Automatic vending machine for vending information transmitted from satellite

• US 5,699,328 A
• Filed: 04/24/1995
• Issued: 12/16/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Urushihara, Tetsuo, Kadooka, Yoshimasa, Ishizaki, Masayuki, Satoh, Kazuo, Hayakawa, Mariko
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, TAN X
• Application Number:
  US08/427,487
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 369/24, 369/30, 340/825.35, 340/825.15, 340/825.72, 235/381, 235/382, 235/382.5, 455/3.2, 455/12, 358/86, 364/479, 364/479.01-479.08
• US Class Current: 369/24.01
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like

Abstract

An automatic vending machine for vending information, containing: a receiving unit for receiving a signal carrying first information transmitted from a satellite; a storage unit for storing the first information; a buying request input unit for receiving a request for buying the information; a charge receiving unit for receiving a charge for the first information; and an information output unit for reading the first information requested by the request from the storage unit and outputting the first information when the request and the charge is received.

Claims

1. An automatic vending machine for vending information, comprising:

receiving means for receiving a signal carrying first information for sale transmitted from a communication center, said first information including at least one kind of data;

storage means for storing the first information;

purchase request input means for receiving a signal indicating a purchase order;

attribute information input means for receiving attribute information which is written on a storage medium, and indicates at least one specific kind of data is allowed to be output;

information specifying means for specifying and reading the data of said at least one specific kind, from the storage means; and

outputting means for outputting the data of said at least one specific kind through an output port.

2. An automatic vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the first information received by the receiving means includes a plurality of predetermined kinds of second information and third information accompanying each kind of second information and indicating the kind;

the storage means contains a plurality of areas respectively storing different kinds of the second information;

the purchase request means comprises,

a content indicating means for indicating the different kinds of the second information stored in the storage means, and

a kind input means for inputting fourth information indicating one of the different kinds;

the charge receiving means receives the charge corresponding to the fourth information; and

the information output means reads from the storage means the second information corresponding to the fourth information which is input, and outputs the second information when the charge corresponding to the fourth information is received.

3. An automatic vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising an output information informing means for transmitting output information on the outputting operation of the information output means after the information output means outputs the information.

4. An automatic vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the signal is modulated and scrambled;

the receiving means comprises,

a receiving antenna for receiving the signal transmitted from the satellite,

a demodulating means for demodulating the modulated and scrambled signal received by the receiving antenna to obtain a scrambled signal, and

a descrambling means for descrambling the scrambled signal.

5. An automatic vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising,

a receiving antenna for receiving the signal transmitted from the satellite,

a box on which the receiving antenna is mounted so that an orientation of the receiving antenna is adjustable, and the box containing components of the automatic vending machine other than the receiving antenna, and

a received signal level measuring means for measuring a strength of the received signal.

6. An automatic vending machine according to claim 2, wherein the information output means comprises,

a storage medium receiving means for receiving a storage medium which is inserted thereto,

a writing means for reading the information requested by the request from the storage means and writing the information to the storage medium received in the storage medium receiving means, and

a written storage medium output means for outputting the storage medium after the information is written in the storage medium.

7. An automatic vending machine according to claim 2, wherein the first information includes fifth information accompanying each kind of second information and indicating a version of the kind of second information;

and

the storage means comprises,

a means for determining whether or not a predetermined kind of second information is written in the storage means,

a received version reading means for reading the fifth information accompanying the predetermined kind of second information which is newly received by the receiving means when the second and fifth information is newly received,

a stored version reading means for reading the fifth information accompanying the predetermined kind of second information which is stored in the storage means,

a version comparing means for determining whether or not the version indicated by the fifth information read by the received version reading means is newer than the version indicated by the fifth information read by the stored version reading means, and

a rewriting means for rewriting the predetermined kind of second information together with the accompanying fifth information stored in the storage means, with the predetermined kind of second information together with the accompanying fifth information newly received by the receiving means, when the fourth means determined that the version indicated by the fifth information read by the received version reading means is newer than the version indicated by the fifth information read by the stored version reading means.

8. An automatic vending machine according to claim 6, wherein the first information includes fifth information accompanying each kind of second information and indicating a version of the kind of second information;

and

the information output means further comprises,

a means for determining whether or not a predetermined kind of second information is written in the storage medium inserted in the storage medium receiving means when the predetermined kind of second information is requested by the kind input means,

a storage medium version reading means for reading the fifth information accompanying the predetermined kind of second information which is written in the storage medium inserted in the storage medium receiving means,

a stored version reading means for reading the fifth information accompanying the predetermined kind of second information which is stored in the storage means,

a version comparing means for determining whether or not the version indicated by the fifth information read by the storage medium version reading means is older than the version indicated by the fifth information read by the stored version reading means, and

a rewriting means for rewriting the predetermined kind of second information together with the accompanying fifth information stored in the storage medium, with the predetermined kind of second information together with the accompanying fifth information stored in the storage means, when the fourth means determines that the version indicated by the fifth information read by the storage medium version reading means is older than the version indicated by the fifth information read by the stored version reading means.

9. An automatic vending machine according to claim 8, wherein the information output means further comprises,

a means for indicating a current time,

a means for determining whether or not the current time is within a period predetermined for a predetermined kind of second information when the predetermined kind of second information is requested by the kind input means.

10. An automatic vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the information output means comprises,

a storage medium stock means for stocking at least one storage medium,

an internal storage medium writing means for reading the information requested by the request from the storage means and writing the information in one of the at least one storage medium stocked in the storage medium stock means, and

a written storage medium output means for outputting the one of the storage medium after the information is written in the storage medium.

