JPH0279190A - Sales controller for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To quickly process a lump purchase by causing a purchaser to make purchase reservation through a commodity selecting push button and successively delivering reserved commodities without operating the push button every time. CONSTITUTION:This sales controller is provided with a CPU 2 as a controlling means, ROM 3 incorporating the control program of the CPU 2, and RAM 4 as a means which stores that an automatic vending machine is in a reserved sales mode and the number of commodities for reserved sales. When a push button 6 is pressed without coin inserted into a coin processor 5, a reserved sales mode is stored in the RAM 4 and the number of further pressed times of the button 6 is stored in the RAM 4 as the number of reserved sales to each commodity. When coins are inserted within fixed time in the reserved sales mode, salable commodities are continuously delivered in accordance with the stored numbers. Therefore, even plural kinds of commodities can be purchased in a lump without increasing the number of push buttons.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a vending control device for a vending machine for making bulk purchases of products.

[Conventional technology]

There are two ways to buy items in bulk at a vending machine: insert a large amount of money all at once and press the product selection button (hereinafter simply referred to as the button) many times that corresponds to the item you want; A known method is to first press the quantity (quantity) button, as on a machine, and then press the button for the desired product.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, the former method described above has the disadvantage that the selection of the next product is not accepted until the previous product has been removed, which increases the sales time. There are disadvantages in that a separate button is required, the number of push buttons increases, and the products are limited to the same type. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine sales control device that enables bulk purchasing of multiple types of products in a short time without increasing the number of push buttons.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the vending machine sales control device of the present invention includes means for storing, for each product, the number of times a product selection button is pressed as the number of pre-sale units for that product;
The apparatus is provided with a control means that determines whether or not the products can be sold based on the input amount and the number of pre-sold items, and if the products can be sold, the reserved products are continuously carried out.

[For use]

A product selection push button is used as a reservation button, and the number of reservation sales of the product is stored depending on the number of times the push button is pressed. The pre-order sales quantity is stored separately for each product. The products for which the pre-sale quantities have been stored are delivered one after another, simultaneously for different types of products, and consecutively for the same type of products without operating a push button.

