JPH02196391A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To purchase a railway ticket exceeding the number of sections which is set by a commutation card by throwing in its commutation card, and also, throwing in a coin or a money amount card, and compensating the money amount of shortage, at the time of purchasing a railway ticket by the commutation card. CONSTITUTION:In the case of a coin or a money amount card is received at the time of executing a display against a specific money of a commutation card by a selecting means provided with an account display means of plural articles or services and a means for selecting and designating their account, a money amount corresponding to the specific money amount of the commutation card is displayed as the minimum fare. Simultaneously, an account display up to the money amount obtained by adding the money amount of the coin or the money amount card which is received to its display money amount is executed, and by executing a selective operation of the selecting means in accordance with this display contents, an article or a service of its selected account is offered. In such a way, in addition to the commutation card, a coin or a money amount card is thrown in. Accordingly, an article or a service of a more money amount than a specific money amount of a commutation card can be offered.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Objective of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention enables the user to operate the system to obtain, for example, a ticket for a vehicle, an admission ticket to an amusement park or a theater, or a meal ticket for a restaurant. It relates to a vending machine that prints and issues tickets for cash, or provides goods or services corresponding to a predetermined monetary value, such as food, beverages, telephone services, etc.

(Prior Art) A vending machine for transportation tickets will be described below as an example of a vending machine.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, for example, in the railway industry, ticket vending machines (so-called automatic ticket vending machines) that print and issue tickets through user operations have become widespread as station operations become labor-saving. This type of ticket vending machine automatically prints and issues tickets when the user inserts money or a monetary value card such as a prepaid card and selects a destination or fare button. When necessary, the system dispenses change and, by inserting a number card that records the number of uses for a given number of wards, it prints and issues tickets corresponding to that number of wards. .

However, with such ticket vending machines, when purchasing a ticket using a ticket card, it is only possible to purchase a ticket for the number of sections recorded on the card, for example, one section (120 yen section). However, I was unable to purchase a second ticket for that ward.

(Invention or problem to be solved) This invention provides that when purchasing goods or services using a coupon card, it is not possible to purchase goods or services for more than the prescribed price for one time set in the coupon card. To provide a vending machine which eliminates the drawbacks and allows goods or services to be purchased for more than the prescribed price for one time set on the coupon card when purchasing goods or services using the coupon card. With the goal.

[Structure of the invention] (Means for solving the problem) The vending machine of this invention starts a transaction by being given a monetary value, and provides goods or services corresponding to the given monetary value. a selection means comprising account display means for a plurality of goods or services and means for selecting and specifying those accounts;
an accepting means, a first processing means for reading a specific amount of cards accepted by the first accepting means, and changing the display content of the account display means in the selecting means to display a charge for the specific amount, currency, or a second accepting means for accepting money cards having monetary value; when the first processing means is displaying the specified amount of cards, the second accepting means accepts money or money cards; , the account display means in the selection means displays the amount corresponding to the specific amount of the number card as the minimum charge, and the displayed amount is replaced with the money accepted from the second accepting means or the amount card. 2nd step to display the account up to the added amount
By performing a selection operation on the amount selection means according to the content displayed on the account display means by the processing means, the first processing means, or the second processing means, the goods or services of the selected account are provided. and a third processing means for subtracting the number of times the number of times the card is used when the goods or services are provided by the third processing means, and accepting the shortfall by the second accepting means; Alternatively, it is comprised of a fourth processing means that supplements with an amount card.

