JP3238942U - unmanned vending device - Google Patents

Abstract

Kind Code: A1 An unmanned vending device is provided in which an identification mechanism can restrict customers who do not have purchase conditions from purchasing merchandise. A user interface (300) includes sensors that collect biometric characteristics of a customer. Communication module 200 includes a wireless transceiver to communicate with local systems or customers. Inventory module 500 manages inventory, expiry dates, and shipments of merchandise. Currency management module 600 manages storage, receipt and output of currency. The user interface interacts with the customer via video or audio. Control module 210 includes a memory that stores code and a processor that executes code to control the communication module, inventory module, and user interface to provide sales services. [Selection drawing] Fig. 1

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an unmanned vending device, and more particularly to a device that identifies a customer's identity and determines the type of merchandise available for purchase.

Tobacco is an age-restricted product. At present, cigarette sales channels are mainly supermarkets or retail stores, and if they cannot be artificially controlled, minors can still easily purchase them, which will greatly affect the growth of minors. The use of unmanned cigarette vending machines can more effectively control the sale of cigarettes, combine technical means to limit the sale of cigarettes to minors, and greatly reduce operating costs, and manned It can reduce the issuance of retail licenses for stores, and has a more prominent advantage. Therefore, as society develops and balances the profit game, a manned-supervised cigarette vending machine installed in a store will enable self-service, self-purchasing under the current epidemic.

However, conventional unmanned vending devices still have large errors in identifying the buyer's identity. Therefore, it has been expected to develop an unmanned cigarette vending machine with improved discrimination ability.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an unmanned vending machine and a vending method implemented by the unmanned vending machine for solving the problem in the prior art that identity verification for selling restricted products is not possible.

In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention is realized by the following technical solutions.

An embodiment of the unmanned vending device includes at least a main body, a communication module, an inventory module, a money management module, a user interface and a control module.

The body is capable of storing merchandise, said merchandise including restricted merchandise. A control module is electrically connected to the body.

A user interface is connected to the control module and used to receive commands from the control module and interact with the customer, the user interface including at least a sensor and a menu of items, the sensor collecting biometric characteristics of the customer. and the item menu is used to display the item for customer selection. The communication module is connected to the control module, includes a wireless transceiver, and is used to communicate with local systems or customers. The inventory module is connected to the control module and used to manage the storage, expiry and removal of goods. The currency management module is connected to the control module and used to manage the storage, receipt and output of currency.

The user interface is connected to the control module and interacts with customers through images or sounds. The control module includes a memory that stores code and a processor that executes code to control the communications module, the inventory module, and the user interface to provide sales services.

The communications module can upload the customer's biometrics to a local system. The local system, which may be a customer service system or a public safety system, includes a database in which the biometric and identity features are associated.

The control module receives, via the communication module, the result of the local system's search of the database based on the biometric characteristics, and determines a product that can be sold.

For example, the control module determines whether the customer's identity characteristics satisfy a first condition based on the result. If the identity characteristics of the customer meet a first condition, the control module generates a command to export restricted merchandise that matches the identity characteristics and causes the restricted merchandise to be displayed in a merchandise menu of the user interface. If the customer's identity characteristics cannot be determined, the control module does not generate a command to remove the restricted item and does not cause the restricted item to be displayed in the item menu of the user interface. Another method is to similarly display the restricted item if the first condition is not met, but warn or prevent the customer from selecting the restricted item when selected.

After determining a menu of selectable items based on the customer's identity characteristics, the user interface accepts that the customer has selected an item from the menu of items. The control module then initiates a payment flow and the customer pays for the selected item via the communication module or the money management module. After successful payment, the control module instructs the inventory module to remove the customer's selected items.

In other embodiments, the sensor may be at least one of a camera, microphone, scanner, and fingerprint authentication device. These sensor components are controlled by the control module and used to receive data on products selected by customers. The biometric feature may be a face image, voice, retinal image, or fingerprint sensed by the camera, microphone, scanner, fingerprint authentication device, or the like.

In a specific embodiment, the identity feature may be age, and the first condition may be that the age is greater than or equal to a certain threshold, and the certain threshold is, for example, 18 years old. .

In another embodiment, the communication module is configured to transmit the data of the customer's selected products to a database of the local system, which is associated with the customer's biometric characteristics by the local system, and used as a basis for big data analysis. can do.

