JP2007226591A - Automatic vending system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic vending system wherein a target commodity is easily recognized when using coupon information in an automatic vending machine. <P>SOLUTION: This automatic vending system has: a center device having a storage means storing the coupon information; a mobile terminal having a storage means storing the coupon information; and an automatic vending machine having a storage means storing the coupon information related to a stored commodity. When the mobile terminal is held over the automatic vending machine in a standby state, a display part of a commodity selection button matching the coupon information is displayed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vending system that enables vending machines to purchase products from vending machines using coupons.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, vending machines are known in which coupon information is taken into a mobile phone so that a vending machine can receive a privilege based on the coupon information.

In such a vending machine, a user who wants to purchase a product with a vending machine using a coupon, for example, using a mobile phone, first obtains the desired coupon from the management server of the coupon issuing company. Select and store coupon information in your mobile phone. Next, the user directs the cellular phone to the vending machine and first transmits coupon information to the vending machine. The sent coupon information is determined by the vending machine, the result is displayed on the display device, and after seeing the result, the user inserts coins, searches for the product corresponding to the coupon information, and selects the product. When the button is pressed, a predetermined product is carried out to the product outlet (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-140757 A

  By the way, in the vending machine, only the match or mismatch of the coupon information is displayed on the display device, and the correspondence with the final product is a product corresponding to the coupon information from the product sample by inserting coins. There was a problem that the operation was troublesome.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vending system in which a target product is easily understood when coupon information is used in a vending machine.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention provides a center device that includes a storage unit that stores coupon information, a portable terminal that includes a storage unit that stores coupon information, and a storage that stores coupon information related to a stored product. And a vending machine provided with means for displaying a product selection button display unit coinciding with coupon information when the portable terminal is held over the vending machine in a standby state.

  In addition to the above, the display on the display portion can be turned on or blinked.

  In the vending system, the coupon information stored in the mobile terminal is acquired from the center device, and the coupon information stored in the vending machine is acquired from the setting device or the center device.

  Further, the coupon information includes at least one information of free, discount, price range, product group, and adult information, and is also characterized in that information on the effective period that is also information on the number of times of use is stored.

  Still further, the present invention provides an automatic center device including a center device including a storage unit that stores coupon information, a portable terminal including a storage unit that stores coupon information, and a storage unit that stores coupon information related to a stored product. A vending machine is provided, and in a standby state, when a portable terminal is held over the vending machine, a product matching the coupon information is carried out.

  The present invention relates to a center device provided with a storage means for storing coupon information, a portable terminal provided with a storage means for storing coupon information, and a vending machine provided with a storage means for storing coupon information relating to stored products. When the portable terminal is held over the vending machine in the standby state, the product selection button display section that matches the coupon information is displayed, so that the coupon target product is among many sales products. As a result, the user's operability is improved.

  Also, coupon information can be dealt with according to demands such as discounts and free of charge, and the usage rate of vending machines can be further increased.

  The following description will be made with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 showing an embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of a schematic configuration diagram of a vending system which is an object of implementation of the present invention, where 1 is a mobile phone having a storage area, 2 is coupon information, a discount target product code, a valid period A management server for storing information such as 3 is a network such as a public line or the Internet, and 20 is a vending machine which will be described later. The mobile phone 1 and the management server 2 can communicate with each other.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the vending machine 20. The vending machine 20 includes an outer door on the front surface of the main body cabinet, and includes a plurality (n) of columns in the main body cabinet. This column stores a plurality of types of products individually, and when a product selection button is pressed and a sales instruction is given, the product corresponding to the pressed product selection button is carried out.

  The outer door is supported on one side edge of the main body cabinet in a manner to open and close the front opening of the main body cabinet. On the front side are a product sample display room 21, a product selection button 22 incorporating a sellable lamp and a sold-out lamp, an antenna unit 23 for performing short-range wireless communication with the mobile phone 1, a coin slot 24, A return lever 25, a money amount display 26, a coin return port 27, and a product outlet 28 are provided.

  The product sample display room 21 is a transparent window formed on the upper part of the outer door, and the product sample 29 arranged inside can be visually recognized to the outside. The product sample 29 visually recognized through the product sample display room represents the product stored in the column, and is provided corresponding to the product selection button 22.

  Next, FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the control operation of the vending machine 1.

  A master control unit 11 controls the entire apparatus, and includes a memory 11a that stores a control program, a memory 11b that stores various data such as coupon data such as setting data, discounted product codes, and validity periods, and a clock 11c. Yes. The master control unit 11 receives point data in the storage area of the mobile phone 1 via a setting device 12 including a remote controller for performing various settings, a product carry-out device 13 for carrying out a product, a money handling device 14, and an antenna unit 23. A rewritable reader / writer 23a is connected, and a product selection button 22 incorporating the price indicator 26, the sellable lamp 22a and the sold-out lamp 22b shown in FIG. 2 is also connected.

    As a communication mode between the vending machine 20 and the mobile phone 1, Bluetooth, IrDA, or the like is used for non-contact communication using an IC chip in the storage area of the mobile phone 1 or short-range wireless communication. .

    In this configuration, the operation relating to the vending system of the present embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

    First, in order to obtain coupon information, a user accesses the management server 2 from the mobile phone 1 via the network 3, selects desired coupon information from the management server 2, and stores the coupon information in his / her mobile phone 1. Is downloaded and stored in the storage area. The coupon information stored in the mobile phone 1 may acquire a plurality of coupon information at a time.

    On the other hand, the coupon information stored in the memory 11b on the vending machine 20 side is set by the setting device 12 or is connectable to the network 4, and the coupon information is rewritten from the management server 2. good.

  In this state, when the user purchases a product using the coupon at the vending machine 20, when the user holds the mobile phone 1 over the antenna unit 23 (step S41), the reader / writer unit 23a stores the mobile phone 1 in the memory. The product code and valid period of the coupon information stored in the area are read (step S42), and when the information matches the coupon information stored in the vending machine 20 (step S43, Y) The sale possible lamp 22a of the product selection button 22 of the corresponding product is blinked (step S44), and the coupon target product is made conspicuous to the user.

  In this state, when a coin corresponding to the sales price of the discounted product is inserted into the coin insertion slot 24 (step S45, Y), the sale possible display lamp 22a is turned on (step S46), and the product selection button for the coupon target product is displayed. When 22 is pressed (step S47), the product corresponding to the product selection button pressed by the user is carried out to the product take-out port 28 by the product carry-out device 13 (step S48), and the series of processes is completed.

  If the coupon information does not match in step S2 (step S43, N), the product is purchased at the regular sales price, or the user searches for another vending machine. In step S43, if coins are not inserted within a predetermined time after the information match, by canceling the match of the coupon information, the user holding the mobile phone leaves the vending machine without inserting coins as it is. In such a case, the use of other than the user holding the mobile phone can be restricted.

  In this way, the coupon information of the mobile phone is read on the vending machine side, and the corresponding product is displayed using the display unit of the product selection button, so that the user can easily understand the coupon target product. .

  In addition to the above configuration, the discount price may be displayed by pressing the product selection button 22 when the sellable lamp 22a of the product selection button 22 is blinking, so that the discount amount is displayed on the amount display 26. In this display, the relationship between the discount target product based on the coupon information and the discount amount is further clarified.

    In the above embodiment, the coupon information is also stored on the vending machine 20 side. However, not the coupon information but only the product code is stored in the memory 11b on the vending machine 20 side. The vending machine 20 may determine the presence or absence of the target product as compared with the product code included in the coupon information transmitted from the mobile phone 1.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, since it was set as valid period as coupon information, if it is in the valid period, it can be used any number of times, but it may be replaced with information such as limited number of times or only once. When a product is selected, the mobile phone 1 is held again to delete the number of times in the storage area of the mobile phone or delete the coupon information.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the mobile phone 1 has been described. However, a card having an electronic money function can also be adopted. In that case, the vending machine is provided with a network function, and the vending machine passes through the vending machine. Coupon information may be acquired, and the mobile phone 1 may have a payment function using electronic money. If the mobile phone 1 is provided with a payment function using electronic money, a product is selected or applied without inserting coins. You may make it carry out goods without selecting goods.

In addition, although the sellable lamp is blinked, it is obvious that it may be a sold-out lamp, and the sold-out lamp and sold-out lamp may be combined to be turned on or blinked as appropriate.

  Next, the case where the product is provided free of charge will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 5. When the user who has obtained the coupon information of the free provided product code is held over the antenna unit 23 of the vending machine 20, (Step S51) The coupon information of the free product code stored in the storage area of the mobile phone 1 is read by the reader / writer unit 23a (Step S52), and the product code stored in the vending machine 20 is compared. When the information matches (step S53, Y), the sale enable lamp 22a of the product selection button 22 of the corresponding product is blinked (step S54), and the product is carried out to the product outlet 28 by the product carry-out device 13. (Step S55), the coupon information stored in the storage area of the mobile phone 1 is deleted (Step S56), and the series of processing is terminated. End.

  In addition, although it was set as the product code when it was free, it may be a price range, a product group such as coffee or carbonated drink, or a product group designated by adults.

  Thus, although the said embodiment demonstrated the case where it was discounted or free as coupon information, besides this, only price range, product groups, such as coffee or a carbonated drink, and adult-designated product groups are used as coupon information, respectively. It may be used alone.

System configuration diagram of a vending system according to an embodiment of the present invention Schematic front view of a vending machine subject to the present invention 1 is a configuration block diagram showing a control device of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart which shows the processing operation in one embodiment of this invention The flowchart which shows the processing operation in one embodiment of this invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mobile phone 2 Management server 3 Network 20 Vending machine 11 Master control part 11a, 11b Memory 23 Antenna part 23a Reader / writer

Claims (8)

A center device including a storage unit that stores coupon information, a portable terminal including a storage unit that stores coupon information, and a vending machine including a storage unit that stores coupon information related to a stored product. When the portable terminal is held over the vending machine in a state, the vending system displays a display section of a product selection button that matches the coupon information. 2. The vending system according to claim 1, wherein the display on the display unit is lit or blinking. 3. The vending system according to claim 1, wherein coupon information stored in the portable terminal is acquired from a center device. 4. The vending system according to claim 1, wherein coupon information stored in the vending machine is acquired from a setting device or a center device. 5. The vending system according to claim 1, wherein the coupon information includes at least one of free information, discount, price range, product group, and adult information. 6. The vending system according to claim 5, wherein information on a validity period is also stored. 7. The vending system according to claim 1, wherein the effective period information is information on the number of times of use including at least one. 2. The vending system according to claim 1, wherein a center device including a storage unit that stores coupon information, a portable terminal including a storage unit that stores coupon information, and a storage unit that stores coupon information related to a stored product. And a vending machine equipped with a vending machine, and in a standby state, when a portable terminal is held over the vending machine, the vending machine carries out a product matching the coupon information.

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