JP2006092449A - Operation number control system, terminal control device, and operation number control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an operation number control system capable of grasping the operational states of automatic transaction devices to comprehensively set the number of operating devices or the devices to be operated, and immediately responding to an accidental impossible state of automatic transaction devices. <P>SOLUTION: This operation number control system comprises a plurality of automatic transaction devices 110 performing automatic transactions by users' own operations, and a terminal control device 120 connected to the plurality of automatic transaction devices to control the automatic transaction devices, in which the operation number of the automatic transaction devices is controlled, the operational states thereof are grasped by transaction interval times from the termination of transaction of the automatic transaction devices to the next start of transaction thereof, and the automatic transaction devices to be operated are concretely determined in reference to an operation table owned by the terminal control device. According to this structure, users can further stably use the automatic transaction devices. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic transaction apparatus that is operated by a user, and more particularly to an operating number control system, a terminal control apparatus, and an operating number control method for controlling the number of operating automatic transaction apparatuses.

  An automatic teller machine (ATM), which is an example of an automatic transaction apparatus, can receive various services related to cash withdrawal and depositing by a user himself / herself without going through a bank window.

  If one of the users occupies one automated teller machine for a long time while providing the above service, the other user must wait for the user's processing to be completed in order to receive the service. . Such congestion of automatic teller machines can be seen on a daily basis due to the difference between the number of users and the processing capacity of automatic teller machines.

  In order to eliminate the waiting time of the automatic teller machine, a plurality of automatic teller machines are installed in each store according to the number of users. However, a large amount of power is consumed if all such automatic teller machines are operated simultaneously. In order to solve this problem, the number of customers in the store is detected, the number of customers is compared with a predetermined reference number, and the number of automated teller machines is controlled according to the number of customers. A technique for promoting the processing is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

  There is also known a technique for monitoring the number of customers with one human detection sensor and accumulating the data, and simultaneously controlling the number of operating units based on the accumulated past operating results (for example, Patent Document 2), With this technology, power consumption can be reduced.

  However, in such a system, it is difficult to grasp the accurate operation rate for each automatic transaction device, and the number of operating units becomes insufficient when the automatic transaction device is out of order or in an unusable state due to lack of cash or statement slips. , There was a problem that it was not possible to respond appropriately to the operating status.

JP-A-8-83312 JP 2003-208657 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional management system for the number of operating units, and the object of the present invention is to grasp an accurate operating status for each automatic transaction apparatus, and according to the operating status. New and improved operation number control that can be used stably by users by setting the number of operation units and operation devices in a comprehensive manner, and immediately responding to the sudden failure of automatic transaction devices It is to provide a system, a terminal control device, and an operation number control method.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, according to an aspect of the present invention, a plurality of automatic transaction apparatuses that perform automatic transactions by user's own operations and the automatic transaction apparatuses that are connected to the plurality of automatic transaction apparatuses are controlled. A system for controlling the number of operating automatic transaction devices including a terminal control device, wherein the automatic transaction device is at least a transaction interval time from the end of the transaction of the automatic transaction device to the start of the next transaction A device information transmitter that transmits device information to the terminal control device every predetermined time; and a power supply switching unit that turns on and off the automatic transaction device according to an operation command received from the terminal control device, The terminal control device stores at least an operation table for extracting the automatic transaction device to be operated from the device information and the current time. A storage unit; an operation determination unit that refers to the operation table and determines the automatic transaction device to be operated from the device information received from the automatic transaction device and the current time; and according to the determination content of the operation determination unit An operation number control system is provided, comprising an operation command transmission unit that transmits an operation command to a target automatic transaction apparatus. The automatic transaction apparatus may be an automatic teller machine (ATM) capable of depositing and / or refunding cash, and the terminal control apparatus may include a personal computer, a workstation, etc. good. The current time may include year, month, day, day of the week, hour, minute, and second information.

  The device information transmission unit may count the predetermined time by a timer of the automatic transaction device and transmit the device information every predetermined time, or the device information according to a transmission command every predetermined time from the terminal control device. May be sent. Further, the predetermined time can be arbitrarily determined, for example, 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or 1 hour.

  The transaction interval time may be the latest transaction interval time at the timing of transmitting the device information, or may be an average value for a predetermined number of times immediately before, for example, 10 times.

  The above system for controlling the number of operating units grasps the operating status (operating rate) according to the transaction interval time of the automatic transaction device, and reviews the number of operating units and the specific automatic operation transaction device every predetermined time, so that the user is stable. It is characterized by being available.

  The operation table may be provided with operation priorities for the plurality of automatic transaction apparatuses, and the operation determination unit may determine an automatic transaction apparatus to be operated according to the operation priorities.

