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Method and apparatus for third party control of a device

  • US 9,305,296 B1
  • Filed: 10/31/2007
  • Issued: 04/05/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2002
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for controlling a vending machine from a network comprising in this specific order, first (a), second (b), third (c), fourth (d), fifth (e), sixth (f), seventh (g), eighth (h), ninth (i):

  • first (a), sensing on said vending machine a presence of a cell phone radio frequency (RF) field;

    second (b), sending a unidirectional wireless communication over a unidirectional link from said vending machine to said cell phone in response to said presence of said cell phone RF field;

    third (c), receiving on said cell phone from said unidirectional wireless communication over said unidirectional link a vending machine identification;

    fourth (d), transmitting from said cell phone over a bidirectional wireless link said vending machine identification to said network;

    fifth (e);

    receiving from said network over said bidirectional wireless link user selectable choices;

    sixth (f), presenting on said cell phone said user selectable choices, wherein said presenting on said cell phone said user selectable choices further comprises converting said user selectable choices into a native language of said user and converting any displayed prices into a native currency of said user;

    seventh (g), transmitting from said cell phone one or more user selected choices from said user selectable choices to said network over said bidirectional wireless link;

    eighth (h), receiving on said vending machine from said network said one or more user selected choices; and

    ninth (i), responding to said received said one or more user selected choices by operating said vending machine as if a user had manually operated said user selectable choices on said vending machine only if said cell phone continues to receive said unidirectional wireless communication over said unidirectional link.

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