System for an automated dispensing and retrieval kiosk for recorded media

• US 9,224,137 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2006
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• 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: Tomasi, Philip, Horstmann, Jens, Chen, John, Cravens, Alva D., Barber, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tuyen K
• Application Number:
  US11/366,966
• Time in Patent Office: 3,590 Days
• Field of Search: 235/381, 235/383, 235/379
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/003 by means of an audio-responsive input audible safety signals B25J19/061
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/084 Tactile sensors in general G01L5/16, G01L5/22
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1612 characterised by the hand, wrist, grip control
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/14 Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06

Abstract

A system for an automated dispensing and retrieval kiosk for recorded media includes a kiosk having a plurality of vertical racks arranged in a circular formation, each vertical rack configured for storing a plurality of recorded media. A customer interface allows a customer to select or return a recorded media. A robotic element delivers the selected recorded media from the vertical racks to a media output, at the customer interface. The element also delivers a returned recorded media from a media input at the customer interface to the vertical racks. A computer controls operation of the kiosk, and an internet interface connects the kiosk to the Internet. The kiosk may communicate with a central server and/or other kiosks of a group, to locate a requested recorded media within a kiosk of the group. Once located within the group, the requested media may be reserved for customer pick-up.

Claims

1. A kiosk for dispensing and retrieving recorded media employing a robotic element, the kiosk comprising:

a telecommunications system for exchanging data between a central administrator and the kiosk, the kiosk having electronic controls responsive to instructions from the central administrator for governing administration of the kiosk according to a first state and a second state;

wherein the first state provides for automatic administration of the kiosk, the first state comprising first program instructions for one or more of;

selecting a mix of recorded media for the kiosk inventory,

converting a recorded media from rentable to saleable,

performing software upgrades from one or more remote locations,

performing analysis of the kiosk,

predicting maintenance of the kiosk,

determining an alarm condition,

generating an alarm in response to the alarm condition, and

performing maintenance of the kiosk; and

wherein the second state provides for remote administration of the kiosk via the telecommunications system according to the instructions from the central administrator, the second state comprising second program instructions initialized at a remote server of the central administrator for maintenance of the kiosk, wherein the second program instructions include program instructions for;

performing a routine to check on performance of the robotic element,

selecting a mix of recorded media for the kiosk inventory,

converting a recorded media from rentable to saleable,

performing software upgrades from one or more remote locations,

performing remote analysis of the kiosk,

predicting maintenance of the kiosk,

determining an alarm condition,

generating an alarm in response to the alarm condition,

updating a protocol regularly, wherein the kiosk reports kiosk operating conditions to the central administrator via the telecommunications system, and

performing remote maintenance of the kiosk.

2. The kiosk of claim 1 wherein the first and/or second program instructions comprise software.

3. The kiosk of claim 2 wherein the software is operable at one or both of a local computer within the kiosk and a remote server associated with the central administrator.

4. The kiosk of claim 3 wherein the software for selecting a mix of recorded media comprises algorithms for determining the mix based upon historical performance of specific recorded media.

5. The kiosk of claim 4 wherein the software for determining an alarm condition comprises inventory management software having algorithms for determining an alarm condition based upon inventory of recorded media within the kiosk.

6. The kiosk of claim 1 further comprising controllers embedded within the kiosk, wherein—

the controllers include firmware, and the first and/or second program instructions are contained in the firmware; and

the controllers are configured to control one or more mechanical components within the kiosk.

7. The kiosk of claim 1 wherein the first and/or second program instructions include program instructions for automatically calibrating the kiosk utilizing one or more sensors for providing calibration information for one or more systems within the kiosk.

8. The kiosk of claim 1 wherein the second program instructions comprise software.

9. The kiosk of claim 1 wherein the second program instructions are configured to generate an alarm comprises initializing software for broadcasting the alarm condition to one or more of cell phones, pagers and email recipients.

10. The kiosk of claim 1, further comprising an internal environmental control unit for maintaining an environment within the kiosk, wherein the internal environmental control unit is operable with the first state or the second state.

11. The kiosk of claim 1, further comprising an interface operable with the telecommunications system for communication between the kiosk and one or both of a remote server associated with the central administrator and a second kiosk.

12. The kiosk of claim 11, further comprising hardware to distribute inventories of recorded media between the kiosk and one or both of the remote server and the second kiosk, via the interface.

13. The kiosk of claim 1 wherein the kiosk is one of a group of kiosks and further comprises an interface between the kiosk and other kiosks in the group, and wherein the telecommunications system is configured to exchange data between the kiosk and the other kiosks in the group via the interface, and wherein the kiosk communicates directly with the other kiosks in the group to locate stock of recorded media.

14. The kiosk of claim 13 wherein the kiosk is configured to identify one or more other kiosks of the group that have stock of a particular recorded media.

15. The kiosk of claim 14 wherein the kiosk is configured to reserve stock of the particular recorded media within the one or more other kiosks of the group for a potential customer.

16. The kiosk of claim 1, further comprising hardware and software for delivering inventories of recorded media via the interface to the remote server associated with the central administrator.

17. The kiosk of claim 1 wherein the robotic element includes an embedded controller resident therein, and wherein the kiosk is configured to initiate, control and complete predetermined mechanical operations of the robotic element in the second state utilizing the embedded controller.

18. The kiosk of claim 17 wherein the embedded controller is configured to detect and diagnose potential error conditions using one or more monitor sensors.