SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING A COIN-OPERATED DEVICE

Abstract

Systems, apparatus, and methods for tracking or monitoring utilization of a coin-operated device without opening the device. The device can be designed, retrofitted, to have an electronic counting system, generally including a small circuit board with a controller, counter, and transceiver. The counting system is also connected to the coin-operated apparatus to detect use, such as by detecting the passage of a coin. The counter is then incremented. The current count can be queried by a mobile device or other computer via the wireless transceiver, and other instructions can be sent, such as to reset the count to zero.

Claims

1. A coin-operated dispensing apparatus comprising: a disk having a recess sized and shaped to retain a coin; an axle disposed through and rotatably connected to said disk; a handle fixedly connected to a first end of said axle; a spur gear disposed at a second end of said axle opposing said first end; a dispensing disk intermeshed with said spur gear; and a counting system comprising: a controller; a detector operatively coupled to said controller and adapted to detect each use of said coin-operated dispensing apparatus; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium operatively coupled to said controller and having stored thereon a count of uses of said coin-operating dispensing apparatus; wherein when a coin is placed in said recess and said handle is rotated, said disk rotates to deposit said coin to travel on coin ramp and trigger said detector, said triggered detector causing said controller to increment said count of uses in said storage medium.

2. The coin-operated dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said counting system further comprises a wireless transceiver operatively coupled to said controller.

3. The coin-operated dispensing apparatus of claim 2, wherein when said triggered detector causes said transceiver to transmit said incremented count of uses.

4. The coin-operated dispensing apparatus of claim 3, wherein when said triggered detector causes said controller to cause said transceiver to transmit said incremented count of uses via a wireless network.

5. The coin-operated dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said detector comprises a motion sensor.

6. The coin-operated dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said detector comprises a trigger-operated mechanical counter.

7. The coin-operated dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller is operatively coupled to said detector and to said storage medium via a circuit board affixed to a first side of said coin-operated dispensing apparatus.

8. A bulk vending machine including said coin-operated dispensing apparatus of claim 1 and having a storage container attached to a body thereof, said storage container having an open bottom end disposed at said dispensing disk.

9. The bulk vending machine of claim 9, wherein said coin-operated dispensing apparatus comprises a second side opposing said first side, and said first side is disposed within said body.

10. A method for monitoring a coin-operated device comprising: providing a coin-operated dispensing apparatus comprising: a disk having a recess sized and shaped to retain a coin; an axle disposed through and rotatably connected to said disk; a handle fixedly connected to a first end of said axle; a spur gear disposed at a second end of said axle opposing said first end; a dispensing disk intermeshed with said spur gear; and a counting system comprising: a controller; a detector operatively coupled to said controller and adapted to detect each use of said coin-operated dispensing apparatus; a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium operatively coupled to said controller and having stored thereon a count of uses of said coin-operating dispensing apparatus; and a wireless transceiver operatively coupled to said controller; receiving a coin in said recess; rotating said handle one revolution; said rotating handle causing said disk to rotate and deposit said coin to travel on a coin ramp and trigger said detector; and said triggered detector causing said controller to increment said count of uses in said storage medium and said triggered detector causing said controller to cause said transceiver to transmit said incremented count of uses.

11. The method of claim 12, wherein when said transmitted incremented count of uses is transmitted via a wireless network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said transmitted incremented count of uses is transmitted to a computer via said wireless network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said computer is a server computer.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said computer is a mobile device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising said mobile device displaying on a display thereof said incremented count of users

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising: receiving, at said wireless transceiver via said wireless network, data comprising an instruction to reset said counter; and in response to said receiving, said controller causing said stored count of uses to be reset to zero.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said data comprising an instruction to reset said counter is received from a mobile device.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising: receiving, at said wireless transceiver via said wireless network, data comprising a count query; and in response to said receiving, said controller causing said transmitter to transmit via said wireless network the current value of said stored count of uses.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said data comprising an instruction to reset said counter is received from a mobile device.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein said coin-operated dispensing apparatus is installed on a bulk vending machine having a storage container attached to a body thereof said storage container having an open bottom end disposed at said dispensing disk, and said rotating said handle one revolution causes said bulk vending machine to vend a product stored in said storage container.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1A provides an exploded view of an embodiment of a prior art bulk vending machine.

[0031] FIG. 1B provides a back perspective view of an embodiment of a prior art bulk vending machine coin accepting mechanism.

[0032] FIG. 2A provides a back perspective view of an embodiment of a bulk vending machine coin accepting mechanism modified for remotely monitoring usage of a bulk vending machine as described herein.

[0033] FIG. 2B provides a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a circuit board of a system for remotely monitoring usage of a bulk vending machine as described herein.

[0034] FIG. 3 provides a diagram of an embodiment of a system for remotely monitoring usage of a bulk vending machine as described herein.