(Operation) The present invention provides an account display means for a plurality of goods or services and a method for displaying accounts for a plurality of goods or services in a system that starts a transaction by giving a monetary value and provides goods or services according to the given monetary value. If either money or an amount card is accepted when displaying a specific amount of money on the number card, the selection means is equipped with a means for selecting and specifying an account, and if either money or an amount card is accepted, the amount corresponding to the specific amount on the number card is displayed. By displaying the lowest charge and displaying the account up to the sum of the displayed amount plus the amount of the accepted currency or money card, and performing the selection operation of the selection means according to the display contents. The goods or services of the selected account are provided. That is, by inserting money or an amount card in addition to the coupon card, it is possible to provide goods or services with an amount greater than the specified amount on the coupon card.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows the customer service side of a ticket vending machine that prints and issues regular tickets and sells them according to the present invention.
Staff call button (push button switch) 2, Cancel button to cancel the purchase (
(push button switch) 3. Based on the amount of money inserted and the balance on the amount card, the section fare of the route being sold will be lit up, the section fare of the number card B will be lit up, and the amount card (prepaid card, etc.) will be displayed based on the amount of money inserted. Multiple variable display account buttons (push buttons with a built-in numeric display) that light up and display the purchasable contents of A (a card with a monetary value of (switch) 6. Condition button (push button switch) for specifying the number of purchased tickets, child tickets, and discount tickets. 7. Card slot for inserting amount card A, number of times card B, and ejecting each card A and B. 9. Coin slot 10 for inserting coins
, a bill slot 11 for inserting and discharging bills, a ticket issuing slot 12 for issuing tickets, a discharge slot 13 for discharging coins and bills, and a slot for discharging issued tickets and change. Each of the receivers is provided with a plate 14.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of a ticket vending machine having the customer service aspect described above. That is, the card slot 9 is connected to the card section 23.

Further, the banknote input slot 11 is connected to a banknote inspection section 20. Further, the coin slot 10 is connected to a coin verification section 24, and a change section 25 is connected to the coin verification section 24. Thereby, the coins identified by the coin verification section 24 are stored as change in the change section 25, and can be discharged from the discharge port 13. In addition to the change section 25, a ticket issuing mechanism section 26 is also connected to the ticket issuing port 12. This ticket issuing mechanism section 2
6 consists of a printing section 27 and an encoding section 28, and the ticket paper printed by the printing section 27 is sent to the encoding section 28,
Here, magnetic information for automatic ticket gates is recorded in the magnetic recording section, and the receiver is released from the ticket issuing slot 12 onto the tray 14 as a ticket. The refund ticket reading section 21, corner section 23, banknote inspection section 20, coin verification section 24
, the change section 25, the ticket issuing mechanism section 26, the display section 1, the condition button 7, and the variable display account button 6 are all controlled by the main control section 29. The main control section 29 is mainly composed of, for example, a microcomputer and its peripheral circuits, and is responsible for controlling the entire ticket vending machine.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic structure of the internal mechanism of the card section 23. As shown in FIG. That is, the amount card A1 or the number card B inserted through the card slot 9 is conveyed on the conveyance path 31 in the direction of arrow a or b by conveyance means such as conveyance rollers 32, . . . . The amount card A or the number card B has a magnetic recording area in which monetary value information is magnetically recorded. On the conveyance path 31, in order from the card slot 9, there is a reading head 33 for reading magnetic information on the amount card A or the number card B;
, or a write head 34 for updating the magnetic information on B,
A perforation section 35 that punches a hole to indicate the start of use on the card A1 or B, a perforation section 35 that punches the name of a used card, and a printing section 36 that is composed of a thermal printer that prints a visible pig on the card A1 or B is provided. .

Further, a sorting gate (not shown) is provided at the end of the conveying path 31, and this dividing gate allows the amount card A or the number card B conveyed by the conveying path 31 to be transferred to the conveying path 37, 38, or 39. Cards from conveyance path 37, 38 or 39 are guided to conveyance path 3.
It will lead you to 1.

The cards on the transport path 37 are transported by the movement of the transport belt 40°41. The area on the conveyance path 37 sandwiched between the conveyor belts 40 and 41 is a corner holding section 37a. 2. A recovery section 42 is provided at the terminal end of the transport path 37 (on the opposite side to the transport path 31 side).

The second card of the conveyance path 38'' is transported by the conveyor belt 43.44.
conveyed by the movement of This conveyor belt 43.44
The upper part of the conveyance path 38 sandwiched between the two is a corner storage section 38a. A hopper 45 is provided at the terminal end of the conveyance path 38 (on the side opposite to the conveyance path 31 side). This hopper 45 stores an unused amount card A, and the amount card A in the hopper 45 is taken out to the conveyance path 38 by the action of the take-out rollers 46,46.

