Virtual visual selection merchandising interface

• US 8,473,864 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2010
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Swyft Inc.
• Original Assignee: Utique, Inc. (Swyft Inc.)
• Inventors: Segal, Mara Clair, Mockus, Darrell Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): ORR, HENRY W
• Application Number:
  US12/804,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764, 715/810
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/023 Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising

Abstract

A vending arrangement for computerized vending machines, retail displays, automated retail stores, or the like presents a physical display comprising a plurality of viewing windows or modules containing items to be vended. The physical windows or modules are organized into visually recognizable patterns of rows or columns physically apparent from the machine exterior. A controlling computer responds to software and provides a visual display controlled by the software for establishing screens for inputting customer selections and displaying machine options. The screen presents virtual representations of physical displays arranged in said recognizable patterns, whereby images appearing the virtual screen selected and viewed by customers correspond to actual items available in corresponding physical displays.

Claims

1. A vending system comprising at least one vending machine, retail display, or automated retail store, the vending system comprising:

display module containing items to be vended, the display module physically comprising a plurality of physical displays in which items to be vended are visibly housed, the displays organized into at least one visually recognizable pattern;

a computer for activating and controlling the vending system and said module;

software for controlling said computer;

a visual display controlled by said software for establishing a virtual screen for inputting customer data, the screen comprising virtual representations of said physical displays arranged in said at least one recognizable pattern, whereby images appearing on said virtual screen selected and viewed by customers correspond to actual items available in said plurality of physical displays,

wherein said visually recognizable pattern comprises a plurality of physical rows and columns, and said virtual display comprises corresponding rows and columns of virtual images corresponding to physical items available for vending in said physical displays.

2. The vending system as defined in claim 1 wherein said software comprises:

a beginning step initiated when a user selects a visual selection user interface on said virtual screen;

steps for presenting a main visual selection screen to provide a user with multiple options;

steps for selecting and viewing critical information pertaining to a potential user selection;

steps for selecting items to be purchased and recording same in a virtual shopping bag;

steps for optionally removing items in said virtual shopping bag;

steps for listing the contents of the virtual shopping bag;

steps allowing a customer to checkout;

steps associated with checkout for varying the quantities of items selected; and

steps for concluding the transaction by facilitating customer payment.

3. The vending system as defined in claim 2 wherein said virtual screen comprises a virtual selection button enabling the user to initiate said steps for removing items in their virtual shopping bag.

4. A method for vending products within a machine to a user, the machine comprising:

a display module containing products to be vended, the display module physically comprising a plurality of physical displays in which products to be vended are visibly housed, the displays organized into at least one visually recognizable pattern;

a computer for activating and controlling the display module;

software for controlling said computer;

wherein the method comprising the steps of;

generating a visual display with said software for establishing a virtual screen for inputting customer data, the screen comprising virtual representations of said physical displays arranged in said at least one recognizable pattern, whereby images appearing on said virtual screen selected and viewed by customers correspond to actual items available in said plurality of physical displays,

wherein said visually recognizable pattern includes a plurality of physical rows and columns, and further comprising the steps of correlating said virtual display with rows and columns of virtual images corresponding to physical items available for vending in said physical displays.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 including the further step of generating a vend in response to either touching of a physical display or the corresponding virtual display on the visual selection interface.

6. The method as defined in claim 4 wherein said software provides:

a beginning step initiated when a user selects a visual selection user interface on said virtual screen;

steps for presenting a main visual selection screen to provide a user with multiple options;

steps for selecting and viewing critical information pertaining to a potential user selection;

steps for selecting items to be purchased and recording same in a virtual shopping bag;

steps for optionally removing items in said virtual shopping bag;

steps for listing the contents of the virtual shopping bag;

steps allowing a customer to checkout;

steps associated with checkout for varying the quantities of items selected; and

steps for concluding the transaction by facilitating customer payment.

7. The method as defined in claim 4 including the further step of providing a subroutine for generating said visual display, the subroutine executing the steps of:

providing a visual selection screen that indicates user directions;

associating each product available for vending with a unique product identification number;

providing a current session identification number in response to a customer input;

visually providing a virtual shopping bag screen in response to customer inputs;

visually providing a virtual checkout button that displays the virtual shopping bag screen and lists any products that the user selected;

visually displaying a preview of the product selected, the preview comprising the product price, a textual description, and an image of the product; and

highlighting the product selected in the virtual display by altering the background coloring and concurrently altering the lighting in the corresponding physical display area that is associated with the selected product identification number in the physical display.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 including the further steps of:

providing the user with the option of selecting a product being previewed to their virtual shopping bag;

adding the item selected to a software list in memory that represents the items in the virtual shopping bag and tracks the order in which products were selected;

if the user has any products within the shopping bag, providing the user with the option of removing the last selected product; and

providing a checkout button for a user to check out.

9. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein said dispensing step includes the further steps of:

opening a vending door;

prompting the user to collect vended products;

monitoring the retrieval of vended products, and, if a preset amount of time elapses and a user has not retrieved their product(s), re-prompting the user to retrieve their product(s), and, if a user has retrieved their product(s) displaying a thank-you message for the customer.

10. The method as defined in claim 7 including the further steps of providing the user with a sample of a desired product being previewed if a sample is available for the selected product.

11. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the step of providing a check out button includes the steps of:

presenting the user with a list of products currently in their shopping bag;

providing the user with the option of changing quantities of selected products;

providing the user with the option of paying for selected products or canceling the transaction;

if a user elects to pay, collecting the user'"'"'s payment information; and

if the payment information collected above is appropriate, dispensing the product or products selected.