JP2019101817A - Vending machine and vending machine system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an automatic vending machine system capable of easily transmitting or receiving management information between an automatic vending machine and a management server.SOLUTION: A vending machine system 100 includes an automatic vending machine 3 in which various kinds of information are stored in a management server 1 connected to the Internet N. The automatic vending machine 3 includes an external door opening and closing detection unit 33 for detecting the opening and closing of an outer door, a communication unit 35 capable of communicating with a smartphone 2 which can be connected to the Internet N, and a control unit 39, in the state in which the external door is opened, with the smartphone 2 as a relay apparatus, transmitting management information of the vending machine 3 to at least the management server 1 or controlling the communication unit 35 fo receive the same from the management server 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vending machine and a vending machine system, and more particularly to a vending machine and a vending machine system in which various information is stored in a management server.

  Conventionally, a vending machine system is known in which various types of information are stored in a management server (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Patent Document 1 discloses a vending machine system provided with a management server and a vending machine. The management server is configured to transmit the control program to the mobile terminal by wired connection. The portable terminal is configured to store the received control program. The portable terminal is configured to transfer the control program with the vending machine by infrared communication.

JP 2001-188940 A

  However, in the vending machine system as described in Patent Document 1 described above, in order to pass the control program between the vending machine and the management server, the work of connecting the portable terminal by wire to the management server and the automatic sale of the mobile terminal There is a problem that the work is required because the work is required to be carried to the vicinity of the machine.

  The present invention has been made to solve the problems as described above, and one object of the present invention is to easily transmit or receive at least management information between a vending machine and a management server. It is possible to provide a possible vending machine and vending machine system.

  A vending machine according to a first aspect of the present invention is a vending machine in which various types of information are stored in a management server connected to a network, wherein outer door opening / closing detection detects opening / closing of an outer door of the vending machine The portable terminal as a relay device and at least transmitting management information of the vending machine to the management server, with the external terminal open, the communication unit capable of communicating with the portable terminal connectable to the network, and the outside door open; Or the control part which controls a communication part to receive from a management server is provided.

  The vending machine according to the first aspect of the present invention, as described above, includes at least a communication unit capable of communicating with a portable terminal connectable to a network, management information of the vending machine using the portable terminal as a relay device, Only by establishing communication between the vending machine and the portable terminal, by providing a control unit that controls the communication unit to transmit to or receive from the management server connected to the network It becomes possible to transmit or receive at least management information between the vending machine and the management server via the network. For this reason, it is not necessary to wire-connect the portable terminal and the management server, and at least management information can be easily transmitted or received between the vending machine and the management server. As a result, when there are a plurality of vending machines, management information can be easily collected from each vending machine, so that management information on a plurality of vending machines can be easily managed centrally by the management server. Can. Further, with the above configuration, it is possible to at least transmit or receive management information between the vending machine and the portable terminal without storing the management information in the portable terminal. This makes it possible to prevent the management information from being stolen when the portable terminal is lost or the like.

  Further, the control unit causes the communication unit to transmit the management information of the vending machine to at least the management server or to receive the management information from the management server with the portable terminal as the relay device in a state where the outer door is opened. By controlling, the vending machine can be configured such that only the person who has the authority to open the outer door can transmit or receive vending machine management information with the management server. it can. As a result, security of communication between the vending machine and the portable terminal can be improved.

  In the vending machine according to the first aspect, preferably, the management information is at least one of sales history information of the vending machine and an updating information having an updating program for updating a control program installed in the vending machine. The control unit is configured to control the communication unit to transmit at least sales history information to the management server or to receive update information from the management server, using the mobile terminal as a relay device. With this configuration, the management server can easily collect the sales history information, so it is possible to centrally manage the sales history information and easily perform the necessary update processing and the like for each individual vending machine. it can. In addition, since the vending machine can easily receive the update information, the control program of the vending machine can be updated relatively early.

  In the vending machine according to the first aspect, preferably, the management information includes position information of the current vending machine acquired by the portable terminal, and a position at which the position information acquired by the portable terminal is acquired from the portable terminal The information processing apparatus further includes an information acquisition unit, and the control unit is configured to control the communication unit to transmit position information to the management server, using the mobile terminal as a relay device. According to this configuration, the current position of the vending machine can be acquired by the position information acquiring unit. Therefore, even if the vending machine is moved, the vending machine and the management server can use the portable terminal as a relay device. And the information on the position of the vending machine managed on the management server side can be corrected to the correct one.

  In a configuration in which the management information includes at least one of sales history information and update information, preferably, the management information includes update information having an update program and installation information indicating a control program installed in the vending machine. The control unit transmits the loading information to the management server by using the portable terminal as a relay device, and the management server manages the updating information when it is determined that the control program of the vending machine is required to be updated based on the loading information. Are configured to control the communication unit to receive from. According to this configuration, it is possible to automatically update the control program necessary for the vending machine only by transmitting the installation information from the vending machine to the management server.

  In the vending machine according to the first aspect, preferably, the management information includes identification information of the vending machine, and the control unit transmits the identification information to the management server using the portable terminal as a relay device. Is configured to control. According to this configuration, when there are a plurality of vending machines, it is possible to reliably and easily specify a predetermined vending machine from among the plurality of vending machines according to the identification information.

