Article dispensing – Automatic control – Of discharge assistant operation
Reexamination Certificate
2007-03-20
2007-03-20
Bollinger, David H. (Department: 3653)
Article dispensing
Automatic control
Of discharge assistant operation
C221S021000, C700S231000, C700S244000
Reexamination Certificate
active
10838222
ABSTRACT:
For ensuring that a vending machine motor will continue to operate until a product has descended through a vending space or an established time interval has elapsed, an optical beam is established across the vend space through which a product must drop. A change in beam intensity is detected. By preference infra red light is emitted at one focal point of an elliptical reflector, and detected at the other focal point. The light is emitted in pulses in the preferred embodiment, and the optical sensing system has automated calibration and error detecting functions.
REFERENCES:
patent: 645499 (1900-03-01), Vogel
patent: 1848874 (1932-03-01), Fitz Gerald
patent: 2571283 (1951-10-01), Nicholson
patent: 2590736 (1952-03-01), Tandler et al.
patent: 2900521 (1959-08-01), Eames
patent: 3025406 (1962-03-01), Stewart et al.
patent: 3041462 (1962-06-01), Ogle
patent: 3235738 (1966-02-01), Kress et al.
patent: 3461922 (1969-08-01), Niehaus et al.
patent: 3537091 (1970-10-01), Schenkenberg
patent: 3687255 (1972-08-01), Johnson, II
patent: 3704396 (1972-11-01), Macdonald
patent: 3723737 (1973-03-01), Zeldman et al.
patent: 3742222 (1973-06-01), Endl
patent: 3746863 (1973-07-01), Pronovost
patent: 3752978 (1973-08-01), Kahl, Jr.
patent: 3795343 (1974-03-01), Shigemori et al.
patent: 3805061 (1974-04-01), De Missimy et al.
patent: 3828903 (1974-08-01), Levasseur
patent: 3889118 (1975-06-01), Walker
patent: 3894220 (1975-07-01), Levasseur
patent: 3901366 (1975-08-01), Schuller et al.
patent: 3914579 (1975-10-01), Shigemori et al.
patent: 3963035 (1976-06-01), Levasseur
patent: 4008792 (1977-02-01), Levasseur et al.
patent: 4032039 (1977-06-01), Schuller
patent: 4033442 (1977-07-01), Wirstlin et al.
patent: 4033477 (1977-07-01), Hoppe et al.
patent: 4044877 (1977-08-01), Burton
patent: 4108333 (1978-08-01), Falk et al.
patent: 4127771 (1978-11-01), Sick
patent: 4174742 (1979-11-01), Murphey
patent: 4231105 (1980-10-01), Schuller et al.
patent: 4252250 (1981-02-01), Toth
patent: 4266124 (1981-05-01), Weber et al.
patent: 4310756 (1982-01-01), Sick et al.
patent: 4359147 (1982-11-01), Levasseur
patent: 4402609 (1983-09-01), Fetzer
patent: 4409473 (1983-10-01), Furuta
patent: 4412607 (1983-11-01), Collins et al.
patent: 4429778 (1984-02-01), Levasseur
patent: 4478353 (1984-10-01), Levasseur
patent: 4480764 (1984-11-01), Takagi et al.
patent: 4494675 (1985-01-01), Stutsman
patent: 4573606 (1986-03-01), Lewis et al.
patent: 4590975 (1986-05-01), Credle, Jr.
patent: 4696413 (1987-09-01), Wilson et al.
patent: 4705176 (1987-11-01), Oden
patent: 4776487 (1988-10-01), Kurosawa et al.
patent: 4854477 (1989-08-01), Kurosawa et al.
patent: 4864121 (1989-09-01), Pietzsch
patent: 4869392 (1989-09-01), Moulding et al.
patent: 4871054 (1989-10-01), Murray
patent: 4888532 (1989-12-01), Josson
patent: 4912316 (1990-03-01), Yamakawa
patent: 5015840 (1991-05-01), Blau
patent: 5026983 (1991-06-01), Meyn
patent: 5084845 (1992-01-01), Levasseur
patent: 5111962 (1992-05-01), Oden
patent: 5139127 (1992-08-01), Ficken et al.
patent: 5201429 (1993-04-01), Hikosaka et al.
patent: 5207784 (1993-05-01), Schartzendruber
patent: 5218196 (1993-06-01), Dogul
patent: 5229749 (1993-07-01), Yenglin
patent: 5238145 (1993-08-01), Pippin
patent: 5261467 (1993-11-01), Yamamoto et al.
patent: 5266793 (1993-11-01), Smith
patent: 5273183 (1993-12-01), Tuttobene
patent: 5276391 (1994-01-01), Jonsson
patent: 5280845 (1994-01-01), Leight
patent: 5281809 (1994-01-01), Anderson
patent: 5302942 (1994-04-01), Blau
patent: 5303844 (1994-04-01), Muehlberger
patent: 5344043 (1994-09-01), Moulding et al.
patent: 5346466 (1994-09-01), Yerlikaya et al.
patent: 5390711 (1995-02-01), Murphey
patent: 5404008 (1995-04-01), Malinowski
patent: 5490610 (1996-02-01), Pearson
patent: 5496996 (1996-03-01), Barnes et al.
patent: 5625198 (1997-04-01), Chigira
patent: 5651476 (1997-07-01), Percy et al.
patent: 5651479 (1997-07-01), Bates
patent: 5769269 (1998-06-01), Peters
patent: 5791516 (1998-08-01), Wittern, Jr. et al.
patent: 5813568 (1998-09-01), Lowing
patent: 5831862 (1998-11-01), Hetrick et al.
