JP2586669B2 - Prepaid card processing device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a prepaid card processing device used for a card-type vending machine or the like, and in particular, can sequentially insert a plurality of prepaid cards into a plurality of prepaid cards. The present invention relates to a prepaid card processing device.

<< Conventional Technology >> A prepaid card processing device used for a card-type vending machine such as a card-type vending machine that issues a ticket,
When the inserted prepaid card has a shortage, new prepaid cards are sequentially inserted to replenish the shortage.

In the card processing device as described above, after the data relating to the value held in each prepaid card is updated, the return of the prepaid card to the user is performed by moving the prepaid card from the processing transport path toward the prepaid card slot. The order in which the cards are carried out and carried out, that is, the order of the returned prepaid cards, is uniformly performed in the completely reverse order when inserted.

<< Problems to be Solved by the Invention >> In the prepaid card processing device as described above, when a plurality of prepaid cards are returned, a plurality of prepaid cards are not returned at the same time, but are returned one by one. Therefore, only the prepaid card returned first is taken by the user, and the prepaid card returned later is not taken by the user due to the forgetting of the user, and this may become a relic. As described above, when the prepaid card is forgotten to be collected and lost, the user suffers a loss by the value of the prepaid card.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an improved prepaid card processing device for minimizing damage to a user caused by forgetting to pick up a prepaid card.

<< Means for Solving the Problems >> In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a prepaid card processing apparatus for processing a plurality of inserted prepaid cards, wherein the plurality of inserted prepaid cards are temporarily held. A card holding unit A, a holding value detecting means B for detecting a holding value of the inserted prepaid card, and a holding value of the prepaid card detected by the holding value detecting means B; A size relationship detecting means C for comparing the cards and detecting a magnitude relationship between the holding values; and a prepaid card having a small holding value based on the magnitude relationship between the plurality of prepaid cards detected by the size relationship detecting device C. Cards are selectively evacuated to the card holding unit A, and cards are sequentially ejected in descending order of holding value. - a discharge control unit D, and is characterized in that the provided.

<< Operation >> According to the above configuration, a prepaid card having a large holding value is returned to the user regardless of the order in which the prepaid cards are inserted.

<< Example >> Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings with reference to examples.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the prepaid card processing device according to the present invention. The prepaid card processing device has an insertion slot 10 into which a prepaid card is inserted and a processing transport path 12 for receiving the prepaid card inserted through the insertion slot 10. The processing transport path 12 is provided with a plurality of card feed rollers 14 spaced apart from each other in the direction of the transport path, and the card feed rollers 14 are driven to rotate forward and reverse by a transport path motor 16. .

The prepaid card used in this embodiment is a magnetic card, an insertion port sensor 18 for detecting the insertion of the prepaid card from the insertion port 10 side in the processing conveyance path 12, and data written in the prepaid card. A magnetic read head 20 for reading data, a magnetic write head 22 for writing data to a prepaid card, a punch portion 24 for punching a remaining hole for the prepaid card, and that the prepaid card has passed through the punch portion 24. , A gate plate 28 for preventing the passage of the prepaid card in the processing conveyance path 12, and a conveyance path sensor 30 for detecting that the prepaid card has been conveyed to near the end of the processing conveyance path 12. Are provided.

A card evacuation path that branches off from the processing transport path 12 on the side of the processing reading path 12 from the magnetic read head 20 to the insertion port 10.
32 are provided. A plurality of card feed rollers 34 are provided in the card escape path 32.
Are driven to rotate forward and backward by the escape path motor 36.

A movable card sorting plate 38 is provided at a branch portion between the processing conveyance path 12 and the card escape path 32, and the card sorting plate 38
Is designed to selectively guide the prepaid card in the processing transport path 12 toward the card escape path 32.

In this embodiment, a sensor 4 for confirming the passage of a card is provided in the vicinity of the magnetic write head 22 and each of the card escape paths 32.
0 and 42 are provided.

