JP2012027770A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate a user's visual confirmation of information displayed on a display screen regardless of viewing position.SOLUTION: When a sensor 6a detects approach of a person, in a normal state where an automatic vending machine displays image information with a side 3d facing a customer set as a base, an input/output control device changes the direction of displaying the image information so that a side 3a with the sensor 6a provided thereon is set as a base. In the same way, when sensors 6b-6d detect approach of a person, the input/output control device 106 changes the direction of displaying the image information so that the sides 3b-3d with the sensors 6b-6d provided thereon are set as bases, respectively.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vending machine including a display device.

  Conventionally, a vending machine including a display device that displays various types of information is known (see Patent Document 1). According to such a vending machine, it is possible to promote sales of products by displaying various information for sales promotion such as commercials of products sold on the display device.

JP 2003-91768 A

  However, in the conventional vending machine, the display device is provided on the customer service surface parallel to the vertical direction, and is configured on the assumption that the user views the display screen directly. For this reason, when the display screen is arranged along the horizontal direction, the information displayed on the display screen is displayed with the customer service direction as the downward display direction, so when people gather around the display screen. Depending on the position of the person, the information is displayed sideways or inverted, making it difficult to view the displayed information. For this reason, provision of the vending machine which can visually recognize the information currently displayed on a display screen irrespective of a visual recognition position is anticipated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine that can easily visually recognize information displayed on a display screen regardless of the viewing position.

  In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, a vending machine according to the first aspect of the present invention is provided on the vending machine main body and the upper surface of the vending machine main body, and displays information on a display screen. The display device, a plurality of detection means for detecting the approach of a person to the side surface of the vending machine main body, and the side surface on which the detection means for detecting the approach of the person is arranged is in a downward display direction. Control means for controlling the direction of information to be displayed on the display screen.

  In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, a vending machine according to a second aspect of the present invention is provided on the vending machine main body and the upper surface of the vending machine main body, and displays information on a display screen. Display device, a plurality of detection means for detecting the approach of a person to the side surface of the vending machine main body, and when the approach of a person is detected by any of the plurality of detection means, the display screen is displayed respectively. And a control unit that divides the side face side into a plurality of screens having a downward display direction.

  According to the vending machine according to the present invention, since the direction of information displayed on the display screen is changed according to the position of the person with respect to the vending machine, the information displayed on the display screen can be easily obtained regardless of the viewing position. Visible to.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a general configuration of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a general configuration of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the vending machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a display control process according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining a display control process according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Overview composition of vending machine]
First, an overview configuration of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a general configuration of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a general configuration of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following, the vertical direction is defined as the Z direction, the direction perpendicular to the customer service surface of the vending machine is defined as the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction is defined as the Y direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a vending machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a rectangular parallelepiped vending machine body 2 having a height dimension that allows a person to look down on an upper surface 2a. On the upper surface 2a of the vending machine body 2, a rectangular display device 3 and a touch panel unit 4 provided on the display device 3 or on the periphery thereof are provided. The display device 3 displays various information on the display screen. The touch panel unit 4 receives an operation input by a person. By arranging the touch panel unit 4 on the display device 3 or on the periphery thereof, a person can operate from four directions. Sensors 6a to 6d for detecting the approach of a person to the four sides 5a to 5d are provided in the vicinity of the four sides 5a to 5d forming the upper surface 2a. When the approach of a person is detected, the sensors 6a to 6d input a detection signal to an input / output control device described later.

  The customer service surface 2b of the vending machine main body 2 is provided with a display unit 10 on which sales merchandise is displayed and an outlet 11 for taking out the purchased sales merchandise. A flap door 12 that can be pushed inward and opened is attached to the outlet 11. The purchaser who has purchased the sales product can take out the sales product from the outlet 11 by opening the flap door 12.

  The vending machine body 2 includes a money collection unit 20 configured to be slidable in the X direction with respect to the vending machine body 2. On the upper surface of the money collection unit 20, a coin insertion slot 21, a display unit 22, and the like are provided. The coin insertion slot 21 is a part for inserting coins, and communicates with a coin mechanism (not shown) in the money collection unit 20.

  A coin mechanism (not shown) discriminates the authenticity and denomination of inserted coins and accommodates coins for each denomination. Coins that could not be identified by the coin mechanism are returned from the return port 23 provided on the front surface of the money collection unit 20. The display unit 22 outputs various information such as the amount of money that has been input.

  A bill insertion slot 24 is provided on the front face of the money collection unit 20. The bill insertion slot 24 is a portion into which bills are inserted, and communicates with a bill recognition device (not shown) in the money collection unit 20. A bill identification device (not shown) identifies and stores the authenticity and denomination of the inserted bill. The banknotes that could not be identified by the banknote identification device are returned from the banknote slot 24.

