Control device for automatic vending machine

• US 6,741,910 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Electric Company Limited (Fuji Electric Systems Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Electric Company Limited (Fuji Electric Systems Company Limited)
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler, Michael E.
• Application Number:
  US09/809,430
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 700/244, 700/241, 700/237
• US Class Current: 700/241
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

According to a control device for automatic vending machine of the invention, a manufacturer discriminating code and a version of control program corresponding to the manufacturing discriminating code are stored in each of terminal control units 2, 3, 4, 5 in advance, and are communicated to a main control unit 1 in first communicating operation after the terminal control unit is exchanged or newly installed. Based on the manufacturing discriminating code and the version of control program, the main control unit 1 inspects a memory 1A installed in the main control unit, a memory card 7 inserted in an expanding slot 6, and a management computer 10 which is capable of communication, in this order, and obtains suitable control programs from them. Where the terminal control unit is exchanged or newly installed, the control program of the main control unit is automatically renewed to reduce time and operation which have been much spent in conventional renewal and to protect operation error therefor.

Claims

1. A control device of an automatic vending machine having plural terminal control units, each of which controls each unit of the automatic vending machine separately, and a main control unit which communicates with each of the terminal control units and controls them collectively, each of said terminal control units having a discriminating code of each manufacturer and a version of control program corresponding to each of said terminal control units, and sending the code and the version to the main control unit in first communication with the main control unit, and the main control unit configured for inspecting at least one of an internal memory medium or an external thereof medium to obtain the control program corresponding to each of the terminal control units connected thereto based on the manufacturer discriminating code and the version of control program which are received from each of the terminal control units.

2. The control device of automatic vending machine according to claim 1, wherein said main control unit inspects, based on the manufacturer discriminating code and the version of control program, a ROM installed in the main control unit, a memory card inserted in an expanding slot, and an inner portion of external memory medium which is capable of communication in the order, and receives a suitable control program from one of said ROM, said memory card, and said external memory medium.

3. The control device of automatic vending machine according to claim 1,

wherein the main control unit has a program storing section in which a program area for separate functions and an expanding program area are provided, and a control program is partially rewritten per the area.

4. The control device of automatic vending machine according to claim 1,

wherein said control program of the main control unit to control the terminal control units is stored in the terminal control unit, and when the terminal control unit is installed, the main control unit receives the control program from the terminal control units.