Vending Machine Cashless Payment via Management Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vending machine systems require costly components for direct short-range wireless communication with mobile terminals, increasing costs when implementing cashless payment functions across multiple vending machines.
Innovation Solution
A vending machine management system that includes a mobile terminal and a separate management device, allowing identification information acquisition and payment processing without the need for direct communication hardware on the vending machines, using beacons for identification and a management server for payment processing and permission management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If each vending machine is equipped with direct communication components for mobile terminal communication, then cashless payment function can be implemented, but hardware cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a management device as an intermediary between the mobile terminal and the vending machine. The management device handles all communication with mobile terminals via short-range wireless communication, while the vending machine only needs basic communication components to communicate with the management device. This mediator approach eliminates the need for expensive direct communication hardware in each vending machine while enabling cashless payment functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into three independent parts: mobile terminal, management device, and vending machine. Each component has specific responsibilities - the mobile terminal handles user interface and payment processing, the management device handles communication with mobile terminals and coordinates vending machines, and the vending machine only handles product provision. This segmentation allows the expensive communication functionality to be centralized in the management device rather than distributed to each vending machine.
2Adaptability or versatility
If direct short-range wireless communication is implemented in each vending machine, then mobile terminal integration is enabled, but system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The management device serves as a central intermediary that handles all short-range wireless communication with mobile terminals. Vending machines only need basic communication capabilities to interact with the management device, not expensive direct mobile terminal communication hardware. This mediator architecture enables mobile terminal integration across the system while keeping individual vending machine costs low.
Solution Approach 2:
The management device performs multiple functions including communication with mobile terminals, coordination of vending machines, payment processing oversight, and system management. By consolidating these functions in a single device rather than replicating them in each vending machine, the system achieves mobile terminal integration capability while minimizing overall system cost.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile terminal (10) includes an identification information acquisition unit (101) configured to acquire identification information for identifying a vending machine (20), and a payment processing execution unit (104) configured to execute payment processing for receiving provision of a product or a service from the vending machine (20). A management device (30), which is a device separate from the vending machine (20) and the mobile terminal (10), includes an identification information reception unit (303) configured to receive the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit (101), a notification information reception unit (305) configured to receive predetermined notification information, which is transmitted to the management device (30) when payment processing is complete, and a provision permission unit (306) configured to permit, when the notification information is received, the vending machine (20) identified based on the identification information to provide the product or the service.