JP2022053608A - Medium processing device and medium processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

To properly handle an input memorial medium.SOLUTION: A medium processing device includes: a medium input slot through which a medium having a monetary value is input; a determination part determining whether the medium is a normal medium or a memorial medium; and a medium control part controlling whether or not the memorial medium is returned in accordance with an input result with respect to the confirmation of handing the memorial medium when the medium is determined as the memorial medium.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a medium processing apparatus and a medium processing system.

A POS (Point Of Sales) terminal and a cash processing device are installed at the checkout counters of retail stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores. The POS terminal and the cash processing device are connected to each other. The cash processing device has a coin deposit / withdrawal function and a bill deposit / withdrawal function.

In addition to the circulating coins, which are commonly distributed coins, commemorative coins issued in commemoration of national events may be inserted into the cash processing apparatus. Examples of commemorative coins include 500-yen bicolor clad coins commemorating the 60th anniversary of the enforcement of the Local Autonomy Law, 100-yen clad coins commemorating the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Shinkansen Railway, and 100-yen clad coins commemorating the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Certain cash processing devices, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, return the commemorative coin to the customer when such a commemorative coin is inserted.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-305924 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-225418

However, since commemorative coins can be exchanged for the same amount of circulating coins, there are customers who wish to use commemorative media such as commemorative coins for payments in the same way as circulating coins. In order to deal with such customers, a cash processing device that accepts all commemorative media as well as circulating coins when a commemorative medium is inserted can be considered. However, it is unclear whether the customer intentionally inserted the commemorative coin or accidentally inserted the commemorative medium, so if the cash processing device uniformly accepts the commemorative medium, trouble will occur between the customer and the clerk. There is a fear.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is a new and improved medium processing apparatus and medium capable of appropriately handling the input commemorative medium. It is to provide a processing system.

In order to solve the above problems, according to a certain viewpoint of the present invention, a medium input port into which a medium having a monetary value is input, and a discriminating unit for determining whether the medium is a normal medium or a commemorative medium. A medium control unit that controls whether or not to return the commemorative medium according to an input result for confirmation of handling of the commemorative medium when the medium is determined to be the commemorative medium is provided. A medium processing device is provided.

The medium processing device may further include a display unit that displays a confirmation screen for confirming the handling of the commemorative medium when the medium is determined to be the commemorative medium.

The medium processing device further includes a storage unit for storing an input result on the confirmation screen displayed when the medium is determined to be the commemorative medium in one transaction, and the medium control unit is the 1st unit. With respect to the second and subsequent commemorative media in one transaction, it may be controlled whether or not to return the commemorative medium according to the input result stored in the storage unit.

The medium processing apparatus includes a medium return port for returning the medium, a medium storage unit for accommodating the medium, and a return transport path for transporting the medium loaded into the medium input port to the medium return port. A storage transport section for transporting the medium loaded into the medium loading port to the medium storage section, and a branch section for branching the medium loaded into the medium slot to the return transport path or the storage transport section. When the medium control unit determines that the medium is the commemorative medium, the medium control unit causes the commemorative medium to stand by in the vicinity of the return transport path, and causes the branch unit to stand by in the vicinity of the return transport path according to an input result on the confirmation screen. It may be branched to the return transport path or the storage transport section.

When the medium control unit determines that the medium is the commemorative medium, the medium controls the medium on the upstream side of the branch portion, and the branch portion is set to the return transport path or the return transport path according to the input result on the confirmation screen. It may be branched into the storage transport section.

The medium storage unit includes a first medium storage unit and a second medium storage unit, and the medium control unit controls a transport unit so that the normal medium is transported to the first medium storage unit. Even if the transport unit is controlled so that the commemorative medium is transported to the second medium storage unit when an input result indicating that the commemorative medium is used for a transaction is obtained on the confirmation screen. good.

The medium processing device may further include a communication unit that transmits a predetermined notification to the cooperation terminal when the medium is determined to be the commemorative medium and receives an input result for the cooperation terminal.

Further, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, a medium processing system having a medium processing device and a cooperative terminal, the medium processing device is input with a medium having a monetary value. Media input port, a determination unit for determining whether the medium is a normal medium or a commemorative medium, and a communication unit for transmitting a predetermined notification to the cooperation terminal when the medium is determined to be the commemorative medium. , And a medium control unit, and when the cooperation terminal receives the predetermined notification from the medium processing device, the cooperation terminal transmits an input result for confirmation of handling of the commemorative medium to the medium processing device. The medium control unit provides a medium processing system that controls whether or not to return the commemorative medium according to the input result received from the cooperation terminal.

