Vending device with remote electronic shopping facility

• US 6,264,104 B1
• Filed: 11/25/1996
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NewZoom Incorporated (Swyft Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Green Imaging Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Gower, Grondman, Siegmund, Jenkins, Alan Ernest, Bruck, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US08/716,426
• Time in Patent Office: 1,702 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/383, 705/27, 380/25, 395/712
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/06 by returnable containers , i.e. reverse vending systems in which a user is rewarded for returning a container that serves as a token of value, e.g. bottles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10

Abstract

A dedicated electronic catalogue device (150) and a dedicated system for providing goods/services ordered by the electronic catalogue device (150) from a remote location stores in memory (400) a catalogue database which can be accessed by a user by actuation of an appropriate input interface (500) for the user to select a particular product or service to be provided by a provider. A host device (300) at the location of the provider communicates with the electronic catalogue device (150) and obtains transaction information relating to the user'"'"'s order. The provider then fills the order and provides the appropriate product or service. The dedicated electronic catalogue devices (150) can be provided at any convenient location such as a public location, for example. Any product or service is available which can be supplied by the provider. The catalogue can be updated remotely from the host (300) to update product or service information.

Claims

1. A vending device with a remote ordering facility for enabling a user to order gods or services from a remote location, including a memory storing a catalogue database for access by the user, the catalogue database including information on goods or services available for order, display means for displaying information from the catalogue database, communication means for communicating with a remote host device for automatically placing orders, user input means for enabling the user to select available goods or services from the catalogue database for order, and processing means for controlling operation of the device, the device further including storage means for storing goods or services for locally vending on site, the catalogue database including information on the goods or services which are available for local vending, whereby goods or services may be selected from the electronic catalogue and either vended locally from the vending device, if they are available in the vending device storage means, or ordered remotely, if they are not available locally.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, the memory also storing a user data base, the user data base including information for identifying authorised users of the device.

3. A device in accordance with claim 2, the device being arranged to update information in the user data base in response to data communicated from the remote host device via the communication means.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1, the device including means being arranged to access user credit information to determine the credit-worthiness of a user and to deny a user order if the credit of the user is not sufficient.

5. A device in accordance with claim 4, the user data base further including user credit information for access by the device, the device being arranged to update the user credit information in response to orders placed by the user.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1, the device being arranged to update information in the catalogue data base in response to data communicated from the remote host device via the communication means.

7. A device in accordance with claim 1, the device including means arranged, responsive to operation of the user input means, to store transaction information in the memory, the transaction information including information on the identity of the user and the goods or service ordered.

8. A device in accordance with claim 7, being arranged to automatically upload stored transaction information to the host device, via the communication means, at predetermined time intervals.

9. A device in accordance with claim 1, further including an information service menu stored in the memory for access by the user, the information service menu identifying information services which are available at the device and which may be selected by the user on appropriate actuation of the user input means.

10. A device in accordance with claim 9, an information service file being stored in the device and including information service data to enable provision of an information service on selection by a user.

11. A device in accordance with claim 10, the device being arranged to update the information service file and/or the information service menu in response to data communicated from the host device via the communication means.

12. A device in accordance with claim 10, the device further including audio means for providing information in audible form, the information service file including an audio file storing audio service data for reproduction as audio information.

13. A device in accordance with claim 10, the information service file including a video file storing video service data for reproduction as video information on the display means.

14. A local vending and remote goods or services ordering and supply system, comprising a vending device with a remote ordering facility in accordance with claim 1, and a host device located at a remote location and arranged to communicate with the vending device via the communication means, to receive orders for goods or services placed via the electronic catalogue device and to process the orders.

15. A system in accordance with claim 14, the host device including a processing means for controlling the host device, a memory, a user input means and a display, the host device being arranged to process an order by receiving the transaction information via the communication means and automatically producing an invoice and delivery instruction for delivery of the goods or services to the user who generated the order at the electronic catalogue device.

16. A system in accordance with claim 14, the host device being arranged to automatically communicate with the vending device to update data stored in the memory of the vending device.

17. A device with claim 1, wherein the information in the catalogue database enables selection of goods or services by way of actuating the input means to select a category of goods or services, and then selecting an item of goods or services within the category.

18. A device with claim 17, wherein the category is brand of goods or services.

19. A device with claim 17, wherein the category is type of goods or services.

20. A device with claim 17, wherein the processing means is arranged to control the display to provide graphical images of goods or services available in the catalogue database.

21. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an electronic funds transfer facility whereby a user may carry out a payment for goods or services ordered by the electronic funds transfer system crediting/debiting his account.

