Patent US10621809

Digital currency enabled vending machine
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US10621809

1. A vending machine comprising: (13) (7)

a display area within the vending machine, the display area including a plurality of items for purchase;

an input/output (I/O) vending interface on an exterior of the vending machine configured for a user to transmit an item selection and payment information to the vending machine via a visual format data information code, and further configured to initiate dispensing of a purchased item of the plurality of items for purchase from the display area of the vending machine;

a transaction storage repository for storing at least one digital currency transaction;

a communication pathway between the vending interface and a digital currency processing system associated with the vending machine and a plurality of nodes independent of the vending machine for settlement of the at least one digital currency transaction using a subset of an available digital cryptocurrency, the digital currency processing system including a blockchain ledger having the at least one digital currency transaction stored on the vending machine and a plurality of redundant blockchain ledgers stored on the plurality of nodes;

wherein the digital currency processing system is configured for a user to initiate the at least one digital currency transaction, executing an item purchase digital currency transaction and communicating resulting payment information for the item selection to the vending interface via the vending machine, and propagating a plurality of redundant blockchain ledgers of the user initiated digital currency transaction to the plurality of nodes after executing the item purchase digital currency transaction, and wherein the at least one digital currency transaction and the item purchase digital currency transaction are stored in the transaction storage repository and settled with the digital currency processing system; and

a user initiated digital currency transaction interface whereby the digital currency processing system receives the at least one digital currency transaction from a portable computing device of the user, wherein the at least one digital currency transaction is received in the visual format data information code, and wherein the visual format data information code comprises a QR code and the user initiated digital currency transaction interface comprises a QR code reader connected to the vending interface;

whereby the purchased item is dispensed by the vending machine.

2. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one digital currency transaction is received in a uniform resource identifier. (0)

3. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the digital currency processing system initiates a change transaction for returning a non-digital currency amount to the user by executing a change digital currency transaction for dispensing change to the user, wherein the dispensed change includes the non-digital currency. (0)

4. The vending machine of claim 1, further comprising a non-digital currency verifier and dispenser in communication with the vending interface and wherein the digital currency processing system initiates a change transaction by communicating an amount of dispensed change to the vending interface and whereby the vending interface causes the non-digital currency verifier and dispenser to dispense the change amount in non-digital currency. (1) (0)

6. The vending machine of claim 1, further comprising a touch panel computer in communication with the vending interface and providing an interface for receiving the item selection and payment information, wherein the payment information includes initiation of the at least one digital currency transaction. (0)

7. The vending machine of claim 1, further comprising an alternative selection device in communication with the vending interface, wherein the alternative selection device includes pricing information for the plurality of items for purchase in a non-digital currency value and wherein the digital currency processing system provides a non-digital currency to digital currency exchange rate for executing the item purchase digital currency transaction. (1) (0)

9. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the digital currency processing system provides a plurality of currency exchange rates including a non-digital currency to digital currency exchange rate and a plurality of exchange rates among a plurality of non-digital currencies and whereby the vending machine receives a first currency and the at least one digital currency transaction includes dispensing change in an alternate currency. (0)

10. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the display area further includes a plurality of interactive displays for the plurality of items for purchase, wherein the plurality of interactive displays are in communication with the vending interface to receive item information and a current item price in digital currency for display. (0)

11. The vending machine of claim 1, further comprising a credit card processing device in communication with the vending interface for processing a secure credit transaction in non-digital currency for a currency amount received and the digital currency processing system executes a change digital currency transaction based on the currency amount received. (0)

12. The vending machine of claim 1, the plurality of nodes comprises a network of other vending machines and the plurality of redundant blockchain ledgers include digital currency transactions executed by the digital currency processing system and other digital currency transactions executed by the other vending machines, whereby the vending machine and the network of other vending machines broadcasts each new digital currency transaction and the digital currency processing system within each of the plurality of vending machines independently verifies that digital currency transactions do not include double spending of digital currency. (0)

13. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the digital currency processing system includes a network of processing nodes for verifying digital currency transactions and wherein the internet connection is used to connect the digital currency processing system to a plurality of the network of processing nodes. (1) (0)

15. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the digital currency processing system temporarily disables further digital currency transactions until settlement with the digital currency processing system and propagation of the plurality of redundant blockchain ledgers of the at least one digital currency transaction to the plurality of nodes. (0)

16. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one digital currency transaction originates from a user's portable computing device selected from a smartphone, tablet, vehicle control computer, and product embedded computing device. (0)

17. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the transaction storage repository includes at least one uniform resource identifier embodying digital currency and at least one private key for executing the at least one digital currency transaction using the at least one uniform resource identifier. (0)

18. A system comprising: (0) (6)

a vending machine housing an inventory of products therein, and configured for conveying a product of the inventory to a user;

an input/output (I/O) vending interface on an exterior of the vending machine configured for a user to transmit payment information to the vending machine via a visual format data information code for initiating conveying of the product of the inventory to the user;

a transaction storage repository for storing at least one digital currency transaction;

a communication pathway connecting the dispensation system and the vending interface to a digital currency processing system associated with the vending machine and a plurality of nodes independent of the vending machine for settlement of the at least one digital currency transaction using a subset of an available digital cryptocurrency, the digital currency processing system including a blockchain ledger having the at least one digital currency transaction stored on the vending machine and a plurality of redundant blockchain ledgers stored on the plurality of nodes;

wherein the digital currency processing system is configured for a user to initiate the at least one digital currency transaction, executing a product purchase digital currency transaction and communicating resulting payment information to the vending interface via the vending machine, and propagating a plurality of redundant blockchain ledgers of the user initiated digital currency transaction to the plurality of nodes after executing the product purchase digital currency transaction, and wherein the at least one digital currency transaction and the product purchase digital currency transaction are stored in the transaction storage repository and settled with the digital currency processing system, wherein the dispensation system conveys the product to the user after the product purchase digital currency transaction is executed; and

a user initiated digital currency transaction interface whereby the digital currency processing system receives the at least one digital currency transaction from a portable computing device of the user, wherein the at least one digital currency transaction is received in the visual format data information code, and wherein the visual format data information code comprises a QR code and the at least one digital currency transaction interface comprises a QR code reader connected to the vending interface.

19. A system comprising: (0) (5)

an input/output (I/O) vending interface on an exterior of the vending machine configured for a user to transmit a product selection and payment information to the vending machine via a visual format data information code, and further configured to providing instructions to convey a product to a user;

a transaction storage repository for storing at least one digital currency transaction;

wherein the digital currency processing system is configured a user to initiate the at least one digital currency transaction, executing a product purchase digital currency transaction and communicating resulting payment information to the vending interface via the vending machine, and propagating a plurality of redundant blockchain ledgers of the user initiated digital currency transaction to the plurality of nodes after executing the product purchase digital currency transaction, and wherein the at least one digital currency transaction and the product purchase digital currency transaction are stored in the transaction storage repository and settled with the digital currency processing system; and

a user initiated digital currency transaction interface whereby the digital currency processing system receives the at least one digital currency transaction from a portable computing device of the user, wherein the at least one digital currency transaction is received in the visual format data information code, and wherein the visual format data information code comprises a QR code and the at least one digital currency transaction interface comprises a QR code reader connected to the vending interface.

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Patent US10621809

Digital currency enabled vending machine

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