Article vending machine and method for exchanging an inoperable article for an operable article
First Claim
1. A method for exchanging an inoperable article for an operable article via an article vending machine, the article vending machine having a user interface, a processor, a receptacle, a selector arm, and an inventory of articles housed in the article vending machine, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a command through the user interface requesting to initiate an exchange of an inoperable article for an operable article;
receiving the inoperable article via the receptacle;
engaging the inoperable article at a first position proximate to the receptacle, using the selector arm;
transferring the inoperable article, using the selector arm, from the first position to a second position within the article vending machine;
disengaging the inoperable article at the second position;
identifying a customer associated with the inoperable article using program code operating with the processor;
determining if the customer is eligible to exchange the inoperable article using program code operating with the processor;
in response to determining that the customer is eligible for the exchange, determining if the inventory contains an identical replacement article to replace the inoperable article using program code operating with the processor, wherein the determining if the inventory contains a replacement includes;
accessing a database comprising identifying information for each article included in the inventory, andcomparing identifying information of the inoperable article with the identifying information of the articles included in the inventory to find a replacement article that has the same identifying information as the inoperable article; and
in response to determining that the inventory does contain an identical replacement article, transferring the identical replacement article to the receptacle using the selector arm, and dispensing the identical replacement article through the receptacle.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An article vending machine in a network of article vending machines capable of exchanging an inoperable rental article received from a user for an operable replacement article. The article dispensing machine checks customer identification information against one or more customer rental criteria to determine if the customer is eligible to exchange an inoperable article for an operable one. The article vending machine searches for an identical replacement article within an inventory of the machine itself and within inventories of the networked article vending machines. Alternatively, the article vending machine may provide a refund for the inoperable article.
489 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for exchanging an inoperable article for an operable article via an article vending machine, the article vending machine having a user interface, a processor, a receptacle, a selector arm, and an inventory of articles housed in the article vending machine, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a command through the user interface requesting to initiate an exchange of an inoperable article for an operable article; receiving the inoperable article via the receptacle; engaging the inoperable article at a first position proximate to the receptacle, using the selector arm; transferring the inoperable article, using the selector arm, from the first position to a second position within the article vending machine; disengaging the inoperable article at the second position; identifying a customer associated with the inoperable article using program code operating with the processor; determining if the customer is eligible to exchange the inoperable article using program code operating with the processor; in response to determining that the customer is eligible for the exchange, determining if the inventory contains an identical replacement article to replace the inoperable article using program code operating with the processor, wherein the determining if the inventory contains a replacement includes; accessing a database comprising identifying information for each article included in the inventory, and comparing identifying information of the inoperable article with the identifying information of the articles included in the inventory to find a replacement article that has the same identifying information as the inoperable article; and in response to determining that the inventory does contain an identical replacement article, transferring the identical replacement article to the receptacle using the selector arm, and dispensing the identical replacement article through the receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An article vending machine configured to exchange an inoperable article for an operable article, the article vending machine comprising:
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a user interface configured to receive a request to initiate an exchange of an inoperable article for an operable article; a receptacle for receiving the inoperable article; an inventory comprised of a plurality of articles; a selector arm for transferring articles within the article vending machine, the selector arm being configured to; engage the inoperable article at a first position proximate to the receptacle, transfer the inoperable article from the first position to a second position within the article vending machine, and disengage the inoperable article at the second position; a memory for storing one or more databases, the one or more databases comprising a list of customers ineligible to exchange inoperable articles and a list of the articles that comprise the inventory; and a processor connected to the memory and configured using program code operating with the processor to; identify a customer associated with the inoperable article; determine if the customer is eligible to exchange the inoperable article by referencing the one or more databases; in response to determining that the customer is eligible for the exchange, determine if the inventory contains a replacement article that is identical to the inoperable article by; accessing the one or more databases to obtain identifying information for each article included in the inventory, and comparing identifying information of the inoperable article with the identifying information of the articles included in the inventory to find a replacement article that has the same identifying information as the inoperable article; and in response to determining that the inventory does contain an identical replacement article, dispense the identical replacement article through the receptacle, the identical replacement article being transferred to the receptacle by the selector arm. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A network of article vending machines comprising:
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a first article vending machine comprising; an inventory comprised of a plurality of articles; a receptacle for receiving an inoperable article; a selector arm for transferring articles within the first article vending machine, the selector arm being configured to; engage the inoperable article at a first position proximate to the receptacle, transfer the inoperable article from the first position to a second position within the article vending machine, and disengage the inoperable article at the second position; and a user interface configured to receive a request to exchange the inoperable article for an operable article; a plurality of remote article vending machines in communication with the first article vending machine, each remote article vending machine having an inventory of a plurality of articles; a memory configured to store one or more databases, the one or more databases including a list of the articles that comprise the inventory of the first article vending machine; and a processor configured using program code operating with the processor to; identify a customer associated with the inoperable article; determine if the customer is eligible to exchange the inoperable article; in response to determining that the customer is eligible to exchange, determine if the inventory of the first article vending machine contains a replacement article that is identical to the inoperable article, by; accessing the one or more databases to obtain identifying information for each article included in the inventory of the first article vending machine, and comparing identifying information of the inoperable article with the identifying information of the articles included in the inventory to find a replacement article that has the same identifying information as the inoperable article; in response to determining that the inventory of the first article vending machine does contain an identical replacement article, instruct the first article vending machine to dispense the identical replacement article through the receptacle, the identical replacement article being transferred to the receptacle by the selector arm; and in response to determining that the inventory of the first article vending machine does not contain an identical replacement article, determine if one or more of the remote article vending machines contains an identical replacement article by; accessing the one or more databases to obtain identifying information for each article included in the inventories of the remote vending machines, and comparing the identifying information of the inoperable article with the identifying information of the articles included in the inventories of the remote vending machines to find a replacement article that has the same identifying information as the inoperable article. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification