Patent ID: 7389916

Claim:
A method of controlling the sale of packaged goods from a vending apparatus, the vending apparatus including a computer controller which has the ability to enable or disable the vending apparatus from selling packaged goods to a user of the vending apparatus based on an agreement between a first party and a second party, wherein; the first party has an interest in controlling the sale of packaged goods from the vending apparatus, and the second party controls the loading of packaged goods into a storage area which is located inside the vending apparatus, and wherein, the first and second parties enter into an agreement concerning the sale of packaged goods from the vending apparatus, the agreement including the following rules about the manner of operation of the vending apparatus: (i) the vending apparatus may be enabled to sell the packaged goods to a plurality of successive users for an interval, (ii) at an end of the interval the vending apparatus is at least partially disabled from selling at least some of the goods to a plurality of successive users, and (iii) if before the end of the interval a continuation code is received by the vending apparatus, then, in that case, the vending apparatus is not at least partially disabled at the end of the interval, and furthermore wherein, the rules (i),(ii), and (iii), for enabling and disabling the vending apparatus to sell packaged goods, are executed by the computer controller, which computer controller is programmed to control the vending apparatus in accordance with these rules.