According to the present invention described above, it is possible to appropriately handle the inserted commemorative medium.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the structural example of the medium processing system 1 by one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the self-checkout terminal 3 by one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the internal structure of the coin processing apparatus 21 in the plan view. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which the coin was inserted into the deposit opening 22 of the coin processing apparatus 21 by a customer. It is explanatory drawing which shows the transport process of a coin in a coin processing apparatus 21. It is explanatory drawing which shows the transport process of a coin in a coin processing apparatus 21. It is explanatory drawing which shows the transport process of a coin in a coin processing apparatus 21. It is explanatory drawing which shows the transport process of a coin in a coin processing apparatus 21. It is explanatory drawing which shows the transport process of a coin in a coin processing apparatus 21. It is explanatory drawing which shows the transport process of a coin in a coin processing apparatus 21. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific example of the confirmation screen. It is a flowchart which shows the operation of the self-checkout terminal 3 by one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the function which a self-checkout terminal 3 and an attendant terminal 2 have. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific example of the confirmation screen displayed on the operation display unit 230.

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

<1. Media processing system configuration>
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a medium processing system for processing a medium having a monetary value. Examples of media having a monetary value include cash such as banknotes and coins. In addition, coins include circulating coins (ordinary medium), which are commonly distributed coins, and commemorative coins (commemorative medium) issued in commemoration of national events. The medium processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention can appropriately handle such commemorative coins. The commemorative medium includes commemorative banknotes in addition to commemorative coins. The medium processing system according to the embodiment of the present invention can also be applied to the handling of commemorative banknotes as well as commemorative coins. Hereinafter, the configuration of the coin processing system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of a medium processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the medium processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an attendant terminal 2, a plurality of self-checkout terminals 3, and a store controller 41. The attendant terminal 2, the plurality of self-checkout terminals 3, and the store controller 41 are connected to each other via the network 40. Such a medium processing system 1 is applied to retail stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores, for example.

The attendant terminal 2 is an example of a cooperative terminal used by a clerk. The attendant terminal 2 manages a plurality of self-checkout terminals 3. For example, the attendant terminal 2 has a function of displaying the status of a plurality of self-checkout terminals 3.

The self-checkout terminal 3 is an example of a medium processing device that processes a medium such as banknotes and coins, and is used by a customer who visits a retail store. By using the self-checkout terminal 3, the customer can settle the product by himself / herself.

The store controller 41 is an information terminal for managing sales, inventory management, additional orders, and the like. The store controller 41 realizes sales management, inventory management, additional ordering, and the like by performing data communication with the attendant terminal 2 and the self-checkout terminal 3.

<2. Self-checkout terminal configuration>
In one embodiment of the present invention, among the above-mentioned medium processing systems 1, the self-checkout terminal 3 is particularly creatively devised. Therefore, in the following, the configuration and operation of the self-checkout terminal 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be sequentially described in detail.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a self-checkout terminal 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the self-checkout terminal 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention has a POS terminal 4 and a cash processing device 5. As shown in FIG. 2, a product stand 6 and a weighing device 7 may be placed on both sides of the self-checkout terminal 3. The product stand 6 is a stand on which the customer places the product before reading the barcode, and the weighing device 7 is a stand on which the customer places the product after reading the barcode. The weighing device 7 has a function of measuring the weight, and the function confirms that the product is correctly placed on the weighing device 7.

The POS terminal 4 includes a POS terminal control unit 10, an operation display unit 11, a bar code scanner 12F, a handy bar code scanner 12H, a card reading unit 13, and a receipt printer 14.

The POS terminal control unit 10 performs integrated control of the POS terminal 4. For example, the POS terminal control unit 10 controls various communications with the attendant terminal 2, the cash processing device 5, and the weighing device 7. The operation display unit 11 includes the functions of an operation unit that detects an operation by a customer and a display unit that displays a screen to the customer. The operation display unit 11 may be, for example, an LCD touch panel. The barcode scanner 12F reads the barcode of the product. The handy bar code scanner 12H is a scanner that is grasped and used by a customer, and mainly reads a bar code of a large-sized product. The card reading unit 13 reads information from a membership card, an electronic money IC, a credit card, and the like. The receipt printer 14 prints a receipt that describes the product details and the amount of money to be delivered to the customer after payment.

