JP2017068370A - Automatic vending machine management server, automatic vending machine, and program for automatic vending machine management server - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To construct an automatic vending machine and an automatic vending machine network system for networking an automatic vending machine, and for timely providing information useful for users.SOLUTION: An automatic vending machine management server for managing an automatic vending machine includes: user registration means for receiving user registration from a user terminal owned by a user or an automatic vending machine, and for registering the user; user authentication means for authenticating the user when the registered user performs access to the automatic vending machine; a user information DB for storing user information including a purchase history of the registered user; an automatic vending machine information DB for storing information including location information and merchandise information of the automatic vending machine; and user location tracking means for tracking the location information of the user when the user performs access to the automatic vending machine. The automatic vending machine is allowed to provide an individual service or guidance information matching the location, movement route, and taste of the user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vending machine and a network system of vending machines.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a method is known in which vending machines are connected to a network and customer information is acquired using purchase information of a vending machine user.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, when a product purchase request is received from a user, the authentication management device is inquired to authenticate the user and sell the product, and from the vending machine based on the user's member information An authentication unit that authenticates the requested user, a purchase information storage unit that stores the user's member information in association with purchase information when the user purchases a product in the vending machine, and the user in response to a request from the user A customer information management system including an authentication management device including a transmission unit that transmits purchase information corresponding to the member information to the user's communication terminal is disclosed.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a vending machine network system that collects information through a vending machine while paying attention to a consumer who purchases a product, and realizes sales analysis based on the obtained information. ing. In this system, the user information obtained by the authentication method is acquired in the vending machine that acquires the user information by the authentication method adopted by itself and sells the selected product to be accommodated in the machine. It is disclosed that a privilege granting means for granting a privilege that is set in advance to the user is provided when a predetermined number of times is recorded.

JP 2007-257578 A JP 2007-048324 A

  However, in the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the installer of the vending machine is limited to collecting customer purchase information, performing customer management and sales promotion, effectively using the vending machine, It did not provide useful information to users in a timely manner. If vending machines installed at various points in the city are organically networked and managed, the vending machine should become a more powerful information collecting device and information providing device.

  Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to construct a vending machine and a vending machine management network system that network vending machines and provide useful information to users in a timely manner. .

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following solution.

(1) In the first aspect of the present invention, a vending machine management server that manages networked vending machines, accepts user registration from a user terminal possessed by a user or the vending machine, and A user registration means for registering a user, a user authentication means for authenticating the user when the registered user accesses the vending machine, and a user storing user information including a purchase history of the registered user An information DB; a vending machine information DB that stores information including position information and product information of the vending machine; and a user position tracking unit that tracks the position information of the user when the user accesses the vending machine. It is characterized by providing.

(2) In the vending machine management server according to (1), the vending machine includes a face authentication unit, and the user authentication unit captures the face image of the user accessed by the vending machine. The captured face image may be transmitted to the vending machine management server for face authentication.

(3) In the vending machine management server according to (1) or (2), the vending machine includes short-range wireless communication means capable of communicating with the user terminal at a short distance, and the user authentication means includes The user terminal may be notified of the proximity of the user terminal to the vending machine, and user authentication may be performed using the identifier of the user terminal.

(4) In the vending machine management server according to any one of (1) to (3), the vending machine management server extracts the user preference information from the purchase history of the user, and the vending machine You may make it equip a machine with the user preference extraction means which instruct | indicates to provide the separate service according to the said user's preference information.

(5) Moreover, in the vending machine management server in any one of said (1)-(4), the said user may be made to provide the SNS cooperation means which registers the said vending machine as a friend on SNS. .

(6) Moreover, in the second aspect of the present invention, a vending machine connected to the vending machine management server and networked, the proximity user detecting means for detecting a user in proximity to the vending machine; A face authentication unit that captures a face image of the detected user and transmits the face image to the vending machine management server to perform face authentication; and a short distance wireless communication with a user terminal possessed by the user The wireless communication means and the short-range wireless communication means comprise user terminal authentication means for transmitting the identifier of the user terminal to the vending machine management server and performing user authentication.

(7) In the vending machine according to (6), the vending machine communicates information on neighboring vending machines via the vending machine management server or with the neighboring vending machines. It is also possible to obtain the guidance information including information on nearby vending machines by acquiring the information.

