DIGITAL MEDIA RENTAL AND RETURN KIOSK HAVING A THREE-POSITION LOCKABLE GATE MECHANISM AND METHODS OF OPERATING A DIGITAL MEDIA RENTAL AND RETURN KIOSK

摘要

A digital media rental and return kiosk includes a store arranged to store physical digital media items. The kiosk further includes a user interface (i) having a dispense and return slot, and (ii) arranged to enable a customer to interact with the kiosk to either rent a digital media item or return a digital media item through the slot. The kiosk also includes a delivery system arranged to (i) transport a digital media item to be rented from the store to the slot, and (ii) transport a digital media item to be returned from the slot to the store. The kiosk further includes a gate mechanism including a gate which is (i) movable from a closed position to a first opened position to allow a digital media item to be rented to be dispensed through the slot to a customer, and (ii) movable from the closed position to a second opened position which is different from the first opened position to allow a digital media item to be returned to be inserted through the slot by the customer.