Automated business system and method of vending and returning a consumer product
System and method of dispensing disc-based media and other consumer products. A user can interact with an automated business system to select disc-based media for rental and/or purchase. The automated business system can retrieve the selection from the interior of the automated business system and dispense the selection through a port to the user. The automated business system can retrieve the selection from the port in a return process.
1. A method of dispensing disc-based media to customers from an automated disc-based media system, the method comprising:
selecting a disc-based media;
determining if the selected disc-based media is available;
providing the selected disc-based media from inventory if available; and
generating the disc-based media if the selected disc-based media is not available, wherein the step of determining comprises determining if the particular selection is available in an item database storing inventory data which is updated by performing a machine implemented inventory process which comprises moving a disc-based media retrieval system carrying a radio frequency tag interrogator to each storage position within the disc-based media system.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of selecting comprises utilizing a touch panel display to display a menu of selections and selecting a particular selection from the menus of selections utilizing the touch panel display.
3. A machine implemented method of taking physical inventory of a disc-based media system, the method comprising:
accessing the disc-based media system with a remote computer terminal;
initiating an inventory process including instructing a disc-based media retrieval system carrying a radio frequency tag interrogator to begin the inventory process, moving the disc-based media retrieval system to each storage position within the disc-based media system, and
if a disc-based media is in one of the storage positions, reading a radio frequency tag on the disc-based media utilizing the radio frequency tag reader carried by the disc-based media retrieval system; and
outputting results of the inventory process to the remote computer terminal.
4. The method of claim 3 further comprising removing each disc-based media from its storage position to read the radio frequency tag.
5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
selecting a disc-based media from a displayed list;
determining if the selected disc-based media is presently available in inventory; and
reserving the selected disc-based media if not presently available at a subsequent time when the selected disc-based media becomes available.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
automatically quarantining the selected disc-based media if presently available until completion of a user's transaction.
7. The method of claim 3 wherein the interrogator comprises an antenna which is an integral component of a gripper assembly for retrieving and transporting disc-based media.
8. The method of claim 3 wherein the inventory process conducts a complete physical inventory at a programmed interval.
9. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
employing an anti-collision algorithm built into antenna software to ensure each disc-based media is only read once.