  With this configuration, it is possible to set up an automatic transaction device that operates with priority according to the date, day of the week, time zone, weather, and store location, and automatic transaction that operates in consideration of crime prevention and convenience. The device can be specifically specified. Moreover, various forms of services can be provided by setting the automatic transaction apparatuses that are operating among such automatic transaction apparatuses to be adjacent to each other or by intentionally separating them.

  The operation table may be provided with a minimum operation number corresponding to the operation time. With such a configuration, even when the usage rates of a plurality of automatic transaction devices happen to overlap, the minimum required automatic transaction device can be maintained, and the stable automatic transaction device can be used.

  The device information may further include a disabled state indicating whether or not the automatic transaction device is currently unusable, and the operation determining unit operates to maintain the number of operating units based on the disabled state. It is also possible to determine the automatic transaction device to be used. The device information transmission unit can also transmit device information when the automatic transaction device becomes unusable in addition to every predetermined time.

  With such a configuration, even in the event of a sudden failure or maintenance of an automatic transaction apparatus, an alternative automatic transaction apparatus can be set immediately, and the number of operating units is maintained. Therefore, stable use can be provided without causing trouble to the user.

  The terminal storage unit may further store the automatic transaction apparatus that should be operated last time determined by the operation determination unit, and the operation command transmission unit may only store automatic transaction apparatuses whose contents of determination are changed compared to the previous time. An operation command can also be transmitted. After such an operation command, the content of the current determination may be loaded into the terminal storage unit and used as the previous value.

  With this configuration, there is no need to send useless operation commands, and the number of operation commands with errors can be reduced as the total number of operation commands is reduced, providing a more stable operation number control system. It becomes.

  The apparatus information may further include an operating state indicating whether or not the automatic transaction apparatus is currently operating, and the operation command transmission unit only determines an automatic transaction apparatus whose content of determination is changed compared to the operating state. An operation command can also be transmitted.

  With this configuration, a useless operation command is not transmitted, and a more stable operation number control system can be provided as described above.

  The terminal control device may further include an operation table update unit that reflects an execution result of the operation number control system and updates the operation table. For example, the number of operating units set by the device information may differ from the number of operating units actually required. At that time, by learning the execution result and updating the operation table in the operation number control system, a more realistic operation number control system can be constructed. With such a configuration, the operation is performed in anticipation of the time when the number of users increases, and the users can receive the service comfortably without feeling stressed.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided an operating number control method, an automatic transaction apparatus, and a terminal control apparatus using the above-described automatic transaction apparatus and a terminal control apparatus. The computer also provides a computer program that functions as the automatic transaction apparatus or the terminal control apparatus. Such a terminal control device may be included in one of a plurality of connected automatic transaction devices and function.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, a plurality of automatic transaction apparatuses that perform automatic transactions by the user's own operation and the plurality of automatic transaction apparatuses arranged in the store The in-store management device that manages the automatic transaction device and the monitoring center device that is connected to one or more of the in-store management devices, and controls the number of operating automatic transaction devices A system in which the automatic transaction apparatus transmits apparatus information including at least a transaction interval time from the end of transaction of the automatic transaction apparatus to the start of the next transaction to the in-store management apparatus every predetermined time. A power switching unit for turning on and off the automatic transaction apparatus according to an operation command received from the in-store management apparatus, wherein the in-store management apparatus is received from the automatic transaction apparatus An all-device information transmitting unit that transmits all device information that is all device information to the monitoring center device; and an operation command distributing unit that distributes the operation commands to each automatic transaction device in accordance with the all-operation commands received from the monitoring center device And a monitoring center storage unit for storing an operation table for extracting at least all the apparatus information and an automatic transaction apparatus to be operated from the current time; and referring to the operation table, An operation determining unit for determining an automatic transaction apparatus to be operated from the all apparatus information received from the management apparatus and the current time; and an operation command for all automatic transaction apparatuses according to the determination content of the operation determination unit. There is also provided an operating number control system comprising an entire operation command transmission unit that transmits an operation command to the in-store management device.

  The monitoring center device can control a plurality of in-store management devices and manage more automatic transaction devices connected to the plurality of in-store management devices. With such a configuration, it is possible to grasp the operating status of the automatic transaction apparatus by remote operation from a monitoring center apparatus that is a place separated from the store, and take measures accordingly. Further, by installing an in-store management device between the monitoring center that determines the number of automatic transaction devices and the automatic transaction device, the load on the monitoring center device can be reduced.

  In the above-mentioned operation number control system, a waiting operation number control method using an automatic transaction apparatus, an in-store management apparatus, and a monitoring center apparatus, an automatic transaction apparatus, an in-store management apparatus, and a monitoring center apparatus itself are also provided. . The computer also provides a computer program that functions as the automatic transaction apparatus in-store management apparatus and monitoring center apparatus. Such an in-store management apparatus may be included in one of a plurality of connected automatic transaction apparatuses and function.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to grasp an accurate operating state for each automatic transaction apparatus and set an appropriate operating number and operating apparatus in real time according to the operating state. In addition, by responding immediately to a sudden failure of the automatic transaction apparatus, the user can use the automatic transaction apparatus stably and the queue can be improved. Furthermore, the power consumption can be reduced by turning off the power of the automatic transaction apparatus that is not used.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

(First embodiment: operating unit control system)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of an operating number control system according to the present embodiment. The operating number control system includes an automatic teller machine (hereinafter referred to as ATM) 110 as an automatic transaction device and a terminal control device 120. In the present embodiment, the ATM 110 will be described as an example of an automatic transaction apparatus. This ATM 110 is a device that executes transactions of deposits and savings. Further, in order to identify a plurality of ATMs 110, subscripts consisting of a, b,.

  The terminal control device 120 of the operating number control system may be provided in a store where the ATM 110 is installed, but may be installed in a remote place and remotely operate the ATM 110.

(ATM110)
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the ATM 110. In FIG. 2, one ATM 110 among a plurality of ATMs 110 will be described for easy understanding. The ATM 110 includes an ATM control unit 130, a device information transmission unit 132, a power supply switching unit 134, a service menu display unit 136, a card slot 138, a cash slot 140, and a simple service display unit 142. Is done.

  The ATM control unit 130 manages and controls the entire ATM 110 by a semiconductor integrated circuit including a central processing unit (CPU).

  The device information transmitting unit 132 transmits device information related to the ATM 110 to the terminal control device 120 every predetermined time, for example, every 5 minutes. Such device information includes the transaction interval time from the end of the transaction of the ATM 110 to the start of the next transaction, the operating state of whether the ATM 110 is currently operating, and the disabled state of whether the ATM 110 is currently unusable. It may be included. With such device information, the terminal control device 120 can grasp the operating status. The transmission timing may be determined by counting a predetermined time by a timer included in the ATM 110 and transmitting device information every predetermined time, or transmitting device information in response to a transmission command from the terminal control device 120 every predetermined time. You may do that. Further, when the transaction interval time exceeds a predetermined interval time, for example, 10 minutes, device information may be interrupted and transmitted to the terminal control device 120.

  The transaction interval time may be the latest transaction interval time at the timing of transmitting the device information, or may be an average value for a predetermined number of times immediately before, for example, the past 10 times. In the past, users were grasped by proximity sensors, etc., but only those detection sensors such as proximity sensors counted people who passed without using them, or people who were once removed from the detection sensor and detected again. , I could not extract the people who actually use it. By using the configuration for detecting the transaction interval time, it is possible to reliably grasp the usage frequency of the ATM 110 and the congestion of the ATM 110.

  After the device information is transmitted by the device information transmitting unit 132, the power supply switching unit 134 determines the ATM 110 to be operated among the plurality of ATMs 110, and sends an operation command according to the determined content to the terminal. The ATM 110 is turned on or off according to the operation command received from the control device 120. Therefore, the operation command includes a command to turn on the ATM 110 and a command to turn it off.

  FIG. 3 is an image diagram of the ATM 110 for explaining the service menu display unit 136, the card slot 138, the cash slot 140, and the simplified service display unit 142, which are other components.

  The service menu display unit 136 includes an input unit such as a touch panel in addition to the display unit, displays a service menu that can be traded by the ATM 110, identifies a service desired by the user, and provides the service. Has a function of a user interface that substantially handles. Here, the contents of the service to be used can be advertisement of financial products, promotion of name identification, withdrawal, deposit, transfer, transfer, entry of bank book, balance inquiry, account opening, payment of payment, change of PIN, etc.

  The card slot 138 is a slot for accepting a cash card usable in the ATM 110, and the cash slot 140 is a slot used for paying out cash and depositing cash. It is also possible to provide a passbook slot for accepting a deposit passbook.

  The service simple display unit 142 simply displays what service is currently provided, and visually notifies the users on the ATM 110 of the presence or absence of the desired service. Such a user can reliably receive the desired service by checking the simplified service display unit 142.

  When the user 146 attempts to withdraw cash, the cash card is inserted into the card slot 138 of the ATM 110, “Cash withdrawal” is selected from the service menu displayed in the service menu display unit 136, and the service menu display unit 136. If a PIN number and a withdrawal amount are input using the touch panel, cash can be received from the cash slot 140.

(Terminal control device 120)
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an outline of the terminal control device 120. The terminal control device 120 is connected to each of the plurality of ATMs 110 and includes a terminal control unit 150, a terminal storage unit 152, an operation determination unit 154, an operation command transmission unit 156, and an operation table update unit 158. Is done.

  The terminal control unit 150 manages and controls the entire terminal control device 120 by a semiconductor integrated circuit including a central processing unit (CPU).

  The terminal storage unit 152 stores various data related to the terminal control device 120, and extracts the ATM 110 to be operated from at least the device information received from the ATM 110 and the current time. An operation table 160 is included.

  The operation determining unit 154 refers to the operation table 160 from the terminal storage unit 152, and determines the ATM 110 to be operated from the device information received from the ATM 110 and the current time measured in the terminal storage unit 120. In the present embodiment, the operation table 160 is also characterized, and details will be described later.

  The operation command transmission unit 156 sends an operation command to the target ATM 110 according to the determination content of the operation determination unit 154, that is, the content of the number of ATMs 110 to be operated and the specific ATM 110 to be operated. Send.

  The operation table update unit 158 updates the operation table 160 by reflecting the execution result of the operation number control system. For example, the number of operating units set by the device information may differ from the number of operating units actually required. At that time, by learning the execution result and updating the operation table in the operation number control system, a more realistic operation number control system can be constructed. With such a configuration, the operation is performed in anticipation of the time when the number of users increases, and the users can receive the service comfortably without feeling stressed.

  The operation table updating unit 158 detects the ATM 110 having a high user rate (operation rate) from the operating ATMs 110 and updates the operation table 160 to increase the priority of the ATM 110. It can also be said. However, the change in the usage state of the ATM 110 due to the unusable state of the ATM 110 relating to a failure or the like may not be reflected in the operation table.

(Operation table 160)
The operation table 160 describes, for each business store, for example, weekdays and holidays, and describes the minimum operation number and operation priority for the operating time zone. Automatic transaction to be operated from the device information and the current time. Extract the device.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation table on weekdays in a specific store, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are explanatory diagrams showing a sub operation table further referred to from FIG. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an operating table for holidays in a specific store, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are similarly referred to.

  For example, if the device information is obtained from the ATM 110 at 20:00, the weekday operation table shown in FIG. 5 refers to each item from 18:00 to 22:00, and the minimum operation number is “5”. The operation priority is “c · d · e · f · g · h · i · j · a · b” according to the identifiers a to j assigned to the ATM 110. Here, the minimum number of operating units is the number of ATMs 110 that are operated regardless of the device information. By providing the minimum number of operating units, even if a plurality of ATMs 110 happen to have low utilization, The required ATM 110 can be secured. Further, the operation priority order indicates a priority order for determining which ATM 110 is specifically operated according to the minimum operation number or the operation number determined by a sub-operation table described later.

  In addition, in the line from 18:00 to 22:00, there is a sub operation table number “(2)”. Referring to the sub operation table 2 (FIG. 7) while assuming the minimum operation number 5 above. The number of ATMs 110 to be actually operated is extracted. Here, the transaction interval time is referred to from the device information, and the operation determination unit 154 counts the ATM 110 whose transaction interval time is, for example, 1 minute or more. As described above, an ATM 110 having a transaction interval time of 1 minute or more is regarded as an ATM 110 that is not efficiently operated, that is, almost not operating, and is counted as a non-operating number together with an ATM 110 that is not actually operating. The

  For example, if there are three ATMs 110 that are not in operation and two ATMs 110 that have a transaction interval time of 1 minute or more among the ATMs 110 that have a total number of 10 in the store, the number of non-operations is 3 + 2 = 5 Thus, the operating ratio is 100% minus the non-operating ratio, that is, 100 (1− (5/10)) = 50%. Therefore, referring to the sub operation table of FIG. 7 that is the sub operation table number (2), the operation number “5” is shown in the row of the operation ratio 31 to 50%, and the condition of the minimum operation number 5 obtained above is also satisfied. Therefore, the number of ATMs 110 to be operated this time is five.

  Then, referring to the above-mentioned operation priority “c · d · e · f · g · h · i · j · a · b”, the ATM 110 to be operated this time is changed to c, d, e, f, and g. It is determined. The operation command transmission unit 156 transmits a power-on operation command to the specific operation ATM 110 determined in this way, that is, the above-described c, d, e, f, and g ATMs 110. At this time, a power-off operation command may be issued to the other ATMs 110 h, i, j, a, and b.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an execution example of the determined operation number control system. In FIG. 9, the ATM 110 that is turned on is not shaded, the ATM 110 that is turned off is shaded, and the user 146 operates the ATM 110 at the ATM 110 that is turned on. .

  By setting the operation priority in this way, it is possible to set the ATM 110 that operates preferentially according to the date, day of the week, time zone, weather, and the store location. The priority is to give priority to easy ATM 110, or to give priority to ATM 110 close to the position of the surveillance camera. In order to avoid this, the ATM 110 can be used evenly, and the convenience can be improved. Further, various types of services can be provided by setting the ATMs 110 to operate adjacent to these ATMs 110 or by deliberately setting them apart.

  The terminal control device 120 is also provided with an input / output device and a display device serving as a user interface, and the operation table can be changed by an operator's operation.