The cash processing device 5 includes a banknote processing device 20 and a coin processing device 21. The banknote processing device 20 is configured to deposit and withdraw banknotes, and the coin processing device 21 is configured to deposit and withdraw coins. Hereinafter, the internal configuration of the coin processing device 21 will be specifically described.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an internal configuration of the coin processing device 21 in a plan view. As shown in FIG. 3, the coin processing device 21 includes a deposit port 22, a deposit separation unit 23, a recognition transfer unit 24, a reject branch unit 25, a reject transfer path 26, and a storage transport path 27. It includes a storage branch 28, a storage 29, a withdrawal port 30, and a coin control unit 32.

In the following, the functions for transporting coins, such as the deposit separation section 23, the recognition transfer section 24, the reject branch section 25, the reject transport path 26, the storage transport path 27, and the storage branch branch 28, are collectively referred to as the transport unit. There is. Further, in the present specification and drawings, the side where the deposit slot 22 is located in the coin processing device 21 may be referred to as a front side, and the opposite side of the front side may be referred to as a rear side. Further, the left-right top-bottom used in the present specification and the drawings are the left-right top-bottom when the coin processing device 21 is viewed from the front side.

The deposit slot 22 is located on the front side of the POS terminal 4, and is a medium slot into which coins are inserted when a customer pays coins. A disk (not shown) is freely rotatably attached to the lower surface of the deposit port 22 around the vertical axis. An actuator for rotating the disk is connected to the lower surface of the deposit port 22, and the coin control unit 32 controls the actuator to control the rotation of the disk.

The deposit separation unit 23 has a regulating member 23g and a transport roller 23r. The regulating member 23g is installed so as to form a gap between the lower surface of the deposit opening 22 and the thickness of one coin or more and less than the thickness of two coins. The transport roller 23r is a roller for transporting coins to the recognition transport unit 24. Such a deposit separation unit 23 separates the coins inserted into the deposit port 22 one by one and sends the coins to the recognition transfer unit 24.

The transport roller 23r is rotatably attached about the left-right direction. An actuator (not shown) for rotating the transport roller 23r is connected to the transport roller 23r, and the coin control unit 32 controls the actuator to transport the coins on the recognition transport unit 24 so that the coins are spaced at regular intervals. The rotation of the roller 23r is controlled.

The recognition transport section 24 and the reject branch section 25 are provided with a coin transport belt 33a for transporting coins. A coin transport belt 33b for transporting coins is provided in the storage transport path 27 and the storage branch portion 28. The coin transport belt 33a is connected to an actuator (not shown) and is driven from the front to the rear by the driving force from the actuator. The coins separated one by one by the deposit separation unit 23 are conveyed downstream from the recognition transfer unit 24 by the coin transfer belt 33a driven based on the driving force.

The recognition transport unit 24 is provided with a coin sensor 34 for discriminating the denomination and authenticity from the outer diameter and material of the coin. The coin sensor 34 has a magnetic sensor 34a for acquiring data such as the material, outer diameter, and thickness of the coin, and an optical sensor 34b for acquiring data of a pattern on the surface of the coin. The coin sensor 34 transmits the acquired data about the coin passing through the recognition transport unit 24 to the coin control unit 32.

The reject branching section 25 branches the transport path of coins transported by the recognition transport section 24 to the reject transport path 26 or the storage transport path 27. The reject branch unit 25 switches the branch according to the control from the coin control unit 32.

The reject transport path 26 functions as a return transport path for returning coins to the withdrawal port 30. The reject transfer path 26 has a slide-shaped chute structure that connects the reject branch portion 25 and the withdrawal port 30, and conveys the rejected coins to the withdrawal port 30.

A plurality of storage branch portions 28 are provided in the storage transport path 27. Each storage branch 28 is provided corresponding to each storage 29, and the storage branch 28 corresponding to the denomination of the coin being transported in the storage transport path 27 provides a transport route for the coin. Branch to each storage 29. Each storage branch 28 switches the branch according to the control from the coin control unit 32.

The storage 29 is an example of a medium storage unit that stores coins for each denomination. A withdrawal roller 29r is freely rotated around the left and right axes on the front side of the storage 29. The withdrawal roller 29r is connected to an actuator (not shown), and the coin control unit 32 controls the actuator to eject coins from the storage 29 and discharge the coins to the withdrawal port 30.

The withdrawal port 30 is a portion to which coins returned to the customer, that is, reject coins, are transported.

