Vending machine system

• US 6,772,048 B1
• Filed: 10/03/2001
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: COIN Acceptors Incorporated
• Original Assignee: COIN Acceptors Incorporated
• Inventors: Leibu, Mark H., Van Cleve, Gilbert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H.
• Application Number:
  US09/970,623
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 700/231, 700/232, 700/236, 700/237, 700/241, 700/244, 221/131
• US Class Current: 700/241
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/08 Counting total of coins inserted

Abstract

A system for controlling one or more vending machines each of which has an associated module which can send and receive radio frequency signals, the system including a central data collection device which includes a device for sending radio frequency signals which can be intercepted by and used to control the operation of a selected one or more of the vending machines, each vending machine having elements for using the radio frequency signals it receives from the central data collection device to vend products selected by a customer, the central collection device includes a mechanism for determining the amount of deposits or credit entry in excess of the selected vends for returning this excess deposits or credit entry to the customer based on the amount of credit or deposits entered and the cost of the products selected to be vended by the vending machines.

Claims

1. A system for enabling wireless communications among a plurality of vending machines and operation by one of such plurality of vending machines based upon credit deposits made at another of such plurality of vending machines, comprising a plurality of vending machines at least a first of which includes a vend dispensing portion, at least a second of which includes a credit entry portion, and at least one of which includes a vend selection portion, each of said plurality of vending machines including a machine control portion having associated therewith a communications control portion operable to transmit and receive short distance communication signals, said plurality of vending machines being positioned with respect to one another to be within range of said short distance communication signals, said positioned plurality of vending machines defining a peer-to-peer network having a wireless communications bus accessible through said communications control portions interconnecting said positioned plurality of vending machines for point-to-point communications, said first of said plurality of vending machines operable to receive a credit deposit made by a customer and to provide data representative of credit availability for vend purchasing over said wireless communications bus, said second of said plurality of vending machines operable to effect a vend dispensing operation of a product selected by a customer upon verification of appropriate vend conditions including sufficient credit availability for the vend selection made by the customer.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least a subset of said plurality of vending machines includes a plurality of vending machines at least one of which includes a credit entry portion and each of which is operable to vend a selected product therefrom upon verification of appropriate machine-specific vend conditions including the sufficiency of credit availability based upon credit deposits at said vending machine that includes a credit entry portion for the vend selection made by the customer.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said plurality of vending machines of said subset are each separately operable to vend a selected product therefrom upon verification for the vend selection made by the customer at that vending machine of appropriate machine-specific vend conditions including the sufficiency of credit availability based upon credit deposits at said vending machine that includes a credit entry portion.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein each of said vending machines of said subset includes a credit entry portion and is independently operable to vend a selected product therefrom upon verification for the vend selection made by the customer at that vending machine of appropriate machine-specific vend conditions including the sufficiency of credit availability based upon credit deposits at that vending machine.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said vending machine that includes a credit entry portion also includes a vend selection portion.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein said vending machine that includes a credit entry portion is a central data collection machine for said other vending machines of said subset and wherein said communications control portion for said central data collection machine includes a communications device configurable and operable to communicate over long distances with a central location distanced from said system.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said communications device is a modem.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said communications device is a long range radio frequency device.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein said communications device includes an interface to an internet device.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein said communications device a cellular telephone connection.

