WO2017135288A1 - Automatic vending machine measurement system, management server, automatic vending machine, and automatic vending machine measurement method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is an automatic vending machine measurement system that helps to reduce the volume of communications between an automatic vending machine, which has an online measurement function, and a server. The automatic vending machine measurement system according to the present invention includes an automatic vending machine and a management server. The management server establishes transmission conditions in the automatic vending machine that stipulate the conditions under which the automatic vending machine determines whether or not to transmit measurement data. The automatic vending machine has an online measurement function, and transmits, to the management server, the measurement data that satisfies the transmission conditions.

Description

Vending machine calibration system, management server, vending machine, vending machine calibration method and program

[Description of related applications]
The present invention is based on a Japanese patent application: Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-018059 (filed on Feb. 2, 2016), and the entire description of the application is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a vending machine calibration system, a management server, a vending machine, a vending machine calibration method, and a program. In particular, the present invention relates to a vending machine calibration system, a management server, a vending machine, a vending machine calibration method and a program corresponding to a vending machine having an online calibration function.

Vending machines that handle products such as beverages and tobacco are installed at various locations. Vending machines in recent years are connected to a server via a mobile line such as 3G (3rd generation), and have an online calibration function for providing information (calibration data, calibration information) on sales and product inventory to the server. Usually, such a vending machine transmits calibration data to a server at a predetermined interval and time (for example, once every day). Alternatively, when the product inventory is exhausted at a timing other than the predetermined timing, the vending machine may transmit calibration data to the server.

In Patent Document 1, information collected by the vending machine by utilizing the installation environment of the vending machine can be obtained without providing an expensive host computer, a dedicated line, or dedicated browsing software. It is described that a vending machine is provided that enables browsing anytime and anywhere via a terminal in which general-purpose browsing software that can be connected to a network is connected.

JP 2000-149104 A

It should be noted that the disclosure of the above prior art document is incorporated herein by reference. The following analysis was made by the present inventors.

As described above, there are vending machines having a function (online calibration function) for notifying a server of the inventory and sales amount of products handled by the vending machine via a network, and the number thereof has increased in recent years. . As the number of vending machines that support online calibration increases, the total amount of calibration data sent from each vending machine to the server also increases, causing the line between the server and the vending machine to become congested. obtain.

Especially, when each vending machine is set to transmit calibration data at the same timing, the above problem becomes more serious. That is, a large amount of data is transmitted in a short time to a server that manages a plurality of vending machines, and the server can be in a high load state. When an excessive load is applied to the server, problems such as a system failure may occur.

Note that it is unlikely that such a problem related to communication failure will occur in the system disclosed in Patent Document 1. This is because in the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, one server does not centrally manage data (calibration data) transmitted from a plurality of vending machines. Specifically, the system disclosed in Patent Document 1 collects the terminals that set the vending machine (reference numerals T1 to Tm in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1) and the terminals that have made the settings. And vending machines (symbols S1 to Sn in the figure) that transmit the received information. In the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, since data is transmitted to a terminal for which information is set, a problem that communication is concentrated on one apparatus rarely occurs.

The present invention provides a vending machine calibration system, a management server, a vending machine, a vending machine calibration method, and a program that contributes to a reduction in the amount of communication between a vending machine having an online calibration function and a server. Objective.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a vending machine and a transmission condition that defines a condition for determining whether or not the vending machine transmits calibration data are set in the vending machine. A vending machine calibration system, wherein the vending machine transmits calibration data satisfying the transmission conditions to the management server.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a transmission that is connected to a vending machine having an online calibration function via a network and that defines conditions for determining whether or not the vending machine transmits calibration data. A management server is provided for setting conditions in the vending machine.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is a condition set by a management server connected via a network, and satisfies a transmission condition that defines a condition for determining whether to transmit calibration data. A vending machine is provided that transmits calibration data to the management server.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a step of setting a vending machine with a transmission condition that defines a condition for determining whether or not to transmit calibration data, and a management server that stores the calibration data that satisfies the transmission condition. Vending machine calibration method comprising the steps of:

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a transmission that is connected to a vending machine having an on-line calibration function via a network and defines a condition for determining whether or not the vending machine transmits calibration data. There is provided a program for causing a computer equipped with a management server to execute processing for setting conditions in the vending machine.
This program can be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium can be non-transient such as a semiconductor memory, a hard disk, a magnetic recording medium, an optical recording medium, or the like. The present invention can also be embodied as a computer program product.

According to each aspect of the present invention, a vending machine calibration system, a management server, a vending machine, a vending machine calibration method, and a program that contribute to a reduction in the amount of communication between a vending machine having an online calibration function and a server. Is provided.

It is a figure for demonstrating the outline | summary of one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the automatic vending machine calibration system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the transmission condition setting screen which the management server which concerns on 1st Embodiment displays. It is the figure which put together the relationship between each item of transmission conditions, and a variable name. It is a figure which shows an example of the calibration data which the vending machine which concerns on 1st Embodiment transmits. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of the management server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the process structure of the management server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the table which a vending machine management part uses. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of the management server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of the vending machine which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram showing an example of processing composition of a vending machine concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of a calibration data management part. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of a calibration data transmission part. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of the vending machine which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows an example of operation | movement of the vending machine calibration system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the process structure of the management server which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the vending machine management table which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of the transmission condition process part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the transmission condition process part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the process structure of the management server which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating route information. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the calibration data analysis part which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

First, an outline of one embodiment will be described. Note that the reference numerals of the drawings attached to the outline are attached to the respective elements for convenience as an example for facilitating understanding, and the description of the outline is not intended to be any limitation.

The vending machine calibration system according to an embodiment includes a plurality of vending machines 101 and a management server 102 (see FIG. 1). The management server 102 sets, in the vending machine 101, a transmission condition that defines a condition for determining whether or not the vending machine 101 transmits calibration data. The vending machine 101 is an automatic vending machine having online calibration, and transmits calibration data satisfying the transmission condition to the management server 102.

By appropriately selecting the transmission conditions set in the vending machine 101 from the management server 102, valuable calibration data (information relating to sales and merchandise inventory) is provided to the management server 102 as information. The amount of communication between 101 and the management server 102 can be reduced. For example, assume that there is a vending machine that is set to send calibration data to the management server once a day. In this case, if there is no change in the content of the calibration data transmitted from the vending machine, it can be said that the calibration data transmitted every day is meaningless data. In such a case, for example, by setting the frequency at which the vending machine transmits calibration data to the management server 102 from once a day to once every two days or more, transmission of meaningless calibration data Can be suppressed.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same component and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

[First Embodiment]
The first embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vending machine calibration system according to the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. 2, the vending machine calibration system includes a management server 10, a plurality of vending machines 20-1 to 20-n (where n is a positive integer, the same applies hereinafter), an administrator terminal 30, , Including. In the following description, when there is no particular reason for distinguishing the vending machines 20-1 to 20-n, they are simply expressed as “vending machine 20”.

The management server 10 is a device that manages the operation related to the calibration of the vending machine 20 and the calibration data output from the vending machine 20. Specifically, the management server 10 defines a condition (hereinafter referred to as a transmission condition) that defines a condition when the vending machine 20 corresponding to the online calibration transmits the calibration data to the management server 10. ) And calibration data collected from the vending machine 20.

The management server 10 provides an interface for inputting transmission conditions set in the vending machine 20 to a user (for example, an administrator of the vending machine calibration system). For example, the management server 10 displays a transmission condition setting screen as shown in FIG. 3 on the administrator terminal 30 used by the system administrator (transmits image data from the management server 10 to the administrator terminal 30). . The system administrator operates the administrator terminal 30 to input transmission conditions to the management server 10 (the administrator terminal 30 transmits operation data to the management server 10).

Referring to FIG. 3, the system administrator selects the vending machine 20 for setting the transmission conditions. Further, the system administrator inputs a transmission condition to be set for the selected vending machine 20. At that time, the management server 10 provides a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows the system administrator to input detailed conditions. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the management server 10 provides an interface related to input of transmission conditions such that a logical product (AND) operation is performed on conditions in which the conditions are connected by a logical sum (OR). That is, the management server 10 provides the system administrator with an interface for inputting a condition based on a combination of logical operators as a transmission condition.

FIG. 3 shows the conditions under which the vending machine 20 specified by ID (ID; Identifier) _1 transmits calibration data to the management server 10 when both the evaluations of Condition 1 and Condition 2 are true. Has been.

Each condition will be explained. Under condition 1, whether the sales amount in the vending machine 20 exceeds 100,000 yen, or the number of sales of the product X1 handled by the vending machine 20 exceeds 20, or the calibration data is transmitted first. If one day has passed since the last day (the period during which calibration data has not been transmitted is one day or more), the number of items in stock X1 is less than 10, or if each item is out of stock Notification or setting related to the setting is performed. In the following description, a period in which the calibration data is not transmitted is referred to as an “untransmitted period”. The non-transmission period can also be regarded as a period during which the vending machine 20 is allowed not to transmit the calibration data.

Further, FIG. 3 shows an interface for setting the number of sales and the number of stocks related to the product X1. When the system administrator sets the number of sales or the number of stocks related to other products, the setting is made using the pull-down menus shown next to “the number of sales of the product X1” or “the number of stocks of the product X1”. Select the product you want.

In condition 2, a setting related to a period from when the calibration data is transmitted first to when the calibration data can be transmitted next (period during which continuous transmission of calibration data is prohibited; transmission prohibition period) is performed. In the example of FIG. 3, it is shown that the next calibration data cannot be transmitted unless one hour has passed after the calibration data was transmitted first. That is, the transmission prohibition period is a period during which the vending machine 20 is prohibited from continuously transmitting calibration data.

In the example of FIG. 3, Condition 1 and Condition 2 are ANDed. Therefore, when the evaluation of both Condition 1 and Condition 2 is true, the vending machine 20 directs the calibration data to the management server 10. Transmission is possible.

In the following description, the variable indicating the condition regarding the sales amount is A, the variable regarding the number of sales of each product is B, the variable regarding the unsent period of the calibration data is C, the variable regarding the number of products in stock is D, and A variable related to notification is expressed as E, and a variable related to the transmission prohibited period is expressed as F (see FIG. 4). In addition, variables related to the number of sales and the number of stocks for individual products are described in combination with ordinal numbers. For example, a variable related to the sales volume of the product X1 is expressed as B1, and a variable related to the sales volume of the product X2 is expressed as B2. For example, when the above notation is used, the condition relating to the sales amount can be expressed as “A> 100000 (unit: yen)”.

The transmission condition setting screen shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and is not intended to limit the content. For example, in FIG. 3, the logical product (AND) of the condition 1 and the condition 2 is shown as the transmission condition, but further conditions may be added. In that case, for example, a screen for accepting the input of condition 3 may be displayed by pressing the “add condition button” shown in FIG. Alternatively, in FIG. 3, the logical product (AND) of condition 1 and condition 2 is used as the transmission condition, but an interface that can set the logical sum (OR) of condition 1 and condition 2 as the transmission condition may be prepared. . Specifically, as a logical operator that combines condition 1 and condition 2, either AND or OR may be selected.

Returning to FIG. 2, the management server 10 transmits the input transmission condition to the selected vending machine 20.

The vending machine 20 is an apparatus that sells beverages, cigarettes, etc., and is a vending machine that supports online calibration. However, it is not intended to limit the products sold by the vending machine 20, and the vending machine 20 may handle other products.

The vending machine 20 transmits calibration data satisfying the transmission conditions received from the management server 10 (information relating to the sales amount and merchandise inventory) to the management server 10. For example, the vending machine 20 transmits information as shown in FIG. 5 to the management server 10 as calibration data. Referring to FIG. 5, for example, the sales amount (unrecovered sales amount), the number of sales for each product, the number of inventory for each product, and the like are transmitted to the management server 10 as calibration data. In the calibration data shown in FIG. 5, the vending machine 20 can notify the management server 10 of “product out of stock” by setting the number of stocks of each product to “0”.

Management server 10 stores calibration data acquired from each vending machine 20 inside. In addition, when the system administrator or the like operates the administrator terminal 30 to request output of the calibration data, the management server 10 outputs calibration data regarding the designated vending machine 20 (system management). Provided to The system administrator refers to the calibration data and uses it for operations related to product replenishment, sales collection, and the like.

[Configuration and operation of the management server]
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the management server 10 according to the first embodiment. The management server 10 is a so-called computer and has a configuration illustrated in FIG. For example, the management server 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a memory 12, an input / output interface 13, a NIC (Network Interface Card) 14, and the like that are connected to each other via an internal bus. The management server 10 communicates with the vending machine 20 and the administrator terminal 30 via the NIC 14. Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 6 is not intended to limit the hardware configuration of the management server 10. The management server 10 may include hardware not shown.

The memory 12 is a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or the like.

The input / output interface 13 serves as an interface for an input / output device (not shown). Examples of the input / output device include a display device, an operation device, an external storage device, and a printing device. The display device is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The operation device is, for example, a keyboard or a mouse. The external storage device is, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The system administrator may input transmission conditions using an input / output device (liquid crystal display, keyboard, etc.) provided in the management server 10 instead of using the administrator terminal 30.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration of the management server 10 according to the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. 7, the management server 10 includes a communication control unit 201, a transmission condition processing unit 202, a vending machine management unit 203, a calibration data output unit 204, a storage unit 205 realized by the memory 12, It is comprised including. The processing modules from the communication control unit 201 to the calibration data output unit 204 are realized by the CPU 11 executing a program stored in the memory 12, for example. The program can be downloaded through a network or updated using a storage medium storing the program. Furthermore, the processing module may be realized by a semiconductor chip. That is, it is sufficient if there is a means for executing the function performed by the processing module with some hardware and / or software.

The communication control unit 201 is a means for controlling the NIC 14 and realizing communication with the vending machine 20 and the administrator terminal 30. The management server 10 and the vending machine 20 are connected to each other through a mobile line such as 3G or LTE (Long Term Evolution), a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), a dedicated line (wired), or the like. The communication control unit 201 is also means for distributing a message (packet) received from another device (the vending machine 20 or the administrator terminal 30) to each processing module unit or transmitting a message to another device. .

The transmission condition processing unit 202 is a means for controlling and managing transmission conditions. Specifically, when receiving a request related to “transmission condition setting” from the administrator terminal 30, the transmission condition processing unit 202 generates image data related to the transmission condition setting screen illustrated in FIG. 3 and performs communication control. The image data is transmitted to the administrator terminal 30 via the unit 201.

Also, the transmission condition processing unit 202 receives an operation of the system administrator (operation data transmitted by the administrator terminal 30) via the communication control unit 201, and performs an operation according to the received operation data. As described above, the transmission condition processing unit 202 provides an interface related to input of transmission conditions by the system administrator.

Further, the transmission condition processing unit 202 has a function of converting the transmission conditions input by the system administrator into a format that can be set in the vending machine 20. More specifically, the transmission condition processing unit 202 represents the transmission condition input by the system administrator by a conditional expression including at least two conditional expressions combined by a logical operator. For example, the transmission condition illustrated in FIG. 3 can be expressed by the conditional expression K shown in the following expression (1).

K = {(A> 1000000) || (B1> 20) || ... || (C> 24) || (D1 <10) || ... || (E == 0)} && { F> 1} (1)

In addition, each variable in the said Formula (1) is as above-mentioned (refer FIG. 4). In addition, “E == 0” in Expression (1) collectively describes the conditions regarding the out of stock of each product. Actually, since it is judged that the product is out of stock, it consists of a logical sum (OR) of “E1 == 0” and “E2 == 0”.

Conditional expression K shown in (1) above is used in the vending machine 20 to determine whether or not the calibration data is transmitted to the management server 10, and therefore, in both the management server 10 and the vending machine 20, It is necessary to ensure the meaning and unit consistency of the variables used in the expression. For example, the meaning and interpretation of the variable “A” used in the conditional expression are aligned in both the management server 10 and the vending machine 20. Alternatively, the system administrator uses the administrator terminal 30 to input the meaning of each variable and the numerical unit used for the transmission condition to the management server 10, and the management server 10 automatically inputs the above information (meaning of variable, unit). The vending machine 20 may be notified.

The transmission condition processing unit 202 transmits a transmission condition (a conditional expression including a combination of logical operators) to the selected vending machine 20 via the communication control unit 201. In addition, the transmission condition processing unit 202 automatically sells ID information that identifies the vending machine 20 that has transmitted the transmission condition, and information related to the transmission condition (a file name that identifies the transmission condition, a transmission date and time of the transmission condition). Provided to the machine management unit 203.

The vending machine management unit 203 is a means for storing and managing transmission conditions and calibration data for each vending machine 20. For example, the vending machine management unit 203 manages transmission conditions and calibration data using a vending machine management table as shown in FIG. The vending machine management table is a table constructed in the storage unit 205.

Referring to FIG. 8, for each vending machine 20, information on transmission conditions (file name in which transmission conditions are described, transmission date and time of transmission conditions) and information on calibration data (file name in which calibration data is described, calibration data) (Acquisition date) is managed. A hyphen (-) in the calibration data and calibration data acquisition date / time field shown in the third line of FIG. 8 indicates that calibration data corresponding to the vending machine 20 having ID_3 has not been acquired.

The vending machine management unit 203 manages the transmission conditions provided from the transmission condition processing unit 202. Specifically, when the vending machine management unit 203 acquires ID information of the vending machine 20 that is not registered in the vending machine management table, the vending machine management unit 203 adds a new record to the vending machine management table. Alternatively, when the vending machine management unit 203 acquires the ID information of the vending machine 20 already registered in the vending machine management table, the vending machine management unit 203 updates the information regarding the transmission condition corresponding to the vending machine 20. .

In addition, the vending machine management unit 203 manages calibration data acquired via the communication control unit 201. Specifically, when the vending machine management unit 203 acquires the calibration data from the vending machine 20, the vending machine management unit 203 reflects information on the acquired calibration data in the vending machine management table (updates the table).

The calibration data output unit 204 is a means for outputting calibration data acquired from each vending machine 20. For example, when the system administrator operates the administrator terminal 30 to designate the vending machine 20 and instruct the management server 10 to output calibration data, the calibration data output unit 204 displays the designated vending machine 20. Is read from the vending machine management table and responds to the administrator terminal 30.

