Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Article handling
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-29
2003-05-27
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Article handling
C700S234000, C700S241000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06571150
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a management method of automatic vending machine and an automatic vending machine capable of selling items or goods supplied by plural vendors, for example, tangible items such as drinks supplied by one vendor and intangible items such as music soft supplied by different vendor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An automatic vending machine for selling canned drinks has been markedly expanded and many automatic vending machines are installed everywhere in towns and streets. Further, an automatic vending machine for selling intangible items such as information (e.g. music data) recorded in a recording medium (e.g. Mini Disk) has been developed as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (Unexamined or Kokai) 31217/1999 (IPC: G06F 17/30).
In such automatic vending machine, the vending machine and a music delivery server are connected through a communication line, a music data is transmitted in response to a request from the automatic vending machine, and the music data is sold which is transmitted to the automatic vending machine and is recorded in a recoding medium such as MD existed in the automatic vending machine. According to the automatic vending machine, it is possible for customers to easily obtain wide variety of music data from the latest music to the least marketed music at cheap cost.
However, in case that the automatic vending machine for selling intangible items is installed, it is necessary to look for and secure installation places or sites where many customers are available, and it is another problem to spend much cost in order to construct communication lines between the vending machine and the data delivery servers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to resolve such problem and to easily expand automatic sales of items supplied by different vendors without securing an installation place and a communication line and without much cost.
The above object of the invention can be achieved by a management method of automatic vending machine and an automatic vending machine, as one aspect of the invention, which comprises managing an automatic vending machine selling items supplied by different vendors, automatically calculating a sales amount of each vendor based on sales data of each vendor prepared in the automatic vending machine by computer, and adjusting sales amount of each vendor based on the calculating result, whereby automatic sales of items supplied by different vendors can be spread without securing new installation place of the automatic vending machine.
According to second aspect of the invention, the management method comprises connecting the automatic vending machine and a control computer for controlling the automatic vending machine through a communication means, and calculating the sales amount of each vendor by the control computer, whereby the sales amount can be automatically calculated.
According to fourth aspect of the invention, the management method comprises connecting vendors to the automatic vending machine through a communication means, and transmitting data of intangible items from the vendors to the automatic vending machine through the communication means, whereby vendor controls data of the intangible items at one place and sells them by a lot of the automatic vending machines which are installed at remote places.
According to fifth aspect of the invention, the management method comprises transmitting a sales data from the automatic vending machine to the vendors, whereby each of the vendor can confirm its sales amount in respect place.
According to fifth aspect of the invention, the management method comprises transmitting a sales data from the automatic vending machine to the venders, whereby each of the vender can confirm its sales amount in respect place.
According to sixth aspect of the invention, the management method comprises connecting the control computer to a banking agency through the communication line and adjusting sales amount in the banking agency, whereby management company of the automatic vending machine does not need to adjust the sales amount.
According to seventh aspect of the invention, the management method comprises connecting the banking agency to the vendors through the communication line and transmitting the calculation result from the banking agency to the vendors, whereby the vendors can confirm adjustment of sales amount.
According to eighth aspect of the invention, the management method comprises selling data written in a recording medium as intangible items, whereby the intangible items such as music data can be sold by writing it in the recording medium.
According to ninth aspect of the invention, the management method comprises accumulating data of the intangible items in the automatic vending machine in advance, whereby burden of the communication is reduced.
According to tenth aspect of the invention, the management method comprises
providing a system control server for relaying the communication, and implementing
the communication between the automatic vending machine and the control computer for controlling the automatic vending machine through the system control server, whereby the communication control can be simplified because the automatic vending machine and the control computer are directly communicated only to the system control server.
According to eleventh aspect of the invention, the management method comprises connecting the system control server to the vendor through the communication means, and implementing the communication between the automatic vending machine and the vendor through the system control server, whereby the communication control can be simplified because the automatic vending machine and the vendor are directly communicated only to the system control server.
According to twelfth aspect of the invention, the management method comprises connecting the system control server to the banking agency through the communication means, calculating the sales amount of each vendor using the sales data of each vendor in the automatic vending machine by the system control server, transmitting the calculated result to the banking agency, and adjusting the sales amount in the banking agency, whereby the calculated result can be directly transmitted from the system control server to the banking agency.
According to thirteenth aspect of the invention, the management method comprises accumulating the data of the intangible agency in the system control server, and transmitting it from the system control server to the automatic vending machine, whereby burden of the communication can be reduced.
According to fourteenth aspect of the invention, an automatic vending machine is capable of selling items supplied by plural vendors, is connected to a control computer for controlling the automatic vending machine through a communication means, transmits sales data of each vendor through the communication means to the control computer, and makes the control computer to automatically calculate sales amount of each vendor, whereby automatic sales of items supplied by different vendors can be spread without securing new installation place of the automatic vending machine, and the sales amount of each vendor can be automatically calculated.
According to fifteenth aspect of the invention, the automatic vending machine can sell tangible items and intangible items, in combination, whereby the automatic sales of intangible items can be easily spread without securing an installation place and a communication line and without much cost.
According to sixteenth aspect of the invention, the automatic vending machine is connected to the vendors through the communication means, and receives data of intangible ins from the vendors through the communication means to sell the items, whereby the vendor can control the data of the intangible items at one place and can sell them by a lot of the automatic vending machines which are installed at remote places.
According to seventeenth aspect of the invention, the automatic vending mach
Arai Isao
Hanagata Shigeru
Yamazaki Yasuhiro
Crawford Gene O.
Ellis Christopher P.
Fuji Electric & Co., Ltd.
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