Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RESERVATIONS AT A VENDING MACHINE
Background
[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to an inventory control system
for providing a
network of vending machines with a controlled atmosphere for storage and
purchase of fresh
food.
[0002] Conventionally, vending machines provide bottled drinks and small snack
food.
However, there is a need for selling a variety of fresh food including fresh
fruit and vegetables.
Yet, such market need is not met owing primarily to the short shelf life of
fresh food and the cost
of frequently replenishing the fresh food, not to mention the increase in food
waste when the
fresh food is not consumed before its end of shelf life. For example, one-
fourth of the food a
restaurant purchases is wasted, one-third of the food that an individual
purchases is wasted, and
one-tenth of the food that a grocery store purchases is wasted. Additionally,
vending machines
that sell fresh food need mechanisms to ensure that customers do not purchase
expired food.
[0003] Conventional technologies (e.g., using preservatives, modified
atmosphere packaging,
etc.) that are designed to extend the shelf life of fresh products negatively
impact the quality and
directly affect the integrity of the product. For example, modified atmosphere
packaging is a
specific blend of atmospheric gases used in conjunction with a semi permeable
film designed to
slow the product aging process to improve the shelf life. However,
incorporating modified
atmosphere packaging is expensive and only temporarily solves the problem by
merely
extending the shelf life by a number of days and does not prevent the vending
of expired or
otherwise improperly sellable food.
Summary
[0004] The present disclosure provides an inventory control system for
providing a network of
vending machines with a controlled atmosphere for storage and purchase of
fresh food. The
inventory of the vending machines may be refreshed automatically based on the
feedback from
the vending machine and/or manually from a vending machine operator (e.g.,
delivery driver).
In some embodiments, the system includes dynamic pricing of the food items to
influence the
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,
purchase behavior of consumers to move certain inventory and maximize revenue
and minimize
loss. For example, the price of a food item may be decreased as the food item
nears its
expiration date.
[0005] According to disclosed embodiments, a management server monitors
inventory stored
across the network of vending machines. In some implementations, the
management server is a
cloud computing platform comprised of a plurality of disparate servers acting
in conjunction
with one another to distributively perform the functionality described herein.
In some
embodiments, the management server enables client devices to remotely reserve
vending
machine inventory for pick up at a later time. For example, the client device
may request to
reserve a particular product at a particular vending machine. If the vending
machine has
sufficient inventory, the management server may associate the reservation with
a unique
identifier pickup code that the user may input to the vending machine to cause
the vending
machine to vend the reserved item. If not, the management server may recommend
completing
the reservation at a second vending machine within the network of vending
machines that does
have sufficient inventory.
100061 Enabling remote reservations of vending machine inventory creates a
race condition
associated with processing contemporaneous requests for a particular item
offered by a vending
machine. For instance, if there is only one cobb salad remaining in the
vending machine, a
customer physically interacting with the vending machine may be attempting to
purchase the
cobb salad when a remote request to reserve the cobb salad is received.
Accordingly, in one
embodiment, when a customer is interacting with a vending machine, the vending
machine
inventory control system disables the remote reservation functionality to
prioritize the physical
customer. Similarly, the inventory control system restores the remote
reservation functionality
when the physical customer has completed their interaction with the vending
machine. In these
embodiments, the management server and/or the vending machine creates a
reservation queue
storing pending reservation requests until the inventory control system
restores the remote
reservation functionality. Upon restoration of the remote reservation
functionality, the
reservation requests in the queue are sequentially released for processing by
the vending machine
inventory control system. By implanting disclosed embodiments, vending
machines are capable
of offering remote reservations, and in some embodiments, in a manner that
preserves the
vending machine experience for physically-present customers.
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[00071 According to embodiments disclosed herein, the inventory control system
prevents the
vending of expired items. In some embodiments, the inventory control system
associates food
items stored therein with expiry data. Accordingly, the inventory control
system can prevent
food items that are expired from being sold to customers. Similarly, in some
scenarios, a
particular item may be recalled by a supplier. Accordingly, the management
server may analyze
the inventory of the vending machine network to identify any vending machines
that have the
recalled item in inventory. The management server may then transmit a recall
notice to the
impacted vending machines. Upon receipt of the recall notice, the vending
machine prevents the
vending of the recalled item. By implementing these embodiments, vending
machines are
capable of offering perishable items while still ensuring that customers are
unable to purchase
expired or recalled products.
[0008] According to other embodiments, to reduce the downtime associated with
restocking
vending machines, the vending machine may include an automatic unloading
routine. That is,
upon receiving an unloading command, the vending machine may be configured to
dispense any
expired or recalled product for disposal by a service professional. In some
embodiments, the
service professional is associated with a service electronic device (for
example, a phone, a tablet,
a phablet, smart glasses, a smart watch, a device connected to a service
vehicle, such as via an
on-board diagnostic port, etc.). In some embodiments, when the service
electronic device is
brought within communicative range (e.g., within range of a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
transceiver) of
the vending machine, the service electronic device automatically establishes a
connection with
the vending machine and transmits the unloading command. In other embodiments,
the
management server associates the vending machine with a geofence. Accordingly,
the service
electronic device may be configured to periodically report its location to the
management server.
If the management server detects that the service electronic device is within
the vending
machine's geofence, the management server may transmit the unloading command
to the
vending machine. In still other embodiments, the service electronic device may
present a user
interface element that enables the service professional to manually transmit
the unloading
command to a vending machine, either directly, or via the management server.