The cards three places above the transport path are transported by the movement of the transport belts 47 and 48. A hopper 49 is provided at the terminal end of the three transport paths (on the opposite side to the transport path 31 side). Unused number cards B are stored in these four hoppers, and the number cards B in the hoppers 49 are taken out to the conveyance path 39 by the action of take-out rollers 50,50.

The amount card A in the hopper 45 is issued when the printing area of the sales history becomes full even though the amount card A in use still has a balance.

The number card B in the four hoppers is issued when the print area of the release history becomes full without any remaining number of times remaining on the number card B in use.

Next, the ticket issuing operation in the above configuration will be explained. First, the variable display account button 6 normally displays all route fares for adults that can be sold on this device for the sales routes. To purchase a ticket, a user inserts coins or banknotes of an amount equal to or exceeding the amount of the desired ticket through a coin slot 10 and a bill slot 11. When coins or banknotes are inserted through these slots, the coin verification section 24 and banknote discrimination section 20 detect and discriminate the inserted coins or banknotes. These identified coins are sent to the main control unit 29.
The total amount is calculated and the input amount is displayed on the display section 1. When money is inserted, the fare display on the variable display account button 6 is once turned off, and then only the account buttons for tickets that can be purchased according to the amount inserted are displayed. For example, if the input amount is 200 yen, each section fare that can be purchased for 200 yen is displayed, and if the input amount is 330 yen, all section fares that can be purchased for 330 yen are displayed. The user selects and presses one of the displayed variable display account buttons 6. When a variable display account button 6 is selectively pressed, only the selected variable display account button 6 is turned on under the control of the two main controllers, and the other variable display account buttons 6 are turned off.

The main control unit 29 then starts printing and issuing tickets and sending out change. In other words, the card information is stored in the main control unit 2.
The edited ticket face information is printed on the ticket paper in the printing section 27, and the printed ticket paper is sent to the encoding section 28.

The encoding unit 28 magnetically records magnetic information for automatic ticket gates, such as issue date information, 2 departure station information, 1 destination station information, 2 section (fare) information, etc., on the magnetic recording unit formed on the back side of the ticket. Then, the receiver is released as a ticket from the ticket issuing port 12 into the tray 14.

At this time, if there is change, the change unit 25 operates, and change coins and banknotes are discharged from the outlet 13 into the tray 4. When ticket issuance is completed in this way, the variable display account button 6 lights up and displays all the sales accounts (adult fares) for the sales route again, and returns to the sales standby state.

Further, the variable display account button 6 normally displays all route fares for adults that can be sold on this device for the sales routes. In order to purchase a ticket, the user inserts an amount card A having a balance equal to or exceeding the amount of the desired ticket through the card slot 9. When the amount card A is inserted through the card slot 9, the card section 23 detects and discriminates the inserted amount card A.

]4 In other words, depending on the user, either the amount card A or the card slot 9
, the amount card A is conveyed on the conveyance path 31. Then, the reading head 33 reads the magnetically recorded contents of the money card A, that is, the remaining amount, etc., and outputs it to the main control section 29.

The amount A from which the magnetically recorded contents have been read by the reading head 33 is further conveyed in the direction a by the conveyance path 31, guided to the conveyance path 37, and held in the holding section 37a.

Thereby, the main control section 29 causes the display section 1 to display the remaining amount information supplied from the card section 23 as the input amount.

Also, when the amount card A is inserted, the variable display account button 6
After all the fare display lights go out, only the account buttons for tickets that can be purchased depending on the amount invested will be displayed. For example, if the input amount is 200 yen, each section fare that can be purchased for 200 yen will be displayed, and if the input amount is 330 yen, all section fares that can be purchased for 330 yen will be displayed.

Then, the user selects and presses one of the displayed variable display account buttons 6. When a variable display account button 6 is selectively pressed, only the selected variable display account button 6 is turned on under the control of the main control unit 29, and the other variable display account buttons 6 are turned off.

Then, the main control unit 29 starts printing and issuing the ticket and sending out the card. In other words, the card information is stored in the main control unit 2.
9, the edited ticket face information is printed on the ticket paper by the printing section 27, and the printed ticket paper is sent to the encoding section 28.

The encoding unit 28 magnetically records magnetic information for automatic ticket gates, such as issue date information, 2 departure station information, 1 arrival station information, 1 section (fare) information, etc., on the magnetic recording unit formed on the back side of the ticket. Then, the receiver is released as a ticket from the ticket issuing port 12 into the tray 14.

