Automated vending of products containing controlled substances
First Claim
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.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
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Citations
57 Claims
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1. An apparatus for conducting a sales transaction for a regulated product comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A apparatus for conducting a sales transaction for a product that is subject to regulations governing its purchase comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An computer software product comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (31, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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- 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.
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50. A computer software product for conducting a sales transaction for a product that is subject to regulations governing its purchase comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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Specification