11. The system of claim 2 wherein each vending machine of said subset is operable to transmit credit availability data over said wireless communications bus for use by a different vending machine of said subset and to receive for its own use credit availability date transmitted over said wireless communications bus by a different vending machine.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein each vending machine of said subset is operable to utilize said received credit availability data to effect a vend dispensing operation of a product selected by a customer upon verification of appropriate vend conditions including sufficient credit availability for the vend selection made by the customer.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said system includes a central data collection device being positioned to be within range of said communication signals of said plurality of vending machines and having a communications control portion configurable to effect an interchange of information over a wireless bus and operable to transmit and receive short distance communications signals over said wireless communications bus, which radio frequency signals can be retrieved from said wireless communications bus by and used in effecting the operation of one or more of said plurality of vending machines, said central data collection device operable to retrieve from said wireless communications bus and to centrally maintain within said peer-to-peer network for use by said plurality of vending machines through communications over said wireless communications bus customer-specific credit availability information as determined from amounts of deposits made by the customer in excess of the selected vends available for return to the customer.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the central data collection device and each of the plurality of vending machines is operable to receive and send communications signals therebetween to effect a return to the customer of any excess amount of credit entry that exceeds the cost of the vended products.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein each vending machine has associated therewith, and operatively connected to said machine control portion thereof, a coin entry device.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein each vending machine has associated therewith, and operatively connected to said machine control portion thereof, a bill entry device.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein each vending machine has associated therewith, and operatively connected to said machine control portion thereof, a credit card data entry device.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein each vending machine has associated therewith, and operatively connected to said machine control portion thereof, device for selecting a desired vend.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein each vending machine has associated therewith, and operatively connected to said machine control portion thereof, a display device for a customer to visually determine the product or products he wants to purchase.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein said credit availability data transmitted over said wireless communications bus includes customer identification information.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein each vending machine having a vend selection portion includes a data entry device for entry by a customer of customer identification information for associating a vend selection made by a customer at one vending machine with credit availability data for that customer transmitted over said wireless communications bus by a different vending machine.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein each vending machine of said subset is operable, upon the vending of the selected product by such vending machine, to transmit updated credit availability data over said wireless communications bus for use by a different vending machine of said subset.

23. The system of claim 12 wherein at least a secondary subset of said subset includes a plurality of vending machines each of which is operable to transmit selection data over said wireless communications bus for use by a different vending machine and to receive for its own use selection data transmitted over said wireless communications bus by a different vending machine.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein selection information transmitted over said wireless communications bus includes customer identification information.

25. The system of claim 11 wherein said vending machine that includes a vend selection portion is operable to transmit selection information over said wireless communications bus for use by a different vending machine and at least a secondary subset of said subset includes a plurality of vending machines operable to retrieve said selection information from said wireless communications bus and to make use thereof to verify said machine-specific vend conditions.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein said communications control portion includes a baseband control firmware portion, a link manager firmware portion, a host controller interface firmware portion, and a transport firmware portion, said host controller interface firmware portion and said transport firmware portion being operatively connected to said machine control portion for exchanging information therewith.

27. The system of claim 13 wherein said communications signals transmitted by said communications control portion are short range radio frequency signals.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said communications control portion is Bluetooth-compliant.

29. The system of claim 1 wherein said communications signals transmitted by said communications control portion are short distance radio frequency signals.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein said communications control portion is Bluetooth-compliant.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein at least a subset of said plurality of vending machines includes vending machines having vend function modules corresponding to said credit entry portion, said vend selection portion, and said vend dispensing portion, each such vending machine of said subset including at least two of said vend function modules and each said vend function module including a module control portion having an associated Bluetooth-compliant communications control portion operable to transmit and receive short distance radio frequency signals.

32. A system for controlling the operations of devices based on the accumulation of credit, the system including a credit entry mechanism having a credit entry portion for accepting money and credit entries and an associated control portion operable to accumulate the amount of credit entered by and available to a customer, at least one operation request mechanism responsive to customer activation to request performance of an operation, at least one device for performing an operation when the amount of credit available to a customer at least equals the cost of the operation to be performed, and a payback mechanism for returning the credit available that exceeds the value cost of the performed operation, said mechanisms and devices including a communications control portion configurable to effect the interchange of information over a wireless bus and operable to transmit and receive short distance communications signals, said mechanisms and devices being positioned with respect to one another to be within range of said short distance communications signals, said positioned mechanisms and devices defining a peer-to-peer network having a wireless communications bus accessible through said communications control portion interconnecting said positioned mechanisms and devices for point-to-point communications among the credit entry mechanism, the operation request mechanism, and the operation performing device, said communications control portions including transmitting and receiving devices that communicate with one another over said wireless bus.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the devices being controlled include at least two vending machines each having a machine control portion for determining the value of credit available to a customer, a display portion for displaying information regarding a vending operation, a payback portion for paying back credit remaining available, and a vend portion for dispensing a product when the amount of credit available at least equals the cost of the dispensed product, each vending machine having a portion for transmitting and receiving communications signals for use in controlling the operations of said vending machines, said credit entry mechanism, operation request mechanism, and payback mechanism being distributed among said vending machines and being portions thereof.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein one of said vending machines is operable to retrieve from said wireless communications bus and to centrally maintain within said peer-to-peer network, for use by said vending machines through communications over said wireless communications bus, customer-specific credit availability information as determined from credit entries made by the customer in excess of the cost of the operations performed, said one vending machine being a central data collection device.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said central data collection device is operable to transmit credit availability information over said wireless communications bus for use by other of said vending machines and to retrieve from said wireless communications bus for maintenance thereby of updated credit availability information transmitted over said wireless communications bus by said other of said vending machines when an operation is performed thereby.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said communications signals transmitted by said communications control portion are short range radio frequency signals and said transmitting and receiving devices include radio frequency transmitting and receiving devices.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein said communications control portion is Bluetooth-compliant.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein said central data collection device includes a remote communications control portion for communicating over distances greater than the distances covered by said short range radio frequency signals of said Bluetooth-compliant communications control portions.

