CN215642909U - Unmanned selling device - Google Patents

Abstract

The application discloses unmanned selling device has at least included communication module, stock module, coin tube module, user interface to and control module. The user interface includes a sensor for capturing a biometric of the user. The communication module comprises a wireless transceiver and is communicated with a local system or a user. The inventory module manages storage, expiration and output of the goods. The currency pipe module manages the storage, receipt and output of currency. The user interface interacts with the user via video or audio. The control module includes memory storing code and a processor executing the code to control the communication module, the inventory module, and the user interface to provide sales services. Through the identity recognition mechanism, the method and the device can limit the user without purchase conditions to purchase the commodity of the unmanned sale device.

Description

Unmanned selling device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an unmanned selling device, and more particularly, to a device for identifying a user to determine a type of a commodity to be purchased.

Background

Cigarettes are an age-limited commodity. At present, the sale path of cigarettes is mainly sold by supermarkets or vendors, and if manual control is not in place, minors can still easily obtain the cigarettes. This has a great influence on the growth of minors. The unmanned tobacco vending machine can more effectively control the tobacco sales, limit the cigarettes from being sold to minors by matching with technical means, greatly reduce the operation cost, reduce the issuing of retail licenses and have more obvious advantages. Therefore, with the balance of social development and interest game, the cigarette automatic selling machine under the care of someone in a store realizes self-help and autonomous purchase under the current epidemic situation.

However, the existing unmanned sale device still has great error for identifying the identity of the buyer. Therefore, a tobacco-free vending machine with improved recognition capability is yet to be developed.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The embodiment of the application provides an unmanned selling device and a selling method implemented on the unmanned selling device, and aims to solve the problem that in the prior art, identity cannot be verified to sell limited commodities.

In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problem, the present application is achieved by the following technical solutions.

In one embodiment of the unmanned sales device, at least a body, a communication module, an inventory module, a money tube module, a user interface, and a control module are included.

The body may store an article of merchandise, and the article of merchandise may include a limited article of merchandise. The control module is electrically connected with the machine body.

The user interface is connected with the control module, is used for receiving the command of the control module and interacting with a user, and comprises at least a sensor and a commodity menu, wherein the sensor is used for collecting the biological characteristics of the user, and the commodity menu is used for displaying the commodities selected by the user. The communication module is connected with the control module and comprises a wireless transceiver for communicating with a local system or a user. The inventory module is connected with the control module and is used for managing the storage, the period and the output of the commodities. The currency tube module is connected with the control module and is used for managing storage, receiving and outputting of currency. The user interface is connected with the control module and is used for interacting with users through images or sound. The control module includes memory storing code and a processor executing the code to control the communication module, the inventory module, and the user interface to provide sales services.

The communication module can upload the user biological characteristics to a local side system. Wherein the local system may be a customer service system or a public security system comprising a database associating the biometric characteristic and the identity characteristic.

The control module receives the result of the local side system searching the database according to the biological characteristics through the communication module, and determines the marketable commodity. For example, the control module determines whether the user identity characteristic satisfies a first condition according to the result. If the user identity characteristics meet a first condition, the control module generates a command for outputting a limited commodity which is in accordance with the identity characteristics, and the user interface displays the limited commodity on a commodity menu. If the user identity characteristic cannot be judged, the control module does not generate a command for outputting the limited commodity, so that the user interface does not display the limited commodity on the commodity menu. Alternatively, if the first condition is not satisfied, the restricted merchandise is displayed as such, but a prompt or no selection is presented when the user selects the restricted merchandise.

After the selectable commodity menu is determined according to the identity characteristics of the user, the user interface accepts the selection of commodities on the commodity menu by the user. And then the control module starts a payment process for the user to pay the price corresponding to the selected commodity through the communication module or the currency tube module. After successful payment, the control module instructs the inventory module to output the user-selected item.

In another embodiment, the sensor may be at least one of: camera, microphone, scanner, fingerprint machine. These sensor elements may be configured by the control module for accepting data from a user selecting an article of merchandise. The biometric characteristic may be a face image, a voice, a retina image, or a fingerprint sensed by the camera, microphone, scanner, fingerprint machine, or the like.

In a particular embodiment, the identity characteristic may be age, and relatively, the first condition may be that the age is equal to or greater than a particular threshold, such as eighteen years.

