CN110661540B

CN110661540B - Communication device of vending machine

Info

Publication number: CN110661540B
Application number: CN201910470976.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 竹内志郎; 马杜拉·佩雷拉
Original assignee: Fuji Electric Co Ltd
Current assignee: Fuji Electric Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-06-12
Filing date: 2019-05-31
Publication date: 2022-04-26
Anticipated expiration: 2039-05-31
Also published as: JP2019215656A; JP7205083B2; CN110661540A

Abstract

The communication device of the automatic vending machine can be applied to the existing automatic vending machine and can simplify the work such as the replenishing work. The vending machine is provided with: the main controller controls the action of the vending machine and records various data of the vending machine; an infrared communication unit which is connected to the main controller so as to be able to communicate with the main controller, and which transmits and receives data to and from a dedicated handheld terminal disposed in a predetermined infrared communication area by infrared communication, and a communication device which is connected to the main controller so as to be able to communicate with the main controller based on a predetermined communication standard of the infrared communication unit and the main controller, the communication device including: a short-range wireless communication unit that transmits and receives data to and from a portable terminal device disposed in a predetermined communicable area by way of wireless communication that has a longer communication distance and is not directional than infrared communication; and a conversion module for converting the standard of the wireless communication into a predetermined communication standard and converting the predetermined communication standard into a standard of the wireless communication.

Description

Communication device of vending machine

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a communication device for an automatic vending machine.

Background

In general, in a vending machine that sells a beverage contained in a container such as a can or a plastic bottle as a commodity, since the stock amount of the commodity decreases and the sales amount accumulates when the commodity is sold, a replenishing operation of the commodity and a collection operation of money are periodically performed. Such a replenishment work of the product and a collection work of the money are performed by a worker called a so-called fixed route clerk (routeman).

In addition, the vending machine is provided with a main controller and an infrared communication unit. The main controller controls the operation of the vending machine and records various data. The infrared communication unit is connected to the main controller so as to be able to communicate with the main controller based on a predetermined communication standard, and performs infrared communication based on ASK signals conforming to the JVMA program (japanese industrial standard for vending machines) with a hand-held terminal held by an operator as a dedicated external terminal device.

In such an automatic vending machine, when a replenishing operation of a product and a collection operation of money are performed, a hand-held terminal held by an operator is arranged in an infrared-ray communication-capable area of an infrared communication unit, so that infrared communication based on an ASK signal is performed between the infrared communication unit and the hand-held terminal, and data recorded in a main controller is supplied to the hand-held terminal (for example, see patent document 1).

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2007-11660

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In the vending machine proposed in patent document 1, infrared communication based on ASK signals is performed between the infrared communication unit and the hand-held terminal, and therefore the following problems arise.

That is, the communication distance of infrared communication is as short as about several cm, and the directivity of infrared communication is high. Therefore, the operator needs to keep the communication posture of the hand-held terminal close to the infrared communication unit, and can perform communication only by using a dedicated external terminal device such as the hand-held terminal, which may complicate the work.

In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a communication device for an automatic vending machine that can be applied to an existing automatic vending machine and can simplify operations such as a replenishing operation.

Means for solving the problems

In order to achieve the above object, a communication device for a vending machine according to the present invention is applied to a vending machine including: a main controller for controlling the operation of the vending machine and recording various data of the vending machine; and an infrared communication unit communicably connected to the main controller, the infrared communication unit transmitting and receiving data through infrared communication with a dedicated external terminal device disposed in a predetermined infrared communicable area, the communication device of the automatic vending machine being connected to the main controller so as to be communicable with the main controller based on a predetermined communication standard between the infrared communication unit and the main controller, the communication device including: a wireless communication unit that transmits and receives data to and from a portable terminal device disposed in a predetermined communication-capable area by means of wireless communication having a longer communication distance and being non-directional than the infrared communication; and a conversion module that converts the standard of the wireless communication into the predetermined communication standard, and converts the predetermined communication standard into the standard of the wireless communication.

