WO2018137174A1

WO2018137174A1 - Vending apparatus and vending method for digital files

Info

Publication number: WO2018137174A1
Application number: PCT/CN2017/072618
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Ni; Chuwu CHEN
Original assignee: Sonne International Co., Ltd
Priority date: 2017-01-25
Filing date: 2017-01-25
Publication date: 2018-08-02

Abstract

A vending apparatus (10, 20, 30, 40) and vending method for digital files (143) through a USB or similar peripheral connection method and transferring to a docked information device (19) at high transfer speed, the vending apparatus (10, 20, 30, 40) and vending method is provided for digital files (143) providing automated vending of digital files (143) to information devices (19) at high transfer speed within an acceptable wait time for the vending customer.

Description

Vending Apparatus and Vending Method for Digital Files

【Field of the invention】

This invention relates to a vending apparatus for dispensing recorded digital files through a USB or similar connection and transferring to a docked information device at high transfer speed. More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus enabled for providing automated vending of digital files to information devices at high transfer speed with an acceptable wait time for the vending customer. This invention also relates to its vending method.

【Background of the invention】

In prior art, customers purchased digital media written on factory recorded disks such as CD, DVD or Blu-Ray Disk. The customer could either purchase from a retail store or visit an automated kiosk. The limitation of this method is that the customer needs to own a media player of the specified format and compatible output device (such as speakers, headphones, video display, etc. ) in order to view/read the media on the recorded disk. Newer mobile technology is outmoding the prior art method with more portable information devices (for purposes of this specification, information devices refers to mobile devices capable of storing data in a portable or mobile method including but not limited to tablet computers, smartphones, laptop computers, personal digital assistants, ebook readers, mp3 or other digital music players, flashdisk drives, and portable hard drives) . Hence, the prior art method becomes less popular as technology in this area advances.

Attempts to provide digital media on recordable disks was attempted but encountered a fatal technical problem. A vending device could create customized compilations on recordable disks. However the speed of writing on CD described in the art has a max write speed of 15 kb/s. For writing large files, the wait time for a vending customer would be unacceptable under normal circumstances. In addition, the customer would require additional equipment to read the CD.

The technical problem of file transfer rate, continues to be a challenge to the art nearly after 10 years as shown in a more recent prior art publication CN200810190373. The publication mentions that “…when a large amount of audio data, video data in the purchase exists, the burn to a disc takes a long time to complete, which can be as short as a few minutes or as long as several tens of minutes, and in the case of downloading directly from the network, may require an even longer time because of bandwidth and transmission speed limit. ” The technical solution described by the prior art was to provide individual storage lockers for the recorded media. The customer would be assigned a storage unit where he/she could retrieve or pick up their recorded disk after the burning process was finished. The customer is asked to return to the storage locker at a time convenient for him/her implying the preparation time exceeds the wait time allowance of an average customer.

Media consumers now often carry mobile devices (information devices) on their person. Media entertainment stored on the mobile device has become the preferred apparatus while at home or in transit. However, the delivery of media digitally requires valuable time to transfer due to the larger size of the file. Unfortunately, the state of art for compression and limited storage space of digital files has not caught up to the exponential growing demand. Even with the continued discovery of audio and video compression algorithms, file sizes still remain large where it averages in size of 7 to 32 MB (MB ＝ one megabyte is one million bytes of information) per an audio file and 400 MB to 2 gigabytes or GB (one gigabyte is 1,000,000,000 bytes) per movie video files that are suitable for use on information devices. Improvements in compression have not kept up with advances in audio and video performance quality, with better audio and video performance standards still being achieved. Audio files previously were compressed into MP3 format with a limited audio data stream of 128 kb/s (lowercase kb means kilobits per second) and 320 kb/smp3 files (for a 3 minute song this equals 2.88 MB at 128 kb/sand 7.2 MB at 320 kb/s) . However, with the lower cost of memory storage, a growing demand for lossless (no loss in audio quality) formats are becoming popular. These ¹formats come in CDA, WAV and the recent introduction of FLAC by Sony. The simple bit rate formula for lossless audio quality is 16 bit *44.1 kHz *2 channels ＝ 1411 kb/s (for a 3 minute song this equals 31.75 MB) . If factoring an album of 8-10 songs, the file size would become significant. Video formats are similarly increasing resolution with high definition (HD) at 720p (400 MB) and Ultra HD 1080p resolution (1 GB) . Hereafter, Mb with lowercase denotes Megabits per second whereas MB denotes Megabytes per second.

Digital media is available to information devices and computers through high speed internet connection. Recent discoveries in internet speed allow personal internet connections to average approximately 50 Mb/s (or 6.25 MB/s) with high speed of 150 Mb/s (18.75 MB/s) . This speed is believed sufficient to achieve live stream of video on a mobile device or TV set-top box (such as Hulu, Netflix, Tudou, Letv etc. ) which require approximately 0.5 mb/sminimum, 1.5 Mb/srecommended, 3.0 Mb/sfor standard definition (SD) quality, 5.0 Mb/sfor HD quality (720p) and 25 Mb/sfor Full HD quality (1080p) . Such method however is reliant on a continuous high speed internet connection to live stream the video to the mobile device. Hence, the customer is tethered and cannot leave the internet connection area. Once he/she leaves, the media entertainment stops playing.

Alternatively, the customer can choose to download the media into their information device or computer. This can be achieved by either storing the media to a personal computer and transferring to the information device, or downloading through a data service plan directly into the information device which can be purchased from most mobile phone service providers. Either method would require a personal internet connection available in many large cities worldwide but at prices not necessarily affordable for all households to use. In less populated communities or remote areas, a personal internet connection would be more difficult to come by and likely less affordable by average households.

Disadvantages of downloading to a computer or live stream are that a customer must purchase regular access for high speed internet connection/service location (usually their home) , which is costly to maintain each month by a customer. The internet transfer rate must be sufficient to achieve the customer’s purpose. In major cities, high-speed Internet is available to most households but requires a pricey service subscription (usually sold as annual contracts, 12 month commitment) . The faster the transfer speed, the more expensive the subscription. For live stream or digital files of larger size such as 400 MB to 1 GB in size, a minimum speed of 0.5 Mb/swould be required.

Another disadvantage is that this bandwidth may not be available at all the locations where a person could be physically located with their information device at any given time, personal internet connections are either at home or a restricted amount of data with a mobile phone service, both which are costly (and require an annual contract) . Hence mobile phone service download or live stream to an information device for large digital files is not widely practiced. Mobile phone data plans have another disadvantage where data service has dead zones, due to weak signal coverage limitations (subways, basements) or prohibited in restricted areas.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a vending apparatus and vending method that is dedicated to offering digital files through a USB or similar file transfer connection and transferring to a docked information device at high transfer speed.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide a vending apparatus and vending method for digital files providing automated vending of digital files to information devices at high transfer speed within an acceptable wait time for the vending customer.

