Patent ID: 7084737

Claim:
A server for determining a location of an alternate vending machine near a first vending machine, the alternate vending machine having a desired product that is unavailable at the first vending machine, the server comprising: a processing system; and a transceiver coupled to the processing system for communicating with a plurality of vending machines, wherein the processing system is programmed to: cooperate with the transceiver to receive from the first vending machine a first query regarding the desired product; determine a candidate alternate vending machine near the first vending machine; transmit a second query regarding the desired product to the candidate alternate vending machine; receive a response from the candidate alternate vending machine indicating that the desired product is available, thereby defining the candidate alternate vending machine as the alternate vending machine for the desired product; return to the first vending machine said location of the alternate vending machine; record, in a transactions list, an entry comprising identifiers of the first vending machine, the alternate vending machine, and the desired product; receive a report from one of the plurality of vending machines indicating that a product is no longer available; compare an identifier of the one of the plurality of vending machines and the product with the transactions list to determine whether the one of the plurality of vending machines is serving as the alternate vending machine for the product; and find for the first vending machine another alternate vending machine for the product, when the one of the plurality of vending machines is serving as the alternate vending machine for the product.