System and method for reporting vending status

• US 6,272,395 B1
• Filed: 12/03/1999
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ident, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ident, Inc.
• Inventors: Brodbeck, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H.
• Application Number:
  US09/453,554
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 700/236, 700/241, 700/244, 700/231, 221/2, 379/90.01, 379/399, 379/414, 340/310.01, 340/310.02, 340/310.03
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A vending status reporting system for use with vending machines in a facility utilizing an AC power system, a telephone communication system, and a collection office. The system includes a plurality of slave units, each connectable to an associated vending machine to be monitored and to the facility'"'"'s AC power system, and a master unit connectable to the facility'"'"'s AC power system and to a telephone communication system. The master unit retrieves vending status information by signaling each slave unit using unique addresses in dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) code format and waiting for a response. Each slave unit includes a mechanism for retrieving information on the status of vending items of its associated vending machine and for transmitting the retrieved vending status information. A slave unit controller of the slave unit receives the transmitted vending status information and processes the transmitted information. A slave unit AC carrier interface receives the processed vending information from the slave unit controller and converts it to an AC vending status signal in DTMF format. Each master unit includes a master unit AC carrier interface for receiving the vending status signal. A master unit controller of the master unit receives and processes the received vending status signal. A master unit telephone interface is connectable to a collection office via the telephone communication system. The master unit telephone interface receives a processed vending status data signal from the master unit controller and transmits the vending status information to the collection office.

Claims

1. A vending status reporting system for reporting the status of a vending machine, comprising:

means associated with a slave unit for transmitting vending status information in binary dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) code over an AC power line to a master unit; and

means associated with the master unit for receiving vending status information from said slave unit.

2. A vending system control unit, comprising:

means for transmitting information in binary dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) code format to a plurality of slave units connected thereto via an AC power line network; and

means for receiving vending status information in binary DTMF code format from the slave unit.

3. A method reporting vending status, comprising the steps of:

sending an address in binary dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) code format over an AC power line, the address corresponding to a slave unit;

receiving the address at the slave unit; and

transmitting vending status information in binary DTMF code from the slave unit to a master unit over the AC power line.

4. A vending status reporting system, comprising:

an AC power line network;

a vending machine connected to the AC power line network;

a slave reporting unit in communication with the vending machine, comprising;

a user interface which receives input data from a user;

a microcontroller which receives the data from the user interface;

a slave AC carrier interface which sends and receives signals binary dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) code format over the AC power line network, the AC carrier interface in communication with the microcontroller; and

a master reporting unit in communication with the slave reporting unit comprising;

a microcontroller; and

a master AC carrier interface in communication with the microcontroller which sends and receives signals in binary dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) code format over the AC power line network to communicate with the slave reporting unit.

5. A vending reporting status system for reporting vending status information on a vending apparatus using an existing AC power network, comprising:

a communication component connectable between the vending apparatus and the AC power network and configured to communicate in binary dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) codes over the AC power network, the communication component comprising;

a processor;

a receiver, connected to the processor, configured to receive vending status information from the vending apparatus; and

a transmitter, connected to the processor, configured to transmit the vending status information upon receipt by the receiver.