Patents by Inventor William Ptacek

William Ptacek has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • System and method for simultaneous article retrieval and transaction validation
    Patent number: 9747253
    Abstract: A system and method for dispensing an article from an article dispensing machine by reducing the amount of time for completing a transaction involving the article is provided. A request related to a selected article and payment information for a balance related to the selected article may be received at the article dispensing machine through a user interface. The payment information may be validated, and simultaneously and in parallel, the selected article may be retrieved from a storage unit in the article dispensing machine. The selected article may be dispensed from the article dispensing machine if the payment information is valid. If the payment information is not valid, the selected article may be returned to the storage unit. Quicker dispensing of articles during consumer transactions with the article dispensing machine may result. The articles may include media articles, such as DVDs, Blu-Ray discs, and video game discs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Redbox Automated Retail, LLC
    Inventors: Jim Polubinski, Jr., William Ptacek
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SIMULTANEOUS ARTICLE RETRIEVAL AND TRANSACTION VALIDATION
    Publication number: 20130325176
    Abstract: A system and method for dispensing an article from an article dispensing machine by reducing the amount of time for completing a transaction involving the article is provided. A request related to a selected article and payment information for a balance related to the selected article may be received at the article dispensing machine through a user interface. The payment information may be validated, and simultaneously and in parallel, the selected article may be retrieved from a storage unit in the article dispensing machine. The selected article may be dispensed from the article dispensing machine if the payment information is valid. If the payment information is not valid, the selected article may be returned to the storage unit. Quicker dispensing of articles during consumer transactions with the article dispensing machine may result. The articles may include media articles, such as DVDs, Blu-Ray discs, and video game discs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: Redbox Automated Retail, LLC
    Inventors: Jim Polubinski, JR., William Ptacek