JPH02151993A - Automatic vending device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the number of times of feeding recorded media by detecting the stock value of the recorded media in which prescribed information is written in each information, and when the stock value of the media is less than the prescribed value, recording information indicating the drop of the stock less than the prescribed value in a prescribed recording medium. CONSTITUTION:When the regulated stock value of A cassettes 31 to B cassettes 34 are respectively regulated to 2 e.g., a stock value detecting means 41 transmits the reduction of the stock value down to one in any one of the cassettes 31 to 34 to a recording control means 42. The means 42 commands a master tape 40 to record music information to be recorded in the cassette reduced less than the regulated stock value. The master tape 40 is allowed to send the music information to a writing means 43 and the means 43 is allowed to record the music information in a raw cassette 21 sent from a storage case 20. Since the cassettes whose stock value is reduced can be formed in an automatic vending device 10, the number of times of feeding recorded cassette can be reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a vending machine that vends cassettes in which music, novels, etc. are recorded on magnetic tapes, various prepaid cards, etc.

[Prior Art] Cassettes in which various types of music such as rock and talassic music are recorded on magnetic tape are sold, and are particularly popular among young people. This cassette is sold at stores such as record stores. Furthermore, similar to the above, cassettes in which novels and the like are recorded on magnetic tape have recently become available and are sold at bookstores and the like.

By the way, in order to reduce the labor costs of selling cassettes in record stores, bookstores, etc., it is conceivable to sell the cassettes containing recordings of various music, novels, etc., using automatic vending machines.

For example, if you want to sell cassettes with music recorded on them using a vending machine, if you want to record only one song on one cassette and sell it, you should record one song on only one cassette and sell it. If it is installed in a vending machine, the frequency of replenishing the cassettes will increase, which is undesirable as it will take a lot of effort.

Therefore, it is preferable to record one song on a plurality of cassettes, and similarly record each other song on a plurality of cassettes, and store them in the vending machine as inventory.

On the other hand, the larger the number of songs (that is, the types of cassettes) that can be sold by the vending machine, the more customers' demands can be satisfied.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, the total number of cassettes that can be stored as inventory in a vending machine is determined in advance for each vending machine, and the number of songs (types of cassettes) that can be sold by that vending machine is limited. The problem is that the larger the number of cassettes, the fewer the number of cassettes on which the song is recorded, the fewer cassettes for that song are in stock, and the more frequently recorded cassettes must be replenished.

Furthermore, in addition to cassettes recording music, cassettes recording game software for personal computers, etc., and cassettes recording novels, etc., also have similar problems.

An object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine that can reduce the number of times recorded media are replenished when the types of information recorded on recorded media that can be sold by the vending machine are increased. This is the purpose.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention detects the inventory amount of recorded media on which predetermined information is written for each information, and when the inventory amount of recorded media becomes less than a predetermined number, the predetermined recording is performed. Information is recorded on the medium when the amount of inventory has fallen below a predetermined number.

[Operation] The present invention detects the inventory amount of recorded media on which predetermined information is written for each piece of information, and when the inventory amount of recorded media becomes less than a predetermined number, the information is added to the predetermined recording medium. Since information is recorded when the amount of inventory falls below a predetermined number, the number of times the recorded medium is refilled is reduced when the types of information recorded on recorded media that can be sold by vending machines are increased. Embodiment FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

The vending machine 10 includes a raw cassette storage case 20 that can accommodate a large number of raw cassettes that have not yet been recorded.
and recorded cassettes A cassette 31, B cassette 32, and C.
A stock area 30 for stocking cassettes 33 and D cassettes 34, a master tape 40 for recording various kinds of music, an inventory amount detection means 41 for detecting the amount of each recorded cassette 31 to 34 in stock, and a recording control means 42 and writing means 43.

The inventory amount detection means 41 is an example of an inventory amount detection means that detects the amount of inventory of recording media on which predetermined information is written for each piece of information.

In other words, when the specified stock amount of the A cassette 31 to the D cassette 34 is, for example, two, the stock amount detection means 41 detects that when the stock amount of any one of the cassettes 31 to 34 becomes one, This is to notify the recording control means 42 of this fact.

The recording control means 42 instructs the master tape 40 about the music information to be recorded on the cassette whose stock amount is less than the specified stock amount, and causes the master tape 40 to send the music information to the writing means 43. The means 43 records the music information on the raw cassette 21 from the storage case 20.

