Abstract:
Techniques are described to substantially reduce a return of wrong DVD or return of a right DVD in an improperly sized DVD case to a DVD rental kiosk. An RFID tag on the DVD, as well as an RFID tag on the case, are sensed external to the kiosk. A controllable shutter normally closes the return slot and is driven open only upon detecting the correct predetermined condition or conditions. A supplemental camera may be employed to detect if a single DVD in its case is being placed proximate the return slot by the user. Help screens are employed as part of the above described system to reduce potential customer frustration from returning a DVD to the wrong DVD rental kiosk and the like.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to aspects of an improved kiosk for rental and sale of digital media, such as digital video discs (DVDs), and the like. More particularly, the present invention addresses improved kiosks and methods of their operation which advantageously address problems such as jamming and the like flowing from customers returning the wrong DVD or case to the kiosk. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    With DVD kiosks for rental and sale of DVDs becoming more and more prevalent, customers may be exposed to kiosks from multiple manufacturers operated by different operators on a daily or near daily basis. If the units employ different size and shape cases, a DVD in a case from one machine, such as a Redbox™ machine, returned to another machine, such as an NCR Blockbuster™ machine, may cause a jam as a result of being returned to the wrong machine. A service call to clear a jam may be expensive, and a jam taking a unit out of service will also typically result in a loss of business for the operator. 
         [0003]    As such kiosks further multiply, a number of other issues may be anticipated or may possibly occur even if unanticipated. If a number of manufacturers settle on a common size case or container, consumers using multiple different machines may mistakenly return the wrong DVD to the wrong machine. Similarly, a consumer may put a DVD that he or she owns in a return container rather than the rental DVD that needs to be returned. Alternatively, a consumer might mistakenly return a DVD owned by the consumer in its own rental case or in a rental case for a particular machine, such as an NCR rental case, rather than the rental DVD in the rental case. A customer may even mistakenly try to return a DVD from one NCR Blockbuster™ machine operated by one operator to another such machine operated by a different operator. The above list is meant to be illustrative of the problem and not exhaustive of the possibilities. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    While existing techniques for dealing with such issues may address some of the problems. The present invention contemplates a more robust solution to these and other problems flowing from incorrect returns, as well as, with potential efforts to jam or disable a machine. 
         [0005]    One aspect of the invention addresses apparatus for reducing access to a rental kiosk by items not belonging to the rental kiosk comprising: means for sensing an RFID tag on an item proximate a return slot, but external to the rental kiosk; a processor for evaluating whether the RFID tag is for an item belonging to the rental kiosk; a shutter which controls return of items through the return slot and which is driven by the processor to open and allow entry only if the RFID tag is for an item belonging to the rental kiosk; and a display driven by the processor to inform a user to check the item if the processor determines the RFID tag is for an item not belonging to the rental kiosk. 
         [0006]    A more complete understanding of the present invention, as well as further features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following Detailed Description and the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a kiosk in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  shows a cutaway view of the entryway and return slot of the kiosk of  FIG. 1  illustrating further details of a shutter in accordance with the present invention in its closed position preventing DVD return; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  shows an exemplary DVD and case arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a schematic drawing illustrating additional details of the shutter of  FIG. 2  and a transport for intake of DVDs in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  shows a block diagram of a control circuit for control of the shutter in accordance with the present invention; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  shows a process of returning media such as DVDs in accordance with the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a kiosk  100  in accordance with the present invention. In one presently preferred embodiment, the present invention is embodied as an improvement upon an existing DVD kiosk, such as the NCR SelfServ Entertainment 2381 DVD rental kiosk. This product is designed for outdoor use and in locations where little or no supervision of its operation may occur over long periods of time. As such, improved security and reductions in malfunctioning such as jams are particularly advantageous. 
         [0014]    The kiosk employs a touch screen display  110 , a magnetic stripe card reader  120 , a display area  130  for physical display of movie promotional material or for an optional liquid crystal display (LCD) (not shown), and customer receipt slot  135  for delivery of a customer receipt printed on a receipt printer (not shown). 
         [0015]    In general, the teachings of the present invention may be readily adapted to the operation of wide array of existing DVD kiosks. For example, the general operation of kiosk  100  may generally follow that shown in  FIGS. 28-35  and described by paragraphs [0130]-[0140] of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0169132 published Jul. 19, 2007 which is incorporated herein in its entirety. Such operation is advantageously modified as discussed further below. 
         [0016]    In accordance with the present invention, a delivery and return slot  140  for delivery and return of rental DVDs and its surrounding area, referred to herein as entryway  180 , have been modified as discussed further herein. As seen in  FIG. 1 , the delivery and return slot  140  is found within the recess or entryway defined by bottom and top walls  142  and  144 , and side walls  146  and  148 , respectively. In accordance with the present invention, an RFID antenna  152  is placed above the delivery and return slot  140  and an RFID antenna  154  is placed below return slot  140 . In one embodiment, the antennas  152  and  154  are embedded in the walls  142  and  144 , or are located behind those walls inside the outer housing of kiosk  100 . These walls are made of a plastic that does not significantly affect the antennas  152  and  154 . 