FIG. 3 shows a control system of the prepaid card processing device according to the present invention shown in FIG. The control system has a central processing unit (CPU) 44, a program memory 46, and a data memory 48, which are connected to each other by a common bus 50. CPU 44 also
Input port sensor 18, punch sensor by common bus 50
26, transport path sensor 30, magnetic read head 20, magnetic write head 22, punch unit 24, gate plate 28, distribution plate 38, connected to each of sensors 40, 42 and motor drive circuits 52, 54,
The magnetic read head 20, the magnetic write head 22, the gate plate 28, the distribution plate 38, the motor drive circuit according to the signal from each sensor and the program stored in the program memory 46.
The operation of 52 and 54 is controlled.

The motor drive circuit 52 is connected to the transport path motor 16 to control the operation of the transport path motor 16, and another motor drive circuit 54 is connected to the standby path motor 36 and operates the standby path motor 36. Is controlled.

The above-described control system generally reads the retained value such as the balance of each of a plurality of prepaid cards with the magnetic read head 20, stores the read value in the data memory 48,
By comparing the holding value of each of the plurality of prepaid cards in 4 above, the magnitude relationship of the holding value of each prepaid card is detected, and based on this magnitude relationship, the holding value is reduced in order to sequentially discharge the prepaid card having the highest holding value. Control for selectively sending the prepaid card to the card escape path 32 is performed on the distribution plate 38 and the escape path motor 36.

FIG. 4 shows a main routine of the prepaid card processing device according to the present invention. First, in step 10,
The first card take-in process is performed as shown in FIG. After step 10, the process proceeds to step 20.

In step 20, the processing for taking in the second card is performed as shown in FIG. After step 20, the process proceeds to step 30.

In step 30, by comparing the holding value of each of the first prepaid card and the second prepaid card detected in the first card taking process and the second card taking process described below, It is determined whether the holding value of the first prepaid card is greater than the holding value of the second prepaid card, in other words, whether the holding value is high. If the holding value of the first prepaid card is higher than that of the second prepaid card, go to step 40; otherwise, if the holding value of the second prepaid card is higher, go to step 40. Go to 110.

In step 40, the magnetic update processing of the second prepaid card is performed as shown in FIG. After step 40, the process proceeds to step 50.

In step 50, the second prepaid card is conveyed to the card escape path 32. The transport of the prepaid card to the card evacuation path 32 is performed on the processing transport path
The prepaid card at 12 is passed from the side of the magnetic write head 22 through the portion where the distribution plate 38 is provided, and is discharged and transported to near the insertion port 10, then the distribution plate 38 is switched, and the transport path motor 16 and This is performed by rotating the road motor 36 forward.

After step 50, the process proceeds to step 60. In step 60, the magnetic update processing of the first prepaid card is performed as shown in FIG.

Proceeding to step 70 following step 60, the first prepaid card is released to the slot 10 in step 70. As a result, the first prepaid card is discharged. After step 70, the process proceeds to step 80.

In step 80, it is determined whether or not the first prepaid card has been removed from the insertion slot 10 based on the signal of the insertion slot sensor 18. This step 80 is repeatedly executed until the first prepaid card is removed. When the first prepaid card is removed, the process proceeds to step 90.

In step 90, the second prepaid card conveyed to the card escape path 32 is discharged toward the insertion slot 10. As a result, the second prepaid card is discharged. After step 90, the process proceeds to step 100.

In step 100, whether or not the second prepaid card has been removed from the insertion slot 10 is determined based on a signal from the insertion slot sensor 18. This step 100 is repeatedly performed until the second prepaid card is removed from the insertion slot 10. When the second prepaid card is removed, the control routine ends.

In this way, if the first inserted prepaid card has a higher holding value, such as the holding balance, than the second inserted second prepaid card, the first prepaid card is inserted before the second prepaid card. Will be discharged.

