Products and processes for communicating information regarding a product dispensed by a vending machine

Abstract

According to an embodiment, information about a product is communicated to at least one customer of a vending machine. It is determined whether to dispense a product from the vending machine, and the product is dispensed from the vending machine.

1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, from a customer, a selection of a product that is dispensable from a vending machine;   determining, based on the product, whether to output a warning to the customer;   outputting, to the customer,
 nutritional information about the product, and 
 a warning about the product, 
 in which the outputting is performed via an output device of the vending machine; 
   determining whether the customer acknowledges the warning;   determining whether to dispense a product from the vending machine based on whether the customer acknowledges the warning;   dispensing the product from the vending machine; and   storing, in a database, an indication that the customer acknowledges the warning.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the step of outputting comprises:
 outputting via an output device of the vending machine.   
     
     
         3 . A method, comprising:
 communicating information about a product to at least one customer of a vending machine;   determining whether the customer acknowledges the information;   determining whether to dispense a product from the vending machine based on whether the customer acknowledges the information; and   dispensing the product from the vending machine.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 determining whether to communicate the information to the customer.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , in which determining whether to communicate the information to the customer comprises:
 determining whether the customer intends to purchase a product.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , in which determining whether to communicate the information to the customer comprises:
 determining whether the customer has requested the information.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , in which determining whether to communicate the information to the customer comprises:
 evaluating data about sales of products that are dispensable from the vending machine.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , in which the step of communicating information about a product to at least one customer of a vending machine is performed only if it is determined to communicate the information to the customer. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , in which communicating information about the product comprises:
 outputting the information about the product via an output device of the vending machine.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 indicating at least one product to the customer.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , in which indicating the at least one product comprises:
 outputting data about a product that the customer has selected.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , in which indicating the at least one product comprises:
 commanding a light that is proximate to a product in the vending machine to flash.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining a product to offer; and   outputting an offer for the product.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , in which determining a product to offer comprises:
 determining a product to offer based on at least one of profitability of the product and product nutritional information for the product.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 determining that the customer acknowledges the information; and   storing, in a database, an indication that the customer acknowledges the information.   
     
     
         16 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a processor and   a memory storing a program which, when executed by the processor, directs the processor to perform the method of  claim 3 .