Method and system for refining vending operations based on wireless data

• US 7,783,508 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Inventors: Murray, Tomas, Jansson, Edward R., Nicolaides, Alexander, Comer, Edward Irby, Peralta, Juan Manuel Garcia
• Primary Examiner(s): LOFTIS, JOHNNA RONEE
• Application Number:
  US10/959,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20050043011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,148 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/10
• US Class Current: 705/7.34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• 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: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/025 Indirect paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system coupled to one or more vending machines, such as soft drink vending machines, via a wireless data link can acquire operational vending data, for example sales data, hardware status, and product temperature. The system can compile data from multiple vending machines dispersed across a geographic area such as a city or state. The system can include software that refines the vending operations of one or more such vending machines based on analysis of acquired data, taking into consideration other information such as market, business, seasonal, or environmental factors. Refining vending operations can include adjusting product offerings, relocating vending machines, replicating favorable conditions, and addressing unexpected sales variations.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for adjusting operations of one vending machine in a plurality of geographically dispersed vending machines linked to a data processing center via a wireless data communication system, comprising the steps of:

receiving operational data from each geographically dispersed vending machine at the data processing center via the wireless data communication system;

processing the operational data by a computer at the data processing center;

identifying by the computer an underperforming vending machine in the plurality of vending machines that exhibits lower sales than the other geographically dispersed vending machines by comparing the sales of the geographically dispersed vending machines against one another;

determining by the computer at least one condition contributing to the lower sales for the underperforming vending machine;

analyzing by the computer market data at the data processing center to determine if at least one condition contributing to lower sales is related to the location of the underperforming vending machine; and

when at least one condition is related to the location of the underperforming vending machine, generating by the computer one or more characteristics related to a geographical location where the underperforming vending machine may be relocated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vending machines are operative to vend soft drinks.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of, when the one condition is not related to the location of the underperforming vending machine, varying by the computer the at least one condition for the underperforming vending machine.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

determining the at least one condition contributing to the lower sales for the underperforming vending machine comprises identifying a first condition and a second condition, each contributing to the lower sales; and

the varying step comprises varying a select one of the first condition and the second condition based on managerial input.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of inputting the managerial input at a remote interface and transmitting the managerial input via the Internet to the data processing center.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein:

determining the at least one condition contributing to the lower sales comprises identifying an imposed condition and a variable condition, each contributing to the lower sales; and

the varying step comprises varying the variable condition.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the imposed condition comprises a market experiment.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the at least one condition comprises an environmental condition of the underperforming vending machine; and

the varying step comprises relocating the underperforming vending machine to a location providing at least some aspect of the environmental condition.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein:

processing the operational data comprises statistically analyzing historical data.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of sending a message comprising a request for the operational data, to each vending machine in the plurality of vending machines.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of varying the at least one condition for the underperforming vending machine comprises automatically transmitting a control command to the underperforming vending machine.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the control command is transmitted to the underperforming vending machine over a wireless network.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the control command comprises a command to acquire data from the underperforming vending machine.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the control command comprises an instruction to reset an apparatus of the underperforming vending machine.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the control command comprises an instruction to initialize a microprocessor mounted at the underperforming vending machine.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the control command initializes software executing at the underperforming vending machine.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of relocating the underperforming vending machine to a new geographic location.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the underperforming vending machine is relocated to a new geographic location comprising one or more of the generated characteristics.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics comprises a characteristic related to one of the geographically dispersed vending machines that is not underperforming.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics comprises a characteristic related to one of the geographically dispersed vending machines that is over-performing.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics is proximity of a vending machine to a sports arena.

22. A method for managing operations of a vending machine in a plurality of geographically dispersed vending machines comprising:

sending a request for vending data to the vending machine;

receiving the vending data at a data processing system;

aggregating the vending data at the data processing system with additional vending data received from at least one other vending machine;

processing by a computer the aggregated vending data at the data processing system;

identifying by the computer an operational deviation between the vending machine and the at least one other vending machine by comparing the sales of the vending machines against one another, the operational deviation indicating that the vending machine is underperforming in comparison to other ones of the plurality of geographically dispersed vending machines;

analyzing by the computer market data to determine if the operational deviation is related to the location of the vending machine; and

when the operational deviation is related to the location of the vending machine, generating by the computer one or more characteristics related to a geographical location where the underperforming vending machine may be relocated; and

when the operational deviation is not related to the location of the vending machine, automatically transmitting by the computer a control command to the vending machine in response to identifying the operational deviation for the vending machine.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein transmitting the control command comprises transmitting the control command to the vending machine using a wireless data communication system.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein transmitting the control command comprises sending a telemetry message.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the operational deviation comprises a difference in sales.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the control command comprises a command to acquire data from the vending machine.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the control command comprises an instruction to reset an apparatus of the vending machine.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the control command comprises an instruction to initialize a microprocessor mounted at the vending machine.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the control command initializes software executing at the vending machine.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein:

managing operations of the vending machine comprises managing operations of the plurality of vending machines;

the sending step comprises;

generating the request for vending data;

replicating the request for each vending machine in the plurality of vending machines;

addressing each replicated request to a respective vending machine in the plurality of vending machines;

placing each addressed request in a queue; and

sending each of the queued requests over a wireless data communication system to each respective vending machine in the plurality of vending machines in an order based on queue position;

the receiving step comprises receiving the requested vending data from each respective vending machine in the plurality of vending machines;

the processing step comprises comparing the received vending data between each respective vending machine in the plurality of vending machines to identify the operation deviation, occurring between the vending machine and the at least one other vending machine; and

the transmitting step comprises transmitting the control command to the vending machine.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein the control command comprises a software patch.

32. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of relocating the vending machine to a new geographical location to promote increased sales of the underperforming vending machine.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the underperforming vending machine is relocated to a new geographic location comprising one or more of the generated characteristics.