AN AUTOMATED SALES METHOD USING THE SAME

TECHNICAL FIELD

The group of inventions relates to automated sales devices and methods, in particular, to automated sales vending systems and methods using the same for selling age-restricted items.

BACKGROUND

The vending is a sale of items by means of automated systems (vending or dispensing machines). Vending systems are widely used for selling various piece and customized items, including controlled age-restricted items, e.g., tobacco and alcohol products etc.

Prior art discloses a vending system for selling controlled items, comprising a payment module, an items storage unit, an items dispensing unit, as well as a sales method using this vending system (application No. US2009/0276088, IPC G06F 77/00, publ. on November 5, 2009).

In the disclosed solutions, in order to purchase the controlled age-restricted items, an access to functions of the vending machine will be granted after user documents are visually verified by an operator.

Drawbacks of the disclosed solutions include a mandatory presence of a personnel, thereby requiring additional labor costs and actions to confirm the purchase of the controlled item, inability to fully automate the sale and dispensing of the controlled item to the user, which generally does not enable to use the disclosed solution effectively.

The closest analogues of the claimed group of inventions are a vending machine for selling controlled items, comprising a server that is equipped with a communication means for communicating with a user device and with an item selection unit, a video camera, a payment module, an items storage unit, an items dispensing unit, as well as a sales method using the disclosed vending machine (patent RU 73106, IPC G07F 11/00, publ. on May 10, 2008).

The disclosed analogues imply scanning a user ID document by means of the video camera, connecting to the operator, and the operator receives an image of the user via the video camera and the scanned user ID document, verifies the provided information, and, according to results of verification of the user age for compliance with age requirements, decides whether it is possible to proceed with subsequent operations performed by the vending machine, in particular, whether the user can make a payment via the payment module and whether the item can be dispensed.

Drawbacks of the disclosed analogues include a mandatory presence of a personnel, thereby requiring additional labor costs, increase of a number of actions to confirm the purchase of the controlled good, inability to fully automate the sale and dispensing of the controlled good to the user, which generally does not enable to use the disclosed solution effectively.

SUMMARY

A technical objective of the proposed group of inventions is to create a vending system for selling controlled items and an automated sales method using the same, which could provide a full automation and reduction of a number of actions and resources required to confirm the sale and to dispense the controlled age-restricted items.

The technical objective is achieved by a vending system for selling controlled items, comprising a server that is equipped with a communication means for communicating with a user electronic device and with an item selection unit, a video camera or other scanning device, a payment module, an items storage unit, an items dispensing unit, and according to the invention, further comprising a user age determination unit that is configured to determine a user age value by scanning, by means of the video camera or other scanning device, a physical or an electronic user ID document, recognizing, by means of software algorithms, a user birth date value on the scanned document, and subtracting the recognized value from a current date value, or receiving a data about the user age value via a state webportal or an application that is associated with at least one citizens’ personal data state register by authorizing the user in the state webportal on the user electronic device or by scanning, by means of the video camera or other scanning device, a QR- or a bar code of the user electronic document; an access controller for controlling an access to the payment module, the access controller is configured to compare the user age value that is received by means of the user age determination unit to an allowed age value for purchasing the item, to grant the access to the payment module, when the user age value is equal to or greater than the allowed age value for purchasing the item, and to block the access to the payment module, when this value is less than the allowed age value for purchasing the item; the item dispensing unit configured to dispense the item after the payment is made via the payment module and after the access to the payment module is granted by the controller.

A method for automated sales of controlled items may be implemented using the vending system for selling the controlled items, the method comprises selecting at least one item among the items available in the items storage unit in the items selection unit or on the server by means of the user electronic device, and the method, according to the invention, further comprising steps of determining a user age value by scanning, by means of the video camera or other scanning device, a physical or an electronic user ID document, recognizing, by means of software algorithms, a user birth date value on the scanned document, and subtracting the recognized value from a current date value, or receiving a data about the user age value via a state webportal or an application that is associated with at least one citizens’ personal data state register by authorizing the user in the state webportal on the user electronic device or scanning, by means of the video camera or other scanning device, a QR- or a bar code of the user electronic document, comparing the determined user age value to an allowed age value for purchasing the item; granting, by means of the controller, an access to the payment module, when the user age value is equal to or greater than the allowed age value for purchasing the item; making a payment via the payment module, if the access to the payment module is granted by the controller; dispensing the selected item from the items storage unit to the items dispensing unit after the payment is made via the payment module, or blocking, by means of the controller, the access to the payment module, when the determined user age value is less than the allowed age value for purchasing the item, thereby blocking any further actions.

