<div class="application article clearfix" id="description">
<p class="printTableText" lang="en">Patents Form No. 5 <br><br>
S°Sc <br><br>
THE PATENTS ACT 1953 <br><br>
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION <br><br>
VENDING MEANS <br><br>
We, ESTER SLEE, a New Zealand citizen, of 4 Bloomfield Terrace, Lower <br><br>
Hutt, New Zealand, and SANDRA ROSALIA CADZOW, a New Zealand citizen, of 8 Ballandra Court, Mermaid Waters, Queensland 4218, Australia, <br><br>
hereby declare this invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: Intellectual Property <br><br>
Office of NZ <br><br>
i- B-C axs -1- RECEIVED! <br><br>
VENDING MEANS <br><br>
FIELD OF THE INVENTION <br><br>
This invention relates to mini-bar vending means. <br><br>
It is known to use mini-bars in hotel rooms to provide hotel guests with various products, for example beverages, confectionery, health bars, potato crisps, etc. A disadvantage with many known mini-bars is that they must be checked by a room attendant so that the guest can be billed for consumption from the mini-bar. Often a hotel guest leaves the hotel before the mini-bar can be checked, and so the hotel is reliant on the memory and honesty of the guest as to just what was consumed from the mini-bar. Also, a further problem with many known hotel mini-bars is that it is difficult to ascertain the stock level of their contents until a room attendant has checked them. It is accordingly an object of at least one form of the present invention to go at least some way towards addressing the above problems, or to at least offer the public a useful choice. <br><br>
In interpreting this specification, including the associated claims, the term "comprising" or "comprises" or "comprise" should be taken to be non-exclusive - ie should be taken to mean "consisting of or including". <br><br>
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <br><br>
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a hotel mini-bar vending system, comprising: <br><br>
i) a plurality of mini bars containing beverage and/or food products, the mini bars being situated in respective different guest rooms of an accommodation establishment, <br><br>
it) the mini bars being in communication with central control means such that when for any of the mini bars a beverage and/or food product is taken from that mini bar a charge or indication of consumption is automatically allocated to a guest or guests using the guest room in which that mini bar is situated. <br><br>
The accommodation establishment may be a hotel. The guest or guests may be a person or persons, or may be an organisation or organisations (eg a corporate body). <br><br>
Optionally each of the mini bars has a touch sensitive screen which can be used to select a beverage and/or food product such that the beverage and/or food product is dispensed from the mini bar. <br><br>
Optionally the mini bars have refrigeration means to refrigerate the beverage and/or food products. The refrigeration means may be temperature controlled by the central control means. <br><br>
Optionally the central control means comprises a computer device, for example a suitable server. <br><br>
Optionally the mini bars communicate with the control means by way of WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) technology. <br><br>
Optionally i) <br><br>
the central control means can: <br><br>
ascertain and report stock levels of the food and/or beverage products within the mini bars, and/or can li) ascertain and report on overall stock levels of the food and/or beverage products both within the mini bars and within the accommodation establishment as a whole, and/or can iii) prepare a re-stocking schedule for the mini bars dependent on consumption of the food and/or beverage products within the mini bars at any one time, and/or can iv) monitor the operational state of the mini bars, and/or can v) report on mechanical or electronic maintenance requirements for the mini bars. <br><br>
Optionally each mini bar has a bar code reader so that when food and/or beverage products are stocked into the mini bar coding on the products can be read by the bar code reader such that information as to the stock levels of the food and or beverage products is recorded within the mini bar for display by its respective touch sensitive screen and/or the information is communicated to the central control means. <br><br>
Optionally the screen of each mini bar is activated by a key to the room within which the mini bar is situated. The key may be a magnetic key. <br><br>
Optionally each mini bar has an opening with a door which can only be opened by an authorised person from the accommodation establishment. Each door may be opened by a hand held remote control device. The remote control device may be formed such that it can control the temperature within each mini bar. <br><br>
According to a one specific aspect of the invention there is provided a recorded computer software program comprising computer code which, when run: <br><br>
a) maintains a database of mini bar units in an accommodation establishment, and b) causes communication between a central control means and mini bars recorded in the database such that consumption from the mini bars by hotel guests is recorded for each mini bar. <br><br>
Optionally the recorded computer program, when run, can: <br><br>
i) ' identify and report stock levels of products within the mini bars, and/or can u) identify and report on overall stock levels of products within the accommodation establishment whether such products are within the mini bars or held elsewhere within the establishment, and/or can iii) prepare a re-stocking schedule for the mini bars dependent on consumption of the products within the mini bars, and/or can. <br><br>
iv) monitor the operational state of the mini bars, and/or can v) identify and report on mechanical or electronic maintenance requirements for the mini bars. <br><br>
Optionally the recorded computer program, when run, can control temperature settings of the mini bars. <br><br>
Optionally the recorded computer program, when run, utalises WAP (Wireless Application protocol) technology to facilitate communication between the mini-bars and the central control means. The central control means may be a suitable computer device, for example may comprise a suitable server. <br><br>
Some preferred forms of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: <br><br>
Figure 1 is perspective view of a hotel mini bar, and <br><br>