patent: 5847389 (1998-12-01), Mertins et al.
patent: 5884806 (1999-03-01), Boyer et al.
patent: 5922030 (1999-07-01), Shank et al.
patent: 5927539 (1999-07-01), Truitt et al.
patent: 5992030 (1999-11-01), Mann
patent: 6064921 (2000-05-01), Pippin et al.
patent: 6098524 (2000-08-01), Reese
patent: 6202888 (2001-03-01), Pollock et al.
patent: 6269285 (2001-07-01), Mignault
patent: 6324520 (2001-11-01), Walker et al.
patent: 6330958 (2001-12-01), Ruskin et al.
patent: 6354716 (2002-03-01), Chen et al.
patent: 6384402 (2002-05-01), Hair et al.
patent: 6478187 (2002-11-01), Simson et al.
patent: 6520373 (2003-02-01), Neely et al.
patent: 6540102 (2003-04-01), Gates et al.
patent: 6640994 (2003-11-01), Chen
patent: 6675985 (2004-01-01), Sato et al.
patent: 6708079 (2004-03-01), Mason, II
patent: 6732014 (2004-05-01), Whitten et al.
patent: 6758370 (2004-07-01), Cooke et al.
patent: 6772906 (2004-08-01), Wittern, Jr. et al.
patent: 6794634 (2004-09-01), Hair
patent: 2001/0000408 (2001-04-01), Hair, III et al.
patent: 2001/0000610 (2001-05-01), Johnson
patent: 2002/0117509 (2002-08-01), Whitten et al.
patent: 2002/0179620 (2002-12-01), Mason, II
patent: 2002/0195458 (2002-12-01), Whitten et al.
patent: 2003/0084959 (2003-05-01), Hartnell et al.
patent: 2003/0155367 (2003-08-01), Chen
patent: 2004/0172334 (2004-09-01), Whitten et al.
patent: 2004/0204791 (2004-10-01), Hair, III et al.
patent: 200 06 317 UI (2000-11-01), None
patent: 0 053 489 (1982-06-01), None
patent: 0 071 438 (1983-02-01), None
patent: 432996 (1991-06-01), None
patent: 0 462 591 (1991-12-01), None
patent: 0 535 856 (1993-04-01), None
patent: 0 572 119 (1993-12-01), None
patent: 2 170 792 (1986-08-01), None
patent: 10-011639 (1991-01-01), None
patent: 07-282347 (1995-10-01), None
patent: 09-153172 (1997-06-01), None
patent: 2-257386 (1997-12-01), None
patent: 9-326075 (1997-12-01), None
patent: WO 99/56255 (1999-11-01), None
patent: WO 00/74009 (2001-01-01), None
patent: WO 01/2001359 (2001-01-01), None
patent: WO 01/29788 (2001-04-01), None
patent: WO 03/052706 A 1 (2003-06-01), None
Nais Sensors Brochure, Aromat Corporation, XPE 001 30M 1296, 1996, p. 47.
SUNX Catalog; 1996, pp. 28-29.
PCT Written Opinion in PCT/US02/1929 dated Jan. 18, 2005.
NAIS Catalog, 5 pages, 1996.
Declaration of Paul Mason and attached photos and sketch (7 pages).
Automatic Products International, Ltd. & Gross-Given Manufacturing Co.'s Second Set of Supplemental Responses to Plaintiff's First Set of Interrogatories Nos. 1-10, including contentions and disclosure relating to a vending machine sold by Mars, Inc. in the Supplemental Answer to Interrogatory No. 5 (14 pages, in color).
R-O International vending machine brochure, indicated as copyrighted Oct. 1997 (2 page).
Sketch by inventors of conventional sensor (no publication date).
NAIS Sensors Brochure, Aromat Corporation, XPE 001 30M1296, 1996, pp. 147-153.
Hair III, et al. U.S. Appl. No. 90/007,450, filed Mar. 9, 2005.
Hair III, et al. U.S. Appl. No. 90/007,451, filed Mar. 9, 2005.
Hair III, et al. U.S. Appl. No. 90/007,453, filed Mar. 7, 2005.
Hair III, et al. U.S. Appl. No. 90/007,454, filed Mar. 7, 2005.
Hair III, et al. U.S. Appl. No. 90/007,461, filed Mar. 12, 2005.
Hair III, et al. U.S. Appl. No. 90/007,462, filed Mar. 12, 2005.
Excerpts from Crane Interrogatory Responses in Civil Action No. 3:03CV88 (confidentiality of submitted responses withdrawn by agreement to allow consideration).
Excerpts from Crane Interrogatory Responses in Civil Action No. 3:03-CV-88 (re interrogatories 21-23).
Excerpts from USI's Answers to AMS' First Set of Interrogatories in Civil Action No. 3:04CV-07 (confidentiality of submitted responses withdrawn by agreement to allow consideration).
Excerpts from USI's Answers to AMS' Second Set of Interrogatories in Civil Action No. 3:04CV-07.
Parts Manual, Kit Kat Candy/Snack Vendor, Model: 3087, P/N 207500, Feb. 1996.
Service Manual, Kit Kat Candy Vending Machine, Model 3087-KK, P/N 4206656, Revision C, Jan. 1998.
Hair, III James M.
Spentzos Kyriakos P.
Automated Merchandising Systems Inc.
Bollinger David H.
Davidson Berquist Jackson & Gowdey LLP
LandOfFree
Optical vend-sensing system for control of vending machine does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Optical vend-sensing system for control of vending machine, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Optical vend-sensing system for control of vending machine will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3742591