JPH0318996A - Controller of automatic lending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively utilize an unfilled space of a receipt for advertising a commodity by printing a new commodity of a genre of liking which can be decided from the past lending actual result of a user to the unfilled space of the receipt at the time of lending the commodity. CONSTITUTION:In a RAM 4, a containing position and a genre belonging thereto are stored with regard to all commodities contained in a commodity containing shelf 1 by setting a commodity number as a key, and especially, as for new commodities received within the last one month, a display of its fact is attached. Also, in the RAM 4, a user's identification code is registered, and also, whenever lending is executed, lending data such as a date of lending, the number and a genre of a lending commodity, a lending charge, etc., are stored. Moreover, at the time of leading the commodity, a control part 3 infers a genre of liking of a user from the data of the RAM 4, and a new commodity corresponding to this genre is selected from the data of the RAM 4 and printed in an unfilled space of a receipt by a printer 8. In such a way, the commodity can be adver tised by utilizing effectively the unfilled space of the receipt which is neglected uselessly.

Description

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

The present invention relates to an automatic lending machine that lends out and returns products such as video tapes.

[Conventional technology]

This type of automatic lending machine stores a large number of rental products (e.g. video tapes) in a product storage shelf, and when the user inserts his or her membership card and enters the product number of the desired product using the operation keys, the user receives the product. The carry-out mechanism takes out the designated product from the product storage shelf and carries it out to the lending exit, and at the same time, a built-in printer issues a receipt (rental slip).

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By the way, it is generally possible to rent out multiple items at once, and accordingly, the receipt also has space on which multiple items can be printed. However, there are few users who borrow up to the limit, and there is usually some blank space left on the receipt. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a control device for an automatic lending machine that can effectively utilize the blank space of a receipt for advertising products.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention stores a large number of rental products, and when a user who wishes to rent the product inserts his or her membership card and performs the necessary operations, the specified product is delivered to the rental slot. In an automatic lending machine that issues a receipt upon delivery, there is a lending storage means that aggregates and stores lending results by genre for each user, and a new product memory that stores newly arrived or scheduled new products categorized by genre. and a printing control means for determining a user's preferred genre from the data in the lending storage means when lending a product, selecting a new product corresponding to this genre from the data in the new product storage means, and printing it in the margin of the receipt. It is intended to provide

[For use]

For example, video tapes can be classified into various genres, such as Japanese movies, foreign movies, or content such as action, science fiction, and comedy. Therefore, newly arrived products or scheduled to arrive products (hereinafter referred to as new products) are classified and stored by genre, and when lending out products, new products in the user's preferred genre, which can be determined based on the user's past lending results, are stored. Advertising is done by printing in the blank space of the receipt.

【Example】

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention in a video rental machine, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of FIG. In FIG. 1, 1 is a product storage shelf, 2 is a large number of products (video tapes) stored therein, 3 is a control unit consisting of a microcomputer, 4 is a RAM as a means for storing various data, and 5 is a member A card reader for reading the card, 6 a display device consisting of a CRT that displays operating instructions, 7 operation keys for inputting various data settings, lending and returning operations, 8 a printer for issuing receipts,
9 is a product display section, 10 is a product sample consisting of a video jacket, and 11 is a lending lamp that indicates that the product is being loaned. For all products stored in product storage shelf 1, the storage position (shelf number) and category are stored in RAM 4 using the product number as a key. Especially for new products that have arrived within the last month, information to that effect is stored in RAM 4. An indication is attached. Further, the ID code of the user (member) is registered in the RAM 4, and furthermore, rental data such as the rental date, the number and genre of the rental product, and the rental fee are stored each time the item is rented. In this configuration, when a user borrows a product,
When the membership card is inserted into the card reader 5, the control unit 3 checks whether the card data is registered in the RAM 4. When it is determined that you are a member, the display device 6
The guidance allows selection of the product 2 using the operation keys 7. Then, the user looks at the product sample 10 displayed in the product display section 9 and inputs the product number of the desired product 2 using the operation keys 7. If lending is possible, the rental fee will be displayed on the display device 6. When you insert the required amount of coins into the coin slot (not shown), the product delivery mechanism (not shown) will move vertically and horizontally to place the product on the product storage shelf l. The designated product 2 is taken out from there and carried out to a lending exit (not shown). Along with this lending operation, lending data is recorded in the RAM 4, and at the same time the lending data is recorded in the printer 8.
A receipt will be issued. In the case of return, the member card is inserted into the card reader 5 and the returned product is inserted into the exit port, and the product 2 is transported to a predetermined position on the product storage shelf 1 by the product delivery mechanism and stored. At the same time, the lending data in the RAM 4 is erased, but only the number of lending records is classified and aggregated by genre and saved. Now, the above receipt issuing operation will be further explained with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, when the operation key 7 is operated, it is determined whether the item is to be lent or not (step S1), and if it is lent, the item is taken out (step S2). Next, it is checked whether there is a margin on the receipt (step 33), and if there is no margin, only the standard rental data is printed (step S4). If there is a blank space, check the membership number from the card data read by the card reader 5 (step S5), RA
The genres with high lending frequency are checked from the lending record data of M4 (step S6). Next, products of the above genre are selected from among the new products stored in RAM 4 (
Step S7). Then, the new product selected within the margin of the receipt is printed (step S8). When the printing is completed, the remaining lending end processing such as returning the membership card is performed (step S9), and the printer returns to the standby state. As described above, the illustrated video rental machine classifies and stores new products by genre, and also aggregates and stores frequently rented genres by user, and utilizes the empty space on the receipt to store new products according to the user's preferences. This is to promote new products in the genre.

【Effect of the invention】

According to this invention, it is possible to effectively utilize the blank space of a receipt that was wasted to promote a product. Moreover, the advertising effect is very high because users who focus on selecting products in their favorite genres and who lend out a small number of items can advertise more than others.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flow chart explaining the operation of the embodiment of FIG. 1...Product storage shelf, 2...Product, 3...Control unit,
4...RAM, 5...card reader, 6...display device, 7...operation keys, 8...printer, 9...
Product display department, 10...Product samples, 11...Lamps on loan. Figure Figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) An automatic lending machine that stores a large number of items for rental, and when a user who wishes to lend the item inserts his or her membership card and performs the necessary operations, the specified item is delivered to the rental exit and a receipt is issued. , a lending storage means that aggregates and stores rental results by genre for each user, a new product storage means that stores newly arrived or scheduled new products classified by genre, and the above-mentioned rental storage means when lending out products. automatic lending characterized by being provided with a print control means for determining a user's favorite genre from the data of the user, selecting a new product corresponding to this genre from the data of the new product storage means, and printing it in the margin of the receipt. Machine control device.