EP0482846A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Computer controlled system for vending personalized products
Assignee: Hallmark Cards Inc
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Filing: 1991-10-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-10-18
Abstract
Abstract A machine for delivering a personalized item (e.g. a greetings card) in response to control data inputted by a customer includes means for storage and delivery of stock to printing means which personalizes said item for delivery in response to payment by said customer. The machine includes a control computer having a memory of text and graphics for selection by the customer.
Inventors
- 👤 Stephen Philip Buckley
- 👤 Michael Lynn Vandemark
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 12:29
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/02; G07; G07F; G07F17/00; G07F17/26
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
285 words
A machine for delivering an item which may be automatically personalized by the customer at the time of purchase, said machine comprising: storage means for storing stock, delivery receptacle means, product handling means for effecting a series of operations and including electrically controllable transfer means for effecting transfer of stock from said storage means, electrically controllable printing means for printing graphics and text on stock transferred by said transfer means and for effecting printing of both high quality graphics and text on said transferred stock for production of a personalized item, and electrically controllable delivery means for effecting delivery of said personalized item from said printing means to said delivery receptacle means, an enclosure containing said storage, receptacle and printing means therewithin, payment means operable by a customer on the outside of said enclosure to effect payment for an item, selection means operable by a customer on the outside of said enclosure to effect entry of control data to select graphics and text to be provided on the personalized item to be delivered to the customer, and computer means within said enclosure and coupled to said payment and selection means and to said electrically controllable transfer, printing and delivery means of said product handling means, said computer means controlling said transfer, printing and delivery means of said product handling means following payment by a customer to perform a series of operations in accordance with said control data, said series of operations being performed within said enclosure without operator intervention and including transfer of stock from said storage means, printing of stock transferred from said storage means and delivery of the desired final form of personalized item from said printing means to said delivery receptacle means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
285 words
A machine for delivering an item which may be automatically personalized by the customer at the time of purchase, said machine comprising: storage means for storing stock, delivery receptacle means, product handling means for effecting a series of operations and including electrically controllable transfer means for effecting transfer of stock from said storage means, electrically controllable printing means for printing graphics and text on stock transferred by said transfer means and for effecting printing of both high quality graphics and text on said transferred stock for production of a personalized item, and electrically controllable delivery means for effecting delivery of said personalized item from said printing means to said delivery receptacle means, an enclosure containing said storage, receptacle and printing means therewithin, payment means operable by a customer on the outside of said enclosure to effect payment for an item, selection means operable by a customer on the outside of said enclosure to effect entry of control data to select graphics and text to be provided on the personalized item to be delivered to the customer, and computer means within said enclosure and coupled to said payment and selection means and to said electrically controllable transfer, printing and delivery means of said product handling means, said computer means controlling said transfer, printing and delivery means of said product handling means following payment by a customer to perform a series of operations in accordance with said control data, said series of operations being performed within said enclosure without operator intervention and including transfer of stock from said storage means, printing of stock transferred from said storage means and delivery of the desired final form of personalized item from said printing means to said delivery receptacle means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
A machine as defined in claim 1, including memory means associated with said computer means for storage of data for selective display of said plurality of designs by said display means and for printing of any selected one of said plurality of designs by said printing means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
A machine as defined in claim 2, said computer means being arranged for downloading data from said memory means for printing of a design while concurrently controlling said transfer means to transfer stock to said printing means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
A machine as defined in claim 2 or claim 3, said computer means being arranged for operating said display means for entry by a customer of data for personalization of an item as well as for selection of a design to be personalized.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
A machine according to any preceding Claim wherein said item is a sheet of greeting card stock.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
72 words
A machine according to claim 5, said printing means including ink jet head means rotatable about a vertical axis, and sheet handling means for receiving a sheet at an entrance below said head means, forming the sheet into a partial cylinder and moving the formed sheet upwardly past said head means to an upper exit region while operating said head means to print on a radially inwardly facing side of the sheet.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
96 words
A machine as defined in claim 6, said sheet handling means including a pair of vertically extending belts on diametrically opposite sides of said vertical axis and having cleats thereon in vertical alignment, sheet guide means defining a guide path extending arcuately about said axis on the inside of and past both of said belts, and stop means limiting movement of the sheet to a limit position in which it forms a partial cylinder extending over both of said cleats to be carried upwardly by said cleats past said print head for transfer of ink thereto.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
A machine as defined in Claim 7, said sheet handling means including roller means adjacent an intermediate portion of said guide path and engageable with a sheet to move the sheet toward said limit position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
A machine as defined in any of claims 6-8, said transfer means being arranged to move said sheet from said exit region to said entrance after one printing operation to print on the opposite side of said sheet in a second printing operation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
A machine as defined in any of claims 6-9, said sheet handling means including guide means extending vertically above said print head and operative to releasably hold a sheet in the form of a partial cylinder for pick up by said pick-up means.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
158 words
A method of automated supply of products created according to preferences of a customer to be thereby of personalized form, said method comprising the steps of storing base products of a plurality of forms adapted to be modified in accordance with said preferences of a customer, communicating data to the customer defining forms of products and product modifications which are available for selection and authorizations required from the customer for producing modified products, detecting a customer's selection of a form of product and modifications thereof and the customer's authorization of production thereof, automatically responding to said selection and authorization by effecting a series of operations including automatically effecting transfer from storage of a base product of the form selected by the customer, automatically effecting modification of the transferred base product of the selected form to produce a base product modified in accordance with the customer's selection, and automatically effecting delivery of the modified base product to the customer.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
158 words
A method of automated supply of products created according to preferences of a customer to be thereby of personalized form, said method comprising the steps of storing base products of a plurality of forms adapted to be modified in accordance with said preferences of a customer, communicating data to the customer defining forms of products and product modifications which are available for selection and authorizations required from the customer for producing modified products, detecting a customer's selection of a form of product and modifications thereof and the customer's authorization of production thereof, automatically responding to said selection and authorization by effecting a series of operations including automatically effecting transfer from storage of a base product of the form selected by the customer, automatically effecting modification of the transferred base product of the selected form to produce a base product modified in accordance with the customer's selection, and automatically effecting delivery of the modified base product to the customer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as defined in claim 11, wherein said available forms of products are such as to communicate in a plurality of media and wherein a customer's selection of a form of product includes a selection of a particular medium of communication.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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