JP7205083B2 - vending machine communication device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a communication device for vending machines.

In general, vending machines that sell beverages in containers such as cans and PET bottles as products have a reduced inventory of the product as the product is sold, while the sales proceeds accumulate. replenishment work and money collection work are being carried out. Such product replenishment work and money collection work are performed by workers called so-called routemen.

By the way, a vending machine is provided with a main controller and an infrared communication section. The main controller controls the operation of the vending machine and records various data. The infrared communication unit is communicably connected to the main controller according to a predetermined communication standard, and communicates with the handy terminal, which is a dedicated external terminal device held by the operator, according to the JVMA procedure (Japanese Vending Machine Industry Standard). Infrared communication is performed using ASK signals conforming to .

In such a vending machine, when replenishing products or collecting money, a handy terminal held by a worker is placed in an infrared communication area of the infrared communication unit so that the infrared communication unit can communicate with the handy terminal. Infrared communication using an ASK signal is performed with the handy terminal, and data recorded in the main controller is given to the handy terminal (see Patent Document 1, for example).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-11660

By the way, in the vending machine proposed in Patent Document 1, since infrared communication is performed by ASK signals between the infrared communication unit and the handy terminal, there are the following problems.

That is, infrared communication has a short communication distance of about several centimeters and high directivity. Therefore, the operator has to keep the communication attitude while bringing the handy terminal close to the infrared communication unit, and communication can only be performed with a dedicated external terminal device such as the handy terminal, which complicates the work. There was fear.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a communication device for a vending machine that can be applied to existing vending machines and that can simplify operations such as replenishment. do.

In order to achieve the above object, a communication device for a vending machine according to the present invention includes a main controller that controls the operation of the vending machine and records various data of the vending machine; A communication device applied to a vending machine comprising an infrared communication unit that is communicably connected and that transmits and receives data via infrared communication with a dedicated external terminal device placed in a predetermined infrared communication area wherein the infrared communication unit is communicatively connected to the main controller according to a predetermined communication standard between the infrared communication unit and the main controller, and the infrared communication is performed between the mobile terminal device arranged in a predetermined communicable area. a wireless communication unit for transmitting and receiving data by non-directional wireless communication with a longer communication distance than the wireless communication unit; converting the wireless communication standard to the predetermined communication standard; and a conversion module that converts to

Further, according to the present invention, the communication device of the vending machine is characterized by further comprising a long-distance wireless communication section that performs wireless communication at a higher speed and at a longer distance than the wireless communication section.

According to the present invention, since the infrared communication unit and the main controller are communicatively connected to each other according to the predetermined communication standard, the infrared communication unit can be retrofitted to existing vending machines already on the market. can be set in Moreover, the wireless communication unit transmits and receives data to and from a mobile terminal device placed in a predetermined communicable area by non-directional wireless communication with a longer communication distance than infrared communication. Since the communication standard is converted to a predetermined communication standard, and the predetermined communication standard is also converted to a wireless communication standard, when performing work such as product replenishment or money collection, the mobile terminal device can be wirelessly communicated. There is no need to maintain the communication attitude while bringing the unit close to the unit. Therefore, it is possible to apply it to existing vending machines, and it is possible to simplify work such as replenishment work.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a vending machine to which a communication device according to an embodiment of the invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a vending machine to which the communication device according to the embodiment of the invention is applied. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the configuration of a vending machine to which the communication device according to the embodiment of the invention is applied.

Preferred embodiments of a communication device for a vending machine according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 3 show a vending machine to which a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 1 is a perspective view, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure, and FIG. It is a schematic diagram. The vending machine 1 exemplified here is for selling beverages put in containers such as cans and PET bottles as commodities, and includes a main body cabinet 11 which is the main body of the vending machine.

Inside the main body cabinet 11, a plurality of (three in the illustrated example) independent commodity storage boxes 12 are arranged side by side. These product storage boxes 12 store the above products while maintaining the desired temperature.

Each product storage box 12 is provided with a product storage rack 13 , a carry-out mechanism 14 and a carry-out chute 15 . The commodity storage rack 13 is for storing commodities arranged in a vertical direction. The carry-out mechanism 14 is provided below the product storage rack 13 and is for carrying out the products at the bottom of the product group stored in the product storage rack 13 one by one. The carry-out chute 15 guides the product carried out from the carry-out mechanism 14 to a product outlet 22, which will be described later. In addition, a heat exchanger (not shown) is disposed below the product storage compartment 12, which is partitioned by the unloading chute 15. By driving the heat exchanger, the products stored in the product storage rack 13 are moved. A desired cooling temperature or heating temperature can be maintained. In the present embodiment, the left side when the vending machine 1 is viewed from the front is referred to as the left side, and the right side when the vending machine 1 is viewed from the front is referred to as the right side.

