Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02635745 2008-06-25
FACE PANEL ASSEMBLY WITH AN RFID MODULE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to an automatic vending
machine technology and more specifically, to a face panel assembly
with an RFID module for use with a bill/coin acceptor in an
automatic vending machine for enabling the automatic vending
machine to provide bill/coin/RFID stored-value card transaction
modes.
2. Description of the Related Art:
Following fast development of RFID (Radio Frequency
Identification) technology, RFID stored-value cards have been
intensively used in many places to substitute for conventional
paper cards and contact type magnetic cards for different
transactions. A paper card may be damaged easily when wetted or
curved. A contact type magnetic card requires direct contact, and
the stored data tends to be damaged by an external magnetic field.
Further, when using a paper card or a contact type magnetic card, a
user must take the paper card or the contact type magnetic card out
of the pocket or purse. Furthermore, during the use of the contact
type magnetic card, the user must insert the contact type magnetic
card through the sensing slot. On the contrary, when a RFID
stored-value card is used, the user needs no to take the RFID
i
CA 02635745 2008-06-25
stored-value card out of the pocket or purse, and the stored value
can be read by a RFID reader at a distance. Therefore, RFID
stored-value cards are widely invited by consumers.
Further, automatic vending machines are intensively used
everywhere in different countries around the world. An automatic
vending machine may accept bills. There are advanced automatic
vending machines using RFID technology. However, an automatic
vending machine using RFID technology has a specially designed
circuit architecture. A RFID reader-writer machine cannot be
directly used in a conventional automatic vending machine because
the circuit architecture of a conventional automatic vending
machine is not compatible.
When using a RFID reader-writer machine in an automatic
vending machine, the installation of the RFID reader-writer
machine greatly increases the dimension of the automatic vending
machine.
Further, when a user wishes to operate value-adding to a
RFID stored-value card, he (she) must go to a railway station, bus
station or rapid transport station to operate a RFID reader-writer
machine.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an automatic vending
machine, which has a RFID module incorporated in the bill/coin
acceptor thereof to provide multiple transaction modes while
2
CA 02635745 2008-06-25
saving installation space and to allow a user to operate
value-adding to a RFID stored-value card.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished under the
circumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the present
invention to provide a face panel assembly, which has an RFID
module incorporated therein for use with a bill/coin acceptor in a
conventional automatic vending machine, for enabling the
automatic vending machine to provide multiple transaction modes.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a
face panel assembly with a RFID module for automatic vending
machine, which saves the internal space of the automatic vending
machine, simplifies the control circuit arrangement of the
automatic vending machine, and facilitates the maintenance work
of the automatic vending machine.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide
a face panel assembly with a RFID module for automatic vending
machine, which allows a user to operate value-adding to a RFID
stored-value card.
To achieve these and other objects of the present invention,
the face panel assembly comprises a mounting flange for
detachably fastening to a bill/coin acceptor in the automatic
vending machine with screws, a slot for the insertion of a bill/coin
3
CA 02635745 2008-06-25
into the bill/coin acceptor, and a RFID module, which has a sensor
for sensing a RFID stored-value card for enabling the RFID module
to fetch stored data from the RFID stored-value card and to
transmit the fetched data to the automatic vending machine, and a
transmission interface (wired or wireless type) for communication
between the RFID module and the automatic vending machine.
Further, the face panel assembly can be provided with a sliding slot
for the sliding of a card (monetary card, credit card, chip card or
the like).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a face panel assembly in
accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram of the face panel assembly
according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing installation of
the face panel assembly in the automatic vending machine
according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an operation flow chart of the RFID module
according to the first embodiment of the present invention (I).
FIG. 5 is an operation flow chart of the RFID module
according to the first embodiment of the present invention (II).
FIG. 6 is an operation flow chart during the use of the face
panel assembly with the RFID stored-value card according to the
4
CA 02635745 2008-06-25
first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a face panel assembly in
accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is an elevational view of a face panel assembly in
accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is an elevational view of a face panel assembly in
accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is an elevational view of a face panel assembly in
accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. I1 is an elevational view of a face panel assembly in
accordance with a sixth embodiment of the present invention.
DETAII.ED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, a face panel assembly 1 in
accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is
shown for use in an automatic vending machine 3 for connection to
one side of an acceptor 31. The face panel assembly 1 is configured
subject to the transaction mode (bill, coin or token) of the
automatic vending machine 3, having mounted therein a RFID
module 2. Further, the face panel assembly 1 has at least one slot
11 disposed on the front side thereof, a set of operating buttons 12,
and a display screen 13 for displaying information. The face panel
assembly 1 further has a passage 111 backwardly extending from
the slot 11, and a mounting flange 14 with mounting through holes
5
CA 02635745 2008-06-25
141 for mounting.
Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 1 again, the RFID module 2 is
build in the face panel assembly 1, comprising a microprocessor 21
for processing data. The microprocessor 21 has electrically
connected thereto a data bus 211, an address bus 212, a control line
213, a data-address bus 214, a monitoring device 22, a memory 25
and a real time clock 26. The RFID module 2 further comprises a
RFID chip 23 electrically connected to the microprocessor 21
through the data bus 211, the address bus 212, the control line 213
and the data-address bus 214, and a sensor 24 electrically
connected to the RFID chip 23 for the induction of a RFID
stored-value card 4. The sensor 24 is disposed on the front side of
the face panel assembly 1.
The face panel assembly 1 is made by means of a
modularized production method subject to the transaction mode
(bill, coin or token) of the automatic vending machine 3. During
installation, as shown in FIG. 3, the face panel assembly 1 is
attached to the bill/coin acceptor 31 to have the mounting through
holes 141 of the mounting flange 14 of the face panel assembly 1 be
respectively affixed to respective mounting screw holes 311 of the
bill/coin acceptor 31 with a respective screw. After installation of
the face panel assembly 1, the passage 111 is kept in
communication with a bill/coin inlet 312 of the bill/coin acceptor
6
CA 02635745 2008-06-25
31. According to this first embodiment, the slot 11 of the face panel
assembly 1 is a bill slot, the acceptor 31 is a bill acceptor, and the
inlet 312 of the acceptor 31 is a bill inlet. When a person is using
the automatic vending machine 3, he (she) can insert a bill into the
bill slot 11 or approach the sensor 24 of the RFID module 2 at the
front side of the face panel assembly 1 with a RFID stored-value
card 4. When the RFID stored-value card 4 approaches the sensor
24, the sensor 24 reads in the data content of the RFID stored-value
card 4, and then the RFID module 2 transmits the obtained data
content to the automatic vending machine 3 for making a
transaction.
The RFID module 2 is connected to the automatic vending
machine 3 through a transmission interface 27. The transmission
interface 27 can be a wired transmission interface such as
IEEE1394, USB, STATA, IDE, RS232, serial SCSI or parallel SCSI,
or a wireless transmission interface such as antenna, radio
frequency, infrared, bluetooth technique or the like, that is capable
of transmitting data from the RFID module 2 to the automatic
vending machine 3. When changing the type of the face panel
assembly 1, the transmission interface 27 must be reset to have the
RFID module 2 be in connection with the automatic vending
machine 3.
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, during operation of the present
7
CA 02635745 2008-06-25
invention, the RFID module 2 runs subject to the following steps:
100 Start
101 Judge whether or not the system is failed? And then
proceed to step 102 when failed, or step 103 when normal.
102 The monitoring device 22 drives the microprocessor 21 to
start again.
103 Standby.
104 Judge whether or not the sensor 24 senses a RFID
stored-value card 4? And then proceed to step 105 when
positive, or return to step 103 when negative.
105 Establish a communication between the sensor 24 and the
RFID stored-value card 4, and judge whether or not the
RFID stored-value card 4 is repositioned? And then proceed
to step 106 when yes, or return to step 103 when not.
106 Judge whether or not the sensor 24 senses multiple RFID
stored-value cards 4? And then proceed to step 107 through
Y when the sensor 24 senses multiple RFID stored-value
cards 4, or step 108 through Z when not.
107 The sensor 24 fetches a serial number of every RFID
stored-value card 4 individually. And then proceed to step
108.
108 The sensor 24 operates the RFID stored-value card 4
subject to a selection so that the RFID stored-value card 4
8
CA 02635745 2008-06-25
sends its ID code to the sensor 24 for verification. And then
proceed to step 109 when the ID code of the RFID
stored-value card 4 is checked to be OK, or return to step
103 when the ID code is denied.
109 By means of the RFID chip 23, the microprocessor 21
operates the RFID stored-value card 4 and performs a
reading, writing, value-adding, value-deducting, storing,
transmitting or any other operation and to store a
transaction record in the memory 25, and drives the display
screen 13 to display the current operation status and the
transaction amount.
110 The clock 26 counts the time being consumed and feeds the
data to the automatic vending machine 3 for comparison.
As stated above, when the microprocessor 21 of the RFID
module 2 controls the RFID chip 23 to communicate with the RFID
stored-value card 4 by means of the sensor 24, the sensor 24 gives a
command of "Request std" to the RFID stored-value card 4. After
"Answer to Request (ATR)", the RFID stored-value card 4 sends its
tagtype to the sensor 24 to establish a communication so that the
sensor 24 reads in the serial number and the size byte of the RFID
stored-value card 4 and checks the correctness of the ID code.
