TWO-WAY EXCHANGE VENDING

• US 20180137715A1
• Filed: 01/12/2018
• Published: 05/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tricopian, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tricopian, LLC
• Inventors: Yau, Chi W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,460,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/30 Administration of product recycling or disposal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/003 for electricity
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/006 dispensed for the electrical charging of other devices than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/06 by returnable containers , i.e. reverse vending systems in which a user is rewarded for returning a container that serves as a token of value, e.g. bottles
• 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: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 90/00 Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation

Abstract

Two-way exchange vending can be performed by a two-way exchange based vending machine. The two-way exchange based vending machine can vend rechargeable batteries. The two-way exchange based vending machine can include different modules to perform different functionalities. The two-way exchange based vending machine can include a communications module, a dispensing module, a rejection module, and a receiving module. The communications module can communicate information to and receive inputs from a user. The dispensing module can dispense one or more rechargeable batteries or other requested products to a user. The receiving module can receive one or more rechargeable batteries from a user.

Claims

1. A vending machine comprising:

a processor configured to control the vending machine;

a receiving module configured to receive a battery and to read battery information from a computer readable code located on the received battery, wherein the battery information is indicative of subscription information, the receiving module further configured to transmit the read battery information to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to identify a valid subscription account from the read battery information without any additional input information; and

a dispensing module configured to dispense a battery in response to the receipt of the battery and the determination that the battery is associated with a valid subscription.

2. The vending machine of claim 1, further comprising a charging module configured to determine if the received battery meets charging criteria.

3. The vending machine of claim 2, wherein the charging module is configured to recharge the received battery if the received battery meets the charging criteria.

4. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine if the received battery is acceptable.

5. The vending machine of claim 4, wherein determining if the received battery is acceptable comprises determining if the operating condition of the battery is acceptable.

6. The vending machine of claim 1, further comprising a communication module configured to communicate information to a user.

7. A method of using a vending machine, the method comprising:

receiving a battery, wherein said receiving comprises;

reading a computer readable code located on the battery, the computer readable code encoding information indicative of subscription information;

identifying a valid subscription account from the computer readable code, wherein the valid subscription can be identified without any additional input information;

determining if the received battery is acceptable; and

dispensing a requested battery, wherein said dispensing comprises;

dispensing a charged battery of the same type as the received battery in response to the determination of the valid subscription associated with the battery and the acceptability of the battery.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining if the received battery is acceptable comprises determining if the operating condition of the battery is acceptable.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining the chargeability of the received battery by determining the charge state of the received battery.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the chargeability of the received battery comprises determining if the received battery meets charging criteria.

11. A vending system comprising:

a vending unit for vending products, the vending unit comprising a communication module and a unique identifier; and

a central computer, remote from the vending unit, the central computer comprising;

a processor;

a database associating the unique identifier with product information for products available at the vending unit; and

a communication unit, the central computer being in communication with the vending unit;

wherein the central computer is configured to receive the unique identifier indicative of the vending unit from a user vending interface running on a user interface device, the user interface device being located remotely from the vending unit; and

wherein the central computer is configured to determine from the database the identity of products available at the vending unit in response to receiving the unique identifier from the user vending interface and to communicate an option for completing a transaction at the vending unit to the user vending interface.

12. The vending system of claim 11, wherein the vending unit is configured to transmit the unique identifier to the user vending interface.

13. The vending system of claim 12, wherein the unique identifier is transmitted to the user vending interface via a computer readable code configured to be read by the user interface device.

14. The vending system of claim 12, wherein the vending unit is configured to transmit the unique identifier to the user vending interface in response to identifying a previously vended product.

15. The vending system of claim 14, wherein the vending unit is configured to identify the previously vended product by a computer readable code located on the previously vended product.

16. The vending system of claim 15, wherein the computer readable code is a barcode and the vending unit is configured to read the barcode when the previously vended product is deposited within the vending unit.

17. The vending system of claim 15, wherein the computer readable code is an RFID tag.

18. The vending system of claim 14, wherein the central computer is configured to communicate the returnability of the previously vended product to the user vending interface.

19. The vending system of claim 11, wherein the option comprises purchasing an available product and/or exchanging a previously vended product for an available product.

20. The vending system of claim 11, wherein the central computer is configured to communicate account information to the user vending interface in response to receiving the unique identifier from the user vending interface.

21. The vending system of claim 20, wherein the account information comprises a number of previously vended products that have not been returned and/or a number of remaining product exchanges available under a subscription plan.

22. The vending system of claim 11, wherein the central computer is configured to communicate a code to the user vending interface in response to a selection of a transaction, and wherein the vending unit is configured to read the code from user interface device and complete a selected transaction in response to reading the code.

23. The vending system of claim 11, wherein the central computer is in communication with a plurality of vending units, each of the plurality of vending units comprising a communication module and a unique identifier, and wherein the database associates the unique identifier of each of the plurality of vending units with product information for products available at the vending unit identified by the unique identifier.