[0009] Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the examples will
be set forth in
part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to
those skilled in the art
upon examination of the following description and the accompanying drawings or
may be
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,
learned by production or operation of the examples. The objects and advantages
of the concepts
may be realized and attained by means of the methodologies, instrumentalities
and combinations
particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
Brief Description of the Figures
[0010] Fig. 1 illustrates an example vending machine environment at which the
disclosed
techniques are implemented;
[0011] Fig. 2 is a block diagram of an example vending machine that may be
used in the
example environment of Fig. 1;
[0012] Fig. 3 is a flow diagram indicative of a reservation process that may
be implemented in
the example environment of Fig. 1;
[0013] Fig. 4 is a flow diagram indicative of a reserved item pickup process
that may be
implemented in the example environment of Fig. 1;
[0014] Fig. 5 is a flow diagram of an example method for a reserve and pay
process
implemented at the vending machine of Figs. 1, 2, 3, or 4;
[0015] Fig. 6 is a flow diagram of an example method for an automatic
unloading process
implemented at the vending machine of Figs. 1, 2, 3, or 4; and
[0016] Fig. 7 is a flow diagram of an example method for an item lockout
process
implemented at the vending machine of Figs. 1, 2, 3, or 4.
Detailed Description
[0017] Referring to the figures in detail, Fig. 1 illustrates an example
environment 100 that
includes a vending machine 115 connected to a network 120. Although, Fig. 1
illustrates a
single vending machine 115, the environment 100 may include any number of
additional vending
machines 115 to form a network of vending machines that provide fresh food.
Each vending
machine 115 is a self-service unit that combines electro-mechanical dispensing
components,
network connectivity, and a user interface for customer interaction. In some
implementations,
the dimensions of the vending machine 115 enables placement of the vending
machine 115 in
high-traffic locations that are more convenient than traditional retail
locations.
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100181 The vending machine 115 can be any suitable vending machine. For
example, the
vending machine 115 may also include a storage system for holding individual
food products for
purchase. The storage system may include a plurality of slots adapted to store
a plurality of
individually dispensable items loaded therein. The slots may be substantially
horizontal, such as
embodiments that include a conveyor belt, shelf, or coil, or substantially
vertically. In an
example, each individual storage unit of the slot is associated with a sensor
and/or a slot location
identifier.
[0019] The vending machine 115 may also include an atmospheric control system
that
includes a variety of sensors and controllers for temperature, air
composition, and/or humidity
control. The temperature control components may include a cooling or
refrigerating apparatus, a
heating or warming apparatus, and/or other temperature control apparatuses to
maintain a desired
temperature associated with the items stored therein. For example, some fresh
foods are best
stored between 35 ¨ 40 F (1.66 ¨ 4.44 C). On the other hand, frozen food may
be best stored
between -5 ¨ 0 F (-20.26 ¨ -17.78 C). In some embodiments, the vending machine
includes
different temperature control apparatus to regulate the temperature of
different slots. A
temperature control apparatus may include one or more sensors to provide
feedback to a
regulator of the temperature control apparatus. According to certain aspects,
the atmospheric
control system may be controlled by a remote system such as a management
server 125.
100201 The vending machine 115 may also include a point of sale system. In
some
embodiments, the point of sale system includes one or more mechanisms to
receive a customer
selection of a particular item. For example, the selection mechanisms may
include one or more
buttons and/or a touch screen display. Additionally, the point of sale system
of the vending
machine 115 may include a payment system adapted to receive and/or process
cash, gift cards,
promotions, customer account credits, and/or credit cards. The vending machine
115 may also
include a merchandise selector including a user interface, key pad, and/or
switches for customers
to select the desired item for purchase. According to certain aspects, the
inventory control
system of the vending machine 115 implements dynamic pricing of items to
generate prices and
promotions to influence the purchase behavior of consumers to move certain
inventory and
maximize revenue and minimize loss.
CA 3038391 2019-03-28
[0021] As illustrated in Fig. 1, the vending machine 115 is in communication
with the
management server 125 via the network 120. The network 120 may facilitate any
type of data
communication via any current or future-developed standard or technology
(e.g., GSM, CDMA,
TDMA, WCDMA, LTE, EDGE, OFDM, GPRS, EV-DO, UWB, IEEE 802 including Ethernet
and Wi-Fi, WiMAX, Bluetooth, and others). In some embodiments, the network 120
utilizes
two or more of the communication standards or technologies. For example, the
vending machine
115 may communication with the management server 125 via a IEEE 802 connection
and a
service electronic device 110 via a Bluetooth connection.
100221 In some embodiments, the inventory control system of the vending
machine 115 is
configured to dynamically monitor inventory within the vending machine 115. In
one example,
the inventory management system of the vending machine 115 communicates the
current
inventory to the management server 125 to maintain a central record of the
inventory. In this
example, the inventory update may include a sale record associated with the
change in inventory.
In some embodiments, the vending machine 115 monitors the inventory based on a
sensor
associated with the various item slots. When an item is purchased, the
inventory control system
detects corresponding sensor data that indicates that the item is no longer
within the vending
machine 115. In other embodiments, the inventory control system monitors
transaction data
from the point of sale system to update an inventory record accordingly.
According to aspects,
the transaction data may also include customer data such as demographic data,
customer profile
information, addressing information (including an identity and/or address of a
customer
electronic device 105), and so on.
[0023] According to aspects, the allocation of inventory to the vending
machine 115 may be
regulated by the management server 125, such as by increasing inventory for
high volume
locations or days. Similarly, the management system 125 may modify inventory
allocation
based on product data, customer feedback, and sales of vending machines 115.
In an example,
the management server 125 forecasts production allocation based on the vending
machine
location, demographics, and purchase history. Based on this forecast, the
management server
125 may automatically generate a replenishing product list to be delivered the
next day (or any
suitable regular time intervals) to replenish the inventory of the vending
machine 115. Further, if
the system detects a particular item has increased in sales at the vending
machine 115, the
management server 115 can suggest or add similar items to the inventory of the
vending machine
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115. Similarly, the management server 125 may also suggest or add items to the
inventory of
other vending machines located near the vending machine 115. For example, if a
particular salad
has increased in sales, the management server 125 may increase in the
inventory of that
particular salad by increasing a count of the salad in the inventory list of
items to be delivered to
the vending machine 115 (or other vending machines 115) during the next
interval.