The vending machine 1 is provided with a door 16 on the left edge of the main body cabinet 11 . The door 16 is for opening and closing the front opening of the main body cabinet 11, and comprises an inner door 16a and an outer door 16b. The inner door 16a is large enough to cover the front surface of the commodity storage 12 provided in the main body cabinet 11, and has a heat insulating structure. In the illustrated example, the inner door 16a is divided into upper and lower parts so that each can be opened and closed individually.

The outer door 16b is large enough to cover the front opening of the main body cabinet 11. As shown in FIG. The outer door 16b is provided with a display monitor 17, a coin slot 18, a banknote slot 19, an integrated display 20, a coin return slot 21, and a commodity outlet 22 on its front side. , a coin processor 23, a coin collection box 24, and a bill processor 25 are provided.

The display monitor 17 is a so-called touch panel type display screen, and employs a well-known structure in which when a predetermined point on the liquid crystal display screen is pressed with a fingertip, a signal corresponding to the pressed point is sent to the main controller 10, which will be described later. The display monitor 17 functions as display means for arranging and displaying a plurality of types of product samples. When the product samples are displayed in this way, a cold/hot indication indicating whether the product corresponding to the product sample is a hot product or a cold product is also displayed below each product sample. That is, "HOT" is displayed on the product sample of the hot product, and "COLD" is displayed on the product sample of the cold product. The display monitor 17 also functions as product selection means. When any product sample on the display screen is pressed, a signal corresponding to the pressed point is given to the main controller 10, and then the product sample is displayed. are delivered from the inside of the main body cabinet 11 under predetermined conditions.

The coin slot 18 is an opening for the user to insert coins. Coins inserted through the coin slot 18 are identified by their denominations in the coin handling machine 23 and then stored in the coin collection box 24 . The banknote insertion slot 19 is an opening for the user to insert banknotes. The banknotes inserted through the banknote insertion slot 19 are identified by their denominations in the banknote processing machine 25 . The banknote insertion slot 19 has a function of returning banknotes that could not be identified by the banknote handling machine 25 . The integrated display 20 is for displaying various information to the user, such as the amount of money inserted, whether the product is on sale, whether there is change, and the like. The coin return port 21 is an opening for returning coins that could not be identified by the coin processor 23 or coins to be used as change to the user. The commodity outlet 22 is an opening for the user to receive the commodity dispensed from the commodity storage rack 13 .

The vending machine 1 includes a main controller 10, an infrared communication section 26, a communication terminal 27, and a communication device 40 in addition to the configuration described above.

The main controller 10 controls operations such as vending operations of the vending machine 1 according to programs and data stored in a built-in storage unit (not shown). The main controller 10 also records various data of the vending machine 1 (for example, the number of products in stock, the number of products sold, the number of products replenished, the amount of sales, etc.).

Such a main controller 10 includes an ISS (Intelligent Serial Switch) communication line 31 for controlling the display monitor 17 and the like, and a VTS (Vivid Transaction System) for controlling the coin handling machine 23 and bill handling machine 25. ) communication line 32 is connected.

The infrared communication unit 26 is provided in the integrated display unit 20 and can communicate with the main controller 10 by being connected to the off-line terminal 10a of the main controller 10 via a predetermined communication line 33 . The infrared communication unit 26 can transmit and receive data such as sales data recorded in the main controller 10 as an ASK signal according to a protocol defined by the Japan Vending Machine Manufacturers Association standard, JVMA procedure. More specifically, when the handy terminal 50, which is a dedicated external terminal device, is placed in an infrared communicable area, the infrared communication unit 26 communicates with the handy terminal 50 via an infrared ray using an ASK signal conforming to the JVMA protocol. It communicates.

The communication terminal 27 can communicate with the main controller 10 by being connected to the online terminal 10b of the main controller 10 via a predetermined communication line 34 . This communication terminal 27 is capable of transmitting and receiving data such as sales data recorded in the main controller 10 according to the protocol defined by the Japan Vending Machine Manufacturers Association standard, the JVMA procedure.

