US 11,989,710 B2
Systems and methods for vending and/or purchasing mobile phones and other electronic devices
Babak Forutanpour, San Diego, CA (US); Joemari Enriquez, San Diego, CA (US); Jeffrey Ploetner, San Diego, CA (US); and David Mersten, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to ecoATM, LLC, San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by ecoATM, LLC, San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 18, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/719,699.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/782,947, filed on Dec. 20, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/782,302, filed on Dec. 19, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0202319 A1, Jun. 25, 2020
Int. Cl. G06Q 20/18 (2012.01); G07F 17/00 (2006.01); H04M 15/00 (2006.01)
CPC G06Q 20/18 (2013.01) [G07F 17/0042 (2013.01); H04M 15/715 (2013.01)] 31 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A consumer operated kiosk comprising:
a user interface;
an inspection area configured to receive a first electronic device from a user;
a wired and/or wireless connectivity device operably associated with the inspection area and configured to connect to the first electronic device;
one or more vending units, wherein each of the one or more vending units contains one or more second electronic devices;
an outlet configured to receive the one or more second electronic devices from the one or more vending units;
a data transfer compartment separate from the inspection area and the outlet, wherein the data transfer compartment is configured to receive the first electronic device together with at least one of the second electronic devices;
a data transfer apparatus operably associated with the data transfer compartment; and
one or more processors operably connected to the wired and/or wireless connectivity device, the one or more vending units, and the data transfer apparatus, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
receive a selection of one of the one or more second electronic devices from the user via the user interface,
at least partially in response to receiving the selection, cause the vending unit that contains the selected second electronic device to dispense the selected second electronic device to the user via the outlet-after the retraction device has disconnected the wired connector from the selected second electronic device;
transfer data from the first electronic device to the selected second electronic device via the data transfer apparatus when the first electronic device and the selected second electronic device are positioned in the data transfer compartment;
receive characteristic information about the first electronic device via the wired and/or wireless connectivity device; and
facilitate a purchase of the first electronic device from the user based at least in part on the characteristic information.