[0024] According to aspects, the inventory the management server 125 allocates
to the
vending machine 115 may be automatically updated in regular time intervals
and/or continually
in real time based on the transaction records and/or inventory reports
received from the vending
machine 115. In some embodiments, the management server 125 generates
promotional prices
to be implemented at the vending machine 115. For example, based on the
feedback of the
vending machines 115, the management server 125 may generate customized
promotions (e.g.,
advertisements, coupons, etc.) that are sent to one or more customer devices
105 via the network
120. In some implementations, the promotions are targeted based on customer
data maintained
at the management server 125. For example, based on the inventory loss data
and the customer
data, the management server 125 may generate and transmit a discount promotion
via a push
notification or text message to targeted customer devices 105.
[0025] As another example, the management server 125 analyzes transaction data
to identify
trends. For example, the transaction data may indicate that women tend to buy
a particular
sandwich. Accordingly, the management server 125 may generate a promotion for
the sandwich
that is targeted towards female customers. Similarly, the transaction data may
indicate that
customers of a particular age range tends to purchase a particular wrap.
Accordingly, the
management server 125 may update the inventory list to increase the number of
wraps for the
vending machine 115 (assuming the vending machine 115 is located in a region
that has a large
customer base in that age group).
[0026] As another example, the inventory control system of the vending machine
115
maintains expiration data with the inventory. For example, the expiration data
may be include a
stock date, a shelf life, and/or an expiration date. In some embodiments, the
vending machine
115 synchronizes the expiration data with the management server 125.
Accordingly, the
management system 125 may determine that a particular item is approaching its
expiration date
and generate a customized promotion for the particular item. The generated
promotion can be
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sent to a targeted set of customer devices 105 to incentivize the customers to
purchase the
particular salad before it must be removed as food waste. The consumer device
105 may be
targeted based on demographic data, prior purchase history, or other data
attributes.
[0027] The combination of the production allocation forecasting, the vending
machine
inventory feed data, the automated customer relationship management, and the
customized
promotion generation enables the management server 125 to support the
distribution of fresh
food products with short shelf life available at all times in a profitable
manner.
[0028] In some embodiments, the customer electronic devices 105 execute an
application
configured to interact with features of the management system 125 and/or the
vending machine
115. The customer electronic devices 105 may include any electronic device
that supports user
interactions and the ability to communicate over the networks 120. For
example, the customer
electronic device 105 may be a smartphone, a desktop computer, a laptop, a
tablet, a phablet, a
smart watch, smart glasses, wearable electronics, a home assistant device, and
so on. In some
embodiments, the customer electronic device 105 supports voice-based
interactions for obtaining
indications user inputs that control operation of the application. In some
scenarios, the
application is a dedicated application for interacting with the features of
the management server
125. In other scenarios, the application is a browser application executing
instructions associated
with a website tailored to support the features of the management server 125.
[0029] In some embodiments, the application enables the customer electronic
device 105 to
interact with the management server 125 to order or reserve an item from the
vending machine
115. Accordingly, the application causes the customer electronic device 105 to
transmit an
inventory query to the management server 125, and in response receive an
inventory list based
on the inventory data maintained by management server 125 corresponding to the
vending
machine 115. In some scenarios, the inventory query includes location data
corresponding to the
customer electronic device 105 such that the management server may analyze the
inventory list
of vending machines 115 located proximate to the customer electronic device
105. For example,
customer electronic device 105 may transmit an inventory query for a specific
salad and the
management system 125 may determine a vending machine 115 closest to the
customer
electronic device 105 that has the salad available for purchase.
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[0030] According to aspects, the application also causes the customer
electronic device 105 to
transmit an electronic identification (e.g., phone number, credit card, user
name identification,
email address, device identifier, IP address, etc.) to the management server
125. The
management server 125 may utilize the electronic identification to track a
purchase history
associated with the customer. If the management system 125 detects that the
electronic
identification is associated with a new customer electronic device 105 and/or
customer, the
management server 125 may prompt the customer electronic device to present a
user interface
adapted for creating a user profile. As a result, subsequent purchases may
occur faster and more
efficient. Further, the user profile enables the management system 125 to
transmit product
suggestions and/or promotions o the customer electronic device 105 based on
the customer's
purchase history, demographics, location, and/or other data attributes in a
customer profile.
[0031] In some embodiments, to ensure food safety, the management system 125
and/or the
vending machine 115 may prevent the purchase of particular items sold in the
vending machine
115. As one example, if the temperature of the vending machine 115 is below or
above a certain
threshold for a certain time, the vending machine 115 locks out temperature-
sensitive products
from being sold. To this end, the inventory data associated with each product
may include a
range of suitable storage temperatures. If the temperature is outside of the
suitable temperature
range for a particular item, the vending machine may prevent purchase of the
particular item. In
this example, the vending machine 115 may still provide for purchase other
items for which the
temperature range is still within the suitable temperature range.
[0032] As another example, the management system 125 may monitor the
temperature of the
vending machine 115 and/or the items therein. Accordingly, the vending machine
115 may
periodically transmit temperature readings over the network 120 to the
management server 125.
If the management system 125 detects the temperature is outside of the
suitable temperature
range for a particular item, the management system 125 may alert a technician
by transmitting a
maintenance request to a service electronic device 110. If a technician does
not arrive and
complete the maintenance on the system within a given time (e.g., 1 hour, 2
hours, 4 hours, etc.),
the management system 125 transmits a lockout command to the vending machine
115 to
prevent the purchase of items outside of the suitable temperature range.
Therefore, customers
cannot purchase any items that have been exposed to improper temperatures for
a length of time
that would render the item unsafe for consumption.
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[0033] According to certain aspects, the management system 125 may be
configured to block
the purchase of particular items based on a product recall and/or complaint.
