JP2006000193A - Processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a token dispenser that can quickly correct an error in response to a notification from a user when the error occurs. <P>SOLUTION: When an error occurs in the token dispenser, a service ticket in which error information and service information useful to a player are recorded is issued to an operating section 14 for the user. The user extracts the service ticket and takes the service ticket to a clerk and hands it over to the player to receive services recorded on the service ticket. The clerk confirms the error information recorded in the service ticket and grasps the detail of the error, makes preparations for the correction of the error and then moves to the token dispenser to correct the error. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a processing device that performs processing for paying out at least a predetermined payout to an operation unit in response to an operation of an operation unit for a user.

  Conventionally, as this type of processing device, for example, there are a medal lending machine installed in a game store such as a game center and paying out a medal as a payout, or a change machine for paying out exchange money as a payout .

  In the medal lending machine, by inserting coins and pressing a selection button for a desired payout number, the selected payout number of medals is paid out and change is paid out as necessary. An illumination section is arranged on the top of the medal lending machine so that the location of the medal lending machine is made conspicuous by this illumination section. The illumination unit fixes a light-transmitting sign board to the upper part of the housing, and illuminates the light from the light source from the rear of the sign board.

  In such a medal lending machine, if an error such as clogging of medals, running out of change, clogging of banknotes or coins, etc. occurs, the illumination section is turned off to notify the staff of the error state. Then, the clerk who notices that the lighting section is turned off goes to the place of the medal lending machine, checks the error contents in the clerk operation section inside the medal lending machine, and returns to the counter or office. With the medals, change, tools, etc. necessary for error cancellation, go to the medal lending machine again and cancel the error. Depending on the content of the error, the medal lending machine may not be usable.

Further, in the money changer, money is inserted, and a money change currency having a selected money change structure is paid out by pressing a selection button of a desired money change money structure. In such a change machine, if an error occurs in the change machine, the stop is displayed on the user's operation unit provided on the front of the change machine, and the clerk display provided on the clerk operation unit inside the change machine The error content is displayed in the section (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP-A-9-180022 (page 6, FIG. 10)

  However, even if an error occurs in the medal lending machine and the illuminator turns off, if the clerk does not notice it, the error release will be delayed and sales will not increase, and customers will have to search for other medal lending machines. There is a problem that must be done. In addition, it turns out that an error has occurred by turning off the lighting section of the medal lending machine, but I do not know the details of the error, so the clerk goes to the medal lending machine location and the clerk inside the medal lending machine After checking the error content in the operation unit, it is necessary to deal with it, for example, it is necessary to go to the counter or office after confirming that it is a medal empty error, and it takes time to deal with error cancellation There is.

  Also, the money exchange machine has the same problem as the medal lending machine when an error occurs.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a processing apparatus that can quickly cancel an error when a failure occurs by a notification from a user.

  The processing apparatus according to claim 1 is an operation unit for a user, processing means for processing at least a predetermined payout to the operation unit in accordance with an operation of the operation unit, and information on the operation unit. Recording medium issuing means for issuing a recorded recording medium, error detecting means for detecting an error of the processing means, and when the error detecting means detects the occurrence of an error, error information is recorded by the recording medium issuing means And a control means for issuing a recording medium.

  When an error occurs, a recording medium on which the error information is recorded is issued to the operation unit for the user.For example, when the user pulls out the recording medium and takes it to the attendant, the attendant Even if the error information recorded on the recording medium is confirmed and the user does not go to the processing device, the error content can be grasped and the error can be quickly resolved.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the processing apparatus according to the first aspect, the control means causes the recording medium issuing means to issue a recording medium in which service information is recorded together with error information.

  When an error occurs, for example, by issuing a recording medium on which service information useful for the user side is recorded together with the error information, the user can easily pass the recording medium to the staff for receiving the service.

  A processing apparatus according to a third aspect is the processing apparatus according to the second aspect, further comprising service information setting registration means for arbitrarily setting and registering service information.

  The service information can be arbitrarily set and registered by the service information setting registration means.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the processing device according to the third aspect, the service information setting registration means associates and registers the type of error information and the type of service information.

  Then, the service information setting registration unit can arbitrarily set and register the error information type and the service information type in association with each other.

  The processing device according to claim 5 is the processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the audio output means for outputting voice guidance for prompting extraction of the recording medium issued by the recording medium issuing means, and the recording medium issuance Recording medium detecting means for detecting removal of the recording medium issued by the means, and the control means detects the recording medium by the recording medium detecting means when the recording medium is issued by the recording medium issuing means. The voice guidance is output by the voice output means until it disappears.

