JPH0810475B2 - Meal ticket vending machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a meal ticket vending machine.

[Prior art]

Meal ticket vending machines are widely installed in restaurants.
Generally, such a meal ticket vending machine has a plurality of lighting pushbutton switch mounting parts, a money insertion part, and a change return part for selecting an account (menu) by pressing the desired one on the front of the voucher. It is provided. When a customer puts a predetermined amount of money into the money input unit, a back light of a lightable push-button switch that can be purchased is turned on to illuminate a plastic plate on the front side of which an account content is engraved. When the customer presses the lighted pushbutton switch that he / she desires, a meal ticket with the selected account details printed is issued.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

The ticket vending machine is generally limited in size, and therefore, the space for mounting the light-type push button switch is also limited. For this reason, the number of lighting pushbutton switches can be attached to only about 30, for example.

Along with the diversification of customer tastes, the number of foods provided by cafeterias has correspondingly increased. However, we have encountered a situation where the limited number of lighted pushbutton switches does not allow the canteen to provide all accounts for food that it can provide. The easiest way to solve this problem is to increase the number of lighted pushbutton switches, but as mentioned above, the size of the ticket vending machine is limited. ， The number of lighting pushbutton switches cannot be increased. In addition, if many lighted push-button switches are installed, it is difficult for the customer to find the desired account content from among them, and the operability is poor.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to sell a food voucher that allows a customer to select a sour dish of food highly desired by the customer within a limited space and without lowering the operability according to the season and the time of day. To provide a machine.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the meal ticket vending machine of the present invention has an account having, as shown in FIG. 1, an indicator section in which the contents of an account are indicated and an account selecting section for selecting an account corresponding to each indication. A setting unit 1, a ticket issuing control unit 2 that performs selectable marking on the marking unit of the account setting unit 1 and inputs a selection signal from the account selecting unit to issue a food ticket of the corresponding account content, and this ticket issuing control unit. 2, the account mode setting means 3 for setting the account mode, and the account data storage means 4 for storing a plurality of sets of account data corresponding to each of the plurality of account modes.

The plurality of sets of account data stored in the account data storage means 4 are, for example, groups of food accounts highly requested by customers according to the season, the time zone, and the like.

Here, the above-mentioned marking part indicates a part for marking the account contents such as an account contents marking part of a lighted push-button switch and a display panel such as a CRT device. Therefore, "marking" here means that when the marking part is a lighted pushbutton switch, it is visible when the marking part is engraved with the account details etc. and is attached to the lighting pushbutton switch. This means displaying the account details on the display panel.

[Action]

The person who installs the meal ticket vending machine or the administrator sets the desired account mode in advance through the account mode setting means 3. This account mode setting is selected according to the season, time zone, and the like.

The ticket issuing control means 2 reads a corresponding set of account data from the account data storage means 4 according to the account mode set via the account mode setting means 3, and based on the read account data, the account setting unit. 1. Enable the display part and the account selection part of 1. Here, the activation of the marking section means, for example, for the account display selection button, illuminating the marking section corresponding to the set account mode from the back side, CRT
For devices, this means displaying account details. Further, the activation of the account selection unit means that the account of the sign corresponding to the set account mode is selected.

The meal ticket vending machine can issue a meal ticket in accordance with the activated sign portion and account selection portion.

In this way, since the account contents of the account setting unit 1 are switched and used according to the set account mode, the customer's desired food account can be displayed according to the season, time zone, etc. even in a limited space. Yes, the customer can select the desired account.

〔Example〕

As a first embodiment of the meal ticket vending machine of the present invention, a case where a lighting push button switch is used as the account setting unit 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the meal ticket vending machine of the present invention shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the account setting section 1 in FIG. 1 is an account display selection pushbutton switch section 12, the ticket issuing control means 2 in FIG. 1 is a microprocessor unit 20 and a ticket issuing device 22, and the account mode setting means 3 in FIG. The setting device 30 and the account data storage means 4 in FIG. 1 are constituted by the RAM 206 in the microprocessor unit 20 described later.
Therefore, the microprocessor unit 20 operates as the ticket issuing control means 2 and the account data storage means 4 shown in FIG.