When verified, the sensor 24 operates the RFID stored-value card 4
subject to a selection.
9
CA 02635745 2008-06-25
By means of the RFID chip 23, the microprocessor 21
operates the RFID stored-value card 4 to perform a reading, writing,
value-adding, value-deducting, storing, transmitting or any other
operation and to store the transaction record in the memory 25. As
stated above, the microprocessor 21 is electrically connected with
the RFID chip 23 by means of the data bus 211, the address bus 212,
the control line 213 and the data-address bus 214 so that data,
address and control signal transmission can be performed between
the microprocessor 21 and the sensor 23. Further, the memory 25 is
electrically connected to the microprocessor 21 so that the
microprocessor 21 can store each transaction record in the memory
25. Further, the clock 26 is electrically connected to the
microprocessor 21 to count each transaction time. When a
transaction starts, the microprocessor 21 utilizes the clock 26 to
transmit the transaction start time to the automatic vending
machine 3 and to count the time. When the transaction surpassed a
predetermined length of time, a related process can be preceded,
such as cancellation of the transaction, re-establishment of
communication with the RFID stored-value card 4, return of bill or
other process. Upon termination of the transaction, the
microprocessor 21 sends the transaction end time to the automatic
vending machine 3 so that the automatic vending machine 3 can
store or record the transaction time.
CA 02635745 2008-06-25
The aforesaid face panel assembly 1 allows the use of a bill
or a RFID stored-value card 4 to deal with the automatic vending
machine 3. A user can also use the automatic vending machine 3
(face panel assembly 1) to add a value to a RFID stored-value card
4. When a user (cardholder) using the automatic vending machine 3
(face panel assembly 1) to add a value to a RFID stored-value card
4, it runs subject to the following steps (see FIGS. 1 and 6):
200 The user holds a RFID stored-value card 4 in proximity to
the sensor 24.
201 The display screen 13 displays the balance of the RFID
stored-value card 4 and the user selects "Value-Adding" or
"Transaction". And then proceed to step 202 when
"Value-Adding" is selected, or step 209 when "Transaction"
is selected.
202 The user inserts a bill and then proceeds to step 203.
203 Check the authenticity of the inserted bill, and then proceed
to step 204 if the inserted bill is not authentic, or step 205
if the inserted bill is true.
204 End the transaction and return the inserted bill.
205 Display the value of the inserted bill, and then checks
whether the user selects "Value-Adding", and then return to
step 204 when the user does not select "Value-Adding", or
proceed to step 206 when the user selects "Value-Adding".
11
CA 02635745 2008-06-25
206 Judges whether or not the RFID stored-value card 4 has
been moved away? And then proceed to step 207 if the
RFID stored-value card 4 is still kept in position, or return
to step 204 if the RFID stored-value card 4 has been moved
away.
207 Value-adding is successful and displays the balance, and
then proceeds to step 208.
208 The user selects whether or not to continue "Value-Adding"?
And then return to step 202 when the user selects to
continue "Value-Adding", or proceed to step 208 when not.
209 End the transaction, and the user takes away the RFID
stored-value card 4.
210 Transmit the data of balance to the automatic vending
machine 3, and then proceed to step 211.
211 The user selects "Commodity" or "End Transaction" and
returns to step 209 when "End Transaction" is selected or
proceeds to step 212 when "Commodity" is selected.
212 Check whether or not the automatic vending machine 3
accepts the selection, and then proceed to step 213 when
the automatic vending machine 3 accepts the selection, or
returns to step 211 when the automatic vending machine 3
rejects the selection.
213 Deduct the transaction amount from the RFID stored-value
12
CA 02635745 2008-06-25
card 4, and then proceed to step 214.
214 Display the balance, and then proceed to step 215.
215 The transaction is ended, and the user picks up the
commodity.
Therefore, when a user holds a RFID stored-value card 4 in
proximity to the sensor 24 for a certain length of time, the
microprocessor 21 of the RFID module 2 establishes a
communication with the RFID stored-value card 4 through the
RFID chip 23 and the sensor 24, and then verifies the identity of
the RFID stored-value card 4. When the identity of the RFID
stored-value card 4 is identified to be effective, the microprocessor
21 drives the display screen 13 to display the value stored in the
RFID stored-value card 4. At this time, the user operates the
operating buttons 12 of the face panel assembly 1 to select the
desired operating mode. When "Value-Adding" is selected, the user
can then insert a bill through the bill slot 11 of the face panel
assembly 1 into the passages 111. At this time, the inserted bill is
carried by bill-transfer means of the bill acceptor 31 into the inside
of the bill acceptor 31 where the bill acceptor 31 checks the
authenticity and value of the received bill. When the authenticity of
the inserted bill is recognized, the microprocessor 21 of the RFID
module 2 drives the RFID chip 23 and the sensor 24 to write a
value-adding signal corresponding to the inserted bill into the
13
CA 02635745 2008-06-25
RFID stored-value card 4. When "Consumption" is selected, the
microprocessor 21 automatically gives the data of currently stored
value of the RFID stored-value card 4 to the automatic vending
machine 3, and the automatic vending machine 3 gives the data of
the transaction amount to the microprocessor 21 after the
transaction is finished, so that the microprocessor 21 displays the
transaction amount through the display screen 13, and deducts the
transaction amount from the RFID stored-value card 4 by means of
the RFID chip 23 and the sensor 24. When the user selected to end
the transaction, the microprocessor 21 displays the message
through the display screen 13, and the user retrieves the RFID
stored-value card 4. Further, the user can also use a bill to purchase
a commodity from the automatic vending machine 3 directly.
