Vending machine and computer assembly
DCFirst Claim
Patent Images
1. A vending machine for sale of items selected by a customer, said vending machine including a door for retrofitting an existing vending machine, said door comprising:
- a storage unit for storing a plurality of items for sale and a dispensing mechanism for dispensing the items from said storage unit;
a selector device for selecting one or more of said items for sale by a customer;
a payment-control device for receiving and detecting an amount of payment required for sale of an item and for actuating said dispensing mechanism when a payment is received to dispense a selected item; and
a computer assembly connected to said storage and dispensing unit, selector device and payment control device and having a computer, video display screen and a communication network, whereby said computer is connected to and actuated by said selector device for automatically connecting said computer to a preselected internet site and automatically displaying information obtained from said internet site on said video screen for viewing by the customer, said computer assembly further including customer actuating means for enabling a customer to interface with said computer.
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Abstract
A vending machine for purchasing selected items by a customer. The vending machine includes a dispensing assembly for dispensing an item and a selector assembly connected to the dispensing assembly. A computer assembly having a central computer, video display screen and a modem is connected to and actuated by the selector for connecting the computer to an Internet site and displaying a received transmission on the video screen in response to a purchased item.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A vending machine for sale of items selected by a customer, said vending machine including a door for retrofitting an existing vending machine, said door comprising:
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a storage unit for storing a plurality of items for sale and a dispensing mechanism for dispensing the items from said storage unit; a selector device for selecting one or more of said items for sale by a customer; a payment-control device for receiving and detecting an amount of payment required for sale of an item and for actuating said dispensing mechanism when a payment is received to dispense a selected item; and a computer assembly connected to said storage and dispensing unit, selector device and payment control device and having a computer, video display screen and a communication network, whereby said computer is connected to and actuated by said selector device for automatically connecting said computer to a preselected internet site and automatically displaying information obtained from said internet site on said video screen for viewing by the customer, said computer assembly further including customer actuating means for enabling a customer to interface with said computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A door for retrofitting an existing vending machine for sale of items selected by a customer, said door comprising:
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a storage unit for storing a plurality of different items for sale and a dispensing mechanism for dispensing the items from storage unit; a selector device for selecting one or more of said items for sale by the customer; a payment-control device for receiving and detecting an amount of payment required for sale of an item and for actuating said dispensing mechanism when a payment is received to dispense a selected item; and a computer assembly connected to said storage and dispensing unit, selector device and payment control device, and having a computer, video display screen and a modem, whereby said computer is connected to and actuated by said selector device for automatically connecting said computer to a pre-selected internet site and automatically displaying information obtained from said internet address on said video screen for viewing by the customer.
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13. A door assembly for use with a dispensing machine for dispensing of at least one physical item selected by a customer, said door assembly comprising:
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a door having a connection to a computer, a video screen and a connection to a communication network operatively connectable to at least one of an internet site, a website and a home page whereby a customer may view information on said video screen; a delivery port for dispensing said at least one physical item selected by the customer to the customer; and
,an access portal on said door to the communication network for interaction of the customer with the communication network, said access portal connecting the customer to at least one of an internet site, a website, and a home page to view on the video screen in response to actuation of a money acceptor or credit card reader in an amount required to dispense said at least one physical item;
said computer being connected to and actuated by a customer input device for connecting said computer to at least one of an internet site, a website and a home page in response to the customer'"'"'s input upon dispensing of said at least one physical item to the customer, and displaying information obtained from said internet site, said website or said home page on said video screen for viewing by the customer. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of attracting greater patronage to a vending machine for vending physical items, said method comprising:
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providing a vending machine with a door assembly for vending at least one physical item to a customer, the door assembly comprising a door with a video screen, at least one of a credit card reader or a money acceptor; and
at least one customer input device;connecting a customer to at least one predetermined website and displaying information from the at least one predetermined website on the video screen in response to actuation of the money acceptor or credit card reader in an amount required to vend said at least one physical item; upon vending of the at least one physical item to the customer, permitting the customer to send and/or retrieve information to/from at least one website of the customer'"'"'s choice on the Internet/world wide web through interaction of the customer with said at least one customer input device of said vending machine, with the customer'"'"'s choice of website being displayed on the screen. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of providing a customer with access to at least one of a website, a home page and a computer database via a dispensing machine connectable to a communication network, said method comprising:
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1.) providing a dispensing machine with a connection to a communication network; and
at least one of a video screen or an audio communication capability;2.) providing the dispensing machine with a storage element for storing a plurality of physical items; 3.) actuating a money acceptor or credit card reader of the dispensing machine; 4.) selecting a physical item to be dispensed from the dispensing machine from among the plurality of physical items contained in the storage element; 5.) dispensing the selected physical item to the customer; 6.) informing the customer through at least one of the video screen and the audio communication capability that the customer may access the communication network by activating a customer input device; and
,7.) upon the customer'"'"'s actuation of the customer input device, permitting the customer to access the Internet/world wide web via the communication network in order to retrieve and/or send information to said website, said home page or said database. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method of attracting greater patronage to a dispensing machine for dispensing physical items, said method comprising:
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providing a dispensing machine with a connection to a communication network; providing the dispensing machine with a door assembly for dispensing at least one physical item to a customer, the door assembly comprising a door with at least one of a credit card reader or a money acceptor; and
at least one customer input device;actuating the credit card reader or the money acceptor in an amount sufficient to pay for said physical item to be dispensed; dispensing of the at least one physical item to the customer; and
,in response to user actuation of a customer input device, permitting the customer to send and/or retrieve information over the Internet/world wide web via the communication network through interaction of the customer with said at least one customer input device of said dispensing machine and by the payment of an additional amount in excess of the amount required to dispense the at least one physical item. - View Dependent Claims (46)
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47. A door assembly for use with a dispensing machine for dispensing of at least one physical item selected by a customer, said door assembly comprising:
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a door having a connection to a computer, a video screen and a connection to a communication network operatively connectable to a computer database whereby a customer may view information from the computer database on said video screen; a delivery port for dispensing said at least one physical item selected by the customer to the customer; and
,an access portal on said door to the Internet/world wide web via the communication network for interaction of the customer with the Internet/world wide web via the communication network, said access portal connecting the customer to a computer database over the Internet/world wide web via the communication network in response to actuation of a money acceptor or credit card reader in an amount required to dispense said at least one physical item;
said computer being connected to and actuated by a customer input device for connecting said computer to said computer database in response to the customer'"'"'s input upon dispensing of said at least one physical item to the customer, and displaying information obtained from said computer database on said video screen for viewing by the customer. - View Dependent Claims (48)
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Specification