AU726243B2

AU726243B2 - Vending method and apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU726243B2
Application number: AU16391/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Maureen Suzanne Boyd; Dean Henry Cleary
Original assignee: TERRENCE ALAN MOUNSEY
Current assignee: GLOBAL VENDING Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1998-05-01
Filing date: 1999-02-11
Publication date: 2000-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 2018-08-28
Also published as: AU1639199A

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1999

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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Invention Title: Vending Method and Apparatus The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 21 August20-1- 21 August 2000 Title of Invention: Vending Method and Apparatus.

Field of Invention: The present invention relates to vending of food, beverages or other merchandise from vending machines, and is particularly adapted to the vending of commodities such as liquor which are the subject of government licensing requirements.

Background of the Invention: Liquor licensing legislation generally permits the sale of liquor only from licensed premises. Liquor licences are generally subject to onerous duties, such as a requirement of strict legal liability that the licensee ensure that liquor not be sold to minors or to intoxicated customers. Different classes of liquor licence may permit different types of trading, such as sale for on-premises consumption only, or sale for off-premises consumption only. Sales may also be subject to restrictions on hours of trading. Trading hours may, for example: depend on the class of licence (hotel, club, gaming, retail); or be set specifically for each licence.

The nature of the duties imposed on a liquor licensee have made it difficult, if not :impossible, for small outlets such as general grocery stores or small social clubs to qualify for a licence. Allowing small operations such as these to retail liquor is consistent with the current deregulation of industry. It is, however, difficult for such small operations to trade in liquor in a way which still allow enforcement of sensible S 25 and proper controls over the sale of alcohol.

We have appreciated that the Liquor Control legislation of the state of Victoria will allow the issue of a liquor licence in respect of individual vending machines, or in respect of individual vending machines located on a specific areal of land, or in a building, vehicle vessel or aircraft.

We have also appreciated that: the ownership of a vending machine; C-2- 21 August 2000 the right to place a vending machine in a specific location; the right to stock or re-stock a vending machine or machines (that is, distributing goods to a machine or machine); and the right to be the source from which the vended products are acquired for distribution to vending machines are all commercial property rights which may be exploited, either separately or in various combinations.

The use of vending machines may create a bundle of advertising or other promotional opportunities, including: promotional material physically displayed on the machine itself; promotional material on the vended goods; promotional material on articles which are supplied in conjunction with the vended goods, such as on a drinking container which is packaged with beverages vended from a machine; and promotional material appearing on a receipt or other voucher issued in the course o of a vending transaction.

V 0: All these opportunities give rise to commercial property rights which may be exploited, either separately or in various combinations.

The present invention accordingly seeks to provide a new system of trading in liquor.

The present invention also seeks to provide apparatus for the vending of liquor.

Summary of the Invention: The present invention accordingly provides a process for vending merchandise, where the sale of such merchandise is subject to licensing requirements, which process includes the steps of: obtaining a licence which will allow the sale of such merchandise from merchandise vending apparatus; providing a merchandise vending apparatus which is actuated by tokens; 21 A-3- 4 r21 August 2000 screening potential purchasers of merchandise for consistency with the licensing requirements; issuing such tokens only to persons who may legally purchase such merchandise; and vending at least one line of merchandise from the vending apparatus in conformity to the terms of the licence, and wherein the process further includes at least one of the steps of: creating contractual rights whereby a contracting party has the right to place promotional material on merchandise vended from at least one vending machine; creating contractual rights whereby a contracting party has the right to place promotional material on receipts or other vouchers issued in the course of transactions from at least one vending machine; and creating contractual rights whereby a contracting party has the right to display promotional material on a video display which is incorporated into at least one oeooo vending machine.

Preferred Features of the First Aspect of the Invention: It is preferred that the process further includes at least one of the steps of: S 20 creating contractual rights whereby a contracting party purchases or hires at least one vending machine from another contracting party; creating contractual rights whereby a contracting party has the right to place at least one vending machine on at least one site; creating contractual rights whereby a contracting party has the right to 25 distribute merchandise to at least one vending machine; creating contractual rights whereby a contracting party has the right to supply merchandise which is to be vended from at least one vending machine; and creating contractual rights whereby a contacting party has the right to place promotional material on at least one vending machine.

In situations where the legal restrictions include restrictions on the times when the merchandise may be sold, it is preferred that the merchandise vending apparatus be operable only during those restricted times.

w -4- 21 August 2000 It is preferred that the vending apparatus includes vending control means for enabling and disabling the vending of merchandise from the machine, wherein the vending control apparatus is operable from a location which is remote from the vending apparatus.

It is preferred that the tokens be credit cards. Where the tokens are credit cards, it is pretferred that they carry a PIN number.

It is further preferred that each such token be subject to a limit on the maximum daily amount that may be spent on purchases using the token.

