JP2002024868A - Automatic ticket machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To process a man-machine part of an automatic ticket machine by a personal computer. SOLUTION: A control device for controlling the drive of the body of an automatic ticket machine, such as automatic ticket machine, is constructed by a first control part formed by a microcomputer for controlling the mechanical block part, such as ticket issuing block for generating a passenger ticket and issuing the same, and a second control part formed of a personal computer for controlling the man-machine part, such as a service screen.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic ticket vending machine such as an automatic ticket vending machine and an automatic payment machine, and more particularly, to an improved control unit for driving and controlling the body of the automatic ticket vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, when an automatic ticket vending machine is an automatic ticket vending machine, the main body of the automatic ticket vending machine (hereinafter, also referred to as "main body" including the main body of the automatic ticket vending machine) is a microcomputer, a so-called microcomputer. The drive is controlled by a controller configured at the center.

[0003] The main body is a mechanical block, a so-called mechanical block section, a card block for processing cards such as prepaid cards, a ticket issuing block for generating and issuing a ticket, and checking the inserted banknotes and necessity. It has a bill block for discharging change as needed, and a coin block for checking inserted coins and discharging change as needed. The main body displays a group of buttons such as an account button, and has a man-machine unit such as a service screen including a touch panel operated by a user (passenger) and an operation screen including a touch panel operated by a clerk. The mechanical block unit and the man-machine unit are configured so as to be collectively driven and controlled by a controller constituted by the microcomputer.

[0004] The above-described configuration is substantially the same in other automatic teller machines such as an automatic checkout machine (including a transfer checkout machine) and an automatic commuter pass issuing machine.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional automatic bidding machine, since a controller for driving and controlling the entire mechanical block unit and man-machine unit included in the main body is constituted by a microcomputer, the processing capacity is large. There was a drawback that required a microcomputer.

[0006] Also, the man-machine section such as the customer service surface and the staff operation section of the automatic bidding machine differs depending on the transportation company such as the railway company employed, and in order to deal with this flexibly and efficiently. It has been considered that control processing can be performed by a personal computer (personal computer). However, control of the entire main unit by a microcomputer has problems that must be solved, such as a problem of processing speed and a security process at the time of power failure, and cannot be adopted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic bidding machine capable of reducing the load on a controller and flexibly and efficiently coping with a man-machine unit.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, an automatic ticket dispenser according to the present invention comprises a controller for driving and controlling a main body, a mechanical block unit such as a ticketing block for generating and issuing a ticket. , And a second control unit including a personal computer that controls a man-machine unit such as a customer service screen. In addition, the predetermined arithmetic processing in the second control unit includes:
The operation is performed using predetermined data stored in the first control unit.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a controller when an automatic ticket vending machine is an automatic ticket vending machine. In particular, the function of the controller C is mainly shown.

The controller C comprises a microcomputer controller 1 corresponding to a first controller of the present invention comprising a microcomputer and a personal computer controller 100 corresponding to a second controller of the present invention comprising a personal computer. The units 1 and 100 are connected by a communication line L of a communication area network (LAN). That is, the microcomputer control unit 1 is connected to the communication line L via the personal computer communication processing unit 2, and the personal computer control unit 100 is connected to the communication line L via the microcomputer communication processing unit 101. .

The microcomputer control unit 1 includes a card block 10a for processing cards such as prepaid cards, a ticket issuing block 10b for generating and issuing a ticket, checking the inserted bill, and changing the bill if necessary. A bill block 10c for discharging the coins, and a coin block 10d for checking the inserted coins and discharging the change as necessary. It has a mechanical block communication processing unit 3.

The microcomputer control unit 1 includes a ticket vending machine sequence processing unit 4 for performing a sequence process of the main body such as opening and closing control processing of a shutter of a coin slot, and a sales registration process for performing a sales registration process of the main unit. Unit 5 is included. Also,
The microcomputer control unit 1 stores a fare and customer service data storage unit 6 for storing customer service data such as fare data of a ticket and display data of an account button on a customer service screen described later, and sales data of the main body. A sales / purchase data storage unit 7 is provided for storing purchase data for each customer, that is, purchase data such as the amount of money inserted, the type of ticket, and the amount of change.

The personal computer control unit 100 includes a touch panel provided on the customer service surface of the main unit, and controls a customer service screen 200a corresponding to a man-machine unit of the present invention. A clerk operation processing unit 102 for controlling a clerk operation screen 100b operated by a clerk comprising a touch panel corresponding to a man-machine unit of the present invention, and a station control device (station system) as a higher-level device
And a data communication processing unit 103 for communicating with the user. The data communication processing unit 103 is configured to be able to communicate with another host device such as a host computer or the Internet provided at the head office, in addition to the above-described station system.