  In the above, a specific ATM 110 is selected from the device information and the current time using the operation priority of the operation table. However, only the number of operating units is determined by the terminal control device 120, and each ATM 110 corresponds to the number. It is also possible to turn the power supply on and off. For example, in the ATM 110e having the third priority, if the number of operating units transmitted from the terminal control device 120 is 3 or more, it is considered as a power-on operating command, and the power is turned on. Turn off the power based on the operation command.

  A computer program that functions as the ATM 110 or the terminal control device 120 is also provided.

(Second Embodiment: When the ATM 110 cannot be used)
According to the present embodiment, for example, it is possible to immediately cope with a state in which a failure occurs in the ATM 110, a lack of cash or statement slips, that is, a sudden inability, and stable use is possible. Become.

  FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of execution when a specific ATM 110 becomes unusable in the operating number control system of FIG. If the ATM 110d that has been used so far becomes unusable for some reason, the number of ATMs 110 to be operated cannot be maintained. Therefore, the device information transmission unit 132 of the ATM 110 transmits device information including an unusable state that the own ATM 110 is currently unusable to the terminal control device 120. The timing of this transmission may be at regular intervals, or it may be in the form of interrupting the terminal control device 120 when it becomes unavailable. It is also possible to dispatch a staff member to return the ATM 110 from an unusable state using such information in a different form from the present embodiment.

  Based on the device information, the operation determining unit 154 of the terminal control device 120 that has recognized the disabled state of the ATM 110d re-determines the ATM 110 to be operated so as to maintain the operating number based on the disabled state. The operation table to be referred to is the operation table for weekdays shown in FIG. 5 as described above, and the operation priority order “c · d · e · f · g · h · i · j is obtained by extracting the table described here. “A · b” and the number of ATMs 110 to be operated are obtained. In the example of FIG. 9 described above, the ATMs 110c, d, e, f, and g are determined in the priority order of the operation priority. In this embodiment, it is known that d cannot be used. C, e, f, g, and h excluding the ATM 110d are determined as the operating ATM 110.

  The operation command transmission unit 156 transmits a power-on operation command to the specific operation ATM 110 determined in this way, that is, the above-described c, e, f, g, h ATM 110. At this time, an operation command to turn off the power may be issued to the other ATMs 110d, i, j, a, and b.

  By such correspondence of the operating number control system, a replacement ATM 110 can be set immediately even when a specific ATM 110 fails or is maintained, and the operating number is maintained. Therefore, it is possible to provide stable usage without causing trouble to the user.

(Third embodiment: operation command transmission unit 156)
In the embodiment described above, the operation command transmission unit 156 transmits a power-on or power-off operation command to all ATMs 110. However, in actual operation, the number of ATMs 110 to which power is switched is limited to a small number, and many other ATMs 110 maintain a power-on or power-off state. For example, when the operating number control system of FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 is compared, the ATM 110d is automatically powered off or in a similar state due to its inability to use, and only the ATM 110h is newly powered on.

  Therefore, here, the ATM 110 currently operating in the past (previous) is grasped, and the power-on or power-off operation command is transmitted only to the ATM 110 having a difference from the state.

  FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of efficient operation command transmission. Here, in order to facilitate understanding, the terminal storage unit 152, the operation determination unit 154, and the operation command transmission unit 156 are described as constituent elements of the terminal control device 120.

  The terminal storage unit 152 stores the value 210 of the ATM 110 that should be operated previously determined by the operation determining unit 154 separately from the operation table 160. When the device information is received from the ATM 110, the operation determining unit 154 determines the value 212 of the ATM 110 to be newly operated using the operation table 160. Here, since the case where the state of FIG. 9 is changed to the state of FIG. 10 due to the unusable state of the ATM 110d is taken up, the value 210 of the ATM 110 to be operated last time is “c, d, e, f, g”. The value 212 of the ATM 110 to be operated this time is “c, e, f, g, h”.

  Subsequently, the operation command transmission unit 156 generates a value 214 that combines the previous value 210 and the current value 212, and derives an ATM 110 that is not common to both. Here, “d” is deleted and “h” is newly added in the current value 212. Accordingly, the operation command transmission unit 156 transmits a power-off operation command to the ATM 110d, a power-on operation command to the ATM 110h, and does not transmit the operation command to the other ATMs 110. Thereafter, the current value 212 is loaded into the terminal storage unit 152 as much as the previous value 210 at the next time.

  FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram for explaining another transmission example of the efficient operation command. Here, in order to facilitate understanding, the operation determination unit 154 and the operation command transmission unit 156 are described as constituent elements of the terminal control device 120.

  The device information transmission unit 132 of the ATM 110 transmits device information further including an operation state indicating whether or not the ATM 110 is currently operating to the terminal control device 120. Therefore, the value 220 of the ATM 110 that should be operated that the operation determining unit 154 of the terminal control device 120 would have determined last time can be obtained from the device information from the ATM 110. Further, the operation determining unit 154 of the terminal control device 120 determines the value 212 of the ATM 110 to be operated based on other device information such as transaction interval time and disabled state. Here, since the example of FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 described above is taken, the value 220 of the ATM 110 that should be operated last time is “c, d, e, f, g”, and the value of the ATM 110 that should be operated this time is The value 212 is “c, e, f, g, h”.

