Vend space allocation means and method
First Claim
1. Vend space allocation means for allocating a greater number of product storage areas to a lesser number of classes of selectable vendable products for a vending system capable of vending from among a plurality of classes of selectable vendable products a product from a selected product class, which vending system has a plurality of product storage areas for vend product storage and an established vend space allocation configuration allocating the product storage areas to the classes of selectable vendable products, said vend space allocation means comprising a vend selection monitoring means for monitoring over a period of time the historical demand for the various classes of selectable vendable products, means for determining, based at least in part upon said historical demand, a preferred allocation of such greater number of product storage areas to the lesser number of classes of vendable products whereby maximally contemporaneous sellout of the various classes of products by such vending system would be anticipated for substantially fully loaded storage areas and a continuing unchanged product demand, and means for communicating to authorized personnel such determination.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vend space allocation apparatus and method for use with a vending system capable of vending from among a plurality of classes of selectable vendable products a product from a selected product class, which vending system has a plurality of product storage areas and an established vend space allocation configuration allocating the product storage areas to the classes of selectable vendable products, the vend space allocation apparatus including a vend selection monitoring portion for monitoring over a period of time the historical demand for the various classes of selectable vendable products, a determining portion for determining, based at least in part upon said historical demand, space allocation information indicative of a preferred vend space allocation configuration for the vending system, and a display for communicating to authorized personnel such space allocation information.
28 Citations
95 Claims
- 1. Vend space allocation means for allocating a greater number of product storage areas to a lesser number of classes of selectable vendable products for a vending system capable of vending from among a plurality of classes of selectable vendable products a product from a selected product class, which vending system has a plurality of product storage areas for vend product storage and an established vend space allocation configuration allocating the product storage areas to the classes of selectable vendable products, said vend space allocation means comprising a vend selection monitoring means for monitoring over a period of time the historical demand for the various classes of selectable vendable products, means for determining, based at least in part upon said historical demand, a preferred allocation of such greater number of product storage areas to the lesser number of classes of vendable products whereby maximally contemporaneous sellout of the various classes of products by such vending system would be anticipated for substantially fully loaded storage areas and a continuing unchanged product demand, and means for communicating to authorized personnel such determination.
- 56. Vend space allocation means for allocating based upon historical demand product storage areas in a vending system that has a plurality of distinguishable product storage areas for storage prior to bending of a plurality of distinguishable types of vendable products, wherein the number of distinguishable product storage areas exceeds the number of distinguishable types of vendable products intended to be vended by such vending system and wherein at least certain of the distinguishable product storage areas are configurable with one another to permit the vending of a common type of vendable product therefrom, such vending system including means operable to establish and form from the plurality of distinguishable product storage areas a plurality of product storage compartments, each such storage compartment adapted to hold therein a plurality of products of a given type, means for dispensing from each such storage compartment the products stored therein, means for controlling in response to an authorized request the dispensing of a requested distinguishable type of vendable product, and data storage means for storing historical demand data for each distinguishable type of vendable product, said vend space allocation means comprising information entry means operable to effect a vend space allocation operation, processing means operatively connected to said information entry means to be response to such operation of said information entry means and operatively connected to the means for storing historical demand data to retrieve historical demand data therefrom, and display means, said processing means responsive to an initial authorized operation of said information entry means to initiate a vend space allocation operation, said processing means thereafter operable to determine for each type of distinguishable product a proportionate demand value based upon the historical demand data stored in said data storage means, to determine for each type of distinguishable product based upon such proportionate demand values space allocation information identifying one or more product storage areas configurable to form a product storage compartment therefor, and to effect the display by said display means of such space allocation information, wherein such space allocation information determines a preferred allocation of such number of distinguishable product storage areas to the number of distinguishable types of vendable products whereby maximally contemporaneous sellout of the various types of products by such vending system would be anticipated for substantially fully loaded storage areas and a continuing unchanged product demand.
