JP2007213398A - Tea dispenser and tea dispenser system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tea dispenser 11 in which the tea dispenser control part 16 of a tea dispenser body 15 will not turn complex or become expensive, and which can be compatible with a tea dispenser system. <P>SOLUTION: An intermediate adapter 19 is connected to the tea dispenser control part 16 of the tea dispenser body 15, and a card reader 18 which reads information of an ID card, in a communicatable manner. By the intermediate adapter 19 sales data are stored, when using the ID card and transmits the stored sales data to a center personal computer 12, which collects the stored sales data. The tea dispenser control part 16 only performs simple communication with the intermediate adapter 19, without becoming complex or expensive and can correspond to the tea dispenser system. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a tea machine and a tea machine system that mainly provide beverages such as tea.

  Traditionally, tea machines that mainly provide tea have been installed in offices, offices, etc., for example, by freely placing tea in cups owned by users or paper cups installed in tea machines. There are many common uses that make it possible to drink (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In addition, although it is less than the general usage, there are also usages that charge a fee when serving coffee, for example. In this case, sales data including information on the card read by the card reader, sales price, etc. is provided from the tea machine by reading information on the magnetic card, such as an employee ID card, owned by the user with a card reader. There is a tea machine system that collects and manages the data in a sales data collection device that is a computer.

A tea machine used in such a tea machine system uses a specially developed tea machine controller, unlike a tea machine controller used in a tea machine that is used in general. The reason is as follows. A tea machine that is used in a general way is simple, such as supplying raw materials or hot water when the selection button is pressed, so simple control corresponding to the simple control content A tea machine control unit is used, which may be a program, and an inexpensive small-capacity microcomputer is selected. On the other hand, in a tea machine corresponding to the tea machine system, a communication circuit and power supply for communicating with a card reader and supplying power to the card reader, communicating with a sales data collecting device, storing sales data, etc. In addition, it is necessary to use dedicated hardware equipped with a memory and the like, and a complicated control program for controlling them is required. Moreover, it is necessary to select a large-capacity microcomputer to handle the complicated control program and sales data. For this reason, the tea machine controller of the tea machine that is generally used cannot support the tea machine system, and a tea machine developed exclusively for the tea machine system is used.
Japanese Patent No. 3071358 (page 1-4, FIG. 3)

  As described above, in the tea machine system, it is not possible to use a tea machine that is used in general, it is necessary to use a dedicated tea machine, and this dedicated tea machine is used. Therefore, there is a problem that the tea machine controller is complicated and expensive compared to a tea machine that is used in general.

  The present invention has been made in view of such points, and the tea machine control unit can be used for a tea machine system without being complicated or expensive, and the tea machine is used. The purpose is to provide a tea machine system.

  The tea machine according to claim 1 includes a tea machine body having a tea machine control unit that controls a beverage providing operation, an ID information reading unit that reads ID information, the tea machine control unit, and an ID information reading unit. And a relay adapter that stores the sales data in the ID information and transmits the stored sales data to a sales data collection device that collects the stored sales data.

  The tea dispenser according to claim 2 is the tea dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the relay adapter communicates with the tea machine control unit, the ID information reading unit, and the sales data collecting device, respectively, and the ID information. A power supply circuit that supplies power to the reading unit is provided.

  A tea machine system according to claim 3 includes the tea machine according to claim 1 or 2 and a sales data collecting device that communicates through a relay adapter of the tea machine and collects sales data of the tea machine. It is what you are doing.

  The tea machine system according to claim 4 includes a tea machine controller that controls a beverage providing operation, a plurality of tea machines that have a plurality of ID information reading units that read ID information, and a plurality of tea machines. A relay adapter that can communicate with the tea machine control unit and the ID information reading unit, and that can transmit the sales data with the ID information of each tea machine, and the sales data with the ID information of each tea machine through this relay adapter And a sales data collecting device for collecting the sales data.

  According to the tea machine according to claim 1, the sales data in which the sales data in the ID information is stored and the stored sales data is collected by the relay adapter capable of communicating with the tea machine control unit and the ID information reading unit. Since transmission to the collecting device is possible, the tea machine controller can be easily adapted to a tea machine system without being complicated or expensive.