The communication device 40 includes input/output terminals 41a, 41b, 41c, and 41d individually connected to each of the communication lines 31 to 34 such as the ISS communication line 31, so that each communication standard (hereinafter, also referred to as a predetermined communication standard) is provided. ) is communicably connected to the main controller 10 . Such a communication device 40 includes a short-range wireless communication unit (wireless communication unit) 42 , a long-range wireless communication unit 43 and a conversion module 44 .

The short-range wireless communication unit 42 has a longer communication distance (for example, several meters to ten-odd meters) than the infrared communication such as the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard, and performs predetermined communication by omnidirectional short-range wireless communication. It transmits and receives data to and from a portable terminal device 61 such as a smart phone that is placed in a possible area and is capable of communicating according to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard.

The long-distance wireless communication unit 43 transmits and receives data to and from the server 62 by long-distance wireless communication, such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), which is farther and faster than the short-range wireless communication.

The conversion module 44 is connected to the short-range wireless communication unit 42 and converts the standard of short-range wireless communication into a predetermined communication standard with the main controller 10, and converts the predetermined communication standard with the main controller 10 into a short-range communication standard. It converts to wireless communication standards. Further, the conversion module 44 is connected to the long-distance wireless communication unit 43, converts the long-distance wireless communication standard to a predetermined communication standard with the main controller 10, and performs predetermined communication with the main controller 10. It converts the standard into a standard for long-distance wireless communication.

In the communication device 40 of the vending machine 1 having the configuration as described above, since the infrared communication section 26 and the main controller 10 are communicatively connected to each other according to a predetermined communication standard, the communication device 40 is already available on the market. It can be retrofitted to an existing vending machine 1 distributed in Japan. Moreover, the short-range wireless communication unit 42 transmits and receives data to and from the portable terminal device 61 placed in a predetermined communicable area by non-directional wireless communication, which has a longer communication distance than infrared communication, and converts data. Since the module 44 converts the standard of short-range wireless communication to a predetermined communication standard, and also converts the predetermined communication standard to the standard of short-range wireless communication, work such as product replenishment work and money collection work is performed. In this case, it is not necessary to hold the communication posture while bringing the mobile terminal device 61 close to the short-range wireless communication unit 42 .

Therefore, according to the communication device 40 of the vending machine 1, it can be applied to the existing vending machine 1, and the work such as the replenishment work can be simplified.

Further, according to the communication device 40, each of the communication lines 31 to 34 is communicably connected to the main controller 10 according to each predetermined communication standard, and the short-range wireless communication unit 42 is arranged in a predetermined communicable area. Since the short-range wireless communication is performed with the portable terminal device 61 connected to the vending machine 1 and the long-range wireless communication is performed with the server 62 by the long-range wireless communication unit 43, various settings of the vending machine 1 can be changed in the short-range wireless communication. This can be done collectively using long-distance wireless communication or long-distance wireless communication, and various setting operations of the vending machine 1 can be simplified.

Each configuration illustrated in the above embodiment is a functional schematic, and does not necessarily need to be physically configured as illustrated. In other words, the form of dispersion/integration of each device and component is not limited to the illustrated one, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed/integrated in arbitrary units according to various usage conditions. can be configured

1 Vending Machine 10 Main Controller 11 Main Cabinet 12 Commodity Storage 20 Integrated Display 26 Infrared Communication Section 27 Communication Terminal 40 Communication Device 42 Near Field Communication Section 43 Long Range Communication Section 44 Conversion Module 50 Handy Terminal 61 Portable Terminal Device 62 servers

Claims (2)

a main controller that controls the operation of the vending machine and records various data of the vending machine;
Applied to a vending machine comprising an infrared communication unit that is communicably connected to the main controller and that transmits and receives data via infrared communication with a dedicated external terminal device arranged in a predetermined infrared communicable area In a communication device that
connected to a communication line of a predetermined communication standard that connects the infrared communication unit and the main controller so as to be communicable with the main controller,
a wireless communication unit that transmits and receives data to and from a mobile terminal device placed in a predetermined communicable area by omnidirectional wireless communication with a longer communication distance than the infrared communication;
A communication device for a vending machine, comprising: a conversion module for converting said wireless communication standard into said predetermined communication standard and converting said predetermined communication standard into said wireless communication standard. 2. The vending machine communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a long-distance wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication at a higher speed and at a longer distance than said wireless communication unit.

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