  Then, when an error occurs and the recording medium is issued, a voice guidance that prompts the user to remove the issued recording medium is output until the recording medium is removed, for example, so that the user can easily remove the recording medium and give it to the staff. Become.

  According to the processing apparatus of the first aspect, when an error occurs, the recording medium on which the error information is recorded is issued to the operation unit for the user. For example, the user pulls out the recording medium and takes it to the staff. Thus, the attendant can confirm the error information recorded on the recording medium and can grasp the error contents without going to the processing apparatus, and can quickly cope with the error cancellation.

  According to the processing apparatus of claim 2, in addition to the effect of the processing apparatus of claim 1, when an error occurs, a recording medium in which service information useful for the user side is recorded together with the error information is issued. Therefore, it is easy for the user to give the recording medium to the staff in order to receive the service.

  According to the processing apparatus of the third aspect, in addition to the effect of the processing apparatus of the second aspect, service information can be arbitrarily set and registered by the service information setting registration means.

  According to the processing apparatus of the fourth aspect, in addition to the effect of the processing apparatus of the third aspect, the type of error information and the type of service information can be arbitrarily set and registered in association with each other by the service information setting registration means.

  According to the processing apparatus of claim 5, in addition to the effect of the processing apparatus of any of claims 1 to 4, when an error occurs and the recording medium is issued, the recording issued until the recording medium is removed Since the voice guidance for prompting the removal of the medium is output, for example, the user can easily remove the recording medium and give it to the staff.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a game medium lending device as a processing device. Further, as this game medium lending device, for example, a medal that is a payout and is a game medium installed in a game store such as a game center is shown. Indicates a medal lending machine. The medal lending machine includes a housing 13 including a main body 11 having an open front surface and a door body 12 provided on one side of the main body 11 so as to be openable and closable.

  The front surface of the door body 12 is configured as an operation unit 14 that is operated by a user. The operation unit 14 includes a bill insertion slot 15 for inserting bills, a bill outlet 16 for dispensing change bills, and a coin insertion for inserting coins. Mouth 17, coin outlet 18 for changing coins and exchange coins, medal outlet 19 for paying out medals, display section 20 for displaying operation method, input amount, error code, display for maintenance work, number of medals to be paid out A plurality of medal lending buttons 21, for example, a ticket issuing port 22 for issuing a service ticket or the like are arranged.

  On the back surface of the door body 12, a cup dispensing unit 23 that throws out cups for receiving medals one by one into the medal outlet 19, and a cup detection sensor that detects that a cup has been thrown into the medal outlet 19. 24 etc. are arranged.

  Inside the main body 11, a bill processing unit 25 that accepts a bill inserted from the bill insertion slot 15 and performs processing including authenticity determination and correctness determination and discharges a change bill to the bill outlet 16, a coin insertion slot The coin processing unit 26 that accepts coins inserted from 17 and processes it including authenticity determination, and pays out change coins and exchange coins to the coin outlet 18, stores a plurality of medals and selects the number of payouts selected Information is recorded on a recording medium such as roll paper, for example, a medal throwing unit 27 for throwing out medals into the medal outlet 19, an error canceling unit, data aggregation, various settings for a medal lending machine, etc. A printer 29 as a recording medium issuing means for issuing a service ticket or the like cut into a predetermined length from the ticket issuing port 22, a main body control unit 30 for controlling the medal lending machine, and a power source for supplying power to the medal lending machine It is arranged like 31. The printer 29 includes a magnetic head and the like when it corresponds to the magnetic roll paper. Two hoppers on the left and right sides are arranged in the medal throwing portion 27 so that even if one of them generates an error such as empty or clogged medal, the other can cope with it.

  On the upper surface of the main body 11, an illumination section 32 is provided for conspicuous where the medal lending machine exists. The illumination unit 32 is turned on when the medal lending machine is normal, but is turned off when an error occurs in the medal lending machine.

  Then, a processing means for processing that the cup dispensing unit 23, the bill processing unit 25, the coin processing unit 26, the medal throwing unit 27, etc., respectively, pays out the dispensed items such as cups, bills, coins, medals, etc. It is configured as 33.

  FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a medal lending machine. The main body control unit 30 includes a cup throwing unit 23, a cup detection sensor 24, a bill processing unit 25, a coin processing unit 26, a medal throwing unit 27, a plurality of medal lending buttons 21, a printer 29, a display unit 20, and a clerk operation. Unit 28, error detection means 41 for detecting various errors occurring in a medal lending machine, voice output part 42 as a voice output means for outputting voice guidance and the like, and memory part 43 as a storage means for storing various setting items Each is connected, and power is supplied from the power supply unit 31.

