Vending device with remote electronic shopping facility
First Claim
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.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
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Citations
38 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.
- 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.
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32. A vending machine comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of operating a vending machine comprising the steps of:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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Specification