JP4618015B2 - Vending machine, vending machine management device and vending machine management system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vending machine, a vending machine management apparatus that manages the vending machine, and a vending machine management system that includes the vending machine and the vending machine management apparatus.

  The vending machine has not only a function of automatically selling displayed products but also a plurality of other application functions. These applied functions include various functions such as bargain sales as sales promotions, point addition, provision of additional products using bags, prevention and diagnosis of equipment failures, etc., and they have been diversified in recent years.

  When changing these application functions, it is necessary to change / add the application software installed in the vending machine. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-228707 proposes changing or adding such an application function by changing or adding a part of software.

  Further, in recent years, it is well known that personal computer software automatically updates the version and updates the latest virus pattern by connecting to the center via the Internet.

  Therefore, for vending machines, multiple vending machines are connected to a distribution center (vending machine management device) via a communication network to configure the system, and application software that runs on the vending machines is distributed online from the distribution center. It is possible to do.

JP 2001-148056 A

  However, when trying to manage vending machines running multiple application software at a single distribution center on a scale of hundreds to thousands or more, application software that runs on individual vending machines. There is a problem in terms of quality to make these combinations free. Because vending machines, which are embedded devices, require high quality, it is necessary to conduct quality experiments as many as the number of combinations of application software. This is because it is practically difficult to conduct all the quality experiments when the combination of application software is free. In addition, management at the distribution center is very time-consuming. This is because it is necessary to determine the combination of application software to be stored for each of a large number of vending machines and set the control software to be executed by the distribution center.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and it takes quality problems and management efforts for a vending machine having a plurality of application software that realizes application functions of the vending machine. It is another object of the present invention to provide a vending machine management apparatus, a vending machine, and a vending machine management system that can appropriately add, update, or delete application software through online distribution.

In order to achieve the above object, a vending machine management apparatus according to the present invention manages a plurality of vending machines connected via a communication network, and realizes an application function of the vending machine. A vending machine management apparatus that distributes application software to the vending machine online via the communication network, wherein application software combination patterns to be operated on the vending machine are grouped by application software group A grouping management means to manage, a vending machine management information database for setting, as vending machine management information, group information for identifying an application software group to which the vending machine belongs for each vending machine to be managed; The vending machine distributes application software to the vending machine. A delivering device for delivering such a combination of application software machine management information refers to the database set the vending machine identified by the group information corresponding to belong application software group, characterized in that it comprises a.

The vending machine management apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention , the group information for identifying the application software group is an application software group name assigned to each application software group.

In the vending machine management apparatus according to the present invention , in the above invention , a version information file including the type and version information of the application software generated when the application software installed in each vending machine is started up. Operation information collecting means for collecting online from each vending machine via the communication network is provided.

In the vending machine management apparatus according to the present invention , in the above invention , the management means manages a combination of application software to be installed in the vending machine in units of application software groups, and the distribution means includes the vending machine. Application software that needs to be added, updated, or deleted based on the type of application software corresponding to the application software group to which the vending machine belongs and the type of active application software collected from the vending machine. A distribution in which an application software installation file to be distributed and a setup information file for the vending machine are generated and the setup information file is described to be distributed lastly and the distribution procedure of the application software is stored To generate over Ken scan file, characterized in that it delivered online to the vending machine in accordance with the delivery sequence file.

The vending machine management apparatus according to the present invention is the vending machine management apparatus according to the above invention , wherein the distribution means updates the application software already running in the vending machine to the latest version. A difference installation file is generated and distributed by comparing the version information of the application software collected from the latest version information with the latest version information.

Further, in the vending machine management apparatus according to the present invention , in the above invention , the distribution unit generates a distribution schedule by determining the order of individual vending machines for the vending machine selected as a distribution target, Distribution to a vending machine selected as a distribution target according to the generated distribution schedule is performed.

The vending machine management apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention , the ordering is performed using a region code indicating an installation destination of each vending machine.

