CN210222592U

CN210222592U - Self-service device, intermediate layer equipment and voltage converter

Info

Publication number: CN210222592U
Application number: CN201920579062.0U
Authority: CN
Inventors: Yin Sun; 孙寅; Xueqing Wei; 危学庆; Jinfeng Zhang; 张晋锋; Hua Shao; 邵华
Original assignee: Yiluo Touch Control System Co
Current assignee: Yiluo Touch Control System Co
Priority date: 2019-04-25
Filing date: 2019-04-25
Publication date: 2020-03-31
Anticipated expiration: 2029-04-25

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a self-service apparatus, an intermediate layer device and a voltage converter. The self-service device comprises an application layer device, a middle layer device and a plurality of bottom layer peripheral devices. The application layer device is configured to provide a user interface for self-service and control the whole self-service device to provide the required self-service for the user according to the interaction with the user, and the application layer device at least comprises a first processor and a first memory, wherein the first processor runs an application program for self-service stored in the first memory and communicates with the middle layer device. The middle tier device includes at least a terminal control module, and the terminal control module includes at least a second processor and a second memory, wherein the second processor communicates with the underlying peripheral device, and the second processor executes a control program stored in the second memory to control operation of the underlying peripheral device based on instructions from the application tier device. The underlying peripheral device does not communicate directly with the application layer device.

Description

Self-service device, intermediate layer equipment and voltage converter

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a self-service device, and more particularly, to a self-service device having a three-tier system architecture.

Background

With the popularization of networks and the popularization of electronic payment methods, in industries such as retail and catering, many self-service terminals that can be operated by customers themselves without the assistance of staff, for example, self-service checkout terminals that are operated by customers for checkout, have been developed. These self-service devices reduce the expenditure of labor costs, while providing convenience and time savings to the customer.

In order to provide various self-service services, a terminal generally has a variety of peripheral devices for implementing various functions to support work, and thus it is desirable to effectively control these various peripheral devices.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a novel self-service device.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a self-service apparatus having a three-tier system architecture, comprising an application tier device, a middle tier device and a plurality of bottom tier peripheral devices, wherein the application tier device is configured to provide a user interface for self-service and to control the entire self-service apparatus to provide a user with a desired self-service in accordance with an interaction with the user, the application tier device comprising at least a first processor and a first memory, wherein the first processor runs an application program for self-service stored in the first memory and communicates with the middle tier device; wherein the middle tier device includes at least a terminal control module and the terminal control module includes at least a second processor and a second memory, wherein the second processor is in communication with the underlying peripheral device and the second processor executes a control program stored in the second memory to control operation of one or more underlying peripheral devices based on instructions from the application tier device; and wherein the plurality of underlying peripheral devices do not communicate directly with the application layer device.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a middle tier device for use in a self-service apparatus having a three-tier system architecture, the self-service apparatus further comprising an application tier device and a plurality of bottom tier peripheral devices each in communication with the middle tier device, but the plurality of bottom tier peripheral devices are not in direct communication with the application tier device, wherein the middle tier device comprises: a terminal control module comprising at least a processor and a memory, wherein the processor executes a control program stored in the memory to control operation of one or more underlying peripheral devices based on instructions from the application layer device.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a voltage converter, the voltage converter being used in a self-service apparatus, the self-service apparatus further comprising an application layer device and a plurality of underlying peripheral devices, wherein the voltage converter is configured to convert a voltage input from an external power supply into a plurality of dc voltage outputs to provide respective required voltages for respective components in the self-service apparatus, wherein the voltage converter is further configured to adjust the on/off and/or amplitude of each output dc voltage according to a control signal from the outside and/or a self-generated control signal.

Other features of the present disclosure and advantages thereof will become more apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

The present disclosure may be more clearly understood from the following detailed description, taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic external view of a self-service device according to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows a block configuration diagram of a kiosk having a three-tier system architecture according to one example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a synthesized audio signal according to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of a configuration of a voltage converter of a self-service device according to one example of the present disclosure.

Note that in the embodiments described below, the same reference numerals are used in common between different drawings to denote the same portions or portions having the same functions, and a repetitive description thereof will be omitted. In some cases, similar reference numbers and letters are used to denote similar items, and thus, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be discussed further in subsequent figures.

For convenience of understanding, the positions, sizes, ranges, and the like of the respective structures shown in the drawings and the like do not sometimes indicate actual positions, sizes, ranges, and the like. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the positions, dimensions, ranges, and the like disclosed in the drawings and the like.

Detailed Description

Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that: the relative arrangement of the components and steps, the numerical expressions, and numerical values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure unless specifically stated otherwise.

The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. That is, the structures and methods herein are shown by way of example to illustrate different embodiments of the structures and methods of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand, however, that they are merely illustrative of exemplary ways in which the disclosure may be practiced and not exhaustive. Furthermore, the figures are not necessarily to scale, some features may be exaggerated to show details of particular components.

Techniques, methods, and apparatus known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail but are intended to be part of the specification where appropriate.

In all examples shown and discussed herein, any particular value should be construed as merely illustrative, and not limiting. Thus, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.

One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a self-service device having a three-layer system architecture, which is an application layer device, a middle layer device, and a plurality of bottom layer peripheral devices. Note that the three-tier architecture herein is divided in terms of functions and operations, and is not intended to limit the physical location of these three-tier devices. For example, in some embodiments, some or all of the components of the middle layer device may be packaged with the application layer device in one apparatus, or may be integrated with some of the components of the application layer device on one PCB board. For example, in some embodiments, parts of the underlying peripheral device may be integrated into the middle tier device, or packaged together.

The application layer device is configured to provide a user interface for self-service and control the whole self-service device to provide the required self-service for the user according to the interaction with the user. The application layer device includes at least a first processor and a first memory, wherein the first processor runs an application program stored in the first memory for self-service and communicates with the middle layer device. The middle tier device includes at least a terminal control module and the terminal control module includes at least a second processor and a second memory, wherein the second processor communicates with the underlying device and executes a control program stored in the second memory to control operation of the one or more underlying peripheral devices based on instructions from the application tier device. Note that the underlying peripheral device does not communicate directly with the application layer device.

Compared with the prior art, the system of the self-service device is divided into a three-layer structure, the Terminal Control Module (TCM) of the middle layer is used for carrying out centralized Control on the bottom layer peripheral equipment, and the application layer equipment can Control all the peripheral equipment only by matching and communicating with the TCM of the middle layer without knowing the specific configuration of the peripheral equipment. Therefore, the application layer equipment can conveniently realize the control of the whole self-service device. In addition, the self-service device can easily change/upgrade the bottom layer peripheral equipment without changing the more complex program operated by the application layer equipment, thereby ensuring that the operation and maintenance and hardware upgrade of the whole self-service device are more convenient.

In order to make the present invention more clearly and completely understood, some specific examples of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that many of the details of the drawings are exemplary and not limiting, and should not be taken as limiting the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic external view of a self-service device 100 according to an example of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the self-service device 100 is configured with a touch screen 110, a printer (printer exit 120 is shown), a scanner (scanning window 130 is shown), a light strip 140, and a microphone 150. Of course, the configuration components of the self-service apparatus 100 are not limited thereto, but may be increased or decreased as necessary, and for example, the self-service apparatus 100 may further include other components such as a camera, a scale, a plastic bag machine, a speaker, and a degaussing device.

The touch screen 110 may be used to display a self-service user interface and interact with a user. The self-service device 100 can control the operation of peripheral devices such as a printer, scanner, light strip 140, and microphone 150 according to the interaction, thereby enabling self-service to the user. The printer may be used to print vouchers such as shopping tickets. The scanner can be used for scanning and reading various identification marks such as various two-dimensional codes, bar codes and the like. The light strip 140 may indicate the status of the self-service device 100 by the color in which it is illuminated and the mode of illumination, which may include a blinking mode, a breathing mode, and/or a normally on mode. For example, in the event that a customer makes a mistake in self-service to require staff assistance, the light strip 140 may be set to a blinking mode and/or to a red color to more quickly draw the attention of the staff, thereby reducing the waiting time of the customer. While in the case where the self-service device 100 is idle, the light strip 140 may be set to a breathing mode so that customers may more quickly find an available self-service device. Microphone 150 may capture voice input from a user for voice control or other operations.

The self-service apparatus 100 as shown in fig. 1 may be used for various purposes (e.g., self-checkout, self-printing tickets, self-check-in, self-consultation, etc.) in various industries (e.g., retail, catering, hotel, medical, entertainment, or transportation industries). Common examples include bank self-service teller machines, supermarket self-service checkout machines, self-service ticket dispensers, and the like. Of course, the application of the self-service apparatus 100 is not limited thereto, but may be used in various self-service occasions where no worker is required to operate, and the equipped peripheral devices may also vary depending on the application occasions.

FIG. 2 shows a block configuration diagram of a three-tier system architecture of a self-service device 200 according to one example of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 2, kiosk 200 is divided into a three-tier system architecture of application-tier device 210, middle-tier device 220, and bottom-tier device 230.

The application layer device 210 is configured to include at least a first processor 216, a first memory 214, and a first I/O interface 218, wherein the first processor 216 runs an application program stored in the first memory 214 for self-service and communicates with the middle tier device through the first I/O interface 218. As shown in fig. 2, the application layer device 210 may also include a touch screen 219. The first processor may be a CPU and the first I/O interface may be a USB HOST (USB HOST) interface. The application layer device 210 may be an All-In-One 212 (AIO) integrated with at least a CPU, a memory, a touch screen, and a USB host interface.

The AIO 212 may provide a user interface for self-service (e.g., displayed on the touch screen 219) and control the entire self-service apparatus 200 in accordance with user interaction from the touch screen 219 and/or underlying peripheral devices to provide the user with the desired self-service. For example, the user interface may be a menu interface for a self-service ordering device, a cashier system interface for self-checkout, and so forth.

Middle tier device 220 includes a Terminal Control Module (TCM)222, and terminal control module 222 includes at least a second processor 226, a second memory 224, a second I/O interface 228 coupled to first I/O interface 218, and a plurality of third I/O interfaces 229 that communicate with the underlying peripheral devices. As shown in FIG. 2, the second I/O interface 228 may be a USB DEVICE (USB DEVICE) interface. Additionally, in some embodiments, middle tier device 220 may also include a voltage converter 221. For example, in some examples, the voltage converter 221 may include a dc voltage conversion chip having an output voltage terminal and a sense voltage terminal and an adjustable voltage divider, and adjusting the magnitude of the output voltage according to the magnitude of the sense voltage received at the sense voltage terminal. The high terminal and the low terminal of the adjustable voltage divider are connected to the output voltage terminal and ground, respectively, and the adjustable voltage terminal of the adjustable voltage divider is connected to the sensing voltage terminal, so that the magnitude of the sensing voltage and further the magnitude of the output voltage can be changed by adjusting the division ratio of the adjustable voltage divider. In some cases, the dc voltage conversion chip may be a power management chip and the adjustable voltage divider may be a digital potentiometer. One specific implementation of the voltage converter 221 will be described later in connection with fig. 4, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited to the specific example shown in fig. 4.

A second processor 226 in the TCM222 executes a control program stored in the second memory 224 to control the operation of one or more underlay peripheral devices belonging to the underlay 230 based on instructions from the AIO 212 of the application layer 210. As shown, the underlying peripheral device does not communicate directly with the application layer device. By controlling the operation of the bottom layer equipment by the middle layer equipment, the application layer equipment can control the whole self-service device only by matching and communicating with the middle layer, and various configuration parameters, communication protocols and the like of the bottom layer equipment are not required to be known.

As shown in fig. 2, the second processor 226 and the second memory 224 in the TCM222 may be integrated in one MCU. The second memory 224 of the TCM222 stores control programs as firmware. Compared with the control of the application layer through the operating system, the control of the peripheral equipment through the firmware in the middle layer obviously shortens the time consumption, improves the system efficiency and also improves the user experience.

IN addition, the third I/O interface 229 may include one or more of a USB host interface, an I2C interface, a UART interface, an SPI interface, a GPIO interface, a button (button) interface, a Microphone (MIC) interface, a LINE IN (LINE IN) interface, a LINE OUT (LINE OUT) interface, a network interface, and the like, according to actual needs. Of course, the type and number of the third I/O interface are not limited thereto, but may be any I/O interface provided according to actual needs.

The bottom layer peripheral devices 230 may include scanners, microphones, cameras, temperature/humidity sensors, fans, keyboards, switches, buttons, scales, plastic bag machines (bagbox), speakers, printers, light strips, degaussing devices, infrared sensing sensors, and the like. Keyboard, switch, button etc. can be used for realizing user's input, and the balance can be used for detecting the weight of commodity, and the demagnetization equipment can be used for eliminating the activity of the label on the commodity, and infrared induction sensor can be used for the sensing someone to be close self-service device, and the plastic bag machine can be used for the automatic plastic bag that provides. Of course, the underlying peripheral 230 is not so limited, but may be any peripheral required by the kiosk.

In some embodiments, where the floor peripheral 230 in the self-service device 200 includes a temperature sensor and a fan, the TCM222 may be configured to obtain temperature information from the temperature sensor through the third I/O interface 229 and generate a control signal based on the temperature information and send the control signal to the fan through another third I/O interface 229, thereby controlling the operation of the fan. Therefore, the temperature in the self-service device body can be controlled in time, and the conditions of downtime and the like caused by overheating are prevented.

In some embodiments, based on the indication of the application layer 210 or based on the indication of the middle layer device 220 itself, the TCM222 may send control signals directly to the light strip to control the switching or color of the individual lighting units (e.g., LEDs, etc.) that make up the light strip, thereby implementing various lighting modes. In addition, a processing unit (e.g., MCU) may be included in the more complex light strip, in which case the processing unit of the light strip may communicate with the TCM222, and each of the lighting units making up the light strip may be individually controlled according to control signals from the TCM 222.

In other embodiments, the bottom layer peripheral 230 can be controlled indirectly through the TCM222 in conjunction with other devices of the middle layer (e.g., the voltage converter 221) in addition to being directly controlled through the TCM 222. For example, the TCM222 may also indirectly control the light strip via the voltage converter 221. Specifically, the TCM222 sends a control signal to the voltage converter 221 to control the voltage output by the voltage converter 221 to the light strip. Due to the difference of the voltages inputted to the respective light emitting units, the light strip may exhibit various colors and light emitting modes. Note that in this case, the connection line between the I/O interface 229 and the light strip shown in fig. 2 may be omitted, and a processing unit need not be included in the light strip, since the TCM222 does not need to directly control the light strip. Additionally, the TCM222 may also indirectly control the fan via the voltage converter 221. For example, the TCM222 may send a control signal to the voltage converter 221 to control the voltage output by the voltage converter 221 to the fan, thereby controlling the operation of the fan. Note that in this case, the connections between the I/O interface 229 and the fan shown in FIG. 2 may be omitted, as the TCM222 does not need to directly control the fan.

In some embodiments, a user may control the self-service apparatus 200 through interaction with the touch screen 219 and/or the underlying peripheral device 230 while using the self-service apparatus 200. For example, where the self-service device 200 is a self-checkout device located in a supermarket, a user may present a barcode or other identification code of an item to be purchased within the scanning range of a scanner as the peripheral device 230, which then sends the identified data to the TCM222 via the third I/O interface 229. Subsequently, the MCU 226 in the TCM222 sends the raw data or the processed data to the application layer AIO 212 through a second I/O interface 228 (e.g., a USB device interface). The AIO 212 then processes the data and obtains merchandise information associated therewith and displays the merchandise information on the touch screen 219 for the user to confirm whether the merchandise is a merchandise to be purchased by the user. After confirmation, the user may operate on the touch screen 219 to enter a checkout process. In the checkout process, the user may present their payment code to the scanner. The scanner may then send the identified data to the TCM222 via the third I/O interface 229. The MCU of the TCM222 may send raw data or processed data to the application layer AIO 212 through the second I/O interface 228. The AIO 212 processes the data and obtains payment information associated therewith and communicates with a remote payment server to complete the entire payment transaction. Subsequently, the AIO 212 may select whether to send an indication of a printed voucher to the TCM222 based on completion of the transaction and/or a user selection (e.g., displaying on a touch screen whether printing of a voucher is required). In the event printing is desired, the TCM222, upon receiving an indication from the AIO 212, translates it into instructions for the printer to be used as the underlying peripheral device 230 and sends them to the printer so that the customer can obtain a receipt corresponding to the transaction. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above-described operations of processing data and retrieving information associated therewith are not limited to being performed in the AIO at the application layer, but may be performed in the TCM222 at the middle layer or in a remote server in communication with the TCM222 or the AIO 212.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the underlying peripheral devices 230 of the kiosk 200 may include multiple audio input devices (e.g., individual microphones, microphone arrays, audio line-in devices, etc.). Accordingly, the third I/O interface 229 IN the TCM222 of the self-service device 200 may also include a multi-channel audio input interface (e.g., a Microphone (MIC) interface connected to a microphone, a LINE IN (LINE IN) interface, etc.). The bottom-level peripheral device 230 may further include a speaker connected to a LINE OUT (LINE OUT) interface, which is one of the third I/O interfaces 229. The kiosk 200 may capture the user's voice using a microphone/microphone array and/or receive externally input audio using an audio line-in device, and these received voice and/or audio may be played by a speaker and/or communicated to the application layer device 210. For example, in some cases, the TCM222 may receive a user's voice from the microphone array and output it separately to the application layer device 210 for semantic parsing to enable voice control. Additionally, in some cases, the kiosk 200 may also need to play audio from the application layer device 210 and/or audio stored in the middle layer device 220 using speakers.

Thus, the TCM222 may receive a first audio signal from the application layer device 210, a second audio signal from a microphone or microphone array, a third audio signal from an audio line input device, and/or store a fourth audio signal in the second memory 224, and may output any one of the first, second, third, and fourth audio signals individually to the application layer device 210 and/or speakers, and/or synthesize and output any two or more of the first, second, third, and fourth audio signals to the speakers. For example, any two or more of the first, second, third, and fourth audio signals may be synthesized into stereo audio and output to speakers.

Some details of synthesizing an audio signal will be described in detail below in conjunction with fig. 3. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that these details are exemplary only and not limiting. FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of synthesizing audio signals in a kiosk according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. The synthesis of the audio signal (operation of the mixer) shown in fig. 3 is performed in the TCM222 of the middle layer.

FIG. 3 illustrates four audio input signals 310 and 340 that the TCM222 may receive and synthesize. In particular, the TCM222 may be configured to receive a first audio signal 310 from the application layer device 210 through the second I/O interface 228, the first audio signal 310 being filter filtered and passed through an equalizer to adjust the amplitude of various frequency components. The TCM222 may also receive a second audio signal 320 from the microphone or microphone array through the microphone interface, the second audio signal 320 being noise gated such that, for example, ambient noise is reduced and filter filtered. The TCM222 may also receive a third audio signal 330 from the audio line-in device via the line-in interface, the third audio signal 330 being subjected to analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) to become a digital signal. The above-mentioned various processing of the three-way audio signal can be performed in the corresponding application layer device/underlying peripheral device or TCM according to the actual situation. In addition, the fourth audio signal 340 stored in the second memory of the TCM222 may be subjected to filtering by a filter and then an equalization process by an equalizer.

The mixer in the TCM222 receives the first, second, third and fourth audio signals 310 and 340 and synthesizes them into one synthesized audio signal, and subjects the synthesized audio signal to the processing of the filter, equalizer and reverberator, and then outputs to the speaker through the line output interface. In some embodiments, the line out interface may be a left and right binaural output interface, and the synthesized audio signal may be stereo audio.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that although the synthesis of four audio signals is illustrated in fig. 3, the present application is not limited thereto, and more audio signals may be received and synthesized based on actual needs, or only any two or three of the four audio signals may be synthesized, etc. In addition, it should be noted that the various processing for the various audio signals shown in fig. 3 are exemplary and not restrictive, and are not intended to be essential to the present invention, but may be selected or modified according to actual applications.

In some embodiments, for example, the first audio signal 310 may include self-service prompting audio (e.g., prompting the customer to "please see the camera" when a photo is required to verify the customer's identity, "prompting the customer to" show a payment code "when payment is required, etc.), the fourth audio signal 340 may include audio customized by the merchant (e.g., hardware/firmware/peripheral error reporting information, merchant-customized brand-specific audio, etc.), and so on. In the real operation, there is a case where the customer operates the self-service apparatus by voice instruction, the application layer device of the self-service apparatus issues a self-service alert sound, and the middle layer device issues a possible error notification sound. In this case, the TCM222 may perform audio signal synthesis as shown in fig. 3 to ensure that the customer does not miss a voice prompt tone from the application layer device and/or an error tone from the second memory of the middle layer TCM222 while hearing his own voice instruction input via the microphone. In addition, by performing audio synthesis and output of synthesized audio by the TCM222, the processing time is significantly shorter than that of similar processing using an application layer system, improving the user experience.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that although fig. 2 above illustrates the application layer 210 as an AIO and separated from the middle layer 220, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, part or all of the middle layer modules may also be arranged in the AIO as an application layer, such as on the same PCB board. Similarly, in some cases, some or all of the components of the underlying peripheral device may also be disposed with the intermediate layer device, e.g., on the same PCB. The three-tier architecture is intended to be functionally divided in this context without limiting its spatial location, so that even if the middle tier module is integrated in the AIO, it still belongs to the middle tier. Thus, in some arrangements, the I/O interfaces shown in the figures are not required and are not intended to constitute limitations of the present invention.

In addition, it is understood by those skilled in the art that although fig. 2 above shows that the second processor and the second memory are integrated in one MCU in the middle layer 220, the present invention is not limited thereto, for example, the second memory may be disposed outside the MCU. The second processor and/or the second memory may be part of the MCU, i.e. both may be integrated in the MCU, or designed separately.

A voltage converter according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is used in a self-service device to provide each of the components therein with a respective required voltage, will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 4. The voltage converter is configured to convert a voltage input from an external power source into a plurality of direct current voltage outputs to provide different operating voltages required by different components. In addition, the voltage converter is configured to adjust the on-off and/or the amplitude of each output direct current voltage according to a control signal from the outside and/or a control signal generated by the voltage converter. For example, in the self-service device shown in fig. 2, the voltage converter may be a part of the middle layer device and connected to the TCM, and in this case, the voltage converter may adjust the on/off and/or the amplitude of each output dc voltage according to a control signal from the TCM. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the voltage converter according to the present invention is not limited to use in the middle layer of the aforementioned three-layer architecture as shown in fig. 2, but may be used in other suitable structures as needed, as long as it can provide different operating voltages for different components as desired.

Fig. 4 shows a block configuration diagram of the voltage converter 421 according to one specific example of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 4, the voltage converter 421 receives a Direct Current (DC) input voltage from the outside through a DC input interface, converts the DC input voltage into multiple controllable output voltages through a power management chip and a digital potentiometer, and outputs the multiple controllable output voltages through a plurality of corresponding DC output interfaces. Note that fig. 4 only shows a specific conversion circuit corresponding to one controllable output voltage, and the same conversion circuit may be used for the remaining output voltages, so that a repeated description will be omitted in the figure and the following.