The coin control unit 32 is an example of a medium control unit, and controls the overall operation of the coin processing device 21. For example, the coin control unit 32 controls data communication with the POS terminal 4. Further, the coin control unit 32 determines the denomination and authenticity of the coin by comparing the data about the coin acquired from the coin sensor 34 with the basic data of various coins, and reject branches according to the determination result. It controls the branching of the unit 25, the storage branching unit 28, and the like. In particular, the coin control unit 32 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a function as a discriminating unit for determining whether a coin is a circulating coin or a commemorative coin. The coin control unit 32 also includes a function as a storage unit for storing a commemorative coin reception flag, which will be described later.

<3. Operation of self-checkout terminal>
Here, a specific example of the operation of the self-checkout terminal 3 executed when the circulating coin and the commemorative coin are inserted into the coin processing device 21 will be described.

A general self-checkout terminal operation can be applied to the operation of scanning the product purchased by the customer with the barcode scanner 12F or the handy barcode scanner 12H until the operation display unit 11 displays the payment amount. Therefore, the description of the operation will be omitted.

When the payment amount is displayed on the operation display unit 11, the customer inserts a bill into the bill processing device 20 and a coin into the coin processing device 21 to pay the product price.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which coins are inserted into the deposit opening 22 of the coin processing device 21 by a customer. In the example shown in FIG. 4, a commemorative coin CNm and a plurality of circulation coins CN are inserted into the deposit opening 22.

The disk provided on the lower surface of the deposit port 22 is rotated clockwise when viewed from above around the vertical axis by an actuator (not shown). As the disk rotates, the plurality of circulating coins CN and commemorative coin CNm rotate together with the disk while moving toward the outside of the deposit opening 22. As a result, coins such as the circulating coin CN and the commemorative coin CNm are conveyed to the deposit separation unit 23.

As shown in FIG. 5, the coins conveyed to the deposit separation unit 23 are separated one by one by the regulating member 23g and conveyed to the recognition transfer unit 24 by the transfer roller 23r. The coin CN transported to the recognition transport unit 24 is transported from the front to the rear by the coin transport belt 33a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the coin CN passes over the coin sensor 34 provided in the recognition transfer unit 24. At this time, the magnetic sensor 34a provided in the coin sensor 34 acquires data indicating the material, outer diameter, thickness, and the like of the coin CN, and the optical sensor 34b acquires the data of the pattern on the surface of the coin CN. The coin sensor 34 transmits these data to the coin control unit 32. The coin control unit 32 compares the data acquired from the coin sensor 34 with the basic data of the coins to be handled, and determines the denomination, authenticity, and correct / loss of the coin CN.

(When the coin CN is a reject coin)
When the coin control unit 32 determines that the coin CN is a coin to be returned to the customer, the coin control unit 32 sets an actunita (not shown) so that the branch destination of the reject branch unit 25 can be switched to the reject transfer path 26. Drive. As a result, the coin CN transported by the coin transport belt 33a proceeds from the reject branch portion 25 to the reject transport path 26 as shown in FIG. 7. The reject transport path 26 has a slide-shaped chute structure that connects the reject branch portion 25 and the withdrawal port 30, and transports the coin CN to the withdrawal port 30.

(When the coin CN is a circulating coin)
When the coin control unit 32 determines that the coin CN is an acceptable circulation coin, the coin control unit 32 provides an actuator (not shown) so that the branch destination of the reject branch unit 25 can be switched to the storage transport path 27. Drive. As shown in FIG. 8, the coin CN transported by the coin transport belt 33a is delivered from the reject branch portion 25 to the storage transport path 27.

Then, the coin CN is conveyed from the left to the right in the storage transport path 27 by the coin transport belt 33b. The coin control unit 32 switches the branch destination of the storage branch portion 28 corresponding to the denomination of the coin CN to the storage 29 among the plurality of storage branch portions 28 provided in the storage transport path 27. As a result, the coin CN transported by the coin transport belt 33b is discharged to the storage 29 via the storage branch 28 as shown in FIG. The storage 29 includes a distribution coin storage (first medium storage unit) for storing distributed coins and a commemorative coin storage (second medium storage unit) for storing commemorative coins. The coin CN determined to be a circulating coin is transported to the circulating coin storage.

(If the coin CN is a commemorative coin)
When the coin control unit 32 determines that the coin CN is a commemorative coin CNm, the commemorative coin CNm is made to stand by in the vicinity of the reject transport path 26 (more specifically, the reject branch portion 25), and the commemorative coin CNm is handled. Confirm Whether or not to return the commemorative coin CNm is controlled according to the input result on the confirmation screen.

