System for vending physical and information items

• US 7,218,991 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2004
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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: Walker, Jay S., Tedesco, Daniel E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H.
• Application Number:
  US10/994,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20050109842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 700/234, 700/232, 700/233
• US Class Current: 700/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/004 Restocking arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• 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 handles a purchase transaction by receiving a payment, receiving a product selection from the customer, and dispensing the product indicated by the product selection. As part of the same transaction, the vending machine offers an information item such as an audio recording or a video recording. The vending machine also receives from the customer a destination address, which may be an e-mail address. The vending machine or a system of which it is part transmits the information item to the received destination address.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

offering a plurality of physical products for sale via a vending machine;

maintaining an inventory of a plurality of data files available via the vending machine;

defining a first package by packaging a first subset of the plurality of offered physical products with a first subset of data files from the inventory of data files;

defining a second package by packaging a second subset of the plurality of offered physical products with a second subset of data files from the inventory of data files;

receiving an indication, from a customer, of a selection of the first package;

receiving an indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package;

dispensing, after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package, the first subset of the plurality of offered physical products; and

providing, to the customer, after the receiving of the indication of payment provided by the customer in exchange for the first package, the first subset of data files.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of the plurality of offered physical products comprises one or more of the offered physical products that are associated with a first sales performance level, and wherein the second subset of the plurality of offered physical products comprises one or more of the offered physical products that are associated with a second sales performance level that is greater than the first sales performance level.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first subset of data files is associated with a first popularity, and wherein the second subset of data files is associated with a second popularity that is less than the first popularity.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining the first and second popularities.