Methods and systems for customizing inventory in an automated dispensing cabinet

Abstract

A system and method for configuring a dispensing cabinet with products within an electronic catalog hosted by a wholesaler system includes a display of a user interface having a graphical representation of a dispensing cabinet for dispensing products including a graphical representation of each dispensing mechanism. A selection of a single product from a listing of products associates the selected single product to at least one dispensing mechanism and causes a change in the graphical representation of the dispensing cabinet such that the at least one dispensing mechanism is visually identified as having the selected single product associated with the dispensing mechanism.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A non-transient, computer-readable media having stored thereon instructions for customizing inventory in a dispensing cabinet with products within an electronic catalog hosted by a wholesaler system, the instructions performing steps comprising:
 causing a user interface to be displayed on a client device for specifying a product to be added to the dispensing cabinet and for specifying a quantity of the product to be added to the dispensing cabinet, wherein the dispensing cabinet comprises a plurality of dispensing coils; and   causing a virtual representation of the dispensing cabinet to be displayed on the client device wherein a color indicative of a category for the product is used in the virtual representation of the dispensing cabinet to depict a one or more of the plurality of dispensing coils of the dispensing cabinet which will be used to hold the quantity of the product to be added to the dispensing cabinet.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-readable media as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the instructions automatically select the one or more of the plurality of dispensing coils of the dispensing cabinet which will be used to hold the quantity of the product to be added to the dispensing cabinet. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-readable media as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the instruction provide for manual selection of the one or more of the plurality of dispensing coils of the dispensing cabinet which will be used to hold the quantity of the product to be added to the dispensing cabinet. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-readable media as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the instructions respond to a mouse over of the depicted one or more of the dispensing coils in the virtual representation of the dispensing cabinet to cause a display on the client computing device of information regarding the product and the quantity of product to be held in the one or more of the dispensing coils. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-readable media as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the user interface has user interface elements for specifying a size for the dispensing cabinet. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-readable media as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the user interface has user interface elements for specifying a number of dispensing coils to be included in the dispensing cabinet. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-readable media as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the user interface has user interface elements for specifying a size for the dispensing cabinet and for specifying a number of dispensing coils to be included in the dispensing cabinet. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-readable media as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the client computing device is at least one of an appliance, a personal computer, a tablet computer, a mobile device, or an ereader.