Versatile pricing means

• US 4,316,532 A
• Filed: 09/13/1979
• Issued: 02/23/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: COIN Acceptors Incorporated
• Original Assignee: J&R Electronics
• Inventors: Levasseur, Joseph L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rolla, Joseph J.
• Application Number:
  US06/075,015
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 194/1 R, 194/1 N, 194/2, 194/10, 133/2, 235/92 AC
• US Class Current: 194/218
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/22 electrically actuated

Abstract

A pricing device for use in coin controlled and related devices such as coin changers and other vending control circuits including an electronic memory device for entering and storing price information, and programming controls for the memory device including information entry controls, memory addressing controls including controls for selecting a particular vend at a particular vend price, controls for addressing and storing in the memory device and for reading out therefrom selected vend price information, controls for disabling the memory entry controls during readout, and vend selection input and readout controls for the memory device.

Claims

1. A price control circuit for vending and like devices having actuatable vend selection means, credit entry means, vend delivery means for delivering vend selections, each vend selection having vend delivery means associated therewith, and means for generating a price retrieval signal and for producing a vend initiation signal when the amount of credit entered at least equals the price of a selected vend, comprising

a read-write memory having a plurality of address locations where price information can be stored for later readout,

control means for the memory including price entry connection means, price readout connection means, write control connection means, readout control connection means, and a plurality of memory address control connections operatively connected to respective ones of the address locations,

means for producing price information in binary form for entry into the memory, said means being operatively connected to the price entry connection means,

means, including addressing signal outputs, responsive to actuations of the vend selection means for producing addressing information at said addressing signal outputs, the addressing signal outputs being connected to the memory address control connections for establishing a particular address location in the memory for respective entry thereinto or readout therefrom of price information,

means to apply a control response to the write control connection means at a time when a memory address has been selected to effect entry of the pricing information present on the price entry connection means into memory at the selected address location,

means responsive to generation of a price retrieval signal to apply a control response to the readout control connection means to effect readout of a previously entered price from a selected address location, and

means, including first input means operatively connected to the addressing signal outputs and second input means operatively connected to receive the vend initiation signals, responsive to vend initiation signals to effect operation of the vend delivery means associated with the vend selection that has been selected.

2. The price control circuit defined in claim 1 wherein the means for producing pricing information in binary form includes means for producing price information in parallel bit form.

3. The price control circuit of claim 1 wherein the means for producing pricing information in binary form include means for producing pricing information in serial bit form.

4. The price control circuit defined in claim 1 wherein the readout control connection means include means for reading out price information from the read-write memory in parallel bit form.

5. The price control circuit defined in claim 1 wherein the readout control connection means includes means for reading out price information from the read-write memory in serial bit form.

6. The price control circuit defined in claim 1 wherein each address location of the read-write memory includes a plurality of storage positions each capable of storing one binary bit.

7. A pricing control circuit for vending and like devices having actuatable vend selection means, credit entry means, vend delivery means for delivering vend selections, each vend selection having vend delivery means associated therewith, and means for generating a price retrieval signal and for producing a vend initiation signal when the amount of credit entered at least equals the price of a selected vend, comprising an electronic memory circuit of matrix construction having a plurality of multi-position addresses each capable of storing a vend price in binary bit form, a price information means operatively connected to the memory circuit for generating a pricing signal, memory entry control means including means for selectively individually accessing said addresses for entering therein a binary word corresponding to a pricing signal generated by said price information means, said memory entry control means including write means to enable the entering of a binary word into a selected address, memory readout control means for reading out a binary word previously entered in a selected one of the multi-position addresses, said memory readout control means including means to access the address to be read out and means to enable readout therefrom, the same address accessing means being used with the memory entry control means for entering a binary word at a particular address as are used with the memory readout control means for reading out a binary word, said address accessing means, including addressing signal outputs, being responsive to actuations of the vend selection means for producing addressing information at said addressing signal outputs, the condition of the addressing signal outputs establishing the particular memory address for access, said memory entry control means including means to effect entry at the memory address accessed of a binary word corresponding to the pricing signal generated by said price information means, said address accessing means including means, having first input means operatively connected to the addressing signal outputs and second input means operatively connected to receive a vend initiation signal, responsive to a vend initiation signal to effect operation of the vend delivery means associated with the vend selection that has been selected.

8. The control circuit of claim 7 wherein the memory circuit is arranged to have a plurality of interconnected rows and columns of entry positions, each row of entry positions corresponding to a different position of a binary word to be entered therein, and each column corresponding to an address position for a different binary word.

9. The control circuit of claim 7 wherein each addressing signal output of the address accessing means corresponds to a respective address of the memory circuit.

10. The control circuit of claim 7 wherein the address accessing means includes an input circuit having a plurality of input connections corresponding to different respective positions of a binary word, information being produced on said input connections in response to actuation of the vend selection means, the information produced on said addressing signal outputs being a Boolean function of the information on said input connections.

