JPS6125198B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field] The present invention relates to a fare changing method in a vending machine, and relates to a fare changing method suitable for fare revision in, for example, a railway ticket vending machine.

[Description of the Prior Art] An automatic ticket vending machine for railway tickets sells tickets with fares (fees) depending on the section of the train that the passenger rides, and usually has a customer service panel provided in front of the machine with the desired information. A number of account selection pushbutton switches are arranged for selecting fares. The fare is written on the surface of these selection pushbuttons/switches, or a display board on which the fare is written is affixed corresponding to the pushbutton/switch.
This is the oldest type of automatic ticket vending machine.

In such vending machines, when the fare is revised, it is necessary to change or replace the fare-related circuit and also replace the push button switch mentioned above or the display board where the fare is written. However, this work to revise fares required a lot of effort and a lot of money. This is because fare revision work for automatic ticket vending machines must be completed within a short period of time from the last departure time of the train on the day before the fare revision to the first train departure time on the day of the revision date, and railway companies must This is because the line has many stations, and each station has many automatic ticket vending machines. In order to simplify the fare revision work of such automatic ticket vending machines, automatic ticket vending systems such as those described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 72300/1983 have been devised. In this system, instead of writing the fare on the surface of the account selection pushbutton/switch of the automatic ticket vending machine or pasting a display board with the fare written on, a number is displayed corresponding to each pushbutton/switch. A tube is placed and the fare is displayed on this numerical display tube. Control of ticket vending operations, including control of displaying fares on the numeric display tube, is performed by a central control device that controls a plurality of automatic ticket vending machines.

However, since this automatic ticket vending system requires a central control device including a large-sized computer, there is a problem that installing this central control device at each station would be expensive. If you tried to control the automatic ticket vending machines at all stations with one centralized control device, you would have to install communication cables over long distances or use existing telephone lines, which would result in a large amount of expense. There is a problem.

Therefore, the fare to be displayed on the numeric display tube is stored in advance in the built-in memory of each automatic ticket vending machine, and when coins are inserted, the fare is read from the memory and displayed on the numeric display tube. A display method has been devised and actually adopted (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 84799/1983). With this automatic ticket vending machine, fare revision work can be done by simply exchanging the memory in which the old fare is stored with the memory in which the new fare is stored, or by rewriting the fare in the fare memory to the new fare. achieved.

However, even this method is not sufficient to complete fare revision work for a huge number of automatic ticket vending machines in a short period of time. This is because after replacing or rewriting the memory, it is essential to check whether the automatic ticket vending machine operates with the revised fare, and the work of replacing or rewriting the memory and checking the operation is enormous. This is because there is a restriction that all of the automatic ticket vending machines, which have a large number of ticket vending machines, must be completed within a short period of time from the last train departure time on the day before the fare revision date to the first train departure time on the day of the revision date.

By the way, there is an automatic ticket gate that inspects tickets issued by an automatic ticket vending machine, instead of an automatic ticket vending machine, which is equipped with an old fare memory and a new fare memory (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 133098/1983). . The automatic ticket vending machine that issues tickets applied to this automatic ticket gate stores a code indicating whether the ticket is for the old fare or the new fare at the time of issuance. The automatic ticket gate reads the above code and the face data of the inserted ticket, and if the above code indicates the old fare, it compares the read face data with the data in the old fare memory and confirms that the above code is correct. If it indicates a new fare, the read ticket face data is compared with the data in the new fare memory. Additionally, if new fare data is compared,
The indicator light installed on the automatic ticket gate lights up.

In such automatic ticket gates, the memory can be replaced or rewritten at any time before the fare revision date, but it is not clear whether the automatic ticket gate will operate correctly with the new memory data or the rewritten data. It is difficult to confirm whether this is the case. This is because whether to refer to the data in the old fare memory or the new fare memory to perform the ticket inspection process is determined based on the above code recorded on the ticket to be inserted. This is because a ticket with a code indicating this is required. In order to issue a ticket with a code indicating the new fare, the fare data of at least one automatic ticket vending machine must be changed to the new fare.

