Optical vend-sensing system for control of vending machine

• US 6,708,079 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2001
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Automated Merchandising Systems Incorporated (Seaga Manufacturing Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Automated Merchandising Systems Incorporated (Seaga Manufacturing Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mason, Paul L. II
• Primary Examiner(s): MACKEY, PATRICK HEWEY
• Application Number:
  US09/870,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20020179620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 700/231, 700/236, 221/2, 221/7, 221/8, 221/21, 221/194, 250/222.2, 250/224, 250/559.29, 250/216, 250/221, 250/223.R
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/00 Details other than those peculiar to special kinds or types of apparatus coin inlet arrangements G07F1/00; coin-actuated mechanisms, interlocks G07F5/00

Abstract

An optical vend-sensing system for reliably detecting the dispensing of an article, is presented. The system includes two parallel reflecting surfaces, each mounted at opposite sides of a vend space through which the article falls upon selection by a consumer. An emitter generates an optical beam which is reflected off each of the reflecting surfaces such that the reflected beam traverses across the vend space. A detector senses the reflected beam and communicates with a machine control unit. In response to the detector sensing that the reflected beam has been interrupted, the machine control unit terminates the vending operations of a mechanism controlling the dispensing of the article.

Claims

1. An optical vend-sensing system for a vending machine having a dispensing mechanism configured to initiate vending operations and dispense an article into a vend space through which the article falls upon selection by a consumer, said optical vend-sensing system comprising:

two reflecting surfaces, each mounted on opposite sides of said vend space and positioned substantially parallel to each other;

an electromagnetic emitter configured to generate at least one optical beam which is reflected off of each of said reflecting surfaces such that the reflected beam traverses across said vend space at least two times; and

an electromagnetic radiation detector configured to detect said reflected beam and generate a signal indicating when said article has been dispensed, wherein said detector generates said signal when said reflected beam has been interrupted by said article as it falls through said vend space.

2. The optical vend-sensing system of claim 1, further including a machine control unit in communication with said detector and said dispensing mechanism and configured to receive said signal from said detector indicating that said article has been dispensed.

3. The optical vend-sensing system of claim 2, wherein said detector is configured with a detection threshold level that discriminates against ambient electromagnetic sources and ensures the detection of the reflected beam.

4. The optical vend-sensing system of claim 3, wherein said detector generates said signal indicating an undetected reflected beam based on the detection threshold level.

5. The optical vend-sensing system of claim 4, wherein said detector supplies said signal to said machine control unit which compares said signal to a stored value in order to determine whether to terminate the vending operations of said dispensing mechanism.

6. The optical vend-sensing system of claim 5, wherein in response to receiving said signal from said detector indicating that said selected article has been dispensed, said machine control unit terminates the vending operations of said dispensing mechanism.

7. The optical vend-sensing system of claim 6, wherein, after vending operations have commenced, said machine control unit initiates a corrective action in response to a failure to receive said signal from said detector confirming that said article has been dispensed.

8. The optical vend-sensing system of claim 7, wherein said corrective action includes at least one of presenting said consumer with option to make another selection and presenting said consumer with option to receive return payment of said selected article.

9. The optical vend-sensing system of claim 1, wherein said beam is angled relative to the normal direction along the transverse plane to achieve a predetermined plurality of beam reflections between said reflecting surfaces.

10. The optical vend-sensing system of claim 9, wherein said predetermined plurality of beam reflections are configured to define an inter-beam area between said reflections small enough to accurately detect the dispensing of any vended article.

11. The optical vend-sensing system of claim 1, wherein said optical beam comprises a substantially non-dispersive optical beam.

12. The optical vend-sensing system of claim 1, wherein said emitter comprises a laser source.

13. The optical vend-sensing system of claim 1, wherein said reflecting surfaces comprise substantially flat mirrored surfaces.

14. The optical vend-sensing system of claim 1, wherein said reflecting surfaces comprise curved mirrored surfaces.

15. A vending machine, comprising:

a dispensing unit having a plurality of article containment regions and configured to perform vending operations and dispense an article through a vend space;

a payment and selection unit configured to communicate with said dispensing unit to initiate vending operations after a consumer has selected an article and satisfied payment for said selected article; and

and optical vend-sensing system configured to communicate with said dispensing unit, said vend-sensing system including, two substantially parallel reflecting surfaces, each mounted at opposite sides of said vend space;

an electromagnetic emitter configured to generate at least one optical beam which is reflected off each of said reflecting surfaces such that said reflected beam traverses across said vend space at least two times; and

an electromagnetic radiation detector configured to detect said reflected beam and generate a signal indicating when said selected article has been dispensed,

wherein said detector generates said signal when said reflected beam has been interrupted by said selected article as it falls through said vend space.

