Touchless Vending System with Dual Processor Signal Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vending systems lack the capability to manage the complex relationship between selection buttons and associated coils, making it difficult to implement mobile application-based touchless vending due to numerous machine configurations and combinations.
Innovation Solution
A touchless vending system using a first processor and a second processor within a vending machine, allowing for signal communication to enable product selection and payment authorization via a mobile device, and a method for creating an electronic button signal map to accommodate various vending machine configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a mobile application-based touchless vending system is implemented, then user convenience and transaction speed are improved, but the complexity of managing the relationship between selection buttons and coils increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a processor as an intermediary component that mediates between the mobile device and the vending machine controller. This processor receives product selection signals from the mobile device, translates them into appropriate electronic signals, and sends them to the controller, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture while enabling touchless operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual mapping of the physical button layout in the mobile application interface. This digital copy of the button-coil relationship allows users to select products remotely through the mobile app without physically interacting with the machine, achieving touchless vending while managing complexity through software abstraction
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system accommodates numerous machine configurations and combinations, then versatility is improved, but the difficulty of implementing and managing the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic signal translation capabilities where the processor can adaptively convert mobile device signals into appropriate electronic signals based on the specific machine configuration. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to handle numerous machine configurations and combinations without requiring hardcoding for each variant, thereby improving versatility while managing implementation complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The processor is designed with universal functionality to work across different machine configurations. It can translate various types of product selection signals into appropriate electronic signals for different coil configurations, making the system broadly compatible while avoiding the need for complex configuration-specific implementations
Data Source
AI summary
A touchless vend system includes a first processor and a second processor, each within a vending machine and communicably coupled to one another. The first processor can receive a signal representing a product selection, associated with a product in the vending machine, from a mobile device. The first processor can transmit a payment authorization to a controller of the vending machine, and transmit the signal representing the product selection to the second processor. The second processor receives the signal representing the product selection from the first processor, converts the signal representing the product selection into an electronic signal based on a make, a model, and version information of the vend machine, and sends the electronic signal to the controller to cause vending of the product.