In addition, the communication device of the vending machine according to the present invention includes a long-distance wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication at a higher speed and at a longer distance than the wireless communication unit.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, since the communication device of the vending machine is connected to the main controller so as to be able to communicate with the main controller based on the predetermined communication standard of the infrared communication unit and the main controller, the communication device can be installed in an existing vending machine already distributed in the market by being additionally installed. Further, since the wireless communication unit and the portable terminal device disposed in the predetermined communication-capable area perform data transmission and reception by wireless communication having a longer communication distance and being nondirectional than infrared communication, and the conversion module converts the standard of wireless communication into the predetermined communication standard and converts the predetermined communication standard into the standard of wireless communication, it is not necessary to bring the portable terminal device close to the wireless communication unit and maintain the communication posture thereof when performing operations such as replenishment of commodities and collection of money. Thus, the following effects are achieved: the present invention can be applied to an existing vending machine, and can simplify operations such as a replenishing operation.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an automatic vending machine to which a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure of a vending machine to which a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the configuration of a vending machine to which a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

Description of the reference numerals

1: a vending machine; 10: a main controller; 11: a main body cabinet; 12: a commodity storage; 20: a display device; 26: an infrared communication unit; 27: a communication terminal; 40: a communication device; 42: a short-range wireless communication unit; 43: a remote wireless communication unit; 44: a transformation module; 50: a handheld terminal; 61: a portable terminal device; 62: and (4) a server.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments of a communication device for a vending machine according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 to 3 each show an automatic vending machine to which a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, fig. 1 is a perspective view, fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure, and fig. 3 is a schematic view. The vending machine 1 exemplified here is used for selling a beverage contained in a container such as a can or a plastic bottle as a commodity, and includes a main body cabinet 11 as a main body of the vending machine.

A plurality of (3 in the illustrated example) independent commodity storage containers 12 are provided in parallel on the left and right sides inside the main body cabinet 11. These product storage containers 12 store the products in a state of being maintained at a desired temperature.

Each of the commodity storage containers 12 is provided with a commodity storage rack 13, a discharge mechanism 14, and a discharge chute 15. The commodity storage rack 13 is used for storing commodities in an up-down direction. The output mechanism 14 is provided at a lower portion of the commodity storage rack 13, and outputs commodities located at the lowermost layer among the group of commodities stored in the commodity storage rack 13 one by one. The output chute 15 is used to guide the product output from the output mechanism 14 to a product output port 22 described later. Further, a heat exchanger (not shown) is disposed below the commodity storage container 12, which is defined by the delivery chute 15, and the heat exchanger is driven to maintain the commodities stored in the commodity storage shelves 13 at a desired cooling temperature or heating temperature. In the present embodiment, the left side when the vending machine 1 is viewed from the front is referred to as the left side, and the right side when the vending machine 1 is viewed from the front is referred to as the right side.

In the automatic vending machine 1, the door 16 is provided at the left edge of the main body cabinet 11. The door 16 opens and closes the front opening of the main body cabinet 11, and includes an inner door 16a and an outer door 16 b. The inner door 16a has a size sufficient to cover the front surface of the commodity storage 12 provided in the main body cabinet 11, and has a heat insulating structure. In the illustrated example, the inner door 16a is divided into upper and lower sections and can be opened and closed independently.

The outer door 16b has a size sufficient to cover the front surface opening of the main body cabinet 11. A display monitor 17, a coin input port 18, a bill insertion port 19, an integrated display 20, a coin return port 21, and a commodity output port 22 are provided on the front surface side of the outer door 16b, while a coin processor 23, a coin collection box 24, and a bill processor 25 are provided on the rear surface side of the outer door 16 b.

