Importance

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Abstract

The present invention discloses and claims a method and system for vending products which prompt a customer to enter selection criteria relating to the type of product the customer would like to purchase, use the customer's selection criteria to determine which products are potentially suitable for the customer's purposes, needs, interests, and tastes, and rank the products based on their suitability to facilitate the customer's final selection of a product. The system includes a computer having a storage device which is used to store products to be vended or data relating to products to be vended, an input/output ('I/O') device, a payment device, and a manufacturing device. Initially, through the I/O device, a customer is prompted to enter selection criteria relating to the type of product the customer would like to purchase. After receiving the customer's selection criteria, the computer determines which products are potentially suitable for the customer's purposes, needs, interests, and tastes, and ranks the products based on their suitability. Then, the I/O device displays a list of the ranked products to the customer, prompts the customer to make a final selection of a product, and inputs the customer's final selection.

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First Claim