SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING THE IDENTIFICATION OF GEOGRAPHICALLY CLOSEST ARTICLE DISPENSING MACHINES

• US 20130046753A1
• Filed: 07/17/2012
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2011
• 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: Maskatia, Imran, Rubinstein, Jason, Bowers, Brad
• Granted Patent: US 9,495,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/722
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10

Abstract

A system and method of searching for physical media articles available from article dispensing machines within a geographic proximity is provided. Searching may include matching keywords in search criteria or using predefined search criteria for browsing of static or dynamic listings of media content. The method includes receiving a search request including search criteria, and searching the metadata database for a physical media article matching the search criteria. The method also includes determining the availability of the matching media article at an article dispensing machine. The geographic location of article dispensing machines with available matching media articles is determined, based on personally identifying information such as an IP or MAC address. The geographic location may be limited by a proximity from an audio/visual display interface. A search result set with the matching media articles is provided, based on their availabilities.

Claims

1. A method of searching for media content using a metadata database connected to a processor and using an audio/visual display interface, the metadata database comprising metadata of a media article for being available at at least one article dispensing machine, the method comprising:

receiving a search request, the search request comprising search criteria;

searching the metadata database for the media article matching the search criteria, in response to the search request;

determining an availability of the matching media article for distribution from the article dispensing machine;

searching an inventory database to determine the geographic location of article dispensing machines in which the matching media article is available;

receiving personally identifying information from the audio/visual display interface;

determining the geographic location of the audio/visual display interface based on the personally identifying information;

receiving a proximity from the geographic location of the audio/visual display interface; and

providing a search result set comprising the geographic location of the dispensing machines in which the matching media article is available and are located within the proximity from the geographic location of the audio/visual display interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the personally identifying information comprises one or more of an IP address of the audio/visual display interface, a MAC address of the audio/visual display interface, or a digital certificate identifier related to the audio/visual display interface.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying a user interface of an application executing on the audio/visual display interface based on one or more of the geographic location or the proximity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the search request comprises receiving predefined search criteria in response to a browsing request, the predefined search criteria for browsing of static or dynamic listings of the media content; and

searching the metadata database comprises searching the metadata database for the media article matching the predefined search criteria.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventory database is also connected to the processor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the search result comprises ranking the locations of the article dispensing machines in which the matching media article is available in order of distance from the geographic location of the audio/visual display interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata of the media article comprises at least one of a title, a release date, a running time, chapter information, technical details, a format, a peripheral device requirement, number of players, online capability, an actor, a voice actor, a director, a studio, a publisher, a developer, a platform, availability of downloadable content, episode information, a genre, a critic rating, an individualized rating, a parental rating, a description, related content, media artwork, a media still, or a proprietary identification code.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a transaction request to access at least one of the matching media article in the search result set.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the transaction request comprises a reservation request to reserve the matching media article in the search result set at at least one of the article dispensing machines for pickup.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the transaction request comprises a pre-reservation request to pre-reserve the matching media article in the search result set for pickup at at least one of the article dispensing machines when the matching media article is released.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a payment for the at least one of the matching media article in the search result set, wherein the payment comprises at least one of a charge for the matching media article, a redemption of a promotion code, or a redemption of a credit code.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the media article comprises at least one of a digital video disc, a Blu-Ray disc, or a video game disc.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the search result set comprises ordering the matching media article based on one or more criteria comprising a price, a version, video quality, audio quality, a title, a release date, a running time, chapter information, technical details, a format, a peripheral device requirement, number of players, online capability, an actor, a voice actor, a director, a studio, a publisher, a developer, a platform, availability of downloadable content, episode information, a genre, a critic rating, an individualized rating, a parental rating, a description, related content, media artwork, a media still, or a proprietary identification code.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio/visual display interface comprises one or more of a fixed device or a mobile device.

15. A method of searching for article dispensing machines, the method comprising:

receiving a search request;

selecting from a metadata database at least one media article having metadata matching the search request, wherein the metadata database is connected to a first processor and comprises metadata of a plurality of media articles;

determining an availability of the selected media article at the article dispensing machines using an inventory database, wherein the inventory database is connected to the first processor and comprises the availability of the plurality of media articles at the article dispensing machines;

receiving personally identifying information from an audio/visual display interface;

receiving location information from an address database connected to an address processor;

determining the geographic location of the audio/visual display interface using the personally identifying information and the location information;

receiving a proximity limit; and

providing a search result set comprising the selected media article and the geographic locations of the article dispensing machines that are within the proximity limit and in which the selected media article is available.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the personally identifying information comprises one or more of an IP address of the audio/visual display interface, a MAC address of the audio/visual display interface, or a digital certificate identifier related to the audio/visual display interface.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising modifying a user interface of an application executing on the audio/visual display interface based on one or more of the geographic location or the proximity limit.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein:

receiving the search request comprises receiving predefined search criteria in response to a browsing request, the predefined search criteria for browsing of static or dynamic listings of the media content; and

selecting from the metadata database comprises selecting from the metadata database the at least one media article having metadata matching the predefined search criteria.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the first processor and the address processor are the same processor.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the search result comprises ranking the geographic locations of the article dispensing machines in which the selected media is available in order of distance from the geographic location of the audio/visual display interface.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the metadata of the media article comprises at least one of a title, a release date, a running time, chapter information, technical details, a format, a peripheral device requirement, number of players, online capability, an actor, a voice actor, a director, a studio, a publisher, a developer, a platform, availability of downloadable content, episode information, a genre, a critic rating, an individualized rating, a parental rating, a description, related content, media artwork, a media still, or a proprietary identification code.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving a transaction request to access the matching media article in the search result set.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the transaction request comprises a reservation request to reserve the matching media article in the search result set at at least one of the article dispensing machines for pickup.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the transaction request comprises a pre-reservation request to pre-reserve the matching media article in the search result set for pickup at at least one of the article dispensing machines when the matching media article is released.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising receiving a payment for the at least one of the matching media article in the search result set, wherein the payment comprises at least one of a charge for the matching media article, a redemption of a promotion code, or a redemption of a credit code.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the media article comprises at least one of a digital video disc, a Blu-Ray disc, or a video game disc.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the search result set comprises ordering the matching media article based on one or more criteria comprising a price, a version, video quality, audio quality, a title, a release date, a running time, chapter information, technical details, a format, a peripheral device requirement, number of players, online capability, an actor, a voice actor, a director, a studio, a publisher, a developer, a platform, availability of downloadable content, episode information, a genre, a critic rating, an individualized rating, a parental rating, a description, related content, media artwork, a media still, or a proprietary identification code.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the audio/visual display interface comprises one or more of a fixed device or a mobile device.