Vending system capable of renewing record of a prepaid card

Abstract: In a vending machine for which both money and a prepaid card can be used, a writing-instruction switch (8) is provided for instructing for writing of amount information into the card. When the writing-instruction switch (8) has been actuated, the amount of inserted money and the credited value of the card are added up and the sum is written into the card for renewing its credited value. In this manner, it becomes possible to additionally renew the amount recorded in the prepaid card. Further, an amount selector may be provided for selecting an amount to be added to a prepaid card. On condition that money of an amount not smaller than the amount selected by the amount selector has been inserted, the selected amount and the recorded amount of the card are added up for renewing the recorded amount of the card. Thus, it becomes possible to write a desired amount into an already issued prepaid card.

Description: This invention relates to a system which can be used in an automatic vending machine or other related device, and is more particularly concerned with such a system which is capable of renewing the amount recorded on a prepaid card. In a prepaid card, namely a prepaid purchase card, money amount information is recorded by means of magnetic or other suitable recording methods. There are generally two types of prepaid card in terms of usage. With one type of the card, an amount spent is merely subtracted from the amount recorded on the card until the balance reaches zero after which further use of the card is prohibited. With the other type of card, additional or cumulative renewal of the recorded amount is permitted so that the card can be used continuously or reused. Furthermore, in use of the other type of card, a cash amount can be entered on the card by the use of a dedicated cash amount recording machine, or by the use of an automatic vending machine with which both money and such a card can be used. The entry of a cash amount on a card by the use of an automatic vending machine with which both money and such a card can be used is disclosed, for example in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 52-28396, 55-52191 or 59-117692, or Japanese Patent Publication No. 54-20367. Each of these publications discloses a system in which the amount on the card and the amount of money are added together, a product sale is permitted only within the range of the sum of the card and money amounts, and the amount of change is written on the card instead of being returned in cash. Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 62-24393 discloses a system in which the amount of change is written on the card instead of being returned in cash when a sale has been made, whereas the sum of the amount on the card and the amount of money is written on the card in response to the actuation of a card return button when no sale has been made. However, when the amount recorded on a prepaid card is to be renewed in the prior art prepaid card systems, it is not possible to receive the change in cash if desired, for the reason that the total amount of the change is automatically written onto the card when a sale has been made by a combined payment by card and cash. This causes inconvenience to the purchaser or user if he requires the change to be given in cash. Also, in the prior art prepaid card systems, the entire amount of change is written on the card, and it is not possible to write only a desired amount of change on the card. Furthermore, automatic vending machines which sell various prepaid cards, such as a telephone card vending machine, are also known. However, each known machine of this type only issues a new prepaid card in response to the required payment and it cannot renew the amount recorded on a previously issued prepaid card. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved vending system enabling an amount recorded on a prepaid card to be renewed freely as desired by the user. The present invention provides a vending system according to claim 1. Such a vending system is usable in automatic vending machines which are designed for use with money and a prepaid card in combination, as well as in a prepaid card vending machine. With this system, the amount to be added to a prepaid card can be selected as desired by the user by operation of the amount selecting means. In response to such operation, the sum of the amount recorded on the card and the amount selected by the amount selecting means is written on the card. Then the card is returned, and also the difference between the inserted money amount and the amount selected by the amount selecting means is returned as the change. In this manner, a desired amount can be freely selected and added to a previously issued prepaid card. Preferred embodiments in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of an automatic vending machine with which both money and a prepaid card can be used in combination and which may be used in association with the vending system of the invention; Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing part of the control circuit of the vending machine of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a flow chart of processes which may be performed by a microcomputer in a functionally similar manner to the circuit of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a front view of a prepaid card vending machine which may be used in association with the vending system of the invention; Figure 5 is a block diagram schematically showing part of the control circuit of the vending machine of Figure 4, and Figure 6 is a block diagram schematically showing a vending system in accordance with the invention. Before describing an embodiment of the vending system of the invention with reference to Figure 6, two constructions of automatic vending machine will be described having control circuitry which may incorporate a vending system generally similar to that of Figure 6 (although such a vending system is only specifically described with reference to Figure 6). Figure 1 shows an automatic vending machine 1 with which both money and a prepaid card can be used. Referring to Figure 1, a coin mechanism 2, a paper money identifying mechanism 3 and a card read/write mechanism 4 are provided at respective suitable locations in the main body of the automatic vending machine 1. 