Method and apparatus for establishing and managing vending machine subscriptions
First Claim
1. A method for registering a subscription to purchase a plurality of items dispensed by a vending machine, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving an indication of payment for said subscription;
receiving a request to register said subscription;
determining a redemption code; and
storing subscription registration data including said redemption code.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for registering a subscription to purchase a plurality of items dispensed by a vending machine. According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method and apparatus are disclosed for dispensing an item by a vending machine in response to a request to redeem at least a portion of a registered subscription. According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method and apparatus are disclosed for dispensing an item by a vending machine based on an estimated availability determined through an analysis of stored subscription data.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for registering a subscription to purchase a plurality of items dispensed by a vending machine, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving an indication of payment for said subscription; receiving a request to register said subscription; determining a redemption code; and storing subscription registration data including said redemption code. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for dispensing an item by a vending machine, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a request to redeem said item; receiving a redemption code corresponding to said item; updating subscription registration data associated with said redemption code to reflect said request to redeem said item; retrieving inventory data associated with said redemption code, said inventory data including a quantity; updating said inventory data to reflect said redemption; and storing said inventory data; and dispensing said item. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A method for processing a purchase of an item dispensed by a vending machine, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving an indication of payment for said item; receiving a request to purchase said item; evaluating inventory data associated with said item to determine availability including; determining a forecast demand value; determining forecast subscription redemption value; determining a forecast inventory quantity based on said demand value and said subscription redemption value; determining an adjusted inventory quantity; and comparing said forecast inventory quantity to said adjusted inventory quantity; and
the method further comprising;dispensing said item.
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16. A method for purchasing a subscription for a plurality of items of a product from a vending machine, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing payment for said subscription; transmitting a request to purchase said subscription; and providing a redemption code. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 29)
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21. A vending machine, comprising:
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an input device for receiving a request to register a subscription to purchase a specified quantity of items of a specified product from said vending machine; an output device for outputting a redemption code corresponding to said subscription; a payment receiver for receiving a user-supplied payment; a dispenser for storing and dispensing said at least one item of said product; a storage device for storing subscription registration data pertaining to said subscription, said subscription registration data including a redemption code, a product identifier and a subscription quantity; and a processor connected to said input device, said output device, said payment receiver, said storage device and said dispenser, said processor operative to receive said request to register a subscription from said input device, determine said redemption code, store said redemption code in said subscription registration data, and store said specified quantity in said subscription registration data. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A vending machine, comprising:
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at least one input device for receiving a request to redeem an item and a user-supplied redemption code; a dispenser for storing and dispensing at least one item of a product; a storage device storing subscription registration data pertaining to a subscription corresponding to said product, said subscription registration data including a redemption code, a product identifier and a subscription quantity; and a processor connected to said storage device, said input device and said dispenser, said processor operative to receive said user-supplied redemption code from said input device, determine if said user-supplied redemption code matches a stored redemption code, and operate said dispenser to dispense said item.
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24. A vending machine, comprising:
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at least one input device for receiving a request to purchase an item and a user-supplied redemption code; a dispenser for storing and dispensing at least one item of a product; a storage device storing subscription registration data pertaining to a subscription corresponding to said product, said subscription registration data including a redemption code, a product identifier and a subscription quantity; and a processor connected to said storage device, said input device and said dispenser, said processor operative to receive an indication of payment for said item, receive a request to purchase said item, and determine if said item is reserved based on said subscription registration data. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A processing module for use with a vending machine, comprising:
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request receiving means for receiving a request to register a subscription to purchase a specified quantity of a specified product from said vending machine; output means for outputting a redemption code corresponding to said subscription; payment receiving means for receiving a user-supplied payment; dispenser activation means for causing said vending machine to dispense said at least one item of said product; memory means for storing subscription registration data pertaining to said subscription, said subscription registration data including a redemption code, a product identifier and a subscription quantity; and processing means connected to said request receiving means, said output means, said payment receiving means, said memory means and said dispenser activation means, said processor operative to receive said request to register a subscription from said request receiving means, determine said redemption code, store said redemption code in said subscription registration data, and store said specified quantity in said subscription registration data. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. A processing module for use with a vending machine, comprising:
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request receiving means for receiving a request to redeem an item; input means for receiving a user-supplied redemption code; dispenser activation means for dispensing at least one item of a product; memory means for storing subscription registration data pertaining to a subscription corresponding to said product, said subscription registration data including said redemption code, a product identifier and a subscription quantity; and processing means connected to said request receiving means, said input means, said dispenser activation means and said memory, said processing means operative to receive said user-supplied redemption code from said input means, and determine if said user-supplied redemption code matches a stored redemption code.
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30. A processing module for use with a vending machine, comprising:
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at least one input device for receiving a user-supplied redemption code and a request to redeem an item; a dispenser for storing and dispensing at least one item of a product; a storage device storing subscription registration data pertaining to a subscription corresponding to said product, said subscription registration data including a redemption code, a product identifier and a subscription quantity; and a processor connected to said storage device, said input device and said dispenser, said processor operative to receive an indication of payment for said item; receive a request to purchase said item; and determine if said item is reserved based on said subscription registration data. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method for registering a subscription to purchase a plurality of items dispensed by a vending machine, said processing instructions for directing a computer to perform the steps of:
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receiving an indication of payment for said subscription; receiving a request to register said subscription, said request including an indication of said plurality of items; determining a redemption code; and storing subscription registration data including said redemption code, a product identifier and said quantity. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method for processing a redemption of an item dispensed by a vending machine, said processing instructions for directing a computer to perform the steps of:
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receiving a request to redeem said item; receiving a redemption code corresponding to said item; updating subscription registration data associated with said redemption code to reflect said request to redeem said item; retrieving inventory data associated with said redemption code, said inventory data including a quantity; updating said inventory data to reflect said redemption; storing said inventory data; dispensing said item. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method for processing a purchase of an item dispensed by a vending machine, said processing instructions for directing a computer to perform the steps of:
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receiving an indication of payment for said item; receiving a request to purchase said item; evaluating inventory data associated with said item to determine availability including; determining a forecast demand value; determining forecast subscription redemption value; determining a forecast inventory quantity based on said demand value and said subscription redemption value; determining an adjusted inventory quantity; and comparing said forecast inventory quantity to said adjusted inventory quantity, said method further comprising the step of; dispensing said item.
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Specification