Method and device for accessing, controlling and purchasing a product through a dispenser

• US 9,959,530 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2015
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Automated Vending, LLC
• Original Assignee: Scan-x LLC
• Inventors: Geigel, Art, Armenio, Christopher, Muhammad, Abdullah
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggoner, Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US14/959,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20160086419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 700237, 700241, 700244, 221 96
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/02 by volume
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• 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 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Various technologies described herein pertain to an automated dispenser including a dispensing portion, a motion sensor, a receiver module, and a control module. The control module initiates motion sensing by the motion sensor in response to receipt of an activation signal from a network server by the receiver module. The dispensing portion dispenses a product in response to the motion sensor sensing an absence, presence or motion of an object.

Claims

1. A method for controlling dispensing of a product from an automated dispenser, executed at a mobile computing device, comprising:

reading an identifier associated with the automated dispenser;

responsive to reading the identifier associated with the automated dispenser, generating a request to activate the automated dispenser to dispense the product, the request comprising;

identification data based on the identifier associated with the automated dispenser; and

an identifier of the product; and

transmitting the request to the automated dispenser based upon first user input to the mobile computing device, the request configured to trigger the automated dispenser to dispense the product in response to authorizing the request, wherein the automated dispenser authorizes the request without requiring user input to the mobile computing device additional to the first user input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein authorizing the request comprises processing a payment for the product.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein authorizing the request comprises determining that a user of the mobile computing device has been approved to use the automated dispenser.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein authorizing the request comprises determining that a user of the mobile computing device has sufficient credits in an account to pay for the product.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein reading the identifier comprises scanning an optical code.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the optical code is a QR code.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein reading the identifier comprises receiving the identifier via near-field-communication.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation request is further configured to cause a motion sensor of the automated dispenser to initiate performance of sensing, and wherein the automated dispenser dispenses the product in response to the motion sensor detecting a presence of an object when performing the sensing.

9. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a processor; and

memory, the memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising;

receiving an identifier, the identifier identifying an automated dispenser;

responsive to receiving the identifier identifying the automated dispenser, creating an activation request to activate the automated dispenser to cause dispensing of a product, the activation request comprising identification data based on the identifier identifying the automated dispenser and an identifier of the product; and

transmitting the activation request to the automated dispenser based upon first user input to the mobile computing device, the activation request configured to cause the automated dispenser to trigger dispensing of the product when the automated dispenser determines that the activation request is authorized, the automated dispenser determines that the activation request is authorized without requiring second user input to the mobile computing device additional to the first user input.

10. The mobile computing device of claim 9, wherein the activation request is further configured to cause a motion sensor of the automated dispenser to initiate performance of sensing, and wherein the automated dispenser dispenses the product in response to the motion sensor detecting a presence of an object when performing the sensing.

11. The mobile computing device of claim 9, the mobile computing device further comprising a display, the acts comprising displaying an indication that the request is not authorized on the display responsive to receiving data from the automated dispenser indicating that the request is not authorized.

12. The mobile computing device of claim 9, the mobile computing device further comprising a display, the acts further comprising displaying a confirmation of approval on the display responsive to receiving data from the automated dispenser indicating that the request is authorized.

13. The mobile computing device of claim 9, wherein determining that the activation request is authorized comprises determining that a user of the mobile computing device has sufficient credits in an account to pay for the product.

14. A method executed at a mobile computing device, the method comprising:

scanning an identifier associated with an automated dispenser; and

transmitting a request to the automated dispenser based upon first user input to the mobile computing device, the request comprising;

identification data that identifies the automated dispenser, the identification data generated by the mobile computing device responsive to scanning the identifier; and

an indication of a product to be dispensed by the automated dispenser;

wherein the request is configured to cause the automated dispenser to dispense the product, dispensing of the product triggered by the automated dispenser determining that the request is authorized, wherein the automated dispenser determines that the request is authorized without requiring second user input to the mobile computing device additional to the first user input.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the request further comprises credentials of a user of the mobile computing device, the request configured to cause the automated dispenser to dispense the product responsive to the automated dispenser determining that the request is authorized based upon the user credentials.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the request is further configured to cause a motion sensor of the automated dispenser to initiate performance of sensing, and wherein the automated dispenser dispenses the product in response to the motion sensor detecting a presence of an object when performing the sensing.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying an indication that the request is not authorized responsive to receiving data from the automated dispenser indicating that the request is not authorized.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying a confirmation of approval responsive to receiving data from the automated dispenser indicating that the request is authorized.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein scanning the identifier comprises scanning an optical code.

20. The computing system of claim 14, wherein determining that the request is authorized comprises processing a payment for the product.