Importance

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Abstract

A machine from which a customer can selectably purchase or rent a videocassette or other such product, e.g., blank videotapes, music disks, and the like, or return a previously rented videocassette. The machine comprises videocassette storage device for storing a plurality of videocassettes or other such products in discrete, identifiable locations. A customer identification device receives information about the customer. Mode selection device enables the customer to select among a vend mode, a rent mode and a return mode, and videocassette selection device enables the customer to select a desired videocassette to be vended or rented. Customer access device is provided for dispensing the selected videocassette to the customer in the vend and rent modes and receiving the videocassette from the customer in the return mode. Videocassette identification device receives information representative of the identity of the videocassette and its travel case being returned in the return mode. The videocassette is accepted for return only when its travel case has been identified as having originated from that particular machine. Videocassette transport device is provided for transporting the selected videocassette from the storage device to the customer access device in the vend and rent modes and transporting the videocassette which has been identified as being rented from that particular machine from the customer access device to the first closest available empty discrete location in the storage device in the return mode. If the videocassette is not identified, it will be placed with its travel case in a storage area within the machine to prevent its further re-rental. Memory device stores information about the customer, the selected mode, the selected videocassette, and the coordinates of videocassettes and available empty discrete locations in the storage device.

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First Claim