EP0131331A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Commodity dispensing apparatus
Assignee: Mainmet Ltd
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Filing: 1984-07-02
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-07-02
Abstract
Abstract A commodity dispensing apparatus of the type having token reading means and commodity dispensing means is operative to dispense the commodity accorging to the parameters determined by tokens given to the token reading means and includes means for checking the operative status of the apparatus, means for storing and carrying out instructions for at least one status check step, and means responsive to a further token being given to the token reading means to cause said instructions to be carried out.
Inventors
- 👤 Alan Fyfe C/O Mainmet Limited Anderson
- 👤 Robert William Easterby
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 00:22
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07F; G07F7/00; G07F7/08; G07F7/12; G06; G06Q; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/08; G06Q20/12; G06Q20/127; G07F15/00; G07F17/00; G07F17/0014
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
82 words
A commodity dispensing apparatus of the type having token reading means and commodity dispensing means which is operative to dispense the commodity according to the parameters determined by the tokens given to the token reading means, including means for checking the operative status of the apparatus, means for storing and carrying out instructions for at least one status check step, and means responsive to a further token being given to the token reading means to cause said instructions to be carried out.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
82 words
A commodity dispensing apparatus of the type having token reading means and commodity dispensing means which is operative to dispense the commodity according to the parameters determined by the tokens given to the token reading means, including means for checking the operative status of the apparatus, means for storing and carrying out instructions for at least one status check step, and means responsive to a further token being given to the token reading means to cause said instructions to be carried out.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which operation is control led by a microprocessor according to a stored digital programme and a status check is also carried out by the micro processor according to a further stored digital programme.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 .in which the result of the status check is displayed for a short period by an alpha-numeric display means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which the alpha-numeric display means normally, in use, shows the cumulative total of commodity dispensed.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
22 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the commodity dispensed is electricity, gas or water.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
26 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the commodity dispensed is heat, in, for example, a district heating system.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
58 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 in which the rate at which commodity is dispensed is set up by feeding a master token to the apparatus and the commodity is then purchased by feeding a value token to the apparatus which sets up a credit allowance less any deductions to be made.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
38 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 which is further provided with an emergency credit mode whereby a predetermined amount of further commodity can be dispensed without the insertion of a value token.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
55 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 in which a check on the operative status of the apparatus may be made by presenting a further token which brings into operation a special sequence of checks, instructions for which are stored in a check or test programme held in a memory.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which the further checks include a test that the apparatus is functioning correctly and has not been tampered with.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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