Promotion system and method of managing automatic vending machine by the promotion system

• US 20020055994A1
• Filed: 11/01/2001
• Published: 05/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nippon Conlux
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nippon Conlux
• Inventors: Yoshida, Hiroaki, Ota, Michihiro, Shinada, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,020,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10

Abstract

To send point information indicated by an automatic vending machine to a center unit by a packet communication function of a portable telephone of a user of the automatic vending machine, a free space in a single packet of the point information to be sent from the automatic vending machine to the center unit is used to send management information such as sales information, stock information, failure information and the like of the automatic vending machine to the center unit.

Claims

1. A promotion system by which point information related to predetermined points is shown from an automatic vending machine to a user of the automatic vending machine when a commodity is sold, the user sends the point information together with identification information of the user to a center unit by his or her portable telephone, and the center unit receives the point information, stores and manages points corresponding to the point information in connection with the user and provides a predetermined service corresponding to the points to the user, wherein:

the automatic vending machine is provided with;

management information adding means which adds the management information of the automatic vending machine to the point information within a range of a charging unit information content of the portable telephone, and

point information showing means which shows to the user the point information to which the management information is added by the management information adding means; and

the center unit is provided with;

management information segmenting means which segments the management information from the packet received from the user'"'"'s portable telephone, and

automatic vending machine managing means which manages the automatic vending machine on the basis of the management information segmented by the management information segmenting means.

2. The promotion system according to claim 1, wherein:

the portable telephone is provided with packet communication means which sends the point information to the center unit by packet communication; and

the charging unit information content of the portable telephone is an information content which can be sent by a single packet by the packet communication.

3. The promotion system according to claim 2, wherein:

the management information adding means adds the management information to the point information when the management information is smaller than a difference between the point information and the information content which can be sent by the single packet; and

segments the management information of the automatic vending machine and adds the segment management information to the point information when the management information is larger than the difference between the point information and the information content which can be sent by the single packet.

4. The promotion system according to claim 3, wherein:

the segment management information contains a segmentation number indicating a segmentation order of the management information and identification information of the automatic vending machine; and

the center unit contains merging means which merges the management information from plural pieces of segment management information on the basis of the segmentation number and the identification number of the automatic vending machine.

5. The promotion system according to claim 1, wherein the point information indicating means is provided with communication means which communicates with the portable telephone carried by the user to show the point information to the user.

6. The promotion system according to claim 1, wherein the management information of the automatic vending machine contains sales information, stock information, failure information and the like of the automatic vending machine.

7. A method of managing an automatic vending machine using a promotion system by which point information related to predetermined points is shown from an automatic vending machine to a user of the automatic vending machine when a commodity is sold, the user sends the point information together with identification information of the user to a center unit by his or her portable telephone, and the center unit receives the point information, stores and manages points corresponding to the point information in connection with the user and provides a predetermined service corresponding to the points to the user, wherein:

the automatic vending machine adds the management information of the automatic vending machine to the point information within a range of a charging unit information content of the portable telephone when an information content of the point information does not fill the charging unit information content of the portable telephone; and

the center unit segments the management information from the packet received from the user'"'"'s portable telephone and manages the automatic vending machine on the basis of the segment management information.

8. The method of managing an automatic vending machine according to claim 7, wherein:

the portable telephone sends the point information to the center unit by packet communication; and

the charging unit information content of the portable telephone is an information content which can be sent by a single packet in the packet communication.

9. The method of managing an automatic vending machine according to claim 8, wherein:

the automatic vending machine adds the management information to the point information and shows the point information, to which the management information is added, to the user when the management information of the automatic vending machine is smaller than a difference between the point information and the information content which can be sent by the single packet, and

when the management information of the automatic vending machine is larger than the difference between the point information and the information content which can be sent by the single packet, the automatic vending machine segments the management information of the automatic vending machine, adds the segment management information to the point information and shows the point information, to which the segment management information is added, to the user.

10. The method of managing an automatic vending machine according to claim 9, wherein:

the segment management information contains the segmentation number indicating a segmentation order of the management information and identification information of the automatic vending machine, and

the center unit merges to obtain the management information from plural pieces of segment management information on the basis of the segmentation number and the identification information of the automatic vending machine

11. The method of managing an automatic vending machine according to claim 7, wherein the point information is shown by communicating with the portable telephone carried by the user.

12. The method of managing an automatic vending machine according to claim 7, wherein the management information of the automatic vending machine contains sales information, stock information, failure information and the like of the automatic vending machine.