  In the vending machine according to the first aspect, preferably, the control unit authenticates the portable terminal in order to establish communication with the portable terminal by near field communication, and a portable terminal authenticated by the authentication unit. The communication device further includes a notification unit that includes a registration unit that registers the terminal, and notifies that communication with a portable terminal that has already been authenticated by the authentication unit has been established. According to this structure, by authenticating the portable terminal by the authentication unit, it is possible to prevent the portable terminal of the person who does not have the authority from being communicably connected to the vending machine. Further, by registering the mobile terminal authenticated by the registration unit, it is possible to easily distinguish the mobile terminal that has been authenticated from the terminal that has not been authenticated. Therefore, once authentication of the mobile terminal is performed, subsequent authentication can be omitted.

  A vending machine system according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a vending machine and a management server connected to a network and storing various information of the vending machine, the vending machine being outside the vending machine. An external door opening / closing detection unit that detects opening / closing of a door, and a communication unit that can communicate with a portable terminal that can be connected to a network, and the communication unit uses the portable terminal as a relay device in a state where the external door is opened , The management information of the vending machine is configured to at least be transmitted to the management server or received from the management server.

  In the vending machine system according to the second aspect of the present invention, as described above, a communication unit capable of communicating with a portable terminal connectable to a network is provided in the vending machine, and the vending machine is used as a relay device. The communication between the vending machine and the portable terminal is established only by transmitting the management information of the vending machine to at least the management server or receiving it from the management server. It is possible to provide a vending machine system capable of transmitting or receiving at least management information with a management server via a network. For this reason, it is not necessary to wire-connect the portable terminal and the management server, and at least management information can be easily transmitted or received between the vending machine and the management server. As a result, when there are a plurality of vending machines, management information can be easily collected from each vending machine, so that management information on a plurality of vending machines can be easily managed centrally by the management server. Can. Further, with the above configuration, it is possible to at least transmit or receive management information between the vending machine and the portable terminal without storing the management information in the portable terminal. This makes it possible to prevent the management information from being stolen when the portable terminal is lost or the like.

  Further, the control unit causes the communication unit to transmit the management information of the vending machine to at least the management server or to receive the management information from the management server with the portable terminal as the relay device in a state where the outer door is opened. By controlling, the vending machine can be configured such that only the person who has the authority to open the outer door can transmit or receive vending machine management information with the management server. it can. As a result, security of communication between the vending machine and the portable terminal can be improved.

  In the vending machine system according to the second aspect, preferably, the management information includes loading information indicating a control program installed in the vending machine, and update information having an update program for updating the control program. The vending machine is configured to transmit the loading information to the management server using the mobile terminal as a relay device, and the management server is loaded on the vending machine that has transmitted the loading information based on the received loading information. If it is determined that the control program needs updating, and if it is determined that the control program needs updating, the update information is sent to the vending machine that has transmitted the loading information via the mobile terminal. It is configured. According to this configuration, the vending machine system capable of automatically updating the control program necessary for the vending machine only by transmitting the installation information from the vending machine to the management server is provided. can do.

  In the vending machine system according to the second aspect, preferably, the management information includes position information of the current vending machine acquired by the mobile terminal, and acquires position information acquired by the mobile terminal from the mobile terminal. The vending machine further includes a position information acquisition unit, and the vending machine is configured to transmit the position information to the management server by using the mobile terminal as a relay device by the communication unit. According to this configuration, the current position of the vending machine can be acquired by the position information acquiring unit. Therefore, even if the vending machine is moved, the vending machine and the management server can use the portable terminal as a relay device. Can be provided to provide a vending machine system capable of correcting the position of the vending machine managed on the management server side to the correct position.

  According to the present invention, as described above, at least management information can be easily transmitted or received between the vending machine and the management server.

1 is a block diagram of a vending machine system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is the figure which showed the identification information transmitted by the vending machine by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure showing sales history information transmitted by a vending machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is the figure which showed the state which the outer door of the vending machine by 1st Embodiment of this invention opened. It is the flowchart which showed the transmission processing of sales history information on the side of the vending machine by a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is the flowchart which showed the transmission processing of sales history information in the management server side by a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is the flowchart which showed the pairing process in the vending machine side by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the flow chart which showed pairing processing on the smart phone side by a 1st embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a block diagram of a vending machine system according to a second embodiment of the present invention; It is the flowchart which showed the update process of the control program in the vending machine side by a 2nd embodiment of the present invention. It is the flowchart which showed the update process of the control program in the management server side by 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

First Embodiment
With reference to FIGS. 1-7, the structure of the vending machine system 100 provided with the vending machine 3 by 1st Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated.

(Configuration of vending machine system)
As shown in FIG. 1, the vending machine system 100 includes a management server 1 connected to the Internet N, a smartphone 2 connectable to the Internet N, and a vending machine 3. The vending machine system 100 is configured to transmit and receive management information regarding the vending machine 3 between the management server 1 and the vending machine 3 via the smartphone 2 via the Internet N. That is, the vending machine system 100 is configured to establish communication between the management server 1 and the vending machine 3 using the smartphone 2 as a relay device. The vending machine 3 is configured to communicate with the smartphone 2 to transmit and receive management information by near field communication. The near field communication is specifically Bluetooth (registered trademark). The Internet N is an example of the “network” in the claims. The smartphone 2 is an example of the “mobile terminal” in the claims.

  The management information includes identification information D1 of the vending machine 3, position information D2 of the vending machine 3, and sales history information D3.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the identification information D 1 includes a model number indicating a model of the vending machine 3 (see FIG. 1), a unique machine number assigned to each vending machine 3, and At least information on the installation position indicating the installation position is included. The installation position indicates the position at which the vending machine 3 is initially installed, and is not changed in principle even if it is moved to another position.

