US 4,361,754 A · Record operated control system for a vending machine

Abstract

A record operated control system is provided for use with a vending machine and a record reading/writing apparatus having a read/write head for reading and writing data on a record during relative movement between the record and the read/write head. The control system includes a decoding circuit coupled with the read/write head for decoding data read from the record thereby. A data storage circuit is coupled with the decoding circuit for receiving and storing the decoded data. A comparing circuit compares at least a portion of the stored data to predetermined data and produces a compare signal if these data compare. A data altering circuit is responsive to the compare signal for altering the stored data in accordance with the amount of credit required to vend a selected item. An encoding circuit is coupled with the storage circuit and with the read/write head for causing writing of the altered stored data onto the record. A vend enable circuit is responsive to the compare signal and to the altering circuit and said encoding circuit for enabling the vending of said selected item only after the altering and writing of the stored data. A control circuit controls the sequence of operation of the control system in the foregoing sequence.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A record operated control system for a vending machine comprising:

a record reading/writing means, means for effecting relative movement between a record and said reading/writing means, decoding means coupled with said record reading/writing means for decoding data read from a record thereby upon said relative movement, data storage means coupled with said decoding means for receiving and storing said decoded data, comparing means for comparing at least a portion of said stored data to predetermined data and for producing a compare signal if said data compare, credit altering means responsive to said compare signal for altering the stored data in accordance with the amount of credit required to vend a selected item, encoding means coupled with said storage means and with said record reading/writing means for causing writing of said altered stored data onto said record, and vend enable means responsive to said compare signal and to said credit altering means and to said encoding means for enabling the vending of said selected item only after said altering and said writing of said stored data.

A record operated control system for a vending machine including a record reading/writing apparatus having read/write head means for reading and writing data on a record during relative movement between said record and said read/write head means, said control system comprising:

decoding means coupled with said read/write head means for decoding data read from said record thereby, data storage means coupled with said decoding means for receiving and storing said decoded data, comparing means for comparing at least a portion of said stored data to predetermined data and for producing a compare signal if said data compare, data altering means responsive to said compare signal for altering the stored data in accordance with the amount of credit required to vend a selected item, encoding means coupled with said storage means and with said read/write head means for causing writing of said altered stored data onto said record, vend enable means responsive to said compare signal and to said altering means and said encoding means for enabling the vending of said selected item only after said altering and said writing of said stored data, and control means for controlling the sequence of operation of said control system in a predetermined sequence.

A record operated control system for a vending machine including a record reading/writing apparatus having movable read/write head means for reading and writing data on a stationary record, said control system comprising:

decoding means coupled with said read/write head means for decoding data read from said record thereby, a microprocessor including data storage means coupled with said decoding means for receiving and storing said decoded data, comparing means for comparing at least a portion of said stored data to predetermined data and for producing a compare signal if said data compare, and data altering means responsive to said compare signal for altering the stored data in accordance with the amount of credit required to vend a selected item, encoding means coupled with said storage means and with said read/write head means for causing writing of said altered stored data onto said record, said microprocessor further including vend enable means responsive to said compare signal and to said altering means and said encoding means for enabling the vending of said selected item only after said altering and said writing of said stored data and control means for controlling the sequence of operation of said control system in a predetermined sequence.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Record operated control system for a vending machine

Life of this patent

Record operated control system for a vending machine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25