39. A system for vending products to a customer who has established a credit, including by depositing coins, paper money or by using a credit card, the system including:

at least one product vending machine and at least one vend operations control device,

transmitting and receiving devices associated with each of the vending machines and the vend operations control device, said transmitting and receiving devices operable to transmit and receive short distance communication signals and forming a portion of communications control portions configurable to effect the interchange of information over a wireless bus and operable to effect communications among the vending machines and the vend operations control device,

the vending machines of said system and the vend operations control device being positioned with respect to one another to be within range of said short distance communication signals, said positioned vending machines and control device defining a peer-to-peer network having a wireless communications bus accessible through said communications control portions interconnecting said positioned vending machines and control device for point-to-point communications,

each of the vending machines including a vend dispensing portion operable to control the vending of a product therefrom when a signal from the vend operations control device indicating that the amount of credit entered at least equals the cost of the product desired to be vended becomes accessible over said wireless communications bus and is received by such vending machine,

the transmitting devices associated with the vending machines being operable to transmit over said wireless communications bus a signal indicating that a product has been vended,

the control device operable to establish the amount of credit remaining after a product has been vended,

and a payback device to return to the customer an amount in excess of the cost of the product that has been vended.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the vend operations control device includes a vending machine control portion that is operable to determine an overcredit amount by reducing the amount of credit entered for the customer based upon the number of products being vended and the cost thereof.

41. The system of claim 39 wherein said system includes a plurality of vending machines.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein the vending machines include a vend selection portion operable to select a product to be vended.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein each of the vending machines includes a credit entry portion and is independently operable to vend a selected product therefrom upon verification for the vend selection made by the customer at that vending machine of appropriate machine-specific vend conditions including the sufficiency of credit availability based upon credit entered at that vending machine.

44. The system of claim 41 wherein the vend operations control device is a central data collection machine for the vending machines and wherein said communications control portion thereof includes a communications device configurable and operable to communicate over long distances with a central location distanced from said system.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein said communications device is a modem.

46. The system of claim 44 wherein said communications device is a long range radio frequency device.

47. The system of claim 44 wherein said communications device includes an interface to an internet device.

48. The system of claim 44 wherein said communications device a cellular telephone connection.

49. The system of claim 44 wherein the control device is a vending machine.

50. A method of enabling wireless communications among a plurality of vending machines in a vending system and operation by one of such plurality of vending machines based upon credit deposits made at another of such plurality of vending machines, wherein each of the vending machines includes a machine control portion, at least a first of the vending machines includes a vend dispensing portion, at least a second of the vending machines includes a credit entry portion, and at least one of the vending machines includes a vend selection portion, comprising

providing and associating with each of the plurality of vending machines a communications control portion associated with the machine control portion of the vending machine, said communications control portion configurable to effect the interchange of information over a wireless bus and operable to transmit and receive short distance communication signals,

configuring the machine control portions of the vending machines and their associated communications control portions to be able to communicate with other devices in a peer-to-peer network over a wireless communications bus accessible through said communications control portions interconnecting the devices,

positioning the plurality of vending machines with respect to one another to be within range of said short distance communication signals, the positioned plurality of vending machines defining a peer-to-peer network having a wireless communications bus accessible through said communications control portions interconnecting the positioned plurality of vending machines for point-to-point communications,