The present invention provides a vending apparatus for digital files comprising: a housing； a control board disposed in the housing, wherein the control board comprises a processing module, a memory module and a control module, the processing module and the memory module are connected to the control module； a storage unit connected to the control board for storing a plurality of digital files and an associated file library； a USB controller connected to the control board； a USB cable connected to the USB controller and threaded through to the exterior of the housing for connecting an information device to the vending apparatus； a display connected to the control board for showing information from the control board； and a user interface module connected to the control board for the user to operate the vending apparatus； wherein the processing module of the control board further comprising: a detecting module to detect whether a mobile application is installed on the information device or to instruct the information device to install the mobile application； a data module to send data packets to the information device and receive the returned data packets from the information device so as to detect a status of the connection of the vending apparatus and the information device； a user information module to receive a user request from the user interface module and perform the relevant response； a calculating module to calculate a time for transmitting the digital file (s) from the vending apparatus to the information device； a monitoring module to maintain and monitor a rate of transfer for the digital files when the vending apparatus transmits the digital files to the information device； and labeling module to label the digital files according to its purpose for recall or file opening parameters for access by the information device.

The transfer rate of the vending apparatus to the information device should be 25 MB/sto 640 MB/s.

The present invention also provides a wireless or wi-fi enabled vending apparatus for digital files comprising: a housing； a control board disposed in the housing, wherein the control board comprises a processing module, a memory module and a control module, the processing module and the memory module are connected to the control module； a storage unit connected to the control board for storing a plurality of digital files and an associated file library； a USB controller connected to the control board； a USB cable connected to the USB controller and threaded through to the exterior of the housing for connecting an information device to the vending apparatus； a display connected to the control board for showing information from the control board ； and a user interface module connected to the control board for the user to operate the vending apparatus； a wireless transmission module connected to the control module for enabling the vending apparatus to wirelessly communicate with an information device； wherein the processing module of the control board further comprises: a detecting module to detect whether a mobile application is installed on the information device or to instruct the information device to install the mobile application； a data module to send data packets to the information device and receive the returned data packets from the information device so as to detect a status of the connection of the vending apparatus and the information device； a user information module to receive a user request from the user interface module and perform the relevant response； a calculating module to calculate a time for transmitting the digital file (s) from the vending apparatus to the information device； a monitoring module to maintain and monitor a rate of transfer for the digital files when the vending apparatus transmits the digital files to the information device； and a labeling module to label the digital files according to its purpose for recall or file opening parameters for access by the information device.

The processing module further comprises a distance module to determine the transmission range of the wireless transmission module.

The transfer rate of the wireless transmission module to the information device is 11 Mb/sto 6.93 Gb/s.

The transfer to the information device is handoff to the wireless transmission module when the USB connection transfer is interrupted and is unable to resume.

The present invention also provides a vending apparatus for digital files that is networked comprising: a housing； a control board disposed in the housing, wherein the control board comprises a processing module, a memory module and a control module, the processing module and the memory module are connected to the control module； a storage unit connected to the control board for storing a plurality of digital files and an associated file library； a USB controller connected to the control board； a USB cable connected to the USB controller and threaded through to the exterior of the housing for connecting an information device to the vending apparatus； a display connected to the control board for showing information from the control board ； and a user interface module connected to the control board for the user to operate the vending apparatus； a network module connected to the control board for connecting to the Internet, which enables the vending apparatus to communicate with remote databases； wherein the processing module of the control board further comprising: a detecting module to detect whether a mobile application is installed on the information device or to instruct the information device to install the mobile application； a data module to send data packets to the information device and receive the returned data packets from the information device so as to detect a status of the connection of the vending apparatus and the information device； a user information module to receive a user request from the user interface module and perform the relevant response； a calculating module to calculate a time for transmitting the digital file (s) from the vending apparatus to the information device； a monitoring module to maintain and monitor a rate of transfer for the digital files when the vending apparatus transmits the digital files to the information device； and a labeling module to label the digital files according to its purpose for recall or file opening parameters for access by the information device.

The network module may be wired or wireless.

The processing module may further comprise a status module to account for available bandwidth and availability of remote databases.

The processing module of the control board which may further comprise: an acquiring module to acquire interface information of the information device and show on the display； a verification module to verify whether a digital file selected by the user is available； a file storage module to maintain the associated file library or the amount of unused space available.

The vending apparatus which may further comprise: an NFC or QR module connected to the control board to enable the secure transfer of private information or sensitive data between the information device and the vending apparatus.

The vending apparatus which may further comprise more than one control board to interface with multiple information devices simultaneously.

The interface information is an amount of unused storage memory or hardware specifications of the information device.

The processing module of the control board uses the amount of unused storage memory or hardware specifications of the information device to calculate the time for transmitting the digital file (s) and determine whether sufficient memory is available.

The processing module determines digital files which are most suitable to the hardware specifications of the information device.

The processing module also determines digital files which are most suitable to the amount of storage memory or wait time given based on the user settings for available amount of storage memory or wait time received from the user interface module.

The housing exterior of the vending apparatus comprises a bracket to set the information device at a height that is ergonomic.

The user interface module includes at least one push button, wherein at least one push button comprises: a main body and a resisting portion connected to the main body a switch secured to the circuit board and is connected to the control module； and a display disposed in the main body of the button and connected to the control module, wherein, the main body can be pressed to trigger the switch, the display can show a variety of symbols, icons or images.

The display may also comprise a touch panel layer .

The present invention also provides a vending method for digital files designed for vending apparatuses, wherein the vending apparatus comprises a control board, a storage unit that stores a plurality of digital files and an associated file library, a USB cable connected to the control board for connecting an information device to the vending apparatus, a display and a user interface module, wherein the vending method comprises: connecting the vending apparatus and the information device using the USB cable； detecting whether a mobile application is installed on the information device, if not, instructing the information device to install the mobile application； sending data packets to the information device and receive the returned data packets from the information device so as to detect the health status of the connection with the vending apparatus； receiving the user request (s) from the user interface module； transferring the digital files from the vending apparatus to the information device； monitoring a rate of transfer for the digital files, calculating a time for transferring the digital files from the vending apparatus to the information device and displaying the time for transfer completion on the display； and labeling the digital file (s) according to its purpose for recall or file opening parameters for access by the information device during the transfer of the digital file.

The transfer rate of the vending apparatus to the information device is 25 MB/sto 640 MB/s.

The vending method which further comprises the acquiring and showing of the interface information on the display of the information device.

The interface information can be an amount of unused storage memory or hardware specifications.

The time can be calculated according to the amount of unused storage memory or hardware specifications of the information device.

The vending method may further comprise the selection of which digital files are most suitable to the hardware specifications of the information device.

The process of receiving the user request from the user interface module which further comprises: receiving the user settings for an amount of available storage memory or wait time from the user interface module； and the selection of which digital files are most suitable to the amount of available storage memory or given wait time.