[0035] FIG. 4 provides a flow chart of an embodiment of a method for remotely monitoring usage of a bulk vending machine as described herein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

[0036] The following detailed description and disclosure illustrates byway of example and not by way of limitation. This description will clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the disclosed systems and methods, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the disclosed systems and methods. As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the disclosures, it is intended that all matter contained in the description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

[0037] Because of these and other problems in the art, described herein, among other things, are systems, apparatus, and methods for tracking or monitoring utilization of a coin-operated device without opening the device. FIGS. 2A, 2, 3, and 4 depict non-limiting, exemplary embodiments of such systems, apparatus, and methods. The present disclosure is generally contemplated for use with mechanical coin-operated machines, such as bulk vending machines (e.g., gumball machines), or any other coin-operated device where the device itself does not readily provide a mechanism for accurately counting utilization without manual intervention, such as by opening the device. Such devices may include video game cabinets, jukeboxes, gas station air compressors, coin-operated car washes and vacuums, pinball machines, pool tables, cigarette machines, food and beverage bulk vending machines, and so forth.

[0038] At a high level, the systems and methods described herein retrofit to an existing coin-operated device (301) a small circuit board (201) equipped with an apparatus (203) for detecting (403) one revolution of the coin-operated mechanism (104), incrementing (405) a count of such revolutions, and transmitting (401) that count wirelessly to an external device, generally by use of a short-range radio transmitter (205). A person of ordinary skill in the art will further appreciate that the circuit board (201) will comprise other circuitry for carrying out these tasks, including, but not limited to, a power supply (207) and associated circuitry (e.g., a chemical cell or other battery or other renewable source of power), a transmitter (205) or transceiver (205), a controller (209) or microprocessor (209), and other appropriate electrical components.

[0039] When a user puts a coin into the coin acceptor (105), and spins the handle (103), a detection apparatus (203) is activated which will send a signal to a controller (209) or microprocessor (209). The controller (209) detects the revolution (402) and interprets the signal as indicating a revolution, and increments (405) a count of revolutions. This count may be stored in a storage (211) of any kind now known in the art or in the future developed.

[0040] The detection apparatus (203) may be any known in the art to detect a full spin of the handle, many of which are known in the art and will be familiar to a person of ordinary skill in the art. For example, a motion sensor could be placed to detect the passage of a vended product to the customer, or the passage of the coin, ensuring that the spin is associated with a successful sale. Alternative, some vending machines have coin counters, which are mechanical counters incremented by one each time a mechanical switch is triggered. These counters are placed in the deposit path of the coin and incremented each time a coin passes. Such a counter could be adapted or repurposed to provide an electric signal back to the circuit board upon the triggering of the switch, or a similar special-purpose device usually simple mechanical switches triggered by the passing the coin and cause a mechanical counter to increment by one. Alternatively, the detection apparatus could include mechanical elements connected to one or more of the spur gear (107), stop (123), pawl (125), or other mechanical components to detect a vending event based on the movement of these or other components.

[0041] In an embodiment, the count is incremented continuously, but in another embodiment, the count may be reset (409) as described herein. After some period of time, an employee (303) or other person (303) acting on behalf of the venue or entity which wishes to monitor the use of the device (301) will approach the device (301) with a radio-enabled reader (307) in hand. A simple way to do this may be to develop a mobile device application which uses the Bluetooth transceiver in a common mobile phone (307) to connect to the radio transmitter (205) in the coin-operated device (301), such as through pairing (315) as known in the art, but a special purpose or other type of device (307) could be used. For example, a handheld scanner may be used, or a longer-range radio transceiver (305) in a fixed location could be used. This external radio transmitter (305) could send a signal to the transceiver (205) on the circuit board (201) indicating that the spin count is desired. The radio transceiver (205) then retrieves the current count of revolutions from the memory (211), generally through use of the controller (209), and the current revolution count is then transmitted (407) by the radio transceiver (205) on the chip (201) to the connected external radio transmitter (305). This value may then be used for whatever business purpose is necessary. Typically, the value may be displayed to the user via a display of the mobile device (307), or otherwise retransmitted or stored to keep track of the count. In some embodiments, the stored count may be reset to zero (411). This may be done by default anytime the radio transmitter sends the value, or may be specifically requested (409) by the external transmitter.

[0042] The circuit board (201) is generally sized and shaped, and the circuitry and components laid out, so that the board (201) is as small as possible and may be retrofitted onto the back plate (201) of the bulk vending machine. This minimizes the requirement for new parts or components, and allows for maximum utilization of the invention.

[0043] In an embodiment, an external network (305) may continuously monitor the count. This may be done by periodically pinging the transceiver on the circuit board to acquire an updated count.

[0044] While the invention has been disclosed in conjunction with a description of certain embodiments, including those that are currently believed to be the preferred embodiments, the detailed description is intended to be illustrative and should not be understood to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, embodiments other than those described in detail herein are encompassed by the present invention. Modifications and variations of the described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.