JP2001243541A - Operating system for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To newly develop automatic vending of intangible merchandise such as music data without requiring newly securing an installing place or a communication line. SOLUTION: An automatic vending machine 1 sells the tangible merchandise such as a beverage by a tangible merchandise sales part 14. By inserting an MD, a memory card, etc., to the sales part 16 to 18 of the intangible merchandise, the intangible merchandise such as the musical data, a game software is sold. The intangible merchandise is sold by receiving it through a communication line from merchandise data distribution servers 3 to 5 in external intangible merchandise providing companies A to C. The sales of the sold intangible merchandise is totaled and adjusted by the managing computer of an automatic vending machine operation company 20.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine operation system for operating a vending machine capable of selling intangible products such as music software as well as tangible products such as beverages.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, vending machines for selling canned beverages and the like have been remarkably spread, and many vending machines have been installed in towns. Recently, in addition to tangible products, for example,
Vending machines that sell intangible products, such as selling information such as music software on a storage medium such as an MD (mini-disc) as described in US Pat. No. 3,12,175 (G06F 17/30), are also available. Is being developed.

In the vending machine, the vending machine and the music distribution server are connected by a communication line, and music data is transmitted in response to a transmission request from the vending machine, and the vending machine receives the music data. By writing music data to a storage medium such as an MD, an intangible product called music data is sold. According to such a vending machine, the user can easily and relatively inexpensively obtain a wide variety of music data from the latest music to the music that is not widely available.

[0004]

However, when installing a vending machine for selling such intangible products,
There was a problem that it was necessary to secure a new installation place by searching for a place with the ability to attract customers, and a new communication line was required to connect to the data distribution server, which was costly. .

The present invention solves such a problem, and it is not necessary to secure a new installation place and a new communication line, and it is possible to easily and inexpensively sell intangible products automatically. The purpose is to do so.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vending machine operation system comprising: a tangible product selection unit for selecting a tangible product; and an intangible product selection unit for selecting an intangible product. A tangible merchandise selling means for carrying out the tangible commodity selected by the tangible commodity selection means, a communication means for performing data communication with the outside, and recording data as an intangible commodity selected by the intangible commodity selection means on a recording medium. A vending machine having an intangible product selling means for selling by selling, and a sales data recording means for recording sales data for each sold product, and communicating with the vending machine through the communication means, In response to a transmission request from
A commodity data distribution server for transmitting the data as the intangible commodity to the vending machine; and communicating with the vending machine through the communication means, and receiving sales data of the intangible commodity in the sales data recording means from the vending machine. And a management computer for totalizing intangible products for each transmission source. In this way, there is no need to secure a new installation location or communication line, and automatic vending of intangible products can be easily and without cost.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vending machine operation system in which the result of summing up the sales data of the intangible products is transmitted to a financial institution, and the financial institution performs the settlement processing of the sales of the intangible products. Features. This eliminates the necessity for the vending machine operating company to perform the settlement processing of the sales proceeds.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vending machine operation system wherein the sales data is transmitted from the vending machine to a source of the intangible product. In this way, the payment of the intangible product can be checked at the source.

A vending machine operation system according to a fourth aspect is characterized in that data as intangible products is received in advance from the product data distribution server and stored in the vending machine. This can reduce the communication load.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. The vending machine 1 sells tangible products such as beverages and tobacco and, at the same time, sells intangible products such as music data, video software, game software, personal computer software, map information, stock information, town information, recruitment information, and cooking recipes. They are also available for sale.

When selling a tangible product, cash is inserted into a cash slot in the cash unit 12 and a product selection button as a tangible product selection unit in the customer service unit 11 is pressed. The selected product is carried out from the tangible product sales unit 14. The cash input to the money department 12 is stored in the safe 13 and collected by a service person of the vending machine operating company 2. When the remaining goods in the tangible goods sales unit 14 are running low, the service person supplies the goods.

