JPS581479B2 - vending machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a vending machine, and more particularly to a ticket vending machine.

In a vending machine, when change is required, a change release operation must be performed.

Although the change discharging operation is simple, it takes time to detect the discharged change coins one by one.

Conventionally, the change dispensing operation was also controlled by a microcomputer installed in the vending machine, but the microcomputer can be used not only to print and issue tickets, but also to record the number of tickets sold. May be desirable.

However, if such an operation is performed, it takes a long time for the vending machine to operate, and the operating rate decreases.

This invention was made in consideration of the above problem, and its purpose is to allow a microcomputer to have time to perform recording and other operations without increasing the time required for one sale. It is to provide vending machines.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vending machine with an arithmetic processing device having a plurality of coin verification counters in addition to a microcomputer, and interrupts the microcomputer when the account selection device is operated. After loading the account number and the count value of the coin verification counter with the microcomputer and calculating the change, the number of change for each type of coin is stored in each of the coin verification counters, and a change release command is sent to the processing unit. The processing unit is configured to control change dispensing independently of the microcomputer by receiving a change dispensing command.

With this configuration, the arithmetic processing unit controls the relatively time-consuming process of discharging change, which allows the microcomputer to have time for other operations.

Embodiments illustrating the present invention will be described in detail below.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of one embodiment of the present invention, in which numeral 1 is a microcomputer, and numeral 2 stores information on the face of tickets printed and issued by a vending machine, fares for each destination, etc. 3 is an input/output device, 4 is a thermal printer connected to the microcomputer 1 via the interface 3, 5 is an arithmetic processing unit, and 6 is a plurality of coin verification counters connected to the arithmetic processing unit 5. Group 7 is an ink face, 8 and 9 are hoppers for discharging 10 yen coins and 50 yen coins, respectively.The hoppers 8 and 9 are connected to the arithmetic processing unit 5 via the interface 7.

10 is an interface, 11 is an inserted coin detector, 12,
13 and 14 are detectors for checking the inserted 10 yen coin, 50 yen coin, and 100 yen coin, respectively; 15 and 16 are detectors for checking the ejected 10 yen coin and 50 yen coin, respectively;
17 is an account selection device, 11 is connected to the microcomputer 1, and 12 to 17 are inkfaces 10.
It is connected to the arithmetic processing unit 5 via.

18 and 19 are a data path and an address bus, respectively.

Next, the operation will be explained with reference to FIG.

In Fig. 2, ■, ■, ... indicate the number of the operation steps, and hereinafter, the first step, the second step, etc.
... is simply written as ■, ■.

First, when a coin is inserted into the vending machine shown in FIG. 1, an inserted coin detector 11 provided near the insertion slot detects this and generates a signal.

This signal is applied to the microcomputer 1, and the microcomputer 1 starts operating, and each time a detection signal is generated from the detector 11, it sends a signal to the arithmetic processing unit 5, and one of the counters C1 of the counter group L receives a coin input. Have them count the number of sheets.

This operation is shown by ■ and ■ in FIG.

Further, the inserted coins are 10 yen coins, 50 yen coins, and 100 yen coins, which are separately detected by coin verification detectors 12, 13, and 14, and respective coin verification detection signals are input to the processing unit 5, The device 5 has counters C2 and C3 of the counter group l for each signal of the detectors 12, 13 and 14, respectively.
, C4.

The counter C2 counts the number of inserted 10 yen coins, and the counters C3 and C4 count the respective numbers of inserted 50 yen coins and 100 yen coins.

The above-mentioned operations are indicated by ■ to ■ in FIG.

Then, when the destination is specified by the account selection device 17,
In other words, a pushbutton P for specifying a desired destination of the device 17.
When B is selected and pressed, the signal is input from the device 5 to the microprocessor 1 as an interrupt signal.

This operation is shown in ■ and ■ in Fig. 2.

The microprocessor 1 will control future operations.

At ■, ■, and ■, the microprocessor 1 reads each count value of the counters C2, C3, and C4 of the counter group 6 through the device 5, that is, the number of coins by type, and at
Calculate =C2+C3+C4.

This calculation is 10 yen x (number of sheets of C2) + 50 yen x (number of sheets of C3) + 100 yen x (number of sheets of C4), so C0
is the total amount of coins input.

The microcomputer 1 then reads the charge for the specified account (destination) from the core memory 2 at ■, subtracts this account amount from C0, and releases coins (50 yen and 10 yen) as change from the subtraction result at ■. Calculate the number of each piece (yen).

In (2) and (2), the number of 10 yen coins among the change is stored in the counter C5 of the counter gun, and the number of 50 yen coins is stored in the counter C6.

This operation is performed by the device 5 based on instructions from the microcomputer 1.

Next, in step (2), the microcomputer 1 sends a command to the circuit 5, and a flag (hereinafter referred to as F0) instructing the area F0 of the counter group 6 to release change.

) is set.

The above steps ① to ① are the control operations of the microprocessor 1.

By setting the flag F0 in the area F0, the arithmetic processing unit 5 controls the following operations.

That is, check whether the number of released 10 yen coins is stored in the counter C5 at ■, and if it is stored, 2
Step 1 causes the 10 yen coin discharging hopper 8 to start the 10 yen coin discharging operation.

Check whether the number of 50 yen coins to be released is stored in the counter C6 at 22, and if it is stored, it is 50 at 23.
The hopper 9 for discharging a yen coin is started to discharge a 50 yen coin.

Every time a 10 yen coin is released, the released 10 yen coin validation detector 15 generates a detection signal, and this detection signal causes the device 5 to subtract 1 from the number of released 10 yen coins stored in the counter C5 at 25. Subtract it and check whether the subtraction result is zero at 26.

Such an operation is repeated until the subtraction result becomes zero, and when the result becomes zero, the discharging operation of the hopper 8 is stopped.

Also, at 28, a signal is generated every time the discharge 50 yen coin verification detector 16 detects one 50 yen coin, and this signal causes the device 5 to subtract 1 from the number stored in the counter C6, and the subtraction result is 30. Check whether or not is zero, repeat this operation, and when the subtraction result becomes zero, stop the coin discharging operation of the hopper 9 at 31, and stop all operations of devices related to the device 5 at 32. , 33, the flag F0 of the counter 6 is reset, and the operation of the arithmetic processing unit 5 is thus completed.

Note that 35 collectively shows the steps of printing a ticket by the thermal printer 4 of the microcomputer 1 and further performing various recordings as necessary.

As described above, since the operations 20 to 34, that is, the change discharging operation, are controlled by the arithmetic processing unit 5 independently from the microcomputer 1, the microcomputer 1 has a corresponding amount of time leeway.

Therefore, the microcomputer 1 has the flexibility to control records such as the number of tickets issued and the types of tickets issued.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an operational diagram. 1...Microcomputer, 5...
Arithmetic processing unit, 6... Counter group for coin verification, 8,
9...Change release hopper, 12, 13, 14
...Detector for checking inserted coins, 15, 16...
... Detector for checking released coins, 17... Account selection device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A coin verification device includes a plurality of coin verification detectors that are installed in a coin verification device and operate by verifying corresponding coins, an account selection device that selects a destination, an arithmetic processing device, and a microcomputer. The arithmetic processing unit is provided with a plurality of coin verification counters that count the output of the coin verification detector, and when the account selection device is operated, an interrupt is sent to the microcomputer to input the account number and verification. After loading the counted value of the coin counter and calculating the change using the microcomputer, the number of coins of each type of change is stored in each of the coin verification counters, and the processing unit receives a command to release change. A vending machine configured to control change dispensing independently of the microcomputer.