JPH097038A - Card type vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To quickly perform a selecting operation by providing an article information area for storing article information data relating to an article purchased before and in the last time in a card and displaying a selecting means corresponding to the article information data so as to be recognized by a user when the card is inserted. CONSTITUTION: When an IC card 1 is inserted to a card reader-writer 3, whether or not the article information data are already stored in the article information area 2a of the storage part 2 of the IC card 1 is discriminated in a sales control part 5. When the article information data are not present in the article information area 2a yet, selection push buttons 4 corresponding to the purchasable ones are lighted and selection by the user is waited for. On the other hand, when the article information data are present in the article information area 2a, the article information data related to the article purchased in the last time written in the article information area 2a are read, the selection push button 4 corresponding to the article information data is made to flicker and simultaneously, the selection push buttons 4 corresponding to the purchasable ones are lighted as well.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a card type vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a vending machine, a card type which can be used as a card in which a prepaid amount, a postpaid amount, an owner identification code or the like is written without inserting a coin has already been put into practical use. . This type of card type vending machine is provided with a card reading / writing device for reading / writing the card, and the data of the inserted card (the prepaid amount, the postpaid amount, or the owner identification code) is read by the card reading / writing device. The sales operation is performed according to the read data.

Also in such a card type vending machine, as in the case of a general vending machine, the types of products for sale are increasing, and the selection range of the taste of the products is also increasing. For example, in vending machines for cup-type beverages, the number of types of drip-type beverages is increasing in addition to ordinary syrup-type coffee, and the amount of cream and sugar can be adjusted more finely. There are also things. Therefore, if you put the IC card in the vending machine, you will be able to select from a large number of selection pushbuttons, such as product selection pushbuttons for many types of product brands and selection pushbuttons showing the amount of this product, the amount of cream, sugar, etc. You have to choose the product that suits your taste and purchase the product.

[0004]

By the way, for a user of a vending machine, when the same type of vending machine is used many times, it is determined that the product to be purchased is of a certain type suitable for one's taste. However, even in such a case, if the IC card is inserted in the vending machine, the desired one must be selected from a large number of selection push buttons, and the number of these selection push buttons is too large. Therefore, the selection operation becomes troublesome, and it takes more time.

The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a card type vending machine which can reduce troublesome selection operations and can perform such selection operations quickly.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is provided with a card reading / writing device for reading / writing a card, and a plurality of card reading / writing devices are read by the card reading / writing device. A card type vending machine that performs a selling operation by allowing a user to select a desired selecting means from among the selecting means, and a product information area for storing product information data about a product purchased before or last time It is provided on the card, and when the card is inserted, the selection means corresponding to this product information data is displayed so that the user can recognize it, and when the product is purchased, the product information data regarding the purchased product is displayed by the card reading / writing device in the product information area. It is equipped with a sales control means for writing.

[0007]

In the above structure, when the card is inserted into the card reader / writer, the selection means corresponding to the product information data regarding the product purchased before or last time is displayed so that the user can recognize it. For example, the cup drink purchased before or last time is drip mocha coffee,
When there is no milk increase or sugar, only these selection pushbuttons are made to blink, for example, to distinguish them from other products. In this way, since only a few selection pushbuttons purchased before or last time are displayed separately, the user can press the blinking selection pushbutton if it is the same as the one purchased last time. Since the purchased item can be easily recognized, the troublesome selection operation can be reduced and the selection operation can be performed quickly.

When a product is purchased, product information data regarding the purchased product is written in the product information area by the card reading / writing device to prepare for the next purchase.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 schematically shows a card type vending machine of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the control operation of the sales control section.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes an IC card to be inserted into an automatic vending machine, and a storage section 2 of this IC card 1 is provided with a product information area 2a for storing product information data on a product purchased last time. There is. The vending machine has a card reading / writing device 3 with a card insertion opening facing the customer service side,
It is provided with a large number of selection push buttons 4 for selecting the type of product and the amount of additives added to this product, a sales control unit 5, and a product dispensing device 6. Each selection push button 4 is internally provided with a display lamp (not shown) capable of performing lighting, blinking, and extinguishing operations. When the selection push button 4 is available for purchase, the selection push button 4 is lit and the selection push button 4 The selection push button 4 is turned off in a state in which is not available for purchase.

