Vending machine service scheduling

Abstract

Techniques are provided for calculating vending machines' service priorities and scheduling the vending machines for service taking into account a number of factors and thresholds ( 520 ). In some embodiments, the machines ( 110 ) are subdivided into subroutes ( 320 ). Each subroute has one or more machines, and at least one subroute has a plurality of machines. The vending machine service schedule is generated by selecting the highest priority subroute ( 410 ) and selecting the machines in that subroute ( 420 ). Other subroutes can be selected ( 430, 440 ) if there is time left in the Service Period.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A method for servicing a plurality of vending machines, the method comprising:
 obtaining, by a computer system, state data for the vending machines, the state data indicating changes, or absence of changes, of the vending machines' states over time;   determining by the computer system, for one or more of the vending machines, the vending machines' first timing estimates, the vending machines' first timing estimates being determined by using the vending machines' state data and one or more predefined service threshold parameters for the vending machines, wherein each first timing estimate is indicative of an estimated time until a corresponding vending machine will need service after a predefined service period assuming that one or more of the plurality of the vending machines are serviced in the predefined service period; and   selecting, by the computer system, one or more of the vending machines for service, the one or more of the vending machines being selected by using at least one first timing estimate, and identifying each selected vending machine by the computer system to initiate service for each selected vending machine.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  further comprising determining by the computer system, for at least two of the vending machines, the vending machines' second timing estimates, the vending machines' second timing estimates being determined by using the state data and the one or more predefined service threshold parameters for the vending machines, wherein each second timing estimate is indicative of an estimated time until a corresponding vending machine will need service without assuming that any vending machine is serviced in the predefined service period;
 wherein the computer system uses at least one second timing estimate to perform said selecting. 
 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31  wherein said selecting comprises selecting which of the vending machines is to be serviced in said predefined service period. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the predefined service period is insufficient to service all the vending machines. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32  wherein said selecting comprises:
 selecting one or more of the vending machines for service by using at least one second timing estimate but not using any first timing estimate; and then 
 selecting one or more additional vending machines for service by using at least one second timing estimate. 
 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the one or more additional vending machines are selected by using information on the one or more vending machines selected without using any first timing estimate. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31  wherein said obtaining the state data comprises receiving inventory data from each vending machine over a network at different times, the inventory data for each vending machine being indicative of a number of products in the vending machines' product containers. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31  wherein at least one vending machine comprises a plurality of product containers, and determining at least one first timing estimate comprises:
 determining, for one or more of the product containers of one or more of the vending machines, the product containers' first container-based estimates, the product containers' first container-based estimates being determined by using the vending machines' state data, wherein each first container-based estimate is indicative of an estimated time until a number of products in a corresponding product container will reach at least a predefined alert level for the product container; 
 wherein at least one first timing estimate is determined using at least one first container-based estimate. 
 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the predefined service threshold parameters define, for each vending machine, one or more of thresholds Th1 and Th2, wherein:
 (a) the vending machine's threshold Th1 is a threshold for a number of the vending machine's product containers satisfying a condition C1 which is a condition that an amount of a product in the container is at most a predefined alert level for the container; 
 (b) the vending machine's threshold Th2 is a threshold for a number of the vending machine's products vended by the vending machine that satisfy a condition C2 which is a condition that an amount of the product in the vending machine is at most a predefined alert level for the product. 
 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 31  further comprising repeatedly performing, by each vending machine, operations of:
 obtaining, by a controller in the vending machine, the state data for the vending machine, the state data being indicative of the number of products in each product container of the vending machine; 
 transmitting, by a transmitter in the vending machine, the state data to the computer system over a network. 
 
