Disk dispensing and retrieval system and associated methods

Abstract

A kiosk dispenses and receives recorded optical disk media using an interconnected system central server computer through an Internet Service Provider. The system central server contains databases and processing, and is connected to a credit verification system. The central databases collect inventory administration information and customer data from the kiosks including credit card and email addresses. The central server initiates credit verification and sends receipts to customers via email. The central server maintains databases that are used for remote inventory control and administration of the kiosk network. A kiosk has the capability to identify a recorded disk for automated restocking and may also perform quality assessment of a recorded disk. A kiosk may also provide publishing-on-demand or-act as a portal for remotely served advertisement.

I/We claim: 
     
         1 . A system for dispensing optical storage media from, and maintaining inventory in, a kiosk, the kiosk remote from a system server and communicatively connected to said system server, said system comprising:
 a plurality of optical storage media each storing data for a particular program;   a storage carousel in the kiosk for storing said plurality of optical storage media, the kiosk inventory comprising an inventory of said plurality of optical storage media;   a first central processing unit in said kiosk;   a database including information representative of the kiosk inventory and accessible by a user via a kiosk interface and the Internet;   a first media readable by said first central processing unit, having a first set of instructions for directing said first central processing unit to:
 read data from a selected one of said plurality of optical storage media stored in said kiosk; 
 dispense said selected one of said plurality of optical storage media and/or display data from said selected optical medium on a display in said kiosk; and 
 receive a returned optical medium, identify said returned optical medium, and transmit identity of said returned optical medium to said system server; 
 maintain information of the kiosk inventory; 
 remove a one of said optical storage media from said kiosk inventory information when dispensing said selected one; 
 add a one of said optical storage media to said kiosk inventory information when receiving said returned optical medium; 
   a second central processing unit in said system server, having a second media including a second set of instructions for directing said second central processing unit to:
 maintain an inventory of optical storage media in said kiosk in said database; 
 receive a message indicating said returned optical storage medium has been returned to the kiosk; 
 receive an update of the kiosk inventory from said first central processing unit when said first central processing unit updates said kiosk inventory information; and 
 cause optical storage media to be added to the kiosk inventory based on said kiosk inventory information. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an optical reading device. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said second set of instructions further comprises instructions for directing said second central processing unit to provide access to a database of a third central processing unit. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a media identification reader in said kiosk that is operable to detect an identification marking on one of said selected and returned optical storage media. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said first set of instructions includes instructions for directing said first central processing unit to:
 read said identification marking on a one of said selected and returned optical storage medium using said media identification reader, and   identify said selected or returned optical storage medium.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said first set of instructions further comprises instructions for directing said first central processing unit to maintain a record of a position of said optical recording storage media in the kiosk based upon said identification of said selected and returned optical storage media. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said identification marking on said optical storage media includes a concentric marking around a center of an optical storage medium. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein said concentric marking is a bar code. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said media identification reader is a bar code scanner. 
     
     
         10 . A method for maintaining an inventory of a plurality of optical storage media in a kiosk for dispensing, the kiosk remote from a system server and communicatively connected to the system server, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a user with information representative of the inventory of the kiosk, said inventory information contained in a database that is user-accessible from one of the kiosk and the Internet;   dispensing a selected optical storage medium or receiving a returned optical storage medium from a user of the kiosk;   updating said kiosk inventory information to remove said selected optical storage medium or to add said returned optical storage medium;   notifying the system server of said updated kiosk inventory information; and   alerting the system server when said kiosk inventory information indicates that a number of a particular one of the plurality of optical storage media falls below a first identified threshold.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of displaying on a display of the kiosk advertisements relating to a particular optical storage medium in the inventory when the number of said particular optical medium reaches a second identified threshold. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the steps of:
 reading an identification marking on said selected or returned optical storage medium using a media identification reader in the kiosk; and   identifying said selected or returned optical storage medium.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of maintaining a record of a position of said returned optical storage medium in said kiosk based upon said identification of said returned optical storage media. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said step of reading said identification marking includes reading a concentric marking around a center of said selected or returned optical storage medium. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said step of reading said concentric marking includes reading a bar code printed concentrically around said optical storage media with a bar code scanner in the kiosk. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said advertisements are promotions for optical media available at the kiosk. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said kiosk inventory information is viewable at a kiosk display and/or over the Internet. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a rental price to dispense said selected optical storage medium from said kiosk is based upon said kiosk inventory information.