(8) According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vending machine management server program for managing networked vending machines, wherein the vending machine management server is a user terminal owned by a user or User registration means for accepting user registration from the vending machine and registering the user, user authentication means for authenticating the user when the registered user accesses the vending machine, and the registered A user information DB that stores user information including a purchase history of the user, a vending machine information DB that stores information including location information and product information of the vending machine, and when the user accesses the vending machine It functions as a user position tracking means for tracking user position information.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, a vending machine and a vending machine network system which network a vending machine and provide useful information to a user timely can be constructed | assembled.

It is a figure which shows the image of the vending machine network system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the function structure of the vending machine network system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the data structure stored in the user information database and vending machine information database which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the processing flow between a vending machine and a vending machine management server. It is a figure which shows the user tracking process flow of a vending machine management server. It is a figure which shows the user separate processing flow of a vending machine management server. It is a figure which shows the function structure of the vending machine network system which concerns on another embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the guidance message of a vending machine.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the subsequent drawings, the same numbers or symbols are assigned to the same elements throughout the description of the embodiments. In the functional configuration diagram, an arrow between functional blocks represents a data flow direction or a process flow direction.

(Basic concept)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an image of a vending machine network system (hereinafter referred to as the present system) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vending machine network system includes a plurality of vending machines and a vending machine management server that manages the plurality of vending machines. FIG. 1 shows, as a specific example of the service provided by the present system, a state where a jogging user receives various guidance messages one after another from a plurality of vending machines on the travel route. In the figure, the vending machine emits a sound, but of course, a message or a picture may be further displayed on the display unit of the vending machine.

  As shown in the figure, vending machines 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, and 20e (hereinafter referred to as vending machine 20 when there is no need to distinguish them) are also referred to as vending machines. Connected to the vending machine management server 10 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a management server) in the vending machine management center set up by a company or a network service company, etc. To do. The communication means may be wireless or wired. The vending machine 20 does not necessarily have to be directly connected to the management server, and neighboring vending machines are connected to form a local network, via one of the vending machines therein, or It may be indirectly connected to the server via the relay device. For example, the relationship is as shown in the illustrated vending machines 20b and 20c.

  Each vending machine is provided with a proximity user detection function including various sensors for detecting the proximity of the user, and a user who passes in the immediate vicinity of the vending machine 20 and a face of a user standing in front of the vending machine 20 A face authentication function for performing face authentication and a short-distance wireless communication function for performing wireless communication with a portable terminal carried by the user at a short distance and identifying the user's portable terminal. Further, the vending machine 20 may be provided with a sensor for measuring an external environment such as ambient temperature and humidity.

  The vending machine information, which is information that can be acquired by the vending machine, is sequentially transmitted to the management server, and the latest information is stored in the database of the management server. The vending machine information includes the installation position of the machine, the name of the product being sold, the number of products stored in the machine, change information, information on nearby users, and the like. Moreover, the information acquired locally from the nearby vending machine may be included.

  In FIG. 1, the specific example of the various guidance message which the vending machine 20 transmits to a nearby user etc. is shown. If the vending machine 20a has a function of measuring the outside air temperature, for example, a user who is jogging a warning message such as “Be careful about heat stroke because it is hot today! Don't forget to rehydrate!” Etc. can be emitted. Further, the vending machine 20b communicates with the vending machine 20c in a place where the user does not normally pass, and information useful when the user passes, for example, “a vending machine is also on the south side of one bottle. A message like “Medium!” Can be issued. Furthermore, the vending machine 20c receives the exchange between the user and the vending machine 20b and directly leads to product sales, for example, “Measures against heat stroke! You can make a promotional message like " The vending machine 20d captures the timing when the user waits for a signal, and sports drinks that the user often purchases are sold out at the vending machine ahead and can only be purchased here, or the vending machine 20e , You can give information that this is the only vending machine in the park. Both are useful and timely guidance messages that take into account the user's current location, travel route, external environment, and the like. Also, conventionally, there was no way for the user to know whether or not he wanted an out-of-stock product. However, after the vending machine cooperates, for example, when the vending machine 20a is out of stock, the vending machine 20b or 20c is informed that the product is available. Depending on whether or not the user has purchased the guidance product with the vending machine 20b or 20c, it is possible to confirm that the user has actually purchased the out-of-stock product of the vending machine 20a.

