In a medication dispensing system, pills of different medications are stored in different chambers of a pill bottle. An assembly of a non-moving disc having holes corresponding to each chamber, a rotatable disc having a hole for dispensing pills therethrough, and a motor, dispenses the pills according to a prescribed schedule. The motor controls the rotations of the rotatable disc according to a user-specified schedule.

An automated vending system includes a physical item storage unit, and a plurality of land-based transportation mechanisms, or vehicles, arranged to store a predicted number and assortment of items to vend. A processing resource can communicate with the plurality of transportation vehicles, and is arranged to support a machine learning module. A plurality of data sources is arranged to provide data to the machine learning module to determine a plurality of respective actions for the plurality of transportation vehicles. The processing resource can communicate respective control instructions to the plurality of transportation vehicles. A selected transportation mechanism which receives the control instruction can operate in response to the control instruction in order to convey the item to a determined vending location.

A system of conversion of a mobile electronic payment terminal into a fixed electronic payment terminal. The system includes: first and second support elements having first hooking elements and a first reversible locking element. The support elements are configured to receive the electronic payment terminal or a charging base for charging the electronic payment terminal and to be fixedly attached to the charging base or to a fixed pedestal. The system also includes a lower hatch to be fixed beneath the electronic payment terminal and having second hooking elements configured to cooperate with the first hooking elements of the first and second support elements, and further having a second reversible locking element configured to cooperate the first the reversible locking element the support elements.

Disclosed herein is a technique to convert a coin-op machine to be operated using an object thereby providing an object-operated machine. An object detector is connected to the coin-op mechanism in lieu of the coin detector typically found in coin-op machines. Examples of objects that are enabled to be used by the present application are business cards, forms, and recyclable objects such as cans, bottles, and the like. Examples of object detectors that are disclosed by the present application are electromechanical lever actuator assemblies, business card scanners, and convolution neural network based object detectors.

A vending machine includes a storage to store product management data in which an on-sale product management numbers is associated with product management content; an input and output unit to input and output the product management data; and an update control unit configured to update the product management data. Further, the update control unit collectively receives all the product management data including a part to be updated, stores all the product management data as update target product management data, displays the update target product management data including confirmation target information and stores the update target product management data as updated product management data.

This disclosure relates to a feedback and authentication system and method for vending machines. In one example system, the system includes a vending machine configured to dispense an item purchased by a user. The item contains identifying tag which, when scanned, allows the user access to information about the item. Such information may include the creation date of the item, the expiration date of the item, and/or tracking information. The user can thus make an informed decision as to the freshness of the item, which is particularly useful when the item is a perishable item, such as a salad. By offering access to this sort of information, food distributors gain credibility with their customer base.

The present disclosure is related to systems and methods for operating a lock in a vehicle. The method includes obtaining and verifying a request to use a vehicle, if the request to use the vehicle satisfies a condition for using the vehicle, open a lock of the vehicle. The method also includes obtaining a request to temporarily close the lock of the vehicle, close the lock of the vehicle. The method further includes obtaining a request to abort the request to temporarily close the lock of the vehicle, open the lock of the vehicle. The method still further includes obtaining and verifying a request to return the vehicle, if the request to return the vehicle satisfies a condition for returning the vehicle, close the lock of the vehicle.

The present application is directed to systems and methods for transmitting vending machine data wirelessly via a reporting device. Each vending machine may connect to a reporting device. The reporting device may communicate with a mobile device wirelessly, where the mobile device may be carried by an operator. The reporting device may transmit vending machine data to the mobile device. The reporting device may transmit maintenance information to the mobile device. The mobile device may upload the vending machine data and maintenance information via a network to a remote device. The reporting device may enable a customer to make purchases with a mobile device. The reporting device may receive a repair-needed notification from a customer's mobile device.

The present application is directed to systems and methods for transmitting vending machine data wirelessly via a reporting device. Each vending machine may connect to a reporting device. The reporting device may communicate with a mobile device wirelessly, where the mobile device may be carried by an operator. The reporting device may transmit vending machine data to the mobile device. The reporting device may transmit maintenance information to the mobile device. The mobile device may upload the vending machine data and maintenance information via a network to a remote device. The reporting device may enable a customer to make purchases with a mobile device. The reporting device may receive a repair-needed notification from a customer's mobile device.

In a medication dispensing system, pills of different medications are stored in different chambers of a pill bottle. An assembly of a non-moving disc having holes corresponding to each chamber, a rotatable disc having a hole for dispensing pills therethrough, and a motor, dispenses the pills according to a prescribed schedule. The motor controls the rotations of the rotatable disc according to a user-specified schedule.