Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100094457 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN A VENDING MACHINE - During operation of a vending machine, visual images of the next product to be dispensed from product dispensing locations are obtained. Features of the visual images are compared to a data base of features to determine the identity of the next product to be dispensed from each of the dispensing locations. After a product has been dispensed from a dispensing location, a visual image is obtained of the next product at the dispensing location. Features of the visual image of the next product at the dispensing location are compared to a data base of features to determine the identity of the next product to be dispensed. A displayed price of a product is compared with product prices in the data base. If necessary, the displayed price is adjusted to agree with the data base. | 04-15-2010 |
20100187997 | ENERGY SAVING CONTROL FOR A FLUORESCENT LIGHT IN A MERCHANDISING MACHINE AND A METHOD OF RETROFITTING THE CONTROL IN A MERCHANDISING MACHINE - An energy saving control | 07-29-2010 |
20100237091 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN A VENDING MACHINE - During operation of a vending machine, an image is obtained of an area of interest in the vending machine. As a product selected by a customer moves toward a product retrieval location, images of the area of interest are obtained and transmitted to the data base. Images in the data base are compared to determine whether or not the selected product has moved to the area of interest. | 09-23-2010 |
20110049067 | Replacement shelf for a vending machine - A replacement shelf for displaying, storing, and vending flat pack gum and candy replaces an existing shelf which was dedicated solely to vending old style five stick gum and roll candy. The replacement shelf includes a plurality of parallel product guides each of which includes a planar bottom surface and a pair of parallel spaced apart product support rails which cooperate to support product to be stored, displayed and vended in a position above the planar bottom surface of the product guides and in a position which ensures that the product is directed to fall downwardly from the product guide into a delivery bin in the vending machine. | 03-03-2011 |
20130151006 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN A VENDING MACHINE - During operation of a vending machine, visual images of the next product to be dispensed from product dispensing locations are obtained. Features of the visual images are compared to a data base of features to determine the identity of the next product to be dispensed from each of the dispensing locations. After a product has been dispensed from a dispensing location, a visual image is obtained of the next product at the dispensing location. Features of the visual image of the next product at the dispensing location are compared to a data base of features to determine the identity of the next product to be dispensed. A displayed price of a product is compared with product prices in the data base. If necessary, the displayed price is adjusted to agree with the data base. | 06-13-2013 |
20130152377 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN A VENDING MACHINE - During operation of a vending machine, a dispensed product moves from a product dispensing location to a product retrieval location. To detect movement of the dispensed product to the dispensing location, the intensity of light at an array of pixels is monitored. The monitored array of pixels forms a portion of a larger group of pixels. A change in the intensity of light at pixels in the array of pixels is detected upon movement of a dispensed product to a product retrieval location. | 06-20-2013 |
20130221018 | VENDING MACHINE METHOD AND APPARATUS - A vending machine has a plurality of product dispensing devices which dispense selected products for movement to a product retrieval location. A selected product is in a first orientation as it moves to the product retrieval location. The orientation of the selected product is changed from the first orientation to a second orientation at the product retrieval location. To change the orientation of the selected product, force is applied to an end portion of the selected product. This force may be applied in many different ways, including by a movable surface on a belt or a movable surface on a sweeper member. | 08-29-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100228797 | NON-PRIVILEGED ACCESS TO DATA INDEPENDENT OF FILESYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION - An application programming interface (API) module provides access to data, independent of filesystem implementation in a non-privileged user mode. A discovery volume having a filesystem recognizable by an operating system has cover files which prevent damage to data stored in an unrecognizable primary volume. The discovery volume also includes a data access API available for execution in a non-privileged user mode to render the primary volume accessible by operating systems which would otherwise find the primary volume unrecognizable. | 09-09-2010 |
20120102070 | Non-Privileged Access to Data Independent of Filesystem Implementation - An application programming interface (API) module provides access to data, independent of filesystem implementation in a non-privileged user mode. A discovery volume having a filesystem recognizable by an operating system has cover files which prevent damage to data stored in an unrecognizable primary volume. The discovery volume also includes a data access API available for execution in a non-privileged user mode to render the primary volume accessible by operating systems which would otherwise find the primary volume unrecognizable. | 04-26-2012 |
20140297987 | Managing Capacity of a Thinly Provisioned Storage System - A thinly provisioned storage system detects whether physical storage capacity is available when there is a request to allocate storage capacity, prior to data being written to the storage system. In particular, at the time when the file system allocates storage, such as when creating a file or performing an extending write (append) operation, allocating storage to an unallocated region of a sparse file, defragmenting a file, and the like, a storage system can verify that actual physical storage capacity is available. Thus, if there is insufficient actual physical capacity at the time when a storage allocation is attempted, then an error message can be sent and remedial action can be taken. | 10-02-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090248757 | Application-Managed File Versioning - In accordance with one or more aspects of the application-managed file versioning, a request to store a new version of a file is received from an application, the request having been generated by the application. A filename for the new version of the file is generated, derived from a standardized naming convention. The filename includes a first portion having at least a portion of a name of the file, and a second portion having data indicating that the new version of the file is a version of the file. A set of application programming interfaces (APIs) can be exposed that allow the application to manage file versions, such as creating a new version of a file, identifying one or more versions of the file, listing one or more versions of the file, and deleting one or more versions of the file. | 10-01-2009 |
20100281299 | FILE SYSTEM RECOGNITION STRUCTURE - A set of file system data structure and file system recognition APIs are disclosed that may allow an operating system to identify a partition of a storage device as having a valid file system, even if the operating system does not know how to access the file system a priori. File systems implement these data structures in a standardized, known location within a partition on the storage device such that an operating system may use APIs or other functions to examine that known location for the presence of these data structures. Information on how to interpret the data structure may be obtained using a network or other source. | 11-04-2010 |
20130067270 | QUERYING AND REPAIRING DATA - Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to querying and repairing data. In aspects, a component may detect that data on storage has become corrupted. In response, the component may request data from one or more redundant copies of the data and may determine which of the redundant copies, if any, are not corrupted. If a non-corrupted copy is found, the component may send a request that the corrupted data be repaired and may identify the non-corrupted copy to use to repair the corrupted data. | 03-14-2013 |
20140189428 | QUERYING AND REPAIRING DATA - Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to querying and repairing data. In aspects, a component may detect that data on storage has become corrupted. In response, the component may request data from one or more redundant copies of the data and may determine which of the redundant copies, if any, are not corrupted. If a non-corrupted copy is found, the component may send a request that the corrupted data be repaired and may identify the non-corrupted copy to use to repair the corrupted data. | 07-03-2014 |