  According to the tea machine according to claim 2, in addition to the effect of the tea machine according to claim 1, the relay adapter communicates with the tea machine controller, the ID information reading unit, and the sales data collecting device, respectively. Since the interface circuit and the power supply circuit that supplies power to the ID information reading unit are provided, the tea machine control unit can be easily adapted to the tea machine system without being complicated or expensive.

  According to the tea machine system of the third aspect, the sales data collection device can collect the sales data of the tea machine by communicating through the relay adapter of the tea machine according to the first or second aspect.

  According to the tea machine system of claim 4, the sales data in the ID information of each tea machine is obtained by the relay adapter that enables communication to the tea machine controller and the ID information reading unit of the plurality of tea machines. Since transmission to the sales data collection device is possible, the tea machine controller of each tea machine is not complicated or expensive, and the tea machine system can be simplified and configured at low cost.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 to 3 show a first embodiment.

  Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a tea machine system. This tea machine system is connected to a tea machine 11, a center personal computer 12 as a sales data collection device, and the tea machine 11 and the center personal computer 12 so as to communicate with each other. The communication line 13 is provided as a communication means.

  The tea machine 11 includes a tea machine main body 15. The tea machine main body 15 includes, for example, a raw material supply device that supplies raw materials for tea and coffee, a hot water supply device that supplies hot water, and cold water that supplies cold water. A feeding device, a mixing device that pours beverage by stirring and mixing raw materials and hot water or cold water, and the like are arranged. The tea machine main body 15 includes a tea machine control unit 16 that controls such a beverage providing operation. The tea machine control unit 16 is configured to communicate only simple signals such as transmission of a card reader acceptance signal to the relay adapter 19 and reception of a beverage providing operation permission signal from the relay adapter 19.

  Furthermore, in order to correspond to the tea machine system, the tea machine 11 corresponds to the card reader 18, which is an ID card reading unit as an ID information reading unit, and the tea machine control unit 16 and the card reader 18, respectively. The relay adapter 19 is connected so as to be communicable with the received signal.

  The card reader 18 can read ID information of an ID card having ID information such as a magnetic card, a contact IC card, and a non-contact IC card.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the relay adapter 19 includes a microcomputer 21 as a control unit, and a tea machine communication connector 22 that is electrically connected to the tea machine control unit 16 through a communication line or the like. However, a card reader connector 24 that is connected via an interface circuit 23 that communicates with a tea machine controller 16 using a signal that can be communicated, and that is electrically connected to the card reader 18 via a communication line or the like, A center computer communication connector 26 connected via the interface circuit 25 that communicates with the card reader 18 using a signal communicable and electrically connected to the center personal computer 12 via the communication line 13 is connected to the center personal computer 12. They are connected via an interface circuit 27 that communicates using communicable signals. Further, the relay adapter 19 includes a power supply circuit 28 that supplies power to each circuit portion of the relay adapter 19 using a commercial power supply. Further, the power supply circuit 28 also connects to the card reader 18 through a card reader connector 24. Supply power.

  The microcomputer 21 includes a memory as a storage unit (not shown) that stores sales data including ID information, sales price, sales date and the like of the ID card for each beverage sales.

  Then, the microcomputer 21 receives the card reader acceptance permission signal from the tea machine control unit 16, and the card reader 18 reads the information of the ID card, thereby allowing the tea machine control unit 16 to perform a beverage providing operation. It has a function of transmitting a provision operation permission signal, a function of receiving a collection command from the center personal computer 12, and a function of transmitting sales data stored in the memory to the center personal computer 12.

  The center personal computer 12 is connected to the relay adapter 19 of the tea machine 11 via the center personal computer relay adapter 30 via the communication line 13. The center personal computer 12 transmits a collection command for instructing the tea machine 11 to collect sales data, receives the sales data transmitted from the relay adapter 19 of the tea machine 11, and manages the sales data.

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  When used as a tea machine system, the tea machine 11 is in a state where it can be sold with an ID card (step 1), and when beverages are sold with an ID card (step 2), information on the ID card and Sales data including the sales price is stored in the memory of the relay adapter 19 (step 3).

