Products and processes for vending a plurality of products

• US 7,826,923 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2006
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Tedesco, Daniel E., Signorelli, Paul D., Jorasch, James A., Breitenbach, Paul T., Gelman, Geoffrey M., Lee, Sih Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Waggoner, Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US11/530,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20070100649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 700/236, 700/237, 700/238, 700/240, 700/242, 705/16
• US Class Current: 700/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0223 based on inventory
• 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 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection

Abstract

Package deals comprising component products from inventory groups are offered and sold to customers of vending machines. In some embodiments, an association of the component products with the inventory groups is indicated by at least one of a placement of the component products and/or physical indicia associated with the component products.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing, by at least one vending machine, a package offer comprising an offer to buy at least a first component product from a first inventory group and a second component product from a second inventory group for a single price, wherein the first and second component products are indicated as being associated with the first and second inventory groups via first and second placements of the first and second component products, respectively;

receiving, at the at least one vending machine, an indication of a selection by a customer of the first component product from the first inventory group; and

processing, based at least in part on the receiving of the indication of the customer'"'"'s selection of the first component product from the first inventory group, a sale, for a single price, of (i) a unit of the first component product from the first inventory group and (ii) a unit of the second component product from the second inventory group.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining the first and second inventory groups.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the defining comprises:

selecting the first and second component products from a population of all products available for sale via the at least one vending machine.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the selecting comprises:

determining a value rating for each of the products of the population of products available for sale at the at least one vending machine;

ranking the population of products available for sale at the at least one vending machine based on the respective value ratings; and

selecting the first and second component products from the population of all of the products available for sale via the at least one vending machine based on the respective rankings of the first and second component products.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the selecting is conducted by an operator of the at least one vending machine and wherein the first and second placements are selected by the operator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one vending machine comprises a first vending machine and a second vending machine, and wherein the first placement comprises a placement in the first vending machine and the second placement comprises a placement in the second vending machine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sale is conducted by debiting an amount from a pre-paid unit account associated with the customer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the pre-paid unit account associated with the customer comprises a pre-paid unit subscription account.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing is conducted in response to the receiving of the indication of the selection by the customer of the first component product from the first inventory group.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, at the at least one vending machine, an indication of a selection by the customer of the second component product from the second inventory group.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the processing is further based at least in part on the receiving of the indication of the selection by the customer of the second component product from the second inventory group.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the at least one vending machine, an indication of a selection by the customer of a product that is not associated with the second inventory group.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

notifying the customer that the customer must pick a product from the second inventory group.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing an offer to the customer that allows the customer to purchase the product instead of the second component product, for a price in addition to the single price.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first inventory group comprises a first category of products and the second inventory group comprises a second category of products that is different than the first category of products.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second categories of products comprise one or more of (i) a snack category, (ii) a drink category, (iii) a candy bar category, (iv) a diet drink category, and (v) a brand category.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing is conducted in response to a determination of a customer identifier associated with the customer.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of an acceptance, by the customer, of the package offer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the processing is further based at least in part on the receiving of the indication of the acceptance of the package offer by the customer.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the receiving of the indication of the acceptance of the package offer by the customer comprises determining that the customer has interfaced with an input device associated with the package offer.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the first placement comprises a placement in one or more first particular columns of the at least one vending machine, and wherein the second placement comprises a placement in one or more second particular columns of the at least one vending machine.

22. A method, comprising:

providing, by at least one vending machine, a package offer comprising an offer to buy at least a first component product from a first inventory group and a second component product from a second inventory group for a single price, wherein the first and second component products are indicated as being associated with the first and second inventory groups via first and second physical indicia associated with the first and second component products, respectively;

receiving, at the at least one vending machine, an indication of a selection by a customer of the first component product from the first inventory group; and

processing, based at least in part on the receiving of the indication of the customer'"'"'s selection of the first component product from the first inventory group, a sale, for a single price, of (i) a unit of the first component product from the first inventory group and (ii) a unit of the second component product from the second inventory group.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

defining the first and second inventory groups.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the defining comprises:

selecting the first and second component products from a population of all products available for sale via the at least one vending machine.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the selecting comprises:

