Patent ID: 8473864
Filing Date: 2013-06-25
Classification: G06F,G06Q,G07F

Abstract:
1. A vending system comprising at least one vending machine, retail display, or automated retail store, the vending system comprising: display module containing items to be vended, the display module physically comprising a plurality of physical displays in which items to be vended are visibly housed, the displays organized into at least one visually recognizable pattern; a computer for activating and controlling the vending system and said module; software for controlling said computer; a visual display controlled by said software for establishing a virtual screen for inputting customer data, the screen comprising virtual representations of said physical displays arranged in said at least one recognizable pattern, whereby images appearing on said virtual screen selected and viewed by customers correspond to actual items available in said plurality of physical displays, wherein said visually recognizable pattern comprises a plurality of physical rows and columns, and said virtual display comprises corresponding rows and columns of virtual images corresponding to physical items available for vending in said physical displays.