Automated business system and method of vending and returning a consumer product

• US 8,078,316 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Blust, Donald, Driscoll, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US12/328,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20090139999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 700231-244
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/069 by box-like containers, e.g. videocassettes, books
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

System and method of dispensing disc-based media and other consumer products. A user can interact with an automated business system to select disc-based media for rental and/or purchase. The automated business system can retrieve the selection from the interior of the automated business system and dispense the selection through a port to the user. The automated business system can retrieve the selection from the port in a return process.

Claims

1. A method of dispensing disc-based media to customers from an automated disc-based media system, the method comprising:

selecting a disc-based media;

determining if the selected disc-based media is available;

providing the selected disc-based media from inventory if available; and

generating the disc-based media if the selected disc-based media is not available, wherein the step of determining comprises determining if the particular selection is available in an item database storing inventory data which is updated by performing a machine implemented inventory process which comprises moving a disc-based media retrieval system carrying a radio frequency tag interrogator to each storage position within the disc-based media system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of selecting comprises utilizing a touch panel display to display a menu of selections and selecting a particular selection from the menus of selections utilizing the touch panel display.

3. A machine implemented method of taking physical inventory of a disc-based media system, the method comprising:

accessing the disc-based media system with a remote computer terminal;

initiating an inventory process including instructing a disc-based media retrieval system carrying a radio frequency tag interrogator to begin the inventory process, moving the disc-based media retrieval system to each storage position within the disc-based media system, and

if a disc-based media is in one of the storage positions, reading a radio frequency tag on the disc-based media utilizing the radio frequency tag reader carried by the disc-based media retrieval system; and

outputting results of the inventory process to the remote computer terminal.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising removing each disc-based media from its storage position to read the radio frequency tag.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

selecting a disc-based media from a displayed list;

determining if the selected disc-based media is presently available in inventory; and

reserving the selected disc-based media if not presently available at a subsequent time when the selected disc-based media becomes available.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

automatically quarantining the selected disc-based media if presently available until completion of a user'"'"'s transaction.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the interrogator comprises an antenna which is an integral component of a gripper assembly for retrieving and transporting disc-based media.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the inventory process conducts a complete physical inventory at a programmed interval.

9. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

employing an anti-collision algorithm built into antenna software to ensure each disc-based media is only read once.