Provided are a method for detecting quantity of items and a vending machine. The vending machine includes: an item column configured to temporarily store items, where the item column includes an outlet; a shielding member configured to shield or open the outlet of the item column; and a driving device configured to drive the items in the item column to move toward the outlet of the item column. The method includes: controlling the shielding member to shield the outlet of the item column; driving the items in the item column to move until the items in the item column abut against each other; detecting a total length of all items in the item column; and calculating the quantity of items in the item column according to the total length of the all items and a length of a single item in the item column.

A model is configured to determine whether a device is located within a venue. During a baseline time period, the system detects wireless pings from mobile devices. The system obtains device parameters from the wireless pings. The system evaluates the device parameters to determine whether a mobile device entered the venue or remained outside of the venue. The system trains a model on training data corresponding to the baseline time period, the model configured to differentiate between devices that enter the venue and devices that remain outside the venue based on device parameters associated with the device. The system applies the model to future detected devices to determine whether or not the devices enter the venue.

A method for accurate cost reporting of shelved items includes: storing a plurality of data sets corresponding to respective chutes in a facility, each data set containing (i) an item identifier, (ii) label data, and (iii) an identifier of a dynamic label disposed at a corresponding chute; receiving, from a sensor mounted at or near a first one of the chutes, a detected item identifier corresponding to a forward position in the chute that is adjacent to an edge of a shelf defining the chute; retrieving, from the repository, (i) the identifier of a first dynamic label corresponding to the first chute, and (ii) detected label data from one of the data sets containing the detected item identifier; and sending a command to the first dynamic label, the command containing the detected label data, for causing the first dynamic label to display the detected label data.

In an embodiment, a medication dispensing assembly includes a housing containing a plurality of electronically activated guidance devices which are configured to guide medications from at least one medication dispenser into a plurality of containers. The housing includes a panel which closes off at least a portion of one side of the housing. The panel has a plurality of wire openings that are spaced apart from one another. A plurality of wires extend through a portion of an interior of the housing and extend through the wire openings of the panel from the interior of the housing to outside of the housing. The wires are electronically connected with electronically activated guidance devices. At least one of the wire openings includes a slot which extends to an edge of the panel.

A modular vending machine system including: multiple cartridges configured to hold a good to be dispensed; a docking station configured to removably store at least one of the cartridges; a vending machine main body including a cartridge port configured to receive at least one of the cartridges, a dispensing-port for dispensing the good to a user, and a mechanism configured to perform at least one of removing the good from the cartridge, performing dispensing preparation processing of the good, or dispensing the good via the dispensing port; and control circuitry configured to control operation of the cartridges, the docking station, and the vending machine, wherein the cartridge is provided with a traveling mechanism configured to enable the cartridge to move to and from the docking station and the vending machine main body.

An information processing device of a child store communicably connected to a mother store terminal of a mother store according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to: acquire an item ID and an item quantity of an item input by a customer at the child store; generate an item request based on the item ID, the item quantity, and an item stock in the child store; transmit the item request to the mother store terminal; receive, from the mother store terminal, replenishment date and time of the item, determined based on the item request and an item stock in the mother store; and output the replenishment date and time of the item.

There are provided an inventory management server, an inventory management system, an inventory management method, and an inventory management program for efficiently performing inventory management in a specific store such as a labor-saving store. The inventory management server 4 includes a generation unit 2 and a notification unit 3. The generation unit 2 generates stock shortage information including information for specifying a branch store and a stock quantity of a product when the stock quantity of the product in the branch store in which an employee of a flagship store replaces the product is equal to or less than a threshold. The notification unit 3 notifies the store terminal held by the employee of the stock shortage information.

A method, a computer program product and a dispensing device for dispensing discrete medicaments, wherein the dispensing device comprises a dispensing section, a collection section and a packaging section, wherein the dispensing section defines an array of feeder positions for holding a plurality of feeder units, wherein the collection section comprises a first collection unit that is movable in a collection direction, wherein the method comprises the steps of: positioning a first feeder unit at a first feeder position; and prior to removing the first feeder unit from the first feeder position, positioning a second feeder unit at a second feeder position, downstream from the first feeder position in the collection direction, wherein the first feeder unit and the second feeder unit hold medicaments of the same first composition.

An electronic device comprising: one or more processors; a radio transceiver; memory storing a unique serial number identifying the electronic device; pairing circuitry configured to communicatively couple, using the radio transceiver, the electronic device with an external device distinct from the electronic device; first electronic circuitry configured to perform a plurality of operations of the electronic device; and activation circuitry configured to activate and deactivate the first electronic circuitry; wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to (i) detect, using the pairing circuitry, a successful pairing of the electronic device with a first external device; and (ii) in accordance with the detection of the successful pairing, activate, using the activation circuitry, the first electronic circuitry.

A system and method for vending digital video discs is provided. A request is received from a user to complete a rental transaction for a first digital video disc. A database is queried to determine whether a quantity of a set of second digital video discs in a vending inventory exceeds a predetermined threshold. A discount offer notification is presented to the user to rent one of the set of second digital video discs, upon determining that the quantity of the set of second digital video discs exceeds the predetermined threshold. A second request from the user to rent one of the second set of digital video discs is received, and one of the set of second digital video discs is vended to the user.