determining a value rating for each of the products of the population of products available for sale at the at least one vending machine;

ranking the population of products available for sale at the at least one vending machine based on the respective value ratings; and

selecting the first and second component products from the population of all of the products available for sale via the at least one vending machine based on the respective rankings of the first and second component products.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the selecting is conducted by an operator of the at least one vending machine and wherein the first and second physical indicia are selected by the operator.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the first and second physical indicia comprise one or more of (i) a sticker, (ii) a sign, (iii) a price tag, (iv) an RFID tag, and (v) an LED device.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the sale is conducted by debiting an amount from a pre-paid unit account associated with the customer.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the pre-paid unit account associated with the customer comprises a pre-paid unit subscription account.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein the providing is conducted in response to the receiving of the indication of the selection by the customer of the first component product from the first inventory group.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

receiving, at the at least one vending machine, an indication of a selection by the customer of the second component product from the second inventory group.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the processing is further based at least in part on the receiving of the indication of the selection by the customer of the second component product from the second inventory group.

33. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving, at the at least one vending machine, an indication of a selection by the customer of a product that is not associated with the second inventory group.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

notifying the customer that the customer must pick a product from the second inventory group.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

providing an offer to the customer that allows the customer to purchase the product instead of the second component product, for a price in addition to the single price.

36. The method of claim 22, wherein the first inventory group comprises a first category of products and the second inventory group comprises a second category of products that is different than the first category of products.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the first and second categories of products comprise one or more of (i) a snack category, (ii) a drink category, (iii) a candy bar category, (iv) a diet drink category, and (v) a brand category.

38. The method of claim 22, wherein the providing is conducted in response to a determination of a customer identifier associated with the customer.

39. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving an indication of an acceptance, by the customer, of the package offer.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the processing is further based at least in part on the receiving of the indication of the acceptance of the package offer by the customer.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the receiving of the indication of the acceptance of the package offer by the customer comprises determining that the customer has interfaced with an input device associated with the package offer.

42. The method of claim 22, wherein the first placement comprises a placement in one or more first particular columns of the at least one vending machine, and wherein the second placement comprises a placement in one or more second particular columns of the at least one vending machine.

43. A method, comprising:

providing, by at least one vending machine, a package offer comprising an offer to buy a number of products associated with a non-price numerical limit, for a single price;

receiving, at the at least one vending machine, an indication of a selection by a customer of a first component product associated with a first non-price numerical value;

determining, by the at least one vending machine, by subtracting the first non-price numerical value from the non-price numerical limit, a remaining non-price numerical value;

determining, by the at least one vending machine, at least one second component product that is associated with a second non-price numerical value that is less than or equal to the remaining non-price numerical value; and

providing, to the customer and by the at least one vending machine, an opportunity to purchase the at least one second component product along with the first component product, for the single price.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

receiving, at the at least one vending machine, an indication of a selection by the customer of the second component product;

determining, by the at least one vending machine, by subtracting the second non-price numerical value from the remaining non-price numerical value, that the non-price numerical limit has been reached; and

processing, based at least in part on the determining that the non-price numerical limit has been reached, a sale, for the single price, of (i) a unit of the first component product and (ii) a unit of the second component product.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

receiving, at the at least one vending machine, an indication of a selection by the customer of the second component product;

determining, by the at least one vending machine, by subtracting the second non-price numerical value from the remaining non-price numerical value, a new remaining non-price numerical value;

determining, by the at least one vending machine, at least one third component product that is associated with a third non-price numerical value that is less than or equal to the new remaining non-price numerical value; and

providing, to the customer and by the at least one vending machine, an opportunity to purchase the at least one third component product along with the first and second component products, for the single price.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the non-price numerical limit comprises a calorie limit and the non-price numerical values comprise calorie values.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein the non-price numerical limit comprises a fat limit and the non-price numerical values comprise fat values.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein the non-price numerical limit comprises a carbohydrate limit and the non-price numerical values comprise carbohydrate values.

49. The method of claim 43, wherein the non-price numerical limit comprises a unit limit and the non-price numerical values comprise unit values.