System and method for offline vending of a media product

• US 7,499,768 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Redbox Automated Retail LLC (Chicken Soup For The Soul Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Redbox Automated Retail LLC (Chicken Soup For The Soul Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Hoersten, Eric, Lowe, J. Mitch
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Waggoner; Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US11/408,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20060272922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 700/236, 700/237, 700/244, 700/242, 700/241, 700/231, 700/232
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/004 Restocking arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/007 wherein the storage and dispensing mechanism are configurable in relation to the physical or geometrical properties of the articles to be stored or dispensed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/04 in which magazines the articles are stored one vertically above the other
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/26 Endless bands
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/48 the storage containers or supports, e.g. magazine, being pivotally mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/50 the storage containers or supports being rotatably mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/54 about vertical axes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 : for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/005 : for the hiring of content carriers, e.g. of DVDs or CDs reverse vending for box-like objects such as videocassettes G07F7/069
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 : for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 : for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/069 : by box-like containers, e.g. videocassettes, books
• 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 9/023 : Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 : for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/10 : Casings or parts thereof, e.g. with means for heating or cooling

Abstract

A system and method for offline vending of digital video discs is provided. The method comprises the step of receiving, at a vending location and at a first time, a request for a digital video disc from a user interface. The method also comprises the step of determining whether a vending controller is capable of being placed in communication with a transaction network. Transaction data is stored, wherein the transaction data is provided by the user interface. The transaction data is stored in a memory, and comprises a title of the requested digital video disc and financial information provided by the user interface. The method also comprises encrypting the transaction data, and generating a signal for vending the digital video disc from a vending apparatus. The transaction network is polled at predetermined periodic intervals, and the transaction data is transmitted via the transaction network upon a determination that the vending controller can be placed is capable of being placed in communication with the transaction network.

Claims

1. A method for offline vending of a media product having entertainment content therein from a media vending apparatus, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for the media product from a user interface at a first time;

determining at the media vending apparatus whether communication with a transaction network can be established;

storing transaction data received from the user interface in a vending memory;

vending the media product from a media vending apparatus;

attempting at the media vending apparatus to establish communication with the transaction network at predetermined periodic intervals; and

,

transmitting the transaction data via the transaction network after communication with the transaction network is established at a second time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining whether the user has exceeded a predetermined limit of requests for media products.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

deleting the transaction data from the vending memory.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether communication with the transaction network is capable of being established is performed without notification being displayed on the user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

encrypting the transaction data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing a data indicator with the transaction data, wherein the data indicator indicates that the media product was vended while the media vending apparatus was in an offline state.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing a data indicator with the transaction data, wherein the data indicator indicates a vend time at which the media product was vended from the media vending apparatus.

8. A system for offline vending of a media product having entertainment content therein from a media vending apparatus, comprising:

a transaction network; and

,

a vending controller located within the media vending apparatus structured to determine whether communication with the transaction network is capable of being established and to store transaction data received from a user interface in a memory when the vending controller determines that communication with the transaction network cannot be established, wherein the vending controller is further structured to attempt to establish communication with the transaction network at predetermined periodic intervals and wherein the vending controller is further structured to transmit the transaction data via the transaction network upon establishment of communication between the vending controller and the transaction network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the vending controller is further structured to determine whether a predetermined request limit has been exceeded, wherein the request limit represents a predetermined number of requests that have been received from a user interface for vending the media products.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the vending controller is further structured to delete the transaction data from the memory after the transaction data has been transmitted via the transaction network.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the vending controller is structured to encrypt the transaction data.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the vending controller is structured to store a data indicator, wherein the data indicator indicates that the media product was vended from the media vending apparatus in an offline state.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the vending controller is further structured to store a data indicator, wherein the data indicator indicates a time at which the vending product was vended media vending apparatus.

14. A method for offline receipt of a media product having entertainment content therein to a media vending apparatus, comprising the steps of:

receiving a media product into the media vending apparatus at a first time;

determining at the media vending apparatus whether communication with a transaction network can be established;

storing transaction data related to the media product in a memory of the media vending apparatus proximate the first time if communication between the media vending apparatus and the transaction network is not capable of being established;

attempting at the media vending apparatus to establish communication with the transaction network at predetermined periodic intervals; and

,

transmitting the transaction data via the transaction network after communication with the transaction network is established at a second time.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

encrypting the transaction data; and

,

deleting the transaction data from the memory after the transaction data has been transmitted via the transaction network.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

storing with the transaction data a first data indicator indicating that the media product was received from the user in an offline state; and

,

storing with the transaction data a second data indicator indicating a time at which the media product was received from the user.

17. A method for offline vending of digital video discs, comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a vending location and at a first time, a request for a digital video disc from a user interface;

determining, from the vending location, whether a vending controller is capable of being placed in communication with a transaction network;

storing transaction data provided by the user interface in a memory, wherein the transaction data comprises a title of the requested digital video disc and financial information provided by the user interface;

encrypting the transaction data;

generating a signal for vending the digital video disc from a vending apparatus;

polling the transaction network, from the vending location, at predetermined periodic intervals to determine whether the vending controller is capable of being placed in communication with the transaction network;

transmitting the transaction data via the transaction network at a second time, upon a determination that the vending controller is capable of being placed in communication with the transaction network; and

,

deleting the transaction data from the memory.