Specifically, the coin control unit 32 stops driving the coin transport belt 33a. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the coin control unit 32 causes the commemorative coin CNm to stand by in the reject waiting area 24w between the reject branching unit 25 and the coin sensor 34. In this state, the coin control unit 32 transmits information indicating that the commemorative coin has been inserted to the POS terminal control unit 10. Upon receiving the information indicating that the commemorative coin has been inserted, the POS terminal control unit 10 causes the operation display unit 11 to display a confirmation screen for confirming with the customer whether or not the customer intends to use the commemorative coin for payment.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of the confirmation screen. As shown in FIG. 11, the confirmation screen includes a message 61 asking the customer to handle commemorative coins, an OK button 62, and an NG button 63. The customer selects the OK button 62 when the commemorative coin is used for payment, and selects the NG button 63 when the commemorative coin is not used for payment. The coin processing device 21 may have a physical key such as a button as an operation unit. In this case, the customer decides whether or not to use the commemorative coin for payment by operating the physical key. It is also possible to select.

When the NG button 63 is selected by the customer, information indicating that the NG button 63 has been selected is transmitted from the POS terminal control unit 10 to the coin control unit 32. In this case, the coin control unit 32 drives an actuator (not shown) to switch the branch destination of the reject branch unit 25 to the reject transfer path 26. Then, the coin control unit 32 drives the coin transport belt 33a. The commemorative coin CNm transported by the coin transport belt 33a proceeds from the reject branch portion 25 to the reject transport path 26. The reject transport path 26 has a slide-shaped chute structure that connects the reject branch portion 25 and the withdrawal port 30, and transports the commemorative coin CNm to the withdrawal port 30.

When the OK button 62 is selected by the customer, information indicating that the OK button 62 has been selected is transmitted from the POS terminal control unit 10 to the coin control unit 32. In this case, the coin control unit 32 drives an actuator (not shown) to switch the branch destination of the reject branch unit 25 to the storage transport path 27. Then, the coin control unit 32 drives the coin transport belt 33a. The commemorative coin CNm transported by the coin transport belt 33a is delivered from the reject branch portion 25 to the storage transport path 27.

The commemorative coin CNm is transported from left to right in the storage transport path 27 by the coin transport belt 33b. The coin control unit 32 uses the branch destination of the storage branch 28 corresponding to the commemorative coin CNm as the storage 29 (more specifically, among the plurality of storage branch 28s provided in the storage transport path 27). Switch to the commemorative coin storage). The commemorative coin CNm transported by the coin transport belt 33b is transported to the commemorative coin storage via the storage branch 28. In the above, an example in which commemorative coins and circulating coins are transported to different storages (circulating coin storage or commemorative coin storage) has been described, but commemorative coins and circulating coins having the same monetary value are in the same storage. It may be transported to and stored in a mixed manner.

Here, the coin control unit 32 manages the commemorative coin acceptance flag in the memory. When the customer once permits payment with the commemorative coin CNm, that is, when the customer selects the OK button 62 on the confirmation screen, the coin control unit 32 sets the commemorative coin acceptance flag to ON. Then, the coin control unit 32 does not stop the transportation of the commemorative coin CNm based on the fact that the commemorative coin acceptance flag is set to ON for the second and subsequent commemorative coins CNm in the same transaction. Is processed. When the second and subsequent commemorative coins CNm are detected, the POS terminal control unit 10 displays the confirmation screen described with reference to FIG. 11 again on the operation display unit 11, and the customer makes a selection. You may be asked.

On the other hand, when the customer once refuses to pay with the commemorative coin CNm, that is, when the customer selects the NG button 63 on the confirmation screen, the coin control unit 32 sets the commemorative coin acceptance flag to OFF. Then, the coin control unit 32 does not stop the transportation of the commemorative coin CNm based on the fact that the commemorative coin acceptance flag is set to OFF for the second and subsequent commemorative coins CNm in the same transaction. Is rejected.

When the coin control unit 32 has finished counting all the coins CN and commemorative coins CNm inserted in the deposit slot 22, the coin control unit 32 transmits the counting result to the POS terminal control unit 10. The POS terminal control unit 10 causes the operation display unit 11 to display the total amount of cash inserted based on the counting result from the bill processing device 20 and the counting result from the coin processing device 21. If the total amount of cash inserted has reached the payment amount, payment processing is performed, and the bill processing device 20 and the coin processing device 21 withdraw change as necessary. Further, the receipt printer 14 prints the payment details, and the customer receives the payment details, so that the payment process is completed.

