Crane Co. Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20120273517 | VENDING MACHINE USER INTERFACE GUIDE; ELECTRONIC COIN RETURN; AND HINGED DELIVERY BIN - A system and method for directing a consumer through a vending machine transaction. The system and method include a UI guide comprising visual cues to direct a consumer to insert a minimum amount of money, make a production selection and confirm the product selection. The system and method provide for the consumer to cancel the transaction and request that return of inserted coins. | 11-01-2012 |
20120259459 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTO-MACHINE MENU CONFIGURATION - A system and method for providing a satellite vend operation. A first (parent) vending machine is operable to dispense a product from a product storage display area located in a second (child) vending machine. The first (parent) vending machine can control or interact with the functions of the second (child) vending machine. A programming menu on the first (parent) vending machine is automatically configured for a satellite vend operation when the first (parent) vending machine pairs with the second (child) vending machine. An operator is provided, in the programming menu located on the parent vending machine, relevant information associated with the child vending machine and relevant information associated with the parent vending machine. | 10-11-2012 |
20100228391 | System and method for inter-machine combination discount vend - A system and method for providing a combination vend operation. The system and method include a first (parent) vending machine operable to discount a product when an associated product is selected. The combination vend operation may be performed when the discounted product and the associated product are in different vending machines. The same of first (parent) vending machine directs a second (child) vending machine to dispense the discounted product during the combo vend operation. A consumer may purchase the discounted product at the discounted price after or while purchasing the associated product. | 09-09-2010 |
20100228390 | System and method for auto-machine menu configuration - A system and method for providing a satellite vend operation. A first (parent) vending machine is operable to dispense a product from a product storage display area located in a second (child) vending machine. The first (parent) vending machine can control or interact with the functions of the second (child) vending machine. A programming menu on the first (parent) vending machine is automatically configured for a satellite vend operation when the first (parent) vending machine pairs with the second (child) vending machine. An operator is provided, in the programming menu located on the parent vending machine, relevant information associated with the child vending machine and relevant information associated with the parent vending machine. | 09-09-2010 |
20100106292 | UNIVERSAL BILL RECYCLER - A vending machine includes a coin handler, a bill handler, and a vending machine controller (VMC). The bill handler communicates with the coin handler and the VMC. The bill handler includes a bill recycler and a controller. The controller receives a Coin Tubes message from the coin handler. The Coin Tubes message includes information about a coin denomination available for dispensing in the coin handler. The controller produces a second Coin Tubes message by adding information about a bill denomination available for dispensing in the bill handler to the first Coin Tubes message. The controller sends the second Coin Tubes message to the VMC. The controller receives a Change Issue message from the VMC, that identifies an amount of money to be dispensed from the vending machine. In response, the controller causes the bill recycler to dispense at least one bill. | 04-29-2010 |
20100084421 | VENDING MACHINE USER INTERFACE GUIDE; ELECTRONIC COIN RETURN; AND HINGED DELIVERY BIN - A system and method for directing a consumer through a vending machine transaction. The system and method include a UI guide comprising visual cues to direct a consumer to insert a minimum amount of money, make a production selection and confirm the product selection. The system and method provide for the consumer to cancel the transaction and request that return of inserted coins. | 04-08-2010 |
20090276320 | BEZEL FOR VENDING OR GAMING MACHINE - A bezel for use in a merchandising system is provided. The bezel includes an information display and a graphic display including one or more visual indicators. The bezel also includes a card reader configured to process payments from a cashless payment card. The bezel further includes a bill recycler access slot providing access to a bill recycler. In the bezel, illumination of the graphic display is controlled in response to information received from the bill recycler. | 11-05-2009 |
20090238308 | Ultra low-power transmission system - An ultra low-power transmission system for use with a battery-operated device. The ultra-low power transmission system comprises an encoded transmitter and an addressable ultra -low power receiver. The ultra low-power receiver comprises an RF front-end block for receiving and demodulating an incoming RF signal. The RF front-end block includes an amplifier for amplifying the received RF signal and a frequency discriminator for demodulating the amplified RF signal to produce a baseband signal. The amplifier and the frequency discriminator are each comprised of enhancement mode, high-mobility electron transistors (E-HEMTs). The ultra low-power further receiver comprises a correlator for receiving the baseband signal from the frequency discriminator and detecting a codeword therein. The correlator comprises a plurality of switched capacitors for storing samples of the baseband signal. The correlator is operable to couple the plurality of switched capacitors in order to integrate the samples stored thereon. | 09-24-2009 |
20090059560 | Light system for a vending machine - A lighting system for a vending machine is provided. The lighting system includes an LED light source extending along a first inner surface of the vending machine and a reflective surface extending along a second inner surface of the vending machine. The reflective surface is capable of reflecting light emitted by the light source in one direction in order to provide light to the interior of the vending machine from multiple directions. | 03-05-2009 |
20080240296 | Iterative sequential carrier acquisition - A system and method for iterative sequential carrier acquisition for estimating and correcting large carrier frequency offsets without adding significantly to receiver complexity or preamble length. A coarse frequency estimation is performed during a brief carrier acquisition phase that is completed during a reasonably short preamble, and then the system hands frequency control to the nominal carrier frequency & phase tracking of a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit. The present disclosure generally includes an initialization mode, a pre-lock scan mode, an iterative search mode and a termination mode. | 10-02-2008 |
20080239975 | Message collision handling - A collision handling receiver for use in a data communication network. The collision handling system and method comprises collision handling receivers together with transmitters inserting pseudo-random delays. Accordingly, multiple sources may transmit simultaneous messages to a receiver so that the messages arrive with varying signal levels and times of arrival. The receiver sorts the symbols into separate sequences by grouping together symbols having similar time of arrival. In addition, the receiver retains the sequences with sufficiently reliable symbol detection, for example, when 75% of the symbols in a sequence are detected with sufficient quality. Receiver then ranks the retained transmitters by received signal level and decodes the messages from transmitters with highest received signal level. | 10-02-2008 |