Vending machine interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10692322-B2
Application number	US-201615281629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2016
Priority date	May 27, 2016
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

Various systems and methods for providing a vending machine interface system are provided herein. A vending machine interface system installed in a vending machine includes a peripheral interface to receive data from a peripheral payment device connected to the vending machine, the data indicating an amount received; an inventory interface to determine a current price of a product; and a vending machine controller interface to transmit a signal to a legacy vending machine controller, the signal causing the vending machine to dispense the product.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vending machine interface system installed in a vending machine to retrofit the vending machine, the system comprising:
a peripheral interface to receive data from a peripheral payment device connected to the vending machine, the data indicating an amount received;
an inventory interface to determine a current price of a product and a corresponding legacy price of the product, the current price of the product advertised on the vending machine, and the legacy price of the product used by a legacy vending machine controller before and after the retrofit; and
a vending machine controller interface to transmit a signal to the legacy vending machine controller when the amount received is at least the current price, the signal emulating the legacy price to the legacy vending machine controller, thereby providing a price translation between the current price and the legacy price, and causing the vending machine to dispense the product.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral payment device is at least one of: a bill acceptor, a coin acceptor, or a card reader.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inventory interface is to access the corresponding legacy price of the product.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the current price of the product and the corresponding legacy price of the product are different amounts.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the signal indicates that the amount received via the peripheral interface is at least that of the corresponding legacy price in order to cause the legacy vending machine controller to dispense the product.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the signal comprises a test end signal.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein legacy vending machine controller is configured with a legacy price of zero for the product, and wherein the signal is a product selection signal.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a sensor interface to receive sensor data from a sensor installed in the vending machine.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the sensor data indicates stock level of a product vended from the vending machine.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the sensor data indicates temperature of an interior space of the vending machine.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the system is to communicate the sensor data to a remote location.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the system is to communicate the sensor data indicating stock level to a remote location to alert the remote location of a need to restock.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral interface is connected to a human-machine interface of the vending machine, the human-machine interface used to select a product to vend from the vending machine.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the human-machine interface is a keypad.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the peripheral interface is to receive a product selection from the human-machine interface, and wherein the vending machine controller interface is to communicate the product selection to the legacy vending machine controller.

16. A method of providing a vending machine interface system installed in a vending machine to retrofit the vending machine, the method comprising:
receiving data at the vending machine interface system, from a peripheral payment device connected to the vending machine interface system, the data indicating an amount received;
determining a current price of a product and a corresponding legacy price of the product, the current price of the product advertised on the vending machine, and the legacy price of the product used by a legacy vending machine controller before and after the retrofit; and
communicating with the legacy vending machine controller of the vending machine when the amount received is at least the current price, to transmit a signal to the legacy vending machine controller, the signal emulating the legacy price to the legacy vending machine controller, thereby providing a price translation between the current price and the legacy price, and causing the vending machine to dispense the product.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising accessing the corresponding legacy price of the product.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the current price of the product and the corresponding legacy price of the product are different amounts.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the signal indicates that the amount received via the peripheral interface is at least that of the corresponding legacy price in order to cause the legacy vending machine controller to dispense the product.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the signal comprises a test vend signal.

21. At least one non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions for providing a vending machine interface system to retrofit the vending machine, which when executed by the vending machine interface system, cause the vending machine interface system to:
receive data at the vending machine interface system, from a peripheral payment device connected to the vending machine interface system, the data indicating an amount received;
determine a current price of a product and a corresponding legacy price of the product, the current price of the product advertised on the vending machine, and the legacy price of the product used by a legacy vending machine controller before and after the retrofit; and
communicate with a legacy vending machine controller of the vending machine to transmit a signal to the legacy vending machine controller when the amount received is at least the current price, the signal emulating the legacy price to the legacy vending machine controller, thereby providing a price translation between the current price and the legacy price, and causing the vending machine to dispense the product.

22. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the signal comprises a test vend signal.

23. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the legacy vending machine controller is configured with a legacy price of zero for the product, and wherein the signal is a product selection signal.

24. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 21 , further comprising instructions to establish connection with a human-machine interface of the vending machine.

25. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 24 , further comprising instructions to:
receive a product selection from the human-machine interface; and
communicate the product selection to the legacy vending machine controller.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Hough Paul
• Silva Gabriel Lawrence
• Auzas Eric R
• Hudson Kevin Lowell

Classifications

• G07F9/026

  for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty · CPC title

• G07F5/10

  actuated electrically by the coin, e.g. by a single coin · CPC title

• G07F9/006 Primary

  Details of the software used for the vending machines · CPC title

• G07F5/22

  electrically actuated · CPC title