Wireless vending communication systems

• US 7,253,729 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2003
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RF Code Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RF Code Incorporated
• Inventors: Ufford, Robert, Ozer, Nissim, Viteri, Armando, Glasser, Chuck, Lastinger, Roc A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US10/616,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20040142685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 379/39, 379/40, 379/90.01, 700/236, 700/241, 700/244
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A system includes a plurality of vending machines communicating wirelessly with a centralized consolidation unit. The consolidation unit communicates via a pre-established communications network, such as a wired or wireless telephone network with a data collection center. A method of polling a vending machine having a wireless transceiver includes sending a first wireless signal to the wireless transceiver of the vending machine, the first signal soliciting a status response from the vending machine, and receiving a second wireless signal from the transceiver of the vending machine, the second signal including the status response which includes information pertaining to a status of the vending machine. The status information may pertain to an inventory level, money deposits, maintenance status or security status of the vending machine.

Claims

1. A vending network comprising:

a plurality of vending machines each including a wireless transceiver operative to transmit vending machine information to and from other vending machines forming a wireless relay network, one of the vending machines in the wireless relay network for receiving vending machine information from one or more of the other vending machines in the wireless relay network having vending machine information to report and reporting the received vending machine information.

2. The network of claim 1 further comprising a consolidation unit positioned within range of the wireless relay network of vending machines, the consolidation unit configured to receive from the reporting vending machine vending machine information for each of the vending machines in the wireless relay network having vending information to report, said consolidation unit also having an interface with an established communications network.

3. The network of claim 1 wherein the reporting of the received vending machine information is automatically performed at one or more predetermined times.

4. The network of claim 1 wherein the reporting of the received vending machine information is performed when the reporting vending machine is prompted to report by a received signal.

5. The network of claim 1 wherein the reporting vending machine reports vending machine information for each of the vending machines in the wireless relay network having vending information to report.