JPH08154135A - Information gathering device for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To effectively utilize the advantages of a PHS by transmitting transmission data transmitted from an automatic vending machine through an interface to a PHS base station in a PHS radio part by a PHS terminal equipment and transmitting them through a telephone line to a center. CONSTITUTION: The automatic vending machine interface 4 of the PHS terminal equipment 1 is connected so as to perform communication with the information communication equipment of the automatic vending machine and the transmission data such as sales data, sold-out information, fault information and abnormality information from the automatic vending machine are received. Then, when a control part 2 receives the transmission data from the automatic vending machine 9 through the automatic vending machine interface 4, voice band data are converted into voice data for the data in a voice band modem 6, the modem signals are converted into signals transmittable by the PHS in a sound codec 5 and radio data are transmitted in a radio part 3. Then, the PHS terminal equipment 1 performs transmission and reception with the PHS base station 7 and the transmission and the reception are performed from the base station 7 with the center 20.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for collecting data such as sales from vending machines.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when collecting data from a vending machine through a telephone line, the telephone line is laid up to the vending machine, or a specific low power radio is installed to connect the telephone line to a remote place. It was Another method is to use a dedicated wireless service such as a teleterminal or MCA wireless.

[0003]

However, in the case of the conventional information gathering device for the vending machine, in the former case, since the telephone line is used, the labor and cost for laying the telephone line to the vending machine are required. In the latter case, there is a drawback that the initial cost and running cost of the equipment are high.

By the way, in recent years, mobile phones have been remarkably popularized, and so-called PHS (Personal Handy Horn System), which is inexpensive and intended for personal use in a small area, is being put to practical use. The present invention uses this PHS
The present invention provides an information collecting device for a vending machine that effectively utilizes the advantages of

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information communication device provided on a vending machine side, a PHS terminal device including an interface for performing information communication with the information communication device, and a PHS wireless unit. The PHS terminal device is for transmitting the transmission data transmitted through the interface to the PHS base station in the PHS radio unit and to the center from the PHS base station via the telephone line.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an information communication device provided on the vending machine side, a PHS terminal device including an interface for performing information communication with the information communication device, and a PHS wireless unit, and the PHS terminal device are provided. It is composed of a portable PHS terminal device capable of transmission and reception, and the PHS terminal device transmits the transmission data transmitted through the interface to the portable PHS terminal device within the transmission area.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the invention, the PHS terminal device transmits the transmission data transmitted from the vending machine through the interface to the PHS base station in the PHS radio section, and from the PHS base station to the center through the telephone line. To do.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the PHS terminal device transmits the transmission data transmitted from the vending machine through the interface to the portable PHS terminal device within the transmission area.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the electrical construction of the vending machine, which includes a vending machine 12 and a money handling machine 13.
These devices are connected to and controlled by a central processing unit (CPU) 10 which executes a control operation by a program through an interface 11. Also,
A ROM 14, a RAM 15, which stores an operation program, and an information communication device 16 are connected to the CPU via a bus line 17. The RAM 15 has a storage unit for storing transmission data such as sales data, sold-out information, failure information, abnormality information, etc. The CPU 10 sums up sales of the vending machine for each sale and stores it in this storage unit. If it is sold out, or if it is sold out or a failure is found, such information is stored in the storage unit.

FIG. 2 shows a PHS attached to a vending machine.
It is a block diagram of the terminal device 1. In the figure, the PHS terminal device 1 comprises a control unit 2 having a memory, a radio unit 3, a vending machine interface 4, a voice codec 5, and a voice band modem 6. The vending machine interface 4 is connected to communicate with the information communication device 16 of the vending machine, and sales data from the vending machine, sold-out information,
It is designed to receive transmission data such as failure information and abnormality information. When the control unit 2 receives the transmission data from the vending machine through the vending machine interface 4, the control unit 2 converts this data into voice data by the voice band modem 6 and then transmits this modem signal by the voice codec 5 by PHS. And the wireless unit 3 performs wireless data transmission.

FIG. 3 shows an information collecting device in which PHS transmission and a telephone line are combined.
Data is transmitted / received to / from the HS base station 7, and data is transmitted / received from / to the center 20 via the telephone line from the base station 7. In this case, there are a center calling method that collects sales data and a terminal calling method that sends failure / sold-out information and abnormal information from the vending machine 9 in real time. The center calling method can determine the number of deliveries to each vending machine the next day, the delivery route, and the response to the failed machine by collecting sales data and failure information at nighttime. Since the terminal calling method enables transmission at the time of failure or abnormality,
Immediate action can be taken and the time when the product cannot be sold can be reduced.

FIG. 4 shows an information collecting device which does not use a telephone line, and the PHS terminal device 1 transmits / receives to / from the portable PHS terminal device 21. The portable PHS terminal device 21 is
Like the PHS terminal device 1, the control unit 2, the wireless unit 3, the voice codec 5, and the voice band modem 6 are provided.
Transmission and reception can be performed within the transmission and reception area of the terminal device 1. Therefore, the administrator of the vending machine can collect data from all the vending machines 9 in the area if the vending machine is in the transmission / reception area without approaching the vending machine. That is,
When the PHS terminal device 1 receives the signal at the wireless unit 3, the PHS terminal device 1 stores the signal data in the memory of the control unit 2.

To give a specific example of using the portable PHS terminal device 21, the manager of the vending machine collects data while riding on the product delivery vehicle 22, and collects the required amount of products from the collected data. It suffices to take it out of 22 and carry it to the vending machine 9. In this case, the portable PHS terminal device 21 is preferably provided with a function of performing data processing on various information stored in the memory of the control unit 2 and displaying and printing on a display device or a printer.

[0015]

According to the present invention described in detail above, data can be collected from a vending machine without directly laying a telephone line in the vending machine. Then, according to the invention described in claim 1, the connection to the telephone line is facilitated by using the PHS.

According to the invention described in claim 2, P
Data can be collected from vending machines even when there is no HS base station nearby.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a PHS terminal device.

FIG. 2 is an electrical block diagram of a vending machine.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of an information collection device that combines PHS transmission and a telephone line.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of an information collection device that does not use a telephone line.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 PHS Terminal Device 3 Radio Section 4 Interface 7 Base Station 16 Information Communication Device 20 Center 21 Portable PHS Terminal Device

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An information communication device provided on the vending machine side,
An interface for performing information communication with the information communication device and P
And a PHS terminal device including an HS wireless unit,
The S terminal device transmits the transmission data transmitted through the interface to the PHS base station by the PHS radio unit,
An information collection device for a vending machine, which transmits from the S base station to the center via a telephone line. 2. An information communication device provided on the vending machine side,
An interface for performing information communication with the information communication device and P
The PHS terminal device includes an HS radio unit and a portable PHS terminal device capable of transmitting and receiving to and from the PHS terminal device. The PHS terminal device transmits the transmission data transmitted through the interface to the portable PHS terminal device within the transmission area. An information collecting device for a vending machine, characterized in that the information is transmitted to the device.