The vending machine 1 has a communication unit 15 as means for communicating with the outside. The management computer 20 of the vending machine operating company 2 and the intangible product providing companies A to C have a communication unit 15 via a public line 7. Data communication with the data distribution servers 3 to 5 is enabled. When selling an intangible product, an intangible product selection button as intangible product selection means in the customer service section 11 is pressed, and when a necessary product is selected, the data distribution server 3 of the corresponding intangible product provider A to C is provided. ~
5 is requested to transmit data of the selected product. As a result, if data is sent from the data distribution servers 3 to 5, it is received, and the sales department 16 for company A, the sales department 17 for company B, and the sales department 1 for company C as means for selling intangible goods.
At 8, the product is sold by writing it on a recording medium such as an MD, a memory card, and a memory stick.

FIG. 2 is an external view of a vending machine in the vending machine operation system of the present invention. In FIG. 2, 2
1 is a coin slot, 22 is a bill slot, 23 is a display, 24 is a keyboard, 25 is a return lever, 26 is a coin return slot, 27 is a tangible product selection button, 28 is a product sample, 29 is a product exit, 30 Is an intangible product selection button, 3
Reference numerals 1 to 33 denote recording medium insertion ports.

In order to purchase a beverage, coins or bills are inserted into the coin insertion slot 21 or the bill insertion slot 22 and a tangible product selection button 27 is pressed in the same manner as in a conventional vending machine for beverages. At 29, the desired product is discharged.

On the other hand, when purchasing an intangible product, the user presses an intangible product selection button 30. Intangible product selection button 30
Each product is classified according to its type, and “Music”, “Video”, “Game Software”,... Are displayed on the surface. When one of them is pressed, guidance is displayed on the display 23, and the keyboard 24 is operated in accordance with the guidance to select a product. Thereafter, the coin slot 21 or the bill slot 2
2. Insert the required amount from 2 and insert the recording medium insertion ports 31-33.
The recording medium is inserted into the corresponding recording medium insertion slot, and the execution button in the keyboard 24 is pressed.

Next, a display example of the display 23 will be described with reference to a case where music data is sold. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example when selling music software. When a music button is pressed from among the intangible product selection buttons 30, an input guide as shown in FIG. 3A is displayed.
When the user operates the keyboard 24 and inputs, for example, “A”, a singer selection screen as shown in FIG. 3B is displayed. From among them, select Akagawa □□ and enter “2”, a song selection screen as shown in FIG.
When "Love ..." is selected and "1" is input, a confirmation screen as shown in FIG. 3D is displayed. After that, a display prompting the insertion of the recording medium and the insertion of cash is performed,
Insert the recording medium and insert cash accordingly,
Music data is written to the recording medium.

When the intangible product is sold in this way, the sales data including the name of the sold product, the date and time of sale, the selling price, etc. are stored in the management computer 20 of the vending machine operating company 2 and the intangible product. The data is transmitted to the data distribution servers 3 to 5 of the intangible product providers A to C, which are the transmission sources. In the management computer 20, the sales data of all the products sold by the vending machine including the sales data of the intangible products transmitted from the vending machine in such a manner, for example, as shown in FIG.
Record in the form shown in

The vending machine operating company 2 patrols each vending machine, performs maintenance of the vending machine, replenishes tangible commodities, and collects sales proceeds. The collected sales include both the sales of tangible products and the sales of intangible products, but are initially put into a predetermined account of the financial institution 6 in a lump.

Then, the sales data recorded in the management computer 20 is totaled for each predetermined period, for example, every month, and the sales for each intangible product provider are calculated. The financial institution 6 is notified of the amount obtained by subtracting a predetermined commission from the calculated sales of each intangible product provider, and the amount is transferred to the account of each intangible product provider from the above account to perform the settlement of the sales. .

