JPH0459674B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a vending machine that sells products using cards.

(Prior art) Generally, vending machines sell in cash (coins or banknotes), but recently so-called card-based vending has begun to sell and pay using cards such as magnetic cards. The machine has been put into practical use.

In addition, as a payment method for card-based vending machines, a card with amount information corresponding to the purchase price written on it using magnetic information or other means is purchased in advance with cash.
The so-called advance payment method as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-24519, in which the amount written on the card decreases each time a vending machine is used, and the so-called advance payment method as shown in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 116092-1982. When using a vending machine with a card, there is a so-called deferred payment system in which the card holder is required to pay the accumulated usage amount every predetermined period.

The prepayment method is a method in which a card with amount information written on it is purchased in advance by cash payment, and the card is used at a vending machine.By writing the amount information with the usage amount subtracted on the card again, the card becomes a kind of cash voucher. This is a method of thinking as follows. The prepayment method is safe in terms of cash collection because you can obtain the cash in advance. On the other hand, the deferred payment method is a method in which a vending machine is used with a card on which only personal identification information is written, without amount information written on it.
This is a system in which the sales amount from the use of a certain card is later collected and billed to the card holder. The disadvantage of the deferred payment method is that it takes time and effort to collect cash. There is also the risk that cash cannot be recovered.

For the above reasons, the prepayment method is preferred and implemented because of the certainty of payment collection, but the card reader in the prepayment method must be able to write as well as read (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 54-9999,
(Refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-52191). This writable card reader has the disadvantage that it is considerably more expensive than a read-only card reader.

As a solution to this problem, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-197991, information on the sales amount of the product is inputted from the vending machine, and the sales amount is subtracted from the balance corresponding to the card code number. An online vending machine system has been proposed that is equipped with information processing means that calculates and stores balances.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) Conventionally, when purchasing a product using a card in a vending machine that allows prepayment, the balance is slightly insufficient compared to the product price, and moreover, there is no cash on hand at the time. For example, it was inconvenient to not be able to use vending machines. In addition, in online vending machine systems, there is no means to make prepayments on or near the vending machine itself, so if the balance decreases, you can make prepayments at a bank counter or bank deposit processing facility. I had no choice but to go, which was extremely inconvenient.

In addition, the card may include, for example, JP-A-50-156342.
Since the number code specified by the central computer as shown in the above publication was written, the terminal processing device would not accept any cards other than that card. In other words, in conventional vending machine systems, individuals are identified using cards that are already in circulation, such as bank cards or credit cards, and once they have made a deposit, they are no longer able to purchase items from the vending machine using that card. It was possible.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to realize a prepayment type card vending machine with reliable cash collection by using an inexpensive read-only card reader, and also to realize a card vending machine using an inexpensive read-only card reader. For example, the card can be used to make deposits, and this deposit can be made on or near the vending machine itself, and products can be sold even if the balance is a negative number within a predetermined limit. It is about making it possible.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a read-only card reader that reads personal identification information from a card on which personal identification information is written in advance, and a device near the card reader. A money acceptance unit and a password input unit provided in the vending machine body or in the vicinity thereof are provided, and an arithmetic processing unit and a storage unit electrically connected to the card reader and the money acceptance unit are provided in the vending machine body. Built-in or separately installed via a communication line, in the deposit operation, after inputting personal identification information of the card by the card reader and password information by the password input section, the deposit amount is input from the money acceptance section by a money insertion operation. By doing so, information on the balance obtained by adding the balance stored up to that point to the deposited amount is stored in the storage unit, and in the vending operation, the personal identification information of the card input from the card reader and the balance are stored in the storage unit. The combination information of the password information input from the password input section is compared with the combination information of the personal identification information of the card and the password information stored in advance in the storage section, and if they match, the Products are sold until the pre-stored balance reaches a predetermined negative limit amount, and the vending machine stores the amount obtained by subtracting the sales amount from the balance as a balance in the storage section, and these controls are performed as described above. It is characterized in that it is performed by an arithmetic processing unit.

(Function) According to the present invention, in the depositing operation, the personal identification information of the card is inputted by the card reader, and the deposited amount is inputted from the money receiving part by the money insertion operation after inputting the password information by the password inputting part. Information on a new balance obtained by adding the previously stored balance to the deposited amount is stored.

In the vending operation, combination information of the personal identification information of the card inputted from the card reader and the password information inputted from the password input section, and the personal identification information of the card stored in advance in the storage section are used. The combination information of the information and the password information is checked, and if they match, the product is sold so that the pre-stored balance becomes a predetermined negative limit amount, and after the sale, the sales amount is calculated. The amount subtracted from the balance is stored in the storage unit as a new balance.

(Examples) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on Examples.

FIG. 1 is a combination diagram of block elements built into a vending machine according to the present invention, and the structure of the vending machine according to the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG.

The microprocessor 1 as an arithmetic processing unit having the functions described below includes a card reader 2 capable of reading information on a magnetic card, an operation display panel 3, a storage unit 4 for storing card information, etc., and a card reader 2 provided near the card reader 2. A money validator 7 serving as a money receiving unit and a password input unit 8 are electrically connected.
Furthermore, the microprocessor 1 is a product unloading drive section 5.
It is connected to the product storage/export section 6 via.

