JPS6326919B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a control device for a vending machine, and more particularly to a control device for a vending machine using a coin pick that can be used regardless of the number of sales price settings.

[Conventional technology]

Generally, a vending machine detects the inserted coin, calculates the inserted amount, compares the inserted amount with the sales setting price, determines whether the coin can be sold, and sends out a sales possible signal.
The part that dispenses change (hereinafter referred to as the coin meter)
In many cases, these are combined into one unit for manufacturing and maintenance reasons.

As a device of this type, the one shown in the block diagram of FIG. 1 is known. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates a coin mec as a money processing means, 2 indicates a control device for a vending machine, 3 indicates a sales price setting means for setting the sales price of a product for each product column provided in the control device 2, and 4 indicates a A selection push button is used by the customer to select a product to purchase, 5 is a sellable display lamp that displays a column of products that can be sold, and 6 is a product delivery device that takes out the selected product. In addition, the readable signal is
This is a signal that is sent when a coin is inserted into the coin pick 1 and the amount of money inserted is not zero.The price data signal is a signal that is sent out when a coin is inserted into the coin pick 1 and the amount of money inserted is not zero. This is a signal output from the device 2 as price data, and the sellable signal is a signal indicating whether the sale is possible by comparing the sales setting price indicated by the price data signal with the input amount to determine whether the sale is possible. The sales start signal is a signal sent from the control device 2 when the selected product is taken out. By having such a configuration, it is possible to use the same coin mark 1 no matter how many prices are set.

Next, the operation of the conventional control device 2 will be explained. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the conventional device, which is controlled by a microcomputer. First, when the power is turned on at the terminal 10, initial settings are made in step 11, and the process proceeds to step 12. In step 12, it is determined whether a coin can be read when a coin is inserted from the coin pick 1 and the amount of money inserted is not zero, and if yes, the process proceeds to step 13. In step 13, the column of sales setting price to be sent as a price data signal is designated as No. 1, and the process proceeds to step 14. In step 14, the sales price set in the sales price setting means 3 for the designated column is sent as a price data signal, and the process proceeds to step 15. In step 15, step 14
After a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the sales price is sent, the process proceeds to step 16. This predetermined time needs to be longer than the time required for the coin check 1 to compare the sales set price sent as a price data signal with the input amount in step 14 and determine whether the item can be sold. For example, the time required to determine whether it can be sold depends on the performance of Coin Mek 1, but it takes about 30 to 40 minutes.
ms, and the above-mentioned predetermined time is preferably about 50 ms, which is slightly longer than this. Next step 1
At step 6, it is determined whether or not the sales setting price of the specified column sent out at step 14 is available for sale based on the sales availability signal. If the sale is possible, the process proceeds to step 17, and if not, the process proceeds to step 18.
In step 17, it is stored that the designated column is available for sale, and the sales availability display lamp 5 of the designated column is lit, and the process proceeds to step 19. In step 18, it is stored that the designated column is not available for sale. At the same time, the sellable display lamp 5 of the designated column is turned off and the process proceeds to step 19. In step 19, step 17
Alternatively, it is determined whether the sellable column selection button 4 has been pressed based on the sellable status of each column stored in step 18, and when the sellable column selection pushbutton 4 has been pressed, the process advances to step 22, and if the sellable column selection button 4 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step 22. If not, proceed to step 20. Step 2
If it is 0, it is determined whether the specified column is the last (for example, column No. 20 if the number of columns is 20), and if it is not the last, the process proceeds to step 21, and if it is the last, the process returns to step 13. In step 21, the designated column number is incremented by 1, and the column with the incremented column number is set as the next designated column, and the process returns to step 14. In step 22, sales operations are performed, that is, the sales set price of the selected column is sent out as a price data signal, a sales start signal is sent out, and the products in the selected column are carried out from the product delivery device 6, and the process returns to step 12. When the sales start signal is sent out, the coin pick 1 subtracts the sales setting price indicated by the price data signal at that time from the input amount, and pays out the difference as change.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In such a conventional device, the selling price is sent out as a price data signal for all columns in order starting from No. 1, and the coin mark 1 performs a sales decision, which takes a long time compared to other processes. As the number of columns increases, it takes a longer time to determine whether all columns can be sold, and it also requires a lot of waiting time, such as in step 15, which is inefficient. . For example, if there are 20 columns, 50 ms is required for each column as mentioned above, so for 20 columns, 50 x 20 = 1000 ms is required, and more than 1 second has elapsed since the customer inserted the coin. Otherwise, there was an inconvenience that the product could not be sold.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a control device for a vending machine that can eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, more quickly determine whether a product can be sold, and shorten the waiting time after inserting coins.