2a denotes a coin inserting slot of the coin mechanism 2, 3a a paper money insert slot of the paper money identifying mechanism 3, and 4a a card insert slot of the card read/write mechanism 4. 5a-5n denote product sale selection buttons, and 6 denotes a product discharge opening. 7 denotes a return switch which is actuable to cause inserted money or change to be returned. Furthermore 2b denotes a coin return opening. The coin mechanism 2 may be one having such known functions as determination of the genuineness of a coin (i.e. whether the coin is true or false) introduced through the coin insert slot 2a, and determination of the amount of the inserted coin, etc. Likewise, the paper money identifying mechanism 3 may be one having such known functions as determination of the genuineness of the paper money (i.e. whether the paper money is true or false) introduced through the paper money insert slot 3a, and determination of the amount of the introduced paper money, etc. The card read/write mechanism 4 serves to read amount information on a prepaid card inserted through the card insert slot 4a and to write amount information, etc. on the card. The prepaid card to be processed by the machine may be of a magnetic type, an IC (integrated circuit) type, or any other type. The encoding button switch 8 is provided for selecting writing of amount information on the card. Figure 2 schematically shows control circuitry of the automatic vending machine shown in Figure 1. Referring to Figure 2, the genuineness of a coin introduced through the coin insert slot 2a is determined by a coin identifying section 10, while the genuineness of paper money introduced the paper money insert slot 3a is determined by a paper money identifying section 11. An amount calculating section 12 serves to add up the amount of introduced money based on the outputs of the identifying sections 10, 11 or to subtract an amount corresponding to the selling price of a product so that the balance of the inserted money can be obtained. A prepaid card inserted from the card inserting slot 4a is introduced by a card feeding mechanism 4b inside the card read/write mechanism 4, during which time identification information, amount information etc. recorded in the card is read by a read/write device 4c. As is well known, the card is immediately returned if it is not an acceptable card, but it is retained in the feeding mechanism 4b if it is an acceptable card. A card amount calculating section 13 inputs and temporarily stores amount information of the card as read by the read/write device 4c. The card calculating section 13 also subtracts from the stored amount an amount corresponding to the selling price so that the balance of the card amount can be obtained. A sale controlling section 14 adds up the inserted money amount and the card amount based on the outputs of the calculating sections 12, 13, and it determines whether a sale of a product selected through the actuation of any of the product selection button switches 5a-5n is permissible or not. If the sale of the selected product has been determined as permissible, the control section 14 controls a product delivering section 15 to initiate a necessary action for selling the selected product. When the selling action has been done, a subtraction controlling section 16 controls the money amount calculating section 12 and the card amount calculating section 13 in such a manner that an amount equivalent to the selling price of the sold product is subtracted in at least one of the calculating sections 12, 13. Such control may be made in any suitable manner. For example, the selling price may be subtracted first or preferentially from one of the cash amount and the card amount and then the balance due, if any, may be subtracted from the other; or alternatively, the selling price may be divided into two at a suitable division ratio so that respective amounts may be subtracted from both of the cash and card amount in accordance with the division ratio. As the result of the subtraction, respective necessary amounts are subtracted in the money amount calculating section 12 and the card amount calculating section 13, so that the output of the money amount calculating section 12 becomes indicative of the balance of the inserted money and the output of the card amount calculating section 13 becomes indicative of the balance of the card amount. When the selling action has been performed, and hence subtraction has been performed in the card amount calculating section 13 under the control of the subtraction controlling section 16, a first write-controlling section 17 controls the read/write device 4c for writing the balance of the card amount indicated by the output of the card amount calculating section 13 into the card that is being retained by the card feeding mechanism 4b. Thus, the amount recorded in the card is caused to decrease in correspondence to the amount spent for the product. As described, when a sale has been made, only the balance of the card amount is written into the card, but the balance of the inserted money amount, namely, the amount equivalent to the change is not additionally written in automatic manner. Therefore, the balance of the inserted money amount indicated by the output of the money amount calculating section 12 can be returned as the change in cash. The return of the