JPH03231399A - Automatic vending machine system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase sales chance by showing location information, when the automatic vending machine becomes an unsaleable state. CONSTITUTION:The automatic vending machine drives a display device 10, based on the result of retrieval transmitted from a host computer H, the transmits the result of retrieval to the automatic vending machine being in an unsaleable state. In the case of a card sales mode, money amount information mentioned in a sales card is read out, and also, commodity attribute information is read out, and commodity selected by a selection button 5 corresponding to a commodity display lamp 7 which is turned on is carried to a commodity take-out port.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is a system for centrally managing a plurality of vending machines placed in a certain area such as each floor of a building or an amusement park. The present invention relates to a vending machine system in which a host computer and a plurality of vending machines are connected online.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of vending machine system has been constructed by configuring a network in which a host computer directly aggregates and manages sales information, malfunction information, etc. of each vending machine.
The aim was to increase the number of vending machines, speed up service, and reduce management costs.

For example, if a product cannot be sold due to the vending mechanism of a vending machine, data indicating this is transmitted to the host computer, and a service person can quickly carry out recovery work based on instructions from the host computer. It was configured so that it could be done.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, with the above-mentioned conventional vending machine system, when the product cannot be sold due to various reasons such as running out of change in the change dispensing device, failure of the card reading device, failure of the product dispensing device, etc., the vending machine system cannot be used. The person was unable to use the vending machine until service personnel completed restoration work on the vending machine.

As a result, users may have no choice but to buy a product other than the one they intended to purchase that is available at the vending machine, or may give up on purchasing the product, or they may choose to purchase a product from a vending machine located elsewhere. This has the disadvantage that it is extremely inconvenient and unpleasant to have to search for a vending machine that sells the product that you intend to purchase.

On the other hand, for the manager of the vending machine, even if there is another vending machine nearby that sells the product that the user intends to purchase, and the product can be purchased without difficulty, Giving up on this also had the disadvantage of losing sales opportunities.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks.

[Means for Solving the Problem] In order to achieve this object, the characteristic configuration of the vending machine system according to the present invention is such that each vending machine has an unsellable state that detects an unsellable state of a product caused by the vending mechanism. a detecting means; a transmitting means for transmitting a message to the host computer to that effect when the unsellable state detecting means detects that the product is unsellable; and the product is sellable based on data received from the host computer. and presenting means for presenting location information of other vending machines in the current state.

[For production]

That is, when the unsellable state detecting means detects that the unsellability of the product is caused by the sales organization, it transmits the sales organization and the product to the host computer via the transmitting means.

The host computer may, for example, notify the vending machine that has reported that it is unable to sell the product to another vending machine that can sell the same or similar product as the product that has become unavailable for sale, and A database is searched for vending machines installed near a vending machine in a disabled state, and the search results are sent to the vending machine in a disabled state.

The vending machine in the disabled state presents location information of the other vending machine, such as a simple message or map, based on the data received from the host computer, that is, the search results, using a presentation means. do.

Based on the location information presented on the presentation means, the user is guided to the other vending machine where the product he or she intends to purchase is sold. Note that the presentation means includes a display device, a voice synthesis device, and the like.

〔Effect of the invention〕

Therefore, according to the present invention, when a vending machine becomes unable to sell due to the vending mechanism, it is possible to perform quick recovery work according to instructions from the host computer, while still providing information to the user. By presenting location information, it is possible to provide a vending machine system that respects purchase intentions and assists customers in taking flexible actions, thereby increasing sales opportunities.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a vending machine (1) for canned beverages is constructed by providing serpentine columns (3) on the front, back, left and right sides for storing a plurality of products separately.

The front panel (2) of the vending machine (1) has a sample shelf (4) for displaying samples of stored products, and a product corresponding to the product (4a) displayed on the sample shelf (4). A plurality of product selection buttons (5) for selecting items individually, a coin slot (8) for purchasing products, and a product takeout port (11) for dispensing selected products are provided.

At the bottom of the product selection button (5), a sold-out indicator light (6) is provided to indicate that the product is sold out, and a product indicator light (7) is provided to indicate that the product is available for sale according to the amount invested. , displays the sales availability status for each product.

The front panel (2) includes a liquid crystal display device (10) that displays various information such as product advertising messages for sales promotion, sales management information, and failure information, and the coin slot (10).
Instead of the coins inserted from 8), a reading device (hereinafter referred to as a card reading/writing device (9)) for selling products etc. via the card storage medium (9a) is provided. This consists of a vending machine.