[Means for solving problems]

As shown in FIG.
A storage means B that stores the sales setting prices set for each price is compared with all the sales setting prices set in the setting means A to detect columns that are set to the same sales setting price. Detection means C
and a money processing means D that determines whether the column can be sold for each set sales price stored in the storage means B and collectively determines whether the columns set at the same set sales price can be sold. This is achieved by

[Effect]

According to the present invention, the sales set prices for each column are stored in the storage means B for each same sales set price, and when coins are inserted, the money processing means D determines whether or not the sale is possible in the order of the sales set prices. If the sale is possible based on this judgment of sale, a sale possibility signal is output based on the detection result of the detection means C, so that the saleability of columns having the same selling price can be determined at once.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a RAM map showing an example of sales setting prices in the case of 20 columns and prices stored in RAM in the order of sales setting price transmission, and FIG. In the block diagram of the embodiment of the present invention, the control device 2 of the vending machine according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a microcomputer (CPU) 21 as a detection means, and the CPU 21 has a function of a RAM 21a as a storage means. This is a new addition, and the rest is the same as before.

In FIG. 3, first, when the power is turned on at the terminal 30, initial settings are made at step 31 and the process proceeds to step 32. At step 32, it is determined whether or not a coin has been inserted into the coin muck 1 and the amount of money inserted is no longer zero based on the presence or absence of the readable signal, and when the amount of money inserted is no longer zero, the process advances to step 33. The process up to this point is the same as the conventional device. Next, in step 33, all the sales set prices for each column set in the sales price setting means 3 are compared, arranged in descending order of price and stored in the RAM 21a in the CPU 21, and the process proceeds to step 34. In the example shown in FIG. 4, 50□×, 80 yen, 90 yen, and 100 yen are stored side by side as shown in FIG. In step 34, the lowest price (fourth price) is added to the sales setting price sent as price data.
In the figure, specify 50 yen) and proceed to step 35. In step 35, the designated selling price is sent as a price data signal, and the process proceeds to step 36. In step 36, the process proceeds to step 37 after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, similar to step 15 in the conventional apparatus. In step 37, it is determined based on the sales possibility signal whether or not the specified selling price sent out in step 35 is sellable. If the sale is possible, the process proceeds to step 38, and if not, the process proceeds to step 40. In step 38, if all the columns with the specified selling price are set (the selling price specified in Figure 4 is 50 yen), it is remembered that it is possible to sell separately in columns 4 to 20, and the process goes to step 39. move on. At step 40, it is remembered that sales are not possible for all columns of the specified sales set price, and the process advances to step 41. In step 39, the sellable display lamps 5 of all the columns with the designated selling price are turned on, and the process proceeds to step 42. In step 41, the sellable display lamps 5 of all columns with the designated selling price are turned off, and the process proceeds to step 42. At step 42, step 38
Alternatively, it is determined whether or not the sellable column selection button 4 has been pressed based on the sellable state stored in step 40. If the sellable column selection button 4 has been pressed, the process advances to step 45, and if it has not been pressed, the process continues. Proceed to step 43.

In step 43, it is determined whether the specified selling price is the final price (100 yen in the example shown in FIG. 4), and if it is not the final price, the process proceeds to step 44, and if it is the final price, the process returns to step 34. In step 44, the next price (the next highest price after the specified price) is specified, and the process returns to step 35. Further, in step 45, a sales operation similar to step 22 of the conventional device is performed, and the process returns to step 32.

Here, when comparing the conventional device and the embodiment of the present invention in FIG. 4, it is found that although the conventional device finishes determining whether all columns are sellable, the conventional device only processes 20 columns in the order of column numbers shown in FIG. Whereas it was necessary to transmit the sales setting price several times and make a coin check to determine whether the product could be sold, in the embodiment of the present invention, it is only necessary to transmit the sales setting price four times in the order shown in FIG. Therefore, the time from when a coin is inserted until it becomes available for sale can be shortened from 1 second to 0.2 seconds (50ms x 4).

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention as described above, since columns with the same set selling price are grouped together and the money processing means is made to determine whether the sale is possible, the communication time required for determining whether the sale is possible or not is shortened. You can obtain coins that eliminate the waiting time until they can be sold after being inserted.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional vending machine according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the conventional device, FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the conventional device. An example of sales setting prices in the case of 20 columns and a RAM map in which prices are stored in RAM in the order in which sales setting prices are sent out. Fig. 5 is a block diagram of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 6 shows the configuration of the present invention. FIG. 1...Coin pick, 2...Vending machine control device, 3...Selling price setting means, 4...Selection push button, 5...Sellable display lamp, 6...Product delivery device, 21...Microcomputer ( CPU),
21a...RAM.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A setting means for setting the sales setting price for each column, a storage means for storing the sales setting prices set in the setting means for each price, and comparing all the sales setting prices set in the setting means. a detection means for detecting columns set at the same set sales price; and a detection means for detecting columns set at the same set sales price; and a detection means for determining whether sales are possible for each set sales price stored in the storage means; 1. A control device for a vending machine, comprising: money processing means that collectively determines whether or not the items can be sold.