change in cash may be made through a conventionally known method. For example, in a case where only a single product for each insertion of money or a card is sold, the balance of the inserted money amount indicated by the output of the money amount calculating section 12 may be automatically returned as the change immeadiately after one selling action. On the other hand, in another case where plural products are sold in succession for each insertion of money or a card, the balance of the inserted money amount indicated by the output of the money amount calculating section 12 may be returned as the change in response to the actuation of the return switch 7 after one or more selling actions. In either of the cases, the card that is being retained by the card feeding mechanism 4b may be automatically returned at the same time as the change is returned. When the return switch 7 has been actuated, the inserted money is returned, or the change, if any, is returned in cash. That is to say, in response to the actuation of the return switch 7, a return controlling section 19 performs such control as for returning the balance of the inserted money amount indicated by the money amount calculating section 12 as the change in cash and also for automatically returning the card that is being retained by the card feeding mechanism 4b. The writing of the inserted money amount into the card is performed by a second write-controlling section 18 only when the encoding button switch 8 has been actuated. When the encoding button switch 8 has been actuated, the second write-controlling section 18 performs controls for writing the sum of the outputs of the money amount calculating section 12 and the card amount calculating section 13 into the card being retained by the card feeding mechanism 4b and then automatically returning the card. Therefore, when it is desired to additionally renew the amount of an already issued card, the card is inserted along with money of the amount to be added, and the encoding button switch 8 is actuated. Thus, the sum of the current amount on the card and the inserted money amount is obtained from the outputs of the calculating sections 12, 13, so that the sum is written into the card under the control of the second write-controlling section 18. On the other hand, when it is desired to cancel a purchase after both a prepaid card and money have been inserted, the return switch 7 is actuated. In this case, the card is directly returned without its amount being changed, and also the inserted money amount is directly returned in cash. Accordingly, it becomes possible to forestall the inconveniences that the card amount is additionally renewed automatically although such additional renewal is not intended. When any of the product sale selection button switches 5a - 5n has been selectively actuated without the encoding button switch 8 being actuated after the insertion of a prepaid card and money of an amount to be added to the card, a product selling action is performed in correspondence to the total amount of the inserted card and money. As described, in the case of a single product vending, the card is automatically returned after an amount for the product sale has been subtracted therefrom. If there is any change of an amount corresponding to the inserted money amount, such change amount is not added to the card amount but returned in cash. On the other hand, in the case of successive product vending, when the return switch 7 has been operated, the card is automatically returned in response to the actuation of the return switch 7 after an amount for the product sale has been subtracted therefrom, and also the change corresponding to the inserted money amount is returned in cash. Therefore, when the return switch 7 has been actuated without the encoding button switch 8 being actuated, the change amount corresponding to the inserted money amount is prevented from being added to the card amount. On the other hand, in the case of the successive product vending, when the encoding button switch 8 has been actuated prior to the actuation of the return switch 7, the sum of the inserted money amount and the card amount is obtained by means of the second controlling section 18 based on the outputs of the calculating sections 12, 13, and then the obtained sum is written into the card. Thus, the change amount corresponding to the inserted money amount is combined into the card amount so that the card amount is additionally renewed without the change being returned in cash. As a modification, the actuation of the encoding button switch 8 may be made effective only before the selling action is performed and it may be made ineffective once the selling action has been performed. In such a case, the change amount is prevented from being combined into the card amount for additional renewal thereof. When all or a portion of the inserted money amount is combined into the card amount, other processes than normal sales management may be done. A product sale managing section 20 serves to cumulatively record sales of the products that have been sold in correspondence to the selection of the product sale selection button switches 5a - 5n, and it may be a conventionally known product sale managing section. A card payment sale managing section 21 manages such sales that results when all or a portion of the inserted money amount has been combined into the card amount. In this card payment sale managing section 21, data related to the contents written into the card by the second write-controlling section 18 is recorded. The recording may be done in any suitable manner. Most simply, the output of the money amount calculating section 12 may be recorded as card payment sale data. This means that that portion of the inserted money amount which has been combined into the card amount and recorded in the card is cumulatively recorded in the