Data acquisition unit

• US 4,350,238 A
• Filed: 04/04/1980
• Issued: 09/21/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: UMC Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: UMC Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Shah, Hasmukh R., Jones, Thaddeus M., Hemingway, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WACYRA, EDWARD MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US06/137,436
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 194/1 L, 194/1 M, 194/1 N, 221/2, 221/7, 221/129, 364/403, 364/404, 364/406, 364/478, 364/479, 235/92 AC, 235/92 CN
• US Class Current: 194/218
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/08 Counting total of coins inserted

Abstract

A data acquisition unit accepts serial bit streams from a control device for a vending machine, and it records the data represented by those serial bit streams. The data in one of those serial bit streams will include the number of vends of each product corresponding to the various selection switches of the vending machine, and the data in the other of those serial bit streams will include the price data. The data acquisition unit will store the price data in a non-resettable location and also in a resettable location. A readout can be actuated to effect the displaying of the selection line number and of the corresponding settable and non-resettable price data.

Claims

1. A data acquisition unit, which is connectable to a money-operated, multi-selection vending machine that responds to the insertion of money to develop credits and that responds to the actuation of selection switches to initiate vending operations, and which comprises a memory having locations in which resettable data can be stored, a connection between said vending machine and said data acquisition unit which enables said vending machine to transmit data to said data acquisition unit, a switch, a data processing means, and a data-receiving device which is connectable to said data acquisition unit to receive data from said acquisition unit, said data processing means normally responding to data transmitted by said vending machine to store said data in said locations in said memory, said data processing means responding to actuation of said switch to place said data acquisition unit in a data-yielding mode wherein said data processing means transfers said data from said data acquisition unit to said data-receiving device, said data processing means acting while said data acquisition unit is in said data-yielding mode to yield said resettable data to said data-receiving device while also retaining said resettable data in said locations in said memory, said data processing means subsequently responding to restoration of said switch to its normal condition and to the transmission of further data from said vending machine to be enabled to clear said resettable data from said locations in said memory.

2. A data acquistion unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said data processing means is unable, prior to the restoration of said switch to its normal condition, to clear said resettable data from said locations in said memory.

3. A data acquisition unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said data processing means is unable, prior to the transmission of said further data from said vending machine, to clear said resettable data from said locations in said memory.

4. A data acquisition unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said data processing means is unable, prior to the restoration of said switch to its normal condition to clear said resettable data from said locations in said memory, and wherein said data processing means is unable, prior to the transmission of said further data from said vending machine to clear said resettable data from said locations in said memory.

5. A data acquisition unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said memory has further locations therein in which non-resettable data can be stored, and wherein said data processing means retains said non-resettable data in said further memory locations as said data processing means transfers said resettable and said non-resettable data from said data acquisition unit to said data-receiving device.

6. A data acquisition unit, which is connectable to a money-operated, multi-selection vending machine that responds to the insertion of money to develop credits and that responds to the actuation of selection switches to initiate vending operations, and which comprises a memory having locations in which non-resettable running counts corresponding to the numbers of vending operations initiated by the closings of predetermined ones of said selection switches can be stored, said memory having further locations in which resettable running counts corresonding to the number of vending operations initiated by the closings of said predetermined ones of said selection switches can be stored, said memory having still further locations in which non-resettable running counts of the sums of the prices of each of said products which are vended during said vending operations and which correspond to said predetermined ones of said selection switches can be stored, said memory having still further locations in which non-resettable running counts of sums of the prices of each of said products which are vended during said vending operations and which correspond to said predetermined ones of said selection switches can be stored, a data-receiving device to which data that is read from all of said memory locations can be applied, and data processing means that reads data from all of said memory locations and applies said data to said data-receiving device while retaining said non-resettable running counts within said locations of said memory.

7. A data acquisition unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein said data acquisition unit is in a data-yielding mode whenever said data-receiving device is attached to said data acquisition unit, and a switch that initiates said data-yielding mode, wherein said data acquisition unit continues to remain in said data-yielding mode after said data-receiving device has been separated from said data acquisition unit and said switch has been restored to its normal condition, and wherein a subsequent vending operation by said vending machine will take said data acquisition unit out of said data-yielding mode and place it in a data-storing mode.

8. A data acquisition unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein data is transferred from said vending machine to said data acquisition unit each time a vending operation is performed by said vending machine, and wherein said data which said vending machine transfers to said data acquisition unit directly and precisely reflects the selection number of the selection switch used to initiate the vending operation and also directly and precisely identifies the price of the vended product.

