Method and apparatus for including article identification in an article handling device

Abstract

Abstract of Disclosure The above objects are achieved in an illustrated embodiment of an article dispensing apparatus embodied, for example, as a vending machine, including a controllably positioned suction hose dispenser for retrieving articles from a storage area. In one embodiment, the article dispenser comprises a storage area for storing articles along at least one longitudinal axis in a stack, an article dispensing device for moving the end article from the stack of articles in the storage area along a path to a retrieval area, and an article identification device, mounted within the article retrieving apparatus. The article dispensing device moves the article in a predetermined pattern past the article identification device, so as to provide identification of the article being moved.

Claims 
     
         1.   An article dispensing apparatus, comprising: 
       
         ·a storage area for storing articles along a plurality of longitudinal axes; 
       
       
         ·an article extracting device including a free end for selectively extracting an article from the storage volume; 
       
       
         ·a positioning mechanism coupled to the article extracting device and responsive to control signals for positioning the free end of the device in alignment with a selected one of the longitudinal axes 
       
       
         ·a drive mechanism coupled to the article extracting device for moving the free end thereof in a direction aligned with the longitudinal axes in the storage area; 
       
       
         ·user interface and control apparatus for allowing a user of the dispensing apparatus to initiate an article dispensing operation, and to cause controlled movement of the article extracting device and the  positioning mechanism so that a selected article is extracted from the article storage area and moves along a common path to a dispensing area of the dispensing apparatus, and 
       
       
         ·an article identification device, mounted within the dispensing apparatus, and operated so as to provide identification of an article before, during or after it moves along the common path. 
       
     
     
         2.  The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the article identification device uses optics to provide article identification, and is directed to image or scan the articles when they move in the common path. 
     
     
         3.   The apparatus of claims 1 or 2, wherein the article identification device comprises a bar code scanner. 
     
     
         4.   The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the article identification device comprises an imaging system, such as an analogue or digital, still or video, camera, coupled to an image analysis device that recognizes predetermined images (color/pattern or texture, etc) thereby providing article identifications during the dispensing operation. 
     
     
         5.   The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the drive means causes the article extracting device to perform a discontinuous movement in the area of the article identification device, as the article moves from the article storage area to the dispensing area. 
     
     
         6.   The apparatus and a business method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the article identification is used by the user interface and control apparatus for making all or part of the apparatus inoperable. 
     
     
         7.   The apparatus and a business method in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein partial inoperability of the apparatus prevents dispensing of articles from at least one of the longitudinal storage axes. 
     
     
         8.   The apparatus and a business method in accordance with  claim 1  or  6 , wherein inoperability of the apparatus is used as an enforcement mechanism to stimulate adherence by an operator or owner of the apparatus to predetermined rules. 
     
     
         9.   The apparatus and a business method in accordance with  claim 1  or  7 , wherein inoperability of the apparatus is used as an enforcement mechanism to stimulate reporting of sales and inventory data to a central authority. 
     
     
         10.   The apparatus and a business method in accordance with  claim 1  or  7 , wherein inoperability of the apparatus is used as an enforcement mechanism to stimulate adherence to plan-o-grams (proper article layout by person stocking the apparatus with article, i.e., the route driver). 
     
     
         11.   The apparatus and a business method in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein an incentive or bonus is provided to the route driver for adherence to the plan-o-grams. 
     
     
         12.  12  The apparatus and a business method in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the apparatus includes an optional interior display so the route driver can monitor the bonus or incentive program 
     
     
         13.   An article storage and retrieval system / apparatus and or dispensing apparatus/system which includes   13.  a) At least one article retrieval mechanism; 
 b) At least one article identification (id) system including at least one article identification device and/or input device(such as a bar code scanner or camera, or vision or optical identification system ); 
 c) Said article dispensing apparatus having a plurality of article storage areas wherein articles are stored in an aligned manner; and 
 d) At least one control system coupled to said article retrieval mechanism for controlling said dispensing system and said article Identification system; 
 e) Wherein the number of aligned article storage areas is greater than the number of article id input devices. 
 
     
     
         14.   An article storage and retrieval system / apparatus and or dispensing apparatus/system which includes 
       
         f) At least one article retrieval mechanism; 
       
       
         g) At least one article identification (id) system including at least one article identification (id) device and/or input device(such as a bar code scanner or camera, or vision or optical identification system ); 
       
       
         h) Said article dispensing apparatus having a plurality of article storage areas wherein articles are stored in an aligned manner; and 
       
       
         i) At least one control system coupled to said article retrieval mechanism for controlling said dispensing system and said article Identification system; 
       
       
         j) herein articles stored in storage area can be identified automatically by the article id input devices, independent of human intervention. 
       
     
     
         15.   The apparatus of  claim 13  or  14 , whereby an article stored in the storage areas can be identified by the article id system, when the article is in the storage area  by Positioning/moving the id system in the storage area. 
     
     
         16.   The apparatus of  claim 13  or  14 , whereby an article stored in the storage areas can be identified by the article id system : 
       
         after the article has been removed from the storage area, and 
       
       
         a) before being placed back in the storage area, or 
       
       
         b) before being placed into a separate storage area (i.e., placed aside, and not vended), or 
       
       
         c) before coming to rest in article retrieval area, 
       
       
         d) wherein the storage area includes a repositioning means for repositioning the id input device or article so as to increase the ability to identify the article; or 
       
     
     
         17.   The apparatus of  claim 13  or  14 , whereby an article stored in the storage areas can be identified by the article id system by: 
       
         removing the article from the container and moving the article adjacent to an identification area where the article can be identified, 
       
       
         
           a) Prior to article coming to rest in article retrieval area, or 
         
       
       
         
           b) Prior to article being placed back in storage area of origin, or 
         
       
       
         
           c) Prior to article moving to a new storage area, or 
         
       
       
         
           d) Within the article retrieval area. 
         
       
     
     
         18.   An article retrieving apparatus, comprising: 
       
         a storage area for storing articles along at least one longitudinal axis in a stack; 
       
       
         an article dispensing device for moving an end article from the stack of articles in the storage area along a path to a retrieval area; and 
       
       
         an article identification device, mounted within the article retrieving apparatus, said article dispensing device moving the article in a predetermined pattern past the article identification device, so as to provide identification of the article being moved. 
       
     
     
         19.   The apparatus of claim18, wherein the article identification device uses imaging optics to provide article identification. 
     
     
         20.   The apparatus of claims 18, wherein the article identification device comprises a bar code scanner. 
     
     
         21.   Apparatus according to claim18, wherein the article identification provided by the article identification device is used by the user interface and control apparatus for: 
       a)  shutting down or disabling further dispensing of articles in alignment with one or more of the longitudinal axes. 
     
     
         22.   Apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein disabling of said dispensing is overcome, or re-enabled, in response to input to the control portion of the user interface and control apparatus of an encoded authorizing signal. 
     
     
         23.   Apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein disabling of said dispensing is overcome, or re-enabled, in response to the passage of time.