Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090013028 | Apparatus And Method For Monitoring And Control Of Remotely Located Equipment - A remote data acquisition and transmission system for vending machines may be provided. The system may comprise a vending machine and at least one host device. The vending machine may comprise a vending machine controller; and an Internet Protocol (IP) network interface operable to communicate operation data to and from the vending machine controller. The at least one host device may be communicatively coupled to the IP network interface via at least one IP network, and the host device may be operable to communicate operation data to and from the IP network interface. | 01-08-2009 |
20090303982 | Systems and Methods for Data Acquisition and Transmission - In a system for a field asset site having a plurality of field assets, a first transport module interfaces with a first field asset, the first transport module operable to communicate via a first transport with a communication center outside of the field asset site. A second transport module interfaces with the first field asset. A third transport module interfaces with an associated field asset and is operable to communicate via a second transport to the second transport module. Each of a plurality of audit devices interfaces with an associated field asset from which operation data is acquired by the audit device. Each of a plurality of routing modules interfaces between an associated field audit device and at least one of the second transport module and the third transport module, with each routing module operable to provide transport-agnostic communication between its associated audit device and at least one of the communication center and another audit device. | 12-10-2009 |
20110173535 | MECHANISM FOR A VENDING MACHINE GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE UTILIZING XML FOR ON-THE-FLY LANGUAGE SELECTION BY AN END USER - Text for a vending machine customer interface is supplied from one of a plurality of markup language descriptions of the customer interface text contained within storage media in the vending machine. Each markup language description is configured to cause the customer interface text to be displayed in a different human language. In response to initiation of a vend transaction, the vending machine may prompt the customer to select a preferred human language in which to transact the vend and, based on the customer selection, load customer interface text from a corresponding markup language description into the customer interface display. | 07-14-2011 |
20110173568 | MECHANISM FOR A VENDING MACHINE GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE UTILIZING XML FOR A VERSATILE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE - Logic for a vending machine customer interface is supplied from one a plurality of markup language descriptions of the customer interface contained within storage media in the vending machine. Each markup language description is configured to cause the customer interface flow between different sets of application states, and content that is displayed/rendered when respective application states are activated. In response to customer selection of a particular product or class of products, based on the customer selection, the controller processes customer interface flow and content based upon a corresponding markup language description to produce the customer interface display. | 07-14-2011 |
20120022686 | RICH CONTENT MANAGEMENT AND DISPLAY FOR USE IN REMOTE FIELD ASSETS - A field asset such as a vending machine includes a coin acceptor, a bill validator, and a card reader all operatively connected to a shared bus. A rich content display device displays color graphics and an extended function adapter (EFA) coupled to the shared bus includes a rich content agent (RCA) to manage rich content displayed on the display. The RCA may include a content management agent (CMA) coupled to a rich content player that executes rich content file for display on the display device. The EFA may include a cashless agent to generate procedural state information. The CMA detects the procedural state information and controls the presentation of rich content on the display device based at least in part on the detected procedural state information. The EFA may include an analytic agent to determine a substantive state of the vending machine including an inventory state and an environmental state. | 01-26-2012 |
20120109368 | REAL-TIME TARGETED DYNAMIC CONTENT DELIVERY TO A CONSUMER VIA SERVER-DRIVEN MESSAGING - Content for display to a consumer at a vending machine is dynamically generated at a remote content server based on one or more variables maintained at the content server, and delivered in real time to the vending machine for display to the customer during a vend process. In the case of a customer loyalty program, the content may include metadata comprising an authorization code for a free vend and an associated message if the customer has accumulated sufficient reward points, or a message indicating a number of accumulated rewards points. | 05-03-2012 |