In another embodiment, the communication module is configured to transmit data of the product selected by the user back to the database of the central office system, and the central office system establishes an association with the user biometric characteristics as a basis for big data analysis. For example, after the communication module receives the big data analysis result, the control module may recommend a new product suitable for the user on the user interface according to the big data analysis result. Namely a customized marketing promotion mechanism.

In one embodiment, the limited merchandise may be cigarettes, and the types may include at least conventional type cigarettes, heat not burn type cigarettes, and aerosol type electronic cigarettes. As one of value-added services, the unmanned sale device can be further provided with a heater controlled by the control module. After the inventory module outputs the age-defined cigarette goods, the control module may activate the heater for a user to light a cigarette.

In a further embodiment, the communication module is configured to support at least one of the following communication protocols: bluetooth, wireless local area network, near-end wireless communication, or radio frequency identification. The control module may provide an electronic payment mode or a monetary payment mode. The user may choose to consume in electronic payment or currency while performing the payment process. For example, the user may choose to pay using a Bluetooth, wireless network, near-end wireless communication using a cell phone, or a credit card, stored value card with RFID, in a contactless protocol. Or pay using a mobile phone application, such as WeChat, Payment Bao, Unionpay, etc. If the user selects the conventional currency transaction, the unmanned sales device of the present invention can also be loaded with a conventional pay-per-slot module to provide services.

In a further embodiment, the inventory module in the unmanned sales device of the present invention is configured to check the remaining inventory of the goods. If the residual stock is lower than a threshold value, a communication module in the unmanned sale device sends out a low stock notification to the local-side system so as to schedule a subsequent replenishment process. In another aspect, the control module may be configured to detect a payment exception signal or a module damage signal. And if the payment abnormity exists in the user operation process or a module in the unmanned sale device is damaged is detected, a warning notice is sent to the local side system. For example, if someone uses a counterfeit money transaction or destroys the hardware of the machine, the unmanned sales device stores the collected image data and reports the image data to the customer service system or the public security system through the communication module.

As a further value-added service, after a transaction is successful, the control module is configured to store the user biometric characteristic and the data of the selected item as a default selection item for the next time the user re-uses the unmanned sales device.

In a specific embodiment, the user interface may include a center control screen, which is used for accepting the selection of the goods on the goods menu by the user. For the convenience of user interaction, the central control screen can be a touch screen. If the central control screen uses conventional keys, the user interface may further use a display screen or similar conventional light panel to indicate selectable merchandise. Further, a microphone is mounted in the user interface and supports the user to select the goods by voice.

In another embodiment, the inventory module is configured to track the duration of items in inventory. If the commodities are overdue, the unmanned sale device can stop the sale service or destroy the overdue commodities. For example, in addition to the channel for delivering the product to the user, the unmanned selling device may also be provided with a second channel, such as a recycling channel, which is specially used for delivering the product to be destroyed to a recycling area inside the machine body, such as a recycling bin, and the product to be destroyed can be taken away by the person. Another way is to establish a destruction area, such as a destruction chamber, inside the machine body, so that the expired commodities can be recovered to the destruction area through the recovery flow channel and destroyed inside the machine body.

Still further, the unmanned sales device of this application can include a plurality of organisms, a plurality of organisms electricity respectively connect control module. The limited commodities include a plurality of types, and the plurality of types of limited commodities are stored in the plurality of bodies, respectively.

The utility model has the advantages that the multifunctional self-service vending machine capable of identifying the identity according to the biological characteristics of the user is provided, so that the consumers qualified in identity authentication can independently select the cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and the flower foggers suitable for the consumers, the labor cost is saved, the multifunctional self-service vending machine is associated with the national public security organ, the minors are protected, and the traceability and the controllability of the commodity are realized.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the application and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the application and together with the description serve to explain the application and not to limit the application. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an unmanned sales system architecture according to one embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an unmanned aerial vehicle sales device according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a marketing method according to one embodiment of the present application; and

fig. 4 is a cigarette vending machine according to one embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are some, but not all, embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

Fig. 1 is a diagram of an architecture of an unmanned sales system according to one embodiment of the present application. In each corner of a street or alley in a city, an extremely large number of unmanned sales devices 100 may be arranged, either outdoors or indoors. Each unmanned sales device 100 is connected to the internet 120, and remotely to a local system of terminals, via a communication module 200. For example, the local system may be the customer service system 130 or the public security system 140 of the manufacturer. In one embodiment of the unmanned sales device 100, at least the communication module 200, the inventory module 500, the coin tube module 600, the user interface 300, and the control module 210 are included.

