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The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for wireless purchase of merchandise from a vending machine by using a cellular mobile phone. The present invention permits a cellular mobile phone user to dial a sequence of code on the phone to invoke the vending machine to dispense mercha

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for wireless purchase of merchandise from a vending machine by using a cellular mobile phone. The present invention permits a cellular mobile phone user to dial a sequence of code on the phone to invoke the vending machine to dispense merchandise, where payment is charged to the mobile phone account. The present invention also relates to an apparatus and a method for on-line inventory management. With on-line inventory management, the present invention provides high efficient operation, reduced operation cost, and just-in-time service and merchandise delivery. The present invention further relates to an apparatus and a method that allow both on-line inventory management and wireless purchase of merchandise in a vending machine.

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What is claimed is: 1. A system for conducting on-line inventory information acquisition and storage and automatic communication with a central computer for a plurality of vending machines, the system comprising: providing a machine power up procedure in response to the switching on of an AC power

What is claimed is: 1. A system for conducting on-line inventory information acquisition and storage and automatic communication with a central computer for a plurality of vending machines, the system comprising: providing a machine power up procedure in response to the switching on of an AC power supply to the vending machine, whereby the vending machine enters a normal operating mode and reports its identity to the central computer via the wireless modem and whereby, upon receiving the identity of the vending machine, the central computer searches in its database for the vending machine's last system status, returns the status information to the vending machine, and records the on-line status of the vending machine in the central computer's database; the system status comprising the vending machine selection button-to storage compartment mapping information; the storage compartment information comprising flavor, capacity, inventory and price, compartment margin, flavor margin, total margin, quantity counter value and periodic time elapsed; providing a machine power down procedure in response to the switching off of the AC power supply to the vending machine, whereby the vending machine transmits to the central computer the system status and transaction information since the last reporting and enters into a sleep mode when the central computer receives and acknowledges the information, and whereby, upon receiving the power off status of the vending machine, the central computer updates the vending machine's entry in the central computer's database; receiving vending transaction information from a plurality of vending machines initiated by the vending machines at a time determined by a control and communication unit predefined by the central computer; receiving vending transaction information from a plurality of vending machines via the cellular mobile telephone network using a short message service format or a standard data transfer format; a short message service means for representing the information by a data packet and sending the packet to the cellular mobile telephone network, which buffers the packet and forwards it to a receiver; providing an identification code for the vending machine for wireless purchase and communication with the central computer; updating transaction information in the database of the central computer; exporting the updated transaction information in the central computer to other computer systems; compiling the updated transaction information in the central computer in a pre-defined report format; wherein the central computer comprises: a fixed telephone line or a cellular mobile phone coupled with a wired or wireless modem for communication; and a software package means for supporting visualization to the operator of the system, for communicating via the cellular mobile phone network with a plurality of vending machines, for managing database by collating the data for data analysis, route planning, inventory control, and other management purposes. 2. A system for purchasing merchandise from a vending machine through a cellular telephone, the system comprising: a control and communication unit means for performing inventory data acquisition, directly controlling vending events, determining alert status, storing vending transaction information, and communicating alert message and vending transaction information to a central computer; the control and communication unit means comprising a micro-controller; an inventory data acquisition means for collecting the inventory data electronically, the inventory data comprising the number and type of merchandise in each storage compartment and the capacity of each storage compartment for the plurality of storage compartments for storing merchandise to be vended; a vending event means for at least one vending machine adapted to selectively dispense from a preloaded merchandise inventory at a predetermined price of a predetermined currency, to a purchaser upon payment of the price of the currency in either cash or electronically charged to a stored value card, credit card or cellular mobile phone account; a vending event controlling means for detecting coin mechanism signals and disabling other purchase co-exit mechanism if payment is through a coin mechanism, for simulating coin mechanism signals to initiate a vending event if the purchaser initiates a purchase by keying in a sequence of predefined code on a cellular mobile phone and electronically charge the cellular mobile phone account, and for simulating coin mechanism signals to initiate a vending event if the purchaser initiates a purchase by electronically charging the payment to a stored value card or credit card; a vending transaction means for representing a vending event; a vending transaction information comprising, for a plurality of storage compartments and for a plurality of vending transactions, data representing every transaction date, time, compartment from which the merchandise is dispensed, quantity counter value, and payment type and account, wherein if the payment is in cash, the payment has a null entry; if the payment is by a cellular mobile phone, the payment account is the phone number, and if the payment is a stored value card or credit card, the payment account is the account of the stored value card or credit card; a data and time means for representing the timing representative of the date and time of the vending events; a transaction information storage means for storing the transaction information in a memory storage device in the micro-controller; a transaction information communication means for transmitting the transaction information in an encoded form with error checking through a wireless modem over the cellular mobile telephone network to a central computer; an alert information means for a plurality of storage compartments for composing an alert message if the inventory in these compartments fall below one of the compartment margin, flavor margin, or the total margin; an alert information communication means for transmitting the alert message in an encoded form with error checking through a wireless modem over the cellular mobile telephone network to the central computer; a wireless modem means for communicating with the purchaser if the purchaser initiates a purchase by keying in a sequence of predefined code on a cellular mobile phone, for communicating with the, central computer if micro-controller detects that a predefined period of time has elapsed, or detects a sold out signal, or the activation of a service signal, or a battery low signal, or an AC power being switched on or off, or an error condition, and for communicating with the