Vending machine remote sensing of contents apparatus

• US 9,652,922 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2016
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David Alan Schuck
• Original Assignee: David Alan Schuck
• Inventors: Schuck, David Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Suezu
• Application Number:
  US14/999,604
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• Field of Search: 235381, 700231, 700232, 700242-244
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/36 in which the magazines are of helical or spiral form
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/42 the articles being delivered by motor-driven means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/005 Details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/06 Coin boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader

Abstract

A vending machine remotes contents sensing apparatus collects information from the actual delivery of a product, sends it on to an MCU, then to a CPU, to the internet, to a remote receiver with a web interface application on a web page for access by a service person for real time delivery information.

Claims

1. A remote sensing system for sensing vending machine content comprising:

a) a Central Processing Unit (CPU),

b) a product tray,

c) at least one product delivery drive,

d) at least one product delivery feed,

e) at least one product delivery facilitator,

f) at least one Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag,

g) an RFID antenna,

h) an RFID tag reader, and

i) at least one tilt switch,

wherein, after a customer purchases a product, said at least one product delivery drives

said at least one product delivery feed to deliver the product from said product tray in said vending machine,

wherein said at least one tilt switch and said at least one RFID tag are mounted on said at least one product movement facilitator,

wherein when the at least one product movement facilitator is rotated, the tilt switch is activated permitting said RFID antenna to receive information from said RFID tag,

wherein said RFID antenna receives said information from said RFID tag and passes said information on to said RFID tag reader which passes said information on to said CPU,

wherein said CPU transmits said information to the Internet,

wherein said information is available, to a remote receiver for access on a web page with a web interface application program for access by a service person, and

wherein the information accessed by the service person is real time information on the actual delivery of the product.

2. The remote sensing system for sensing vending machine content of claim 1, further comprises a coin collector comprising:

a) a weight sensor,

b) a coin track,

c) a coin collection container, and

d) a microcontroller unit (MCU),

wherein said weight sensor weighs coins in said coin collection container,

wherein information on a number of coins weighed and weight of coins in said coin collection container is communicated to said MCU,

wherein said MCU transforms said information into a usable format and passes said information in said usable format to said CPU,

wherein said CPU passes said information in said usable format on to the Internet,

wherein a service person can access said information in said usable format in a readable form on said web page with said web interface application program on said remote receiver with said web interface application for an approximate value of coins collected.