JPS6125199B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field] The present invention relates to a fare changing method in a vending machine, and relates to a fare changing method suitable for fare revision in, for example, an automatic ticket vending machine for railway tickets.

[Description of prior art]

Automatic ticket vending machines for railway tickets sell tickets with fares (fares) depending on the section of the train the passenger travels, and usually there is a customer service panel in front of the machine for selecting the desired fare. A large number of account selection pushbuttons/switches are arranged. The fare is written on the surface of these selection pushbuttons/switches, or a display board on which the fare is written is affixed corresponding to the pushbutton/switch.
This is the oldest type of automatic ticket vending machine.

In such automatic ticket vending machines, when the fare is revised, it is necessary to change or replace the circuit section related to the fare, and also replace the above-mentioned push button switch on which the fare is written or the display board on which the fare is written. However, this work to revise fares required a lot of effort and a lot of money. This is because the fare revision work for automatic ticket vending machines must be completed within a short period of time from the last departure time of the train on the day before the fare revision date to the first train departure time on the revision date. This is because the line has many stations, and each station has many automatic ticket vending machines.

In order to simplify the fare revision work of such automatic ticket vending machines, automatic ticket vending systems such as those described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 72300/1983 have been devised. In this system, instead of writing the fare on the surface of the account selection pushbutton/switch of the automatic ticket vending machine or pasting a display board with the fare written on, a number is displayed corresponding to each pushbutton/switch. A tube is placed and the fare is displayed on this numerical display tube. Control of ticket vending operations, including control of displaying fares on the numeric display tube, is performed by a central control device that controls a plurality of automatic ticket vending machines.

However, since this automatic ticket vending system requires a central control device including a large-sized computer, there is a problem that installing this central control device at each station would be expensive. If you tried to control the automatic ticket vending machines at all stations with one centralized control device, you would have to install communication cables over long distances or use existing telephone lines, which would result in a large amount of expense. There is a problem.

Therefore, the fare to be displayed on the numeric display tube is stored in advance in the built-in memory of each automatic ticket vending machine, and when a coin is inserted, the fare is read from the memory and displayed on the numeric display tube. A method to do this has been devised and has been actually adopted (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 84799/1983). With this automatic ticket vending machine, fare revision work can be done by simply exchanging the memory in which the old fare is stored with the memory in which the new fare is stored, or by rewriting the fare in the fare memory to the new fare. achieved.

However, even this method is not sufficient to complete fare revision work for a huge number of automatic ticket vending machines in a short period of time. This is because after replacing or rewriting the memory, it is essential to check whether the automatic ticket vending machine will operate with the revised fare. This is because there is a restriction that all automatic ticket vending machines in 2017 must be completed within a short period of time from the last train departure time on the day before the fare revision date to the first train departure time on the day of the revision date.

By the way, there is an automatic ticket gate that checks the tickets issued by the automatic ticket vending machine, instead of an automatic ticket vending machine, which is equipped with an old fare memory and a new fare memory (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 133098/1983). ). At the automatic ticket vending machine that issues tickets applied to this automatic ticket gate, a code indicating whether the ticket is for the old fare or the new fare is recorded on the ticket at the time of issuance. The automatic ticket gate reads the above code and the face data of the inserted ticket, and if the above code indicates the old fare, it compares the read face data with the data in the old fare memory and confirms that the above code is correct. If it indicates a new fare, the read ticket face data is compared with the data in the new fare memory. Additionally, if new fare data is compared,
The indicator light installed on the automatic ticket gate lights up.

In such automatic ticket gates, the memory can be replaced or rewritten at any time before the fare revision date, but it is not clear whether the automatic ticket gate will operate correctly with the new memory data or the rewritten data. It is difficult to confirm whether this is the case. This is because whether to refer to data in the old fare memory or new fare memory for ticket inspection processing is determined based on the above code recorded on the inserted ticket; This is because a ticket with a code indicating that it is necessary is required. In order to issue a ticket with a code indicating the new fare,
The fare data of at least one automatic ticket vending machine must be changed to the new fare.

[Purpose of the invention]

This invention not only allows a vending machine to replace the memory that stores the price at any time before the price revision date, but also
To provide a fee change method that allows easy operation confirmation of a vending machine after replacement.