Step 110 is executed when the holding value of the second prepaid card is higher than the holding value of the first prepaid card. In this step 110, as shown in FIG. The magnetic update processing of the card is performed. After step 110, the process proceeds to step 120.

In step 120, the second prepaid card is discharged toward the slot 10 without being conveyed toward the card escape path 32. As a result, the second prepaid card is discharged. After step 120, the process proceeds to step 130.

In step 130, it is determined whether or not the second prepaid card has been removed from the slot 10 based on the signal from the slot sensor 18. This step 130 is repeatedly executed until the second prepaid card is removed from the slot 10, and when the second prepaid card is removed from the slot 10, step 140 is executed next.

In step 140, the magnetic update processing of the first prepaid card is performed as shown in FIG. After step 140, the process proceeds to step 150.

In step 150, the first prepaid card is released toward the slot 10. As a result, the first prepaid card is discharged. Steps
After 150, the process proceeds to step 160.

In step 160, it is determined whether or not the first prepaid card has been removed from the slot 10 based on the signal from the slot sensor 18. This step 160 is repeatedly performed until the first prepaid card is removed from the insertion slot 10, and the first prepaid card is inserted into the insertion slot 10.
This control routine ends if more is removed.

As a result, if the second inserted prepaid card has a higher holding value than the first inserted prepaid card, the second card is returned to the user first. Will be.

FIG. 5 shows a card take-in processing routine for the first prepaid card executed in step S10. In this control routine, first, at step 11, the insertion port sensor 18 detects whether or not the prepaid card has been inserted into the processing conveyance path 12. If it is detected that the prepaid card has been inserted into the processing transport path 12, the process proceeds to step 12.

In step 12, the transport path motor 16 is driven to rotate forward. Thereby, the processing conveyance path from the input port 10
The prepaid card inserted into 12 is conveyed by the card feed roller 14 from right to left as viewed in FIG.

Proceeding to step 13 subsequent to step 12, in step 13, when the prepaid card passes the magnetic read head 20, the holding value of the first prepaid card is read, and this is stored in the data memory 48. Is stored. After step 13, the process proceeds to step 14.

In step 14, the transport path sensor 30 determines whether the prepaid card has been transported to near the end of the processing transport path 12. When it is detected that the prepaid card has been transported to near the end of the processing transport path 12,
Next, step 15 is performed once.

In step 15, the forward rotation of the transport path motor 16 is stopped. Step 15 is the next step
Proceed to 16.

In step 16, the gate plate 28 is moved to the closed position. The movement of the gate plate 28 may be performed by, for example, an electromagnetic solenoid device (not shown).

This completes the first prepaid card take-in processing routine.

Next, a processing routine for taking in the second prepaid card shown in FIG. 6 will be described. In this processing routine, first, at step 21, it is detected by the insertion port sensor 18 whether or not the second prepaid card has been inserted into the processing conveyance path 12. When it is detected that the second prepaid card has been inserted into the processing transport path 12, step 22 is executed.

In step 22, the transport path motor 16 is driven to rotate forward again. As a result, the second prepaid card is conveyed from the left side to the right side in the conveyance path 12 in FIG.

After step 22, step 23 is executed, and step 23 is executed.
In this case, when the second prepaid card passes through the magnetic read head 20, the magnetic read head 20 reads data on the holding value of the second prepaid card and stores it in the data memory 48. Is done. The data stored in the data memory 48 is stored in a storage location different from the storage location of the data of the first prepaid card, so that the data memory 48 stores the data of the first prepaid card and the data of the second prepaid card. And the data of the prepaid card.

Proceeding to step 24 following step 23, in step 24, the punch sensor 26 detects whether the second prepaid card has passed. When the passage of the second prepaid card is detected, step 25 is executed, and in step 25, the forward rotation drive of the transport path motor 16 is stopped. Thereby, at this time, the first prepaid card is located near the end position of the processing transport path 12, the second prepaid card is located at the punch unit 24,
The two prepaid cards are arranged in series on the processing transport path 12.

