System and method for using a mobile device to access inventory

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10672216-B2
Application number	US-201816181903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2018
Priority date	Nov 7, 2017
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

A system and method for using a mobile device to cause a vending machine to provide access to a product. After a calibration position is established within the mobile device, an accelerometer of the mobile device is used to determine a current location of the mobile device relative to the vending machine resulting from a movement of the mobile device from the calibration position. A product location to mobile device location mapping is then used to determine a one of a plurality of vending mechanisms associated with the vending machine that is to be activated given the determined current location of the mobile device. A signal may then be sent from the mobile device to the vending machine to instruct the vending machine to activate the determined one of the plurality of vending mechanisms.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for using a mobile device to cause a vending machine to provide access to a product, comprising:
establishing within the mobile device a calibration position relative to the vending machine via use of a signal received from a signal generating device associated with a predetermined location relative to the vending machine;
using an accelerometer of the mobile device to determine a current location of the mobile device relative to the vending machine resulting from a movement of the mobile device from the calibration position;
using a product location to mobile device location mapping to determine a one of a plurality of vending mechanisms associated with the vending machine that is to be activated given the determined current location of the mobile device; and
sending a signal by the mobile device to the vending machine to instruct the vending machine to activate the determined one of the plurality of vending mechanisms.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vending mechanisms comprises a plurality of rotating vending machine coils.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vending mechanisms comprises a plurality of unlockable vending machine doors.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein user input is required to be provided to the mobile device before the determined location of the mobile device is used to determine a one of the plurality of vending mechanisms associated with vending machine that is to be activated.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein user input is required to be provided to the mobile device before the calibration position relative to the vending machine is established within the mobile device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising sending an authorization request to a server and sending the signal to the vending machine to instruct the vending machine to activate the determined one of the plurality of vending mechanisms only when a positive response is received in response to the authorization request.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising using a camera of the mobile device to capture image data when sending the signal to the vending machine to instruct the vending machine to activate the determined one of the plurality of vending mechanisms.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 , comprising uploading to a server device the image data captured by the camera.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising causing the mobile device to transmit a signal to a vendor's server to thereby allow the vendor's server to record the provided access to the product.

10. A non-transitory, computer readable media having stored thereon instructions executable by a mobile device to cause a vending machine to provide access to a product, the instructions, when executed by the mobile device, causing the mobile device to perform steps comprising:
establishing within the mobile device a calibration position relative to the vending machine via use of a signal received from a signal generating device associated with a predetermined location relative to the vending machine;
using an accelerometer of the mobile device to determine a current location of the mobile device relative to the vending machine resulting from a movement of the mobile device from the calibration position;
using a product location to mobile device location mapping to determine a one of a plurality of vending mechanisms associated with the vending machine that is to be activated given the determined current location of the mobile device; and
sending a signal to the vending machine to instruct the vending machine to activate the determined one of the plurality of vending mechanisms.

11. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the plurality of vending mechanisms comprises a plurality of rotating vending machine coils.

12. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the plurality of vending mechanisms comprises a plurality of unlockable vending machine doors.

13. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein user input is required to be provided to the mobile device before the determined location of the mobile device is used to determine a one of the plurality of vending mechanisms associated with vending machine that is to be activated.

14. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein user input is required to be provided to the mobile device before the calibration position relative to the vending machine is established within the mobile device.

15. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the mobile device to send an authorization request to a server and wherein sending the signal to the vending machine to instruct the vending machine to activate the determined one of the plurality of vending mechanisms is performed only when a positive response is received in response to the authorization request.

16. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause a camera of the mobile device to be used to capture image data when sending the signal to the vending machine to instruct the vending machine to activate the determined one of the plurality of vending mechanisms.

17. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 16 , comprising uploading to a server device the image data captured by the camera.

18. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the mobile device to transmit a signal to a vendor's server to thereby allow the vendor's server to record the provided access to the product.

19. A method for using a mobile device to cause a vending machine to provide access to a product, comprising:
establishing within the mobile device a calibration position relative to the vending machine;
using an accelerometer of the mobile device to determine a current location of the mobile device relative to the vending machine resulting from a movement of the mobile device from the calibration position;
using a product location to mobile device location mapping to determine a one of a plurality of vending mechanisms associated with the vending machine that is to be activated given the determined current location of the mobile device;
sending a signal by the mobile device to the vending machine to instruct the vending machine to activate the determined one of the plurality of vending mechanisms; and
causing the mobile device to transmit a signal to a vendor's server to thereby allow the vendor's server to record the provided access to the product.

20. A method for using a mobile device to cause a vending machine to provide access to a product, comprising:
establishing within the mobile device a calibration position relative to the vending machine;
using an accelerometer of the mobile device to determine a current location of the mobile device relative to the vending machine resulting from a movement of the mobile device from the calibration position;
using a product location to mobile device location mapping to determine a one of a plurality of vending mechanisms associated with the vending machine that is to be activated given the determined current location of the mobile device;
sending a signal by the mobile device to the vending machine to instruct the vending machine to activate the determined one of the plurality

Assignees

• Ww Grainger Inc

Inventors

• Westphal Geoffry A
• Finn James
• Rui Qianyu

Classifications

• G06Q20/3224

  Transactions dependent on location of M-devices · CPC title

• G07F11/002 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G07F11/24

  Rotary or oscillatory members · CPC title

• G06Q20/3278 Primary

  RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices · CPC title

• G07F9/001 Primary

  Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices · CPC title