card payment sale managing section 21. The cumulative recording may be done by recording the individual amount for each sale, or by accumulating the respective amounts one by one. Circuits corresponding to respective blocks shown in Fig. 2 may be substituted by discrete circuits or by a microcomputer that is capable of fulfilling the above described functions If the calculating and controlling sections shown in Fig. 2 are substituted by a microcomputer that fulfills the above described functions, an example of various processes performed by the microcomputer will be as shown in Fig. 3. The processes shown in Fig. 3 are concerned with the successive vending. Referring to Fig. 3, first of all, it is examined in step 30 whether or not money or a card has been inserted. If the examination result is YES, the flow moves to step 31, in which the inserted money or card is identified. If the inserted money or card has been turned out to be acceptable, counting of the money amount or reading of the card amount is performed so that the inserted amount is obtained. If unacceptable, the money or card is returned. If the examination result in step 30 is NO, or after step 31 has been performed, step 32 is taken in which it is examined whether or not the sum TM of the inserted money and card amounts, namely, the balance of the inserted amount is other than zero. If there is no balance, the flow returns to step 30 and another insertion of money or a card is awaited. If there is balance, step 33 is taken. In step 33, it is examined whether or not any of the product sale selection button switches 5a - 5n has been actuated. If none of the switches 5a - 5n has been actuated, the result in step 33 becomes NO, and then the flow advances to step 34 in which it is examined whether or not the return switch 7 has been actuated. If the return switch 7 has not been actuated, the flow advances to step 35 in which it is examined whether or not the encoding button switch 8 has been actuated. If the encoding button switch 8 has not been actuated, the flow returns to step 30. Thus, if there is any balance of the inserted money or card amount, the routine of steps 33, 34, 35 is repeated until any of the switches is actuated. If any of the product sale selection button switches 5a - 5n has been actuated, the result in step 33 becomes YES, and then the flow advances to step 36 in which it is examined whether or not the selling price PR of the selected product is equivalent to or less than the sum TM of the amounts of the inserted money and card. If the examination result is YES, step 37 is taken in which the selling action, namely, delivery of the selected product is done. If the examination result in step 36 is NO, the flow returns to step 30 in which additional insertion of money or a card is awaited. After step 37, such subtraction control is made in step 38 that the necessary amounts corresponding to the selling price are subtracted respectively from the inserted money and card amounts. This subtract ion control corresponds to the control done by the subtraction controlling section 16 shown in Fig. 2. Next, in step 39, the balance of the card amount is written into the card. This card writing process corresponds to the control done by the first write-controlling section 17. Then, the flow returns to step 30. When the return switch 7 has been actuated, the result in step 34 becomes YES, and then step 40 is taken for returning in cash the change corresponding to the inserted money amount and also the card. The processes in this step 40 corresponds to the control done by the return controlling section 19 shown in Fig. 2. When the encoding button switch 8 has been actuated, the result in step 35 becomes YES, then step 41 is taken in which the sum of the inserted money amount and the current card amount is written into the card, and thence the card is returned. This process in step 41 corresponds to the control done by the second write-controlling section 18 shown in Figure 2. It should be noted that, in the arrangement of Figure 1, the card read/write mechanism 4 need not be separately provided if the money identifying mechanism 3 itself has a card read/write function. Figure 4 shows a modified automatic vending machine intended for use with a prepaid card and arranged to permit a previously issued card to be renewed. In Figure 4, 51 denotes a main body of the prepaid card vending machine, 2 denotes a coin mechanism, 2a a coin insert slot, 2b a coin return opening, 3 a money identifying machine, 3a a paper money insert slot, 45a-45n card sale selection buttons, 46 a card discharge opening, and 7 a return switch. In this prepaid card vending machine, a card read/write mechanism 4 is provided along with an encoding button switch 8. 4a denotes a card insert slot. In Figure 4, elements indicated by the same reference numerals as in Figure 1 have the same functions. The card sale selection button switches 45a - 45n are provided for selecting a prepaid card of a desired amount, a prepaid card of the selected amount being discharged through the card discharge opening 46. Figure 5 schematically shows control circuitry of the prepaid card vending machine of Figure 4. In Figure 5, elements indicated by the same reference numerals as in Figure 2 have the same functions. To describe points that are different from Figure 2, a sale controlling section 54 determines whether or not sale of a card selected by the actuation of any of the card sale selecting button switches 45a - 45n is permissible within the limit of the inserted money amount. If such sale is permissible, the sale controlling section 54 controls a card discharge section 55 to perform a selling action for the selected card. When the selling action has been performed, a subtraction controlling section 56 effects control such that the amount equivalent to the selling price of the card sold is subtracted