The communication module 200 in fig. 1 is connected to the control module, and is mainly used for external communication. Such as wired or wireless connection to the internet 120 to thereby communicate with local-end systems. The local system herein may be generally referred to as a customer service system 130 provided by a manufacturer or a tobacco office, and may also be referred to as a public security system 140. The inventory module 500 of fig. 1 is connected to the control module 210, and the inventory module 500 is used for storing the goods, monitoring the expiration dates of the goods, and outputting the goods. The output mechanism of the commodity has been realized by a plurality of prior arts, and the embodiment is only an improved application based on the output mechanism, so the details of the mechanism are not described in detail.

In the customer service system 130 or the public security system 140 in fig. 1, a database associating the biometric characteristic and the identity characteristic may be previously built. For example, a database of facial images of users and corresponding identification card word sizes and ages may be pre-established in these office systems. When the communication module 200 in fig. 1 receives the database result searched by the local system according to the biometric features, such as facial images, the control module 210 can determine the goods allowed to be sold to the user. The control module 210 may generate a command indicating whether to output the limited merchandise corresponding to the identity feature according to the determination result. For example, it is determined whether the current user identity satisfies a first condition. If the user identity characteristic satisfies the first condition, the control module 210 allows outputting the limited goods, so that the user interface 300 displays the limited goods on the goods menu for the user to purchase. The first condition in this example refers to whether the user is adult. The first condition may be that the age is equal to or greater than a certain threshold, e.g., a legal age of adults, and the first condition is satisfied, i.e., the condition for adults is satisfied. The legal adult age is above eighteen years of age in most countries, and may be sixteen or twenty years of age. The relevant limits may be adjusted depending on regulatory modification codes.

In contrast, if the user identity characteristic cannot be determined or does not satisfy the first condition, the control module 210 does not allow the limited commodity to be output. The user interface does not display the defined item on the item menu, or displays the defined item in the same way, but a prompt or no selection is presented when the user selects the defined item.

The limited goods herein may be cigarettes or wine, but may also include beverages or other types. The unmanned sales device of the application can be extended to be a structure with a plurality of machine bodies, and each machine body is used for storing and selling different types of commodities.

Various other embodiments may be extended to the operation of identifying identity based on biometric features to determine the operational principles of the purchase option. For example, the local side system, such as the customer service system 130, may be a member website dedicated to a specific group, such as a private host for employees in a company or a private host in a school. And these unmanned sales devices 100 are only located in a particular cell, such as a campus. Only the identity of a particular group, such as a student or a clerk, can be verified to obtain an opportunity to purchase. For example, a discount may be obtained only by the identity of a student, or a limited number of products may be purchased only by a VIP member.

The currency tube module 600 in fig. 1 is connected to the control module 210 and is mainly responsible for the details of conventional currency payment, such as receipt, anti-counterfeiting, storage, change and anti-theft of copper plate paper money. The conventional money payment unmanned vending mechanism has been implemented by a plurality of conventional technologies, and the embodiment is only an improved application based on the conventional money payment unmanned vending mechanism, so details about the mechanism are not described in detail.

The user interface 300 of fig. 1 is connected to the control module and is responsible for receiving all input and output messages from the user. The user input message generally refers to the image, input command, voice, biological feature and other messages. The message output to the user mainly includes the form of image and/or sound. In other words, the User Interface 300 is a User Interface (UI) as a whole, which interacts with the User through video or audio.

The control module 210 of fig. 1, generally referred to as a processor-core, is a programmable computer system that includes a memory storing code and being executed by the processor to control the communication module 200, the inventory module 500, the money order module 600, and the user interface 300 to provide sales services.

After determining the selectable item menu according to the user identity, the user interface 300 of fig. 1 displays the item menu in front of the user for the user to purchase the item. After the user purchases the product, the control module 210 starts a payment process to provide a plurality of payment channels for the user. Such as online or contactless payment through the communication module 200 or conventional cash payment through the money-tube module 600. After successful payment, the control module 210 instructs the inventory module 500 to output the item selected by the user. I.e. ejecting the product through a conventional access opening.

