Patent ID: 7171451
Filing Date: 2007-01-30
Classification: G06Q,G07F

Abstract:
1. A method for using a wireless hand-held portable computer for vending machine communications, the method comprising: automatically receiving, at an application controller associated with at least a first vending machine, operation data from the first vending machine; automatically receiving, at the application controller associated with the at least first vending machine, operation data from a second vending machine; communicating the operation data from the application controller to the wireless hand-held portable computer; receiving a query at the application controller from the wireless hand-held portable computer; in response to the query from the wireless hand-held portable computer, automatically using a wireless interface of the application controller to transmit the operation data for the first vending machine and the second vending machine to the wireless hand-held portable computer; communicating between the wireless hand-held portable computer and a network operations center using a wide area network (WAN) interface; transmitting data for the first and second vending machines from the network operations center to the wireless hand-held portable computer via the WAN; transmitting the data from the wireless hand-held portable computer to the application controller; and communicating the data from the application controller to the first and second vending machines.