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63. Vend space allocation means for allocating based upon historical demand product vend storage areas in a vending system that has a plurality of separable product storage areas for storage prior to vending of a plurality of distinguishable types of vendable products, wherein the number of separable product storage areas exceeds the number of distinguishable types of vendable products intended to be vended by such vending system and wherein at least certain of the separable product storage areas are configurable with one another to permit the vending of a common type of vendable product therefrom, such vending system including configuration means operable to establish and form from the plurality of separable product storage areas a plurality of product storage compartments, each such storage compartment adapted to hold therein a plurality of products of a given type, means for dispensing from each such storage compartment the products stored therein, means for controlling in response to an authorized request the dispensing of a requested distinguishable type of vendable product, and data storage means for storing historical demand data for each distinguishable type of vendable product, said vend space allocation means comprising information entry means operable by authorized personnel to effect a vend space allocation operation, processing means operatively connected to said information entry means to be responsive to such operation of said information entry means and operatively connected to the means for storing historical demand data to retrieve historical demand data therefrom, said processing means responsive to an initial authorized operation of said information entry means to initiate a vend space allocation operation, said processing means thereafter operable to establish based upon said historical demand data a preferred vend space allocation configuration whereby each distinguishable type of vendable product has associated therewith one or more product storage areas configurable to form a product storage compartment therefor and maximally contemporaneous sellout of the various types of products by such vending system would be anticipated for substantially fully loaded storage areas and a continuing unchanged product demand.
- 64. Vend space allocation means for a vending system that has a plurality of distinguishable product storage areas for storage prior to vending of a plurality of distinguishable types of vendable products, wherein the number of distinguishable product storage areas exceeds the number of distinguishable types of vendable products intended to be vended by such vending system and wherein at least certain of the distinguishable product storage areas are configurable with one another to permit the vending of a common type of vendable product therefrom, such vending system including means operable by authorized personnel to establish and form from the plurality of distinguishable product storage areas a plurality of product storage allocation areas, each such product storage allocation area adapted to hold therein a plurality of products of a given type, the plurality of product storage allocation areas so established defining an established vend space allocation configuration, means for dispensing from each such product storage allocation area the products stored therein, means for controlling in response to an authorized request the dispensing of a requested distinguishable type of vendable product, and data storage means for storing historical demand data for each distinguishable type of vendable product, said vend space allocation monitor means comprising vend selection monitoring means for monitoring over a period of time the historical demand for the various types of vendable products, processing means operatively connected to said vend selection monitoring means and said data storage means and operable as product demand is monitored to update said historical demand data stored in said data storage means to refelct teh historical demand for the various types of vendable products, and communication means, said processing means operable in response to a terminating event for the time period to determine, based upon the historical demand data stored in said data storage means, a preferred allocation of such greater number of product storage are as to the lesser number of types of vendable products whereby maximally contemporaneous sellout of the various types of products by such vending system would be anticipated for substantially fully loaded storage areas and a continuing unchanged product demand, and to effect the communication to authorized personnel by said communication means of information indicative of such determination.
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73. A method for determining and for communicating to authorized personnel a preferred vend space allocation configuration allocating a greater number of product storage area to a lesser number of classes of selectable vendable products for a vending system capable of vending from among a plurality of classes of selectable vendable products a product from a selected product class, which vending system has a plurality of product storage areas for vend product storage, an established vend space allocation configuration allocating the product storage areas to the classes of selectable vendable products, and communication means, comprising the steps of:
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(A) recording and updating for product vend operations as products are vended over a period of time the product demand by class of product, (B) determining from said recorded product demand for such period of time a preferred allocation of such greater number of product storage areas to the lesser number of classes of vendable products whereby maximally contemporaneous sellout of the various classes of products by such ending system would be anticipated for substantially fully loaded storage areas and a continuing unchanged product demand, and (C) effecting communication by such communication means of space allocation information identifying said preferred allocation to authorized personnel. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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81. A method for determining and for communicating to authorized personnel a preferred vend space allocation configuration allocating a greater number of product storage area to a lesser number of classes of selectable vendable products for a vending system capable of vending from among a plurality of classes of selectable vendable products a product from a selected product class, which vending system has a plurality of product storage areas for vend product storage and an established vend space allocation configuration allocating the product storage areas to the classes of selectable vendable products, comprising the steps of:
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(A) providing means for monitoring and recording product demand and for communicating information to authorized personnel. (B) monitoring the demand for the various classes of selectable vendable products over a period of time and recording such historical demand, (C) determining, based at least in part upon said historical demand, a preferred allocation of such greater number of product storage areas to the lesser number of classes of vendable products whereby maximally contemporaneous sellout of the various classes of products by such vending system would be anticipated for substantially fully loaded storage areas and a continuing unchanged product demand, and (D) communicating such determination to authorized personnel.
