WO2022018955A1

WO2022018955A1 - Automatic vending machine

Info

Publication number: WO2022018955A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/019552
Authority: WO
Inventors: 孝志棚沢
Original assignee: 富士電機株式会社
Priority date: 2020-07-21
Filing date: 2021-05-24
Publication date: 2022-01-27
Also published as: JP7567244B2; JP2022021053A

Abstract

In order to output optimum information in accordance with a usable settlement method without necessitating a complex setting operation, this automatic vending machine is provided with a control unit 40 that controls discharging of a commodity on the basis of depositing information given from a settlement processor 30, and controls outputting of information about commodity sales through a liquid crystal display 25 of a machine body 10. Internal memories 34 of settlement processors 30A, 30B, 30C store processor data 35A, 35B, 35C including identification data A, B, C corresponding to types of settlement methods. The control unit 40 reads the processor data 35A, 35B, 35C from the connected settlement processors 30, reads output data sets 43A, 43B, 43C corresponding to the identification data A, B, C of the read processor data 35A, 35B, 35C from a memory 42, and outputs the data sets as output information.

Description

vending machine

The present invention relates to a vending machine that outputs information related to product sales through an output unit provided in the main body of the device.

Vending machines can be used not only for cash payments using cash such as coins, but also for bar code payments using coded data such as two-dimensional bar codes and card payments using electronic money stored in IC cards. Some can be purchased (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-151674

By the way, in vending machines with different payment methods as described above, not only a payment processing machine is required depending on the medium used for payment, but also the information output to the user is different from each other. For example, regarding the sales procedure of a product guided through an output unit such as a display device, in the case of cash payment, "Please insert cash and select a product.", While in the case of bar code payment, "Select a product." Please read the two-dimensional bar code after doing this. " Further, in a vending machine that can use both cash payment and bar code payment, it is necessary to output the above-mentioned two sales procedures to the user. For this reason, in the past, for example, at the manufacturing stage, a setting worker confirms the type of payment processing machine installed in the vending machine and sets output information corresponding to the payment method that can be supported by the payment processing machine. ing. Such setting work is generally performed using a small remote controller attached to the vending machine, and not only the operation is complicated, but also there is a concern that a setting error may occur.

In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine capable of outputting optimum information according to a payment method that can be used without requiring complicated setting work.

In order to achieve the above object, the vending machine according to the present invention controls the withdrawal of products based on the payment information given from the payment processing machine, and also controls the output of information related to product sales through the output unit of the main body of the device. It is a vending machine provided with a control unit for performing the operation, and the payment processing machine stores processing machine data corresponding to the type of payment method, and the control unit receives processing machine data from the connected payment processing machine. It is characterized in that it is read and output information is output according to the read processing machine data.

Further, in the above-mentioned vending machine, in the above-mentioned vending machine, output information is stored in a storage unit independent of the payment processing machine in a storage unit corresponding to the type of payment method, and the processing machine of the payment processing machine. The data stores identification data for specifying the type of payment method, and the control unit is characterized in that output information corresponding to the identification data read from the payment processing machine is read from the storage unit.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned vending machine, the processing machine data of the payment processing machine stores output information corresponding to the type of payment method.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above-mentioned vending machine, a display device is provided in the device main body as the output unit, and the control unit sells products to the display device according to the processing machine data read from the payment processing machine. It is characterized by displaying guidance information.

According to the present invention, when the payment processing machine is connected to the device main body, output information is output through the output unit according to the processing machine data stored in the payment processing machine. Therefore, it is possible to output the optimum information to the user according to the available payment method without requiring complicated setting work.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view conceptually showing a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows the control system of the vending machine shown in FIG. 1, and is a block diagram in a state where the payment processing machine is not connected. FIG. 3 shows a control system of the vending machine shown in FIG. 1, and is a block diagram in a state where a coin processing machine is connected. FIG. 4 shows a control system of the vending machine shown in FIG. 1, and is a block diagram in a state where a coin processing machine and a bar code processing machine are connected. FIG. 5 shows a control system of the vending machine shown in FIG. 1, and is a block diagram in a state where a coin processing machine and a card processing machine are connected. 6A and 6B show a liquid crystal display of the vending machine shown in FIG. 1, where FIG. 6A shows a display example when a coin processing machine is connected, and FIG. 6B shows a coin processing machine and bar code processing. A diagram showing a display example when a machine is connected, (c) a diagram showing a display example when a coin processing machine and a card processing machine are connected, and (d) a diagram showing a display example when none of the payment processing machines are connected. It is a figure which shows the display example of the case.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the vending machine according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the vending machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the vending machine shown in FIG. The vending machine exemplified here sells a beverage in a container such as a beverage in a can or a beverage in a PET bottle as a product, and includes a device main body 10 provided with an outer door 2 on the front surface of the main body cabinet 1. ..

Although not shown in the figure, the main body cabinet 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open front surface, and has a storage cabinet 11 for accommodating a large number of products inside. Although not explicitly shown in the drawing, the storage 11 is a space surrounded by a heat insulating material, and has a payout mechanism 12 and a temperature control unit 13 inside. The payout mechanism 12 is for paying out the goods stored in the storage 11 when driven. The temperature control unit 13 is for maintaining the inside of the storage 11 at a desired temperature, such as a cooler and a heater.

The outer door 2 is attached to the main body cabinet 1 so as to open and close the front opening of the storage 11. The outer door 2 is provided with a coin slot 21, a coin return port 22, a product outlet 23, a selection button 24, a liquid crystal display (output unit) 25, a speaker (output unit) 26, and a communication unit opening 27 on the front surface. There is. The coin insertion slot 21 is a slit-shaped opening through which coins can be inserted. The coin return port 22 is an opening for returning coins from the vending machine to the user. The product outlet 23 is an opening for taking out the product discharged from the storage 11 by the operation of the dispensing mechanism 12 to the outside of the vending machine. The selection button 24 outputs an individual selection signal to the control unit 40 described later when the pressing operation is performed, and is provided corresponding to each of the products for sale. The liquid crystal display 25 displays output information given by the control unit 40, which will be described later, and is provided, for example, above the coin slot 21. Similarly, the speaker 26 outputs audio information given by the control unit 40, which will be described later, and is provided, for example, above the outer door 2. The communication unit opening 27 is an opening for arranging the card reader / writer 31 provided in the card processing machine 30C, which will be described later, in a state of being exposed to the outside. Although not explicitly shown in the figure, the communication unit opening 27 is in a closed state when it is not needed, and is configured so that it can be easily opened only when it is needed.

In this vending machine, a plurality of types of payment processing machines 30 having different payment methods are prepared in advance. In the illustrated example, the coin processing machine 30A corresponding to cash payment using coins, the bar code processing machine 30B corresponding to bar code payment using coded data such as a two-dimensional bar code, and the bar code processing machine 30B stored in an IC card are stored. A card processing machine 30C that supports card payment using electronic money is prepared in advance. The coin processing machine 30A is provided with a receiving port 32 for receiving coins inserted into the coin insertion slot 21 and an discharging port 33 for discharging returned coins at the coin returning port 22. The card processor 30C is provided with a card reader / writer 31 that reads / writes data to / from the IC card. Although not explicitly shown in the figure, these payment processing machines 30 are configured so that they can be mounted on vending machines at the same time.

Although each payment processing machine 30 has a different payment method, it outputs payment information to the control unit 40 described later when it is determined that the payment processing has been performed. For example, the coin processing machine 30A has a function of outputting the amount of the coin as deposit information to the control unit 40 described later when it is determined that the coin inserted through the coin insertion slot 21 is a regular coin. There is. Although not specified in the figure, the bar code processor 30B can communicate with a payment management server on the network specified by the two-dimensional bar code displayed on the front door of the vending machine or the liquid crystal display 25. It is mounted on the vending machine in such a state, and when the payment information is given from the payment management server, it has a function of outputting the payment information to the control unit 40 described later. The card processing machine 30C has a function of outputting the amount information of electronic money subtracted from the IC card touched by the card reader / writer 31 to the control unit 40 described later as deposit information. As shown in FIG. 2, each payment processing machine 30 stores individual

processing machine data

35A, 35B, 35C in an internal memory 34. The

processing machine data

35A, 35B, 35C includes identification data A, identification data B, and identification data C for specifying the type of payment method that can be handled by the payment processing machine 30. That is, the identification data A is stored in the internal memory 34 of the coin processing machine 30A, the identification data B is stored in the internal memory 34 of the barcode processing machine 30B, and the identification data B is stored in the internal memory 34 of the card processing machine 30C. Is stored in the identification data C.

