KR101765458B1

KR101765458B1 - Product return device and the control method of the vending machine

Info

Publication number: KR101765458B1
Application number: KR1020150147801A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 조성철
Original assignee: 롯데알미늄 주식회사
Priority date: 2015-10-23
Filing date: 2015-10-23
Publication date: 2017-08-07
Also published as: KR20170047558A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for returning a product of a vending machine, which authenticates a customer by authentication when a customer who has purchased the product requests the return of the product, sets a predetermined fee, and returns the payout, A communication module for transmitting and receiving data for authentication with the customer terminal and the remote management server to authenticate the customer at the time; An input unit for receiving return request information of purchased goods; A control unit for acquiring authentication information through the communication module when the return of goods is requested through the input unit and performing overall control for returning the goods; An authentication confirmation unit for authenticating a customer in cooperation with the control unit; And a product returning unit for returning an authenticated customer's product under the control of the control unit to implement a product returning device of the vending machine, thereby returning the purchased product to the customer.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine,

The present invention relates to the return of goods to a vending machine. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of authenticating a customer through authentication, requesting a customer to return a product, And a control method thereof.

In general, a vending machine is an unmanned sales system in which a variety of commodities such as coffee, tobacco, confectionery, and books are stored therein, a user inputs a commodity corresponding to the commodity to be purchased, and then selects a desired commodity And the vending machine from which the selected product is discharged to the outlet.

A typical vending machine is divided into a vending machine which sells only a small number of goods (for example, coffee) and a multi-vending machine which sells a plurality of goods from one vending machine to an unattended sales method.

Among them, conventional techniques for a multi-vending machine have been disclosed in the following Patent Documents 1 to 3.

The prior art disclosed in Patent Document 1 can prevent the shelf from being brought into the display space of the article by detecting the protrusion of the shelf so that the basket and the shelf collide with each other to prevent a failure, It is possible to prevent the article from falling off the shelf and to easily perform the basket without raising and lowering the height of the basket.

The conventional art disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a shelf recognition unit for recognizing whether a shelf is mounted; A column detector for detecting the presence or absence of a column mounted on the shelf; A column type detection unit for detecting the type of the column; And a control unit for generating product control information based on the shelf, column and column type information detected through the shelf recognition unit, the column detection unit and the column type detection unit, and storing the product control information in a memory.

With this configuration, when the power is turned on, the kind of the shelf, the product column, and the product column can be automatically recognized, thereby facilitating the recognition of the product information.

The prior art disclosed in Patent Document 3 includes a pricing unit for inputting a pricing function and selecting a column to set a price and inputting pricing information of a selected column; A controller for controlling the price display of the column when the column selection and the price information are inputted by the price setting unit; And a price indicator for displaying a price of the sales product displayed on the column in accordance with the price display control of the controller.

With this configuration, the prices of the sales items of the respective columns of the multi-vending machine can be conveniently set and varied.

Korean Patent Laid-Open No. 10-2010-0087846 (published on Aug. 6, 2010) (title of invention: multi-vending machine) Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2014-0071633 (titled as "Shelf Control Information Management Device of Multi-Vending Machine") Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2014-0071635 (published on June 12, 2014) (Title of the invention: Multi-vending machine pricing apparatus and method thereof)

However, the above conventional techniques have a disadvantage that the customer can not return the purchased product.

For example, when a customer mistakenly presses a purchase item button or wants to change a purchased product to another product, the prior art can not return the product, so the customer can accept the wrongly selected product or add another product There is a drawback to purchase.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system for authenticating a customer by authenticating a customer, The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a goods returning apparatus and a control method therefor of a vending machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a product returning apparatus and a control method therefor of a vending machine capable of returning a purchased product so that a customer may mistakenly select a purchased product or re-purchase the product as another product.

In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a product returning device for a vending machine, comprising: a communication module for transmitting and receiving data for authentication with a customer terminal and a remote management server for customer authentication upon returning a purchased product; An input unit for receiving return request information of purchased goods; A control unit for acquiring authentication information through the communication module when the return of goods is requested through the input unit and performing overall control for returning the goods; An authentication confirmation unit for authenticating a customer in cooperation with the control unit; And a product returning unit for returning an authenticated customer's product under the control of the control unit.

In the above, the customer terminal provides the telephone number of the customer terminal, receives the authentication number and transmits it to the communication module, and the communication module transmits the received telephone number to the remote management server and receives the customer authentication number from the remote management server To the control unit.