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82. A method of allocating, based upon historical demand, product vend storage areas in a vending system that has a plurality of distinguishable product storage areas for storage prior to vending of a plurality of distinguishable types of vendable products, wherein the number of distinguishable product storage areas exceeds the number of distinguishable types of vendable products intended to be vended by such vending system and wherein at least certain of the distinguishable product storage areas are configurable with one another to permit the vending of a common type of vendable product therefrom, such vending system including configuration means operable to establish and form from the plurality of distinguishable product storage areas a plurality of product storage compartments, each such storage compartment adapted to hold therein a plurality of products of a given type, means for dispensing from each such storage compartment the products stored therein, means for controlling in response to an authorized request the dispensing of a requested distinguishable type of vendable product, and data storage means for storing historical demand data for each distinguishable type of vendable product, including the steps of
(A) accumulating and storing over a period of time historical demand data for each distinguishable type of vendable product, (B) retrieving the historical demand data for each type of distinguishable product and calculating therefrom a proportionate demand value for each type of distinguishable product, (C) determining a preferred space allocation configuration based upon the particular proportionate demand values calculated in step (B), which allocation configuration allocates such greater number of product storage areas to the lesser number of classes of vendable products whereby maximally contemporaneous sellout of the various classes of products by such vending system would be anticipated for substantially fully loaded storage areas and a continuing unchanged product demand. (D) effecting operation of the configuration means to configure the vending system to the desired vending system configuration.
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83. Vend space allocation means for a vending system capable of vending from among a plurality of classes of selectable vendable products a product from a selected product class, which vending system has a plurality of product storage areas for vend product storage and an established vend space allocation configuration allocating the product storage areas to the classes of selectable vendable products, said vend space allocation means comprising a vend selection monitoring means for monitoring over a period of time the historical demand for the various classes of selectable vendable products, means for determining, based at least in part upon said historical demand, space allocation information indicative of a preferred vend space allocation configuration for the vending system, and means for communicating to authorized personnel such determination, said vend selection monitoring means including data storage means for storing historical demand data representative of the historical demand over the period of time for the plurality of classes of selectable vendable products and said determining means including means for retrieving said historical demand data, said vend space allocation means further including a processing means, said processing means forming portions of said vend selection monitoring means and said determining means, said vend selection monitoring means including vend selection entry means and said processing means being operable during vending operations to update the historical demand data stored in said data storage means to reflect the vend selection for each product vend operation, said vend selection monitoring means also including means for monitoring the product availability status for each class of selectable vendable products and for detecting when a class of selectable vend products becomes sold out, said processing means being responsive to the detection of the first sold out condition for a class of selectable vendable products to prevent further updating during subsequent vending operations of historical demand data stored in said data storage means.
