Method and apparatus for automatically vending a combination of products
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- maintaining a database of at least one upsell price, said upsell price corresponding to an upsell product;
generating a credit amount, the credit amount representing an amount of deposited currency;
receiving a product identifier corresponding to a selected product;
determining a product price corresponding to the selected product;
determining a round-up amount representing a difference between the credit amount and the product price;
comparing the round-up amount with at least one of the upsell prices in the database; and
if the round-up amount corresponds to a compared upsell price, identifying at least one upsell product in the database which corresponds to the compared upsell price, and outputting a signal indicative of the identified upsell product.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically delivering a combination of products from a vending machine at a package price. The method of the present invention includes the step of receiving a package identifier. The method also includes the steps of identifying a set of products corresponding to the package identifier and determining a package price corresponding to the identified set of products. The method further includes the steps of outputting a signal representing the package price and outputting a signal representing an instruction to dispense a unit of each identified product. An apparatus is also disclosed to carry out the method steps of the present invention.
322 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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maintaining a database of at least one upsell price, said upsell price corresponding to an upsell product;
generating a credit amount, the credit amount representing an amount of deposited currency;
receiving a product identifier corresponding to a selected product;
determining a product price corresponding to the selected product;
determining a round-up amount representing a difference between the credit amount and the product price;
comparing the round-up amount with at least one of the upsell prices in the database; and
if the round-up amount corresponds to a compared upsell price, identifying at least one upsell product in the database which corresponds to the compared upsell price, and outputting a signal indicative of the identified upsell product. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method comprising:
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maintaining a database of at least one upsell package price, said upsell package price corresponding to an upsell package;
generating a credit amount, the credit amount representing an amount of deposited currency;
receiving a product identifier corresponding to a selected product;
identifying at least one upsell package in the database which corresponds to the credit amount and the received product identifier; and
outputting a signal representing an instruction to dispense component products of the upsell package.
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7. A method comprising:
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maintaining a database of a plurality of product data sets, each product data set including a component price and a product characteristic, each of the plurality of data sets corresponding to a tangible product dispensed at a vending machine;
comparing at least a portion of a first data set corresponding to a first product and at least a portion of a second data set corresponding to a second product;
determining whether the first product and the second product are complementary based on said step of comparing;
if the first product and the second product are complementary, determining a package price for the first and second products, and outputting signals indicative of an offer to sell the first and second products for the package price. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A vending machine comprising:
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a memory configured to store;
a database of a plurality of product data sets, each product data set including a component price and a product characteristic, each of the plurality of data sets corresponding to a tangible product dispensed at a vending machine; and
a processor configured to;
compare at least a portion of a first data set corresponding to a first product and at least a portion of a second data set corresponding to a second product;
determine whether the first product and the second product are complementary based on said step of comparing; and
if the first product and the second product are complementary, determine a package price for the first and second products, and output signal indicative of an offer to sell the first and second products for the package price.
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11. A method, comprising:
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receiving, at a vending device, a payment amount;
receiving a product identifier identifying a first product dispensed at the vending device;
determining a first price for the first product;
determining a round-up amount representing a difference between the payment amount and the first price;
identifying an at least first upsell offer corresponding to the round-up amount, the at least first upsell offer corresponding to an upsell product; and
outputting a signal indicative of the upsell offer. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
receiving an acceptance of the upsell offer; and
dispensing the upsell product from the vending device.
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13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
- dispensing the first product from the vending device.
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14. A vending machine, comprising:
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a memory configured to store;
a database of at least one upsell price, the upsell price corresponding to an upsell product;
a credit amount representing an amount of deposited currency;
a product identifier corresponding to a selected product;
an input device configured to receive the product identifier; and
a processor configured to;
generate the credit amount;
determine a product price corresponding to the product identifier;
determine a round-up amount representing a difference between the credit amount and the product price;
compare the round-up amount with at least one of the upsell prices in the database; and
if the round-up amount corresponds to a compared upsell price,identify at least one upset product in the database which corresponds to the compared upsell price, and output a signal indicative of the identified upsell product. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A vending machine, comprising:
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a memory, configured to store;
a received payment amount;
a product identifier; and
at least a first upsell offer;
an input device, configured to receive the product identifier;
a processor, configured to;
determine a first price of a first product identified by the product identifier;
determine a round-up amount representing a difference between the received payment amount and the first price; and
identify the at least first upsell offer corresponding to the round-up amount, the at least first upsell offer corresponding to an upsell product. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
cause a signal to be output indicative of the at least first upsell offer.
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21. The vending machine of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to:
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receive an acceptance of the upsell offer; and
cause the upsell product to be output from the vending machine.
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22. A vending apparatus, comprising:
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means for receiving a payment amount;
means for receiving a product identifier identifying a first product dispensed at the vending apparatus;
means for determining a first price for the first product;
means for determining a round-up amount representing a difference between the payment amount and the first price; and
means for identifying an at least first upsell offer corresponding to the round-up amount, the at least first upsell offer corresponding to an upsell product.
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23. A vending apparatus, comprising:
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storage means, storing at least one upsell package price, the upsell package price corresponding to an upsell package;
means for generating a credit amount, the credit amount representing an amount of deposited currency;
means for receiving a product identifier corresponding to a selected product;
means for identifying at least one upsell package in the storage means which corresponds to the credit amount and the received product identifier; and
means for outputting a signal representing an instruction to dispense component products of the upsell package.
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24. A method comprising:
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maintaining a database of a plurality of product data sets, each product data set including an individual price and a product characteristic, each of the plurality of data sets corresponding to a tangible product dispensed at a vending machine;
comparing at least a portion of each of at least two of the plurality of data sets corresponding to at least two of the plurality of products;
determining whether the at least two products are complementary based on said step of comparing;
if the at least two products are complementary, determining at least one component price for at least one product;
determining a package price for the at least two products using the at least one component price, and outputting signals indicative of an offer to sell the at least two products for the package price, wherein the package price differs from the sum of the individual price of each of the at least two products. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification