Disk dispensing and retrieval system and associated methods
DCFirst Claim
1. A system for dispensing optical storage media from a kiosk, remote from a system server and communicatively connected to said system server, said system comprising:
- a first central processing unit in said kiosk;
a database including information representative of kiosk inventory and accessible by a user via a kiosk interface and the Internet;
a first set of instructions for directing said first central processing unit to;
request billing information from said user, including a user-specified e-mail address;
respond to a user request from the Internet or from said kiosk interface, to identify inventory in said kiosk;
receive (a) a request for an optical storage media and (b) said billing information, from said user,transmit said billing information to said system server for confirmation,receive said confirmation of billing from said system server, anddispense said requested optical storage media to said user;
a first media readable by said first central processing unit for storing said first set of instructions;
a second central processing unit in said system server;
a second set of instructions for directing said second central processing unit to;
receive said billing information from said first central processing unit,perform a credit verification routine on a credit account in said billing information,transmit said confirmation to said first central processing unit responsive to a verification of credit account,transmit an electronic receipt for said transaction to said user specified e-mail address in said billing information; and
a second media readable by said second central processing unit for storing said second set of instructions.
8 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A kiosk dispenses and receives recorded optical disk media using an interconnected system central server computer through an Internet Service Provider. The system central server contains databases and processing, and is connected to a credit verification system. The central databases collect inventory administration information and customer data from the kiosks including creditcard and email addresses. The central server initiates credit verification and sends receipts to customers via email. The central server maintains databases that are used for remote inventory control and administration of the kiosk network. A kiosk has the capability to identify a recorded disk for automated restocking and may also perform quality assessment of a recorded disk. A kiosk may also provide publishing-on-demand or act as a portal for remotely served advertisement.
180 Citations
84 Claims
-
1. A system for dispensing optical storage media from a kiosk, remote from a system server and communicatively connected to said system server, said system comprising:
-
a first central processing unit in said kiosk; a database including information representative of kiosk inventory and accessible by a user via a kiosk interface and the Internet; a first set of instructions for directing said first central processing unit to; request billing information from said user, including a user-specified e-mail address; respond to a user request from the Internet or from said kiosk interface, to identify inventory in said kiosk; receive (a) a request for an optical storage media and (b) said billing information, from said user, transmit said billing information to said system server for confirmation, receive said confirmation of billing from said system server, and dispense said requested optical storage media to said user; a first media readable by said first central processing unit for storing said first set of instructions; a second central processing unit in said system server; a second set of instructions for directing said second central processing unit to; receive said billing information from said first central processing unit, perform a credit verification routine on a credit account in said billing information, transmit said confirmation to said first central processing unit responsive to a verification of credit account, transmit an electronic receipt for said transaction to said user specified e-mail address in said billing information; and a second media readable by said second central processing unit for storing said second set of instructions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
-
-
44. A method for dispensing optical storage media from a kiosk, remote from a system server and communicatively connected to said system server, said method comprising the steps of:
-
providing a user with information representative of inventory of said kiosk, said inventory information contained in a database that is user-accessible (a) from said kiosk and (b) over the Internet; requesting billing information from said user, including a user-specified e-mail address; receiving (a) a request for an optical storage media and (b) said billing information, including said user-specified e-mail address, from a user at said kiosk; transmitting said billing information to said system server for confirmation; receiving said billing information in said system server; performing a credit verification routine on a credit account in said billing information with said system server; transmitting said confirmation from said system server to said kiosk responsive to a verification of credit account; transmitting an electronic receipt for said transaction to said user specified e-mail address received in said billing information; receiving said confirmation of billing from said system server in said kiosk; and dispensing said requested optical storage media to said user. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84)
-
Specification