Item vending machine and method

• US 7,548,797 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2003
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GTECH Corporation (GTECH SpA)
• Original Assignee: GTECH Corporation (GTECH SpA)
• Inventors: Wagoner, David G., Roberts, Brian J., Perin, Joseph C. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Waggoner; Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US10/408,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20030233168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,262 Days
• Field of Search: 700/236, 700/231, 700/232, 700/242, 700/244, 273/139, 283/903, 463/17
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

An apparatus for dispensing items from a pack of items wherein the pack of items has parameters associated therewith such as pack size, an item dimension and an item price. The apparatus includes an item dispenser, a cash acceptor, input and output devices, and a controller. The controller has an item load table for storing data corresponding to the parameters associated with the pack of items. Thus, the parameters in the item load table can be displayed by the output device in lieu of the parameters being manually entered.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dispensing premanufactured physical items from one of a plurality of packs of items, wherein each of the plurality of the packs of items has parameters associated therewith, the apparatus comprising:

an item dispenser adapted to dispense the items from the one of the plurality of packs of items;

a payment acceptor adapted to receive a payment from a customer to pay for an item;

an input device configured to read information from the one of the plurality of packs of items when the one of the plurality of packs of items is loaded in the item dispenser;

an output device; and

a controller in electrical communications with the item dispenser, the payment acceptor, the input device and the output device, the controller having a memory storing data corresponding to at least one of the parameters associated with the plurality of the packs of items, the controller configured, based on the read information, to use the stored data when causing the item dispenser to dispense an item from the one of the plurality of packs of items,

the controller further configured, responsive to the loading of the one of the plurality of packs of items, to transmit towards a remote computer a message including information read from the one of the plurality of packs of items by the input device when the one of the plurality of packs of items is loaded in the item dispenser, the message configured to cause the remote computer to activate the one of the plurality of packs of items so that items dispensed from the pack of items can be subsequently redeemed.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stored data corresponding to the one of the plurality of packs of items includes the read information.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to select the data based on the read information.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the read information includes an item type identifier.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to select the data based on the item type identifier.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory stores an item load table containing the data.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to select an entry from the item load table based on the read information.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the parameters associated with the packs include item sizes for the packs.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the parameters associated with the packs include item prices for the packs.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the parameters associated with the packs include the quantities of items in the packs.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the parameters associated with the packs include an identifier of the types of items in the packs.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the read information indicates that the loaded pack is the same type as a previously loaded pack.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein, responsive to the receipt of the indication that the loaded pack is identical to the previously loaded pack, the processor is further configured to control the dispensing of items from the loaded pack using the parameters of the previously loaded pack.

2. A lottery ticket vending machine for dispensing preprinted instant win lottery tickets from one of a plurality of packs of lottery tickets, wherein each of the plurality of packs of lottery tickets has parameters associated therewith, the ticket vending machine comprising:

a ticket dispenser adapted to dispense the lottery tickets from the one of the plurality of packs of lottery tickets;

a payment acceptor adapted to receive a payment from a customer to pay for a lottery ticket;

a user operable input device configured to read information from the one of the plurality of packs of lottery tickets when the one of the plurality of packs of lottery tickets is loaded in the item dispenser;

a display device; and

a controller in electrical communications with the item dispenser, the payment acceptor, the input device and the display device, the controller storing data corresponding to the parameters associated with the plurality of packs of lottery tickets, the controller configured, based on the read information, to use the stored data when causing the ticket dispenser to dispense a lottery ticket from the one of the plurality of packs of lottery tickets, the controller further configured, responsive to the loading of the one of the plurality of packs of lottery tickets, to transmit towards a remote computer a message including information read from the one of the plurality of packs of lottery tickets by the input device when the one of the plurality of packs of lottery tickets is loaded in the item dispenser, the message configured to cause the remote computer to activate the one of the plurality of packs of lottery tickets so that tickets dispensed from the pack of lottery tickets can be subsequently redeemed.

15. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the stored data corresponding to the one of the plurality of packs of lottery tickets includes the read information.

16. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to select the data based on the read information.

17. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the read information includes a game identifier.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to select the data based on the game identifier.

19. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the memory stores a game load table containing the data.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to select an entry from the game load table based on the read information.

21. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the parameters associated with the packs include ticket sizes for the packs.

22. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the parameters associated with the packs include ticket prices for the packs.

23. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the parameters associated with the packs include the quantities of tickets in the packs.

24. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the parameters associated with the packs include a game identifier for the tickets the packs.

25. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the read information indicates that the loaded pack is the same type as a previously loaded pack.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein, responsive to the receipt of the indication that the loaded pack is identical to the previously loaded pack, the processor is configured to control the dispensing of items from the loaded pack using the parameters of the previously loaded pack.

27. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the tickets are scratch-off instant win lottery tickets.

28. An apparatus for dispensing items from one of a plurality of packs of premanufactured physical items, wherein each of the plurality of the packs of items has parameters associated therewith, the apparatus comprising:

an item dispenser adapted to dispense the items from the one of the plurality of packs of items;

a payment acceptor adapted to receive a payment from a customer to pay for an item;

an input device configured to receive a signal when one of the plurality of packs of items is loaded, the signal indicative that the one of the plurality of packs of items has the same parameters as a second pack of items that was previously loaded in the item dispenser;

a memory storing parameters associated with the plurality of packs of items; and

a controller, in communication with the item dispenser, the payment acceptor, the memory, and the input device, the controller configured, responsive to the receipt of the signal by the input device, to read the parameters associated with the second pack of items from the memory and to use the parameters associated with the second pack of items to control the item dispenser in dispensing items from the one of the plurality of packs of items,

the controller further configured, responsive to the loading of the one of the plurality of packs of items, to transmit towards a remote computer a message including information read from the one of the plurality of packs of items by the input device when the one of the plurality of packs of items is loaded in the item dispenser, the message configured to cause the remote computer to activate the one of the plurality of packs of items so that items from the pack of items can be subsequently redeemed.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the items are instant win lottery tickets.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the instant win lottery tickets are pre-printed scratch-off instant win lottery tickets in fan-folded packs.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising, a manual agent input device, the agent input device configured to receive values for the parameters associated with the second pack of items when the second pack of items is loaded in the item dispenser.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the signal includes an item type identifier for the one of the plurality of packs of items.

33. An apparatus for dispensing preprinted instant win lottery tickets from one of a plurality of packs of lottery tickets, wherein each of the plurality of the packs of lottery tickets has parameters associated therewith, the apparatus comprising:

a host;

a lottery ticket dispenser adapted to dispense the lottery tickets from one of the plurality of packs of lottery tickets;

a payment acceptor adapted to receive a payment from a customer to pay for a lottery ticket;

an input device configured to read information from the one of the plurality of packs of lottery tickets when the one of the plurality of packs of lottery tickets is loaded in the lottery ticket dispenser;

an output device; and

a controller in communication with the lottery ticket dispenser, the payment acceptor, the input device and the output device, the controller configured, responsive to the reading of the information from the one of the plurality of packs, to communicate to the host that the one of the plurality of packs has been loaded, the communication with the host including information read from the one of the plurality of packs of instant win lottery tickets by the input device when the one of the plurality of packs is loaded in the dispenser,

wherein the host is further configured, responsive to the receipt of the communication from the controller, to store an indication that the one of the plurality of packs has been properly activated.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising:

a redemption terminal in communication with the host, the redemption terminal configured to redeem a winning lottery ticket from the one of the plurality of packs of lottery tickets only if the host indicates that the one of the plurality of packs of lottery tickets has been properly activated.