  The position information D2 is information indicating the current position of the vending machine 3 acquired by the GPS (Global Positioning System) function of the smartphone 2. In addition, position information D2 is information which shows the position of smart phone 2 in fact. However, as described above, the vending machine 3 is configured to acquire the position information D2 from the smartphone 2 by near field communication. That is, the vending machine 3 is disposed in the vicinity of the smartphone 2 when acquiring the position information D2. Therefore, the position information D2 is obtained by capturing the current position information of the smartphone 2 in the state of establishing communication with the vending machine 3 as the current position information of the vending machine 3.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the sales history information D3 is information in which the sales date and time of a product such as a can drink and a plastic bottle are linked to the product code of the sold product. The sales history information D3 may include information on commodity prices and information on cold classification (classification for high temperature storage (H) or cold storage (C) of products).

  Here, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, in the vending machine system 100, an outer door 3 b (see FIG. 4) of the vending machine 3 is opened by a control unit 39 of the vending machine 3 described later. With the smartphone 2 as a relay device, the communication unit 35 of the vending machine 3 to be described later is controlled to transmit management information of the vending machine 3 to the management server 1 with the smartphone 2 as a relay device. Details will be described later.

<Configuration of Management Server>
As shown in FIG. 1, the management server 1 includes a control unit 10, a storage unit 11, and a communication unit 12 connected to the Internet N.

  The control unit 10 controls the communication unit 12 so as to transmit and receive various management information to and from the vending machine 3 (smartphone 2). The storage unit 11 stores various management information received by the management server 1 from the vending machine 3 (smartphone 2) and various management information transmitted from the management server 1 to the vending machine 3 (smartphone 2). Is configured.

  The following is an example of processing (control) performed by the management server 1. The management server 1 is configured to be able to determine the best-selling product based on the position information D2 and the sales history information D3 and transmit information on the top-selling product to the smartphone 2. In addition, the management server 1 determines an efficient moving route when a worker who performs product replenishment of the vending machine 3 performs patrol based on the position information D2 and the sales history information D3 etc. It is configured to be able to efficiently transmit information on the travel route.

<Configuration of smartphone>
As shown in FIG. 1, the smartphone 2 is configured to connect a vending machine 3 that does not have a function of directly connecting to the Internet N to the Internet N. That is, the smartphone 2 is communicably connected to the vending machine 3 and configured to act as an external modem (network adapter) of the vending machine 3.

  The smartphone 2 includes a control unit 20, a first communication unit 21 connected to the Internet N, a second communication unit 22 for communicating with the vending machine 3 via Bluetooth (near-field wireless communication), and a GPS receiving unit 23. And the touch panel 24.

  The control unit 20 controls the first communication unit 21 to transmit the management information received from the vending machine 3 by the second communication unit 22 to the management server 1 via the Internet N without storing the information in the smartphone 2. I do.

  The GPS receiving unit 23 is configured to receive a radio wave from the GPS satellite α. The control unit 20 acquires current position information D2 of the smartphone 2 based on the radio wave received by the GPS reception unit 23.

  The touch panel 24 is used for an operation for establishing communication between the vending machine 3 and the second communication unit 22. The touch panel 24 is configured to display a Bluetooth button (not shown). The Bluetooth button (not shown) generates a trigger signal Ts for establishing communication (near-field wireless communication) between the smartphone 2 and the vending machine 3 by Bluetooth when pressed by a worker or the like. The trigger signal Ts is transmitted to the control unit 20.

<Configuration of vending machine>
The vending machine 3 shown in FIG. 4 is a device for cooling, storing, heating, storing and selling products such as canned beverages and plastic bottle beverages. The vending machine 3 includes a main body cabinet 3a and an outer door 3b provided so as to be openable and closable to the main body cabinet 3a.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vending machine 3 further includes a selection button 30, a cooling and heating mechanism 31a, a money handling mechanism 31b, an unloading mechanism 31c, a clock unit 32, and an outer door open / close detection unit 33. Have.

  The selection button 30 is a button for a product purchaser to select a product, and is provided on the front of the outer door 3b. The cooling and heating mechanism 31 a is configured to perform cooling or heating of goods stored in the vending machine 3. The money handling mechanism 31 b is configured to process bills and coins to be inserted at the time of purchase of a product. The unloading mechanism 31 c is configured to unload the item selected by the selection button 30 to the outlet. The clock unit 32 is configured to acquire information on the current time. The time information (purchase time) at the time of purchase of the product acquired by the clock unit 32 is stored in the storage unit 38 described later as part of the sales history information D3.

  The outer door opening / closing detection unit 33 is configured to detect opening / closing of the outer door 3 b. The outer door open / close detection unit 33 may be any type of detection unit as long as it can detect the open / close of the outer door 3b. For example, when the outer door opening / closing detection unit 33 is pressed when the outer door 3b is opened or closed, the button type (mechanical) detection unit which is turned on or the outer door 3b is opened. It can be configured by an optical detection unit or the like that detects that the outer door 3b is opened by blocking detection light when or when it is closed.

  The vending machine 3 further includes a sales history transmission button 34a, a Bluetooth button 34b, a pairing setting button 34c, a communication unit 35, a notification unit 36, a display unit 37, a storage unit 38, and a control unit 39. And have.

  The sales history transmission button 34 a, the pairing setting button 34 c and the Bluetooth button 34 b are provided in a master (control box) 34 disposed inside the vending machine 3. That is, the sales history transmission button 34a, the pairing setting button 34c and the Bluetooth button 34b are configured to be exposed so as to be operable by opening the outer door 3b.