[Vending machine control system configuration]
Next, the configuration of the control system of the vending machine 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the vending machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the control system of the vending machine 1 includes a main control device 101, a coin processing control device 102, a banknote processing control device 103, a customer service control device 104, a sales control device 105, and an input / output control device 106. Prepare. The main control device 101 supervises control of the vending machine 1 and is constituted by an information processing device such as a microcomputer. The coin processing control device 102, the banknote processing control device 103, the customer service control device 104, the sales control device 105, and the input / output control device 106 correspond to a plurality of slave control units for the main control device 101, and are information processing such as a microcomputer. It is composed of devices.

  The coin processing control device 102 controls a coin mechanism (not shown) to determine the denomination and authenticity of inserted coins, calculate the number of denominations, store surplus coins in a safe, pay out change, etc. Is. The banknote processing control device 103 controls a banknote identification device (not shown) to determine the denomination and authenticity of the inserted banknote, calculate the number of denominations, pay out change, and the like. According to the customer service instruction from the main controller 101, the customer service control device 104 turns on a sales lamp, a sales stop lamp, a change-out lamp, or the like, or presses one of a plurality of sales product selection buttons (not shown). Or the detection signal is transmitted to the main controller 101. The input / output control device 106 is connected to the sensors 6a to 6d and controls information displayed on the display device 3 according to detection signals input from the sensors 6a to 6d, as will be described later.

[Display control processing]
In the vending machine 1 having such a configuration, the information displayed on the display screen of the display device 3 can be easily viewed regardless of the viewing position by the input / output control device 106 operating as described below. enable. Hereinafter, display control processing according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

[First Embodiment]
First, a display control process according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a display control process according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the display control process according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4A, image information is displayed with the side 3d direction on the customer service surface 2a side of the vending machine 1 as the downward display direction. In the normal state, when the sensor 6a detects the approach of a person, the input / output control device 106 indicates that the side 3a on which the sensor 6a is provided has a downward display orientation as shown in FIG. The display direction of the image information is changed so that Similarly, when the sensors 6b to 6d detect the approach of a person, the input / output control device 106 displays the image information so that the sides 3b to 3d on which the sensors 6b to 6d are provided have a downward display orientation. Change the display orientation of. According to such display control processing, since the orientation of the image information displayed on the display screen is changed according to the position of the person with respect to the vending machine 1, the person is displayed on the display screen regardless of the viewing position. Information can be easily viewed.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a display control process according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining a display control process according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the display control process according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in the normal state in which image information is displayed with the side 3d side on the customer service surface 2a side of the vending machine 1 displayed in the downward direction, the sensors 6a to 6d. When any one of them detects the approach of a person, as shown in FIG. 5, the input / output control device 106 sets the display screen of the display device 4 so that each of the four sides 3a to 3d has a downward display orientation. Is divided into four divided screens 31-34. According to such display control processing, since the image information displayed on any of the divided screens 31 to 34 is in a state of facing the person, the person is displayed on the display screen regardless of the viewing position. It is possible to easily visually check the information that is being displayed.

  The embodiment to which the present invention is applied has been described above, but the present invention is not limited by the description and the drawings that form part of the disclosure of the present invention according to the present embodiment. That is, other embodiments, examples, operational techniques, and the like made by those skilled in the art based on the present embodiment are all included in the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vending machine 2 Vending machine main body 2a Upper surface 2b Customer service surface 3 Display device 4 Touch panel part 6a-6d Sensor 20 Money collection part 21 Coin slot 22 Display part 23 Return slot 24 Bill slot 31-34 Divided screen 101 Main controller DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 102 Coin processing control apparatus 103 Banknote processing control apparatus 104 Customer service control apparatus 105 Sales control apparatus 106 Input / output control apparatus

Claims (3)

The vending machine body,
A display device provided on the upper surface of the vending machine main body and displaying information on a display screen;
A plurality of detection means for detecting the approach of a person to the side surface of the vending machine body;
Control means for controlling the direction of information displayed on the display screen so that the side surface on which the detection means that detects the approach of a person is arranged is in a downward display direction;
Vending machine characterized by comprising. The vending machine body,
A display device provided on the upper surface of the vending machine main body and displaying information on a display screen;
A plurality of detection means for detecting the approach of a person to the side surface of the vending machine body;
A control unit that divides the display screen into a plurality of display screens each having a lateral display direction when the approach of a person is detected by any of the plurality of detection units;
Vending machine characterized by comprising.   The vending machine according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a touch panel unit that is provided at a peripheral portion of the display screen and receives a human operation input.

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