For example, a
supplier or a government agency may recall a particular item due to a defect
or risk of
contamination. Accordingly, the management server 125 may receive a
notification that a
particular item has been recalled and should not be sold. The management
server 125 may then
transmit over the network 120 an item lockout command to any vending machine
115 that
includes the item in inventory. In response to receiving the lockout command,
the vending
machine 115 may prevent the purchase of that item. Additionally, the
management server 125
may prevent customer electronic devices 105 from purchasing the recalled item.
Further, the
management system 125 may notify one or more customer electronic devices 105
that have
previously purchased the recalled item. In some implementations, the
notification includes a
promotion, coupon, or credit to their account to reimburse the customer for
the purchased item.
[0034] In another example, the management system 125 may block the purchase of
an item
reserved via customer electronic device 105. Accordingly, the management
system 125 may
associate the reserved item with a purchase code. The management server 125
may then push
the purchase code to the vending machine 115. The vending machine 115 may then
only
dispense the reserved item upon receiving an input of the purchase code. Other
attempts to
purchase the reserved item are blocked by the vending machine 115.
[0035] As illustrated in Fig. 1, the service electronic device 110 is also in
communication with
the management server 125 and/or the vending machine 115 via the network 120.
In some
embodiments, the service electronic device 110 is a personal electronic device
(e.g., smartphone,
tablet, smart watch, etc.) carried by service personnel. In other embodiments,
the service
electronic device 110 is embedded in a vehicle operated by service personnel.
In these
embodiments, the service electronic device may establish a communication link
with a personal
electronic device of the service personnel.
[0036] In one embodiment, the management system 125 and/or the vending machine
115
establishes a geofence around the vending machine 115. As it is generally use
herein, the term
"geofence" refers to a geographical boundary established surrounding the
vending machine 115.
In some embodiments, the geofence is established based on a positioning system
(e.g., GPS). In
other embodiments, the geofence is established based on network connectivity
(such as the
CA 3038391 2019-03-28
ability to detect the presence of a broadcast identifier or a signal strength
or quality metric above
a threshold level). In some implementations, when the management system 125
and/or the
vending machine 115 detects the presence of the service electronic device 110
within the
geofence, the vending machine 115 may automatically unload expired or
otherwise unsellable
products. Automatic unloading reduces the downtime associated with the driver
manually
unloading the machine of its unsellable products as part of the restocking
process.
[0037] According to aspects, the management system 125 transmits inventory
notifications to
the service electronic device 110 to indicate restocking instructions for the
vending machine 115.
Thus, upon arriving at the location of the vending machine 115, the driver can
follow
instructions indicated by the service electronic device. For example, the
restocking instruction
may indicate which items in the vending machine need to be removed, as well as
which new
food items to place into the vending machine for purchase. In some
implementations, the
instructions are displayed in a planogram format such that the service
personnel is able to readily
determine item location within the vending machine 115.
Example Vendin2 Machine
[0038] Turning to Fig. 2, illustrated is an example vending machine 215, such
as the vending
machine 115 of Fig. 1, at which functionality described herein is implemented.
The vending
machine 215 includes one or more processors, such as the depicted central
processing unit (CPU)
202. Although not depicted, the vending machine may also include a graphics
processing unit
(GPU). During operation, the CPU 202 executes instructions stored in a program
memory
module 240 coupled to the CPU 202 via a system bus 222. In some
implementations, the
program memory module 240 is implemented in a random access memory (RAM)
module 218, a
persistent memory module 230, or both. The program memory module 240 may also
store
computer-readable instructions that regulate the operation of the vending
machine. One set of
instructions may be an inventory control application 242 that contains
instructions to facilitate
inventory control functionality. For example, the inventory control
application 242 may
maintain an accurate record of the various items stored at the vending machine
215. This record
may be maintained at the inventory database 232 of the persistent memory 230.
The records in
the inventory database 232 may include indications of an item identifier, a
stock keeping unit
(SKU) identifier, a location (such as a slot identifier), expiration data, an
item status (e.g.,
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available, reserved, expired, locked, sold, etc.), and so on. In some
embodiments, the inventory
database 232 also includes SKU-based records that include indications of SKU
quantity, a cost,
SKU status (e.g., normal, recalled, promoted, etc.). The SKU-based records may
be
automatically update in response to changes to item records. For example, when
the inventory
control application 242 updates an item record to indicate that a particular
item has been sold, the
SKU-record may automatically decrement a quantity parameter.
[0039] As another example, the slot identifier associated with the item or SKU
records may be
determined based upon a stored planogram 236. The planogram 236 is a "map"
that associates
the various slots of the vending machine 215 with particular items or SKUs. In
some
embodiments, updates to the planogram 236 are transmitted by a management
server to the
vending machine 215 for local storage. In these embodiments, the planogram 236
may also be
transmitted to a service electronic device such that service personnel may
maintain the vending
machine inventory in accordance with the planogram 236. In other embodiments,
each
individual item is uniquely tagged (such as with an RFID tag or a QR or other
barcode). In these
embodiments, the sensors 208 detect the location of the various items to
dynamically update the
planogram 236. Additionally, the inventory control application 242 may
transmit updates to the
planogram 236 to the management server to synchronize back-end systems.
[0040] As illustrated in Fig. 2, the inventory control application 242 may
also control vending
actuators 214 to vend a particular item. It should be appreciated that in
other embodiments,
control of the vending actuators 214 is processed by a separate application.
The vending
actuators 214 may be any actuator that controls a vending mechanism (e.g., a
coil, a conveyor
belt, a motorized shelf, a grabbing arm, a suction unit, etc.). In some
embodiments, the vending
actuators 214 include a separate controller configured to interpret control
signals generated by
the inventory control application 242 and transmitted over the system bus 222.