  The sales history transmission button 34 a is configured to generate a trigger signal T 1 for transmitting management information to the management server 1 when pressed by a worker or the like. The trigger signal T1 is transmitted to the control unit 39. That is, the sales history transmission button 34 a is a start button of transmission processing of management information by the control unit 39.

  The Bluetooth button 34 b is configured to generate a trigger signal T 2 for establishing communication (near-field wireless communication) between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2 by Bluetooth when pressed by a worker or the like. The trigger signal T2 is transmitted to the control unit 39. That is, the Bluetooth button 34 b is a start button of a process for establishing communication by the control unit 39 between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone by Bluetooth.

  The Bluetooth communication between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone is established by pressing the respective Bluetooth button 34 b and the Bluetooth button (not shown) displayed on the touch panel 24 of the smartphone 2. However, when establishing communication by Bluetooth between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone for the first time, it is necessary to perform pairing (processing) described below for establishing communication.

  The pairing setting button 34 c is a trigger signal for starting pairing performed when establishing communication (near-field wireless communication) between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2 by Bluetooth when pressed by a worker or the like. It is configured to generate T3. The trigger signal T3 is transmitted to the control unit 39. That is, the pairing setting button 34 c is a start button of pairing between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2 by the control unit 39.

  The pairing is a mutual authentication process of devices required when the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2 establish communication by Bluetooth for the first time. Once pairing is performed, pairing becomes unnecessary when establishing communication between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2 by Bluetooth again. Details of the pairing process will be described later.

  The sales history transmission button 34a, the pairing setting button 34c, and the Bluetooth button 34b are provided to be used also as buttons for exerting other existing functions. For example, the vending machine 3 executes processing assuming that the sales history transmission button 34a is pressed when the predetermined button is pressed and held, and performs other processing when the same predetermined button is pressed for a short time. It is configured to run. The sales history transmission button 34a, the pairing setting button 34c, and the Bluetooth button 34b may be provided in the vending machine 3 as dedicated buttons.

  The vending machine 3 further includes a communication unit 35, a notification unit 36, a display unit 37, a storage unit 38, and a control unit 39.

  The communication unit 35 is configured to establish wireless communication with the second communication unit 22 of the smartphone 2. In detail, the communication unit 35 is configured to establish communication with the second communication unit 22 of the smartphone 2 by Bluetooth.

  The notification unit 36 is configured to notify a worker or the like that the Bluetooth communication (near-field wireless communication) between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2 has been established. In detail, the notification unit 36 includes a light source unit (not shown), and is configured to light up the light source unit when communication by the Bluetooth of the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2 is established. ing.

  The display unit 37 is configured to display a predetermined authentication code required when performing pairing.

  The storage unit 38 is configured to store management information (identification information D1, position information D2, sales history information D3) and a control program P. The control program P is a program for operating the vending machine 3, and by executing a processor constituting the control unit 39, the entire vending machine 3 is managed and controlled to allow a person to operate the vending machine 3. It has a role to make it handleable. That is, the control program P is the firmware of the vending machine 3. The control program P is one or more programs (groups).

  The control unit 39 controls the communication unit 35 to transmit the sales history information D3 to the management server 1 by using the smartphone 2 as a relay device. Further, the control unit 39 controls the communication unit 35 to transmit the identification information D1 to the management server 1 by using the smartphone 2 as a relay device. The sales history information D3 and the identification information D1 are collectively transmitted to the management server 1.

  The control unit 39 includes a position information acquisition unit 39a, an authentication unit 39b, and a registration unit 39c. By executing the control program P, the control unit 39 operates as a position information acquisition unit 39a, an authentication unit 39b, and a registration unit 39c.

  The position information acquisition unit 39 a is configured to receive, from the smartphone 2, position information D 2 of the current smartphone 2 (vending machine 3) acquired by the GPS function of the smartphone 2.

  The authentication unit 39 b is configured to authenticate the smartphone 2 in order to establish communication with the smartphone 2 (communication by near field communication). The registration unit 39c is configured to register the smartphone 2 authenticated by the authentication unit 39b. In addition, in principle, the authentication unit 39 b is configured to function only when performing pairing processing between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2. Details will be described later.

(Flow of transmission processing of sales history information by control unit of vending machine)
Next, with reference to FIG. 5, the transmission processing flow of the sales history information D3 by the control unit 39 of the vending machine 3 will be described. When the sales history information D3 is transmitted from the vending machine 3 to the management server 1, the identification information D1 is also transmitted.

  The transmission process of the sales history information D3 is started by pressing the Bluetooth button 34b of the vending machine 3 and the Bluetooth button (not shown) displayed on the touch panel 24 of the smartphone 2. That is, the trigger signal Ts is received by the control unit 20, and the trigger signal T2 is received by the control unit 39 to start. In addition, since the Bluetooth button 34b of the vending machine 3 is provided inside the vending machine 3, the transmission process of the sales history information D3 is started with the outer door 3b opened. That is, the transmission process of the sales history information D3 is started in a state where the outer door open / close detection unit 33 detects that the outer door 3b is opened.

  First, in step S1, the control unit 39 determines whether pairing between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2 is completed. That is, it is determined whether the smartphone 2 is registered in the registration unit 39c as a device for which pairing has been completed (a device that does not require pairing processing). If pairing between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2 is not completed, the process proceeds to step S2. If pairing between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2 is completed, the process proceeds to step S3.

  In step S2, the control unit 39 performs a pairing process between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2. Then, the process returns to step S1 and proceeds to step S3.

  In step S3, the control unit 39 turns on the light source unit of the notification unit 36 in order to notify the worker or the like that the communication between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2 is established by Bluetooth. Then, the process proceeds to step S4.