The operation of the management server 10 is summarized as shown in the flowchart of FIG.

In step S101, the communication control unit 201 confirms whether or not a request for setting transmission conditions has been received from the administrator terminal 30. When a request relating to transmission condition setting is accepted (step S101, Yes branch), the processing after step S102 is executed. If a request for setting transmission conditions has not been received (step S101, No branch), the processing after step S105 is executed.

If a request for setting transmission conditions has been received, the transmission condition processing unit 202 generates image data related to the transmission condition setting screen as shown in FIG. 3 and transmits it to the administrator terminal 30 (step S102). .

In step S103, the transmission condition processing unit 202 receives operation data from the administrator terminal 30 and inputs transmission conditions. Thereafter, the transmission condition processing unit 202 converts the input transmission condition into a conditional expression format and transmits it to the vending machine 20 (step S104).

The communication control unit 201 confirms whether or not calibration data has been received from the vending machine 20 (step S105). When the calibration data is received (step S105, Yes branch), the communication control unit 201 delivers the received calibration data to the vending machine management unit 203. The vending machine management unit 203 updates the vending machine management table using the acquired calibration data (step S106).

If calibration data has not been received (step S105, No branch), the communication control unit 201 confirms whether or not a request for calibration data output (calibration data output request) has been received from the administrator terminal 30. (Step S107). If a calibration data output request has been received (step S107, Yes branch), the communication control unit 201 notifies the calibration data output unit 204 to that effect.

The calibration data output unit 204 reads the calibration data corresponding to the designated vending machine 20 from the vending machine management table, and outputs the calibration data (step S108). Thereafter, the process returns to step S101 and continues.

If no calibration data output request has been received (step S107, No branch), the process returns to step S101 and the processing is continued.

[Configuration and operation of vending machine]
FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the vending machine 20 according to the first embodiment. The vending machine 20 has a configuration illustrated in FIG. For example, the vending machine 20 includes a CPU 21, a memory 22, a NIC 23, and the like that are connected to each other via an internal bus.

Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 10 is not intended to limit the hardware configuration of the vending machine 20. The vending machine 20 also includes hardware not shown. Specifically, FIG. 10 shows hardware for realizing the function of the vending machine of the vending machine 20 (storage means for storing products, means for discharging products selected by the customer, products The payment means for processing the purchase price) is not shown. These hardware can use the means used in the existing vending machine.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration of the vending machine 20 according to the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. 11, the vending machine 20 includes a communication control unit 301, an inventory / sales management unit 302, a calibration data management unit 303, a calibration data transmission unit 304, and a storage unit 305 realized by the memory 22. , Including. Each processing module is realized by the CPU 21 executing a program stored in the memory 22, for example, as in the management server 10.

The communication control unit 301 is means for controlling the NIC 23 and realizing communication with the management server 10. When receiving the transmission condition from the management server 10, the communication control unit 301 stores the transmission condition in the storage unit 305.

The inventory and sales management unit 302 is a means for managing the sales amount of products handled by the vending machine 20 and the inventory of each product. The inventory and sales management unit 302, when a product is purchased by a customer or a product is replenished by an administrator of the vending machine 20 (so-called route man) (when information is acquired from the storage unit or the settlement unit), the sales amount And information on each product (number of sales, number of inventory) is updated. The inventory and sales management unit 302 initializes the sales amount when the product purchase price stored in the vending machine 20 is collected.

When an event such as product purchase, product replenishment, product purchase price collection, etc. occurs, the inventory and sales management unit 302 informs the calibration data management unit 303 of that fact and details of the event (for example, purchased product name and quantity). Notice.

The calibration data management unit 303 is means for generating and managing calibration data scheduled to be transmitted to the management server 10. Specifically, when notified of the occurrence of the event from the inventory and sales management unit 302, the calibration data management unit 303 updates the calibration data with the reception of the notification.

For example, assume that calibration data at a certain time is as shown in FIG. When the calibration data management unit 303 receives a notification that “the sales of the product X1 is one” from the inventory and sales management unit 302 in the calibration data state shown in FIG. 12A, the price of the product X1 ( In the example of FIG. 12, 150 yen) is added to update the number of sales and the number of inventory of the product X1 (see FIG. 12B). Information regarding the price of each product is assumed to be registered in the storage unit 305 in advance.

When the calibration data is updated, the calibration data management unit 303 notifies the calibration data transmission unit 304 to that effect.

The calibration data transmission unit 304 is a means for determining whether or not to transmit calibration data to the management server 10 based on a transmission condition (conditional expression) set from the management server 10. Specifically, the calibration data transmission unit 304 performs calibration at the timing when the notification (update of calibration data) is received from the calibration data management unit 303 or at a predetermined timing (for example, every 10 minutes). It is determined whether or not the data satisfies the transmission condition, and the calibration data is transmitted to the management server 10 when the transmission condition is satisfied. Note that the calibration data transmission unit 304 holds and manages at least the most recent date and time when calibration data is transmitted from the vending machine 20 to the management server 10.

For example, if the transmission condition input by the system administrator is as shown in FIG. 3, the transmission condition is expressed by the above equation (1). Also, the latest calibration data transmission date and time is “2015/1/1 10:00” (see FIG. 13A).

Furthermore, it is assumed that the calibration data at the timing (current time; 2015/1/1 12:00) at which the calibration data transmission unit 304 determines whether or not calibration data can be transmitted is as shown in FIG. In this case, the conditional expression (conditional expression including the variable A) relating to the sales amount in Condition 1 is true, and the difference between the current time and the most recent calibration data transmission time is 2 hours. The conditional expression including the variable F) is also true. Therefore, the evaluation with respect to the entire conditional expression K shown in FIG. 13A is true, and the calibration data transmission unit 304 determines that the calibration data shown in FIG. 13B can be transmitted to the management server 10.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 13C, the conditional expression related to the sales amount and the number of products (sales number, inventory quantity) of the condition 1 is false (the evaluation of the conditional expression including the variables A, B, D, and E is false). Even so, since the current time is “2015/1/2 10:10” and the calibration data has not been transmitted for more than 24 hours, the conditional expression regarding the untransmitted period (conditional expression including variable C) is true. There is a case. In this case, since the evaluation regarding Condition 2 is also true, the calibration data transmission unit 304 determines that the calibration data shown in FIG. 13C can be transmitted to the management server 10.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 13D, even if the condition 1 is true (the conditional expression including the variable A and the evaluation of the conditional expression including the variable B1 are true), the current time and the latest calibration data transmission time Since the difference is within one hour, condition 2 (conditional expression including variable F; condition relating to the transmission prohibition period) may be false. In this case, the calibration data transmission unit 304 determines that the calibration data illustrated in FIG. 13D cannot be transmitted to the management server 10.