For example, after receiving the analysis result of the big data, the communication module can recommend new products suitable for the customer through the user interface by the control module based on the analysis result of the big data. a customized marketing mechanism.

In a specific embodiment, the restricted product may be cigarettes, and the types thereof may include at least conventional cigarettes, heat-not-burn cigarettes, and atomized e-cigarettes. As one value-added service, the unmanned vending machine may further include a heater controlled by the control module. After the inventory module has removed the age-restricted tobacco product, the control module activates the heater and the customer can light a cigarette.

In a further embodiment, the communication module is configured to support at least one communication protocol of Bluetooth, Wireless Area Network, Near Field Communication, or Radio Frequency Identification. The control module can provide an electronic payment mode or a cash payment mode. When implementing the payment flow, the customer can choose electronic payment or cash payment.

For example, a customer can choose a credit card, prepaid card with Bluetooth, wireless network, mobile phone with near field communication, or radio frequency identification, and pay according to the communication protocol of contactless payment. Or you can use mobile phone payment applications, such as WeChat, Alipay, UnionPay, etc. If the customer chooses traditional cash payment, the unmanned vending machine of the present invention can also be equipped with a traditional cash payment module to provide the local system.

In a further embodiment, the inventory module in the automated vending device of the present invention is configured for checking the remaining quantity of goods. If the remaining quantity is less than the threshold, the communication module of the unmanned vending machine sends a notification that the remaining quantity is low to the local system so that a subsequent product replenishment flow can be scheduled.

In addition, the control module is also configured to detect payment failure signals or module damaged signals. Upon detecting payment anomalies or damage to the modules of the unmanned vending machine during customer operation, it will send a warning notification to said local system. For example, when counterfeit currency is used for payment or the hardware of the main unit is destroyed, the unmanned vending device stores the image data collected at that time as evidence, and can be used by the customer service system or public security system through the communication module. report to

As a further value-added service, after a successful payment, the control module stores the customer's biometric characteristics and the data of the selected goods, and provides a default selection next time the customer uses the unmanned vending machine again. can be

In a specific embodiment, the user interface includes a central control panel and is used to accept the customer's selection of items in the item menu. To facilitate customer interaction, the central control panel may be a touch panel. Where the central control panel uses conventional buttons, the user interface may also use a display or similar to a conventional light board to indicate selectable items. A further method is to equip the user interface with a microphone and support customer voice selection of items.

In another embodiment, the inventory module is configured to track expiration dates of items in inventory. If there are expired products, the unmanned vending device can stop the vending service or discard the expired products. For example, in addition to the passage through which the unmanned vending machine transports products to customers, a second passage such as a collection route can be designed to transport only the products to be discarded to a collection area such as a collection box inside the main unit. and the person in charge takes it out and disposes of it elsewhere. Another method is to set up a disposal area such as a disposal chamber inside the main body, and the expired products are collected into the disposal area via a collection path and disposed of inside the main body.

Furthermore, the unmanned vending device of the present invention can include a plurality of bodies, and the plurality of bodies are electrically connected to the control module respectively. The restricted goods include a plurality of types, and the plurality of types of restricted goods are respectively stored in the plurality of bodies.

The advantage of the present invention is to provide a multifunctional vending machine that can identify the identity based on the customer's biometric characteristics, and the consumer who passed the identification can buy the suitable cigarette, e-cigarette or atomizer by himself. It is to reduce labor costs by providing choice, protect minors in cooperation with national public security organs, and enable traceability and administrative control of goods.

The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the invention, constitute a part of the invention, and the exemplary embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to interpret the invention. , should not unduly limit the invention.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an unmanned sales system in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of an unmanned vending machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a sales method according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cigarette vending machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The following clearly and completely describes the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. These are only some but not all examples. All other embodiments obtained by persons skilled in the art without creative efforts based on the embodiments in the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an unmanned sales system in one embodiment of the present invention. A large number of unmanned vending machines 100 can be placed throughout the streets and alleys of the city, either outdoors or indoors. Each unmanned sales device 100 is connected to the Internet 120 via a communication module 200 and remotely connected to a local system. For example, the local system may be the manufacturer's customer service system 130 or public safety system 140 . One embodiment of unmanned vending device 100 includes at least communication module 200 , inventory module 500 , currency management module 600 , user interface 300 and control module 210 .