The vending apparatus may further comprise a wireless transmission module connected to the control board, wherein the vending method further comprises a process for determining a transmission range between the vending apparatus and the information device.

The vending method may still further comprise a handoff of the file transfer being sent to the information device to the wireless transmission module in the event the USB connection transfer is interrupted or is unable to resume.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a vending apparatus for digital files in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a vending apparatus for digital files in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a vending apparatus for digital files in accordance with one other embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a vending apparatus for digital files in accordance with one other embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a vending apparatus for digital files in accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a front view of a vending apparatus for digital files in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a sectional view of a push button in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the processing module of a vending apparatus for digital files in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the vending method of a vending apparatus for digital files in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The above and other technical problems of the art are advanced by the solutions presented in the description of the apparatus for an automated vending and high speed distribution of digital files to information devices. For the purpose of this specification, digital files may include music and video files which include other media products such as software, mobile device applications, computer documents or presentation files, computer spreadsheets or databases, high resolution graphic or photo files. The present invention is a vending machine apparatus dedicated to servicing the needs of an information device to access, acquire or transmit digital files. The invention also satisfies a key requirement of vending machines which is the automated convenience, simplicity of use, and minimized wait time for a vending customer. For reference by this specification, the average wait time for fast food is expected to be 5.4 minutes with 2.42 minutes of queuing time and 2.98 minutes of waiting time ( “Analysis of Expected and Actual Waiting Time in Fast Food Restaurants” Mathias Dharmawirya, Hera Oktadiana, Erwin Adi) . In the reference wait time of 5.4 mins, the invention aims to transfer at least 8 hours of normal running time media to the customer’s information device. Eight hours of media is the routine amount of media product used by media customers as referenced from “…an average Netflix subscriber spends about 8 hours aweek watching the service” (http: //www. businesswire. com/news/home/20120906006400/en/Avera ge-Netflix-User-Watches-5-TV-Shows) .

In the present invention several embodiments can solve the cost problems of using wireless data transfer services on information devices. The invention can provide alternative to high speed personal internet subscriptions whereby a vending customer can obtain the same media from the vending apparatus at a fraction of the cost. The market rate for a personal internet subscription on an information device is priced at the speed and rate the data is transferred, which can be a high cost for an individual. The vending apparatus described enables the average person to replace their personal internet connection with a vending apparatus that makes the feature of distributing larger digital media files, efficient, less costly and with a minimized wait time. The vending apparatus can also be utilized where a personal internet subscription is not easily obtainable, widely available or internet for personal use is restricted, such as in a company office building (internet restricted to business use) . The vending apparatus enables convenient and low cost transfer of digital files with a reasonable wait time.

The invention also solves the technical problem of customer wait time for a vending apparatus to supply larger sized digital files to a multiple of customers simultaneously. In one likely situation the vending apparatus may become overburdened with the number of customers being serviced at the same time. In this case, a separate control board, storage unit, and USB connector is recommended to reduce or unload service problems that could increase wait time because of a storage unit (s) suffering from HDD read latency. A possible embodiment includes a standard vending machine housing made to house more than one personal computer (PC) sized control board units.

Large or larger digital files can be defined for the purpose of this specification as files that are 32 MB (lossless music audio files with average of 3 mins in runtime) up to 2 GB (Full HD movie videos with average of 100 mins in runtime) in size, with application for files of even larger size (Ultra HD) . The reference wait time of 5.4 minutes per customer to transfer 8 hours of normal play media (24p-25p, progressive frames per second) . The delivery of the file within this time is the target feature to be achieved by the vending apparatus. To achieve this, the apparatus must have a system capable of high speed file transfer to enable timely delivery of the file to the user’s information device.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a schematic diagram of a vending apparatus for digital files in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The vending apparatus 10 of the present invention comprises a housing 100, a control board 12, a storage unit 14, a USB controller 127, a USB cable 105, a display 16, and a user interface module 18. The control board 12 is disposed in the housing 100 and comprises a processing module 121, a memory module 125 and a control module 123. The USB controller 127, the display 16, and the user interface module 18 are connected to the control module 123. In one embodiment of the present invention, a preferred specification of 1-gigahertz CPU and 2 gigabytes of random access memory is preferred for the processing module 121 that provides the optimized transfer performance and computing power when balanced with economic cost in the current state of technology and the memory module 125 (ex. PC computer of mid tower size or smaller fitted inside the vending machine housing) . The storage unit 14 is connected to the control module 123 of the control board 12 and stores a plurality of digital files 143 and an associated file library 141. The storage unit 14 may be hard disk drive (HHD) , solid state disk (SSD) or redundant array of independent disks (RAID) . In case of a hard disk drive, the rotation speed performance of the drive is preferred to not be less than 5400 rpm where the read throughput average would be at minimum 60 MB/s (the max speed of a USB 2.0 connection) . The digital files are installed into the vending apparatus 10 either manually loaded in person into the storage unit 14 of the vending apparatus 10 or pre-downloaded from a remote location by internet connection into the storage unit 14. The benefit of having the digital files installed in the vending apparatus 10 is the readiness of the digital files to be quickly transferred from the storage unit 14 into the customer’s information device (such as a tablet computer, a smartphone, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistants, an ebook reader, an mp3 or other digital music player, or a media player) at the highest speed possible permitted by the transfer system. The drawback is the limitation of storage allowed by the storage unit 14 contained in the vending machine 10, the selection of digital files 143 may not be as extensive as what can be stored in a remote network accessed with an internet connection. The vending apparatus 10 is connected to the target information device 19 by a USB 2.0 cable 105 that connects to the information device 19 either by micro USB or lightning (Apple standard) connector 107 within a dock or pod located on the vending apparatus 10, the USB controller 127 should include a host controller with a USB hub compatible for the USB 2.0 standard. USB connection is a more reliable performance compared to wireless methods of file transfer which can be disrupted or broken by signal interference. The micro USB or lightning connector 107 and cable 105 should lead from the interior of the housing 100 where it is connected to the USB controller 127 of the control board 12 and threaded through ports in the housing 100 to the exterior of the housing 100. This setup is aimed to maximize the speed of transfer to reduce wait time of the customer. The speed of the system is limited by the USB 2.0 connection from the control board 12 and storage unit 14 to the information device 19. Despite the max transfer speed of the USB 2.0 having a specification of 480 Mb/s (60 MB/s) though the current average transfer speed is tested to 25 to 35 MB/s. Hence all other components in the system can achievably be selected to maintain transfer speeds of 25-35 MB/s, but more preferably 60 MB/s. At 60MB/sto transfer 8 GB (8192 MB) or eight (8) sample video files, the transfer would have a wait time of 136.5 seconds, well within the reference wait time tolerated by fast food customers.

