APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AN ORAL NICOTINE DISPENSING SYSTEM
An apparatus and method for an oral nicotine dispensing system. The apparatus includes storing a plurality of a pods in a magazine within a body, receiving a fingerprint scan from a user via a fingerprint scanner coupled to the body, authenticating the fingerprint scan, de-activating a locking mechanism to allow access to at least a pod upon successful authentication of the fingerprint scan, and dispensing, using at least a drive mechanism, the at least a pod from the magazine through an opening of the body.
1 . An apparatus for oral nicotine dispensing, wherein the apparatus comprises:
a body comprising an access restriction mechanism, the access restriction mechanism comprising at least one of a radio frequency chip or a biometric sensor;
a magazine fastened to the body and configured to store a plurality of pods, wherein the magazine comprises a power source;
a drive mechanism coupled to the magazine and configured to guide at least one pod of the plurality of pods into a dispensing position;
an aperture located on the body, wherein the aperture is configured to allow for dispensing of the at least one pod from the dispensing position to an exterior environment; and
a locking mechanism coupled to the access restriction mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to prevent access to the plurality of pods in a locked state and is configured to allow dispensing of the at least one pod in an unlocked state,
wherein the locking mechanism is configured to convert from the locked to the unlocked state upon successful authentication of a user by the access restriction mechanism, and
wherein the power source is electrically coupled to the drive mechanism and is configured to power the dispensing of the at least one pod.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the radio frequency chip comprises at least one of a bluetooth chip, an RFID chip, a Zigbee chip, or an NFC chip.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the access restriction mechanism is coupled with the drive mechanism to allow the dispensing of the at least one pod from the apparatus when the locking mechanism is in the unlocked state.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the access restriction mechanism is configured to pair with an external computing device to set-up an initial user authentication.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the access restriction mechanism comprises the biometric sensor.
6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the biometric sensor is configured to collect at least one data type selected from fingerprint, eye, blood, hand geometry, custom saved gestures, custom saved drawing gesture, face scanning, voice recognition, or vein mapping.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to locally store biometric data related to the user.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body is formed in a cuboid shape or a cylindrical shape.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the magazine is further configured to be removed from the body and replaced with a replacement magazine.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the magazine comprises a rotating conveyor belt, and the rotating conveyor belt is configured to advance the at least one pod using at least one rack of a plurality of racks.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises a motor, the spring, a power source, and a circuit board.
12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the power source comprises at least one of a battery or a piezoelectric hammer starter.
13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises a spring configured to be loaded with the plurality of pods within the magazine.
14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises one or more of:
a linear tray configuration;
a drop down tray configuration; or
a revolver configuration.
15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises one or more of:
a spiral coil mechanism;
a gravity feed mechanism; or
a carousel mechanism.
16 . A method for oral nicotine dispensing, the method comprising:
providing a magazine comprising a plurality of pods and a power source;
inserting the magazine into a body comprising an access restriction mechanism and a locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to prevent access to the plurality of pods in a locked state and is configured to allow dispensing of at least one pod of the plurality of pods in an unlocked state;
receiving user information through the access restriction mechanism;
authenticating the received user information;
converting the locking mechanism from the locked to the unlocked state, upon successful authentication of the user by the access restriction mechanism; and
subsequently dispensing the at least one pod from the magazine through an aperture in the body using a drive mechanism powered by the power source.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the receiving of the user information, the authentication of the user information, and the conversion from the locked to the unlocked state is done at a point of sale of the apparatus or at a pre-specified time interval.
18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising setting up an initial user authentication via a smart phone and a mobile app or web app, prior to the receiving of the user information through the access restriction mechanism.
19 . (canceled)
20 . (canceled)
21 . An apparatus for oral nicotine dispensing, wherein the apparatus comprises:
a body;
a magazine fastened to the body and configured to store a plurality of pods, wherein the magazine comprises a power source;
a drive mechanism coupled to the magazine and configured to guide at least one pod of the plurality of pods into a dispensing position;
an aperture located on the body, wherein the aperture is configured to allow for dispensing of the at least one pod from the dispensing position to an exterior environment; and
a locking mechanism, configured to prevent access to the plurality of pods in a locked state and configured to allow dispensing of the at least one pod in an unlocked state,
wherein the power source is electrically coupled to the drive mechanism and is configured to power the dispensing of the at least one pod.
22 . The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the magazine comprises a magazine housing formed of at least one of a biodegradable plastic resin or a compostable plastic resin.