DISPLAY APPARATUS FOR VENDING MACHINE, VENDING MACHINE AND CONTROL METHOD WITH THE SAME

• US 20090312866A1
• Filed: 01/07/2009
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Kwang-won, IM, Dae-hyuck, CHO, Seung-kee
• Application Number:
  US12/349,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20090312866A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/231
• 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

A display apparatus for a vending machine that has a goods storage to store a plurality of goods, and an outlet to accommodate the goods, which are discharged from the goods storage, to be taken out, the display apparatus includes: an input part through which a plurality of goods is selected to be discharged together; a display unit which displays information and quantity of the selected goods; and a controller which controls the selected goods to be discharged from the goods storage to the outlet based on the information and the quantity of the selected goods.

Claims

1. A display apparatus for a vending machine that has a goods storage to store a plurality of goods, and an outlet to discharge selected goods which are selected from the plurality of goods in the goods storage, the display apparatus comprising:

an input part through which the selected goods are selected to be discharged together;

a display unit which displays information and quantity of the selected goods; and

a controller which controls the goods storage to discharge the selected goods to the outlet based on the information and the quantity of the selected goods.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the display unit to display a goods selection menu to select the selected goods to be discharged, and a quantity setting menu to set the quantity of the selected goods selected through the goods selection menu.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller limits a discharge quantity of the selected goods to be discharged together, which can be discharged from the goods storage to the outlet at once.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, based on a reference quantity of goods to be discharged at once, the controller controls the discharge quantity of the selected goods to be discharged at once to be equal to or less than the reference quantity.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, based on a weighted value for each good of the plurality of goods, and a reference weighted value for a total quantity of goods to be discharged at once, the controller controls a total weighted value of the selected goods to be dischargeable at once to be equal to or less than the reference weighted value.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information of the selected goods comprises at least one of icons and names corresponding to the selected goods.

9. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises a flat panel display, and the input part comprises a touch panel.

10. The display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the display unit and the input part are formed as a single body.

11. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selected goods selected by the input part comprise a plurality of one kind of good.

12. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selected goods selected by the input part comprise at least one from each of plural kinds of goods.

13. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller calculates a purchasable quantity of goods which can be selected, with respect to each of the goods of the plurality of goods, in consideration of an amount of money inserted, and controls the display unit to display the purchasable quantity of goods calculated by the controller.

14. The display apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the controller calculates a remainder quantity of goods which can be additionally selected, in consideration of an amount of money remaining after at least one of the goods is selected.

3. The display apparatus according to clam 2, wherein the controller controls the display unit to display a recommendation menu for recommending suggested goods from the plurality of goods according to an amount of money inserted.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in the recommendation menu, the controller controls the display unit to display a list of goods from the plurality of goods in order of leaving less change with respect to the amount of money inserted.

15. A vending machine comprising:

a goods storage which stores a plurality of goods;

an outlet which discharges selected goods, selected from plurality of goods, from the goods storage;

an input part through which the selected goods are selected to be discharged together;

a display unit which displays information and quantity of the selected goods; and

a controller which controls the goods storage to discharge the selected goods to the outlet based on the information and the quantity of the selected goods.

16. The vending machine according to claim 15, wherein the controller controls the display unit to display a goods selection menu to select the selected goods to be discharged, and a quantity setting menu to set the quantity of the selected goods selected through the goods selection menu.

17. The vending machine according to claim 15, further comprising a discharging passage which is provided between the goods storage and the outlet and through which the selected goods are discharged at once.

18. The vending machine according to claim 15, further comprising a plurality of discharging passages which are provided between the goods storage and the outlet and through which the selected goods are discharged at once.

19. The vending machine according to claim 15, wherein the information of the selected goods comprises at least one of icons and names corresponding to the selected goods.

20. The vending machine according to claim 15, wherein the display comprises a flat panel display, and the input part comprises a touch panel.

21. The vending machine according to claim 15, wherein the display unit and the input part are formed as a single body.

22. The vending machine according to claim 15, wherein the selected goods selected by the input part comprise a plurality of one kind of good.

23. The vending machine according to claim 15, wherein the selected goods selected by the input part comprise at least one from each of plural kinds of goods.

24. The vending machine according to claim 15, wherein the controller calculates a purchasable quantity of goods which can be selected, with respect to each of the goods of the plurality of goods, in consideration of an amount of money inserted, and controls the display unit to display the purchasable quantity of goods calculated by the controller.

25. A method of controlling a display apparatus for a vending machine that has a goods storage to store a plurality of goods, and an outlet to discharge selected goods from the goods storage, the method comprising:

displaying the plurality of goods, wherein the plurality of goods are selectable;

selecting the selected goods to be dischargeable together;

displaying information and quantity of the selected goods; and

controlling the goods storage to discharge the selected goods to the outlet based on the information and the quantity of the selected goods.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising displaying a goods selection menu to select the selected goods to be discharged, and a quantity setting menu to set the quantity of the selected goods selected through the goods selection menu.

30. The method according to claim 25, further comprising limiting a discharge quantity of the selected goods to be discharged together, which can be discharged from the goods storage to the outlet at once.

31. The method according to claim 30, further comprising controlling the discharge quantity to be equal to or less than a reference quantity based on the reference quantity of goods to be discharged at once.

32. The method according to claim 30, further comprising controlling a total weighted value of the selected goods to be dischargeable at once to be equal to or less than a reference weighted value based on a weighted value for each good of the plurality of goods, and the reference weighted value for a total quantity of goods to be discharged at once.

27. The method according to clam 26, further comprising displaying a recommendation menu for recommending suggested goods from the plurality of goods according to an amount of money inserted.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising displaying a list of goods from the plurality of goods in order of leaving less change with respect to the amount of money inserted, in the recommendation mode menu.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising detecting a total quantity of discharged goods discharged from the goods storage, and displaying the discharged goods listed in order of most discharged, if the list of goods includes selectable goods which leave a same amount of change.

33. A method of controlling a vending machine with a display unit having a touch-screen function, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of goods, wherein the plurality of goods are selectable;

selecting selected goods to be dischargeable together;

displaying information and quantity of the selected goods; and

controlling the selected goods to be discharged from the goods storage to the outlet based on the information and the quantity of the selected goods.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising displaying a goods selection menu to select the selected goods to be discharged, and a quantity setting menu to set the quantity of the selected goods selected through the goods selection menu.