Vending System

Abstract

A vending system server for a vending system for selling products or services, from at least one vending machine connected to a network, to purchasers having mobile communicators configured to communicate with the network by wireless data packet network connection, comprises an operator server, connected to the network by an operator network connection, wherein the operator server is configured to (1) receive via the operator network connection a communication from a mobile communicator of identifying data of a vending machine at which the mobile communicator is located, without receiving personal identification information from the mobile communicator, (2) transmit, via the operator network connection to the mobile communicator, vending machine identification information, (3) receive, via the operator network connection, authorization information from an external authorization center, and (4) authorize the vending machine to supply a good or service in response to the authorization information.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 363,060 (allowed), which is a national phase application of PCT / IB01 / 01841, filed Aug. 28, 2001, the content of each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]At present several vending systems are already known, in particular the so called “self service” systems by which a purchaser is able to buy a product or a service and to pay by his credit / debit card.[0003]More recently, vending system based on the use of cellular phones have been proposed.[0004]In respect of the previous vending systems, the “cellular” systems presents many advantages due to the fact that cellular phones are used world wide, so that such vending systems can potentially be of interest to a lot of customers.[0005]Unfortunately, with the known systems a customer is not able to “communicate” with the system, in the sense that the cel...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014]Preferably said means permitting the customer to communicate to an operator the identity of a vending machine consists of an identifying code of the vending machine at which the purchaser is located and transmitted by the purchaser to a web server of the operator through the Internet connection. This permits the unique code associated with the vending machine to be transmitted to the operator. The means permitting the customer to communicate to an operator the identity of the vending machine additionally comprises a first database (DB1) of the operator containing said identifying codes and the corresponding Internet addresses (IP) of the vending machines. Provision of the Internet address enables the operator to directly contact the vending machine.

[0018]The invention is particularly applicable to purchasers having mobile communicators which are connected to the Internet through a cellular network. However it is also advantageous that the means for a customer to communicate to an operator the identity of a vending machine comprises a radio frequency interface able to automatically establish a bi-directional communication link between said vending machine and said communicator and to automatically transmit to the customer communicator an identity code when the customer communicator is in the vicinity of the machine. This enables automatic communication to take place without the requirement to use the cellular communication network, and it is particularly advantageous if the interface is able to connect the customer communicator to the Internet, this will avoid the customer having to use the cellular network.

Problems solved by technology

Unfortunately, with the known systems a customer is not able to “communicate” with the system, in the sense that the cellular link can be utilised by the user only to give instruction without any feedback to the user.

A further disadvantage is that with these systems the customer has to transmit his private data (generally the credit card number) to the vending system.

A still further disadvantage is that the capability of a user to access a cellular based vending system depends on the communication standard used by the cellular phone owned by the customer.

It is thus very difficult for a vending operator to reach all the potential customers (and vice versa) without a lot of difficulties (special agreements with the cellular network providers, specific smart cards) and similar problems.

Furthermore, in the known systems a considerable cost is associated with the user interface which is needed at the vending machines in order to permit the user to properly interact with the system.

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