Apparatus and methodology of detecting fulfillment of customer vend request

• US 7,519,451 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Crane Merchandising Systems Incorporated (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Crane Company
• Inventors: Whitten, David Boyd, Hartnell, William Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Waggoner; Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US10/279,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20030084959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,364 Days
• Field of Search: 700/232, 700/244, 221/9.X, 221/12, 221/14.X, 221/21.X, 221/96, 222/55.X, 222/129.1, 141/1.X, 141/179.X
• US Class Current: 700/244
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/065 for drink preparation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/10 with associated dispensing of containers, e.g. cups or other articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

The present invention provides for a vending system wherein a monitoring system verifies that a beverage product ordered by a vending customer is actually delivered through a delivery area to the customer. If the beverage product ordered is unavailable either because of an out of stock situation or a blockage of the delivery path for that product, the present invention allows the customer to request a refund or order a second product.

Claims

1. A beverage vending machine comprising:

a product delivery system;

a storage system for beverage containers;

a delivery path in which said beverage containers travel from said storage system to a receiving position to which beverage is dispensed and at which a customer is able to remove beverage containers;

a first sensor sensing presence of a beverage container at said receiving position by interruption of a light beam from an emitter across said receiving position to a detector by said beverage container while said beverage container is at said receiving position and independent of whether said beverage container was dispensed from said storage system;

reporting circuitry signaling when said beverage container is sensed by said sensor;

a beverage dispensing system that fills beverage containers at said receiving position and operatively controlled in response to sensing of said presence of said beverage container at said receiving position by said sensor; and

a monitoring control unit, wherein said monitoring control unit determines if said beverage container reached said receiving position and allows a payment from a customer to said beverage vending machine to be refunded if said container does not reach said receiving position,

wherein said monitoring control unit monitors variables to determine if a fault has occurred,

wherein said variables comprise max ring attempts, cup drop timer, cup fell controller, cup waiting timeout, process flags, and vending flags.

2. The beverage vending machine of claim 1, wherein said storage system comprises a cup ring, wherein the beverage vending machine further comprises:

a second sensor located along said delivery path detecting passage of a beverage container from said storage system past the second sensor location to said receiving position.

3. The beverage vending machine of claim 1, wherein said first sensor senses beverage containers of differing sizes at said receiving position.

4. The beverage vending machine of claim 1, wherein said first sensor senses clear plastic beverage containers and paper beverage containers at said receiving position.

5. The beverage vending machine of claim 1, wherein said beverage container is a cup.

6. A beverage vending machine delivery system comprising:

a product delivery system;

a storage system for beverage containers;

a delivery path in which said beverage containers travel from said storage system to a receiving position to which beverage is dispensed and at which a customer is able to remove beverage containers;

a sensor sensing presence of a beverage container at said receiving position by interruption of a light beam from an emitter across said receiving position to a detector by said beverage container;

reporting circuitry reporting when said beverage container is sensed by said sensor;

a beverage dispensing system that fills beverage containers at said receiving position; and

a monitoring control unit coupled to said reporting circuitry, wherein said monitoring control unit determines if said beverage container reached said receiving position and allows a payment from said customer to said beverage vending machine to be refunded if said container does not reach said receiving position,

wherein if said monitoring control unit determines that no beverage container is located at said receiving position, then said monitoring control unit determines if a mug order where said customer provides said beverage container for fulfillment of a beverage vend has been received.

7. A method of determining whether a beverage container has been delivered, comprising:

receiving at a beverage vending machine an order from a customer to vend a beverage;

sending a delivery signal based on said order to a beverage product delivery system and a monitoring control unit;

monitoring a delivery path for passage of a beverage container from a storage location past the monitored location to a receiving location at which a customer is able to remove a dispensed beverage container or to provide a beverage container for receiving dispensed beverage;

monitoring said receiving location to determine if a beverage container is disposed at a receiving location, wherein presence of said beverage container at said receiving location is detected by interruption by said beverage container of a light beam from an emitter across said receiving location to a detector while said beverage container is at said receiving position and independent of whether said beverage container was dispensed from said storage location via said delivery path to said receiving location;

allowing a payment from said customer to said beverage vending machine to be refunded if said beverage container is not disposed at said receiving location; and

delivering a beverage to said beverage container located at said receiving location after verifying that said beverage container is at said receiving location,

