Patent ID: 8190800

Claim:
An automatic vending machine in which a main control module and a plurality of functional modules which carry out predetermined operations under control of the main control module are connected via a communication line, wherein the plurality of functional modules include: a communication module which acquires contents data from outside of the automatic vending machine by using wired or wireless communication; a contents processing module which carries out a predetermined processing by using the contents data acquired by the communication module; and a basic module which carries out a processing which accompanies money insertion and merchandise purchase by a user, wherein the communication line includes a serial bus signal line and a control line which transmit a command signal or a data signal between the main control module and each of the functional modules, and wherein each of the main control module and, in accordance with needs, the functional modules comprises: an input/output buffer circuit which carries out transmission and reception of a command signal or a data signal by using the serial bus signal line; a switch circuit which drives an electric potential of the control line to a logical level of ‘L’ or ‘H’; and an input buffer circuit which retrieves the logical level of the control line, and the automatic venting machine having a configuration to execute: a function of resetting all of the functional modules connected to the communication line when the electric potential of the control line is maintained at the predetermined logical level of ‘L’ or ‘H’ by the main control module for a certain period of time or more; and upon initial setting, after the functional module is added or changed or after the reset, a function of automatically allocating an addresses sequentially to each of the functional modules by, based on the logical level which is outputted from each of the functional modules to the control line and obtained from the control line to which an operation result of an AND logic or an OR logic of logical levels in an identification number unique to each of the functional modules is reflected, sequentially carrying out specification of the unique identification number of the functional module and allocation of an address to the functional module of the specified unique identification number by the main control module.