[Purpose of the Invention] This invention not only makes it possible to replace or rewrite the memory in which the price is stored in a vending machine at any time before the price revision date, but also allows the user to replace or rewrite the memory that stores the price at any time before the price revision date. To provide a fee change method that allows easy operation confirmation of a vending machine.

[Configuration and Effects of the Invention] The present invention provides a plurality of numeric displays for displaying account charges, a plurality of account selection push buttons/switches provided corresponding to these numeric displays, and a system that stores account charges in advance. In a vending machine that is equipped with a central processing unit that controls sales processing such as price display and amount calculation on the numerical display, and sales processing such as discharging goods, the memory stores the price before the change and the price after the change. and the rate change date are stored in advance, and a date setter and a rate change switching means are provided, and the result of comparing the date on the date setter and the rate change date stored in the memory, and the rate change date are stored in advance. Depending on the combination with the reading result of the state of the switching means, either the pre-change charge or the post-change charge is read out, and based on the read charge, display on the numerical display and sales processing are executed. It is characterized by

Therefore, the memory can be changed or rewritten at any date and time before the rate change date.

In addition, after replacing or rewriting the memory, you can check the operation of the vending machine by simply changing the state of the charge change switching means, changing the date of the date setting device, or both of these operations. The operation confirmation work is extremely easy because it can be carried out at any time before the change date. Furthermore, on the day of rate change, the rate can be easily changed to the changed rate by performing any of the above operations.

Furthermore, since the rate to be read is selected by a combination of the comparison result between the date on the date setter and the rate change date stored in the memory, and the read result of the status of the rate change switching means, the vending machine You can expect reliable operation.

[Description of Embodiments] Hereinafter, embodiments in which the present invention is applied to an automatic ticket vending machine will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In Fig. 1, the customer service panel provided on the front of the automatic ticket vending machine has a number of account selection push buttons/switches 41, 42 for selecting the desired fare.
...49 are arranged. These pushbutton switches 41 to 49 are so-called illuminated pushbutton switches in which the pushbuttons themselves light up. Further, numerical display tubes 51, 52, . . . 59 are arranged corresponding to each of the push buttons/switches 41-49. The customer service panel is also provided with pushbuttons/switches 61 and 62 for selecting routes of other companies to contact.
The coin verification device 63 determines the authenticity and type of the coin inserted into the coin slot provided in the customer service panel, and outputs a genuine coin signal representing the type if the coin is properly coined. The bill validating device 63 may include a bill validating mechanism (bill checker) for determining the authenticity and type of bills. The automatic ticket vending machine also has
A date setter 64 is used to set the date for each day by a station staff member, a changeover switch 65 is used to confirm fare revisions, and the amount, date of issue, name of issuing station, issue number, etc. are written on the surface of the ticket to be issued. A printing device 66 for printing and a magnetic recording device 67 for magnetically recording each of the above items on the back side of the ticket to be issued are equipped. The year, month, and day are set in the date setter 64. The output of the date setter 64 is used for printing the month and day of issue on the ticket and for fare revision processing to be described later. A digital clock can also be used as the date setter 64, in which case there is no need to change the date each day. As the changeover switch 65, various switches such as a toggle switch, dip switch, key switch, etc. can be used. The date setter 64 and the changeover switch 65 are provided in the attendant operation section of the automatic ticket vending machine, as shown in FIG. As the printing device 66, it is preferable to use a thermal printer that has a thermal printing head consisting of a large number of minute heating elements and prints dots on recording paper that develops color when heated. Magnetic recording device 67 includes an encoder and a magnetic head for encoding the items to be magnetically recorded.