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84. Vend space allocation means for a vending system capable of vending from among a plurality of classes of selectable vendable products a product from a selected product class, which vending system has a plurality of product storage areas for vend product storage and an established vend space allocation configuration allocating the product storage areas to the classes of selectable vendable products, said vend space allocation means comprising a vend selection monitoring means for monitoring over a period of time the historical demand for the various classes of selectable vendable products, means for determining, based at least in part upon said historical demand, space allocation information indicative of a preferred vend space allocation configuration for the vending system, and means for communicating to authorized personnel such determination, said vend selection monitoring means including data storage means for storing historical demand data representative of the historical demand over the period of time for the plurality of classes of selectable vendable products and said determining means including means for retrieving said historical demand data, said vend space allocation means further including a processing means, said processing means forming portions of said vend selection monitoring means and said determining means, said vend selection monitoring means including vend selection entry means and said processing means being operable during vending operations to update the historical demand data stored in said data storage means to reflect the vend selection for each product vend operation, said processing means including memory means for storing data therein and means for retrieving such data therefrom, said data storage means for storing historical demand data forming a portion of said memory means, said memory means also including a portion thereof for storing system design data, and wherein, upon the occurrence of a terminating event, said processing means is operable to determine from said historical demand data and from said system design data stored in said memory means said space allocation information indicative of a preferred vend space allocation configuration for the vending system, the first sellout of a class of selectable vendable products constituting said terminating event.
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85. Vend space allocation means for a vending system capable of vending from among a plurality of classes of selectable vendable products a product from a selected product class, which vending system has a plurality of product storage areas for vend product storage and an established vend space allocation configuration allocating the product storage areas to the classes of selectable vendable products, said vend space allocation means comprising a vend selection monitoring means for monitoring over a period of time the historical demand for the various classes of selectable vendable products, means for determining, based at least in part upon said historical demand, space allocation information indicative of a preferred vend space allocation configuration for the vending system, and means for communicating to authorized personnel such determination, said vend selection monitoring means including data storage means for storing historical demand data representative of the historical demand over the period of time for the plurality of classes of selectable vendable products and said determining means including means for retrieving said historical demand data, said vend space allocation means further including a processing means, said processing means forming portions of said vend selection monitoring means and said determining means, said vend selection monitoring means including vend selection entry means and said processing means being operable during vending operations to update the historical demand data stored in said data storage means to reflect the vend selection for each product vend operation, said processing means including memory means for storing data therein and means for retrieving such data therefrom, said data storage means for storing historical demand data forming a portion of said memory means, said memory means also including a portion thereof for storing system design data, and wherein, upon the occurrence of a terminating event, said processing means is operable to determine from said historical demand data and from said system design data stored in said memory means said space allocation information indicative of a preferred vend space allocation configuration for the vending system, said terminating event for a given period of time being the first event to occur from among a plurality of possible terminating events wherein said possible terminating events include both first sellout of a class of selectable vendable products and servicing of the vending system.
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86. Vend space allocation means for a vending system capable of vending from among a plurality of classes of selectable vendable products a product from a selected product class, which vending system has a plurality of product storage areas for vend product storage and an established vend space allocation configuration allocating the product storage areas to the classes of selectable vendable products, said vend space allocation means comprising a vend selection monitoring means for monitoring over a period of time the historical demand for the various classes of selectable vendable products, means for determining, based at least in part upon said historical demand, space allocation information indicative of a preferred vend space allocation configuration for the vending system, and means for communicating to authorized personnel such determination, said vend selection monitoring means including data storage means for storing historical demand data representative of the historical demand over the period of time for the plurality of classes of selectable vendable products and said determining means including means for retrieving said historical demand data, said vend space allocation means further including a processing means, said processing means forming portions of said vend selection monitoring means and said determining means, said processing means including memory means for storing data therein and means for retrieving such data therefrom, said data storage means for storing historical demand data forming a portion of said memory means, said memory means also including a portion thereof for storing system design data, said processing means also including a microprocessor programmed to:
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(A) update the historical demand data stored in said data storage means to reflect the vend selection for each product vend operation while the vending system is in a vending mode of operation until the occurrence of a terminating event, (B) respond to the occurrence of a terminating event to prevent further updating of historical demand data stored in said data storage means, (C) determine from said historical demand data and from said system design data stored in said memory means said space allocation information indicative of said preferred vend space allocation configuration for the vending system, (D) effect communication to authorized by said means for communicating of said space allocation information indicative of said preferred vend space allocation configuration, and wherein the first sellout of a class of selectable vendable products constitutes said terminating event.