configuring the first of said plurality of vending machines to receive a credit deposit made by a customer and to provide data representative of credit availability for vend purchasing over said wireless communications bus,

configuring the second of said plurality of vending machines to effect a vend dispensing operation of a product selected by a customer upon verification of appropriate vend conditions including sufficient credit availability for the vend selection made by the customer.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein at least a subset of the plurality of vending machines includes a plurality of vending machines at least one of which includes a credit entry portion and each of which is operable to vend a selected product therefrom upon verification of appropriate machine-specific vend conditions including the sufficiency of credit availability based upon credit deposits at said vending machine that includes a credit entry portion for the vend selection made by the customer.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein the plurality of vending machines of the subset are each separately operable to vend a selected product therefrom upon verification for the vend selection made by the customer at that vending machine of appropriate machine-specific vend conditions including the sufficiency of credit availability based upon credit deposits at the vending machine that includes a credit entry portion.

53. The method of claim 51 wherein each of the vending machines of the subset includes a credit entry portion and is independently operable to vend a selected product therefrom upon verification for the vend selection made by the customer at that vending machine of appropriate machine-specific vend conditions including the sufficiency of credit availability based upon credit deposits at that vending machine.

54. The method of claim 51 wherein the vending machine that includes a credit entry portion also includes a vend selection portion.

55. The method of claim 51 wherein the communications control portion provided for the vending machine that includes a credit entry portion includes a communications device configurable and operable to communicate over long distances with a central location distanced from said system and including the steps of

configuring the vending machine that includes a credit entry portion to act as a central data collection machine for the other vending machines of the subset, and

configuring the remaining vending machines of the subset to communicate vend operation information to the central data collection machine.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein the communications device is a modem.

57. The method of claim 55 wherein the communications device is a long range radio frequency device.

58. The system of claim 55 the communications device includes an interface to an internet device.

59. The method of claim 55 wherein said communications device a cellular telephone connection.

60. The method of claim 55 wherein the remaining vending machines of the subset include credit entry portions and the vend operation information communicated to the central data collection machine includes credit entry information from the remaining vending machines of the subset.

61. The method of claim 53 wherein each vending machine of the subset is operable to transmit credit availability data over said wireless communications bus for use by a different vending machine of the subset and to receive for its own use credit availability date transmitted over said wireless communications bus by a different vending machine.

62. The method of claim 61 wherein each vending machine of the subset is operable to utilize said received credit availability data to effect a vend dispensing operation of a product selected by a customer upon verification of appropriate vend conditions including sufficient credit availability for the vend selection made by the customer.

63. The method of claim 61 wherein the communications control portion provided for one of the vending machines includes a communications device configurable and operable to communicate over long distances with a central location distanced from said system and including the steps of

configuring the vending machine that includes such communications device to act as a central data collection machine for the other vending machines of the subset, and

configuring the remaining vending machines of the subset to communicate vend operation information to the central data collection machine.

64. The system of claim 63 wherein each vending machine having a vend selection portion includes a data entry device for entry by a customer of customer identification information for associating a vend selection made by a customer at one vending machine with credit availability data for that customer transmitted over said wireless communications bus by a different vending machine.

65. The system of claim 62 wherein said credit availability data transmitted over said wireless communications bus includes customer identification information.

66. The system of claim 62 wherein each vending machine of the subset is operable, upon the vending of the selected product by such vending machine, to transmit updated credit availability data over the wireless communications bus for use by a different vending machine of the subset.

67. The system of claim 62 wherein at least a secondary subset of the subset includes a plurality of vending machines each which is operable to transmit selection data over the wireless communications bus for use by a different vending machine and to receive for its own use selection data transmitted over the wireless communications bus by a different vending machine.

68. The system of claim 67 Wherein selection information transmitted over the wireless communications bus includes customer identification information.

69. The system of claim 51 including the steps of

configuring the vending machine that includes a vend selection portion to transmit selection information over the wireless communications bus for use by a different vending machine and

configuring at least a secondary subset of vending machines of the subset to retrieve selection information from the wireless communications bus and to make use thereof to verify machine-specific vend conditions.