JPH05282530A - Prepaid card using type automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To print a printing content which is previously designated in a card to be used by providing a printing device printing the remaining amount of the prepaid card and using dates or only the remaining amount and a controller which drive-controls the printing device for a card reader. CONSTITUTION:When the card which is used at present is judged to be a first card into which the remaining amount and the date are printed, remaining amount data and date data by a timer are set so that they are printed in the prescribed position of the surface of the card 10. A thermal head 13 is operated and a printing processing for printing the remaining amount and the use date of the card 10 into the card 10 is executed. When the used card is judged to be a second card into which only the remaining amount is printed, only remaining amount data is set so that it is printed on the prescribed position of the surface of the card 10, and the thermal head 13 is operated. Then, the printing processing for printing only the remaining amount into the card 10 is executed. Thus, the printing content can be changed in accordance with the type of the used prepaid card.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a prepaid card type vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, prepaid cards (hereinafter referred to as cards) that play a role equivalent to money have become widespread, and even vending machines can purchase products by using cards instead of coins and bills. As a vending machine using a prepaid card described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-96897.
There are some which are shown in the official gazette.

In such a vending machine, the balance of the card inserted from the prepaid card insertion slot,
The card is read by the built-in card reader, and appropriate products are sold according to the balance.

In addition, when selling a product and returning the card, the date of use, the remaining amount, etc. are printed on the surface of the card so that the customer can know the usage status and the remaining amount of the card. The contents to be printed on the surface of this card differ depending on the card, and the data designating the contents to be printed is stored in advance in each card as unique data.

[0005]

However, in such a conventional vending machine using a prepaid card, for example, a vending machine having a card reader for printing only the remaining amount on the card surface prints the date of use and the remaining amount. When the first card designated to be performed is inserted, there is a problem that the printing is not performed at all or only the remaining amount is printed and the use date is unknown.

On the contrary, when the second card designated to print only the remaining amount is inserted into the vending machine having a card reader for printing the used date and the remaining amount on the surface of the card, the remaining amount is left. There is a problem that it is not printed, or only the remaining amount is printed using the space used for printing the remaining amount and the date of use, and the printing space on the surface of the card cannot be used effectively. From this, when changing the print contents of the card to be used,
There was a problem that the card reader had to be changed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a prepaid card use type vending machine capable of printing the print contents designated in advance on a card to be used.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided a first prepaid card having a peculiar data designated to print a balance and a time of use, and a second prepaid card having a peculiar data designated to print only the balance. In a prepaid card type vending machine that can be used in common with a card,
Each time the first and second prepaid cards are used, the balance is written in the magnetic data section of the prepaid card, and the card has a card reader that prints and returns the balance and the time of use on the prepaid card. The reader includes a printing device that prints only the remaining amount and the date of use or the remaining amount on the prepaid card, and a control device that drives and controls the printing device so as to print only the remaining amount when the second prepaid card is used. It is equipped with.

[0009]

With this configuration, when the first prepaid card having the unique data designated to print the balance and the time of use is used, the balance and the date of use can be printed by the printer of the card reader. .. Further, when the second prepaid card having the unique data designated to print only the remaining amount is used, the control device can drive and control the printing device to print only the remaining amount.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a prepaid card type vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a prepaid card card reader.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an automatic vending machine body, and a front door 1a of the automatic vending machine body 1 has a coin insertion slot 2, a bill insertion slot 3, a product selection button 4, a prepaid card insertion slot 5, and a prepaid card. A card return button 6 and a product sales outlet 7 are provided.

Further, the front door 1 of this vending machine body 1
In a, the remaining amount of the prepaid card inserted into the first card is 0
A second card insertion instruction switch 8 is provided which is pressed when the second prepaid card is inserted when it becomes a yen or the remaining amount is less than the minimum selling price.

On the other hand, a card reader 9 communicating with the prepaid card insertion slot 5 is provided on the back side of the front door 1a. As shown in FIG. 2, the card reader 9 is covered with a case 9a made of plastic or the like, and a card guide groove 11 for guiding the card 10 inserted from the prepaid card insertion slot 5 is provided in the case 9a. Are formed. The card insertion slot 11 of the card guide groove 11
The opposite end 11b of a is in a closed state.