In other words, the recording control means 42 is an example of a recording control means that causes a predetermined recording medium to record information that the stock amount has become less than a predetermined number when the stock amount of recorded media becomes less than a predetermined number. .

Further, a customer operation section 50 is provided on the front of the vending machine 10, and this operation section 50 has selection buttons 51, 52, 53, 54 corresponding to each of the cassettes 31 to 34, and a coin slot 55. have

Note that, after a predetermined coin is inserted, when one of the A cassettes 31 to D cassettes 34 in which music is recorded is selected by the selection buttons 51 to 54, the selected cassette is passed through the guide 60. Then, the discharge port 61 is reached.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained.

First, the vending machine IO has a recorded cassette A.
The cassette 31, B cassette 32, C cassette 33, and D cassette 34 are not stored, and a large number of raw cassettes 21 are stored in the raw cassette storage case 20. Then, the writing means 43 records one song at a time onto the raw cassette 21 according to a command from the recording control means 42. In this case, recording is performed on the live cassette 21 based on the recording information (music information) from the master tape 40.

In this case, assuming that the specified stock amount for one type of recorded cassette is two, after the writing means 43 makes two A cassettes 31, it makes the next B cassette 32, then the next C cassette 33, then the D cassette. Make two of 34. When the writing by the writing means 43 is completed in this manner, the preparatory operation of the vending machine 10 is completed. However,
When installing a vending machine, record A cassette 3
The 1-D cassette 34 may be loaded into the vending machine 10 in advance.

When cassettes are automatically sold by the vending machine 10, the customer inserts a predetermined amount of coins into the coin slot 55 of the customer operation unit 50 installed on the surface of the machine (or inserts banknotes into the bill slot). ) and selection button 51~
54 will light up, prompting you to press one of them. In this case, when the customer presses the button 51, for example, one of the recorded cassettes 31 passes through the guide 60 and comes out to the outlet 61.

At this time, the A that is set inside the vending machine
The inventory amount detection means 41 detects that the number of A cassettes 31 is reduced by one from the specified inventory amount, and notifies the recording control means 42 to that effect. Then, the recording control means 42 causes the writing means 43 to read the music information recorded in the A cassette 31 from the master tape 40,
At this time, one raw cassette 21 is sent from the storage case 20 to the writing means 43, the writing means 43 writes music information corresponding to the cassette 31, and the recorded cassette is sent to the stock area of the A cassette 31. It will be done. In addition, A
If another A cassette 31 is sold while the cassette 31 is being written, the writing means 43 writes two raw cassettes 21.
, and make two A cassettes 31.

When the customer selects the B cassette 32, the C cassette 33, and the D cassette 34 and sends them to the discharge port 61, the same operation as described above is performed.

If you do the above, A cassette 31 to D cassette 34
Since it is not necessary to prepare a large number of recorded cassettes (for example, 20) for each of It can be reduced.

Conversely, more types of recorded cassettes can be accommodated in a vending machine with the same storage space. Furthermore, in this case, since the cassettes whose inventory amount has decreased can be made within the vending machine 10, the number of times recorded cassettes are replenished can be reduced.

Note that other master recording media such as a fixed disk or an optical disk may be used instead of the master tape 40.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

The vending machine 10a shown in FIG. 2 has a communication means 71 and a memory 72 instead of installing the master tape 40 shown in FIG.
The communication means 71 is connected to a host computer 74 via a line 73. Like the master tape 40, the host computer 74 has a storage device that stores a large amount of music information.

Next, the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 will be explained.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 also stores a predetermined number of A cassettes 31 to D cassettes 34, which are recorded cassettes, and controls recording to that effect when the inventory amount detection means becomes less than a specified inventory amount. This is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that the information is transmitted to the means 42 and only the missing part and the missing type of information are written in the raw cassette 21.

However, when recording predetermined music information on the live cassette 21, when the recording control means 42 transmits the information to the host computer 74 via the communication means 71 and the line 72, the host computer 74 records the corresponding information from its external storage device. line 7
2 to the communication means 71, and the information is stored in the memory 72.
is stored in Then, from the memory 72, the writing means 43
The information is sent to the music player 21, and the music information is stored in the live cassette 21.