At this time, the main control section 29 displays on the display section 1 the remaining amount after the purchase amount has been deducted.

In addition, a storage section (not shown) of the main control section 29 includes a corner section 23.
At the same time, the new remaining amount is written, and the card unit 23 sends out the amount card A on which the ticket sales history is printed from the card slot 9 to the outside.

That is, the amount card A held in the holding section 37a
is transported in the direction b on the transport path 37 by the action of the transport belts 40 and 41, and guided to the transport path 31. As the amount card A is conveyed on this conveyance path 31, the release history such as the date, time, departure station, used machine number, and remaining amount is printed on the amount card A by the print unit 36, and furthermore, the writing head 34 Magnetic information such as date, time, station of departure, machine number used, and remaining amount is recorded magnetically. After that, card slot 9
The amount card A is ejected from the machine.

When ticket issuance is completed in this way, the variable display account button 6 lights up and displays all the sales accounts (adult fares) for the sales route again, and returns to the sales standby state.

Further, the variable display account button 6 normally displays all route fares for adults that can be sold on this device for the sales route. To purchase a ticket, the user inserts a card B for the number of times a desired ticket can be purchased through a card slot 9. When the number card B is inserted from the card slot 9, the card section 23 detects and discriminates the inserted number card B.

That is, when the user inserts the number card B into the card slot 9, the number card B is conveyed on the conveyance path 31. Then, the reading head 33 reads the magnetically recorded contents of the number card B, that is, the section fee, remaining number of times, etc., and outputs it to the main control section 29. The number card B whose magnetic recording contents have been read by the reading head 33 is roughly conveyed in the direction a by the conveyance path 31, guided to the conveyance path 37, and held in the holding section 37a.

Thereby, the main control section 29 causes the display section 1 to display the remaining number of times and the section fee supplied from the card section 23.

Also, when the number of times card B is inserted, the variable display account button 6
After all the fare displays are once turned off, only the section amount is displayed on the leftmost variable display account button 6, and the other variable display account buttons 6 are turned off. For example, if the segment amount is 200 yen, the segment amount of 200 yen will be displayed on the leftmost variable display account button 6, and if the segment amount is 330 yen, the segment amount of 330 yen will be displayed as a -keeper variable display. It is displayed on account button 6. The user presses the leftmost variable display account button 6 on which this section amount is displayed.

When the variable display account button 6 is pressed, the main control section 29 instructs the ticket issuing mechanism section 26 to print and issue a ticket, and instructs the card section 23 to perform a card sending operation.

Thereby, the ticket face information is edited in the main control unit 29, this edited ticket face information is printed on a ticket paper in the printing unit 27, and the printed ticket paper is sent to the encoding unit 28. The encoding unit 28 magnetically records magnetic information for automatic ticket gates, such as issue date information, 1 departure station information, 1 arrival station information, 1 section (fare) information, etc., on the magnetic recording unit formed on the back side of the ticket. Then, the receiver is released as a ticket from the ticket issuing port 12 into the tray 14. At this time, the main control section 29 displays the remaining number of times after subtracting the remaining number of times on the display section 1.

The main control unit 29 also controls the number of times card B by the card unit 23.
The remaining number of times is updated.

The card unit 23 prints the ticket sales history on the back side of the card in the print unit 36, updates and records the new remaining number of times on the number card B with the writing head 34, and reads the magnetic information with the reading head 33. After checking, the card B is ejected from the card slot 9.

In other words, the number of times card B held in the holding section 37a
is transported in the direction b on the transport path 37 by the action of the transport belts 40 and 41, and guided to the transport path 31. As the number card B is transported on this transport path 31, the printing unit 36 prints the release history such as the date, time, departure station, used machine number, and remaining number, and the writing head 34 prints the date, It magnetically records magnetic information such as time, station of departure, machine number used, and number of remaining trips. After that, from card slot 9 to card B
discharge.

When ticket issuance is completed in this way, the variable display account button 6 lights up and displays all the sales accounts (adult fares) for the sales route again, and returns to the sales standby state.