Fig. 2 is a structural view of the unmanned aerial vehicle sales device 100 according to one embodiment of the present application. This embodiment is further illustrated in a disassembled state with respect to the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 of FIG. 1. The control module 210 in fig. 2 may be considered a kernel operating system. In a manner similar to a conventional computer, a processor 230 executes code stored in the memory 220 to operate all peripheral modules. The communications module 200 of fig. 2, generally classified, may include an antenna 206 and a transceiver 202. The wireless transmission system can carry an electric door number to carry out 4G or 5G wireless transmission. Alternatively, the communication module 200 may be connected to the internet 120 by a wired network, and finally connected to a local system, i.e., the customer service system 130 and/or the public security system 140 in this embodiment. In a further implementation, the connection between the communication module 200 and the local end system may be established over a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to increase data security.

The user interface 300 of FIG. 2, as previously described, is used to communicate with the user. One of the main functions is to capture the biometric features of the user. The implementations may be implemented in numerous different ways, either individually or in combination. For example, the user's biometric may be acquired by a sensor 302 in the user interface 300, and may also be acquired by a microphone 304 in the user interface 300. If the sensor 302 is a camera, the user feature of the acquisition set is the user face image. The sensor 302 may also be a retinal scanner for capturing images of the retina of the user. Alternatively, the sensor 302 may be a fingerprint machine for collecting fingerprint characteristics of the user. In addition, the user's voice collected by the microphone 304 is also one of the user's biometrics. At least one of the user characteristics or the permutation and combination thereof can be transmitted back to the local side system for filing to form a large database. Therefore, the unmanned sale system can be widely distributed in all big cities in China, and customer service and accurate marketing are enhanced.

The user interface 300 of fig. 2, further includes a center screen 306, a speaker 308, and a display 310. The display 310 may be a liquid crystal display or a light emitting diode display, providing appropriate visual information to the user. The central control screen 306 can be a touch screen or a general button, and serves as a control interface for the user during shopping. The speaker 308 is used to broadcast audio, such as voice guidance during purchase, or to broadcast advertisements along with the display 310 to attract users to stay. Although the sensor 302, microphone 304, center screen 306, speaker 308, and display 310 are categorized as the user interface 300, they are only for the purpose of easy understanding by the reader. In an implementation manner, each block has an independent function, and can cooperate with the communication module 200 under the control of the control module 210, and there is no binding relationship between the blocks on the physical hardware, which is not limited by the architecture diagram of the embodiment. Besides collecting the voice characteristics of the user, the microphone 304 can also be used as a control means for the purchase procedure instead of the touch input or the key input of the central control screen 306 by the recognition of the control module 210. For example, the user may select a desired product in spoken language when selecting the product. As long as the control module 210 can recognize the voice received by the microphone 304, the transaction can be completed.

In the transaction process, the communication module 200 may transmit the data of the product selected by the user back to the database of the office system, and the office system establishes a relationship with the biometric features of the user to serve as a basis for big data analysis. For example, the user's biometric features, the selected product, and the corresponding identification data are recorded in the local system. In the future, social researchers can judge whether certain commodities affect the health of Chinese people or not according to the relevance between the commodity use preference and the personal health state. Conversely, after the communication module 200 in the unmanned sales device 100 receives the big data analysis result from the central office system, the control module 210 may determine that the new product is suitable for being recommended to the user, and display the new product to the user for purchase through the user interface 300. This is the application of the customized marketing promotion mechanism. As an additional function, after the transaction is successful, the control module 210 may store the user biometric characteristic and the data of the selected product, that is, memorize the user's face and the product purchased by the user. The next time the same user re-uses the unmanned sales device 100, the selected items purchased last time are provided directly to facilitate speeding up the transaction.

In this embodiment, the limited commodity is a cigarette, and the types of the limited commodity can include at least a conventional cigarette, a heat-not-burn cigarette, and an atomized electronic cigarette. The embodiment of the utility model provides a value-added service, namely, a cigarette lighting mechanism 102 is arranged in the unmanned sale device 100, is controlled by the control module 210, and has the function of lighting cigarettes or heating. After the inventory module 500 outputs the age-defined cigarette goods, the control module 210 may activate the lighter mechanism 102 for a user to light a cigarette.

