JP2003196713A - Automatic vending machine system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique in which information that is transmitted and received in performing a cashless type transaction is made of use in a sales analysis. <P>SOLUTION: An IC card 150 stores electronic money 710 consisting of value information 700 and an identification key 701, and a user information 702. When the IC card 150 is used to purchase merchandise from an automatic vending machine 203, a value for the price of the merchandise is subtracted from the electronic money 710. In such a case, the automatic vending machine 203 acquires information on the value information 700 and information included in the identification key 701 from the IC card 150. The automatic vending machine 203 associates the acquired information with each other to transit the acquired information to an electronic money managing part 801. The electronic money managing part 801 sends the received information to an information analyzing part 802. The information analyzing part 802 grasps a sales trend of the merchandise, a market analysis and the operating state of the automatic vending machine on the basis of the information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention charges a monetary value to a data carrier, sells products by a vending machine using the data carrier, and sells information obtained through charging and sales. It is related to the technology used for analysis.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, attempts at making cashless products have been actively studied. The same applies to a vending system using vending, and a technique for applying a medium having a function as a money card to an vending machine to carry out a transaction of a product is being studied (Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic vending machine system capable of purchasing a desired commercial product only by designating the commercial product without incorporating the contactless data carrier into the automatic vending machine.

[0003]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-105803

However, most of the conventional studies of this kind have been made from the viewpoint of how a system suitable for cashless commercial transactions should be. There were few cases where the utilization of information that came and went was examined.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for utilizing information that is exchanged when conducting a cashless transaction for sales analysis. To do.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a charging device for charging a data carrier with value information having a monetary value, the receiving means receiving cash or a medium having a monetary value, and the reception means. When the means accepts cash or a medium having a monetary value, value information generating means for generating value information in the data carrier, and identification key adding means for adding an identification key containing information unique to the charging machine to the value information. And a value information storage unit for storing the value information to which the identification key is added in a data carrier as electronic money.

This charging machine relates to a charging machine that accepts cash or deducts a predetermined amount of value from a medium such as a credit card and generates value information in a data carrier according to the amount.

In this charging machine, the identification key may further include information about the type of medium having cash or monetary value received by the receiving means. Further, in this charging machine, the data carrier can be configured to include information regarding the user of the data carrier.

Further, according to the present invention, a vending machine for charging a data carrier with value information having a monetary value and an IC card containing the value information charged by the charging machine and selling a product. When,
An information management center connected to the vending machine via a network and receiving information transmitted from the vending machine, wherein the charging machine receives cash or a medium having a monetary value; When the means accepts cash or media of monetary value,
Value information generating means for generating value information in a data carrier, identification key adding means for adding an identification key containing information unique to a charging machine to the value information, and value information with the identification key added as electronic money Value information storage means for storing in a data carrier, the vending machine, a purchase acceptance means for accepting a product purchase request from a user, and a data carrier presented by the user, and a purchase request. A payout means for paying out the product, a value information updating means for writing the updated value information into the data carrier after subtracting the price of the requested product from the value information contained in the data carrier, and the product Identification key reading means for reading the identification key corresponding to the electronic money used for purchase, and the sale item, sales amount or sales situation Including at least sales information sales information and with said identification key comprising at least one, and an information output means for transmitting to the information management center,
The information management center includes an information receiving unit that receives the sales record information transmitted from the vending machine, and a sales record analysis unit that analyzes the sales record based on the sales record information. Vending machine system,
Will be provided.

In this vending machine system, the identification key may further include information on the type of cash or a medium having a monetary value received by the receiving means.

In this vending machine system,
The data carrier contains information about users of the data carrier, and the vending machine has user information acquisition means for acquiring information of users contained in the data carrier, user information, and preset sales permission conditions. Considering
A sales approval / disapproval determination means for permitting or prohibiting the sale of goods,
Further, the information output means may be configured to transmit the sales record information including the sales information, the user information and the identification key to the information management center.

In the present invention, electronic money is composed of value information and an identification key. Since the identification key is unique to the charge machine that generated the value information, when the electronic money is distributed in the market, the charge machine that generated the electronic money can be specified. The identification key can also include information such as the situation when the charge was made, for example, the date and time when the charge was made, and by which medium the deposit was made. As a result, it is possible to grasp the information about the situation when the charge is executed and the information about the consumption situation of the generated electronic money in a related form.

Further, it is possible to have a structure in which the information of the user is stored in this data carrier, and in this case, the above-mentioned information can be grasped in a form associated with the user information.