As shown in FIG. 1, when a user inserts the IC card 1 into the card reading / writing device 2 of the vending machine (step # 1), the sales control unit 5 stores the IC card 1 in the storage unit 2.
It is determined whether or not the product information data is already stored in the product information area 2a (step # 2). If there is no product information data in the product information area 2a, the process proceeds to step # 4 without passing through step # 3, the selection push buttons 4 corresponding to those that can be purchased are lit, and the selection by the user is waited. On the other hand, when there is product information data in the product information area 2a, in step # 3, the product information area 2
Read the product information data (for example, the information data that the previously purchased cup-type beverage is drip-type mocha coffee, milk increase, no sugar) written in a, and select corresponding to this product information data. The pushbuttons 4 are made to blink, and at the same time, the select pushbuttons 4 corresponding to those which can be purchased are made to light (step # 4).
For example, when the previously purchased cup-type beverage is drip-type mocha coffee, milk increase, and no sugar, only the selection pushbuttons 4 of these are blinked to distinguish from other products. This allows the user not only to know what can be purchased, but also to accurately and easily recognize what was purchased last time. Therefore, if the user is the same as the one purchased last time, he / she only has to press the few blinking selection pushbuttons 4, so that the troublesome selection operation can be reduced and the selection operation can be performed quickly. When purchasing a different one from the one purchased last time, a desired one may be selected from the selection pushbuttons 4 which are lit as in the conventional case.

By performing a selection operation (step # 5), a normal sales operation is performed (step # 6), and at the same time, product information data (for example, drip-type mocha coffee, increased milk, no sugar, etc.). Taste data) is written in the product information area 2a by the card reading / writing device 3 (step # 7), the IC card 1 is returned (step # 8), and the next purchase is prepared.

In the above embodiment, the case where the selection push button 4 corresponding to the one purchased last time is blinked is shown, but only the selection push button 4 may be turned on first, and in this case, the selection push button 4 is purchased. When purchasing a different one, the selection pushbuttons 4 corresponding to those that can be purchased may be lit by pushing another selection pushbutton 4 or the like. In addition, a push button for selecting one purchased last time may be separately provided.
Further, not only the previous purchase, but the purchase purchased before may be stored by reversing a plurality of times, and in this case, an arrow key for roll-up or roll-down may be provided to correspond. It goes without saying that it can also be applied to a vending machine that sells products other than beverages and food. Further, the card itself is not limited to the IC card, but any card that can store product information can be applied.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, the product information area for storing the product information data about the product purchased before or last time is provided on the card, and when the card is inserted, the selection corresponding to this product information data is made. By displaying the means so that the user can recognize it, and by purchasing the product, the product information data related to the purchased product is written in the product information area by the card reading / writing device, so that the user can easily purchase the product purchased before or last time. Therefore, the troublesome selection operation can be reduced, and the selection operation can be performed quickly and efficiently. As a result, the number of fixed customers can be increased and the sales time can be shortened, so that the sales efficiency can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a control operation of a sales controller of a card type vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the card type vending machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 IC card 2 Storage section 2a Product information area 3 Card reading / writing device 4 Selection push button 5 Sales control section

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A card read / write device for reading / writing a card is provided, and a user selects a desired selecting means from a plurality of selecting means in a state in which data of an inserted card is read by the card reading / writing device. A card type vending machine that performs a selling operation by
A product information area for storing product information data about previously purchased products is provided on the card, and when the card is inserted, the selection means corresponding to this product information data is displayed so that the user can recognize it and purchase the product. Then, a card-type vending machine equipped with a sales control means for writing the product information data regarding the purchased product in the product information area by the card reading / writing device. 2. The card type vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the product information area is filled with product information data regarding a product purchased last time.