System for dispensing wristbands with unique indicia

• US 8,714,452 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2013
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smarte Carte Incorporated (SMARTE CARTE)
• Original Assignee: Smarte Carte Incorporated (SMARTE CARTE)
• Inventors: Amdahl, Keith Louis, Vang, Kong Meng, Burk, Matthew Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US13/933,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20130292468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.01, 235/454, 235/487, 235/381, 235/382.5, 235/382, 221/30, 221/282, 221/9, 221/33, 221/38, 221/36, 221/174, 221/175, 221/197, 221/22, 221/70, 221/71, 705/2, 705/5, 146/201, 145/4, 148/7, 138/1, 138/25
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/01 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/12 comprising lockable containers, e.g. for accepting clothes to be cleaned
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/26 Interlocks, e.g. for locking the doors of compartments other than that to be used

Abstract

A locker system includes one or more banks of electronic lockers. Each locker has a door lock that releasably retains the door in the closed position. The locker system also includes at least one barcode scanner selectively unlocks the door of at least one of the lockers. A locker manager is coupled to each of the electronic lockers via an electronic network. The locker manager stores a list of unique barcodes that are each associated with a locker rental plan including at least one locker account. Each locker account includes an activation indication, a use indication, a locker type indication, and a duration. The unique barcodes are printed or otherwise included on wristbands, which may be scanned at the barcode scanner to gain access to one or more of the lockers.

Claims

1. A wristband dispensing arrangement comprising:

a housing defining an interior;

a hopper disposed within the interior of the housing, the hopper being configured to hold a plurality of fanfold wristbands, the fanfold wristbands being connected end-to-end to form an elongated web that is weakened at a connection area between adjacent wristbands, the elongated web being folded at the weakened connection areas, the hopper being shaped and sized so that the web is stacked so that the wristbands are layered on top of each other, each wristband having machine readable indicia comprising a unique identification number;

a dispenser disposed within the interior of the housing, the dispenser being operatively coupled to the hopper to selectively move the elongated web in a direction away from the hopper to dispense at least one of the wristbands after separation of the wristband from the elongated web at the respective weakened connection area;

a scanner disposed within the interior of the housing at the dispenser so that the at least one wristband to be dispensed passes by the scanner before being dispensed, the scanner facing towards the elongated web of wristbands; and

an electronic processor disposed within the interior of the housing, the processor being operatively coupled to the scanner and to the dispenser, the electronic processor being configured to receive a wristband request from a user, to cause the dispenser to dispense the wristband in response to the wristband request, and to cause the scanner to scan the indicia on the wristband as the wristband is being dispensed.

2. The wristband dispensing arrangement of claim 1, wherein the dispenser is configured to pull the elongated web of wristbands from the hopper.

3. The wristband dispensing arrangement of claim 2, wherein the dispenser includes a motorized moveable roller, which increments the elongated web of wristbands away from the hopper.

4. The wristband dispensing arrangement of claim 3, wherein the electronic processor controls the roller.

5. The wristband dispensing arrangement of claim 1, wherein the scanner is an optical scanner.

6. The wristband dispensing arrangement of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a user interface through which a user can provide a wristband request to the processor.

7. The wristband dispensing arrangement of claim 1, wherein the respective unique identification number is printed on each wristband as a barcode.