JPH0729051A - Information collection system for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To collect whole data from all automatic vending machines at a whole data collection mode even if initialization data is lost by providing the whole data collection mode. CONSTITUTION:When a data processor gives a whole data request to the highest order automatic vending machine A in the information collection system of the automatic vending machines, which transmits the state change of various sales and faults, etc., as data by repeating it from a lower order automatic vending machine to a higher order machine, the automatic vending machine A transmits whole data of the self machine to the data processor and gives the whole data request to automatic vending machines C and D of an order lower by one hierarchy. Thus, the respective automatic vending machines C and D transmit data of the self machines to the automatic vending machine A. Whole data from the automatic vending machines C and D, which are stored in the automatic vending machine A, are transmitted to the data processor when the data processor requests whole data to the automatic vending machine next time. Thus, the respective vending machines function in such a way that they only collect whole data of the lower order machines and transmit them to the higher order machines at the whole data collection mode.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention provides various kinds of information (sales and failure data) of vending machines installed in a specific area by using a specific low power radio installed in each vending machine. The present invention relates to an information collecting system for a vending machine that transmits data to a data processing device while relaying the data with the vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a system of this type, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
There is an information collection system for vending machines of -348492, and its schematic configuration will be described below. For each vending machine,
Own-apparatus data storage means for storing changes in sales status etc. as own-apparatus data, destination storage means for storing the other party of transmission, and other-apparatus data receiving means for receiving data from another vending machine, The other-apparatus data storage means for storing the received other-apparatus data and the data transmission means for transmitting the other-apparatus data and the own-apparatus data according to the destination of the transmission are provided. The data is transmitted to the data processing device while being relayed by the vending machine.

In such a system, when each vending machine is installed, the data processing device receives the initial setting data transmitted from the vending machine to recognize the existence of a plurality of vending machines. There is. When the data processing device requests each vending machine for data generated every hour (normal data), the recognition data (for example, an ID code or address) included in the secretary setting data. Based on the above, data is collected by requesting data from individual vending machines. The same procedure is used to request all data.

[0004]

Therefore, in such a system, in the data processing device side, the above-mentioned problem is caused by the hardware replacement due to the failure of the data storage device or the memory layout change of the stored data accompanying the software change. If the initial setting data is lost, the central management device cannot request data from each vending machine. In that case, the service person must go to each vending machine, send the initial setting data from each vending machine to the data processing device, and then send the sales data and the like. It was such work.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an all data collection mode, in which all data can be collected from all vending machines by this mode. The purpose is to provide a system.

[0006]

According to the present invention, information about a vending machine is transmitted to a data processing device (50) as data such as various sales and state changes while relaying from a lower order to a higher order by the vending machine. In the collection system, a state monitoring unit (104) that creates data (own device data) from the status change that occurred in the vending machine, a own data storage unit (105) that stores the created own device data, and a host Destination storage unit (109) that stores the destination of the other, other device data receiving unit (106) that receives lower data (other device data), and other device data storage unit that stores the received other device data (107), a data request receiving unit (101) for receiving a data request signal transmitted from a host, and a data request receiving unit (101) receiving a data request command, a self-device data storage unit (105) ) Or the data stored in the other device's data storage unit (107) A data transmission unit (108) stored in the unit (109) for transmitting to a destination and a data requesting data to a lower layer when a data request command for another device is received by the data request receiving unit (101). Each vending machine is provided with a request transmission unit (103), and the data processing device (50) includes a data request transmission unit (51) for making a data request to the highest-level vending machine (100), A data receiving unit (53) that receives data transmitted from the highest-level vending machine (100), a received data storage unit (54) that stores the received data, and a data process that processes the stored data. The data processing device (50), which includes a part (55)
Is further provided with an all data request activation unit (52) for requesting all data to the highest-level vending machine (100), and all data request activation units (52) have activated all data requests. At this time, the data request transmission unit (51) requests all data to the uppermost vending machine (100) at the normal data request timing, while the above-mentioned vending machine has a data request reception unit. When the data request command received by (101) is the all data request, all the data stored in the own device data storage unit (105) or the other device data storage unit (107) is transmitted, and The data request transmission unit (103) further comprises an all data request activation unit (102) for making a lower level request for all data.

