Patent ID: 7085556

Claim:
A method of dispensing a product from a vending machine using a cellular telephone, the vending machine comprising (a) a retrieving device for obtaining a product from the vending machine, (b) a communication device connected to a communication network, and (c) a dispensing device for dispensing the product from the vending machine, the method comprising: receiving, at the communication device at a start of the method, a signal that corresponds to a call from the cellular telephone, the signal for establishing a network connection between the communication device and the cellular telephone, where the network connection can be established only if there is product in the vending machine to be dispensed; issuing a response message from the communication device in reply to the signal, the response message indicating that the network connection has been established; outputting an audible message for use in selecting the product from the vending machine, the audible message comprising a menu; receiving, at the retrieving device, information indicating that the product has been selected following output of the audible message; and dispensing the product via the dispensing device based on the information.