First, in order to use a vending machine with a card, a user obtains a magnetic card on which personal identification information is written in advance from the vending machine staff. Next, the user causes the card reader 2 to read the personal identification information of the card, and inputs the password from the password input section 8. Further, a 1000 yen bill is inserted into the money validator 7 and the 1000 yen bill is read. The microprocessor 1 combines the personal identification information of the card, the password, and the deposit information of 1000 yen, and stores the combination in the card information storage section 4. As a result, the vending machine stores that 1,000 yen has been deposited into the card that has the individual's identification information. Next, the same card is read by the card reader, and then the password input section 8
If you input your PIN from , press the button for the product you want to purchase from the operation display panel, and if the PIN matches and the item costs 100 yen, the microprocessor 1 will request 100 yen for your balance of 1000 yen. ,
A new balance of 900 yen is stored in the storage unit 4, and a control signal is given to the product carry-out drive unit 5 to carry out the specified product from the product storage and carry-out unit 6 and sell it.

The other user is given a magnetic card with the personal identification information of another card written on it. In this case, the same procedure as above is used to deposit money and use the vending machine. After reading the personal information on the card, the balance for that card is displayed on the operation display panel 3.
shall be displayed numerically. If you continue to use your card to purchase products at vending machines, that is, to continue purchasing your card, the balance in the storage unit 4 will gradually decrease and become less than the amount required to purchase the product. After inputting the personal identification information and the PIN number using the PIN input section 8, the deposited amount is inputted from the money validator 7 through the money input operation and inputted into the microprocessor 1. Information on the new balance with the addition of the amount is stored in the storage unit 4. Therefore, the user can deposit 1,000 yen for a balance of 30 yen by simply handling the card reader, PIN input section, and money validator provided in the vending machine itself.
You can update the balance to 1030 yen.

The password input in the above explanation is effective for preventing unauthorized use.

If you continue to make card purchases and the balance reaches 30 yen and you choose to purchase a product for 100 yen, a negative balance will be allowed within a predetermined limit, and for example, that limit will be set as the debt limit. call me
If it is 500 yen, the actual balance is 500 yen + 30 yen =
The price will be 530 yen, so you can purchase the above 100 yen product.

After the original balance becomes a negative number, if you deposit cash (it will be paid in arrears to repay some debts), the balance will become a positive number again. For example, if your balance is -70 yen and you deposit 1000 yen, your balance will be 930 yen. The above calculation processing is performed by the microprocessor 1. The flowchart is shown in Figure 2.

In the first place, the advantage for users of card vending machines was the convenience of being able to make purchases without having to have the necessary amount of cash (particularly coins) when they wanted to make a purchase. However, there was a drawback that if the balance became less than the product purchase price and there was no additional cash on hand, the product could not be purchased. According to this specific example, a temporary debt can be made to the vending machine, and the above-mentioned inconvenience can be solved. Due to its nature, such vending machines must be used in an environment where the users trust them (for example, in a certain workplace such as a factory or office where there are always users). This is convenient for users in the above environment.

If we want to forgive debts only to people with credit, for example, the storage unit 4 for storing card information, etc.
By increasing the debt limit according to the accumulated usage amount stored up to that point, it is possible to realize a service in which debts are forgiven only to cards of people with good credit.

In the above embodiment, the block elements shown in FIG. 1 are built into the vending machine main body, but the card reader, password input section, and money acceptance section may also be provided near the vending machine main body. Alternatively, the arithmetic processing section and storage section electrically connected to the card reader, password input section, and money acceptance section may be installed at a location away from the vending machine main body via a communication line. In addition, recent vending machines sometimes have a controller section, a money receiving section, a product storage/export section, etc., which are separated. In this way, even if the block elements are physically separated, or even if the number and combination of block elements changes, the function of the card-using vending machine as a deposit method will not change, so the same effect can be expected. (For example, the same effect can be expected even if a common arithmetic processing unit and storage unit are provided for a plurality of vending machine bodies each having a card reader, a password input unit, and a money acceptance unit.)

In the above description, a magnetic card was used as a specific example of the card, but similar effects can be obtained with cards of other principles and shapes.

In the above description, a numeric input pushbutton switch has been considered as the password input section 8, but this does not necessarily have to be numeric input, and may be either symbol input or voice input, and various selections are possible.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the vending machine according to the present invention, it is difficult to use the machine illegally by entering a password, and it is difficult to make a temporary debt to the vending machine.
There is the convenience of being able to purchase goods even when there is insufficient balance, and the use of an inexpensive read-only card reader reduces the price.
If the card has at least personal identification information written on it, the card can be used to deposit money into a vending machine, and this deposit can be made between a card reader, a PIN input section, and a money acceptance unit in or near the vending machine itself. There are effects that can be achieved just by handling the parts.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart of sales operations in the embodiment of the present invention. 1...Microprocessor as an arithmetic processing unit, 2...Card reader, 4...Storage unit for card information, etc., 7...Money identifier as a money acceptance unit,
8...Password input section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A read-only card reader that reads personal identification information from a card on which personal identification information has been written in advance, a money acceptance section provided near the card reader, and a password input section on the vending machine body or An arithmetic processing unit and a storage unit are provided near the card reader and the money acceptance unit and are electrically connected to the card reader and the money acceptance unit, and are either built into the vending machine body or placed separately via a communication line. After inputting the personal identification information of the card by the reader and the password information by the password input section, the deposited amount is inputted from the money acceptance section by a money insertion operation, and the balance stored until then is added to the deposited amount. Store balance information in the storage unit, and in the automatic vending operation, combine information of the personal identification information of the card input from the card reader and the password information input from the password input unit;
The combination information of the personal identification information of the card and the password information stored in advance in the storage unit is checked, and if they match, the balance stored in advance becomes the limit amount of a predetermined negative number. the vending machine, the amount obtained by subtracting the sales amount from the balance is stored in the storage section as a balance, and these controls are performed by the arithmetic processing section. vending machine.