JPH10326375A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To display previously stored image data as a menu selection screen on a display and to print and sell image data that a user has selected on a postal card. SOLUTION: A data control mechanism 5 takes menu image data out of a menu image data storage device 6 and displays them on the display 8. After the user selects and determines image data, the data control mechanism 5 transfers the selected and determined image data to a printer 12 under the command of an automatic vending machine master control part 3 and an article conveying mechanism 11 conveys a postal card to the printer 12. The printer 12 prints the selected and determined image data on the postal card.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine for a postcard having a printing function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, as a vending machine of this type, there has been a vending machine which sells stamps, postcards or the like in a single state or in a packed state.

[0003]

However, in the conventional vending machine, the user who purchased the postcard had to take it home, etc., write the text, and then post it, which was inconvenient. Also, when posting many postcards with the same text, it was troublesome to fill them out.

Accordingly, the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned disadvantages and to provide a convenient and simple vending machine.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for displaying image data stored in advance on a display as a menu selection screen, and displaying image data selected by a user on a printer. It is characterized by being printed on postcards and sold.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a manual input means for a user to input image data to be printed on a postcard, and the image data input by the manual input means is printed on a postcard by a printer and sold. It is characterized by.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a block diagram of the embodiment, FIG. 2 is an external view of the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is an external view of a main body operation unit.

In FIG. 2, a product sample panel 31 is arranged on the front surface of the vending machine 1 of the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the product sample panel 31 includes a postcard, a stamp,
The name and fee of each product such as a cash envelope are displayed. Reference numerals 31a to 31d denote various unprinted postcards having different fees. In addition, a product selection button 32 corresponding to each product is arranged below the product sample panel 31, and the product selection button 32 has a sellable lamp 41 (see FIG. 3) indicating that the product is available for sale. Is incorporated.

A user inserts money from the coin insertion slot 21 or the bill insertion slot 22 shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the operation of the embodiment will be described based on FIG. The amount of money input is input to the vending machine master control unit 3 via the money input mechanism 2. The vending machine master control unit 3 stores the price of each product in advance, and when the amount of money input is equal to or higher than the price of the product, the vending machine master control unit 3 can sell the corresponding product via the door slave 4. The lamp 41 is turned on. The user presses the product selection button 32 of the product desired to be purchased from the products for which the sellable lamp 41 is turned on.
The signal of the product selection button 32 is input to the vending machine master controller 3 via the door slave 4.

The vending machine master controller 3 turns on the lamp of the print designation button 33 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) when the postcard is selected by the commodity selection button 32.
The user presses the print designation button 33 when he wants to print figures, characters, etc. on the postcard.

When the print designation button 33 is pressed, the vending machine master control unit 3 instructs the data control mechanism 5 to display a menu selection screen. The data control mechanism 5 having received the command extracts the menu image data from the menu image data storage device 6 and displays the data on the display 8 as a menu selection screen via the display output mechanism 7.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a menu selection screen displayed on the display 8. The display 8 has a function of the touch panel 9. The user can use the display 8
By touching the upper touch panel 9 with a finger, a figure desired to be printed can be selected. The touch panel 9
Are selected by the touch panel input mechanism 9a,
The data is input to the data control mechanism 5 via the operation content determination mechanism 10. The data control mechanism 5 extracts image data corresponding to the input signal from the menu image data storage device 6 and displays the image data on the display 8.

[0013] When the user confirms and decides on the diagram desired to be printed, the data control mechanism 5 notifies the vending machine master control unit 3 that printing is possible. The vending machine master control unit 3 instructs the product transport mechanism 11 to transport the postcard selected by the user to the printer 12, and also determines the postponed data to the data control mechanism 5. Is transmitted to the printer 12. The printer 12 prints the transferred figure data on the conveyed postcard. The product transport mechanism 11 carries out the postcard on which the figure is printed to the product outlet 24 shown in FIG. 2, and completes the sale.

Next, creation of a drawing by manual input and printing of the drawing will be described. The user presses “hand input” on the touch panel 9 on the menu selection screen of FIG. 4 to make a selection.

The data control mechanism 5 in FIG. 1 extracts data necessary for manual input from the manually input image data storage device 13 and displays the data on the display 8 as a manual input screen.
FIG. 5 is a display example of the manual input screen. The user inputs figures, characters, symbols, and the like by touching the hand input screen with a dedicated pen or finger. Note that the input means is not limited to the above means, and for example, input by a keyboard or a mouse is also possible.

Data input by the user is transmitted to the data control mechanism 5 via the touch panel input mechanism 9a and the operation content determination mechanism 10. The data control mechanism 5 changes the display content of the display 8 in accordance with the input data so that the user can check the diagram created by manual input.

When the user completes the manual input, the data control mechanism 5 transmits a printable signal to the vending machine master control unit 3. The vending machine master controller 3 instructs the merchandise transport mechanism 11 to transport the postcard selected by the user to the printer 12, and instructs the data control mechanism 5 to manually input the postcard. Instructs to transfer the data to the printer 12. The printer 12 that has received the postcard and the manually input data prints the figure based on the manually input data on the postcard. The product transport mechanism 11 carries out the printed postcard to the product outlet 24 (see FIG. 2), and completes the sale of the postcard.

In FIG. 1, a vending machine communication mechanism 16 is connected to the data control mechanism 5. The vending machine communication mechanism 16 is for performing bidirectional communication with an externally provided center device 19, and is connected to a communication mechanism 20 of the center device 19 via a modem 17 and a telephone line 18. Thereby, the center device 19 can receive the sales information of the product, the information of the stock of the product, the sold out information, and the like from the vending machine 1. Vending machine communication mechanism 1
6 receives the new menu image data from the center device 19, and the data control mechanism 5 stores the menu image data in the menu image data storage device 6. Thereby, the print image data can be updated according to the season and the like.

[0019]

As described above, according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, when a user purchases a postcard, a predetermined text can be printed in a communication field of the postcard, so that the user can print the postcard. It saves you the trouble of having to take it home after purchase and fill in the text, and if you only fill in the address, you can post a postcard on the spot, which is convenient. Furthermore, a plurality of postcards having the same text can be automatically printed, which is extremely convenient.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the print content can be selected in a menu system, the user can easily use the beautiful text prepared in advance.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since a print drawing can be input manually, a user-specific text not prepared on the menu screen can be printed, and the number of postcards used depends on its interest. We can expect an increase.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an external view of an operation portion.

FIG. 4 is an example of a menu selection screen displayed on a display.

FIG. 5 is an example of a manual input screen displayed on a display.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vending machine 2 Money input mechanism 3 Vending machine master control part 4 Door slave 5 Data control mechanism 6 Menu image data storage device 7 Display output mechanism 8 Display 9 Touch panel 10 Operation content judgment mechanism 11 Commodity transport mechanism 12 Printer 13 Manual input Image data storage device 16 Vending machine communication mechanism 17 Modem 18 Telephone line 19 Center device 20 Communication mechanism

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine for selling postcards, wherein image data stored in advance is displayed on a display as a menu selection screen, and image data selected by a user is printed and sold on a postcard by a printer. Vending machine characterized. 2. A vending machine for selling postcards, comprising a manual input means for a user to input image data to be printed on the postcard, and printing the image data input by the manual input means on the postcard by a printer. A vending machine characterized by selling.