The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 03, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 05, 1996
Applicant:
Inventors:
Michael C Hetrick, Medford, NJ (US);
Frank Mars, McLean, VA (US);
Robert D Ross, Gibbsboro, NJ (US);
Assignee:
Mars, Incorporated, McLean, VA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
36447902 ; 221-8 ; 221-9 ; 36447906 ;
Abstract
An automatic transaction apparatus, such as a vending machine, containing a current inventory of products for purchase and including a display unit. The current product inventory stored in the apparatus is monitored and representations of products appearing on the display unit are changed in response to monitoring the current product inventory. Methods of operating the automatic transaction apparatus are also disclosed.