System and method for vending vendible media products

• US 9,865,003 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2017
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2004
• 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. Mitch
• Primary Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US15/419,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20170200186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 700231-244, 705 14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• 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 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/004 Restocking arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/007 wherein the storage and dispensing mechanism are configurable in relation to the physical or geometrical properties of the articles to be stored or dispensed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/04 in which magazines the articles are stored one vertically above the other
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/26 Endless bands
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/48 the storage containers or supports, e.g. magazine, being pivotally mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/50 the storage containers or supports being rotatably mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/54 about vertical axes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 : for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/005 : for the hiring of content carriers, e.g. of DVDs or CDs reverse vending for box-like objects such as videocassettes G07F7/069
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 : for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 : for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/069 : by box-like containers, e.g. videocassettes, books
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 : Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 : Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/023 : Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising
• 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 9/10 : Casings or parts thereof, e.g. with means for heating or cooling

Abstract

A system and method for vending digital video discs is provided. A request is received from a user to complete a rental transaction for a first digital video disc. A database is queried to determine whether a quantity of a set of second digital video discs in a vending inventory exceeds a predetermined threshold. A discount offer notification is presented to the user to rent one of the set of second digital video discs, upon determining that the quantity of the set of second digital video discs exceeds the predetermined threshold. A second request from the user to rent one of the second set of digital video discs is received, and one of the set of second digital video discs is vended to the user.

Claims

1. A method for vending a plurality of different identities of vendible products from a product vending machine having a product storage unit, and a controller, the plurality of different identities of products stored within the product storage unit, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first user input command;

determining whether a discount offer notification is pending for at least one of the identities of products by querying a database comprising vending inventory data including a total number of each of the plurality of different identities of products within the product storage unit;

if the discount offer notification is pending for a first identity of the plurality of identities of products, determining a first total number of products of the first identity within the storage unit and determining whether the first total number exceeds a predetermined threshold which is greater than 1;

if the first total number exceeds the predetermined threshold, designating and exceeded number the first total number to be vended at a discount price, wherein the exceeded number is the first total number reduced by the predetermined threshold;

generating a communication for display on a user interface which is structured to communicate an offer for the first identity of products at the-discount price;

receiving a second user input command to vend the first identity of the plurality of the identities of products at the discount price;

under control of the controller, vending the one product; and

repeating at least the previous three steps until the first total number no longer exceeds the predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user input command is a command to complete a vending transaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user input command is for returning at least one of the vendible products.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

transmitting a request for communication via a transaction network to a remotely located command center, wherein the discount offer notification is received via the transaction network from the command center.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the discount offer notification is also based on a genre of a previously delivered vendible product.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the vendible product is a digital video disc for at least one of rent and/or purchase.

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

determining whether the vendible product has been previously vended to a user, from which the first user input command was received.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the product vending machine includes a product selector arm, the method further comprising the step of:

under control of the controller, moving the selector arm proximate one product of the first identity of the plurality of identities of products, directing the selector arm to select the one product, and vending one product using the selector arm.

9. A system for vending a plurality of different identities of vendible products, comprising:

a product vending machine having a product storage unit, a vending controller, a product selector arm, and a first user interface screen for receiving a first user input command, wherein the plurality of different identities of products are stored within the product storage unit,

wherein the vending controller determines whether a discount offer notification is pending for at least one of the identities of products by querying a database comprising vending inventory data including a total number of each of the plurality of different identities of products within the product storage unit, and wherein if the discount offer notification is pending for a first identity of the plurality of identities of products, the vending controller determines a first total number of products of the first identity within the storage unit and determines whether the first total number exceeds a predetermined threshold which is greater than 1;

wherein if the first total number exceeds the predetermined threshold, the vending controller designates an exceeded number of the first total number to be vended at a discount price, wherein the exceeded number is the first total number reduced by the predetermined threshold;

a second user interface screen for offering a product at a discount price, wherein the vending controller receives via the second user interface screen, a second user input command to vend the first identity of the plurality of identities of vendible products at the discount price; and

,

wherein the controller moves the selector arm proximate one product of the first identity of the plurality of identities of products, and directs the selector arm to select the one product and to vend the one product using the selector arm.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the first user input command is for at least one of completing a vending transaction and/or returning a vending product.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a transaction network, wherein the vending controller is in communication with the transaction network; and

,

a central controller remotely located from the vending controller and in communication with the transaction network, wherein the central controller transmits the discount offer notification to the vending controller.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the vending controller determines whether the vending product has been previously vended to a user from which the first user input command is received.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the discount price is a discount sales price.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the discount notification is generated by also querying a database comprising a genre of a previously delivered vendible product.