JP3144844B2 - Vending machine sales information management device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention comprises a plurality of vending machines as terminal stations (also simply referred to as terminals) and a center device for managing sales information from each vending machine via a public communication line. The present invention relates to a sales information management device for a vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various sales information management devices for vending machines have been proposed in which sales information of vending machines is managed by a center device via a public communication line.

As a sales information management device for a vending machine described above, for example, as shown in JP-A-1-159787, a center device sends a center call to a vending machine every predetermined period, There is known a method of managing sales information of vending machines.

[0004]

However, in the above configuration, the center device can periodically manage the sales information of the vending machine.
When an abnormality such as a failure occurs, the center device is not notified.

[0005] Further, even if a call can be made from the terminal side, the terminal call cannot be prevented from being made, and the usage fee of the public communication line is high. However, there is a drawback that such

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and it is possible to freely select whether or not to make a terminal call from a vending machine which is a terminal. An apparatus is provided.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a vending machine sales information management device according to the present invention comprises: a vending machine; Failure detection means for detecting a machine failure;
A remaining number shortage detecting means for detecting the remaining number shortage for each type, and sales information communication means for transmitting and receiving the vending machine sales information to and from the center device via the public communication line,
Terminal call selection means for selecting whether or not to make a terminal call from the vending machine to the center device; the sold-out detection means, the failure detection means, the remaining number shortage detection means, and the sales information communication means; An operation control unit connected to the terminal call selection means, and when a signal is generated from the sold-out detection means, the failure detection means, or the remaining number shortage detection means, the terminal call selection means makes a terminal call. The arithmetic and control unit is provided for making a terminal call to the center device via the sales information communication means only when the terminal is selected to make a call.

In addition, the center device is provided with a terminal call enable / disable selecting means for selecting whether or not a terminal call can be made from the terminal station to the center device. Each vending machine is connected to the vending machine from the center device to the public communication line. The information storage means includes information storage means for storing information transmitted via the sales information communication means, and an arithmetic control unit connected to the information storage means.

[0009]

According to the present invention, only when a signal is generated from the sold-out detecting means, the failure detecting means, or the remaining number insufficient detecting means, or when the terminal call selecting means is selected to perform the terminal call. A terminal call can be made to the center device via the sales information communication means.

Further, only when a signal is generated from the sold-out detecting means, the failure detecting means, or the remaining number shortage detecting means, and only when the information storage means is stored as being capable of calling the terminal, the center device is transmitted via the sales information communication means. Can make a terminal call.

[0011]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a vending machine sales information management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1a and 1b are vending machines, 2 is a public communication line connected to the vending machine, and 3 is a center device connected to the vending machines 1a and 1b through the public communication line 2. 4 is a sold-out detecting means for detecting the sold out of each type in the vending machine 1; 5 is a failure detecting means for detecting a failure of the vending machine 1; Means 7 for detecting a shortage of the number of remaining machines, 7 is a terminal call selecting means for selecting whether or not to make a communication request (hereinafter referred to as a terminal call) from the vending machine 1 to the center device 3; Sales information communication means for transmitting and receiving to and from the center device 3 via the public communication line 2, 9
Is an arithmetic control unit of the vending machine 1, which is connected to the public communication line 2, the sold-out detecting means 4, the failure detecting means 5, the remaining number insufficient detecting means 6, the terminal calling selecting means 7, and the sales information communicating means 8. .

The operation of the sales information management apparatus for a vending machine configured as described above will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the arithmetic control unit 8.

In advance, whether or not a call is made to the center device 3 when the vending machine 1 is sold out, a failure or the like occurs is set by the terminal call selection means 7 in the vending machine. The arithmetic and control unit 9 of the vending machine 1 determines whether a sold-out signal has been received from the sold-out detecting means 4 (STEP 1), whether a failure signal has been received from the failure detecting means 5 (STEP 2), or a residual quantity insufficient signal from the residual quantity insufficient detecting means 6. (STEP
3) Perform a check. If any signal has been generated, the process proceeds to STEP4. In STEP 4, the arithmetic control unit 9
Checks whether the terminal call selection means 7 is set to allow the terminal to make a call, and if the terminal call is set to be possible, the arithmetic control unit 9 transmits the communication data to the sales information communication means 8. Is output (STEP 5). The sales information communication means transmits the input communication data to the center device 3 via the public communication line 2. Thus, in the center device 3,
It can be confirmed if the vending machine 1 is sold out or the like. If the center device 3 does not want to receive the terminal call based on the sold-out information of the vending machine, the terminal call selection means 7 in the vending machine 1 may set the terminal call to the unacceptable side.

As described above, according to this embodiment, whether or not a terminal call can be made from the vending machine 1 is set in advance, so that the vending machine 1 can be used only when the center device 3 needs it. Since the terminal call is made from the side, the complexity of the public communication line can be prevented and the usage fee of the public communication line can be reduced.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 10 denotes a terminal call enable / disable selecting means provided in the center device 3 for selecting whether or not a terminal call can be made from the terminal station to the center device. Reference numeral 11 denotes a center device 3 provided in each vending machine. Is information storage means for storing information transmitted from the public communication line 2 and the sales information communication means 8 through the public communication line 2.

As described above, the operation of the sales information management device of the second vending machine which is constructed by adding the terminal callability selection means 10 and the information storage means 11 to the first embodiment will be described. The parts different from the example will be described.

If it is set beforehand whether or not a terminal call can be made from a vending machine by the terminal call permission / inhibition selecting means 10 in the center device 3, the center device 3 transmits the signal to the public communication line 2.
Is transmitted to the sales information communication means 8 of the vending machine via the terminal. The arithmetic control unit 9 inputs the terminal callability data from the sales information communication unit 8 and the information storage unit 1
1 stores terminal callability data. The arithmetic control unit 9
Check the sold-out signal from the sold-out detection means 4, the failure signal from the failure detection means 5, or the remaining quantity shortage signal from the remaining quantity shortage detection means 6, and if any signal is generated, execute arithmetic control. The unit 9 checks the terminal callability data stored in the information storage means 11, and if the terminal callability data is stored, the arithmetic control unit 9 outputs communication data to the sales information communication means 8.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, whether or not a terminal call can be made to the vending machine 1 can be set by communication in the center device 3, so that it is necessary to go to the place where the vending machine 1 is installed. The center device 3 can easily select whether or not to make a terminal call without going.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, sold-out detecting means for detecting the sold-out of each vending machine for each type, failure detecting means for detecting a failure of the vending machine, and remaining for each type. Means for detecting remaining number shortage, means for detecting sales shortage, sales information communication means for transmitting and receiving vending machine sales information to and from the center device via a public communication line, and terminals from the vending machine to the center device A terminal call selecting means for selecting whether or not to make a call; a sold-out detecting means, a failure detecting means, a remaining number shortage detecting means, a sales information communication means, and an arithmetic control unit connected to the terminal call selecting means. Only when a signal is generated from the sold-out detection means, the failure detection means, or the remaining number shortage detection means, or when the terminal call selection means is selected to perform the terminal call, the center is transmitted via the sales information communication means. Arithmetic system for making terminal calls to equipment By providing the section, only when the center device requires, for a vending machine terminal calling is performed, prevents a complication of a public communication line, it is suppressed royalties public networks.

In the above arrangement, the center device is provided with a terminal call enable / disable selection means for selecting whether or not a terminal call can be made from the terminal station to the center device. An information storage means for storing information transmitted through the line and the sales information communication means is added, and when a signal is generated from the sold-out detection means, the failure detection means, or the remaining number shortage detection means, a terminal call is made to the information storage means. Only when it is stored as possible, a calculation control unit that makes a call to the center device via the sales information communication means is provided, so that the center device can be used without going to the place where the vending machine is installed. It is possible to realize an excellent vending machine sales information management device that can easily select whether or not a terminal call can be made.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vending machine sales information management device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a vending machine sales information management apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a vending machine sales information management apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1a, 1b Vending machine 2 Public communication line 3 Center device 4 Out-of-sale detection means 5 Failure detection means 6 Remaining number shortage detection means 7 Terminal call selection means 8 Sales information communication means 9 Arithmetic control unit 10 Terminal call availability selection means 11 Information storage means

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] In a vending machine sales information management device comprising a plurality of vending machines as terminal stations and a center device for managing sales information from each vending machine via a public communication line, each vending machine has an individual vending machine. The vending machine is sold out detecting means for detecting a sold out of each type, a failure detecting means for detecting a failure of the vending machine, a shortage remaining detecting means for detecting a shortage of the remaining number for each type, the vending machine Sales information communication means for transmitting and receiving the sales information to and from the center device via the public communication line, and a terminal for selecting whether or not to make a terminal call from the vending machine to the center device Call-out selection means, the sold-out detection means, the failure detection means, the remaining number shortage detection means, the sales information communication means, and an arithmetic control unit connected to the terminal call-selection means; Or Only when a signal is generated from the failure detection means or the remaining number shortage detection means, and only when the terminal call selection means is selected to perform a terminal call, the center device is transmitted via the sales information communication means. A sales information management device for a vending machine, comprising the arithmetic control unit for making a terminal call to a vending machine. 2. The center device is provided with terminal call enable / disable selection means for selecting whether or not a terminal call can be made from the terminal station side to the center device. Each vending machine sells from the center device to a public communication line. 2. The vending machine sales information management system according to claim 1, further comprising: an information storage unit that stores information transmitted via the information communication unit; and an arithmetic control unit connected to the information storage unit.