Apparatus and method for storing and retrieving articles
May 29, 2006. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.Patent ReferencesOrdering terminal Vending ordering terminal Renting of articles and machine thereof Apparatus and method for storing and retrieving articles Apparatus and method for vending and accepting return of re-usable articles Recording apparatus with device for detecting the status of a recording medium Vending machine for video cassettes Patent #: 4668150 InventorsAssigneeApplicationNo. 06/868815 filed on 05/29/1986US Classes:235/381, With vending235/375, SYSTEMS CONTROLLED BY DATA BEARING RECORDS235/376, Operations analysis235/377, Time analysis235/383, Mechanized store235/385, Inventory369/34.01, Plural storage medium elements414/274, With means on charging or discharging means to determine status of member700/234, Demonstration or duplication of article (e.g., software, video)700/236, Data collection or reporting (e.g., sales, inventory)700/237Authorization (e.g., password, time usage limit, personal identification number (PIN)ExaminersPrimary: Faber, AlanAssistant: Weinhardt, Robert A. Attorney, Agent or FirmInternational ClassesG07F 11/46 (20060101)G07F 11/54 (20060101) G07F 7/02 (20060101) G07F 7/06 (20060101) G07F 7/00 (20060101) G07F 9/02 (20060101) AbstractA machine from which a customer can selectably purchase or rent a videocassette or return a previously rented videocassette. The machine comprises a videocassette storage device for storing a plurality of videocassettes in discrete, identifiable locations. A customer identification device, receives information about the customer. A mode selection device enable the customer to select among a vend mode, a rent mode and a return mode, and a videocassette selection device enable the customer to select a desired videocassette to be vended or rented. A customer access device is provided for dispensing the selected videocassette to the customer in the vend and rent modes and receiving the videocassette from the customer in the return mode. A videocassette identification device receives information representative of the identity of the videocassette being returned in the return mode. A videocassette transport device is provided for transporting the selected videocassette from the storage device to the customer access device in the vend and rent modes and transporting the videocassette from the customer access device to any available empty discrete location in the storage device in the return mode. A memory device stores information about the customer, the selected mode, the selected videocassette, and the coordinates of videocassettes and available empty discrete locations in the storage device.Other References
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