An important and major feature of the invention is the calculation and display of the wait time performed by the control board 12 of the vending apparatus 10 after evaluating the available file inventory, the vending apparatus 10 components described above, and the rate of connection of the information device 19. The processing module 121 of the control board 12 is configured by a management application 120 to perform the calculation and display of the wait time. Test data packet (s) will be sent by the vending apparatus 10 to the information device 19 to confirm whether the connection is live and successful and then evaluate/ping a rate of connection transfer. Based on the rate returned by the data packet/ping test, the control board 12 will be able to estimate a calculated wait time to transfer the digital files 143 which were chosen by the customer. The wait time estimate will be calculated and displayed for both the total wait time of selected digital files 143 in the customer’s “shopping cart” as well as individual wait times (amount of additional wait time to the shopping cart) to add files which are being viewed or considered by the customer that are being shown on the display 16 of the vending apparatus 10. For example, if the customer has 1 GB file in the shopping cart, the total wait time for the shopping cart will show 16.67 sec (60 MB/s) . The display 16 of the vending apparatus 10 may also be recommending other files such as file 1 (1 GB) , file 2 (3 GB) , file 3 (2 GB) . Then each file will show estimated wait time on the display 16 once the control board 12 is able to assess a rate of transfer. In this example, file 1 would be 16.67 sec, file 2 is 50 sec, and file 3 is 33.33 sec. The customer will have the option to customize his user settings by manually inputting the amount of his/her budgeted wait time and/or amount of unused memory space by using the user interface module 18 to assist the control board 12 in producing an optimal and accurate wait time solution (s) for the customer.

Referring to Fig. 2, another important feature to improve wait time and vending efficiency is the use of near field communication ( “NFC” ) for NFC-enabled portable devices which enable the ability to read electronic tags or make payments when connected to an NFC-compliant apparatus. This proximity technology employs electromagnetic induction between two loop antennae when NFC devices—for example a smartphone and the vending apparatus—exchange information, operating within the globally available unlicensed radio frequency ISM band of 13.56 MHz on ISO/IEC 18000-3 air interface at transfer rates ranging from 106 to 424 kbit/s. Secure communications are available by applying encryption algorithms as is currently being done for credit cards. The transfer speed enables complex encryption algorithms to be utilized with a minimal impact on vending apparatus operation or wait time. The required close proximity enhances security of the information transfer by reducing the distance range that is vulnerable to signal eavesdropping. For purposes of this vending apparatus and the technical feature of reducing customer wait time, the NFC module can greatly reduce the time required to send payment information or personal user information to the vending apparatus to complete vending transactions.

An alternative device to the NFC module is a QR module. The QR module includes an image sensor to read QR codes and a display to show a QR code. QR (Quick Response) code is the name for the two dimensional barcode system invented in 1994 by Denso Wave. QR code can hold 100 times more data than 1 dimensional barcodes and can also be digitally scanned. This feature enables a near infinite amount of combination permutations which can be managed by an algorithm to enhance security when needing to identify an information device or vending apparatus before enabling data information transfer of payment information or user’s personal information. A close analogy is a combination padlock that locks valuables inside a locker. Only a user that knows the combination can unlock the padlock and open the locker to retrieve the valuables inside. The QR code has blocks of small black and white squares which are read by an information device or vending apparatus’ image sensor, then interpreted by the system’s processing module. Three large squares in the code act as alignment targets, while smaller squares in the remaining corners acts to normalize the size and angle of the image sensor QR code read. A display on either the information device or the vending apparatus allow the two devices to show a near infinite number of QR code permutations to each other, where accurately identifying the devices to have each recognize the other is paramount to security. The speed at which this operation can be performed is comparably faster and more secure than traditional vending payment methods or manual input of user information.

In one embodiment, the described vending apparatus 10 will capture the interface information the information device 19 to enhance its wait time estimate or recommendations. For example but not limited to the vending apparatus 10 acquiring the size of the display 191, type of audio output on the information device 19, the amount of available unused storage memory or transfer/wireless/compression protocol. Type of audio output is relevant to choosing the audio quality and size of an audio file. The size of the display is relevant when the customer chooses video resolution quality. The size of a video file can be adjusted bythe format of compression and the amount of video resolution quality pixels per inch. A tablet computer screen could require a higher resolution video for visual performance than the identical video being played on a 5” smartphone screen. Hence the size of the video file can be adjusted to the desired video resolution. At the present technology in the art, files are compressed to 400 MB for 5 inch display, 700 MB for 720p or HD display, 2 GB for 1080p Full HD display, and 7 GB sizes for Ultra HD display, with occasional files in 15-22 GB sizes for even higher resolution. For reference a 100 minute feature without compression at 25 fps to fully utilize a tablet computer image size of 2048 width and 1536 height would result in BluRay H. 264 format play rate of 10.6 MB/s＝ 85 Mb/s (afile size of 63.6 GB file) or MPEG2 High format becomes a play rate of 15.2 MB/s＝ 121 Mb/s (a file size of 91 GB file) . The control board 12 will use the collected hardware specifications as a default to provide optimum wait time solutions for the customer’s information device 19. In case of a video file, it will recommend wait time solutions with files that best match the display 191 size of the information device 19. In case of smaller devices such as a handheld phone, the amount of file size difference from a larger information device 19 such as a laptop or tablet PC is substantial. Similarly, for audio files, the vending apparatus 10 will show estimated wait time and recommended audio files depending on the audio output device of the information device 19. At the same time, the control board 12 will try to maximize the number of digital files 143 that can be transferred into the information device’s amount of available unused memory. In any of the scenarios, the customer after evaluating the wait time may choose to override the vending apparatus’s wait time solutions and select a preferred resolution or audio quality or wait time allowance by using the user interface module 18 which the control board 12 will revise accordingly. Similar to the manual input of wait time allowance, the customer may also choose his user settings by manually inputting the amount of storage memory he/she wishes to budget to the vending apparatus 10 rather than allow the vending apparatus to use all of the information device’s unused memory. The control board 12 will update the manual inputted information to calculate and provide optimal solutions to the customer. The wait time can be calculated more precisely with the interface information so as to provide the most optimal and accurate wait time solution (s) for the customer.

In one embodiment, the described vending apparatus 10 will provide a dock, a tray or a cradle 101 at the exterior of the housing 100 at an ergonomic height 103 (height between shoulder level and elbow level of a standing adult man or woman with arms to their sides of average sized person, should be revised according to average heights in country or geography, for USA average man shoulder to elbow height is 57.6 –43 inches and for average woman 53.7 -40.3 inches) and level convenient for the customer to place and connect their information device 19. This is an important physical feature of the invention associated with the customer being able to view the calculated wait time on the display of their information device. Because wait time and transfer progress are a core feature of the invention, it will be shown on the display 16 of the vending apparatus 10 as well as on the information device 19 (the feature also enables a customer to confirm that the connection and transfer is functioning properly between the information device 19 and vending apparatus 10) . The wait time on the information device 19 needs to be at an ergonomically visible height 103 to enable the customer to see the wait time on the display. A holding tray 101 affixed to the exterior of the housing 100 at the convenient height 103 where the connector cables 105 exits the housing 100. The holding tray may also be useful for allowing the customer to rest their information device 19 while they view the estimated wait time to decide whether to complete the sale to begin the transfer process. With the dock, tray or cradle 101, a customer does not need to hold the information device 19 so he is more comfortable when waiting for the transfer process to complete.

