AU2021104143A4

AU2021104143A4 - A method of vending precious items and an associated vending machine

Info

Publication number: AU2021104143A4
Application number: AU2021104143A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Eric Tay
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2021-07-14
Filing date: 2021-07-14
Publication date: 2021-09-09
Anticipated expiration: 2029-07-14
Also published as: WO2023283672A1

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to devices and associated methods for the automated vending of precious items such as diamonds, jewellery, watches, etc. The disclosure includes security precautions such as the use of tamper evident packaging and various payment options such as cash, credit card or gift redemption. 2/4 I LI 7 8 Fig. 2

Description

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AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 (Cth)

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

Applicant

ERIC TAY

Title

A METHOD OF VENDING PRECIOUS ITEMS AND AN ASSOCIATED VENDING MACHINE

The invention is described in the following statement:

A METHOD OF VENDING PRECIOUS ITEMS AND AN ASSOCIATED VENDING MACHINE TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to devices and associated methods for the vending of precious items such as diamonds, jewellery, watches, etc. Embodiments of the present invention find application, though not exclusively, in the field of automated retail vending.

BACKGROUNDART

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed in Australia or elsewhere before the priority date of this application.

Precious items such as diamonds, jewellery, watches, etc. are typically sold to the public in made-for-purpose retail shops, for example jewellery shops, that are often located in shopping centres and the like. It has been appreciated by the inventor that in some contexts the focus on such traditional retail outlets may hinder the opportunities for achieving sales of such precious items via chance or impulse purchasing behaviours. It also limits the options for sales that could otherwise be achieved in locations differing from the typical retail outlets or during time periods in which such traditional retail outlets are closed. Finally, the traditional retail outlet model effectively limits the number and type of traders likely to offer precious item retail sales options to customers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or substantially ameliorate, one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

In one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of vending precious items, the method including the steps of: locating at least one automated vending machine in a secure publicly accessible location; packaging precious items in tamper evident packaging and stocking said precious items in the automated vending machine; creating a record in a memory of the automated vending machine identifying each of the precious items and associating a respective price for each of the precious items; allowing a member of the public to provide an input to the vending machine so as to select at least one of said precious items; using transaction processing equipment on the automated vending machine so as to allow the member of the public to pay the associated price for the selected precious item; and dispensing the selected precious item from the automated vending machine.

Preferably the step of packaging precious items in tamper evident packaging includes: certifying an authenticity of at least one precious item; placing the certified precious item in a container; closing the container; and adhering a security sealed label onto the container so as to maintain closure of the container, wherein the security sealed label is configured so as to be indicative of an attempt to remove the security sealed label from the container.

In a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of vending precious items, the method including the steps of: locating at least one automated vending machine in a secure publicly accessible location; packaging precious items in tamper evident packaging and stocking said precious items in the automated vending machine; creating a record in a memory of the automated vending machine identifying each of the precious items and associating a respective price for each of the precious items; providing a member of the public with a portable digital storage device encoded with data; allowing the member of the public to interact with the automated vending machine so as to communicate the data from the portable digital storage device to the automated vending machine; using a processor to process the data so as to identify a precious item consistent with the data; and dispensing the identified precious item from the automated vending machine.

In one embodiment the data encodes either a precious item identifier or a monetary value.

In another aspect of the present invention there is provided a vending machine configured to perform a method as described above.

The features and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, provided by way of example only, together with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a flow chart showing steps performed in a first embodiment of the method;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an automated vending machine;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a container for housing a precious item, with the container having a security sealed label in a valid state;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a container for housing a precious item, with the container having a security sealed label in a void state; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a fob.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring the drawings, the method of vending precious items commences at Step SI with the locating of at least one automated vending machine 1 in secure publicly accessible location. Ideally, the locations are selected with a view to the target market. For example, in some embodiments intended for the marketing of relatively expensive precious items, suitable locations may include establishments such as prestige car dealerships, high-end fashion outlets, exclusive restaurants, bars and clubs, and the like. Preferably the vending machine 1 is placed within an enclosed space having minimal vulnerability to thieving techniques such as ram-raiding and the like. Preferably the vending machine 1 is positioned at a front-of house position so as to allow for both public accessibility and supervision by a trusted entity, such as a venue manager or concierge, for example. As shown in figure 2, the vending machine 1 is securely mounted to a solid item, such as a wall 2, for example.