As described above, the unmanned sales device 100 of the present embodiment provides a plurality of payment pipes for users. Regarding the implementation of the contactless payment or the mobile phone application payment, the communication module 200 in the unmanned sales device 100 of the embodiment may support at least one of the following communication protocols: bluetooth, Wireless local area network (WiFi), Near Field Communication (NFC), or Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). When performing contactless payment, the user can choose to use the bluetooth of the mobile phone, the wireless network, the near-end wireless communication, or the credit card and the stored value card with wireless radio frequency identification to perform payment through the communication module 200 in a contactless protocol. In addition, the unmanned selling device 100 includes a display 310, which can be used to display a two-dimensional barcode during payment of a mobile phone application in addition to displaying a commodity menu for a purchase procedure, so that a user can scan the barcode for payment by using a WeChat, Paibao, and online banking methods. If the user selects a conventional currency transaction, the unmanned sales device 100 of the present invention is also loaded with a conventional pay-for-coin module to provide services.

The coin tube module 600 of fig. 2 is a conventional coin payment module. The basic operation includes a coin mechanism 602 for receiving coins or banknotes and determining authenticity. A hopper device 604, with enhanced security, for storing the received currency. When change is required, the device also has the function of money throwing and money receiving. A security module 606 for monitoring whether the integrity of the entire coin tube module 600 is compromised. Once any module in the coin tube module 600 is found to have a condition affected by an external force or a fault, the communication module 200 is triggered to issue an alarm to the local system. As for the detailed mechanism for handling money in the money management module 600, there are numerous known technical disclosures in the conventional money payment unmanned vending machine, and the embodiment is only based on the improved application thereof, so the details about the mechanism will not be described.

In a further embodiment of the unmanned sales device 100, the inventory module 500 is used to check the remaining inventory of the goods. The inventory module 500 is differentiated by function and may be subdivided into a monitoring module 510, a warehouse facility 520, a delivery mechanism 530, and a destruction mechanism 540. The warehouse facility 520 is a facility that actually stores goods. The monitoring module 510 monitors the respective remaining inventory of each type of product in the warehouse facility 520 in real time. After the user completes the payment, the delivery mechanism 530 retrieves the selected goods from the warehouse facility 520 and drops out of the access opening of the unmanned sales device 100. For each sale of an item, the corresponding item counter in monitoring module 510 is decremented. If the remaining inventory of any commodity in the warehouse facility 520 is lower than a threshold, the communication module 200 in the unmanned sales device 100 is triggered to send a low inventory notification to the local system, so that the manufacturer can schedule the subsequent replenishment process. The monitoring module 510 may be implemented by a mechanical simple trigger counter, but if the barcode on the outer package of the commodity needs to be identified, an intelligent monitoring function designed by a microprocessor and a sensor in cooperation with software codes is required. The monitoring module 510 of the present embodiment is of an intelligent design. Thus, the inventory module 500 may also track the duration of the items in inventory. While the monitoring module 510 of the present embodiment can not only count the total number of the goods during the process of loading the goods into the warehouse 520, but also scan the bar code on the packaging box and record the time limit of each goods in the memory 220. As the day passes, if there is an expired commodity in the warehouse facility 520, the unmanned sales device 100 may stop the sales service or automatically destroy the expired commodity. For example, in addition to the delivery mechanism 530 having a channel for delivering the goods to the user, the unmanned sales device 100 can also be designed with a special destruction channel, which is used to retrieve the expired goods in the warehouse facility 520 through a destruction mechanism 540 for being transferred to a recycling bin for being carried by the manufacturer. In a further implementation, a simple destruction chamber, such as a paper shredder or a small incinerator, may be built into the destruction mechanism 540 for destroying expired products.

Both the inventory module 500 and the coin tube module 600 of fig. 2, which are most vulnerable to theft, must have a self-protection mechanism. If the control module detects that a payment exception exists in the user operation process or any protection module in the unmanned sale device 100 is damaged or has an abnormal function, the control module triggers the communication module 200 to immediately send out a warning notice to the central office system. For example, if someone uses counterfeit money for transaction or destroys the hardware in the stock module 500 and the coin tube module 600, the unmanned sales device 100 will collect the biometric data stored by the sensor 302 and report the biometric data to the customer service system 130 and/or the public security system 140 through the communication module 200.

