Patent ID: 7110954

Claim:
A system for conducting on-line inventory information acquisition and storage and automatic communication with a central computer for a plurality of vending machines, the system comprising: providing a machine power up procedure in response to the switching on of an AC power supply to the vending machine, whereby the vending machine enters a normal operating mode and reports its identity to the central computer via the wireless modem and whereby, upon receiving the identity of the vending machine, the central computer searches in its database for the vending machine's last system status, returns the status information to the vending machine, and records the on-line status of the vending machine in the central computer's database; the system status comprising the vending machine selection button-to storage compartment mapping information; the storage compartment information comprising flavor, capacity, inventory and price, compartment margin, flavor margin, total margin, quantity counter value and periodic time elapsed; providing a machine power down procedure in response to the switching off of the AC power supply to the vending machine, whereby the vending machine transmits to the central computer the system status and transaction information since the last reporting and enters into a sleep mode when the central computer receives and acknowledges the information, and whereby, upon receiving the power off status of the vending machine, the central computer updates the vending machine's entry in the central computer's database; receiving vending transaction information from a plurality of vending machines initiated by the vending machines at a time determined by a control and communication unit predefined by the central computer; receiving vending transaction information from a plurality of vending machines via the cellular mobile telephone network using a short message service format or a standard data transfer format; a short message service means for representing the information by a data packet and sending the packet to the cellular mobile telephone network, which buffers the packet and forwards it to a receiver; providing an identification code for the vending machine for wireless purchase and communication with the central computer; updating transaction information in the database of the central computer; exporting the updated transaction information in the central computer to other computer systems; compiling the updated transaction information in the central computer in a pre-defined report format; wherein the central computer comprises: a fixed telephone line or a cellular mobile phone coupled with a wired or wireless modem for communication; and a software package means for supporting visualization to the operator of the system, for communicating via the cellular mobile phone network with a plurality of vending machines, for managing database by collating the data for data analysis, route planning, inventory control, and other management purposes.