A central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as
60 (referred to as CPU). CPU6
0 is preferably a microprocessor. This CPU 60 includes a read-only memory (not shown) storing an execution program to be described later, a read-only memory (hereinafter referred to as ROM) 68 in which account fares are written in advance, and a random access memory (ROM) 68 for storing various data. It is equipped with a memory (hereinafter referred to as RAM) 69. ROM6
8 includes an area 91 for storing old fares before revision, an area 92 for storing new fares after revision, and an area 93 for storing the date of fare revision. These fare storage areas 91 and 92 further contain storage areas 70 and 86 for storing fares for accounts for own company routes, and fares for accounts for routes of other companies represented by selection pushbutton switches 61 and 62. Storage areas 80, 85, 87, and 88 are provided for storing data, respectively. Old fare storage area 91
As for the storage area 70 for company routes, there are 9 storage locations 71, 72...79, corresponding to each boarding section, for example, 70, 90,...
Old fares such as …………, 270 (yen), etc. are stored in advance. The storage area 80 for other companies' routes has four storage locations 81...84 that store old fares for each boarding section via a transfer station, such as
270, ......, 350 (yen), etc. are stored in advance. Storage area 85 for other companies' routes
Similarly, the required old fares are stored. Similarly, in the new fare storage area 92, nine types of new fares corresponding to each boarding section are stored in the storage area 86 for own company routes, and in the storage area 86 for other companies' routes.
New fares corresponding to each riding section are stored in advance at 7 and 88, respectively. Furthermore, the date of fare revision is stored in advance in the storage area 93.

RAM69 has illuminated pushbutton switch 4.
Corresponding to numbers 1 to 49, 9 flags 10 for displaying the input amount range are used to light up these switches.
1, 102...109 are provided.
When these flags 101-109 are set, the corresponding pushbutton switches 41-49 are lit, respectively. For example, when flag 101 is set, pushbutton switch 41 is lit, and when flag 102 is set, switch 42 is lit. The RAM 69 is also provided with an area 111 for storing the amount of money inserted and an area 112 for storing the amount of the ticket to be issued. The number of reads is calculated when sequentially reading fares from each memory location: area 113, other company's route account 80 or 85, or 87 or 88, which is used as a counter to count the number of reads and specify the memory location to be read. Area 114 for specifying the storage location to count and read out.
and a flag FC that remembers the first coin insertion
An area 115 is provided for each area. Each of these areas 101 to 109,1
11 to 115 are reset in advance prior to processing by the CPU 60.

Now, referring to FIG. 3, fare revision processing by the CPU 60 is executed as follows. first,
The fare revision date is read from the storage area 93 of the ROM 68 (step 1), and the date set in the date setter 64 is read (step 2). As mentioned above, the date set in the date setter 64 is changed daily by the station staff and represents the year, month, and day of that day. Compare the fare revision date read from the area 93 with the date on the date setter 64 (step 3), and if the date is less than the fare revision date, the fare revision date has not yet arrived, so proceed to step 4 and switch. Check whether the switch 65 is on or off. As will be explained in detail later, when the automatic ticket vending machine is operated at the old fare before the fare revision date after replacing the ROM 68, the changeover switch 65 is turned on.
If 5 is on, proceed to step 5 and ROM6
The old fare stored in the old fare storage area 91 of No. 8 is read out, and ticket issuance processing is performed based on this old fare. In operation confirmation work before the fare revision date, if the automatic ticket vending machine is to be operated at the new fare, the changeover switch 65 is turned off, so if the changeover switch 65 is off, proceed to step 7 and read the ROM.
The new fare stored in the new fare storage area 92 of 68 is used for driving. If the date on the date setter 64 is equal to or past the fare revision date, the process moves from step 3 to step 6, and the state of the changeover switch 65 is read in the same way as step 4. The changeover switch 65 is turned off on the fare revision date, so if the changeover switch 65 is off, step 7
and drive at the new fare. Since it is impossible for the changeover switch 65 to be on after the fare revision date, there is an error in the changeover operation of the changeover switch 65, the date setting operation of the date setter 64, or
Since this is an error in the CPU 60 itself, it displays that the ticket cannot be sold or processes to prohibit the sale. The reading processing in steps 1 and 2 and the judgment in step 3 only need to be performed once before the day's operation.
It is preferable to store the determination result in step 3 in an appropriate storage area (not shown) of the RAM 69.