The user age determination unit enables to determine the user age depending on a way selected by the user: by scanning the user ID document followed by recognizing, by means of the software algorithms, the date value on the scanned document and its subtracting from the current date value, or by receiving the data about the user age value via the state webportal or application that is associated with at least one citizens’ personal data state register, which results in an accurate determination of the user age automatically and with no additional actions and resources involved.

The access controller for controlling the access to the payment module enables to automatically compare, with no additional actions performed and no additional resources involved, the user age determined by the determination unit to the allowed age value for purchasing the item, to grant the access to the payment module, when the user age value is equal to or greater than the allowed age value for purchasing the item, and to block this access, when this value is less than the allowed age value for purchasing the item, thereby automatically enabling to purchase and to collect the item by the users of the age allowed for purchasing the controlled item, as well as to block this option for the users who are under this age.

The fact that the item dispensing unit is configured to dispense the item after the payment is made after the access to the payment module is granted enables to dispense the item automatically, as well as with no additional actions and resources involved, to the users of the allowed age only so as they could purchase the controlled item after the payment is made.

Therefore, the set of technical features of the proposed group of inventions provides the full automation and reduction of the number of actions and resources required to confirm the sale and to dispense the controlled age-restricted items.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

The group of inventions is explained hereinafter by a detailed description of an exemplary embodiment with a reference to the appended figure 1 that illustrates a block diagram of the vending system for selling the controlled items.

For the sake of convenience, the following designations are depicted in the block diagram;

Ua - user age;

Aa - allowed age for purchasing the controlled item;

Bd - user birth date;

Cd - current date.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

The user selects the controlled item that is available in the items storage unit (6) of the proposed vending system from the item selection unit (3) that may be a display or a panel etc., or by means of the user electronic device (2) by connecting to the server (1), where a web-site or an application of the proposed vending system is located.

After the controlled item is selected, the user selects a way to determine his/her age (Ua) by means of the user age determination unit (8): by using the video camera or other scanning device (4), the user scans the physical or electronic user ID document, then the software algorithms recognize the user birth date value (Bd) on the scanned document and subtract the recognized value (Bd) from the current date value (Cd), or authorizes in the state webportal or application that is associated with the at least one citizens’ personal data state register on the user electronic device (2) or by scanning, by means of the video camera or other scanning device (4), the QR- or bar code of the user electronic document, and then the user age (Ua) data is transmitted to the user age determination unit (8), thereby determining the user age accurately and automatically with no additional actions and human resources involved.

Then, the access controller (9) for controlling the access to the payment module (5), by means of the software algorithms, compares the user age value (Ua) received by means of the user age determination unit (8) to the allowed age for purchasing the controlled item (Aa), and grants the access to the payment module (5), when the user age value (Ua) is equal to or greater than the allowed age value for purchasing the item (Aa), and then the user makes the payment via the payment module (5) that is configured to make the payment via a payment terminal, an acquiring terminal, a contactless or secured on-line payment system, and then the items storage unit (6) is unlocked, and the controlled item selected and paid by the user comes from the items storage unit (6) to the items dispensing unit (7), where the user collects it.

The item storage unit may also incorporate functions of a dispensing unit, so that storage and/or dispensing unit may be configured as one single unit.

When the user age value (Ua) is less than the allowed age value for purchasing the item (Aa), the controller (9) blocks the user access to the payment module (5), thereby preventing the user from making any further actions as to payment and collection of the controlled item.

Therefore, the proposed vending system for selling controlled items and an automated sales method using the same provide a full automation and reduction of a number of actions and resources required to confirm the sale and to dispense the controlled age-restricted items.

The proposed solutions are convenient and effective in implementation and usage, and they can be widely used in industry for a mass production, as well as in retail chains or individually for selling the controlling items.