SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING THE IDENTIFICATION OF GEOGRAPHICALLY CLOSEST ARTICLE DISPENSING MACHINES

摘要

A system and method of searching for physical media articles available from article dispensing machines within a geographic proximity is provided. Searching may include matching keywords in search criteria or using predefined search criteria for browsing of static or dynamic listings of media content. The method includes receiving a search request including search criteria, and searching the metadata database for a physical media article matching the search criteria. The method also includes determining the availability of the matching media article at an article dispensing machine. The geographic location of article dispensing machines with available matching media articles is determined, based on personally identifying information such as an IP or MAC address. The geographic location may be limited by a proximity from an audio/visual display interface. A search result set with the matching media articles is provided, based on their availabilities.

主权项

1. A method of searching for articles in an inventory database, the inventory database storing article inventory of each of a plurality of article dispensing machines (ADMs), the method comprising, via one or more processors:
receiving a search request from a user operated device, the search request including search criteria having one or more requested attributes; receiving a geographic location of the user operated device; identifying a first ADM subset of the plurality of ADMs based on a predetermined geographical limit; identifying one or more matching articles based on the search criteria; identifying a second ADM subset based on the first ADM subset and the one or more matching articles, such that the second ADM subset includes ADMs that (i) were in the first ADM subset and (ii) have, in inventory, at least one of the matching articles; when the second ADM subset includes a plurality of ADMs: ranking the second ADM subset and providing to the user operated device, the ranked second ADM subset.