mounted by the front door assembly for exposure to the travel compartment, robotic transport means operatively mounted within the travel compartment for transporting articles between the access port and the transaction storage means, emergency port means fixedly mounted by the cabinet in substantially coplanar relation to the access port for accepting return of the articles only during transaction shut-down of the robotic transport means and additional door means mounted by the cabinet in rearwardly spaced relation to the front door assembly for selective access to the travel compartment exposing the robotic transport means and the transaction storage means in the closed position of the front door assembly.