Vending system

Claim 2

A vending system, comprising: a service center including a first computer and a first video monitor; and a plurality of vending machines, each including: a storage section containing a product inventory, a retrieval mechanism operating in the storage section to retrieve selected products from the inventory and deliver the selected products to a vending port accessible to customers, a second video monitor, a speaker, means for driving the second video monitor and the speaker to provide audio/video programming to customers, a video camera for generating scene images of a vending machine site including customers, input means for accepting product selections and product payments made by customers, and a second computer connectable to the first computer by a telephone line and operating to control the retrieval mechanism, the driving means, the video camera, and the input means.

Claim 3

The vending system defined in claim 1, wherein the second computer includes means for transmitting the scene images generated by the video camera to the service center for display on the first video monitor.

Claim 4

The vending system defined in claim 1, wherein said second computer of each vending machine includes means for compiling and transmitting activity reports to said first computer over the phone line.

Claim 5

The vending system defined in claim 2, wherein the service center further includes means providing a first phone set, and each vending machine further includes a microphone, the speaker and the microphone operable as a second phone set connectable to the first phone set via the telephone line to accommodate voice communications between customers and a service center operator.

Claim 6

The vending system defined in claim 1, wherein the driving means includes a video computer for generating with the speaker the audio/video programming displayed by the second video monitor and reproduced by the speaker, and the video computer includes means for generating a menu of the products in the inventory for selection by the customer, the menu being scrolled across a first screen portion of the second video monitor while the audio/video programming is displayed on a second screen portion of the second video monitor.

Claim 7

The vending system defined in claim 2, wherein each vending machine includes means causing the second computer to notify the first computer of an abnormal condition, the first computer, in response, activating the scene image transmitting means.

Claim 8

The vending system defined in claim 6, wherein each vending system includes recording means for producing an audio/video recording of machine-site activities incident with the abnormal condition.

Claim 9

The vending system defined in claim 1, wherein the storage section includes: a plurality of vertically spaced shelves of bins containing products in stacked relation, each shelf includes a matrix array of the bins arranged in first rows extending in a front-to-back direction of the storage section and intersecting second rows extending in a side-to-side direction of the storage section, the bins in the first rows having bottom product openings disposed at staggered elevations, the retrieval mechanism including a platen mounted for retrieval movements in the side-to-side direction to a selected one of the first rows of bins and in the front-to-back direction to a selected one of the second rows of bins and extracting movements to extract a product onto the platen from the bin at the intersection of the selected first and second rows through the bottom opening thereof for delivery to the vending port, and means controlled by the second computer to power the movements of the platen according to a customer product selection accepted by the input means.

Claim 10

A vending system including a central station connectable to any one of a plurality of vending machines by phone lines, each vending machine comprising: computer means; means for storing an inventory of different types of products available for purchase by customers; means for retrieving from the inventory and dispensing customer-selected products under control of the computer means; audio/video production means; means for storing audio/video data for retrieval and playback by said production means under control of said computer means as a series of audio/video presentations to a customer, the computer means changing a playback order of the audio/video presentations in response to customer selection of a particular audio/video presentation for playback; means including the computer means for accumulating a record of vending machine activities including customer selections; and means including the computer means for transmitting the activity record to the central station.

Claim 11

A vending system including a central station connectable to any one of a plurality of vending machines by phone lines, each vending machine comprising: computer means; means for storing an inventory of different types of products available for purchase by customers; means for retrieving from the inventory and dispensing customer-selected products under control of the computer means; audio/video production means; means for storing audio/video data for retrieval and playback by said production means under control of said computer means as a series of audio/video presentations to a customer, the computer means changing a playback order of the audio/video presentations in response to customer selection of a particular audio/video presentation for playback; means including the computer means for accumulating a record of vending machine activities including customer selections; and means including the computer means for transmitting the activity record to the central station.

Claim 12

The vending system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of vending machines are divided into a plurality of groups of vending machines, one vending machine in each vending machine group being equipped to function as a master vending machine for receiving phone line transmissions of activity reports from remaining vending machines of the group and compiling a group activity report for phone line transmission to the central station.

Claim 13

The vending system defined in claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of vending machines further includes: a database containing video images of views from a plurality of representative seat locations at various entertainment facilities; means including the computer means for retrieving from the database and displaying on the production means a video image representative of the view from a seat selected by customer input; and a printer, controlled by the computer means for printing a ticket/receipt for the customer-selected seat.

Claim 14

The vending system defined in claim 9, wherein at least one of the vending machines further includes: a key pad connected to the computer means and usable by on-site customers to select audio/video presentations for playback by the production means; means for connecting the computer means to off-site TV receivers; and means including the computer means for accepting remote customer selections of audio/video presentation playbacks on the off-site TV receivers.

Claim 15

The vending system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of vending machines further includes: a keypad; payment means; debit card means; and means including the computing means responsive to a customer input via the keypad and customer payment acceptance by the payment means for controlling the debit card means to dispense to the customer a debit card containing a stored money amount corresponding to the customer payment accepted by the payment means.

Claim 16

The vending system of claim 9, wherein each of said vending machines includes audio/video out terminals connectable to one or more external TV receivers for production of the audio/video presentations.

Claim 17

The vending system of claim 9, wherein each vending machine includes a printer for printing, under control of the computer means, one or more types of documents dispensed to customers, including receipts, credit/refund slips, tickets, and facsimile documents.

Claim 20

The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of communicating instructions to a printer at the customer site to print the selected ticket.

Claim 23

The system of claim 18, further comprising means for communicating instructions to a printer at the customer site to print a ticket selected by the customer from the ticket menu.