11. A pricing device for use with vending and like devices having actuatable vend selection means, credit entry means, vend delivery means for delivering vend selections, each vend selection having vend delivery means associated therewith, and means for generating a price retrieval signal and for producing a vend initiation signal when the amount of credit entered at least equals the price of a selected vend, comprising an electronic memory device for entering and storing price information, said electronic memory device having a plurality of addresses each of which includes a plurality of bistable elements the combined conditions of at least some of which represent a price, programming control means operatively connected to the memory device including price information entry control means for establishing a price entry, memory entry control means to enable entry of a price into a particular memory address from the price information entry control means, said programming control means being operable to replace previously stored price information at each of the particular memory addresses, memory readout control means including readout enable means to control the readout of pricing information, and memory addressing control means for selecting a particular address for access, said memory addressing control means, including addressing signal outputs, being responsive to actuations of the vend selection means for producing addressing information at said addressing signal outputs, the condition of the addressing signal outputs establishing the particular memory address for access, said memory entry control means including means to effect entry of said price entry into the memory device at the memory address accessed, said readout control means being responsive to generation of a price retrieval signal to effect readout of a price from the memory address accessed, and means, including first input means operatively connected to the addressing signal outputs and second input means operatively connected to receive the vend initiation signals, responsive to vend initiation signals to effect operation of the vend delivery means associated with the vend selection that has been selected.

14. The pricing device of claims 11, 12, or 13 including servicing means operable authorized personnel, said readout control means being responsive to operation of said servicing means.

15. The pricing device of claims 11, 12, or 13 including servicing means operable by authorized personnel, said means to effect entry of said price entry into the memory device at the memory address accessed being responsive to operation of said servicing means.

16. The pricing device of claim 15 wherein said servicing means is operable by authorized personnel to effect production of addressing information at said addressing signal outputs.

17. The pricing device of claim 16 wherein said servicing means includes a keyboard entry means.

12. A pricing device for use with vending and like devices having actuatable vend selection means, credit entry means, vend delivery means for delivering vend selections, each vend selection having vend delivering means associated therewith, and means for generating a price retrieval signal and for producing a vend initiation signal when the amount of credit entered at least equals the price of a selected vend, comprising an electronic memory device for entering and storing price information, said electronic memory device having a plurality of addresses each of which includes a plurality of bistable elements the combined conditions of at least some of which represent a price, programming control means operatively connected to the memory device including price information entry control means for establishing a price entry, memory entry control means to enable entry of a price into a particular memory address from the price information entry control means, said programming control means being operable to replace previously stored price information at each of the particular memory addresses, memory readout control means including readout enable means, including an input, to control the readout of pricing information, and memory addressing control means separate from said input of said memory readout enable means for selecting a particular address for access, said memory addressing control means, including addressing signal outputs, being responsive to actuations of the vend selection means for producing addressing information at said addressing signal outputs, the condition of the addressing signal outputs establishing the particular memory address for access, said memory entry control means including means to effect entry of said price entry into the memory device at the memory address accessed, said readout control means being responsive to generation of a price retrieval signal to effect readout of a price from the memory address accessed, and means operatively connected to the addressing signal outputs and responsive to vend initiation signals to effect operation of the vend delivery means associated with the vend selection that has been selected.

13. A pricing device for use with vending and like devices having actuatable vend selection means, credit entry means, vend delivery means for delivering vend selections, each vend selection having vend delivery means associated therewith, and means for generating a price retrieval signal and for producing a vend initiation signal when the amount of credit entered at least equals the price of a selected vend, comprising an electronic memory device for entering and storing price information, said electronic memory device having a plurality of addresses each of which includes a plurality of bistable elements the combined conditions of at least some of which represent a price, programming control means operatively connected to the memory device including price information entry control means for establishing a price entry, memory entry control means to enable entry of a price into a particular memory address from the price information entry control means, said programming control means being operable to replace previously stored price information at each of the particular memory addresses, memory readout control means including readout enable means to control the readout of pricing information, and memory addressing control means for selecting a particular address for access, said memory addressing control means, including addressing signal outputs, being responsive to actuations of the vend selection means for producing addressing information at said addressing signal outputs, the condition of the addressing signal outputs establishing the particular memory address for access, said memory entry control means including means operative in response to actions by authorized personnel at a time when a particular memory address has already been established at said addressing signal outputs to effect entry of said price entry into the memory device at the memory address accessed, said readout control means being responsive to generation of a price retrieval signal to effect readout of a price from the memory address accessed, and means operatively connected to the addressing signal outputs and responsive to vend initiation signals to effect operation of the vend delivery means associated with the vend selection that has been selected.