The configuration of the microprocessor unit 20 will be described. Microprocessor unit 20, CPU200, bus 202, RO
An M204, a RAM 206, an input / output device (I / O) 210, and communication control devices 212 and 214 are connected as shown in the figure. ROM
In 204, a program that operates on the CPU 200 described later is stored. The RAM 206 stores a group of account data to be described later, that is, a “physical address / logical address corresponding account content data group”, and also temporarily stores data processed by the CPU 200. The I / O 210 serves as an interface between the CPU 200, the money insertion unit 10, the account display selection pushbutton switch unit 12, and the change return unit 14. Communication controller 212 is CPU 20
The data communication between 0 and the setting device 30 is controlled. Similarly, the communication control device 214 controls data communication between the CPU 200 and the ticket issuing device 22.

A partial view of the account display selection pushbutton switch portion 12 of FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. The account display selection push button switch unit 12 is composed of a plurality of, for example, 30 lighted push button switches. However, only four are shown in FIG. 3 for the sake of illustration. As is well known, the illuminated push-button switch is equipped with a plastic plate (insert) on which the account details are engraved on the front part, and a backlight lamp can be illuminated from the back side to illuminate the engraved letters of the assert. At the same time, when the push button switch is pushed, the switch is closed (closed) and the push of the button switch is output as a contact.

The first lighting push-button switch 141 and the second lighting push-button switch 142 are provided with an account content indicator (indicator), and a plastic plate with two account contents engraved on the top and bottom, respectively. Corresponding to this marking, the backlight lamps of these lighting pushbutton switches 141 and 142 are mounted so that they can be lit up and down separately. On the other hand, the lower push-button switches 143 and 144 are the same as the above-mentioned push-button switches 141 and 142, and there is no distinction between upper and lower sides, and one light-type push button switch has a plastic plate on which one account is engraved. The backlight lamps are also mounted so that they can be lit without distinction between the top and bottom. Therefore, since only one type of account can be selected from one lighted push button switch, the lighted push button switches 141 and 142 are enabled so that either the upper or lower can be selected. On the other hand, the lighting pushbutton switches 143 and 144 have a one-to-one correspondence between the mouth coordinate indication and the selection as in the conventional case.

In order to validate the lighting pushbutton switches 141 and 142, the “physical address / logical address corresponding account content data group” of the lighting pushbutton switches shown in FIG.
Is stored in Here, the physical address is the lighting type push button switch 14 of the account display selection push button switch section 12.
Indicates an address indicating the actual location of 1 to 144. For example,
The physical address of the lighting push button switch 141 is "1",
The physical address of the light type push button switch 142 is "2",
The physical address of the illuminated pushbutton switch 143 is "10",
The physical address of the lighted push button switch 144 is “11”. On the other hand, the logical address indicates a logical storage address for each account mode of the “physical address / logical address corresponding account content data group” stored in the RAM 206. For example, in this example in which 30 lighted pushbutton switches are provided as described above, the logical address space of the account mode 1 is "1" to "30" and the logical address space of the account mode 2 is "31". "~" 60 ".
The account content data of each mode is stored in this logical address space.

Regarding account mode 1, the lighted pushbuttons are placed in the logical address spaces “1” to “2” corresponding to the physical addresses “1” and “2” corresponding to the lighted pushbutton switches 141 and 142. The account content “Kakesoba ¥ 300” in the upper row of the switch 141 and the account content “Ramen ¥ 450” in the upper row of the lighting pushbutton switch 142 are stored. On the other hand, with regard to the account mode 2, in response to the physical addresses “1” and “2” corresponding to the lighting pushbutton switches 141 and 142, the lighting pushbuttons are set in the logical address spaces “31” to “32”. The account content “Zaru Soba ¥ 400” in the lower row of the button switch 141 and the account content “Chilled Chinese ¥ 500” in the lower row of the lighting pushbutton switch 142 are stored. However, for account mode 1 and account mode 2 as well, the logical address spaces "10" to "11" corresponding to the physical addresses "10" and "11" corresponding to the lighted pushbutton switches 143 and 144 having the same account contents and In "40" to "41", the same account contents "Shake Onigiri \ 200" and "Nori Roll Sushi \ 300" are stored.

In the example of Fig. 4, account mode 1 is for spring, autumn, and winter accounts,
Account mode 2 indicates a summer account. However, the lighting pushbutton switches 143 and 144 can be provided at all times as if they were requested regardless of the season.

Such switching of the account mode is performed using the setting device 30. The setting device 30 is installed inside the meal ticket vending machine,
Customers cannot set. When the administrator of the dining room where the ticket vending machine is installed switches the account mode, the door of the ticket vending machine is opened, and, for example, the setting device 30 having the CRT and its keyboard is used through the CPU 200 interactively through the CPU 200. ， Set the account mode. For example, when setting the account mode to mode 1, "1" is set with the keyboard. This account mode setting data is stored in the RAM 206.