Fig. 3 is a flow chart of a marketing method according to an embodiment of the present application. The architecture and operation of the unmanned sales device 100 described in fig. 1 and 2 may be summarized as the flow chart of fig. 3. First, in step 301, a biometric characteristic of a user is acquired by the sensor 302 of fig. 2. In step 303, the communication module 200 receives the result of the local system searching the database according to the biometric feature, so that the control module 210 can determine whether the user identity feature meets the condition. If the condition is met, step 305 is performed to display the qualified item on the item menu of the display 310. Conversely, if the condition is not met or the identity cannot be verified, then step 307 is performed, and the qualified item is not displayed on the item menu on the display 310. In either case, step 309 is entered where the user selects the item from the menu of items already displayed on the display 310. After the selection of the goods is completed, the payment process proceeds to step 311. Finally, upon successful completion of the payment, the selected article may fall out of the access opening of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 via the mechanical operation of 530 of fig. 2 in step 313.

Fig. 4 is a cigarette vending machine 400 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In fig. 4, the cigarette vending machine 400 is a multi-type complex vending machine including a plurality of bodies. Each body is electrically connected to the control module 210. The limited commodities in the foregoing embodiments may further include a plurality of types, and each type of limited commodity is stored in a different body. Taking fig. 4 as an example, the cigarette vending machine 400 can sell various types of goods, such as: the traditional cigarette is a non-burning cigarette and an atomizing electronic cigarette. In addition, the cigarette vending machine 400 can also vend other goods such as beverages, chewing gum, snacks, etc. at the same time. However, since cigarettes are products that are age-restricted by law, this embodiment is designed specifically for the mechanism of vending.

For example, the cigarette vending machine 400 may mount at least 4 multi-effect function sensors 302. Only one sensor 302 is shown as a representative in the figure, and the actual implementation number and layout mode can be arranged arbitrarily and are not limited by the figure of the embodiment. Each sensor 302 may automatically recognize a biometric feature of the user, such as a human face feature, within a range of 3 meters. By the algorithm of software, the embodiment can realize automatic face tracking in the range of 3-5 meters. The image collected by the sensor 302 can be uploaded to a local system, such as the customer service system 130 or the public security system 140 of fig. 1, within 5 seconds. The customer service system 130 may belong to the tobacco office, or the manufacturer's organization. The office system is provided with a database which is established in advance and comprises key data of human faces, character numbers of identity cards and ages. After comparing the uploaded face images, the office system may return a comparison result, so that the cigarette vending machine 400 may determine whether the cigarettes may be sold to the current user.

In one embodiment, the product selection window 410 on the cigarette vending machine 400 may be a liquid crystal display or light emitting diode display similar to the display 310 of fig. 2 for displaying products in sale for selection by the user. After the cigarette vending machine 400 confirms that the user's identity satisfies the qualification for purchasing cigarettes, the cigarette-related goods may be displayed in the goods menu in the goods selection window 410. In a further embodiment, since the alcohol commodity is also an age-limited commodity, the embodiment of the present invention can be extended to alcohol and is not limited to cigarettes.

In an embodiment of the cigarette vending machine 400, different models of goods may be displayed separately in different goods selection windows 410. Such as a conventional type 402, a heat noncombustible type 404, and an atomized type 406. Assuming that the user first selects a preferred brand system, then the product selection window 410 is automatically expanded to display various tastes (specifications) of the relevant brand systems for selection.

On the other hand, if the user is of insufficient age to purchase an adult-defined good, the goods selection window 410 will only display goods that are not generally qualified for identification, such as beverages, snacks, etc. The user may select the product via a central control screen 306. The center control screen 306 can be a touch screen or a conventional button. In a further embodiment, the cigarette vending machine 400 may provide a microphone 304 for receiving voice commands from a user to implement a man-machine conversation function. For example, the processor 230 in the control module 210 shown in fig. 2 included in the cigarette vending machine 400 can execute the code 222 in the memory 220 to analyze the voice input by the user through the center control screen 306 to identify the product selected by the user. Since the cigarette vending machine 400 may be placed in a noisy environment outdoors, the microphones 304 are not limited to one set in this embodiment, and may be a combination of multiple sets of directional microphones and non-directional microphones in an array manner, so as to achieve the effects of filtering background noise and clearly capturing human voice in a noisy environment. In a further implementation, one or more speakers 308 may be included in the cigarette vending machine 400 to interact with the user directly in the form of speech. The number and configuration of the speakers 308 in fig. 4 are only examples, and the actual implementation may be arbitrarily arranged, and is not limited to the one shown in this figure.