  The error detection means 41 is a medal lending machine including full detection, empty detection, clogging detection in the banknote processing unit 25, full detection, empty detection, clogging detection in the coin processing unit 26, empty detection, clogging detection in the medal throwing unit 27, etc. Detects various errors that occur in.

  The main body control unit 30 functions as a recording medium on which the function of the clock unit 45 for confirming the time and when the error detection means 41 detects the occurrence of an error, the printer 29 prints service information useful for the user together with the error information. It has the function of the control means 46 which issues the service ticket T (refer FIG. 4).

  The clerk operation unit 28 has a function of service information setting registration means 47 for setting and registering the type of error information and the type of service information in association with each other.

  The printer 29 has recording medium detection means 48 that detects the presence or absence of a service ticket T issued from the printer 29 to the ticket issuing port 22. The voice output unit 42 is capable of outputting voice guidance that prompts the service ticket T issued from the printer 29 to the ticket issuing port 22 to be extracted. Then, when the service ticket T is issued by the printer 29, the control means 46 causes the voice output unit 42 to output voice guidance that prompts the service ticket T to be extracted until the recording medium detection means 48 no longer detects the service ticket T. It has a function.

  FIG. 4 shows a service ticket T. The service ticket T is printed on, for example, roll paper by a printer 29 and cut into a predetermined length, such as date, medal machine number, service information, error information, and the like. Is printed. The service information includes information such as “service ticket”, service content such as “50 medal service”, and “take this ticket to the counter”. The error information includes an error number such as “E-xxx” and an error name such as “right hopper empty”.

  FIG. 5A shows various error names in the error information and the error contents of each error name. The left hopper empty and the right hopper empty indicate the empties of the medals in the left and right hoppers when the medal throwing unit 27 includes the left and right hoppers.

  FIG. 5B shows the contents of setting and registering error names and service contents for each of a plurality of error numbers, and the contents of the setting and registration are stored in the memory unit 43.

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described.

  First, preparation work such as setting work and loading work is performed. This preparatory work is basically performed by a staff member before business, and during the business if necessary.

  In the setting operation, the door body 12 of the medal lending machine is opened, the clerk operation unit 28 is taken out to the operation unit 14 side of the door body 12, and setting is performed using the clerk operation unit 28 and the display unit 20 of the operation unit 14. Therefore, the clerk operation unit 28 is operated and set, and the setting content is displayed on the display unit 20.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, an error name and service contents are set and registered for each of a plurality of error numbers. In this case, the service content is set for an empty-related error, but the service content is not set for an error related to a jam at the bill insertion slot 15. This setting content is stored in the memory unit 43.

  In the loading operation, the bill processing unit 25 is loaded with a thousand yen bill for change, and the coin processing unit 26 is loaded with a 100 yen coin for change. The medal throwing unit 27 is loaded with medals, and the cup throwing unit 23 is loaded with a cup. Load the printer 29 with roll paper.

  Next, the medal lending process of the medal lending machine will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  While the medal lending machine is waiting (step 1), it is confirmed whether an error has occurred (step 2).

  If the user inserts cash (step 3), the inserted cash is processed by the banknote processing unit 25 or the coin processing unit 26, and it is confirmed whether an error has occurred in the banknote processing unit 25 or the coin processing unit 26 ( Step 4).

  If cash of a predetermined loan amount or more is inserted and one medal lending button 21 is pressed (step 5), it is confirmed whether an error has occurred (step 6).

The number of medals set in the selected medal lending button 21 is thrown into the medal outlet 19 (step 7), and it is confirmed whether an error has occurred (step 8). When the number of medals paid out is smaller than a predetermined number of, for example, 200, the medal is paid out directly to the medal removal opening 19, and when the number of payouts is a predetermined number of, for example, 200 or more, the medal removal opening 19 Throw a cup and pay out medals in the cup.

  When the change needs to be paid out, the change is paid out from the banknote processing unit 25 or the coin processing unit 26 (step 9), and it is confirmed whether an error has occurred in the banknote processing unit 25 or the coin processing unit 26 (step 10).

  If no error occurs at any stage and the medal lending process is completed normally, the process returns to the standby state.

  If an error occurs at any stage, error information corresponding to the error content and service information associated with the error information are notified to the printer 29 (step 11). Error information, service information, etc. are printed on the service ticket T and the service ticket T cut to a predetermined length is discharged to the ticket issuing port 22 (step 12). At this time, the voice output unit 42 outputs a voice guidance for prompting removal of the service ticket T, and the display unit 20 also displays a guidance for prompting removal of the service ticket T. Further, the illumination unit 32 that was lit in the normal state is turned off to notify that an error has occurred.

