JPH04256092A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To sell a product by means of a credit card by read-processing credit card information. CONSTITUTION:A sales information management device 11, a propaganda information management device 12 and a number input device 13 are added to an intelligent automatic vending machine. The credit card is inserted and an identification number is inputted from the number input device 13. When it agrees with information in the card, the product can be purchased. When the product is selected by a product selection button, sales information management part 113 updates a purchase management file and a product file by information in the card and a data transmission part 111 transmits information updated by the instruction of a host computer to the host computer. It calculates requests from received contents and transmits them to respective credit companies.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to vending machines, and more particularly to vending machines with intelligent functions aimed at increasing sales.

0002

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional vending machines require cash purchases, and unless you actually have money, you cannot purchase products from the vending machine. Even if you had cash, you could not purchase it unless you had available coins or banknotes. In addition, although there are many vending machines installed, each company only sells products and is not used for sales promotion.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The above-mentioned conventional vending machines are intended for cash purchases, and it is necessary to carry coins or banknotes that can be used at the vending machine, which is extremely inconvenient. Furthermore, conventional vending machines cannot collect sales information and purchaser information for each item, which could not be used to promote future sales. Furthermore, with conventional vending machines, it has not been possible to effectively use the vending machines for advertising.

0004

[Means for solving the problems] The vending machine of the present invention includes:
The sales information management device includes a sales information management device and an advertising information management device, and the sales information management device includes a credit card input unit that reads a credit card inserted into a credit card input slot and checks a password input from the number input device;
A sales information management department that manages and updates purchasing information and product inventory information for each item using information obtained from this credit card input section, and a sales information management department that manages and updates purchasing information and product inventory information for each item based on information obtained from this sales information management department. The advertisement information management device includes a data transmitting section that transmits information to the host computer, and a data receiving section that receives image information and audio information transmitted from the host computer, and a data receiving section that receives the image information and audio information passed from the data receiving section. an image/audio data management unit that reads additional information from a storage medium based on an information number input from the number input device from a file storing information and passes the information to an image/code data output unit and an audio output unit; Obtaining information from the data management department,
It is equipped with an image/code data output section and an audio output section that output image/audio information from the vending machine.

[0005]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an intelligent vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The intelligent vending machine has a sales information management device 11, a promotion information management device 12, and a number input device 13 in addition to the functional configuration of the current vending machine.

[0008] The sales information management device 11 includes a data transmitting section 11
1 (Send product/purchasing information to the host computer)
, a credit card input section 112 (reads the credit card, checks the PIN number, and collects information), and a sales information management section 113 (manages purchase information written on the credit card and inventory information for each item).

The advertising information management device 12 includes a data receiving section 12
1 (receives advertising information/value-added information from the host computer), image/audio data management unit 122 (obtains audio information/image information based on the value of the information number input by the number input device 13), and image/code data. It has an output section 123 (displays image code data on the vending machine) and an audio output section 124 (outputs audio information from the vending machine).

FIG. 2 is an external view of the intelligent vending machine of this embodiment. The intelligent vending machine has the same configuration as the current vending machine (bill/coin input port 23, product display shelf 24, product selection button 25, product takeout port 28).
In addition, a number input device 13 (used to input a credit card PIN number and select an information number for additional information such as news, weather forecasts, stock information, etc.) and a credit card input port 22 (used for cards provided by various credit companies) (inserted), an image/code data output screen 26 (outputs advertising information/additional information in the form of images or character data), and an audio output port 27 (outputs advertising information/additional information in the form of audio).

FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams explaining the sales information management device 11 in detail. Insert a credit card from the credit card input port 22 and enter the number input device 1.
3. When the password is input, the credit card input unit 112 reads the information stored in the credit card and checks the input password. Credit card has credit company code (credit company code)
, a card number, a password, a flag indicating whether or not the card can be used, etc. are stored.

If the PIN number does not match the PIN number of the credit card, the credit card is ejected from the credit card input port 22 and an error message with image/audio is displayed on the image/code data output screen 26 and the advertising information management device 12. It is output to the audio output port 27.

