Automated vending of products containing controlled substances

• US 7,783,379 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asteres, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Asteres, Inc.
• Inventors: Pinney, Linda J., Beane, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Waggoner; Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US11/740,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20080269947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 700/236, 700/237, 700/244
• US Class Current: 700/237
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10

Abstract

The present invention provides for devices and methods for vending regulated products, particularly controlled substances, including those containing pseudoephedrine. The present invention allows for the identification of consumers through reliable log-in-procedures, allows the consumer to select items, validates whether the purchase request complies with regulations, to facilitate the delivery of the requested product to a consumer. Other embodiments include a vending machine that is placed into a retail environment in which software enforces validation of the purchasers'"'"' identities, limits the amount of pseudoephedrine for each purchaser within the regulations of local, state and federal agencies.

This invention reduces the resources which must be expended in retail locations to comply with regulatory agencies, to implement effective counter measures against illegal purchases of regulated and controlled substances, and to ensure the effective limitation of these substances within reasonable limits required for normal consumption.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a sales transaction for a regulated product comprising:

providing a consumer interface for receiving identification information from a consumer;

prompting the consumer to select a regulated product, the regulated product comprises a medication containing an ingredient subject to regulation;

using the identification information and at least one product data derived from the regulated product to determine that the sales transaction complies with an applicable regulation governing the sale of the regulated product;

wherein the determination is based on the consumer'"'"'s purchases over a time period established by the regulations of regulated products selected from the group of the same medication, substantially similar medications, or medications containing the same regulated ingredient as that contained in the product the consumer desires to purchase; and

delivering the product to the consumer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer interface communicates transaction information to the consumer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing payment for the regulated product after determination has been made that the transaction complies with an applicable regulation governing the sale of the regulated product.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information is selected from the group of a unique identification tag and PIN, a biometric, a government-issued identification card containing a magnetic stripe, a 2D Barcode, or an RFID.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the identification information is provided by associating an approved identification card with a magnetic stripe reader or an optical character recognition device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the ingredient comprises pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the product data is a quantity of an ingredient of the regulated product.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the determination is made by comparing the ingredient quantity to a maximum quantity over a time period.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determination is made by comparing the ingredient quantity to a maximum quantity over a plurality of time periods established by the 15 regulations.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the product data is the total weight of an ingredient of the regulated product.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a first time period is selected from the group of one day, seven days, 28 days, 30 days, 31 days, 45 days, 60 days, or 1 year.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first time period is selected from the group of one day, seven days, 28 days, 30 days, 31 days, 45 days, 60 days, or 1 year, and a second time period is selected from the group of one day, seven days, 28 days, 30 days, 31 days, 45 days, 60 days, or 1 year.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the determination is made by comparing the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product from the same location as the transaction being analyzed.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determination is made by comparing the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product that include locations that are different from the location of the transaction being analyzed.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determination is made by comparing the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product from a plurality of stores that are in the same chain as that store in which the transaction being analyzed is occurring.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein determination is made by communicating with a clearinghouse that assesses the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product over multiple purchase locations.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a selection of regulated products in a vending device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the vending device delivers the product to the consumer if the transaction has been approved.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the consumer interface communicates with the vending device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the consumer interface is substantially affixed to the vending device.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the vending device is networked to a computer.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining an electronic log to document transactions of regulated products.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising updating an electronic log once the product has been delivered to the consumer.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the electronic log comprises the number of the consumer and an amount of regulated product purchased by the consumer.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the electronic log comprises the weight of an ingredient of a regulated product.

26. A method for conducting a sales transaction for a product that is subject to regulations governing its purchase comprising

providing a consumer interface for receiving identification information from a consumer, and for communicating transaction information to the consumer;

offering the consumer a selection of products;

allowing the consumer to select a product, the product comprising a medication containing a regulated substance;

determining whether the sales transaction complies with an applicable regulation governing the sale of the regulated product by using the identification information and at least one product data derived from the regulated product, the determination based on the consumer'"'"'s purchases of products comprising the regulated substance over a time period established by the regulations; and

delivering the product to the consumer.