The authentication confirmation unit compares the first authentication number transmitted from the remote management server through the controller with the second authentication number transmitted from the customer terminal, and confirms the authentication based on the identity.

The product returning unit obtains the information on the returned product, confirms whether the returned product is a sales product, and transmits the confirmation result information to the control unit.

The commodity returning device of the automatic vending machine according to the present invention may further include: a commission settlement unit operable to intercommunicate with the control unit to settle the commission for the returned commodity; And a display unit for displaying a settlement amount and a return amount under the control of the control unit.

In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a method for returning a product to a vending machine, the method comprising: (a) switching to a product sales standby state when power is turned on; Selling step; (b) after the product is sold, if the product is requested to be returned, guiding the input of the returned product; (c) confirming whether the returned product is correct when the returned product is inserted; (d) if the returned product is correct, inputting the authentication number input guide, and if the authentication number is inputted, checking whether the authentication number is correct; (e) if the authentication is normally performed, calculating and displaying the fee, and returning the settlement amount.

In the step (c), information on a returned product is obtained, information on the sold product is compared with information on the returned product, and the returned product is recognized based on the same information. The information on the returned product uses barcode information do.

In the step (d), a telephone number is requested by accessing a customer terminal through short-range communication through a communication module. When a telephone number is inputted, the inputted telephone number is transmitted to a remote management server to obtain an authentication number, The authentication number is compared with the authentication number provided by the customer to perform authentication, and the authentication number is transmitted through short-range wireless communication through the customer terminal or received through the input unit.

According to the present invention, there is an advantage that a product sold by a vending machine can be returned.

Accordingly, the present invention provides convenience to the customer so that the customer can return the purchased product when he / she desires to change the product to another product.

1 is a perspective view of a multi-vending machine to which the present invention is applied,
2 is a block diagram of a product returning apparatus of a vending machine according to the present invention,
3 is a flowchart showing a method of returning a product of a vending machine according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a product returning apparatus and a control method thereof according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a multi-vending machine 100 provided with a goods returning device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The automatic vending machine 100 provided with the goods returning device according to the present invention is provided with a goods discharge port for taking over the goods sold by the customer at the lower end of the front surface of the main body 101, A product display unit 102 is provided.

An input unit 104 is provided at a predetermined position of the main body 101 to select a product to be purchased by a user or to input an authentication number when a product is returned. The input unit 104 may be implemented as a keypad or a touch panel. A display unit 105 for displaying price information or other information of the purchased product is also provided at a predetermined position of the main body 101. [

In addition, a product return unit 106 is provided at a predetermined position of the main body 101 to return the returned product. When the customer desires to return the purchased product, the customer inserts the returned product into the inlet of the product return unit 106.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a product returning apparatus of a vending machine according to the present invention, which includes a communication module 110, an authentication confirmation unit 130, a control unit 140, a fee settlement unit 150, ), And a money mechanism (190).

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 200 denotes a smartphone used as a customer terminal 200 used by a customer purchasing a product, 300 denotes an authentication number based on the telephone number of the customer terminal, 200 and the vending machine 100 at the same time.

The customer terminal 200 provides the telephone number of the customer terminal and receives the authentication number and transmits it to the communication module 110. The communication module 110 transmits the received telephone number to the remote management server 300 Receives the customer authentication number from the remote management server 300, and transmits the received customer authentication number to the controller 140.

In addition, the communication module 110 transmits and receives data for authentication with the customer terminal 200 and the remote management server 300 for customer authentication upon returning the purchased product. In this case, it is preferable to communicate with the customer terminal 200 through short-range wireless communication, and it is preferable to communicate with the remote management server 300 through the Internet or a CDMA communication network (LTE communication network).

The control unit 140 acquires authentication information through the communication module 110 when the returning of goods is requested through the input unit 104, and performs overall control for returning goods.

The authentication confirmation unit 130 performs a role of authenticating a customer in cooperation with the control unit 140. [ The authentication verifying unit 130 compares the first authentication number transmitted from the remote management server 300 with the second authentication number transmitted from the customer terminal 200 through the control unit 140, .

The product returning unit 106 receives the returned product of the customer according to the control of the control unit 140. The product returning unit 106 obtains the information on the returned product, confirms whether the returned product is the product to be sold, and transmits the confirmation result information to the controller 140.