In the present invention, by obtaining a plurality of pieces of information in association with each other as described above, it is possible to obtain extremely useful information in conducting sales analysis. Examples of the information regarding charging include the installation location of the charging machine, the date and time of charging, the medium (cash, card, etc.) used for charging, and the like. Information about consumption includes places consumed, vending machines consumed, products purchased, purchase amount, number of times electronic money is used, payment method at the time of product purchase (total electronic money, partial cash, etc.) ,
Examples include the time required to use up electronic money. The user information is the age, sex, address, etc. of the user (the owner of the carrier or the person who borrowed the carrier).
Administrative districts can be cited. Therefore, according to the present invention,
By arbitrarily combining these pieces of information, it is possible to realize diversified sales analysis and the like, which has been difficult in the past. Furthermore, if an identification ID is given to each user, it is possible to grasp the transition of when and how the electronic money for each identification ID was charged and consumed over time.

Techniques for using information collected from the market for sales trend analysis have been actively studied, but most of these technologies are used at the point of consumption as represented by a POS system (point-of-sale information management). In the form of collecting information in, the information itself is limited to one aspect of consumption activities. On the other hand, in the present invention, since the electronic money constituted by the value information and the identification key is stored in the data carrier, it is possible to obtain information in a plurality of aspects from generation (charge) to disappearance (consumption) of electronic money. You can Further, when user information is stored in a data carrier or when used in combination with an authentication carrier for determining whether to sell or not, user information can be associated with the above information, and more multidimensional information can be obtained. As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to temporarily acquire information that would otherwise be difficult to obtain unless individually collected in various situations, without requiring complicated work or operation. As a result, it is possible to realize unprecedented diversified sales analysis and market trend analysis.

The "commodity" in the present invention is not limited to the one in the form of an article, but includes services and information. The “user” in the present invention refers to a person who purchases a product by using the vending machine according to the present invention.

The data carrier in the present invention includes both contact type and non-contact type, and can adopt various forms such as an IC card, an IC tag, an IC chip housed in a mobile phone or the like. . The data carrier according to the present invention may have a function as a carrier for storing electronic money, and may also have other functions such as a personal authentication function.

When the non-contact data carrier is used as the data carrier in the present invention, one equipped with a power source may be used, but it is rectified by receiving a radio wave from a predetermined part of the vending machine, and temporarily rectifying it. It is also possible to use a power supply having a configuration to be used as a power source. In addition, the contactless data carrier includes a memory unit that stores user information and the like.
The memory unit is, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Era
A non-volatile memory such as a sable programmable read-only memory) can be used.

The sales record information according to the present invention includes sales information including at least one of a sale item, a sales amount, and a sales situation, and an identification key. Here, the sales status includes sales date and time, sales area, sales price, sample sample position in the vending machine, and the like.

When the data carrier according to the present invention is also used as an authentication carrier for sale approval / disapproval judgment, the sale approval / disapproval judgment may be made in consideration of factors other than user information.
For example, even if it is determined that the product can be sold based on the data extracted from the user information, it can be configured to determine that the product cannot be sold when the product purchase request is made within a certain time period.

The configuration of the present invention has been described above.
Arbitrary combinations of these respective configurations and those obtained by converting the expressions of the present invention among methods, devices, systems, recording media, computer programs, etc. are also effective as aspects of the present invention.

[0022]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below by taking tobacco sales using an automatic vending machine as an example. Here, an IC card is used as a data carrier. This IC card plays both a role as electronic money and a role for proving an adult when deciding whether or not to sell cigarettes.

The IC card is issued by the method shown in FIG. First, the user 200 receives a card issuance application form from the store 202, fills in predetermined items in the card issuance application form, attaches a predetermined document, and attaches the predetermined document to the card issuing company 20.
Send to 1. The card issuing company 201 issues an IC card after collating the items and certificates described in the card application form, and sends the IC card to the user 200.

Since this IC card has a function as an electronic money card, the user 200 charges the value information before using the card. Specifically, a card is installed in the charging machine 204 of the store 202, and an arbitrary amount of money is charged by the charging machine 20.
By inserting in 4, the charge (update of the amount information) is performed.

Since this IC card is a non-contact type, when trying to purchase a product from the vending machine 203, the user 200 holds the card over a predetermined portion of the vending machine and obtains a sales permission. At the same time, it is possible to purchase a product by the value stored in the card.

