Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Article handling
Reexamination Certificate
1996-06-26
2001-09-25
Grant, William (Department: 2121)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Article handling
C700S231000, C700S235000, C700S237000, C700S238000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295482
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of vending machines and more particularly to a newspaper vending machine capable of dispensing either an electronic version of a newspaper, or portion thereof, or of dispensing a physical product.
2. Description of Related Art
Newspaper vending machines are ubiquitous. They are found on city streets, in subway stations, in building lobbies and a wide variety of other locations. The purpose of the vending machine is twofold: it is both an advertising device and a repository for copies of the advertised item for sale. As an advertising device, the vending machine relies upon the headlines of the newspaper to generate enough interest for an individual to deposit sufficient money to pay for and retrieve the entire newspaper. As a repository for the newspaper itself, the vending machine is severely limited in the number of newspapers it can hold.
Many people find that newspapers are bulky, inconvenient to read, and have ink that smears onto their hands. They also contain vast amounts of information that the purchaser does not want. These are all disincentives for people to buy a newspaper.
Newspaper owners are aware of these disincentives and have developed alternative methods of delivering a newspaper's information content. Some newspapers are available electronically via the World Wide Web (WWW) on the Internet for free or by subscription. Others are available through the various on-line services or content providers, either as part of basic connect-time charges or as optional surcharged items. Still others use their own proprietary networks employing either a flat or a time-sensitive rate structure.
However, for a potential purchaser of an electronic form of the newspaper, the knowledge that he will have to navigate through various electronic media to locate a news item that piqued his interest provides a strong disincentive to accessing a newspaper electronically. It would often save time just to purchase the printed copy from the vending machine, even with its attendant deficiencies, rather than painfully search disparate electronic networks for the desired item.
Short range infrared (IR) transmitters and receivers are well known in the art, most commonly in conjunction with hand held remote control devices such as those used for television channel selection or for control of a Video Cassette Recorder (VCR).
Small hand held computing devices such as personal digital assistants or hand held computers are also known in the art.
Small hand held cellular telephones are commercially available in a variety of forms.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides and apparatus, system, methods and computer program products which permits a user to query, for example, an electronic newspaper vending machine to acquire (1) the text of an article, (2) an electronic version of an entire newspaper or (3) the information necessary to locate the electronic version automatically. Electronic cash systems or payment authorizations are used to pay any associated fees. The invention integrates a computer having an infra-red transmitter/receiver (IRTR) with a vending machine which communicates with a similar IRTR device located within the user's portable computing device. The user's computing device also contains a cellular modem to allow connection to the various networks upon which electronic newspapers may reside. In a similar way, IRTRs may be integrated with billboards, or any advertising devices.
An electronic vending machine embodiment will be used throughout to illustrate the invention. When a user's attention is captured by a headline on a newspaper contained within the electronic vending machine, he aims his portable computing device at the vending machine and presses a key to notify the vending machine that he would like the information to be transmitted to his computer. The vending machine's IRTR responds with a data stream which contains either the requested information or information to locate the electronic version of the newspaper on the appropriate network together with any cost information useful to the user. If the user decides to access a networked electronic version, the address received from the vending machine is passed to commercial software such as a web browser which will automatically create the necessary data link to the appropriate network using a cellular modem and log the user onto the network.
In situations where on-line browsing is not available or desired, anonymous File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or any of a wide variety of techniques may be employed to download the newspaper to the user's computer for local viewing. Finally, some retailers of electronic information may choose to allow a direct download of the entire document from the vending machine's IRTR computing device to the user's electronic reader.
The invention relates to apparatus for dispensing electronic versions of part of all of a newspaper, including: a vending machine for dispensing copies of a printed newspaper, a transceiver, and a computer, connected to the vending machine and the transceiver, configured to respond to a query from a user received over the transceiver, for providing information related to the newspaper over the transceiver to the user. The transceiver is an infrared transceiver. The vending machine is configured to dispense a copy of a printed newspaper when payment is received over the transceiver. Alternately, the vending machine can dispense an article, a network address or a digital copy of the newspaper.
The invention is also related to apparatus for receiving information relating to a newspaper from a vending machine equipped with a transceiver, including a transceiver, and a computer, connected to the transceiver, configured to send a query to the vending machine over the transceiver, and configured to receive information related to the newspaper over the transceiver from the vending machine. The apparatus includes the functionality of a personal digital assistant.
The invention is also related to a method of retrieving information from a vending machine equipped with a transceiver, including the steps of providing an element for performing the step of sending a query to the vending machine, and providing an element for performing the step of receiving the information from the vending machine. The query may include a password or subscription information and a password valid for one or more editions of the newspaper. The information received from the vending machine includes either (1) an electronic copy of the newspaper or (2) a network address where an electronic copy may be obtained.
Payment for the information includes transfer of digital cash to the vending machine.
The invention is also directed to a method of servicing a vending machine equipped with a transceiver, including the steps of: sending a query to the vending machine, and receiving service information from the vending machine if the person sending the query is an authorized service person. Service personnel have access to options including one or more of loading the vending machine with one or more new information products, collecting electronic cash, selecting maintenance and utility routines, and exiting.
The invention is also directed to a system for requesting and providing information related to a newspaper, including, a vending machine equipped with a transceiver for providing information upon request, and a portable computing unit equipped with a transceiver for requesting information from the vending machine and receiving requested information from the vending machine over the transceiver. The transceivers may be infrared transceivers. The portable computing unit is linked to a network over a wireless link.
Payment for requested information is made by transferring digital cash from the portable computing unit to the vending machine.
The invention is also directed to computer program products for carrying out the invention on both the portable computing device and on the ve
Grant William
McDermott & Will & Emery
Patel Ramesh
Sun Microsystems Inc.
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