JP2000285293A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To sell an article by the latest exchange rate, to eliminate the possibility of erroneously inputting the exchange rate and to pay change by foreign currencies by converting an amount of inserted coins into the one in currency for business based on exchange rate information obtained via a data communication means. SOLUTION: The latest exchange rate information from a host computer of an exchange rate information provider is obtained by data communication equipment 1 by the main controller 8. A price of an article in various currencies is calculated based on a price of the article to be sold in a reference currency and article price is displayed in various currencies of the article and the article price is displayed on an article price display 5 in various currencies. When the coin is inserted by a user, a kind and an amount of the currency to which the coin belongs are discriminated by the coin recognition device 3. The amount of the inserted coin is converted into the one in the currencies for business and the amount is displayed on inserted amount display 4 based on the latest exchange rate information by the main controller 8. The amount of the inserted coins is converted into the one in the currency for business and the amount is displayed on the inserted amount display 4 by the main controller 8. When much change is available, the change is paid by the currency for business selected by the user.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine capable of purchasing goods in foreign currency.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-192165 discloses a vending machine which allows the purchase of goods by foreign currency.

[0003]

Problems to be Solved by the Invention
The vending machine No. 5 had the following problems. Since the operator of the vending machine manually inputs the exchange rate, it is difficult to sell at the latest exchange rate, and entry errors are likely to occur. Change is the base currency (currency where the vending machine is installed)
It is disadvantageous for short stay foreigners because they are paid only. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and is a vending machine capable of purchasing goods in foreign currency, can be sold at the latest exchange rate, there is no worry of input errors in the exchange rate, and change An object is to provide a vending machine that can be paid in a foreign currency.

[0004]

According to the present invention, there is provided a vending machine capable of purchasing goods in a foreign currency, comprising: a data communication means for acquiring exchange rate information; Selection means, money identification means, conversion means for converting the amount of inserted money into an amount in a transaction currency based on exchange rate information obtained via data communication means, and the amount of inserted money A vending machine characterized by comprising an input amount display means for displaying in transaction currency, a commodity price display means for displaying commodity prices in transaction currency, and a change payment means for paying change in transaction currency. I do. In the vending machine according to the present invention, the latest exchange rate information can be obtained via the data communication means, so that products can be sold at the latest exchange rate.
Since the exchange rate information is obtained via the data communication means, there is no fear of inputting the exchange rate. Since the change is paid in the transaction currency, the change can be paid in a foreign currency, and there is no disadvantage to foreigners who stay for a short time.

[0005] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the vending machine is provided with means for converting money into transaction currency. If the vending machine has the function of a currency exchange machine, it is convenient for the user.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG.
As shown in the figure, the vending machine according to the present embodiment has a data communication device 1 for obtaining exchange rate information connected to a host computer of an exchange rate information provider through a communication line, and a user of the vending machine operates. Transaction currency selection device 2
A currency identification device 3 for identifying inserted money, an input amount display device 4 for displaying the amount of inserted money in transaction currency, a commodity price display device 5 for displaying commodity prices in transaction currency, A change payment device 6 for paying change in currency for business,
The vending machine includes a currency exchange selection device 7 operated by a user and a main control device 8.

The operation of the vending machine according to this embodiment is shown in FIG.
3 will be described. The operation at the time of obtaining the exchange rate information will be described with reference to FIG. The main control device 8 periodically obtains the latest exchange rate information from the host computer of the exchange rate information provider by the data communication device 1 (step S1), and calculates the price of the sold product in the base currency. Next, the price of the commodity in various currencies is calculated (step S2), and the commodity price is displayed on the commodity price display device 5 in various currencies (step S3).

[0008] The operation at the time of selling goods will be described with reference to FIG. When the user of the vending machine inserts money into a money slot (not shown), the money identification device 3 identifies the type of currency to which the money belongs and the amount of money in the currency, and inputs the money to the main control device 8. (Steps S1 and S2). When the user of the vending machine operates the transaction currency selection device 2 to select the transaction currency, the main controller 8 calculates the total amount of the inserted money, and based on the latest exchange rate information. The total amount is converted into an amount in the transaction currency, and the amount of the input currency in the transaction currency is displayed on the input amount display device 4 (steps S3 to S5). When the user of the vending machine operates a product selection device (not shown) to select a desired product, the main controller 8 operates a product unloading device (not shown) to display the selected product in a product outlet (not shown). (Steps S6 and S7). If there is change, the main controller 8
Activates the change payment device 6, and pays the change in the transaction currency selected by the user of the vending machine (step S8,
S9). When the user of the vending machine operates the exchange selection device 7 instead of the product selection device to select the exchange, the main control device 8 activates the change payment device 6 and the transaction selected by the user of the vending machine. The exchange money is paid in the business currency (steps S10 and S11).

In the vending machine according to the present embodiment, since the latest exchange rate information can be obtained via the data communication device 1, it is possible to sell products at the latest exchange rate. Since the exchange rate information is obtained through the data communication device 1, there is no fear of inputting the exchange rate. Since the change is paid in the transaction currency selected by the user of the vending machine, the change can be paid in a foreign currency, and there is no disadvantage to foreigners who are staying for a short time. Since the vending machine according to the present embodiment has a function of a currency exchange machine, it is convenient for the user.

[0010]

As described above, according to the present invention, a vending machine capable of purchasing goods in a foreign currency can sell goods at the latest exchange rate, and there is no fear of inputting an exchange rate. A vending machine that can pay for in a foreign currency.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an operation of the vending machine according to the embodiment of the present invention when obtaining exchange rate information.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an operation of the vending machine according to the embodiment of the present invention at the time of selling goods.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Data communication device 2 Transaction currency selection device 3 Currency identification device 4 Input amount display device 5 Product price display device 6 Change payment device 7 Currency exchange selection device 8 Main control device

Continued on the front page F term (reference) 3E044 AA01 BA01 BA02 CA01 CA02 CA10 CB01 CB05 DA04 DB03 DB05 DE01 DE02 DE06 EA03 EA04

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine capable of purchasing goods in a foreign currency, comprising: a data communication means for obtaining exchange rate information;
Transaction currency selecting means, currency identification means, conversion means for converting the amount of the inserted money into an amount in the transaction currency based on exchange rate information obtained via the data communication means, and the inserted money Automatic sale comprising input amount display means for displaying the amount of money in transaction currency, commodity price display means for displaying commodity price in transaction currency, and change payment means for paying change in transaction currency. Machine. 2. The vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising means for converting money into transaction currency.