The ROM 68, which stores old and new fares, is normally a one-chip memory and is replaced on an appropriate date prior to the fare revision date. As shown in FIG. 4, in the initial period, the new fare A is stored in the storage area 92.
1 is stored and no data is stored in the storage areas 91 and 93. The CPU 60 executes ticket sales processing based on the fare A1 in the area 92. For the first fare revision, the previous fare A will be stored in memory area 91 as the old fare.
1 is stored, a new fare A2 due to the revision is stored in the storage area 92, and a ROM 68b is prepared in which the first fare revision date C1 is stored in the storage area 93. It will be replaced with ROM68a on the next day.
When ROM68a and 68b are replaced, CPU6
0 executes the ticketing process using the fare of this new ROM68b, but with the exception of the period of driving confirmation work,
Area 91 fare A until fare revision date C1.
1, and after the fare revision date C1, processing is performed based on the new fare A2 of area 92. After this, if there is a second fare revision, the above fare A2
and the new fare A3, and the second fare revision date C2.
A new ROM68c is prepared that stores
This new
ROM68c and ROM68b are exchanged.

Since the old fare, new fare, and fare revision date are stored in the ROM68 in this way, the ROM68
Replacement work and automatic ticket vending machine after replacement ROM6
The work to confirm whether the system is working properly in step 8 can be carried out at any date and time before the fare revision date. Referring to FIG. 5, the changeover switch 65 is turned on at the same time as the ROM 68 is replaced. At this point, the date on the date setter 64 has not yet reached the fare revision date, so the automatic ticket vending machine should operate with the old fare in area 91 (Figure 3, Steps 3 and 4).
5). As a result, it is confirmed whether or not to drive with the old fare in the storage area 91 of the ROM 68 after replacement. Then, when the changeover switch 65 is turned off, the automatic ticket vending machine operates with the new fare in area 92 (Fig. 3, steps 3, 4, and 7). A check will be made to see if you want to drive.
If it is confirmed that the new ROM 68 operates normally, the changeover switch 65 is turned on. Automatic ticket vending machines will then operate at the old fare from this time until the fare revision date. If the changeover switch 65 is turned off on the fare revision date, the automatic ticket vending machine will operate at the new fare from the fare revision date onwards.

Since the output of the date setter 64 is also used to print the date on the ticket to be issued as described above, the date setter 64 is changed every day by an attendant and set to the year, month, and day of that day. The method according to this invention includes:
It is assumed that the date on the date setter 64 is changed every day. In the examples shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, simply switching the changeover switch 65
These operations are extremely simple as operation confirmation work after ROM exchange and fare revisions can be carried out on the fare revision date.

In the above example, a changeover switch is used as the fare revision switching means, but a flag can also be used as this means. This flag for fare revision confirmation work (hereinafter referred to as flag F) is
9 appropriate storage areas. The flag F is set by specifying the address of the storage area to be used as the flag F using a numeric keypad or other suitable input means and inputting a set signal. Further, as will be described later, this flag F is reset when the fare revision date stored in the storage area 93 and the date set in the date setter 64 match.

In FIG. 6, steps 11-13 and steps 15 and 17 are the same processes as steps 1-3 and steps 5 and 7 shown in FIG. In step 13, Elijah 93
Compare the fare revision date read from the date setter 64 with the date set in the date setter 64, and if the date is less than the fare revision date, proceed to step 14 to check whether flag F is set, and if so, write it to the storage area. 91 (step 15). If the date on the date setter 64 is equal to or past the fare revision date, the process moves from step 13 to step 16; if the flag F is not set, that is, it has been reset, the process moves to step 17. drive at the new fare. If the date is equal to the fare revision date, the CPU
60 is flag F prior to the judgment in step 16.
Reset. As will be clear from what will be described later, determining that flag F is not set in step 14 and determining that flag F is set in step 16 is possible under normal operating conditions. Since there is not, an error will occur. This error includes an error in setting the date on the date setter 64, so steps 13 and 14
The set date is also confirmed based on the judgments made in steps 16 and 16.

The replacement work of the ROM 68 and the operation confirmation work of the automatic ticket vending machine after replacement are performed in the following steps. 7th
Please refer to the figure and select any date and time before the fare revision date.
Flag F is set at the same time as replacing the ROM68. In this state, the processing by the CPU 60 proceeds to steps 13, 14, and 15 in FIG.
A confirmation is made as to whether or not to drive using the old fare in storage area 91. When the date on the date setter 64 is artificially set to the fare revision date, the flag F is reset because the date coincides with the fare revision date. In this state, the processing by the CPU 60 proceeds to steps 13, 16, and 17, and the ROM after replacement is
Confirmation is made as to whether or not to drive with the new fare in storage area 92 of 68. If it is confirmed that the new ROM68 operates normally, the date setter 64
The date is returned to its original value and flag F is set again. Then, automatic ticket vending machines will operate at the old fare from this time until the fare revision date. Then, on the fare revision date, the date on the date setter 64 and the fare revision date stored in the storage area 93 match, so the flag F is reset and the automatic ticket vending machine will display the new fare from the fare revision date onwards. be driven.