Further, the card guide groove 1 in the case 9a
A magnetic data reading / writing device 12 and a thermal head 13, which is a printing device, are provided above the position 1.

Here, the magnetic data reading / writing device 12
Reads unique data, balance data, etc. recorded in a magnetic data section (not shown) of the card 10 inserted in the card guide groove 11, and at the same time, sells the card 1 after the product is sold.
When the 0 is returned, the updated balance data is written in the magnetic data section.

Further, when the card 10 is returned, the thermal head 13 prints only the remaining amount and the date of use or the remaining amount on the card 10 in accordance with the printing content stored in the unique data read by the magnetic data reading / writing device 12. Is.

Further, a front portion of the card reader 9 is provided with a pair of front and rear front rollers 14a and 14b which are rotatable in both directions by sandwiching the card guide groove 11, and the card reader 9 is also provided.
The inner rollers 15a, 15b, 15 are provided at the center and rear of the
c is provided.

Here, the front rollers 14a, 14b
When the card 10 is inserted into the card reader 9 and a first sensor (not shown) provided between the card insertion opening 11a and the front rollers 14a and 14b detects the card 10, the card 10 is removed. Each of them rotates in the direction of conveyance into the card reader 9.

The front rollers 14a and 14b are
In response to a sales command from a main control device (not shown) provided at a predetermined position of the vending machine body 1, the card 10 is rotated in a direction to be ejected to the outside of the card reader 9. Here, the main control unit is for the propriety of the inserted card 10,
The user sells the product by performing a process such as comparing the selling price of the product selected by the product selection button 4 with the remaining amount, and then outputting a sales command and operating a sales device (not shown).

On the other hand, the internal rollers 15a, 15b, 15c
Rotates when the first sensor detects that the card 10 is inserted in the card reader 9, and the front rollers 14a, 14
The card 10 conveyed by b is passed under the magnetic data reading / writing device 12 and the thermal head 13 and then conveyed to the standby position at the opposite end 11a of the card guide groove 11. In addition, the internal rollers 15a, 15
b and 15c rotate in a direction in which the card 10 is ejected to the outside of the card reader 9 according to a sales command from the main controller.

When the card 10 is conveyed to the standby position of the opposite end 11a and a second sensor (not shown) provided near the opposite end 11a, for example using light, detects this, the front rollers 14a, 14b and Internal roller 15a,
15b and 15c stop rotation.

Further, the card reader 9 controls the operations of the magnetic data reading / writing device 12 and the thermal head 13, and controls the rotation of the front rollers 14a, 14b and the inner rollers 15a, 15b, 15c. Device 1
6 is provided.

Here, the control device 16 is provided with a RAM (not shown), and when the card 10 conveyed from the front rollers 14a and 14b passes below the magnetic data reading / writing device 12. Magnetic data reading / writing device 12
To read the magnetic data, store the unique data of the card 10 in the RAM, and input the balance data to the main controller. When the card 10 is returned, the remaining amount of the card 10 calculated by the main controller is newly written on the card 10 by the magnetic data reading / writing device 12.

When the card 10 is returned, the control device 16 activates the thermal head 13 according to the unique data stored in the RAM, and only the balance of the card 10 is returned.
Alternatively, the balance and the date of use of the card 10 are printed on the surface of the card 10. The date data is read from a timer (not shown) provided at a predetermined position of the vending machine body 1.

Further, the control device 16 includes the first and second control devices.
The front roller 14 is driven by driving a roller driving device (not shown) according to a detection signal from the sensor and a sales command from the main controller.
a, 14b and the inner rollers 15a, 15b, 15c are rotated in a predetermined direction.

Next, the printing operation of the prepaid card type vending machine having the above structure will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG.

Since the user uses the card to purchase a product, when the card 10 is inserted into the prepaid card insertion slot 5 of the vending machine body 1 (Y in judgment 50), the first sensor of the card reader 9 detects this. And the controller 16 detects the front roller 14a, 14b and the inner roller 15a, 15b,
The card 10 is conveyed into the card reader 9 by rotating 15c.