The display monitor 17 is a so-called touch panel display screen, and adopts a known structure as follows: when a predetermined position of the liquid crystal display screen is pressed by a fingertip, a signal corresponding to the pressed position is supplied to the main controller 10 described later. The display monitor 17 has a function as a display unit for displaying a plurality of commercial product samples in an array. When the product samples are displayed in this manner, a cold and hot display indicating whether the product corresponding to the product sample is a hot product or a cold product is also displayed at the lower position of each product sample. That is, "HOT" is shown in the commercial sample of the HOT commercial product, and "COLD" is shown in the commercial sample of the COLD commercial product. The display monitor 17 also has a function as a product selection means, and when any one of the product samples on the display screen is pressed, a signal corresponding to the pressed position is supplied to the main controller 10, and thereafter, the product corresponding to the product sample is discharged from the inside of the main body cabinet 11 under a predetermined condition.

The coin inlet 18 is an opening through which a user inserts coins. The denomination of the coin inserted through the coin insertion opening 18 is recognized by the coin handling machine 23, and the coin is then stored in the coin collection box 24. The bill insertion slot 19 is an opening through which a user inserts bills. The banknote handling machine 25 recognizes the denomination of the banknotes inserted through the banknote insertion slot 19. The bill insertion slot 19 has a function of returning bills that cannot be recognized by the bill processor 25. The unified display 20 is used to display various information to the user, such as the amount of money to be put in, whether the money is on sale, whether there is change, and the like. The coin return opening 21 is an opening for returning coins that cannot be recognized by the coin handling machine 23 or coins that become change to the user. The commodity outlet 22 is an opening through which a user can take out commodities discharged from the commodity storage rack 13.

The vending machine 1 includes the main controller 10, the infrared communication unit 26, the communication terminal 27, and the communication device 40, in addition to the above configuration.

The main controller 10 controls operations such as a selling operation of the vending machine 1 in accordance with a program and data stored in a built-in storage unit (not shown). In addition, various data (for example, the stock number of the products, the number of sales of the products, the number of replenishment, the amount of sales, and the like) of the vending machine 1 are recorded in the main controller 10.

An ISS (Intelligent Serial Switch) communication line 31 for controlling the display monitor 17 and the like, and a VTS (visual Transaction System) communication line 32 for controlling the coin handling machine 23 and the banknote handling machine 25 are connected to the main controller 10.

The infrared communication unit 26 is provided in the integrated display 20, and is connected to the offline terminal 10a of the main controller 10 via a predetermined communication line 33, thereby enabling communication with the main controller 10. The infrared communication unit 26 can transmit and receive data such as sales data recorded in the main controller 10 as an ASK signal by a protocol determined by the japan automatic vending machine industry association standard and a JVMA program. More specifically, when the handheld terminal 50, which is a dedicated external terminal device, is disposed in an infrared-communicable area, infrared communication based on ASK signals conforming to the JVMA program is performed between the infrared communication unit 26 and the handheld terminal 50.

The communication terminal 27 is connected to the online terminal 10b of the main controller 10 via a predetermined communication line 34, and can communicate with the main controller 10. The communication terminal 27 can transmit and receive data such as sales data recorded in the main controller 10 by a protocol determined by the japan automatic vending machine industry association standard and a JVMA program.

The communication device 40 includes input/

output terminals

41a, 41b, 41c, and 41d that are independently connected to the respective communication lines 31 to 34 such as the ISS communication line 31, and thereby the communication device 40 is connected to the main controller 10 so as to be able to communicate with the main controller 10 based on the respective communication standards (hereinafter also referred to as predetermined communication standards). The communication device 40 includes a short-range wireless communication unit (wireless communication unit) 42, a long-range wireless communication unit 43, and a conversion module 44.

The short-range wireless communication unit 42 transmits and receives data to and from a portable terminal device 61, such as a smartphone, which is disposed in a predetermined communication-capable area and is capable of communicating based on the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard, by short-range wireless communication, such as the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard, which has a longer communication distance (e.g., about several to ten and several meters) than the infrared communication and is non-directional.

