Automated vending of products containing controlled substances

• US 8,190,291 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2010
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asteres, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Asteres, Inc.
• Inventors: Beane, John A., Pinney, Linda J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggoner, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US12/861,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20110047043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 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. An apparatus for conducting a sales transaction for a regulated product comprising:

a processor;

a non-volatile storage medium, the non-volatile storage medium containing a set of processor executable instructions that, when executed by the processor configure the apparatus to;

provide a consumer interface configured to receive identification information from a consumer;

prompt the consumer to select a regulated product;

use 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;

deliver the product to the consumer;

wherein the regulated product comprises a medication containing an ingredient subject to regulation, the ingredient comprising pseudoephedrine, ephedrine. Or phenylpropanolamine; and

wherein the configuration to determinate is a configuration 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.

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

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare the ingredient quantity to a maximum quantity over a time period.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare the ingredient quantity to a maximum quantity over a plurality of time periods established by the regulations.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the product data is the total weight of an ingredient of the regulated product.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, 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.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, 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.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product from the same location as the transaction being analyzed.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product that include locations that are different from the location of the transaction being analyzed.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare 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,

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to communicate with a clearinghouse that assesses the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product over multiple purchase locations.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuration further comprises a configuration to store a selection of regulated products in a vending device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the vending device is configured to deliver the product to the consumer if the transaction has been approved.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the consumer interface is configured to communicate with the vending device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the consumer interface is substantially affixed to the vending device.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the vending device is networked to a computer.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuration further comprises a configuration to maintain an electronic log to document transactions of regulated products.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the configuration further comprises a configuration to update an electronic log once the product has been delivered to the consumer.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the electronic log comprises the number of the consumer and an amount of regulated product purchased by the consumer.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the electronic log comprises the weight of an ingredient of a regulated product.

21. A apparatus for conducting a sales transaction for a product that is subject to regulations governing its purchase comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory medium containing processor executable instructions that when executed by the processor configure the apparatus to

provide a consumer interface configured to receive identification information from a consumer, and to communicate transaction information to the consumer;

offer the consumer a selection of products;

allow the consumer to select a product;

determine 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 delivering the product to the consumer;

wherein the regulated substance is selected from the group of pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, the product data is the weight of pseudoephedrine; and

wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration that is based on the consumer'"'"'s purchases of pseudoephedrine over a time period established by the regulations.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare the weight of pseudoephedrine to a maximum quantity over a time period.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare the weight of pseudoephedrine to a maximum quantity over a plurality of time periods established by the regulations.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, 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.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, 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.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product from the same location as the transaction being analyzed.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product that include locations that are different from the location of the transaction being analyzed.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare 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.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein configuration to determine comprises a configuration to communicate with a clearinghouse that assesses the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product over multiple purchase locations.

30. An computer software product comprising:

a non-volatile storage medium, the non-volatile storage medium containing a set of processor executable instructions that, when executed by a processor configure a dispensing apparatus to;

provide a consumer interface configured to receive identification information from a consumer;

prompt the consumer to select a regulated product;

use 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;

deliver the product to the consumer;

wherein the regulated product comprises a medication containing an ingredient subject to regulation, the ingredient comprising pseudoephedrine, ephedrine. or phenylpropanolamine; and

wherein the configuration to determinate is a configuration 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.

31. The computer software product of claim 30, wherein the product data is a quantity of an ingredient of the regulated product.

41. The computer software product of claim 30, wherein the configuration further comprises a configuration to store a selection of regulated products in a vending device.

42. The computer software product of claim 41, wherein the vending device is configured to deliver the product to the consumer if the transaction has been approved.

43. The computer software product of claim 41, wherein the consumer interface is configured to communicate with the vending device.

44. The computer software product of claim 43, wherein the consumer interface is substantially affixed to the vending device.

45. The computer software product of claim 43, wherein the vending device is networked to a computer.

46. The computer software product of claim 30, wherein the configuration further comprises a configuration to maintain an electronic log to document transactions of regulated products.

47. The computer software product of claim 46, wherein the configuration further comprises a configuration to update an electronic log once the product has been delivered to the consumer.

48. The computer software product of claim 47, wherein the electronic log comprises the number of the consumer and an amount of regulated product purchased by the consumer.

49. The computer software product of claim 48, wherein the electronic log comprises the weight of an ingredient of a regulated product.

32. The apparatus of computer software product 31, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare the ingredient quantity to a maximum quantity over a time period.

33. The computer software product of claim 32, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare the ingredient quantity to a maximum quantity over a plurality of time periods established by the regulations.

34. The computer software product of claim 32, wherein the product data is the total weight of an ingredient of the regulated product.

35. The computer software product of claim 33, 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.

36. The computer software product of claim 35, 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.

37. The computer software product of claim 32, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product from the same location as the transaction being analyzed.

38. The computer software product of claim 37, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product that include locations that are different from the location of the transaction being analyzed.

39. The computer software product of claim 38, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare 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.

40. The computer software product of claim 37, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to communicate with a clearinghouse that assesses the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product over multiple purchase locations.

50. A computer software product for conducting a sales transaction for a product that is subject to regulations governing its purchase comprising:

a non-transitory medium containing processor executable instructions that when executed by a processor configure a dispensing apparatus to

provide a consumer interface configured to receive identification information from a consumer, and to communicate transaction information to the consumer;

offer the consumer a selection of products;

allow the consumer to select a product;

determine 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 delivering the product to the consumer;

wherein the product data is the weight of pseudoephedrine, the configuration to determine comprises a configuration that is based on the consumer'"'"'s purchases of pseudoephedrine over a time period established by the regulations; and

wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare the weight of pseudoephedrine to a maximum quantity over a time period.

51. The computer software product of claim 50, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare the weight of pseudoephedrine to a maximum quantity over a plurality of time periods established by the regulations.

52. The computer software product 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 computer software product 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 computer software product of claim 53, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product from the same location as the transaction being analyzed.

55. The computer software product of claim 54, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product that include locations that are different from the location of the transaction being analyzed.

56. The computer software product of claim 55, wherein the configuration to determine comprises a configuration to compare 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 computer software product of claim 56, wherein configuration to determine comprises a configuration to communicate with a clearinghouse that assesses the consumer'"'"'s purchases of the regulated product over multiple purchase locations.