(Arrangement of operations)
The operation of the self-checkout terminal 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above will be summarized with reference to FIG.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the self-checkout terminal 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention. First, when the customer inserts coins into the deposit opening 22 of the coin processing device 21 (S204), the deposit separation unit 23 separates the coins one by one and conveys the coins to the recognition transfer unit 24 (S208). Then, the coin sensor 34 provided in the recognition transport unit 24 acquires the data related to the coin and transmits the data to the coin control unit 32, and the coin control unit 32 determines the denomination, authenticity, correctness and loss of the coin. Determine (S212).

When the coin control unit 32 determines that the type of coin is an acceptable distribution coin (S216 / normal coin), the branch destination of the reject branch unit 25 is switched to the storage transport path 27, and the coin is stored in the storage 29. It is transported to (circulation coin storage) (S220). When the transportation of all the coins inserted into the deposit opening 22 is not completed, the process from S208 is repeated (S224 / No), and when the transportation of all the coins inserted into the deposit opening 22 is completed. The operation ends (S224 / Yes).

On the other hand, when the coin control unit 32 determines that the type of coin is a commemorative coin (S216 / commemorative coin), the coin control unit 32 confirms the setting status of the commemorative coin acceptance flag (S228). When the commemorative coin reception flag is set to ON (S228 / ON), the coin control unit 32 switches the branch destination of the reject branch unit 25 to the storage transport path 27, and stores the coin in the storage 29 (commemorative coin storage). (S244). When the commemorative coin acceptance flag is set to OFF (S228 / OFF), the coin control unit 32 switches the branch destination of the reject branch unit 25 to the reject transfer path 26 and conveys the coin to the withdrawal port 30 ( S252).

On the other hand, when the commemorative coin reception flag is not set (S228 / none), the coin control unit 32 makes the commemorative coin stand by in the vicinity of the reject transport path 26, and the POS terminal control unit 10 uses the commemorative coin for payment. A confirmation screen for confirming with the customer whether or not he / she intends to do so is displayed on the operation display unit 11 (S232). When the OK button 62 is selected on the confirmation screen (S236 / Yes), the coin control unit 32 sets the commemorative coin acceptance flag to ON (S240). Then, the coin control unit 32 switches the branch destination of the reject branching unit 25 to the storage transport path 27, and transports the coin to the storage 29 (commemorative coin storage) (S244). On the other hand, when the NG button 63 is selected on the confirmation screen (S236 / No), the coin control unit 32 sets the commemorative coin acceptance flag to OFF (S248). Then, the coin control unit 32 switches the branch destination of the reject branch unit 25 to the reject transfer path 26, and conveys the coin to the withdrawal port 30 (S252).

<4. Action effect>
According to one embodiment of the present invention described above, various effects can be obtained. For example, according to one embodiment of the present invention, when a commemorative coin is inserted, the customer can confirm the handling of the commemorative coin. Therefore, the self-checkout terminal 3 recognizes whether the customer mistakenly inserted the commemorative coin or handled it in the same way as the circulation coin having the same monetary value as the commemorative coin, and the commemorative coin is inserted according to the customer's wishes. It is possible to handle. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of troubles between the store clerk and the customer.

Further, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the second and subsequent commemorative coins in one transaction can be handled without confirmation from the customer by using the commemorative coin acceptance flag. Therefore, even if the customer inserts a plurality of commemorative coins, the time and effort required for the customer for confirmation does not increase.

Further, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the commemorative coin is made to stand by in the vicinity of the reject branch portion 25 until the input result on the confirmation screen is obtained. Therefore, it is possible to handle commemorative coins according to the customer's wishes regardless of which input result is obtained. Further, when the commemorative coin is to be returned, it is possible to shorten the time from the customer selecting the NG button 63 until the commemorative coin is transported to the withdrawal port 30.

<5. Modification example>
The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Hereinafter, some modifications of the above-described embodiment will be described. In addition, each modification described below may be applied alone to the above-described embodiment, or may be applied in combination to the above-mentioned embodiment. Further, each modification may be applied in place of the configuration of the above-described embodiment, or may be additionally applied to the configuration of the above-described embodiment.

