Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
  • G06Q20/08—Payment architectures
  • G06Q20/12—Payment architectures specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q30/00—Commerce
  • G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q30/00—Commerce
  • G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
  • G06Q30/0207—Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
  • G07F17/10—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for means for safe-keeping of property, left temporarily, e.g. by fastening the property
  • G07F17/12—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for means for safe-keeping of property, left temporarily, e.g. by fastening the property comprising lockable containers, e.g. for accepting clothes to be cleaned
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F7/00—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus

Definitions

• PCT/AU93/00416 relates to a vending machine which facilitates recycling of complex articles, such as printer and toner cartridges.
• PCT/AU95/00154 discloses an electronic catalogue device and system for enabling remote ordering of goods/services.
• Another facility of human interaction in relation to retail sales is the ability of the representative or salesperson to be able to provide marketing information for management purposes. That is, for example, including information on customers who the person is approached, the number of purchases actually made by customers, type of products that are most popular, etc.
• Information on products stored by the ordering apparatus or available over the network is preferably stored in a database.
• Each ordering apparatus may have access to the database and in some embodiments the database may be stored in a memory at the apparatus.
• a main database may be stored at a host device and information obtained from the main database on-line by the apparatus.
• information on the product may be obtained by physical sensors within the device, such as shape sensors (described in applicants earlier application PCT/AU93/00416) and/or by logic, processing, based on information stored or processed by the control means.
• the sensors may include any type of available sensor, such as infra-red, etc.
• the communications network may include any known communications networks, including the Internet.
• coupon redemption system or the like, by means of which a customer is accorded a reward for purchasing a particular product.
• the reward may be in the form of a discount from a subsequent purchase, to incent repeat purchases or may be generally any type of reward, offer of a prize in a competition, etc.
• Such coupon redemption schemes generally need to be administered by human operatives in any retailing system in order to effect the reward, ensure the "coupon” is not forged, etc.
• “coupon” we are not limited to a paper coupon or the like, but generally mean any means by which a reward can be affected for a product purchase or associated with a product purchase.
• the present invention provides a product ordering apparatus, comprising a control means for controlling ordering of products, input means by which a user may select products, and coupon receiving means for receiving a coupon for designating a reward or the like to the user, a means to invalidate the coupon so that it cannot be reused and means for determining and effecting the reward.
• the apparatus may also include means for generating a coupon in response to user operation of the apparatus .
• the "coupon" may include a smart-card, bar code, magnetic card, and any other item by which marketing promotions and the like may be implemented.
• the previous aspects of the present invention relate to retailing which requires electronic or the like devices for generating remote ordering, and may include combined vending and electronic ordering devices, kiosks, PC's and the like, which are preferably connected via a communications network to enable transmission of remote orders.
• Such systems have been previously described in co-applicants earlier patent applications, absent the improvements discussed above.
• the sensor means may be arranged to determine when a particular product type drops to a certain level of units.
• the host controller may then be able to generate a message that stock is low for a particular product and generate an order for a re-stockist to attend the retail shelf to restock that particular product.
• the sensor means does not need to detect every single unit of product being removed, but only a product which is in a place on the shelf which perhaps indicates that other product must have been taken and therefore the stock of that product is low.
• the sensor means may, however, record every product which is taken from the shelf apparatus.
• the sensor means may also be arranged to generate an "out of stock" alarm when the last product is taken.
• Figure 2 is a front elevation of a device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention schematically indicating hardware components;
• Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating example operation of a device in accordance with the present invention.
• the remote ordering device 100 includes a control means 110, which comprises a computer for controlling local operation of the device.
• the computer includes appropriate software for controlling the device.