In addition, if the purchase of multiple tickets is instructed by the condition button 7 before the variable display account button 6 is pressed, multiple tickets for the same ticket will be issued, and the remaining number of tickets on the ticket card B will be subtracted by that number. be done.

Next, Figure 1 shows the operation of using ticket card B to issue a ticket for a number of sections greater than the section fare of ticket card B by replenishing the insufficient fare with money or money card A. This will be explained with reference to a flowchart. That is, in a state where the variable display account button 6 displays all adult ticket fares that can be sold, the user inserts the number card B that he or she owns into the card slot 9. When the number card B is inserted through the card slot 9, the card section 23 detects and discriminates the inserted number card B.

That is, the number of times card B is inserted into the card slot 9 by the user.
When the number card B is inserted into the machine, the number card B is conveyed along the conveyance path 31''2. Then, the reading head 33 reads the magnetically recorded contents of the number card B, that is, the section fee, remaining number of times, etc., and outputs it to the main control section 29. The number card B whose magnetically recorded contents have been read by the reading head 33 is further transported in the direction a by the transport path 31, guided to the transport path 37, and stored in the storage section 37a.

Thereby, the main control section 29 causes the display section 1 to display the remaining number of times and the section fee supplied from the card section 23.

Further, after the main control unit 29 turns off all the fare displays on the variable display account buttons 6, only the section amount is displayed on the leftmost variable display account button 6, and the other variable display account buttons 6 are turned off. . For example, if the segment amount is 120 yen, the segment amount of 120 yen is displayed on the leftmost variable display account button 6, and if the segment amount is 200 yen, the segment amount of 200 yen is displayed as a variable on the guard. It is displayed using the display account button 6.

In such a display state, when the user wishes to purchase a ticket for a further distance, the user inserts coins, bills, or money card A into the coin slot 10, bill slot, or card slot 9.
Insert from. When coins, bills, or money cards A are inserted into these slots, the coin verification section 24, bill discrimination section 20, and card section 23 detect and discriminate the coins, bills, and money cards A that have been inserted. The discrimination result is output to the main control section 29.

For example, depending on the user, either the amount card A or the card slot 9 can be used.
, the amount card A is conveyed on the conveyance path 31. Then, the reading head 33 reads the magnetically recorded contents of the money card A, ie, the remaining amount, etc., and outputs it to the two main controllers.

The amount card A whose magnetically recorded contents have been read by the reading head 33 is further transported in the direction a by the transport path 31, guided to the transport path 38, and held in the storage section 38a.

Thereby, the main control units 2 display the input amount on the display unit 1. Further, the main control unit 29 displays the variable display account button 6 of the ticket that can be purchased based on the amount obtained by adding the input amount to the section fare of the above-mentioned ticket card B. For example, if the section fare on the coupon card B is 120 yen and the amount inserted is 200 yen, each section fare from 120 yen to 320 yen will be displayed. In case of yen, 200 yen to 1000
All fares for each section up to yen are displayed.

Then, the user selects and presses one of the variable display account buttons 6 on which the fare for this section is displayed. When a variable display account button 6 is selectively pressed, only the selected variable display account button 6 is turned on under the control of the main control unit 29, and the other variable display account buttons 6 are turned off.

When the variable display account button 6 is selected and pressed, the main control section 29 instructs the ticket issuing mechanism section 26 to print and issue a ticket, and instructs the card section 23 to perform a card sending operation. As a result, the ticket information is edited by the two main control units, the edited ticket information is printed on a ticket by the printing unit 27, and the printed ticket is sent to the encoding unit 28.

The encoding unit 28 magnetically records magnetic information for automatic ticket gates, such as issue date information, 2 departure station information, 7 destination station information, 2 section (fare) information, etc. on the magnetic recording unit formed on the back side of the ticket. Then, the ticket is released as a ticket from the ticket issuing port 12 into the tray 4.

At this time, the main control section 29 displays on the display section 1 the remaining number of times after subtracting the remaining number of times and the remaining amount of the input amount.

The two main controllers also control the number of times card B by the card unit 23.
The remaining number of times is updated.

In the cart section 23, the print section 36 prints the ticket sales history on the back of the card, and the writing head 34 updates and records the new remaining number of times on the number card B as magnetic information, and the reading head 33 reads the magnetic information. After checking, the card B is ejected from the card slot 9.