[0007]

In the system having the above structure, the data processing device
When the all data request starter (52) of (50) is set to the all data collection mode, the data request transmitter (51) sends a command for all data request to the highest-level vending machine (100). As a result, the vending machine (100) uses the data transmission section to store all the self-device data stored in the self-device data storage section (105).
(108) transmits to the data processing device (50). On the other hand, in the vending machine (100), the data request activation unit (101) receives the command for requesting all data
By (102), the data transmission requesting unit (103) makes a request for all data to the vending machine (200) one level below which is stored in advance. The data request receiving unit (10) of the vending machine (200)
When the request command is received in 1 '), all the stored data of the own device is transmitted by the data transmission unit (109'),
The data is received by the other-device data receiving unit (106 ') of the vending machine (100) and stored in the other-device data storage unit (107). Next, when the data processing device (50) sends a command for requesting all data to the vending machine (100), this time the data storage unit (10)
All the other machine data stored in 7) from the vending machine (200) is transmitted to the data processing device (50). In this way, the vending machine of each layer simply collects all the data from the vending machine one level below and transfers all the data to the vending machine or the data processing device (50) one level above.
All data can be collected even when the above-mentioned recognition data is lost in the data processing device (50).

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a control block diagram showing an embodiment of the information collecting system of the present invention. Reference numeral 50 is a data processing device that collects data of vending machines installed in a specific area using a specific low-power radio. In this data processing device 50, reference numeral 51 is a data request transmission unit that makes a data request to the plurality of topmost vending machines 100 (only one machine is shown in FIG. 1), and 52 is related to the present invention. It is an all data request activation unit for making all data requests.
Reference numeral 53 is a data receiving unit that receives the data transmitted from the highest-level vending machine 100, and 54 is a received data storage unit that stores the data received by the data receiving unit 53. Reference numeral 55 is a data processing unit that processes the data stored in the received data storage unit 54.

In the highest-level vending machine 100, 10
Reference numeral 1 denotes a data request receiving means for receiving a data request command transmitted from the data processing device 50. When the command received here is a normal data (for example, data generated every hour) request, A predetermined read signal is sent to the own-device data storage unit 105 or the other-device data storage unit 107 depending on whether the device data or the other-device data is requested, and in the case of the other-device data request, to the data request transmission unit 103. A predetermined signal is transmitted. On the other hand, when the all-data request command is received, the all-data request activation unit 102 is activated, and further, depending on whether the all-data request is a request for own-device data or another-device data, the own-device data storage unit 105 or another device All the data stored in the data storage unit 107 is read, and
In the case of a data request for all other devices, a predetermined signal is sent to the data request transmission unit 103.

Reference numeral 104 denotes a status monitoring unit that monitors the status change such as sales and breakdown occurring in the vending machine 100 and creates self-device data. The created self-device data is the self-device data storage unit. It is stored in 105.

Reference numeral 106 denotes another device data receiving unit, which is a data transmitting unit in each of a plurality of vending machines 200 (only one is shown in FIG. 1) one level below the vending machine 100 connected to the vending machine 100. The data (other device data) transmitted from 108 'is received. Each vending machine 200 is further connected to a plurality of vending machines one level below, and the internal structure of each vending machine is the same as that of the vending machine 100.

Reference numeral 107 denotes an other-apparatus data storage section for storing the other-apparatus data received by the other-apparatus data receiving section 106.
Reference numeral 108 denotes a data transmission unit that transmits the data stored in the other-device data storage unit 107 and the own-device data storage unit 105 to a higher level (the data processing device 50 in FIG. 1). 109
Is a transmission destination storage unit that stores the transmission destination of data by the data transmission unit 108.

The control operation of the system configured as described above will be described below. First, a case will be described in which normal data generated, for example, every hour is collected from the data processing device. A command for data request is transmitted from the specific low power radio device from the data request transmission unit 51 together with the request destination address (this is the above-mentioned initial setting data transmitted from each vending machine). When this command is received by the data request receiving unit 101 in the vending machine 100, if the address included in this command is for the vending machine 100, the own data storage unit 105 outputs the own data. Is read out, and the data transmission unit 108 causes the data processing device 50 to be read.
It is transmitted to the data receiving section 53 therein.

On the other hand, when the address is for the vending machine 200 one level below, the other device data storage unit 1
If the data of the vending machine 200 is stored in 07, the data transmission unit 108 causes the data processing device 50 to
If it is not stored, the data request command received by the data request receiving unit 101 is sent to the data request receiving unit 101 in the vending machine 200 via the data transmission requesting unit 103. Transferred. This vending machine 2
In 00, the stored own machine data is the vending machine 100.
It is transmitted to the other-apparatus data receiving unit 106 and stored in the other-apparatus data storage unit 107 as other-apparatus data. This other device data is transferred to the data processing device 50 immediately or at the next data request from the data processing device 50.

For example, all data is collected once a day by the same procedure, but when the address stored in the data processing device 50 is lost, all data as described above is collected. No data can be collected. The all data collection mode according to the present invention, which enables the collection of all data even in such a case, will be described below. In the present embodiment, the data collection operation in the case of the system configuration shown in FIG.
It will be described according to the time chart of FIG.