A communication module 200 in FIG. 1 is connected to the control module and is mainly used for communication with the outside. For example, it may be wired or wirelessly connected to the Internet 120 to communicate with local systems. Local systems here broadly refer to customer service systems 130 provided by manufacturers or tobacco control authorities, and may also refer to public safety systems 140 . The inventory module 500 in FIG. 1 is connected to the control module 210, and the inventory module 500 is used to store commodities, manage the expiration date of commodities, and carry out commodities. The article carrying-out mechanism has already been implemented in many conventional techniques, and the present embodiment merely improves and applies it, so the details of the structure will not be described in detail.

In the customer service system 130 or the public safety system 140 of FIG. 1, a database in which biometric features and identity features are associated can be pre-built. For example, databases of customer facial images, ID numbers and ages can be pre-built in these local systems.

The communication module 200 in FIG. 1 receives the result of the local system's search from the database based on the biometric features, such as facial images. The control module 210 can determine which items to allow for sale to the customer based on the results. Based on the determination result, the control module 210 generates a command instructing whether or not to export the restricted goods that match the identity characteristics. As an example, the control module 210 determines whether the current customer's identity meets the first condition. If the customer's identity characteristics meet the first condition, the control module 210 permits the restricted item to be shipped and displays the restricted item as a customer option in the item menu of the user interface 300 .

The first condition in this example is whether the customer is of age. The first condition can be that the age is at least a specific threshold, the specific threshold is, for example, the legal age of majority, and satisfying the first condition means that the condition of being an adult is satisfied. is. Said legal age of majority is 18 years of age or older in most countries, and may be 16 or 20 years of age. Relevant limitations may be changed by modifying the program code in light of legal requirements.

On the other hand, if the customer's identity characteristics do not meet the first condition or cannot be determined, the control module 210 will not permit the removal of restricted goods. Either the restricted merchandise is not displayed in the merchandise menu of the user interface, or even if the restricted merchandise is displayed, the customer is warned when selecting the restricted merchandise or is prevented from selecting it.

Restricted goods herein may be tobacco or alcoholic beverages and may include beverages or other types. The unmanned vending device of the present invention may be extended to a multi-body structure, each body storing and selling different types of commodities.

This principle of operation of identifying identities and determining purchasable goods based on biometrics can be applied to various other embodiments. For example, the local system, such as customer service system 130, may be a membership website to which a particular group belongs, such as an employee-only host within a company, or an exclusive host within a school. The unmanned vending device 100 is installed only in a specific area such as a campus. This allows only the identities of certain groups, such as students or faculty, to be identified and made available for purchase. Other examples include privilege discounts that only students can enjoy, or limited-quantity products that only VIP members can purchase, all of which are within the scope of the present invention.

The currency management module 600 in FIG. 1 is connected to the control module 210 and is mainly responsible for the details of conventional cash payments, such as accepting coins and banknotes, rejecting counterfeit money, storing, changing and preventing theft. The conventional cash payment unmanned vending mechanism has already been realized in many prior arts, and the present embodiment only improves and applies it, so the details of the structure will not be described in detail.

A user interface 300 in FIG. 1 is connected to the control module and serves to accept all information input from and displayed to the customer. The information input by the customer refers to information such as images, input commands, voices, biometric features, and the like. The information displayed to the customer primarily includes video and/or audio formats. In other words, the user interface 300 as a whole is an interface (User Interface; UI) that interacts with customers through video or audio.

The control module 210 in FIG. 1 broadly refers to a program-controlled computer system with a processor as the core, which includes a memory for storing code, and the processor executes the code to cause the communication module 200, the It controls the inventory module 500, the currency management module 600, and the user interface 300, and provides sales services.

After determining the selectable product menu based on the customer's identity characteristics, the user interface 300 of FIG. 1 displays the product menu to the customer for use in the customer's product selection. After the customer purchases the goods, the control module 210 initiates the payment flow and provides the customer with various payment methods. For example, the communication module 200 may be used for online payment or contactless payment, or the currency management module 600 may be used for traditional cash payments. Upon successful payment, the control module 210 instructs the inventory module 500 to remove the customer's selected items. That is, the product is delivered to the conventional outlet.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an unmanned sales apparatus 100 that is an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment further explains the unmanned vending machine 100 in FIG. 1 in detail. Control module 210 in FIG. 2 can be considered a kernel operating system. The method of implementation is similar to a typical computer, having a processor 230 executing code stored in memory 220 to control all peripheral modules. The communication module 200 of FIG. 2 mainly includes an antenna 206 and a transceiver 202, has a telecommunication number, and is capable of 4G or 5G wireless transmission.

Alternatively, the communication module 200 can also use a wired network to connect to the Internet 120 and ultimately to the local system, ie, the customer service system 130 and/or the public safety system 140 in this embodiment. In a further implementation, the connection between the communication module 200 and the local system can be established over a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to improve data security.

User interface 300 in FIG. 2 is used for communication with customers, as described above. One main function is to collect the customer's biometrics. Various different methods of implementation can be implemented individually or in combination. For example, the customer's biometric characteristics may be collected by sensor 302 within user interface 300 or collected by microphone 304 within user interface 300 .

When the sensor 302 is a camera, the customer characteristics collected are facial images of the customer. The sensor 302, which may be a retinal scanner, is used to collect retinal images of the customer. Alternatively, the sensor 302 may be a fingerprint authentication device and is used to collect customer fingerprint signatures. In addition, the customer's voice collected by the microphone 304 is also a kind of customer's biometric feature. At least one or a combination of these customer characteristics are sent back to the local system and archived to form a big database. Thus, customer service and customer specific sales can be enhanced by building an unmanned sales system widely in each city of the country.

User interface 300 in FIG. 2 further includes central control panel 306 , speaker 308 , and display 310 . The display 310 may be a liquid crystal panel or a light emitting diode panel to provide the customer with appropriate visual information. The central control panel 306, which can be a touch panel or general buttons, serves as an operating interface for customers to make purchases. The speaker 308 outputs sounds such as voice guidance during the purchase process, or plays advertisements in combination with the display 310 to attract the customer's attention.

Although the sensor 302, microphone 304, central control panel 306, speaker 308, and display 310 are classified as user interface 300, this is for the convenience of the reader's understanding only. In the implementation method, each block has an independent function, can be combined with the communication module 200, and cooperates under the control of the control module 210. There is no mutual binding relationship in physical hardware, and the configuration of this embodiment is The drawings are not limiting.

In addition to collecting customer voice characteristics, the microphone 304 can also identify the received customer voice with the control module 210 to control the purchase flow in lieu of touch or button inputs on the central control panel 306. can also For example, when selecting products, the customer can verbally select the product they want to purchase. The transaction can be completed only by the control module 210 identifying the voice collected by the microphone 304 .

In the transaction process, the communication module 200 will send the data of the customer's selected products to the database of the local system, and associate them with the biometric characteristics of the customer by the local system, which can be the basis for big data analysis.

For example, the customer's biometrics, selected merchandise, and corresponding identity data are all recorded in the local system. In the future, sociologists can target the relationship between product-use preferences and individual health status to determine whether a product affects the health of the population.

Meanwhile, after the communication module 200 in the unmanned vending machine 100 receives the analysis result of the big data from the local system, the control module 210 determines new products to recommend to the customer, and the user interface 300 provides the customer with options. can be presented. This is the application of customized marketing mechanisms.

As an additional function, once the payment is successful, the control module 210 can store the customer's biometric characteristics and the data of the selected item, i.e. store the customer's facial image and the purchased item. Next, when the same customer uses the unmanned vending machine 100 again, the selection items purchased last time can be directly presented to shorten the transaction time.

In this embodiment, the restricted product is cigarettes, and its types can include at least conventional cigarettes, heated non-combustible cigarettes, and atomized electronic cigarettes. An embodiment of the present invention provides a value-added service, ie, the automatic vending machine 100 is equipped with a lighter mechanism 102, which is controlled by the control module 210 and has the function of ignition or heating. After the inventory module 500 has unloaded the age-restricted tobacco product, the control module 210 activates the lighter mechanism 102 so that the customer can light the cigarette.

As described above, the unmanned sales device 100 of this embodiment provides customers with multiple payment methods. Regarding execution of contactless payment or mobile phone app payment, the communication module 200 in the unmanned vending machine 100 of this embodiment uses Bluetooth (registered trademark), wireless area network (Wireless Fidelity; WiFi), short-range wireless communication ( Near Field Communication (NFC), or Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID), at least one communication protocol can be supported.

For contactless payment, customers may choose to use Bluetooth, wireless networks, mobile phones with short-range wireless communication, or credit cards, prepaid cards with radio frequency identification, in accordance with the communication protocol of contactless payment. , the payment can be made via the communication module 200 . In addition, the unmanned vending machine 100 includes a display 310, and in addition to displaying the product menu and executing the purchase flow, it can also display a two-dimensional barcode when paying with a mobile phone application, allowing customers to use Wechat, Alipay, etc. , UnionPay card, etc. can be used to scan the code for payment. If the customer chooses traditional cash payment, the unmanned vending machine 100 of the present invention is also equipped with a traditional money payment module to provide services.

The money management module 600 in FIG. 2 is a conventional money payment module. Currency management module 600 mainly includes currency input mechanism 602 , currency storage facility 604 , and security control module 606 . The money insertion mechanism 602 is for accepting insertion of coins or banknotes and judging their authenticity. The money storage facility 604 has enhanced security, is for storing received money, and needs to have a function of carrying out coins and banknotes when change is required.

The security control module 606 is for monitoring whether the functions of the entire currency management module 600 have been destroyed. When security control module 606 detects that any module within currency management module 600 has been externally affected or has failed, it will immediately trigger communication module 200 to alert the local system. As for the detailed mechanism of money processing in the money management module 600, many known techniques have already been disclosed in the conventional unmanned sales of cash payments, and the present embodiment is merely an improvement and application based on them. Therefore, the details of the mechanism will not be described in detail.

In a further embodiment of unmanned vending device 100, inventory module 500 is used to detect product inventory. The inventory module 500 can be classified according to functions, and specifically, can be subdivided into a monitoring module 510 , a warehouse facility 520 , a product unloading mechanism 530 and a disposal mechanism 540 . Warehouse facilities 520 are facilities that actually store products.

The monitoring module 510 monitors the individual remaining quantity of each category of goods in the warehouse facility 520 in real time. When the user completes the payment, the product delivery mechanism 530 takes in the purchased product from the warehouse facility 520 and drops it into the unmanned vending machine 100 outlet. Each time one item is sold, the count number of the counter of the monitoring module 510 corresponding to the item is decremented.

When the remaining quantity of any product in the warehouse equipment 520 is less than the threshold, it will trigger the communication module 200 of the unmanned vending device 100 to send a low remaining quantity notification to the local system, so that the manufacturer personnel can Make it easier to schedule replenishment flows. The monitoring module 510 may be implemented with a simple trigger counter, typically mechanical, but may be implemented using microprocessors and sensors and software code if additional functionality is required to identify barcodes on the outer packaging of merchandise. You need smart monitoring capabilities that are designed to incorporate The monitoring module 510 of the embodiment of the present invention belongs to smart type design.

Accordingly, the inventory module 500 can also track the expiration date of items in the warehouse. The expiry-related information of the goods is generally written in the bar code on the packaging box, and the monitoring module 510 designed in this embodiment calculates the total number of goods in the process of storing the goods in the warehouse device 520. Not only that, but the bar code on the packaging box can be scanned at the same time, and the expiration date of each item can be recorded in the memory 220 .

When the number of days has passed and there are expired products in the warehouse facility 520, the unmanned vending machine 100 can stop the sales service or automatically discard the expired products.

For example, in the unmanned vending machine 100, in addition to the passage through which the product unloading mechanism 530 unloads the products to the customer, it is possible to further design a dedicated disposal channel, through which the expired products in the warehouse device 520 can be taken out via the disposal mechanism 540. and transfer it to the collection box, where the manufacturer's representative collects it. In further implementations, disposal mechanism 540 may incorporate a shredder mechanism or a simple disposal chamber such as a small incinerator to achieve the purpose of discarding expired merchandise.

Both the inventory module 500 and currency management module 600, which are most likely to be stolen in FIG. 2, should have self-protection mechanisms. If the control module detects payment anomalies during customer operation, or there is damage or malfunction in any of the protection modules of the unmanned vending device 100, the control module triggers the communication module 200 to immediately alert the local system. to send. For example, if a transaction is made using counterfeit money, or if the main hardware in the inventory module 500 and the money management module 600 is destroyed, the unmanned vending device 100 will use the biometric data collected by the sensor 302 at that time as evidence. and report to customer service system 130 and/or public safety system 140 via communications module 200 .