Further, if the amount of money card A has been used to replenish the insufficient amount, the main control unit 29 causes the card unit 23 to update the remaining amount of money card A.

The card unit 23 prints the ticket sales history on the back of the card in the print unit 36, updates and records the new balance on the amount card A as magnetic information using the writing head 34, and confirms the magnetic information using the reading head 33. After that, the amount card A is ejected from the card slot 9.

In other words, the number of times card B held in the holding section 37a
The paper is transported in the direction b on the transport path 37 by the action of the transport belts 40 and 41, and guided to the transport path 31. As the number card B is transported on this transport path 3], the printing section 36 prints the release history such as the date, time, departure station, used machine number, remaining number of times, etc., and the writing head 34 prints the date and time. , magnetically records magnetic information such as time, station of departure, machine number used, and number of remaining trips. Thereafter, the card B is ejected from the card slot 9.

Further, the amount card A held in the holding section 38a is conveyed in the direction b on the conveyance path 38 by the action of the conveyor belts 43 and 44, and guided to the conveyance path 3]. By conveying the amount cart A on this conveyance path 31, the printing unit 3
6 prints the release history such as the date, time, departure station, machine number used, and remaining amount, and the writing head 34 prints the date, time,
Magnetic information such as the station of departure, the number of the plane used, and the remaining amount is recorded magnetically. Thereafter, the amount card A is ejected from the card slot 9.

Also, if you have change for inserting coins or bills,
The change unit 25 operates and discharges change coins and banknotes from the discharge port 13 into the tray 14.

When ticket issuance is completed in this way, the variable display account button 6 lights up and displays all the sales accounts (adult fares) for the sales route again, and returns to the sales standby state.

” - As mentioned above, when purchasing a ticket using a ticket card, you insert the ticket card and coins or money card to make up for the shortfall, so the number of tickets set by the ticket card is You can purchase tickets for more than the number of wards listed. In this case, the payment process when getting off the train is relaxed, and when getting on the train, it is possible to purchase a ticket to the destination, improving services for users.

In addition, although the above-mentioned example explained the case where it was applied to a ticket vending machine, the present invention is not limited to this. It can also be applied to vending machines for securities, or vending machines that provide goods or services corresponding to a predetermined monetary value, such as food, beverages, telephone services, etc.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, according to the present invention, when purchasing goods or services using a coupon card, the user can purchase goods or services for a price equal to or higher than the specified price for one time set on the coupon card. We can provide vending machines that can

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings are for explaining one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a flowchart 1 for explaining the operation of purchasing a ticket using a ticket card and money or money card, and FIG. Figure 3 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the ticket vending machine; Figure 4 is a diagram showing the customer service side of the vending machine;
The figure is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the internal mechanism of the card section. 1... Display unit, 6... Variable display account button, 9... Card slot, 10... Coin slot, ]]... Bill slot, ]
4... Receiver is plate, 23... Card section, 24... Validation section, 25... Change section, 26... Ticket issuing mechanism section, 29... Main control section, A... Amount card, B...・Number of times card. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] In a vending machine that starts a transaction by being given a monetary value and provides goods or services according to the given monetary value, means for displaying accounts for a plurality of goods or services and their a selection means comprising a means for selecting and specifying an account; a first acceptance means for accepting a count card in which the number of uses for a certain specific amount is recorded; a first processing means for reading a specific amount and changing the displayed content of the account display means in the selection means to display a charge for the specific amount; and a second accepting means for accepting money or an amount card having monetary value. When the first processing means is displaying the specified amount of money on the number card, if money or money card is accepted by the second accepting means, the account display means of the selection means displays the In addition to displaying the amount corresponding to the specific amount of the number card as the minimum charge,
a second processing means for displaying an account up to an amount obtained by adding the money or money card amount accepted from the second accepting means to the displayed amount; and a third processing means that provides the goods or services of the selected account by performing a selection operation on the amount selection means according to the content displayed on the account display means; and a fourth processing means for subtracting the number of times the said number card is used when goods or services are provided, and making up the shortfall with the money accepted by the second accepting means or the amount card. A vending machine that is characterized by: