Article vending machine and method for exchanging an inoperable article for an operable article

• US 8,996,162 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2009
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Redbox Automated Retail LLC (Chicken Soup For The Soul Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Redbox Automated Retail LLC (Chicken Soup For The Soul Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Lowe, J. Mitchell, Hoersten, Eric, Kapcar, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US12/554,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20110060456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,033 Days
• Field of Search: 700/231, 700/232, 700/236, 700/237, 700/241
• US Class Current: 700/237
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/54 about vertical axes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

An article vending machine in a network of article vending machines capable of exchanging an inoperable rental article received from a user for an operable replacement article. The article dispensing machine checks customer identification information against one or more customer rental criteria to determine if the customer is eligible to exchange an inoperable article for an operable one. The article vending machine searches for an identical replacement article within an inventory of the machine itself and within inventories of the networked article vending machines. Alternatively, the article vending machine may provide a refund for the inoperable article.

Claims

1. A method for receiving an inoperable article via an article vending machine and providing a refund for a rental of the inoperable article, the article vending machine having a user interface, a processor, a receptacle, a selector arm, and an inventory of articles housed in the article vending machine, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a command through the user interface requesting to initiate a return of an inoperable article;

receiving the inoperable article via the receptacle;

engaging the inoperable article at a first position proximate to the receptacle, using the selector arm;

transferring the inoperable article, using the selector arm, from the first position to a second position within the article vending machine;

disengaging the inoperable article at the second position;

identifying a customer associated with the inoperable article using program code operating with the processor;

determining if the customer is eligible to receive a refund for the rental of the inoperable article using the program code;

in response to determining that the customer is eligible for a refund, determining if the inventory contains a replacement article that is identical to the inoperable article, using the program code, wherein the determining if the inventory contains a replacement includes;

accessing a database comprising identifying information for each article included in the inventory, and

comparing identifying information of the inoperable article with the identifying information of the articles included in the inventory to find a replacement article that has the same identifying information as the inoperable article; and

in response to determining that the inventory does contain an identical replacement article;

transmitting to the user interface an option to receive the identical replacement article and an alternative option to receive a refund for the cost of the rental of the inoperable article, and

receiving a selection of at least one of the option to receive the identical replacement article or the option to receive a refund.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the article vending machine is networked to a plurality of remote vending machines each having an inventory of articles, the method further comprising the steps of, in response to determining that the inventory of the article vending machine does not contain an identical replacement article:

determining which remote vending machines comprise an identical replacement article within the respective remote vending machine inventories;

transmitting a list of remote vending machines having identical replacement articles to the user interface;

transmitting, to the user interface, an option to reserve the identical replacement article at one of the remote vending machines;

transmitting, to the user interface, an alternative option to receive a refund for the cost of the rental of the inoperable article; and

receiving a selection of at least one of the option to reserve the identical replacement article or the option to receive a refund.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of, in response to determining that the article vending machine inventory does not contain a replacement article:

transmitting to the user interface an option to receive a non-identical replacement article and an alternative option to receive a refund for the cost of the rental of the inoperable article; and

receiving a selection of at least one of the option to receive a non-identical replacement article or the option to receive a refund.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

in response to receiving a selection of the option to receive the non-identical replacement article, transferring the non-identical replacement article, using the selector arm, from a storage position within the article vending machine to the receptacle, and dispensing the identical replacement article through the receptacle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of whether a customer is eligible to receive a refund for the inoperable article is based, at least in part, on at least one customer criterion selected from the group consisting of number of returned inoperable articles, frequency of returns of inoperable articles, percentage of transactions resulting in an returns of an inoperable article, and time of last return of an inoperable article.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of whether a customer is eligible to receive a refund for the inoperable article is based on whether the customer is listed on an inoperable article refund blacklist.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

reading an article identifier from the inoperable article; and

referencing a database to obtain identifying information for the returned article based on the article identifier, using program code operating with the processor.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of identifying a database entry for the inoperable article in the database using program code operating with the processor.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of modifying the database entry for the inoperable article to indicate that the corresponding article is inoperable.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of prohibiting rental of the inoperable article.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving a selection of the option to receive the identical replacement article, transferring the identical replacement article to the receptacle using the selector arm, and dispensing the identical replacement article through the receptacle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein transferring the identical replacement article includes engaging the article with the selector arm while the article is located at a storage position within the article vending machine and transferring the article from the storage position to the receptacle using the selector arm.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein transferring the identical replacement article includes engaging the article with a picker device of the selector arm while the article is located at a storage position within the article vending machine and continuing engagement of the identical replacement article by the picker device as the article is transferred from the storage position to the receptacle.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein dispensing the identical replacement article includes transferring the identical replacement article towards the receptacle on a conveying device of the selector arm.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving a selection of the option to receive a refund, transmitting the refund to the customer.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying information includes title information.