The microcomputer control unit 1 is, as in the prior art,
Since it does not have a function of controlling the man-machine unit, the load on the microcomputer control unit 1 can be reduced correspondingly. The function of controlling the man-machine section of the main body is provided in the personal computer control section 100.

The data storage unit 104 provided in the personal computer control unit 100 stores the fare and customer service every time.
00 is started, the data stored in the data storage unit 6 is copied and stored in the fare and customer service data storage unit 6 of the microcomputer control unit 1, and the stored data is used for controlling the customer service processing unit 101. Used. The data in the fare / customer service data storage unit 104 is stored in the personal computer control unit 1.
It is composed of a storage unit that disappears when the power supply of 00 is turned off. As described above, the personal computer control unit 100 itself is configured on a read-only basis without a data writing unit, and data necessary for predetermined arithmetic processing in the personal computer control unit 100 is stored in the microcomputer control unit 1. Data is used. Therefore, the personal computer control unit 100 does not need to consider data retention, so that the power is turned on and off.
F can be performed freely.

FIG. 2 shows a transmission control procedure of the controller C when the power is turned on. When the microcomputer controller 1 and the personal computer controller 100 are turned on, the power of the mechanical block 10 is turned on. And the personal computer control unit 1
The fare / customer service data stored in the fare / customer service data storage unit 6 of the microcomputer control unit 1 is copied to the fare / customer service data storage unit 104 at 00 and the personal computer control unit 100.
Is initialized. Thereafter, the main body is put into an operating state (a state in which the main body can be put on sale), the fact is displayed on a display section provided above the customer service surface of the main body, and the shutter of the mechanical block 10 such as a coin slot is opened.

FIG. 3 shows a transmission control procedure when the controller C purchases a ticket. First, when an account button on the customer service screen 200 is selected by the user, the selection signal is input to the microcomputer control unit 1 via the personal computer control unit 100. When money (banknotes, coins, or cards) corresponding to the selected account button is inserted, the inserted amount is displayed on the customer service screen 200a.

The entered amount is the amount of the account button (purchase amount)
If it is larger, the ticket corresponding to the selected account button is issued, and change is discharged as necessary. A series of issuance processing ends when the ticket and change are taken out.

FIG. 4 shows a transmission control procedure of the controller C when the fare is changed, that is, when the so-called change is made. First,
When the data accompanying the service change is downloaded from the host device, the data is stored in the fare / customer service data storage unit 6 of the microcomputer control unit 1 via the personal computer control unit 100. The operation change data may be read from a program card (PC) in which the data is recorded, instead of being downloaded from a higher-level device.

The operation change data stored in the microcomputer control unit 1 is automatically or manually switched to the previous data when the fare change date arrives, and used.

In the above example, the automatic ticket vending machine is an automatic ticket vending machine. However, it is needless to say that another automatic ticket vending machine such as an automatic payment machine may be used.

[0022]

According to the present invention, there is provided an automatic bidding machine comprising: a controller for driving and controlling the main body; a first control unit comprising a microcomputer for controlling a mechanical block unit such as a ticketing block for generating and issuing a ticket; Since it is configured by the second control unit including a personal computer that controls a man-machine unit such as a customer service screen, the burden on the microcomputer control unit can be reduced, and the processing of the man-machine unit is performed flexibly and efficiently. be able to. Also, the predetermined arithmetic processing in the second control unit is performed by the first control unit.
When the processing is performed using predetermined data stored in the control unit, the power of the personal computer processing unit can be freely turned on and off.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a controller that controls the driving of the main body when an automatic ticket vending machine according to the present invention is an automatic ticket vending machine.

FIG. 2 is a transmission control procedure when a controller is turned on.

FIG. 3 is a transmission control procedure when a controller purchases a ticket.

FIG. 4 is a transmission control procedure at the time of operation change of a controller.

[Explanation of symbols]

 C controller 1 Microcomputer control unit (first control unit) 10 Mechanical block 100 Personal computer control unit (second control unit) 200a Customer service screen (man-machine unit) 200b Personnel operation screen (man-machine unit)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A controller for driving and controlling a body of an automatic ticket vending machine such as an automatic ticket vending machine, a first control unit including a microcomputer for controlling a mechanical block unit such as a ticketing block for generating and issuing a ticket. And a second control unit comprising a personal computer for controlling a man-machine unit such as a customer service screen. 2. The automatic bidding machine according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined arithmetic processing in the second control unit is performed using predetermined data stored in the first control unit.