Patent ID: 8800867
Filing Date: 2014-08-12
Classification: G07F

Abstract:
1. A dispensing machine assembly, comprising: at least one module comprising an amount of replenishable consumables, said at least one module including a tag, said tag having a read-only memory portion and a writable memory portion; and a controller device to interact with said tag, wherein said tag contains a re-writable memory portion containing consumable data concerning the amount of replenishable consumables, said controller device being configured to progressively re-write said data in said tag re-writable memory portion to indicate a depletion of the amount of replenishable consumables and to deny use of the at least one module after all the data have been altered and the amount of replenishable consumables have been depleted, wherein the controller device is configured to re-write the consumable data to indicate a replenishment of consumables associated with the at least one module to allow use of the at least one module upon replenishment, wherein said at least one module is selected from a food container and a machine module, and said consumable data comprise a quantity of machine cycles.