Systems and methods for vending machine customer account management

• US 7,627,496 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Lee, Sih Y., Signorelli, Paul D., Tedesco, Daniel E., Alderucci, Dean P., Scribner, Gregory J., Walker, Jay S., Breitenbach, Matthew D., Breitenbach, Paul T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hayles, Ashford S
• Application Number:
  US11/398,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20060247824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 705/16
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• 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: 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

Some embodiments are associated with providing, establishing, registering, administering, and/or managing vending machine subscription accounts. In some embodiments, third parties may administer and/or manage subscription-vending accounts associated with customers.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a vending machine and from a customer, an indication of a subscription identifier;

receiving, by the vending machine and from the customer, an indication of a product selection, wherein the product selection comprises a selection of one or more of;

(i) a beverage, (ii) a snack, (iii) recordable media, (iv) access to digital content, (v) network access, (vi) access to photography services, (viii) access to car wash services, and (ix) access to an electronic game;

determining, by the vending machine, a parameter governing a subscription associated with the identifier, wherein the parameter is defined by a third party, and wherein the third party is not an operator of the vending machine;

determining, by the vending machine, whether the product selection is in conformance with the third-party parameter governing the subscription; and

providing, by the vending machine and to the customer, in the case that the product selection is determined to be in conformance with the third-party parameter governing the subscription, the selected product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the third party comprises one or more of:

(i) a relative of the customer;

(ii) a teacher of the customer;

(iii) a principal of an educational institution attended by the customer;

(iv) a personal trainer of the customer; and

(v) a nutritionist associated with the customer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the subscription identifier comprises at least one of:

(i) receiving an indication of the subscription identifier via a keypad;

(ii) receiving an indication of the subscription identifier via a biometric device;

(iii) receiving an aural indication of the subscription identifier; and

(iv) receiving an indication of the subscription identifier by reading a voucher comprising the indication.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying the subscription identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein it is determined that the product selection is not in conformance with the third-party parameter governing the subscription, further comprising:

outputting a message, the message comprising a description associated with the reason that the product selection was determined not to be in conformance with the third-party parameter governing the subscription.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the third party comprises a sponsor of a product associated with the subscription.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying the third party, in the case that the product selection is not determined to satisfy the parameter defined by the third party, of the product selection made by the customer; and

requesting from the third party, in the case that the product selection is not determined to satisfy the parameter defined by the third party, authorization for a sale of a unit of the product selected by the customer.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter defines a product selection condition based on one or more of:

(i) a sales velocity of the selected product, (ii) a popularity of the selected product, (iii) one or more ingredients of the selected product, (iv) nutritional information of the selected product, (v) a category of the selected product, (vi) a time condition, (vii) a weather condition (viii) a brand of the selected product, (ix) a manufacturer of the selected product, and (x) a threshold amount of inventory of the selected product, wherein the threshold is greater than one unit.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor result in;

receiving funds from a third party;

establishing, based on the receipt of the funds from the third party, a subscription account for a customer, wherein the subscription account entitles the customer to redeem units of products offered for sale by a vending machine;

receiving, from the third party, an indication of a definition of a parameter associated with the subscription account for the customer;

receiving, after the establishment of the subscription account for the customer, an indication of a product selection made by the customer at the vending machine;

determining whether the product selection satisfies the parameter defined by the third party; and

dispensing, in the case that the product selection is determined to satisfy the parameter defined by the third party, the selected product to the customer.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the third party comprises one or more of:

(i) a relative of a customer associated with the subscription;

(ii) a teacher of the customer;

(iii) a principal of an educational institution attended by the customer;

(iv) a personal trainer of the customer; and

(v) a nutritionist associated with the customer.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the third party comprises a sponsor of a product associated with the subscription.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further result in one or more of:

notifying the third party, in the case that the product selection is not determined to satisfy the parameter defined by the third party, of the product selection made by the customer; and

requesting from the third party, in the case that the product selection is not determined to satisfy the parameter defined by the third party, authorization for a sale of a unit of the product selected by the customer.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the parameter defines a product selection condition based on one or more of:

(i) a sales velocity of the selected product, (ii) a popularity of the selected product, (iii) one or more ingredients of the selected product, (iv) nutritional information of the selected product, (v) a category of the selected product, (vi) a time condition, (vii) a weather condition (viii) a brand of the selected product, (ix) a manufacturer of the selected product, and (x) a threshold amount of inventory of the selected product, wherein the threshold is greater than one unit.

14. A vending machine, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to;

receive, from a customer, an indication of a subscription identifier;

receive, from the customer, an indication of a product selection;

determine a parameter governing a subscription associated with the subscription identifier, wherein the parameter is defined by a third party, and wherein the parameter defines a product selection condition based on one or more of;

(i) a sales velocity of the selected product, (ii) a popularity of the selected product, (iii) one or more ingredients of the selected product, (iv) nutritional information of the selected product, (v) a category of the selected product, (vi) a time condition, and (vii) a weather condition;

determine whether the product selection is in conformance with the third-party parameter governing the product selection pursuant to the subscription; and

provide to the customer, in the case that the product selection is determined to be in conformance with the third-party parameter governing the product selection pursuant to the subscription, a unit of the selected product.

15. The vending machine of claim 14, wherein the third party comprises one or more of:

(i) a relative of a customer;

(ii) a teacher of the customer;

(iii) a principal of an educational institution attended by the customer;

(iv) a personal trainer of the customer; and

(v) a nutritionist associated with the customer.

16. The vending machine of claim 14, wherein the third party comprises a sponsor of a product associated with the subscription.

17. The vending machine of claim 14, wherein the instructions are further adapted to be executed by the processor to:

notify the third party, in the case that the product selection is not determined to satisfy the parameter defined by the third party, of the product selection made by the customer.

18. The vending machine of claim 14, wherein the instructions are further adapted to be executed by the processor to:

request from the third party, in the case that the product selection is not determined to satisfy the parameter defined by the third party, authorization for a sale of a unit of the product selected by the customer.

19. A vending machine located in a school, the vending machine comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to;

receive, from a student of the school, an indication of a subscription identifier;

receive, from the student, an indication of a product selection;

determine nutritional criteria governing a subscription associated with the subscription identifier, wherein the nutritional criteria is defined by a parent of the student;

determine whether the product selection is in conformance with the parent-defined nutritional criteria governing the product selection pursuant to the subscription; and

provide to the customer, in the case that the product selection is determined to be in conformance with the parent-defined nutritional criteria governing the product selection pursuant to the subscription, a unit of the selected product.

20. The vending machine of claim 19, wherein the instructions are further adapted to be executed by the processor to:

transmit an e-mail to the parent, in the case that the product selection is not determined to satisfy the parent-defined nutritional criteria, the e-mail containing one or more of;

(i) a notification of the product selection made by the student, and (ii) a request for authorization to dispense a unit of the product selected by the student.