Bill identification device and vending machine system

Abstract

To provide a bill identification device and a vending machine system that can prevent acceptance of old bills in accordance with a situation of circulation of new bills and can reinforce security for forgery of old bills.SOLUTION: This bill identification device 1 includes a bill information acquisition unit 1a that acquires identification information identifying a bill; and a determination unit 1b that determines whether to accept the bill based on the identification information acquired by the bill information acquisition unit and a determination criterion for determining that the bill is appropriate. The determination unit 1b is configured to switch from control of accepting a new bill which is a bill currently issued and an old bill which is a bill issued before to control of continuing acceptance of the new bill and restricting acceptance of the old bill based on a situation of acceptance of the new bill and the old bill.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a banknote discrimination device and a vending machine system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a vending machine equipped with a banknote discrimination device has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a vending machine including a banknote discrimination device including a banknote discrimination unit and a bill validator control unit (judgment unit). In Patent Document 1, the banknote discrimination unit discriminates whether a banknote inserted into the vending machine is a genuine note, which is a regular banknote. Further, the bill validator control unit performs control to accept the banknote if the discrimination result of the banknote discrimination unit is a genuine note, and performs control to return the banknote otherwise.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Here, old banknotes, which are banknotes issued previously, tend to be counterfeited and the security becomes weak as technology advances. Therefore, new banknotes with high security to which new anti-counterfeiting technology is applied are issued. When new banknotes are issued, there is a problem that the security becomes weak because there is a possibility of accepting counterfeited old banknotes that can accept old banknotes as appropriate banknotes. On the other hand, when new banknotes are issued, there is a problem that the old banknotes in circulation become unusable if the acceptance of old banknotes is stopped in the vending machine.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide a banknote discrimination device and a vending machine system capable of suppressing the acceptance of old banknotes according to the circulation status of new banknotes and enhancing the security against forgery of old banknotes.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a banknote discrimination device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a banknote information acquisition unit that acquires discrimination information for discriminating banknotes, and a determination unit that determines whether to accept a banknote based on the discrimination information acquired by the banknote information acquisition unit and a determination criterion for determining that the banknote is appropriate. The determination unit is configured to switch from a control of accepting both new banknotes, which are currently issued banknotes, and old banknotes, which are previously issued banknotes, to a control of continuing to accept new banknotes and restricting the acceptance of old banknotes based on the acceptance status of new banknotes and old banknotes.

[0008] In the vending machine according to this first aspect, as described above, the determination unit is configured to switch from a control of accepting both new banknotes, which are currently issued banknotes, and old banknotes, which are previously issued banknotes, to a control of continuing to accept new banknotes and restricting the acceptance of old banknotes based on the acceptance status of new banknotes and old banknotes. Thereby, the determination unit can acquire the timing when it partially switches from old banknotes to new banknotes or the timing when it completely switches from new banknotes to old banknotes based on the acceptance status of new banknotes and old banknotes, and switch to the control of restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the acceptance of old banknotes according to the circulation status of new banknotes and enhance the security against forgery of old banknotes. In addition, by the determination unit switching to the control of restricting the acceptance of old banknotes based on the acceptance status of new banknotes and old banknotes, it is not necessary for the operator to switch the settings, and it is possible to suppress an increase in the labor of the operator.

[0009] In the banknote discrimination device according to the first aspect, preferably, as control for restricting acceptance of old banknotes, the determination unit is configured to perform either control not to accept old banknotes or control to narrow the determination criteria for determining old banknotes as appropriate. With this configuration, by performing control not to accept old banknotes, it is possible to easily switch to control that accepts only new banknotes in a state where there is almost no circulation of old banknotes, so security can be enhanced by accepting only new banknotes, which have higher security than old banknotes. Also, by narrowing the determination criteria for determining old banknotes as appropriate, it is possible to strictly determine whether or not to accept old banknotes, which have lower security than new banknotes, in a state where there is circulation of old banknotes, so security can be effectively enhanced.

[0010] In the banknote discrimination device according to the first aspect, preferably, as control for restricting acceptance of old banknotes, the determination unit is configured to perform control to gradually narrow the determination criteria for determining old banknotes as appropriate. With this configuration, by gradually narrowing the determination criteria for determining old banknotes as appropriate, it is possible to gradually narrow the determination criteria for determining old banknotes as appropriate in the transitional period from old banknotes to new banknotes, so it is possible to gradually reduce the number of accepted old banknotes while continuing to accept old banknotes according to the usage situation of old banknotes.

