JPH07152948A - Management system of automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the need to gather data by a person at the automatic vending machine and to gather the data in an optional time zone by receiving management information by a telephone-set side radio transmitter receiver and sending it to a management center side through a public telephone line. CONSTITUTION:On the side of the management center 1, the telephone-set side radio transmitter receiver 8 is actuated through the public telephone line 4 on the basis of a discrimination number given to each automatic vending machine 9 to sends an actuation signal to a single or plural automatic-vending-machine side radio transmitter receivers 10. A spread spectrum system is employed as a data modulation system between radio transmission and reception. Consequently, a signal is sent from the side of the management center 1 to the telephone-set side ratio transmitter receiver 8 through the telephone line, i.e., on a wire basis so as to obtain the information of the automatic vending machine 9. Then a radio communication is made between this telephone-set side radio transmitter receiver 8 and automatic-vending-machine side radio transmitter receivers 10... and the data of the sides of the automatic vending machines 9... are inputted to the management center 1 through the automatic-vending- machine side radio transmitter receivers 10..., the telephone-set side radio transmitter receiver 8, and the telephone line 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is applied to a management system for vending machines scattered over a wide area.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a management system for vending machines,
a. A small-power radio is installed on the vending machine side, and wireless communication is performed between this radio and the communication media that has moved to the vicinity of the vending machine, and the data collected by this communication media passes through the public telephone line. And send it to the center side (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-19
No. 0485), or b. A system for transmitting various data of the vending machine to the center side through a telephone line (JP-A-2-12394), or c. A first online system for transmitting and receiving information via the public line to a center device that receives and processes information transmitted from each vending machine through the public line; A second online system for converting the signal medium of information and connecting to the public line; a third online system for performing the information wirelessly and connecting the received information to the public line; An information collecting device for a vending machine, which is connected to at least one of a fourth online system for connecting a signal received from the power line to the public line through a line (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 5)
No. 108932) is known.

[0003]

However, the above vending machine management system has the following drawbacks. a. In the case of the method a, which is a wireless method, it is necessary to carry out data collection by using an automobile or the like up to the vicinity of the vending machine, which requires manpower. b. In the case of the b method, which is a wired method, there is a cost for the equipment and an electric work is required each time the vending machine is moved. c. In the case of the c method using the wireless and the public line, the system becomes very complicated and there is a problem in practical use, and the facility costs a lot. d. In the case of the conventional techniques a and c that use the wireless system, there is a possibility that the normal modulation system will be used for eavesdropping, and there is a possibility that the data will be illegally used or tampered with.

It is an object of the present invention to propose a vending machine management system which does not have the drawbacks described in a to d above.

[0005]

A vending machine management system according to the present invention is as follows. On the vending machine side,
A telephone set for communicating with the wireless transmission / reception device on a telephone set side close to the vending machine, which is provided with a vending machine side wireless transmission / reception device for taking in management information including inventory and transmitting the management information A side wireless transmission / reception device is provided, a spread spectrum method is used as a data modulation method performed between the wireless transmission / reception devices, a public telephone line is connected between the telephone and the vending machine management center, and the vending machine management center is connected to a public telephone. A start signal is sent to the telephone side wireless transceiver through the line, and this signal is sent from the telephone side wireless transceiver to the vending machine side wireless transceiver by radio to drive the vending machine side wireless transceiver. By this, the management information on the vending machine side is transmitted wirelessly, this management information is received by the telephone side wireless transmission / reception device, and this is transmitted via the public telephone line to the management center. Management system of a vending machine to be transmitted to the over side, characterized in that.

The above-mentioned configuration is a system in which the management center side calls the vending machine side and takes in information. In addition to this, situations such as change of money, temperature modulation, out of stock, and theft from the vending machine side. In the event of occurrence of the above, if a system for calling and transmitting the management center by automatic calling using these as alarm information is added, so-called remote management of the vending machine is perfect. In addition, the management center side may be configured to be able to rewrite various setting information on the vending machine side, for example, the set temperature and the available selling time in the case of a vending machine for liquor. It should be noted that a single telephone side wireless transmission / reception device may be configured to communicate with a plurality of vending machine side transmission / reception devices.

[0007]

[Function] Each vending machine is provided with a wireless transmitter / receiver, and this wireless transmitter / receiver can take in the data stored in the file in the data circuit incorporated in the vending machine. is there.