As shown in fig. 4, the power management chip has an input voltage terminal Vin, an output voltage terminal Vout, a sense voltage terminal Vsense, and an enable terminal EN. The input voltage terminal Vin is connected to the DC input interface to receive the DC input voltage. The enable terminal EN is used for receiving an enable signal to control the enabling or disabling of the power management chip. In some embodiments, the enable terminal EN is connected to a control switch for providing an enable signal and an I/O interface. The control switch and the I/O interface may each independently provide the enable signal, but in some cases the enable signal provided by the control switch may be higher priority than the enable signal of the I/O interface. In some embodiments, the control switch may be a dial switch disposed on the board. In some embodiments, the I/O interface may communicate with the TCM to receive enable signals from the TCM.

The output voltage terminal Vout is used to output the converted voltage, and the sense voltage terminal Vsense is used to receive the sensed voltage. The power management chip may adjust the magnitude of the output voltage according to the magnitude of the sensed voltage. In some embodiments, for example, the power management chip may include a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) type switching circuit to perform DC voltage conversion, and may include an error amplifier to compare the sensing voltage with an internal reference voltage to adjust the output voltage magnitude according to the comparison result.

A digital potentiometer is used as a voltage divider, whose high terminal H and low terminal L are connected to the output voltage terminal Vout and Ground (GND), respectively, and whose adjustable intermediate terminal M is connected to the sense voltage terminal Vsense, so that the magnitude of the sense voltage can be changed by adjusting the division ratio of the digital potentiometer, thereby changing the magnitude of the output voltage. The digital potentiometer may receive a digital control signal Contr from the outside (e.g., TCM) via a digital potentiometer control interface, for example, and adjust the voltage division ratio according to the digital control signal Contr. Specifically, the total resistance value Rt (═ R) between the high and low terminals of the digital potentiometer_LM+R_HM) May be constant, R_LMAnd R_HMThe resistance values between the adjustable intermediate terminal M and the low terminal L and the high terminal H, respectively, can be controlled by a digital control signal Contr. Therefore, the division ratio of the digital potentiometer is R_LM(Rt) sense voltage Vsense ═ Vout ═ R_LMand/Rt. The division ratio can be set by the digital control signal Contr, which also changes the amplitude of the sense voltage and thus the amplitude of the output voltage.

Therefore, with the voltage converter according to the present invention as described above, it is possible to collectively supply a plurality of different DC power supply voltages. In addition, the on-off and the amplitude of each output voltage can be remotely controlled.

Further, although not shown in the drawings, the voltage converter 421 may further include a status lamp capable of indicating whether each of the channels outputs the dc voltage, an overload protection device capable of protecting the total load current of the voltage converter 421 from exceeding a threshold value, for example. In addition, although it is shown that one power management chip provides only one output voltage, the present invention is not limited thereto, but multiple output voltages may be provided by one power management chip, and at this time, the one power management chip may have a plurality of voltage output terminals and a plurality of corresponding sensing voltage terminals, and a digital potentiometer may be connected between the voltage output terminals, the corresponding sensing voltage terminals, and the ground similarly to fig. 4.

The terms "front," "back," "top," "bottom," "over," "under," and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the disclosure described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.

As used herein, the word "exemplary" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration," and not as a "model" that is to be replicated accurately. Any implementation exemplarily described herein is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Furthermore, the disclosure is not limited by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, utility model content, or detailed description.

As used herein, the term "substantially" is intended to encompass any minor variation resulting from design or manufacturing imperfections, device or component tolerances, environmental influences, and/or other factors. The word "substantially" also allows for differences from a perfect or ideal situation due to parasitics, noise, and other practical considerations that may exist in a practical implementation.

In addition, the foregoing description may refer to elements or nodes or features being "connected" or "coupled" together. As used herein, unless expressly stated otherwise, "connected" means that one element/node/feature is directly connected to (or directly communicates with) another element/node/feature, either electrically, mechanically, logically, or otherwise. Similarly, unless expressly stated otherwise, "coupled" means that one element/node/feature may be mechanically, electrically, logically, or otherwise joined to another element/node/feature in a direct or indirect manner to allow for interaction, even though the two features may not be directly connected. That is, to "couple" is intended to include both direct and indirect joining of elements or other features, including connection with one or more intermediate elements.

In addition, "first," "second," and like terms may also be used herein for reference purposes only, and thus are not intended to be limiting. For example, the terms "first," "second," and other such numerical terms referring to structures or elements do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context.

It will be further understood that the terms "comprises/comprising," "includes" and/or "including," when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

In the present disclosure, the term "providing" is used broadly to encompass all ways of obtaining an object, and thus "providing an object" includes, but is not limited to, "purchasing," "preparing/manufacturing," "arranging/setting," "installing/assembling," and/or "ordering" the object, and the like.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the boundaries between the above described operations merely illustrative. Multiple operations may be combined into a single operation, single operations may be distributed in additional operations, and operations may be performed at least partially overlapping in time. Moreover, alternative embodiments may include multiple instances of a particular operation, and the order of operations may be altered in various other embodiments. However, other modifications, variations, and alternatives are also possible. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

In addition, embodiments of the present invention may further include the following examples:

1. a self-service device with three-layer system architecture comprises an application layer device, a middle layer device and a plurality of bottom layer peripheral devices,

wherein the application layer device is configured to provide a user interface for self-service and to control the entire self-service apparatus to provide the user with the required self-service in accordance with an interaction with the user, the application layer device comprising at least a first processor and a first memory, wherein the first processor runs an application program for self-service stored in the first memory and communicates with the intermediate layer device;

wherein the middle tier device includes at least a terminal control module and the terminal control module includes at least a second processor and a second memory, wherein the second processor is in communication with the underlying peripheral device and the second processor executes a control program stored in the second memory to control operation of one or more underlying peripheral devices based on instructions from the application tier device; and

wherein the plurality of underlying peripheral devices do not communicate directly with the application layer device.

