Vending machine

• US 8,594,838 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Selker, Edwin, Hockenberry, Matthew, Wetzel, Jon, Akinyemi, Julius, Dickie, Connor
• Primary Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US12/637,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20110144801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 700/232, 700/236, 700/244
• US Class Current: 700/244
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• 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

Abstract

In an exemplary embodiment of this invention, a vending machine may include sensors for capturing audio and visual data. A processing unit in the vending machine may analyze this data to calculate an attention score that is indicative of whether attention is being paid to the vending machine. Alternatively, or in addition, the processing unit may analyze this data to calculate the gender or emotional state of a person. Based on these calculations, a vending machine may alter its behavior, such as by changing its audiovisual output.

Claims

1. A vending machine including:

(a) at least one camera for capturing visual data;

(b) at least one microphone for capturing sound data indicative of whether or not the vending machine is being kicked;

(c) at least one transducer for producing output perceptible to a human; and

(d) at least one processor for

(i) analyzing the visual data and the sound data to calculate at least one numerical value indicative of attention being paid to the vending machine, and

(ii) based at least in part on the at least one numerical value, producing instructions to control humanly perceptible output of the at least one transducer.

2. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the vending machine includes a user interface; and

(b) the at least one processor is also configured for

(i) analyzing the visual data to recognize a scenario in which, while one or more persons are already playing a game using the user interface, an additional person approaches the vending machine, and

(ii) if such a scenario is recognized, outputting instructions to control the at least one transducer to produce signals that indicate that the additional person may purchase a product without waiting for the game to finish.

3. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to analyze the visual data, the sound data, and context data regarding prior output of the at least one transducer, to calculate the at least one numerical value.

4. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the vending machine is adapted to permit the download of machine readable code, which machine readable code is representative of audio or visual data.

5. A method comprising the following steps, in combination:

(a) capturing visual data of a scene external to a vending machine;

(b) capturing audio data indicative of whether or not a person is kicking the vending machine;

(c) processing the visual data and audio data to calculate at least one measure of attention that is indicative of the level of attention shown to the vending machine; and

(d) producing visual or audio stimuli perceptible to a human, in such a manner that which stimuli are produced depends at least in part on the measure of attention.

6. The method of claim 5, which method also includes the steps of analyzing the visual data to determine direction of gaze of at least one human eye relative to the vending machine, and calculating a measure of attention based at least in part on the direction of gaze.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the vending machine further comprises a user interface and the method further comprises the steps of:

(a) analyzing the visual data to recognize a scenario in which, while one or more persons are already playing a game using the user interface, an additional person approaches the vending machine; and

(b) if such a scenario is recognized, outputting instructions to control one or more transducers to produce signals that indicate that the additional person may purchase a product without waiting for the game to finish.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein, not only the visual data and the audio data, but also context data regarding prior humanly perceptible stimuli produced by the vending machine, are processed to calculate the at least one measure of attention.

9. The vending machine of claim 8, wherein the context data is regarding prior output that comprises a joke.

10. A vending machine—

that includes;

(a) at least one camera for capturing images and for outputting signals that represent visual data indicative of the images;

(b) one or more transducers for producing humanly perceptible signals, which one or more transducers comprise a user interface;

(c) at least one processing unit for

(i) analyzing both context data regarding prior output of the one or more transducers and the visual data to calculate an attention score that is indicative of whether attention is being given to the vending machine,

(ii) outputting instructions to control the one or more transducers, in such a manner that which instructions are outputted depends at least in part on the attention score,

(iii) analyzing the visual data to recognize a scenario in which, while one or more persons are already playing a game using the user interface, an additional person approaches the vending machine, and

(iv) if such a scenario is recognized, outputting instructions to control the one or more transducers to produce signals that indicate that the additional person may purchase a product without waiting for the game to finish.

11. A vending machine that comprises:

(a) at least one camera for capturing images and for outputting signals that represent visual data indicative of the images;

(b) one or more transducers for producing humanly perceptible signals;

(c) a microphone for detecting sound data indicative of whether or not the vending machine is being kicked; and

(d) at least one processing unit for

(i) analyzing the visual data, the sound data, and context data regarding prior output of the one or more transducers, to calculate an attention score that is indicative of whether attention is being given to the vending machine, and

(ii) outputting instructions to control the one or more transducers, in such a manner that which instructions are outputted depends at least in part on the attention score.