The vending machine management apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention , the distribution means distributes according to the distribution schedule in a set distribution time zone.

In the vending machine management apparatus according to the present invention as set forth in the invention described above , the distribution means starts distribution at the start time of the distribution time period according to the distribution schedule and ends new distribution at the end time of the distribution time period. The distribution schedule is generated again at the start of the next distribution time period.

The vending machine management apparatus according to the present invention is the vending machine management apparatus according to the above invention , wherein the distribution means targets vending machines that have not been distributed in the previous distribution schedule and vending machines that have not completed normal distribution last time. The delivery schedule is generated again.

The vending machine management apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention , the delivery time zone is set to a specific time zone every day, and the next delivery time zone is the next day delivery time zone. .

In the vending machine management apparatus according to the present invention as set forth in the invention described above , the operation information collection means re-collects the version information file from vending machines that have been distributed in a set collection time zone, It is characterized by comprising confirmation means for confirming that the distribution file has been normally updated based on the collection result.

Further, in the vending machine management apparatus according to the present invention , in the above invention , the collection time zone is set to a part of the distribution time zone, and the distribution means sends the operation information collection means to the operation information collection means in the collection time zone Re-collecting the version information file and controlling the delivery to be performed during the delivery time period when the confirmation means confirms that the delivery file has been successfully updated based on the re-collection result. Features.

The vending machine management apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned invention , the collection time zone is a specific time zone every day and is set to a time zone preceding the delivery time zone.

In addition, the vending machine according to the present invention is managed by a vending machine management apparatus connected via a communication network, and application software for realizing application functions is provided via the communication network. A vending machine distributed on-line from a management apparatus, and the vending machine management apparatus stores a version information file including the type and version information of the application software when the installed application software is activated. And a version information file generating means for generating the information via online collection.

In addition, in the vending machine according to the present invention, when the installation file and the setup information file of the application software are distributed from the vending machine management apparatus in the above invention , the vending machine is temporarily stored in the storage unit and then in a predetermined time zone. An execution means for executing the setup information file is provided.

Moreover, the vending machine management system according to the present invention, the vending machine management system according to the invention, a plurality of vending machine according to the invention, the vending machine management device and a plurality of said vending machines And a plurality of the vending machines managed by the vending machine management apparatus, and application software for realizing application functions of the vending machines is provided to the vending machines. The online distribution from the vending machine management apparatus via the communication network.

  According to the vending machine management apparatus, vending machine, and vending machine management system according to the present invention, the combination pattern of application software operated by the vending machine is grouped and managed as an application software group. Group information is set in the vending machine management information database as vending machine management information for each individual vending machine as a group information for identifying the group, and the group information set when the application software is distributed Since the distribution is made so that the combination of application software corresponding to the application software group to which each vending machine specified in (1) belongs, even if there are many vending machines to be managed, Attached hardware controller It is sufficient to narrow down the combination of application software that can be operated by the vending machine to several patterns according to the characteristics of the component and installation location, etc., and to conduct quality tests for each pattern, which will cause quality problems and administrative efforts. In addition, there is an effect that addition, update or deletion of application software to be operated on each vending machine can be performed in an appropriate combination by online distribution.

  Exemplary embodiments of a vending machine, a vending machine management apparatus, and a vending machine management system according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by this Embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a system configuration example of a vending machine management system according to the present invention. The vending machine management system according to the present invention is constructed by connecting a vending machine 100 and an application distribution center 300 as a vending machine management apparatus via a network 200 which is a communication network. The network 200 may be wired or wireless as a medium as long as it can construct an online system. That is, a public line network using a telephone line, a PHP (Personal Handyphone System) network using radio, and the like can be used.

  The vending machine 100 includes a storage unit 103 and a communication unit 104 in addition to the CPU 101 and the memory 102 which are the control subjects. The storage unit 103 corresponds to a file system or the like, stores a plurality of application software to be operated by the vending machine 100, and each application software is operated by the CPU 101 by being loaded into the memory 102. The storage unit 103 also stores a version information file to be described later.