(First modification)
In the above, an example is described in which a confirmation screen is displayed on the self-checkout terminal 3 when a commemorative coin is inserted, and the customer selects a method of handling the commemorative coin on the confirmation screen. However, the display subject of the confirmation screen and the selection subject of the handling method are not limited to the above-mentioned example. Hereinafter, a modified example of the display subject of the confirmation screen and the selection subject of the handling method will be described.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the functions of the self-checkout terminal 3 and the attendant terminal 2. As shown in FIG. 13, the self-checkout terminal 3 has a POS terminal control unit 10, a communication unit 16, and a coin control unit 32. The attendant terminal 2 has a communication unit 210, a control unit 220, and an operation display unit 230. Since the operation when the inserted coin is a reject coin or a circulation coin is substantially the same as the above-described embodiment, the description of the operation will be omitted.

When the coin control unit 32 determines that the coin that has passed through the coin sensor 34 is a commemorative coin, the coin control unit 32 causes the commemorative coin to stand by in the vicinity of the reject transport path 26, and the communication unit 16 is a POS terminal. Based on the control from the control unit 10, a predetermined notification indicating that the commemorative coin has been inserted is transmitted to the attendant terminal 2.

When the control unit 220 of the attendant terminal 2 receives a predetermined notification from the self-checkout terminal 3 by the communication unit 210, the control unit 220 operates a confirmation screen that guides the clerk to confirm the handling of commemorative coins to the customer. To display.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of the confirmation screen displayed on the operation display unit 230. The confirmation screen shown in FIG. 14 includes a message 71, an OK button 72, and an NG button 73 that induce the customer to confirm the handling of the commemorative coin. The clerk confirms the handling of commemorative coins with the customer according to the confirmation screen, and selects the OK button 72 or the NG button 73 according to the confirmation result. The communication unit 210 of the attendant terminal 2 has a function as a transmission unit, and the communication unit 210 transmits information indicating a selection result on the confirmation screen to the self-checkout terminal 3.

Information indicating the selection result on the confirmation screen is transmitted to the coin control unit 32 via the communication unit 16 and the POS terminal control unit 10 of the self-checkout terminal 3. The coin control unit 32 returns or stores commemorative coins according to the information indicating the selection result on the confirmation screen. Further, the coin control unit 32 sets the commemorative coin acceptance flag to ON or OFF according to the selection result on the confirmation screen. The coin control unit 32 determines the handling of commemorative coins according to the set commemorative coin reception flag for the second and subsequent commemorative coins in the same transaction, and controls the transportation of the commemorative coins.

According to such a modification, the clerk can confirm and explain to the customer how to handle the commemorative coin. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the occurrence of troubles between the store clerk and the customer.

The clerk may select the method of handling the commemorative coin on the management screen displayed on the operation display unit 11 of the self-checkout terminal 3 instead of the attendant terminal 2. It is possible to obtain the same effect as described above by such a configuration.

(Second modification)
In the above, when the coin control unit 32 determines that the coin that has passed through the coin sensor 34 is a commemorative coin, the commemorative coin is made to stand by in the reject waiting area 24w between the reject branching unit 25 and the coin sensor 34. Explained. As a modification, the coin control unit 32 may make a commemorative coin stand by at a position straddling the reject branch unit 25 or between the reject branch unit 25 and the storage transport path 27. When it is selected not to use the commemorative coin for payment on the confirmation screen, the coin control unit 32 drives the coin transport belt 33a in the opposite direction to move the commemorative coin to the upstream side of the reject branch portion 25. After returning the coin, the commemorative coin may be transported to the withdrawal port 30. According to such a configuration, even when there is no space for coins to wait between the reject branch portion 25 and the coin sensor 34, it is possible to store or reject commemorative coins according to the result of selection on the confirmation screen.

(Third modification example)
In the above, an example in which a confirmation screen is displayed when the coin control unit 32 determines that the coin that has passed through the coin sensor 34 is a commemorative coin has been described. However, the timing at which the confirmation screen is displayed may be another timing. For example, before starting a transaction, display a confirmation screen confirming the customer's intention to use commemorative coins, such as "Please select this button to use commemorative coins for payment." May be good. According to such a configuration, it is not necessary to wait for the commemorative coin during the transportation of the coin, and there is an advantage that the transportation of the coin can be completed smoothly.

(Fourth modification)
In the above, an example in which one embodiment of the present invention is applied to the insertion of commemorative coins into the self-checkout terminal 3 has been described. However, the embodiment of the present invention can be similarly applied to the insertion of commemorative coins by the clerk to the clerk terminal for which the clerk performs the settlement process. In the modified example, a confirmation screen is displayed on the clerk terminal, the clerk confirms the customer how to handle the commemorative coin, and the clerk inputs the confirmation result on the confirmation screen. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of troubles between the store clerk and the customer.

