Network of vending machines connected interactively to data-base building host

• US 6,462,644 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1998
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Coca-Cola Company (The Coca-Cola Company)
• Original Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
• Inventors: Ward, Kevin, Howell, Thomas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIMIZU, MATSUICHIRO
• Application Number:
  US09/195,415
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.9, 340/5.92, 364/479.01, 379/102, 379/106.01, 700/231, 700/239, 455/66, 455/422
• US Class Current: 340/5.92
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A wide area network (WAN) of vending machines connected to a host that builds a database of vending-related information received from the vending machines. Also, a communications system within each vending machine having a vending machine data acquisition unit and a multiple-communication-technology adapter to interface the data acquisition unit to multiple communication technologies including at least one wireless technology. Also, a data structure used to build the database, the data structure having data elements corresponding to an identity of a machine, recent and previous prediction information for the machine, and recent and previous refill-visit information for the machine, the elements being linked together. The multiple vending machines communicate with a communications concentrator via one of many communication technologies. The communications concentrator interfaces the multiple vending machines to a data warehouse that builds a database using the data structure mentioned above. The data warehouse is made available to one or more bottlers for analysis of individual vending machine routing needs and profitability.

Claims

1. In a vending machine, a vending machine communication system comprising:

a vending machine data acquisition unit to at least one of collect and receive vending-related data concerning said vending machine;

a multiple-communication-technology adapter to interface said data acquisition unit to a plurality of diverse communication technologies including at least a first wireless technology, said adapter being selectively responsive to a command signal indicative of the communication technology to be interfaced, said command signal being a handshake signal from the communication signal carrying the data from the vending machine; and

a modem connected through a single data path to said adapter and to one of said plurality of diverse communication technologies in response to said handshake signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first wireless technology is cellular telephone technology.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of communication technologies includes a second wireless technology.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said first cellular telephone technology is circuit-switched cellular telephony and said second wireless technology is wireless data technology.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said second wireless technology includes one of RAM Mobile Data, ARDIS, SMR and CDPD.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of communication technologies includes one of a public switched telephone network (PSTN) technology and an infrared (IR) data transfer technology.

7. The system of claim 1, further including a dedicated terminal unit of one of said plurality of communication technologies, said dedicated terminal unit being operable to connect said modem to a network operating according to said one of said plurality of communication technologies.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said dedicated terminal unit is one of a circuit-switched cellular telephone, a wireless data transceiver, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) landline and an infrared transceiver.

9. A vending machine monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of vending machines, each vending machine having a communication system that includes;

a vending machine data acquisition unit for at least one of collecting and receiving vending-related data concerning said vending machine;

a multiple-communication-technology adapter for interfacing said data acquisition unit to a plurality of diverse communication technologies including at least a first wireless technology, said adapter being selectively responsive to a command signal indicative of the communication technology to be interfaced, said command signal being a handshake signal from the communication signal carrying the data from the vending machine; and

a dedicated terminal unit of one of a plurality of communication technologies, said dedicated terminal unit being operable to connect a modem through a single data path to said adaptor and to said one of said plurality of diverse communication technologies in response to said handshake signal;

a first network operating according to a first one of said plurality of communication technologies;

a second network operating according to a second one of said plurality of communication technologies;

a communications concentrator, connected to said first and second networks, for communicating with each said data acquisition unit via said modem adaptor and single data path and one of said first and second networks, respectively;

a data warehouse unit for building a database that includes data corresponding to each of said vending machines; and

a data processor for analyzing said data stored in said database.

10. A system as in claim 9, wherein each vending machine includes a modem to connect said adapter to one of said plurality of communication technologies.

11. A memory and transmission system having data compaction capabilities for storing vending machine-related data, corresponding to a plurality of vending machines managed by a manager computer connected thereto through a communication path, that is to be managed for access by an application program being executed on a data processing system of said manager computer, the memory comprising:

a data structure stored in said memory, said data structure including information resident in a database used by said application program, said data structure including;

a first data element for storing an identification of one of said vending machines;

a second data element, associated with said first data element, for storing a most recent set of prediction information about said one of said vending machines;

a third data element, associated with said first data element, for storing a next most recent set of prediction information about said one of said vending machines;

a fourth data element, associated with said first data element, for storing a most recent set of refill-visit information for said one of said vending machines;

a fifth data element, associated with said first data element, for storing a next most recent set of refill-visit information for said one of said vending machines;

a comparator for determining difference data between the data stored in the second and third data elements, and difference data between the fourth and fifth data elements, said manager computer utilizing only the difference data to manage the plurality of vending machines; and

a data transmitter for transmitting only the difference data along said communication path from the data elements to the manager computer;

whereby the difference data represents compacted data from the respective data elements.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said data structure is a linked list.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said linked list further comprises:

a first pointer for pointing from said first data element to said second data element;

a second pointer for pointing from said first data element to said third data element;

a third pointer for pointing from said first data element to said fourth third data element; and

a fourth pointer for pointing from said first data element to said fifth data element.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said linked list further comprises:

a first pointer for pointing from said first data element to said second data element;

a second pointer for pointing from said first data element to said third data element;

a third pointer for pointer for pointing from said second data element to said fourth data element; and

a fourth pointer for pointing from said third data element to said fifth data.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said plurality of vending machines is managed by a plurality of managers, respectively, said data structure further comprising:

a sixth data element, associated with said first data element, for storing an identification of a manager.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising a sixth data element, associated with said first data element, for storing at least one set of weekly prediction history information about said one of said vending machines.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising a sixth data element, associated with said first data element, for storing at least one set of monthly prediction history information about said one of said vending machines.

18. A vending machine monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of vending machines;

a wide area network for connecting said plurality of vending machines to a communications concentrator;

said communications concentrator for communicating with each of said plurality of vending machines, respectively, and a data warehouse unit; and

said data warehouse unit for building a database that containing data corresponding to each of said vending machines, said database having a data structure that includes;

a first data element for storing an identification of one of said vending machines;

a second data element, associated with said first data element, for storing a most recent set of prediction information about said one of said vending machines;

a third data element, associated with said first data element, for storing a next most recent set of prediction information about said one of said vending machines;

a fourth data element, associated with said first data element, for storing a most recent set of refill-visit information for said one of said vending machines;

a fifth data element, associated with said first data element, for storing a next most recent set of refill-visit information for said one of said vending machines;

a comparator for determining difference data between the second and third data elements, and the fourth and fifth data elements;

means for routing only the difference data through said communication concentrator between the vending machines and the data warehouse; and

whereby the amount of data routed is compacted as compared to the amount of data stored in the respective data elements.

19. The memory of claim 18, wherein said data structure is a linked list.

20. The memory of claim 19, wherein said linked list further comprises:

a first pointer for pointing from said first data element to said second data element;

a second pointer for pointing from said first data element to said third data element;

a third pointer for pointing from said first data element to said fourth third data element; and

a fourth pointer for pointing from said first data element to said fifth data element.

21. The memory of claim 20, wherein said linked list further comprises:

a first pointer for pointing from said first data element to said second data element;

a second pointer for pointing from said first data element to said third data element;

a third pointer for pointing from said second data element to said fourth data element; and

a fourth pointer for pointing from said third data element to said fifth data element.

22. The memory of claim 19, wherein said plurality of vending machines is managed by a plurality of managers, respectively, said data structure further comprising:

a sixth data element, linked to said first data element, for storing an identification of a manager.

23. The memory of claim 22, wherein said plurality of vending machines is managed by a plurality of managers, respectively, said data structure further comprising:

a sixth data element, linked to said first data element, for storing an identification of a manager.