Patent ID: 8123071

Claim:
Apparatus for dispensing articles, comprising: a processor an array of receptacles, wherein each receptacle is operative for receiving one or more articles to be dispensed; a user door normally preventing access to a receptacle door assembly to a user; the receptacle door assembly comprising a plurality of moveable receptacle doors operative to provide access to a select one of the receptacles when the user door is open; a lock mechanism responsive to operation of the receptacle door assembly to enable access through the user door to the receptacle door assembly only after the receptacle doors are positioned to select a particular receptacle; and a slot access mechanism comprising a drive mechanism, the slot access mechanism being associated with the receptacle door assembly and selectively operative in response to a user request to position the receptacle doors so that any selected receptacle in the array of receptacles remains unblocked by the receptacle doors, wherein the slot access mechanism is operative to position the receptacle doors so that a receptacle where one or more articles associated with the user request are available to dispense is unblocked by the receptacle doors and wherein the drive mechanism is operative to: wait a specified time period after the user request is complete without returning the slot access mechanism to a home location in order for the processor to detect whether a subsequent user request occurs within the specified time period, wherein the home location is a location in which the slot access mechanism can perform a full-reset of the receptacle doors and the processor is operative to: in response to detecting the subsequent user request within the specified time period, direct the drive mechanism to direct the slot access mechanism to position the receptacle doors so that the receptacle where one or more articles associated with the subsequent user request are available to dispense is unblocked by the receptacle doors; and in response to not detecting the subsequent user request within the specified time period, return the slot access mechanism to the home location to perform a full-reset.