17. A network of article vending machines comprising:

a first article vending machine comprising;

an inventory comprised of a plurality of articles;

a receptacle for receiving an inoperable article;

a selector arm for transferring articles within the first article vending machine, the selector arm being configured to;

engage the inoperable article at a first position proximate to the receptacle,

transfer the inoperable article from the first position to a second position within the first article vending machine, and

disengage the inoperable article at the second position; and

a user interface configured to receive a request to initiate a return of the inoperable article for a refund;

a plurality of remote article vending machines in communication with the first article vending machine, each remote article vending machine having an inventory of a plurality of articles;

a memory configured to store one or more databases, the one or more databases including a list of the articles that comprise the inventory of the first article vending machine; and

a processor configured using program code to;

identify a customer associated with the inoperable article;

determine if the customer is eligible to receive a refund for the rental of the inoperable article;

in response to determining that the customer is eligible for a refund, determine if the inventory of the first article vending machine contains a replacement article that is identical to the inoperable article by;

accessing the one or more databases to obtain identifying information for each article included in the inventory of the first article vending machine, and

comparing identifying information of the inoperable article with the identifying information of the articles included in the inventory to find a replacement article that has the same identifying information as the inoperable article;

in response to determining that the inventory does contain an identical replacement article;

offer, via the user interface, an option to receive the identical replacement article and an alternative option to receive a refund for the cost of the rental of the inoperable article, and

receive a selection of at least one of the option to receive the identical replacement article or the option to receive a refund;

in response to determining that the inventory does not contain an identical replacement article, determine whether one or more of the inventories of the remote article vending machines contain an identical replacement article by;

accessing the one or more databases to obtain identifying information for each article included in the inventories of the remote vending machines;

comparing the identifying information of the inoperable article with the identifying information of the articles included in the inventories of the remote vending machines to find a replacement article that has the same identifying information as the inoperable article; and

in response to determining that one or more of the remote vending machines contains an identical replacement article;

transmit, to the user interface, an identification of the one or more remote article vending machines that contain an identical replacement article,

transmit, to the user interface, an option to reserve the identical replacement article at one of the one or more remote article vending machines,

transmit, to the user interface, an alternative option to receive a refund for the cost of the rental of the inoperable article, and

receive a selection of at least one of the option to reserve the identical replacement article or the option to receive a refund.

18. The network of article vending machines of claim 17, wherein the user interface is configured to display the identification of the one or more remote article vending machines and to permit a user to select one of the identified remote article vending machines in order to reserve the identical replacement article at the selected remote article vending machine.

19. The network of article vending machines of claim 17, wherein the memory further includes a list of customers ineligible to return inoperable articles for a refund.

20. The network of article vending machines of claim 17, wherein the program code is further configured to, in response to determining that the inventory of the first article vending machine and the inventories of the remote vending machines do not contain an identical replacement article:

offer the customer, via the user interface, an option to receive a non-identical replacement article and an alternative option to receive a refund for the cost of the rental of the inoperable article, and

receive a selection of at least one of the option to receive a non-identical replacement article or the option to receive a refund.

21. The network of article vending machines of claim 17, wherein the determination of whether a customer is eligible to receive a refund for returning the inoperable article is based, at least in part, on a customer criterion selected from the group consisting of number of returned inoperable articles, frequency of returns of inoperable articles, percentage of transactions resulting in an returns of an inoperable article, and time of last return of an inoperable article.

22. The network or article vending machines of claim 17, wherein the determination of whether a customer is eligible to receive a refund for the inoperable article is based, at least in part, on the frequency of returns of inoperable articles by that customer.

23. The network of article vending machines of claim 17, wherein the identifying information includes title information.

24. The network of article vending machines of claim 17, wherein the selector arm includes a picker device that is configured to, in response to receiving a selection of the option to receive the identical replacement article, engage the identical replacement article at a storage position within the first article vending machine, and continue engaging the identical replacement article while the selector arm transfers the article from the storage position to the receptacle.

25. The network of article vending machines of claim 24, wherein the selector arm includes a conveying device that is configured to dispense the identical replacement article through the receptacle by transferring the identical replacement article towards the receptacle.