In addition, two memory chips are prepared as the memory 68, and one chip stores the old fare and the other chip stores the new fare.
Each chip may store the fare revision date at which the fare should be changed to the respective fare. When the next fare is revised, the memory chip storing the old fare is replaced with a separately prepared memory chip for the next new fare. This separately prepared memory chip for the next new fare stores the fare revision date at which the fare should be changed to the fare in this memory chip. The new fare stored in the memory chip in which the above-mentioned new fare has been stored becomes the old fare by the above-mentioned chip exchange.

Finally, with reference to FIG. 8, the fare display processing by the CPU 60 will be described for the case of the old fare in the storage area 91. The same applies to the new fare in storage area 92. First, when coin insertion is detected from the standby state (step 21), it is checked whether the flag FC is set and it is determined whether the inserted coin is the first one (step 2).
2). If the flag FC is not set, proceed to step 23 and display all fares for the company's routes in tubes 51 to 51.
59. In this process, the fares stored in the storage area 70 of the company's route account are sequentially read out from storage locations 71 to 79, and
1 to 59. As a result, the display tubes 51 to 59 display 70, 90,......
The fare such as 270 (yen) will be displayed for each. Therefore, passengers can know the fares for all sections at this point. After displaying this fare, flag FC is set (step 24), and step 25
Then, the total amount P inserted is calculated based on the genuine coin signal from the coin verification device 63 and stored in the area 111. Then, the content n of the counter 113 is +
1 (step 26). At first Kaunze 113
Since the content of is 0, the content becomes 1 by the processing of step 26. In step 27, the counter 113 of the area 70 of the company's route account is
The fare Q of the storage location specified by the content n is read out. Each memory location 71 to 79 in the memory area 70
are assigned addresses such as the first, second, etc. starting at the storage location 71 and moving toward the storage location 79, and these addresses are designated by the contents of the counter 113. If n=1, storage location 71 is designated and its fare 70 (yen) is read out. Next, the read fare Q is compared with the input amount P calculated in step 25 and stored in the area 111 (step 28), and P≧
If Q, proceed to step 29 and set flag 101.
.about.109, the flag corresponding to the read fare is set. If the fare from storage location 71 is read in step 27, flag 101 is set.
This causes the switch 41 to light up. After this, the process returns to step 26, and the content n of the counter 113 is incremented by 1 again. This time, the content of the counter 113 becomes 2, so the fare is read from the memory location 72 (step 27), and compared with the input amount P (step 28). In this way, switch 4 corresponds to a fare equal to or less than the total amount entered.
1, 42, etc. are lit. For example, when 100 yen is inserted, switches 41 and 42 are lit.

If pP<Q in step 28, the process moves to step 30 and -1 is calculated from the content n of the counter 113.
Then, based on the genuine coin signal from the coin verification device 63, it is determined whether or not the next coin is injected (step 31). Subsequently, if hardening has been introduced, the amount is read, and the process returns to step 22 to check whether the flag FC has been set. already flagged
Since the FC has been set, proceed to step 25, and add the input amount read this time to the total input amount P up to the previous time stored in the area 111, and set it as the total input amount P up to this time in the area 111.
Store in. Then, in the same way, step 26
Repeat steps 29 to 29. The input amount I read this time is 100.
If it is yen, the total input amount P is 200 yen, flags 101-106 are set and pushbutton switches 41-46 are lit.