  In this beverage sales, for example, when the purchaser selects a beverage such as coffee in the tea machine main body 15, a card reader acceptance permission signal is transmitted from the tea machine control unit 16 to the relay adapter 19, and the relay adapter 19 The card reader 18 is allowed to read the ID card. When the purchaser passes the ID card through the card reader 18 and reads the information of the ID card with the card reader 18, a beverage providing operation permission signal is transmitted from the relay adapter 19 to the tea machine controller 16. The tea machine controller 16 controls the beverage providing operation and provides a beverage such as coffee.

  When the collection command is transmitted from the center personal computer 12 to the relay adapter 19 (step 4), the sales data stored in the memory of the relay adapter 19 is transmitted to the center personal computer 12 (step 5). The center PC 12 receives and manages sales data.

  In this way, the sales data in the ID card is stored by the relay adapter 19 that is communicably connected with the corresponding signal between the tea machine control unit 16 and the card reader 18, and the stored sales data is collected. Therefore, the tea machine control unit 16 can be adapted to the tea machine system without being complicated and expensive.

  In particular, the relay adapter 19 includes the teaser controller 16, the card reader 18, and the interface circuits 23, 25, 27 that communicate with the center personal computer 12, respectively, and the power supply circuit 28 that supplies power to the card reader 18, The tea machine controller 16 can be adapted to a tea machine system without being complicated or expensive.

  That is, the tea machine controller 16 does not require hardware such as a communication circuit, a power supply, and a memory, and only needs to perform simple communication with the relay adapter 19, and a simple control program is required, and it is inexpensive. A small-capacity microcomputer can be selected, and it does not become complicated or expensive.

  Therefore, the tea machine controller 16 of the tea machine 11 that is commonly used does not become complicated or expensive, and the tea machine body 15 can The tea machine 11 can be shared, and the tea machine 11 having the tea machine controller 16 is combined with the card reader 18 and the relay adapter 19 to configure the tea machine 11. Can be easily handled.

  Next, FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment.

  A tea machine system is configured using a plurality of tea machines 11 each having a card reader 18 and one relay adapter 19.

  The relay adapter 19 is wired with a two-wire cable 41 connected to the tea machine communication connector 22 and the card reader connector 24, and the cable 41 is connected to the tea machine controller 16 and the card of each tea machine 11. A reader 18 is connected in parallel.

  Then, the sales data with the ID information of each tea machine 11 is sent to the center personal computer 12 by one relay adapter 19 that communicates with the tea machine controller 16 and the ID information reading unit 18 of the plurality of tea machines 11 through the cable 41. Can be sent to. Therefore, the tea machine controller 16 of each tea machine 11 does not become complicated or expensive, and the tea machine system can be simplified and configured at low cost.

  Note that the communication means is not limited to the communication line 13, and a wireless communication device that performs communication using a wireless medium may be used.

  Moreover, reading ID information by the ID information reading unit is not limited to an ID card, and may correspond to a terminal such as a portable terminal equipped with a non-contact IC or the like.

It is a block diagram of the tea machine system which shows the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the relay adapter of a tea machine system same as the above. It is a flowchart of sales and data collection of a tea machine system same as the above. It is a block diagram of the tea machine system which shows the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

11 Tea machine
12 Center PC as a sales data collection device
15 Tea machine body
16 Tea machine controller
18 Card reader as ID information reader
19 Relay adapter
23, 25, 27 interface circuit
28 Power supply circuit

Claims (4)

A tea machine body having a tea machine control unit for controlling a beverage providing operation;
An ID information reading unit for reading ID information;
A relay adapter capable of communicating with the tea machine control unit and the ID information reading unit, storing sales data in the ID information, and transmitting the stored sales data to a sales data collection device; A tea dispenser characterized by The relay adapter includes an interface circuit that communicates with each of the tea machine control unit, the ID information reading unit, and the sales data collection device, and a power supply circuit that supplies power to the ID information reading unit. Item 1. A tea dispenser according to item 1. A tea machine according to claim 1 or 2,
A tea machine system comprising: a sales data collecting device that communicates through a relay adapter of the tea machine and collects sales data of the tea machine. A plurality of tea machines having a tea machine control unit for controlling a beverage providing operation, and a plurality of ID information reading units for reading ID information;
A relay adapter that enables communication with the tea machine control unit and the ID information reading unit of the plurality of tea machines, and that can transmit sales data based on the ID information of each tea machine. A tea dispenser system comprising: a sales data collection device for collecting sales data based on ID information.

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