For example, in
response to detecting a purchase event for a Napa salad, the inventory control
application 242
may query the inventory database 232 to detect a slot that stores a Napa salad
and generate a
vending command that indicates the slot identifier. The controller of the
vending actuators 214
may include a queue to process multiple vending commands associated with a
multi-item order.
[0041] In some embodiments, the inventory control application 242 also
maintains a
reservation database 234 that includes a list of items remotely reserved via
interactions with a
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management server. Each reservation may indicate the item and a purchase code
utilized to pick
up a reserved item. After the item has been picked up, the inventory control
application 242
removes the reservation from the reservation database. In some
implementations, the inventory
control application 242 monitors a duration a particular reservation has been
in the reservation
database 234. If the duration exceeds a threshold duration, the inventory
control application 242
may transmit an indication to a management server to take a remedial action.
[0042] As another example, the inventory control application 242 may detect a
signal from a
management server to prevent the sale of a particular item. In response, the
inventory control
application 242 may modify the status of the item such that other applications
(such as the point
of sale application 246) do not include the particular item in a list of
available items. As yet
another example, the inventory control application 242 may detect a signal to
automatically
unload one or more items. In response, the inventory control application 242
may analyze the
inventory database 232 to detect any items associated with a status that
indicates the item is
unsellable (e.g., expired or recalled). The inventory control application 242
may then generate a
control signal for the vending actuators 214 for each unsellable item.
[0043] The program memory 240 may also include a set of instructions that
comprises an
atmosphere control application 244. The atmosphere control application 244 may
control the
operation of the atmosphere control units 224 via instructions transmitted
over the system bus
222. The atmosphere control units may include refrigeration units, heating
units, humidifiers,
oxygenators, and/or any other mechanism that controls the atmospheric
environment within the
vending machine 215. In some embodiments, the atmosphere control application
244 divides the
vending machine into different climate zones to maintain multiple atmospheric
environments
simultaneously. Accordingly, the atmosphere control application 244 may
utilize the output of
sensors 208 to generate appropriate control signals for the atmosphere control
units 224.
[0044] The program memory 240 may also include a set of instructions that
comprises a point
of sale control application 246 configured to support the ordering of items
and the processing of
payments at the vending machine 215. The point of sale control application 246
may be
configured to cause a display unit 212 to present one or more interfaces that
guide a customer
through the purchase process. The display unit 212 may include a touch-screen
display for
receiving user input. In some embodiments, the point of sale control
application 246 may query
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the inventory database 236 to populate the interfaces with indications of the
available inventory.
As part of the payment process, the point of sale control application 246
monitors inputs at a card
reader 216 to detect credit card information for completing the purchase.
[0045] In addition to programs, the RAM module 218 and the persistent memory
module 240
may store data in a volatile or non-volatile mode, respectively. The RAM
module 218 and the
persistent memory module 240 further include one or more forms of fixed and/or
removable
memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), electronic programmable read-only
memory
(EPROM), RAM, erasable electronic programmable read-only memory (EEPROM),
and/or other
hard drives, flash memory, MicroSD cards, and others. For example, the
inventory database 232,
the reservation database 234, and the planogram 236 may be stored as data
structures in the
persistent memory module 230.
[0046] The vending machine 215 may further include transceivers 204 that
enable the vending
machine 215 to send and receive data over a wireless or wired network (such as
the network 120
described with respect to Fig. 1). The transceivers 204 may include one or
more transceivers
(e.g., WWAN, WLAN, WPAN, EVDO, CDMA, GSM and/or LTE transceivers) functioning
in
accordance with IEEE standards, 3GPP standards, or other standards. In some
embodiments,
when the point of sale application 246 detects a customer interacting with the
display unit 212,
the point of sale application 246 may disable the transceivers 204 to prevent
the reception of new
reservations. Similarly, after the point of sale application 246 detects that
the customer is no
longer interacting with the display unit 212 (e.g., by detecting a sales event
or the expiration of a
usage timer), the point of sale application 246 re-enables the transceivers
204. In alternative
embodiments, in response to detecting the customer interaction, the point of
sale application 246
establishes a queue for requests received via the transceivers 204. Upon
detecting that the
customer is no longer interacting with the display unit 212, the point of sale
application 246
processes requests in the established queue. In still further embodiments, the
point of sale
application 246 may both disable the transceivers 204 and establish a queue
for new requests
(e.g., by transmitting a queue command to the management server).
[0047] It should be appreciated that the vending machine 215 may include
additional or fewer
components than what is depicted by Fig. 2. For example, the vending machine
may include
keys, mice, buttons, or other physical input devices to facilitate user
interactions with the
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vending machine 215. As another example, the vending machine 215 may include
one or more
external ports or other components that enable service personnel to interact
with the vending
machine 215, such as a USB or other port via which a service electronic device
can be connected
to transmit diagnostic messages for troubleshooting and/or maintenance
activities. As yet
another example, the vending machine 215 may include one or more cameras,
scanners, or other
sensors connected to track the items stored at the vending machine 215 and/or
to support security
surveillance, stock monitoring, scanning customer electronic devices, and/or
customer biometric
recognition, for example.
Reserve and Pay
[0048] Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate flow diagrams 300 and 360, respectively,
associated with a
process for customers to remotely reserve items at a vending machine, such as
the vending
machines 115 or 215 of Figs. 1 and 2, respectively. The management server and
the vending
machine may be in communication with one another over one or more networks,
such as the
networks 120 of Fig. 1. The flow diagram 300 illustrates the process for
reserving a particular
item; whereas the flow diagram 360 illustrates the process for picking up a
reserved item.