When the all data collecting mode is started by the all data request starting unit 52, the highest level (one layer) automatic sale from the data management device 50 is performed during the data request period from time t ₁ to time t _2. A command for requesting all data is transmitted to the machine A, and the command is sent to the all data request activation unit 102 in the automatic vending machine A, so that the machine data storage unit 1
All the data stored in 05 is stored in the data transmission unit 10
8 is transmitted to the data processing device 50, and within the data request period, next, all data requests are similarly made to the vending machine B, and the self-machine data of the vending machine B is collected.

When the data request period ends, all data requests are made again from the data processing device 50 in the data request period after the fixed period T, but in the data request period intermediate to this data request period, Upon activation of the all-data request activation unit 102 in the vending machine A of the first layer, the vending machine A makes a request for all data to the vending machines C and D that are one layer below the second vending machine. All the data of the vending machines C and D are stored in the other-apparatus data storage unit 107 of the vending machine A of one layer as all the other-apparatus data. During this data request period, the vending machine B sends all the other machine data to the vending machines E and F one level below at the same timing as the vending machine A sends the all machine other data request command. A command is transmitted and all the data of the vending machines E and F are fetched into the vending machine B, but this is omitted in FIG. 3 because the drawing becomes complicated.

In the data request period, the data processing device 50 sends a second all-data request command to the vending machines A and B. At this point in time, vending machines A and B store all the other vending machines C and D and vending machines E and F, respectively, and these data are transferred to the data processing device 50.

Also, during this data request period, the vending machines C of the second level and the vending machines G and H of the next level down.
Requesting all data to all vending machines G and H, and all data of other machines collected from vending machines one level below the vending machines G and H. Is transferred to the vending machine C. At the same timing as the collection of all the data by the vending machine C, the vending machines D, E, F collect all the data from the vending machines one level below.

In the data request period after the period T / 2 from the data request period, all the data from the automatic vending machines G and H stored in the automatic vending machine C are collected in response to the total data request from the automatic vending machine A. At the same time, other machine data stored in the vending machine D is also collected at the same time. In synchronization with this, all data stored in the automatic vending machines E and F are collected in response to a request for all data from the automatic vending machine B.

Then, from the data request period to the period T / 2
When the data request period comes later, the data processor 3
By the command for requesting all data output for the second time, all data from the vending machines G and H stored in the vending machine A and all data stored in the vending machine B are collected.

[0022]

As described above, in the all data collection mode, the vending machine of each layer collects all the data from the vending machine of the next lower layer and stores the entire data in the vending machine of the upper layer. Alternatively, since only the data is transferred to the data processing device, all data can be collected even when the initialization data is lost in the data processing device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a control block diagram showing an embodiment of an information collecting system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an overall view of the system used to explain this embodiment

3 is a time chart showing a control operation in the system of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 50 data processing device 51 data request transmission unit 52 all data request activation unit 53 data reception unit 54 received data storage unit 55 data processing unit 100 vending machine 101 data request activation unit 102 all data request activation unit 103 data transmission request unit 104 status Monitoring unit 105 Own device data storage unit 106 Other device data reception unit 107 Other device data storage unit 108 Data transmission unit 109 Destination storage unit 200 Vending machine

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An information collection system for a vending machine, which transmits to a data processing device (50) data of various state changes such as sales and breakdowns while relaying from the lower level to the higher level by the vending machine. A state monitoring unit (104) that creates data (own device data) from the resulting status change, a own device data storage unit (105) that stores the created own device data, and a destination that stores a higher-order destination A storage unit (109), another device data receiving unit (106) that receives lower-order data (other device data), another device data storage unit (107) that stores the received other device data, and a higher device transmission When the data request command is received by the data request receiving section (101) and the data request receiving section (101), the data request receiving section (101) receives the signal of the requested data request, and the self-device data storage section (105) or the other device data storage section ( The data stored in (107) is transferred to the destination stored in the destination storage unit (109). A data transmission unit (108) for transmitting and a data request transmission unit (103) for making a data request to a lower layer when a data request command for another device is received by the data request reception unit (101) In preparation for the machine, the data processing device (50) sends a data request transmission unit (51) that makes a data request to the highest-level vending machine (100) and a data request from the highest-level vending machine (100). Data receiving section (53) for receiving the stored data, a received data storage section (54) for storing the received data, and a data processing section (55) for processing the stored data, The processing device (50) further includes an all-data request activation unit (52) that requests all data from the highest-level vending machine (100).
And when the all data request activation unit (52) activates all data requests, the data request transmission unit (51) causes the highest-level vending machine at a normal data request timing.
(100) request all data, while each of the above vending machines has a data request receiving unit (10
When the data request command received by 1) is a request for all data, all the data stored in the own device data storage unit (105) or other device data storage unit (107) is transmitted, and the above data is sent. All data request activation unit (1) for making all data requests to lower layers by the request transmission unit (103)
02) The information gathering system of the vending machine characterized by further comprising.