On the management center side, based on the identification number provided for each vending machine, the telephone side wireless transmission / reception device is activated through the public telephone line, and the single or plural automatic vending machine side wireless transmission / reception is performed. The activation signal is sent to the device to activate the vending machine side wireless transmission / reception device to wirelessly transmit the captured data, and this data is transmitted from the telephone side wireless transmission / reception device → telephone → central office in the management center via the central office. The alarm information can be taken into the CPU for information processing, and the alarm information can be automatically transmitted from the vending machine side to the management center side by automatic calling. In addition, from the management center side, various setting information in the vending machine is rewritten as necessary through a reverse route to the above route.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
1 is a management center, 2 is an information management control unit, 3 is a communication control unit, 4 is a public telephone line, 5 is a telephone station, 6 is a T-NCU,
7 is a telephone, 8 is a wireless transceiver on the telephone side, 9 ... is a vending machine, 10 ... is a wireless transceiver on the vending machine, and the wireless transceiver 8 on the telephone side and the wireless transceiver on the vending machine side. The data modulation method between 10 ... Is a spread spectrum method.

In the above management system, when it is desired to obtain information on the vending machine, a signal is sent by wire from the management center 1 side to the telephone side wireless transmission / reception device 8 via the telephone line, and the telephone side wireless communication is performed. Wireless communication is performed between the transmitter / receiver 8 and the vending machine side wireless transmitter / receiver 10, and the data on the side of the vending machine 9 ...
The telephone side wireless transceiver 8 → telephone line 4 → management center 1 is incorporated.

On the other hand, when alarm information is generated on the vending machine 9 side, the vending machine side wireless transmitter / receiver 10
-> Telephone side wireless transceiver 8 → Telephone line 4 → Automatic transmission of alarm information to the management center 1.

When rewriting various setting information on the vending machine 9 side, the management center 1 → telephone side wireless transceiver 8 ... → vending machine side wireless transceiver 10 ... → vending machine 9 ... The rewriting signal is transmitted to perform the necessary rewriting.

[0013]

The present invention has the following effects by adopting the management system in the vending machine as described above. a. There is no need for people to go to the vicinity of the vending machine to collect data. b. The wireless transmission / reception device may be small in size, and the equipment cost is low because it passes through a public telephone line. c. Data can be collected at any time. d. Since the telephone side wireless transmission / reception device and the vending machine side wireless transmission / reception device can be brought close to each other, communication is not disturbed by a building or other object. e. Even if the vending machine side is moved, there is no need to perform special electrical work. f. Data can be kept secret by using the spread spectrum method as the transmission method between the telephone side wireless transmission / reception device and the vending machine side wireless transmission / reception device. g. Even in the case of wide area wireless system, communication is not possible outside the service area, but the telephone network is nationwide, and there is no obstacle to the use and construction of this system. h. Since the alarm information on the vending machine side is sent to the management center in real time by the automatic calling method, appropriate measures can be taken immediately. i. When rewriting the setting information in the vending machine, it suffices to send a rewriting signal from the management center side, which is convenient because it saves the labor of rewriting one by one as in the past. j. It is possible to reduce the system construction cost by communicating with a plurality of vending machine side transmitting / receiving devices by one telephone side transmitting / receiving device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of a management system in a vending machine according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 management center 2 information control unit 3 communication control unit 4 public telephone line 5 telephone station 6 T-NCU 7 telephone 8 ... telephone side wireless transceiver 9 ... vending machine 10 ... vending machine wireless transceiver

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. The vending machine side is provided with a vending machine side wireless transmission / reception device for taking in management information including inventory and transmitting the management information, wherein the telephone set side near the vending machine has the above A telephone side wireless transmitter / receiver for communicating with the wireless transmitter / receiver is provided. A spread spectrum method is used as a data modulation method performed between the wireless transmitter / receivers. A public telephone line is provided between the telephone and the vending machine management center. Connected with the vending machine management center, send a start signal to the telephone side wireless transceiver via the public telephone line, and send this signal
The vending machine side wireless transmission / reception device is wirelessly sent to the vending machine side wireless transmission / reception device to drive the vending machine side wireless transmission / reception device, whereby the management information of the vending machine side is transmitted wirelessly, and this management information is called by the telephone. A vending machine management system characterized in that it is received by a device-side wireless transmission / reception device and transmitted to the management center via a public telephone line. 2. The vending machine management system according to claim 1, wherein the management center is called by an automatic call from the vending machine side and alarm information can be automatically transmitted to the management center side. 3. The configuration as set forth in claim 1, wherein the management center side transmits various setting information signals on the vending machine side using a public telephone line to rewrite the setting in the vending machine. Vending machine management system. 4. A single telephone side wireless transmitter / receiver device,
The vending machine management system according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the vending machine management system is configured to be capable of transmitting and receiving to and from a plurality of vending machine side wireless transmission / reception devices.