When the calibration data transmission unit 304 determines that the calibration data can be transmitted, the calibration data and the ID information of itself (the vending machine 20) negotiated with the management server 10 are sent to the management server 10. Send to. The calibration data transmission unit 304 updates the latest calibration data transmission date and time when the calibration data is transmitted to the management server 10.

The operation of the vending machine 20 is summarized as shown in the flowchart of FIG.

In step S201, the communication control unit 301 confirms whether or not the transmission condition is received from the management server 10. If the transmission condition is received (step S201, Yes branch), the communication control unit 301 stores the received transmission condition (conditional expression) in the storage unit 305 (step S202).

If the transmission condition has not been received (step S201, No branch), the processing after step S203 is executed.

In step S203, the inventory and sales management unit 302 confirms whether or not an event such as product purchase, product replenishment, or product purchase price collection has occurred. If an event has occurred (step S203, Yes branch), the inventory and sales management unit 302 notifies the calibration data management unit 303 to that effect. Upon receipt of the notification, the calibration data management unit 303 updates the calibration data stored in the storage unit 305 according to the contents acquired from the inventory and sales management unit 302 (step S204).

The calibration data transmission unit 304 transmits the calibration data and the calibration data stored in the storage unit 305 when the calibration data is updated or when an event does not occur (No in step S203) and the predetermined timing is reached. Using the condition, it is determined whether or not the calibration data satisfies the transmission condition (step S205).

When the calibration data satisfies the transmission condition (step S205, Yes branch), the calibration data transmission unit 304 transmits the calibration data to the management server 10 (step S206). If the calibration data does not satisfy the transmission condition (step S205, No branch), the processing after step S201 is continued.

[Operation of vending machine calibration system]
Next, the operation of the vending machine calibration system according to the first embodiment will be described.

FIG. 15 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the vending machine calibration system.

In step S01, the management server 10 inputs transmission conditions by the system administrator. Thereafter, the management server 10 sets the input transmission condition in the designated vending machine 20 (step S02).

The vending machine 20 in which the transmission condition is set compares the transmission condition with the calibration data at a predetermined timing, and determines whether the calibration data satisfies the transmission condition (step S11). If it is determined that the calibration data satisfies the transmission condition, the vending machine 20 transmits the calibration data to the management server 10 (step S12).

When the management server 10 is requested to output calibration data by a system administrator or the like, the management server 10 outputs calibration data regarding the designated vending machine 20 (step S03).

As described above, in the first embodiment, the management server 10 sets a transmission condition in the vending machine 20, and the vending machine 20 determines whether or not calibration data can be transmitted according to the set transmission condition. . Therefore, the communication amount between the management server 10 and the vending machine 20 can be suppressed by appropriately selecting the transmission conditions. In other words, by appropriately selecting the transmission conditions, transmission of calibration data that is meaningless to system administrators and the like (for example, calibration data that has almost no change in sales, inventory, etc.) is suppressed, and meaningful calibration data is selected. Will be sent automatically.

Also, to realize online calibration of vending machines, vending machine operators may conclude contracts regarding the use of networks with carriers that operate mobile lines. In this case, the communication fee is often determined according to the communication amount between the vending machine 20 and the management server 10, and if the communication amount is reduced, the operation cost of the vending machine calibration system is also reduced.

Furthermore, it is conceivable to use the calibration data for product promotion. In this case, it is ideal to grasp the buying and selling trends of customers in real time. At that time, if it is intended to grasp the trading trend in real time without using the transmission condition, it is necessary to transmit the calibration data to the management server at a predetermined interval regardless of the sales of the product. That is, it is necessary to transmit the calibration data to the management server in the dark cloud regardless of whether there is sales. Even in such a case, meaningless calibration data is transmitted to the management server. On the other hand, in the first embodiment, the transmission condition may be set in the vending machine 20 so that the calibration data is transmitted to the management server 10 every time the sale of the product is observed. Transmission is suppressed.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In the first embodiment, the management server 10 sets a transmission condition input by a system administrator in the vending machine 20 and acquires calibration data transmitted according to the transmission condition from the vending machine 20. did. In the second embodiment, a case will be described in which the management server 10a calculates transmission conditions to be reset in the vending machine 20 based on the acquired calibration data.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration of the management server 10a according to the second embodiment. The difference between the management server 10 according to the first embodiment and the management server 10a according to the second embodiment is that the operation of the transmission condition processing unit 202a is different. It should be noted that since there is no difference between the vending machine 20 and the vending machine 20 described in the first embodiment, description of the vending machine is omitted in the second and third embodiments. Further, the hardware configuration related to the management server and the vending machine is not different from the content described in the first embodiment, and therefore the description corresponding to FIG. 6 and FIG.

In addition to the function of the transmission condition processing unit 202 described in the first embodiment, the transmission condition processing unit 202a recalculates the transmission condition based on the calibration data transmitted by the vending machine 20, and the recalculated It has a function of setting transmission conditions in the vending machine 20. That is, the management server 10a sets the vending machine 20 with the transmission condition set (the vending machine 20 that has transmitted the calibration data) based on the calibration data acquired from the vending machine 20 with the transmission condition set. Recalculate the transmission conditions.

In addition, the contents of the vending machine management table stored in the storage unit 205 are also changed with the addition of the function of the transmission condition processing unit 202a. Specifically, the vending machine management table according to the second embodiment is configured so as to be able to grasp the transmission conditions, the history of calibration data, and the contents (substance) of each vending machine 20 (see FIG. 17). .

