US Patent 10984282 Neural vending machine

A method of vending a product (n) in an automated vending machine (28) includes displaying an initial stock (S) of several products (n) on a display shelf (34), and identifying any product (13) removed therefrom by a customer (48) not by detecting the removed product (13) itself, but by comparing images (50,52) of the displayed stock (S) before and after product removal to determine any product (13) missing in the post-image (52) of remaining stock (S-(S-P)), and then charging payment for the missing product (13) to the customer (48).