[Structure and effects of the invention]

The present invention provides a vending machine equipped with a central processing unit that controls sales processing including charge display and amount calculation based on account charges stored in the memory. A charge memory that is equipped with a date setter that can change the set date, stores the charges before the change and the charge after the change in the two charge memories, and stores at least the charge after the change. The date of the rate change is memorized, the date on the date setter is compared with the date of the rate change, and depending on the comparison result, either the rate before the change or the rate after the change is read out. The present invention is characterized in that a predetermined sales process is executed based on the read price.

Therefore, the memory can be replaced at any date and time before the rate change date.

Further, after replacing the memory, it is possible to check the operation of the vending machine simply by changing the date on the date setter, so the operation check work is extremely easy.

Furthermore, on the day of the rate change, simply set the date on the date setter to that day's date, or if the date setter automatically ticks the date like a clock, the date will be automatically changed without any further action. By switching to a later rate, it is possible to achieve a significant reduction in the amount of work that workers have to do.

[Explanation of Examples]

Hereinafter, embodiments in which the present invention is applied to an automatic ticket vending machine will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, the customer service panel provided on the front of the automatic ticket vending machine has a number of account selection pushbuttons/switches 31, 32...3 for selecting the desired fare.
9 are arranged. These pushbutton switches 31 to 39 are so-called illuminated pushbutton switches in which the pushbuttons themselves light up. Further, numeric display tubes 41, 42, . . . 49 are arranged corresponding to each of the push buttons/switches 31-39. The customer service panel also has push buttons to select routes for contacting other companies.
Switches 51 and 52 are provided. The coin verification device 53 determines the authenticity and type of a coin inserted into a coin slot provided in a customer service panel, and outputs a genuine coin signal representing the type if the coin is a genuine coin. The coin verification device 53 may include a paper fault discrimination mechanism (bill checker) for determining the authenticity and type of paper faults. The automatic ticket vending machine further includes a date setter 54, which is provided in the staff operation section of the automatic ticket vending machine, and is used to set the date of the day by the station staff on a daily basis.
A printing device 5 that prints the amount, date of issue, issuing station name, issuing number, etc. on the surface of the ticket to be issued.
5, and a magnetic recording device 56 for magnetically recording each of the above items on the back side of the ticket to be issued. The year, month, and day are set in the date setter 54. The output of the date setter 54 is used for printing the date of issue on the ticket and for fare revision processing to be described later. A digital clock can also be used as the date setter 54, in which case there is no need for an employee to change the date each day. As the printing device 55, it is preferable to use a thermal printer that has a thermal print head consisting of a large number of minute heating elements and prints dots on recording paper that develops color when heated. Magnetic recording device 56 includes an encoder and a magnetic head for encoding the items to be magnetically recorded.

A central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as
50 (referred to as CPU). CPU5
0 is preferably a microprocessor. This CPU 50 includes a read-only memory (not shown) that stores an execution program to be described later, two independent fare memories 61 and 62 that store account fares in advance, and a random access memory for various data. (below
It is equipped with 69 RAM (RAM). The fare memories 61 and 62 are programmable read-only.
It consists of a memory (P-ROM), which has a storage area for fares and a storage area for fare revision dates 86 and 9.
0. In the fare storage areas of both memories 61 and 62, there are storage areas 70 and 87 for storing fares for accounts for own company routes, and fares for accounts for routes of other companies represented by selection pushbutton switches 51 and 52. Memory area 8 to memorize each
0, 85, 88, and 89 are provided, respectively. One fare memory 61 stores data regarding old fares before revision, and the other fare memory 62 stores data regarding new fares after revision. Looking at the fare storage area of the old fare memory 61, there are 9 storage locations 71, 72, .
...Old fares such as 270 (yen) are stored in advance. The storage area 80 for other companies' routes has four storage locations 81...84 that store old fares for each boarding section via a transfer station, for example 270,...
..., 350 (yen), etc. are stored in advance. Required old fares are similarly stored in the storage area 85 for other companies' routes. This memory 61
The fare revision date storage area 86 stores the last fare revision date when the old fare became the new fare. Similarly, in the fare storage area of the new fare memory 62, there is a storage area 87 for own route.
Nine types of new fares corresponding to each riding section are stored in advance, and new fares corresponding to each riding section are stored in advance in storage areas 88 and 89 for other companies' routes. Furthermore, the current fare revision date is stored in advance in the storage area 90.

