Bizarre Patents
A sealed crustless sandwich for providing a convenient sandwich without an outer crust which can be stored for long periods of time without a central filling from leaking outwardly.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8095236 | System and method for remotely buying, renting, and/or selling media discs A kiosk or machine for buying media discs includes a dispense/receive system for dispensing the media discs to consumers and receiving media discs from customers, a disc identification system for identifying the media discs, a disc transfer system for moving the med... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8041453 | Method and apparatus for defining and utilizing product location in a vending machine In accordance with one embodiment, a vending machine comprises a plurality of receptacles for holding units of products, each receptacle operable to hold a respective plurality of units in a series. The vending machine further comprises a dispensing mechanism operab... | 10/18/2011 |
| 7894936 | Products and processes for managing the prices of vending machine inventory According to one embodiment of the disclosed invention, an apparatus determines a current price of a product for sale by the vending machine. It then determines, for the product, a price increment, a predetermined price, and a demand threshold, that are defined by d... | 02/22/2011 |
| 7894937 | Method and apparatus for dynamically managing vending machine inventory prices The present invention is a method and apparatus for automatically managing a price of a product in a vending machine. The method and apparatus is disclosed for implementing dynamic price adjustments at various times including after stocking, after a sale of a produc... | 02/22/2011 |
| 7826923 | Products and processes for vending a plurality of products Package deals comprising component products from inventory groups are offered and sold to customers of vending machines. In some embodiments, an association of the component products with the inventory groups is indicated by at least one of a placement of the compon... | 11/02/2010 |
| 7515989 | Goods sales management system and goods sales management method A goods sales management system has a plurality of goods vending machines 1provided with containers for storing a plurality of goods and a vending machine management apparatus 80 connected to each of the plurality of the goods vending machines via a co... | 04/07/2009 |
| 7310084 | Multi-way operation switch, input device and input unit A multi-way operation switch of the present invention includes an operation unit that is horizontally movable and rotatable; a plurality of first switch contacts for turning on and off the electrical coupling by horizontally moving the operation unit; and a second s... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7299109 | Vending machine having promotional features A vending machine having promotional features, wherein a secured token is associated with a subset of all the items that can be vended, and validation of the token limits the items offered to the patron for his selection to only that subset of items. A first vending... | 11/20/2007 |
| 7249050 | Vending machine system and method for encouraging the purchase of profitable items This invention relates generally to systems and methods for delivering products-on-demand to individuals and, more particularly, to delivery via vending machines. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the method of the instant invention is initiated when a cust... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7233912 | Method and apparatus for vending a combination of products A method and apparatus for delivering a plurality of products from a vending machine is disclosed. The method generally allows an offer for a package to be output, in which the package defines a plurality of products, including a selected product. An apparatus is al... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7228536 | System for rewriting control program in vending machine The present invention provides a vending machine control program rewriting system that facilitates the rewriting of a control program in the vending machine. The vending machine comprises a communication controller which receives a new control program sent from a ho... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7216089 | Promotion method and system Upon the sale of merchandise by a vending machine, encrypted point information expressing prescribed points is presented to a user. The user transmits the presented point information, together with identification information for the user, to a center device by means... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7184857 | Automated news rack inventory and alert management system The present invention describes various methods and apparatus to increase efficiency and sales of a Newspaper Rack. At least one sensor is positioned within a Newspaper Rack to monitor when the remaining inventory of Newspapers reaches a predetermined quantity (incl... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7165719 | Method for controlling a service-providing device For controlling the use of a device (1) performing a service, the authorized persons are issued contactless data carriers (2) that, upon use of the device (1), communicate with a reader (3) storing the personal authorization data in a mem... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7110858 | Object identification uses prediction of data in distributed network A measure of security is provided by determining authenticity of an object (e.g., credit card, cell phone, car keys, etc.) by letting the object predict at which nodes multiple specific data packets are going to be in a distributed network in the next time slot.... | 09/19/2006 |
| RE39234 | Vending machine audit monitoring system An audit monitoring system (10) is provided for use with any of a multiplicity of different coin operated vending machines (300). The audit monitoring system includes an interface assembly (102) for use in replacing an existing data link (330... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7069232 | System, method and computer program product for short-range weather adapted, business forecasting A system, method and computer program product for short-term forecasting of future retail performance are described herein. The system includes a Web-based graphical user interface, a weather history database and a weather forecast database. The method and computer ... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7027890 | Fuel dispensing system for cash customers The present invention is a fuel dispensing system for enhancing cash transactions, which includes a fuel dispenser associated with a control system and a receiver adapted to receive signals, including identification indicia from a remote communications unit associat... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6766219 | Apparatus for controlling and monitoring of dispensing of oral medications A medication dispensing cassette and related apparatus for controlling and monitoring of dispensing of oral medications is disclosed. The cassette comprises at least one continuous track having a plurality of receptacles for medication, a microprocessor to monitor a... | 07/20/2004 |
