Patent ID: 7167892

Claim:
A vending machine comprising: vending hardware; a vending machine controller operably coupled to the vending hardware; an electronically controllable lock; an addressable switch connected to the electronically controllable lock and operable to engage or disengage the electronically controllable lock; an audit device having a communications interface operably coupled to the vending machine controller and in communication with the electronically controllable lock by means of the addressable switch; a secure application module contained within the audit device and operable to store an encryption key; the audit device operable to receive an unlock command from a handheld computer via the communications interface and send a predetermined signal to the addressable switch causing the addressable switch to unlock the vending machine in response to receiving the unlock command from the handheld computer, wherein the encryption key is used to authorize the unlock command received from the handheld computer; the audit device operable to automatically collect transaction data and to store timestamps with the transaction data to maintain an audit trail of transactions occurring at the vending machine; and the audit device operable to automatically collect and store electronic lock access data.