JPH11345359A - Automatic lending and returning machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic lending and returning machine of which an operation at the time of returning is simplified. SOLUTION: The automatic lending and returning machine 1 is the one for automatically executing a lending operation by which a user is specified by a card owned by each user and a recording medium where voice recording, video recording and data writing are executed, which is selected by the user, is taken-out from a storage compartment, executing a returning operation by which the recording medium returned from the user is taken-in to the storage compartment again and adjusting a charge paid by the user. The machine 1 reads identifying information of an identifying means which is fitted to the recording medium returned from the user, specifies the recording medium and recognizes a returning situation from user information and a lending date corresponding to the recording medium, which are stored at the time of lending.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention accommodates a recording medium on which recording, recording or data has been written, such as a CD (compact disk) on which music or games are recorded or a video tape on which a movie is recorded. The present invention relates to an automatic lending / returning machine that automatically lends and returns a recording medium, and particularly to an automatic lending / returning machine that simplifies an operation for returning a recording medium by a user.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A recording medium on which recording, recording, or data writing, such as a CD recording music or a game or a video tape recording a movie or the like, is generally called a video rental store or the like, and is rented by a person's business. Service was done. However, recently, in order to respond to an increase in the use time due to the increase in demand, an automatic lending / returning machine capable of automatically lending and returning video tapes and the like without using human hands has been installed. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of the automatic lending / returning machine, particularly one for video rental.

In an automatic lending / returning machine 1, empty cases 3 of video tapes are arranged on a plurality of shelves 2 provided on the front side, and a lendable video can be confirmed by the title name indicated there. I have. A video tape on which a video corresponding to the title of the empty case 3 is recorded is stored in a rear storage. Shelf 2 containing empty case 3
The operation unit 4 is formed next to. There, an operation screen 5 showing operation procedures, etc., a card reader 6 for reading user information of a card owned by each user in advance, a keyboard 7 for inputting a number of a rented video, a rent date, etc., a bill In addition, a fee insertion slot 8 corresponding to coins, a tape entrance 9 for video tape, and a fee extraction port 10 for change and receipts are provided.

Therefore, in the automatic lending and returning machine 1, lending and returning are performed, for example, as follows. At the time of lending, the user first passes his / her card through the card reader 6 and presses a lending key on the keyboard 7 to indicate that the lending is to be performed. Then, in the automatic lending / returning machine 1, the card reader 6
The user is identified by the user information read in the,
Start lending operation. Subsequently, the user inputs the product number of the video displayed on the empty case 3 or the like using the keyboard 7 while checking the display on the operation screen 5.

When the input is completed, a video tape corresponding to the selected video is taken out by the work robot. At that time, from the bar code attached to the video tape,
The identification data of the video tape is stored. Then, the rental fee is calculated based on the number of rented videos, and the rental fee is displayed on the operation screen 5. Therefore, when the user inserts money into the fee insertion slot 8, the video tape of the video selected by the user is sent from the storage to the tape entrance 9 by the operating robot.
Then, the user takes out the video tape from the tape entrance 9 and takes out the change and the receipt from the fee take-out port 10 to finish lending.

[0006] On the other hand, in the case of return, the user first passes the card through the card reader 6 as in the case of lending, and the keyboard 7.
Press the return key to indicate that it is a return. Then, the automatic lending / returning machine 1 reads the user information, reads out the lending information of the user stored at the time of lending, and starts a return operation. Subsequently, after inputting the number of video tapes to be returned, the user inserts the video tape to be returned into the tape entrance 9 and waits for the operation robot to store the video tape in the storage, and then inserts the remaining bidet tape. Go. And
In the automatic lending / returning machine 1, the identification data is read from the barcode attached to the returned videotape, and the return of the videotape and the overdue of the lending date are confirmed by collation with the lending information corresponding to the user. You. At the time of overdue, the overdue fee is displayed on the operation screen 5, and the user pays the overdue fee and ends the return.

[0007]

However, such a conventional automatic lending / returning machine 1 has a problem that it is cumbersome due to the large number of operation procedures. For example, apart from having the card read at the time of lending, reading the card at the time of return is a unique operation system of the machine, and ordinary video rental stores and public libraries are not required to present the card at the time of return . Therefore, since such an automatic machine was troublesome, the operation of the automatic machine, which is often seen by the elderly, was often distracted by people who were not good at or had a poor sense of operation.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic lending / returning machine in which the operation at the time of return is simplified in order to solve such a problem.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An automatic lending / returning machine according to the present invention specifies a user by using a card owned by each user, and stores a recording medium on which recording, recording, or data writing has been performed by the user. From the user, the return operation to take the storage medium returned from the user back into the storage, and the settlement of the fee paid by the user. Read the identification information of the identification means attached to the recording medium returned from, identify the recording medium, and confirm the return status from the user information corresponding to the recording medium stored at the time of lending and the lending date and time It is characterized by.

Further, the automatic lending / returning machine of the present invention takes out the stored recording medium for recording, recording or data for lending in accordance with a user's selection, and re-stores the recording medium returned from the user. , The fee is automatically settled. At the time of lending, each user reads the user information of the card owned by the user, specifies the user, and specifies the corresponding recording medium by the selection operation by the user. In addition to storing the user information and the rental information such as the specified recording medium, the fee paid by the user is settled and the recording medium is taken out. When returning, the recording medium is inserted into the return slot by the user. Then, the identification information of the identification means attached to the recording medium is read to specify the recording medium, and the user information and the lending information stored at the time of lending are read. After confirming the return situation and, characterized in that it is intended to carry out the settlement of incorporation and late fees of the recording medium.

