Vending devices having ad-watching as consideration

• US 9,905,072 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Jung, Edward K. Y., Kare, Jordin T., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, Jr., John D., Tegreene, Clarence T., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Jr., Lowell L., Wood, Victoria Y. H
• Primary Examiner(s): WAGGONER, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US14/292,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20140350721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 700236, 700237, 700238, 700240
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/003 for electricity
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/006 dispensed for the electrical charging of other devices than vehicles
• 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: G07F 9/023 Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising

Abstract

Systems and methods for vending devices having ad-watching as consideration are described. In some implementations, a vending apparatus includes a dispensing portion operable to dispense a product (e.g. electricity) to a user; a communication portion operable to provide a communicable content (e.g. an advertisement) to the user; and a control system operatively coupled to the dispensing portion and the communication portion. The control system receives a signal indicative of a consent by the user to receive or review the communicable content at least partially in exchange for the product, and after receipt of the signal, causes the communication portion to provide the communicable content to the user and causes the dispensing portion to dispense the product to the user. In further implementations, the apparatus may include a monitoring system operable to determine whether the user is receiving or reviewing the communicable content.

Claims

1. A vending apparatus, comprising:

a dispensing portion operable to dispense a product to a user;

a communication portion operable to provide a communicable content for outputting for at least one of viewing or hearing by the user;

a control system operatively coupled to the dispensing portion and the communication portion, the control system being operable to;

signal the communication portion to provide the communicable content for outputting for at least one of viewing or hearing by the user and to signal the dispensing portion to dispense the product to the user; and

a monitoring system operatively coupled to the control system and operable to determine whether the user is at least one of facing or watching a display screen of the communication portion, wherein the control system is operable to control the dispensing portion to output the product when the monitoring system determines that the user is at least one of facing or watching the display screen to at least one of visibly or audibly perceive the communicable content.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispensing portion operable to dispense a product to a user comprises:

a charging station operable to be operatively coupled with a user-provided chargeable device and to provide an electrical charge to the user-provided chargeable device, the user-provided chargeable device including at least one of a battery, a cellular telephone, a personal data assistant, an handheld communication device, a music player, a camera, a recording device, a hearing aid, a portable computing device, an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a wearable electronic device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication portion operable to provide a communicable content for outputting for at least one of viewing or hearing by the user comprises:

an audio-visual system operable to broadcast an audio-visual content at least one of visibly or audibly for at least one of viewing or hearing by the user.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication portion operable to provide a communicable content for outputting for at least one of viewing or hearing by the user comprises:

a transmission component operable to transmit the communicable content to a user-provided chargeable device for outputting at least one of visibly or audibly for at least one of viewing or hearing by the user.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control system operable to receive a signal indicative of a consent by the user to at least one of receive or review the communicable content at least partially in exchange for the product comprises:

at least one of;

a control system portion operable to receive a signal indicative of a consent by the user to at least one of receive or review the communicable content as a complete consideration in exchange for the product;

or

a control system operable to receive a signal indicative of a consent by the user to at least one of receive or review the communicable content as a partial consideration in exchange for the product, and to receive a payment as another partial consideration in exchange for the product.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispensing of the product by the dispensing portion being co-extensive in time with the communicable content being broadcast at least one of visibly or audibly for at least one of viewing or hearing by the user.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control system is further operable to receive a consent signal indicative of a consent by the user to at least one of receive or review the communicable content at least partially in exchange for the product;

and after receipt of the consent signal, to signal the communication portion to provide the communicable content.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the monitoring system is further operable to determine whether the user is proximately positioned to at least one of view or hear the communicable content broadcast from the communication portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the monitoring system is further operable to determine that the user is not at least one of receiving or viewing the communicable content from the communication portion, and to provide an indication to discontinue providing the communicable content to the user in response thereto.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the monitoring system or the control system is operable to determine whether the user is watching the display device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the control system or the dispensing portion is operable to discontinue dispensing the product based on the determination whether the user is at least one of facing or watching the display device.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispensing portion is operable to dispense electricity to recharge a user-provided rechargeable device, and wherein:

at least one of the control system or the dispensing portion is operable to discontinue dispensing electricity based on the determination whether the user is at least one of facing or watching the display device.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a user input portion operatively coupled to the control system and operable to receive an input from the user.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the user input portion operatively coupled to the control system and operable to receive an input from the user comprises:

a user input portion operable to receive an indication from the user that the user consents to at least one of receive or review the communicable content as a partial consideration for the product, and that the user consents to provide a payment as another partial consideration for the product.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the user input portion operatively coupled to the control system and operable to receive an input from the user comprises:

a user input portion operable to receive an indication from the user that the user consents to at least one of receive or review the communicable content at least partially in exchange for the product.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the product includes an electrical charge dispensed to a chargeable device.