The Long-range wireless communication unit 43 and the server 62 transmit and receive data by Long-range wireless communication, which is a longer distance and has a higher speed than the short-range wireless communication, for example, LTE (Long Term Evolution).

The conversion module 44 is connected to the short-range wireless communication unit 42, and the conversion module 44 converts the standard of the short-range wireless communication into a predetermined communication standard with the main controller 10, and converts the predetermined communication standard with the main controller 10 into a standard of the short-range wireless communication. The conversion module 44 is connected to the long-distance wireless communication unit 43, and the conversion module 44 converts the standard of long-distance wireless communication into a predetermined communication standard with the main controller 10 and converts the predetermined communication standard with the main controller 10 into a standard of long-distance wireless communication.

Since the communication device 40 of the vending machine 1 having the above-described configuration is connected to the main controller 10 so as to be able to communicate with the main controller 10 based on the predetermined communication standard of the infrared communication unit 26 and the main controller 10, the communication device can be additionally installed in the existing vending machine 1 which is already distributed in the market. Further, since the conversion module 44 converts the standard of the short-range wireless communication into the predetermined communication standard and converts the predetermined communication standard into the standard of the short-range wireless communication between the short-range wireless communication unit 42 and the portable terminal device 61 arranged in the predetermined communication-capable area by the wireless communication having a longer communication distance and being non-directional than the infrared communication, it is not necessary to keep the communication posture thereof while bringing the portable terminal device 61 close to the short-range wireless communication unit 42 when performing the work such as the replenishment work of the product and the collection work of the money.

Therefore, the communication device 40 of the vending machine 1 can be applied to the existing vending machine 1, and can simplify operations such as a replenishing operation.

Further, according to the communication device 40, since the communication lines 31 to 34 are connected so as to be able to communicate with the main controller 10 based on the respective predetermined communication standards, the short-range wireless communication unit 42 performs short-range wireless communication with the portable terminal device 61 disposed in the predetermined communicable area, and the long-range wireless communication unit 43 performs long-range wireless communication with the server 62, various settings and the like of the automatic vending machine 1 can be collectively performed by using the short-range wireless communication and the long-range wireless communication, and various setting operations of the automatic vending machine 1 can be simplified.

The respective configurations illustrated in the above-described embodiments are functionally schematic ones, and the illustrated configurations are not necessarily physically formed. That is, the way of dispersing and combining the respective devices and components is not limited to the illustrated way, and all or a part of them may be configured to be dispersed and combined functionally or physically in arbitrary units according to various usage situations and the like.

Claims

1. A communication device for a vending machine, applied to the vending machine, the vending machine comprising:

a main controller for controlling the operation of the vending machine and recording various data of the vending machine; and

an infrared communication unit which is communicably connected to the main controller and transmits and receives data to and from a dedicated external terminal device disposed in a predetermined infrared communicable area by infrared communication,

the communication means of the vending machine are characterized in that,

the communication device is provided separately from the infrared communication unit, and includes an input/output terminal connected to a connection line between the infrared communication unit and the main controller, and is connected to the main controller so as to be able to communicate with the main controller based on a predetermined communication standard of the infrared communication unit and the main controller,

the communication device is provided with:

a short-range wireless communication unit that transmits and receives data by short-range wireless communication having a longer communication distance and being nondirectional than the infrared communication, with a portable terminal device disposed in a predetermined communicable area;

a long-distance wireless communication unit that performs long-distance wireless communication at a higher speed than the short-distance wireless communication unit; and

and a conversion module connected to the short-range wireless communication unit and the long-range wireless communication unit, and configured to convert the standard for the short-range wireless communication and the standard for the long-range wireless communication into the predetermined communication standard, and convert the predetermined communication standard into the standard for the short-range wireless communication and the standard for the long-range wireless communication, respectively.