JP2000207617A - Card-operated vending machine system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To discriminate whether an inserted card is valid or not without consuming the memory capacity of a vending machine while minimizing the frequency in communication between the vending machine and a host computer. SOLUTION: When a card where an ID card to discriminate a user individual, data indicating the validity of the card, and data of the amount of money are recorded is inserted to a card slot 6, this card-operated vending machine 2 discriminates the validity of the card based on data indicating the validity of the card. If it is a valid card as the result, commodities are sold based on read data of the amount of money. If it is not a valid card, the ID card read from the card is transmitted to the host computer to confirm the validity of the card again; and if it can be confirmed that it is a valid card as the result, commodities are sold and data indicating the validity of card is updated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a card-type vending machine system in which a commodity can be purchased using a card capable of recording data magnetically or electronically.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in vending machines, cash is used to purchase merchandise using a card such as a magnetic card or an IC card in addition to a normal type vending machine in which cash is purchased. There are possible card vending machines. As such a card-type vending machine, there are a card vending machine using a card in which money data is recorded, and a card vending machine using an ID card in which no money data is recorded and an ID code for identifying a user is recorded. There is.

[0003] Among them, in a card-type vending machine that uses a card in which amount data is recorded, when purchasing a product using the card, first insert the card into the card insertion slot of the vending machine. I do. When the card is inserted, the vending machine determines whether or not the card is a valid card, and if the card is a valid card, turns on the vendable lamp. Thereafter, when the user presses a product selection button, the product is carried out to the product outlet, and the product price is subtracted from the amount data of the card.

When the balance of the amount data of the card becomes low, the card is deposited into the card using a card depositing machine.
The amount of money deposited in the card is notified to the host computer through a communication line, and is then summed up for each individual, and deducted from the salary or deducted from a bank account or the like at once and settled.

[0005] After the card is inserted, when determining whether or not the card is a valid card, the determination is as follows:
This is performed as follows. That is, when it is necessary to stop using a certain card, the host computer 1 transmits the ID code of the card to all vending machines in the system. Then, each vending machine stores the ID code of the card whose use is to be stopped received from the host computer 1 in the memory, and checks the ID code of the inserted card with them. As a result of the collation, if there is a matching ID code, it is determined that the card is invalid and cannot be used.

Conventionally, a card-type vending machine can be used without having cash in such a manner, so that it is widely used in companies and the like.

[0007]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional card-type vending machine system, as the number of cards to be discontinued increases, the consumption of memory capacity of the vending machine increases. was there. On the other hand, if the validity of the card is checked by the host computer every time the card is inserted, the memory becomes unnecessary, but in such a case, the vending machine and the host computer are not connected. The number of times of communication during the period increases, and the load on the communication becomes enormous.

The present invention solves such a problem and minimizes the number of communications between the vending machine and the host computer, while using a valid card without consuming the memory capacity of the vending machine. It is intended to be able to determine whether or not there is.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card-type vending machine system comprising:
A card on which amount data is recorded, a vending machine that can sell products using the card, and the effectiveness of each card is managed based on the latest information, and communication with the vending machine is possible A card-type vending machine system including a host computer, wherein the card records an ID code for identifying an individual user and data indicating the validity of the card. The vending machine reads the ID code of the inserted card, the amount data, and the data indicating the validity of the card, and if it is confirmed that the card is valid based on the data indicating the validity of the card, reads the card. If you sell a product based on the amount data provided and are not confirmed as a valid card,
The ID code read from the card is transmitted to the host computer, and the validity of the card is reconfirmed. As a result, if it is confirmed that the card is valid, the product is sold and the validity of the card is confirmed. Is updated. This way,
It is possible to determine whether or not the card is valid without consuming the memory capacity of the vending machine while minimizing the number of communications between the vending machine and the host computer.

The card type vending machine system according to claim 2, wherein the data indicating the validity of the card is:
It is characterized by date data indicating the expiration date of the card. In this way, when operating within a company,
The validity of the card can be managed according to the scheduled retirement date of the employee, the expiration date of the temporary employee's employment, and the like.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of the card type vending machine system. In FIG. 1, 1
Is a host computer, 2 is a card-type vending machine, 3 is a telephone line, 4 is a coin slot, 5 is a return lever, 6 is a card slot, 7 is a money display, 8 is a product selection button, and 9 is a product picker. Exit.

An ID code such as an employee number assigned to all issued cards, an expiration date corresponding to each ID code, and a user purchasing the card within a certain period are stored in the host computer 1. The stored total amount, the total amount of issued money value, and the like are stored and managed. The expiration date is the accounting processing period for payroll deduction if the target is a general employee, the expiration date of that person's employment if it is a temporary employee,
If the person is scheduled to retire, a scheduled retirement date is set. The expiration date for general employees is automatically changed to the next processing date when the accounting processing date arrives unless there is no leave of absence.
When the card expires and its use is stopped, the host computer 1 is provided with a function of subtracting the balance of the card from the total amount of payment to the card during the period and performing payroll deduction. I have.

The card type vending machine 2 is assumed to be installed in an area where users are limited, such as in a company. The card-type vending machine 2 can purchase a product by inserting a coin into the coin insertion slot 4 or by inserting a predetermined card into the card insertion slot 6. . Each card type vending machine 2 is connected to the host computer 1 by a telephone line 3,
Communication is enabled.

FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the card type vending machine. The card 17 records an ID code such as an employee number that can be authenticated, amount data having a monetary value, and an expiration date as validity determination information of the card 17. The amount data is filled by a dedicated depositing machine, a vending machine having a depositing function, or the like, and the consideration is usually deducted from the salary with an accounting processing period. The card reader / writer 12 reads the above-mentioned data of the card 17 by a manual insertion type, a motor retract type, a hand scan type, or the like, and notifies the main controller 10 of the data.

When the coin 18 is inserted, the coin discriminating device 13 discriminates the denomination and notifies the main controller 10 of the denomination.
The money amount display 7 is controlled by the customer service control device 14,
The money amount data read from the card 17 by the card reader / writer 12 and the money amount of the coin 18 inserted into the coin identification device 13 are displayed. Thus, the card 17 is inserted into the card reader / writer 12 or the coin 1
When the product selection button 8 is pressed after the product 8 is inserted, the sales mechanism 15 carries out the product selected by the product selection button 8. The communication device 16 is for communicating with the host computer 1 through the telephone line 3.

Next, the operation of the card type vending machine system of the present invention will be described. When the card 17 is inserted into the card reader / writer 12, the vending machine
The D code, the amount data, and the expiration date are read as the validity determination information of the card 17. Then, the read validity date is collated with the date output by the clock IC 11 provided inside the vending machine.
As a result, if the card is valid before the expiration date, it is possible to confirm that the card 17 is valid only by the vending machine. The read amount is displayed, and the product can be sold according to the product selection button 8 pressed by the user.

On the other hand, when the expiration date recorded on the card 17 has already passed, it is impossible to confirm that the card 17 is valid only in the vending machine. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the vending machine transmits the ID code read from the card to the host computer.

The host computer sends the I
Upon receiving the D code, the ID code registered in the internal memory and its expiration date are searched. As a result, if the card can be used continuously, the new date is returned to the vending machine as shown in FIG. When the vending machine receives a new date from the host computer 1, the vending machine turns on a vendable lamp (not shown) and displays the amount data read from the card on the amount display 7. Then, when the product selection button 8 is pressed, the product is carried out and the card 1
After writing the price obtained by subtracting the product price from the price data of No. 6 and the new date received from the host computer 1 into the card 16 as the expiration date, the card 16 is returned.

On the other hand, as a result of searching the ID code received from the vending machine and the expiration date, if the ID code is out of the expiration date, the host computer 1 sets the old date to the vending machine as shown in FIG. I will send it back. When the vending machine receives the old date from the host computer 1, the vending machine returns the card 16 without turning on a vendable lamp (not shown).

The card-type vending machine system of the present invention eliminates the need to communicate between the vending machine and the host computer every time a card is sold, thus minimizing the number of communications. This makes it possible to reliably determine the validity of the card while saving the memory capacity of the vending machine by eliminating the need for the vending machine to retain the data of the card that is no longer valid.

[0021]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. That is, the card-type vending machine system according to claim 1 is:
The card records data indicating the validity of the card, and the vending machine reads it from the inserted card, determines the validity of the card, and if it is confirmed that the card is valid, If the card is sold, but cannot be confirmed as a valid card, it communicates with the host computer to reconfirm the validity of the card. As a result, when it is confirmed that the card is valid, the merchandise is sold and the data indicating the validity of the card is updated. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not the card is valid without consuming the memory capacity of the vending machine while minimizing the number of times of communication between the vending machine and the host computer.

The card-type vending machine system according to claim 2, wherein the data indicating the validity of the card is
Since the date data indicating the expiration date of the card is used, it is possible to manage the validity of the card in accordance with the scheduled retirement date of the employee and the expiration date of the temporary employee when operating in a company or the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a card-type vending machine system.

FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the card type vending machine.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a processing procedure when a card can be continuously used.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a processing procedure for stopping use of a card.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Host computer 2 ... Card type vending machine 3 ... Telephone line 4 ... Coin insertion slot 5 ... Return lever 6 ... Card insertion slot 7 ... Money display 8 ... Product selection button 9 ... Product exit

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takashi Tanasawa 2-5-5 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 3E044 AA01 BA01 BA04 CA02 DA03 DA05 DA10 DB02 DB05 DC01 DE01 EA04 EA06 EA20

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A card on which amount data is recorded, a vending machine capable of selling goods using the card, the validity of each card is managed based on the latest information, and the automatic vending is performed. A card-type vending machine system comprising a host computer capable of communicating with a machine, wherein the card records an ID code for identifying a user and data indicating the validity of the card. The vending machine reads the ID code, amount data, and data indicating the validity of the inserted card, and confirms that the card is valid based on the data indicating the validity of the card. If the card is sold, the merchandise is sold based on the read amount data. If the card is not confirmed as a valid card, the ID code read from the card is replaced by the host computer. To confirm the validity of the card, and if it is confirmed that the card is valid, sell the product and update the data indicating the validity of the card. A card type vending machine system characterized by the following. 2. The card vending machine system according to claim 1, wherein the data indicating the validity of the card is date data indicating an expiration date of the card.