17. A vending system, comprising:

circuitry for providing a communicable content for outputting via a display screen for at least one of viewing or hearing by the user;

circuitry for determining whether the user is at least one of facing or watching a display screen; and

circuitry for dispensing the product to the user when the circuitry for determining determines that the user is at least one of facing or watching the display screen,

wherein at least one of the circuitry for receiving, the circuitry for providing, the circuitry for determining, or the circuitry for dispensing is at least partially implemented using one or more processing devices.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein circuitry for dispensing the product to the user, the dispensing of the product by the dispensing portion being co-extensive in time with the communicable content being broadcast at least one of visibly or audibly for at least one of viewing or hearing by the user comprises:

circuitry for providing an electrical charge to a user-provided chargeable device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein circuitry for providing an electrical charge to a user-provided chargeable device comprises:

circuitry for inductively providing an electrical charge to a user-provided chargeable device.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein circuitry for providing an electrical charge to a user-provided chargeable device comprises:

circuitry for providing an electrical charge to at least one of a battery, a cellular telephone, a personal data assistant, an handheld communication device, a music player, a camera, a recording device, a hearing aid, a portable computing device, an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a wearable electronic device.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein circuitry for providing the communicable content for outputting for at least one of viewing or hearing by the user after receiving the consent signal comprises:

circuitry for providing an audio-visual content for outputting for at least one of viewing or hearing by the user.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein circuitry for providing the communicable content for outputting for at least one of viewing or hearing by the user after receiving the consent signal comprises:

circuitry for transmitting the communicable content to a user-provided chargeable device for outputting for at least one of viewing or hearing by the user.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein circuitry for receiving a consent signal indicative of a consent by a user to at least one of receive or review a communicable content at least partially in exchange for a product comprises:

circuitry for receiving a signal indicative of a consent by the user to at least one of receive or review the communicable content as a complete consideration in exchange for the product.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein circuitry for receiving a consent signal indicative of a consent by a user to at least one of receive or review a communicable content at least partially in exchange for a product comprises:

circuitry for receiving at least one signal indicative of a consent by the user to at least one of receive or review the communicable content as a partial consideration in exchange for the product, and to provide a payment as another partial consideration in exchange for the product.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the circuitry for dispensing dispenses the product co-extensive in time with the communicable content being broadcast at least one of visibly or audibly for at least one of viewing or hearing by the user.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein the circuitry for providing the communicable content is further operable to receive a consent signal indicative of a consent by the user to at least one of receive or review the communicable content at least partially in exchange for the product, and to provide the communicable content after receipt of the consent signal.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein circuitry for determining whether the user is at least one of facing or watching a display screen comprises:

circuitry for determining whether the user is proximately positioned to at least one of visibly or audibly perceive the communicable content.

28. The system of claim 17, wherein circuitry for determining whether the user is at least one of facing or watching a display screen comprises:

circuitry for determining that the user is not present to at least one of visibly or audibly perceive the communicable content.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

circuitry for providing an indication to discontinue providing the product to the user.

30. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

circuitry for discontinuing dispensing the product based on the determination.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein circuitry for dispensing the product to the user comprising:

circuitry for discontinuing dispensing electricity based on the determination.

32. The system of claim 17, further comprising circuitry for receiving a consent signal indicative of a consent by a user to at least one of receive or review a communicable content at least partially in exchange for a product.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein circuitry for receiving a consent signal indicative of a consent by a user to at least one of receive or review a communicable content at least partially in exchange for a product comprises:

circuitry for receiving an indication from the user that the user consents to at least one of receive or review the communicable content at least partially in exchange for the product.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprising:

circuitry for sensing whether the user is watching a display device through which the communicable content is provided; and

circuitry for continuing to dispense the product as long as the user is watching the display device.

35. The system of claim 34, further comprising:

circuitry for discontinuing dispensing the product when the user is not watching the display device.

36. One or more computer-readable non-transitory media comprising:

one or more instructions configured for providing a communicable content for outputting via a display screen for at least one of viewing or hearing by the user;

one or more instructions configured for determining whether the user is at least one of facing or watching a display screen, and

one or more instructions configured for dispensing the product to the user when the one or more instructions configured for determining determine that the user is at least one of facing or watching the display screen.