(Functional configuration)
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of the vending machine network system 100 (present system) according to the embodiment of the present invention. In this system, a vending machine management server 10 (hereinafter referred to as a management server) that manages vending machines and a plurality of vending machines 20 (hereinafter referred to as vending machines) are connected to a network 40. Further, it is more preferable that the user terminal 30 possessed by the user who is the user of the vending machine is connected to the network 40. The network 40 is typically the Internet, but may include a dedicated network in part.

  As shown in the figure, the management server includes a network communication unit 11, a user registration unit 12, a user authentication unit 13, a user location tracking unit 14, a user preference extraction unit 15, an SNS as typical function processing units. And linkage means 16. The management server includes a user information DB 17 and a vending machine information DB 18 as databases. The database may be external to the server. Hereinafter, each means and the database will be described in order.

  The network communication unit 11 controls communication with an external device via the network 40. The communication means to the network 40 may be wired or wireless.

  The user registration means 12 accepts user registration to this system from the vending machine or the user terminal 30 and stores user registration information in the user information DB 17. Although the contents of the registration information will be described later, it is desirable to register a face image as authentication information for authenticating the user. This is because, unlike other biometric information authentication means, face images can be easily acquired even when the user is not at rest or from a slightly distant place.

  When the registered user uses the vending machine or when the user approaches the vending machine (hereinafter referred to as “when accessing the vending machine” together), the user authentication unit 13 receives a notification from the vending machine, It receives the image data of the user's face image taken by the user, makes a reference to the face image data stored in the user information DB 17 and performs user authentication. The authentication result is returned to the vending machine. Of course, except for some vending machines that sell liquor, cigarettes, etc., the user can use the vending machine without user authentication (in this case, age confirmation). The user authentication unit 13 also accepts user authentication from the user terminal 30. In this case, a general authentication method such as a login ID and a password may be used instead of the face image. In addition, if the user has a portable terminal as the user terminal 30, the vending machine may perform user authentication by acquiring the identifier of the portable terminal through short-range wireless communication. The user's mobile terminal may be a wearable terminal such as a smart glass in addition to a smartphone or a tablet terminal. When the vending machine detects the proximity of the user terminal and authenticates it, the user terminal may be notified of the authentication.

  The user position tracking means 14 is a server-side function unit characteristic of the present system, and has a function of tracking the position of the user who has accessed the vending machine. The position of the user may be substituted with the position information of the vending machine in which the installation location is registered in advance. When a registered user accesses a certain vending machine, the vending machine picks up a face image of the user, and a user authentication request is transmitted to the management server. When the user authentication means 13 that has received the authentication request confirms the presence of the user's registration, each time the user accesses the vending machine, the user's location information (actually the vending machine's location information) is recorded along with the date and time information. The That is, when the user accesses another vending machine, the position information of the other vending machine is recorded together with the date and time information. By repeating this, the user's travel route can be estimated. For example, a number of vending machines are installed on the road, and each time the user passes through the vending machine, the user's position information is recorded, so that the user's moving direction can be estimated. Therefore, it is also possible to predict the vending machine that will pass next.

  Of course, for users who do not want to track such location information, the user registration means 12 includes means for disabling the location information tracking function and temporarily turning it on / off. Although the position information tracking function is off by default, the user can turn on the function at any time from the vending machine or the user terminal 30. Further, the location information tracking function may be automatically turned off outside the area permitted by the user.

  The user preference extraction means 15 acquires the purchase history of the product in the user's vending machine, extracts the user's preference, and instructs the vending machine to execute an individual service that matches the user preference. User preferences include user information stored in the user information DB 17, for example, types of vending machines that are frequently used, types of products that are often purchased, location information and date / time information at the time of purchase, and users shopping and jogging on a daily basis. It can be extracted by analyzing the amount of sugar or milk selected by the user in the case of a moving route or a drip vending machine (a vending machine such as hot coffee). If user preference information such as a credit card usage history can be obtained from another system, that information may be used, which will be described later.

  The SNS cooperation unit 16 cooperates with an external SNS (Social Networking Service) system such as Facebook (registered trademark), and provides a function for a user to register a vending machine as a “friend”. If a vending machine frequently used is registered as a “friend”, information from the vending machine can be viewed on the SNS. For example, “Today, I became friends with Mr. Miyamoto!”, “Today we have 100 friends,” “Today there were a lot of female customers.”, “Two out of stock < (__)> "etc. can also be posted on the SNS by the vending machine.