[0049] The process 300 begins when a management server (such as the management
server
125 of Fig. 1) and the vending machine (labeled as Fridge Y) synchronize (step
330) the
inventory maintained at Fridge Y. As described above, Fridge Y includes an
inventory database
332 (such as the inventory database 232 of Fig. 2) that includes one or more
records associated
with items stored at the Fridge Y. In some scenarios, as the inventory at
Fridge Y changes,
Fridge Y transmit indications to the management server to synchronize the
inventory. In other
scenarios, the management server periodically polls Fridge Y to synchronize
the inventory. In
any event, the management server may maintain an inventory cache of available
items located at
Fridge Y. The cache may indicate an identifier of any available items and a
corresponding
quantity available. It should be appreciated that while Fig. 3 only depicts an
example inventory
cache for Fridge Y, the inventory cache may include an available item list for
any number of
vending machines within the network of vending machines.
[0050] According to aspects, a customer interacts with a customer electronic
device (such as
the customer electronic device 105 of Fig. 1) to begin the item reservation
process. To populate
a user interface presented by the customer electronic device, the customer
electronic device
CA 3038391 2019-03-28
transmits (step 331) a request to the management server to retrieve the
inventory at Fridge Y.
The request may be transmitted over one or more communication networks, such
as the
communication network 120 of Fig. 1. In response, the management server
accesses the
inventory cache to retrieve the list of available items at Fridge Y and
transmits the list to the
customer electronic device. In the illustrated scenario, the customer
interacted with the user
interface to view the inventory specifically at Fridge Y. However, in other
scenarios, the request
may instead include location data which is interpreted by the management
server to identify a set
of vending machines proximate to the location of the customer electronic
device.
[0051] The customer may then navigate user interfaces that indicate the
inventory of the
Fridge Y to reserve a particular item stored at Fridge Y. In some embodiments,
the user
interfaces are navigated by one or more voice inputs. As part of the
reservation process, the
customer electronic device may prompt the customer to enter a payment
information to obtain
payment information to be utilized to hold the reservation (i.e., a payment
token). After the
reservation information is collected by the customer electronic device, the
customer electronic
device transmits (step 333) a reservation request to the management server. As
illustrated, the
reservation request includes an indication of the particular items, an
indication of the vending
machine, an indication of the customer, and an indication of the payment
token.
[0052] Upon receiving the reservation request, the management server creates a
record at a
reservation database corresponding to the reservation request. As part of
creating the record, the
management server may assign the reservation a randomly-generated unique
identifier purchase
code for the reservation. Additionally, the reservation record may include a
reservation status.
When the reservation record is first created, the management server may set
the reservation
status to be "Pending."
[0053] As described herein, to preserve the in-person experience for users of
Fridge Y, if a
customer is interacting with Fridge Y, Fridge Y may deactivate its
capabilities for receiving new
reservations. Accordingly, the management server may communicate with Fridge Y
to
determine if Fridge Y is currently capable of receiving new reservations. If
not (e.g., one or
more transceivers of Fridge Y are disabled), the management server establishes
a reservation
queue 327 of pending reservations associated with Fridge Y at the management
server. The
management server then stores (step 336) the reservation request in the queue
327. It should be
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appreciated that any additional reservation requests received by the
management server for items
at Fridge Y prior to Fridge Y restoring reservation capabilities are also
stored in the queue 327.
Accordingly, when Fridge Y restores the reservation capabilities (e.g., the
one or more
transceivers of Fridge Y are re-enabled), the reservation requests are
processed in the order they
are received. It should be appreciated that while Fig. 3 illustrates the queue
327 being
maintained at the management server, other implementations may maintain the
reservation queue
327 at Fridge Y. In these implementations, Fridge Y may route all new requests
to the queue
327 instead of disabling the one or more transceivers.
[0054] At step 338, Fridge Y detects whether there is customer activity at
Fridge Y. For
example, customer activity may be detected by determining that a user is
interacting with a
display unit at Fridge Y or by analyzing camera data. If there is customer
activity, Fridge Y will
continue to ignore any reservation in the queue 327 (e.g., the management
server continues to
hold the reservations in the queue 327). Once there is no longer customer
activity, Fridge Y may
transmit an message to the management server to release reservations held in
the queue 327.
Accordingly, Fridge Y sequentially receives and reads (step 340) the pending
reservations from
the queue 327. As part of processing the reservation, Fridge Y queries
inventory database 332 to
determine (step 342) whether Fridge Y has sufficient inventory to fulfill the
reservation. If
Fridge Y does not have sufficient inventory, Fridge Y sends (step 352) a
reservation failed status
update to the management server. On the other hand, if Fridge Y does have
sufficient inventory,
Fridge Y adds the reservation to a reservation database 334 (such as the
reservation database 234
of Fig. 2). Fridge Y then sends a notification to the management server
indicating that Fridge Y
has sufficient inventory to process the reservation a transmits a unique
identifier pickup code to
the customer electronic device 105 of Fig. 1. This process may repeat for each
reservation in the
queue 327.
[0055] Upon receiving the notification that Fridge Y is able fulfill the
reservation, the
management server attempts to process (step 346) payment using the payment
token included in
the reservation request at step 333. At step 348, the management server
determines whether the
payment token was successfully processed. If the payment token was
successfully processed, the
management server sets (step 350) a status flag indicate the success. The
management server
may also transmit a notification of the failure to Fridge Y to indicate that
Fridge Y should
remove the reservation from the reservation database 334. On the other hand,
if the payment
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token was not successfully processed, the management server sets (step 352)
the status flag to
indicate the failure. At step 354, the management server updates the
reservation database to
indicate the determined reservation status.
[0056] The management server then transmits (step 356) a notification to the
customer
electronic device indicative of the reservation status. In some embodiments,
the notification is a
push message formatted in compliance with an application programming interface
(API) of the
reservation application executing on the customer electronic device. In other
embodiments, the
notification is a text message. If the reservation was successful, the
notification includes an
indication of the purchase code. In some embodiments, the purchase code is
included as text
displayed on the screen of the customer electronic device. Additionally or
alternatively, the
purchase code may be embedded in a barcode or QR code and/or stored in local
memory for
transfer via a near field communication (NFC) or other short range
transmitter.
