Control device for a vending machine and gift certificate for use thereon
US4809837A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 26, 1987 |
| Grant date | Mar 7, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 26, 2007 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07G1/0036
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
This gift certificate has information recorded thereon for identifying a total face value vendible by the gift certificate and a predetermined base amount equal to or smaller than the total face value. The information recorded on a deposited gift certificate is read by a reading device. A validation device validates the total face value and the base amount of the deposited gift certificate in response to the read information. A vending permission judgement device prohibits, in reponse to an output of the validation device, at least vending of an article to which a vend price below the base amount has been assigned. By virtue of this arrangement, a purchaser of an article from a vending machine by using a gift certificate is not forced to make purchase of the entire total face value but has only to make purchase above the base amount in which case a change preferably is paid out.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.