RAM69 has an illuminated pushbutton switch 3.
Corresponding to numbers 1 to 39, flag 9 for displaying the input amount range is used to light up these switches.
1, 92...99 are provided. When these flags 91-99 are set, the corresponding pushbutton switches 31-39 light up, respectively.
For example, when flag 91 is set, pushbutton switch 31 is lit, and when flag 92 is set, switch 32 is lit. Also, RAM
At 69, there is an area 10 that stores the amount of money that has been put in.
1. Area 10 that stores the amount of the ticket to be issued
Area 10 is used as a counter for counting the number of readings and designating the storage location from which fares are to be read when sequentially reading fares from each storage location of the own route account 70 or 87.
3. Account for other companies' routes 80 or 85, or 8
An area 104 is used to count the number of times the fare has been read out and designate the storage location to be read out when the fare is read out sequentially from each storage location of 8 or 89, and an area 105 is used as a flag FC to remember the insertion of the first coin. are provided for each. Each of these areas 91-99, 101-105 are
It is reset in advance before processing by the CPU 50.

The two fare memories are each independent 1-chip memories, and are either removably attached to a part of the memory printed circuit board of the automatic ticket vending machine's arithmetic control unit, or each is attached to a separate replaceable printed circuit board. installed. These two
The locations where the two fare memories are installed are indicated by A and B, respectively. Then, on an appropriate day prior to the fare revision date, the memory storing the old fare before the revision is replaced with the memory storing the fare that becomes the new fare due to the revision. Second
As shown in the figure, in the initial period, the fare memory 64, in which the first fare C1 is stored in the fare storage area and the operation start date D1 is stored in the fare revision date storage area, is set at location A. No data is written in the area, and the fare memory 63 with "1" written in all locations in the fare revision date storage area is set at location B.
At this time, as will be described later, the CPU 50 executes ticket sales processing using the fare C1 in the memory 64. A mark 68 is attached to the fare memory 63 so that the memory to be replaced will not be mistaken in memory replacement work at the time of the next fare revision. mark 68
Alternatively, a piece of paper serving as an indicator may be pasted on the fare memory or a cover may be placed on the fare memory. For the first fare revision, a fare memory 61 is prepared in which the new fare C2 due to the revision is stored in the fare storage area and the first fare revision date D2 is stored in the fare revision date storage area. , this memory 61 is replaced with the memory 63 on an appropriate date before the first fare revision date D2. The fare memory 64 is at location A.
The fare C1 remains attached to the old fare C1. A mark 68 is attached to this memory 64. When the memories 63 and 61 are exchanged,
The CPU 50 will continue to use the old fare C until the fare revision date D2, with the exception of the operation confirmation period described below.
1 is used, and after the fare revision date D2, processing is performed based on the new fare C2. After this, if there is a second fare revision, the new fare C3 due to the second revision
A fare memory 62 is prepared in which the fare revision date D3 and the second fare revision date D3 are stored, and this memory 62 is replaced with the fare memory 64 on an appropriate day before the fare revision date D3. The fare memory 61 is held at location B with only a mark 68 attached thereto, and the fare C2 becomes the old fare. Furthermore, regarding the third fare revision, the third new fare C4 and its revision date D
4 is stored, and this memory 65 is replaced with the memory 61 on a day before the revision date D4. Memory 62 is only marked 68 and remains attached to location A. In addition, the fare memory 6 for the second fare revision
1,62 are shown in detail in FIG.

Now, referring to FIG. 3, fare revision processing by the CPU 50 is executed as follows. First, the date DO set in the date setter 54 is read. (Step 1) Next, read the fare revision date DA from the fare memory provided at location A (Step 2), then read the fare revision date DB from the fare memory provided at location B ( Step 3).
Then, from the contents of the read fare revision date DB, check whether "1" is written in all memory locations in the fare revision date storage area of the memory at location B, and (Step 4) check the contents of the fare revision date DB. If they are all "1", this is the initial state, so the process moves to step 8 and the ticket issuance process is performed using the fare stored in the fare memory at location A. Fare revision date DB
If the content is not “all 1”, go to step 5.
Go to , and check which fare revision date is newer, DA or DB. As mentioned above, the fare memories at locations A and B are exchanged alternately each time the fare is revised, so as in the first fare revision in Figure 2, the fare memory at location B
There are cases where the contents of the memory at location A are the new fares, and cases where the contents of the memory at location A are the new fares, as in the case of the second fare revision. If the fare revision date DB is newer than the DA (for example, the first revision), proceed to step 6; conversely, if the fare revision date DA is newer than the DB (for example, the second revision), proceed to step 7. Move. In steps 6 and 7, step 1
The date DO read by the date setter 54 is compared with the fare revision dates DB and DA. The date set in the date setter 54 is changed daily by the station staff and represents the year, month, and day of that day. Compare the fare revision date DB and that day's date DO (step 6). If the date DO is less than the fare revision date DB, it has not yet entered the fare revision date DB, so proceed to step 8 and update the old date. The vehicle operates according to the contents of the fare memory at location A where the fare is stored.
If the date DO of the date setter 54 is equal to or has passed the fare revision date DB, the process moves from step 6 to step 9, and ticket issuance processing is performed based on the contents of the fare memory at location B where the new fare is stored. Let's do it. In step 7, the fare revision date DA is compared with the date DO in the date setter 54, and if the date DO is less than the fare revision date DA, the process proceeds to step 9 and the fare at location B where the old fare is stored is set. If the date DO is equal to or has passed the fare revision date DA, proceed to step 8 and drive according to the contents of the fare memory at location A where the new fare is stored. The reading processing in steps 1 to 3 and the judgments in steps 4 to 7 need only be performed once when the CPU 50 is initially powered on or prior to the day's operation. Then, the judgment results of steps 4 to 7 are stored in an appropriate storage area (not shown) of the RAM 69.
It is preferable to memorize it.

