JPH0670821B2 - Vending machine controller - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application The present invention detects the abnormality of a product discharge device for each sales column and stops the sale from the abnormal sales column. Regarding

(B) Conventional technology Generally, a product discharging device has a carrier attached to the output shaft of a drive deceleration motor, and a detecting device determines whether the product discharging device is in a standby state or in an operating state depending on the rotation position of the carrier. It is configured to detect. When the motor is driven during the selling operation and the carrier comes off the standby position, the drive of the motor is maintained until the carrier returns to the standby position next time. With respect to the product discharging device having such a configuration, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 53-13498 discloses that when the carrier is out of the standby position in the sales standby state and the carrier is not returned to the standby position even if the motor is driven, the sales column is abnormal. It is disclosed that the sale will be discontinued as a column. At this time, it is common to set abnormal column data indicating a sales column equipped with a defective product discharging device in the RAM, and stop selling the product in the sales column because the product cannot be sold in the sales availability judgment. Then, after removing the cause of the abnormality in the product discharging device and restoring the device, the motor is driven to move the carrier from the standby position to the operating position, and when the carrier returns to the standby position, the abnormal column data is reset.

(C) Problems to be Solved by the Invention In such a conventional technique, the motor has to be driven in order to reset the abnormal column data, which makes the operation troublesome. The abnormal column data is stored in a memory backed up by a battery when the power is cut off, as data necessary for automatic selling operation together with sales price data and sales total data for each product. Therefore, the abnormal column data cannot be erased even if the power is cut off.

In view of the above points, the present invention has an object of resetting abnormal column data when the power is turned off or when the power is turned on in a control device that stores the abnormal column data in a RAM that is backed up by an auxiliary power supply circuit.

(D) Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the control device for the vending machine according to the present invention is provided with a product discharging device for each sales column, and each of the product discharging devices is provided with a product discharging device. In a vending machine provided with a detection device capable of detecting whether it is in a standby state, a memory backed up by an auxiliary power supply circuit when the power is cut off, and an operating state when the vending machine main body is in a sales standby state Means for detecting the product discharging device and setting column error data regarding the sales column corresponding to the product discharging device in the memory, and determining a sales column that cannot be sold based on the column error data set in the memory And a reset means for resetting the column abnormality data stored in the memory when the power is turned off or turned on. It is a configuration.

(E) Action When it detects that there is a product ejection device that is in operation even though the vending machine body is in the standby state, it stores the column error data for the sales column corresponding to the product ejection device. Set this column to identify this column as unsellable. As a result, the determining means determines that the sales column in which the column abnormality data is stored in the memory cannot be sold, and therefore the product discharging operation from the sales column does not occur. Then, when the power supply to the vending machine main body is cut off or turned on, the column abnormality data set in the memory is reset. Therefore, the column abnormality data in the memory is automatically cleared after the administrator knows the abnormality in the sales column from the contents stored in the memory, turns off the power, repairs it, and then turns it on again.

(F) Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. (1) is a control unit of an automatic vending machine constituted by a microcomputer, (2) is automatic sales price of a product for each sales column. RAM in which data required for sales operation is set, (3) is an auxiliary power circuit that protects the contents stored in RAM (2) when the power is turned off, and (4) is an initial setting circuit, which rises sharply after power is turned on. An initial signal is output when the power supply voltage gradually rises and reaches a predetermined level. And (5 ₁₎ ~ (5n) is a motor for driving the product discharge device for each sales _{column, (6 1) ~ (6n} ) are each motor (5 ₁₎ ~ (5n)
Monetary switch carrier switch, C ₁ -C ₄ to ON-OFF in conjunction with the carrier mounted on the output shaft of which outputs the inserted money signal corresponding to the money kind by introduction of currency, ₍₇₁₎ -
(7n) is a product selection switch for each sales column.

2 and 3 are flowcharts for explaining the operation of the control unit (1), the input detection flow of FIG. 3 is periodically processed by a timer interrupt. After a predetermined time has elapsed since power is turned in a second view of the main flow, the control unit in N ₁ Step (1) is initial setting at initial signal generated in the initial set circuit (4), in N ₂ step
Clears all areas of RAM (2) that store column error data. Then, in the N ₃ step, the register “1” that stores the sales column No. of the RAM (2) is set, and in the N ₄ step, the column error data for the sales column No. 1 is RAM.
It is determined whether it is set to (2). Column If abnormal data is set, move to N ₇ step,
If the column abnormal data is not set determines whether carrier flag RAM (2) with respect to sales column No.1 in N ₅ steps are set.

Here, the input detection of the carrier switch in the input detection flow will be described together with the input detection of the selection switch. In the n ₁ step, "1" is set as the sales column number, and in the n ₂ step, if the output of the carrier switch (6 ₁ ) is detected and it is OFF, the carrier flag of RAM (2) is reset in the n ₃ step. and, in the case of oN setting a carrier flag n ₄ steps. Then, when the operation of the selection switch (7 ₁ ) is detected and turned on in the n ₅ step, the selection flag for the sales column No. 1 is set in the RAM (2) in the n ₆ step, and the sales column No. is set in the n ₇ step. Specify .2 and move to n ₂ steps through n ₈ steps. Thus detects ON of the carrier switch and the selection switch of all sales column, when confirming the ON carrier switches and selection switches for all sales column from 1 Repeat this process as long n n ₈
There will be n ₉ steps from the step.