[0057] Turning now to the flow chart 360 illustrated in Fig. 4, at some point
after the
completion of the process 300, a user 307 of the customer electronic device
interacts with Fridge
Y. As part of the interaction, the vending machine 315 receives an indication
that the user 307
has reserved an item and presents an interface enabling the user 307 to input
(step 362) the
purchase code. The interface may include a text box for reception of a string,
a camera interface
configured to read a barcode or QR code displayed on the screen of the
customer electronic
device, or enable a NFC or other short range receiver to detect the
transmission of a file
indicating the purchase code.
[0058] In response, Fridge Y utilizes the purchase code to query the
reservation database 334.
More particularly, Fridge Y determines (step 368) whether the received
purchase code matches a
purchase code associated with a reservation stored at the reservation database
334. If the
purchase code matches a purchase code of a stored reservation, Fridge Y issues
(step 366)
commands that cause Fridge Y to vend any items included in the matching
reservation record.
On the other hand, if the received purchase code does not match a purchase
code of a reservation
stored in the reservation database 334, Fridge Y may present (step 368) an
indication the
purchase code is either invalid or expired. To this end, the reservation may
include an indication
of a time at which the reservation expires. If Fridge Y detects the
reservation expiration without
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, .
receiving the corresponding purchase code, Fridge Y may modify the record of
the reservation at
the reservation database 334 to indicate that the purchase code is expired.
[0059] Fig. 5 illustrates an example method 400 for implementing the reserve
and pay
functionality described herein. The method 400 is implemented by a vending
machine, such as
the vending machines 115 and 215 of Figs. 1 and 2, respectively or Fridge Y of
Fig. 3.
[0060] The method 400 may begin when the vending machine detects a reservation
request
received via one or more transceivers (block 402). The reservation request
indicates a list of
items and a purchase code. In order to prevent a race condition between local
and remote users
of the vending machine, some embodiments include detecting the presence of a
customer at the
vending machine. Responsive to detecting the presence of the customer at the
vending machine,
the vending machine may prevent the detection of the reservation request, such
as by disabling
the one or more transceivers. Similarly, the vending machine may detect when
the customer is
no longer present at the vending machine. Responsive to detecting that the
customer is no longer
present, the vending machine may then enable the ability of the vending
machine to detect the
reservation request, such as by enabling the one or more transceivers.
[0061] At block 404, the vending machine queries an inventory database (such
as the
inventory databases 232 and 332 of Figs. 2 and 3, respectively) to determine
that the list of items
are available. At block 406, the vending machine generates a record in a
reservation database
(such as the reservation databases 234 and 334 of Figs. 2 and 3, respectively)
with a unique
identifier purchase code.
[0062] At block 408, the vending machine receives an input indicative of the
unique identifier
purchase code. The input unique identifier purchase code may be received via a
display unit, a
camera, and/or a transceiver. At block 410, the vending machine queries the
reservation
database to identify a reservation record that includes a unique identifier
purchase code that
matches the input unique identifier purchase code. At block 412, the vending
machine issues a
command to vend the list of reserved items included in the identified
reservation record.
Automatic Unloading
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CA 3038391 2019-03-28
[0063] Fig. 6 illustrates an example method 420 for implementing the automatic
unloading
functionality described herein. The method 420 is implemented by a vending
machine, such as
the vending machines 115 and 215 of Figs. 1 and 2, respectively or Fridge Y of
Fig. 3.
[0064] The method 420 begins when the vending machine detects the presence of
a service
electronic device (such as the service electronic device 110 of Fig. 1) within
a threshold distance
of the vending machine. In some embodiments, the threshold distance is defined
by a geofence
surrounding the vending machine. In these embodiments, a management server,
such as the
management server 125 of Fig. 1 may maintain the geofence. That is, the
service electronic
device may transmit location as determined by a positioning system (e.g., GPS)
to the
management server, which determines whether the received location is within
the geofenced
region. It should be appreciated that while some geofences may be circular,
the geofenced
region may take any shape. When the received location is within the geofenced
region, the
management server transmits an indication to the vending machine that the
service electronic
device is within the threshold distance.
[0065] In other embodiments, the vending machine determines whether the
service electronic
device is within the threshold distance by determining that the service
electronic device is within
a broadcast range of a particular transceiver of the vending machine. For
example, one of the
transceivers may be a Bluetooth transceiver that scans for devices
broadcasting a Bluetooth
identity. An application executing on the service electronic device may
configure the service
electronic device to be discoverable by Bluetooth devices. Further, the
application may
configure the identity associated with the service electronic device such that
the vending
machine is able to analyze the identity to determine that the identity
corresponds to a service
electronic device. In this example, when the Bluetooth transceiver of the
vending machine
detects a Bluetooth device that has an identity indicative of the service
electronic device, the
vending machine may determine that the service electronic device is within the
threshold
distance. In some implementations, to prevent other devices spoofing a service
electronic
device, a PIN or other code is exchanged to ensure that the identity actually
corresponds to a
service electronic device.
[0066] At block 424, the vending machine analyzes an inventory database (such
as the
inventory databases 232 and 332 of Figs. 2 and 3, respectively) to generate a
list of items having
CA 3038391 2019-03-28
a status indicative of being unsellable. For example, the status may indicate
that the item is
expired, recalled, been exposed to a temperature outside of a suitable range
for too long, etc. At
block 426, the vending machine generates a command to vend each item in the
list of unsellable
items. As described with respect to Fig. 2, the command may be formatted to
instruct one or
more vending actuators to dispense the item stored at a particular slot that
corresponds to the
item within the list of unsellable items.
[0067] To prevent the automatic unloading of products from impacting the
customer
experience, at block 428 the vending machine determines that no customers are
utilizing the
vending machine. In some embodiments, the vending machine detects the
expiration of a timer
(e.g., thirty seconds, one minute, two minutes, five minutes, etc.) that
begins when a customer
activity session expires. According to aspects, the customer activity session
expires when a
customer completes a purchase or if a session timeout occurs. Additionally or
alternatively, the
vending machine may detect the presence of a customer using a camera.