The work of replacing the fare memory at location A or B and the work of checking whether the automatic ticket vending machine operates normally with the replaced fare memory can be performed at any date and time before the fare revision date. Referring to FIG. 4, if the fare memory at location A or B is replaced and the date on the date setter 54 is artificially set to the fare revision date or later, the automatic ticket vending machine will operate at the new fare. It should be. Therefore, it is confirmed whether or not the fare memory, which has been replaced and newly installed and has the new fare stored therein, will operate normally. If it is confirmed that the new fare memory will operate normally,
Return the date on the date setter 64 to its original value. Then, the automatic ticket vending machine will operate at the old fare from this time until the fare revision date, and at the new fare after the fare revision date.

In this example, the fare memory at either location A or B is replaced with the fare memory in which the new fare is stored, so it is sufficient to perform operation confirmation only on the replaced new fare memory. ,
This is extremely convenient since there is no need to check the fare memory that will not be replaced.

However, if the installation location of the fare memory in which the new fare is stored and the installation location of the fare memory in which the old fare is stored are fixed in advance, then each The memory in which the fare to be the fare is stored may be set in the old fare attachment location, and the memory in which the new fare is stored may be set in the new fare attachment location. In this case, it is clear which memory is the fare memory that stores the new fare, so the processing in step 5 is unnecessary, and the fare revision is started from the fare memory that stores the new fare. Just read the day and compare it with the date on the date setter. Furthermore, depending on how the execution program is constructed, the operation start date D1 of the memory 64 in the initial state shown in FIG. 2 is not necessarily necessary.

Finally, with reference to FIG. 5, the fare display process by the CPU 50 will be explained for the case of the old fare in the fare memory 61. The same applies to the new fare in the fare memory 62. First, when coin insertion is detected from the standby state (step 11), it is checked whether the flag FC is set and it is determined whether the inserted coin is the first coin (step 12). If the flag FC is not set, proceed to step 13 and display all fares for the company's routes in tube 4.
Displayed in numbers 1 to 49. This process is executed by sequentially reading out the fares stored in the storage area 70 of the company's route account from the storage locations 71 to 79 and sending them to the numerical display tubes 41-49. As a result, display tubes 41 to 49 display 70, 90,...270.
(Yen) and other fares are displayed. Therefore, passengers can know the fares for all sections at this point. Flag after this fare display
The FC is set (step 14), and the process proceeds to step 15, where the total amount P inserted is calculated based on the genuine coin signal from the coin verification device 53 and stored in the area 101. Then, the content n of the counter 103 is +1
(Step 16). Since the contents of the counter 103 are initially 0, the contents become 1 by the processing in step 16. In step 17, the fare Q in the storage location specified by the content n of the counter 103 in the area 70 of the company's route account is read out. Each memory location 71 to 79 in the memory area 70
are assigned addresses such as the first, second, etc., starting from the storage location 71 and moving toward the storage location 79, and these addresses are designated by the contents of the counter 103. If n=1, storage location 71 is designated and its fare 70 (yen) is read out. Next, use this read fare Q and step 1.
The amount is compared with the input amount P stored in the area 101 calculated in step 5 (step 18), and if P≧Q, the process proceeds to step 19 and flags 91 to 99 are set.
A flag corresponding to the read fare is set. If the fare in the storage location 71 is read in step 17, a flag 91 is set. This causes the switch 31 to light up. After this, the process returns to step 16 and the content n of the counter 103 is increased by 1 again.
Then, since the content of the counter 103 becomes 2, the fare from the memory location 72 is read out (step 1).
7) and compared with the total input amount P (step 18).
In this way, the switches 31, 32, etc. corresponding to the fare equal to or less than the total amount of money input are lit. For example, when 100 yen is inserted, switches 31 and 32 light up.