2. The self-service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the middle tier device further comprises a voltage converter configured to convert a voltage input from an external power source to a plurality of DC voltage outputs to provide respective required voltages to respective components in the self-service apparatus,

the voltage converter is also connected to the terminal control module and is configured to adjust the on-off and/or amplitude of each output direct current voltage according to a control signal from the terminal control module.

3. The self-service device of claim 2, wherein the voltage converter comprises a DC voltage conversion chip and an adjustable voltage divider,

wherein the DC voltage conversion chip has an output voltage terminal and a sense voltage terminal, and adjusts a magnitude of the output voltage according to a magnitude of a sense voltage received at the sense voltage terminal,

wherein the high terminal and the low terminal of the adjustable voltage divider are connected to the output voltage terminal and ground, respectively, and the adjustable voltage terminal of the adjustable voltage divider is connected to the sensing voltage terminal, thereby changing the magnitude of the sensing voltage and further changing the magnitude of the output voltage by adjusting the division ratio of the adjustable voltage divider.

4. The self-service device as recited in claim 3, wherein the dc voltage conversion chip is a power management chip, the adjustable voltage divider is a digital potentiometer, the power management chip further has an enable terminal for receiving an enable signal, and the digital potentiometer receives a digital control signal from the outside and adjusts a voltage division ratio according to the digital control signal.

5. The self-service device of claim 4, wherein the voltage converter further comprises a control switch and an I/O interface for communicating with the terminal control module, wherein the control switch and I/O interface are connected to an enable terminal of the power management chip to provide the enable signal to control the switching of the output DC voltage.

6. The self-service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application layer device further comprises a touch screen for providing the user interface, the first processor is a CPU, and the application layer device is a kiosk integrated with at least the CPU, the first memory, and the touch screen.

7. The self-service device of claim 1, wherein the second processor and/or the second memory are contained in an MCU and the control program is firmware.

8. The self-service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the underlying peripheral device comprises one or more of a scanner, a microphone/microphone array, an audio line input device, a camera, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a fan, a keyboard, a switch, a button, a scale, a plastic bag machine, a speaker, a printer, a light strip, a degaussing device, an infrared induction sensor.

9. The self-service apparatus of claim 8, wherein the underlying peripheral device comprises a separate microphone, one or more of a microphone array and an audio line input device, and a speaker,

the terminal control module is configured to receive a first audio signal from the application layer device, a second audio signal from a microphone or microphone array, a third audio signal from an audio line input device, and/or a fourth audio signal stored in a second memory, and configured to output any one of the first, second, third, and fourth audio signals individually to the application layer device and/or a speaker, and/or synthesize and output any two or more of the first, second, third, and fourth audio signals to a speaker.

10. The self-service apparatus of claim 9, wherein the terminal control module is configured to output the second audio signals received from the microphone array separately to an application layer device for semantic parsing to enable voice control.

11. The self-service device of claim 9, wherein the first audio signal comprises self-service reminder audio and the fourth audio signal comprises audio customized by the merchant, the terminal control module configured to synthesize any two or more of the first, second, third, and fourth audio signals into stereo audio and output to the speaker.

12. The self-service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the underlying peripheral device comprises a light strip for indicating status, the light strip comprising a plurality of LED lights, the terminal control module being configured to send control signals to the light strip to control the color of the light strip and the lighting pattern, the lighting pattern comprising a blinking pattern, a breathing pattern, and/or a normally on pattern.

13. The self-service device of claim 1, wherein the underlying peripheral device comprises a light strip with an MCU, the light strip comprising a plurality of LED lights, the MCU of the light strip being in communication with the terminal control module, and the terminal control module being configured to send control signals to the MCU of the light strip to thereby individually control each LED light.

14. The self-service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bottom-level peripheral device comprises a temperature sensor and a fan, the terminal control module configured to obtain temperature information from the temperature sensor and generate and send control signals to the fan based on the temperature information to control operation of the fan.

15. The self-service apparatus of claim 2, wherein the underlying peripheral device comprises a light bar for indicating status, a temperature sensor, and a fan, the light bar comprising a plurality of LED lights,

the temperature sensor is in communication with the terminal control module, the light strip and fan are connected to a first DC voltage output of the voltage converter, and

the terminal control module is configured to send a control signal to the voltage converter to control at least the first path of output direct-current voltage so as to control the operation of the fan and/or the color and the light emitting mode of the light strip, wherein the light emitting mode comprises a flashing mode, a breathing mode and/or a normally-on mode,

wherein the control signal for the fan is generated based at least on temperature information obtained by the terminal control module from a temperature sensor.

16. The self-service device of claim 1, wherein the self-service comprises one or more of self-checkout, self-printing tickets, self-registration, self-consultation, and is used in the retail, catering, hotel, medical, entertainment, or transportation industries.

17. The self-service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application layer device comprises a first I/O interface for communicating with the middle layer device, the middle layer device comprising a second I/O interface connected to the first I/O interface, and one or more third I/O interfaces for communicating with the underlying peripheral device.

18. The self-service device as recited in claim 17, wherein the third I/O interface comprises one or more of a USB host interface, an I2C interface, a UART interface, an SPI interface, a GPIO interface, a button interface, a microphone interface, a line-in interface, a line-out interface, and a network port.

19. The self-service apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first I/O interface is a USB host interface and the second I/O interface is a USB device interface.

