Patent ID: 6682156
Filing Date: 2004-01-27
Classification: E05B,G07F

Abstract:
An apparatus for holding and obtaining an item, comprising:a housing; a plurality of drawer trays contained in said housing wherein each of said plurality of trays contains one or more drawers, each of said one or more drawers comprising: a plurality of compartments that are capable of storing the item; a striker plate; a solenoid-controlled latch wherein said latch engages said striker plate to lock said drawer in place when said latch is not energized; a raster strip; and three photodetectors located in proximity to each other and located in proximity to said raster strip wherein said three photodetectors illuminate light towards said raster strip; and a controller communicatively coupled to each said latch for said one or more drawers wherein said controller is adapted to energize said latch to disengage each said latch from said striker plate to unlock said one or more drawers; said controller adapted to receive a transaction request for the item in said housing and wherein said controller de-energizes said latch to lock said one of said one or more drawers when all of said three photodetectors are occluded.