Accordingly, the
vending machine may analyze image data generated by the camera to determine
that no
customers are standing in front of the vending machine. In response to
determining that no
customers are utilizing the vending machine, at block 430 the vending machine
issues the
commands generated at block 426. As a result, the vending machine
automatically begins
vending the unsellable items to reduce vending machine downtime.
Item Lockout
[0068] Fig. 7 illustrates an example method 440 for implementing the remote
item lockout
functionality described herein. The method 440 is implemented by a vending
machine, such as
the vending machines 115 and 215 of Figs. I and 2, respectively or Fridge Y of
Fig. 3.
[0069] The method 440 begins when the vending machine detects a lockout
request received
via the one or more transceivers, the lockout request indicating an item type.
The item type may
be a SKU or an item category (e.g. salad). In one scenario, the lockout
request is an indication
that the item type has been recalled. For example, a management server (such
as the
management server 125 of Fig. 1) may receive an indication from a supplier or
government
agency that the item type has been recalled. Accordingly, the management
server may transmit
the lockout request to prevent the vending machine from distributing recalled
items.
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[0070] In another scenario, the lockout request is indicative of the item type
being exposed to
temperatures outside of a suitable range of temperatures for more than a
threshold duration. As
described above, each item or item type may correspond to a suitable range of
temperatures.
Accordingly, database records associated with the item or item type may
include an indication of
the suitable range of temperatures. In this scenario, the vending machine
includes a temperature
sensor that monitors the temperature within the vending machine. The vending
machine may
then periodically report the temperature to the management server. The
management server may
then compare the reported temperature from the vending machine to the suitable
range in the
item type records. If the management system determines that the temperature of
the vending
machine has been outside of a suitable range of temperatures for a threshold
duration, the
management server may generate a lockout request for those item types.
[0071] At block 444, the vending machine queries an inventory database (such
as the
inventory databases 232 and 332 of Figs. 2 and 3, respectively) to identify
items associated with
the item type. At block 446, the vending machine changes the status of the
items to indicate that
the items are locked out. In some embodiments, the vending machine changes the
record for
each individual item. In other embodiments, the item status is maintained as
parameter
associated with the item type. In these embodiments, changing the status of
the item type record
propagates the change to each item. In any event, changing the status of the
item prevents the
item from appearing in a list of available items. For example, the management
server may
periodically request a list of available items to facilitate the above-
described reserve and pay
functionality. As another example, when a customer interacts with a display
unit of the vending
machine, the locked out items do not appear in a user interface indicating
available items.
Accordingly, customers are unable to purchase locked out items.
Additional Consideration
[0072] As mentioned above, aspects of the systems and methods described herein
are
controlled by one or more controllers. The one or more controllers may be
adapted to run a
variety of application programs, access and store data, including accessing
and storing data in the
associated databases, and enable one or more interactions as described herein.
Typically, the
controller is implemented by one or more programmable data processing devices.
The hardware
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CA 3038391 2019-03-28
elements, operating systems, and programming languages of such devices are
conventional in
nature, and it is presumed that those skilled in the art are adequately
familiar therewith.
[0073] The one or more controllers may also include one or more input/output
interfaces for
communications with one or more processing systems. Although not shown, one or
more such
interfaces may enable communications via a network, e.g., to enable sending
and receiving
instructions electronically. The communication links may be wired or wireless.
[0074] The one or more controllers may further include appropriate
input/output ports for
interconnection with one or more output mechanisms (e.g., monitors, printers,
touchscreens,
motion-sensing input devices, etc.) and one or more input mechanisms (e.g.,
keyboards, mice,
voice, touchscreens, bioelectric devices, magnetic readers, RFID readers,
barcode readers,
motion-sensing input devices, etc.) serving as one or more user interfaces for
the controller. For
example, the one or more controllers may include a graphics subsystem to drive
the output
mechanism. The links of the peripherals to the system may be wired connections
or use wireless
communications.
[0075] Although summarized above as a PC-type implementation, those skilled in
the art will
recognize that the one or more controllers also encompasses systems such as
host computers,
cloud computers, servers, workstations, network terminals, and the like.
Further one or more
controllers may be embodied in a device, such as a mobile electronic device,
like a smartphone
or tablet computer. In fact, the use of the term controller is intended to
represent a broad
category of components that are well known in the art.
[0076] Hence aspects of the systems and methods provided herein encompass
hardware and
software for controlling the relevant functions. Software may take the form of
code or
executable instructions for causing a controller or other programmable
equipment to perform the
relevant steps, where the code or instructions are carried by or otherwise
embodied in a medium
readable by the controller or other machine. Instructions or code for
implementing such
operations may be in the form of computer instruction in any form (e.g.,
source code, object
code, interpreted code, etc.) stored in or carried by any tangible readable
medium.
[0077] As used herein, terms such as computer or machine "readable medium"
refer to any
medium that participates in providing instructions to a processor for
execution. Such a medium
may take many forms. Non-volatile storage media include, for example, optical
or magnetic
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disks, such as any of the storage devices in any computer(s) shown in the
drawings. Volatile
storage media include dynamic memory, such as the memory of such a computer
platform.
Common forms of computer-readable media therefore include for example: a
floppy disk, a
flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM,
DVD, any
other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with
patterns of holes,
a RAM, a PROM and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or
any
other medium from which a controller can read programming code and/or data.
Many of these
forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more
sequences of one or
more instructions to a processor for execution.
100781 It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the
embodiments
described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes
and modifications
may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention and without
diminishing its attendant advantages. For example, various embodiments of the
systems and
methods may be provided based on various combinations of the features and
functions from the
subject matter provided herein.
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