JPH0239295A - Control method for card type vendor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the troublesome work even in a largescale vendor having many push buttons by storing not only money information but also commodity information on a used prepaid card and enabling a user to only throw the card to the vendor to purchase a desired commodity. CONSTITUTION:When a prepaid card 11 where sales commodity data is stored is thrown to a card slit 15, commodity data and money data are sent to a card control part 3 through a card reader/writer 8, and a control part 3 sends money data to a main control part 1 in accordance with the command signal of the main control part 1. The main control part 1 discriminates whether selling is possible or not based on money data; and when a push button 9 is depressed at this time, one of sales commodities stored in the card 11 is selected to sell the commodity. Simultaneously, money data of the balance and commodity data are sent to the card control part 3, and these data are rewritten and the card 11 is returned to the user through the slit 15. When a desired commodity will be changed, a normal button is only depressed to rewrite data.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a method of controlling a vending machine that can sell products using a card.

[Conventional technology]

In a vending machine that accepts cards, such as prepaid cards, when a card is inserted by a user, the monetary data is read by a card reader/writer, sent to the main control unit via the card control unit, and the price of the product sold is Based on the comparison, the Api luminary lamp of the push button of the product that can be sold is lit, and the user can select the product. When the button is pressed by the user, the product is sold, monetary data with the price subtracted is written on the card by the card reader/writer, and the card is returned to the user. The information stored on the card used here is mainly monetary data, which is subtracted and stored each time it is sold.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

There are a wide variety of products sold in vending machines, but when it comes to drinks, cigarettes, etc., human users' preferences for the products they purchase are almost fixed, and they rarely change their preferences each time they make a purchase. It is.

However, even if you want to purchase your favorite product with a card, you have to find and press the button that corresponds to your favorite product. In devices that have buttons, searching for the desired push button is a rather complicated task.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling a vending machine so that a user can automatically sell a desired product simply by inserting a card and without having to operate a push button. It is something.

[Means to solve the problem]

According to the present invention, this purpose is to connect the card control unit connected to the card reader/writer and the door control unit connected to the product selection push button to the main control unit via a common line, and to store monetary data. When a card having a monetary information storage section and a product information storage section for storing product data is inserted into a card reader/writer, the monetary data stored on the card is first sent from the card control section to the main control section, and then a predetermined amount of data is sent to the main control section. If the push button for product selection is not pressed within the time, the product data stored in the card is sent from the card control section to the main control section, and the main control section sends out a sales signal, which is achieved as described above. Another object of the present invention is to connect the card control unit connected to the card reader/writer and the door control unit connected to the product selection push button to the main control unit via a common line, and to store monetary data. When a card containing a monetary information storage section for storing product data and a product information storage section for storing product data is inserted into the card reader/writer and the product selection push button is subsequently operated,
The monetary data stored on the card is sent from the card control section to the main control section, and the main control section sends out a sales signal based on the product data sent from the door control section, and also sends this product data to the card control section. This is achieved by rewriting the product data stored on the card using a card reader/writer.

[Effect]

In the present invention, when the card is inserted into the card reader/writer, the monetary data and product data stored on the card are read, and the main control unit sells the specified product based on the data. Also, when a card is inserted and a push button for product selection is operated, the product of the operated push button is sold and the product data of the card is It can be rewritten to the purchased product.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a connection diagram of a control circuit for carrying out the method of the present invention, in which the main control section 1 includes a coin mech 2, a card control section 3,
A door control section 4, a cup control section 5, and an unloading control section 6 are connected by a common line 7. A card reader/writer 8 is connected to the card control section 3 , a plurality of push buttons 9 for product selection are connected to the door control section 4 , and a pushbutton 9 for product selection is connected to the door control section 4 .
A compressor mechanism 10 is connected to the compressor mechanism 10 .

FIG. 2 is a front view of a card used in the present invention, and the card 11 has a monetary information storage section 12 and a product information storage section I3.

FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of a vending machine equipped with the control circuit shown in FIG.
, card slot 15 of card reader/writer 8, coin slot 16, coin/card return lever 17, product takeout slot 18, refund slot! 9 is provided on the front.

Next, the control operation of the present invention will be explained.

(1) When the card 11 is inserted from the card slot 15, the card reader/writer 8
2, the monetary data stored in advance is read. This monetary data is sent to the main control section 1 via the card control section 3. The main control section 1 determines whether or not the product can be sold based on the data, and sends a signal to the door control section 4 to turn on the Api button 9 to enable the sale. These operations are the same as conventional vending machines.

