JPH06282732A - Information collecting method for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide information required for confirming sales by using an on-line system. CONSTITUTION:A center 12 and automatic vending machines 2 at respective installation destinations 1 are connected by an on-line 11, each automatic vending machine 2 is provided with a main control part 3, slave control part 4 and MODEM 5, and information concerning sales stored in the slave control part 4 is transmitted to the center 12 by the on-line 11 while pressing a push button 6 provided at the MODEM 5. Therefore, it is not necessary for a route man to use a handy terminal at the installation destination and on the side of the center, sales conditions can be grasped immediately when the route man visits the installation destination.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for collecting information on vending machines at respective installation sites online at a center.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to efficiently operate a large number of vending machines installed in various places, it is necessary to collect various information generated in the vending machines accurately and quickly.
Therefore, various methods have been developed. Information collection of vending machines is roughly classified into an offline method in which information is manually collected at the installation site and an online method in which information is conveyed using a telephone line or the like.

In the off-line system, an operator called a rootman who travels around each vending machine to replenish and collect money from the vending machine is displayed on the counter of the vending machine when the goods are replenished and collected. The information displayed is read, the key of a device called a handy terminal is tapped and driven, and after returning to the center, the information stored in the handy terminal is read out and sales are processed. This method is advantageous in that it is possible to grasp the accurate sales state because product filling, collection, and information collection are performed at the same time, and there is no time lag, but operation of the handy terminal is a burden for the route man, and There is a high possibility that an error may occur in reading the information, and there is also the problem that the route man must be able to settle the sales until he returns to the center.

On the other hand, in the online system, information can be collected in real time without going to the installation site. The sales of the vending machine can be calculated from the full value that each storage shelf of the vending machine has and the value of the counter that changes according to the number of products sold. It is impossible to detect automatically whether or not it has become full with the current technology because of the structure of the storage shelf and the variety of product shapes. It was not possible to obtain it as information, so it was impossible to obtain accurate sales information in real time.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to obtain an information collecting method for a vending machine which can obtain information necessary for confirmation of sales by using an online method.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a center and a vending machine at each installation place are connected online, and each vending machine has a main control unit and a slave control unit. A department and a modem are provided, and by operating a push button provided on the modem, information on sales stored in the sub-control unit can be transmitted to the center in an online manner.

[0007]

In the present invention, the contents are sent to the sub-control unit in accordance with the operation of the vending machine performed by the main control unit,
There, various information is created and stored, but when the route man who goes around fills up the product to the full, the push button is operated and the storage shelves of the vending machine are placed in the basic state of being full. The information about the sales stored in the slave control unit at that time is transmitted online to the center, and the center can make sales based on this information.

[0008]

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

The figure shows a block diagram of a system for carrying out the method of the invention. 1 is the vending machine installation site and vending machine 2
The vending machine 2 has a main control unit 3 that controls the sales operation of the product, and a slave control unit 4 that creates and stores various information data in response to the contents of the sales operation performed by the vending machine 2. A modem 5 for transmitting the output data of the slave control unit 4,
The modem 5 further has a push button 6 operated by the rootman.

The modem 5 is connected via the line control device 7 to an online 11 including a vending machine installation telephone station 8, a general public line network 9 and a center installation telephone station 10. This online 11 is connected to the center 12. It is connected to the line control device 13 and the personal computer 14.

The information created or stored in the sub-control unit 4 includes installation code, vending machine identification information such as vending machine code, product number, hot / cold classification of each product storage shelf (column), There are setting information such as sales unit price, counter value for each column, sales information such as the current number of stocks, and status information such as breakdown and out of change. These pieces of information are collected by calling from the center or sent from the vending machine side to the center as needed.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described.

After the rootman visits the installation site 1 and fills each column with products until they are full and collects money,
When the push button 6 of the modem 5 is operated, the information stored in the slave control unit 4 at that time is output and transmitted to the center 12 via the online 11. In the center 12, the sales can be immediately confirmed from the counter value for each column and the selling unit price of the information fetched by the personal computer 14, and the number of products introduced during the tour can be confirmed. When the Rootman travels to the installation location under his control and each time he pushes the modem to transmit sales information and other information to the center online and returns to the office, all sales and product inputs at the visiting location are confirmed. Therefore, the processing work is completed only by collating them with the collected amount.

Next, an example of sales status and transmission information will be described. For the sake of simplicity, the number of products is not the number for each column, but the total number. In FIG. 2, first, the vending machine is installed in a full state, and if the full value is, for example, 500 canned beverages, the in-machine inventory of the vending machine (a) in a full state is 500.
This is a book, and information to that effect is sent to the center via the slave control unit, modem, and online. After the time has passed since the installation, and at the scheduled time in the middle of the night, the center makes an inquiry to the installation site. If it is assumed that 200 pieces have been sold after the installation, the information to that effect will be transmitted to the center and the vending will be done automatically. The in-flight inventory of machine (b) is 300. The information obtained by the regular meter reading in the middle of the night is used as data on the route patrol on the next day. The next day, Routeman visits and fills the sold product until it is full, and operates the push button on the modem, but if 100 were sold between the regular meter reading and the visit, it is transmitted to the information center. . At this point, sales are calculated at the center, and from the data of 200 at the time of regular meter reading and 100 at the time of visiting, the result is that the sales quantity is 300 and the sales price is 30,000 yen when the unit price of the product is 100 yen. At this point, the inventory of the vending machine (c) will be 500 again. Next, the regular meter reading is performed in the middle of the night, but if 300 pieces have been sold by then, the information to that effect is sent to the center, and the on-board inventory of the vending machine (d) becomes 200 pieces. If 100 more columns are sold out and one column is out of stock, a sold-out warning is sent to the center and information that 100 were sold is also sent at the same time, and the in-flight inventory of the vending machine (e) is 10
It becomes 0. After that, when it was time for Routeman to sell another 50, and when Routeman filled up with 450 items and operated the push button on the modem, the information that 50 were sold was sent after the sold-out information was sent to the center. Sent to. At this point, the sales are calculated again at the center, and the sales volume is 450 and the sales are 45,000 from the data of 300 at the time of regular meter reading, 100 at the time of sold-out warning, and 50 at the time of visit.
The result is a circle. At this time, the on-board inventory of the vending machine (f) is full of 500.

In the above-described embodiment, the general public line is used as an online line, but a private line may be used instead of the public line. The online system is not limited to the wired system, and may be a wireless system. In that case, a wireless modem, that is, a wireless device may be used as the modem.

[0016]

According to the present invention, the route man does not need to carry a handy terminal as in the past, and therefore, it is not necessary to input information generated by the vending machine to the handy terminal, and filling and collecting of goods. Since it is only necessary to concentrate on the work, it is possible to simplify the route work, and thus increase the number of vending machines that can be managed by Rootman in one day, while the center side immediately increases the number of vending machines at the time of visiting Rootman. It is possible to instruct the patrol corresponding to the sales and the number and type of loaded products according to the patrol because it is possible to grasp the sales situation of the It is possible to check whether or not it is open, and it is possible to obtain many advantages such as simplification of paperwork after the patrol is completed and Routeman returns to the office.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for carrying out the method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a sales situation and information transmission according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Installation place 2 Vending machine 3 Main control unit 4 Sub-control unit 5 Modem 6 Push button 11 Online 12 Center

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A center and a vending machine at each installation site are connected online, each vending machine is provided with a main control unit, a slave control unit and a modem, and a push button provided on the modem is operated. A method for collecting information on a vending machine, characterized in that information on sales stored in the slave control unit can be transmitted to the center online.