Vending machine controller and system
US5959869A · kind A · utility
387Cited by
12References
33Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 3, 1996 |
| Grant date | Sep 28, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 3, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06Q30/02
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A vending machine controller having a single serial port on the same chip as the programmable processor. The controller includes a port arbitrator that selectively connects one of several serially communicating devices to this single serial port. The vending machine controller also has multitasking capabilities so that remote price changing, and/or remote reprogramming can be conducted at the same time as a vend operation and/or a multimedia presentation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.