| 摘要 |
An electronically controlled dispensing machine (10) for articles such as video cassettes has a plurality of individual lockable compartments (18). The compartments (18) have transparent doors (20) through which the articles can be identified. A customer presents a coded data storage token (16), with a credit amount stored on it to the machine (10), and selects and removes one or more articles. The machine (10) reduces the credit amount on the token accordingly. The articles can be returned to a vacant compartment in due course, and if the article is returned late, a further amount is deducted from the credit amount on the token (16). The token (16) is in the form of a key which contains a memory element, and a key receptacle (14) in the machine (10) has contacts for connecting the key memory element to a microprocessor system (30) which controls a solenoid-operated latch (24) in each compartment (18) and receives open/closed information on the state of the door (20) from a switch (26) and empty/occupied information from contacts (28) inside the compartment (18). A user prompting display (32) is also controlled by the system (30). |
