System and method for managing vending inventory

• US 7,797,077 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• 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: Hale, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Waggoner; Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US11/408,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 700/236, 211/97, 212/87
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/004 Restocking arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/007 wherein the storage and dispensing mechanism are configurable in relation to the physical or geometrical properties of the articles to be stored or dispensed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/04 in which magazines the articles are stored one vertically above the other
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/26 Endless bands
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/48 the storage containers or supports, e.g. magazine, being pivotally mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/50 the storage containers or supports being rotatably mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/54 about vertical axes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 : for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/005 : for the hiring of content carriers, e.g. of DVDs or CDs reverse vending for box-like objects such as videocassettes G07F7/069
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 : for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 : for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/069 : by box-like containers, e.g. videocassettes, books
• 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 9/023 : Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 : for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/10 : Casings or parts thereof, e.g. with means for heating or cooling

Abstract

A system and method for managing vending inventory of digital video discs is provided. A plurality of digital video discs are stored in a plurality of storage compartments, wherein each of the compartments corresponds to a type of digital video disc. An inventory descriptor is generated, wherein the descriptor identifies a set of digital video discs. The inventory descriptor is scanned, causing a conveyor to convey the set of digital video discs from the storage compartments to a vending delivery module. The set of digital video discs is secured within the vending delivery module.

Claims

1. A method for managing vending inventory of vendible media products, comprising the steps of:

receiving a vending module containing a plurality of vendible media products;

reading an inventory descriptor, wherein the inventory descriptor identifies the vendible media products;

identifying storage locations corresponding to the vendible media products wherein the storage locations are storage bins storing a plurality of entertainment media; and

opening the vending module; and

,

conveying the vendible media products to the storage locations.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein, the step of opening comprises automatically unlocking the vending module.

3. A method for managing vending inventory of vendible media products, comprising the steps of:

receiving a vending module containing a plurality of vendible media products;

reading an inventory descriptor, wherein the inventory descriptor identifies the vendible media products;

identifying storage locations corresponding to the vendible media products wherein the storage locations are storage bins storing a plurality of entertainment media;

conveying the vendible media products to the storage location;

generating an inventory descriptor corresponding to the plurality of vendible media products, wherein the plurality of vendible media products comprises a first and a second vendible media product stored in first and second locations, respectively;

generating a first signal to dispense the first vendible media product from the first location;

generating a second signal to dispense the second vendible media product from the second location; and

,

securing the plurality of vendible media products in a vending delivery module.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the locations are storage bins storing a plurality of digital video discs.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of conveying the vendible media products to a vending delivery module via a conveyor belt.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein each of the vendible media products is a digital video disc.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the inventory descriptor corresponds to a delivery route.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

generating a signal to cause a conveyor belt to convey the vendible media products to the storage locations.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the vending delivery module is secured upon receipt of the vending module, further comprising the steps of:

opening a security provision of the vending delivery module; and

, removing the vendible media products from the vending delivery module.

10. A method for managing vending inventory of digital video discs, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of digital video discs in a plurality of storage compartments, wherein each of the plurality of storage compartments stores a type of digital video disc;

generating an inventory descriptor, wherein the inventory descriptor identifies a set of digital video discs, wherein the set of digital video discs comprises a plurality of types of digital video discs;

scanning the inventory descriptor;

causing a conveyor belt to convey the set of digital video discs from the plurality of storage compartments to a vending module;

securing the set of digital video discs in the vending module; and

locking the vending module.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the inventory descriptor corresponds to a delivery route.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the vendible media products are digital video discs.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the inventory descriptor is at least one of a bar code, an infrared symbol, an ultraviolet symbol and/or a radio frequency tag.