18. A price control circuit for vending and like devices having actuatable vend selection means, credit entry means, vend delivery means for delivering vend selections, each vend selection having vend delivery means associated therewith, and means for generating a price retrieval signal and for producing a vend initiation signal when the amount of credit entered at least equals the price of a selected vend, comprising

a read-write memory having a plurality of address locations where price information can be stored for later readout,

control means for the memory including price entry connection means, price readout connection means, write control connection means, readout control connection means, and a plurality of memory address control connections operatively connected to respective ones of the address locations, said readout control connection means including an input separate from said address control connections,

means for producing price information in binary form for entry into the memory, said means being operatively connected to the price entry connection means,

means, including addressing signal outputs, responsive to actuations of the vend selection means for producing addressing information at said addressing signal outputs, the addressing signal outputs being connected to the memory address control connections for establishing a particular address location in the memory for respective entry thereinto or readout therefrom of price information,

means to apply a control response to the write control connection means at a time when a memory address has been selected to effect entry of the pricing information present on the price entry connection means into memory at the selected address location,

means responsive to generation of a price retrieval signal to apply a control response to the readout control connection means to effect readout of a previously entered price from a selected address location, and

means operatively connected to the addressing signal output and responsive to vend initiation signals to effect operation of the vend delivery means associated with the vend selection that has been selected.

19. A pricing control circuit for vending and like devices having actuatable vend selection means, credit entry means, vend delivery means for delivering vend selections, each vend selection having vend delivery means associated therewith, and means for generating a price retrieval signal and for producing a vend initiation signal when the amount of credit entered at least equals the price of a selected vend, comprising an electronic memory circuit of matrix construction having a plurality of multi-position addresses each capable of storing a vend price in binary bit form, a price information means operatively connected to the memory circuit for generating a pricing signal, memory entry control means including means for selectively individually accessing said addresses for entering therein a binary word corresponding to a pricing signal generated by said price information means, said memory entry control means including write means to enable the entering of a binary word into a selected address, memory readout control means for reading out a binary word previously entered in a selected one of the multiposition addresses, said memory readout control means including means to access the address to be read out and means, including an input, to enable readout therefrom, said input of said readout enabling means being separate from said address accessing means, the same address accessing means being used with the memory entry control means for entering a binary word at a particular address as are used with the memory readout control means for reading out a binary word, said address accessing means, including addressing signal outputs, being responsive to actuations of the vend selection means for producing addressing information at said addressing signal outputs, the condition of the addressing signal outputs establishing the particular memory address for access, said memory entry control means including means to effect entry at the memory address accessed of a binary word corresponding to the pricing signal generated by said price information means, said address accessing means including means operatively connected to the addressing signal outputs and responsive to a vend initiation signal to effect operation of the vend delivery means associated with the vend selection that has been selected.

20. A price control circuit for vending and like devices having actuatable vend selection means, credit entry means, vend delivery means for delivering vend selections, each vend selection having vend delivery means associated therewith, and means for generating a price retrieval signal and for producing a vend initiation signal when the amount of credit entered at least equals the price of a selected vend, comprising

a read-write memory having a plurality of address locations where price information can be stored for later readout,

control means for the memory including price entry connection means, price readout connection means, write control connection means, readout control connection means, and a plurality of memory address control connections operatively connected to respective ones of the address locations,

means for producing price information in binary form for entry into the memory, said means being operatively connected to the price entry connection means,

means, including addressing signal outputs, responsive to actuations of the vend selection means for producing addressing information at said addressing signal outputs, the addressing signal outputs being connected to the memory address control connections for establishing a particular address location in the memory for respective entry thereinto or readout therefrom of price information,

means operative in response to actions by authorized personnel to apply a control response to the write control connection means at a time when a memory address has already been selected to effect entry of the pricing information present on the price entry connection means into memory at the selected address location,

means responsive to generation of a price retrieval signal to apply a control response to the readout control connection means to effect readout of a previously entered price from a selected address location, and

means operatively connected to the addressing signal outputs and responsive to vend initiation signals to effect operation of the vend delivery means associated with the vend selection that has been selected.

21. A pricing control circuit for vending and like devices having actuatable vend selection means, credit entry means, vend delivery means for delivery vend selections, each vend selection having vend delivery means associated therewith, and means for generating a price retrieval signal and for producing a vend initiation signal when the amount of credit entered at least equals the price of a selected vend, comprising an electronic memory circuit of matrix construction having a plurality of multi-position addresses each capable of storing a vend price in binary bit form, a price information means operatively connected to the memory circuit for generating a pricing signal, memory entry control means including means for selectively individually accessing said addresses for entering therein a binary word corresponding to a pricing signal generated by said price information means, said memory entry control means including write means to enable the entering of a binary word into a selected address, memory readout control means for reading out a binary word previously entered in a selected one of the multi-position addresses, said memory readout control means including means to access the address to be read out and means to enable readout therefrom, the same address accessing means being used with the memory entry control means for entering a binary word at a particular address as are used with the memory readout control means for reading out a binary word, said address accessing means, including addressing signal outputs, being responsive to actuations of the vend selection means for producing addressing information at said addressing signal outputs, the condition of the addressing signal outputs establishing the particular memory address for access, said memory entry control means including means operative in response to actions by authorized personnel at a time when a particular memory address has already been established at said addressing signal outputs to effect entry at the memory address accessed of a binary word corresponding to the pricing signal generated by said price information means, said address accessing means including means operatively connected to the addressing signal outputs and responsive to a vend initiation signal to effect operation of the vend delivery means associated with the vend selection that has been selected.