Usage of the present invention is described as follows. The customer can start the vending process by connecting their information device 19 to the vending apparatus 10 through the available micro USB or lightning connectors 107. The vending apparatus 10 will display visual query whether the customer authorizes access to the information device 19 and the install of the vending apparatus 10 interaction software (mobile application 193) if no previous mobile application 193 is detected. The mobile application 193 will allow the vending apparatus 10 to more effectively communicate with the information device 19 and data transfer test will initiate to facilitate high speed transfer of digital files 143. The processing module 121 of the control board 12 is configured by the management application 120 to identify the interface information of the information device 19, such as the operating system, the operating system version and information device 19 product model, available transfer protocols, connection hardware (USB 2.0 or USB 3.0) and additional hardware information, to determine which set of template protocols are best suited to maximize high speed transfer to the information device 19 (ex. resolution and size of the display 191 in the information device 19, processor speed and audio performance hardware where applicable) . The vending apparatus 10 in addition to estimating the transfer hardware constraints will also account the wait time of the customer by using the user interface module 18 to ask the amount of wait time, unused memory, resolution, audio performance, etc. the customer inputs in the user settings to manage the transfer process. The vending apparatus 10 will display the wait time for the digital files 143 at different quality (resolution or performance) levels it associates as most appropriate to fit within the paramaters or it will make adjustments to suit the customer’s manually inputted user settings. The estimated wait time will appear on the display 16 of the vending apparatus 10 and the display 191 of the information device 19. The customer after acknowledging the wait time will select their product (s) and a display of the cost will appear. The customer will make payment with methods known in the art for vending apparatuses 10. Payment confirmation will initiate the vending apparatus 10 to transfer the digital files 143 to the information device 19, the progress and transfer rate will be shown on the information device 19 and vending apparatus 10 displays, where the rate of upload and estimated time will show on the vending apparatus 10 and the rate of download and associated wait time will show on the information device 19. Upon completion, the customer will be alerted and given instruction to detach their information device 19 from the vending apparatus 10 which ends the vending process.

The vending machine communicates more efficiently with the information device using mobile application 193. The application 193 will recognize the file type ( "wav, mpg, avi" ) and put the file into a specified location within the application's file storage. In some cases, the file may also need to be labeled or tagged to indicate its vending status. If the file is only being rented, then it needs to be labeled as a temporary file that will become disabled once the rental period has expired. In certain circumstances the file may need to have region restrictions, meaning it cannot play in certain countries. This could also be achieved by tagging or labeling the file with additional software code. Referring to Fig. 3, there is shown a schematic diagram of a vending apparatus for digital files in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. In a variation to the previous embodiment, it is considered useful to allow the vending apparatus 20 to have wireless transfer capability by combining a wireless transmission module 26 with the vending apparatus 20 (which can be housed inside or outside the housing) . The wireless transmission module 26 is disposed in the housing 100 of the vending apparatus 20 and connected to the control module 123 of the control board 12. In the case of wireless capability, it is known in the art that wireless signals have a limited range radius. The vending apparatus 20 will account for and calculate the transmission range to inform the customer the amount of wait time needed, within a certain distance proximity to the vending apparatus 20. The wireless transmission module 26 of the present invention provides various Wi-Fi services. 802.11ac is a suitable protocol because it can operate at 5 GHz for older devices which assists with backwards compatibility of earlier Wi-Fi protocols. The wireless signal can achieve up to 866.7 Mb/sperformed data transfer speed or theoretically up to 6.93 Gb/sin theoretical data transfer speed and a range distance of 35 m indoors or 140 m outdoors. 802.11n which operates at 2.4 GHz is the most popular wireless standard can achieve up to 150 Mb/sin data transfer speed and signal distance of 70 m indoors and 250 m outdoors. 802.11g can achieve data transfer speeds of up to 54 Mb/sand signal distance of 38 m indoors or 140 m outdoors. 802.11b is a very old wireless standard that offers speeds up to 11 Mb/sand signal distance of 35 m indoors or 140 m outdoors. However note that the transfer speed is also reliant on the information device’s capability to download wirelessly. In tested information devices 19 the transfer speed can range from 30 Mb/s up to 408.08 Mb/s. Based on the type of wireless standard used and the information device 19, the vending apparatus 20 will calculate the proximity to the information device 19 (calculation is performed on the vending apparatus 20 for the purpose of saving the battery life of the information device 19 which will be expending its battery power to transfer files wirelessly) . The vending apparatus 20 will periodically test the wireless connection with the information device 19 using data packets sent wirelessly to test the rate of transfer and ping the location of the information device 19. In this embodiment multiple data packets, are sent in timed bursts to establish whether the information device 19 is stationary or mobile. If the information device 19 is traveling, the processing module 121 of the control board 12 is configured by the management application 120 to assess the rate of travel of the information device 19 and evaluate the impact/interference caused by the information device’s travel and the difficulty caused in receiving the wireless signal. It is worth noting the speed of transfer and wireless connection stability is better managed when the wireless network is dedicated to the vending apparatus. Hence, the control board will instruct the information device to show on its display when the information device leaves the dedicated vending apparatus’ wireless network and becomes handed off to an external network. The data connection and transfer rate will be re-pinged to measure a new wait time. The control board 12 can also estimate the rate of travel in the current direction of the information device 19 combined with a map of the local routes of travel (calculated with the radius of wireless signal) to estimate distance and time to exiting the range of the vending apparatus 20. This information will be sent to the information device 19 in the form of notifications or alerts from the vending apparatus 20 to inform the customer of the distance he/she can travel while remaining in range of the vending apparatus’ wireless transfer platform. It is conceivable that the vending apparatus 20 can start a transfer with the micro USB connection and then handoff to the wireless platform if the customer removes the information device 19 from the micro USB dock 101 while in mid-transfer. In such a circumstance, the vending apparatus 20 has assigned a MAC address to the mobile application 193 on the information device 19. The assignment of a MAC address provides better wireless transfer security and ensures the files are delivered wirelessly to the correct device. When the information device 19 is removed from the vending apparatus 20, the control board 12 will instruct the wireless transmission module 26 to search for the information device 19 with the assigned MAC address. When the information device 19 is located, the vending apparatus 20 will send test data packets wirelessly to the information device 19, which include receiving information of the file transfer status and at what point of completion the transfer can be resumed, the control board 12 will then do a recalculation of the transfer time and distance radius from the vending apparatus 20. The vending apparatus 20 will then automatically begin to resume transfer. Different types of information devices 19 may have different types of interface, such as USB, Mini USB, Micro USB, Lightning, etc., almost all portable electrical devices have WIFI, therefore, the compatibility of the vending apparatus 20 with the wireless transmission module 26 is compatible with a plurality of information devices.