Different embodiments make use of various vending machines 1. The vending machine 1 used in the illustrated embodiment is known as a "Smart Box", which is commercially available from SVA Vending located at 116 Munro Avenue, Sunshine North, Victoria 3020, Australia. This vending machine includes a digital processor, digital memory and a touch sensitive display 7, which allows a prospective purchaser to make inputs. It also includes transaction processing equipment in the form of payment hardware such as a credit card / fob reader 8 and/or currency processing hardware such as a note/coin counter and the like. The vending machine 1 also includes a communications link allowing communications across a network such as the internet, which allows for the communication of operational data, such as audio-visual content, pricing changes, promotional details, etc. The products are dispensed via dispensing port 9, which is protected by a shield that is automatically retractable as required.

At step S2 the precious items are packaged into tamper evident packaging, such as the container 3 shown in figure 3. This involves firstly allowing an authenticator, for example a qualified Jeweller, to inspect the precious item and, if appropriate, to certify its authenticity. Once certified, the precious item is placed into the container 3 and the lid 4 of the container 3 is closed.

At Step S3 a security sealed label 5 is adhered onto the container 3 so as to maintain closure of the container 3. More particularly, the security sealed label 5 has one side upon which an adhesive is pre-applied and an opposite side that is initially in a 'valid' state in which the opposite side displays indicia such as "secure", "valid", "authentic", "genuine" and/or "original". As shown in figure 3, the adhesive side of the security sealed label 5 is applied to the container 3 so as to extend between the base 6 and the lid 4 of the container 3 and thereby maintain the lid 4 in the closed position. Whilst it is maintained in the valid state, the security sealed label 5 provides a prospective purchaser with reassurance that the certified precious item has not been removed and replaced with a cheap imitation. The act of peeling the security sealed label 5 off the container 3 causes the security sealed label 5 to go into a void state whereby a secondary layer is retained onto the container 3 so as to display indicia such as "void", as shown in figure 4. This is indicative of an attempted or actual removal of the security sealed label from the container 3, which gives rise to a presumption that the certified precious item may have been tampered with.

Various embodiments of the invention make use of different types of security sealed labels 5 as compared to the "total-transfer" type described in the preceding paragraph (i.e. where an adhesive layer with a void message is left behind on the surface to show evidence of tampering). Another type is known as a "non-transfer" label, which, when tampered with, does not leave behind any void message. Rather, it is only the security label that exhibits the void message. In this case, it is a lack of the security sealed labels 5 on the surface that may be indicative of tampering. Yet another type of security sealed labels 5 is known as a "destructible" label, which is designed to be destroyed, for example to rip into shreds, when a removal attempt is made.

At step S4 the certified and security sealed containers 3 holding the precious items are stocked into the automated vending machine 1. This would typically take place with security guards in attendance. The stocking process includes the creation of records in the memory of the vending machine 1, which identifies each of the precious items stocked within the vending machine 1 and associates a respective price for each of them. The record also identifies the position within the vending machine 1 at which each precious item has been stocked. The vending machine 1 is now ready for vending to commence.

At step S5 the vending process is commenced by a member of the public providing an input to the processor of the vending machine 1 so as to select at least one of the stocked precious items. For the illustrated embodiment, this takes the form of inputs made via the touch sensitive display 7, which allows the prospective customer to navigate through one or more menus showing details of the available precious items and their pricing to ultimately decide upon a precious item to be purchased. Once the selection has been made, the processor accesses the memory to ascertain the price of the selected precious item and communicates this to the transaction processing equipment.

At step S6 the member of the public interacts with the transaction processing equipment of the vending machine 1 so as to pay the associated price for the selected precious item. For example, the member of the public may position a credit card in proximity to the credit card reader 8, which contactlessly communicates the credit card details to the credit card reader 8. A communications link is then established with the credit card issuer to finalise the transaction. The credit card reader 8 then sends a signal to the processor of the vending machine to confirm that the transaction has been completed. Upon receipt of this signal, at Step S7, the processor performs a dispensing routine whereby the selected precious item is moved within the vending machine 1 from its stocked position to the dispensing port 9. The processor then causes the shield to be retracted, thereby allowing the member of the public to access the precious item.