• the device 100 further comprises a card reader 111 for identifying a user by means of magnetic card swipe and for use for obtaining account details for a payment processing transaction; a data entry means 112, which may comprise any means for entering data, such as a keypad, audio interface for digitising voice, a printer 113; a video display 114 (which in this embodiment is a touch-screen and therefore also operates as a data entry means 112) ; a database 115, which may contain product information, information on users etc.,
• a sound card 226 for the reproduction of audio files is provided.
• a suitable audio means is provided to reproduce sound including a speaker (not shown in the drawing) .
• a video capability such as MPEG or quicktime for video images is also provided.
• the device also includes a means for issuing a reward 241 which may be in the form of a printer for a bar code, or may be arranged to issue a smart card, magnetic card or the like which can be used for redemption of a reward during a subsequent purchase from the ordering apparatus or like ordering apparatus in the system.
• the reward issuing means 241 may also be arranged to issue a PIN number or other identification means for securing reserved stock which a user has reserved either in a particular ordering apparatus they are using or at another ordering apparatus in the system. It will be appreciated that much of the control of the device will be implemented in software, for control of operation of the hardware of the device in accordance with this embodiment. A detailed description of the software configuration is not necessary.
• the user may then be required to pay by means of the bank network 104, securing the payment transaction via credit card or bank card swiped in the card reader 210A.
• the bank card or credit card may provide sufficient identification to the system and a separate identification magnetic card may not be required.
• a payment transaction is not necessary. It is possible that a separate billing process could take place, as long as identification of the user has been made.
• the control unit operating a latch mechanism to the particular storage location 201 to enable the user to open the specified door. The user then takes the product.
• a suitable latch mechanism and configuration of the storage location is described in the earlier PCT application referred to above (PCT/AU93/00416) .
• Figure 4 illustrates a novel retailing system which can incorporate devices as described above, as well as other devices, such as PC's, in an area, nationwide or country wide retailing network.
• the system illustrated in figure 4 comprises a host computer 1 and a plurality of remote ordering devices 2, 3 and 4.
• remote ordering devices 2, 3 and 4 By using the remote ordering devices 2, 3 and 4, a user is able order goods/services from goods/services providers 6, 7.
• Goods/services providers 6 may be any supplier of any goods/services e.g., office consumables, food, drink, and generally anything that may be purchased or provided.
• each of the ordering apparatus which are connected via the network are individually addressable from the host processor.
• the addressable apparatus may include PC's which incorporate ordering means for enabling products to be ordered on the network, dedicated ordering apparatus such as stand alone kiosks, combined ordering and vending apparatus and generally any other types of devices as discussed above in relation to figure 4.
• Logic means are also provided for selecting devices by address, location, and generally any characteristic, also as discussed in the preamble of the specification.
• devices 100 could all communicate via communication means to a central global host 100C and the global host 100C can select groups of devices 100 to download information or to extract information for analysis.
• the regional host 100B may control all the devices in a state, or country, for example.
• a global host 100C which is able to control all the devices 100 in the system, obtain information from all the devices in the system and provide information to all the devices in the system.
• the system may include any type of devices, as already described in relation to figure 4.
• Another powerful feature of the system in accordance with the present invention is the ability to collect statistical information about the behaviour of consumers.
• This statistical information gathering facility can be enhanced by providing means for asking questions of the user at various ordering apparatus or PC related devices, such that the user will enter survey information which can be collated and stored in a database, for use in marketing, promotions and operation of the devices.
• a reward or loyalty system may be implemented by the ordering apparatus and system in accordance with the present invention.
• Figures 6 schematically illustrates an intelligent retail shelf apparatus 700 on which product 801 is stored.
• An optical transmitter 702 and receiver 701 are provided for detecting a stock out situation for product 801.
• optical sensors 703 are provided at each product 801 location to detect the presence of a product and/or information on the product which will be provided by a bar code, or other similar item which is placed on the base of the product 801 (and is not shown in the drawings) .
• a support 705, for supporting product is shown which may be associated with a micro switch 706 so that each time a product is removed it is also detected by the micro switch 706.
• the shelf label 707 which can display information and pricing on the product may be an electronic display (e.g. an LCD) that can have information downloaded from a host.
• Another embodiment is an inclined gravity fed shute or handing bar that stores the product (where each time that the end (front) product is removed, the remaining products move forward) combined with sensing means to detect low- stock and out of stock conditions.