Even in this case, there is no need to provide a large number of recorded cassettes for each type, so the storage space of the vending machine 10a can be fully utilized.

Note that the line 72 may be a general telephone line, a dedicated line, or an 15DN (integrated digital communication service network). If you use ISDN, the information transfer speed will be much faster, so the transfer time for the above music information will be extremely short (even for other information such as image information, the transfer time will be extremely short). , the practicality becomes higher.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, if the operation timing is right, the memory 73 may be omitted and the information from the host computer 74 may be transferred directly to the writing means 43.

In addition, many songs recorded on the master tape 40,
Alternatively, the customer can freely select a plurality of desired songs from among a large number of songs that can be sent by the host computer 74 via the operation unit 50, and record the selected plurality of songs on one raw cassette 21. However, the recorded cassette may be ejected to the ejection port 61 and sold. In this way, it is possible to sell a cassette that fully meets the customer's tastes and is an original cassette that only that customer owns.

Furthermore, instead of the raw cassette 21, other magnetic tapes, magnetic cards, IC cards, magnetic disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, or paper may be used. however,
The recorded medium, such as the above-mentioned magnetic tape, on which predetermined information is recorded is a recording medium that reproduces and uses the information recorded thereon.

Furthermore, the recorded medium may be used as a prepaid card (a card that receives the usage fee for a specified service in advance, and that allows the card to be used to receive the above service). . Examples of purposes for which this prepaid card can be used include telephone charges, transportation fares such as trains, expressway tolls, cleaning charges, golf ball rental charges, gaming machine usage charges, video rental charges, in-store shopping charges, etc. There are payments for gasoline purchase and ski resort facility usage fees. In addition to the above-mentioned existing usage purposes, prepaid cards for usage purposes that will occur in the future will also be used in the vending machine 10, lOa.
You can sell it at In this way, the vending machine 1O1L
When there are many types or amounts of one prepaid card sold at Oa, many types of prepaid cards can be stored in a predetermined storage space, and the frequency of replenishment can be reduced.

Note that if the code information necessary for a prepaid card is recorded on a card-like recording medium, it becomes a prepaid card, but the above code information includes information that indicates the purpose of use of the card (information that indicates what kind of prepaid card it is). , remaining amount (or remaining amount corresponding to amount such as remaining number of times, remaining number of pieces, etc.),
Card number etc. may be considered.

Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the host computer 74 may be able to grasp the sales volume of recorded media via the line 72 and the communication means 71.

In the above embodiment, four types of cassettes are provided as recorded media, but two, three, or five or more types of recorded media may be sold.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, when increasing the types of information recorded on recorded media that can be sold in a vending machine, it is possible to reduce the number of times the recorded media must be replenished. be effective.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment of the present invention. 0... Raw cassette storage case, 1... Raw cassette, 1.32.33.34... Recorded medium, 0... Master tape, 1... Inventory amount detection means, 2... Recording control means, 3...Writing means, l...Communication means, 2...Line. Patent applicant Shinsei Design Office Co., Ltd. Kubo Arata for the same agent

Claims (7)

[Claims] (1) Information writing means for writing predetermined information from among a plurality of pieces of information onto a predetermined recording medium; Inventory amount detection means for detecting the amount of inventory of recorded media on which the predetermined information has been written for each of the above pieces of information; ; recording control means for recording information that the inventory amount has become less than a predetermined number on the predetermined recording medium when the inventory amount of the recorded medium becomes less than a predetermined number; vending machine. (2) In claim (1), the predetermined recording medium is a magnetic tape, a magnetic card, an IC
cards, magnetic disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks,
A vending device characterized by being made of paper. (3) The vending machine according to claim (1), wherein the predetermined recorded medium is a prepaid card. (4) In claim (1), the predetermined information is information recorded on a master recording medium installed in the vending machine, or information transmitted from an external device of the vending machine via a predetermined line. A vending device characterized by: (5) The automatic vending machine according to claim (1), wherein the number of recording media and the sales volume of the recorded media can be ascertained from outside the automatic vending machine. (6) The vending machine according to claim (1), wherein the predetermined information is at least one of game software, video information, music information, novel information, and code information necessary for a prepaid card. . (7) The vending machine according to claim (1), wherein the recorded medium is a recording medium that reproduces and uses information recorded thereon.