         [0017]    In addition to these RFID antennas, a gate or shutter  150 , as seen in  FIG. 2 , normally closes the slot  140  to prevent access to the interior of kiosk  100  unless a DVD is sensed as properly being returned to its correct kiosk as discussed further below. In  FIG. 1 , the shutter is open and not visible. In the open position, a user can return a DVD to the kiosk  100  or receive a DVD therefrom. 
         [0018]    As seen in  FIG. 3 , in one embodiment of the invention, a DVD  300  has an RFID chip  310  mounted thereon. This RFID chip encodes information which when read by an RFID reader, such as reader  10  of  FIG. 4 , within the kiosk  100  can be processed to identify the DVD. Thus identified, the DVD can be matched with the customer returning it to close out a rental with the customer being charged appropriately, and for inventory control purposes, such as returning the DVD to storage and keeping track of its location therein for subsequent rental, and the like. 
         [0019]    In  FIG. 3 , DVD  300  is shown with an associated case  320  which also has an identifying chip  322  mounted thereon. The RFID chip  322  could identify a particular case associated with DVD  300  where each case had promotional material for its associated DVDs as is the case for new DVDs for sale. However, in the present embodiment, all discs are associated with a common generic case so that if you rent five DVDs you can return them in any of the cases they were rented in. In this arrangement, RFID tag  322  simply identifies the case as being one designed for use with a kiosk, such as kiosk  100 . As discussed further below by reading the RFID tags  310  and  322  and controlling the shutter  150 , the kiosk  100  can insure that only DVD and cases from the kiosk  100  are returned thereto thereby substantially reducing jams, unnecessary maintenance, and customer confusion and aggravation 
         [0020]      FIG. 4  shows an intake transport mechanism  400  and further details of the shutter  150 . In  FIG. 4 , antennas  152  and  154  are shown proximate to and above and below the return slot  140 . Walls  142  and  144  are shown in cutaway. Solenoid  424  controllably drives shutter  150  from the open position shown in  FIG. 4  to the closed position shown in  FIG. 2 . When the shutter  150  is open, a DVD in a case can be inserted through return slot  140 . When its lead edge  324  is detected by first sensor  402 , rollers  407 ,  408 ,  409  and  412  are driven to advance the case  320  into the kiosk  100 . In  FIG. 4 , stepper motor  430  drives roller  407  and belt  411  in turn drives roller  408 . It will be appreciated that intake transport mechanism  400  is illustrative and other intake transport arrangements may be suitably employed. When second sensor  324  detects leading edge  324  and trailing edge  326  has cleared first sensor  326 , motor  430  is stopped and solenoid  424  drives shutter  150  closed. In one embodiment, end  151  of the shutter  150  is driven against a knife edge to cut a string, tape or the like attached to case  320  by an unscrupulous user. 
         [0021]    From the position shown in  FIG. 4 , a storage transport mechanism  460  may grip case  320  and transport it to DVD storage  480 . This storage transport mechanism  460  and DVD storage  480  may take the form shown and described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0169132 or any other form desired for a particular environment and application. 
         [0022]    Turning to  FIG. 5 , this figure shows a block diagram of a programmed processor based control circuit  500  for control of the shutter  150 , utilizing antennas  152  and  154  in conjunction with an RFID reader  410 , and control of intake transport  400  as discussed further herein. As seen in  FIG. 5 , control circuit  500  includes a programmed processor  510  having memory  526  storing suitable software which when executed causes the processor  510  to operate as described herein. The processor  510  is also connected to receive inputs from RFID reader  410  and to provide inputs to control reading by the RFID reader  410 . Processor  510  also receives inputs from the sensors  402  and  404 , and user inputs from touch screen display  110 . 
         [0023]    Processor  510  also controllably drives solenoid  424  which in turn controls shutter  150 , drives stepper motor  430 , stores video from the cameras  160  and  190  in video memory  528 , and also controls outgoing communication utilizing security communication module  522 . 
         [0024]    Turning to  FIG. 6 , at the point at which a user of kiosk  100  selects “return” to return a DVD inside its case utilizing touch screen  110 , a sequence of display screens may guide the user as shown in the process  600  of  FIG. 6 . In step  602 , the user is directed to position the DVD to be returned in its case in the entryway  180  near return slot  140 . A pictorial or video representation of the action to be performed may be displayed on touch screen  110  as part of step  602 . It will be recognized that an adaptive help process may be employed in which a novice or new user is provided with more extensive help screens than an experienced or veteran user. For example, a new user may be prompted to align the narrow edge of case  320  with return slot  140 . By contrast, for an expert user, step  602  may be skipped and the expert user may simply position the DVD in its return case proximate the antennas  152  and  154 . Sensing the RFID tags for the DVD and the case may open slot  150  and begin the process. The user&#39;s responsiveness to the help screens, the time taken to respond, or the time to successfully complete a step may be analyzed to dynamically adjust the help provided on an ongoing basis. 