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a sales method according to one embodiment of the present invention. The configuration and operating principle of the unmanned vending apparatus 100 described in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be summarized in the flowchart of FIG. First, at step 301, the sensor 302 of FIG. 2 collects the customer's biometric features. In step 303, the communication module 200 receives the result of the local system searching the database based on said biometric characteristics, and the control module 210 determines whether the customer's identity characteristics meet the conditions.

If the conditions are met, the process proceeds to step 305 to display the restricted product in the product menu on display 310 . If the conditions are not met, or if the identity cannot be verified, the process proceeds to step 307 and does not display the restricted product in the product menu on display 310 . In either case, the customer proceeds to step 309 and selects an item from the item menu displayed on display 310 . Once the product selection is complete, the payment flow at step 311 is entered. Finally, upon completion of payment, at step 313, product delivery mechanism 530 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cigarette vending machine 400 that is one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, a cigarette vending machine 400 is a composite vending machine consisting of multiple types of bodies. Each body is electrically connected to the control module 210 respectively. The limited products in the above embodiment can further include multiple types, and each type of limited product is stored in a different body.

Taking FIG. 4 as an example, the cigarette vending machine 400 can sell various types of commodities, such as conventional cigarettes, heated non-burning cigarettes, and atomized electronic cigarettes. Additionally, the cigarette vending machine 400 can simultaneously vend other items such as beverages, chewing gum, snacks, and the like. However, since cigarettes belong to commodities restricted by legal age, this embodiment has a special design in the sales mechanism.

For example, the cigarette vending machine 400 can be equipped with at least four multifunctional sensors 302 . The figure only shows one sensor 302 as a representative, and the actual number and layout of the sensors can be arranged arbitrarily, and are not limited to the illustration of this embodiment. Each sensor 302 can automatically identify a customer's biometric features, such as facial features, within a range of 3 meters.

According to this embodiment, a software algorithm can realize automatic face tracking in a range of 3-5 meters. Images collected by sensor 302 can be uploaded to a local system, such as customer service system 130 or public safety system 140 shown in FIG. 1, within five seconds. The customer service system 130 may belong to the Tobacco Control Agency or a department of the manufacturer.

The local system has a pre-established database containing important data such as face and ID number and age. After matching the uploaded facial images, the local system can return the matching results and the cigarette vending machine 400 determines whether the cigarettes can be sold to the purchasing customer.

In one embodiment, the item selection window 410 of the cigarette vending machine 400 may be a liquid crystal display or light emitting diode display, similar to the display 310 of FIG. be done. After the cigarette vending machine 400 verifies that the customer's identity qualifies to purchase cigarettes, the tobacco-related products can be displayed in the product menu of the product selection window 410 . In a further embodiment, alcoholic products are also age-restricted products, so embodiments of the present invention can also include alcoholic beverages and are not limited to tobacco.

In the embodiment of cigarette vending machine 400 , different types of products may be displayed in different product selection windows 410 . For example, conventional type 402 , heating non-combustion type 404 , and atomization type 406 . The customer first selects his/her favorite brand series, and then various flavors (standards) of related brand series are automatically listed in the product selection window 410 for selection.

On the other hand, if the customer is too young to purchase adult-only products, the product selection window 410 may generally display only non-restricted products such as beverages, snacks, and the like. The manner in which the customer selects merchandise may be through central control panel 306 . The central control panel 306 may be a touch panel or conventional buttons.

In a further design, the cigarette vending machine 400 can be equipped with a microphone 304 to pick up the user's voice commands to achieve man-machine interaction functionality. By way of example, processor 230 of control module 210 shown in FIG. , the product selected by the user can be recognized. Since the cigarette vending machine 400 may be placed in an outdoor noisy environment, the microphone 304 is not limited to one in this embodiment, and may be a combination of multiple directional and non-directional microphone arrays. It is also possible to achieve the effect of filtering background noise in noisy environments and accurately collecting human voices.

In a further implementation, the cigarette vending machine 400 may include one or more speakers 308 to enable voice interaction directly with the customer. The number and arrangement method of the speakers 308 in FIG. 4 are merely examples, and actual operation methods can be arbitrarily arranged, and are not limited to those shown in this figure.