The fee settlement unit 150 is responsible for setting a commission for the returned goods in cooperation with the control unit 140. The display unit 105 displays the fee settlement amount and the return amount under the control of the control unit 140 It serves as a display.

The operation of the apparatus for returning a vending machine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail as follows.

First, when the driving power is supplied by the power supply unit (not shown in the figure), the control unit 140 switches to the commodity sales standby state.

When a product purchase request is generated in the product standby state, the input amount is confirmed through the money mechanism 190, and when the input amount reaches the sale price of the selected product, the product sale operation is performed. By this commodity sales operation, the product delivery unit 170 outputs the commodity to be sold to the commodity outlet. The customer retrieves the purchased product.

The control unit 140 confirms whether or not the remaining amount exists in cooperation with the post-sale money mechanism 190, and confirms whether the remaining amount exists to the extent that the remaining amount is enough to purchase another commodity. As a result of the confirmation, if the balance can not purchase another commodity, the money is returned through the money mechanism (190). Alternatively, if the balance is in a state in which another product can be purchased, the light emitting diode of the available product is lighted so that the customer can directly purchase another product. If you do not purchase a product within a preset time while displaying the available items, the balance is automatically returned.

Meanwhile, a feature of the present invention is that when a customer who purchases a product from a vending machine through the above-described process erroneously selects a product or purchases another product instead of the purchased product, the customer can return the purchased product .

For example, the customer operates the return button through the input unit 104 to return the purchased product. When the return button is operated, a return request signal is transmitted to the control unit 140. When the return request signal is transmitted, the controller 140 notifies the product return unit 106 through the display unit 105 that the return product should be input. In accordance with such guidance, the customer inserts the purchased product into the product return unit 106. [

When the returned product is inserted, the product return unit 106 scans the barcode attached to the returned product using a scanning device such as a barcode scanner. Here, the barcode scanner is fixed at a specific position, and the barcode of the returned merchandise may not necessarily be inserted corresponding to the barcode scanner. Therefore, in the present invention, the return device is implemented so that the returned product can be put upright, and the bar code scanner scans the bar code in a state in which the returned product is rotated by 360 °. In this case, since the barcode is provided at a specific position in the returning item, it is preferable that the barcode scanner is provided at each of the upper and lower portions to scan the barcode provided in the product.

When the bar code is read, the product return unit 106 transfers the read bar code data to the control unit 140. [ The control unit 140 compares the transferred barcode with the barcode registered at the time of loading the merchandise, and confirms whether the barcode is the merchandise sold by the user. If the returned product is the item sold by this check, check the return time. This is a method for returning a product within a certain time after purchasing the product. If the product is returned within the predetermined return time and the product is sold, the display unit 105 requests the customer terminal 200 to provide a telephone number for authentication. Alternatively, if the predetermined return time has not elapsed or the merchandise is not sold, the display unit 105 displays the reason for the non-return. Separately, it is also possible to notify a non-returnable voice through a voice device.

At the time of returning the goods, the customer transmits the conversion number through the short-range wireless communication through the customer terminal 200 or inputs the telephone number through the input unit 104.

The control unit 140 temporarily stores the telephone number in the internal memory when the customer telephone number is inputted through the input unit 104 or the customer conversion number is received through the communication module 110 and stores the telephone number through the communication module 110 To the remote management server 300 located remotely.

When the telephone number is received, the remote management server 300 generates an authentication number corresponding to the telephone number, and transmits the generated authentication number to the customer terminal 200 and the vending machine 100 at the same time. Here, the customer terminal 200 can be transmitted in a character service mode.

When the authentication number (first authentication number) is received through the communication module 110, the controller 140 transmits the authentication number to the authentication confirmation unit 130.

When the customer receives the authentication number from the customer terminal 200, the customer directly inputs the authentication number (second authentication number) through the near field wireless communication method or the input unit 104.

When the second authentication number is received through the communication module 110 or the input unit 104, the control unit 140 transmits the second authentication number to the authentication confirmation unit 130.

The authentication confirmation unit 130 compares the first authentication number with the second authentication number, and confirms whether they are the same. If the first authentication number and the second authentication number do not coincide with each other, the control unit 140 transmits an authentication result indicating that the authentication numbers do not match. Otherwise, the authentication unit transmits an authentication result indicating that the authentication numbers match.