  Subsequently, the operation command transmission unit 156 generates a value 214 that combines the previous value 220 and the current value 212, and derives an ATM 110 that is not common to both. Here, “d” is deleted and “h” is newly added in the current value 212. Accordingly, the operation command transmission unit 156 transmits a power-off operation command to the ATM 110d, a power-on operation command to the ATM 110h, and does not transmit the operation command to the other ATMs 110.

  As described above, the configuration in which the operation command is transmitted only to the ATM 110 that involves a change in the power supply eliminates the need to transmit a useless operation command, and the number of operation commands with errors can be reduced as the total number of operation commands is reduced. This makes it possible to provide a more stable operation number control system.

(Fourth embodiment: operating unit control system)
Next, an operating number control system in another embodiment will be described. Here, a configuration in which a plurality of ATMs in a plurality of stores are controlled by a single monitoring center device will be described.

  FIG. 13 is a block diagram schematically showing another embodiment of the operating number control system. The operating number control system includes an ATM 310 as an automatic transaction device, an in-store management device 320, and a monitoring center device 330. The monitoring center device 330 of the operating number control system may be provided outside the store 300, and is connected to the in-store management device 320 in a plurality of stores 300 via a LAN (Local Area Network) or a dedicated cable and remotely operated. It is also good. The in-store management device 320 can also be connected to a plurality of ATMs 310 in the store.

  The operation number control system of the present embodiment and the operation number control system of the first embodiment are substantially the same in function, so redundant description will be omitted. Here, only the relationship between different components will be briefly described here. explain.

(ATM310)
FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing an outline of the ATM 310. In FIG. 14, one ATM 310 among a plurality of ATMs 310 will be described for easy understanding. The ATM 310 includes an ATM control unit 340, a device information transmission unit 342, a power supply switching unit 344, a service menu display unit 346, a card slot 348, a cash slot 350, and a simple service display unit 352. Is done.

  The ATM control unit 340 manages and controls the entire ATM 310 using a semiconductor integrated circuit including a central processing unit (CPU).

  The device information transmission unit 342 transmits device information related to the ATM 310 to the in-store management device 320 every predetermined time, for example, every 5 minutes. Such device information may include a transaction interval time, an impossible state, and an operating state of the ATM 310. The transmission timing may be a predetermined time counted by a timer included in the ATM 310, and device information may be transmitted every predetermined time, or device information may be sent in response to a transmission command for every predetermined time from the in-store management device 320. It may be sent.

  After the device information is transmitted by the device information transmitting unit 132, the power supply switching unit 344 determines the ATM 310 to be operated among the plurality of ATMs 310 by the monitoring center device 330, and issues an operation command corresponding to the determined content to the store. The ATM 310 is turned on or off according to the operation command received from the internal management device 320.

  The service menu display unit 346, the card slot 348, the cash slot 350, and the simple service display unit 352 are the service menu display unit 136, the card slot 138, the cash slot 140, and the simple service display shown in the first embodiment. Since the function is substantially the same as that of the unit 142, a duplicate description is omitted.

(In-store management device 320)
FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing an outline of the in-store management device 320. In FIG. 15, in order to facilitate understanding, one in-store management device 320 among a plurality of in-store management devices 320 will be described. The in-store management device 320 is connected to a plurality of ATMs 310 and includes an in-store control unit 360, an all-device information transmission unit 362, and an operation command distribution unit 364.

  The in-store control unit 360 manages and controls the entire in-store management device 320 by a semiconductor integrated circuit including a central processing unit (CPU).

  The all device information transmitting unit 362 collects device information received from the ATM 310 as all device information, and transmits the all device information to the monitoring center device 330.

  After all device information is transmitted by the all device information transmitting unit 362, the operation command distribution unit 364 determines the ATM 310 that the monitoring center device 330 should operate from among the plurality of ATMs 310, and determines all the operations according to the determined contents. The operation command is received from the monitoring center device 330, and the operation command is distributed to each target ATM 310 based on the entire operation command.

(Monitoring center device 330)
FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an outline of the monitoring center device 330. The monitoring center device 330 is connected to each of the plurality of in-store management devices 320, and includes a monitoring center control unit 370, a monitoring center storage unit 372, an operation determination unit 374, an all operation command transmission unit 376, and an operation table update. Part 378.

  The monitoring center control unit 370 manages and controls the entire monitoring center device 330 by a semiconductor integrated circuit including a central processing unit (CPU).

  The monitoring center storage unit 372 stores various data related to the monitoring center device 330, and the stored data should be operated from all device information received from the in-store management device 320 and the current time. An operation table 160 for extracting the ATM 310 is included.

