Publication-dispensing apparatus

• US 6,772,047 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2003
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Butikofer, Chet M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene O.
• Application Number:
  US10/712,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20040098165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• Field of Search: 700/231, 700/232, 700/233, 700/235, 705/17, 705/26
• US Class Current: 700/235
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like

Abstract

A publication-dispensing apparatus is provided, the kiosk including memory containing one or more publications, a user interface configured to permit a user to select a publication from publications in memory, a processor configured to determine proper payment for a selected publication based on whether the user has a subscription to the selected publication, and a printing device configured to print the selected publication onto a print medium upon receiving proper payment for the selected publication.

Claims

1. A publication-dispensing apparatus, comprising:

memory containing one or more publications;

a user interface configured to permit a user to select a publication from publications in memory;

a processor configured to determine proper payment for a selected publication based on whether the user has a subscription to the selected publication; and

a printing device configured to print the selected publication onto a print medium upon receiving proper payment for the selected publication.

2. The publication-dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein proper payment from a subscribing user is less than corresponding proper payment from a non-subscribing user.

3. The publication-dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the user has a subscription to the selected publication.

4. The publication-dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to verify proper payment by the user, and to direct printing of the selected publication.

5. The publication-dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory is accessed via an Internet connection.

6. The publication-dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selected publication is selected from a magazine, a newspaper, and an article from a scientific journal.

7. The publication-dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user interface is further configured to receive a payment from the user.

8. The publication-dispensing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the user interface is further configured to receive the payment in one or more of currency, debit card transaction, or electronic fund transfer.

9. A method of printing a publication at a kiosk, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to print a requested publication;

retrieving the requested publication from memory;

determining whether the user has a subscription to the requested publication;

determining a proper payment for the requested publication based on whether the user has a subscription to the requested publication; and

upon receiving the proper payment for the requested publication, printing the requested publication.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein proper payment from a subscribing user is less than corresponding proper payment from a non-subscribing user.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the request from the user to print the requested publication includes displaying at least one publication preview for the user.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether the user has a subscription to the requested publication includes accessing a record that identifies user-subscribed publications.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the record that identifies user-subscribed publications is accessed via a computer-readable medium provided by the user.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the record that identifies user-subscribed publications is accessed via at least one of a magnetic swipe card, a flash memory chip, a magnetic disk and an optical disk.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the record that identifies user-subscribed publications is accessed via a network.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving proper payment includes at least one of receiving currency and processing an electronic fund transfer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving proper payment further includes verifying the amount and authenticity of the payment.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving proper payment further includes verifying authorization for payment from the user.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein verifying authorization for payment includes accepting a password.

20. A storage medium readable by a processor, wherein the processor is in communication with a database of electronic publications, a printer, and a user interface, the storage medium having embodied therein a program of instructions executable by the processor to:

receive a request from a user to print an electronic publication;

determine whether the user has a subscription to the requested electronic publication;

determine a proper payment for the requested electronic publication, wherein proper payment for a subscribing user is less than corresponding proper payment for a non-subscribing user; and

print the requested electronic publication from the database after determining that proper payment has been received.

21. The storage medium of claim 20, wherein determining whether the user has a subscription to the requested electronic publication includes accessing a record that identifies user-subscribed publications.

22. The storage medium of claim 21, wherein accessing the record that identifies user-subscribed publications includes at least one of accessing a file via a network and accessing a file present on a computer-readable medium provided by the user.

23. A publication-dispensing kiosk, comprising:

memory means containing one or more electronic publications;

selection means for selecting an electronic publication from such electronic publications present in the memory means;

processor means for determining proper payment for the requested electronic publication, proper payment for a subscribing user being less than proper payment for a non-subscribing user; and

printing means for printing a copy of the selected electronic publication upon receiving proper payment for the requested electronic publication.

24. The publication-dispensing kiosk of claim 23, further comprising:

means for receiving a payment from a user; and

means for verifying amount and authenticity of the payment.