Method and apparatus for establishing and managing vending machine subscriptions
US5988346A · kind A · utility
173Cited by
9References
36Claims
0Family size
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 10, 1997 |
| Grant date | Nov 23, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 10, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07F9/002
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for registering a subscription to purchase a plurality of items dispensed by a vending machine. According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method and apparatus are disclosed for dispensing an item by a vending machine in response to a request to redeem at least a portion of a registered subscription. According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method and apparatus are disclosed for dispensing an item by a vending machine based on an estimated availability determined through an analysis of stored subscription data.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.