JP2004094717A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vending machine with a new operation system allowing commodity selection without using a commodity selection button. <P>SOLUTION: Character string data including a commodity name is received from a portable terminal of a user through an infrared communication device 14. A commodity identification part 301 analyzes the received character string data and identifies the commodity name specified by the character string data referring to a commodity name database 302. A sales controller 303 controls a commodity carrying-out device to carry out the specified commodity. Then, a carrying-out notification part 304 notifies the portable terminal of carrying-out completion through the infrared communication device 14. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vending machine that sells stored commodities, and more particularly to a vending machine.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A sales sequence in a conventional vending machine will be described. When the vending machine detects the insertion of cash, such as coins or bills, the vending machine turns on a product selection lamp attached to a product selection button for a product that can be purchased with the cash, and puts the product in a state where it can be sold. When the press of the product selection button is detected, the corresponding product is carried out.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in recent years, vending machines that can perform payment by a method other than cash by using a mobile phone or a non-contact IC card have appeared. In this vending machine, unlike the above-mentioned vending sequence, the cash input step is replaced by another step. Specifically, in place of the cash input step, a step of dialing a mobile phone to a predetermined telephone number and a step of bringing a non-contact IC card close to a predetermined place are performed. In this way, the act of directly operating the vending machine, which is a cash input, is omitted. On the other hand, the step of pressing the product selection button is the same as the conventional one, but for such a product selection, an operation by another method has been desired. For example, it is desired to use a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone or a PDA terminal so that a product can be selected without operating a product selection button.
[0004]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine capable of selecting a product with a new operation system without using a product selection button.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a product storage unit that stores products, a product discharge device that discharges the products stored in the product storage unit, and a control unit that controls the product discharge device. The vending machine further comprises a communication interface for communicating with a user's portable terminal via a wired or wireless communication, and the control unit transmits character string data received from the portable terminal via the communication interface. The present invention proposes a product characterized by including a product specifying unit that analyzes the specified stored product specified by the character string data and controls the product unloading device so as to discharge the specified stored product.
[0006]
According to the present invention, character string data relating to a product input at the portable terminal is analyzed by the product specifying unit of the vending machine, and the stored product specified by the character string data is specified. Then, the specified stored commodities are carried out by the commodity carrying-out device. As a result, a new operation system that is not an operation of pressing the product selection button can be provided to the user.
[0007]
Further, in the present invention, the storage device further includes a storage unit storing the name of the stored product, and the product specifying unit stores the product name by comparing the product name stored in the storage unit with the character string data received from the mobile terminal. We propose a product that is characterized by specifying products.
[0008]
According to the present invention, data including a product name can be used as character string data relating to a product. That is, by inputting the product name as character string data, the user can purchase the product corresponding to the product name from the vending machine.
[0009]
Further, in the present invention, the product specifying unit calculates the similarity between the product name stored in the storage unit and the character string data received from the mobile terminal, and when the similarity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, We propose a product that is characterized by identifying it as a product with a product name.
[0010]
According to the present invention, even if the product name specified by the character string data does not completely match the product name stored in the vending machine, the product can be sold within a predetermined similar range.
[0011]
Further, in the present invention, a storage unit for storing a product code for specifying a stored product is provided, and the product specification unit compares the product code stored in the storage unit with character string data received from the mobile terminal. The present invention proposes a feature that specifies stored goods by using.
[0012]
According to the present invention, data including a product code can be used as character string data on a product. That is, the user can purchase a product corresponding to the product code from the vending machine by inputting the product code as character string data.
[0013]
Further, in the present invention, it is proposed that when the product specified by the product specifying unit is carried out, the product is provided with a carry-out notification unit that notifies the portable terminal of the carry-out via the communication interface. I do.
[0014]
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, a user can confirm that the goods were carried out with a portable terminal. Also, if a notice is recorded on the mobile terminal, a product purchase history can be obtained.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
A vending machine according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of the vending machine. In the present embodiment, a vending machine that allows a user to select a product for sale using a mobile terminal and that can make a payment for a product purchase using a non-contact IC card will be described.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 1, on the front surface of the vending machine 1, a product sample storage unit 2 for storing a product sample (not shown), an outlet 3 for stored products, a coin slot 4, and a bill slot. 5 are provided. The goods carried out by the goods carry-out device 6 are carried out to the carry-out port 3. A coin identification device 7 and a bill identification device 8 are arranged inside the coin insertion slot 4 and the bill insertion slot, respectively. The product sample storage unit 2 is provided with a product selection button 10 having a built-in product selection lamp 9 for each product. Further, on the front surface of the vending machine 1, a transmitting / receiving unit 11 for contact with a non-contact IC card and a transmitting / receiving unit 12 for infrared communication are provided. Inside each of the transmission / reception units 11 and 12, an IC card reader / writer (hereinafter, referred to as an IC card R / W) 13 and an infrared communication device 14 are provided, respectively. The IC card R / W 13 is capable of wireless communication with the user's non-contact IC card 15. Further, the infrared communication device 14 can perform infrared communication with a user's mobile terminal 16 such as a mobile phone or a PDA.