in the money amount calculating section 12. A card amount renewal controlling section 53 inputs and temporarily stores amount information of a card read by a read/write device 4c and also inputs the outputs of the money amount calculating section 12 and encoding button 8. When the encoding button 8 has been actuated, the card amount renewal controlling section 53 calculates the sum of the temporarily stored card amount and the inserted money amount calculated by the money amount calculating section 12. Then the controlling section 53 controls the read/write device 4c so that the sum is written into a card received by the card feeding mechanism 4b and subsequently controls the card feeding mechanism 4b so that the card is automatically returned. Thus, when it is desired to renew the amount of a previously issued card, the card is inserted into the machine together with money of an amount to be added to the card, and the encoding button 8 is actuated, in response to which the sum of the current card amount and the inserted money amount is written on the card under the control of the card amount renewal controlling section 53. In this manner the prepaid card vending machine can both sell a new prepaid card and can renew the amount on a previously issued prepaid card. Also, in the arrangement of Figure 5, a card payment sale managing section 61 may be provided separately from a card sale managing section 60 which manages sales of newly issued cards in response to actuation of any of the card sale selection buttons 45a-45n, for cumulatively recording amounts added to the issued cards. It will be appreciated that the processes performed in the arrangement of Figure 5 can also be carried out by a microcomputer. In either of the above described vending machines, instead of the entire amount of inserted money being added to the card, it is also possible for only a desired amount of inserted money to be added to the card with the remaining amount being returned in cash, and such a modification forms the subject of the invention. For this purpose, an amount selection switches section 62 may be provided as shown in Figure 6 so that an amount to be added to a card can be selected as desired. In Figure 6, elements indicated by the same reference numerals as in Figures 2 and 5 have the same functions. Furthermore, in the arrangement shown in Figure 6, a card amount renewability determining section 63 determines whether or not the amount selected by the amount selection switches section 62 is equivalent to or less than the inserted money amount calculated by a money amount calculating section 12. If the determination result is YES, the card amount renewability determining section 63 supplies to a card amount renewal controlling section 64 a signal indicating that the card amount is renewable. The card amount renewal controlling section 64 inputs and temporarily stores amount information of the card read by a read/write device 4c, and calculates the sum of the temporarily stored amount and the amount selected by the amount selection switches section 62. Then, the controlling section 64 controls the read/write device 4c so that the device 4c writes the sum into a card received by the card feeding mechanism 4b and subsequently controls the card feeding mechanism 4b so as to automatically return the card. When write-controlling has been carried out by the card amount renewability controlling section 64, a change controlling section 65 calculates the difference between the inserted money amount calculated by the money amount calculating section 12 and the amount selected by the amount selection switches section 62, and then carries out a control operation for returning the difference as change. Also in the arrangement of Figure 6, a card payment sale managing section 66 may be provided for cumulatively recording amounts added to the issued cards. It should be appreciated that the control arrangement shown in Figure 6 can either be used on its own or can be combined with the control arrangement of Figure 2 or Figure 5. The amount selection switches section 62 may comprise a ten-key switch etc. for setting desired amount data, or may comprise a group of switches for selecting one of several preset amounts. Further, the amount selection switches section 62 may also be used as the product sale selection buttons 51 - 5n of Figure 2 or card sale selection buttons 45a - 45n of Figure 5. In that case, the function of the switches may be changed in a suitable manner such that the function of the buttons 5a-5n or 45a - 45n is changed to the function of the amount selection switches section 62 when, for example, the encoding button 8 has been actuated. Although not specifically shown, it will be appreciated that a display may be provided for displaying the inserted money or card amount. With the arrangement described with reference to Figure 6, an amount of inserted money is written on a prepaid card in response to actuation of an encoding button, namely writing-instruction means. Thus the advantageous result is achieved that the amount recorded on the prepaid card can be renewed as desired by the user, irrespective of whether or not a purchase is made. In addition, in an automatic vending machine with which cash and a card can be used in combination, the amount of inserted money or the remaining balance of such amount can be combined into the amount on the prepaid card or can be returned in cash, as desired by the user. Moreover the advantageous result is also achieved that a desired amount can be selectively written on the already issued prepaid card, provided that the amount selected is no greater than the amount of money inserted. Furthermore the advantageous result is achieved that, in a prepaid card vending machine, it becomes possible to renew the amount recorded on a previously issued card as well as selling a new prepaid card.

