Network of vending machines connected interactively to data-base building host
US6462644B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 19, 1998 |
| Grant date | Oct 8, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 19, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06Q10/087
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A wide area network (WAN) of vending machines connected to a host that builds a database of vending-related information received from the vending machines. Also, a communications system within each vending machine having a vending machine data acquisition unit and a multiple-communication-technology adapter to interface the data acquisition unit to multiple communication technologies including at least one wireless technology. Also, a data structure used to build the database, the data structure having data elements corresponding to an identity of a machine, recent and previous prediction information for the machine, and recent and previous refill-visit information for the machine, the elements being linked together. The multiple vending machines communicate with a communications concentrator via one of many communication technologies. The communications concentrator interfaces the multiple vending machines to a data warehouse that builds a database using the data structure mentioned above. The data warehouse is made available to one or more bottlers for analysis of individual vending machine routing needs and profitability.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.