9. A data acquisition unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein data is transferred from said vending machine to said data acquisition unit each time a vending operation is performed by said vending machine, wherein the prices at which said vending machine can vend products can be changed from time to time by a route man, and wherein said data which said vending machine transfers to said data acquisition unit directly and precisely reflects the selection number of the selection switch used to initiate the vending operation and also directly and precisely identifies the currently-set price for the vended product.

10. A data acquisition unit, which is connectable to a money-operated, multi-selection vending machine that responds to the insertion of money to develop credits and that responds to the actuation of selection switches to initiate vending operations, and which comprises conductors extending from said data acquisition unit to said vending machine to receive serial bit streams containing digital logic data representing the vending of predetermined products during vending operations initiated by the closing of predetermined ones of said selection switches and also containing further digital logic data representing the prices of said predetermined products vended during said vending operations, a memory having locations in which running counts of the numbers of said predetermined products which are vended during said vending operations initiated by the closings of said predetermined ones of said selection switches can be stored, said memory having further locations in which running counts of the sums of the prices of said predetermined products which are vended during said vending operations can be stored, data processing means responsive to said serial bit streams to sense said digital logic data therein and to identify the selection switches that initiated said vending operations and to address the corresponding memory locations and to increment said running counts of the numbers of said predetermined products which are vended during said vending operations which are initiated by said predetermined ones of said selection switches, said data processing means also addressing the memory locations wherein said running counts of said sums of the prices of said predetermined products which are vended during said vending operations are stored to update said running counts, and a data accepting unit which can accept data from said data acquisition unit.

11. A data acquisition unit as claimed in claim 10 wherein one group of running counts of the number of said predetermined products which are vended during said vending operations initiated by the closings of said predetermined ones of said selection switches is non-resettable, and wherein a further group of running counts of the number of said predetermined products which are vended during said vending operations initiated by the closings of said predetermined ones of said selection switches is resettable.

12. A data acquisition unit as claimed in claim 10 wherein said running counts of said sums of the prices of said predetermined products which are vended during said vending operations are non-resettable.

13. A data acquisition unit as claimed in claim 10 wherein said running counts of said sums of the prices of said predetermined products which are vended during said vending operations are non-resettable, and wherein said memory has a still further location in which a non-resettable running count of the total of the prices of all of the products vended during said vending operations can be stored.

14. A data acquisition unit as claimed in claim 10 wherein said running counts of said sums of the prices of said predetermined products which are vended during said vending operations are non-resettable, wherein said memory has a still further location in which a non-resettable running count of the total of the prices of all of the products vended during said vending operations can be stored, wherein one group of running counts of the number of said predetermined products which are vended during said vending operations initiated by the closings of said predetermined ones of said selection switches is non-resettable, and wherein a further group of running counts of the number of said predetermined products which are vended during said vending operations initiated by the closings of said predetermined ones of said selection switches is resettable.

15. A data acquisition unit, which is connectable to a money-operated, multi-selection vending machine that responds to the insertion of money to develop credits and that responds to the actuation of selection switches to initiate vending operations, and which comprises a memory having locations therein in which digital data can be stored, a connection between said data acquisition unit and said vending machine which causes digital data from said vending machine to be supplied to said data acquisition unit, data processing means that automatically responds to said digital data from said vending machine to store said digital data in locations in said memory, a connector to which a data-accepting unit can be connected to enable data from said locations in said memory to be transferred to said data-accepting unit whenever said data acquisition unit is in a data-transferring mode, a switch that is selectively actuable to place said data acquisition unit in said data-transferring mode, and said data processing means responding to the return of said switch to its normal condition and to the receipt of further digital data from said vending machine to automatically take said data acquisition unit out of said data-transferring mode and to place said data-accepting unit in said data-accepting mode.

16. A data acquisition unit as claimed in claim 15 wherein said data-accepting unit includes a printer, and wherein the actuation of said switch starts a cycle of operation of said printer.