【Example】

1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the present invention, with FIG. 1 being a block diagram showing the configuration and FIG. 2 being a flow chart showing its operation. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a sales control device consisting of a microcomputer, and CP tJ2 serves as a control means.
It is equipped with a ROM 3 containing a control program for the PU 2, and a RAM 4 as a means for storing the fact that the vending machine is in a reservation sales mode and the number of reservation sales. Sales control device 1
includes a coin processing device 5, a number of product selection pushbuttons 6 according to the type of product, a display 7 that digitally displays the input amount and the number of pre-sold items, and a sales ready lamp provided corresponding to the pushbuttons 6. 8, a product delivery mechanism 9, a reservation validity timer 10, a display validity timer 11, an additional coin validity timer 12, etc., which operate as will be described later, are connected. In the vending machine of this embodiment, when the push button 6 is pressed without coins being inserted into the coin processing device 5, it is stored in the RAM 4 as being in the pre-order sales mode, and the number of presses is stored in R1AM4 as the number of pre-sale items. It is memorized every time. Then, if a coin is inserted within a certain period of time during the reservation sales mode, the products that can be sold will be delivered in succession according to the stored quantity data (if different types of products are reserved, they will be delivered simultaneously and in parallel). do.). The reservation sales mode is valid for a certain period of time, and that time is counted by a reservation validity timer 10. Further, when a push button 6 is pressed, which push button 6 has been pressed and how many times is notified by lighting of a sales ready lamp 8 and displaying a count on a display 7. At this time, the display valid timer 11 turns off the display 7 and the sellable lamp 8 after a certain period of time has elapsed so that the display on the display 7 and the sellable lamp 8 do not continue to be lit. Furthermore, when the remaining money is insufficient during sales, additional coins can be inserted for a certain period of time, and this period is counted by an additional coin validity timer 12. Now, the operation of this vending machine will be explained in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, it detects whether or not a coin has been inserted in the sales standby state (
Step SL). If there is an input, the contents of the RAM 4 are checked to see if it is in the reservation sales mode (step S2), and if it is not in the reservation sales mode, the process shifts to normal sales control. If it is the pre-order sales mode in step S2, the amount of money invested is displayed on the display 7 (step S3), and it is determined whether the product specified for pre-sale can be sold based on the amount of money invested, change conditions, whether it is sold out, etc. ( Step S4). If the sale is not possible, step S5 detects whether the push button 6 has been pressed.
), if pushbutton 6 is pressed, the pre-order sales mode is set to R.
Set to AM4 (step S6), reservation valid timer 1
0 and display valid timer 11 in step S7).
, counts up (+1) the pre-order sales quantity storage unit in the RAM 4 of the pressed pushbutton 6 (step S8
), the sales ready lamp 8 of the pushbutton 6 is turned on to indicate which pushbutton 6 has been pressed (step S9), and the pre-sale number counted and amplified is displayed on the display 7 to show how many units have been reserved. Display (step 510). If the push button 6 is not pressed in step S5, it is determined whether the reservation valid timer 10 for enabling the reservation sales mode has timed up (step 5ll), and if the time has not expired, a coin return lever (not shown) is pressed. Step 512)
, If the reservation valid timer 10 is up or the coin return lever is turned on, the reservation sales mode is canceled and the memory of the reservation sales mode and the number of reservation sales in the RAM 4 is cleared, and at the same time, the display 7 and The sales ready lamp 8 is turned off (step 513). Furthermore, wait for the display valid timer 11 to time up (
Step 514), display 7 when pushbutton 6 is pressed
And the sales ready lamp 8 is turned off (step 515). If pre-sale is possible in step S4, the sales-ready lamp 8 of the product is lit (step 316), the product is carried out (step 517), and the pre-sale number of the product in the RAM 4 is counted down (-1). ') L (step 518), subtract the selling price from the remaining amount (step 51).
9). Further, step 520 determines whether the remaining amount can be sold.
), if the sale is possible, the sale is continued in steps S17→S19. If it is determined in step 320 that selling with the remaining amount is not possible, since the vending machine starts selling by inserting coins, the additional coin validity timer 12 allows additional coins to be inserted for a certain period of time, and if additional coins are inserted, Continue sales. When the additional coin validity timer 12 times up (step 521), the memory of the pre-order sales mode and the pre-sale quantity in the RAM 4 is cleared (step 522).
, if there is any remaining money, it will be automatically refunded (step 523). FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the second embodiment of the invention. The configuration in this case is also the first one on the block diagram.
Since this embodiment is the same as the embodiment described above, the only difference being the content of the control program in the ROM 3, the configuration will be explained using FIG. 1 for convenience. In this case, like in a normal vending machine, the vending operation is started by pressing the push button 6 after inserting a coin. However, when the push button 6 is operated, the product is stored in the RAM 4 as a pre-sale product. Carrying out the product starts with the first operation of the pushbutton 6, and it is possible to memorize the pushbutton input for a plurality of types of products even while the product is being carried out. Now, a detailed explanation will be given with reference to FIG. After inserting a coin, when pushbutton 6 is pressed (step 53
1) Store the product in RAM4 as a reserved product (
Step 532). This pushbutton input is possible for a plurality of pushbuttons 6. Next, it is determined whether or not the reserved product can be sold (step 533), and if it is possible to sell, the product number or name is reserved and displayed on the display 7 (step 533).
Step 534). This reservation display is cleared when the item is taken out, as described later, but if multiple reserved items are stored, whether or not it can be sold is determined even while the item is being taken out, and if it is, the next item is displayed as a reservation. . -, the delivery program always checks whether there is a reservation displayed (Step 539), and if there is a reservation displayed, the product is transported (Step 540), and its memory as a reserved product is cleared (Step 541); Check whether the next reservation is displayed. In addition, regardless of whether or not the product reservations are completed, if the return lever is turned on (step 535), all product reservations are cleared (step 536), the remaining amount is refunded (step 537), and the process returns to the standby state. (Step 338
).

【Effect of the invention】

According to this invention, bulk purchases can be processed extremely quickly by making a sales reservation by pressing a product selection push button and carrying out the reserved products one after another without having to press the button each time. Can be done. Moreover, since reservations can be made for each product selection pushbutton, it is possible to pre-sell multiple types of products, and since the product selection pushbutton is used as a reservation button, there is no need for a special pushbutton for reservations.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 3 shows the operation of the second embodiment of the invention. It is a flowchart. 1... Sales control device, 2... CPU, 3... RO
M. 4...RAM, 5...Coin processing device, 6...Product selection push button, 7...Display device, 8...Sellable lamp, 9...Product delivery mechanism.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) A means for storing the number of times a product selection button has been pressed as the number of pre-sale items for each product, and determining whether or not the product can be sold based on the input amount and the number of pre-sale items, and if it is possible to sell the product, the product is reserved. A vending control device for a vending machine, comprising a control means for continuously discharging the vending machine.