Products and processes for vending a plurality of products via defined groups

Abstract

Products and processes are disclosed for defining at least one inventory group. This at least one inventory group includes at least two products that are available for sale by a vending machine. The vending machine outputs an indication of products that the at least one inventory group includes. The vending machine receiving, from a customer, a selection of a first product that the at least one inventory group includes. The vending machine processes a sale of a unit of the first product and a respective unit of at least one additional product for a single price.

1 - 6 . (CANCELED)  
     
     
         7 . A method comprising: 
 defining the at least one inventory group based on a desired inventory amount of at least one product that is available for sale 
 in which the at least one inventory group includes at least two products that are available for sale;  
   outputting an indication of products that the at least one inventory group includes;    receiving, from a customer, a selection of a first product that the at least one inventory group includes; and    processing a sale of a unit of the first product and a respective unit of at least one additional product for a single price.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , in which defining the at least one inventory group based on a desired inventory amount comprises: 
 calculating the target sales rate of the at least one product to achieve a desired inventory amount of about one unit of the at least one product by a predetermined time.    
     
     
         9 . A method comprising: 
 defining at least one inventory group based on at least one of: 
 a cost of at least one product that is available for sale,  
 a retail price of at least one product that is available for sale, and  
 a retail profit margin of at least one product that is available for sales,  
 in which the at least one inventory group includes at least two products that are available for sale;  
   outputting an indication of products that the at least one inventory group includes;    receiving, from a customer, a selection of a first product that the at least one inventory group includes; and    processing a sale of a unit of the first product and a respective unit of at least one additional product for a single price.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , in which defining at least one inventory group comprises: 
 determining a first cost of a second product that is available for sale; and    defining the at least one inventory group to include the second product based on the first cost.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , in which defining at least one inventory group comprises: 
 determining a first retail price of a second product that is available for sale; and    defining the at least one inventory group to include the second product based on the first retail price.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , in which defining at least one inventory group comprises: 
 determining a first retail profit margin of a second product that is available for sale; and    defining the at least one inventory group to include the second product based on the first retail profit margin.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , in which defining at least one inventory group comprises: 
 determining a total profit during a time period of all products available for sale;    determining a profit contribution during the time period of the second product; and    defining the at least one inventory group to include the second product based on the first retail profit margin and the total profit.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , in which determining a total profit during a time period of all products available for sale comprises: 
 for each product available for sale during the time period, determining a profit contribution by multiplying 
 a number of units sold of the respective product during the time period  
 by  
 the retail profit margin of the respective product; and  
 aggregating the profit contributions of all products available for sale;  
   and in which determining a profit contribution during the time period of the second product comprises: 
 multiplying 
 a number of units sold of the second product during the time period  
 by  
 the first retail profit margin of the second product;  
 
   and in which defining the at least one inventory group to include the second product based on the first retail profit margin and the total profit comprises: 
 defining the at least one inventory group to include the second product based on a ratio of 
 the profit contribution during a time period of the second product  
 and  
 the total profit.  
 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , in which determining a total profit during a time period of all products available for sale comprises: 
 for each product available for sale during the time period, determining a profit contribution;    ranking all products available for sale by the respective profit contribution of the product;    selecting a subset of highest ranked products, such that the sum of the respective profit contributions of the subset are approximately a predetermined percentage of the total profit; and    defining the at least one inventory group to include the subset of highest ranked products.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , in which defining at least one inventory group comprises: 
 defining the at least one inventory group based on a product of 
 (i) a retail profit margin of at least one product that is available for sale, and  
 (ii) a rate of units sold per time of the at least one product.  
   
     
     
         17 . A method comprising: 
 defining at least one inventory group based on at least one of: 
 an acceptance rate of offers which include at least one product that is available for sale,  
 in which the at least one inventory group includes at least two products that are available for sale;  
   outputting an indication of products that the at least one inventory group includes;    receiving, from a customer, a selection of a first product that the at least one inventory group includes; and    processing a sale of a unit of the first product and a respective unit of at least one additional product for a single price.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , in which defining at least one inventory group comprises: 
 determining a first acceptance rate of a second product that is available for sale; and    defining the at least one inventory group to include the second product based on the first acceptance rate.    
     