(2) When one of the push buttons 9 is pressed by the user, a selection signal is sent to the main control unit 1 via the door control unit 4, and the main control unit 1 sends a signal to the power pump control unit 5 and the unloading control unit 6. The cup control unit 5 operates the cup mechanism lO to carry out the cup, and the carry-out control unit 6 carries out the beverage and sends the product to the product outlet 18. After selling this product, the main control unit l The monetary data obtained by subtracting the sales price of the sold product and the sales product data are sent to the card control unit 3, and the card reader/writer 8 writes these data to the card 11.
The card is returned from the card slot 15.

(3) In the card 11, new monetary data is stored in the monetary information storage section 12, and purchased product data is stored in the product information storage section 13, and the next sale will be based on this product information. It will be done.

(4) When the card with sales product data stored thereon as described above is inserted into the card slot 15, the product data is read by the card reader/writer 8 along with the monetary data and sent to the card control section 13. Card control unit 13
In response to a command signal from the main control section 1, first sends monetary data to the main control section 1.

(5) The main control unit 1 determines whether or not the beverage can be sold based on this monetary data, and outputs a command signal to the common line 7 requesting a selection signal of the beverage to be sold. The door control section 4 responds to this command signal, but unless the push button 9 is pressed, only a response signal is returned and no data (selection signal) is sent. In this way, when only the response signal is returned from the door control section 4 for a certain period of time, the main control section 1 outputs a command signal different from the above command signal. The card control section 3 responds to this signal and sends the sales product data stored in the card together with the response signal to the main control section 1 (6). The products will be sold in the usual manner.

(7) When the sale ends, the main control unit 1 sends the card control unit 3
The balance money data and product data are sent to the card reader/writer 8, and the money data and product data of the card stored in the card reader/writer 8 are rewritten and the card is returned from the card slot 15.

(8) In the above (5), the main control section 1 and the door control section 4
If the pushbutton is pressed before a certain period of time has elapsed while the i is transmitting and receiving signals, the selection signal is
I! The data is sent to the first section 4 and then sent to the main control section 1 as sales product data. As a result, the main control unit 1 carries out sales in a normal manner based on this sales product data. In this case, the card control unit 3 does not send out the product data stored on the card.

(9) When the sale is completed due to the pushbutton being pressed, the main control unit 1 sends the monetary data and product data to the card control unit 3 in the same way as in item (7) above, and the card information in the card reader/writer 8 is Rewrite the monetary data and product data and return it.

In the above explanation, the case where the product data stored in the product information storage section of the card can be rewritten by operating a push button has been explained, but it is also possible to rewrite the product data by another operation. For example, a card may be rewritten only when a coin is inserted from a coin mech, a card is inserted, and a button is operated.

In the above embodiment, a container-type vending machine was explained, but a can-type vending machine may also be used, and the vending machine is not limited to beverages.
It can be applied to vending machines for any product. Moreover, the card is not limited to prepaid type, but can also be applied to deferred payment type.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, by storing product information in addition to monetary information on the card used, the user can purchase the desired product simply by inserting the card, so there is no need to press a large number of product selection buttons. You are freed from the hassle of selecting the desired item from the button, and if you want to change the desired item, you can simply purchase the item by pressing the normal button and rewrite the product data stored on the card.
There is no problem even if your product preferences change.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a connection diagram of a control circuit for carrying out the method of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a front view of a card used in the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a vending machine equipped with the control circuit shown in Fig. 1. FIG. 1... Main control unit 2... Coin knock 3... Card control unit 4... Door control unit 7... Common line 8... Card reader writer 9... Push button for product selection 11...Card 12...Monetary information storage section 13...Product information storage section 15...Card slot

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) A card control unit connected to a card reader/writer and a door control unit connected to a push button for product selection are connected to a main control unit via a common line, and monetary data is stored. When a card having an information storage section and a product information storage section for storing product data is inserted into a card reader/writer, the monetary data stored on the card is first sent from the card control section to the main control section, and then the card is sent for a predetermined period of time. Card-type automatic system in which the product data stored on the card is sent from the card control section to the main control section, and the main control section sends out a sales signal when the push button for product selection is not pressed. How to control the vending machine. 2) The card control unit connected to the card reader/writer and the door control unit connected to the product selection push button are connected to the main control unit via a common line, and a monetary information storage unit and product data are stored. When a card having a product information storage section for storing information is inserted into the card reader/writer and the push button for product selection is subsequently operated, the monetary data stored on the card is sent from the card control section to the main control section. , a card in which the main control section sends a sales signal based on product data sent from a door control section, and also sends the product data to a card control section, and the product data stored in the card is rewritten by a card reader/writer. How to control a vending machine.