[0017]
Next, a control system of the vending machine 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the control system of the vending machine.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 1, the control system 100 of the vending machine 1 includes terminal control devices 200 to 205, a main control device 300, a communication line 400 connecting each control device, and a communication device 500. It is a distributed control system. This distributed control system is a bus access control system employing a centralized polling system, and the main controller 300, each of the terminal controllers 200 to 205, and the communication line 400 are configured according to the system. The control system 100 is connected to a network (not shown) using the communication device 500, and can be connected to a host computer and a payment computer via the network.
[0019]
Controlled devices (including sensors) of vending machines are connected to the terminal control devices 200 to 205, respectively. Each of the terminal control devices 200 to 205 communicates with the main control device 300 and controls a controlled device based on a control signal from the main control device 300. In the present embodiment, as exemplified in FIG. 2, an IC card R / W 13 is connected to the terminal control device 200. Further, the infrared communication device 14 is connected to the terminal control device 201. Further, the terminal control device 202 is connected to the coin identification device 7. Furthermore, equipment related to cooling, such as the compressor 17, the blower 18, and the temperature sensor 19, are connected to the terminal control device 203. Further, devices such as a product selection button 10 and a product selection lamp 9 attached to each product selection button 10 are connected to the terminal control device 204. Further, the terminal control device 205 is connected to a product unloading device 6 that unloads stored products to the unloading opening 3. It should be noted that the banknote recognition device is not shown in FIG. 2 to simplify the drawing.
[0020]
In the present embodiment, the terminal control device 200 and the main control device 300 that control the IC card R / W 13 are connected to the network, but only one communication device 500 is provided. Then, the terminal control device 200 and the main control device 300 are connected by a communication cable 450 so that both the terminal control device 200 and the main control device 300 can use the communication device 500, and the terminal control device 200 and the communication device 500 Are connected by a communication cable 451. Here, the connection between the devices is based on the communication standard of the communication device. In the present embodiment, RS-232C is used as a communication standard for the communication cables 450 and 451.
[0021]
The communication device 500 is a device for connecting to a vending machine management host computer and a settlement computer via a network, and uses a device based on a communication standard according to the form of the network. For example, a modem is used when an analog telephone switching network is used as a network, a terminal adapter is used when an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) is used, and a PHS communication device or the like is used when a PHS is used.
[0022]
Next, the main control device 300 related to sales control will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram relating to sales control of the main control device, and FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in a product name database.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 3, the main control device 300 uses the character string data received from the mobile terminal 16 via the infrared communication device 14 to specify a product specified by the user with the character string data from among the stored products. A product name database 302 that stores a specifying unit 301, a product code, a product name, and a storage column number of each stored product, and a product unloading device 6 that unloads sales products from a product storage column (not shown) to the unloading port 3. And a carry-out notifying unit 304 that notifies the portable terminal 16 via the infrared communication device 14 that the carry-out is completed after the goods are carried out.
[0024]
The product specifying unit 301 compares the character string data received from the mobile terminal 16 with the product name stored in the product name database 302, and extracts a storage column number for the matching product name. Then, the storage column number is notified to the sales control unit 303.
[0025]
The sales control unit 303 performs processing related to selection of a product for sale and settlement related to the sale of the product, and controls unloading of a product to be sold. As means for selecting a product for sale, there are a selection by the product selection button 10 and a selection by the product identification unit 301. As means for the settlement processing, settlement with cash (coins or bills) and settlement with the IC card 15 can be cited.
[0026]
When the product specified by the product specifying unit 301 is carried out by the sales control unit 303, the carry-out notifying unit 304 notifies the portable terminal 16 via the infrared communication device 14 that the carry-out is completed.
[0027]
Next, the sales control operation of the vending machine 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Here, a case will be described in which the user selects a purchased product using the mobile terminal 16 and performs payment using the IC card 15.
[0028]
First, a user inputs a product name of a product to be purchased to the portable terminal 16 and transmits the product name to the vending machine 1 by infrared communication. The vending machine 1 receives the character string data representing the product name from the portable terminal 16 via the infrared communication device 14 (Step S1). The product specifying unit 301 analyzes the received data and specifies a product that the user wants to purchase based on the received data and the product name database (step S2). Next, the sales control unit 303 turns on the product selection lamp 9 corresponding to the product specified by the product specifying unit 301 to obtain the user's confirmation (step S3). Next, the sales control unit 303 performs communication between the IC card R / W 13 and the user's IC card 15 to perform a balance check and a payment process (step S4). Next, when the settlement is completed, the sales control unit 303 carries out the product (Step S5). Finally, the unloading notification unit 304 notifies the portable terminal 16 via the infrared communication device 14 that the unloading has been completed (step S6).
