Rich content management and display for use in remote field assets

Abstract

A field asset such as a vending machine includes a coin acceptor, a bill validator, and a card reader all operatively connected to a shared bus. A rich content display device displays color graphics and an extended function adapter (EFA) coupled to the shared bus includes a rich content agent (RCA) to manage rich content displayed on the display. The RCA may include a content management agent (CMA) coupled to a rich content player that executes rich content file for display on the display device. The EFA may include a cashless agent to generate procedural state information. The CMA detects the procedural state information and controls the presentation of rich content on the display device based at least in part on the detected procedural state information. The EFA may include an analytic agent to determine a substantive state of the vending machine including an inventory state and an environmental state.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A vending machine, comprising:
 at least one payment device operatively connected to a shared multi-drop bus;   a rich content display device mounted in the vending machine and configured to display color graphics; and   a controller operatively coupled to the shared multi-drop bus and configured to manage display of rich content on the display device, the controller configured to receive information from the shared multi-drop bus regarding a stage of a current vend transaction and, based on the received information and a state of the vending machine, to determine graphical content to be displayed on the display device based on the information.   
     
     
         22 . The vending machine of  claim 21 , wherein the state of the vending machine comprises one or more of inventory of products available within the vending machine, product pricing, and environmental factors that may influence a customer purchasing decision. 
     
     
         23 . The vending machine of  claim 22 , wherein the environmental factors comprise one or more of time and date, geographical location, and local weather. 
     
     
         24 . The vending machine of  claim 22 , wherein the environmental factors comprise current or recent display of advertising for products available within the vending machine on the rich content display device. 
     
     
         25 . The vending machine of  claim 22 , wherein the environmental factors comprise current or recent display of third party advertising on the rich content display device. 
     
     
         26 . The vending machine of  claim 22 , wherein the environmental factors comprise customer use of a loyalty program. 
     
     
         27 . The vending machine of  claim 21 , wherein the stage of the current vend transaction comprises an idle stage between vend transactions. 
     
     
         28 . The vending machine of  claim 21 , wherein the stage of the current vend transaction comprises initiation of the current vend transaction by a customer. 
     
     
         29 . The vending machine of  claim 28 , wherein the customer initiates the current vend transaction by providing a form of payment. 
     
     
         30 . The vending machine of  claim 21 , wherein the stage of the current vend transaction comprises one of a post-payment, transaction pending stage, a change return stage, and a post-transaction stage. 
     
     
         31 . A method of operating a vending machine, comprising:
 receiving payment information from at least one payment device on a shared multi-drop bus;   displaying color graphics on a rich content display device mounted in the vending machine; and   managing display of rich content on the display device by receiving information from the shared multi-drop bus regarding a stage of a current vend transaction and, based on the received information and a state of the vending machine, determining graphical content to be displayed on the display device based on the information.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the state of the vending machine comprises one or more of inventory of products available within the vending machine, product pricing, and environmental factors that may influence a customer purchasing decision. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the environmental factors comprise one or more of time and date, geographical location, and local weather. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the environmental factors comprise current or recent display of advertising for products available within the vending machine on the rich content display device. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the environmental factors comprise current or recent display of third party advertising on the rich content display device. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the environmental factors comprise customer use of a loyalty program. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the stage of the current vend transaction comprises an idle stage between vend transactions. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the stage of the current vend transaction comprises initiation of the current vend transaction by a customer. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the customer initiates the current vend transaction by providing a form of payment. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the stage of the current vend transaction comprises one of a post-payment, transaction pending stage, a change return stage, and a post-transaction stage.