26. The network of article vending machines of claim 17, further comprising:

a plurality of storage positions for storing the plurality of articles, wherein the program code is further configured to, in response to receiving a selection of the option to receive the identical replacement article;

dispense the identical replacement article by using the selector arm to engage the identical replacement article while the article is located in a respective storage position and transfer the identical replacement article from the storage position to the receptacle.

27. The network of article vending machines of claim 17, wherein the program code is further configured to:

in response to receiving a selection of the option to receive a refund, transmit the refund to the customer.

28. An article vending machine configured to receive an inoperable article and provide a refund for the rental of the inoperable article, the article vending machine comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a request to initiate a return of an inoperable article for a refund;

a receptacle for receiving the inoperable article;

an inventory comprised of a plurality of articles;

a selector arm for transferring articles within the article vending machine, the selector arm being configured to;

engage the inoperable article at a first position proximate to the receptacle,

transfer the inoperable article from the first position to a second position within the article vending machine, and

disengage the inoperable article at the second position; and

a processor in communication with the user interface and configured using program code to;

identify a customer associated with the inoperable article;

determine if the customer is eligible to receive a refund for the rental of the inoperable article;

in response to determining that the customer is eligible for a refund, determine if the inventory contains a replacement article that is identical to the inoperable article by;

accessing a database comprising identifying information for each article included in the inventory of the article vending machine, and

comparing identifying information of the inoperable article with the identifying information of the articles included in the inventory to find a replacement article that has the same identifying information as the inoperable article; and

in response to determining that the inventory does contain an identical replacement article;

offer, via the user interface, an option to receive the identical replacement article and an alternative option to receive a refund for the cost of the rental of the inoperable article, and

receive a selection of at least one of the option to receive the identical replacement article or the option to receive a refund.

29. The article vending machine of claim 28 wherein the article vending machine is networked to a plurality of remote vending machines each having an inventory of articles.

30. The article vending machine of claim 29, wherein the program code is further configured to, in response to determining that the inventory does not contain an identical replacement article:

determine which of the remote vending machines have in their inventories an identical replacement article,

provide a list of the remote vending machines having identical replacement articles to the user interface,

provide, to the user interface, an option to reserve one of the identical replacement articles at one of the remote vending machines on the list of the remote vending machines having identical replacement articles;

provide, to the user interface, an alternative option to receive a refund for the cost of the rental of the inoperable article; and

receive a selection of at least one of the option to reserve one of the identical replacement articles or the option to receive a refund.

31. The article vending machine of claim 28, wherein the program code is further configured to, in response to determining that the inventory does not contain an identical replacement article:

transmit to the user interface an option to receive a non-identical replacement article,

provide, to the user interface, an alternative option to receive a refund for the cost of the rental of the inoperable article; and

receive a selection of at least one of the option to receive non-identical replacement article or the option to receive a refund.

32. The article vending machine of claim 31, further comprising:

a plurality of storage positions for storing the plurality of articles, wherein the program code is further configured to, in response to receiving a selection of the option to receive the non-identical replacement article;

dispense the non-identical replacement article by using the selector arm to engage the non-identical replacement article while the article is located in a respective storage position and transfer the non-identical replacement article from the storage position to the receptacle.

33. The article vending machine of claim 28, wherein the program code is further configured to, in response to determining that the inventory does not contain an identical replacement article:

provide, via the user interface, an option to receive a coupon for a rental article,

provide, via the user interface, an alternative option to receive a refund for the cost of the rental of the inoperable article, and

receive a selection of at least one of the option to receive a coupon and the option to receive a refund.

34. The article vending machine of claim 28, wherein the selector arm includes a picker device that is configured to, in response to receiving a selection of the option to receive the identical replacement article, engage the identical replacement article at a storage position within the article vending machine, and continue engaging the identical replacement article while the selector arm transfers the article from the storage position to the receptacle.

35. The article vending machine of claim 34, wherein the selector arm includes a conveying device that is configured to dispense the identical replacement article through the receptacle by transferring the identical replacement article towards the receptacle.

36. The article vending machine of claim 28, further comprising:

a plurality of storage positions for storing the plurality of articles, wherein the program code is further configured to, in response to receiving a selection of the option to receive the identical replacement article;

dispense the identical replacement article by using the selector arm to engage the identical replacement article while the article is located in a respective storage position and transfer the identical replacement article from the storage position to the receptacle.

37. The article vending machine of claim 28, wherein the program code is further configured to:

in response to receiving a selection of the option to receive a refund, transmit the refund to the customer.

38. The article vending machine of claim 28, wherein the identifying information includes title information.