In addition, the vending machine 203 and the charging machine 20
4 and 4 may be integrated. By doing so, convenience for the user 200 is improved and sales are improved. For example, even if the user 200 loses a purchase opportunity because the card balance is insufficient only with the vending machine 203, the charging can be performed if the charging machine 204 is integrated, and the user 200 can be reliably purchased. Can lead to.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the IC card 150 is held over the IC card reading unit 305 provided in the vending machine. The IC card reading unit 305 is provided with an IC chip 311 and an antenna 310 surrounding the IC chip 311. On the other hand, the IC card 150 is provided with an antenna 152 and an IC chip 151. IC card 15
0 operates in cooperation with the IC card reading unit 305, is supplied with power by electromagnetic induction via the antenna 152 and the antenna 310, and mutually performs data communication in a non-contact manner by weak radio waves. From the perspective of preventing misidentification, IC
The effective distance of the card 150 is preferably several centimeters.

The IC card 150 uses the AC signal to generate an IC
Data is exchanged with the card reading unit 305, the AC signal is converted into a digital signal, and then the IC chip 151.
It is possible to adopt a mode in which the data processing is performed in the above. In this case, the IC card 150 preferably has an analog / digital conversion function and a signal separation function.
The analog / digital conversion function is a function of converting an AC signal input from the antenna into a digital signal. On the other hand, the signal separation function is a function of efficiently separating the power signal obtained from both ends of the antenna coil and the superimposed signal of the information signal. The AC signal input from the antenna is usually a power signal and an information signal superposed on the chip. In order to obtain predetermined information from these superposed signals, it is necessary to efficiently separate the power signal and the information signal.

The internal structure of the IC chip 151 is as shown in FIG. 3, and includes a control section 153, a ROM 154, and a RAM.
155, EEPROM 156, and communication unit 157 are buses 15
It has the structure connected by 8. ROM154
The storage circuit stores various processing programs and data. RAM155 and EEP
Various data are stored in the ROM 156.

FIG. 4 is an outline of the data structure stored in the IC chip 151. The content of the data is roughly classified into electronic money information 410, charge information 420, and user information 430.

The electronic money information 410 includes information on the balance 411, the log 412, the financial institution 413 and the flag 414. The balance is the balance of electronic money, and the log is the usage history of electronic money. The financial institution is a financial institution that issues a credit card or the like, and serves as an inquiries when the value of the credit card or the like is transferred to the IC card 150. The flag is a display indicating whether the credit card or the like can be used.

The charge information 420 is the charge machine number 4
21, charge area 422, charge date and time 423, and medium 424 used for charge (cash, different cards)
Contains information about. These are information regarding the situation when the IC card 150 is charged with the value information to generate the electronic money, and by this, the area, the charging machine, and the date and time in which the electronic money is generated are specified.

The user information 430 includes a date of birth 431 and a gender 432. In the sale of cigarettes, only adults can be permitted to sell according to the age of the buyer. The user information 430 is used in making the sale approval / disapproval determination, and also serves as a basis for making a sale analysis by collecting the sale record information later. Of the above information, user information 43
0 and a part of the electronic money information 410 are input when the card is created. Other information is appropriately input when charging or purchasing a product.

Next, the procedure for transferring the value information to the IC card by the charging machine will be described. FIG. 5 shows the internal structure of the charging machine. This charging machine is an IC card 150
A communication unit 610 for communicating with the IC card 150, an information extraction unit 615 for extracting predetermined information from the IC card 150,
Balance display section 611 for displaying the balance of the IC card 150
Communication for transmitting information stored in a card such as a cash accepting unit 612 and a card accepting unit 613, which accepts cash or a credit card for generating value information in the financial institution and receiving corresponding information. A unit 614 and an identification key giving unit 616 for giving an identification key to the value information stored in the IC card 150 are provided, and these are controlled by the control unit 600.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a procedure for performing charging using the above charging machine. After charging is started, the charging machine first reads the IC card (S701). Next, after accepting the selection of the deposit method for generating the value information in the IC card (S702), the deposit method is determined (S703). As a depositing method, the amount of cash deposited in the cash accepting unit 612 (FIG. 5) of the charging machine is I
In addition to the cash deposit method written in the RAM 155 (Fig. 3) of the C card 150, the amount specified by the user from the designated account such as a cash card, credit card, or David card inserted in the credit card acceptance unit (Fig. 5). There is a method of transferring minute data to an IC card. Here, a cash card means a card for using a deposit in a bank account, and a credit card means a card for a credit company that issues the credit card to loan a predetermined amount to a user.