In the vending machine management table shown in FIG. 17, the fields related to transmission conditions (transmission condition field, transmission condition transmission date / time field) and the fields related to calibration data (calibration data field, calibration data acquisition date / time field) are related. Rather, they have an independent relationship. Specifically, the first line in FIG. 17 (the first line of the vending machine having ID_1) does not indicate that the calibration data_1a is obtained from the vending machine 20 in which the transmission condition_1a is set. The vending machine management table shown in FIG. 17 is simply used to grasp the transmission conditions set in the vending machine 20 and the calibration data acquired from the vending machine 20.

Next, the operation of the transmission condition processing unit 202a according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

When the calibration data transmitted from the vending machine 20 is stored in the vending machine management table, the transmission condition processing unit 202a manages the stored calibration data and the calibration data stored immediately before the vending machine management table. Obtained from the table (step S301 in FIG. 18).

For example, taking FIG. 17 as an example, when the calibration data_1c is added to the third row, the transmission condition processing unit 202a adds the added “calibration data_1c” to the vending machine management table immediately before that. The stored “calibration data_1b” is acquired.

Next, the transmission condition processing unit 202a transmits the latest transmission set in the vending machine 20 (in the example of FIG. 17, ID_1 vending machine) that has transmitted the calibration data added to the vending machine management table. The conditions are acquired from the vending machine management table (step S302).

In the example of FIG. 17, the transmission condition processing unit 202a acquires the transmission condition_1b. Here, it is assumed that each piece of data acquired by the transmission condition processing unit 202a is as shown in FIGS.

Next, the transmission condition processing unit 202a calculates the amount of change (difference value) of the corresponding items (for example, sales amount, number of sales for each product, number of inventory) for the two acquired calibration data (step S303). ).

In the example of FIG. 19, the amount of change between the calibration data_1b and the calibration data_1c is 200 yen for the sales amount (conditions including the variable A), and the sales amount of the products (conditions including the variable B) is 200 yen. The number of sales is 2 (the number of inventory is reduced by 2).

Next, the transmission condition processing unit 202a performs threshold processing on each calculated change amount, and checks whether or not the change amount of each item is within a predetermined range (step S304).

In the example of FIG. 19, a change amount of 200 yen related to the sales amount is compared with two threshold values (upper and lower thresholds that define the range), and two change amounts related to the number of sales of the product X1 are compared with the two threshold values. Is done.

When the change amount of each item is within the predetermined range (step S304, Yes branch), the transmission condition processing unit 202a ends the process without performing any special process.

When there is one or more items whose change amount exceeds the predetermined range (step S304, No branch), the transmission condition processing unit 202a determines that the vending machine 20 (the vending machine 20 with ID_1 in the example of FIG. 17). The transmission conditions to be set are recalculated (step S305).

Various forms can be considered for recalculation of the transmission conditions. For example, it is conceivable to recalculate the conditions regarding the transmission time of the calibration data (non-transmission period, transmission prohibited period).

For example, when the change amount of the calibration data is smaller than the lower limit threshold value that defines the predetermined range, the transmission condition processing unit 202a changes the condition regarding the untransmitted period. Specifically, the transmission condition processing unit 202a sets the unsent period longer when the amount of sales or the amount of change in the number of merchandise sales does not reach the expected number. In the example of FIG. 19, the calibration data is currently sent to the management server 10a once a day (24 hours), but the calibration data is sent once every two days (48 hours). (The setting is changed to C> 48). The recalculation and resetting of the transmission conditions by the transmission condition processing unit 202a are repeatedly performed every time calibration data is received. Therefore, even if the transmission conditions are reset, the vending machine 20 is subsequently used. May be recalculated and reset based on the calibration data sent from. In the above example, the vending machine 20 has a transmission condition in which the non-transmission period is extended to 2 days. However, if the fluctuation in the sales amount for two days is below the expected range, The transmission period is set further extended from the setting of 2 days.

Alternatively, the transmission condition processing unit 202a may change the condition regarding the transmission prohibition period when the change amount of the calibration data is larger than the upper limit threshold value that defines the predetermined range. Specifically, the transmission condition processing unit 202a may set the transmission prohibition period to be shorter when the product sales are larger than the expected number. In the transmission condition_1b shown in FIG. 19C, the calibration data cannot be transmitted more than once per hour. For example, the calibration data is changed to be transmittable once every 30 minutes. (Changed to F> 0.5). In other words, the fact that the product sales are larger than expected means that the merchandise inventory is less than expected, and the management server 10 causes the vending machine 20 to transmit calibration data more frequently, Reduce the risk of out of stock.

When the recalculation of the transmission condition is completed, the transmission condition processing unit 202a transmits the recalculated transmission condition to the vending machine 20 (step S306).

As described above, the management server 10a according to the second embodiment analyzes the calibration data transmitted based on the transmission conditions, reflects the analysis result in the transmission conditions, and resets the data in the vending machine 20. That is, the management server 10a feeds back the acquired calibration data to the calculation of the transmission condition, and optimizes the transmission condition set in the vending machine 20. As a result, transmission of calibration data that is not so important for the system administrator is suppressed, and calibration data that is important for the system administrator is transmitted to the management server 10a as soon as possible.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In the third embodiment, the management server 10b gives an administrator (that is, a route man) who manages the product of the vending machine based on the calibration data acquired from the vending machine 20 or an operator of the vending machine. Explain providing useful information. Specifically, the management server 10b analyzes the calibration data acquired from the vending machine 20, and provides the analysis result to the user (for example, rootman, operator of the vending machine).

FIG. 20 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration of the management server 10b according to the third embodiment. The difference between the management server 10 and the management server 10b according to the first embodiment is that a calibration data analysis unit 206 is provided.

Furthermore, in the third embodiment, route information and position information of the vending machine 20 (for example, latitude and longitude of the vending machine 20) are registered in the storage unit 205. As shown in FIG. 21, the route information is information that defines a correspondence relationship between the route and the vending machine 20 belonging to each route.

Based on the calibration data acquired from at least two or more vending machines 20, the calibration data analysis unit 206 determines what kind of vending machine group (the vending machines 20 of each route) including the two or more vending machines 20 is. Information about what should be visited in order (hereinafter referred to as route information) is generated and output. More specifically, the calibration data analysis unit 206 is activated in response to the route information output request acquired from the administrator terminal 30 and outputs the generated route information (analysis result of the calibration data) as a response to the request.