  The application distribution center 300 has a function of managing the vending machine 100 and distributing application software for realizing application functions of the vending machine 100 to the vending machine 100 online via the network 200. In addition to the CPU 301 and the memory 302 that are the control subjects, the computer configuration includes a storage unit 303 and a communication unit 304. The storage unit 303 corresponds to a file system or the like, and stores an application distribution center software main body to be operated by the application distribution center 300. The application distribution center software main body is loaded into the memory 302 after being activated and is operated by the CPU 301. To do. In addition, the storage unit 303 also stores a distribution management database such as a vending machine management information database and a vending machine operation information database, an installation file of application software, and the like.

  The communication units 104 and 304 that connect the vending machine 100 and the application distribution center 300 to the network 200 are protocol stacks such as PPP and TCP / IP, respectively, and are connected to the vending machine 100 from the application distribution center 300 side. Connected in the form of a call. Although only one vending machine 100 is shown in the drawing, in reality, there are a plurality of vending machines 100, and a system configuration in which one application distribution center 300 manages on the scale of hundreds to thousands or more. There may be.

  In such a system configuration, in this embodiment, a plurality of application software to be operated by the vending machine 100 is distributed online from the application distribution center 300 to each vending machine 100. The concept of “application software group” that manages and controls application software combination patterns to be operated on the machine 100 is introduced, and distribution of application software is controlled using this application software group.

  That is, the combination of application software that is operated by the vending machine 100 is not arbitrarily selected by the individual vending machine 100, but the model of the vending machine 100, the type of products sold, and the customer group (for example, alcoholic beverages and tobacco). Depending on whether it is suitable for adults), attached hardware components, installation location (location) characteristics (difference in sales and selling products), contents of application software to be embedded, etc. This is because it is a good idea to conduct a quality test that combines application software for each pattern (by group).

  The application distribution center 300 manages a combination pattern of application software for operating the vending machine 100 by grouping by application software group (grouping management means). In the present embodiment, combinations of application software to be installed in the vending machine 100 are managed in units of application software groups. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a combination storage example of application software installation files managed in application software group units and stored in the storage unit 303. In FIG. 2, the application software installation file is indicated by “application name.ins”, and “AplGroup1,” “AplGroup2,”... Are group information that is assigned to each combination of application software and identifies the application software group. Application software group name.

  Further, the application distribution center 300 includes a “vending machine management information database” as a distribution management database disposed in the storage unit 303, and all vending machines 100 (N units) to be distributed connected to the network. The vending machine management information is set so that the information is managed by N records as one record for each vending machine. In each record, “unique ID for identifying vending machine” “communication conditions for connecting to vending machine (telephone number, authentication ID, IP address, etc.)” “application software group name” “ It has information such as “previous operation information collection information” and “previous distribution information”. Therefore, in the vending machine management information database, the application software group name that identifies the application software group to which the vending machine 100 belongs for each vending machine 100 to be managed is one of the vending machine management information. Set as Note that the group information for identifying the application software group is not limited to the group name, and may be any information as long as the information can identify each group, for example, a symbol.

  Under such circumstances, when the application distribution center software body in the application distribution center 300 distributes the application software installation file to the vending machine 100, it refers to the vending machine management information database and sets it. The installation file is distributed so as to be a combination of application software corresponding to the application software group name to which the vending machine 100 to which the vending machine 100 belongs is specified (distribution means). Therefore, under management by application software group unit, setting management in the application distribution center 300 can be performed simply by setting the group name of the application software group to which the own machine belongs for each vending machine 100 in the vending machine management information database. While simplifying the effort, it is possible to add, update, or delete a plurality of application software to be operated by each vending machine 100 by online distribution so as to be an appropriate combination that has undergone quality testing.