If it is determined in step 31 that hardening has not been applied yet, press the other company route selection pushbutton.
Check to see if switch 61 or 62 is pressed (step 32),
If either 1 or 62 is pressed, flags 101 to 109 are reset and the fare stored in memory area 80 or 85 corresponding to the pressed other company route selection pushbutton switch is displayed numerically. It is displayed on a predetermined display tube among the tubes 51 to 59 (step 33). For example, pushbutton switch 6
When 1 is pressed, four types of fares in area 80 are displayed on numerical display tubes 51-54. As a result, if the user presses the route selection pushbutton switch 61 or 62 after inserting at least the first coin, all fares for the selected route will be displayed. The process at step 33 is executed in the same way as the process at step 23 by sequentially reading out the contents of area 80 and sending them to display tubes 51-54. Then, as in steps 26 to 29, the content m of the counter 114 is incremented by 1 (step 34), the fare R within the area 80 designated by the content m of the counter 114 is read out (step 35), and this fare is Compare R with the total input amount P calculated in step 25 (step 36),
If P≧R, flags are set sequentially starting from flag 101 (step 37). After this, return to step 33,
Repeat the same process. In steps 35 to 37, if the content of the counter 114 is m=1, the storage location 81 of the area 80 is specified, the fare stored in that storage location is read out, and if P≧R, the flag 101 is set. be done. Also m=2
If P≧R, the storage location 82 is specified, and if P≧R, the flag 102 is set.

If NO in step 32 or 36, the process moves to step 38, where it is determined whether any of the account selection pushbuttons/switches 41 to 49 that are lit is pressed, and the button/switch is lit. If any of the account selection pushbuttons/switches in 39). This is processed by resetting only the flag corresponding to the pressed account selection pushbutton switch among the flags 101-109. Then, normal ticket issuing processing is performed, such as printing on recording paper and magnetic recording by the printing device 66 and magnetic recording device 67, discharging the ticket after this processing, and discharging change (step 40). Return to standby state. Note that unless the account selection pushbutton/switch is pressed (step 3)
8), return to step 31, and step 31, 32
Repeat steps 38 to 38.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an automatic ticket vending machine.
Figure 2 is a front view showing the attendant operation section of the automatic ticket vending machine;
Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure for carrying out this invention.
Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing how the memory is replaced, Figure 5 is a time chart showing the procedure of confirmation work, Figures 6 and 7 are other examples, and Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing how the memory is replaced. Figure 7 is a flow chart showing the steps to carry out the process.
Chart, Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the amount display procedure.
It's a chat. 41-49...account selection push button/switch,
51-59...Numeric display tube, 60...CPU (Central Processing Unit), 64...Date setter, 65...Selector switch, 68, 68a-68c...ROM
(memory), 91...Old fare (fare) storage area,
92...New fare (fare) storage area, 93...Fare revision date (fare change date) storage area.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A plurality of numeric displays that display account charges, a plurality of account selection push buttons/switches provided corresponding to these numeric displays, and a memory that stores account charges in advance. , and a vending machine equipped with a central processing unit that controls sales processes such as price display and amount calculation on the numerical display, and discharging of goods, the price before the change, the price after the change, and the price change date are stored in the memory. is stored in advance, and a date setter and a rate change switching means are provided, and the comparison result between the date of the date setter and the rate change date stored in the memory, and the status of the rate change switching unit are A vending machine that reads out either a pre-change charge or a post-change charge depending on the combination with the read result, and displays the charge on the numerical display and executes sales processing based on the read charge. How to change fees. 2. A method for changing charges in a vending machine according to claim 1, which uses a date setter that can change the set date. 3. The charge changing method in a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the date setting device is a clock. 4. The charge change method in a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the charge change switching means is a changeover switch. 5. Claim 1, wherein the fee change switching means is a flag provided in a predetermined area of a memory.
How to change the price at the vending machine mentioned in section. 6. The rate change switching means is a changeover switch, and when the date on the date setter is before the rate change date and the changeover switch is on one side, the rate before change is read out, and the date and rate are read out. 2. The method of changing charges in a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the changed charge is read out when the changeover switch is on the other side, regardless of the comparison result with the change date. 7 The above-mentioned fare change switching means is a flag provided in a predetermined area of the memory, and this flag is set when the vehicle is to be operated at the fare before the change, and when the date on the date setter and the above-mentioned fare change date match. If the above date is before the above charge change date and the above flag is set, read the charge before the change, and if the above date is after the above charge change date and the above flag is reset. 2. A method of changing charges in a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the changed charge is read out when the charge is changed.