The main flow of N ₅ steps by detecting the set of carrier flag for sales column No.1, determines an abnormality of the product discharging device. When the goods discharge motor (5 ₁₎ is in a non-operating state, usually the motor carrier is a carrier switch (6 ₁₎ In the standby position in order to have turned ON, sold column No. in n ₄ step input detection process The carrier flag for 1 is set in RAM (2). However, when the carrier switch the motor carrier is disconnected from the standby position (6 ₁₎ is OFF, the carrier flag is not set in the RAM (2). In this case, the commodity discharge apparatus of the sales column No.1 is abnormal, sold under N ₆ Step Column N
Regarding o.1, set the column error data in RAM (2)
Move to N ₇ step. However, if the product ejector of the sales column No. 1 is normal and the carrier flag is set in the RAM (2), the amount of money input in the N ₉ step and the sales column No. 1 stored in the RAM (2) are stored. The sales price is compared to determine whether the product in the sales column can be sold. Currency switch C ₁ -C ₄ outputs the inserted currency signal when money is put into the vending machine but, upon detecting the inserted currency signals at n ₉ step input detection process by the timer interrupt, is turned on at n ₁₀ step The amount of money inserted is calculated based on the amount of money indicated by the money signal. In the sale approval / disapproval determination, the control unit (1) also determines the sales possibility according to a change presence / absence signal and a product sold-out signal (not shown). And N if available for sale
_{Go to} step ₁₀ and check if the selection flag for sales column No. 1 is set in RAM (2). Thus when the selection flag is not possible sales when or instruments that are not set, specify the sales column No.2 shifts to N ₇ step, through the N ₈ step moves to N ₄ Step . The process is repeated for each sales column in this way, but if the product in sales column No. 2 can be sold and the selection switch S ₂ is operated, the sales column N is stored in the RAM (2).
Since the selection flag related to o.2 is set, N ₁₀ steps to N ₁₁ steps are performed. At this time, the selection flag is set in the RAM (2) when the operation of the selection switch is detected in the input detection flow by the timer interruption. When the selection flag of the sales column No.2 is set, it resets the selection flag at N ₁₁ step, performing sales control of goods from sales column No.2 in N ₁₂ step. In other words, in the N ₁₂ step, the drive signal is output to the motor to operate the product ejector of the sales column No. 2, the product selling price is subtracted from the input amount after the product is ejected, and the remaining amount after subtraction is “0”. If it is other than yen, control is performed to pay out this amount as change, and the process proceeds to N ₃ steps.

In addition, when column abnormal data is set in RAM (2),
The processing of the main flow for the sales column jumps from the N ₄ step to the N ₇ step, so even if the corresponding selection switch is turned ON, the sales operation does not occur. When the power supply of the vending machine is cut off, the RAM (2) is supplied with auxiliary power from the auxiliary power circuit (3) to protect the stored contents. However, after the power is restored, the column error data in RAM (2) is cleared, so the processing of the main flow for each sales column shifts from N ₄ step to N ₅ step, and the abnormality of the product discharge device is reset again by the carrier flag. judge.
Therefore, when the power is turned on after recovering the failure of the product discharging device, only the column error data can be cleared automatically. Although the column abnormality data is reset by the initial flow in this example, the column abnormality data may be cleared by the power off flow when the power supply voltage drops when the power is cut off.

(G) Effect of the Invention According to the present invention, in the selling operation started by the insertion of money, the article discharging apparatus does not perform the discharging operation of the selling column which is already in the abnormal state in the selling standby state. Malfunctions can be prevented in advance.

After the administrator knows the abnormality of the sales column from the contents stored in the memory, turns off the power, repairs it, and turns on the power again, the column error data in the memory is automatically cleared. Despite repairing the vending machine, forgetting to clear the abnormal data prevents the vending machine from being kept in an abnormal state in terms of system.

Moreover, the control device for a vending machine according to the present invention has the following advantages when it is transferred to another vending machine. In other words, even if there is an abnormality in the product discharge device of the vending machine that was originally installed and the control device is moved to another vending machine while storing this abnormality data, the control device will be transferred. Since the abnormal data is cleared when the power is turned off or turned on, there is no inconvenience that the original abnormality of the vending machine is systematically applied to the new vending machine.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control circuit of a vending machine according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a main flow chart showing an operation of a control unit, and FIG. 3 is an input detection flow which is an operation at the time of timer interruption of the control unit. Indicates. (1) …… Control unit, (2) …… RAM, (3) …… Auxiliary power supply circuit, (5 ₁ ) to (5n) …… Merchandise discharge motor, (6 ₁ ) to
(6n) …… Carrier switch.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An automatic vending machine provided with a product discharge device for each sales column and provided with a detection device capable of detecting whether each product discharge device is in a standby state. Memory and the column error data related to the sales column that corresponds to the product discharge device is detected in the memory by detecting the product discharge device that is in operation when the main body of the vending machine is in the standby state. Setting means, determining means for determining an unsellable sales column based on the column abnormality data set in the memory, and resetting the column abnormality data stored in the memory when the power is turned off or turned on. A control device for a vending machine, comprising a reset means.