When the card is selected as the deposit method, the information stored in the card is confirmed (S704).
Specifically, the data is read from the magnetic stripe of the card and the data is collated with the corresponding financial institution via the communication unit 614. Verification to a financial institution is performed by the following steps. First, a card number, a user-entered personal identification number, a card use request, and the amount of money are transmitted to a server that manages cards through a communication line. A server managed by a financial institution, etc., performs a predetermined authentication based on the personal identification number of the card managed by itself, and then balance, expiration date, whether payment is delayed, theft or loss is reported, etc. Is checked to determine whether or not the card can be used, and the result is transmitted to the communication unit 614 (FIG. 5). In response to this, the charging machine determines whether or not the card can be used (S705). If it cannot be used, a message to that effect is displayed (S707). If it can be used, the IC card is charged with predetermined value information (S7).
06). In the above, information is exchanged between the charging machine and the financial institution in real time. It is desirable that the two are connected by a dedicated line. When cash is selected as the deposit method, the amount of money input or specified is charged. By the above procedure, the charge to the IC card is completed.

Next, the flow of electronic money when an IC card is used to purchase a product by an automatic vending machine will be described. The system configuration in this embodiment is as shown in FIG. The vending machine group 160 including a plurality of vending machines and the charging machine 163 are connected to the information management center 162 via a network. Each vending machine makes a transaction based on the monetary value information read from the IC card 165. Various information acquired at this time is stored as sales record data together with the sales time, place, etc., and this is transmitted to the information management center 162 via the network 161. Information management center 162
Performs sales analysis and the like based on the received sales performance data.

The flow of the value information when selling tobacco in this system will be described with reference to FIG. First, the IC card 150 is charged with value information by the procedure described above. The depositing means is not particularly limited, various media such as credit cart, cash card, debit card, etc. can be used in addition to cash, and the charging machine is provided with a selection button for selecting any of these means. . In the illustrated example, the credit card 180 is selected as the value input means.

When the credit card 180 is used to charge the IC card 150, the credit card 180
It is necessary to authenticate and check the balance. Therefore, the charging machine confirms the use of the credit card 180 with the financial institution 900 via the electronic money management unit 801 in the information management center. The details of this procedure are as described above. If the credit card 180 can be used and there is a balance larger than the charge amount, value transfer from the credit card 180 to the IC card 150 is permitted and the charge starts.

When charging is completed, the IC card 150
Is a state in which predetermined value information 700 is stored. Here, in the present embodiment, the identification key 701 is added to the value information 700. The identification key 701 is added by the identification key addition unit 616 in FIG. The identification key 701 includes information for identifying the charge machine that generated the value information 700, and is added by reflecting the charge information 420 in FIG. Thus, the electronic money 710 is configured by adding the identification key 701 to the value information 700.

When purchasing a product at a vending machine using this electronic money 710, the value information 70 of the electronic money 710 is acquired.
A part of 0 moves from the IC card 150 to the vending machine, but at this time, the value information 700 moved to the vending machine side.
However, the identification key 701 is still added. That is, in the transaction using this electronic money 710, the value information 700 and the identification key 701 always move as a unit.

Each vending machine sends the electronic money 710 transplanted from the IC card 150 to the electronic money management unit 801 in the information management center. In this way, the electronic money management unit 801 acquires information about electronic money from the charging machine and each vending machine. Since the electronic money 710 includes the identification key 701, the electronic money management unit 801 can easily grasp the process from the generation to the disappearance of the electronic money. This point will be described later with reference to FIG. 13 and the like.

There may be a case where electronic money derived from a plurality of charging machines is present in the IC card 150. in this case,
The electronic money used for payment in the vending machine can be consumed, for example, in the order of oldest charged date and time. Such control is performed by the control unit 153 (FIG. 3) provided inside the carrier.

The movement of the electronic money 710 has been described above, focusing on the function of the IC card 150 as a money card. By the way, in the sale of cigarettes by the vending machine, the vending machine may be configured so that only adults can purchase the cigarette. In this case, in addition to the IC card 150 described above, it is necessary to present (hold) the adult authentication card to the vending machine. An example of sales by such a method will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9.

FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of an automatic vending machine used in the present invention. The configuration shown in the figure can be realized in terms of hardware by a CPU, a memory, and other LSIs of an arbitrary computer, and in terms of software, it can be achieved by a program having a reservation management function loaded in the memory. Then, the functional blocks realized by those collaborations are drawn. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by only hardware, only software, or a combination thereof.