central computer if the central computer initiates an inquiry; the predefined code comprising an agreed sequence of numbers that uniquely identifies the wireless purchase and the vending machine of which the purchase is to be performed; the predefined period of time means a period of time defined between two consecutive automatic communication of information or data with the central computer; a power management circuit means for detecting and switching on and off of the AC power supply and providing an alternative power supply if the AC power supply is switched off, for charging a backup battery when the AC power supply is switched on, and for providing power supply to the micro-controller and its peripherals for a period of time until the vending transaction information has been communicated to the central computer; a display panel means for displaying a number of digits of the cellular mobile phone number during purchasing by the cellular mobile phone, and for displaying the charge of the vending transaction if it is by credit card or stored value card, for displaying the status of the apparatus when being services, and for displaying relevant information or error messages representative of the status of the apparatus; a quantity counter means for a mechanical number counter of the vending machine providing a total count of the sales since the vending machine is first installed; a service switch means for providing one or more electronic pulses to specify whether it is a refill service or a refill plus flavor change service; a sold out interface means for detecting the presence of sold out signals from a plurality of storage compartments, for converting the sold out signals into signal levels electrically compatible with the micro-controller signal levels, and for identifying from which storage compartments the sold out signals are generated; a merchandise dispensing interface means for detecting the presence of the dispensing signal from a storage compartment, for converting the dispensing signal into a signal level electrically compatible with the micro-controller signal level, and for identifying from which storage compartment the dispensing signal is generated; a merchandise selection interface means for detecting the signal representing the storage compartment that the purchaser has selected on the display panel of the vending machine, for converting the selection signal into a signal level electrically compatible with the micro-controller signal level, and for identifying from which storage compartment the purchaser has selected; a coin mechanism signal detection means for detecting the presence of the signals output from the coin mechanism, for converting the coin mechanism output signals into signal levels electrically compatible with the micro-controller signal levels, and for arbitrating the coin mechanism output signals from the coin mechanism and signals from other purchasing devices to ensure a contention-free operation; and a coin mechanism simulation means for converting purchasing signals from cellular mobile phones, credit cards, or stored value cards into electrically simulated coin mechanism signals as if they are generated from the coin mechanism. 3. The system of claim 2 wherein the micro-controller further comprising: a central processing unit means for performing arithmetic and logic operations to handle cellular mobile communication, service interrupts from the interfacing circuits, display information on the display panel means, assemble vending transaction information, create data record from transaction information, write the data record into memory, encode and error check the alert message before sending it through the wireless modem; a memory unit means for storing data records corresponding to the vending transaction information, machine setting, and alert message; a peripheral interface unit means for interfacing with the display panel means, the quantity counter means, the service switch means, the backup battery and power management circuit means, the sold out signals, the merchandise dispensing signals, the merchandise display and selection signals, the coin mechanism signal detection means, and the coin mechanism signal simulation means; a real-time clock means for providing date and time information; a watch-dog circuit means for providing a soft reset to the micro-controller when certain predefined conditions are met; and a serial interface means for supporting the wireless modem. 4. The system of claim 3 wherein the service switch means comprises a mechanical switch and an electronic interface with the peripheral interface unit means of the micro-controller for providing a single pulse or double pulse timing waveform to the micro-controller, representing refill service or refill and flavor change, respectively. 5. The system of claim 2 wherein the quantity counter means comprises an electronic interface to the mechanical number counter for comparing electronically detected inventory information of a plurality of storage compartments with inventory information obtained by the mechanical number counter. 6. The system of claim 2 wherein the coin mechanism signal detection means and coin mechanism simulation means comprises: a signal level conversion circuit means for converting the signal level of the coin mechanism output signals into levels compatible with the micro-controller and converting the simulated signal level of the micro-controller into levels compatible with the coin mechanism; a signal detection circuit means for detecting the levels of the converted signal; an arbitration circuit means for arbitrating between the signals from different input devices; and a signal simulation circuit means for simulating the coin mechanism signal by the micro-controller as if payment is made through the coin mechanism. 7. The system of claim 2 wherein the sold out interface means comprises: a signal level conversion circuit means for converting the signal level of a sold out device into levels compatible with the micro-controller; and a signal detection circuit means for detecting the level of the converted sold out signal. 8. The system of claim 2 wherein the merchandise dispensing interface means comprises: a signal level conversion circuit means for converting the signal level of a dispensing device into levels compatible with the micro-controller; and a signal detection circuit means for detecting the level of the converted dispensing signal. 9. The system of claim 2 wherein the display panel means and the merchandise selection interface means comprise: a signal level conversion circuit means for converting the signal level of a display and selection device into levels compatible with the micro-controller; and a signal detection circuit means for detecting the level of the converted display and selection signal. 10. The system of claim 2 wherein the power management circuit means comprises: a power level detection circuit means for detecting a drop in power supply from an output of an AC transformer and for supplying power to the micro-controller and other circuits when the power supply is below a certain level; and a battery charging circuit means for charging the backup battery when the AC power is present. 11. The system of claim 2 wherein the format of information further comprises: a setting representing message identification, button-compartment mapping, number of compartments, compartment information, safety margin, last counter reading, scheduled audit time, and error checking; an acknowledgment/advance control representing message identification, message type, change safety margin, change audit time, change flavor, and error checking; an online means representing message identification and error checking; an offline means representing message identification, vending transaction information, inventory report, and error checking; a short audit means representing message identification, time stamp, alert level, inventory report, and error checking; vending transaction information representing time stamp, number of records, records and counter reading; and an inventory report representing number of compartments and inventory.