         [0025]    In step  604 , an RFID chip on the DVD, such as chip  320  of  FIG. 3  is sensed utilizing RFID reader  512  which energizes the RFID antennas  152  and  154  and senses the information encoded on chip  320  for example. In step  606 , the information from chip  320  can then be processed by a programmed processor, such as processor  510  to determine if the DVD  300  belongs to the kiosk  100 . If not, in step  608 , a display screen can be utilized to inform the user to check the DVD as it is not recognized by the kiosk  100 . The shutter  150  will not be opened thereby preventing return of an unknown DVD to the kiosk  100 . Where the customer is mistakenly trying to return a Redbox DVD rental in a case which does not fit in the NCR Blockbuster kiosk, a potential jam, service call and customer frustration upon realizing the mistake are potentially avoided. As a further example, where the customer or a customer&#39;s child has mistakenly put a DVD owned by the customer in the case  320 , customer confusion and frustration is again potentially avoided. To further help reduce such confusion and frustration, a display screen may be displayed with an “800” number to call for assistance, the receipt printer may be driven to printout further information or the like. 
         [0026]    Optionally, in step  610 , an RFID chip on the case, such as RFID chip  322  of  FIG. 3  is also sensed. If the customer has placed a DVD, such as DVD  300  belonging to the kiosk  100  in a Redbox rental case which may jam the kiosk  100 , this additional step  610  allows the RFID reader to read the chip  322  if present and the processor  510  can then logically AND that information with detection of the chip  320  before opening the shutter. In step  612 , the shutter, such as shutter  150  of  FIG. 2  is controllably opened if the results of preceding step or steps, such as steps  606  and  610 , detect RFIDs chips for a valid DVD and case, respectively. For the example of a Redbox rental case, that case will not have an RFID tag like the RFID tag  322 , and in step  614  a display screen can be utilized to inform the customer to check the DVD case and shutter  150  will not be opened. 
         [0027]    Additionally, in step  615 , the RFID reader may be employed to determine if two DVD RFID tags are being presented at the same time. If two are being detected, the display may be driven to advise the customer to present one item at a time. 
         [0028]    In a further optional step  616 , a solid state camera, such as camera  160  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  is utilized to optically detect if the user is placing a single DVD and case in the entryway  180  proximate the return slot  140 . Such detection may be part of an enhanced security package to prevent outright fraud or vandalism where an unscrupulous person attempts to utilize a first valid DVD and case to open the shutter  150  and then quickly insert something else in an attempt to vandalize the kiosk  100 . 
         [0029]    If the camera  160  is determined to be sensing activity deemed improper in step  618 , for example, by processor  510  of  FIG. 5 , the processor  510  may control a second camera  190  to record video of the user in step  620 . In step  622 , that video is stored with a time stamp in video memory, such as the video memory  528  of  FIG. 5 . In case the activity is non-fraudulent and the result of inexperience, fumbling by the user or the like, the touch screen display  110  may be driven in step  624  by the processor  510  to display a screen to remind the user to only place a single DVD in its case in the entryway  180 . 
         [0030]    The camera output from camera  160  may be evaluated in conjunction with outputs from RFID reader  512  so that shutter  150  is not opened in step  626  if the activity is deemed questionable. 
         [0031]    If in steps  606 ,  610  and  616 , the necessary criteria are satisfactorily detected, shutter  150  is driven open, for example, by selectively driving solenoid  424  by processor  510 , and the DVD in its proper case may be inserted. In step  628 , if a first sensor  402  senses the leading edge  324  of the DVD case  320 , intake transport  400  grips the DVD case and begins to drive it into the kiosk  100 . In step  630 , if the leading edge of the DVD case is sensed by a second sensor  404  which senses the leading edge has reached a certain predetermined point and the first sensor  402  is now sensing the DVD case&#39;s trailing edge  326  has passed, the shutter  150  is closed. 
         [0032]    The process  600  loops back up to step  602  and the user may be invited to return a next item, or if all items have been returned to select an icon to continue with the process of completing the return. As part of an enhanced security package, in step  632 , processor  510  may utilize the security communications module  522  to communicate suspicious activity to a central monitoring location utilizing email, a cell phone or the like, or to the police if evaluation of the relevant data warrants. A further optional use of the antennas is to detect that the DVD being rented has been taken by the customer and not left in the slot  140 . As an example, the RFID reader  512  senses a DVD being rented as the customer removes it, and cameras  160  and  190  can be driven to record it being taken. This event appears as an output from the RFID reader indicative of a DVD RFID tag followed by the lack of such an output after passage of a predetermined relatively short period of time. Should the customer accidentally be interrupted and leave the DVD in the slot  140 , the output indicative of a DVD RFID tag will still be occurring after a longer predetermined period of time. In such an event, the transport  400  can drive the DVD back into the kiosk  100 , and the customer&#39;s record can be adjusted accordingly. The communications module  522  might also be controlled to email the customer. 
         [0033]    While the present invention has been disclosed in the context of various aspects of presently preferred embodiments, it will be recognized that the invention may be suitably applied to other environments consistent with the claims which follow. For example, while the present disclosure focuses on kiosks for DVDs, it will be recognized that it is also applicable to kiosks for other digital media, such as CDs, video games and the like, and applies to any kiosk with return functionality where the value of the item is high enough to justify use of an RFID tag for tracking.