JP2002329237A - Article purchase system for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a purchase system for an automatic vending machine, which enables a user to receive service of the automatic vending machine with a receipt, etc., and gives incentive to purchase for the administrator of the automatic vending machine. SOLUTION: A bar code reader 13 is fitted to the automatic vending machine and reads a bar code 6 including service information and according to the service information included in the bar code 6, an article handled by the automatic vending machine is vended at a discount price below its regular price.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a merchandise purchasing system capable of purchasing a vending machine at a discount.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a vending machine, various methods have conventionally been proposed as means for inviting consumers to purchase.
First, a user receives coupon information from a server that provides coupon information to a mobile phone via a network, stores the coupon information, and transmits the coupon information from the mobile phone to the vending machine via an interface unit provided in the vending machine. Has been proposed by the applicant of the present invention to make the vending machine available based on the coupon information. This system is characterized by the use of a very modern device such as a mobile phone, which particularly stimulates the willingness of young people to purchase. However, although mobile phones have become more popular, their owners are limited, and even owners do not always own mobile phones.
This system has no meaning for those who do not carry a mobile phone, and in that sense is a system with limited scope.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine which can receive services of a vending machine even if the user does not have a special device such as a cellular phone. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine purchasing system that can increase the willingness to purchase for vending machine managers.

[0004]

According to the present invention, a bar code reader is attached to a vending machine, a bar code including service information is read by a bar code reader, and the bar code is included in the bar code. Discount sales based on service information.

A bar code including service information can be recorded on a receipt issued when purchasing a product, a coupon issued for sales promotion, and the like.

[0006] The discount rate of a product may be stored in a bar code containing service information or may be stored in a control unit of a vending machine.

[0007]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1a is an overall configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1b is a control system diagram of the vending machine, and FIG. 1c is an enlarged view of a receipt, in which equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. 1
Is a user, and when a product is purchased at the store 2, the receipt 3 is handed. As shown in FIG. 1c, the receipt 3 includes a service content 5 in addition to a detailed description 4 of the receipt content, and a bar code 6 is written in a lower portion. The information included in the barcode 6 includes data necessary for the system, such as a store number for specifying the issuer, date and time of issue, serial number of receipt, discount rate of product, service expiration date, and the like. Reference numeral 7 denotes a vending machine. On the front side, there are provided elements provided in a normal vending machine, such as a lighting unit 8, a product selection button 9, a coin slot 10, a bill slot 11, a refund port 12, and a product exit 13. In addition, barcode reader 1
4. The display unit 15 has a display unit, and the reading unit of the bar code reader 14 is exposed to the front of the vending machine, reads the bar code held there, and the display unit 15 guides or transmits various information to the user. It is for.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a main control unit of the vending machine, 17 denotes a coin discriminator connected to the coin slot 10, and 18 denotes a bill discriminator connected to the bank note slot 11, wherein coins and bills are genuine coins, respectively. It is determined whether or not there is, and both are connected to the main control unit 16. Reference numeral 19 denotes a lamp connected to each of the product selection buttons 9, and is turned on when the product of the operated product selection button can be sold. The main control unit 16 includes a barcode information identification unit 20.
In 0, a bar code service issuer, an expiration date, and the like that can be handled by the vending machine are stored in advance in order to identify whether the bar code information read by the bar code reader 14 is valid or invalid. The main control unit 16 further includes a storage unit 21 and an extraction unit 22, and the storage unit 21 includes the barcode reader 14.
The bar code information read by the
2 can be taken out.

Next, the purchase operation of a product by the system of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the user 3 who has obtained the receipt 2 including the service information when purchasing a product at the store 1 wants to use the service information included in the receipt, the user 3 goes to a vending machine 7 which can use the receipt, First, a coin or a bill of an amount corresponding to the price of a product is inserted into the coin insertion slot 10 or the bill insertion slot 11 (step S1). The inserted money is discriminated by the coin discriminating machine 17 or the bill discriminating machine 18 and, if true, a product selection button 9 corresponding to a product that can be purchased within the money amount range.
Lamp 19 is turned on (step S2). Next, the user brings the receipt 2 close to the reading unit of the barcode reader 14, and holds the barcode 6 over the reading unit of the barcode reader 14 (step S3). Barcode reader 14
The barcode reader 14 transfers the information of the read barcode 6 to the main controller 16 (step S4). The barcode identification unit 20 of the main control unit 16 determines whether or not the transmitted barcode information is valid (step S5). When the barcode information is determined to be valid, the main control unit 16 reduces the price of the product to a discounted price. Set. Next, when the user selects a product and presses the selection button (step S6), the product is carried out to the product exit (step S7), and change corresponding to the discount rate is returned to the refund port 1.
2 (step S8), the user obtains the product at the discounted price and receives the service included in the barcode. The used barcode information is stored in the storage unit 21 of the main control unit 16, and is compared with a barcode to be used thereafter in the barcode identification unit 20 to prevent reuse (step S9).

