Patent Document ID: 6056194
Application ID: 08793588
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A vending machine control system for controlling vending and managing inventory of items from a plurality of vending machines located proximate to one another at a single vending site, each of said vending machine having a respective coin acceptor interface and respective selection controls for selecting an item to vend at an item price, comprising: a) a plurality of network means respectively connected to each of said coin acceptor interfaces, for controlling vending and managing inventory, each of said network means coupled to one another by a network, said network means for facilitating communication with each of said vending machines through said network, said network means also for maintaining a status of the vending machine to which said network means is connected; b) an inventory addressing scheme with each of said items in each of said vending machines assigned a unique price to serve as an item address with said unique price not specified to be said item price, and said network means monitoring a plurality of signals received from respectively connected vending machine control system coin acceptor interfaces, said received signals being said vending machine's control system dispense change control lines; and c) a single control means, coupled to said network at said single vending site, for sending and receiving information to and from each of said vending machines to control vending and monitor inventory at each of said vending machines.