Vending machine apparatus for encouraging participation in a marketing effort

• US 6,658,323 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2001
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Tedesco, Daniel E., Walker, Jay S., Jorasch, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H.
• Application Number:
  US10/012,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20020065579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 700/231, 700/232, 700/233, 700/236, 700/240, 700/241, 235/375, 235/381, 705/14
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0218 based on score
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• 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 vending machine method and apparatus are disclosed for encouraging vending machine customers to review a marketing promotion or to participate in a survey while making a purchase. Customers are immediately rewarded for providing responses about the marketing promotion that was previously presented or their preferences or opinions. The reward may be, for example, a supplementary product, a discount on the customer'"'"'s current purchase or a subsequent purchase, or a rebate. The vending machine ensures that it contains sufficient currency and products to meet the requirements of all active reward offers. The vending machine ensures that buyers are committed to making a purchase, before offering a reward to a customer. Unscrupulous customers are discouraged from using repeatedly participating in a marketing promotion, merely to collect rewards or influence the results of a survey. The marketing promotion presented to a customer can be based on the customer'"'"'s current or previous product selection(s) or purchase history.

Claims

1. A vending machine for dispensing a product to a customer, said vending machine comprising:

an input device for receiving a purchase request for said product;

an output device for presenting at least one question to said customer in response to said purchase request;

an item dispenser for dispensing said product and a product reward to said customer for answering said question; and

means for establishing communications with a central server.

2. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein said output device comprises at least one of a display, an audio speaker, a keypad and a microphone.

3. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the means for establishing communications with a central server comprises:

means for transmitting to the central server a request to adjust inventory.

4. The vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for retrieving said question from a database.

5. The vending machine according to claim 4, wherein the means for retrieving said question comprises:

means for determining criteria from the database; and

means for determining if a current transaction satisfies the criteria.

6. The vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving an acceptance from said customer.

7. The vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for determining the product reward.

8. The vending machine according to claim 7, wherein the means for determining the product reward comprises:

means for determining the product reward based on a rule stored in a database.

9. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the item dispenser comprises:

a currency dispenser for providing a currency reward to said customer for answering said question.