  Here, the application distribution center 300 needs to accurately grasp what application software is currently operating for each vending machine 100 and what version of each application software is. Although it is possible to infer the current state (type and version) based on the previous distribution result stored in the vending machine management information database, the memory card is directly handed to the vending machine 100. It is also necessary to consider the possibility that application software has been replaced via a storage medium such as

  Therefore, when starting the application software installed in the storage unit 103, the CPU 101 of each vending machine 100 according to the present embodiment generates a version information file including the type and version information of the application software. A function (version information file generation means) stored in the storage 103 is provided. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the generated version information file. In the figure, “NUM =” indicates the number of running application software, “APPLINAME_1 =” to “APPLINAME_3 =” indicates the name of each application software, and “VERSION_1 =” to “VERSION_3 =” indicates the version information of each. Indicates.

  On the other hand, the application distribution center software body in the application distribution center 300 collects version information files from each vending machine 100 via the network 200 online according to the identification IDs in the vending machine management information database. The storage unit 303 is provided with a function (operation information collecting means) for generating a vending machine operation information database for managing the type and version information of application software for each vending machine 100.

  By the way, when a combination (group name) of application software to be distributed is determined for each vending machine 100 and distributed, all the application software already operating on the vending machine 100 is deleted, and the combination is deleted. However, if the same application software is continuously operated, communication costs are wasted.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, in the application distribution center 300, the installation file of the combination of application software managed in units of application software groups as shown in FIG. 2 and the version information file collected from each vending machine 100 Based on the type of application software that is running on the vending machine 100 included in the application software, the application software that needs to be newly added, the application software that needs to be updated, and the application software that needs to be deleted are automatically identified and distributed. An application software installation file necessary for the automatic vending machine 100 is automatically created, and a setup information file for the vending machine 100 is generated in the storage unit 303.

For example, the combination types of application software corresponding to the desired application software group name are “Apl01”, “Apl02”, and “Apl03”, and the type of application software running on the target vending machine 100 is “Apl01” In case of “Apl04”
“Apl01”… Update “Apl02” “Apl03”… Add new “Apl04”… Generate setup information file for deletion. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a setup information file in this example.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a distribution sequence file used in actual distribution processing in the case of the example of FIG. That is, the distribution sequence file is a file storing the distribution procedure of the installation file of the application software to be actually distributed, and the setup information is described in the last line so as to be distributed last.

  The application distribution center software body in the application distribution center 300 generates the setup information file according to the vending machine management information database as described above, and distributes the installation file of the application software corresponding to the INSTALL line of the setup information file. Then, a delivery sequence file describing that the setup information file is delivered last is generated, and each installation file and setup information file are delivered according to this delivery sequence file. Since the delivery sequence file is written so that the setup information file is delivered last, even if a trouble such as a communication error occurs during delivery, the application software can be replaced unless the setup information file is sent normally. Since it is not executed, the vending machine 100 does not operate with a combination of halfway application software, and can operate with the combination of the previous application software at a minimum.

  On the vending machine 100 side that receives the distribution from the application distribution center 300, the distributed file is temporarily stored in the storage unit 103. Then, the application software is replaced according to the distributed file. In the example of the setup information file shown in FIG. 4, “Apl01”, “Apl02”, “Apl03” are newly installed, and “Apl04” is deleted. Note that each vending machine 100 does not immediately execute replacement of application software immediately after distribution, but executes a setup information file in a time zone in which sales to users such as midnight do not share, as will be described later. Thus, the application software is switched to a new combination (execution means).

  By the way, in the above description example with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the application software “Apl01” is already running on the vending machine 100, but the application distribution center 300 also corresponds to the application software group name. Since it also existed as an installation file for the application software to be updated, it was decided that an update was necessary and it was distributed. Here, if this application software “Apl01” has not been upgraded, useless communication will be performed, and even if the application software has been upgraded, it is not redistributed but the version. Redistributing only the part that has been changed due to up is effective in reducing communication costs.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, as a more preferable example, when upgrading the application software that is already running on the vending machine 100, the current information existing in the version information file collected from the vending machine 100 is used. By generating a differential installation file from the version information of the latest version to the latest version and distributing only this differential installation file, communication costs are reduced.

