JP3496039B2 - vending machine - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a vending machine for managing sales data and failure data by a host computer via a communication line. 2. Description of the Related Art In a vending machine of this type, generated sales data is stored in a memory, and sales data stored in the memory is read and transmitted in response to a data request from a host computer. I have to. By the way, test operation test at the time of vending machine installation and failure recovery
(Test sale) is performed, but in the test sale, the sales data is stored and transmitted to the host computer, so that the charge calculation on the host computer side does not match. [0003] For this reason, there has been provided an apparatus having a sales mode for performing test sales. However, in that case, the following problems occurred.
A switch for switching between the normal sales mode and the test sales is required. At the time of test sales, it is necessary to separately create a program for test sales such as not storing the sales data in the memory. After conducting a test sale, it is necessary to perform an operation to return to the normal sale mode, but if the operation is neglected, the product is sold free of charge and the installer suffers damage. When an abnormal signal such as lightning from the outside invades, the selling mode is naturally switched to the test selling, and the same damage is caused. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and provides a card-compatible vending machine which does not have a means for switching to test sales, and can eliminate the above-mentioned problem. The purpose is to: SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a vending machine which manages sales information by a host computer via a communication medium, a communication means A for communicating with the host computer, and a communication means A for the communication means A. An interface B for inputting and outputting data, setting data storage means C for storing setting data transmitted from the host computer via the interface B, sales control means D for selling based on the setting data, and sales A sales data creating means E for creating sales data from the sales by the control means D, and a memory card F for storing the created sales data and reading the sales data when a data request is made from a host computer. The test sale mode is set when the memory card F is not inserted. According to the above configuration, the sales data created for each sale is stored in the memory card F, and the sales data stored in the memory card F is read out in response to a data request from the host computer, and is read out from the host computer. And normal sales control is performed. On the other hand, when sales are performed with the memory card F removed, the sales data generated at that time is not stored in the memory card F, and the sales data is not transmitted to the host computer. Control equivalent to that in the mode is performed. When this test sale is completed, the memory card F
By re-attaching, returns to the normal sales mode. According to this control, it is not necessary to have a test sales program. If the configuration is such that only the sales data is stored in the removable memory card F, the CPU of the vending machine may be used.
There is also an advantage that the sales data can be protected by removing the memory card F when the device runs out and must be reset all. FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of a vending machine V showing an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a vending control device (master) for generally controlling the vending machine V. The vending machine V has an unloading slave 2 for unloading sales merchandise, a coin slave 3 for counting inserted coins, and a merchandise selection. A door slave 4 having buttons and the like and a data management slave 5 are connected via a bus. In this data management slave 5, 11
Is a CPU for controlling the slave 5, and 12 is
This is an interface for connecting the CPU 11 to the bus. Reference numeral 13 denotes a ROM that stores a program to be executed by the CPU 11, and reference numeral 14 denotes a RAM that temporarily stores various data, and includes a battery B for memory backup. Reference numeral 15 denotes a card interface into which a memory card 16 having a backup battery B is inserted. Reference numeral 17 denotes a card interface into which an IC card 18 held by a user is inserted at the time of purchase. Reference numeral 19 denotes an interface for sending out the sales data created by the data management slave 5 to the outside and performing the reverse of the sales data. Reference numeral 20 denotes the data transmitted from the interface 19 to the host computer through the communication line L. This is an inter-host communication I / F that transmits data in the opposite direction. The operation of the vending machine V will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the power of the vending machine V is turned on, the process proceeds from step S1 to step S2, where R
It is determined whether the setting data is held in the AM 14. If the setting data is held, the sales standby state is set in step S6. If the setting data is not held, the sales ban is performed in step S3. Done. Here, communication with the host computer is performed in step S4,
If the setting data transmitted from the host computer is stored in the RAM 14 by the communication in step 5, the sales standby state is set in step S6. Next, when the regular IC card 18 is inserted into the card interface 17, it can be sold. If the sale is performed here, the process proceeds from step S8 to step S9.
The sales data is created, and the process proceeds to step S1.
At 0, the sales data is stored in the memory card 16. The above is the normal sales mode. During this time, if a data request interrupt occurs from the host computer,
In step S11, the sales data stored in the memory card 16 is read and transmitted to the host computer.
After the sales data stored in the memory card 16 is cleared in step S12, the process returns to the previous flow. When conducting test selling, the power is turned off, the memory card 16 (there is no problem if sales data is stored in the memory card 16), and the power is turned on. In this case, since the setting data is retained, the process proceeds from step S2 to steps S6 and S7. Here, for example, when an IC card 18 for test sales is inserted and sales are performed, sales data is created in step S9. However, since the memory card 16 is removed, the sales data is stored in step S10. Is not memorized, and only the sale is performed, so that it functions as the test sale mode. When the test sales are completed, the power is turned off, the memory card 16 is mounted, and then the power is turned on, the original sales mode is set. In this embodiment, the vending machine is compatible with an IC card, but the card may be a magnetic card. As described above, according to the present invention, setting data such as price is stored in a normal memory such as a RAM, and sales data is stored in a removable memory card. If the sales are performed with the memory card removed, the sales data is not stored anywhere, so that it functions as the test sales mode. In this way, test sales can be performed with a very simple configuration, so it is necessary to add switches to switch between normal sales mode and test sales, create a program for test sales, and return to sales mode after test sales , Etc. can be solved.

[Brief description of the drawings] FIG. 1 is a diagram corresponding to claims of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a control block diagram illustrating one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a control operation of the apparatus of FIG. 2; [Explanation of symbols] 1 Master 2 Unloading slave 3 Coin slave 4 door slave 5 Data management slave 11 CPU 12 Interface 13 ROM 14 RAM 15 Card Interface 16 Card memory 17 Card Interface 18 IC card 19 Interface 20 Communication device between hosts

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] [Claim 1] In a vending machine which manages sales information by a host computer via a communication medium, a communication means A for communicating with the host computer, and data is transmitted to the communication means A. An interface B for input / output, setting data storage means C for storing setting data transmitted from the host computer via the interface B, sales control means D for selling based on the setting data, and sales control means D, a sales data creating means E for creating sales data from the sales at D, and a memory card F for storing the created sales data and reading the sales data when a data request is received from a host computer, A vending machine wherein a test selling mode is set when a memory card F is not inserted.