In the above-described transaction, the payment was provided from the customer's credit card. However, other embodiments make use of alternative payment methodologies. For example, in an alternative embodiment, the member of the public is provided with a portable digital storage device such as the RFID fob 10 shown in figure 5. Digital memory is embedded within the fob 10, along with contactless communications hardware. The fob 10 may be provided to the member of the public as a part of a promotion. For example, a prestige car dealership may run a promotion stating that a purchase of one of their prestige cars meeting certain criteria would be rewarded by the gift of a diamond. In this embodiment, once a qualifying car purchase has been completed, the salesperson gives the fob 10 to the customer (for example the fob 10 may be attached to the car keys). The fob 10 has digital memory which has been encoded with data that identifies either a specific diamond, or a class of diamond, which is to be gifted to the customer. The customer then interacts with the vending machine 1 by placing the fob 10 in close proximity to the fob reader so as to contactlessly communicate the data from the fob 10 to the vending machine 1. A signal is then sent from the fob reader 8 to the fob 10 to indicate that the gift has been redeemed, which wipes the data from the fob 10 so that the fob 10 cannot be used to redeem any further gifts. The data that was communicated to the fob reader 8 is communicated to the processor of the vending machine 1, which identifies a precious item consistent with the data and executes a dispensing routine whereby the identified diamond (or a representative of the identified class of diamond) is moved within the vending machine 1 from its stocked position to the dispensing port 9. The processor then causes the shield to be retracted, thereby allowing the member of the public to access the diamond.

In another embodiment, the fob 10 is not encoded with data identifying a particular product or class of product. Rather, the fob 10 is encoded with data representing a monetary value. In this embodiment, the customer interacts with the vending machine by placing the fob 10 in close proximity to the fob reader 8, which allows the monetary value to be communicated to the fob reader 8. A signal is then sent from the fob reader 8 to the fob 10 to indicate that the gift has been redeemed, which wipes the data from the fob 10. The fob reader 8 then communicates the monetary value to the vending machine's processor. The processor then causes the touch sensitive display 7 to display one or more menus to allow the customer to identify at least one precious item consistent with the data. In other words, the customer selects one or more precious items having a total price that is equal to, or less than, the credit amount. Once this selection has been made, the processor decrements the credit amount by the total price and executes a dispensing routine to dispense the selected item or items.

Some embodiments of the vending machine 1 execute an optional customer data acquisition routine typically either at the commencement or at the conclusion of the customer's interaction with the vending machine 1. This may prompt the customer to input personal details such as a phone number and/or an email address. This data may be stored in the memory of the vending machine 1 and/or it may be communicated from the vending machine 1 to a central database. In either case, the data is available for use in future promotional activities. By way ofnon-limiting example, once a customer has completed a purchase on a vending machine 1 and provided the requested personal details, the vending machine's processor may execute a promotional routine whereby a coupon is sent electronically, for example via email or text, for, say, a $20 discount at a particular restaurant.

While a number of preferred embodiments have been described, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A method of vending precious items, the method including the steps of: locating at least one automated vending machine in a secure publicly accessible location; packaging precious items in tamper evident packaging and stocking said precious items in the automated vending machine; creating a record in a memory of the automated vending machine identifying each of the precious items and associating a respective price for each of the precious items; allowing a member of the public to provide an input to the vending machine so as to select at least one of said precious items; using transaction processing equipment on the automated vending machine so as to allow the member of the public to pay the associated price for the selected precious item; and dispensing the selected precious item from the automated vending machine.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of packaging precious items in tamper evident packaging includes: certifying an authenticity of at least one precious item; placing the certified precious item in a container; closing the container; and adhering a security sealed label onto the container so as to maintain closure of the container, wherein the security sealed label is configured so as to be indicative of an attempt to remove the security sealed label from the container.

3. A method of vending precious items, the method including the steps of: locating at least one automated vending machine in a secure publicly accessible location; packaging precious items in tamper evident packaging and stocking said precious items in the automated vending machine; creating a record in a memory of the automated vending machine identifying each of the precious items and associating a respective price for each of the precious items; providing a member of the public with a portable digital storage device encoded with data; allowing the member of the public to interact with the automated vending machine so as to communicate the data from the portable digital storage device to the automated vending machine; using a processor to process the data so as to identify a precious item consistent with the data; and dispensing the identified precious item from the automated vending machine.

4. A method of vending precious items according to claim 3 wherein the data encodes either a precious item identifier or a monetary value.

5. A vending machine configured to perform a method as defined in any one of the preceding claims.