If P<Q in step 18, step 2
0, and subtract 1 from the content n of the counter 103.
It is determined whether the next coin has been inserted based on the genuine coin signal from the coin verification device 53 (step 2).
1). Subsequently, if a coin has been inserted, the amount is read, and the process returns to step 12 to check whether the flag FC is set. Since the flag FC has already been set, proceed to step 15, and add the input amount read this time to the total input amount P up to the previous time stored in the area 101, and set it in the area as the total input amount P up to this time. Store in 101. Then, steps 16 to 19 are repeated in the same manner. If the input amount read this time is 100 yen, the total input amount P is 200 yen, and flags 91 to 9
6 is set and the pushbutton switches 31 to 36
lights up.

If it is determined in step 21 that no coins have been inserted yet, press the other company route selection pushbutton.
Check whether switch 51 or 52 is pressed (step 22), and press these switches 5.
If either 1 or 52 is pressed, the flags 91 to 99 are reset and the memory area 8 corresponding to the pressed other company route selection pushbutton/switch is reset.
The fare stored in 0 or 85 is displayed on a predetermined display tube among the numerical display tubes 41 to 49 (step 23). For example, pushbutton switch 51
When is pressed, the four types of fares in the area 80 are displayed on the numerical display tubes 41-44. As a result, if the user presses the route selection pushbutton switch 51 or 52 after inserting at least the first coin, all fares for the selected route will be displayed. The process at step 23 is executed in the same way as the process at step 13 by sequentially reading out the contents of area 80 and sending them to display tubes 41-44. Then, in the same way as steps 16 to 19, the content m of the counter 104 is incremented by 1 (step 2
4) Read the fare R in the area 80 specified by the content m of the counter 104 (step 2).
5) Compare this fare R with the total input amount P calculated in step 15 (step 26), and
If ≧R, flags are set sequentially starting from flag 91 (step 27). After this, the process returns to step 23 and the same process is repeated. In steps 25 to 27, if the content of the counter 104 is m=1, the storage location 81 of the area 80 is designated, the fare stored in that storage location is read out, and if P≧R, the flag 91 is set. be done. Further, when m=2, the storage location 82 is specified, and when P≧R, a flag 92 is set.

In the case of NC at step 22 or 26, the process moves to step 28, where it is determined whether any of the account selection pushbuttons/switches 31 to 39 that are lit is pressed, and the button/switch is lit. If any of the account selection pushbuttons/switches in 29). This is processed by leaving and resetting only the flag corresponding to the pressed account selection pushbutton switch among flags 91-99. Then, a printing device 55 and a magnetic recording device 56
Performs normal ticket issuing processing such as printing on recording paper and magnetic recording, discharging the ticket after this processing, and discharging change (Step 3).
0), returns to standby state. Note that unless the account selection pushbutton/switch is pressed (step 2)
8), return to step 21, and step 21, 22
Repeat steps 28 to 28.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an automatic ticket vending machine.
Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing how the fare memory is replaced, Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing the procedure for implementing this invention, Fig. 4 is a time chart showing the procedure of confirmation work, and Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the procedure for implementing the invention. This is a flow chart showing the amount display procedure. 50... Central processing unit (CPU), 54... Date setter, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65... Fare memory, 70, 80, 85, 87, 88, 89
...Fare storage area, 86,90...Fare revision date memory area, C1, C2, C3, C4...Fare,
D1, D2, D3, D4...Fare revision date.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a vending machine equipped with a central processing unit that controls sales processing including charge display and amount calculation based on account charges stored in memory, two interchangeable and independent charge memories and a set date memory are provided. It is equipped with a date setter that can be changed, and the two charge memories mentioned above store the charge before the change and the charge after the change, respectively, and at least the charge memory that stores the charge after the change does not contain the charge. Memorize the date of change, compare the date on the date setter with the rate change date, read out either the pre-change rate or the post-change rate according to the comparison result, and read out the read rate. A method for changing charges in a vending machine that executes a predetermined sales process based on the following.