  That is, when the application distribution center software body in the application distribution center 300 generates a setup information file according to the vending machine management information database and distributes an installation file of application software corresponding to the INSTALL line of the setup information file. For the application software already running on the vending machine 100, the differential installation file generated based on the current version information is distributed.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the application software group operating on the vending machine 100 is “AplGroup1” and the application software group to be distributed to the vending machine 100 is “AplGroup2”,
“Apl01” “Apl03”… Update from version “E00V00” to the latest version “E01V01” “Apl04”… New addition “Apl02”… Setup information file for deletion is generated. At this time, the distribution sequence file is as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of generating a differential installation file from the version “E00V00” related to the installation file of the application software “Apl01” to the latest version “E01V01”. The illustrated example shows an example in which a differential file is generated by extracting only the file B portion whose software has been changed due to version upgrade in the files A, B, and C included in the application software “Apl01”.

  By the way, regarding online communication between the vending machine and the application distribution center, if the vending machine calls and connects to the application distribution center, the distribution center information common to each vending machine (telephone) (Number, IP address, etc.) may be set, and management becomes easy. However, access from the vending machine to the application distribution center is concentrated, and there is a possibility that the connection cannot be made or the communication speed becomes extremely slow. In order to solve this problem, for example, the number of simultaneous connections of the application distribution center is increased, or the connection time to the application distribution center is set in advance for each vending machine so that the traffic during the busy hour is distributed. This causes a problem that the application distribution center becomes hard-rich, or the setting management of each vending machine is troublesome.

  In other words, within the range corresponding to the number of simultaneous connections that the application distribution center has, in order to reliably distribute to all vending machines to which application software is distributed, call from the application distribution center and communicate It can be said that it is effective to perform scheduling and distribution in consideration of the multiplicity of the network or the number of simultaneous connections.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the application distribution center 300 manages the vending machine 100 to be managed using the vending machine management information database, and the application software distribution target is the application software group. By specifying a vending machine to be distributed from among the functions, a distribution schedule is generated by narrowing down the vending machine 100 as a distribution candidate and determining the order. That is, after the distribution schedule is generated by determining the order of distribution to the vending machines 100 designated as the distribution targets from the vending machines to be managed, the distribution to the vending machines 100 is executed.

  In addition to the above distribution method, for example, a distribution schedule can be generated by ordering using a region code indicating the installation location of each vending machine. As a result, a distribution schedule including an ID string in which unique IDs for identifying the vending machines 100 are arranged is generated. This ID string is determined by narrowing down candidates by application software group name and sorting by area code order. At this time, even if the vending machine 100 belongs to the group and is a distribution candidate, the vending machine 100 that does not change, add, or delete application software and does not require distribution is excluded. The application distribution center software main body in the application distribution center 300 generates such a distribution schedule, and then performs distribution to the target vending machine 100 in the order of registration of the ID string.

  In addition, consideration should be given so that the distribution from the application distribution center 300 to the vending machine 100 is not shared with communication between other centers and the vending machine 100 (for example, periodic collection of POS information). There is a need. For this purpose, a specific time zone within a day is set as a distribution time zone from the application distribution center 300 to each vending machine 100, and distribution is performed according to the above-described distribution schedule within the distribution time zone. It is necessary. In this case, if the number of vending machines 100 to be distributed is large, distribution to all of the vending machines 100 to be distributed may not be completed within the distribution time period. In addition, it is necessary to try to deliver again to the distribution time zone of the next day with respect to the vending machine 100 that has stopped communication due to a communication retry over due to a change in the radio wave condition or the like. That is, it is necessary to regenerate the distribution schedule at the start of the distribution time period.

