JP2004192031A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic vending machine for selling canned juice or the like, which has a function to add value to the product for sale to increase sales volume and profits. <P>SOLUTION: The automatic vending machine comprises a printing means for printing on the product for sale; a selecting means for selecting printing data to be printed on the product; a storage means for storing the printing data; and a price indication means for changing the price indication of the product according to the printing data selected by the selecting means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This patent relates to vending machines that benefit by adding value to a sale.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In conventional vending machines, the value of what is sold is generally determined before the sale. For example, vending machines such as canned juices and cigarettes had a fixed cost before they were released, and profits were obtained only from the difference between the purchase price and the selling price.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, conventional vending machines can only generate income from the sale of goods for sale. In addition, for vending machines with small sales volume, it is difficult to manage the expiration date, the cost of the installation location and the labor cost of managing the vending machine can not be compromised, and the vending machine must be removed There is a problem that falls into.
[0004]
An object of the invention according to the present application is to add value to a vending machine for sale, increase profits by the added value, and aim at added value in addition to a user of a conventional vending machine. The aim is to increase sales of vending machines by targeting users and increasing the number of users.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, in the present invention, a function of performing printing on a product for sale is added to a vending machine. Then, a function of controlling the price of the product for sale by providing several types of print data and allowing the user to select what to print is provided. In addition, by connecting vending machines to networks such as the Internet, it is possible to centrally manage print data, and to centrally manage the number of times print data is selected, sales volume of sales products, remaining amount of sales products, and the like. It becomes possible.
[0006]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram that best illustrates the features of the present embodiment and is a control portion of a vending machine for canned juice. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a CPU, and reference numeral 2 denotes a beverage notification unit. When a user selects a beverage to be purchased using a beverage selection button 3, the beverage notification data 4 is output to the CPU 1. Reference numeral 5 denotes a print data notification unit, which outputs print notification data 7 to the CPU 1 when the user selects data to be printed using the print data selection button 6. Reference numeral 8 denotes a price display unit, which performs price display according to the price display data 9 output from the CPU 1. Reference numeral 10 denotes a memory, which performs writing when the CPU 1 outputs 11 memory write data, and performs reading when the CPU 1 receives 12 memory read data. A printing unit 13 receives the print data of the CPU 14 from the CPU 1, prints the data selected by the user on the beverage selected by the user, and then discharges the beverage to the outside. At this time, it is assumed that the print data 14 includes data indicating the beverage selected by the user, in addition to the print data selected by the user. As shown in FIG. 2, the memory 10 stores 15 print images, 16 price data, 17 advertisement fee data, and 18 print image sales data. The print image 15 is a print image to be printed on the beverage, and the price data 16 is data indicating the relationship between the print image 15 and the displayed price. The CPU 1 receiving the print notification data 7 reads the price data 16 and outputs the price display data 9 to the price display unit 8 or generates the print data 14 based on the read print image 15 and the beverage notification data 4. The print image 15 and the price data 16 are used to output the print data to the print unit 13. The print image 15 includes advertisement data for the purpose of advertisement, and data involving copyright such as a photograph of a talent. When the user selects the advertisement data, the price of the beverage is set at a low price, and the price of the beverage is set to the normal price. The difference is covered by the advertising fee. The method of obtaining the advertisement fee is such that the number of times the advertisement is selected is stored as 17 advertisement fee data, and the advertisement fee increases in proportion to the number of times the advertisement is selected. Although not performed in the present embodiment, the price of the beverage can be changed in proportion to the number of times the advertisement is selected. When the user selects copyright data such as a photograph of a talent, the price is displayed higher than usual, and the difference from the normal price is used as the copyright fee. The copyright fee is stored as 18 print image sales data. It is assumed that information for determining whether the print image indicated by the print notification data 7 includes an advertisement fee or a copyright fee is included in the price data 16. FIG. 3 shows an image diagram of a vending machine having the control portion shown in FIG. In the figure, 19 is a vending machine, and 20 is a beverage sample. A beverage selection button 3, a print data selection button 6, and a price display unit 8 are the same as those in FIG.
[0007]
Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. When the user selects an image to be printed on the beverage by pressing the print data selection button 6, the print data notification unit 5 outputs print notification data 7 to the CPU 1. The CPU 1 reads the price corresponding to the print notification data 7 from the price data 16 in the memory 10 and outputs the price display data 9 to the price display unit 8. The price display unit 8 displays the contents of the received price display data 9. Further, the CPU 1 refers to the price data 16 to determine whether the print notification data 7 is accompanied by an advertisement fee or a copyright fee, and based on the determination result, the advertisement fee data 17 or the print image sales data. Update 18 This operation is shown in the flowchart of FIG. In step 1, the CPU 1 receives the print notification data 7 and proceeds to step 2. In step 2, the CPU 1 determines whether the print notification data 7 is data accompanied by an advertising fee or data accompanied by a copyright fee by referring to the price data 16, and proceeds to step 3 if the data is accompanied by an advertising fee. If the data includes a copyright fee, the process proceeds to step 4. In step 3, the CPU 1 updates the advertisement fee data 17 and ends the processing. In step 4, the CPU 1 updates the print image sales data 18 and ends the processing.
[0008]
The user presses the beverage selection button 3 corresponding to the beverage to be purchased with reference to the displayed price. When the beverage selection button 3 is pressed, the beverage notification unit 2 outputs beverage notification data 4 to the CPU 1. The CPU 1 reads the print image 15 indicated by the print notification data 7 from the memory 10, creates print data 14 from the received beverage notification data 4 and the print image 15, and transmits the print data 14 to the print unit 13. The printing unit 13 prints the content of the print image 15 included in the print data 14 on the beverage indicated by the beverage notification data 4 included in the print data 14, and discharges the beverage after printing.
[0009]
