Printing system for a vending machine

Abstract

A vending machine includes: a printing apparatus contained in the vending machine for printing printable data onto a substrate, wherein the substrate is a container for containing one or more products to be dispensed or is a label for the container; and a user interface for enabling customization of the printable data for each dispensing cycle. The user interface is configured to provide, at the time of use for dispensing, a user with at least one option to incorporate selected custom data into the printable data for printing onto the substrate thereby to customize the container.

1 . A vending machine, comprising:
 a printing apparatus contained in the vending machine for printing printable data onto a substrate, wherein the substrate is a container for containing one or more products to be dispensed or is a label for the container; and   a user interface for enabling customization of the printable data for each dispensing cycle, the user interface configured to provide, at the time of use for dispensing, a user with at least one option to incorporate selected custom data into the printable data for printing onto the substrate thereby to customize the container.   
     
     
         2 . The vending machine of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface is configured to enable, at the time of use for dispensing, the user to choose to incorporate into the printable data at least one of:
 a. at least one of text and media provided by the vending machine,   b. at least one of text and media provided by the user, and   c. at least one of text and media generated by the vending machine at the time of use for dispensing.   
     
     
         3 . The vending machine of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one of text and media generated by the vending machine at the time of use for dispensing is based on an image of the user captured by the vending machine. 
     
     
         4 . The vending machine of  claim 2 , wherein the user interface is configured to accept files from a computer or mobile device from a user to be selected by the user for printing on the substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The vending machine of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface is configured to accept files from a computer or mobile device from a user to be selected by the user for printing on the substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The vending machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a shuttle for positioning the substrate at a printer station in the vending machine. 
     
     
         7 . The vending machine of  claim 2 , wherein the media generated by the vending machine at the time of use for dispensing comprises an image of the user captured by the vending machine at the time of use for dispensing. 
     
     
         8 . The vending machine of  claim 1 , wherein promotion data is incorporated into the printable data. 
     
     
         9 . The vending machine of  claim 1 , wherein information relating to the one or more products to be dispensed is incorporated into the printable data. 
     
     
         10 . The vending machine of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a transceiver associated with the vending machine, wherein the information relating to the one or more products to be dispensed is stored in a remote server or in a memory local to the remote server and transmitted to the vending machine via the transceiver.   
     
     
         11 . A method of operating a vending machine during a vending cycle, comprising:
 receiving from a user, via a user interface, a selection of one or more products for incorporation into a container to be dispensed by the vending machine;   providing, via the user interface at the time of use for dispensing, at least one user option to customize the container;   in the event that the user selects the option to customize the container, incorporating selected custom data into printable data;   in any order:
 printing the printable data onto a substrate, wherein the substrate is the container or a label for the container; and 
 incorporating the selected one or more products into the container; 
    the method further comprising:
 vending the container. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein incorporating selected custom data into the printable data comprises enabling the user to choose to incorporate into the printable data at least one of:
 a. at least one of text and media provided by the vending machine,   b. at least one of text and media provided by the user, and   c. at least one of text and media generated by the vending machine at the time of use for dispensing.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 capturing an image of the user, wherein the at least one of text and media generated by the vending machine is based on the captured image.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 accepting, by the user interface, files from a computer or mobile device from the user to be selected by the user for incorporation into the printable data.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising positioning, using a shuttle, the substrate at a printer station in the vending machine. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the printing comprises:
 printing the printable data onto the substrate using a print head comprising a plurality of ink cartridges operable simultaneously.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 incorporating promotional data into the printable data.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 incorporating information relating to the one or more products to be dispensed into the printable data.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 transmitting the information relating to the one or more products to be dispensed from a remote server or from memory local to the remote server to the vending machine.   
     
     
         20 . A vending machine comprising:
 a secure housing for physically containing vendable products;   a user interface associated with the secure housing for receiving at least a purchaser's payment for vendable product during a respective purchase transaction from the vending machine;   a local database associated with the secure housing;   a printing system within the secure housing and including:
 a printer; 
 a local print driver in communication with at least the printer and the local database; and 
 a shuttle for, responsive at least in part to the user interface receiving a purchaser's payment during a respective purchase transaction and prior to a corresponding dispensing operation by the vending machine, positioning a container for the vendable product at a printer station of the printing system during the application by the printer of indicia provided to the printer by the local print driver, 
 wherein the indicia applied by the printer includes both:
 information stored in the local database; and 
 information customized to the respective purchase transaction. 
 
   
     
     
         21 . The vending machine of  claim 20 , wherein the printer applies the indicia before the container is filled with the vendable product. 
     
     
         22 . The vending machine of  claim 20 , wherein the container is a bag. 
     
     
         23 . The vending machine of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 a communications module within the secure housing in communications with the local print driver for receiving remote server data from a remote server, wherein the remote server data is stored in the local database.   
     
     
         24 . The vending machine of  claim 23 , wherein the communications module is configured to receive the remote server data at intervals. 
     
     
         25 . The vending machine of  claim 23 , wherein the communications module is configured to receive the remote server data in real-time during the respective purchase transaction.