It is further preferred that there be a limit on the number of such tokens that any one person may hold at any one time.

15 It is further preferred that a voucher be issued for each transaction. In a particularly S" preferred embodiment, the voucher is a receipt for the transaction.

Where such a voucher is issued, it is preferred that the voucher be imprinted with text in addition to the record of the transaction. Preferred forms of text include *oooo personalised messages or advertising promotional material. In the case where different lines of merchandise are vended, it is preferred that the content of the text be dependant on the line of merchandise which is the subject of the transaction.

i Where a voucher is issued with imprinted text, it is preferred that the content of the 25 printed matter be controlled from a remote location.

a It is further preferred that sales from each vending apparatus be monitored from a remote location for inventory control and re-stocking purposes.

Where the vended merchandise is a beverage, it is preferred that the beverage be packaged in a container such as a can or bottle. When a beverage is so packaged in a can or bottle, it is further preferred that it be packaged with a drinking container.

UJ 21 August 2000 It is preferred that the process further include the step of creating contractual rights whereby a contracting party has contractual rights to disseminate audible promotional material from at least one vending machine.

It is further preferred that the promotional material which is displayed on the video display includes static visible promotional material.

It is further preferred that the promotional material which is displayed on the video display includes dynamically changing visible promotional material.

It is further preferred that the content of the promotional material which is displayed on the video display is controlled from a location which is remote from the vending machine.

15 It is further preferred that the content of the audible promotional material is controlled oooo from a location which is remote from the vending machine.

Brief Description of the Views of the Drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus of Figure 1.

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Figure 3 is a front elevational view of apparatus in accordance with another 25 embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of merchandise packaged with a container for vending apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating operation of apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention Detailed Description with Respect to the Drawings: -6- 21 Augusti 2000 l 21 Augulst 2000 Prior art Currently, liquor is available through a number of types of outlets. These include traditional outlets such as hotels and taverns. Sale of liquor through these traditional outlets requires trained staff supervising each individual sale. Recent areas of growth in liquor sales in Australia have been licensed sporting or social clubs, and food-halls in supermarkets and shopping centres.

In these growth areas, it is difficult and inefficient to provide the specialist staff and facilities necessary to ensure that liquor sales take place only within the terms of the licensing requirements.

The present invention Figures 1 and 2 show apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, and in respect of which an appropriate liquor licence has been obtained. In the State of Victoria, this may be a Packaged Liquor Licence in conjunction with an Extended Hours Permit. A vending machine 1 has an interface with the user which consists of a video display screen 2, a keypad 3, a card reader slot 4, and two rows of menu selection keys 6 and 7. The vending machine also has a delivery chute 8 for delivery of merchandise to the purchaser. The interior of the chute 8 is provided with S 20 cushioning material (not illustrated) to form a 'soft landing' for the merchandise.

The slot 9 above the display screen 2 operates in conjunction with a printer (not illustrated) within the vending machine for delivery of a voucher. It is preferred that *e the voucher be a receipt for the purchase of merchandise.

When the machine is idle, advertising material appears on the video display screen 2.

It is preferred that this advertising material appears in conjunction with a message inviting potential users to swipe their credit card through card reader slot 4 to purchase merchandise from the machine.

When a user swipes a credit card through the card reader slot 4, the video display screen 2 then displays a message prompting the user to enter their PIN number through the keypad 3.

C)-7- _21 August 2000 On successful entry of a PIN number, the suer is prompted to chose a purchase using the menu selection keys 6 and 7 in conjunction with menu text displayed on the video display screen 2.

Following a successful choice of merchandise from the menu, that merchandise is delivered to the suer through delivery chute 8.

It is preferred that, on the purchase of merchandise, a receipt or other printed voucher be issued to the purchaser via slot 9.

An alternative embodiment of apparatus according to the invention is illustrated in Figure 3. This apparatus differs from the apparatus of Figure 2 in that the rows of menu selection keys 7 and 8 of Figure 1 have been replaced with merchandise selection buttons illustrated generally at 11 in Figure 3. These merchandise selection 15 buttons carry an illustration of the merchandise which will be purchased on activation o of the relevant button.

od* Figure 4 illustrates one method of packaging merchandise for vending according to the present invention. The package of this embodiment is a glass 12 containing liquor in combination with a drink container 13 of suitable plastics material, I a wrapping of shrink-wrap foil 14.

get.

Figure 5 illustrates a plurality of vending machines in accordance with this invention *0 0 connected by communications links 17 to a central administration 18. The 25 communication links 17 may be, for example, a local network, leased telephone lines, dial-up connection or cellular telephone connections. Sales data from each vending machine 16 is passed over the communications links 17. This sales data may, for example, take place contemporaneously with each sale, or on polling from the central administration 18. This sales data may then be sued for any one, or for a combination of, purposes. It may, for example, be used for arranging re-stocking of the vending machines on a programmed or 'as needed' basis. In alternative embodiments of the invention, the authorisation of credit transactions also takes place over the Acommunications links 17. In further alternative embodiments, the content of 4, -8- 21 August 2000 advertising material which is displayed on video screen 2 is controlled from the central administration 18 over the communication links 17.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the communications links 17 are also used to control availability of each vending machine 16. When a vending machine is vending liquor which may be sold only during licensed trading hours signals over the communications link 17 from the central administration 18 provide a secure method of ensuring that sales do not take place outside trading hours.