The control unit 40 of the vending machine shown in FIG. 2 can communicate with the payment processing machine 30 connected via the interface unit 41, and the payment information and the selection button given from the payment processing machine 30 can be communicated with each other. The drive control of the liquid crystal display 25, the speaker 26, the payout mechanism 12, and the temperature control unit 13 is performed according to the selection signal given from 24 and the programs and data stored in the memory (storage unit) 42. The control unit 40 may, for example, have a processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) execute a program, that is, may be realized by software, may be realized by hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit), or may be realized by software. It is also possible to realize it by using both hardware and hardware.

In the above-mentioned memory 42, a plurality of types of

output data sets

43A, 43B, 43C corresponding to the types of payment methods are stored in association with the above-mentioned identification data A, identification data B, and identification data C. The output data set 43D is set as output information when there is no payment method, that is, when the payment processing machine 30 is not connected to the vending machine. The

output data sets

43A, 43B, 43C, 43D mainly serve as guidance information when selling products to users of vending machines, such as character data displayed on the liquid crystal display 25 and audio data output from the speaker 26. It is stored as a group for each type of payment method.

In this vending machine, every time the power is turned on, the control unit 40 performs the output information setting process as the initial setting process. That is, when the power is turned on, the control unit 40 confirms whether or not the payment processing machine 30 is connected to the interface unit 41. As shown in FIG. 2, when it is determined that the payment processing machine 30 is not connected to the interface unit 41, the control unit 40 notifies the vending machine that the payment processing machine 30 can be connected. The output data set 43D for the purpose is read from the memory 42, and this is set as output information. As a result, the characters "In operation" are displayed on the liquid crystal display 25, for example, as shown in FIG. 6D. Therefore, it is possible to make the manager of the vending machine or the like recognize that the vending machine is in an operating state and that the payment processing machine 30 can be connected.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, when the payment processing machine 30 is connected when the power is turned on, the control unit 40 controls the processing machine data 35A stored in the internal memory 34 of each payment processing machine 30. , 35B, 35C are read out. As described above, the processing

machine data

35A, 35B, 35C includes identification data A, identification data B, and identification data C that specify the type of payment method. Therefore, when the payment processing machine 30 is connected when the power is turned on, the

output data sets

43A, 43B, 43C corresponding to the payment method of the connected payment processing machine 30 are read from the memory 42 by the control unit 40. , This will be set as output information.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the control unit 40 determines that only the coin processing machine 30A is connected to the interface unit 41, only the output data set 43A corresponding to cash settlement is read from the memory 42. It will be issued and set as output information. As a result, after the vending machine is installed, for example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the characters "[Cash] Insert money" are displayed on the liquid crystal display 25. Therefore, the user can recognize that this vending machine is compatible with cash settlement, and can further recognize that cash is to be inserted first as a procedure for purchasing a product. ..

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, when the control unit 40 determines that the interface unit 41 is connected to the coin processing machine 30A and the bar code processing machine 30B, the memory 42 can be used for cash settlement. The output data set 43A and the output data set 43B corresponding to the barcode payment are read out, and each is set as output information. As a result, after installing the vending machine, for example, as shown in FIG. 6B, in addition to the characters "[Cash] Insert money", the characters "[Barcode] Select Product" are displayed on the liquid crystal display 25. Will be displayed in. Therefore, the user can recognize that this vending machine supports cash payment and bar code payment, and as a procedure for purchasing the product, cash is first inserted in the case of cash payment, and the bar In the case of code payment, it becomes possible to recognize that the product is selected first.