     
         19 . A method comprising: 
 defining at least one inventory group based on at least one of: 
 data entered for at least one product that is available for sale,  
 in which the at least one inventory group includes at least two products that are available for sale;  
   outputting an indication of products that the at least one inventory group includes;    receiving, from a customer, a selection of a first product that the at least one inventory group includes; and    processing a sale of a unit of the first product and a respective unit of at least one additional product for a single price.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , in which defining at least one inventory group comprises: 
 determining first data entered for a second product that is available for sale; and    defining the at least one inventory group to include the second product based on the first data.    
     
     
         21 . A method comprising: 
 defining the at least one inventory group to include at least one product that is not available for sale, 
 in which the at least one inventory group includes at least two products that are available for sale;  
   outputting an indication of products that the at least one inventory group includes;    receiving, from a customer, a selection of a first product that the at least one inventory group includes; and    processing a sale of a unit of the first product and a respective unit of at least one additional product for a single price.    
     
     
         22 . A method comprising: 
 defining at least two inventory groups, 
 in which each of the at least two inventory groups includes at least one respective product that is available for sale;  
   outputting, for each of the inventory groups, an indication of products that the respective inventory group includes;    receiving, from a customer, a selection of 
 a first product that one of the inventory groups includes, and  
 a second product that another one of the inventory groups includes; and  
   processing a sale of a unit of the first product and a unit of the second product.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 providing, to the customer, an offer to sell to the customer, for one predetermined price, 
 (i) at least one unit of any product that is included in a first inventory group, and  
 (ii) at least one unit of any product that is included in a second inventory group.  
   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , in which providing an offer comprises: 
 providing, to the customer, an offer to sell to the customer, for one predetermined price, 
 (i) one unit of any product that is included in a first inventory group, and  
 (ii) one unit of any product that is included in a second inventory group.  
   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , in which receiving, from a customer, a selection comprises: 
 receiving, from the customer, a first selection of the first product; and then    receiving, from the customer, a second selection of the second product;    and in which providing the offer is performed after receiving the first selection and before receiving the second selection.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , in which receiving, from a customer, a selection comprises: 
 receiving, from the customer, a first selection of the first product; and then    receiving, from the customer, a second selection of the second product.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , in which defining at least two inventory groups comprises: 
 defining at least one inventory group after the step of receiving the first selection.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , in which defining the at least one inventory group after the step of receiving the first selection comprises: 
 defining the at least one inventory group based on the first selection of the first product.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising: 
 defining at least one inventory group before the step of receiving the first selection.    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , in which defining at least two inventory groups comprises: 
 defining the at least two inventory groups before the step of receiving the first selection.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising: 
 after receiving the first selection, preventing the customer from selecting any product that is available for sale but that the another one of the inventory groups does not include.    
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 22 , in which defining at least two inventory groups comprises: 
 determining, for every product that is available for sale, a rating;    defining a first inventory group to include a first set of products;    defining a second inventory group to include a second set of products, 
 in which each product that the first inventory group includes has a rating that is not less than a rating of any product that the second inventory group includes, and  
 in which every product that is available for sale is included in at least one of the first inventory group and the second inventory group;  
   
     
     
         33 . A method comprising: 
 defining at least two inventory groups, 
 in which each of the at least two inventory groups includes at least one respective product that is available for sale;  
   outputting, for each of the inventory groups, an indication of products that the respective inventory group includes;    providing, to the customer, an offer to sell to the customer, for one predetermined price, 
 (i) one unit of any product that is included in a first inventory group, and  
 (ii) one unit of any product that is included in a second inventory group  
 in which the predetermined price is less than a sum of 
 (a) a price of one unit of any product that is included in the first inventory group, and  
 (b) a price of one unit of any product that is included in the second inventory group;  
 
   receiving from the customer one payment of at least the predetermined price;    receiving, from the customer, a first selection of a first product that one of the inventory groups includes;    receiving, from the customer, a second selection of a second product that another one of the inventory groups includes; and    processing a sale of a unit of the first product and a unit of the second product for the predetermined price.    
     
     
         34 . A method comprising: 
 defining at least two inventory groups, 
 in which each of the at least two inventory groups includes at least one respective product that is available for sale;  
   outputting, for each of the inventory groups, an indication of products that the respective inventory group includes;    providing, to the customer, an offer to sell to the customer, for a predetermined price, 
 (i) one unit of any product that is included in a first inventory group, and  
 (ii) one unit of any product that is included in a second inventory group;  
   receiving, from a customer, a selection of 
 a first product that one of the inventory groups includes, and  
 a second product that another one of the inventory groups includes;  
   receiving from the customer one payment of at least the predetermined price; and    processing a sale of a unit of the first product and a unit of the second product for the predetermined price.    
     
     
         35 . A method comprising: 
 defining at least two inventory groups, 
 in which each of the at least two inventory groups includes at least one respective product that is available for sale;  
   outputting, for each of the inventory groups, an indication of products that the respective inventory group includes;    providing, to the customer, an offer to sell to the customer, for a predetermined price, 
 (i) one unit of any product that is included in a first inventory group, and  
 (ii) one unit of any product that is included in a second inventory group,  
 in which the predetermined price is less than a sum of 
 (a) a price of one unit of any product that is included in the first inventory group, and  
 (b) a price of one unit of any product that is included in the second inventory group;  
 
   receiving, from a customer, a selection of 
 a first product that one of the inventory groups includes, and  
 a second product that another one of the inventory groups includes; and  
   processing a sale of a unit of the first product and a unit of the second product for the predetermined price.    
     
     
         36 . A method comprising: 
 defining at least two inventory groups, 
 in which each of the at least two inventory groups includes at least one respective product that is available for sale;  
   outputting, for each of the inventory groups, an indication of products that the respective inventory group includes;    receiving, from a customer, a selection of 
 a first product that one of the inventory groups includes, and  
 a second product that another one of the inventory groups includes; and  
 in which the predetermined price is not based on a price of the first product, and the predetermined price is not based on a price of the second product  
   processing a sale of a unit of the first product and a unit of the second product for the predetermined price.    
     
     
         37 . A method comprising: 
 defining at least one inventory group, 
 in which the at least one inventory group includes at least one respective product that is available for sale;  
   receiving, from a customer, a selection of a first product;    determining whether the at least one inventory group includes the first product; and    disallowing the selection of the first product if the at least one inventory group does not include the first product.    
     
     
         38 . An apparatus comprising: 
 means for defining at least two inventory groups, 
 in which each of the at least two inventory groups includes at least one respective product that is available for sale;  
   means for outputting, for each of the inventory groups, an indication of products that the respective inventory group includes;    means for providing, to the customer, an offer to sell to the customer, for one predetermined price, 
 (i) one unit of any product that is included in a first inventory group, and  
 (ii) one unit of any product that is included in a second inventory group;  
   means for receiving payment from the customer;    means for receiving, from the customer, a first selection of a first product that one of the inventory groups includes;    means for receiving, from the customer, a second selection of a second product that another one of the inventory groups includes;    means for processing a sale of a unit of the first product and a unit of the second product for the predetermined price;    means for dispensing at least one product in response to the means for processing a sale.    
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , in which the means for outputting, for each of the inventory groups, an indication of products that the respective inventory group comprises: 
 a plurality of colored lighting devices, in which each colored lighting device is located proximate to one product column.    
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 39 , in which the means for outputting, for each of the inventory groups, an indication of products that the respective inventory group comprises: 
 means for selectively illuminating the plurality of colored lighting devices.    
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , in which the means for providing an offer comprises: 
 a display device that is operable to display text and images.