<6. Supplement>
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the field of technology to which the present invention belongs can come up with various modifications or modifications within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims. , These are also naturally understood to belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, each step in the processing of the self-checkout terminal 3 of the present specification does not necessarily have to be processed in chronological order in the order described as a flowchart. For example, each step in the processing of the self-checkout terminal 3 may be processed in an order different from the order described in the flowchart, or may be processed in parallel.

Further, a computer for causing the hardware such as the CPU, ROM, and RAM built in the self-checkout terminal 3 and the attendant terminal 2 to exhibit the same functions as the configurations of the self-checkout terminal 3 and the attendant terminal 2 described above. Programs can also be created. A storage medium for storing the computer program is also provided.

1 Media processing system 2 Attendant terminal 210 Communication unit 220 Control unit 230 Operation display unit 3 Self-checkout terminal 4 POS terminal 5 Cash processing device 10 POS terminal control unit 11 Operation display unit 12F Bar code scanner 12H Handy bar code scanner 13 Card reading Part 14 Receipt printer 16 Communication part 20 Bill processing device 21 Coin processing device 22 Deposit port 23 Deposit separation part 23g Regulatory member 23r Transport roller 24 Recognition transport section 24w Reject standby area 25 Reject branch section 26 Reject transport path 27 Storage transport path 28 Storage branch 29 Storage storage 29r Withdrawal roller 30 Withdrawal port 32 Coin control unit 33a, 33b Coin transfer belt 34 Coin sensor 34a Magnetic sensor 34b Reflective optical image sensor 6 Product stand 41 Store controller

Claims (8)

A medium slot into which a medium with monetary value is inserted,
A discriminating unit for determining whether the medium is a normal medium or a commemorative medium,
A medium control unit that controls whether or not to return the commemorative medium according to an input result for confirmation of handling of the commemorative medium when the medium is determined to be the commemorative medium.
A medium processing device. The medium processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays a confirmation screen for confirming the handling of the commemorative medium when the medium is determined to be the commemorative medium. The medium processing device further includes a storage unit for storing an input result on the confirmation screen displayed when the medium is determined to be the commemorative medium in one transaction.
The media control unit controls whether or not to return the commemorative medium according to the input result stored in the storage unit for the second and subsequent commemorative media in the one transaction. Item 2. The medium processing apparatus according to item 2. The medium processing device is
The medium return port from which the medium is returned and
A medium storage unit for storing the medium and
A return transport path for transporting the medium loaded into the medium input port to the medium return port, and a return transport path.
A storage / transport unit that transports the medium loaded into the medium input port to the medium storage unit, and a storage / transport unit.
A branching portion for branching the medium loaded into the medium loading port to the return transport path or the storage transport portion,
Equipped with
When the medium control unit determines that the medium is the commemorative medium, the commemorative medium is made to stand by in the vicinity of the return transport path, and the branch section is set to the return transport path according to the input result on the confirmation screen. Alternatively, the medium processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, which is branched into the storage and transport unit. When the medium control unit determines that the medium is the commemorative medium, the medium is made to stand by on the upstream side of the branch portion, and the branch portion is set to the return transport path or the return transport path according to the input result on the confirmation screen. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 4, which is branched into the storage and transport unit. The medium storage unit includes a first medium storage unit and a second medium storage unit.
The medium control unit controls the transport unit so that the normal medium is transported to the first medium storage unit, and an input result indicating that the commemorative medium is used for a transaction is obtained on the confirmation screen. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, which controls the transport unit so that the commemorative medium is transported to the second medium storage unit in the case of a case. The media processing apparatus further includes a communication unit that transmits a predetermined notification to the cooperation terminal when the medium is determined to be the commemorative medium and receives an input result for the cooperation terminal. The medium processing apparatus according to any one of the above. A medium processing system having a medium processing device and a linked terminal.
The medium processing device is
A medium slot into which a medium with monetary value is inserted,
A discriminating unit for determining whether the medium is a normal medium or a commemorative medium,
A communication unit and a medium control unit that transmit a predetermined notification to the cooperation terminal when the medium is determined to be the commemorative medium.
Have,
When the predetermined notification is received from the medium processing device, the cooperation terminal transmits an input result for confirmation of handling of the commemorative medium to the medium processing device.
The medium control unit is a medium processing system that controls whether or not to return the commemorative medium according to the input result received from the cooperation terminal.

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