The vending machine 100 has a user interface 110, and exchanges with the user via the user interface 110. When selling by vending machine, vending machine 100
First, the card reading unit 101 receives the information stored in the authentication card and sends it to the card information extracting unit 121, where necessary information is extracted from the received information. The extracted information is sent to the sales approval / disapproval determination unit 122, and the sales approval / disapproval is determined. The sale approval / disapproval determination is specifically performed by comparing the determination reference data 123 and the system date 124 with the extracted information. Since the present embodiment relates to the sale of cigarettes, the date of birth stored in the IC card 150 and the system date 12
4 is compared, and it is judged from these differences whether the user is an adult or not. The result of the approval / disapproval determination is displayed on the display unit 102.

When the sale is permitted, the user requests the purchase of a product, selects the desired product, and holds the IC card 150 storing the electronic money over the card reading unit 101. The electronic money stored in the IC card 150 is sent to the card information extraction unit 121 via the card reading unit 101, and after necessary information is extracted here, it is sent to the control unit 125. The control unit 125 extracts information about the balance of the card from the card information extraction unit 121, and determines whether or not the product can be purchased from the relationship between the balance and the price of the product. When the product can be purchased, the product is paid out to the payout unit 104. If the purchase is not possible, the display unit 102 displays that effect.

When a product is bought or sold, the sales record data management unit 126 stores the data of the IC card 150 and the authentication card 170 obtained from the card information extraction unit 121 in the storage unit 127. This data includes a sales information identification key that includes at least one of user information sold product, sales volume, and sales status. This data is the sales performance data management unit 12
6 transmits to the information management center 140 via the communication unit 128 and the communication network 130. The information management center 140 includes a sales record information totaling device,
The sales record information aggregating device collects sales records based on the information reception unit that receives the sales records information transmitted from the vending machine, the storage unit that stores the sales records information, and the sales records information read from this storage unit. Sales performance analysis means to analyze,
Is provided. The sales record information totaling device in the information management center 140 performs analysis of hot-selling products, analysis of the optimal product configuration to be arranged in each vending machine, and the like based on the above information. In the system according to the present embodiment, the sales record data is once stored in the information management center 140.
However, after that, the data may be further transmitted to another server or terminal via the WAN or LAN to be used for analysis of sales results, information retrieval, or the like.

Next, a method of adult authentication and product sales using this vending machine will be described with reference to FIG. The illustrated flow includes both steps of adult authentication using an authentication card and updating electronic money amount information using an IC card.

The vending machine first reads the user information from the authentication card 170 held over a predetermined location (S).
400). Next, information about the date of birth is extracted from the user information, and this is compared with the system date in the vending machine. Calculation processing is performed based on these (S40
1) Based on this result, it is determined whether the user is an adult (S402).

As a result of the arithmetic processing, when it is verified that the user is not an adult, a sale prohibition display is made (S403). If the result of the arithmetic processing shows that the person is an adult, IC card 1
The money amount information is obtained from 50, the card balance is calculated, and this is displayed on the display unit 102 (S405). Then, it is checked whether the balance is enough to sell the product, and it is confirmed whether the balance is insufficient (S406).

If there is a sufficient balance to sell the product, the product that can be sold is displayed (S410). And
After confirming that the reset button has not been pressed (S411), it is determined whether the user has selected the product (S412). If a product is selected,
The product is paid out (S413). If the product has not been selected, it waits until a certain period of time elapses (S40).
8). After the products have been paid out, the balance is displayed again (S4
05) and repeat the above procedure. When the reset button is pressed, the product purchase step ends and the balance is recorded on the card (S415). Then, the sales performance data is recorded (S418), and this data is output (S
419). The output form may be an output form to a predetermined server via a network, or a storage form on a removable disk or the like.

If the balance is insufficient in step 406, the process waits until cash is put into the vending machine (S407). If cash is deposited (YES in step 407), the process returns to step 405 again, and the above-described procedure is repeated. If a certain period of time has passed without cash being input (S408), the balance is appropriately recorded on the card (S4).
15).

As described above, when the electronic money balance of the IC card is insufficient in step 407, the user can additionally purchase cash to purchase the product. When cash is deposited in step 407, the difference between the deposited amount and the purchase amount is stored in the IC card in step 415. Hereinafter, this will be appropriately referred to as a “change charge function”.

When the change charge function is provided in the flow of FIG. 9, the difference between the inserted amount and the purchase amount may be returned to the user in cash. An example of the flow in this case is shown in FIG. In the flow of FIG. 14, after the merchandise is paid out, the user is prompted to select whether or not to pay out money (S420).
When the payout of money is selected (YE in S420
S), refund the difference between the input amount and the purchase amount (S
421), the balance after refund is stored in the card (S41
5). When the payout of money is not selected (S420)
No.), the balance is displayed again (S405),
Repeat the above procedure.