  In step S4, the control unit 39 determines whether the sales history transmission button 34a has been pressed. That is, the control unit 39 determines whether the trigger signal T1 has been received. If the sales history transmission button 34a is not pressed, step S4 is repeated. If the sales history transmission button 34a is pressed, the process proceeds to step S5.

  In step S5, the control unit 39 controls the communication unit 35 to transmit the sales history information D3 and the identification information D1 to the management server 1 by using the smartphone 2 as a relay device. Then, the process proceeds to step S6. When the management server 1 receives the sales history information D3, the management server 1 transmits, to the vending machine 3, a processing completion notification for notifying the completion of the transmission processing of the sales history information D3.

  Next, in step S6, the control unit 39 determines whether a process completion notification has been received from the management server 1. If the process completion notification has not been received from the management server 1, step S6 is repeated. If the process completion notice is received from the management server 1, the process proceeds to step S7.

  In step S7, the control unit 39 disconnects the Bluetooth-based communication between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2, and the light source unit of the notification unit 36 is turned off. Then, the process proceeds to step S8.

  In step S8, the control unit 39 deletes the transmitted sales history information D3 from the storage unit 38. Above, transmission processing of sales history information D3 by the vending machine 3 side is completed.

(Flow of transmission processing of sales history information by control unit of management server)
Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the transmission processing flow of the sales history information D3 by the control unit 10 of the management server 1 will be described.

First, in step S11, the control unit 10 controls the communication unit 12 to receive the sales history information D3 and the identification information D1 from the vending machine 3.
Then, the process proceeds to step S12.

  In step S12, the control unit 10 transmits a process completion notification to the vending machine 3. This is the end of the process of transmitting the sales history information D3 on the management server 1 side.

(Flow of pairing process by control unit of vending machine)
Next, the subroutine of step S2 will be described with reference to FIG. That is, the flow of pairing processing between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2 by the control unit 39 of the vending machine 3 will be described.

  In step S21, the control unit 39 determines whether the pairing setting button 34c has been pressed. That is, the control unit 39 determines whether the trigger signal T3 has been received. If the pairing setting button 34c is not pressed, step S21 is repeated. If the pairing setting button 34c is pressed, the process proceeds to step S22.

  In step S22, the control unit 39 determines an authentication code. For example, the control unit 39 determines a randomly selected four-digit number as the authentication code. Then, in step S23, the control unit 39 causes the display unit 37 to display the authentication code. Then, in step S24, the control unit 39 controls the communication unit 35 to transmit the authentication code to the smartphone 2.

  In step S25, the control unit 39 determines whether the communication unit 35 has received the authentication code. If the authentication code is not received from the smartphone 2, step S25 is repeated. If an authentication code is received from the smartphone 2, the process proceeds to step S26.

  In step S26, the authentication unit 39b of the control unit 39 determines whether the authentication code (the authentication code transmitted to the smartphone 2) displayed on the display unit 37 matches the authentication code received in step S25. Ru. If the authentication codes match, the process proceeds to step S27. If the authentication codes do not match, the process returns to step S1 and again proceeds to step S2 to start pairing processing again.

  In step S27, the registration unit 39c of the control unit 39 registers that the pairing with the smartphone 2 is completed. That is, registration information (not shown) indicating that pairing with the smartphone 2 is completed is stored in the storage unit 38. This is the end of the pairing process on the vending machine side.

(Flow of pairing process by control unit of smartphone)
Next, with reference to FIG. 8, a flow of a pairing process between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2 by the control unit 20 of the smartphone 2 will be described. Although the pairing process performed by the vending machine 3 side was demonstrated in FIG. 7, below, the pairing process performed by the smart phone 2 side is demonstrated with reference to FIG.

  In step S31, the control unit 20 determines whether the second communication unit 22 has received the authentication code. If the authentication code is not received, step S31 is repeated. If the authentication code is received, the process proceeds to step S32.

  In step S32, the control unit 20 displays the received authentication code on the touch panel 24. Then, the process proceeds to step S33.

  In step S33, the control unit 20 displays an authentication code transmission button (not shown) on the touch panel 24 and determines whether the displayed authentication code transmission button is pressed. If the displayed authentication code transmission button is not pressed, step S33 is repeated. If the displayed authentication code transmission button is pressed, the process proceeds to step S34. The operator confirms that the authentication code displayed on the display unit 37 of the vending machine 3 matches the authentication code displayed on the touch panel 24, and then presses the authentication code transmission button.

  In step S34, the control unit 20 transmits an authentication code to the vending machine 3. This is the end of the pairing process on the smartphone 2 side.

(Effect of the first embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  In the first embodiment, as described above, the management information of the vending machine 3 is connected to the Internet N, with the communication unit 35 capable of communicating with the smartphone 2 connectable to the Internet N and the smartphone 2 as a relay device. By providing communication between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2 by providing the control unit 39 that controls the communication unit 35 to transmit to the existing management server 1, the vending machine 3 and the management server 1 can It becomes possible to transmit management information via the Internet N between them. Therefore, it is not necessary to connect the smartphone 2 and the management server 1 by wire, and management information can be easily transmitted between the vending machine 3 and the management server 1. As a result, when there are a plurality of vending machines 3 with respect to the management server 1, management information can be easily collected from each of the vending machines 3. Centralized management of management information can be easily performed. Moreover, it becomes possible to transmit management information between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2 without storing the management information in the smartphone 2. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the management information from being stolen when the smartphone 2 is lost or the like.