  In addition, for example, information on discount sales, information on products for which sales have been newly started, and information on products for which sales have been stopped can be received by the SNS. In this way, by vending a vending machine and making it a “friend”, it is possible to receive information that makes use of the vending machine network, search for a desired vending machine, request a product desired to be placed in the vending machine, and the like. Also, if you go to a vending machine to buy your favorite product, you can avoid feeling frustrated because the product has been handled. In addition, it goes without saying that users who register the same vending machine in the SNS as friends can recognize each other's presence from the registration data of the same vending machine in terms of the function of the SNS.

  The user information DB 17 stores various data of users obtained through vending machines. FIG. 3A shows an example of the data configuration. As shown in the figure, in the user information DB 17 of this example, for each user identifier, personal attribute information (age, gender, hobby, etc.) and registration authentication information (face authentication information, portable terminal identifier, other biometric authentication information, etc.) ), Purchase history (purchase date, purchased product name, purchase location, etc.), travel route history (walking, jogging, shopping, train ride history, etc.) and location information tracking function on / off And settings are stored. The moving means of the moving route can be estimated from a plurality of pieces of position information and date / time information at that time. You may use the image of the camera of a vending machine.

  The vending machine information DB 18 stores data unique to each vending machine. FIG. 3B shows an example of the data configuration. As shown in the figure, in the vending machine information DB 18 of this example, for each vending machine identifier, installation position information (latitude, longitude, address, etc.) and product information (stock items, quantity for each product currently stored in the machine, etc.) ) Is stored. The vending machine administrator, manufacturer, serial number, and the like may be stored as management information. Since the vending machines are networked, a certain vending machine can acquire information on other vending machines via a management server or locally as required.

  Returning to the description of FIG. The vending machine (vending machine 20) in this system typically has a short-range wireless communication unit 22, a proximity user detection unit 23, and an environment information acquisition unit 24 under the control of a control unit 21 that controls the entire apparatus. A user registration receiving unit 25, a voice dialogue unit 26, a face authentication unit 27, and a user terminal authentication unit 28. Functional units that are naturally provided as a vending machine, such as a product storage unit, a product display unit, a product purchase operation unit, a money confirmation unit, and a change dispensing unit, are omitted here for the sake of simplicity. Hereinafter, each means will be described in order.

  The short-range wireless communication means 22 fulfills a function of exchanging data with other devices having a short-range wireless communication function by short-range wireless communication. As other devices, the portable user terminal 30 is most important, and provides means capable of communicating with the user terminal 30 at a short distance.

  The proximity user detection unit 23 is a sensor that detects a user in proximity to the vending machine. It is desirable that this sensor can detect the presence of a human being in the range of several tens of centimeters to several meters or an object having a size corresponding to a human being. As the type of sensor, known techniques such as infrared light, visible light, laser, and temperature sensor are used. Further, when the user has a portable terminal having a short-range wireless communication function, the proximity user detection unit 23 can detect the proximity of the user by measuring the radio wave intensity with the portable terminal.

  The environmental information acquisition unit 24 is a sensor that measures environmental data such as temperature and humidity around the vending machine. The environment information acquisition unit 24 may include a unit that acquires external information such as weather and information on surrounding facilities via the network 40. By this environmental information acquisition means 24, the vending machine can automatically change the guidance message according to the surrounding environment. For example, when the temperature exceeds a predetermined value, services such as temporarily lowering the selling price of drinks can be provided to prevent heat stroke. In addition, services such as free product prices in the event of a disaster are also possible.

  The user registration receiving means 25 provides a function for receiving user registration on the vending machine. The user completes the user registration by taking a face image with the vending machine, taking an image such as an identification card, and transmitting the image information to the management server using the operation panel of the vending machine. A credit card or a registered electronic money card may be used instead of the identification card.

  The voice interaction means 26 fulfills the function of issuing a voice guidance message to the user. The voice interaction means 26 may be provided with a voice recognition function to accept voice instructions from the user.