[0029]
Through the above steps, the user can purchase a product without touching the vending machine 1. As described above, in the vending machine according to the present embodiment, a product can be purchased by a new mode of operation other than the conventional product selection using the product selection button. Particularly, in the present embodiment, since the non-contact IC card is used in the settlement processing, the user does not have to reach for the coin insertion slot or the bill insertion slot as well as the product selection button. By the way, these buttons and the slot are often arranged at the upper part of the vending machine. For this reason, conventionally, it was inconvenient for a short person such as a child or a person using a wheelchair. However, the vending machine according to the present embodiment is highly convenient without such inconvenience.
[0030]
As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to this. For example, in the above embodiment, the product name is specified based on whether the character string data received from the mobile terminal matches the product name stored in the product name database, but the similarity between the two is calculated. Alternatively, when the similarity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the product may be specified. Here, as the method of calculating the degree of similarity, for example, the same target is used, although different notation methods such as notation using long vowels such as "coffee" and "koohii", omission of prompting sounds, and notation using uppercase letters of melody. May be determined to have a high degree of similarity, and similarly, it may be determined that the degree of similarity is high for aliases, abbreviations, common names, etc. of the product names. Further, the similarity may be calculated by digitizing the number and positional relationship of the characters that do not match.
[0031]
Further, in the above embodiment, the product name is specified by whether or not the character string data received from the mobile terminal matches the product name stored in the product name database. The product may be specified.
[0032]
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, infrared communication was used as a communication means between the portable terminal and the vending machine, but any communication method may be used. That is, it may be either wired or wireless, and the communication protocol is also irrelevant. Another example is wireless communication using Bluetooth or the like.
[0033]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the settlement using the non-contact IC card is enabled, but the settlement may be performed using another recording medium such as a magnetic card. For example, the IC card has an IC chip as a recording medium embedded in the card. However, the IC card may have the IC chip embedded in another card. In particular, in the above embodiment, since the user uses both the non-contact IC card and the portable terminal, it is preferable to embed the IC chip in the portable terminal.
[0034]
【The invention's effect】
As described in detail above, according to the present invention, character string data relating to a product input at a mobile terminal is analyzed by a product specifying unit of a vending machine, and a stored product specified by the character string data is specified. . Then, the specified stored commodities are carried out by the commodity carrying-out device. As a result, a new operation system that is not an operation of pressing the product selection button can be provided to the user.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view of a vending machine. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a vending machine control system. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram relating to sales control of a main controller. FIG. 4 is an example of data stored in a product name database. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining vending machine vending control.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vending machine, 2 ... Product sample storage, 3 ... Unloading port, 4 ... Coin insertion slot, 5 ... Bill insertion slot, 6 ... Commodity unloading device, 7 ... Coin identification device, 8 ... Banknote identification device, 9 ... Product Selection lamp, 10: product selection button, 11: transmission / reception unit with non-contact IC card, 12: transmission / reception unit of infrared communication, 13: IC card reader / writer, 14: infrared communication device, 15: non-contact IC card, 16 ... Mobile terminals, 200 to 205: terminal control device, 300: main control device, 301: product identification unit, 302: product name database, 303: sales control unit, 304: unloading notification unit

Claims (5)

In a vending machine equipped with a product storage unit that stores products, a product discharge device that discharges products stored in the product storage unit, and a control unit that controls the product discharge device,
With a communication interface to communicate with the user's mobile terminal via wired or wireless,
The control unit analyzes the character string data received from the mobile terminal via the communication interface, specifies the stored product specified by the character string data, and performs the product unloading so as to discharge the specified stored product. A vending machine comprising a product specifying unit for controlling the device. A storage unit for storing the name of the stored product, wherein the product specifying unit specifies the stored product by comparing the product name stored in the storage unit with the character string data received from the mobile terminal. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein The product identification unit calculates the similarity between the product name stored in the storage unit and the character string data received from the mobile terminal, and when the similarity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the product having the product name 3. The vending machine according to claim 2, wherein the vending machine is specified. A storage unit storing a product code for specifying the stored product, wherein the product specifying unit specifies the stored product by comparing the product code stored in the storage unit with the character string data received from the mobile terminal; The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein: 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an unloading notification unit that notifies the mobile terminal of the unloading via the communication interface when the unloading the product specified by the product specifying unit. 6. The vending machine described.

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