20. A middle tier device for use in a kiosk having a three tier system architecture, the kiosk further comprising an application tier device and a plurality of bottom tier peripheral devices each in communication with the middle tier device, but which are not in direct communication with the application tier device,

wherein the middle tier device comprises:

a terminal control module comprising at least a processor and a memory, wherein the processor executes a control program stored in the memory to control operation of one or more underlying peripheral devices based on instructions from the application layer device.

21. The interlayer device of claim 20, further comprising a voltage converter configured to convert a voltage input from an external power source to a multiple DC voltage output to provide respective required voltages to respective components in the self-service apparatus,

22. The interlayer device of claim 21, wherein the voltage converter comprises a DC voltage conversion chip and an adjustable voltage divider,

23. The interlayer device of claim 22, wherein the dc voltage conversion chip is a power management chip, the adjustable voltage divider is a digital potentiometer, the power management chip further having an enable terminal for receiving an enable signal, the digital potentiometer receives a digital control signal from the outside and adjusts the division ratio according to the digital control signal.

24. The middle tier device of claim 23, wherein the voltage converter further comprises a control switch and an I/O interface for communicating with the terminal control module, wherein the control switch and I/O interface are connected to an enable terminal of the power management chip to provide the enable signal to control switching of the output dc voltage.

25. The middle tier device of claim 20, wherein the processor and/or memory is contained in an MCU and the control program is firmware.

26. The middle tier device of 20, wherein the bottom tier peripheral devices include individual microphones, one or more of a microphone array and an audio line-in device, and speakers,

27. The mid-tier device of claim 26, wherein the terminal control module is configured to output the second audio signals received from the microphone array separately to an application-tier device for semantic parsing to enable voice control.

28. The mid-tier device of claim 26, wherein the first audio signal comprises self-service reminder audio and the fourth audio signal comprises audio customized by the merchant, the terminal control module configured to synthesize any two or more of the first, second, third, and fourth audio signals into stereo audio and output to the speakers.

29. The intermediate layer device as recited in claim 20, wherein the bottom layer peripheral device comprises a light strip for indicating status, the light strip comprising a plurality of LED lights, the terminal control module being configured to send control signals to the light strip to control the color of the light strip and the lighting pattern, the lighting pattern comprising a blinking pattern, a breathing pattern, and/or a normally on pattern.

30. The middle tier device of claim 20, wherein the bottom tier peripheral devices include a temperature sensor and a fan, the terminal control module configured to obtain temperature information from the temperature sensor and generate and send control signals to the fan based on the temperature information to control operation of the fan.

31. The middle tier device as recited in claim 21, wherein the bottom tier peripheral device comprises a light strip for indicating status, a temperature sensor, and a fan, the light strip comprising a plurality of LED lights,

and the temperature sensor is communicated with the terminal control module, the lamp strip and the fan are connected to the first direct current voltage output of the voltage converter,

32. The middle tier device as recited in claim 20, wherein the application layer device includes a first I/O interface for communicating with the middle tier device, the middle tier device including a second I/O interface connected with the first I/O interface and one or more third I/O interfaces for communicating with the underlying peripheral devices.

33. The middle tier device of claim 32, wherein the third I/O interface includes one or more of a USB host interface, an I2C interface, a UART interface, an SPI interface, a GPIO interface, a button interface, a microphone interface, a line-in interface, a line-out interface, and a network port.

34. The middle tier device of claim 32, wherein the first I/O interface is a USB host interface and the second I/O interface is a USB device interface.

35. A voltage converter for use in a self-service apparatus further comprising an application layer device and a plurality of underlying peripheral devices,

wherein the voltage converter is configured to convert a voltage input from an external power source into a plurality of DC voltage outputs to provide respective required voltages to respective components in the self-service device,

the voltage converter is further configured to adjust the on-off and/or the amplitude of each output direct current voltage according to a control signal from the outside and/or a control signal generated by the voltage converter.

36. The voltage converter of claim 35, wherein the voltage converter comprises a DC voltage conversion chip and an adjustable voltage divider,

37. The voltage converter of claim 36, wherein the dc voltage conversion chip is a power management chip, the adjustable voltage divider is a digital potentiometer, the power management chip further having an enable terminal for receiving an enable signal, the digital potentiometer receives a digital control signal from the outside and adjusts the division ratio according to the digital control signal.

38. The voltage converter of claim 37, wherein the voltage converter further comprises a control switch and an I/O interface for communicating with the outside, wherein the control switch and the I/O interface are connected to an enable terminal of the power management chip to provide the enable signal to control the switching of the output dc voltage.

Although some specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail by way of example, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing examples are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The various embodiments disclosed herein may be combined in any combination without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A self-service device with a three-layer system architecture is characterized by comprising an application layer device, a middle layer device and a plurality of bottom layer peripheral devices,

the application layer device at least comprises a first processor and a first memory, wherein the first processor runs an application program for self-service stored in the first memory;

wherein the middle layer device at least comprises a terminal control module, and the terminal control module at least comprises a second processor and a second memory, wherein the second processor runs a control program for device control stored in the second memory; and

wherein the first processor is in direct communication with the second processor, the second processor is in direct communication with the plurality of underlying peripheral devices, and the first processor is not in direct communication with the plurality of underlying peripheral devices.

2. The self-service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the intermediary layer device further comprises a voltage converter configured to convert a voltage input from an external power source to a plurality of DC voltage outputs to provide respective required voltages to respective components in the self-service apparatus,

4. The self-service device of claim 3, wherein the DC voltage conversion chip is a power management chip, the adjustable voltage divider is a digital potentiometer, the power management chip further having an enable terminal for receiving an enable signal, the digital potentiometer receives a digital control signal from the outside and adjusts the division ratio based on the digital control signal.

6. The self-service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application layer device further comprises a touch screen for providing a user interface associated with the application program, the first processor is a CPU, and the application layer device is a kiosk integrated with at least the CPU, the first memory, and the touch screen.

7. The self-service device of claim 1, wherein the second processor and/or second memory is contained in an MCU and the control program is firmware.