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87. Vend space allocation means for a vending system capable of vending from among a plurality of classes of selectable vendable products a product from a selected product class, which vending system has a plurality of product storage areas for vend product storage and an established vend space allocation configuration allocating the product storage areas to the classes of selectable vendable products, said vend space allocation means comprising a vend selection monitoring means for monitoring over a period of time the historical demand for the various classes of selectable vendable products, means for determining, based at least in part upon said historical demand, space allocation information indicative of a preferred vend space allocation configuration for the vending system, and means for communicating to authorized personnel such determination, said vend selection monitoring means including data storage means for storing historical demand data representative of the historical demand over the period of time for the plurality of classes of selectable vendable products and said determining means including means for retrieving said historical demand data, said vend space allocation means further including a processing means, said processing means forming portions of said vend selection monitoring means and said determining means, said processing means including memory means for storing data therein and means for retrieving such data therefrom, said data storage means for storing historical demand data forming a portion of said memory means, said memory means also including a portion thereof for storing system design data, said processing means also including a microprocessor programmed to:
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(A) update the historical demand data stored in said data storage means to reflect the vend selection for each product vend operation while the vending system is in a vending mode of operation until the occurrence of a terminating event, (B) respond to the occurrence of a terminating event to prevent further updating of historical demand data stored in said data storage means, (C) determine from said historical demand data and from said system design data stored in said memory means said space allocation information indicative of said preferred vend space allocation configuration for the vending system, (D) effect communication to authorized personnel by said means for communication of said space allocation information indicative of said preferred vend space allocation configuration. and wherein said terminating event for a given period of time is the first event to occur from among a plurality of possible terminating events, said possible terminating events including both first sellout of a class of selectable vendable products and servicing of the vending system.
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88. Vend space allocation means for a vending system capable of vending from among a plurality of classes of selectable vendable products a product from a selected product class, which vending system has a plurality of product storage areas for vend product storage and an established vend space allocation configuration allocating the product storage areas to the classes of selectable vendable products, said vend space allocation means comprising a vend selection monitoring means for monitoring over a period of time the historical demand for the various classes of selectable vendable products, means for determining, based at least in part upon said historical demand, space allocation information indicative of a preferred vend space allocation configuration for the vending system, and means for communicating to authorized personnel such determination, said vend selection monitoring means including data storage means for storing historical demand data representative of the historical demand over the period of time for the plurality of classes of selectable vendable products and said determining means including means for retrieving said historical demand data, said vend space allocation means further including a processing means, said processing means forming portions of said vend selection monitoring means and said determining means, said processing means including memory means for storing data therein and means for retrieving such data therefrom, said data storage means for storing historical demand data forming a portion of said memory means, said memory means also including a portion thereof for storing system design data, said processing means also including a microprocessor programmed to operate, first, during a vending mode of operation, to:
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(A) update the historical demand data stored in said data storage means to reflect the vend selection for each product vend operation until any class of selectable vendable products has first become sold out, and (B) respond to any detection of a first sold out condition for a class of selectable vendable products to prevent further updating during subsequent vending operations of historical demand data stored in said means for storing historical demand data, and, subsequently, during a service mode of operation, to; (C) determine from said historical demand data and from said system design data stored in said memory means said space allocation information indicative of said preferred vend space allocation configuration, and (D) effect communication to authorized personnel by said means for communicating of said space allocation information. - View Dependent Claims (89, 90, 91)
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92. Vend space allocation means for a vending system that has a plurality of distinguishable product storage areas for storage prior to vending of a plurality of distinguishable types of vendable products, wherein the number of distinguishable product storage areas exceeds the number of distinguishable types of vendable products intended to be vended by such vending system and wherein at least certain of the distinguishable product storage areas are configurable with one another to permit the vending of a common type of vendable product therefrom, such vending system including means operable by authorized personnel to establish and form from the plurality of distinguishable product storage areas a plurality of product storage allocation areas, each such product storage allocation area adapted to hold therein a plurality of products of a given type, the plurality of product storage allocation areas so established defining an established vend space allocation configuration, means for dispensing from each such product storage allocation area the products stored therein, means for controlling in response to an authorized request the dispensing of a requested distinguishable type of vendable product, and data storage means for storing historical demand data for each distinguishable type of vendable product, said vend space allocation monitor means comprising vend selection monitoring means for monitoring over a period of time the historical demand for the various types of vendable products, processing means operatively connected to said vend selection monitoring means and said data storage means and operable as product demand is monitored to update said historical demand data stored in said data storage means to reflect the historical demand for the various types of vendable products, and communication means, said processing means operable in response to a terminating event for the time period to determine, based upon the historical demand data stored in said data storage means, space allocation information indicative of a preferred vend space allocation configuration, and to effect the communication to authorized personnel by said communication means of information indicative of such determination, the first sellout of a class of selectable vendable products constituting said terminating event.
