Vending machine and vending method and vending system therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11501594-B2
Application number	US-201916966435-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2019
Priority date	Feb 8, 2018
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

A vending machine ( 100 ) and a vending method and vending system ( 1000 ) therefor, the vending machine ( 100 ) comprising a machine body ( 10 ), a door body ( 20 ), and at least one layer of shelves ( 30 ) and a weighing device ( 40 ) that are installed inside the machine body ( 10 ). The vending method comprises: collecting the weight of products on a shelf before and after vending (S 1 ); calculating the difference of the change between the weight of the products on the shelf before vending and the weight of the products on the shelf after vending (S 2 ); and if the difference of the change is less than a first weight change threshold, issuing an alarm prompt (S 3 ), wherein the first weight change threshold is less than or equal to zero. Using the present invention may promptly determine the misplacement and replacement of the products without relying on an RFID tag.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vending method for a vending machine, the vending machine including a machine body, a door body, at least one shelf installed inside the machine body, an infrared sensing device disposed in the machine body, an imaging device, and a weighing device, and the vending method comprising:
acquiring a weight of a product on the shelf before and after a vending operation; and
issuing an alarm prompt in response that it is determined that a weight change is less than a first weight change threshold, wherein the weight change is a difference between the weight of the product on the shelf before vending operation and the weight of the product on the shelf after vending operation, and the first weight change threshold being less than or equal to zero;
capturing images of the product on the shelf before and after the vending operation;
issuing an alarm prompt in response to that it is determined according to the images before and after the vending operation that the product on the shelf increases;
controlling the weighing device and the imaging device to start operation in response to that the infrared sensing device detects that a hand leaves; and
controlling the weighing device and the imaging device to start operation in response to a door opening signal or a door closing signal is detected.

2. The vending method according to claim 1 , comprising:
determining that the weight change is greater than a second weight change threshold, and obtaining first vending information according to the weight change, wherein the second weight change threshold is greater than or equal to zero;
determining, based on the images before and after the vending operation, that the product on the shelf decreases;
obtaining second vending information based on a change of the images; and
issuing an alarm prompt in response to that it is determined that the first vending information is inconsistent with the second vending information.

3. The vending method according to claim 2 , comprising:
determining that the first vending information is consistent with the second vending information, and determining the first vending information or the second vending information as final vending information.

4. The vending method according to claim 2 , wherein the obtaining the first vending information based on the weight change comprises:
determining a vending category based on a position of the product; and
obtaining a vended number based on the weight change and a unit weight of the product of the vending category.

5. The vending method according to claim 2 , wherein each shelf is provided with at least one tray, each tray having a set identifier and configured to place a product of a predetermined category, and each shelf is provided with at least one weighing device at a bottom of the shelf; and
wherein obtaining the first vending information based on the weight change comprises:
obtaining a vending category based on the set identifier of the tray; and
obtaining a vended number based on the weight change of the product on the tray before and after the vending operation and a preset unit weight of the product of the vending category corresponding to the tray.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, having executable instructions stored therein that, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to implement acts comprising:
acquiring a weight of a product on a shelf of a vending device before and after a vending operation of the vending device;
determining a weight change between the weight before the vending operation and the weight after the vending operation; and
issuing an alarm prompt in response that it is determined that the weight change is less than a first weight change threshold, and the first weight change threshold being less than or equal to zero;
capturing images of the product on the shelf before and after the vending operation;
issuing an alarm prompt in response to that it is determined according to the images before and after the vending operation that the product on the shelf increases; and
controlling, one or more of the act of the acquiring the weight or the capturing the images in response to detecting a gesture, a door opening signal, and a door closing signal.

7. A vending machine, comprising:
a machine body, a door body, and at least one shelf installed inside the machine body;
a weighing device, disposed at a bottom of the shelf and configured to acquire weight of a product on the shelf before and after a vending operation;
a processing device, coupled to the weighing device and configured to calculate a weigh change between the weight of the product on the shelf before the vending operation and the weight of the product on the shelf after the vending operation, and issue a prompt control signal in response to the weigh change is less than a first weight change threshold, wherein the first weight change threshold is less than or equal to zero;
a prompting device, coupled to the processing device and configured to issue an alarm prompt based on the prompt control signal,
an imaging device, coupled to the processing device and configured to capture images of the product on the shelf before and after the vending operation; and
an infrared sensing device, disposed in the machine body and coupled to the processing device,
wherein:
the processing device is configured to determine based on the images before and after the vending operation that the product on the shelf increases, and to issue the prompt control signal;
the processing device is configured to control the weighing device and the imaging device to start in response to that the infrared sensing device detects that a hand leaves; and
the processing device is configured to control the weighing device and the imaging device to start in response to a door opening signal or a door closing signal is detected.

8. The vending machine according to claim 7 , wherein the processing device is further configured to obtain first vending information based on the weight change in response to that the weight change is greater than a second weight change threshold, determine based on the images before and after the vending operation that the product on the shelf decreases, obtain second vending information based on a change of the images, and issue the prompt control signal in response to that the first vending information is inconsistent with the second vending information, wherein the second weight change threshold is greater than or equal to zero.

9. The vending machine according to claim 8 , wherein the processing device is further configured to determine the first vending information or the second vending information as final vending information in response to the first vending information is consistent with the second vending information.

10. The vending machine according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a user information reading device, coupled to the processing device, and configured to read user information.

11. The vending machine according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a monitoring device, installed outside the machine body and configured to monitor a use environment of a user.

12. The vending machine according to claim 11 , wherein the monitoring device comprises:
an imaging module, coupled to the processing device and configured to acquire user and environment images in response to that a triggering signal is detected; and
a triggering module, connected to the imaging module and configured to issue the triggering signal in response to that a triggering instruction from a user is detected.

13. The vending machine according to cl

Assignees

• Hefei Midea Intelligent Tech Co Ltd
• Hefei Hualing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Dai Jiang
• Ji Tao
• Zhang Jielong
• Lv Xiufeng

Classifications

• G06K7/1417

  2D bar codes · CPC title

• G07C9/00571

  operated by interacting with a central unit · CPC title

• G07F11/06

  supported individually on pivotally-mounted flaps or shelves · CPC title

• G07F9/026 Primary

  for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty · CPC title

• G01G19/414

  using electronic computing means only · CPC title