The control unit 130 processes the product return based on the authentication result.

For example, when the authentication numbers are inconsistent, the display unit 105 displays them, and guides the customer to retrieve the products. If the authentication numbers are matched, the fee calculation unit 150 calculates the return fee. Here, the return commission is set in advance, and the commission settlement unit 150 calculates the commission of the sales commodity based on the return commission, and transfers the returned commodity to the control unit 140. That is, if the commodity selling price is 1,000 won and the return fee is 10%, the return amount is 900 won.

The control unit 140 displays the return amount on the display unit 105 and controls the money mechanism 190 to return a return amount of 900 won.

As a result, if the customer mistakenly purchases a product through a vending machine or attempts to purchase another product by remorse, he or she will receive a return amount other than the fee, and then purchase another product.

In many cases, the user mistakenly pushes the wrong button on the actual site (the vending machine installation site) to purchase an unwanted product. In this case, the conventional technology inevitably holds the wrongly purchased product, However, the present invention solves this inconvenience through the return function.

3 is a flowchart showing a method of returning a product of an automatic vending machine according to the present invention, and s shows a step.

As shown in FIG. 3, the method of returning a product of a vending machine according to the present invention comprises the steps of: (a) switching to a product sales standby state when power is turned on, and selling a product through a normal product sales process Steps S101 to S106; (b) after the merchandise is sold, if the merchandise return is requested, step (S107 to S108) of guiding the return merchandise input; (c) confirming whether the returned product is correct when the returned product is inserted (S109); (d) a step of inputting an authentication number when the returned product is correct, and confirming whether the authentication number is correct when the authentication number is input (S110 to S113); (e) a step S114 to S115 in which the fee is calculated and displayed if the authentication is normally performed, and the amount of settlement is returned.

The step (c) acquires information on the returned product, compares the information of the sold product with the information on the returned product, and confirms the returned product with the same information. The information on the returned product uses the barcode information.

In the step (d), a telephone number is requested by accessing the customer terminal 200 by a short distance communication through a communication module. When the telephone number is inputted, the inputted telephone number is transmitted to the remote management server 300, And compares the acquired authentication number with the authentication number provided by the customer to perform authentication. The authentication number is preferably transmitted through a short distance wireless communication through the customer terminal 200 or received through the input unit 104 Do.

A method of returning a product of a vending machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail.

First, when the power source for driving is supplied by the power source unit (not shown in the figure) in step S101, the control unit 140 switches to the merchandise sales standby state in step S102.

If a product purchase request is generated as in step S103 in the article waiting state, the input amount is confirmed through the money mechanism 190 in step S104. If the input amount is equal to or higher than the sale price of the selected product in step S105, The merchandise sales operation is performed. The commodity selling operation is the same as the operation of selling a commodity in a general multi-vending machine, so a detailed description will be omitted.

For example, if the customer wishes to return the purchased product, the customer operates the return button through the input unit 104 in step S107. When the return button is operated, the return request signal is transmitted to the control unit 140. When the return request signal is transmitted, the control unit 140 moves to step S108 and inputs the return item to the product return unit 106 through the display unit 105 Guidance is given. In accordance with such guidance, the customer inserts the purchased product into the product return unit 106. [

In step S109, when the returned product is inserted, the product return unit 106 scans the barcode attached to the returned product using a scanning device such as a barcode scanner. Here, the barcode scanner is fixed at a specific position, and the barcode of the returned merchandise may not necessarily be inserted corresponding to the barcode scanner. Therefore, in the present invention, the return device is implemented so that the returned product can be put upright, and the bar code scanner scans the bar code in a state in which the returned product is rotated by 360 °. In this case, since the barcode is provided at a specific position in the returning item, it is preferable that the barcode scanner is provided at each of the upper and lower portions to scan the barcode provided in the product.

At the time of returning the goods, in step S110, the user inputs the authentication number through the display unit 105. [ According to such guidance, the customer transmits the conversion number through the short-range wireless communication through the customer terminal 200 or inputs the telephone number through the input unit 104. [

The communication module 110 receives the authentication number (first authentication number) transmitted from the remote management server 30 and transmits the authentication number to the control unit 140. The control unit 140 transmits the received first authentication number And transmits it to the unit 130.

On the other hand, if the customer has received the authentication number in the customer terminal 200, the customer inputs the authentication number (second authentication number) directly through the local wireless communication system or the input unit 104 in step S111.

