Constrained power vending system

Abstract

Disclosed is a vending system for supply of product from a plurality of containers each having a corresponding access door having an electrically activatable lock arrangement 200 . The system has an interface module by which a predetermined maximum electrical power is made available for supply to the containers and lock arrangements such that each lock arrangement has a plurality of operational modes. The modes include: an active mode by which the lock arrangement is activatable in response to a vending instruction; a standby mode by which the lock arrangement awaits a vending instruction; and a sleep mode by which the lock arrangement minimises power drawn from the interface module. The interface module operates the lock arrangements in the standby mode and the interface module operates at least one lock arrangement in the sleep mode, and at least one lock arrangement in the active mode.

1 .- 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method for operating a plurality of devices in a limited maximum electrical power environment, by which a standby amount of power is consumed by each device, such that the total power consumed by the plurality of devices is less than the limited maximum, the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving a command at the plurality of devices from a controller;   determining to which of the plurality of devices the command is addressed;   decoding the addressed command into an action based on the command such that each command results in one of at least two actions:
 sleep, by which substantially reduced electrical power consumption compared to the standby amount of power is consumed by a device; and 
 activate, by which electrical power consumption sufficient to operate one of the plurality of devices is consumed by that one device; 
   wherein the total power consumed by the plurality of devices during an activate action is less than the limited maximum.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14  further comprising the step of:
 receiving a operate status query from the controller; and 
 sending the operate status to the controller. 
 
     
     
         16 . A method for supply of a product in a limited maximum electrical power environment, the environment including a plurality of containers each having an electric locking device, the method comprising the steps of:
 placing all but one of the plurality of containers in a relatively low power consumption mode;   activating the one container to a relatively high power consumption mode to supply the product from the one container,   such that the total power consumed by the plurality of containers is constrained within the limited maximum for all consumption modes of operation of the containers.   
     
     
         17 . A system for supply of product, the system comprising:
 a communications network;   a keypad configured to receive input of a transaction-specific number;   a server computer configured to:
 communicate information relating to a plurality of containers of the product to a customer device via the communications network, each of the plurality of containers associated with a corresponding activatable latch arrangement; 
 receive, via the communications network, an order relating to one of the plurality of containers from the customer device; 
 transmit, via the communications network, a transaction-specific number relating to the received order; and 
 transmit, via the communications network, information relating to the one container upon receiving and verifying the transaction-specific number; and 
   apparatus, in communication with the server computer via the communications network, and in wired communication with the keypad,
 the apparatus configured to:
 receive the transaction-specific number from the keypad; 
 transmit the transaction-specific number to the server computer for verification via the communications network; and 
 actuate the latch arrangement of the one container upon receiving the transaction-specific number from the server via the communications network; 
 
 the apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of controllers each associated with a corresponding one of the activatable latch arrangements, each controller being configured to cause actuation of the corresponding latch arrangement; and 
 an interface module by which a predetermined maximum amount of electrical power is made available for supply to the plurality of controllers and latch arrangements, 
 wherein each controller is operable in at least two operational modes, the modes comprising:
 an active mode by which the controller actuates the corresponding latch arrangement; and 
 a standby mode by which the controller awaits instructions from the interface module, 
 such that any combination of the operational modes is within the predetermined maximum amount of electrical power.