[0013] When the passwords match, the product can be purchased. When a product is selected using the product selection button 25, the sales information management section 113 updates the purchase management file 41 and product file 42 based on the information written on the credit card. In addition, the product code is stored in the product display display management file 43 by the selected product selection button 25.
Search and retrieve.

The product display management file 43 is updated in the sales information management section 113 by inputting the information to be corrected using the number input device 13 when the product is changed.

The data transmitting unit 111 transmits the sales management information (purchase management file 41, product file 42, product display management file 43) managed by the sales information management unit 113 to the host computer 34 according to instructions from the host computer 34. Send.

The host computer 34 passes the received content to sales management/billing management, calculates billing, and transmits billing information to each credit company 35. Each credit company 3
Step 5 debits the amount from the product purchaser's bank account based on the billing information.

[0017] In the sales management of the host computer 34, detailed sales analysis (by age, (by gender, area, etc.) and issue direct mail. The sales information management unit 113 counts the number of products and updates the product file 42 when replenishing products.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrams explaining the advertisement information management device 12 in detail.

The data receiving section 121 receives advertisement information and additional value information according to instructions from the host computer 34, and passes the information to the image/audio data management section 122.

The image/audio data management section 122 separates the advertisement information and additional value information into audio information and image code information and stores them in an audio information file 71 and an image code information file 72.

The image/code data output unit 123 always receives advertising information (descriptions of products in the vending machine (calories, features, campaign information, etc.)) from the image/audio data management unit 122, and outputs the image/code data. It is displayed on the output screen 26.

[0022] When a credit card or cash is inserted and a product is selected, an information number can be input from the number input device 13. The menu of additional information is received from the image/audio data management section 122 and displayed on the image/code data output screen 26 by the image/code data output section 123.

The image/audio data management unit 122 selects the audio information file 71 or the image/code information file 72 according to the information number input from the number input device 13.
is searched, the data is passed to the image/code data output section 123 and the audio output section 124, and the audio and image code data are displayed and output on the image/code data output screen 26 and the audio output port 27 of the vending machine.

Although this article describes the use of a credit card, it is also possible to use a prepaid card, which is purchased by paying cash first, if the stored contents of the card are in the same format.

[0025]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the sales information management device, advertising information management device, and intelligent vending machine equipped with a number input device of the present invention, it is possible to output and collect information necessary for sales promotion. , it will be possible to greatly contribute to improving sales at vending machines. Furthermore, even if you do not have cash, you can purchase products with a credit card or prepaid card, which is very convenient.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an intelligent vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the sales information management device 11.

[Fig. 4] (a) to (c) each represent the sales information management department 11
3 is a diagram illustrating a sales management file, a product file, and a product display management file that are managed in .3.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the advertisement information management device 12.

6A and 6B are diagrams respectively showing an audio information file and an image code information file managed by an image/audio data management unit 122. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 Sales information management device 111 Data transmission section 112 Credit card input section 113
Sales information management section 12 Advertising information management device 121 Data reception section 122 Image/audio data management section 123
Image/code data output unit 124 Audio output unit 13 Number input device 22 Credit card input port 23 Banknote/coin input port 24 Product display shelf 25 Product selection button 26 Image/code data output screen 27
Audio output port 28 Product takeout port 34 Host computer 35 Credit card company 41 Purchasing management file 42 Product file 43 Product display management file 71 Audio information file

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: The sales information management device includes a sales information management device and an advertising information management device, and the sales information management device reads a credit card inserted into a credit card input slot and checks a PIN code input from a number input device. A card input section, a sales information management section that manages and updates purchasing information and product inventory information for each item using the information obtained from the credit card input section, and a sales information management section that manages and updates purchasing information and product inventory information for each item using the information obtained from the credit card input section. The advertising information management device includes a data transmitter that transmits purchase information and product inventory information to the host computer, and a data receiver that receives image information and audio information transmitted from the host computer, and a data receiver that receives image information and audio information that are transmitted from the host computer. Additional information is read from the storage medium using the information number input from the number input device from a file storing the image information and audio information, and the image information and audio information are read from the storage medium.
An image/audio data management section that passes information to the code data output section and the audio output section, and an image/code data output section and audio that obtains information from the image/audio data management section and outputs the image/audio information from the vending machine. Vending machine equipped with an output section.