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 5, when the control unit 40 determines that the interface unit 41 is connected to the coin processing machine 30A and the card processing machine 30C, the memory 42 handles cash settlement. The output data set 43A and the output data set 43C corresponding to the card payment are read out, and each is set as output information. As a result, after installing the vending machine, for example, as shown in FIG. 6 (c), in addition to the characters "[Cash] Insert money", the characters "[Card] Tap Card" are displayed on the liquid crystal display 25. Will be displayed in. Therefore, the user can recognize that this vending machine is compatible with cash payment and card payment, and as a procedure for purchasing the product, cash is first inserted in the case of cash payment, and card payment is made. In this case, it becomes possible to recognize that the card reader / writer 31 is made to touch and read the IC card first.

By the way, regardless of which payment processing machine 30 is connected, when the payment information is given to the control unit 40 and the selection signal is given from the selection button 24, the amount specified by the payment information is given. However, the payout mechanism 12 is driven on condition that the selling price of the selected product or higher is equal to or higher than the selling price of the selected product, and the corresponding product is paid out to the product outlet 23.

As described above, according to the vending machine of this embodiment, if the payment processing machine 30 is connected to the interface unit 41, the processing

machine data

35A, 35B, stored in the payment processing machine 30 by the control unit 40, The output information corresponding to the payment method of the payment processing machine 30 is set according to the identification data A, B, and C of the 35C. Therefore, complicated setting work is not required, and it is possible to output the optimum information according to the payment method that can be used by the vending machine without causing a setting error.

In the above-described embodiment, a vending machine for selling a beverage in a container is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this, and of course, it can be applied to a vending machine for selling other products. It is possible. Further, the coin processing machine 30A, the bar code processing machine 30B, and the card processing machine 30C are exemplified as the payment processing machine 30, but the payment processing machine 30 is not necessarily limited to these. Although only coins are handled as cash settlement, only banknotes may be handled, or both coins and banknotes may be used. Further, although the card payment that handles the electronic money stored in the ID card is illustrated, the storage destination of the electronic money may be an external management server. Further, the attachment target of the payment processing machine 30 does not have to be the outer door 2.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the identification data A, B, C for specifying the type of the payment method are stored as the processing

machine data

35A, 35B, 35C of the payment processing machine 30, and the output data is the device main body 10. Since it is stored in the memory 42, a large-capacity internal memory 34 is not required, and it is possible to prevent a situation in which the manufacturing cost of the payment processing machine 30 increases. However, the

output data sets

43A, 43B, 43C may be stored in the internal memory 34 of each payment processing machine 30 as the processing

machine data

35A, 35B, 35C. That is, when the payment processing machine 30 is connected, if the control unit 40 reads the

output data sets

43A, 43B, 43C stored in the payment processing machine 30 and sets them in its own memory 42 as output information, the payment method can be used. Corresponding output can be performed. Further, although an example is provided as an output device for output information having a liquid crystal display 25 and a speaker 26, it is not always necessary to have both, and even if output is performed to other output devices. I do not care. Although an example of displaying in English on the liquid crystal display 25 is shown, the display language may of course be the language used in the country where the vending machine is installed.

10 Equipment body 25 Liquid crystal display 26 Speaker 30 Payment processing machine 30A Coin processing machine 30B Bar code processing machine 30C

Card processing machine

35A, 35B, 35C Processing machine data 40 Control unit 42

Memory

43A, 43B, 43C, 43D Output data set A, B, C identification data

Claims

It is a vending machine equipped with a control unit that controls the payout of products based on the payment information given by the payment processing machine and also controls the output of information related to product sales through the output unit of the main body of the device.
Processing machine data corresponding to the type of payment method is stored in the payment processing machine.
The control unit is a vending machine characterized in that it reads processing machine data from a connected payment processing machine and outputs output information according to the read processing machine data.
In the device main body, output information corresponding to the type of payment method is stored in a storage unit independent of the payment processing machine.
Identification data for specifying the type of payment method is stored in the processing machine data of the payment processing machine.
The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the control unit reads output information corresponding to the identification data read from the payment processing machine from the storage unit.
The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the processing machine data of the payment processing machine stores output information corresponding to the type of payment method.
A display device is provided on the main body of the device as the output unit.
The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the control unit displays product sales guidance information on the display device according to the processing machine data read from the payment processing machine.