[0011] In this case, preferably, the determination unit is configured to gradually narrow the determination criteria for determining old banknotes as appropriate and finally perform control not to accept old banknotes. With this configuration, it is possible to finally stop accepting old banknotes while gradually reducing the number of accepted old banknotes, so it is possible to switch from control that accepts old banknotes and new banknotes without the operator's operation to control that accepts only new banknotes. Also, by finally not accepting old banknotes, it is possible to accept only new banknotes, which have high security, so security can be further enhanced.

[0012] In the banknote discriminator according to the first aspect, preferably, when the determination unit receives a predetermined number or more new banknotes continuously, or based on the ratio of new banknotes or old banknotes among the received banknotes, it is configured to perform control to restrict the acceptance of old banknotes. With this configuration, when a predetermined number or more new banknotes are received continuously, it can be determined that the circulating banknotes have switched from old banknotes to new banknotes. Also, based on the ratio of new banknotes or old banknotes among the received banknotes, when it is obtained that the ratio of old banknotes has decreased and the ratio of new banknotes has increased, it can be determined that the switch has occurred from old banknotes to new banknotes. As a result, at the timing of the switch from old banknotes to new banknotes, the control can be switched from the control of accepting both old banknotes and new banknotes to the control of restricting the acceptance of old banknotes.

[0013] In the banknote discriminator according to the first aspect, preferably, the determination unit is configured to continue accepting new banknotes and switch to control to restrict the acceptance of old banknotes based on the acceptance status of new banknotes and old banknotes for each type of banknote. With this configuration, even when the timing of the switch from old banknotes to new banknotes differs depending on the type of banknote, the acceptance of old banknotes can be restricted in order starting from the switched banknote.

[0014] The vending machine system according to the second aspect of the present invention includes a banknote information acquisition unit that acquires identification information for identifying banknotes, a determination unit that determines whether to accept banknotes based on the identification information acquired by the banknote information acquisition unit and a determination criterion for determining that a banknote is appropriate, a banknote identification device having the determination unit, a control unit, a plurality of vending machines, and a management server that manages the plurality of vending machines. The banknote identification device of at least one vending machine switches to a control mode that restricts the acceptance of old banknotes based on the acceptance status of new banknotes, which are currently issued banknotes, and old banknotes, which are previously issued banknotes. The control unit is configured to transmit to the management server that the determination unit has switched to the control mode that restricts the acceptance of old banknotes. The management server is configured to, based on acquiring that the control unit of at least one vending machine has switched to the control mode that restricts the acceptance of old banknotes, issue an instruction to the determination unit via the control units of the remaining plurality of vending machines to switch from the control mode that accepts both new banknotes and old banknotes to the control mode that continues to accept new banknotes and restricts the acceptance of old banknotes.

[0015] In the vending machine system according to the second aspect of the present invention, as described above, based on the fact that the management server has obtained that the control unit of at least one vending machine has switched to the control mode for restricting the acceptance of old banknotes, the management server issues an instruction to the determination unit via the control units of the remaining plurality of vending machines to switch from the control mode for accepting new banknotes and old banknotes to the control mode for continuing to accept new banknotes and restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. As a result, the management server can, based on the acceptance status of new banknotes and old banknotes, obtain the timing when there is a partial switch from old banknotes to new banknotes or the timing when there is a complete switch from new banknotes to old banknotes, and switch to the control for restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the acceptance of old banknotes according to the circulation status of new banknotes and enhance the security against forgery of old banknotes. Also, since the determination unit can switch to the control for restricting the acceptance of old banknotes based on the acceptance status of new banknotes and old banknotes, there is no need for an operator to switch the settings, and it is possible to suppress an increase in the operator's workload. Further, when at least one vending machine switches from the control for accepting new banknotes and old banknotes to the control for continuing to accept new banknotes and restricting the acceptance of old banknotes, other vending machines can also switch from the control for accepting new banknotes and old banknotes to the control for continuing to accept new banknotes and restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. As a result, in a plurality of vending machines where the frequencies of using banknotes are different, when a vending machine with a high frequency of using banknotes switches from the control for accepting new banknotes and old banknotes to the control for continuing to accept new banknotes and restricting the acceptance of old banknotes, a vending machine with a low frequency of using banknotes can also switch from the control for accepting new banknotes and old banknotes to the control for continuing to accept new banknotes and restricting the acceptance of old banknotes.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, as described above, it is possible to provide a banknote discrimination device and a vending machine system capable of suppressing the acceptance of old banknotes according to the circulation status of new banknotes and enhancing the security against forgery of old banknotes.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the overall configuration of the vending machine 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0020] (Overall Configuration of Vending Machine) First, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the banknote discriminator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The banknote discriminator 1 is used in the vending machine 10.

[0021] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the overall configuration of the vending machine 10 will be described. Note that, with the front side (front) of the vending machine 10 facing the purchaser at the time of purchasing a product, the front-rear direction is the Y direction, the left-right direction orthogonal to the Y direction is the X direction, and the up-down direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction is the Z direction.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vending machine 10 is configured to communicate with the management server 20 via the network 30. The management server 20 constitutes a vending machine system 100 that communicates with a plurality of vending machines 10. The management server 20 is configured to issue an instruction to switch the control mode of the vending machine 10. The management server 20 is, for example, a server of a vending machine manufacturer. The vending machine 10 is configured to sell, for example, beverages, foods, and the like.

[0023] The vending machine 10 is composed of a door 10a and a housing 10b. The door 10a is located on the front side and has a rotating shaft extending in the Z direction. The vending machine 10 includes a banknote discriminator 1, a control unit 2, a temperature adjustment unit 3, a communication unit 4, a display unit 5, a banknote insertion unit 6, a coin insertion unit 7, a coin return unit 8, and a product extraction unit 9.

[0024] The banknote discriminator 1 includes a banknote information acquisition unit 1a and a determination unit 1b. The banknote information acquisition unit 1a is configured to acquire discrimination information for discriminating banknotes. The banknote information acquisition unit 1a is, for example, a sensor, and is configured to acquire the amount of transmitted light of light irradiated on the banknote or the amount of reflected light of light irradiated on the banknote. When acquiring the amount of transmitted light, the banknote information acquisition unit 1a includes an irradiation unit that irradiates infrared rays and a light receiving unit that detects the transmitted light. When acquiring the amount of reflected light, the banknote information acquisition unit 1a includes an irradiation unit that irradiates visible light and a light receiving unit that detects the reflected light. The banknote information acquisition unit 1a is configured to divide the banknote into a plurality of portions and acquire the amount of transmitted light or the amount of reflected light for each divided portion.

[0025] The determination unit 1b is configured to determine whether to accept the banknote based on the discrimination information acquired by the banknote information acquisition unit 1a and a determination criterion for determining that the banknote is appropriate. The determination unit 1b includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The determination unit 1b is, for example, a microcomputer. The determination unit 1b is configured to perform control related to the banknote discriminator 1. Further, the determination unit 1b is configured to switch from control for accepting both new banknotes, which are currently issued banknotes, and old banknotes, which are previously issued banknotes, to control for continuing to accept new banknotes and restricting the acceptance of old banknotes based on the acceptance status of new banknotes and old banknotes. The detailed control of the determination unit 1b will be described later.

[0026] The control unit 2 is configured to control the vending machine 10. The control unit 2 includes a processing unit 2a and a storage unit 2b. The control unit 2 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processing unit 2a is configured to perform various processes related to the vending machine 10. The storage unit 2b stores information related to the processes performed by the processing unit 2a.

[0027] The temperature adjustment unit 3 includes a refrigeration cycle and is configured to cool or heat the products stored inside the vending machine 10.

[0028] The communication unit 4 is configured to communicate with the management server 20 via the network 30. The communication unit 4 is configured to transmit information to the management server 20 and receive control instructions from the management server 20.

[0029] The display unit 5 is provided on the door 10a of the vending machine 10. The display unit 5 is configured to display the price of the product, the amount of money inserted, the amount of change, and the state of the vending machine 10 such as during cooling and during a failure by the control unit 2. One or more display units 5 are provided. An advertisement may be displayed on the display unit 5.

[0030] The bill insertion unit 6 is arranged on the door 10a. The bill insertion unit 6 includes a slit adapted to the maximum width of the bill. The bill insertion unit 6 is used when inserting a bill and when returning a bill. Whether the bill inserted into the bill insertion unit 6 can be accepted is determined by the bill identification device 1.

[0031] The coin insertion unit 7 is arranged on the door 10a. The coin insertion unit 7 includes a slit adapted to the maximum diameter of the coin. Whether the coin inserted into the coin insertion unit 7 can be accepted is determined by a coin identification unit (not shown).

[0032] The coin return unit 8 is used when the inserted coin is determined to be unacceptable, when a return operation is performed, and when giving change. The coin return unit 8 includes a tray with an open top.

[0033] The product dispensing unit 9 is the part where the purchased product is taken out. The product dispensing unit 9 is provided on the door 10a. The product dispensing unit 9 has an opening at the front, and a flapper is provided at the opening.

[0034] The vending machine 10 is provided with a product storage unit. The product storage unit is configured to store products. The product storage unit includes a rack disposed inside the housing 10b, and a plurality of products are arranged side by side in the left - right direction (X - direction) and the up - down direction (Z - direction) on the rack. When storing products in the product storage unit, the door is opened. Also, the product storage unit is provided with a product discharge unit for discharging products. The product discharge unit may include, for example, a spiral, and may be configured such that the spiral rotates to push out products one by one from the rear.

[0035] (Control performed by the determination unit) The control performed in the determination unit 1b will be described in detail. The determination unit 1b is configured to switch from the control of accepting new banknotes, which are currently issued banknotes, and old banknotes, which are previously issued banknotes, to the control of continuing to accept new banknotes and restricting the acceptance of old banknotes based on the acceptance status of new banknotes and old banknotes. The determination unit 1b is configured to switch from the control of accepting new banknotes and old banknotes based on the acceptance status of new banknotes and old banknotes for each type of banknote to the control of continuing to accept new banknotes and restricting the acceptance of old banknotes.

[0036] The determination unit 1b is configured to obtain the state of the banknote and the state related to the banknote based on the detection result of the banknote information acquisition unit 1a. The determination unit 1b stores a numerical range for determining whether the inserted banknote is appropriate. The determination unit 1b determines that the transmissivity or reflectivity of the banknote obtained from the banknote information acquisition unit 1a is appropriate if it is within the numerical range based on the numerical range for determining appropriateness and the transmissivity or reflectivity, which is the state of the banknote obtained by the banknote information acquisition unit 1a, and determines that it is not appropriate if it is not within the range. The numerical ranges for determining appropriateness are set corresponding to new banknotes and old banknotes respectively. Also, the numerical ranges for determining appropriateness are set for each type of banknote and for each part into which the banknote is divided.

[0037] The determination unit 1b is configured to estimate the type of the inserted banknote based on the transmissivity or reflectivity of the banknote obtained from the banknote information acquisition unit 1a. Therefore, the determination unit 1b is configured to determine whether it is a new banknote or an old banknote and to determine the type of the inserted banknote. When a banknote is inserted, the determination unit 1b discriminates which type and whether it is an old banknote or not from the information obtained by the banknote information acquisition unit 1a. Specifically, it is configured to comprehensively judge the transmissivity or reflectivity of light of a plurality of parts into which the banknote is divided and to determine which appropriate numerical range for a new banknote or an old banknote of which type to be based on for the judgment.

[0038] The determination unit 1b is configured to perform control to accept both new banknotes, which are currently issued banknotes, and old banknotes, which are previously issued banknotes. For example, in the period immediately after new banknotes are issued, since both new banknotes and old banknotes are in use, the determination unit 1b is configured to determine whether the inserted banknote is an old banknote or a new banknote and to accept the banknote determined to be appropriate from the information obtained in the banknote information acquisition unit 1a.

[0039] When the acceptance status is such that a predetermined number or more of new banknotes are continuously accepted, or based on the ratio of new banknotes or old banknotes among the accepted banknotes, the determination unit 1b is configured to perform control to limit the acceptance of old banknotes. The predetermined number is, for example, 100. Since the determination unit 1b determines whether a banknote is an old banknote or a new banknote for each type of banknote, for example, after continuously accepting 90 new 1000-yen banknotes, accepting 1 10000-yen banknote, and then continuously accepting 10 new 1000-yen banknotes, it means that 100 new 1000-yen banknotes have been continuously accepted. Also, if banknotes are accepted in the order of 90 new 1000-yen banknotes, an old 1000-yen banknote, and 10 new 1000-yen banknotes, it becomes 10 in a row. When an old 1000-yen banknote is inserted next, the number of continuously accepted new 1000-yen banknotes becomes 0. In other words, the determination unit 1b is configured to store the number of continuously accepted new banknotes, and when a new banknote is inserted, perform control to increment the number of continuously accepted new banknotes by 1, and reset the number of continuously accepted new banknotes to 0 when an old banknote is inserted.

[0040] When it is based on the ratio of new banknotes or old banknotes among the accepted banknotes, the determination unit 1b stores a threshold value of the ratio of new banknotes or old banknotes to the total number of accepted banknotes for each type of banknote. When setting with the ratio of new banknotes, the threshold value is set such that, for example, the ratio of new banknotes is 90% of the total number of banknotes of the same type accepted within a predetermined period. The determination unit 1b is configured to switch from the control of accepting both new banknotes and old banknotes to the control of continuing to accept new banknotes and restricting the acceptance of old banknotes when it reaches 90% or more. Also, when setting with the ratio of old banknotes, the threshold value is set such that, for example, the ratio of new banknotes is 10% of the total number of banknotes of the same type accepted. The determination unit 1b is configured to switch from the control of accepting both new banknotes and old banknotes to the control of continuing to accept new banknotes and restricting the acceptance of old banknotes based on the acceptance status of new banknotes and old banknotes when it reaches 10% or less.

[0041] The determination unit 1b is configured to continue accepting new banknotes and perform one of the following controls to restrict the acceptance of old banknotes: without particularly changing the acceptance of new banknotes, either control not to accept old banknotes or control to narrow the determination criteria for determining that old banknotes are appropriate.

[0042] The control not to accept old banknotes means that when the determination unit 1b determines that it is an old banknote, it does not accept the old banknote regardless of whether it is within an appropriate numerical range. In this case, from the state of the inserted banknote acquired by the banknote information acquisition unit 1a, the determination unit 1b determines whether it is an old banknote or a new banknote, and if it is an old banknote, it is configured to perform control not to accept it.

[0043] As control to restrict the acceptance of old banknotes, the determination unit 1b is configured to perform control to gradually narrow the determination criteria for determining that old banknotes are appropriate. Specifically, the determination unit 1b gradually narrows the upper limit value or the lower limit value of the numerical range that is the determination criteria for determining as appropriate, and is finally configured to perform control not to accept old banknotes. For example, if the upper limit value of the numerical range in the case of no restriction is 100 and the lower limit value is 10, in the first stage, the upper limit value is set to 50, which is half of it. In the second stage, the upper limit value is set to 25. In the third stage, it is set to 13. Finally, it is configured to perform control not to accept old banknotes regardless of whether it is within an appropriate numerical range. Note that when restricting step by step, it may be restricted at the same ratio, or the ratio of restriction may be changed. The ratio of step-by-step restriction is stored in the storage unit 2b.

[0044] When the determination unit 1b performs control to restrict the acceptance of old bills, the control unit 2 is configured to transmit information for restricting the acceptance of old bills to the management server 20 that manages a plurality of vending machines 10. Further, the determination unit 1b is configured to switch from control for accepting new and old bills to control for continuing to accept new bills and restricting the acceptance of old bills by acquiring an instruction for restricting the acceptance of old bills from the management server 20 via the control unit 2. In this case, the vending machine 10 that has acquired the instruction from the management server 20 is configured to switch the control regardless of the consecutive input count of new bills and the ratio of old bills to new bills in the total number of bills inserted.

[0045] The management server 20 is configured to collectively manage a plurality of vending machines 10. For example, the management server 20 is configured to group a plurality of vending machines 10 for each region and transmit an instruction via the network 30 for each group. The content of the instruction includes, for example, an instruction for switching the control mode, an instruction regarding the content of the advertisement to be displayed on the display unit 5, an instruction regarding defrosting of the cooler in the storage, and the like.

[0046] Based on having acquired that a control mode for restricting the acceptance of old bills has been switched via the control unit 2 from the determination unit 1b of one vending machine 10, the management server 20 is configured to give an instruction to the determination unit 1b via the control unit 2 of the remaining plurality of vending machines 10 to switch from a control mode for accepting new and old bills to a control mode for continuing to accept new bills and restricting the acceptance of old bills. For example, one vending machine 10 is a vending machine 10 with a high usage frequency among the plurality of vending machines 10 included in one group. Further, based on having acquired that a control mode for restricting the acceptance of old bills has been switched from the determination unit 1b via the control unit 2 of one vending machine 10 for each type of bill, the management server 20 is configured to give an instruction to the determination unit 1b via the control unit 2 of the remaining plurality of vending machines 10 to switch from a control mode for accepting new and old bills to a control mode for continuing to accept new bills and restricting the acceptance of old bills.

[0047] The management server 20 may be configured not to issue an instruction to switch from the control of accepting both new banknotes, which are currently issued banknotes, and old banknotes, which are previously issued banknotes, according to the type of business of the vending machine 10, to the control of continuing to accept new banknotes and restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. The type of business of the vending machine 10 refers to the types of products sold, and is classified, for example, into non-alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages, foods, and cigarettes.

[0048] (Flow of switching control mode) Based on FIG. 3, the control when performing control to restrict the acceptance of old banknotes when a predetermined number or more of new banknotes are continuously accepted will be described. First, in step S1, depending on whether an instruction to switch from the control mode of accepting both new banknotes and old banknotes from the management server 20 via the control unit 2 to the control mode of continuing to accept new banknotes and restricting the acceptance of old banknotes is received, the steps for proceeding are different. If received, the process proceeds to step S5, and the determination unit 1b is configured to switch to the control of restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. If not received, the process proceeds to step S2.

[0049] In step S2, the steps for proceeding are different depending on whether a predetermined number or more of new banknotes have been continuously accepted. If a predetermined number or more of new banknotes have been continuously accepted, the process proceeds to step S3; otherwise, the process returns to step S1.

[0050] In step S3, the determination unit 1b switches to the control of restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. As the control of restricting the acceptance of old banknotes, the control that is set among the control of not accepting old banknotes in advance or the control of narrowing the determination criteria for determining old banknotes as appropriate is performed. Then, the process proceeds to step S4, and the determination unit 1b is configured to transmit to the management server 20 via the control unit 2 that the control of restricting the acceptance of old banknotes has been performed.

[0051] Based on FIG. 4, the control in the case of performing control to restrict the acceptance of old banknotes based on the fact that the ratio of new banknotes to the accepted banknotes is equal to or higher than a set value will be described. First, in step S11, the steps to proceed differ depending on whether an instruction to switch from the control mode of accepting both new and old banknotes to the control mode of continuing to accept new banknotes and restricting the acceptance of old banknotes is received from the management server 20. If it is received, the process proceeds to step S15, and the determination unit 1b switches to the control of restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. If it is not received, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0052] In step S12, the steps to proceed differ depending on whether the ratio of new banknotes to the accepted banknotes is equal to or higher than the set value. If the ratio of new banknotes is equal to or higher than the set value, the process proceeds to step S13; otherwise, the process returns to step S11.

[0053] In step S13, the determination unit 1b switches to the control of restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. As the control of restricting the acceptance of old banknotes, the control set in advance, which is either the control of not accepting old banknotes or the control of narrowing the determination criteria for determining old banknotes as appropriate, is performed. Then, the process proceeds to step S14, and the determination unit 1b is configured to transmit to the management server 20 that the control of restricting the acceptance of old banknotes has been performed.

[0054] (Effects of this Embodiment) In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0055] In this embodiment, as described above, the determination unit 1b is configured to switch from the control of accepting both newly issued banknotes, which are currently issued banknotes, and previously issued banknotes, which are old banknotes, to the control of continuing to accept newly issued banknotes and restricting the acceptance of old banknotes based on the acceptance status of newly issued banknotes and old banknotes. As a result, the determination unit 1b can obtain the timing when there is a partial switch from old banknotes to newly issued banknotes or the timing when there is a complete switch from newly issued banknotes to old banknotes based on the acceptance status of newly issued banknotes and old banknotes, and can switch to the control of restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the acceptance of old banknotes according to the circulation status of newly issued banknotes and strengthen the security against forgery of old banknotes. Further, by the determination unit 1b switching to the control of restricting the acceptance of old banknotes based on the acceptance status of newly issued banknotes and old banknotes, it is not necessary for the operator to switch the settings, and it is possible to suppress an increase in the labor of the operator.

[0056] Further, in this embodiment, as described above, the determination unit 1b is configured to perform either the control of not accepting old banknotes or the control of narrowing the determination criteria for determining that old banknotes are appropriate as the control of restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. As a result, by performing the control of not accepting old banknotes, it is possible to easily switch to the control of accepting only newly issued banknotes, and thus it is possible to improve the security by accepting only newly issued banknotes, which have higher security than old banknotes. Further, by narrowing the determination criteria for determining that old banknotes are appropriate, it is possible to strictly determine whether or not to accept old banknotes, which have lower security than newly issued banknotes, and thus it is possible to effectively strengthen the security of the vending machine 10.

[0057] Further, in this embodiment, as described above, the determination unit 1b is configured to perform the control of gradually narrowing the determination criteria for determining that old banknotes are appropriate as the control of restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. As a result, by gradually narrowing the determination criteria for determining that old banknotes are appropriate, it is possible to gradually narrow the determination criteria for determining that old banknotes are appropriate during the transitional period when switching from old banknotes to newly issued banknotes. Therefore, it is possible to continue accepting old banknotes according to the usage status of old banknotes while gradually reducing the number of accepted banknotes.

[0058] Also, in the present embodiment, as described above, the determination unit 1b is configured to gradually narrow the determination criteria for determining that an old bill is appropriate and finally perform control not to accept old bills. As a result, while gradually reducing the number of old bills to be accepted, it is possible to finally stop accepting old bills, so that without the operator's operation, it is possible to switch from the control of accepting both old bills and new bills to the control of accepting only new bills. Further, since only new bills with high security can be accepted by finally not accepting old bills, the security can be further enhanced.

[0059] Also, in the present embodiment, as described above, the determination unit 1b is configured to perform control to limit the acceptance of old bills based on the case where a predetermined number or more of new bills are continuously accepted or based on the ratio of new bills or old bills among the accepted banknotes. As a result, when a predetermined number or more of new bills are continuously accepted, it can be determined that the circulating banknotes have switched from old bills to new bills. Also, based on the ratio of new bills or old bills among the accepted banknotes, when it is obtained that the ratio of old bills has decreased and the ratio of new bills has increased, it can be determined that the switch has been made from old bills to new bills. As a result, at the timing of switching from old bills to new bills, it is possible to switch from the control of accepting both old bills and new bills to the control of restricting the acceptance of old bills.

[0060] Also, in the present embodiment, as described above, the determination unit 1b is configured to continue accepting new bills and switch to control for restricting the acceptance of old bills based on the acceptance status of new bills and old bills for each type of banknote. As a result, even when the timing of switching from old bills to new bills differs depending on the type of banknote, it is possible to restrict the acceptance of old bills in order from the switched banknotes.

[0061] Also, in the present embodiment, as described above, when the determination unit 1b performs control to restrict the acceptance of old banknotes, it is configured to transmit information for restricting the acceptance of old banknotes to the management server 20 that manages the plurality of vending machines 10. Further, by acquiring an instruction to restrict the acceptance of old banknotes from the management server 20, it is configured to switch from the control of accepting both new and old banknotes to the control of continuing to accept new banknotes while restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. As a result, when one vending machine 10 switches from the control of accepting both new and old banknotes to the control of continuing to accept new banknotes while restricting the acceptance of old banknotes, other vending machines 10 can also switch from the control of accepting both new and old banknotes to the control of continuing to accept new banknotes while restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. Consequently, in a plurality of vending machines 10 where the frequencies of using banknotes are different, when a vending machine 10 with a high frequency of using banknotes switches from the control of accepting both new and old banknotes to the control of continuing to accept new banknotes while restricting the acceptance of old banknotes, a vending machine 10 with a low frequency of using banknotes can also switch from the control of accepting both new and old banknotes to the control of continuing to accept new banknotes while restricting the acceptance of old banknotes.

[0062] Also, in the present embodiment, as described above, based on obtaining that the management server 20 has switched the control unit 2 of at least one vending machine 10 to a control mode that restricts the acceptance of old banknotes, the management server 20 issues an instruction to the determination unit 1b via the control units 2 of the remaining plurality of vending machines 10 to switch from a control mode that accepts new and old banknotes to a control mode that continues to accept new banknotes while restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. As a result, the management server 20 can obtain the timing when there is a partial switch from old banknotes to new banknotes or the timing when there is a complete switch from new banknotes to old banknotes based on the acceptance status of new and old banknotes, and switch to the control of restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the acceptance of old banknotes according to the circulation status of new banknotes and enhance the security against counterfeiting of old banknotes. In addition, since the determination unit 1b can switch to the control of restricting the acceptance of old banknotes based on the acceptance status of new and old banknotes, it is not necessary for the operator to switch the settings, and it is possible to suppress an increase in the labor of the operator. Furthermore, when at least one vending machine 10 switches from the control of accepting new and old banknotes to the control of continuing to accept new banknotes while restricting the acceptance of old banknotes, the other vending machines 10 can also switch from the control of accepting new and old banknotes to the control of continuing to accept new banknotes while restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. As a result, in a plurality of vending machines 10 with different usage frequencies, when the vending machine 10 with a high usage frequency switches from the control of accepting new and old banknotes to the control of continuing to accept new banknotes while restricting the acceptance of old banknotes, the vending machine 10 with a low usage frequency can also switch from the control of accepting new and old banknotes to the control of continuing to accept new banknotes while restricting the acceptance of old banknotes.

[0063] [Modification Example] The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered illustrative and non-restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the description of the above embodiment, and further includes all changes (modification examples) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0064] For example, in the present embodiment, the determination unit is configured to perform either control to not accept old banknotes or control to narrow the determination criteria for determining old banknotes as appropriate as control to restrict the acceptance of old banknotes. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In this case, the determination unit may limit the number of old banknotes to be accepted as control to restrict the acceptance of old banknotes.

[0065] Also, in the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the determination unit is configured to perform control to restrict the acceptance of old banknotes based on the case where a predetermined number or more of new banknotes are continuously accepted or based on the ratio of new banknotes or old banknotes among the accepted banknotes. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the determination unit may be configured to perform control to restrict the acceptance of old banknotes when a predetermined number of days have elapsed since the day when new banknotes were issued. In this case, an instruction regarding the number of days may be transmitted from the management server to the vending machine.