If the authentication number (second authentication number) is not received through the communication module 110, the control unit 140 proceeds to step S112 and determines whether the authentication number input time has passed. If it is determined that the authentication number input time has elapsed, the product return operation is stopped and the display unit 105 notifies that the return of the product has been completed.

If the authentication number (second authentication number) is input within the input time, the input authentication confirmation unit 130 is transmitted.

In step S113, the authentication verifying unit 130 compares the first authentication number with the second authentication number, and confirms that they are the same. If the first authentication number and the second authentication number do not coincide with each other, the control unit 140 transmits an authentication result indicating that the authentication numbers do not match. Otherwise, the authentication unit transmits an authentication result indicating that the authentication numbers match.

For example, when the authentication numbers are inconsistent, the display unit 105 displays them, and guides the customer to retrieve the products.

If the authentication numbers are matched, the fee calculation unit 150 calculates the return fee. Here, the return commission is set in advance, and the commission settlement unit 150 calculates the commission of the sales commodity based on the return commission, and transfers the returned commodity to the control unit 140. That is, if the commodity selling price is 1,000 won and the return fee is 10%, the return amount is 900 won.

The control unit 140 displays the return amount on the display unit 105 in step S114 and controls the money mechanism 190 in step S115 to return the return amount 900 won.

Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The present invention is effectively applied to a technique for returning a purchased product from an unmanned vending machine such as a multi-vending machine.

100: Multi vending machine
101: Body
102: Commodity display section
105:
106: Product Return Unit
110: communication module
130:
140:
150: commission settlement department
170:
190: Money Mechanism

Claims

An apparatus for returning goods from a vending machine,
A communication module for transmitting and receiving data for authentication with a customer terminal and a remote management server to authenticate a customer when a purchased product is returned;
An input unit for receiving return request information of purchased goods;
A control unit for acquiring authentication information through the communication module when the return of goods is requested through the input unit and performing overall control for returning the goods;
An authentication confirmation unit for authenticating a customer in cooperation with the control unit;
A product returning unit for returning an authenticated customer's product under the control of the control unit;
A commission settlement unit operable to intercommunicate with the control unit to settle the commission for the returned commodity;
A display unit for displaying a settlement amount and a return amount under the control of the control unit,
And a money mechanism for returning a return amount under the control of the control unit,
The product returning unit obtains the information on the returned product, confirms whether the returned product is a sales product, transmits the confirmation result information to the control unit,
Wherein the product returning unit implements a returning device for allowing the returning product to be put upright and scans the barcode using the barcode scanner while rotating the returned product by 360 ° to obtain information on the returned product Goods returning device.

The method of claim 1, wherein the customer terminal provides a telephone number of the customer terminal, receives the authentication number and transmits the authentication number to the communication module, the communication module transmits the received telephone number to the remote management server, And transmits the received number to the control unit.

Wherein the authentication confirmation unit compares the first authentication number transmitted from the remote management server through the control unit with the second authentication number transmitted from the customer terminal and confirms the authentication based on the identity of the first authentication number. Product returning device.

delete

A method for returning goods from a vending machine,
(a) switching to a merchandise sales standby state when power is turned on, and selling the merchandise through a normal merchandise selling process when a merchandise purchase request is generated;
(b) if the return of the product is requested after the sale of the product, guiding the returning of the product;
(c) confirming whether the returned product is correct when the returned product is inserted;
(d) if the returned product is correct, inputting the authentication number input guide, and if the authentication number is inputted, checking whether the authentication number is correct; And
(e) if the authentication is successful, marking and displaying the fee and returning the settlement amount through the money mechanism,
The step (c) may include acquiring information on the returned goods, comparing the information of the sold product with the information on the returned goods, and recognizing the returned goods by the same or not, using the barcode information,
Wherein the returning device is implemented so that the returning product can be put upright and the returned product is scanned by using the bar code scanner in the state of rotating the returned product by 360 ° to acquire the information of the returned product How to return the vending machine goods.

delete

The method of claim 6, wherein the step (d) comprises the steps of: requesting a telephone number by accessing a customer terminal through short-range communication through a communication module; transmitting the input telephone number to a remote management server when a telephone number is input; Wherein the authentication number is compared with the authentication number provided by the customer to perform authentication, and the authentication number is transmitted through short-range wireless communication through the customer terminal or is received through the input unit.