  The face authentication unit 27 includes an imaging unit (camera) that captures the face image of the user who has accessed the vending machine, and has a function of transmitting the captured face image to the management server and performing face authentication of the user. The image capturing means for the face image is desirably a high-performance device capable of recognizing not only the image from the front of the user's face but also the user's profile and the moving user's face. In addition, it may be possible to use other biometric authentication such as palm, fingerprint, iris, etc. instead of face authentication, but in that case, it is difficult to capture a user who just passes in front of the vending machine. In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, you may make it equip the lower part of a vending machine with the 2nd camera for authenticating the pet which a user takes. If you do this. A user taking a walk with a pet can get close to the vending machine.

  When the short-range wireless communication unit 22 receives a radio wave from the portable user terminal 30, the user terminal authentication unit 28 acquires the identifier of the terminal and performs user authentication by referring to the management server. Therefore, even a user who is resistant to face authentication can receive the service of this system.

  As described above, the user terminal 30 is preferably a portable terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a wearable terminal. However, when the user registration or data inquiry is performed, the user terminal 30 is not necessarily a portable terminal but a desktop PC or the like. Also good. The user terminal 30 generally includes a terminal-side communication unit 31 and an operation unit 32 (including an input unit and a display unit) such as a touch panel that receives a user operation. In particular, the user terminal 30 is a portable type. In this case, it is desirable that the terminal side short-range wireless communication means 33 is provided. The terminal-side short-range wireless communication means 33 enables short-range wireless communication with the vending machine-side short-range wireless communication means 22. This is the end of the general description of the functional configuration of this system.

  The above-described functional configuration of the present system is merely an example, and one functional block (database and function processing unit) may be divided, or a plurality of functional blocks may be configured as one functional block. Each function processing unit reads a computer program stored in a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, SSD (Solid State Drive), or hard disk by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) built in the device This is realized by a computer program executed by the CPU. That is, this computer program reads and writes necessary data such as tables from a database (DB; Data Base) stored in a storage device or a storage area on a memory, and in some cases, related hardware (for example, input The computer functions as various means by controlling the output device, the display device, and the communication interface device. Further, the database (DB) in the embodiment of the present invention may be a commercial database, but it simply means a collection of tables and files, and the internal structure of the database itself is not questioned.

(Processing flow)
Hereinafter, the processing of the vending machine and the management server of this system will be described in more detail using a processing flowchart (flow chart). In the subsequent flowcharts, the processing order of each step may be changed as long as the relationship between the input and output of each step is not impaired.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a processing flow (main processing flow) between the vending machine and the management server. First, in step S100, the vending machine detects whether or not a nearby user exists. When a proximity user is detected, a face image of the user is captured and transmitted to the server to request user authentication (step S110). In response to the result, the vending machine determines whether or not the user is a registered user in step S120. If it is not a registered user, the processing from step S130 is performed. That is, normal purchase processing is performed (step S130), the user is asked whether or not to newly register a user (step S131), and when performing user registration, a face image for registration is captured and user registration is performed. This is performed (step S132). Then, the product purchase information is associated with the newly registered user identifier and transmitted to the management server (step S133).

  If the user is a registered user (step S120: Y), the user information of the user is received (step S140). Here, information on the proximity vending machine may be acquired in advance (step S150). Then, the user tracking process is started (step S160). Then, individual user processing is performed (step S170), and when the user leaves the vending machine, the process returns to step S100 (step S180). The user tracking process will be described with reference to FIG. 5, and the user individual process will be described with reference to FIG.

  On the other hand, the management server side stands by until it receives data from the vending machine in step S200. When data is received from the vending machine (step S200: Y), the request content is analyzed (step S210). If the request is “registration”, the process proceeds to step S220. If the request is “inquiry”, the process proceeds to step S240. ", The process branches to step S230.

  Step S220 is a user registration process, but the details of the process are self-explanatory and will not be described here. Further, step S230 is a process for recording purchase information of products purchased by the user, but since this is also a general process, a description thereof will be omitted.

  Step S240 and subsequent steps are inquiry processing. The inquiry here is an inquiry process for face authentication from the vending machine to the management server (step S240). When the result of face authentication is NG (step S250: N), the management server returns to step S200, but at this time, the vending machine side may be notified of the result of NG. If the face authentication result is OK (step S250: Y), the management server transmits the user information of the authenticated user to the vending machine that issued the inquiry request (step S260). Information on the nearby vending machine may also be transmitted to the requesting vending machine at this stage (step S270). When the above processing is completed, the management server returns to step S200 and waits for the next data reception.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a user tracking processing flow. The user tracking process is a process performed by the user location tracking unit 14 of the management server in cooperation with a plurality of vending machines, and is a process of detecting a change in the location information of the registered user and tracking the movement route of the user.