These signals close down the vending operation of the machine, and cause the machine to display a message indicating that it is outside trading hours.

In yet further embodiments, the receipt or voucher which is issued t the purchaser carries a personalised and/or advertising promotional material. It is preferred that the contents of such personalised message or promotional material be controlled from the central administration 18 by passing messages over the communications link 17 to the 0oo vending machine 16.

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In yet alternative embodiments of the process and apparatus according to the present invention, the vending machine 1 is fitted with wheels and is mobile, so that it may be Sa 20 moved from venue to venue. These embodiments of the invention are particularly useful for sales at venues such as sporting competitions, public events and the like.

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-9- S21 August 2000

Claims

1. A process of vending merchandise, where the sale of such merchandise is subject to licensing requirements, which process includes the steps of: obtaining a licence which will allow the sale of such merchandise from merchandise vending apparatus; providing merchandise vending apparatus which is actuated by tokens; screening potential purchasers of merchandise for consistency with the requirements of the licensing requirements; issuing such tokens only to persons who may legally purchase such merchandise; and *fee*: vending at least one line of merchandise from the vending apparatus in conformity to the terms of the licence, 20 and wherein the process further includes at least one of the steps of: creating contractual rights whereby a contracting party has the right to place ooeo ""promotional material on merchandise vended from at least one vending machine; S i creating contractual rights whereby a contracting party has the right to place promotional material on receipts or other vouchers issued in the course of transactions from at least one vending machine; and creating contractual rights whereby a contracting party has the right to display promotional material on a video display which is incorporated into at least one vending machine. RkA/ C) 21 August 2000

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the process further includes at least one of the steps of: creating contractual rights whereby a contracting party purchases or hires at least one vending machine from another contracting party; creating contractual rights whereby a contracting party has the right to place at least one vending machine on at least one site; creating contractual rights whereby a contracting party has the right to distribute merchandise to at least one vending machine; creating contractual rights whereby a contracting party has the right to supply merchandise which is to be vended from at least one vending machine; and creating contractual rights whereby a contracting party has the right to place promotional material on at least one vending machine. 20

3. A process as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: the vending apparatus includes vending control means for enabling and disabling the vending of merchandise from the machine; and wherein S: 25 the vending control means is operable from a location which is remote from the vending apparatus.

4. A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the tokens are credit cards.

A process as claimed in claim 4 wherein each credit card carries a PIN number. 1-12- (-FNT 21 August 2000

6. A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the amount of merchandise which may be purchased with an individual token during a predetermined time period is subject to a maximum limit.

7. A process as claimed in any one the preceding claims wherein there is a limit on the number of such tokens that any one person may hold at any one time.

8. A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a voucher is issued for each sale transaction.

9. A process as claimed in claim 8 wherein the voucher is a receipt.

A process as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 wherein the voucher is imprinted with text in addition to a record of the transaction.

11. A process as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10 wherein the voucher is printed with a message which is personalised to the purchaser.

12. A process as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11 wherein the voucher is "i 20 printed with advertising promotional material.

13. A process as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 12 wherein the content of the text printed on the voucher depends on the line of merchandise which is the subject of S" the transaction. *aa.

14. A process as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 13 wherein the content of the text printed on the voucher is controlled from a location which is remote from the vending apparatus.

15. A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the sales from each vending apparatus are monitored from a remote location for inventory control and re-stocking purposes. Lu -12- 21 August 2000

16. A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the merchandise which is vended is a container of beverage which is packaged together with a drinking container.

17. A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further including the step of creating contractual rights whereby a contracting party has contractual rights to disseminate audible promotional material from at least one vending machine.

18. A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the promotional material which is displayed on the video display includes static visible promotional material.

19. A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the promotional material which is displayed on the video display includes dynamically changing visible promotional material.

A process as claimed in Claim 18 or claim 19 in which the content of the promotional material which is displayed on the video display is controlled from a 20 location which is remote from the vending machine.

21. A process as claimed in any one of claims 17, and 18 to 20 as appended to claim 17, in which the content of the audible promotional material is controlled from a location which is remote from the vending machine. S

22. A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. RA41 S.-13- S 1 1 August2000

23. A process substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. SANDERCOCK COWIE PATENT ATTORNEYS FOR DEAN HENRY CLEARY TERRENCE ALAN MOUNSEY Dated: 21 August 2000 -14