초록 ▼

A method and apparatus relating to the renting, leasing and/or loaning of electronic equipment operable and/or controllable by a computer, wherein one entity not in physical possession and/or control of the equipment desires control over another entity which has physical possession and/or control of

A method and apparatus relating to the renting, leasing and/or loaning of electronic equipment operable and/or controllable by a computer, wherein one entity not in physical possession and/or control of the equipment desires control over another entity which has physical possession and/or control of the equipment. Such equipment may comprise a washing machine, medical, office or industrial equipment, a vending machine, etc. A central computer system includes software which enables management and execution of financial transactions between the entities, such as debiting or crediting of accounts held by these or other entities, or creating an invoice for one entity to present to another entity. Information used in making these financial transactions can be determined by analysis of information which may be communicated to the central computer system from at least one other source. Such source may include the control system of the controlled equipment, e.g., from a vending machine or the computer system of an interested entity.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of controlling the sale of packaged goods from a vending apparatus, the vending apparatus including a computer controller which has the ability to enable or disable the vending apparatus from selling packaged goods to a user of the vending apparatus based on an agreement between a first

1. A method of controlling the sale of packaged goods from a vending apparatus, the vending apparatus including a computer controller which has the ability to enable or disable the vending apparatus from selling packaged goods to a user of the vending apparatus based on an agreement between a first party and a second party, wherein; the first party has an interest in controlling the sale of packaged goods from the vending apparatus, andthe second party controls the loading of packaged goods into a storage area which is located inside the vending apparatus, and wherein,the first and second parties enter into an agreement of contractual obligations concerning the sale of packaged goods from the vending apparatus, the agreement including the following rules about the manner of operation of the vending apparatus:(i) the vending apparatus is initially enabled to sell the packaged goods to a plurality of successive users, (ii) however, when an externally generated disable code is received by the vending apparatus, the vending apparatus is at least partially disabled from selling at least some of the goods to a plurality of subsequent users, and (iii) if a disable code is not received by the vending apparatus, then, in that case, the vending apparatus is not at least partially disabled, and furthermore wherein,the rules (i),(ii), and (iii), for enabling and disabling the vending apparatus to sell packaged goods, are executed by the computer controller, which computer controller is programmed to control the vending apparatus in accordance with these rules. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising agreement between the first and second parties that the disable code may be made available to the vending apparatus after a determination is made that the at least one contractual obligation with at least one of the parties has not been at least one of satisfied and waived. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting the disable code prior to making it available to the vending apparatus. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein an authorized third party receives prescribed data concerning the sales of goods from the vending apparatus, determines whether the at least one contractual obligation has been satisfied based on at least some of the prescribed data, and makes the disable code available to the vending apparatus if the at least one contractual obligation has not been at least one of satisfied and waived. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: communicating with an authorized third party responsible for receiving prescribed data concerning the sales of goods from the vending apparatus; anddetermining whether the at least one contractual obligation with the at least one entity has been satisfied based on at least some of the prescribed data. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising making the disable code available to the vending apparatus if the at least one contractual obligation has not been at least one of satisfied and waived. 7. The method of claim 5, further comprising authorizing the third party to make the disable code available to the vending apparatus if the at least one contractual obligation has not been at least one of satisfied and waived. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of making the disable code available to the vending apparatus includes at least one of: generating the disable code and releasing the disable code to the vending apparatus, to an intermediary entity, or to an entity responsible for inputting the disable code into the vending apparatus; andauthorizing a third party to at least one of generate the disable code and release the disable code to the vending apparatus, to an intermediary entity, or to an entity responsible for inputting the disable code into the vending apparatus. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the step of releasing the disable code to the vending apparatus and inputting the disable code into the vending apparatus includes at least one of: entering the disable code into the vending apparatus through a goods selection keypad on the vending apparatus;entering the disable code into the vending apparatus through a dedicated keypad on the vending apparatus;entering the disable code into the vending apparatus through a portable computing device operable to connect to a data port of the vending apparatus; andentering the disable code into the vending apparatus over a communications network to which the vending apparatus is connected. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the communications network includes at least one of a wire network, a telephone network, a radio frequency link, an infrared link, a local area network, a wide area network, and the Internet. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one contractual obligation includes at least one of: (i) an obligation not to steal receipts; (ii) an obligation to provide a quantum of money to the at least one entity based on the sales of goods from the vending apparatus; and (iii) an obligation not to tamper with the vending apparatus. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein tampering with the vending apparatus includes at least one of: (i) tampering with a goods identification sensor of the vending apparatus that is operable to determine details of a particular good as it is vended from the vending apparatus; (ii) tampering with a controller of the vending apparatus; and (iii) relocating the vending apparatus. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one contractual obligation includes at least one of: (i) an obligation to vend only authorized goods; (ii) an obligation to maintain inventory of one or more goods in the vending apparatus; (iii) an obligation not to steal receipts; (iv) an obligation to provide a quantum of money to the at least one entity based on the sales of goods from the vending apparatus; (v) an obligation to display goods in the vending apparatus in a prescribed way; (vi) an obligation to display advertising indicia on the vending apparatus in a prescribed way; (vii) an obligation to maintain a prescribed ratio of a quantum of one or more goods to a quantum of storage space for goods in the vending apparatus; (viii) an obligation to maintain a prescribed number of goods selections in the vending apparatus; (ix) an obligation to dispense prescribed quanta of one or more goods from the vending apparatus in a predefined period of time; (x) an obligation to receive a prescribed quantum of money at the vending apparatus in a predefined period of time; (xi) an obligation to sell a prescribed ratio of one or more of the goods to one or more others of the goods; (xii) an obligation to sell a prescribed ratio of one or more of the goods to one or more others of the goods in a predefined period of time; (xiii) an obligation to make prescribed data concerning the sales of goods from the vending apparatus available to the at least one entity; (xiv) an obligation to maintain the vending apparatus in operation to a prescribed degree; and (xv) an obligation not to tamper with the vending apparatus. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the obligation to sell only authorized goods includes at least one of: (i) selling only goods of an authorized type; (ii) selling only goods of an authorized brand; (iii) selling only goods of an authorized size; (iv) selling only goods of an authorized weight; (v) selling only goods of an authorized expiration date; (vi) selling only goods of an authorized package type; (vii) selling only goods of an authorized period of manufacture; and (viii) selling only goods of an authorized place of manufacture. 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the prescribed data concerning the sales of goods from the vending apparatus includes at least one of: (i) a quantum of one or more types of goods sold during one or more prescribed periods of time; (ii) a quantum of one or more brands of goods sold during one or more prescribed periods of time; (iii) a ratio of one or more types of the goods sold to one or more other types of the goods sold in a predefined period of time; (iv) a ratio of one or more brands of the goods sold to one or more other brands of the goods sold in a predefined period of time; (v) respective dates of vends from the vending apparatus; (vi) respective times of vends from the vending apparatus; (vii) information concerning whether a particular good was out of inventory; (viii) information concerning what a next choice of goods was made by a purchaser when a particular good was out of inventory; (ix) information concerning whether the vending apparatus was operational; and (x) information concerning any limitations under which the vending apparatus vends the goods. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the information concerning any limitations under which the vending apparatus vends the goods, includes: information concerning at least one of (i) whether the vending apparatus is required to vend only authorized goods; (ii) whether inventory of one or more goods must be maintained in the vending apparatus; (iii) whether goods must be displayed in the vending apparatus in a prescribed way; (iv) whether advertising indicia must be displayed on the vending apparatus in a prescribed way; (v) whether a prescribed ratio of a quantum of one or more goods to a quantum of storage space for goods in the vending apparatus must be maintained; (vi) whether a prescribed number of goods selections in the vending apparatus must be maintained; (vii) whether prescribed quanta of one or more goods must be dispensed from the vending apparatus in a predefined period of time; (viii) whether a prescribed quantum of money must be received at the vending apparatus in a predefined period of time; (ix) whether a prescribed ratio of one or more of the goods to one or more others of the goods must be vended from the vending apparatus; (x) whether a prescribed ratio of one or more of the goods to one or more others of the goods must be vended from the vending apparatus in a predefined period of time; and (xi) whether the vending apparatus must be maintained in operation to a prescribed degree. 