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93. Vend space allocation means for a vending system that has a plurality of distinguishable product storage areas for storage prior to vending of a plurality of distinguishable types of vendable products, wherein the number of distinguishable product storage areas exceeds the number of distinguishable types of vendable products intended to be vended by such vending system and wherein at least certain of the distinguishable product storage areas are configurable with one another to permit the vending of a common type of vendable product therefrom, such vending system including means operable by authorized personnel to establish and form from the plurality of distinguishable product storage areas a plurality of product storage allocation areas, each such product storage allocation area adapted to hold therein a plurality of products of a given type, the plurality of product storage allocation areas so established defining an established vend space allocation configuration, means for dispensing from each such product storage allocation area the products stored therein, means for controlling in response to an authorized request the dispensing of a requested distinguishable type of vendable product, and data storage means for storing historical demand data for each distinguishable type of vendable product, said vend space allocation monitor means comprising vend selection monitoring means for monitoring over a period of time the historical demand for the various types of vendable products, processing means operatively connected to said vend selection monitoring means and said data storage means and operable as product demand is monitored to update said historical demand data stored in said data storage means to reflect the historical demand for the various types of vendable products, and communication means, said processing means operable in response to a terminating event for the time period to determine, based upon the historical demand data stored in said data storage means, space allocation information indicative of a preferred vend space allocation configuration, and to effect the communication to authorized personnel by said communication means of information indicative of such determination, wherein said terminating event for a given period of time is the first event to occur from among a plurality of possible terminating events, said possible terminating events including both first sellout of a class of selectable vendable products and servicing of the vending system.
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94. A method for determining and for communication to authorized personnel space allocation information indicative of a preferred vend space allocation configuration for a vending system capable of vending from among a plurality of classes of selectable vendable products a product from a selected product class, which vending system has a plurality of product storage areas for vend product storage, an established vend space allocation configuration allocating the product storage areas to the classes of selectable vendable products, and communication means, comprising the steps of:
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(A) recording and updating for product vend operations as products are vended over a period of time the product demand by class of product, (B) determining from said recorded product demand for such period of time space allocation information indicative of a preferred vend space allocation configuration for such vending system, and (C) effecting communication by such communication means of such space allocation information to authorized personnel, wherein step (A) is terminated by the occurrence of a terminating event and the first sellout of a class of selectable vendable products constitutes said terminating event.
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95. A method for determining and for communicating to authorized personnel space allocation information indicative of a preferred vend space allocation configuration for a vending system capable of vending from along a plurality of classes of selectable vendable products a product from a selected product class, which vending system has a plurality of product storage areas for vend product storage, an established vend space allocation configuration allocating the product storage areas to the classes of selectable vendable products, and communication means, comprising the steps of:
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(A) recording and updating for product vend operations as products are vended over a period of time the product demand by class of product, (B) determining from said recorded product demand for such period of time space allocation information indicative of a preferred vend space allocation configuration for such vending system, and (C) effecting communication by such communication means of such space allocation information to authorized personnel, wherein step (A) is terminated by the occurrence of a terminating event, said terminating event for a given period of time is the first event to occur from among a plurality of possible terminating events, and said possible terminating events include both first sellout of a class of selectable vendable products and servicing of the vending system.
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Specification