20120130536 | IMPLEMENTING SECURE, ANONYMOUS CUSTOMER INFORMATION EXCHANGE IN ONE OR MORE VENDING MACHINES THROUGH TOKENIZED CUSTOMER IDENTIFIERS GENERATED USING A ONE-WAY HASH FUNCTION - A unique, anonymous, tokenized customer identifier is derived by a one-way hash function from a credit/debit account number each time a customer provides the same credit/debit card information at a vending machine. The customer identifier thus repeatedly generated at each of the vending machines is then used to track the customer's purchase history and preferences for customer-focused programs, such as a loyalty rewards program. The customer need not carry a separate token bearing the customer identifier, but instead can automatically participate in the customer-focused programs as part of paying for a purchase. The customer may optionally remain anonymous in each program. | 05-24-2012 |
20130006413 | SYNCHRONIZATION OF TIME CRITICAL ACTIVITIES ACROSS VENDING MACHINE NETWORKS - Synchronization of activities requiring coordinated timing across a bank of vending machines, such as harmonious actuation of illumination elements, is performed by specifying, in an application layer (e.g., Zigbee) of a network protocol, actions to be synchronized to a distributed timing event and distributing notice of the specified timing event using physical and media access control layers of the network protocol. | 01-03-2013 |
20130006416 | CUSTOMER USAGE STATISTICS GATHERING WITHIN VENDING MACHINES - A vending machine is configured to collect rich customer insight information, including time-based records of the customer interaction with the vending machine during a vend transaction. Customer menu selections, brand information associated with customer payment or product selections, and promotions or displays triggering customer input are logged for analysis to provide further information regarding customer sales and promotion responses. | 01-03-2013 |
20130035787 | QUICK RESPONSE (QR) CODE GENERATION IN VENDING MACHINES OR KIOSKS FOR CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT - Deeper customer engagement through a vending machine is provided by display of a quick response (QR) code on a customer interface display for the vending machine during a vend transaction. The customer can scan the displayed QR code with a smart phone camera to link to a website containing an advertisement, providing detailed nutritional information for a product available for vending from the vending machine, allowing collection of loyalty points or enabling reporting of a service issue or entry of a customer review. | 02-07-2013 |
20130054016 | USING CONSUMER PROFILE INFORMATION IN VENDING AND OTHER UNATTENDED RETAIL - Consumer profile information is received wirelessly (NFC, Bluetooth, etc.) from a user device at the communications interface for a vending machine, and stored at least temporarily within the vending machine. The current vend transaction with the consumer carrying the user device is then altered based upon the received consumer profile information, to block product sales containing relevant food allergens, offer discounts tailored to the particular consumer, or enforce parental controls, among other possible personalizations of the consumer experience during the vend transaction. | 02-28-2013 |
20130103187 | "SHOPPING CART" PARADIGM FOR SINGLE- OR MULTI-VEND VENDING MACHINE TRANSACTION PROCESS FLOW - A vending machine is configured to provide a shopping cart vend transaction order-of-processing, allowing the customer to aggregate product selections before payment. The vending machine includes an enclosure configured to store a plurality of products, a user interface configured to receive inputs from a consumer; and a control system coupled to the user interface. The control system is configured to provide a virtual shopping cart that enables the customer to aggregate one or more product selections in a single vend transaction. | 04-25-2013 |
20130144432 | METHOD FOR AUTOMATED PLANOGRAM PROGRAMMING IN A VENDING MACHINE - Automatic planogram programming for a glass front snack or cold drink vending machine is accomplished using tray, product and price barcodes, each preferably a different type of barcode. Trays within the vending machine are labeled with unique barcodes, and a set of price barcodes for predetermined prices is provided together with a USB-connected scanner. The barcode label affixed to any tray is scanned by the route driver. The UPC/EAN barcodes on products are then scanned for each selection progressing across the tray, together with a price barcode for the first selection and each subsequent selection having a different price from the prior selection on the tray. Planogram data for the tray may be reviewed and corrected on a customer interface display for the vending machine before moving on to another tray, with the trays programmed in any order. The planogram for the entire vending machine is quickly and accurately programmed. | 06-06-2013 |
20140048600 | LANDING LIGHTS FOR MULTI-PURPOSE CONFIGURABLE VOTING SYSTEM - A ballot processing device flashes one or more lights of the ballot processing device in a first color when the ballot processing device is ready to receive a ballot. The ballot processing device lights a portion of the one or more lights of the ballot processing device in a second color when the ballot processing device is not ready to receive a ballot. | 02-20-2014 |
20140052505 | MULTI-PURPOSE CONFIGURABLE VOTING SYSTEM - A portable electronic voting machine is provided. The portable electronic voting machine comprises a smart panel configured to display voting process information; and a base station configured to house the smart panel. The electronic voting machine is configured to have the smart panel be removable from the base station and store voting information selected while the smart panel is removed from the base station. | 02-20-2014 |