17. The method of claim 13, wherein the obligation to not tamper with the vending apparatus includes at least one of: (i) not tampering with a goods identification sensor of the vending apparatus that is operable to determine details of a particular good as it is vended from the vending apparatus; (ii) not tampering with a controller of the vending apparatus; and (iii) not relocating the vending apparatus. 18. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one of the first and second parties includes at least one of a manufacturer of the vending apparatus, an operator responsible to at least stock the vending apparatus with the goods and collect receipts from the vending apparatus, a seller of one or more goods to be vended from the vending apparatus, a distributor or agent of the seller of one or more goods, a lender of money to an entity to purchase the vending apparatus, a lessor of the vending apparatus to an entity, and a holder of property on which the vending apparatus is located. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the operator entering into a contract with at least one of the lender, the lessor, and the holder, wherein the at least one contractual obligation includes at least one of: (i) an obligation on the part of the operator not to steal receipts; (ii) an obligation on the part of the operator to provide one or more quanta of money to one or more of the lender, the lessor, and the holder based on the sales of goods from the vending apparatus; and (iii) an obligation on the part of the operator not to tamper with the vending apparatus. 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising the operator entering into a contract with at least one of the seller of goods, the distributor, and the agent, wherein the at least one contractual obligation includes at least one of: (i) an obligation to vend only authorized goods; (ii) an obligation to maintain inventory of one or more goods in the vending apparatus; (iii) an obligation not to steal receipts; (iv) an obligation to provide a quantum of money to the at least one entity based on the sales of goods from the vending apparatus; (v) an obligation to display goods in the vending apparatus in a prescribed way; (vi) an obligation to display advertising indicia on the vending apparatus in a prescribed way; (vii) an obligation to maintain a prescribed ratio of a quantum of one or more goods to a quantum of storage space for goods in the vending apparatus; (viii) an obligation to maintain a prescribed number of goods selections in the vending apparatus; (ix) an obligation to dispense prescribed quanta of one or more goods from the vending apparatus in a predefined period of time; (x) an obligation to receive a prescribed quantum of money at the vending apparatus in a predefined period of time; (xi) an obligation to sell a prescribed ratio of one or more of the goods to one or more others of the goods; (xii) an obligation to sell a prescribed ratio of one or more of the goods to one or more others of the goods in a predefined period of time; (xiii) an obligation to make prescribed data concerning the sales of goods from the vending apparatus available to the at least one entity; (xiv) an obligation to maintain the vending apparatus in operation to a prescribed degree; and (xv) an obligation not to tamper with the vending apparatus. 21. The method of claim 18, further comprising at least one of the seller of goods, the distributor, and the agent providing the manufacturer of the vending apparatus a quantum of money for making the vending apparatus available to the operator, wherein the vending apparatus includes limitations under which it vends the goods and will automatically be at least partially disabled if the limitations are not met. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the limitations under which the vending apparatus vends the goods includes at least one of (i) that the vending apparatus is required to vend only authorized goods; (ii) that inventory of one or more goods must be maintained in the vending apparatus; (iii) that goods must be displayed in the vending apparatus in a prescribed way; (iv) that advertising indicia must be displayed on the vending apparatus in a prescribed way; (v) that a prescribed ratio of a quantum of one or more goods to a quantum of storage space for goods in the vending apparatus must be maintained; (vi) that a prescribed number of goods selections in the vending apparatus must be maintained; (vii) that prescribed quanta of one or more goods must be dispensed from the vending apparatus in a predefined period of time; (viii) that a prescribed quantum of money must be received at the vending apparatus in a predefined period of time; (ix) that a prescribed ratio of one or more of the goods to one or more others of the goods must be vended from the vending apparatus; (x) that a prescribed ratio of one or more of the goods to one or more others of the goods must be vended from the vending apparatus in a predefined period of time; and (xi) that the vending apparatus must be maintained in operation to a prescribed degree. 23. The method of claim 19, wherein the disable code is made available to the vending apparatus after a determination is made that the at least one contractual obligation with the lessor has not been at least one of satisfied and waived. 24. The method of claim 19, wherein: the vending apparatus is not at least partially disabled unless a plurality of disable codes are received by the vending apparatus; andeach disable code being made available to the vending apparatus in response to a different one of a plurality of said contractual obligations being not one of satisfied or waived.