As a method of setting the account mode, in addition to using the setting device 30, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 2, an account mode setting switch 32 is provided in the meal ticket vending machine, and a signal from this switch 32 is input. It is output to the microprocessor unit 20 via the device 208 and the switch input “1” or “2” of the account mode switch 32 is sent to the RAM 206 via the CPU 200.
You may make it memorize | store in.

Such switching of the account mode includes foods that are frequently desired and foods that are not desired depending on the season or the time zone, or the combination of the season and the time zone. Do to provide food properly and efficiently within the range of the switch. For that purpose, as shown in FIG. 4, a group (group) of account contents is determined in advance according to the account mode, the contents are stored in the RAM 206, and the indicator part of the lighting pushbutton switch is used. Selectively insert a plastic plate engraved with the corresponding account details.

Regarding the operation of the meal ticket vending machine according to the embodiment of the present invention in the state of preparation as described above, the CPU 2 which mainly functions as the ticket issuing control means 2 and the account data storage means 4
The operation of 00 will be mainly described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

Steps S11, S12 When the CPU 200 is activated, it first reads the account mode data set and stored in the RAM 206, and the account content data stored in the logical address space in the RAM 206 corresponding to the set account mode. Read the set (step S1
1), transfer to and store in the account control processing address space in the RAM 206 (step S12).

By transferring and storing the account content data set corresponding to the account control processing address space in the RAM 206, the control processing in the meal ticket vending machine is performed according to this account mode. That is, the account mode has been switched.

When the above startup initial state setting is completed, the operation processing of the food ticket vending machine similar to the conventional one is performed.

Steps S13, S14 When the customer inputs a predetermined amount of money through the money insertion unit 10, the CPU 200 inputs the payment state through the I / O 210,
The deposit process is performed (step S13). Then, the CPU 200 turns on the corresponding backlight lamp of the lighting pushbutton switch selectable by the customer via the I / O 210 based on the account content data stored in the account control processing address space (step S14). .

For example, assume that the account mode 1 is set. In this case, the account mode content data set for the account mode 1 shown in FIG. 4 is stored in the account control processing address space. When the customer puts in 400 yen, the backlight lamp on the upper stage of the lighting push button switch 141 in FIG. 3,
The entire backlight lamps of the light-type pushbutton switches 143 and 144 are turned on. Since the lower part of the lighted push button switch 141 is the contents of the account mode 2, its backlight lamp remains off even if ¥ 400 is put in,
Indicates to the customer that the selection is not valid. That is,
In this state, if the lighted push-button switch 141 is selected, the activated upper account content “Kakesoba” is displayed.
Will be selected.

Steps S15-S16 When the customer presses the selectable lighted pushbutton switch corresponding to the desired account, the closing switch is input to the CPU 200 via the I / O 210. In response to this account selection operation, for example, when the lighting pushbutton switch 141 is selected, the CPU 200 responds to the physical address “1” of the lighting pushbutton switch 141 with a logical address in the account control processing address space. Recognize that there was a selection for "1" account content. Then, ticketing information is created so as to issue the food ticket of the selected account content.

In this embodiment, the ticket issuing device 22 finally issues the food ticket. Therefore, CPU200
Is a communication control device 214 that provides information necessary for the ticket issuing device 22 to issue a food ticket, such as an account name code and its amount.
To the ticket issuing device 22 via. The ticket issuing device 22 performs ticket issuing processing independently of the CPU 200 by adding information such as the name of the restaurant where the meal vending machine is installed to the ticket issuing information from the CPU 200.

Step S17 When the ticket issuing process is completed, the CPU 200 calculates the change and operates the change return unit 14 via the I / O 210 to return the change to the customer. Then, the backlight lamp that has been turned on is turned off so that the next customer's account can be selected.

The account mode 1 has been described above, but the account mode 2
Even if is set, the control processing is performed for the account mode 2 in the same manner as described above.

In this way, within the range of the number of lighted push button switches provided on the meal ticket vending machine, the type of food whose provision in the dining room changes depending on the season or the time of day In the above example, two account modes are determined in advance only for a plurality of groups corresponding to. Then, by storing the contents in the RAM 206, displaying the account contents on the indicator part of the lighting pushbutton switch, and switching the account mode, the number of actual lighting pushbutton switches is not limited to 30 ( The number of modes) X (the number of lighted push button switches), 60 accounts can be selected in this example.