It is conceivable that added transmission range of the vending apparatus’ wireless capability can be improved with wireless extenders, repeaters, or antenna boosts. The average enhanced distance is approximately 20 m per networked extending device. It is also possible to network wireless routers either wirelessly or by Ethernet cable, where some transfer speed or data transmission quality may be lost in relation to the distance of the wireless point of origin, it is considered tolerable within reasonable network distances where available solutions are present in the art. The transmission range is also affected by the amount of obstruction, walls, windows, floor levels, other forms of barriers which may require wireless networking to boost signal power. Note the transmission range is measured by both horizontal and vertical axis since the signal transfers 360 degrees from the wireless antenna. Theoretically the wireless network can create a signal that covers miles in distance, but at such large distances the impact on transfer speed likely needs added technical adjustments.

Referring to Fig. 4, there is shown a schematic diagram of a vending apparatus for digital files in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the vending apparatus 30 can service multiple customers simultaneously. Depending on the number of customers served at one given time； a separate control board 12, storage unit 14, and USB connector 107 is recommended especially if the storage unit 14 is an HDD suffering from read latency. This will prevent the task burden on the HDD which could cause transfer speed reduction. This is a preferred solution given the affordable cost of computing components. However, this technical problem can also be solved to service more than one customer simultaneously from one control board with sufficient computing power (the previously recommended RAM and processing speed) combined with a SSD drive where such storage device types do not suffer as greatly from read latency.

Referring to Fig. 5, there is shown a schematic diagram of a vending apparatus for digital files in accordance with one other embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment, the vending apparatus 40 further comprises a network module 42 disposed on the control board 12 and connected to the control module 123. This embodiment of the present invention, the network module 42 is a wired network module and is connected to the Internet 401 through the form of a wire or cable modem that enables Internet service from a third party provider. The definition of high speed internet connection for purpose of this section is a download transfer speed greater than 1.5 Mb/s＝ 0.1875 MB/s, preferably 200 Mb/s＝ 25 MB/s, more preferably to 480 Mb/s＝ 60 MB/s. For a future version of the embodiment where USB 3.0 standard is utilized, the preferred speed would be 5.1 Gigabits per second (Gb/s) ＝ 640 MB/s. Examples of acceptable high speed internet connections to achieve the preferred download transfer speeds are ADSL2 12.2 Mb/s； ADSL2+ 24.576 Mb/s； DOCSIS v1.0 (cable modem) 38 Mb/s； DOCSIS v2.0 (cable modem) 38 Mb/s； VDSL ITU G. 993.1 52 Mb/s； VDSL2 ITU G. 993.2 100 Mb/s； DOCSIS v3.0 (cable modem) 160 Mb/s； Uni-DSL 200 Mb/s； BPON (G. 983) fiber optic service 622 Mb/s； EPON (802.3ah) fiber optic service 1000 Mb/s； DOCSIS v3.1 (cable modem) 10000 Mb/s； GPON (G. 984) fiber optic service 2488 Mb/s； 10G-PON (G. 987) fiber optic service 10000 Mb/s. In the variation embodiment, the digital files 143 are remotely stored on remote databases 403 (computing devices with database of digital files 143) separately located to the vending apparatus 40. The digital file 143 is transferred from the associated file library of the remote database 403 to the control board 12 of the vending apparatus 40 and then transferred from the vending apparatus 40 to the information device 19. The file transfers first to the vending apparatus 40 rather than directly to the information device 19 to create a level of security and protection (where the vending apparatus 40 acts as a physical firewall) for the remotely stored file library. For embodiments that connect to the internet, the vending apparatus 40 may include a physical firewall security device to protect against internet attacks to the vending apparatus 40 or any information device 19 connected to the system. If the variation embodiment has a lower internet connection rate speed than the transfer rate of the USB 2.0 cable connected to the information device 19 (60 MB/s) , then the max transfer rate of the embodiment will be determined by the download speed of the internet connection. It should be noted that the number of information devices 19 simultaneously connected to the vending apparatus 40 may divide the bandwidth of the internet connection and/or transfer rate, however this may not divide equally due to different upload rates of the digital file (s) 143 requested from the remote file library (s) . The processing module 121 of the control board 12 of the vending apparatus 40 is configured by the management application to monitor the relevant transfer rates from the internet connection and evaluate its effect on the wait time of the customer. The control board 12 will send and receive periodic data from the remote database 403 of the transfer rate status of the digital files 143 so the status can be monitored by the customer on the vending apparatus 40. This transfer rate status will be calculated into wait time and both forms of status information can be shown to the customer on the vending apparatus 40. If necessary, the control board 12 will revise the wait time calculation should the transfer status and/or transfer rate affect the estimated wait time of the customer. For example, if a file’s transfer rate is 5 Mb/s, the vending apparatus 40 will display the estimated wait time and issue a warning notification that the transfer rate is lower than for other files which may significantly increase the customer’s wait time. The vending apparatus 40 combined with the network module 42 enables the present invention to offer more digital files for the customers without adding storage units 14 so that the size and weight of the vending apparatus 40 does not exceed the normal size of a vending apparatus housing.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the network module 42 is a wireless network module and is connected to the Internet in the form of wireless transmission Internet service such as 2G, 3G, 4G or satellite permitting wireless Internet service from a third party provider. Average internet transfer speed from satellite is 10-17 Mb/swith a theoretical transfer of speed 50 Mb/s. Future satellite service may reach to 1 Gb/s–1.2 Gb/s. Satellite variation is required where a wire or cable internet service is inaccessible. This embodiment can deliver digital files 143 to rural regions where internet service is less easily accessed.

In an expected future embodiment, the information device 19 connector 107 (micro USB and lightning) can adopt the USB 3.0 standard where the max transfer rate is expected to be 640 MB/sor 5 Gbps. The USB may also in the future adopt the USB 3.1 standard such as in USB Type C connectors which can achieve 10 Gbps. In such case, a preferred embodiment should include a SSD storage unit 14 which has a max read speed of 712 MB/s, or in the alternative two HDD of 10,000 RPM or 15,000 RPM in a RAID 0 stripe configuration, where such a configuration is known to double transfer speed between the control board 12 and the storage unit 14. Average read speed of 10,000 RPM drive is approximately 199 MB/sand a 15,000 RPM drive is approximately 249 MB/s, hence achievable speeds would be double in a RAID 0 configuration. The increased rate of the high speed transfer system will significantly reduce file delivery and proportionally increase customer satisfaction with the wait time of the

vending apparatus

10, 20, 30, or 40. In the future, it may also be likely that storage memory in information devices 19 will increase from the standard 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB sizes, then it can be expected the

vending apparatus

10, 20, 30, or 40 may need to be updated to the most efficient transfer speed components to accommodate a likely increase in demand for better or lossless video quality files as now seen for audio type files. If this occurs, the size of the digital files 143 may also increase and challenge the performance of the future embodiment, but the proposed component adjustments can handle such a trend.

