Microprocessor based vending apparatus

72 Pages·2013·4.09 MB·English

United States Patent [191 [111 4,354,613
Desai et al. [45] Oct. 19, 1982
[54] MICROPROCESSOR BASED VENDING [57] ABSTRACT
APPARATUS Microprocessor-based vending apparatus incorporating
[75] Inventors: Mahendrakumar D. Desai, Colonia; a plurality of separately driven individual dispensing
Thomas E. Shuren, Stanhope, both of assemblies is disclosed. The dispensing assemblies are
NJ. scanned to determine their state and any malfunctioning
assembly disabled to prevent attempted selection by a
[73] Assignee: Trafalgar Industries, Inc., New York,
user without shutting down the entire vending machine.
N.Y.
The state of the malfunctioning dispensing apparatus is
[21] Appl. No.: 149,951
retained in memory so that the state of each dispensing
[22] Filed: May 15, 1980 assembly may be selectively displayed through activa
tion of a display switch causing the microprocessor to
[51] Int. Cl.3 ............................................ .. G07F 11/16 sequentially identify and display those dispensing de
[52] US. Cl. ...................................... .. 221/4; 221/129; vices which malfunctioned. The microprocessor per
194/2; 235/92 AC; 364/479
forms all change-making functions normally performed
[58] Field of Search ................. .. 221/2, 4, 5, 123, 124,
in vending machines to greatly reduce the complexity
221/125, 129; 194/2, 10, l N; 364/478, 479;
and expense of the coin-accepting apparatus. Addition
235/92 AC, 92 EA
ally, data is stored representing the quantity of each
[56] References Cited coin denomination present and change-making capabil
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS ity is disabled when coin denominations are reduced to
a predetermined count. Cash ?ow data is stored in
3,820,642 6/1974 Levasseur ......................... .. 194/1 N
memory and may be displayed upon request. All func
3,841,456 10/1974 Levasseur ...... .. 194/1 N
3,894,220 7/1975 Levasseur 194/1 N X tions of the vending apparatus are continuously moni
tored to assure proper operation and alarm conditions
4,034,839 7/ 1977 Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 194/10
to identify malfunctions are developed. The status of all
4,040,510 8/1977 Peters et al. 1 . 1 . . . . . . . .. 194/2
4,216,461 8/1980 Werth et al. 194/1 N X such functions are stored in memory for subsequent
4,225,056 9/1980 Flubacker . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 194/2 X display or data transfer. Data transfer may be to an
4,231,105 10/1980 Schuller et a1. .... .. 194/10 X off-line printer, an off-line memory, optically coupled
4,233,660 11/1980 Pagan ............ .. 194/1 N X
data transducers or the like. The off-line memory has a
4,267,942 5/1981 Wick et al. .. ....... .. 221/2
transceiver which is automatically energized by the
4,316,532 2/1982 Levasseur ......................... .. 194/2 X
vending machine transceiver to initiate data transfer.
Primary Examiner-Joseph J. Rolla
Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Lerner, David, Littenberg &
Samuel 29 Claims, 17 Drawing Figures
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