Such account mode switching can be performed collectively for each season because the customer's food preference greatly changes depending on the season. Further, the food desired by the customer also changes depending on the time of the year even in the same season, and therefore the food may be changed depending on the time of day.

In addition, when the above-mentioned lighting type push button switch is used, not only two kinds of switching of the upper stage and the lower stage as described above but also, for example, further dividing into left and right, four types per one lighting type push button switch. The account mode of can be made selectable.

As described above, even if the number of lighting pushbutton switches is limited to 30 as in the above example due to the space of the meal ticket vending machine, it is possible to double the number of account modes. . In addition, since the customer's usage method is the same as the conventional method, there is no adverse effect such as complicated operation.

The device (medium) as the account setting unit for displaying the account content corresponding to the above-mentioned account mode and selecting it is not limited to the lighted push button switch, and various media can be used.

A second embodiment of such a medium as an account setting unit will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b). The second embodiment is an example in which a CRT display device as an account setting unit and a touch panel is attached to the front surface of its display panel.

FIG. 6A shows the account contents of the account mode 1 shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6B shows the account contents of the account mode 2. The broken line shows the area of the touch panel. This arrangement corresponds to FIG. That is, when the account mode 1 is set, after the start processing of the meal ticket vending machine, the CPU
200 displays the account contents of FIG. 6 (a) in "green", for example. Then, when the deposit is made, the CPU 200 changes the display of the account contents that can be selected within the range of the deposit amount to "yellow". Then, when the customer touches the touch panel part where the selectable account contents are displayed in “yellow”, the CPU 200 recognizes that the account contents are selected, and the selected account contents are For example, the display is changed to "red". Thereafter, the CPU 200 creates ticketing information and returns the change as in the first embodiment. When the change return is completed, the CPU 200 returns the account content shown in FIG. 6 (a) to the "green" display.

The operation process of the account mode 2 shown in FIG. 6B is the same as that of the account mode 1.

By using the CRT display device and touch panel in this way, within the installation space of the CRT display device,
Since the account content data group corresponding to the account mode is displayed and can be selected, even if the installation space of the account setting section is limited to the size of the CRT display device, it is possible to display and select the required account content. it can. The visibility and operability when the CRT display device and the touch panel are used are improved as compared with the case where the lighting pushbutton switch of the first embodiment is used.

As the account setting unit, various types such as an LCD with a selection switch can be applied.

Indications and signs in the above description shall be construed as "marks" as common words in this specification. Therefore, the "marking part" also means the marking part of the lighting pushbutton switch and the display panel such as the CRT display device and LCD.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of account modes are set in advance, a set of account contents for food provided in the account mode is set in advance corresponding to each account mode, and a meal ticket is sold. When using the machine, by setting an appropriate account mode, it is possible to display and select the set account contents within the range of the fixed display and the space of the selection section.

As a result, it is possible to select a necessary account without occupying a large space for the marking portion and the selection portion, and to provide a meal ticket vending machine that can meet various tastes of customers without increasing the size of the meal ticket vending machine. it can.

Further, from the viewpoint of use by the customer, it is relieved of the trouble of selecting the desired account if there are too many indications of the contents of the account, and the usability is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a meal ticket vending machine of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a meal ticket vending machine of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a lighting type as a first embodiment of an account setting unit of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the arrangement of pushbutton switches and their account contents, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a physical address / logical address corresponding account content data group of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the operation of the CPU of FIG. A flowchart, FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b) are a partial view of a display panel of a CRT display device and a touch panel attached to the front surface thereof as a second embodiment of an account setting unit of the present invention. (Explanation of symbols) 1 ... Account setting unit, 2 ... Ticketing control means, 3 ... Account mode setting means, 4 ... Account data storage means, 10 ... Money insertion unit,
12 …… Account display selection pushbutton switch section, 14 …… Change change section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of marking parts each indicating a plurality of account contents, an illuminating means provided corresponding to each of the marked account contents, and illuminating a marking position of the account contents, and the marking part. , An account setting section having an illuminated push button account selection section provided corresponding to each of the above, an account mode setting means for setting an account mode, and a plurality of sets of account data corresponding to the account mode. Account data storage means, and a set of account data corresponding to the set account mode, and the illuminated so as to illuminate the marked portion of the account content that can be selected based on the read account data. Voucher control means for controlling the illumination of the means and inputting a selection signal from the illuminated push button account selector to issue a voucher of the corresponding account content. .