Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
  • G07F17/10—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for means for safe-keeping of property, left temporarily, e.g. by fastening the property
  • G07F17/12—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for means for safe-keeping of property, left temporarily, e.g. by fastening the property comprising lockable containers, e.g. for accepting clothes to be cleaned
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F11/00—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles
  • G07F11/62—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F9/00—Details other than those peculiar to special kinds or types of apparatus
  • G07F9/002—Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method for operating a vending machine, wherein goods can be entered into storage compartments and then removed from the storage compartments by customers.
• the invention further relates to a sales system.
• vending machines which contain a large number of compartments, in each of which there are several goods.
• the vending machines also include a coin operated device. If a user enters an amount of money, he can select individual goods output compartments until the amount of money has been used up, so that the goods assigned to the goods output compartments can be output.
• individualized vending machines are known in which various dealers have access to a locker system and a computing unit connected to it through the dealer codes assigned to them.
• individual conditions for the removal of goods are defined.
• this object is achieved in that a generic method is carried out in such a way that offer data are recorded in a central data processing unit, matching offers being identical
• Offer identification codes are assigned, that the offer identification codes are transmitted to several electronic vending machines, that storage compartments intended for the goods issue are filled with goods, and that offer identification codes associated with the goods are recorded.
• the offer identification codes are preferably recorded when the storage compartments of the vending machine are filled with the goods.
• This particularly preferred embodiment of the invention includes in particular the following cases: 1. First of all, the offer identification code of the goods is recorded and then the goods are entered into the storage compartment;
• the offer identification code is recorded (for example automatically by entering information that is or can be connected to the goods).
• the cases shown are preferably freely selectable, with particularly preferred exemplary embodiments being distinguished by the fact that the processes of introducing the goods and registering the identification codes can be combined with one another in order to achieve the fastest possible handling of the goods entry procedure and data acquisition. This also has the advantage that mix-ups of different goods are avoided.
• the invention has many advantages.
• the invention makes it possible to operate the vending machine with flexible operating conditions. For example, it is possible to enter and change sales times, prices and offer contents at short notice on the machine or on a database, preferably a central database, which can be connected to the machine. It is also possible for individual customers or
• the offer identification codes are recorded before the compartments of the vending machine are filled with the goods.
• the storage of the goods in the vending machines is transmitted to the central data processing system. This makes it possible to integrate the individual vending machines into a central ERP system.
• Another particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the control commands intervene in an electronic control unit located in the area of the vending machine in such a way that the selection of available operating functions can be changed.
• vending machine sends a request to the central data processing system for the transmission of control commands. It is also expedient to further develop the invention in such a way that the request for the transmission of the control commands is repeated when an event occurs. Another particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the request is repeated after a predeterminable time interval. Furthermore, it is expedient to further develop the invention in such a way that it is checked in the area of the central data processing system whether there are changes in the offer data and / or control data stored in the central data processing unit, and that changes in the offer data and / or are stored in the central data processing unit Control data a control command is transmitted to the vending machine.
• a further particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized in that information about various user groups of the vending machine and information about the selection of individual offers depending on the respective user groups are stored in the central data processing unit and / or in the vending machine.
• a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention is distinguished by the fact that mail items are transported to the vending machine, inserted into at least some of the storage compartments and stored for later collection.
• Another object of the invention is a sales system with several vending machines, which is characterized in that the sales system contains a central data processing system in which information about goods in the vending machines is stored. Furthermore, it is expedient to further develop the invention in such a way that the data processing unit is equipped with an interface which enables external access to at least some of the information about the goods stored in the data processing system.
• the invention also includes a vending machine with storage compartments for the storage of goods.
• This vending machine is characterized in that it and / or a central data processing unit connected to it contains means for flexible allocation of the storage compartments for a sales system and / or a logistics system for sending and / or picking up goods.
• Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a particularly preferred removal of goods from the vending machine
• a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the vending machine is additionally operated as an electronic parcel compartment system and is thus used for the delivery and / or collection of mail items.
• the invention enables automated sale of goods, the selection of available goods being able to be changed at short notice and the conditions of sale and offer being controlled centrally and / or being changed as a function of external conditions.
• This flexibility of the offer makes it possible, for example, to sell goods only from a certain date, in particular from a certain time. This is particularly important for items where sales are only to be made after a certain point in time. For example, the resale conditions for new releases of certain goods, in particular books and films, or sound carriers, stipulate that they may only be sold after a certain date or time.
• the invention makes it possible to sell individual goods and product groups only at certain times, even if the vending machine is otherwise operable without change.
• the invention makes it possible to sell goods at different times with different conditions.
• individual products can be sold at variable prices, for example as a limited-time special offer or as a special offer, for example in the case of sales.
• Sales systems can be adapted to different needs.
• the invention includes the particular advantage of enabling both anonymous (mass) sale of goods and a targeted delivery of goods to individual customer groups.
• the invention enables a reservation of goods for individual customers, so that the vending machine enables secure completion of purchase orders.
• the vending machine is preferably operated in such a way that the reservation is made for a predeterminable time interval and / or up to a certain point in time, so that the vending machine is not blocked improperly by means of purchase offers which are only submitted as a bill.
• the reservation options can be activated or deactivated for certain user groups.
• a selection of goods and successful payment are sufficient for the removal of the goods.
• the customer remains anonymous to the vending machine and preferably also to the central data processing unit that controls the vending machine; only payment data may provide information about the identity. However, it is also possible to avoid identifying customers when making payments, for example by using anonymized means of payment such as cash cards or monetary information.
• the sales offers shown are preferably selected so that they are interesting for a larger group of customers, so that the highest possible turnover of goods can be guaranteed.
• the machines can be pre-filled based on specific customer requirements or without such a customer requirement.
• pre-filling Filling the machine with goods before customer requirements are referred to as pre-filling.
• the PreFilling offers can be planned together with senders. Such events can be carried out as an event, especially at times when the volume of shipments is not very high, e.g. during the summer break. During this time there are new products once or twice a week.
• a certain number of subjects can (additionally) be rented to dealers or reserved for the summer promotion.
• the method enables the inclusion of both users who are known to the system and users who are not known to the system. All interested parties, i.e. both registered and unregistered users, should be able to remove the goods from the machine against payment. If the user has paid, he has the right to remove the goods. No further identification is necessary. The customer can remain anonymous to the vending machines and the central data processing unit controlling the vending machines.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Control Of Vending Devices And Auxiliary Devices For Vending Devices (AREA)
• Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
• Vending Machines For Individual Products (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=31895571

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Families Citing this family (5)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 2003
  • 2003-08-07 WO PCT/DE2003/002700 patent/WO2004019289A1/de active Application Filing
  • 2003-08-07 JP JP2004529717A patent/JP4478569B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-08-07 CA CA002494561A patent/CA2494561A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-08-07 AU AU2003258481A patent/AU2003258481B2/en not_active Expired
  • 2003-08-07 US US10/524,042 patent/US20060161297A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-08-07 EP EP03792136A patent/EP1530782A1/de not_active Ceased
• 2005
  • 2005-02-15 ZA ZA200501327A patent/ZA200501327B/xx unknown
  • 2005-02-15 IL IL166911A patent/IL166911A/en active IP Right Grant

Patent Citations (2)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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