In a further implementation, the cigarette vending machine 400 of fig. 4 may implement a face recognition memory function. When the user consumes the next time, the preferred taste can be automatically recommended according to the last purchase memory. More specifically, the cigarette vending machine 400 shown in fig. 4 may also collect voice characteristics or other biological characteristics of the user, associate the voice characteristics or other biological characteristics with the facial characteristics, and store the voice characteristics or other biological characteristics in the database of the local-side system. This helps to enhance the recognition accuracy of future transactions. A record of the user's transaction may also be maintained by the cigarette vending machine 400 for big data analysis. According to the consumer consumption record, when the consumer consumes again in the future, the frequently purchased commodities preferred by the user can be automatically displayed in the purchase menu, or new commodities possibly favored by the user can be automatically recommended. In other words, the cigarette vending machine 400 has a marketing function of intelligent analysis, and can also exercise customized preference policies for specific users. For example, the cigarette vending machine 400 may recommend a new product in a promotion according to personal taste preference, and give a good gift, such as a cigarette bullet, for free.

The user may make a payment through the payment module 414. The payment module 414 of this embodiment may support contactless payment, such as transactions with a user's mobile device, credit card or stored value card, via bluetooth, wireless network, near-end communication protocol, rfid, etc. The payment module 414 may also support online electronic payment, such as APP code-scanning payment mechanisms like WeChat, Paibao, Unionpay, etc. The payment module 414 may also provide traditional hard-cast or paper-bill payments to users who are only in traditional currency. Upon successful payment, the selected cigarette article will fall out of the cigarette outlet 416 for access by the user.

As a further value-added service, the cigarette vending machine 400 also provides a voice cigarette lighting function, which can be detached and smoked. For example, a cigarette lighting mechanism 102 is configured on the cigarette vending machine 400. After the user completes the transaction, the cigarette vending machine 400 may be instructed to activate the lighting mechanism 102 via the central control screen 306 or by voice, so that the user may light or heat the just-in-hand cigarette product on the spot. To accomplish this embodiment, the microphone 304 may also be used to receive voice commands from the user regarding the lighting of a cigarette. With respect to the specific implementation of the cigarette lighter mechanism 102, improved integration may be added with reference to existing vehicular cigarette lighters.

Further, a communication module 200 (not shown) is built in the cigarette vending machine 400, and can be connected to the local system through a wireless network or a wired network. An inventory module 500 (not shown) in the cigarette vending machine 400 is responsible for monitoring inventory. With this design, the merchant can remotely monitor the inventory in the cigarette vending machine 400 through the application program, so as to schedule the plan of replenishment in advance.

Since the cigarette vending machine 400 is designed to be placed in various urban corners, usually in outdoor environments, a waterproof function IP68 can be added to the cigarette vending machine 400, so that the cigarette vending machine 400 is suitable for various indoor and outdoor working environments. On the other hand, since the cigarette vending machine 400 is usually left unattended, it is necessary to have an antitheft function. Once it is detected that someone is a destructive event, the cigarette vending machine 400 may send an alert signal to dissuade the destructive person through the product selection window 410 and the speaker 308, and send a help-seeking message to the public security system 140 through the communication module 200.

In a conventional vending machine, the product selection window 410 is not displayed as a display, but is a physical product storage window, which is associated with a light panel to display the purchasable items. This practice is still applicable to the spindle configuration of the present invention.

In general, the production period plus the shelf life is the useful period. In terms of term control of goods, each of the goods in the cigarette vending machine 400 may present the term information on the package in a barcode manner. The monitoring module 510 in the inventory module 500 may recognize the barcodes and archive them in the memory 220 at the time of shipment. The user can also check the production date and shelf life monitoring through the application APP. The goods can be normally sold as long as the goods are still within the effective date. If the goods in the inventory module 500 exceed the barcode control date, the cigarette vending machine 400 can stop the vending service and notify the customer service system 130 through the communication module 200 to serve a person for processing, or deliver the expired goods through the delivery mechanism 530 as a destruction mechanism 540. The destruction mechanism 540 may be a recycling bin, shredder, or micro-incinerator. The monitoring module 510 may also monitor the inventory to ensure that all brands have sufficient margins. For example, the monitoring module 510 may be a simple microcontroller, which is configured with a small amount of memory and counters, and is controlled by program codes to memorize the remaining amount and valid period of each commodity. While embodiments of the utility model illustrate these functions as modules, it can be appreciated that the implementation is any combination of known hardware and software.