Referring to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, there are shown a front view of a vending apparatus for digital files and a sectional view of a push button in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Preview clips, banners, and other forms of display media are typical methods of advertisement shown on vending devices. An enhancing embodiment to this method is a push button apparatus cover that is comprised of a plastic or glass encapsulation over a LCD or similar type video capable display.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the user interface module 18 comprises at least one push button 180. The push button 180 comprises a switch 184, a button 181 and a button display 185. The switch 184 is secured to the control board 12 is connected to the control module 123 of the control board 12. The button 181 has a main body and a resisting portion 182 connected to the main body. The button 181 is configured to trigger the switch 184. The button display 185 is disposed in the main body of the button 181 and connected to the control module 123 of the control board 12. The button display 185 can be any size but 5” to 5.5” inch displays is preferred, as this is the size of display most readily recognized and associated with customers given the popularity of smart phones (similar size are used in smartphone displays) . The button mechanism and recognition by the control board 12 will be similar or an improvement over the push button apparatus in US 3,163,326. Where the push button 180 with the button display 185 acts like a button to confirm interaction with the user. The button display 185 is controlled by the control board 12 with the control module 123 (including a graphical or video card) that is capable of projecting multiple displays simultaneously. Each button display 185 will show icons, symbols or images that are helpful in instructing the customer on how to use and operate the

vending apparatus

10, 20, 30, or 40. When a response is required from the customer, the customer will push the push button 180 to notify the control board 12 of the customer’s response. Because the button display 185 can be customized to show any image programmable by the vending apparatus owner, the push buttons 180 on the

vending apparatus

10, 20, 30 or 40 become versatile and easily changed or reprogrammed on demand. In one variation embodiment, the button display 185 can further comprise a touch panel layer 187 to receive touch interface from the user. The push button mechanism instead of unlocking the vending apparatus as in its traditional intended use, will register as clicks of a mouse or similar pointer device in the control board’s operating system. The push button 180 will be connected to the control board 12 using a USB or similar connection to the control board’s BUS management system and registered as a pointer device.

For example the button display 185 will display different movie title images. As mentioned in the section above, a display may need to be frequently updated as digital files 143 will encounter product changes and media content updates which are inherent in the sale of media type products (popular movies, music, and literary books) . Video and audio content can change in popularity within a short time； significant changes can even occur within a period of less than a day. Hence the customer will be provided a selection of push buttons 180 that show the most recent digital file products available and the customer will push the push button 180 of the movie they desire. The control board 12 will register the push button 180 pushed by the customer as clicking on the file of the movie in the file explorer that lists the digital files 143 stored in the

vending apparatus

10, 20, 30 or 40 and batch the file for copy.

If the push button 180 is pushed again for the same movie title, the movie file will be removed from the copy batch. As mentioned previously, the mobile application 193 installed on the information device 19 will assist with the copy and transfer protocol interaction between the vending apparatus control board 12 and the information device 19 operating system. When the customer is finished selecting, the button displays 185 of the push buttons 180 will change to the preferred language the movie (s) subtitles should display in. The customer chooses their preferred language and the control board 12 runs an algorithm to search the accompanying subtitles for the selected movies and adds them to the copy batch, then the type of payment method are represented by picture icons, the selected push button 180 will instruct the control board 12 to wait for the according payment process to activate (coin or cash payment, credit card payment, PayPal etc. ) . When the payment is received the transfer will begin and the button displays 185 of the push buttons 180 will change to displays showing the customer progress of their requested copy batch. Remaining push buttons 180 can be used to service the following customer with the remaining unused push buttons 180. A similar method or approach can be used to search through an entertainment library with a learning algorithm platform to help the customer narrow the field of search for a preferred product selection. The button displays 185 of the push buttons 180 can be used to help show a selection of media genres to narrow the field to the customer’s preferences. This will reduce the time a customer needs to filter through and use the vending apparatus in a time saving environment. The push button is also capable of displaying interface commands or queries for interaction with the vending apparatus 40 user. The push button provides a method of user interface with the customers without adding a keyboard or clickable mouse type device 14 so that the interface peripherals of the vending apparatus 40 can be reduced and simplified.

Referring to Fig. 8, there is a schematic diagram showing the processing module of a vending apparatus for digital files in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

The processing module of the control board in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention comprises: detecting module to detect whether a mobile application is installed on the information device or to instruct the information device to install the mobile application； data module to send data packets to the information device and receive the returned data packets from the information device so as to detect a status of the connection of the vending apparatus and the information device； user information module to receive a user request from the user interface module and perform the relevant response； calculating module to calculate a time for transmit the digital files from the vending apparatus to the information device； monitoring module to maintain and monitor a rate of transfer for the digital files when the vending apparatus transmits the digital files to the information device； and labeling module to label the digital files according to its purpose for recall or file opening parameters for access by the information device.

Referring to Fig. 9, there is a flowchart showing the vending method of a vending apparatus for digital files in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

The vending method in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention comprises: connecting the vending apparatus and the information device using the USB cable； detecting whether a mobile application is installed on the information device, if not, instructing the information device to install the mobile application； send data packets to the information device and receive the returned data packets from the information device so as to detect a status of the connection with the vending apparatus； receiving the user request from the user interface module； transferring the digital files from the vending apparatus to the information device； monitor a rate of transfer for the digital files, calculating a time for transfer the digital files from the vending apparatus to the information device and displaying the time on the display； and labeling the digital file according to its purpose for recall or file opening parameters for access by the information device during the transfer of the digital file.

Fig. 9 only shows one embodiment of the vending method in accordance with the present invention.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the scope of the invention specified by the claims.