Further, a step of returning the balance of the IC card to the user may be added to the flow of FIGS. 9 and 14.
In this case, the payout method in step 421 may be an automatic method such as a cash output method for paying out cash or an account transfer method for transferring money to a user's bank account or the like. In the case of the direct transfer method, the information that the payout of money has been selected is transmitted to the information management center 140 and processed as described above with reference to FIG. Further, depending on the operation method, it may be set such that the card after payout is collected and not returned to the user.

In FIG. 9, the change charge function when additional cash is input has been described. On the other hand, when the user purchases the product in cash, a step of charging the card with change may be provided. Hereinafter, this is appropriately called a change charge function. 15 and 16 show a flow including steps of change charge. Here, FIG. 15 shows a mode used for a contact type IC card, and FIG. 16 shows a mode used for a non-contact type IC card.

In the flow shown in FIG. 15, the user information is read and authentication is performed as in the case of FIG. 9 and FIG. 14 (S4).
37). If authenticated (YES in S437),
Waiting for cash to be inserted into the vending machine (S42)
2). When cash is input (YE in S422
S), the input amount of money is displayed (S424), and the sellable products are further displayed (S410). If cash has not been inserted for a certain period of time (YES in S433), the card is returned (S434). Items available for sale are displayed (S4
10) After that, as in the case of FIG. 9 and FIG.

When the change is made after the payout, the user is made to select the necessity of paying the money (S425). When the payout of money is selected (YES in S425), the change is refunded (S421). When the payout of money is not selected (NO in S425), the user is prompted to select whether or not to insert the card (S427). When the card is inserted (YES in S427), the card balance and the cash balance, that is, the amount of change are displayed (S428), and the user is prompted to select whether or not a change charge is required (S429). When the charge is selected (YES in S429), the cash balance is recorded on the card (S415), and the card is returned to the user (S416). On the other hand, when the card insertion or the charge is not selected even after the elapse of a certain time (S4
26 or NO in S430), pay out money (S
421) or return the card (S431).

Further, FIG. 16 is a flow when the card is a non-contact type in the flow shown in FIG. In FIG. 16, since it is not necessary to insert the card into the vending machine, the authentication and change charge are performed by presenting the card (S438).

In FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, the card for authenticating the sale availability and the card for charging may be different cards or may be one card. By using one card, the user does not need to carry a plurality of cards, which improves convenience. In FIGS. 15 and 16, the authentication may be adult authentication as in FIGS. 9 and 14, and authentication for determining whether to sell or not according to the time when a purchase request is made or user information. Authentication that determines whether or not the product can be sold may be based on past history.

In the flows of FIGS. 9, 14, 15, and 16, it is possible to add a step of giving points according to the purchase amount of the user. Hereinafter, a system in which points are awarded according to the purchase amount of a user is appropriately referred to as a "point system". When the point system is adopted, for example, it is possible to give a privilege to the user according to the points, or set so that the purchase can be made with the points. When adopting the purchase by allocating points, it is possible to provide a step of allowing the user to select a product (YES in step 412) and then allowing the user to select whether or not to allocate points. If redemption of points is selected, a step of storing the updated points in the card is provided. If the points are less than the price of the item, the difference will be paid from the electronic money on the card. In addition, if the application of points is not selected, or if the product is paid out in step 413, points corresponding to the purchase amount are given, and a step of storing the updated points in the card is provided.

In the flow of FIGS. 9 and 14, the sales record data output at step 418 is, for example, as shown in FIG.
The form is as shown in. In this figure, the date and time of use as well as the user's sex, age, and product for sale are shown. By analyzing this information, it is possible to analyze hot-selling products in consideration of age group or sex. Further, it is possible to clearly understand what kind of product is purchased by what kind of consumer depending on the time of day.

Further, step 4 in FIGS. 9 and 14
The sales performance data output at 18 is shown in FIG.
The form shown in (b) and (c) may be adopted. FIG.
In (a), an ID assigned to each user (user ID)
The purchase history and charge history for each are output in time series. Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 13B and 13C, only the purchase history and the charge history may be output independently. By doing so, the history focusing on the individual can be utilized for sales analysis. That is, it becomes possible to analyze the history of charges, purchases, etc. for each individual over time to analyze sales trends. In addition, by analyzing the time-series information for each user together with the personal information and the sales record information for each vending machine, it is possible to obtain more detailed information on the value transition trend for each user. it can. It can also be reflected in marketing strategies.