27. The method of Claim 26, wherein the regulated substance is selected from the group of pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the product data is the weight of pseudoephedrine.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the determination is made by comparing the weight of pseudoephedrine to a maximum quantity over a time period.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the determination is made by comparing the weight of pseudoephedrine to a maximum quantity over a plurality of time periods established by the regulations.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein a first time period is selected from the group of 15 one day, seven days, 28 days, 30 days, 31 days, 45 days, 60 days, or 1 year.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first time period is selected from the group of one day, seven days, 28 days, 30 days, 31 days, 45 days, 60 days, or 1 year, and a second time period is selected from the group of one day, seven days, 28 days, 30 days, 31 days, 45 days, 60 days, or 1 year.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the determination is made by comparing the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product from the same location as the transaction being analyzed.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the determination is made by comparing the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product that include locations that are different from the location of the transaction being analyzed.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the determination is made by comparing the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product from a plurality of stores that are in the same chain as that store in which the transaction being analyzed is occurring.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein determination is made by communicating with a clearinghouse that assesses the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product over multiple purchase locations.

37. A device for vending a regulated product, wherein the regulated product, or a component thereof, is subject to a regulation governing its sale, comprising:

a housing that allows for the secure storage of regulated products;

a plurality of storage locations for storing a plurality of regulated products;

a consumer interface substantially affixed to the housing, which receives identification information from the consumer, and communicates information about a purchase transaction for a regulated product to the consumer;

a means for accessing a database containing information about the consumer'"'"'s previous purchases of the product itself, or the regulated component contained within the product, within a designated time period established by the regulation;

a vending mechanism for delivering the product to the delivery point;

a delivery point for allowing the consumer to retrieve the regulated product after it has been determined that the purchase transaction complies with the regulation.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein the means for accessing comprises a network interface for communicating with remotely located information storage devices.

39. The device of claim 37, wherein the means for accessing comprises a computer and a network interface.

40. The device of claim 37, wherein the means for accessing comprises a computer located within the housing, a network interface, and a remotely-located computer.

41. The device of claim 37, wherein the means for accessing comprises a consumer interface and a computer.

42. The device of claim 37, further comprising a payment receiving device.

43. The device of claim 42, wherein the payment receiving device further comprises a magnetic stripe reader for receiving payment by a credit card or debit card.

44. The device of claim 42, further comprising a device for receiving consumer identification information.

45. The device of claim 44, wherein the device for receiving consumer identification is selected from the group of a magnetic stripe reader, a simple vending interface, a biometric reader, a touchscreen, an RFD reader, a 2D barcode reader, or an optical character scanner.

46. The device of claim 44, wherein the device for receiving consumer identification information further comprises a magnetic card reader.

47. The device of claim 44, further comprising a computer for validating purchase transactions.

48. The device of claim 47, wherein validation is based on the consumer'"'"'s purchases over a time period established by the regulations of regulated products selected from the group of the same medication, substantially similar medications, or medications containing the same regulated ingredient as that contained in the product the consumer desires to purchase.

49. The device of claim 48, wherein validation is based on a quantity of an ingredient of the regulated product being validated.

50. The device of claim 49, validation is made by comparing the ingredient quantity to a maximum quantity over a time period.

51. The device of claim 50, wherein validation is made by comparing the ingredient quantity to a maximum quantity over a plurality of time periods established by the regulations.

52. The device of claim 51, wherein a first time period is selected from the group of one day, seven days, 28 days, 30 days, 31 days, 45 days, 60 days, or 1 year.

53. The device of claim 52, wherein the first time period is selected from the group of one day, seven days, 28 days, 30 days, 31 days, 45 days, 60 days, or 1 year, and a second time period is selected from the group of one day, seven days, 28 days, 30 days, 31 days, 45 days, 60 days, or 1 year.

54. The device of claim 53, wherein validation is made by comparing the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product from the same location as the transaction being analyzed.

55. The device of claim 54, wherein validation is made by comparing the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product that include locations that are different from the location of the transaction being analyzed.

56. The device of claim 55, wherein validation is made by comparing the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product from a plurality of stores that are in the same chain as that store in which the transaction being analyzed is occurring.

57. The device of claim 56, wherein validation is made by communicating with a clearinghouse that assesses the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product over multiple purchase locations.

58. The device of claim 37, further comprising a means for selecting a regulated product.

59. The device of claim 58, wherein the means for selecting a regulated product further comprises a product menu displayed on the consumer interface.

60. The device of claim 59, wherein the means for selecting a regulated product further comprises a picture of a product, and a mouse for targeting and selecting the product.