  Therefore, the application distribution center software body in the application distribution center 300 of the present embodiment can set a distribution time zone for distributing to the vending machine 100 to be distributed within one day. Distribution is performed according to the distribution schedule in the set distribution time zone. More specifically, according to the generated distribution schedule, when the distribution time zone comes, distribution is automatically started at the start time, and when the distribution time zone elapses, new distribution ends. However, for the vending machine 100 in the middle of distribution at this end point, the distribution is continued without interruption (the distribution to the new vending machine 100 is not started after the distribution time period has passed). Furthermore, the distribution schedule is automatically generated again at the start of the next day distribution time zone. That is, the vending machine 100 whose distribution has been normally completed by the previous day is not included in the distribution schedule again, and is distributed with the vending machine 100 whose distribution order has not been reached by the previous day, but has been distributed due to a communication abnormality or the like. The distribution schedule is generated again by sorting the ID string for the vending machine 100 that has not ended normally in the order of the area code.

  By the way, the vending machine 100 according to the present embodiment determines the timing of switching to operation in a new state by combining the application software distributed from the application distribution center 300 or updating to the latest version as described above. It is set to be performed in a designated time zone (for example, a time zone such as midnight when the vending machine 100 is hardly sold). That is, the distributed information is temporarily stored in the free memory of the storage unit 103 of the vending machine 100, and the existing application software is continuously operated. Thereby, for example, when the vending machine 100 to which the application software is distributed on the previous day X becomes X + 1 on the next day at night, as shown by a star in FIG. 9, the combination of the application software to be operated is switched almost simultaneously. The combination and version of application software in each vending machine 100 in the group can be made uniform.

  In addition, the application distribution center 300 recollects the version information file from the vending machine 100 and determines whether or not the distribution is correctly performed to the vending machine 100 that has performed the distribution. A function (confirmation means) for judging based on the above is provided. Here, in the application distribution center 300, when the distribution to the vending machine 100 is completed, the application replacement is not executed, so that a new version information file cannot be collected from the vending machine 100. Therefore, whether or not each vending machine 100 to be distributed is correctly distributed and the vending machine 100 is operating with a new application software combination is determined after the next application replacement timing has elapsed. It is necessary to collect at the timing.

  Therefore, the application distribution center software body in the application distribution center 300 of the present embodiment first collects version information files from each vending machine 100 during distribution (distribution time period), and this collection is normal. If there is, a series of control is performed so as to perform distribution. In addition, a collection time zone for collecting the version information file from each vending machine 100 may be set separately from the distribution time zone described above, and the version information file may be automatically collected in the set collection time zone. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, by setting the collection time zone in the day to a time zone that precedes the delivery time zone, the result delivered the previous day is confirmed by the collection result of the next day collection time zone. , It can be used to regenerate the distribution schedule at the start of the distribution time zone on the same day.

  That is, the application distribution center software body automatically recollects the version information file in the collection time zone of the next day for the vending machine 100 that has been normally distributed the previous day, When the distribution schedule is regenerated, a form based on the contents of the collected version information file is output, so that the distribution is performed correctly and the type and version information of the application software running on the vending machine 100 are displayed. While it is possible to confirm that the update has been correctly performed, the vending machine 100 that has not been updated correctly at this time serves as a redistribution target to regenerate the distribution schedule.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the system configuration example of the vending machine management system which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the combination storage example of the installation file of the application software managed by the group unit and stored in the memory | storage part. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the produced | generated version information file. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a setup information file. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a distribution sequence file used in actual distribution processing in the case of the example of FIG. 4. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the combination storage example of the installation file of the application software managed by the group unit and stored in the memory | storage part. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the delivery sequence file containing a difference file. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a production | generation of a difference file. It is a schematic time chart which shows the example of allocation of a delivery time slot | zone and a collection time slot | zone.