As described above, in the present embodiment, data accompanying an advertisement fee or a copyright fee is printed on a beverage sold by a vending machine, and the price of the beverage is changed according to the data to be printed. This has the effect of adding value to the beverage and cultivating a new user who purchases the beverage for the purpose of price or printed matter.
[0010]
(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 5 is a diagram best illustrating the features of the present embodiment, which is characterized in that a network communication function is added to FIG. 1 of the first embodiment. In the figure, reference numerals 2 to 9 and 11 to 14 are the same as those in FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 21 denotes a CPU with a network controller (hereinafter, network CPU 21), which is obtained by adding a function of a network controller to the CPU 1 of the first embodiment. Reference numeral 22 denotes network reception data, which is communication data from the host 26 to the network CPU 21. Reference numeral 23 denotes network transmission data, which is communication data from the network CPU 21 to the host 26. Reference numeral 27 denotes a memory. FIG. 6 shows the contents of the memory 27. In addition to the contents shown in FIG. 2 of the first embodiment, 24 remaining beverage number data and 25 change data are added. The remaining beverage data 24 is data indicating the remaining number of beverages in the vending machine, and a specific example is shown in FIG. The change data 25 is data indicating the remaining amount of change, and FIG. 8 shows a specific example. A beverage remaining number sensor 28 detects the number of remaining beverages and outputs 30 beverage remaining number sensor data to the network CPU 21. Reference numeral 29 denotes a change remaining number sensor which detects the number of remaining change and outputs 31 change remaining number sensor data to the network CPU 21. The CPU that has received the remaining beverage sensor data 30 and the remaining change sensor data 31 updates the remaining beverage data 24 and the change data 25 based on the information to determine the remaining beverage and the remaining change. to manage.
[0011]
When the user presses the print data selection button 6 to select data to be printed on the beverage, and presses the beverage selection button 3 with reference to the displayed price, the user purchases a beverage on which a desired image is printed. A series of operations that can be performed is the same as in the first embodiment. In addition to this function, the present embodiment has a function in which the host 26 reads and writes data from and in the memory 27 through the network CPU 21. More specifically, the network CPU 21 receives the write request and the write data of the memory 27 by receiving the network reception data 22 from the host 26. Then, the network CPU 21 performs the write operation of the memory 27 by outputting the memory write data 11. Regarding the memory read operation, the network CPU 21 receives the network reception data 22 from the host 26, thereby accepting a read request for the memory 27. Then, the network CPU 21 receives the memory read data 12 to perform a read operation of the memory 27, and transmits the data to the host 26 as the network transmission data 23, thereby completing the read operation. By doing so, it becomes possible to write the print image 15 and the price data 16 from a remote place, and the advertisement charge data 17, the print image sales data 18, the remaining beverage data 24, the change data 25 and the like can be written from a remote place. It is also possible to lead. In the present embodiment, the network function is assumed to be a wired network, but the functions of the present embodiment may be realized by a wireless network.
[0012]
As described above, in the present embodiment, by adding the network communication function to the first embodiment, it becomes possible to centrally manage data and price data to be printed on beverages. Further, information specific to the region where the vending machine is installed can be easily set as print data. In addition, tabulation of advertisement fees, copyright fees, the remaining number of drinks, change data, and the like can be easily realized, and further, tabulation of drinks, advertisement data, and copyright data that have sold a lot can be easily realized. Although not described in the present embodiment, failure information of a vending machine can be managed on a network, and a service person can efficiently repair, change, and replenish beverages based on the information. Become.
[0013]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, a function of printing on a vending machine for sale is added, and the price is changed according to data to be printed, so that other than sales of the sale product such as an advertising fee and a copyright fee can be obtained. It is also possible to cultivate a new user who purchases a beverage for a price or printed matter. In addition, by connecting the vending machine to the network, it becomes possible to centrally manage images to be printed and print images with high sales.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram that best illustrates features of a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing contents of a memory 10;
FIG. 3 is an image diagram of a vending machine.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of determining print notification data 7 according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a diagram that best illustrates the features of the second embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a view showing contents of a memory 27;
FIG. 7 is a specific example of beverage remaining number data 24;
8 is a specific example of change data 25. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 CPU
2 Beverage notification unit 3 Beverage selection button 4 Beverage notification data 5 Print data notification unit 6 Print data selection button 7 Print notification data 8 Price display unit 9 Price display data 10 Memory 11 Memory write data 12 Memory read data 13 Printing unit 14 Print data 15 Print image 16 Price data 17 Advertisement fee data 18 Print image sales data 19 Vending machine 20 Beverage sample 21 CPU with network controller
22 Network reception data 23 Network transmission data 24 Beverage remaining data 25 Change data 26 Host 27 Memory 28 Beverage remaining sensor 29 Change remaining sensor 30 Beverage remaining sensor data 31 Change remaining sensor data

Claims (7)

Printing means for printing on sale items,
A selection means for selecting print data to be printed on a product for sale;
Storage means for storing the print data,
Price display means for changing a price display of a product for sale according to the print data selected by the selection means;
A vending device characterized by having: The print data includes advertisement data and copyright data, and when the advertisement data is selected by the selection means, the price of the product for sale is set at a low price. When the copyright data is selected, the price of the product for sale is displayed. The vending apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vending machine is set at a high price. 3. The vending apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the advertisement fee is changed in proportion to the number of times the advertisement data is selected. 3. The vending apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the price of the article for sale is changed in proportion to the number of times the advertisement data is selected. 3. The vending apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the price of the article for sale and the advertising fee are changed in proportion to the number of times the advertisement data is selected. Network connection means for connecting to the network,
Access means for accessing the storage means through the network connection means;
The vending apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by having: 7. The vending apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said network connection means is a wireless communication means.

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