FIG. 7 shows a face panel assembly 1 in accordance with a
second embodiment of the present invention. According to this
embodiment, the slot 11 is a coin slot. In this case, the acceptor 31
(not shown) to be used with the face panel assembly 1 in an
automatic vending machine 3 (not shown) is a coin acceptor, and
therefore, the automatic vending machine 3 provides a coin
transaction mode and a RFID stored-value card transaction mode.
FIG. 8 shows a face panel assembly 1 in accordance with a
third embodiment of the present invention. According to this
embodiment, the slot 11 is a sliding slot for the sliding of a card
14
CA 02635745 2008-06-25
(monetary card, credit card, chip card or the like). In this case, the
acceptor 31 (not shown) to be used with the face panel assembly 1
in an automatic vending machine 3 (not shown) is a contact type
card reader, and therefore, the automatic vending machine 3
provides a card-sliding transaction mode and a RFID stored-value
card transaction mode.
FIG. 9 shows a face panel assembly 1 in accordance with a
fourth embodiment of the present invention. According to this
embodiment, the face panel assembly 1 has three slots 11, a first
one for the insertion of a coin, a second one for the insertion of a
bill, and a third one for the sliding of a card. The face panel
assembly 1 further has a card slot 15 for the insertion of a RFID
stored-value card 4. Therefore, the automatic vending machine 3 in
which the face panel assembly 1 of this fourth embodiment is used
provides multiple transaction modes.
FIGS. 10 shows a face panel assembly 1 in accordance with
a fifth embodiment. FIG. 11 shows a face pane assembly 1 in
accordance with a sixth embodiment of the present invention.
These two embodiments commonly have a platform 16. The sensor
24 is mounted in the platform 16 in a flush manner. A user can
place a RFID stored-value card 4 on the platform 16 corresponding
to the sensor 24 to make a transaction. According to the fifth
embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the platform 16 is disposed at the
CA 02635745 2008-06-25
top side of the face panel assembly 1. According to the sixth
embodiment shown in FIG. 11, the platform 16 protrudes
horizontally forwards at the bottom side of the face panel assembly
1.
As stated above, the invention provides a face panel
assembly 1 with an RFID module, which has the following features
and advantages:
1. In a conventional automatic vending machine having a bill/coin
acceptor and an add value machine, the bill/coin acceptor and
the add value machine are two separate devices that occupy
much internal space of the automatic vending machine. By
means of directly attaching a face panel assembly 1 constructed
in accordance with the present invention to a bill/coin acceptor
31 for use in an automatic vending machine 3, the size of the
automatic vending machine 3 can be greatly reduced. Because a
face panel assembly 1 constructed in accordance with the
present invention has an RFID module 2 incorporated therein,
the use of the bill/coin acceptor 31 with the face panel assembly
1 of the present invention in an automatic vending machine 3
saves the internal space, simplifies the circuit arrangement and
facilitates maintenance work.
2. Further, different models of the face panel assembly 1 can be
selectively used with different types of acceptors 31 for
16
CA 02635745 2008-06-25
different automatic vending machines 3. By means of the use of
a suitable model of the face panel assembly 1, the automatic
vending machine 3 provides a RFID stored-value transaction
mode, and a coin transaction mode and/or a bill transaction
mode.
3. Further, an automatic vending machine 3 using a face panel
assembly 1 constructed in accordance with the present invention
provides a value-adding function, allowing a user to operate
value-adding to a RFID stored-value card 4.
In conclusion, the invention provides a face panel assembly
1 having an RFID module 2, which is practical for use with a
bill/coin acceptor 31 in an automatic vending machine 3 to save
machine space and to facilitate machine maintenance work. The use
of the present invention in an automatic vending machine 3 enables
the machine to provide multiple transaction modes (bill, coin,
token and RFID transaction modes)
Although particular embodiments of the invention have
been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various
modifications and enhancements may be made without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the
invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
17