     
     
         41 . A method for restocking a plurality of vending machines each of which comprises one or more product containers, the method comprising:
 obtaining, by a computer system, state data for the vending machines, the state data indicating the state data indicating changes, or absence of changes, of the vending machines' states over time;   determining by the computer system, for one or more of the product containers, the product containers' first container-based estimates, the product containers' first container-based estimates being determined by using the vending machines' state data, wherein each first container-based estimate is indicative of an estimated time until a number of products in a corresponding product container will reach at least a predefined alert level for the product container after a predefined service period assuming that one or more of the plurality of the vending machines are restocked in the predefined service period; and   selecting, by the computer system, one or more of the vending machines for restocking, the one or more of the vending machines being selected by using at least one first container-based estimate, and identifying each selected vending machine by the computer system to initiate restocking for each selected vending machine.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  further comprising determining by the computer system, for at least two of the product containers, the product containers' second container-based estimates, the product containers' second container-based timing estimates being determined by using the state data, wherein each second container-based estimate is indicative of an estimated time until a number of products in a corresponding product container will reach at least the predefined alert level for the product container without assuming that any vending machine is restocked in the predefined service period;
 wherein the computer system uses at least one second container-based estimate to perform said selecting. 
 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41  further comprising repeatedly performing, by each vending machine, operations of:
 obtaining, by a controller in the vending machine, the state data for the vending machine, the state data being indicative of the number of products in each product container of the vending machine; 
 transmitting, by a transmitter in the vending machine, the state data to the computer system over a network. 
 
     
     
         44 . One or more computer readable media comprising computer instructions operable to cause a computer system to perform a method for servicing a plurality of vending machines, the method comprising:
 obtaining, by the computer system, state data for the vending machines, the state data indicating the state data indicating changes, or absence of changes, of the vending machines' states over time;   determining by the computer system, for one or more of the vending machines, the vending machines' first timing estimates, the vending machines' first timing estimates being determined by using the vending machines' state data and one or more predefined service threshold parameters for the vending machines, wherein each first timing estimate is indicative of an estimated time until a corresponding vending machine will need service after a predefined service period assuming that one or more of the plurality of the vending machines are serviced in the predefined service period; and   selecting, by the computer system, one or more of the vending machines for service, the one or more of the vending machines being selected by using at least one first timing estimate, and identifying each selected vending machine by the computer system to initiate service for each selected vending machine.   
     
     
         45 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 44  wherein the method further comprises determining by the computer system, for at least two of the vending machines, the vending machines' second timing estimates, the vending machines' second timing estimates being determined by using the state data and the one or more predefined service threshold parameters for the vending machines, wherein, in the method, each second timing estimate is indicative of an estimated time until a corresponding vending machine will need service without assuming that any vending machine is serviced in the predefined service period;
 wherein, in the method, the computer system uses at least one second timing estimate to perform said selecting. 
 
     
     
         46 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 44  wherein, in the method, said selecting comprises selecting which of the vending machines is to be serviced in said predefined service period. 
     
     
         47 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 46  wherein the predefined service period is insufficient to service all the vending machines. 
     
     
         48 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 45  wherein, in the method, said selecting comprises:
 selecting one or more of the vending machines for service by using at least one second timing estimate but not using any first timing estimate; and then 
 selecting one or more additional vending machines for service by using at least one second timing estimate. 
 
     
     
         49 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 48  wherein, in the method, the one or more additional vending machines are selected by using information on the one or more vending machines selected without using any first timing estimate. 
     
     
         50 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 44  wherein, in the method, said obtaining the state data comprises receiving inventory data from each vending machine over a network at different times, the inventory data for each vending machine being indicative of a number of products in the vending machines' product containers. 
     
     
         51 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 44  wherein, in the method, at least one vending machine comprises a plurality of product containers, and determining at least one first timing estimate comprises:
 determining, for one or more of the product containers of one or more of the vending machines, the product containers' first container-based estimates, the product containers' first container-based estimates being determined by using the vending machines' state data, wherein, in the method, each first container-based estimate is indicative of an estimated time until a number of products in a corresponding product container will reach at least a predefined alert level for the product container; 
 wherein, in the method, at least one first timing estimate is determined using at least one first container-based estimate. 
 
     
     
         52 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 44  wherein, in the method, the predefined service threshold parameters define, for each vending machine, one or more of thresholds Th1 and Th2, wherein:
 (a) the vending machine's threshold Th1 is a threshold for a number of the vending machine's product containers satisfying a condition C1 which is a condition that an amount of a product in the container is at most a predefined alert level for the container; 
 (b) the vending machine's threshold Th2 is a threshold for a number of the vending machine's products vended by the vending machine that satisfy a condition C2 which is a condition that an amount of the product in the vending machine is at most a predefined alert level for the product. 
 