  In step S161, the management server first determines whether or not the user is “first detected”. Since the user face authentication process is completed in step S110 of FIG. 4, it is known that the user detected here is a registered user. First detection means that the vending machine that the user first accessed on that day detected the user. If it is determined that the user is the first detection user, the process proceeds to step S162, and tracking of the user position information is started. At this time, the user position information, that is, the position information of the vending machine is transmitted to the management server as the tracking start position (step S163). Thereafter, the process returns to the main process of FIG.

  If it is determined that the user is not the first detected user (step S161: N), the process proceeds to step S164, and the “previous position” of the user, that is, the position information of the vending machine accessed most recently is acquired. If the time difference between the previous position and the current position is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, only the current position is acquired. The moving direction of the user can be estimated from the position information of the currently accessed vending machine and the position information of the most recently accessed vending machine. However, the position before the elapse of a long period is not used for the estimation of the movement route. It is also possible to estimate the moving means from the time difference between two vending machines accessed and the distance between those vending machines. For example, when the time difference is small compared to the distance between vending machines, it can be estimated that the user has used some means of transportation. In addition, when there is a user who repeatedly uses the same vending machine, it is estimated that there is a place where there is some relation such as the user's home or work place near the vending machine.

  Therefore, it can be determined from these pieces of information whether or not the user is moving (step S165). If it is determined that the vending machine is not moving, for example, when access to the same vending machine is repeated, the vending machine currently being accessed guides information on the vending machine (step S166). At this time, if there is a sold-out product, the management server may search for information on a nearby vending machine and guide the vending machine that still has a stock of sold-out products.

  If it is determined in step S165 that the user is moving, the process proceeds to step S167, and the information on the vending machine is taken into account that the user is moving (for example, the information guided by the previous vending machine is also included). In addition to guidance, information on the vending machine in the moving direction is guided (step S168). For example, the user guides the distance to the next vending machine, whether the next vending machine has a stock of sold-out products of the current vending machine, or a stock of products often purchased by the user. Accordingly, the user can obtain a material for determining whether to purchase a product he / she wants to purchase at the vending machine in front of the user or to wait until the next vending machine is purchased.

  Furthermore, the vending machine may transmit information acquired or guided to the vending machine in the moving direction (step S169). For this reason, for example, when the user accesses the next vending machine as expected, if the information guided by the previous vending machine changes, the fact is guided, but if the guided information has not changed, the same It is possible to perform processing such as not repeatedly guiding information. When the above process ends, the vending machine returns to the main process of FIG.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a user individual processing flow of the vending machine management server. This process is realized by instructing the vending machine a process that matches the user's preference extracted by the user preference extracting unit 15. The processing on the vending machine side that has received this instruction will be described below. First, in step S171, the vending machine determines whether or not the user in front of the vending machine intends to purchase a product. You may determine whether it is going to purchase goods by the time when the user stopped in front of the vending machine.

  When it is determined that the user does not intend to purchase the product, it is determined that the user is a passing user, and guidance information suitable for the moving user is transmitted (step S172). For example, a simple voice message such as “I'm working hard today!” May be sent to a jogging user, or information on the moving direction and vending machines in the vicinity may be sent. At this time, if it is known that the user has a favorite talent, the guidance information may be transmitted with the voice or image of the talent (step S172a).

  If it is determined in step S171 that there is an intention to purchase the product, the process proceeds to step S173, and it is determined whether or not the external environment (including the state inside the vending machine) is reflected. Whether to reflect the external environment is assumed to be incorporated in the vending machine program or the management server program in advance. For example, if the management server or the vending machine detects that the temperature has exceeded a predetermined value, it suddenly When it is detected that it has been raining, when it is detected that a change of a certain vending machine has run out, or when disaster news in the area is received, the external environment is determined. In such a case, a corresponding process predetermined for each event is executed (step S174). Step S174 further branches to S174a to S174d depending on the event. For example, the price of drinks can be adjusted as the temperature rises (step S174a), and if it suddenly rains, information on indoor vending machines can be given priority (step S174b), If there is no change in the vending machine, a process of discounting the fraction is executed (step S174c). Or at the time of a disaster, you may make it perform the process of making water free according to the instruction | indication of an administrator (step S174d).