Claims

A vending apparatus for digital files comprising:

a housing；

a control board disposed in the housing, wherein the control board comprises a processing module, a memory module and a control module, and where the processing module and the memory module are connected to the control module；

a storage unit connected to the control board for storing a plurality of digital files and an associated file library；

a USB controller connected to the control board；

a USB cable connected to the USB controller and threaded through to the exterior of the housing for connecting an information device to the vending apparatus；

a display connected to the control board for showing information from the control board ； and

a user interface module connected to the control board for the user to operate the vending apparatus；

wherein the processing module of the control board further comprising:

a detecting module to detect whether a mobile application is installed on the information device or to instruct the information device to install the mobile application；

a data module to send data packets to the information device and receive the returned data packets from the information device so as to detect a status of the connection of the vending apparatus and the information device；

a user information module to receive a user request from the user interface module and perform the relevant response；

a calculating module to calculate a time for transmitting the digital files from the vending apparatus to the information device；

a monitoring module to maintain and monitor a rate of transfer for the digital files when the vending apparatus transmits the digital files to the information device； and

a labeling module to label the digital files according to its purpose for recall or file opening parameters for access by the information device.
The vending apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transfer rate of the vending apparatus to the information device is 25 MB/s to 640 MB/s.
A vending apparatus for digital files comprising:

a housing；

a control board disposed in the housing, wherein the control board comprises a processing module, a memory module and a control module, the processing module and the memory module are connected to the control module；

a storage unit connected to the control board for storing a plurality of digital files and an associated file library；

a USB controller connected to the control board；

a USB cable connected to the USB controller and threaded through to the exterior of the housing for connecting an information device to the vending apparatus；

a display connected to the control board for showing information from the control board ； and

a user interface module connected to the control board for the user to operate the vending apparatus；

a wireless transmission module connected to the control module for enabling the vending apparatus to wirelessly communicate with the information device；

wherein the processing module of the control board further comprises:

a detecting module to detect whether a mobile application is installed on the information device or to instruct the information device to install the mobile application；

a data module to send data packets to the information device and receive the returned data packets from the information device so as to detect a status of the connection of the vending apparatus and the information device；

a user information module to receive a user request from the user interface module and perform the relevant response；

a calculating module to calculate a time for transmit the digital files from the vending apparatus to the information device；

a monitoring module to maintain and monitor a rate of transfer for the digital files when the vending apparatus transmits the digital files to the information device； and

a labeling module to label the digital files according to its purpose for recall or file opening parameters for access by the information device.
The vending apparatus as claimed in claim 3, where the processing module further comprises a distance module to determine the transmission range of the wireless transmission module.
The vending apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the transfer rate of the wireless transmission module to the information device is 11 Mb/sto 6.93 Gb/s.
The vending apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the transfer to the information device is handoff to the wireless transmission module when the USB connection transfer is interrupted and is unable to resume.
A vending apparatus for digital files comprising:

a housing；

a control board disposed in the housing, wherein the control board comprises a processing module, a memory module and a control module, the processing module and the memory module are connected to the control module；

a storage unit connected to the control board for storing a plurality of digital files and an associated file library；

a USB controller connected to the control board；

a USB cable connected to the USB controller and threaded through to the exterior of the housing for connecting an information device to the vending apparatus；

a display connected to the control board for showing information from the control board ； and

a user interface module connected to the control board for the user to operate the vending apparatus；

a network module connected to the control board for connecting to the Internet, which enables the vending apparatus to communicate with remote databases；

wherein the processing module of the control board further comprises:

a detecting module to detect whether a mobile application is installed on the information device or to instruct the information device to install the mobile application；

a data module to send data packets to the information device and receive the returned data packets from the information device so as to detect a status of the connection of the vending apparatus and the information device；

a user information module to receive a user request from the user interface module and perform the relevant response；

a calculating module to calculate a time for transmitting the digital files from the vending apparatus to the information device；

a monitoring module to maintain and monitor a rate of transfer for the digital files when the vending apparatus transmits the digital files to the information device； and

a labeling module to label the digital files according to its purpose for recall or file opening parameters for access by the information device.
The vending apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the network module is wired or wireless.
The vending apparatus as claimed in claim 8, the processing module further comprising a status module to account for an available bandwidth and available remote databases.
The vending apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1-9, the processing module of the control board further comprising:

an acquiring module to acquire an interface information of the information device and display on the display；

a verification module to verify whether a digital file selected by the user is available；

a file storage module to maintain the associated file library or the amount of unused space available.
The vending apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1-9, further comprising: an NFC or QR module connected to the control board to enable the secure transfer of sensitive information or data between the information device and the vending apparatus.
The vending apparatus as claimed of any one of claims 1-9, further comprising more than one control board to interface with multiple information devices simultaneously .
The vending apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the interface information is an amount of unused storage memory or hardware specifications of the information device.
The vending apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the processing module of the control board accounts for the interface information to calculate the time to transmit the digital file (s) and determine whether sufficient memory is present to complete the transmission.
The vending apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the processing module determines digital files which are most suitable to the interface information.
The vending apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processing module determines digital files which are most suitable to the amount of storage memory or the wait time allowance based on the user settings for an amount of storage memory or a wait time allowance from the user interface module .
The vending apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the housing exterior of the vending apparatus comprises a bracket to set the information device at a height that is ergonomic.
The vending apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the user interface module includes at least one push button, wherein said push button comprises:

a main body and a resisting portion connected to the main body

a switch secured to the circuit board whereby is connected to the control module； and

a button display disposed in the main body of the button and connected to the control module,

wherein, the main body can be pressed to trigger the switch and the button display is able to show or change to a variety of symbols, icons or images.
The vending apparatus as claimed in 18, wherein the button display comprises a touch panel layer.
A vending method for digital files adapted for a vending apparatus, wherein the vending apparatus comprises a control board, a storage unit storing a plurality of digital files and an associated file library, a USB cable connected to the control board for connecting an information device to the vending apparatus, a display and a user interface module, wherein the vending method comprises:

connecting the vending apparatus and the information device using the USB cable；

detecting whether a mobile application is installed on the information device, if not, then instructing the information device to install the mobile application；

sending data packets to the information device and receiving the returned data packets from the information device so as to detect the status of the connection with the vending apparatus；

receiving the user request (s) from the user interface module；

transferring the digital files from the vending apparatus to the information device；

monitoring a rate of transfer for the digital files, calculating a time for transferring the digital files from the vending apparatus to the information device and showing the time on the display； and

labeling the digital file with its purpose for recall or parameters for opening the file on the information device during the transfer of the digital file.
The vending method as claimed in Claim 20, wherein the transfer rate of the vending apparatus to the information device is 25 MB/s to 640 MB/s.
The vending method as claimed in Claim 21, which further comprises the acquiring and showing of the interface information on the display of the information device.
The vending method as claimed in Claim 22, wherein the interface information is the amount of unused storage memory or hardware specification of the information device.
The vending method as claimed in Claim 23, wherein the time is calculated according to the interface information of the information device.
The vending method as claimed in Claim 24, which further comprises a determination of digital files that are most suitable to the interface information of the information device.
The vending method as claimed in Claim 23, wherein the process of receiving the user request from the user interface module further comprises:

the receiving of the user settings for an amount of storage memory or a wait time allowance from the user interface module； and

the selection of which digital files are most suitable to said user settings.
The vending method as claimed in Claim 20, wherein the vending apparatus further comprises a wireless transmission module connected to the control board, wherein the vending method further comprises a process for determining the transmission range between the vending apparatus and the information device.
The vending method as claimed in Claim 27, which further comprises a handoff of the information device’s file transfer to the wireless transmission module when the USB connection transfer is interrupted and is unable to resume.