  Then, a user who has operated the medal lending machine or a user who is in the vicinity of the medal lending machine extracts the service ticket T from the ticket issuing port 22. At this time, since the voice guidance that prompts the user to extract the issued service ticket T is output until the service ticket T is extracted, the user can easily extract the service ticket T according to the voice guidance.

  The user confirms error information and service information from the extracted service ticket T, and takes them to a staff member for delivery. In particular, if service information is printed on the service ticket T, the service ticket T can be easily given to a staff member in order to receive the service.

  The clerk confirms the error content and the service content by the service ticket T passed from the user, passes the number of medals according to the service content to the user, and prepares to eliminate the error from the error content, that is, If a medal is empty, prepare a replenishment medal, if it is out of change, prepare a change, and if it is clogged with medals, banknotes, or coins, prepare a tool to clear the jam, and go to the place of the medal lending machine. To cancel the error (step 13).

  In this way, when an error occurs, the service ticket T on which the error information is printed is issued to the operation unit 14 for the user, so that the user pulls out the service ticket T and takes it to the attendant for delivery. Thus, the clerk can check the error information printed on the service ticket T, grasp the error contents without going to the medal lending machine, and can quickly cope with the error cancellation.

  In addition, when an error occurs, the service ticket T printed with the error information and service information useful for the user is issued, so that the user can easily pass the service ticket T to the staff for receiving the service.

  In the case of setting registration shown in FIG. 5B, if the banknote insertion slot 15 is clogged, a service ticket T without service information is issued. In this case, no medal is paid out. The user who is operating will always take out the service ticket T and give it to the staff. In addition, by receiving the service ticket T, the clerk can reliably identify the user who has an error during the operation of the medal lending machine, can grasp the error content, and can solve the trouble with the user.

  In addition, if a lottery is performed at the time of renting out medals, and a winning is made, a service ticket T on which service information corresponding to the winning is printed by the printer 29 may be issued.

  In addition, depending on the type of error, it may be possible to set and register whether to issue a service ticket T or not. For example, it is possible to prevent the service ticket T from being issued for an error that a user can intentionally generate an error by manually closing the banknote outlet 16.

  In addition, the service ticket T may be printed with only the error display without printing the service information.

  Further, as the recording medium, not only the service ticket T such as paper, but also a card that can be used repeatedly or a printed card may be used. In the case of a card, a card issuing device is used as the recording medium issuing means.

  In addition, the processing device is not limited to a medal lending machine, but a pachinko ball lending machine that pays out pachinko balls as a payout in a game medium lending device, a money changer that pays out exchange money as a payout, and a ticket such as a food ticket as a payout It may be a ticket vending machine or the like, which can be applied to these as well.

It is a front view of a medal lending machine which shows one embodiment of a processing unit of the present invention. It is a front view which shows the internal structure which opened the door body of the medal rental machine same as the above. It is a block diagram of a medal rental machine same as the above. It is a front view of the service ticket of a medal rental machine same as the above. The setting contents of the medal lending machine are shown, (a) is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the error name and the error content, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the error name set and registered in the error No and the service content It is. It is a flowchart of a medal rental machine same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

14 Operation unit
29 Printer as a recording medium issuing means
33 Processing means
41 Error detection means
42 Audio output unit as audio output means
46 Control means
47 Service information setting registration means
48 Recording medium detection means T Service ticket as recording medium

Claims (5)

An operation unit for users;
A processing means for performing a process of paying out at least a predetermined payout to the operation unit in response to an operation of the operation unit;
Recording medium issuing means for issuing a recording medium in which information is recorded in the operation unit;
An error detection means for detecting an error of the processing means;
And a control means for issuing a recording medium on which error information is recorded by the recording medium issuing means when the error detecting means detects the occurrence of an error. The processing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the recording medium issuing unit to issue a recording medium in which service information is recorded together with error information. The processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising service information setting registration means for arbitrarily setting and registering service information. 4. The processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the service information setting registration means sets and registers the type of error information and the type of service information in association with each other. Voice output means for outputting voice guidance for prompting removal of the recording medium issued by the recording medium issuing means;
A recording medium detecting means for detecting extraction of the recording medium issued by the recording medium issuing means,
The control means, when the recording medium is issued by the recording medium issuing means, causes the voice output means to output voice guidance until the recording medium detection means stops detecting the recording medium. 4. The processing apparatus according to any one of 4.

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