JPS6058513B2 - Data input device in vending machine system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a data input device in a vending machine system, and is particularly characterized in that the meaning of the setting input section can be easily changed.

An example of the data input device will be described below using a vending machine (ticket vending machine) for tickets and the like.

The introduction of ticket printing and issuing machines, such as ticket vending machines, is being actively promoted as a labor-saving device for station ticketing operations.

Figure 1 shows a generally popular ticket vending machine, which mainly includes a guide display panel section 1 for displaying destinations, etc., a coin slot 2, an input amount display section 3, and an input button section with a plurality of push buttons arranged for each amount. It has a customer service area consisting of an exit section 5 from which a printed ticket and change are discharged by pressing the destination amount button after inserting coins 4. In the customer service area of these ticket vending machines, the input button section 4 is a series of push button switches that display fares by price, as shown in Figure 2. Check the fare to the destination on the fare display panel, etc., insert the fare amount to the destination or more from the coin slot 2, and press the input button 4 to enter the amount shown in Figure 2. This is a very convenient device that allows you to obtain a printed ticket to your destination by selecting the appropriate button from a group of displayed buttons and specifying the press.

However, as the conventional devices become more popular, they are starting to cause the following problems.

In other words, since the printing means of conventional devices is mainly a mechanical printing plate type printing method or an optical type printing method using microfilm, each device accommodates plates for all ticket types handled. For example, the version is as shown in Figure 3, and includes (a) Company line name (b) Contact company line name (c) Cautionary note (d
) Boarding station name (e) Connecting station name (f) Fare amount, etc. is engraved or phototypesetting, and one to several dozen types of these are stored, and the push signal of the destination amount button (setting section) 4 on the customer service side is pressed. Based on the selected editions, the appropriate editions were printed and published. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the destination price buttons on the customer service side had a pre-printed price displayed for each button. Therefore, when a fare revision is implemented, for example, it is necessary to change the fare-related control circuit for each device, and at the same time, it is necessary to replace the printing plate or microfilm contained in each device, and to improve customer service. It becomes necessary to replace the amount displayed on a certain destination amount button. In addition, when implementing fare revisions, the above-mentioned work must be carried out on all equipment within a limited period of time from the last train on the day before the revision date to the first train on the day of the revision, which requires both the manpower and costs required for the work. The number of devices has become enormous, and with the spread of devices, it has now become a major problem. In view of the above-mentioned points, the present invention is capable of improving work efficiency and reliability even when major changes are made to basic data or input items, such as when a fee is revised, without requiring a huge amount of incidental work. At the same time, an economical vending machine system that can significantly reduce the huge amount of manpower, cost, and time that was required to change data up until now? The purpose is to provide a data input device that can

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to an illustrated embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the system configuration of the present invention, where 6 is a large computer, for example, which is the center of the system, and 1 is connected to this computer 6 by a transmission line 15, such as a telephone line. It is a centralized control device. A central control device 7 connects a communication control section 8 to a computer 6 via a transmission line 15 and a plurality of ticket issuing machines (terminal devices) 12 via signal cables. 16, and a terminal control interface unit 10 for controlling the same, an arithmetic processing unit 9 for receiving and processing input signals sent from the ticket issuing machine via the terminal control interface unit 5, and furthermore, The entire printable surface of the ticket that is printed and issued after receiving the processing signal,
It is composed of a storage device 11 that stores the components in correspondence with digital signals 0 and 1.
A ticket issuing machine (terminal device) 12 connected to the central control device 7 via a cable 16 receives the binary print information sent from the central control device 7 and prints dots on the ticket paper. The customer service area consists of a dot printing mechanism, a guide display for destinations, a coin slot, an input amount display, an input button, a ticket change exit, etc., as well as a coin verification mechanism for inserted coins. equipment is provided.

However, in the present invention, the input amount display section and the input button section on the customer service side are configured as shown in FIG. In other words, conventionally, as shown in Figure 2, the input amount display was printed in advance on the input button.
For this reason, as mentioned above, when the fare is revised, etc., it is necessary to replace the amount display.However, in the present invention, this inconvenience should be solved.As shown in FIG. The setting section 4 consists of a numeric display 13 and an input button 14, and the display of the amount can be freely performed using a lighting display signal from the above-mentioned central control device. Here, the operation of the system of the present invention will be described.

First, the passenger who purchases the ticket checks the fare to the destination on the fare display panel, etc., and inserts a coin with an amount greater than the fare to the destination into the coin slot. When a coin is inserted, the coin verification mechanism converts the deposited amount into an electrical signal, which is sent to cable 1.
6 to the central control device 7. The arithmetic processing section 9 that receives this signal sends an amount display signal back to the numeric display 13. For example, when a introduced customer inserts 10Cf3 coins into the coin slot 2 to purchase a ticket for the destination 6 (II3), the calculation processing unit 9 outputs 30P] 4Cf35 old 6th coin...
...10 The old amount display signal is sent back and displayed on each numeric display 13 as shown in FIG. As a result, it is possible to expect the same effect as in the conventional setting section 4, which lights up the lamps up to the 100 yen button to guide the purchaser.
Of course, in this case, if the input buttons 14 are self-illuminated, the corresponding buttons can be lit at the same time. When the input amount is displayed in this way, the purchaser presses the input button 14 corresponding to the display 60P1.

This press signal is sent to the arithmetic processing section 9 again. here 6
The ticket information corresponding to the input button V3 is read from the storage device 11 and sent as a print signal to the dot printing mechanism section of the ticket issuing machine 12. At the same time, the calculation processing unit 9 receives the deposit amount 1
Change is calculated based on the input button press information of 0Cf3 and 6, and the ticket issuing machine 12 is instructed to pay the change of 40P1. Upon receiving these signals, the ticket issuing machine 12 immediately prints the ticket and prepares change, and releases the ticket to the purchaser from the exit section 5, completing the series of issuing operations. In addition,
This system can also be connected to a large computer 6, and it goes without saying that it can form a data gathering system for ticket issuance data, etc., and can also be used to upgrade various systems depending on the system scale and needs. is possible.

Furthermore, as mentioned above, the problem with the existing ticket issuing machine system is the enormous amount of ancillary work required when revising fares.
By introducing the system of the present invention, it is possible to significantly reduce the cost. That is, instead of the conventional device having a printing plate and microfilm for printing the ticket surface for each ticket issuing machine, the ticket surface information corresponding to these printing plates and microfilm is stored in the storage device 11 in the central control device 7. Since it is stored as a binary electric signal in the memory device 11, when changing the ticket face when fares are revised, just by changing the information in this storage device 11, multiple ticket issuing machines connected to the central control device 7 can be used. The effect was similar to that of changing the ticket face at the same time, and also by changing the input button 4 on the customer service side of the ticket issuing machine 12 to a numeric display 13 instead of the conventional pre-printed amount display. Changing the fare display can now be handled simply by changing the program in the central control device 7. In this way, the change operation in the present invention can simultaneously change multiple ticket issuing machines 12 by simply rewriting the information in the storage device 11, and furthermore, the central control device 7
By connecting online to the center's computer 6, the information in the storage device 11 of each online-connected central control device 7 can be changed from the center, and in the end, a large number of ticket issuing machines can be changed by the center alone. It becomes possible to implement it.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to save a huge amount of personnel, expenses, and time when changing input items such as revising the price of a vending machine, and furthermore, by centralizing the change work, reliability improvement management can be achieved. It is expected that this will become easier.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an external view showing one implementation order of the conventional device, Fig. 2 is an external view showing the setting section of the device in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a front view showing a sample of the ticket face, and Fig. 4 is FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the data input device of the present invention, and is a front view of the setting section of the same embodiment. 4... Setting section (input means), 5... Exit section (discharge port), 6... Computer (changing means),
7... Centralized control device (control device), 11...
. . . Storage unit (storage unit) 12 . . . Ticket issuing machine (vending machine), 13 . . . Numerical display (display unit), 14 . . . Input button.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An information setting section consisting of a plurality of input buttons, an input means equipped with a variable display section provided in one-to-one correspondence with each input button of this setting section and displaying the meaning of each input button, and this input means. A plurality of vending machines each having a discharge outlet that discharges an article corresponding to the information set and inputted by the user, and the basic data of the data inputted from each of the above input means of these vending machines, and the above-mentioned A control device comprising a storage section that stores data corresponding to the meaning of each setting section and the display pattern of the display section corresponding to the meaning, and a calculation section that processes input data from each vending machine, and this control device. and a changing means for changing the stored contents of the storage section in the device, and by changing the stored contents of the storage section of the control device by the changing means, giving a meaning to each of the setting sections and a display corresponding to the meaning. A data input device in a vending machine system characterized by changing a display pattern of a section.