As a result, the card 10 passes below the magnetic data reading / writing device 12, at which time the magnetic data reading / writing device 12 performs the magnetic data reading process (process 51), and the control device 16 controls the magnetic data reading / writing device 12. The unique data of the read magnetic data is stored in the RAM, and the balance data is input to the main controller.

The card 10 that has passed below the magnetic data reading / writing device 12 is conveyed to the standby position at the opposite end 11a of the card guide groove 11, and when the second sensor detects this, the control device 16 moves forward. The rotation of the partial rollers 14a, 14b and the internal rollers 15a, 15b, 15c is stopped.

After this, when the user selects a product with the product selection button 4, the main control unit performs processing such as card suitability, the balance and the selling price of the selected product, and then outputs a sales command. A sales device (not shown) operates to sell the product.

On the other hand, when the main controller issues a sales command,
The controller 16 returns the card 10 to the user, so that the front rollers 14a, 14b and the inner rollers 15a, 15
Rotate b and 15c in the direction to eject the card 10 to the outside of the card reader 9.

As a result, the card 10 passes below the thermal head 13 and the magnetic data reading / writing device 12. At this time, when the control device 16 detects that the card 10 has reached the position where the data is to be written, by means of a third sensor (not shown) using light, for example, the magnetic data reading / writing device 12 calculates it in the main control device. The balance of the card 10 is written on the card 10.

Further, at the same time, the controller 16 causes the RA
Whether the card 10 is the first card that reads the unique data stored in M and prints the balance and the date of use as in format 1 shown in FIG.
It is determined whether the card is the second card for printing only the balance as in the format 2 shown in (b) (decision 52).

If the first card is used now and the print content is judged to be format 1 (Y in judgment 52), the balance data from the main control unit and the date / month data read from the timer are read. The printing is set to print at a predetermined position on the surface of the card 10 (process 53), the thermal head 13 is operated, and a printing process is performed to print the remaining amount and the date of use of the card 10 on the card 10 (process 54).

The second card was used,
If the print contents are judged to be format 2 (decision 52
N), only the balance data from the main control unit is stored in the card 10
Set to print at a predetermined position on the surface of the
5) The thermal head 13 is operated to perform a printing process for printing only the balance of the card 10 on the card 10 (process 54).

After the balance of the card 10 is written by the magnetic data reading / writing device 12 and only the balance or the balance and the date of use are printed on the surface by the thermal head 13, the card 10 is removed from the card reader 9. Is discharged to the user (process 56) and returned to the user.

When the first sensor detects that the card 10 has been ejected from the card reader 9, the controller 16
Is the front rollers 14a, 14b and the inner rollers 15a, 1
The rotation of 5b and 15c is stopped to prepare for the next use of the card 10.

Thus, the magnetic data reading / writing device 12
By this, the print content specified in the unique data of the card 10 can be read out and stored in the RAM of the control device 16, and when the card is returned, the balance etc. can be printed on the surface of the card 10 according to the print content stored in this RAM. it can.

[0040]

As described above, according to the present invention, the print content can be changed according to the type of prepaid card used without changing the printing device of the card reader.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a prepaid card type vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the prepaid card type vending machine.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a printing operation of the prepaid card type vending machine.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing print contents of a prepaid card.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Vending machine main body 5 Prepaid card insertion slot 9 Card reader 12 Magnetic data reading / writing device 13 Thermal head 16 Control device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first prepaid card having unique data designated to print the remaining amount and the time of use, and a second prepaid card having unique data designated to print only the remaining amount can be commonly used. In a prepaid card type vending machine, each time the first and second prepaid cards are used, the remaining amount is written in a magnetic data section of the prepaid card, and the remaining amount and the time of use are printed on the prepaid card and returned. A card reader for printing the remaining amount and the date of use or only the remaining amount on the prepaid card, and the card reader for printing only the remaining amount when the second prepaid card is used. A prepaid-card type vending machine comprising a control device for driving and controlling a printing device.