11. An automatic vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the information output means comprises,

a storage medium receiving means for receiving a storage medium which is inserted therein,

a writing means for reading the information requested by the request from the storage means and writing the information in the storage medium received in the storage medium receiving means,

a first written storage medium output means for outputting the storage medium after the information is written in the storage medium,

a storage medium stock means for stocking at least one storage medium,

an internal storage medium writing means for reading the information requested by the request from the storage means and writing the information in one of the at least one storage medium stocked in the storage medium stock means, and

a second written storage medium output means for outputting the one of the storage medium after the information is written in the storage medium;

and

the purchase request means comprises,

a storage medium selecting means for selecting one of the storage medium inserted into the storage medium receiving means and the one of the at least one storage medium stocked in the storage medium stock means, as a storage medium in which the information to be written.

12. An automatic vending machine according to claim 2, further comprising a dealing-allowed information registering means for registering information indicating at least one kind of information which the automatic vending machine is allowed to deal with;

the storage means comprises,

a means for determining whether or not the information received by the receiving means is one of the at least one kind of information registered in the dealing-allowed information registering means, and

a limited storing means for storing the information received by the receiving means in the storage means when the information received by the receiving means is one of the at least one kind of information registered in the dealing-allowed information registering means.

13. An automatic vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising,

an abnormal situation detecting means for detecting an occurrence of an abnormal situation in the automatic vending machine, and

an abnormal situation transmitting means for transmitting information on the occurrence of the abnormal situation.

14. An automatic vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the purchase request means comprises,

an operation timer means for determining whether or not the operations of receiving the request and the charge are completed within a predetermined time, and

an operation stoping means for stopping the operation responding to the request, and initializing the automatic vending machine.

15. An automatic vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising,

a box on which the receiving antenna is mounted so that an orientation of the receiving antenna is adjustable, where the box contains components of the automatic vending machine other than the receiving antenna;

and

a received signal level output means for outputting a signal indicating a strength of the received signal.

16. An automatic vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the charge receiving means comprises,

a cash receiving means for receiving payment of the charge by cash,

a credit card receiving means for receiving payment of the charge by a credit card, and

a prepaid card receiving means for receiving payment of the charge by a prepaid card.

17. An automatic vending machine according to claim 16, wherein the credit card receiving means comprises,

a reference communication means for carrying out communication for making a reference regarding validity of the credit card, and

an invalidity indicating means for indicating invalidity of the credit card when the reference communication means is informed of the invalidity of the credit card through the communication by the reference communication means.

18. An automatic vending machine according to claim 6, wherein the storage medium receiving means comprises,

a storage capacity determining means for determining a vacant capacity of the piece of storage medium inserted in the storage medium receiving means, and

a storage capacity indicating means for indicating the determined vacant capacity.

19. An automatic vending machine according to claim 18, wherein the storage medium receiving means comprises:

a storage capacity comparing means for determining whether or not the vacant capacity determined by the storage capacity determining means is enough to write all of the information requested by the request; and

a capacity shortage indicating means for indicating that the vacant capacity determined by the storage capacity determining means is not enough to write all of the information requested by the request, and prompting an input for requesting to write the information in the inserted piece of storage medium and at least one additional piece of storage medium, or to buy other information to be written in the inserted piece of storage medium, the purchase request means comprises a means for receiving the input for requesting to write the information in the inserted piece of storage medium and at least one additional pieces of piece of storage medium, the information output means comprises a write-in-sections means for writing the requested information into a plurality of pieces of storage medium.

20. An automatic vending machine according to claim 19, wherein the write-in-sections means comprises a storage medium exchange prompting means for prompting for insertion of an additional piece of storage medium into the storage medium receiving means when the storage capacity comparing means determines that the vacant capacity determined by the storage capacity determining means is not enough to write all of the information requested by the request.

21. An automatic vending machine according to claim 6, wherein the storage medium receiving means comprises,

a storage medium inlet/outlet for inletting and outletting a piece of storage medium therethrough,

a means for drawing the piece of storage medium inward through the storage medium inlet/outlet when the piece of storage medium is inserted into the storage medium inlet/outlet, and

a means for pushing the piece of storage medium outward through the storage medium inlet/outlet after the information is written in the piece of storage medium.

23. An automatic vending machine according to claim 1, wherein said first information contains at least one data block and an information block which indicates which kind of data is contained in said at least one data block.

22. An automatic vending machine for vending information, comprising:

a signal receiver for receiving a signal carrying first information for sale transmitted from a communication center, said first information including at least one kind of data;

an information storage device for storing the first information;

a purchase order receiver for receiving a purchase order;

attribute information receiver for receiving attribute information which is written on a storage medium, and indicates at least one specific kind of data is allowed to be output; and

a storage controller, in response to the purchase order and the attribute information, for specifying and reading the data of said at least one specific kind, from the information storage device and for outputting the data of said at least one specific kind through an output port.

24. An information delivery and vending system comprising:

a communication center transmitting information for sale to a plurality of automatic vending machines, said information for sale including at least one kind of data;

said plurality of automatic vending machines receiving the information for sale from the communication center;

each of said plurality of automatic vending machines including,

receiving means for receiving a signal carrying said information for sale transmitted from the communication center,

storage means for storing the information for sale,

purchase request input means for receiving a signal indicating a purchase order,

attribute information input means for receiving attribute information which is written on a storage medium, and indicates at least one specific kind of data is allowed to be output,

information specifying means for specifying and reading the data of said at least one specific kind, from the storage means, and

outputting means for outputting the data of said at least one kind through an output port.