The transaction of goods by the vending machine using the IC card has been described above. Figure 1 shows how information flows between the IC card, vending machine, and information management center in this transaction flow.
This will be described with reference to FIG. In the IC card 150, the electronic money 71 including the value information 700 and the identification key 701 is included.
0 and user information 702 are included. When purchasing a cigarette from the vending machine 203 using the IC card 150, adult authentication is performed to determine whether or not the product can be sold. At this time, the vending machine 203 acquires the user information 702 from the IC card 150. When the sale is permitted, the value of the price of the product is deducted from the electronic money 710. On this occasion,
The vending machine uses the IC card 150 to obtain the value information 700
The information about the information and the information included in the identification key 701 are acquired. The vending machine 203 correlates the acquired information and transmits it to the electronic money management unit 801. The vending machine 203 and the electronic money management unit 801 are connected via a WAN such as the Internet. Information may be transmitted and received during this time in real time, but it is preferable to perform the batch processing at night or the like in consideration of the transmission cost and the operability of the vending machine 203.

The identification key 701 is also added to the value information 700 stored by the change charge function.

The electronic money management unit 801 sends the received information to the information analysis unit 802. Based on this information, the information analysis unit 802 performs product sales trends, market analysis, grasp of the operating state of the vending machine, and the like. Further, when the point system is adopted, the electronic money management unit 801 also manages point information such as customer information, point balance, point generation information, and point return information.

In the present embodiment, the vending machine 203 is
Information relating to changes in the value information 700 and the identification key 701
It is possible to obtain the information included in the above from the IC card 150, obtain the user information 702 from the authentication card 170, and utilize them in a form associated with each other. This allows
It is possible to perform a multifaceted and efficient analysis of sales performance and market conditions. Specifically, for example, the following points can be analyzed. (i) Positional relationship between the location where the charging machine is installed and the location where the electronic money is consumed (ii) Temporal relationship between the charging date and time and the consumption date and time when the electronic money is consumed (iii) Installation of the charging machine Relationship between location and number of times electronic money is used (iv) Relationship between charged amount and extent of cash replenishment when using electronic money (v) Charged amount, type and price of product purchased by electronic money , Relationship with quantity (vi) medium used for charging (cash, card, etc.),
Relationship with types, prices, and quantities of products purchased with electronic money Furthermore, users are classified into multiple classes according to age, sex, residential area, etc., and how the above relationships change for each class , Etc. can also be analyzed.

Further, it is possible to analyze how the charging tends to be performed depending on the class of the user. In addition, it becomes possible to analyze such information for each user over time.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above by exemplifying the sale of cigarettes, they can also be applied to a vending machine for alcoholic beverages, and further, information and services can be provided only to specific members. It can also be applied to vending machines that sell

Further, the IC card 150 and the authentication card 1
I showed an example using two kinds of cards of 70.
The authentication data is stored in the C card 150, and this card 1
It is also possible to perform both payment and authentication on a single sheet.

Further, when the sales record data is output, the management number of the vending machine is also output, and the installation location of the vending machine is specified from this management number to determine the sales environment and sales area of the product. It is also possible to use it for the analysis of the selling tendency in consideration of. Furthermore, it is also possible to analyze the characteristics of each commercial area by integrating the sales record data obtained from a plurality of vending machines.

[0073]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the electronic money constituted by the value information and the identification key is stored in the data carrier, the process from the generation to the disappearance of the electronic money can be accurately grasped. It is possible to collect sales performance information from a new perspective that has never existed before. As a result, it is possible to realize an unprecedented diversified sales analysis and the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a procedure for issuing an IC card.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining exchange of information between an IC card and a card reading unit.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an internal structure of an IC card.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a structure of data stored in an IC card.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a charging machine.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a processing procedure in the charging machine.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the flow of electronic money when a product is sold using the system according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of an automatic vending machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a processing procedure in the vending machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of sales record data.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the flow of information when selling a product using the system according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an automatic vending machine system according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of sales record data.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a processing procedure in the vending machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a processing procedure in the vending machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a processing procedure in the vending machine according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols] 100 vending machines 101 card reader 102 display 103 Product Purchase Reception Department 104 Disbursement Department 110 user interface 121 Card Information Extraction Unit 122 Sales approval / disapproval department 123 Judgment standard data 124 System date 125 control unit 126 Sales Performance Data Management Department 127 storage 128 Communication unit 130 communication network 140 Information Management Center 150 IC card 151 IC chip 152 antenna 153 Control unit 154 ROM 155 RAM 156 EEPROM 157 Communications Department 158 bus 160 Vending machine group 161 network 162 Information Management Center 163 charge machine 165 IC card 170 Authentication card 180 credit card 200 users 201 card issuance 202 stores 203 Vending machine 204 charge machine 305 IC card reader 310 antenna 311 IC chip 410 Electronic money information 411 Balance 412 logs 413 financial institutions 414 flag 420 Charge information 421 Charge machine number 422 charge area 423 Charge date and time 424 Medium used for charging 430 user information 431 Birth date 432 sex 600 control unit 610 Communication unit 611 Balance display section 612 Cash Reception Department 613 Card reception department 614 Communication unit 615 Information extraction unit 616 Identification key addition unit 700 Value information 701 identification key 702 User information 710 electronic money 801 Electronic Money Management Department 802 Information analysis unit 900 financial institutions