Figures 2 & 3 show part of the mini bar in various operational states. <br><br>
DETAILED DESCRIPTION <br><br>
In one preferred embodiment of the invention a hotel has a plurality of mini bars, each mini bar being situated in a different one of the hotel's guest rooms. Figure 1 shows one such mini bar 1. The mini bar 1 comprises an internal refrigerated storage area (not shown), a touch sensitive screen 2, and a delivery opening 3 to facilitate delivery of food and beverage products from the internal refrigerated storage area. Preferably the screen 2 is angled at 45 <br><br>
degrees with respect to the horizontal to make the screen more user friendly. The angle of the screen may be adjustable. <br><br>
A hotel guest can view the screen 2 to ascertain what food and beverage products are within the mini bar 1. Moreover, the hotel guest can then select one or more of the food and beverage products by touching the touch sensitive screen to cause the selected product or products to be dispensed at the delivery opening 3. The type and number of the products dispensed is automatically communicated to a central control means, for example to a suitable computer device. The central control means may be a suitable server. <br><br>
Communication between the mini bars and the central control means is by way of WAP (Wireless Application Protocol). This enables the mini bars and the central control means to be linked for communication therebetween without the need to install a significant network of new cabling within the wall, floor, or ceiling, etc, spaces of the hotel. <br><br>
When the guest has received selected food or beverage products from the mini bar 1 this is registered at the central control means. Based on the guest's consumption from the mini bar a suitable indicator or charge is automatically registered against that guest's hotel account. <br><br>
The mini bar 1 is formed so that it can only be opened by an authorised employee of the hotel. The mini bar may be opened by way of a remote control device carried by the employee, or by some other suitable means. The remote control device may also be capable of regulating the temperature within the mini bar 1. When the employee opens the mini bar 1 to re-stock it, each food or beverage product added to the mini bar 1 is read by a bar code reader <br><br>
associated with the mini bar. This facilitates the keeping of an up to date electronic record of the contents of the mini bar 1 at any one time. <br><br>
The central control means can maintain a stock list of products within the mini bar 1, and also within other mini bars at the hotel. The central means can also maintain a stock list of products stored at other locations within the hotel. The central control means can thus monitor stock levels within the mini bars and within the hotel as a whole. The central control means prepares a re-stocking schedule for the hotel's mini bars based on guest consumption electronically communicated from the mini bars. The central control means also monitors the operational state of each mini bar within the hotel, and prepares a maintenance schedule based on the mechanical and electronic maintenance requirements of the hotel's mini bars. <br><br>
Optionally each mini bar within the hotel is placed in an active operational state by a guest opening the door of the respective guest room with an electronic key or some other suitable means. <br><br>
Optionally the central control means enables hotel management to control the temperature of each mini bar within the hotel, and may be used to turn each mini bar on or off. <br><br>
It will appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention assists a hotel to efficiently monitor activities involving mini bars, and to accurately bill for mini bar consumption. The invention thus can be used to minimise lost billings and stock due to possible dishonesty by hotel guests or staff. The invention also assists in minimising staff levels within hotels as mini bars need not be <br><br>
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manually checked by hotel employees to ascertain consumption therefrom, and need not be manually checked to see whether re-stocking is necessary. <br><br>
With reference to figures 2 and 3, the touch sensitive screen 2 displays a contents list 4 for the mini bar 1. Figure 2 shows the contents list with no products selected. In figure 3 the contents list 4 is shown with "mineral water" selected. Selection of each product is achieved by the guest touching the appropriate selection button 5 part of the screen immediately adjacent the contents list. When a particular product from the contents lists 4 is selected a visual display of the selected product, together with details of the applicable price, appears in a selected product part 6 of the screen 2. To cause the selected product to be dispensed at the delivery opening the guest touches the "OK" button 7 part of the screen 2. If the selected product or products are out of stock within the mini bar 1 then a suitable message appears on the screen 2 to communicate this. <br><br>
With reference to both of figures 2 and 3, the screen 2 may comprise a language selection panel 8. By touching the panel 8 appropriately the screen 2 will display all information in any one of a number of possible languages. In the case of figures 2 and 3 the English language has been selected. The screen also displays the temperature within the mini bar - le as shown at 9, and may or may not be capable of displaying advertising messages. <br><br>
The invention may involve the use of third party software to facilitate at least some of the benefits of the invention. For example, the invention may comprise software which is compatible with the hotel's existing room billing software. <br><br>
It should be appreciated that communication between the control means and the mini bars may be by way of the Internet. <br><br>
In at least some embodiments of the invention the mini bars may be capable of communicating information to a hotel guest or hotel staff verbally - ie by way of recorded messages. In some further embodiments of the invention the mini bars may also be capable of acting on verbal instructions from a hotel guest or from hotel staff. <br><br>
While some preferred forms of the invention have been described by way of example, it should be appreciated that improvements and modifications can occur without departing from the scope of the appended claims. <br><br></p>
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