• a further embodiment contains a barcode scanner that moves along a rail when required to scan the type and quantity of product stored in the retail shelf.
• the intelligent shelf apparatus can therefore provide information on products which are stored in the apparatus, can provide information on when products are removed, and when products are out of stock or low in stock.
• Such an apparatus can be connected in a system in accordance with the present invention, as discussed above.
• a host processor will have access to such an apparatus, therefore, to determine what product is available, for the purposes of a user who may require the product, and also for a re-stockist who may wish to restock the product.
• Figure 7 shows a way in which the smart retail apparatus may be utilised in a management system.
• An inventory management master system 750 which may incorporate a host controller in accordance with the system discussed above or may be the local inventory management system at the retail site, separate to the host controller, and being controlled by a re-stockist or manager, is arranged to operate the "smart" shelf 700 at a retail location which may be local or remote from the inventory management master system 750.
• a smart shelf alerts the master system 750 by way of a communications media (which may be any convenient communications media, including the Internet) with regular stock status reports.
• the inventory management master system 750 can respond by alerting a re-stockist to restock the shelf 700. Where the inventory management system 750 also manages the retail site operation prices displayed at the smart retail shelf's electronic display tag will be identical to those charged at the checkout counter.
• the products are owned by the original manufacturer or distributor until sold.
• the original manufacturer or distributor can own their own retail shelves and/or vending/delivery outlets and pay the re-stockist and retail location on a commission or other basis when sales are made.
• the host system provides an administration and reporting system to manage consignment inventory, retailer, re-stockist and location commission on an automated basis.
• the checkout system 751 may be connected via a communications link to the inventory management master system 750, and pricing of stock may automatically be updated from the inventory management master system and sales may automatically be reported back to the inventory management master system.
• Figure 8 discloses an example architecture for the device.
• the architecture includes IC verify services processing software, for verifying a user payment transaction.
• the architecture also includes OLE automation which utilises Microsoft ® message passing standard facilitates non-call module removal and replacement. It also includes a user interface which has already been somewhat described above and is described in previous applications, controlling interfacing with the user.
• a data manager performs all user interface database operations, including interface of security information with the control means 110.
• An event manager controls processes within the device facilitates changes to process sequences by using a state-transition table.
• the shopping basket service architecture maintains a customer selected products requests card authorisation, prints receipts and requests that "take now" (vended on site) items be dispensed from the storage and dispensing means 116.
• the software system is structured such that there is an API (Application Programmable Interface) between the user interface and the OLE Automation layer.
• API Application Programmable Interface
• This allows for third party development of user interface software for vending machines smart retail shelves and kiosks, whilst retaining the same program code for payment processing, hardware device control, communications, shopping basket, etc.
• the development of an API for the user interface is a particularly relevant feature which allows advertising and marketing programs and promotions to be developed and downloaded to selected devices or groups of devices without the need to modify operation of the core software within the host or devices.
• the API structure also allows user interface software to be developed in a way where parts of the user interface are not frequently to be changed, however, parts such as prices, graphics and promotions may be downloaded at any time.
• Figure 10 is an example display, showing a map indicating locations of ordering apparatus.

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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ID=22002308

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Families Citing this family (21)

Citations (6)

Family Cites Families (12)

• 1998
  • 1998-08-19 CA CA002301918A patent/CA2301918A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-08-19 WO PCT/AU1998/000654 patent/WO1999009499A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1998-08-19 AU AU87215/98A patent/AU8721598A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-08-19 EP EP98938532A patent/EP1004087A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-08-19 JP JP2000510093A patent/JP2001516086A/ja not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-08-19 BR BR9811326-7A patent/BR9811326A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
• 2009
  • 2009-10-30 AU AU2009236013A patent/AU2009236013B2/en not_active Expired

Patent Citations (6)

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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