Automated business system and method of vending and returning a consumer product

• US 8,041,454 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Blust, Donald, Driscoll, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins; Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/328,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20090143905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 700231-244
• US Class Current: 700/244
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/069 by box-like containers, e.g. videocassettes, books
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

System and method of dispensing disc-based media and other consumer products. A user can interact with an automated business system to select disc-based media for rental and/or purchase. The automated business system can retrieve the selection from the interior of the automated business system and dispense the selection through a port to the user. The automated business system can retrieve the selection from the port in a return process.

Claims

1. A method of servicing a disc-based media system, the method comprising:

accessing the disc-based media system with a remote computer terminal;

communicating with a motion controller in a retrieval system within the disc-based media system utilizing the remote computer terminal;

utilizing the remote computer terminal to remotely perform diagnostic and servicing functions for the retrieval system utilizing data from the motion controller; and

correcting the retrieval system related problems associated with the disc-based media system utilizing the remote computer terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adjusting speed, sensitivity and timing of the retrieval system utilizing the remote computer terminal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the motion controller comprises a multi-axis motion controller, and the method further comprises:

displaying a display screen illustrating speed on a vertical, horizontal, and insertion axes, sensitivity and timing of the retrieval system.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

communicating with a server in the disc-based media system; and

diagnosing performance of a user peripheral in the disc-based media system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of diagnosing performance of a user peripheral comprises monitoring status of paper in a receipt printer.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the disc-based media system comprises plural user stations contained in a common housing, each user station employing a processor to control user interface devices and wherein each processor communicates with the server, wherein said step of diagnosing performance of a user peripheral comprises diagnosing performance of user interface devices from all of the plural user stations.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

communicating with the motion controller to control the motion controller to conduct a physical inventory of disc-based media in the disc-based media system.

8. A disc-based media management system comprising:

a user station for selecting disc-based media, the user station employing a retrieval system to retrieve selected disc-based media; and

a remote computer terminal;

the remote computer terminal communicating with a motion controller in the retrieval system within the user station;

the remote computer terminal diagnosing performance of the retrieval system utilizing data from the motion controller, and communicating with the motion controller to correct retrieval system related problems associated with the disc-based media system.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the remote terminal controls the motion controller to adjust speed, sensitivity, and timing of the retrieval system.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein a display screen of the remote computer terminal displays speed, sensitivity, and timing of the retrieval system.

11. The system of claim 8 further comprising a server in the user station, and wherein the remote computer terminal communicates with the server and diagnoses performance of a user peripheral in the user station.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the user peripheral comprises a receipt printer and the remote computer terminal monitors status of paper in the receipt printer.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the disc-based media management system further comprises plural user stations each employing a processor to control user interface devices and each processor communicating with the server, wherein peripherals from all of the plural user stations have their performance diagnosed by the remote computer terminal.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the remote terminal computer communicates with the motion controller to control the motion controller to conduct a physical inventory of disc-based media in the user station.

15. A method of servicing a disc-based media system, the method comprising:

accessing the disc-based media system with a remote computer terminal;

communicating with a server within the disc-based media system, the server communicating with a processor controlling user peripherals, as well as, a motion controller which controls a retrieval system for retrieving disc-based media;

diagnosing performance of the user peripherals and the retrieval system utilizing data from the server including data from the motion controller; and

correcting retrieval system related problems associated with the disc-based media system utilizing the remote computer terminal.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

adjusting speed, sensitivity and timing of the retrieval system.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

displaying a display screen illustrating speed, sensitivity and timing of the retrieval system.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of diagnosing performance of the user peripherals comprises monitoring status of paper in a receipt printer.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the disc-based media system comprises plural user stations each employing a processor to control user interface devices with each processor communicating with the server, wherein said step of diagnosing performance of the user peripherals comprises diagnosing performance of user interface devices from all of the plural user stations.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

communicating with the motion controller to control the motion controller to conduct a physical inventory of disc-based media in the disc-based media system.