16. The vending machine of claim 15, further including a machine control unit in communication with said detector and said dispensing mechanism and configured to receive said signal from said detector indicating that said selected article has been dispensed.

17. The vending machine of claim 16, wherein said detector is configured with a detection threshold level that discriminates against ambient electromagnetic sources and ensures the detection of the reflected beam.

18. The vending machine of claim 17, wherein said detector generates said signal indicating an undetected reflected beam based on the detection threshold level.

19. The vending machine of claim 18, wherein said detector supplies said signal to said machine control unit which compares said signal to a stored value in order to determine whether to terminate the vending operations of said dispensing mechanism.

20. The vending machine of claim 19, wherein in response to receiving said signal from said detector indicating that said selected article has been dispensed, said machine control unit terminates the vending operations of said dispensing mechanism.

21. The vending machine of claim 20, wherein, after vending operations have commenced, said machine control unit initiates a corrective action in response to a failure to receive said signal from said detector confirming that said selected article has been dispensed.

22. The vending machine of claim 21, wherein said corrective action includes at least one of presenting said consumer with option to make another selection and presenting said consumer with option to receive return payment of said selected article.

23. The vending machine of claim 15, wherein said beam is angled relative to the normal direction along the transverse plane to achieve a predetermined plurality of beam reflections between said reflecting surfaces.

24. The vending machine of claim 23, wherein said predetermined plurality of beam reflections are configured to define an inter-beam area between said reflections small enough to accurately detect the dispensing of any vended article.

25. The vending machine of claim 15, wherein said optical beam comprises a substantially non-dispersive optical beam.

26. The vending machine of claim 15, wherein said emitter comprises a laser source.

27. The vending machine of claim 15, wherein said reflecting surfaces comprise substantially flat mirrored surfaces.

28. The vending machine of claim 15, wherein said reflecting surfaces comprise curved mirrored surfaces.

29. The vending machine of claim 15, further including a transparent front to allow said consumer view articles to be vended.

30. A method of sensing an article dispensed from a vending machine having a dispensing mechanism configured to initiate vending operations and dispense an article into a vend space through which the article falls upon selection by a consumer, said method comprising:

emitting at least one optical beam, by an emitting element, such that said beam is reflected off two substantially parallel reflecting surfaces disposed at opposite sides of said vend space and said reflected beam traverses across said vend space at least two times;

detecting said reflected beam by a detecting element; and

generating a signal, by said detecting element, indicating when said article was dispensed, wherein said detector generates said signal when said reflected beam has been interrupted by said article as it falls through said vend space.

31. The method of claim 30, further including monitoring the detection of said reflected beam by a machine control unit in communication with said detector and said dispensing mechanism and configured to receive said signal from said detector indicating that said article has been dispensed.

32. The method of claim 31, further including discriminating against ambient electromagnetic sources to ensure the detection of the reflected beam by configuring said detector with a detection threshold level.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said detector generates said signal indicating an undetected reflected beam based on the detection threshold level.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said detector supplies said signal to said machine control unit which compares said signal to a stored value in order to determine whether to terminate the vending operations of said dispensing mechanism.

35. The method of claim 34, further including terminating the vending operations of said dispensing mechanism in response to receiving said signal from said detector indicating that said article has been dispensed.

36. The method of claim 35, further including initiating a corrective action by said machine control unit after vending operations have commenced, in response to a failure to receive said signal from said detector confirming that said article has been dispensed.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said corrective action includes at least one of presenting said consumer with option to make another selection and presenting said consumer with option to receive return payment of said selected article.

38. The method of claim 30, wherein said beam is angled relative to the normal direction along the transverse plane to achieve a predetermined plurality of beam reflections between said reflecting surfaces.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said predetermined plurality of beam reflections are configured to define an inter-beam area between said reflections small enough to accurately detect the dispensing of any vended article.

40. The method of claim 30, wherein said optical beam comprises a substantially non-dispersive optical beam.

41. The method of claim 30, wherein said emitter comprises a laser source.

42. The method of claim 30, wherein said reflecting surfaces comprise substantially flat mirrored surfaces.

43. The method of claim 30, wherein said reflecting surfaces comprise curved mirrored surfaces.