Claims: A vending system which comprises: a money device (10, 11, 12) for identifying money and calculating the amount of money inserted; card receiving means (4b) for receiving an inserted card on which amount information is recorded; and card amount reading means (4c) for reading the amount information recorded on the card received by the card receiving means (4b); characterised in that the vending system further comprises: amount selecting means (62) for selecting an amount to be added to the card; writing instruction means (8) for instructing the writing of amount information on the card; card amount writing means (64) for writing, in response to instruction by the writing-instruction means (63), the sum of the amount selected by the amount selecting means (62) and an amount read by the card amount reading means (4c) and for then returning the card; and controlling means (65) for effecting control so as to subtract the amount selected by the amount selecting means (62) from the amount calculated by the money device (10, 11, 12) to return the balance as change. A vending system according to claim 1, which further includes card payment sale managing means (21) for cumulatively recording data concerning the amount selected by the amount selecting means (62) for each writing operation performed by the card amount writing means (64). A vending system according to claim 1 or 2, which further includes card sale selecting means (45a-45n) for selecting for sale a card on which a selected amount is recorded from amongst a series of cards on which different amounts are recorded; and card selling means (54, 55) for performing a selling action for the card selected by the card sale selecting means (45a - 45n). A vending system according to claim 3, which further includes card sale subtraction controlling means (56) for effecting a control operation, when the selling action has been performed, to subtract the selling price of the card sold from the mount of money inserted calculated by the money device (10, 11, 12). A vending system according to any preceding claim, wherein the money device comprises money identifying means (10, 11) for identifying inserted money and money amount calculating means (12) for determining the amount of money inserted based on the output of the money identifying means (10, 11) and for obtaining a balance by subtracting from the amount of money inserted an amount corresponding to a product selling price; and wherein the device further includes card amount calculating means (13) for inputting the amount recorded on the card read by said card amount reading means (4c) and obtaining a balance by subtracting from the amount recorded on the card an amount corresponding to a product selling price. A vending system according to any preceding claim, which further includes product sale selecting means (5a - 5n) for selecting for sale a product from amongst a series of different products; and product selling means (14, 15) for performing a selling action for the product selected by the product sale selecting means (5a - 5n). A vending system according to claims 5 and 6, which further includes product sale subtraction controlling means (16) for effecting a control operation, when the selling action has been performed, to subtract the selling price of the product sold in at least one of the calculating means (12 or 13). A vending system according to claim 7, which further includes first write-controlling means (17) operative, when subtraction has been performed in the card amount calculating means (13) under control of the product sale subtraction controlling means (16), to write the balance on the card received by the card receiving means (4b); and second write-controlling means (18) operative to write the sum of the outputs of the money amount calculating means (12) and the card amount calculating means (13) on the card received by the card receiving means (4b) and to then return the card. A vending system according to any preceding claim, which further includes a return switch (7), and return controlling means (19) operative, when the return switch (7) has been operated, to return the balance as change and to return the card. A vending system according to any preceding claim, which further includes product sale managing means (20) for cumulatively recording data concerning sales of products sold.

Inventors: ITAKO EIJI, TANAKA MASANORI, ITAKO, EIJI, TANAKA, MASANORI
Applicants: NIPPON CONLUX CO LTD, NIPPON CONLUX CO., LTD.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: G07F7
IPC codes: G06K17, G07F7