JPH0785343A - Automatic vending machine management system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the labor cost and the opportunity loss of commodity by transmitting fault information and out-of-stock information of an automatic vending machine to a center processor through the use of an electric lamp line and a public line. CONSTITUTION:The automatic vending machine 1 is provided with a first control adapter (VMCA) 2 and a second control adapter (VMOA) 3, and they are mutually interfaced. VMCA 2 transmits the presence or absence of the fault of the automatic vending machine 1 and commodity information of the automatic vending machine 1 to VMOA 3. VMOA 3 transmits out-of-stock/fault information of the automatic vending machine 1 from the automatic vending machine 1 to a transmission device 10 in a store 9 by an online through the electric lamp line 5. In the store 9, information is transmitted from the transmission device 10 to a center reception device 11 by using the public line 6 by online and order information of the commodity is transmitted to the center processor 7. Thus, labor cost and opportunity loss of commodies can be reduced by automatically collecting fault information and out-of-stock information of the automatic vending machine.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic vending machine management system for automatically collecting information on failure and out of stock of an automatic vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional vending machine has a display section such as a display panel for collecting failure information and out-of-stock information.
The display unit informs by displaying the failure information of the vending machine and the out-of-stock information of the product. The failure information and out-of-stock information displayed on the display unit are recognized by the route salesman when he / she visits, and the necessary information is reported to the sales company. When replenishing products, the quantity and type of packing are determined based on the experience of the route salesman.

Further, there is a system that transmits failure information and out-of-stock information to a host computer. (For example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-16373, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-116394, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-1113864, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-24.
5390 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-116395).

[0004]

However, when the route salesman visits the failure information and the out-of-stock information, the information is recognized and the necessary information is notified, so that the failure information and the out-of-stock information are transmitted. There is a problem that the opportunity for automatic sales will be lost due to delivery.

In addition, the route
Since the quantity and type of items to be packed are determined based on the experience of the salesman, if the prospect is greatly missed, the opportunity loss must be increased without being able to replenish the product, and the product must be sent again. , Causing an increase in labor costs.

[0006] Further, the products must always be kept in a large quantity, which puts pressure on the inventory management cost.

Further, in the system for transmitting the failure information and the out-of-stock information to the host computer, there is a problem that a simple system cannot be constructed because only wireless or dedicated cables are used for transmission.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine management system capable of reducing labor costs and loss of opportunity by automatically collecting failure information and out-of-stock information of the vending machine. is there.

[0009]

According to the present invention, whether there is a failure in a vending machine, counting the number of each product in each product lane, a product out-of-stock alarm, a price memory for each product lane, A first management adapter that manages information such as sales amount count, sales amount check of the product, and denomination balance alarm of the product, and the information is transmitted to the center processing device using a power line and a public line. A vending machine management system is obtained which has a second management adapter.

Also, according to the present invention, the vending machine management system is characterized in that the second management adapter transmits the normal information of the information at a fixed time and the emergency information immediately. .

[0011]

In the vending machine management system according to the present invention,
The number of products is checked, and when the vending machine is out of order or the product is out of stock, these pieces of information are reported to the first management adapter without a scheduled time. The second management adapter transmits information from the power line to the center processing device via the public line.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the vending machine management system of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the vending machine management system includes a first management adapter [VMCA (Vending) for managing information on the vending machine 1 and product information.
Machine Control Adapter; Bending Machine Control Adapter)] 2
And a second management adapter [VMOA (Vending Machine) that transmits information from the power line 5 to the center processing device 7 such as a host computer via the public line 6.
e Online Adapter; Bending Machine Online Adapter)] 3.

The vending machine 1 includes a first management adapter 2
And a second management adapter 3 are provided, which interface with each other. First management adapter 2
Is information as to whether or not the vending machine 1 is out of order, the number of each product in each product lane of the vending machine 1, the product out-of-stock alarm of each product lane, the price memory for each product lane, and the sales amount of the product , Product sales amount check, product denomination balance alarm to the second management adapter 3
To transmit.

The system in the case of the purchase of goods by the store 9 is such that information about the product being out of stock and troubles of the vending machine 1 is transmitted from the vending machine 1 to the transmission device 10 in the shop 9 online via the power line 5. To transmit. Then, in the store 9, online transmission is performed from the transmission device 10 to the center reception device 11 using the public line 6, and the center processing device 7 is transmitted.
The product order information is transmitted to.

In the case of a system in which the sales company 15 directly manages the sale of the product, the information about the product out of stock / the trouble of the vending machine 1 is transmitted from the vending machine 1 to the center receiver 11 online. Center processing device 7
To transmit.

The center processing device 7 outputs various management data, and in response to trouble information and product shortage, information is transmitted from the sales company 15 to the management center 20 for trouble maintenance and product replenishment. Is done.

The second management adapter 3 sends normal information (remaining number of products and sales amount) at regular time and immediately sends emergency information (out of stock information, failure information) to the sales company 15. In addition, the second management adapter 3 is
In sales, data communication with the POT13 carried by the route salesman is also performed.

The communication means of the second management adapter 3 is performed by the power line 5 and the public line (PB signal) 6 as described above. For example, when the product lane of the beverage of interest contained in the vending machine 1 is out of stock, the first management adapter 2 notifies the second management adapter 3 of the out-of-stock notification. At this time, the second management adapter 3 transmits the content of the out-of-stock notification to the transmission device 10 in the store 9 through the power line 5 using the SS system (spread spectrum power line carrier communication system) as the control signal of the vending machine 1. When it reaches the reach of the public network, it is converted into a PB signal and transmitted to the sales company 15.

Information such as replenishment and change out of goods is displayed on the transmission device 10 in the store 9. Information such as inventory, sales, and maintenance is automatically notified to the sales company 15 using the public line 6. In the sales company 15, it is possible to display the data from the center receiving device 11 via the personal computer 17 on the display 18 or to eject the data by the printer 19.

[0021]

As described above, according to the vending machine management system of the present invention as described with reference to the embodiments, by automatically collecting the failure information and the out-of-stock information of the vending machine, it is possible to reduce the labor cost and the opportunity of goods. Loss can be reduced.

Further, since information can be sent from the vending machine to the transmission device in the store via the power line and transmitted to the center processing device via the public line, a simple vending machine management system can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system image diagram showing routes of transmission of a normal call and an emergency call in a vending machine management system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment using a spread spectrum power line carrier communication system in the vending machine management system of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Vending Machine 2 First Management Adapter 3 Second Management Adapter 5 Power Line 6 Public Line 7 Center Processing Device 9 Store 10 Transmission Device 11 Center Reception Device 15 Sales Company

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine failure, counting the number of each product in each product lane, a product out-of-stock alarm,
A first management adapter for managing information such as a price memory for each product lane, a sales amount count of the product, a sales amount check of the product, and a denomination balance alarm of the product, a power line and a public line. A vending machine management system having a second management adapter for transmitting to the center processing unit using a line. 2. The vending machine management system according to claim 1, wherein the second management adapter transmits the normal information of the information at a fixed time and the emergency information immediately.