  Further, the control unit 39 controls the communication unit 35 to transmit the management information of the vending machine 3 to the management server 1 with the smartphone 2 as a relay device in a state where the outer door 3 b is opened. Only the person having the authority to open the outer door 3b can configure the vending machine 3 so that management information of the vending machine 3 can be transmitted to the management server 1. As a result, security of communication between the vending machine 3 and the smartphone 2 can be improved.

  Also, in the first embodiment, as described above, the management information includes the sales history information D3 of the vending machine 3, and the control unit 39 uses the smartphone 2 as a relay device and transmits the sales history information D3 to the management server 1 The communication unit 35 is configured to control transmission. Thus, the management server 1 can easily collect the sales history information D3. Therefore, it is possible to centrally manage the sales history information D3 and easily perform an update process or the like necessary for each of the vending machines 3. it can.

  In the first embodiment, as described above, the management information includes the position information D2 of the current vending machine 3 acquired by the smartphone 2 and acquires the position information D2 acquired by the smartphone 2 from the smartphone 2 The control unit 39 is configured to control the communication unit 35 to transmit the position information D2 to the management server 1 using the smartphone 2 as a relay device. Thus, since the current position of the vending machine 3 can be acquired by the position information acquiring unit 39a, even if the vending machine 3 is moved, the vending machine 3 and the management server can use the smartphone 2 as a relay device. By connecting with 1, it is possible to correct the information on the position of the vending machine 3 managed on the management server 1 side to the correct one.

  In the first embodiment, as described above, the management information includes the identification information D1 of the vending machine 3, and the control unit 39 transmits the identification information D1 to the management server 1 with the smartphone 2 as a relay device. As described above, the communication unit 35 is configured to be controlled. Thus, when there are a plurality of vending machines 3, it is possible to reliably and easily specify a predetermined vending machine 3 from among the plurality of vending machines 3 by the identification information D1.

  In the first embodiment, as described above, the control unit 39 is authenticated by the authentication unit 39 b that authenticates the smartphone 2 and the authentication unit 39 b in order to establish communication with the smartphone 2 by near field communication. And a notification unit 36 for notifying that the communication with the smartphone 2 already authenticated by the authentication unit 39b is established. Thereby, by authenticating the smartphone 2 by the authentication unit 39 b, it is possible to prevent the smartphone 2 of a person who does not have the authority from being communicably connected to the vending machine 3. Further, by registering the smart phone 2 authenticated by the registration unit 39c, it is possible to easily distinguish between the authenticated smart phone 2 and the non-authenticated terminal. Therefore, once authentication of the smartphone 2 is performed, subsequent authentication can be omitted.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. In this second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment in which the vending history machine 3 transmits the sales history information D3 to the management server 1, an example in which the management server 201 transmits the update information D5 to the vending machine 203 will be described. Do. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The vending machine system 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a management server 201 connected to the Internet N, a smartphone 2 and a vending machine 203, as shown in FIG.

  The vending machine system 200 is configured to transmit and receive management information on the vending machine 203 between the management server 201 and the vending machine 203 via the smartphone 2 via the Internet N.

  The management information includes identification information D1, loading information D4, and update information D5.

  The loading information D4 is information indicating the control program P loaded in the vending machine 203. In detail, the mounting information D4 is information including at least a control program number. The control program number is a number indicating the type of control program and the version of the control program. The type of control program and the version of the control program may be managed by separate information.

  The update information D5 includes an update program P1 that updates the control program P.

  Here, in the second embodiment, in the vending machine system 200, the smartphone 2 is opened with the outer door 3b (see FIG. 4) of the vending machine 203 opened by the control unit 239 of the vending machine 203, which will be described later. Are configured to control the communication unit 35 to receive management information from the management server 201 as a relay device. Details will be described later.

  The management server 201 includes a control unit 210 and a storage unit 211 that stores update information D5.

  The control unit 210 is configured to determine, based on the loading information D4 received from the vending machine 203, the necessity of updating the control program P loaded in the vending machine 203 that has sent the loading information D4. It is done. When the control unit 210 determines that there is a need to update the control program P, the control unit 210 is configured to transmit the update information D5 to the vending machine 203 that has transmitted the on-board information D4 via the smartphone 2. ing.

  The control unit 20 of the smartphone 2 transmits the management information received from the management server 201 via the Internet N by the first communication unit 21 to the vending machine 203 by the second communication unit 22 without storing the management information in the smartphone 2 Control to do so.

  The vending machine 203 includes a storage unit 238, a control unit 239, and a control program update button 234a.

  The storage unit 238 is configured to store identification information D1, installation information D4, and a control program P.

  The control unit 239 is configured to transmit the on-board information D4 to the management server 201 using the smartphone 2 as a relay device.

  The control program update button 234a is configured to generate a trigger signal T4 for starting update processing of the control program when pressed by a worker or the like. The trigger signal T4 is transmitted to the control unit 239. Details of the updating process of the control program P will be described later.

(Flow of processing for updating control program by control unit of vending machine)
Next, with reference to FIG. 10, the update processing flow of the control program P by the control unit 239 of the vending machine 203 will be described.

  The update process of the control program P is started by pressing the Bluetooth button 34 b of the vending machine 203 and the Bluetooth button (not shown) displayed on the touch panel 24 of the smartphone 2. Since the Bluetooth button 34b of the vending machine 203 is provided inside the vending machine 203, the updating process of the control program P is started with the outer door 3b opened. In addition, since step S1-step S3 are the same as the processing flow of 1st Embodiment shown in FIG. 5, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In step S41, the control unit 239 determines whether the control program update button 234a has been pressed. That is, the control unit 239 determines whether the trigger signal T4 has been received. If the control program update button 234a is not pressed, step S41 is repeated. If the control program update button 234a is pressed, the process proceeds to step S42.

  In step S42, the control unit 239 controls the communication unit 35 to transmit the mounting information D4 and the identification information D1 to the management server 201, with the smartphone 2 as a relay device. Then, the process proceeds to step S43.

  In step S43, the control unit 239 determines whether or not the process completion notification for notifying the completion of the update process of the control program P has been received from the management server 201. If the process completion notification has not been received, the process proceeds to step S44. If the process completion notification has been received, the process proceeds to step S47. When the determination in step S43 is performed for the first time and the process proceeds to step S47, the control program P of the vending machine 203 is not updated. That is, the determination in step S43 is performed for the first time, and the process proceeds to step S47 when the management server 201 determines that the process of updating the control program P is unnecessary.

  In step S44, the control unit 239 determines whether the update information D5 has been received from the management server 201. If the update information D5 has not been received, the process returns to step S43. If the update information D5 has been received, the process proceeds to step S45.

  In step S45, control unit 239 updates control program P stored in storage unit 238. Then, in step S46, the control unit 239 transmits, to the management server 201, an update completion notification for notifying that the update of the control program P in the vending machine 203 is completed. The update completion notification serves as a trigger for the management server 201 to transmit a processing completion notification to the vending machine 203. Then, the process returns to step S43, and if the process completion notification is received, the process proceeds to step S47.

  In step S47, the control unit 239 disconnects the Bluetooth-based communication between the vending machine 203 and the smartphone 2, and the light source unit of the notification unit 36 is turned off. Above, the update process of the control program P by the control part 239 of the vending machine 203 is complete | finished.

(Flow of update processing of control program by control unit of management server)
Next, with reference to FIG. 11, an update processing flow of the control program P by the control unit 210 of the management server 201 will be described.

  First, in step S51, the control unit 210 controls the communication unit 12 to receive the mounting information D4 and the identification information D1 from the vending machine 203. Then, the process proceeds to step S52.

  In step S52, the control unit 210 compares the loading information D4 received from the vending machine 203 with the update information D5 stored in the storage unit 211, and the need for updating the control program P of the vending machine 203 It is determined whether or not there is a sex.

  For example, when it is set in advance that the control program P of the vending machine 203 is a program of the latest version (upgraded) on the management server 201 side, the current state of the vending machine 203 grasped by the loading information D4. The new and old of the control program P and the update program P1 which the update information D5 has are compared. The update of the control program P includes not only the upgrade of the control program P but also the downgrade of the control program P and the update of any control program P such as adding a predetermined program to the control program P.

  If it is determined in step S52 that the control program P of the vending machine 203 need not be updated, the process proceeds to step S55. If the control program P of the vending machine 203 needs to be updated, the process proceeds to step S53.

  In step S53, the control unit 210 controls the communication unit 12 to transmit the update information D5 to the vending machine 203.

  In step S54, the control unit 210 determines whether an update completion notification has been received from the vending machine 203 or not. If the update completion notification has not been received, step S54 is repeated. If the update completion notification has been received, the process proceeds to step S55.

  In step S54, the control unit 210 transmits a process completion notification to the vending machine 203. Above, the update process of the control program P by the control part 210 of the management server 201 is complete | finished.

(Effect of the second embodiment)
In the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  In the second embodiment, as described above, the management information of the vending machine 203 is connected to the Internet N, with the communication unit 35 capable of communicating with the smartphone 2 connectable to the Internet N and the smartphone 2 as a relay device. By establishing a communication between the vending machine 203 and the smartphone 2 by providing a control unit 239 that controls the communication unit 35 to transmit to and receive from the management server 201, It becomes possible to transmit and receive management information via the Internet N between the vending machine 203 and the smartphone 2. Therefore, it is not necessary to connect the smartphone 2 and the management server 201 by wire, and management information can be easily transmitted and received between the vending machine 203 and the management server 201. As a result, when there are a plurality of vending machines 203 with respect to the management server 201, management information can be easily collected from each vending machine 203. Centralized management of management information can be easily performed.

  In the second embodiment, as described above, the second embodiment includes the update information D5 having the update program P1 for updating the control program P installed in the vending machine 203, and the control unit 239 updates the smartphone 2 as a relay device. The communication unit 35 is controlled to receive the information D5 from the management server 201. Thereby, since the vending machine 203 can easily receive the update information D5, the control program P of the vending machine 203 can be updated at a relatively early stage.

  In the second embodiment, as described above, the management information includes the update information D5 having the update program P1 and the installation information D4 indicating the control program P installed in the vending machine 203, and the control unit 239 transmits the installation information D4 to the management server 201 using the smartphone 2 as a relay device, and the management server 201 determines that the control program P of the vending machine 203 needs to be updated based on the installation information D4, the update information The communication unit 35 is configured to control D5 to be received from the management server 201. As a result, the control program P required for the vending machine 203 can be automatically updated only by transmitting the installation information D4 from the vending machine 203 to the management server 201.

  The remaining effects of the second embodiment are similar to those of the aforementioned first embodiment.