Next, the operation of the calibration data analysis unit 206 will be described with reference to FIG. When the calibration data analysis unit 206 acquires the route information output request for which the route is specified, the calibration data analysis unit 206 acquires the location information of the vending machine 20 belonging to the specified route from the storage unit 205.

Next, the calibration data analysis unit 206 identifies the two vending machines 20 having the longest distance between each other based on the position information of each vending machine 20, and routes the two identified vending machines 20 to each other. Set to the end point of.

Here, it is assumed that the distance between the vending machine 20-1 and the vending machine 20-2 is the longest, and the positional relationship is as shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 22A, the calibration data analysis unit 206 sets the vending machines 20-1 and 20-2 as the end points of the route.

Next, the calibration data analysis unit 206 determines whether to set a path from one end point to the other end point or to set a path opposite to the above-described path based on the calibration data. For example, the calibration data analysis unit 206 calculates the number of products that move between two end points, and determines which of the two end points is the start point and the end point based on the calculated number of products.

For example, assume that a part of the calibration data of the vending machine 20-1 is as shown in FIG. 22 (b) and a part of the calibration data of the vending machine 20-2 is as shown in FIG. 22 (c). In addition, it is assumed that the stock quantity of each vending machine 20 is set to 50 or more. In this case, the vending machine 20-1 needs to be replenished with 20 items X1 and 35 items X2, respectively. The vending machine 20-2 has 50 items X1, 45 items X2, Each needs to be replenished. Accordingly, it is necessary for the route man to visit the vending machines 20-1 and 20-2 by mounting 70 (20 + 50) for the product X1 and 80 (35 + 45) for the product X2 on the transport vehicle. At this time, the calibration data analysis unit 206 should visit the vending machine 20-2 after visiting the vending machine 20-1, or after visiting the vending machine 20-2. Whether or not it is better to visit is determined based on the amount of goods moved along the way. In this case, when going from the vending machine 20-1 to the vending machine 20-2, the number of commodities moving along the road is 100 (70 + 80-20-35 = 100). On the other hand, when moving from the vending machine 20-2 to the vending machine 20-1, the number of products moving along the road is 55 (70 + 80-50-45 = 55).

The calibration data analysis unit 206 uses the route with the smaller number of products moving between the two end points (in this case, the route from the vending machine 20-2 to the vending machine 20-1) as the designated route. To the administrator terminal 30.

As described above, the management server 10b according to the third embodiment can provide useful information for the user by analyzing calibration data acquired from two or more vending machines 20. In the example of outputting the route information described above, an improvement in fuel consumption of the transport vehicle can be expected.

Note that the system configurations described in the first to third embodiments, the configurations and operations of the management server 10 and the vending machine 20 are examples, and are not intended to limit the contents.

For example, in the vending machine calibration system shown in FIG. 2, a vending machine that does not support transmission of calibration data based on transmission conditions may be included. Even if such a vending machine is included in the system, there is no problem in the operation of the vending machine calibration system shown in FIG. In other words, in the existing online calibration system, the management server is replaced with the management server 10 described in the first to third embodiments, and transmission of calibration data based on transmission conditions to a newly installed vending machine. By incorporating the function, the operation of the vending machine calibration system shown in FIG. 2 can be started.

Alternatively, incidental information regarding the sales amount, the number of products sold, etc. may be added to the calibration data transmitted from the vending machine 20 to the management server 10. Specifically, information such as the time zone when the product is sold may be added to each product and transmitted to the management server 10. The value of the calibration data is increased by adding the incidental information, and for example, the calibration data can be used for marketing a product.

Alternatively, since there is a correlation between the sales of the product and the inventory of the product, when one of the items is managed by the management server 10, transmission of the other information may be omitted (in the calibration data) No information about product inventory or sales). By reducing the items included in the calibration data, the amount of communication between the management server 10 and the vending machine 20 can be reduced.

In the first embodiment, the transmission condition for setting the threshold for the number of sales and the number of inventory for each individual product has been described. However, even if the threshold applied in common to the number of sales and the number of inventory for each product is set, Good.

In the first embodiment, referring to FIG. 3, the system administrator explained the transmission condition setting screen for selecting the vending machines 20 one by one and inputting the transmission conditions. A transmission condition setting screen (interface) for setting the same transmission conditions may be provided to the system administrator. When the number of vending machines 20 to be managed is large, setting transmission conditions for each individual vending machine 20 requires a great deal of labor and cost. However, if the same transmission conditions can be set uniformly, such labor and cost can be reduced. In particular, as described in the second embodiment, if the transmission condition set in each vending machine 20 is changed by feedback of calibration data, the transmission of each vending machine 20 with the passage of time. Conditions are optimized and a reduction in the amount of communication between the management server and the vending machine is achieved.

Alternatively, a predetermined initial value is set as a transmission condition at the start of operation of the vending machine 20, and the transmission condition of the vending machine 20 is optimized based on calibration data acquired according to the transmission condition of the initial value. May be.

2nd Embodiment demonstrated the case where the transmission conditions set to the vending machine 20 which transmitted the calibration data are recalculated. However, the calibration data set in the vending machine 20 different from the vending machine 20 that has transmitted the calibration data may be recalculated and set. For example, it is assumed that the management server 10a grasps that the inventory of the product X1 is exhausted from the calibration data acquired from the vending machine 20-1. In this case, it is expected that the sales of the product X1 are large even in the vending machine (for example, the vending machine 20-2) located in the vicinity of the vending machine 20-1. Therefore, the management server 10a can cope with the transmission condition set in the vending machine 20-2 by raising the threshold relating to the inventory quantity of the product X1 and causing the vending machine 20-2 to transmit the calibration data early. . Alternatively, when there are a plurality of vending machines 20 located in the vicinity of the vending machine 20-1, the transmission conditions may be reset for the plurality of vending machines 20. As described above, the management server 10a may recalculate and reset transmission conditions to be set in another vending machine 20 or a plurality of vending machines 20 based on the calibration data acquired from the vending machine 20. .