  If it is determined in step S173 that the external environment is not reflected (cannot be reflected), the process proceeds to step S175, and it is determined whether or not the user preference is reflected. When reflecting the user preference, the user preference dependence process of step S176 is performed. For example, in the case of a drip-type vending machine, the temperature of the drink is adjusted according to user preference (step S176a), the amount of drink is adjusted (step S176b), and sugar, milk, salt content, etc. are adjusted (step S176c). ) Etc. can be considered. At this time, the user's favorite talent image or voice may be used for guidance (step S176d).

  If it is determined in step S175 that the user preference is not reflected (cannot be reflected), as described above, it may be possible to select whether or not to register the vending machine as a “friend” in the SNS as described above ( Step S177). When registering in the SNS (step S177: Y), the SNS to be registered is selected from the vending machine or the user terminal 30, and the friend is registered (step S178). Needless to say, the friend at this time is the identifier of the vending machine (or the nickname of the vending machine).

(Another embodiment)
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a vending machine network system 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Convenience and usefulness can be further enhanced by connecting other systems to the vending machine network (vending machine network) of this system. In the example of FIG. 7, the credit card company system 50 and the hotel reservation system 60 are connected, and the vending machine network cooperation means 51 and 61 are incorporated in each system, so that the information of the vending machine network and the information of the external system can be linked. it can.

  For example, user preference information is extracted from the card usage history DB 52 of the credit card company, and further detailed user individual processing is provided on the vending machine side, or conversely, user preference information obtained from the vending machine network is provided on the credit card company side. It can be used for promotional information.

  In addition, when the travel route of the user obtained from the vending machine network is linked with the user information in the hotel reservation DB 62, the route guidance to the hotel is provided to the vending machine installed on the road from the station to the hotel. Can be made. From the hotel side, it is possible to know in advance that the guest is coming to the immediate vicinity, and to prepare the reception system. In addition, from the user's side, he / she will never get lost in an unfamiliar land.

(Guidance message)
FIG. 8 shows some examples of guidance messages from the vending machine 20 in this system. FIG. 8A shows an example of a message issued by the vending machine to a user who is taking a walk. In this example, a state in which a user during a walk is alerted to heat stroke is shown. There is no doubt that it will lead to the promotion of drinks.

  FIG. 8B is an example of a message issued by the vending machine to a user who is working in an office or the like. In this example, it is shown that the sugar of the drink is adjusted to the user's preference. If it is a vending machine installed in the office, there are many opportunities to acquire user behavior and preference data.

  FIG. 8C is an example of a message issued by the vending machine to the user before passing through the security gate at the airport. In this example, it is shown that there is no vending machine that sells nutrition drinks that are purchased whenever the gate is passed.

  FIG. 8D shows an example of a message issued by the vending machine to a user who wants to check in at a hotel. The vending machine will guide the way to the hotel, so the hotel will be able to accept guests smoothly.

  FIG. 8E shows an example of a vending machine in which a user's favorite talent guides by voice or image. Of course, since the talent also changes for each user, this is also an effective sales promotion means.

  By networking vending machines installed in the city in this way, it is possible to provide various value-added services as well as product sales promotion.

(Effect of embodiment)
The effects obtained by this system are summarized below. According to the present system, firstly, it is possible to construct a vending machine and a vending machine network system that network vending machines and provide useful information to users in a timely manner. Accordingly, it is possible to provide not only product sales promotion but also various value-added services.

  Secondly, according to this system, since the vending machine 20 includes the face authentication means 27, not only the user who uses the vending machine 20 but also the face of the passing user is recognized and useful for the user. Information can be provided.

  According to this system, thirdly, the vending machine 20 can perform near field wireless communication with the user terminal 30 and transmit the identifier of the user terminal 30 to the management server to perform user authentication. Therefore, user authentication can be easily performed by having a user with resistance to face authentication possess the portable user terminal 30.

  According to the present system, fourthly, the vending machine management server 10 extracts user preference information from the purchase history of the user and instructs the vending machine 20 to provide individual services according to the user. be able to. Therefore, a fine service can be provided for each user.