Explanation of symbols

100 Vending Machine 200 Network 300 Application Distribution Center

Claims (17)

Manages a plurality of vending machines connected via a communication network, and distributes application software for realizing the application function of the vending machine to the vending machine online via the communication network A vending machine management device,
Grouping management means for grouping and managing application software combination patterns to be operated by the vending machine by an application software group;
A vending machine management information database that sets, as vending machine management information, group information that identifies one application software group to which the vending machine belongs for each vending machine to be managed;
When distributing application software to the vending machine, a combination of application software corresponding to the application software group to which the vending machine to which the vending machine belongs is specified with reference to the set group information with reference to the vending machine management information database. Delivery means for delivering to,
A vending machine management device characterized by comprising:   The vending machine management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the group information for identifying the application software group is an application software group name assigned to each application software group.   An operation for collecting a version information file including the type and version information of the application software generated when the application software installed in each vending machine is started up online from the vending machine via the communication network The vending machine management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an information collection unit. The management means manages a combination of application software to be installed in a vending machine in units of application software groups,
The distribution means is added for each vending machine based on the type of application software corresponding to the application software group to which the vending machine belongs and the type of operating application software collected from the vending machine, Application software that needs to be updated or deleted is generated and an installation file of the application software to be distributed and a setup information file for the vending machine are generated, and the setup information file is described to be distributed lastly, and the application software 4. The vending machine management apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a distribution sequence file storing the distribution procedure is generated and distributed online to the vending machine according to the distribution sequence file.   When the distribution means updates the application software already running in the vending machine to the latest version, the distribution means compares the version information of the application software collected from the vending machine with the latest version information. 5. The vending machine management apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a differential installation file is generated and distributed.   The distribution means generates a distribution schedule for each vending machine selected as a distribution target by determining the order of the individual vending machines, and applies to the vending machine selected as a distribution target according to the generated distribution schedule. 6. The vending machine management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein distribution is performed.   The vending machine management apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the order determination is performed using a region code indicating an installation destination of each vending machine.   8. The vending machine management apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the distribution unit performs distribution according to the distribution schedule in a set distribution time zone.   The distribution means starts distribution at the start of the distribution time period according to the distribution schedule, ends new distribution at the end of the distribution time period, and generates the distribution schedule again at the start time of the next distribution time period. The vending machine management apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the vending machine management apparatus is corrected.   10. The distribution unit according to claim 9, wherein the distribution unit regenerates a distribution schedule for vending machines that have not been distributed in the previous distribution schedule and vending machines that have not been normally distributed. Vending machine management device.   The vending machine management apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the delivery time zone is set to a specific time zone every day, and the next delivery time zone is a delivery time zone of the next day. The operation information collection means re-collects the version information file from the vending machine that has been distributed in the set collection time zone,
The vending machine management apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 11, further comprising confirmation means for confirming that the distribution file is normally updated based on the recollection result. The collection time zone is set to a part of the delivery time zone,
The distribution unit causes the operation information collection unit to re-collect the version information file during the collection time period, and confirms by the confirmation unit that the distribution file has been normally updated based on the re-collection result. The vending machine management apparatus according to claim 12, wherein control is performed so that distribution is performed during the distribution time period.   13. The vending machine management apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the collection time zone is set to a specific time zone every day and preceding the delivery time zone. The vending machine management apparatus according to claim 3 connected via a communication network, and application software for realizing an application function is online from the vending machine management apparatus via the communication network. A vending machine to be delivered,
Version information file generation means for generating a version information file including the type and version information of the application software when the installed application software is started so that the vending machine management apparatus can collect the information online via the communication network Vending machine characterized by comprising.   When the application software installation file and the setup information file are distributed from the vending machine management apparatus, the vending machine management device is provided with execution means for temporarily storing the application software and executing the setup information file in a predetermined time zone. The vending machine according to claim 15. A vending machine management apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 14,
A plurality of vending machines according to claim 15 or 16,
A communication network connecting the vending machine management apparatus and the plurality of vending machines;
With
A plurality of the vending machines are managed by the vending machine management apparatus, and application software for realizing application functions of the vending machines is provided to the vending machines via the communication network. A vending machine management system characterized by being distributed online from a management device.

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