[Modification]
It should be understood that the embodiment disclosed herein is illustrative and non-restrictive in every respect. The scope of the present invention is indicated not by the above description of the embodiment but by the scope of claims, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

  For example, in the first and second embodiments, communication between the vending machine and the portable terminal is established by wireless communication. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the communication between the vending machine and the portable terminal may be established by wired connection using a USB cable or the like. In the case of wired connection, an insertion port for inserting a USB cable is provided in a master (control box) or the like. Moreover, in the case of wired connection, a button (Bluetooth button) pressed when starting communication may not be provided in the vending machine. Furthermore, in the case of wired connection, a button for authentication (pairing setting button) may not be provided on the vending machine. That is, it is not necessary to perform authentication (pairing).

  Moreover, although the example which established communication of a vending machine and a portable terminal by Bluetooth was shown in said 1st and 2nd embodiment, this invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the communication between the vending machine and the portable terminal may be established by wireless communication such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

  Moreover, although the example which used the smart phone as a portable terminal of this invention was shown in said 1st and 2nd embodiment, this invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, a device other than a smartphone such as a notebook computer or a tablet terminal may be used as the mobile terminal of the present invention.

  In the first and second embodiments, the notification unit includes the light source unit, and the notification unit is configured to perform notification by turning on the light source unit. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is not limited to. In the present invention, the notification unit may be configured to perform notification by other means such as voice.

  In the first embodiment, the vending machine transmits all of the sales history information, the identification information, and the position information to the management server. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the vending machine may transmit the sales history information and the identification information to the management server without transmitting the position information. Also, only position information may be transmitted. Also, only sales history information may be transmitted. Also, only identification information may be transmitted. That is, the vending machine may send any management information to the management server.

  In the second embodiment, the management server transmits the update information to the vending machine. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the management server may transmit not the update information but other management information such as information on the movement route to the vending machine.

  In the first embodiment, the transmitted sales history information is deleted from the storage unit of the vending machine. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the transmitted sales history information may not be deleted from the storage unit of the vending machine. In this case, the sales history information stored in the storage unit of the vending machine after transmission of the sales history information to the management server and the sales history information that has already been transmitted can be stored in the storage unit of the vending machine Do. For example, the sent sales history information is flagged.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, for convenience of explanation, the processing of the control unit has been described using a flow-driven flow that sequentially performs processing along the processing flow, but the present invention is limited thereto I can not. In the present invention, the processing of the control unit may be performed by event-driven (event-driven) processing that executes processing in units of events. In this case, the operation may be completely event driven, or the combination of event driving and flow driving may be performed.

1, 201 Management server 2 Smartphone (mobile terminal)
3, 203 Vending machine 3b Outside door 33 Outside door opening / closing detection unit 35 Communication unit 36 Notification unit 39, 239 Control unit 39a Position information acquisition unit 39b Authentication unit 39c Registration unit 100, 200 Vending machine system D1 Identification information D2 Location information D3 Sales history information D4 loading information D5 updated information N Internet (network)
P control program P1 update program

Claims (9)

A vending machine in which various types of information are stored in a management server connected to a network.
An outer door opening / closing detection unit that detects the opening / closing of the outer door of the vending machine;
A communication unit capable of communicating with a portable terminal connectable to a network;
The communication unit is configured to transmit the management information of the vending machine at least to the management server or to receive the management information from the management server with the portable terminal as a relay device in a state where the outer door is opened. A vending machine comprising a control unit to control. The management information includes at least one of sales history information of the vending machine and update information having an update program for updating a control program installed in the vending machine.
The control unit controls the communication unit to transmit at least the sales history information to the management server, or to receive the update information from the management server, using the mobile terminal as the relay device. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the vending machine is configured. The management information includes current location information of the vending machine acquired by the mobile terminal,
The mobile terminal further includes a position information acquisition unit that acquires the position information acquired by the portable terminal from the portable terminal.
The vending machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit is configured to control the communication unit to transmit the position information to the management server, using the portable terminal as the relay device. . The management information includes the update information having the update program and installation information indicating the control program installed in the vending machine.
The control unit transmits the mounting information to the management server by using the mobile terminal as the relay device, and the management server determines that the control program of the vending machine needs to be updated based on the mounting information. The vending machine according to claim 2, wherein, in the case, the communication unit is controlled to receive the update information from the management server. The management information includes identification information of the vending machine.
The control unit is configured to control the communication unit to transmit the identification information to the management server, using the mobile terminal as the relay device. Vending machine described. The control unit includes an authentication unit that authenticates the mobile terminal and a registration unit that registers the mobile terminal authenticated by the authentication unit in order to establish communication with the mobile terminal by near field communication. ,
The vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a notification unit that notifies that communication with the portable terminal already authenticated by the authentication unit is established. With vending machines,
A management server connected to a network and storing various information of the vending machine;
The vending machine includes an outer door opening / closing detection unit that detects the opening / closing of an outer door of the vending machine, and a communication unit that can communicate with a portable terminal connectable to a network, and the communication unit Automatic, configured to transmit the management information of the vending machine at least to the management server or to receive the management information from the management server, with the portable terminal as a relay device, with the door opened Vending machine system. The management information includes installation information indicating a control program installed in the vending machine, and update information having an update program for updating the control program.
The vending machine is configured to transmit the loading information to the management server, using the mobile terminal as the relay device.
The management server determines the necessity of the update of the control program installed in the vending machine that has transmitted the installation information based on the received installation information, and the control program needs to be updated. The vending machine system according to claim 7, configured to transmit the update information to the vending machine that has transmitted the on-board information via the mobile terminal, when it is determined that The management information includes current location information of the vending machine acquired by the mobile terminal,
The mobile terminal further includes a position information acquisition unit that acquires the position information acquired by the portable terminal from the portable terminal.
The vending machine system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the vending machine is configured to transmit the position information to the management server by using the portable terminal as the relay device by the communication unit.

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