PAYMENT SYSTEM FOR A VENDING MACHINE

Abstract

Payment system for a vending machine with at least one money handling unit, for example a coin validator/money changer, bank note validator, card reader, hopper or the like, a PC, a single adaptor, which comprises a PC interface via which it may be connected to the PC, and which comprises a plurality of vending machine interfaces for different standards via which it may be connected to the money handing units, and PC software via which the money handling units are controlled.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described in more detail hereinafter with reference to two embodiments shown in four Figures, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a payment system according to the invention, in which the adaptor is constructed as an independent unit,

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a further embodiment of the invention, in which the adaptor is incorporated in a coin validator/money changer,

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of an adaptor according to the invention with connected money handling units,

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the modular construction of the PC software.

Claims

1. Payment system for a vending machine with at least one money handling unit, for example a coin validator/money changer, bank note validator, card leader, hopper or the like, a PC, a single adaptor, which comprises a PC interface via which it may be connected to the PC, and which comprises a plurality of vending machine interfaces for different standards via which it may be connected to the money handling units, and PC software via which the money handling units are controlled.

2. Payment system according to claim 1, characterised in that the adaptor comprises vending machine interfaces for at least two of the MDB, CCTalk or SimplexV standards.

3. Payment system according to claim 1, characterised in that the PC interface of the adaptor is a USB interface (universal serial bus), a fire wire interface (IEEE 1394) or an RS-232 interface.

4. Payment system according to claim 1, characterised in that the adaptor is incorporated in a money handling unit.

5. Payment system according to claim 1, characterised in that the adaptor is incorporated in a coin validator/money changer.

6. Payment system according to claim 1, characterised in that the PC software encompasses functions which are initiated by a user program which runs on the PC, so that the PC software controls a connected money handling unit, irrespective of which vending machine interface it is connected to.

7. Payment system according to claim 1, characterised in that the adaptor comprises a microcontroller which undertakes the data communication between the PC and the money handling units by converting the corresponding standards.

8. Payment system according to claim 1, characterised in that the PC software encompasses a central payment system control unit which communicates via the adaptor with the money handling units and via software modules with a user program, the payment system control unit exchanging data about the status of the money handling units and commands via the software modules with the user program.

9. Payment system according to claim 1, in which the PC software is designed as DLL (dynamic link library).

10. Payment system according to claim 1, in which the PC software is designed as exe- or config data.