  The operation determining unit 374 refers to the operation table from the monitoring center storage unit 372, and determines the ATM 310 to be operated from all device information received from the in-store management device 320 and the current time counted in the monitoring center device 330. To do.

  The total operation command transmission unit 376 is a total operation that is an operation command for all ATMs 310 according to the determination contents of the operation determination unit 374, that is, the number of ATMs 310 to be operated and which ATM 310 is specifically driven. The command is transmitted to the in-store management device 320.

  The operation table update unit 378 reflects the execution result of the operation number control system and updates the operation table.

  The monitoring center device 330 can control a plurality of in-store management devices 320 and simultaneously manage more ATMs 310 connected to the plurality of in-store management devices 320. With this configuration, it is possible to grasp the operating status of the ATM 310 by remote operation from the monitoring center device 330 which is a place separated from the store, and take measures accordingly.

  The components of the monitoring center device 330 may be provided in the in-store management device 320, thereby reducing the processing load on the monitoring center device 330.

  A computer program that functions as the ATM 310, the in-store management device 320, and the monitoring center device 330 is also provided.

(Fifth embodiment: number-of-operations control method)
Also provided is an operating number control method for controlling the number of operating ATMs 110 including the ATM 110 and a terminal control device 120 connected to the plurality of ATMs 110 and controlling the ATMs 110.

  FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of the operation number control method. First, the ATM 110 transmits device information to the terminal control device 120 every predetermined time, for example, every 5 minutes (S410). Here, the device information includes at least a transaction interval time from the end of the transaction of the ATM 110 to the start of the next transaction. Further, this device information may include a disabled state and an operating state.

  The terminal control device 120 refers to the operation table 160, and determines the ATM 110 to be operated from the device information from the ATM 110 and the current time measured by the terminal control device 120 itself (S420). Thereafter, an operation command is transmitted to the target ATM 110 according to the determined content (S430).

  The ATM 110 turns on and off the power supply of the ATM 110 according to the operation command received from the terminal control device 120.

  The operating state of the ATM 110 can be grasped by such an operating number control method, and the operating number and the specific operating ATM 110 can be reviewed every predetermined time, and the user can use the ATM 110 stably.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to the example which concerns. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are of course within the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, an automatic teller machine is cited as an automatic transaction apparatus, but the present invention is not limited to such an apparatus, and an automatic teller machine (CD: Cash Dispenser), a ticket purchasing machine, a ticket inquiry accepting machine, It can be applied to passport purchasing machines. In the above description, the operation number control system has been described in which the ATM 110 and the terminal control device 120 have two stages, and the ATM 310, the in-store management apparatus 320, and the monitoring center apparatus 330 have a three-stage configuration. It can also be divided into

  The present invention is applied to an automatic transaction apparatus that is operated by a user, and is particularly applicable to an operating number control system, a terminal control apparatus, and an operating number control method for controlling the number of operating automatic transaction apparatuses.

It is the block diagram which showed the outline of the operation number control system concerning this embodiment. It is the block diagram which showed the outline of ATM. It is an image figure in case the user is using ATM. It is the block diagram which showed the outline of the terminal control apparatus. It is explanatory drawing showing the working table of the weekday in a specific store. It is explanatory drawing showing the sub operation table further referred from FIG. It is explanatory drawing showing the sub operation table further referred from FIG. It is explanatory drawing showing the operation table of the holiday in a specific store. It is the block diagram which showed the example of execution of the operating number control system. It is the block diagram which showed the example of execution when specific ATM becomes unusable in the working number control system of FIG. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the example of transmission of an efficient operation command. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the other example of transmission of an efficient operation command. It is the block diagram which showed schematically other embodiment of the operating number control system. It is the block diagram which showed the outline of ATM. It is the block diagram which showed the outline of the management apparatus in a shop. It is the block diagram which showed the outline of the monitoring center apparatus. It is the flowchart figure which showed the flow of the operation number control method.

Explanation of symbols

110,310 Automatic teller machine (ATM)
120 Terminal Control Device 132 Device Information Transmission Unit 134 Power Supply Switching Unit 152 Terminal Storage Unit 154 Operation Determination Unit 156 Operation Command Transmission Unit 158 Operation Table Update Unit 160 Operation Table 320 In-Store Management Device 330 Monitoring Center Device 362 All Device Information Transmission Unit 364 Operation command distribution unit 372 Monitoring center storage unit 376 All operation command transmission unit S410 Device information transmission step S420 Operation determination step S430 Operation command transmission step S440 Power supply switching step

Claims (11)