Furthermore, the cigarette vending machine 400 of FIG. 4 has a face recognition memory function. When the customer makes a next purchase, the preferred flavor can be automatically recommended based on previous sales records. More specifically, the cigarette vending machine 400 in FIG. 4 can collect customer voice features or other biometric features, associate them with facial features, and store them as a whole in a local system database.

This helps increase customer identification in upcoming transactions. Records of customer transactions are stored in the cigarette vending machine 400, and big data analysis may be performed. Based on the customer's purchase record, the next time the customer makes a purchase, the purchase menu can automatically display products that the customer has liked and purchased frequently, or automatically recommend new products that the customer may like. can. In other words, the cigarette vending machine 400 also has vending capabilities capable of smart analytics and can implement customized priority strategies for specific customers. For example, the cigarette vending machine 400 can recommend new promotional products and give free gifts such as cartridges according to individual taste preferences.

Customers can pay via payment module 414 . The payment module 414 of this embodiment can support contactless payments, transacting with a customer's mobile device, credit card or prepaid card via technologies such as Bluetooth, wireless networks, near field communication protocols, radio frequency identification, and the like. The payment module 414 can also support online electronic payment, such as code scanning payment mechanism of APP such as WeChat, Alipay, UnionPay card. For traditional cash-only customers, payment module 414 can also provide traditional coin-operated or bill-based payments. Upon successful payment, the selected tobacco product drops from the product outlet 416 and is provided to the customer.

As a further value-added service, the present cigarette vending machine 400 can also provide a voice ignition function, allowing cigarettes to be smoked immediately after being removed from the packet of cigarettes. By way of example, cigarette vending machine 400 is provided with lighter mechanism 102 . When the customer completes payment, manual or voice input to the central control panel 306 commands the cigarette vending machine 400 to activate the lighter mechanism 102, and the customer ignites or heats the tobacco product just obtained on the spot. can. To accomplish this embodiment, the microphone 304 may also be used to accept customer voice commands regarding ignition. A specific embodiment of the lighter mechanism 102 can be combined with a conventional car cigarette lighter with modifications.

Furthermore, the cigarette vending machine 400 incorporates a communication module 200 (not shown) and can be connected to a local system via a wireless network or a wired network. An inventory module 500 (not shown) within the cigarette vending machine 400 is responsible for inventory management. This design allows the merchant to manage the inventory of the cigarette vending machine 400 from the remote end via an application program and schedule replenishment plans in advance.

In the design of the cigarette vending machine 400, as it will be installed in various parts of the city, it is generally an outdoor environment, so a waterproof function of IP68 may be added, thereby making the cigarette vending machine 400 It can be adapted to various indoor and outdoor working environments. On the one hand, the cigarette vending machine 400 is generally unmanned and must necessarily be anti-theft. Upon detection of man-made vandalism, the cigarette vending machine 400 emits a warning signal through the item selection window 410 and the speaker 308 to scare away the vandal and informs the public security system 140 through the communication module 200. can be done.

In a conventional vending machine, the product selection window 410 is not a panel-based display, but a display window for the actual product, combined with a light panel to display purchasable items. Such methods are still applicable in the main configuration of the present invention.

Generally, the expiry date is the expiration date after the date of manufacture. For product expiration management, each product in the cigarette vending machine 400 can display the expiration information on the box in the form of a bar code. A monitoring module 510 in inventory module 500 can identify and archive the barcode in memory 220 upon receipt.

Customers can also check the production date and expiration date in the application APP. A product can be successfully sold only if the product is within its expiration date. If the product in the inventory module 500 exceeds the expiration date indicated by the bar code, the cigarette vending machine 400 stops vending service and notifies the customer service system 130 via the communication module 200 for processing, or Expired products may be sent to disposal mechanism 540 via product delivery mechanism 530 .

The disposal mechanism 540 may be a collection box, shredder, or small incinerator. The monitoring module 510 can also manage inventory levels to ensure sufficient inventory for all brands. For example, the monitoring module 510 can be a simple microcontroller that combines a relatively small amount of memory and counters and stores the remaining quantity and expiration date of each item under program code control.

Although the embodiments of the present invention describe these functions as modular, it should be understood that the implementation may be any combination of known hardware and software.

Accordingly, the cigarette vending machine 400 can effectively prevent the sale of cigarettes to minors. On the other hand, customers can purchase desired products according to their favorite brands and types.

