An offline retail machine comprising a short-range transceiver, one or more processors, and memory performs communications operations via one or more mobile devices. The communications operations include establishing via the short-range transceiver a connection with a first mobile device, and transmitting first information to the first mobile device. Upon not receiving an acknowledgement that the first information was received by a remote server, the offline retail machine maintains the first information in the memory and establishes, via the short-range transceiver, a connection with a second mobile device, appends the first information to second information, and transmits the first and second information to the second mobile device. Upon receiving acknowledgement that the first and second information were received by a remote server, the offline retail machine deletes the first and second information.

A pharmacological dispensing system can consist of a medical drug prescription that is filled prior to the display of at least one clip of a multimedia package to an end user. The multimedia package can have safety information pertaining to the medical drug prescription. At least one clip of the multimedia package may be altered in response to a detected failure of the end user to understand the safety information. Confirmation of an understanding of the safety information by the end user after showing the end user the altered clip of the multimedia package prompts the dispensing of the medical drug prescription to the end user.

An automated vending system for retail locations can include: an exterior housing that houses a plurality of differently shaped items for purchase and return; a data processor that is disposed in the exterior housing and that is coupled to an external server having a database; a display device on a face of the exterior housing; a memory storing computer-executable instructions that cause the automated vending system to execute vending and returning of an item; a payment validation device that is configured to accept payment information; a storage area that holds a plurality of items; an item compartment that is disposed within the exterior housing and that is capable of opening to the user; an item dispenser that dispenses an item from the storage area to the item compartment; and a detector that is positioned to detect foreign activity within the item compartment.

A method is performed at an electronic payment module with one or more processors, memory, a slave interface that couples the module with an unattended machine via a multi-drop bus (MDB), and one or more host interfaces that couple the module with at least one payment peripheral of the unattended machine. The method also includes: receiving, from a refund center, a request to issue an approved refund of a predetermined amount and one or more criteria that must be satisfied before dispensing the predetermined amount. In accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are met, the method includes issuing (i) a signal to the unattended machine, via the slave interface, that the at least one payment peripheral is unavailable and (ii) a signal to the at least one payment peripheral, via the one or more host interfaces, to dispense the predetermined amount.

A product storage device includes: a main gate that is swingably provided to advance and move away from a product storage column, that advances to an advanced position, and that allows a downstream-most product to be taken out; a sub-gate that is swingably provided in association with the main gate; a sliding member that regulates the main gate from moving away and retracting from the product storage column; and a lever that allows the sliding member to be present at a regulation position, that switches to a regulation posture which regulates the sliding member from returning to the regulation position, and that then, when the main gate moves away from the product storage column in response to a take-out operation, switches to a standby posture when the main gate advances to the product storage column to allow the sliding member to return to the regulation position.

An RFID-based goods-vending system, applied to a vending machine. The RFID-based goods-vending system comprises a mobile terminal, a server, a controller, a sensor, an RFID reader-writer, goods with an RFID label and an intelligent lock disposed on a vending machine. The mobile terminal is used for sending a request signal to the server. The server is used for sending, after receiving the request signal, an unlocking signal to the controller. The sensor is used for sending, after detecting that a gate of the vending machine is closed, a locking signal to the controller. The controller is used for sending the unlocking signal from the server or the locking signal from the sensor to the intelligent lock. The RFID reader-writer is used for reading goods data in the vending machine, and sending the goods data to the server.

An automated vending system for retail locations can include: an exterior housing that houses a plurality of differently shaped items for purchase and return; a data processor that is disposed in the exterior housing and that is coupled to an external server having a database; a display device on a face of the exterior housing; a memory storing computer-executable instructions that cause the automated vending system to execute vending and returning of an item; a payment validation device that is configured to accept payment information; a storage area that holds a plurality of items; an item compartment that is disposed within the exterior housing and that is capable of opening to the user; an item dispenser that dispenses an item from the storage area to the item compartment; and a detector that is positioned to detect foreign activity within the item compartment.

An improved vending machine that permits vending plural or multiple items in the course of a single customer transaction without the need for currency or special cards. The vending machine is particularly useful in controlled facilities such as prisons and jails. The vending machine includes cabinet having an ingress door for loading merchandise into an interior compartment of the cabinet and a merchandise egress and retrieval assembly; an automated merchandise delivery assembly disposed in the interior compartment of the cabinet for storing merchandise and for delivering merchandise to the merchandise egress and retrieval assembly; a electronic user interface communicatively connected to the cabinet and providing merchandise information and selection capability for the user, and providing user information for the apparatus; and a vending controller electronically communicatively connected to the user interface and to the automated merchandise delivery assembly, whereby the apparatus dispenses at least one item of merchandise without presentation of currency nor an external card device by the user. The vending machine is capable of dispensing a plurality of items of merchandise in a single transaction.

Techniques are disclosed for providing a transit vending machine that accommodates its users by automatically adjusting a layout of the user interface based on information determined about the user as obtained from image information of the user. Information about the user can be indicative of user height, hand used to interact with the touchscreen display, an offset of user input, and the like.

An electronic locker includes a plurality of cabinets, a measurement unit capable of measuring a dimension of an object, and a controller. The controller compares the dimension of the object measured by the measurement unit with a table of dimensions of the plurality of cabinets stored previously to select a cabinet suitable for the dimension of the object out of the plurality of cabinets.