22. A device with claim 1, wherein the processing means is arranged to control a display to display generic information from the catalogue database via which the user can make a selection to obtain on the display more detailed information from the catalogue database.

23. A device as defined in claim 1 further comprising identification means for identifying authorized users of the device.

24. A method of providing for remote ordering and supply of goods or services, comprising the steps of providing, at a first location, a vending device with a remote ordering facility, the device incorporating a memory storing a catalogue database including information on goods or services available for order, and having input means to enable a user to select available goods or services from the catalogue database for order, providing, at a second location remote from the first location, a host device, the host device being arranged to communicate with the vending device to receive and process information relating to goods or services ordered, and providing a service infrastructure for delivering goods or services ordered to the first location, the vending device further including, at the first location, a storage means for storing goods or services for local vending, wherein the catalogue database stores information on the goods or services available for local vending, whereby the goods or services may be selected from the electronic catalogue and either vended locally from the vending device, if they are available in the vending devices storage means, or ordered remotely, if they are not available locally.

25. A method in accordance with claim 24, including the step of the host device periodically communicating with the vending device and automatically updating the catalogue database via a communication means.

26. A method in accordance with claim 24, including the further step of providing information services at the remote vending device, whereby a user can request information services via the input means.

27. A method in accordance with claim 26, including the further step of the host device providing data to the vending device to update the information services available.

28. A method in accordance with claim 24, the vending device being arranged to store user information for identifying a user of the processing device, and including the further step of the host device communicating with the vending device to update the user information.

29. A method in accordance with claim 24, including the step of enabling the vending device to be used by a plurality of different users, user information being stored in the vending device on each user.

30. A method in accordance with claim 24, including the step of positioning the vending device in a public location for access by a plurality of users.

31. A method in accordance with claim 24, including the step of providing a plurality of vending devices for communication with the host device, each processing device being positioned in a different location.

32. A vending machine comprising:

at least one storage compartment sized for storing at least one good for local vending;

a memory storing a catalogue including information indicative of at least one of a good and a service which is available for order from a location external to the vending machine;

a display device structured for displaying information from the catalogue database;

a communication device structured for communicating with a remote device for placing orders for the at least one of a good and a service which is available for order from a location external to the vending machine,

a user accessible input device for enabling the user to select at least one of;

(a) the at least one good from the at least one storage compartment, and (b) the at least one of a good and a service which is available for order from a location external to the vending machine; and

a processor in communication with the input device, the memory, and the communication device, the processor being responsive to a user request to order at least one of a good or service which is available for order from a location external to the vending machine to place the order with the remote device via the communication device, wherein the vending machine is also responsive to a user purchase of a good stored in the at least one storage compartment to permit user withdrawal of the purchased good from the vending machine.

33. A vending machine as defined in claim 32 further comprising a money receiver for receiving currency from the user.

34. A vending machine as defined in claim 32 wherein the memory further stores information indicative of the current availability of the at least one good associated with the at least one storage compartment, and wherein at least one of the at least one good associated with the at least one storage compartment comprises at least one of the at least one of a good and a service which is available for order from a location external to the vending machine, such that the user may optionally instruct the vending machine to order a good associated with at least one of the at least one storage compartment from the remote location.

35. A vending machine as defined in claim 34 wherein the user may instruct the vending machine to order a good associated with at least one of the at least one storage compartment from the remote location, if the good is not available from the associated storage compartment.

36. A method of operating a vending machine comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of storage compartments at the vending machine, each of the storage compartments being sized to store at least one good for vending;

providing a memory at the vending machine, the memory storing a catalogue database including information identifying at least one of goods and services available for purchase from a location remote to the vending machine;

displaying at the vending machine at least one of the at least one of goods and services available for purchase from the location remote to the vending machine;

accepting a user input at the vending machine;

if the user input is a purchase of a good associated with at least one of the storage compartments, permitting withdrawal of the purchased good from the vending machine; and

if the user input is a request to purchase at least one of the at least one of goods and services available for purchase from the location remote to the vending machine, electronically placing an order indicative of the user request to purchase from the remote location.

37. A method as defined in claim 36 wherein at least one of the at least one good associated with the storage compartments comprises at least one of the at least one of goods and services available for purchase from a location remote to the vending machine, and wherein the step of placing an order indicative of the user request to purchase from the remote location comprises a request to purchase the at least one of the at least one good associated with the storage compartments from the remote location.

38. A method as defined in claim 37 wherein the order indicative of the user request to purchase a good associated with a storage compartment can be placed if the good is unavailable from the storage compartment.