Next, the magnetic renewal processing of the second prepaid card executed in step 40 or 110 will be described with reference to FIG. In this processing routine, first, in step 41, the conveyance path motor 16 is driven to rotate in the reverse direction. As a result, the second prepaid card is conveyed from the current stop position toward the insertion slot 10, and when passing through the punching section 24, the punch section 24 punches out the estimated balance punch hole.
At this time, since the gate plate 28 is in the closed position,
When the first prepaid card abuts against the gate plate 28, it does not move toward the insertion port 10 therefrom, but is held at the abutting position.

After step 42, the process proceeds to step 43.In step 43, the data of the holding value is written to the second prepaid card by the magnetic write head 22 in accordance with the amount of money used, that is, the data is updated. Done. Thus, the magnetic renewal processing of the second prepaid card is completed.

FIG. 8 shows a routine for magnetically updating the first prepaid card executed in step 60 or 140. In this processing routine, first, in step 61, the transport path motor 16 is reversed. Rotary driving is performed. Following step 61, step 62 is executed. In step 62, the gate plate 28 is opened. As a result, the first prepaid card is sent to the punching unit 24, and in step 63, the punching unit 24 performs a punching process on the first prepaid card to make a punched hole for the approximate remaining balance. Step 63 proceeds to the next step 64.

In step 64, the stored value is written to the first prepaid card by the magnetic write head 22 in accordance with the amount of money used, that is, data is updated. Thus, the second magnetic update processing routine ends.

In step 60 and step 140, the reverse rotation drive of the conveyance path motor 16 is stopped in the first card magnetic renewal processing routine, and in step 110, the second prepaid card magnetic renewal processing is performed. The stop of the reverse rotation drive of the transport path motor 16 may be stopped after confirming the completion of the removal of the prepaid card in step 110 or step 160, and the magnetic renewal processing routine of the second prepaid card in step 40 is performed. The reverse rotation drive of the transport path motor 16 may be stopped based on, for example, the detection of the second prepaid card by the slot sensor 18, and then step 50 may be executed.

<< Effects of the Invention >> As understood from the above description, in the prepaid card processing device according to the present invention, a prepaid card having a large holding value is returned to a user of the prepaid card regardless of the order in which the prepaid cards are inserted. Therefore, in consideration of the fact that the later the card is returned, the higher the card forgetting rate, the damage caused by the user forgetting to pick up the prepaid card can be minimized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view of a prepaid card processing device according to the present invention corresponding to a crane, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing one embodiment of a mechanical structure of the prepaid card processing device according to the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a control system of the prepaid card processing device according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a main routine of the prepaid card processing device according to the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a routine for processing for taking in a second prepaid card, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a routine for processing for taking in a second prepaid card in the prepaid card processing device according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a prepaid card processing according to the present invention. Flowchart showing a second card magnetic renewal processing routine in the apparatus, FIG.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a first card magnetic renewal processing routine of the prepaid card processing device according to the present invention. 10 Loading slot 12 Processing transport path 20 Magnetic read head 22 Magnetic write head 32 Card escape path

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A prepaid card processing device for processing a plurality of inserted prepaid cards, a card holding unit for temporarily holding the plurality of inserted prepaid cards, and a holding value of the inserted prepaid cards. Holding value detecting means for detecting, and holding value of the prepaid card detected by the holding value detecting means are compared between the plurality of inserted prepaid cards, and magnitude relation detection for detecting magnitude relation of the holding value. Means, based on the magnitude relationship between the plurality of prepaid cards detected by the magnitude relationship detection means, selectively evacuating a prepaid card having a small holding value to the card holding unit, and Evacuation / discharge control means for sequentially discharging, and a prepaid card processing device provided with Apparatus.