[0066] Also, in the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the determination unit is configured to continue accepting new banknotes and switch to control to restrict the acceptance of old banknotes based on the acceptance status of new banknotes and old banknotes for each type of banknote. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, regardless of the type of banknote, when a predetermined number or more of new banknotes are continuously accepted or based on the ratio of new banknotes or old banknotes among the accepted banknotes, the determination unit may be configured to continue accepting new banknotes and switch to control to restrict the acceptance of old banknotes.

[0067] Also, in the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the control unit is configured to transmit information restricting the acceptance of old banknotes to the management server when the determination unit performs control to restrict the acceptance of old banknotes. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, when the determination unit performs control to restrict the acceptance of old banknotes, the control unit may not transmit information restricting the acceptance of old banknotes to the management server.

[0068] Also, in the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the vending machine is configured to sell food and beverages. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the vending machine may sell tickets such as tickets.

[0069] Also, in this embodiment, an example in which the banknote discrimination device is used in a vending machine is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the banknote discrimination device may be used other than in vending machines. In this case, for example, it may be used in a change machine.

[0070] Also, in this embodiment, based on the fact that the management server has acquired that the determination unit of one vending machine has switched to the control mode for restricting the acceptance of old banknotes via the control unit, the management server is configured to instruct the determination unit via the control units of the remaining plurality of vending machines to switch from the control mode for accepting new and old banknotes to the control mode for continuing to accept new banknotes while restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, based on the fact that the determination units of two or more predetermined numbers of vending machines have acquired that they have switched to the control mode for restricting the acceptance of old banknotes via the control units, the management server may be configured to instruct the determination unit via the control units of the remaining plurality of vending machines to switch from the control mode for accepting new and old banknotes to the control mode for continuing to accept new banknotes while restricting the acceptance of old banknotes.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0071] 1 Banknote discrimination device 1a Banknote information acquisition unit 1b Determination unit 2 Control unit 10 Vending machine 20 Management server 100 Vending machine system

Claims

1. A banknote information acquisition unit that acquires identification information for identifying banknotes, and a determination unit that determines whether to accept a banknote based on the identification information acquired by the banknote information acquisition unit and a determination criterion for determining that a banknote is appropriate. The determination unit is configured to switch from a control mode that accepts both newly issued banknotes, which are currently issued banknotes, and old banknotes, which are previously issued banknotes, to a control mode that continues to accept newly issued banknotes and restricts the acceptance of old banknotes based on the acceptance status of newly issued banknotes and old banknotes. A banknote identification device.

2. The determination unit according to claim 1, wherein, as control for restricting the acceptance of old banknotes, the determination unit is configured to perform either control that does not accept old banknotes or control that narrows the determination criterion for determining that old banknotes are appropriate. Banknote identification device.

3. The banknote identification device according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit is configured to perform control to gradually narrow the determination criterion for determining that old banknotes are appropriate as control for restricting the acceptance of old banknotes.

4. The banknote identification device according to claim 3, wherein the determination unit is configured to gradually narrow the determination criterion for determining that old banknotes are appropriate and finally perform control not to accept old banknotes.

5. The determination unit according to claim 1, wherein when a predetermined number or more of newly issued banknotes are continuously accepted, or based on the ratio of newly issued banknotes or old banknotes among the accepted banknotes, control for restricting the acceptance of old banknotes is performed. Banknote identification device.

6. The banknote identification device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to switch from a control mode that accepts both newly issued banknotes and old banknotes to a control mode that continues to accept newly issued banknotes and restricts the acceptance of old banknotes based on the acceptance status of newly issued banknotes and old banknotes for each type of banknote.

7. A banknote identification device including a banknote information acquisition unit that acquires identification information for identifying banknotes, a determination unit that determines whether to accept a banknote based on the identification information acquired by the banknote information acquisition unit and a determination criterion for determining that a banknote is appropriate, and a control unit, a management server that manages the plurality of vending machines, at least one of the banknote identification devices of the vending machines switches to a control mode that restricts the acceptance of old banknotes based on the acceptance status of newly issued banknotes, which are currently issued banknotes, and old banknotes, which are previously issued banknotes, the control unit is configured to transmit to the management server that the determination unit has switched to a control mode that restricts the acceptance of old banknotes, The management server is configured to, based on obtaining that the control unit of at least one vending machine has switched to a control mode for restricting the acceptance of old banknotes, issue an instruction to the determination unit via the control units of the remaining plurality of vending machines to switch from a control mode for accepting new and old banknotes to a control mode for continuing to accept new banknotes while restricting the acceptance of old banknotes. A vending machine system.

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