It should be noted that, as used herein, the terms "comprise," "include," or any other variation thereof are intended to include non-exclusive inclusion, whereby a process, method, article or apparatus comprising a series of elements may include not only those elements, but also other elements not expressly recited or specific to such processes, methods, articles, or apparatus. Unless further limited, an element limited by the phrase "comprising a" does not exclude the presence of other similar elements in the process, method, article or apparatus containing that element. do not have.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described modes for carrying out the present invention, and the above-described modes for carrying out the present invention are illustrative. Under the suggestion of the present invention, those skilled in the art can create more forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention and the scope of protection of utility model registration claims. and they are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims (14)

a body for storing products, including restricted products;
a control module electrically connected to the body;
a sensor for collecting biometric characteristics of a customer and a product menu for displaying the product for selection by the customer, connected to the control module for receiving commands from the control module and interacting with the customer; a user interface for
a communication module comprising a wireless transceiver, connected to said control module for receiving commands from said control module and for communicating with a local system or user terminal;
The control module causes the sensor to collect biometric features of the customer and uploads the biometric features via the communication module to the local system comprising a database that associates the biometric features and the identity features. control to
The unmanned sales apparatus, wherein the control module receives, via the communication module, a result of searching the database by the local system based on the biometric characteristics, and determines a product that can be sold. the control module determines whether the identity feature corresponding to the biometric feature satisfies a first condition based on the result;
2. The control module according to claim 1, characterized in that said control module is configured to generate a command to export restricted goods matching said identity feature if said identity feature meets said first condition. An unmanned vending device as described. 3. The unmanned vending of claim 2, wherein the control module is configured not to generate a command to unload the restricted goods if the identity features cannot be determined or the first condition is not met. Device. 3. The unmanned vending apparatus of claim 2, wherein the user interface further comprises a display, a microphone, a central control panel, and a speaker, and is controlled by the control module to accept data of customer-selected items. moreover,
an inventory module connected to the control module for managing inventory, deadlines and shipments of goods;
a currency management module connected to the control module for managing the storage, receipt and output of currency;
when the user interface accepts the selection of goods, triggering a payment flow by the control module, the customer pays for the selected goods through the communication module or the money management module;
2. The automated sales system of claim 1, wherein upon successful payment, the control module instructs the inventory module to remove the customer-selected merchandise. The inventory module includes:
Detecting the remaining amount of the product,
6. The unmanned vending apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control module, when determining that the remaining amount is less than a threshold, transmits a low remaining amount notification to the local system via the communication module. the inventory module is used to track expiration dates of items in inventory;
6. The unmanned vending apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, if there is an expired product, the control module stops sales service of the unmanned vending apparatus or collects the expired product. the user interface further comprises a microphone;
the sensor includes at least one of a camera, a scanner or a fingerprint authentication device;
The biometric features are the customer's face image collected by the camera, the customer's retina image collected by the scanner, the customer's fingerprint collected by the fingerprint authentication device, or the customer collected by the microphone. contains the audio of
said identity characteristic includes age;
3. The unmanned vending apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said first condition includes that age is equal to or above a specific threshold. The communication module transmits the data of the product selected by the customer to the database of the local system, and associates it with the biometric features by the local system as a basis for big data analysis;
2. The unmanned vending machine of claim 1, wherein the local system includes at least one of a customer service system and a public safety system. The control module is
detecting an abnormal payment signal or a broken module signal;
2. The unmanned vending apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a warning notification is sent to the local system when the abnormal payment signal or the damaged module signal is detected. 2. The unmanned vending apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control module further includes a memory for storing data associated with said biometric characteristic and said customer's selected merchandise. the communication module supports at least one of the following communication protocols: Bluetooth, Wireless Area Network, Near Field Communication or Radio Frequency Identification;
The unmanned vending machine of claim 1, wherein the control module provides an electronic payment mode or a cash payment mode. comprising a plurality of bodies each electrically connected to the control module;
said restricted goods include multiple types;
2. The unmanned vending apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of types of restricted products are respectively stored in said plurality of main bodies. the unmanned vending device further includes a heater controlled by the control module;
11. The control module according to claim 10, wherein when the control module generates a command to remove restricted merchandise that matches the identification characteristics, the control module activates the heater to heat the restricted merchandise. The unmanned vending device described in .

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