By this method, the cigarette vending machine 400 can effectively prevent the cigarettes from being purchased by underage people. And consumers can purchase the commodities of their own mood instruments according to their brand preferences and type preferences.

It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising an … …" does not exclude the presence of other like elements in a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

While the present embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the utility model is not limited to the precise embodiments described above, which are meant to be illustrative and not restrictive, and that various changes may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the utility model as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (14)

1. An unmanned sales device, comprising:

a body storing goods including a limited goods;

the control module is electrically connected with the machine body;

the user interface is connected with the control module and comprises a sensor and a commodity menu, the user interface is used for receiving a command of the control module and interacting with a user, the sensor is used for collecting biological characteristics of the user, and the commodity menu is used for displaying commodities selected by the user;

the communication module is connected with the control module and comprises a wireless transceiver for receiving the command of the control module and communicating with a local system or a user; wherein:

the control module is used for controlling the sensor to collect the biological characteristics of the user and uploading the biological characteristics to the local side system through the communication module, wherein the local side system comprises a database which is associated with the biological characteristics and the identity characteristics;

the control module is used for receiving the result of the local side system for searching the database according to the biological characteristics through the communication module and determining the marketable commodity.

2. The unmanned marketing device of claim 1, wherein the control module determines whether the identity characteristic corresponding to the biometric characteristic satisfies a first condition based on the result; and

if the identity characteristic meets the first condition, the control module is configured to generate a command for outputting a defined commodity that matches the identity characteristic.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 2, wherein if the identity characteristic is not determinable or the first condition is not satisfied, the control module is configured to not generate a command to output the qualified commodity.

4. The unmanned marketing device of claim 2, wherein the user interface further comprises a display, a microphone, a central control screen, and a speaker, configured by the control module, for accepting user-selected data for an item.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

the inventory module is connected with the control module and is used for managing the storage, the time limit and the output of the commodities;

the currency tube module is connected with the control module and is used for managing the storage, receiving and outputting of currency; after the user interface receives the selection of the commodity, the control module starts a payment process for the user to pay the price corresponding to the selected commodity through the communication module or the currency tube module; and

after successful payment, the control module instructs the inventory module to output the user-selected item.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 5, wherein:

the inventory module is used for checking the remaining inventory of commodities;

the control module is used for judging that if the residual stock is lower than a threshold value, sending a low stock notification to the local side system through the communication module.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 5, wherein:

the inventory module is used for tracking the term of the goods in inventory; and

and if the commodities are overdue, the control module is used for stopping the sales service of the unmanned sales device or recycling the overdue commodities.

8. The unmanned sales device of claim 2, wherein:

the user interface further comprises a microphone, the sensor comprising at least one of: a camera, scanner or fingerprint machine;

the biological characteristics comprise a face image of the user collected by the camera, a retina image collected by the scanner, a fingerprint collected by the fingerprint machine or a voice of the user collected by the microphone;

the identity characteristic comprises age; and

the first condition includes an age being equal to or greater than a particular threshold.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to transmit data of the user-selected merchandise back to a database of the central office system, the central office system being associated with the biometric characteristic as a basis for big data analysis, wherein the central office system comprises at least one of: a customer service system or a public security system.

10. The unmanned sales device of claim 1, wherein:

the control module is configured to detect a payment abnormal signal or a module damage signal, and if the payment abnormal signal or the module damage signal is detected, a warning notice is sent to the local side system.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control module further comprises a memory that stores data associated with the biometric characteristic and the user-selected merchandise.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the communication module supports at least one of the following communication protocols: bluetooth, wireless local area network, near-end wireless communication or radio frequency identification; the control module is configured to provide an electronic payment mode or a monetary payment mode.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, comprising a plurality of bodies, each of the plurality of bodies being electrically connected to the control module;

the limited commodities comprise a plurality of types, and the plurality of types of limited commodities are stored in the plurality of machine bodies respectively.

14. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 10, wherein:

the unmanned sales device further comprises a heater controlled by the control module, wherein when the control module generates a command for outputting a defined commodity in accordance with the identity characteristic, the control module activates the heater to heat the defined commodity.

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