     
     
         53 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 44  wherein the method further comprises repeatedly performing, by each vending machine, operations of:
 obtaining, by a controller in the vending machine, the state data for the vending machine, the state data being indicative of the number of products in each product container of the vending machine; 
 transmitting, by a transmitter in the vending machine, the state data to the computer system over a network. 
 
     
     
         54 . One or more computer readable media comprising computer instructions operable to cause a computer system to perform a method for restocking a plurality of vending machines each of which comprises one or more product containers, the method comprising:
 obtaining, by the computer system, state data for the vending machines, the state data indicating changes, or absence of changes, of the vending machines' states over time;   determining by the computer system, for one or more of the product containers, the product containers' first container-based estimates, the product containers' first container-based estimates being determined by using the vending machines' state data, wherein each first container-based estimate is indicative of an estimated time until a number of products in a corresponding product container will reach at least a predefined alert level for the product container after a predefined service period assuming that one or more of the plurality of the vending machines are restocked in the predefined service period; and   selecting, by the computer system, one or more of the vending machines for restocking, the one or more of the vending machines being selected by using at least one first container-based estimate, and identifying each selected vending machine by the computer system to initiate restocking for each selected vending machine.   
     
     
         55 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 54  wherein, in the method, the method further comprises determining by the computer system, for at least two of the product containers, the product containers' second container-based estimates, the product containers' second container-based timing estimates being determined by using the state data, wherein, in the method, each second container-based estimate is indicative of an estimated time until a number of products in a corresponding product container will reach at least the predefined alert level for the product container without assuming that any vending machine is restocked in the predefined service period;
 wherein, in the method, the computer system uses at least one second container-based estimate to perform said selecting. 
 
     
     
         56 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 54  wherein the method further comprises repeatedly performing, by each vending machine, operations of:
 obtaining, by a controller in the vending machine, the state data for the vending machine, the state data being indicative of the number of products in each product container of the vending machine; 
 transmitting, by a transmitter in the vending machine, the state data to the computer system over a network. 
 
     
     
         57 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 44  in combination with one or more computer processors coupled to the one or more computer readable media to be operable to execute the computer instructions to perform said method. 
     
     
         58 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 45  in combination with one or more computer processors coupled to the one or more computer readable media to be operable to execute the computer instructions to perform said method. 
     
     
         59 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 46  in combination with one or more computer processors coupled to the one or more computer readable media to be operable to execute the computer instructions to perform said method. 
     
     
         60 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 47  in combination with one or more computer processors coupled to the one or more computer readable media to be operable to execute the computer instructions to perform said method. 
     
     
         61 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 48  in combination with one or more computer processors coupled to the one or more computer readable media to be operable to execute the computer instructions to perform said method. 
     
     
         62 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 49  in combination with one or more computer processors coupled to the one or more computer readable media to be operable to execute the computer instructions to perform said method. 
     
     
         63 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 50  in combination with one or more computer processors coupled to the one or more computer readable media to be operable to execute the computer instructions to perform said method. 
     
     
         64 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 51  in combination with one or more computer processors coupled to the one or more computer readable media to be operable to execute the computer instructions to perform said method. 
     
     
         65 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 52  in combination with one or more computer processors coupled to the one or more computer readable media to be operable to execute the computer instructions to perform said method. 
     
     
         66 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 53  in combination with: (a) one or more computer processors coupled to the one or more computer readable media, and (b) the vending machines, to be operable to execute the computer instructions to perform said method. 
     
     
         67 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 54  in combination with one or more computer processors coupled to the one or more computer readable media to be operable to execute the computer instructions to perform said method. 
     
     
         68 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 55  in combination with one or more computer processors coupled to the one or more computer readable media to be operable to execute the computer instructions to perform said method. 
     
     
         69 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 56  in combination with: (a) one or more computer processors coupled to the one or more computer readable media, and (b) the vending machines, to be operable to execute the computer instructions to perform said method.