wherein a monitoring control unit, upon receiving said order, monitors said product delivery system to determine if said order is in process and, if said order is not in process, begins to monitor various product delivery system points to determine if a fault has occurred, wherein said monitoring control unit determines if said order can be completed or said order results in a failed vend,

wherein said monitoring control unit monitors variables to determine if a correctable fault has occurred,

wherein said variables comprise max ring attempts, cup drop timer, cup fell controller, cup waiting timeout, process flags, and vending flags.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising sensing placement of a beverage container at said receiving location by a customer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said beverage container is a cup.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein if said beverage container dispensed from said storage location has not been received at said receiving location, an operational status of said storage location is verified, and if said operational status of said storage location is not available, an alternate storage location is identified and placed in service.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein if said operational status is a wait status, said monitoring control unit waits for said wait status to clear.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising monitoring said storage location and said delivery pathway for anti-jackpotting.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein anti-jackpotting comprises temporarily removing said beverage vending machine from service to protect said customer and to discourage theft.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein an amount of time that said beverage vending machine is removed from service is programmed by an operator.

15. A method of determining whether a beverage container has been delivered, comprising:

receiving at a beverage vending machine an order from a customer to vend a beverage;

sending a delivery signal based on said order to a beverage product delivery system and a monitoring control unit;

attempting to deliver a beverage container from a storage location via a delivery path to a receiving location to which beverage is dispensed and at which a customer is able to remove a dispensed beverage container or to provide a beverage container for receiving dispensed beverage;

monitoring said receiving location to determine if a beverage container reached said receiving location, wherein presence of said beverage container at said receiving location is detected by interruption by said beverage container of a light beam from an emitter across said receiving location to a detector;

allowing a payment from said customer to said beverage vending machine to be refunded if said beverage container does not reach said receiving location; and

delivering a beverage to said beverage container located at said receiving location after verifying that said beverage container is at said receiving location,

wherein a monitoring control unit, upon receiving said order, monitors said product delivery system to determine if said order is in process and, if said order is not in process, begins to monitor various product delivery system points to determine if a fault has occurred, wherein said monitoring control unit determines if said order can be completed or if said order results in a failed vend, and

wherein if said monitoring control unit determines that no beverage container is located at said receiving location, said monitoring control unit determines whether or not said order is a mug order wherein said customer provides said beverage container for fulfillment of said order.

16. A method of determining whether a beverage container has been delivered, comprising:

receiving at a beverage vending machine an order from a customer to vend a beverage;

sending a delivery signal based on said order to a beverage product delivery system and a monitoring control unit;

attempting to deliver a beverage container from a storage location to a receiving location via a delivery path, wherein beverage is dispensed to beverage containers at said receiving location and customers are able to remove dispensed beverage containers from said receiving location or to provide beverage containers at said receiving location for receiving dispensed beverage;

monitoring said delivery path at a location other than said receiving location for passage of said beverage container along said delivery path from said storage location to said receiving location;

monitoring said receiving location to determine if said beverage container reached said receiving location, wherein if a monitoring control unit determines that said beverage container has not been delivered from said storage location, said monitoring control unit increments a variable associated with said storage location, wherein said variable indicates a number of failed cycles;

allowing a payment from said customer to said beverage vending machine to be refunded if said beverage container does not reach said receiving location; and

delivering a beverage to said beverage container located at said receiving location after verifying that said beverage container is at said receiving location.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said storage location is removed from service after reaching a predetermined number of failed cycles.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said predetermined number is three.

19. A beverage vending machine, comprising:

a storage system comprising a plurality of cup rings with same size cups, said storage system selectively attempting to deliver cups from one of said cup rings to a receiving position;

a first sensor sensing passage of a cup from one of said cup ring past the first sensor to said receiving position;

a second sensor sensing presence of a cup at said receiving position; and

a monitoring unit receiving a first signal generated by said first sensor and a second signal generated by said second sensor,

wherein, if an attempt to deliver a cup from said one of said cup rings to said receiving position fails to deliver a cup to said receiving position, said storage system attempts to deliver a cup from an alternate one of said cup rings to said receiving position.

20. The beverage vending machine of claim 19, wherein if said attempt to deliver said cup from said alternate one of said cup rings to said receiving position fails, said storage system repeats said attempt to deliver a cup from said one of said cup rings to said receiving position.

21. The beverage vending machine of claim 20, wherein, upon failure of a predetermined number of attempts to deliver a cup from any of said cup rings to said receiving position, a respective cup ring is removed from service.