Therefore, in the automatic lending / returning machine of the present invention, the user is specified from the identification information of the recording medium on which the recording, recording, or data has been written without returning to the card and identifying the user in the same manner as when renting. Then, the recording medium is taken in and the late fee is settled, so that the operation by the user at the time of return can be simplified.

[0012]

Next, an embodiment of an automatic lending / returning machine according to the present invention will be described. The automatic lending / returning machine according to the present embodiment has the same machine body as that of the above-mentioned conventional example, but is characterized by an operation program at the time of returning. Therefore, a structural feature resides in the control device that stores the operation program. Therefore, the operation procedure at the time of return and the operation of the automatic lending / returning machine 1 will be described based on the automatic lending / returning machine 1 shown in FIG. At the time of lending, video is rented according to the operation procedure described above, for example, but at the time of return, unlike the conventional case, the user immediately presses the return key without passing the card through the card reader 6 again. After that, the video tape is inserted into the tape entrance 9.

Then, in the automatic lending / returning machine 1 which has entered the return operation by inputting the return key, the identification data is read from the bar code attached to the inserted video tape,
The lending information of the video tape stored at the time of lending is read. Since the bar codes of the video tapes are different one by one, the lending information corresponding to the inserted video tape, that is, information such as user information and lending date and time is read. Therefore, it is confirmed from the identification data whether or not the input video tape was lent from the unit, and whether or not the video tape was returned within the lending date is determined. The corresponding late charge is calculated and displayed on the operation screen 5. Therefore, when the late charge is indicated, the user pays the late charge and ends the return.

Therefore, the automatic lending / returning machine 1 of the present embodiment
Then, as a user's procedure at the time of return, basically, only an operation of inputting a return key and an operation of inserting a video tape have been completed. Further, in the case of overdue, a delinquent fee is further paid. However, since the method of paying the fee is the same as that of a normal vending machine, there is no difficulty in that point. Therefore, it is not necessary to pass the card through the card reader 6 as in the related art, and it is not necessary to input the number of cards to be returned, so that the user's work is reduced and the operation is very simple and easy to handle. This makes it easier for people, such as the elderly, who are not good at operating automatic machines to raise their awareness. Also, since the user's card is no longer needed, there is no need to keep the borrowed person's card when another person returns the card instead. Furthermore, even the first person can easily return it without hesitation.

The automatic lending / returning machine of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the automatic rental / return machine for video rental has been described as in the case of the conventional example.
A rental of a CD recording music, a game, or the like, or a combination thereof may be used.

[0016]

According to the present invention, a user is identified by a card owned by each user, and a recording, recording, or data-recorded recording medium selected by the user is taken out from the storage, and a rental operation is performed. It automatically performs the return operation of taking the returned storage medium back into the storage and the settlement of the fee paid by the user. At the time of return, it is attached to the recording medium returned by the user. It is configured to read the identification information of the identification means that has been identified, identify the recording medium, and check the return status from the user information corresponding to the recording medium stored at the time of lending and the lending date and time. It has become possible to provide a simplified automatic lending and return machine.

Further, according to the present invention, the stored recording medium for rental, recording, or data recording is taken out according to the user's selection, the recording medium returned from the user is stored again, and the fee is settled. It is performed automatically, and at the time of lending, the user information of the card owned by each user is read to specify the user, the corresponding recording medium is specified by the selection operation by the user, and the user information is specified. In addition to storing lending information such as the specified recording medium, the fee paid by the user is settled and the recording medium is taken out.When returning the recording medium to the return slot, The identification information of the identification means attached to the recording medium is read to specify the recording medium, and the user information and the lending information stored at the time of lending are read to determine the return status. After certification, since the configuration in which the settlement of uptake and late fees of the recording medium, it becomes possible to provide an automatic renting return machine to simplify the operation at the time of return.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of an automatic lending / returning machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Automatic lending and return machine 2 Shelf 3 Empty case 4 Operation part 5 Operation screen 6 Card reader 7 Keyboard 8 Charge slot 9 Tape entrance and exit 10 Charge takeout slot

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A lending operation in which a user identifies a user with a card possessed by each user and takes out a recording medium selected by the user who has recorded, recorded, or written data from a storage, In an automatic lending / returning machine that automatically returns the storage medium to the storage box and adjusts the fee paid by the user, at the time of return, the identification means attached to the recording medium returned by the user An automatic lending / returning machine characterized in that the identification information is read to identify the recording medium, and the return status is confirmed from the user information and the lending date and time corresponding to the recording medium stored at the time of lending. 2. Extracting the stored recording, recording or data recording medium for lending according to the user's selection,
In an automatic lending / returning machine that automatically stores the recording medium returned by the user and automatically adjusts the fee, at the time of lending, the user is identified by reading the user information on the card owned by each user, While specifying the corresponding recording medium by the selection operation by the user, and storing the user information and the rental information such as the specified recording medium,
Settlement of the fee paid by the user and removal of the recording medium. At the time of return, when the recording medium is inserted into the return slot by the user, the identification information of the identification means attached to the recording medium is read. Automatic lending characterized by identifying the recording medium, reading out the user information and lending information stored at the time of lending and checking the return status, and then taking in the recording medium and adjusting the late fee. Return machine.