A plurality of automatic transaction apparatuses that perform automatic transactions by the user's own operations and a terminal control device that is connected to the plurality of automatic transaction apparatuses and controls the automatic transaction apparatuses, and controls the number of operating automatic transaction apparatuses In operation number control system:
The automatic transaction apparatus is:
A device information transmitting unit for transmitting device information including at least a transaction interval time from the end of the transaction of the automatic transaction device to the start of the next transaction to the terminal control device every predetermined time;
A power switching unit for turning on / off the power of the automatic transaction apparatus according to an operation command received from the terminal control device;
With
The terminal controller is
A terminal storage unit for storing at least an operation table for extracting the automatic transaction apparatus to be operated from the apparatus information and the current time;
An operation determining unit that refers to the operation table and determines the automatic transaction apparatus to be operated from the apparatus information received from the automatic transaction apparatus and the current time;
An operation command transmission unit that transmits an operation command to a target automatic transaction apparatus according to the determination content of the operation determination unit;
A system for controlling the number of operating units. The operation table is provided with operation priorities for the plurality of automatic transaction devices,
The operating number control system according to claim 1, wherein the operation determining unit determines an automatic transaction apparatus to be operated in accordance with the operation priority order.   The operating number control system according to claim 1, wherein the operating table is provided with a minimum operating number corresponding to an operating time. The device information further includes an unusable state whether the automatic transaction device is currently unusable,
The operating number control system according to claim 1, wherein the operation determining unit determines an automatic transaction apparatus to be operated so as to maintain the operating number based on the disabled state.   5. The operating number control system according to claim 4, wherein the device information transmitting unit transmits device information when the automatic transaction device becomes unusable in addition to every predetermined time. The terminal storage unit further stores an automatic transaction apparatus to be operated that the operation determination unit has determined last time,
The operating number control system according to claim 1, wherein the operation command transmission unit transmits an operation command only to an automatic transaction apparatus whose content of determination is changed compared to the previous time. The device information further includes an operating state indicating whether the automatic transaction device is currently operating,
The operating number control system according to claim 1, wherein the operation command transmission unit transmits an operation command only to an automatic transaction apparatus whose content of determination is changed compared to the operation state.   2. The operating number control system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal control device further includes an operation table updating unit that reflects an execution result of the operating number control system and updates the operation table. A plurality of automatic transaction apparatuses that perform automatic transactions by the user's own operation, an in-store management apparatus that manages the automatic transaction apparatuses connected to the plurality of automatic transaction apparatuses arranged in the store, and one or more An operating unit control system for controlling the operating number of the automatic transaction apparatus, including a monitoring center device connected to the in-store management apparatus,
The automatic transaction apparatus is:
A device information transmitting unit that transmits at least device information including a transaction interval time from the end of the transaction of the automatic transaction device to the start of the next transaction to the in-store management device;
A power switching unit for turning on / off the automatic transaction apparatus according to an operation command received from the in-store management apparatus;
With
The in-store management device is:
An all device information transmitting unit that transmits all device information, which is all device information received from the automatic transaction device, to the monitoring center device;
An operation command distribution unit that distributes an operation command to each automatic transaction device in accordance with a total operation command received from the monitoring center device;
With
The monitoring center device
At least a monitoring center storage unit for storing an operation table for extracting all the device information and an automatic transaction device to be operated from the current time;
An operation determining unit that refers to the operation table and determines an automatic transaction apparatus to be operated from the all apparatus information received from the in-store management apparatus and the current time;
An all-operation command transmitting unit that transmits all operation commands, which are operation commands related to all automatic transaction devices, to the in-store management device according to the determination content of the operation determining unit;
A system for controlling the number of operating units. A terminal control device that is connected to a plurality of automatic transaction apparatuses that perform automatic transactions by the user's own operation, and controls the number of operating automatic transaction apparatuses:
A terminal storage unit for storing device information including transaction interval time from the transaction end of the automatic transaction device to the start of the next transaction and an operation table for extracting an automatic transaction device to be operated from the current time;
An operation determining unit that refers to the operation table and determines the automatic transaction apparatus to be operated from the apparatus information received from the automatic transaction apparatus and the current time;
An operation command transmission unit that transmits an operation command to a target automatic transaction apparatus according to the determination content of the operation determination unit;
A terminal control device comprising: A plurality of automatic transaction apparatuses that perform automatic transactions by the user's own operations and a terminal control device that is connected to the plurality of automatic transaction apparatuses and controls the automatic transaction apparatuses, and controls the number of operating automatic transaction apparatuses The operation number control method:
A device information transmission step in which the automatic transaction device transmits device information including at least a transaction interval time from the end of the transaction of the automatic transaction device to the start of the next transaction to the terminal control device every predetermined time;
The terminal control device refers to the operation table for extracting the automatic transaction device to be operated from the device information and the current time, and the automatic transaction device to be operated from the device information and the current time received from the automatic transaction device. An operation determination process for determining
An operation command transmission step in which the terminal control device transmits an operation command to a target automatic transaction apparatus according to the determination content of the operation determination step;
A power switching step in which the automatic transaction apparatus turns on / off the automatic transaction apparatus according to an operation command received from the terminal control apparatus;
A method for controlling the number of units in operation.

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