Method and system for managing vending operations based on wireless data

• US 8,484,070 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2012
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Inventors: Jansson, Edward R., Comer, Edward Irby, Nicolaides, Alexander, Peralta, Juan Manuel Garcia, Murray, Toms
• Primary Examiner(s): LOFTIS, JOHNNA RONEE
• Application Number:
  US13/491,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20120245979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.36, 705/7.34
• US Class Current: 705/7.36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• 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: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/025 Indirect paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system coupled to one or more vending machines, such as soft drink vending machines, via a wireless data link can acquire operational vending data, for example sales data, hardware status, and product temperature. The system can compile data from multiple vending machines dispersed across a geographic area such as a city or state. The system can include software that refines the vending operations of one or more such vending machines based on analysis of acquired data, taking into consideration other information such as market, business, seasonal, or environmental factors. Refining vending operations can include adjusting product offerings, relocating vending machines, replicating favorable conditions, and addressing unexpected sales variations.

Claims

1. A method for managing a plurality of vending machines that are geographically dispersed, comprising the steps of:

receiving data transmitted via cellular communication from transceivers that each monitors a respective vending machine in the plurality of vending machines;

storing the received data in a database; and

with an analytics module that subjects the stored data to computer processing;

outputting an operational recommendation for one or more vending machines in the plurality of vending machines by comparing the stored data of at least one vending machine in the plurality of vending machines to the stored data of at least one other vending machine in the plurality of vending machines; and

identifying vending machines in the plurality of vending machines that outperform other vending machines in the plurality of vending machines.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the analytics module is connected to the database through the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, in advance of storage in the database, the data transmits through a communication gateway that is coupled between a cellular network and a data processing system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data transmits via cellular communication as telemetry packets.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the analytics module runs on a first computer, and wherein a second computer comprises the database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational recommendation comprises an inventory change.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises, with the analytics module, defining a restocking threshold for the one or more vending machines in the plurality of vending machines.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising iterating the receiving, storing, outputting, and identifying steps to refine profitability of the plurality of vending machines as a system.

9. A method for managing vending machines that are geographically dispersed, comprising the steps of:

receiving wireless transmissions from the vending machines, each wireless transmission conveying monitored data of a respective vending machine;

storing the monitored data in a database; and

by processing the stored monitored data with a computing system, identifying at least one of the vending machines that is underperforming relative to at least one other of the vending machines and determining whether geographical location is contributing to said underperformance of the at least one of the vending machines.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein processing the stored monitored data with the computing system comprises processing the stored monitored data with an analytics module comprising software executing on a computer that is connected to the Internet.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising optimizing locations of the vending machines as a system by repeatedly executing the receiving step, the storing step, and the identifying and determining step.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the monitored data tracks vending sales.

13. A method for managing vending machines that are geographically dispersed, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving wireless transmissions originating at the vending machines, the wireless transmissions conveying vending sales data from the vending machines;

storing the conveyed vending sales data in a database; and

based on processing the stored vending sales data with a computing system, identifying at least one of the vending machines that is outperforming at least one other of the vending machines and determining whether geographical location is contributing to said outperformance.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the computing system executes an analytics module that optimizes vending locations based on the stored vending sales data.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising optimizing locations of the vending machines by iteratively receiving wireless transmissions originating at the vending machines, storing vending sales data received via wireless transmission, and processing stored vending sales data.

16. A method for managing a geographically dispersed system of vending machines, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving vending data for each of the vending machines, each comprising a wireless transmitter for sending the vending data over a cellular communication system;

storing the received vending sales data in a database; and

optimizing vending locations for the vending machines by processing the stored vending sales data with an analytics module executing on a computer processor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the analytics module determines locations of underperforming vending machines in the system.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of moving an underperforming vending machine to a site that is underserved by vending machine operations and that has an identified characteristic of a site of an outperforming vending machine.

19. A method for managing a system of vending machines disposed at different geographic locations, comprising the steps of:

receiving from the vending machines data that has transmitted over a cellular communication system; and

responsive to processing the received data with a computer, correlating performances of the vending machines to geographic locations of the vending machines and outputting an operational recommendation regarding at least one of the vending machines.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the operational recommendation comprises a characteristic of a new site for said at least one of the vending machines.