The card-type storage medium (9a) is an IC card equipped with an internal readable/writable semiconductor memory, and has two types of sales cards: a prepayment type in which money is paid first and a deferred payment type in which payment is made in bulk later. Cards are classified into three types: sales information management cards that collect management information such as sales amount and quantity from the vending machine (1), and sales data setting cards that set various sales data such as product prices.

That is, the card reading/writing device (9)
When the IC card is inserted, data identifying the type of card is read from the IC card, and the above-mentioned processes, such as sales control and sales information management, are performed depending on the type of card.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit (C) of the vending machine (1) includes a coin processing unit (12) that tallies the money inserted through the coin slot (8), pays change, etc. , a product dispensing unit (13) that dispenses products from the column (3) to the product outlet (11), a product selection button operation unit (17), the coin processing unit (12) and the product Sales control unit (14) that controls the payout unit (13), etc.
The main part of the product sales mechanism (15) consisting of the card reading/writing device (9), the input/output operation part (21) for the interface, and the display for the interface via the interface part (16). Device (22)
, a printer (19) for printing out various management data such as sales information, and the like.

The operation unit (17) detects the operation of the product selection button (5) and controls the product display light (1) based on the amount information detected by the coin processing unit (12) and the card reading/writing device (9). 7) lighting control, the sales control section (
14) The lighting control of the sold-out indicator light (6) is performed based on the sold-out information of the product in the column (3) detected by step 14).

The plurality of vending machines (1) are connected online to a host computer (H) from each of the interface units (16) via an information transmission path (20) to form a vending machine system.

Various management data such as sales information, malfunction information, sold-out information, etc. in the vending machine (1) are transmitted through the information transmission path (20).
) to the host computer (H).

The vending machine system is placed in a certain area, such as on each floor of a building or an amusement park, and a plurality of vending machines (1) are centrally managed by the host computer (H).

In other words, various management data of the vending machine (1) are as follows:
The information can be output in three forms: the information transmission path (20), the IC card, and the printer (19).

The operation of the control section (C) will be explained below based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, it is determined whether the host computer (H) is connected or not based on the presence or absence of received data from the host computer (H) #101>, and if there is received data, various sales information such as product price is determined based on the received data. <#102> Next, it is determined whether the vending mechanism (15) of the vending machine (1) is normal or not, and if there is an abnormality, it is detected that the vending machine (15) is not able to sell.#103 > ,
The name of the product that cannot be sold due to the abnormality and the abnormal state are sent to the host computer (H) <#104>.

Abnormalities in the sales mechanism (15) include, for example, the coin processing section (12) running out of change, the product dispensing section (13) being jammed with products, and the product transport mechanism (not shown). An abnormality in the mechanism for selling a product, such as a malfunction.

In other words, the control section (C) and step <#103> constitute an unsaleable state detection means, and the interface section (16) and step <#104> constitute a transmission means.

The host computer (H) is connected to the vending machine (1).
) and recognizes that the vending machine is unable to sell the same product, or even other vending machines that can sell similar products. In (1), information on a vending machine (1) that is in the vicinity of the vending machine (1) that is in a disabled state is searched, and the search results are returned to the vending machine (1) that is in a disabled state. (not shown).

The vending machine (1) is connected to the host computer U)
Based on the search results sent from the display device (lO
) to display the location information of other vending machines (1) that can be sold in place of the product that cannot be sold.
#105>.

The location information is displayed using characters or a map.

That is, the display device (10) serves as a presentation means for presenting location information of other vending machines (1) based on the data received from the host computer (H).

Next, it is determined whether or not an IC card, which is the card-type storage medium (9a), is inserted. ) to determine whether the card is valid<#10
8>.

As a result, if the IC card is invalid, please return the IC card.
Return to step 11D <#103>, and if the IC card is valid, read the identification code that specifies the purpose and type of the IC card, and if the card is for sale, proceed to <#109> and execute the sales control subroutine <#110> described later. Execute and return to step <#103>.

If the IC card is the sales information management card, <
#112>, write management information such as the sales amount and quantity of the vending machine (1) on the IC card <111
3> If the IC card is not the sales information management card, it is determined that it is the sales data setting card, and various sales data such as product prices written in the IC card are read out #114 > After the processing is completed, the process returns to step <#103>.

If the IC card is not inserted in step <#106>, it is checked whether a coin has been inserted from the coin insertion slot (8), and if no coin has been inserted, the process returns to step <#103> and whether or not a coin has been inserted. If so, execute the sales control subroutine in step <#110> and go to step <#110>.
Return to #103>.

