Patent ID: 7444204

Claim:
An article dispensing apparatus, comprising: a housing for forming exterior sides and enclosing an interior volume for the article dispensing apparatus, said interior volume including: a storage area for storing a plurality of different type articles to be dispensed, and user interface and control apparatus for allowing a user of the dispensing apparatus to initiate an article dispensing operation, and to cause one of a user selected article to be moved to a dispensing area of the dispensing apparatus, wherein, said exterior sides of said housing include at least one side, said one side having an article display area thereon for displaying articles that are selectable by the user, said article display area including a graphic substrate having at least one article graphic thereon which identifies a selectable article, which graphic is permanently fixed at a predetermined location thereon, a tamper sensor is coupled to said substrate for detecting a tampering of said article display area, which tampering would be attempt to change the display of articles that are selectable by the user, and a control portion of the user interface and control apparatus is coupled to said tamper sensor for monitoring detection of tampering, and in response to a detection of tampering, said control portion at least partially disabling further user initiated dispensing operation of said dispensing apparatus.