[0011] In step S5, the reason that the bar code has already expired, that the bar code is a bar code of an issuer that is not handled by the vending machine, that the bar code has already received the past discount service, etc. If it is determined to be invalid, the fact is displayed on the display device to draw the user's attention (step S10), and the process returns to the standby state.

[0012] In order for a vending machine management company to charge a company providing a service with a discount amount due to the sale of a product,
In step S9, the name of the store or company that provided the used barcode information service and the discount amount for each store or company are stored in the storage unit 21. The stored data is collected by an interrogator by a routeman from the extraction unit 22 of the main control unit or transmitted online to a vending machine management center to be used as a billing material (Step S).
11).

[0013] The discount rate of the product is not included in the barcode,
You may make it set beforehand in the control part of a vending machine. That is, a discount rate for each product is set in the control unit of the vending machine, and when a barcode including service information is held over a barcode reader, the price of the product is multiplied by the regular price by the discount rate. Change to sell.

[0014] In the above example, the user first inputs a regular price, and the discount is received as change. However, the user can input a discounted amount from the beginning to receive the service. The method will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. That is, a user who wants to receive a service by using a barcode inputs not a price of a desired product but an amount obtained by subtracting a discount amount specified in a barcode to be used from a regular price (step S1). Next, the barcode 6 of the receipt is held over the reading unit of the barcode reader 14 (step S2). The barcode reader 14 reads the barcode 6 over the barcode, and transfers the barcode information to the main controller 16 (step S3). Main controller 16
The barcode identification unit 20 determines whether the transmitted barcode information is valid (step S4). When it is determined that the barcode information is valid, the main control unit 16 sets the price of the product to a discounted price, and The lamps 19 of the commodities that can be purchased are turned on according to the amount of money put in the purchased commodities (step S).
5). When the user selects a product and presses a product selection button (step S6), the product is carried out (step S7). The used barcode information is stored in the storage unit 21, and is compared with a barcode to be used thereafter in the barcode identification unit 20 to prepare for prevention of reuse (step S8). In this case, the refund is made only when a change in a normal sense is necessary instead of the discount amount (step S).
9). If it is determined in step S4 that the barcode is invalid, the fact is displayed on the display device to alert the user (step S10), and the process returns to the standby state.
The lamp is not turned on. In this case as well, the barcode information is stored in the storage unit 21 of the main control unit of the vending machine in step S8 as described above, taken out from the takeout unit 22 as appropriate, and used for the settlement of the discount amount (step S1).
1).

The barcode is not limited to a receipt obtained by purchasing a product, and may be recorded on a coupon distributed for product promotion regardless of the purchase of the product.

[0016]

According to the present invention, barcodes are attached to receipts, coupons, and the like, service information is included in the barcodes, and the barcode reader of the vending machine reads the barcodes for discount sales. The user simply needs to bring a receipt, coupon, etc., and perform the same operation as a normal product purchase at the vending machine, the operation is extremely simple, and any person can enjoy the service easily. Can be. In addition, the vending machine administrator can increase the user's willingness to purchase products by providing the service. In addition, barcodes can be easily created by printers without the need for special skills,
Since a printer is not a special device, a bar code service can be easily implemented by anyone.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram, b is a control system diagram of a vending machine, and c is an enlarged view of a receipt in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a product purchase operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining still another product purchase operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 User 2 Store 3 Receipt 4 Receipt contents 5 Service contents 6 Barcode 7 Vending machine 8 Lighting section 9 Product selection button 10 Coin slot 11 Bill slot 12 Refund port 13 Commodity exit 14 Barcode reader 15 Display Device 16 Main control unit 17 Coin discriminating machine 18 Bill discriminating machine 19 Lamp 20 Barcode discriminating unit 21 Storage unit 22 Extraction unit

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine wherein a bar code reader is attached to a vending machine, a bar code including service information is read by a bar code reader, and discount sales are enabled based on the service information included in the bar code. Machine product purchase system. 2. The product purchase system according to claim 1, wherein a barcode including service information is recorded on the receipt. 3. The product purchase system according to claim 1, wherein a barcode including service information is recorded on the coupon. 4. The product purchase system according to claim 1, wherein the barcode includes a discount rate of the product. 5. The merchandise purchasing system according to claim 1, wherein a discount rate of the merchandise is stored in a control unit of the vending machine.