The sales control subroutine of step <#110> will be explained below based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

In step <1201>, it is determined whether the mode is card sales mode, that is, whether the mode is card sales mode using the sales card detected in step <1109>, and the coins using the coin detected in step <#107>. It is determined whether the mode is sales mode, and if it is coin sales mode, the product display light (7) corresponding to the product that can be sold with the inserted coin is turned on and step <#204> is performed.
Proceed to #205>.

If it is the card sales mode, the process proceeds to step <#202>, where the amount information stored in the sales card is read out, and the product attribute information is also read out.

If the product attribute information does not exist, proceed to step <#204> and turn on the product display light (7) corresponding to the product that can be sold with the price information #204>; if the product attribute information exists, proceed to step <#204>. , the product indicator light (7) corresponding to the product corresponding to its attribute, for example, the non-calorie drink group or the coffee drink group, is turned on <#203>.

That is, the product display light (7) and the control section (C) constitute a product display means that indicates a corresponding product based on the product attribute information recorded on the card.

More specifically, the product attribute information is coded information that indicates classification criteria for a plurality of products sold in the vending machine and is stored in the IC card. , temperature (hot/cold)
, ingredients (sugar content, etc.), etc.

The product selection button (5) corresponding to the product display light (7) lit in steps <1203> and <#204>
Waits for it to be operated, and when it is operated <#205>, payment processing is performed, that is, if it is in the card sales mode, amount information corresponding to the price of the sold product is obtained from the amount information stored in the IC card. If the coin sales mode is selected, change is paid for the amount inserted from the coin slot (8) <1206>.

Next, the product selected with the product selection button (5) is transported from the column (3) to the product takeout port #207>
, the IC card is returned <1208>.

[Another example]

Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

In the previous embodiment, an IC card is used as the card-type storage medium, but this type of storage medium may also include a magnetic card, an optical card, or a composite card that appropriately combines these three types of storage media. It's okay.

In the previous embodiment, the product display light corresponding to the corresponding product is lit based on the product attribute information stored in the card, but all the products that can be sold are lit for the amount of money inserted in the card or coin. The corresponding product display light may be turned on, and the product display light corresponding to the product corresponding to the product attribute information may be blinked.

In the previous embodiment, product attribute information is stored in the card,
The product indicator light corresponding to the product corresponding to the attribute is lit, but instead of the product attribute information, the card stores specific product information that specifies a specific product, and the product is specified by the specific product information. Then, a product display light corresponding to another product having the same attributes as that product may be turned on.

Furthermore, only when the specific product is unsaleable,
A product display light corresponding to another product having the same attributes as the specific product may be turned on.

In the previous embodiment, a liquid crystal display device is used as a presentation means for presenting location information of other vending machines when a product cannot be sold due to a vending mechanism. It is not limited to C.
Any display device such as RT can be used. Furthermore, the presentation means is not limited to a display device, and may be one that appeals to the sense of hearing, such as a speech synthesis device.

Further, the sales mechanism refers to all mechanisms for selling products, and is not limited to simply a coin processing section or a conveyance device.

For example, when a product cannot be sold due to a product being sold out at a location other than the sales organization, location information of other vending machines that have the product in stock may be displayed.

In the previous embodiment, a vending machine for canned beverages was described, but the vending machine may be for any other product such as cup beverages or cigarettes, and in that case, product attribute information may also be set separately for each product. For example, in the case of a cigarette vending machine, the information includes tar and nicotine content in addition to the price.

In the previous embodiment, the location information of other vending machines is displayed at the time when the host computer's search results are received, but the timing of displaying the location information is not limited to this, and will be described below. It may be displayed at the appropriate timing.

In other words, a vending machine can be equipped with a human body detection sensor and display location information when it detects that a person is approaching, or display location information when an IC card or coin is inserted. It is conceivable to display location information when a product selection button is operated and the product corresponding to the product selection button is not available for sale.

Incidentally, although reference numerals are written in the claims section for convenient comparison with the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the structure of the attached drawings by such entry.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the vending machine system according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vending machine, FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a front panel, and FIG. 4 is a system configuration diagram. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the operation of the control section. (1)...Vending machine, (H)...Host computer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A vending machine system comprising a host computer (H) and a plurality of vending machines (1) connected online, wherein each of the vending machines (1) is configured to detect a state in which a product cannot be sold due to the vending mechanism. unsellable state detection means for detecting;
When the unsellable state is detected by the unsellable state detection means, the host computer (
a transmitting means for transmitting data to the host computer (H);
H) Presentation means for presenting location information of another vending machine (1) in which the product is available for sale based on data received from the vending machine system.