| 6695166 | Vending machine inventory system and method A vending machine containing one or more racks that contain stacked products to be vended to customers. An array of capacitive switches or capacitive switches are aligned on one or more racks. The capacitive switches are each aligned with the height of a ... | 02/24/2004 |
| 6662080 | Electronic data distribution apparatus and distribution method An information medium collecting unit receives and collects information media to be recycled. An inspection unit inspects the information media collected at the information medium collecting unit. An electronic-data recording unit transfers and records el... | 12/09/2003 |
| 6624757 | Shelf pricing display apparatus An electronic display strip is attached to the shelf front of retail shelves, each shelf having an address code assigned through a control computer. Display fields of variable locations and lengths within each display strip are assigned to each product on... | 09/23/2003 |
| 6527020 | Oil supply station system An oil supply station system of the present invention includes a plurality of oil supply apparatuses standing within an oil supply station, and each having at a body case thereof a self-service oil supply mechanism and a touch-activated operating panel an... | 03/04/2003 |
| 6502012 | Newspaper rack automated inventory monitoring request apparatus and method The present invention describes various methods and apparatus to increase efficiency and sales of a Newspaper Rack. Several sensors are positioned throughout the Newspaper Rack to monitor when the remaining inventory reaches a predetermined quantity or is... | 12/31/2002 |
| 6397126 | Interfaced dispensing machines and remote automated payment and inventory management system A remote means for payment of purchases made using an automated vending machine. The remote means may include a signal or power to release the goods to the consumer. The remote means may interface with the vending machine using wires or wireless technolog... | 05/28/2002 |
| 6397193 | Method and apparatus for automatically vending a combination of products The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically delivering a combination of products from a vending machine at a package price. The method of the present invention includes the step of receiving a package identifier. The method a... | 05/28/2002 |
| 6324520 | Method and apparatus for collecting and applying vending machine demand information A dispensing device, such as a vending machine, is equipped to monitor product demand and consumer traffic that passes by the machine. The dispensing device collects and analyzes product demand data to determine optimal product stocking, to offer products... | 11/27/2001 |
| 6295482 | Electronic newspaper vending machine A newspaper vending machine is equipped with a computerized control and an infrared (IR) communications transceiver. A user equipped with an IR transceiver may download an electronic copy of an article, an electronic copy of the newspaper itself or a netw... | 09/25/2001 |
| 6230150 | Vending machine evaluation network Methods and apparatus are disclosed for automatically testing, monitoring and managing the pricing and other sales information associated with products sold by vending machines. A price or other sales information associated with a product is initially adj... | 05/08/2001 |
| 6167327 | Pricing control system for multi-operation vending machines A pricing control system for multi-operation vending machines, such as those commonly found in laundromat facilities, incorporates an offset price setting field for storing at least one incremental offset price which is added to a pre-established base pri... | 12/26/2000 |
| 6078848 | Browser kiosk system The invention provides a self-service computer having a monitor which can access and display documents using browser software, and including software for providing at least one image which includes controls for the browser software. A microphone, speaker,... | 06/20/2000 |
| 6059142 | Apparatus and method for vending multiple products A vending apparatus for and method of vending multiple products includes a master vending machine which utilizes money handling and changing components as well as a selection component and controller. The present invention may also include one or more sat... | 05/09/2000 |
| 6012834 | Apparatus and method for automatic self-adapting control of sales and adjustment of prices to market movements in an automatic vending machine A description is given of an electronic auction machine, which reacts to changing sales conditions with appropriately adjusted machine prices. For existing automatic vending machines restocking is based upon very vague experience figures and in particular... | 01/11/2000 |
| 5977998 | Technique for communicating with electronic labels in an electronic price display system In a system for displaying prices in a retail store, an improved protocol is disclosed to permit improved communications between a host, or central computer and display devices. Such a protocol enables the host to effectively communicate messages to the d... | 11/02/1999 |
| 5914886 | Goods selecting apparatus and method for automatic vending machine A goods selecting apparatus and method for an automatic vending machine enables uses a control device to take necessary actions in case a user selects an article in error among goods stored in the automatic vending machine thereby preventing undesired goo... | 06/22/1999 |
| 5909373 | System for discounting postage for a postage kiosk containing a franking machine A postal meter is contained in a kiosk. The kiosk also contains a postage meter secure classifier; and a modem link, which communicates with a data center, that is located at a different location. The secure classifier records every time postal funds are ... | 06/01/1999 |
| 5884745 | Pivot keypad and dual interface for multiple price and size setting vending machine A programmable size and price setting mechanism for use in a vending machine has a plurality of η access doors aligned horizontally across a front of the vending machine, each of which access doors has a locked condition denying access therethrough and a... | 03/23/1999 |
| 5878400 | Method and apparatus for pricing products in multi-level product and organizational groups The invention organizes various pricing tables and price adjustment tables and various products and purchasing organizations based on "who" (i.e. which purchasing organization) is purchasing "what" (i.e. which product). The invention utilizes a denormaliz... | 03/02/1999 |
| 5873069 | System and method for automatic updating and display of retail prices An enterprise-wide integrated computer system for storing, processing and reporting pricing information regarding a plurality of products in a plurality of stores in a plurality of markets, including a pricing function for pricing and re-pricing products ... | 02/16/1999 |
| 5867403 | Fuel dispenser A fuel dispenser is disclosed. The fuel dispenser has a housing which contains two chambers, one contains a computer and the other the hydraulic parts of the dispenser. Fiber optic cables connect a fiber optic switch which detects the cradling of a nozzle... | 02/02/1999 |
