Method of and device for monitoring a plurality of automatic selling machines

• US 4,631,357 A
• Filed: 09/14/1984
• Issued: 12/23/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Grunig Administration
• Original Assignee: Grunig Administration
• Inventors: Grunig, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Application Number:
  US06/651,699
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 179/2 A, 179/6.3 MA, 179/2 AM, 221/2, 221/6, 221/21, 340/825.35
• US Class Current: 379/40
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A plurality of selling machines is provided with coding devices assigned to each machine and connected via a telephone network to a central switching station and via subscriber lines to individual subscriber stations. Each machine is provided with sensors of predetermined operational conditions and/or interferences in the machine, the sensors delivering an output signal which is connected to the coding device. In the coding device the signal is coded according to the particular operational condition and/or interference and combined with a primary recognition signal. The combined coded signal is transmitted to the switching station where the recognition signal is identified and the remaining signal is switched over and transmitted to the subscriber station. In the subscriber station, the signal is processed in a computer and the output message is displayed on a display board and recorded in a printer.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a plurality of automatic selling machines each having a plurality of sensors, each sensor delivering a signal in response to a predetermined operational condition and/or interference in the machine, comprising the steps of converting the signal from each sensor into a code signal assigned to a corresponding operational condition and/or interference, combining the coded signal with a recognition code pertaining to a particular selling machine, transmitting the combined signal via a telephone network to a central switching station where the recognition code is interpreted and the remaining signal switched over to a subscriber line and transmitted to a subscriber station where the signal is decoded and the message is displayed on a display board and/or recorded in a recording device.

2. A device for monitoring a plurality of automatic selling machines each having a plurality of sensors for delivering in response to a predetermined operational condition and/or interference in the machine an output signal, comprising a coding device for converting respective output signals from the sensors into corresponding codes, said sensors being connected to a power source, said power source being a low voltage source from a telephone network, a part of said plurality of sensors being directly connected to the coding device via conductors and the remaining sensors being connected to the coding device by different combinations of said conductors, said coding device generating composite coded signals by combining the coded output signals with a recognition code pertaining to particular selling machines and to a particular subscriber station, said coding device further converting the composite coded signals into different frequencies, a central switching station connected via telephone network to the coding device of each of said selling machines to receive said different frequencies, said central switching station decoding the recognition code pertaining to a subscriber station and switching over the coded output signal to a corresponding subscriber line, and a subscriber station connected to a subscriber line and including a computer for decoding the received output signals and processing the received message and displaying the message on a display and/or recording means.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said sensors are in the form of switches connected between said power source and said conductors.