By adopting such a system, the intangible goods provider companies A to C need to secure a new installation place by using a vending machine already installed at a place where customers can attract. Disappears. Further, since the vending machine is conventionally connected to a communication line for notifying sales data and failure data, it is not necessary to newly secure a communication line. Therefore,
Automatic vending of intangible goods can be newly developed easily and at low cost. In addition, the vending machine operating company 2 can obtain new revenue in the form of a sales commission for intangible products in addition to sales of tangible products that have been sold up to now.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the communication of the communication unit 15 is performed via the public line 7 has been described, but in addition to the public line 7, the Internet, a dedicated line, a mobile phone line, a PHS line, a dedicated wireless line, etc. It is also possible to use. Further, in the above embodiment, the recording medium is MD,
The case where the memory card and the memory stick are used has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, map information or the like can be printed on paper and sold.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, intangible products are received from an external data distribution server and recorded on a recording medium for each sale, but are read in advance into a storage device in a vending machine, Those recorded therein may be read from the storage device and sold, and only those not recorded in the storage device may be received from an external data distribution server. By doing so, the communication load can be reduced.

[0023]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. That is, the vending machine operation system according to claim 1 enables both a tangible product and an intangible product to be sold by the vending machine, and the sales of the intangible product are performed by using the communication means of the vending machine to communicate with an external product. Data as intangible products is received from the data distribution server, and is recorded on a recording medium for sale, and the management computer counts the data for each source of intangible products. As a result, it is not necessary to newly secure an installation place and a communication line, and the automatic sale of intangible products can be newly developed easily and at no cost.

Further, the vending machine operation system according to the second aspect of the present invention transmits a totaling result of the sales data of the intangible products to a financial institution, and performs the payment processing of the sales of the intangible products at the financial institution. As a result, the vending machine operating company does not need to perform the payment processing of the sales proceeds.

In the vending machine operating system according to the third aspect, the sales data is also transmitted from the vending machine to the source of the intangible product. You can check the settlement.

In the vending machine operating system according to the fourth aspect, data as intangible products is received in advance from the product data distribution server and stored in the vending machine, so that communication of the The burden can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view of a vending machine in the vending machine operation system of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example when selling music software.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of sales information recording in a vending machine management computer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vending machine 2 ... Vending machine operating company 3-5 ... Intangible goods provision company 6 ... Financial institution 7 ... Public line 21 ... Coin slot 22 ... Bill insertion slot 23 ... Display 24 ... Keyboard 27 ... Tangible goods selection button 30 ... intangible product selection button 31-33 ... recording medium insertion slot

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G11B 20/10 G11B 20/10 D (72) Inventor Yasuhiro Yamazaki 2-5-5 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka No. 5 Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 3E044 AA01 BA01 BA02 BA10 CA02 CA03 DB02 DB05 DC02 DC06 DE01 DE02 EA01 EA12 5B049 AA02 BB11 BB13 CC09 DD01 EE00 GG02 GG04 GG07 5D044 AB05 AB07 BC01 BC11 CC04 CC08 HL

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A tangible product selection means for selecting a tangible product, an intangible product selection device for selecting an intangible product, a tangible product sales means for carrying out the tangible product selected by the tangible product selection device, and external data. Communication means for performing communication; intangible product sales means for selling by recording data as the intangible product selected by the intangible product selection means on a recording medium; and sales data recording for recording sales data for each sold product. Means for communicating with the vending machine through the communication means and transmitting the data as the intangible product to the vending machine in response to a transmission request from the vending machine side The server communicates with the vending machine through the communication means, receives sales data of the intangible product in the sales data recording means from the vending machine, A vending machine operation system, comprising a management computer for totalizing products for each transmission source. 2. The vending machine operation system according to claim 1, wherein the result of summarizing the sales data of the intangible products is transmitted to a financial institution, and the financial institution performs the settlement processing of the sales of the intangible products. . 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sales data is also transmitted from a vending machine to a source of the intangible product.
Or the vending machine operation system according to 2. 4. The vending machine operation system according to claim 1, wherein data as intangible products is received in advance from said product data distribution server and stored in the vending machine.