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ───

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] April 8, 2003 (2003.4.8)

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] 0072

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

Further, when the sales record data is output, the management number of the vending machine is also output, and the installation location of the vending machine is specified from this management number to determine the sales environment and sales area of the product. It is also possible to use it for the analysis of the selling tendency in consideration of. Furthermore, it is also possible to analyze the characteristics of each commercial area by integrating the sales record data obtained from a plurality of vending machines. The present invention
To obtain and use information about users in
This shall be done legally.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) G06F 17/60 510 G06K 17/00 L G06K 17/00 G07F 7/02 Z G07F 7/02 9/00 L 9/00 7/08 L (72) Inventor Eiichi Kiyokawa 2-2-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo Within Japan Tobacco Inc. (72) Inventor Koichi Miyake 2--2, Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo No. 1 within Japan Tobacco Inc. (72) Inventor Yasuyuki Maehara 2-2-1, Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo F Term within Japan Tobacco Inc. (reference) 3E044 AA01 BA01 BA02 BA04 BA06 CA06 DC01 DC05 DC06 DE01 DE10 5B058 CA01 KA02 KA04 KA08 YA02 YA06

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A charging machine for charging value information having a monetary value to a data carrier, the receiving means receiving a medium having a cash value or a monetary value, and the medium having the cash means or a monetary value. When accepting, value information generating means for generating value information in the data carrier, identification key adding means for adding an identification key containing information unique to the charging machine to the value information,
A value information storage means for storing the value information to which the identification key is added in a data carrier as electronic money. 2. The charging machine according to claim 1, wherein:
The charging machine, wherein the identification key further includes information on the type of medium having cash or monetary value received by the receiving unit. 3. The charging machine according to claim 1, wherein the data carrier includes information about a user of the data carrier. 4. A charge machine for charging value information having a monetary value to a data carrier, an automatic vending machine for accepting an IC card containing the value information charged by the charge machine and selling a product, and the automatic sale. An information management center that receives information transmitted from the vending machine, the receiving machine receiving cash or a medium having a financial value, and the receiving means. When receiving a medium having cash or monetary value, value information generating means for generating value information in a data carrier, and identification key adding means for adding an identification key containing information unique to a charging machine to the value information, Value information storage means for storing the value information to which the identification key is added in a data carrier as electronic money, The vending machine is a purchase acceptance unit that receives a product purchase request from a user and a data carrier presented by the user, a payout unit that pays out the purchase requested product, and a purchase requested product. After subtracting the price of the value from the value information included in the data carrier, the value information updating means for writing the updated value information in the data carrier, and the identification for reading the identification key corresponding to the electronic money used for purchasing the product. And a key reading unit; and an information output unit for transmitting sales record information including the sales information including at least one of a sale item, a sales amount, or a sales situation and the identification key to the information management center, the information The management center is based on the information receiving unit that receives the sales record information transmitted from the vending machine and the sales record information. Vending machine system, characterized in that and a sales analysis means for analyzing the sales performance Te. 5. The automatic vending machine system according to claim 4, wherein the identification key further includes information about the type of medium having cash or monetary value received by the receiving unit. Vending machine system. 6. The vending machine system according to claim 4, wherein the data carrier includes information regarding a user of the data carrier. 7. The vending machine system according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the vending machine acquires user information included in the data carrier, the user information acquiring unit, and the user. Information and the sale permission condition which is set in consideration of the sale permission condition set in advance, and further comprises sale permission / inhibition determination means, wherein the information output means includes the sale information, the user information, and the An automatic vending machine system, which transmits sales record information including an identification key to the information management center.