17. A data acquisition unit, which is connectable to a money-operated, multi-selection vending machine that responds to the insertion of money to develop credits and that responds to the actuation of selection switches to initiate vending operations, and which comprises a memory having locations therein in which digital data can be stored, a connection between said data acquisition unit and said vending machine which causes digital data from said vending machine to be supplied to said data acquisition unit, data processing means that automatically responds to said digital data from said vending machine to store said digital data in locations in said memory, a connection between a data-accepting unit and said data acquisition unit which enables data from said locations in said memory to be transferred to said data-accepting unit to provide a printout bearing running counts based on said digital data while said data acquisition unit is in a data-transferring mode, and a switch that is selectively actuatable to place said data acquisition unit in said data-transferring mode, said data-accepting unit being adapted to provide said printout bearing said running counts based on said digital data while said data acquisition unit is in said data-transferring mode, said data acquisition unit retaining all of said digital data in said locations while said printout is being printed, whereby said data acquisition unit can again supply said digital data to said data-accepting unit while said data acquisition unit is in said data-transferring mode so said data-accepting unit can provide further and identical printouts bearing said running counts based on said digital data while said data acquisition unit is in said data-transferring mode.

18. A data acquisition unit, which is connectable to a money-operated, multi-selection vending machine that responds to the insertion of money to develop credits and that responds to the actuation of selection switches to initiate vending operations, and which comprises conductors extending from said data acquisition unit to said vending machine to receive serial bit streams containing digital logic data representing the vending of predetermined products during vending operations initiated by the closing of predetermined ones of said selection switches and also containing further digital logic data representing the prices of said predetermined products vended during said vending operations, a memory having locations in which non-resettable running counts of the numbers of said predetermined products which are vended during said vending operations initiated by the closing of said predetermined ones of said selection switches can be stored, said memory having another location in which a non-resettable running count of the total of the prices of all of the products vended during said vending operations can be stored, said memory having yet another location in which a resettable running count of the total of the prices of all of the products vended during said vending operations can be stored, data processing means responsive to said serial bit streams to sense said digital logic data therein and to identify the selection switches that initiated said vending operations and to address the corresponding memory locations and to increment said running counts of the numbers of said predetermined products which are vended during said vending operations initiated by said predetermined ones of said selection switches, said data processing means also addressing the memory locations wherein said running counts of the total of the prices of all of the products vended during said vending operations are stored to update said running counts, and a data accepting unit which can accept data from said data acquisition unit.

19. A data acquisition unit, which is connectable to a money-operated, multi-selection vending machine that responds to the insertion of money to develop credits and that responds to the actuation of selection switches to initiate vending operations, and which comprises a memory having locations in which digital logic data can be stored whenever said data acquisition unit is in a data-accepting mode, a connector that can connect said data acquisition unit to a data-receiving unit whenever said data acquisition unit is in a data-yielding mode, a selectively-actuable switch that can be actuated to place said data acquisition unit in said data-yielding mode, said data acquisition unit responding to the termination of said actuation of said switch and to the receipt of data from said vending machine to automatically shift out of said data-yielding mode and into said data-receiving mode.

20. A data acquisition unit, which is connectable to a money-operated, multi-selection vending machine that responds to the insertion of money to develop credits and that responds to the actuation of selection switches to initiate vending operations, and which comprises conductors extending from said data acquisition unit to said vending machine to receive serial bit streams containing digital logic data representing vending operations initiated by the closing of said selection switches and also containing further digital logic data representing the prices of products vended during said vending operations, a memory having locations in which running counts of the number of vending operations initiated by the closings of said selection switches can be stored, said memory having a further location in which a running count of the prices of the products vended during said vending operations can be stored, data processing means responsive to said serial bit streams to sense said digital logic data therein and to identify the selection switches that initiated said vending operations and to address the corresponding memory locations and to increment said running counts of the numbers of vending operations initiated by said selection switches, said data processing means also addressing the memory location wherein said running count of the prices of the products vended during said vending operations is stored to update said running count, said memory having another location wherein a number, which corresponds to the highest-number selection switch that has been actuated, is stored, wherein said data processing means compares the number of each actuated selection switch with said number in said other memory location and then re-writes the number which is in said other memory location in the event the number of the last actuated selection switch is larger than said number in said other memory location, whereby said number in said other memory location always represents the number of the highest-number selection switch that has been actuated.

21. A data acquisition unit as claimed in claim 20 wherein a data accepting unit which can accept data from said data acquisition unit is connectable to said data acquisition unit, wherein said data-accepting unit can provide a print out, and wherein said print out will not include entires for any selection switches that have numbers higher than the number of the highest-number selection switch that has been actuated.