  According to the present system, fifthly, since the user can personify the vending machine 20 and register it as a “friend” on the SNS, the user can use the vending machine 20 without going to the place of the vending machine 20. The information regarding the vending machine 20 can be easily acquired from the SNS.

  Further, the vending machine 20 of this system includes a proximity user detecting unit 23, a face authenticating unit 27, a user terminal authenticating unit 28, and an environment information acquiring unit 24. Further, information on the neighboring vending machine 20 is stored in a management server. It can be obtained via or by communicating with a nearby vending machine, and guide information including information on the nearby vending machine 20 can be provided to the user.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated using embodiment, it cannot be overemphasized that the technical scope of this invention is not limited to the range as described in the said embodiment. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be added to the above embodiment. Further, it is apparent from the scope of the claims that the embodiments added with such changes or improvements can be included in the technical scope of the present invention. In the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been mainly described with respect to the vending machine management server as an invention of the product, but the present invention is an invention of a method (vending machine management method) or a computer program invention (automatic It can also be understood as a vending machine management server program or a vending machine program.

10 Vending machine management server (management server)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Network communication means 12 User registration means 13 User authentication means 14 User position tracking means 15 User preference extraction means 16 SNS cooperation means 17 User information DB
18 Vending machine information DB
20, 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, 20e Vending machines (vending machines)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 Control means 22 Near field communication means 23 Proximity user detection means 24 Environment information acquisition means 25 User registration reception means 26 Voice interaction means 27 Face authentication means 28 User terminal authentication means 30 User terminal 31 Terminal side communication means 32 Operation means 33 Terminal Side short-range wireless communication means 40 Network 50 Credit card company system 51 Vending machine network cooperation means 52 Card usage history DB
60 Hotel Reservation System 61 Vending Machine Network Linkage 62 Accommodation Reservation DB
100 Vending Machine Network System 200 Vending Machine Network System in Another Embodiment

Claims (8)

A vending machine management server for managing networked vending machines,
User registration means for accepting user registration from a user terminal possessed by the user or the vending machine, and registering the user;
User authentication means for authenticating the user when the registered user accesses the vending machine;
A user information DB for storing user information including purchase history of the registered users;
A vending machine information DB for storing information including position information and product information of the vending machine;
User location tracking means for tracking location information of the user when the user accesses the vending machine;
A vending machine management server comprising:   The vending machine includes a face authentication unit, and the user authentication unit captures the face image of the user accessed by the vending machine, and transmits the captured face image to the vending machine management server. The vending machine management server according to claim 1, wherein face authentication is performed.   The vending machine includes short-range wireless communication means capable of communicating with the user terminal at a short distance, and the user authentication means notifies the vending machine that the user terminal is close to the vending machine. 3. The vending machine management server according to claim 1 or 2, wherein user authentication is performed based on an identifier of the user terminal.   The vending machine management server extracts user preference information from the purchase history of the user, and provides user preference extraction means for instructing the vending machine to provide individual services according to the user preference information. The vending machine management server according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a vending machine management server.   The vending machine management server according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the user includes SNS cooperation means for registering the vending machine as a friend on the SNS. A vending machine connected to a vending machine management server and networked,
Proximity user detection means for detecting a user in proximity to the vending machine;
A face authentication means for capturing a face image of the detected user and transmitting the face image to the vending machine management server to perform face authentication;
Short-range wireless communication means for performing wireless communication with a user terminal possessed by the user at a short distance;
User terminal authentication means for performing user authentication by transmitting the identifier of the user terminal to the vending machine management server, wherein the short-range wireless communication means;
Vending machine characterized by comprising.   The vending machine acquires information on neighboring vending machines via the vending machine management server or by communicating with the neighboring vending machines, and informs the user of neighboring vending machines. The vending machine according to claim 6, wherein guidance information including information is provided. A vending machine management server program for managing networked vending machines,
The vending machine management server,
User registration means for accepting user registration from a user terminal possessed by the user or the vending machine, and registering the user;
User authentication means for authenticating the user when the registered user accesses the vending machine;
A user information DB for storing user information including purchase history of the registered users;
A vending machine information DB for storing information including position information and product information of the vending machine;
User location tracking means for tracking location information of the user when the user accesses the vending machine;
A program characterized by making it function.

Images