In the third embodiment, the case where the management server 10b outputs the route information as the analysis result of the calibration data has been described. However, other information may be output. For example, the management server 10b may analyze calibration data acquired from two or more vending machines 20 and provide the user with information (product configuration information) recommending a change in the configuration of products sold by the vending machine 20. Good. Specifically, in the calibration data acquired from two or more vending machines, when a remarkable tendency can be confirmed in the sales of products, the contents may be notified to the user. For example, when the product X1 is compared with the product X2, if the sales of the product X1 are clearly higher than the product X2, the calibration data analysis unit 206 recommends that the inventory of the product X1 be increased instead of the product X2. Configuration information may be output.

In the plurality of flowcharts used in the above description, a plurality of steps (processes) are described in order, but the execution order of the steps executed in each embodiment is not limited to the description order. In each embodiment, the order of the illustrated steps can be changed within a range that does not hinder the contents, for example, the processes are executed in parallel. Moreover, each above-mentioned embodiment can be combined in the range in which the content does not conflict.

Some or all of the above embodiments may be described as follows, but are not limited to the following.

[Form 1]
This is the same as the vending machine calibration system according to the first aspect described above.
[Form 2]
The management server
The vending machine calibration system according to mode 1, wherein the transmission condition including at least two conditional expressions combined by a logical operator is set in the vending machine.
[Form 3]
The management server
The vending machine calibration system according to mode 1 or 2, wherein the transmission condition includes a condition regarding an untransmitted period in which the vending machine allows the calibration data to be untransmitted.
[Form 4]
The management server
The vending machine calibration system according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the transmission condition includes a condition relating to a transmission prohibition period in which the vending machine is prohibited from continuously transmitting the calibration data.
[Form 5]
The management server
The vending machine calibration system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 4, which provides a user with an interface for inputting a condition based on a combination of operators as the transmission condition.
[Form 6]
The management server
The calculation method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 5, wherein the transmission condition set in the first vending machine is recalculated based on calibration data acquired from the first vending machine in which the transmission condition is set. Vending machine calibration system.
[Form 7]
The management server
A vending machine calibration system according to mode 6, which recalculates the transmission conditions set in a second vending machine different from the first vending machine based on the calibration data acquired from the first vending machine. .
[Form 8]
The management server
The vending machine calibration system according to mode 6 or 7, wherein the transmission conditions set for a plurality of vending machines including the first vending machine are calculated based on the calibration data acquired from the first vending machine.
[Form 9]
The management server
The information on the order of visits of a vending machine group including the at least two or more vending machines is generated based on calibration data acquired from at least two or more vending machines. Vending machine calibration system.
[Mode 10]
The management server according to the second aspect described above.
[Form 11]
The vending machine according to the third aspect described above.
[Form 12]
This is the same as the vending machine calibration method according to the fourth aspect described above.
[Form 13]
It is as the program concerning the above-mentioned 5th viewpoint.
The forms 10 to 13 can be developed like the forms 2 to 9 as in the case of the form 1.

In addition, the disclosure of the cited patent document is incorporated herein by reference. Within the scope of the entire disclosure (including claims) of the present invention, the embodiments and examples can be changed and adjusted based on the basic technical concept. In addition, various combinations or selections of various disclosed elements (including each element in each claim, each element in each embodiment or example, each element in each drawing, etc.) within the scope of the entire disclosure of the present invention. Is possible. That is, the present invention of course includes various variations and modifications that could be made by those skilled in the art according to the entire disclosure including the claims and the technical idea. In particular, with respect to the numerical ranges described in this document, any numerical value or small range included in the range should be construed as being specifically described even if there is no specific description.

10, 10a, 10b, 102 Management server 11, 21 CPU (Central Processing Unit)
12, 22 Memory 13 Input / output interface 14, 23 NIC (Network Interface Card)
20, 20-1 to 20-n, 101 Vending machine 30 Administrator terminal 201, 301 Communication control unit 202, 202a Transmission condition processing unit 203 Vending machine management unit 204 Calibration data output unit 205, 305 Storage unit 206 Calibration data Analysis unit 302 Inventory and sales management unit 303 Calibration data management unit 304 Calibration data transmission unit

Claims (13)

1. Vending machines,
   A management server that sets a transmission condition in the vending machine that defines a condition for determining whether or not the vending machine transmits calibration data;
   Including
   The vending machine calibration system, wherein the vending machine transmits calibration data satisfying the transmission condition to the management server.
2. The management server
   The vending machine calibration system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission condition including at least two conditional expressions combined by a logical operator is set in the vending machine.
3. The management server
   The vending machine calibration system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transmission condition includes a condition related to an untransmitted period in which the vending machine allows the calibration data to be untransmitted.
4. The management server
   The vending machine calibration system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the transmission condition includes a condition related to a transmission prohibition period in which the vending machine is prohibited from continuously transmitting the calibration data.
5. The management server
   The vending machine calibration system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an interface for inputting a condition based on a combination of operators as the transmission condition is provided to a user.
6. The management server
   6. The transmission condition set in the first vending machine is recalculated based on calibration data acquired from the first vending machine in which the transmission condition is set. The vending machine calibration system described.
7. The management server
   7. The vending machine calibration according to claim 6, wherein the transmission condition set in a second vending machine different from the first vending machine is recalculated based on the calibration data acquired from the first vending machine. system.
8. The management server
   The vending machine calibration system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein a transmission condition to be set for a plurality of vending machines including the first vending machine is calculated based on the calibration data acquired from the first vending machine. .
9. The management server
   The information regarding the visit order of the vending machine group containing the said at least 2 or more vending machine is produced | generated based on the calibration data acquired from the at least 2 or more vending machine. Vending machine calibration system as described in.
10. Management connected to a vending machine having an online calibration function via a network, and setting a transmission condition in the vending machine that defines a condition for determining whether or not the vending machine transmits calibration data server.
11. Sending calibration data to the management server that is a condition set from the management server connected via the network and that satisfies a transmission condition that defines a condition for determining whether to send calibration data. vending machine.
12. Setting a transmission condition in the vending machine that defines a condition for determining whether or not to transmit calibration data;
    Transmitting calibration data satisfying the transmission condition to a management server;
    Vending machine calibration method.
13. A process of setting a transmission condition in the vending machine, which is connected to a vending machine having an online calibration function via a network and that defines a condition for determining whether or not the vending machine transmits calibration data. A program that causes a computer equipped with a management server to be executed.

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