8. The self-service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the underlying peripheral device comprises one or more of a scanner, a microphone/microphone array, an audio line input device, a camera, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a fan, a keyboard, a switch, a button, a scale, a plastic bag machine, a speaker, a printer, a light strip, a degaussing device, an infrared sensing sensor.

9. The self-service apparatus of claim 8, wherein the underlying peripheral device comprises a speaker, and one or more of a separate microphone, an array of microphones, and an audio line input device,

11. The self-service device of claim 9, wherein the first audio signal comprises self-service reminder audio, the fourth audio signal comprises audio customized by the merchant, and the terminal control module is configured to synthesize any two or more of the first, second, third, and fourth audio signals into stereo audio and output the stereo audio to the speaker.

12. The self-service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the underlying peripheral device comprises a light strip for indicating status, the light strip comprising a plurality of LED lights, the terminal control module configured to send control signals to the light strip to control the color of the light strip and the lighting pattern, the lighting pattern comprising a blinking pattern, a breathing pattern, and/or a normally on pattern.

13. The self-service device of claim 1, wherein the underlying peripheral device comprises a light strip with an MCU, the light strip comprising a plurality of LED lights, the MCU of the light strip being in communication with the terminal control module, and the terminal control module being configured to send control signals to the MCU of the light strip to individually control each LED light.

14. The self-service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the floor peripheral device comprises a temperature sensor and a fan, the terminal control module configured to obtain temperature information from the temperature sensor and to generate and send a control signal to the fan based on the temperature information to control operation of the fan.

15. The self-service device of claim 2, wherein the underlying peripheral device comprises a light bar for indicating status, a temperature sensor, and a fan, the light bar comprising a plurality of LED lights,

16. The self-service device of claim 1, wherein the self-service comprises one or more of self-checkout, self-printing tickets, self-check-in, self-consultation, the self-service device being used in the retail, catering, hotel, medical, entertainment, or transportation industries.

17. The self-service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application layer device comprises a first I/O interface for communicating with the middle layer device, the middle layer device comprising a second I/O interface connected to the first I/O interface, and one or more third I/O interfaces for communicating with an underlying peripheral device.

18. The self-service device of claim 17, wherein the third I/O interface comprises one or more of a USB host interface, an I2C interface, a UART interface, an SPI interface, a GPIO interface, a button interface, a microphone interface, a line-in interface, a line-out interface, and a network port.

20. A middle tier device, wherein the middle tier device is used in a self-service appliance having a three tier system architecture, the self-service appliance further comprising an application tier device and a plurality of bottom tier peripheral devices each in communication with the middle tier device, but the plurality of bottom tier peripheral devices are not in direct communication with the application tier device,

wherein the middle tier device comprises:

and the terminal control module at least comprises a processor and a memory, wherein the processor runs a control program for controlling the equipment stored in the memory.

21. The middle tier device of claim 20, further comprising a voltage converter configured to convert a voltage input from an external power source to a plurality of DC voltage outputs to provide respective required voltages to respective components in the self-service apparatus,

23. The interlayer device of claim 22, wherein the dc voltage conversion chip is a power management chip, the adjustable voltage divider is a digital potentiometer, the power management chip further having an enable terminal for receiving an enable signal, the digital potentiometer receives a digital control signal from the outside and adjusts the division ratio based on the digital control signal.

25. The middle tier device of claim 20, wherein said processor and/or memory is contained in an MCU and said control program is firmware.

26. The middle tier device of claim 20 wherein the bottom tier peripheral devices include individual microphones, one or more of a microphone array and an audio line input device, and speakers,

27. The middle tier device of claim 26, wherein the terminal control module is configured to output the second audio signals received from the microphone array separately to an application tier device for semantic parsing to enable voice control.

28. The mid-deck device of claim 26, wherein the first audio signal comprises self-service reminder audio, the fourth audio signal comprises audio customized by the merchant, and the terminal control module is configured to synthesize any two or more of the first, second, third, and fourth audio signals into stereo audio and output the stereo audio to the speakers.

29. The interlayer device of claim 20, wherein the bottom layer peripheral device comprises a light strip for indicating status, the light strip comprising a plurality of LED lights, the terminal control module configured to send control signals to the light strip to control the color and lighting pattern of the light strip, the lighting pattern comprising a blinking pattern, a breathing pattern, and/or a normally on pattern.

30. The middle tier device of claim 20, wherein the bottom tier peripheral devices include a temperature sensor and a fan, the terminal control module configured to obtain temperature information from the temperature sensor and to generate and send control signals to the fan based on the temperature information to control operation of the fan.

31. The interlayer device of claim 21, wherein the bottom layer peripheral device comprises a light strip for indicating status, a temperature sensor, and a fan, the light strip comprising a plurality of LED lights,

32. The middle tier device of claim 20, wherein the application layer device includes a first I/O interface for communicating with the middle tier device, the middle tier device including a second I/O interface connected with the first I/O interface and one or more third I/O interfaces for communicating with the underlying peripheral device.

33. The middle tier device of claim 32, wherein the third I/O interface comprises one or more of a USB host interface, an I2C interface, a UART interface, an SPI interface, a GPIO interface, a button interface, a microphone interface, a line-in interface, a line-out interface, and a network port.

36. The voltage converter of claim 35, wherein the voltage converter includes a DC voltage conversion chip and an adjustable voltage divider,

37. The voltage converter of claim 36 wherein the dc voltage conversion chip is a power management chip and the adjustable voltage divider is a digital potentiometer, the power management chip further having an enable terminal for receiving an enable signal, the digital potentiometer receiving a digital control signal from the outside and adjusting the division ratio based on the digital control signal.

38. The voltage converter of claim 37, further comprising a control switch and an I/O interface for communicating with the outside, wherein the control switch and I/O interface are connected to an enable terminal of the power management chip to provide the enable signal to control the switching of the output dc voltage.