JPH03122790A - Bar-code type automatic vending machine system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to easily use coins or cards for an automatic vending machine even in a place where is inconvenient for a user to carry coins or cards by storing the sales data of a commodity carried out of the automatic vending machine in a transmission controller together with a personal identification(ID) code read out of a bar-code and properly processing these data by a center device. CONSTITUTION:A bar-code reader 3 reads out the bar-code 10a of a bar-code belt 10 and outputs the bar-code data to a bar-code control part 4. When a user is previously registered, the control part 4 sets up the automatic vending machine 1 to a commodity carriable state. When the user selects a commodity by depressing a pushbutton 6, a sales control part 5 carries out the commodity and then outputs the sales data to the control part 4. The control part 4 adds the inputs data to the precedently read bar-code data and transmits the data to a transmission controller 8, which stores the received data in a memory and then sends the data to the center device 9 to process the data. Thereby, the automatic vending machine can be utilized even in a place inconvenient for the user to carry coins or cards.

Description

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

The present invention relates to a vending machine system that performs credit sales using barcodes.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, coins, banknotes, cards, and the like have been used as means for discharging products from vending machines.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, there has been a problem in that coins and cards are inconvenient to carry when using vending machines installed in saunas, pools, etc. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine system that can be easily used even in the above-mentioned locations.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the vending machine system of the present invention includes a vending machine equipped with a barcode terminal, a center device, and a relay between the center device and the vending machine via a transmission line. A transmission controller is configured to read a barcode presented by a user using the barcode terminal to set the vending machine in a state where it is possible to carry out products, and to control the vending machine by pressing a button by the user. The sales data of the products carried out from the transmission controller are stored in the transmission controller together with the personal identification code read from the barcode, and these data are processed by the center device as needed.

[For use]

This is a system that sells credit using barcodes assigned with personal identification data. Barcodes can be displayed on a sheet attached to the wrist or on a belt worn around a wristwatch, and compared to coins or cards, these can be carried around more easily and can be carried easily to saunas and pools.

【Example】

The figures show an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram, FIG. 2(A) is an external view, and FIG. 2(B) is an enlarged view of part B thereof. In the figure, 1 is a vending machine, 2 is a barcode terminal device built in the vending machine 1 and includes a barcode reader 3 and a barcode control section 4, 5 is a vending control section of the vending machine 1, and 6 is a barcode terminal device built in the vending machine 1. Connected to this are push buttons for product selection; 7 is a product delivery mechanism also driven by a motor; 8 is a transmission controller; 9 is a center device; and 10 is a barcode belt wrapped around the user's arm. The transmission controller 8 connects a plurality of units (No. 1 to N.
αn) vending machine 1 and the central center device 9. A personal identification code (ID code) for each user is assigned in advance to the barcode 10a printed on the barcode belt 10. The barcode control unit 4 communicates with the transmission controller 8 to verify the ID code read by the barcode reader 3, issues a sales permission command to the sales control unit 5, and transmits sales data from the sales control unit 5 to the transmission controller 8. It has the following functions. The transmission controller 8 is the barcode control section 4
It has functions such as relay communication between the machine and the center device 9, user management using ID codes, and storage of sales data, and one machine can control a plurality of vending machines 1. The center device 9 is composed of a personal computer, input/output equipment, memory device, etc., and has functions such as controlling user registration, printing out sales information, and managing sold-out information. The user's ID code is sent in advance from the center device 9 to the transmission controller 8.
is sent to and stored. Further, the data sucked from the barcode control section 4 is once stored in the transmission controller 8 and then processed by the center device 9. Now, the operation of the above configuration will be explained with reference to the flowchart of the barcode control section 4 in FIG. 3. The barcode control unit 4 constantly checks the presence or absence of barcode data from the barcode reader 3 (step S
l). As shown in Figure 2, the user's arm is at the vending machine 1.
When the barcode reader 3 is inserted into the barcode reading section 1a on the front of the barcode belt 10, the barcode reader 3 reads the barcode 1 of the barcode belt 10.
0a is read and barcode data (ID code) is output to the barcode control section 4. The barcode control unit 4 transmits barcode data to the transmission controller 8 in order to confirm whether the user has been registered in advance (step S2). The transmission controller 8 checks the ID code stored in advance and transmits the determination data to the barcode control section 4. The barcode control unit 4 receives this (step S3), checks whether the ID code is valid (step S4), and if the user is registered, sends a suspicious coin signal to the sales control unit 5. Output (step 35). When the sales control section 5 receives the coin signal, it puts the vending machine 1 into a state where the product can be taken out, and at the same time turns on a sales enable lamp (not shown) of the push button 6. Therefore, when the user presses the pushbutton 6 to select a product, the sales control unit 5 causes the product delivery mechanism 7 to transport the product, and then outputs sales data (product code, sales amount) to the barcode control unit 4. . In addition,
During this time, the barcode control section 6 checks whether there is a time-over or not (step S6), and if no sales data is received within a certain period of time, the barcode control section 4 is returned to the barcode reading standby state. After sending out the coin signal, the barcode control unit 4 sends the coin signal to the sales control unit 5.
Check whether there is sales data from (S7)
When the sales data is received within a certain period of time, the previously read ID code is added to the sales data and transmitted to the transmission controller 8 (step S8). Transmission controller 8 stores this data in memory. Thereafter, the center device 9 reads data from the transmission controller 8 and prints out sales information, for example, once every month, for settlement purposes.

【Effect of the invention】

According to this invention, even in saunas, swimming pools, etc. where it is inconvenient to carry coins, banknotes, cards, etc., you can attach the barcode sheet to your arm, or wrap the barcode held around your arm like a wristwatch, and use the vending machine. It becomes possible to use.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figures show an embodiment of the present invention, in which Figure 1 is a system configuration diagram, Figure 2 (A) is an external view of the system in Figure 1, and Figure 2 (A) is an external view of the system in Figure 1.
B) is an enlarged view of part B, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the barcode control section. 1... Vending machine, 2... Barcode terminal, 3.
...Barcode league, 4...Barcode control section, 5
...Sales control unit, 6...Push button, 7...Product delivery mechanism, 8...Transmission controller, 9...Center device, 10...Barcode belt, 10a...Barcode , 11...transmission line. Figure 2 Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) Consisting of a vending machine equipped with a barcode terminal, a center device, and a transmission controller that relays the center device and the vending machine via a transmission line, the barcode terminal Read the presented barcode to enable the vending machine to take out products, and
Accumulating sales data of products taken out from the vending machine by the user's push button operation in the transmission controller together with a personal identification code read from the barcode, and processing these data at any time by the center device. A barcode vending machine system featuring: