Terminal Lending System

Abstract

The present invention provides a terminal lending system capable of efficiently implementing lending management and maintenance services. The structure adopted is: a reservation management server that manages the inventory or lending reservation information of the terminal; a terminal management server that distributes the disk image or update data of the operating system to the terminal; and a power supply control server that manages the system status and power supply status of the terminal based on the lending reservation information, the charging status of the terminal, and the distribution status of the disk image or update data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal lending system that provides a system for lending terminals to a plurality of users. Background Art

[0002] Various systems for managing a plurality of computers are known (Patent Documents 1 and 2, etc.) These systems are actually used as terminal management servers, which can always keep the operating system and security software up to date and start each terminal from any setting state.

[0003] The terminal management server was originally developed as a device for effectively managing multiple computers (client terminals) in schools, enterprises, etc. However, if the computer to be managed is a "battery-powered and easy-to-carry computer" such as a laptop computer or tablet computer (hereinafter referred to as a "terminal" in this manual), it is also possible to lend the terminal to multiple users for a fixed period of time and return it after use.

[0004] Prior Art Literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6072352;

[0007] Patent document 2: Japanese Patent No. 4808275. Summary of the invention

[0008] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0009] Therefore, a system is designed, in which one terminal is stored in each terminal storage unit, and the terminal storage unit is a storage device for storing multiple terminals, for example, obtained by dividing a storage space with a lock such as a locker, and the system has a function of managing the loan status of being loaned out or returned, and can automatically implement the update and charging of the operating system, etc. in the standby state from return to the next loan. In addition, the following problems arise based on this system.

[0010] First, the terminal during startup or charging is accompanied by heat. Therefore, if multiple terminals are started at one time, the heat generation will naturally increase. For example, with respect to a typical laptop in recent years, in order to cope with fast charging, the maximum power consumption of each unit sometimes reaches 100W. At this time, for example, in order to use it safely within 1500W (100V, 15A) of a circuit as a commercial power supply, the number of terminals that can be started or charged at the same time must be limited to 15 or less. In particular, if it is in a closed space such as a locker, there is also a risk of fire. Nevertheless, the use of a large cooling mechanism will also increase costs and is not realistic.

[0011] Furthermore, it is known that when a rechargeable battery is repeatedly charged, the performance of the battery deteriorates and the life span (number of repeated charge and discharge) is reduced. Therefore, although the terminal is not fully charged, it is not necessary to charge.

[0012] That is, when looking at the storage device as a whole, the following are indispensable:

[0013] Monitor the charging status of each terminal in standby mode and safely stop supplying power after charging is completed;

[0014] An upper limit is set for the number of terminals being charged, and terminals exceeding the upper limit are not powered on and are placed in a standby state.

[0015] This is a particularly important factor when the power required to supply multiple terminals exceeds the available commercial power supply, for example, when multiple storage appliances are installed in a location where only one commercial power circuit can be used.

[0016] Then, when the returned terminal is directly lent to the next user, information leakage and other problems may occur. Therefore, when the terminal is returned, it is necessary to at least return (restore) it to the state before the loan. Furthermore, in the case where the state of the memory needs to be changed after the return (specifically, for example, considering the update of the operating system, security software, etc., the rollback to the initial state, etc.), this operation also needs to be performed in sequence.

[0017] However, unlike a terminal that is fixedly installed and always connected to the network, it is not easy to update the system in the case of a terminal provided as a loan terminal. The reason is that the terminal must be remotely and selectively activated in a non-powered state. In addition, when connected to the network interface wirelessly, the network bandwidth is likely to be insufficient and the connection is likely to become unstable. In the case of a wired connection, a LAN cable or the like needs to be reliably connected to the terminal.

[0018] In this regard, for example, if only the operating system is updated, it can be dealt with by simply powering on the terminal to start the operating system and applying the patch. However, if the patch is applied repeatedly to each terminal, each terminal will have a different disk state after the update, so it is not suitable for the purpose of stably operating multiple terminals. That is, "system update" refers to a broad concept that includes not only "OS update, setting change", but also "OS installation", "operation to unify the status of multiple terminal disks by deleting the previous user's usage history (restoration operation)", etc.

[0019] Therefore, as a practical operational issue, the cables required at the time of return are correctly and reliably connected to the terminals. The reason is that if the charging cable is not correctly connected, charging cannot be started, and if the communication cable is not correctly connected, the system cannot be updated, etc. Furthermore, in the case where the charging cable and the communication cable are separated independently, multiple cables need to be connected, which places an excessive burden on the user. The risk of users forgetting to connect accidentally or the connection being unreliable cannot be ignored. During repeated connections, cables, connectors, etc. may also be damaged. These problems are the main reasons that hinder long-term unmanned operation. On the other hand, as mentioned above, from the perspective of the power supply circuit and heat generation, it is necessary to avoid a system in which all terminals connected to the charging cable are immediately transferred to a charging state or a power-on state.

[0020] Furthermore, a system with high scalability that can lend out more terminals is preferred. The scalability here includes a system that can lend out multiple terminals at one location and a system that can handle the installation of multiple such locations.

[0021] The present invention is made in view of the above problems, and its main purpose is to solve at least one of the above technical problems. Specifically, it provides a terminal lending system that can efficiently implement lending management and maintenance services.

[0022] Methods used to solve problems

[0023] The terminal lending system of the present invention comprises:

[0024] A reservation management server manages the inventory or lending reservation information of the terminal;

[0025] a terminal management server that distributes disk images or update data of the operating system to the terminal;

[0026] A power supply control server manages the system status and power supply status of the terminal based on the lending reservation information and information related to the charging status of the terminal and the distribution status of the disk image or update data.

[0027] According to such a structure, the power supply control server can limit the number of terminals that can be charged at the same time and the number of terminals that can be started at the same time. By limiting the total power consumption of the system as a whole, it has the advantage of being able to suppress the heat generated by the terminal to a safe level. In addition, in the case of unmanned management, there may also be a "terminal locker having a terminal storage unit for locking and storing the terminal". In this case, the power supply control server can also manage the locking state of the terminal storage unit. The function of the locker is to physically store the terminal safely, that is, to prevent it from being taken out unintentionally. In this regard, for example, like the bookshelves and librarians in the library, if the storage place of the terminal and the minimum manpower for borrowing and returning management can be ensured, there is no need for a physical storage device like a locker or a "locker control server" structure that is only used to manage its locked state.

[0028] Effects of the Invention

[0029] According to the terminal lending system of the present invention, it is possible to provide a terminal lending system capable of efficiently performing lending management and maintenance tasks. In addition, "high efficiency" means that the burden on the system administrator who is mainly the lender can be minimized. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1-1 It is an overall structural diagram showing an implementation method of the terminal lending system.

[0031] Figure 1-2 This is an example (Embodiment 1) in which the present system is constructed by arranging a plurality of terminal lockers 20 in parallel.

[0032] Figure 2-1 1 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of the terminal locker 20 .

[0033] Figure 2-2 This is a photograph of a sample of the terminal locker 20 taken from the front and above.

[0034] Figure 2-3 This is a photograph taken from above with the top cover of the sample terminal locker 20 removed.

[0035] Figure 3-1 (A) is a perspective view showing a state where the terminal C is stored in the terminal storage unit 21 of the terminal locker 20 . Figure 3-1 (B) is a perspective view showing a state where the terminal C is removed (ie, being loaned out).

[0036] Figure 3-2 (A) is a schematic structural diagram showing an improved terminal storage unit (single unit). Figure 3-2 (B) in FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state where the terminal tray 21 a of the terminal storage section 21 is pulled out.

[0037] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram for explaining the structure of the terminal locker control unit 28.

[0038] Figure 5-1 2 is a functional block diagram showing the terminal management box 22 .

[0039] Figure 5-2 This is an actual configuration example of the block diagram shown in FIG5 .

[0040] Figure 6 2 is a functional block diagram showing the data signal system of the terminal locker control unit 28 .

[0041] Figure 7 This is a functional block diagram related to the power supply system of the terminal locker control unit 28.

[0042] Figure 8-1 It is a processing flow chart of the terminal management box.

[0043] Figure 8-2 This is a photo to explain the lending process flow.

[0044] Figure 9-1 This is a processing flow chart of the return step.

[0045] Figure 9-2 This is a photo to explain the process flow of the return procedure.

[0046] Fig.10 It is a process flow chart of the investigation steps.

[0047] Fig.11 is a flow chart of the charging and management steps.

[0048] Fig.12 This is a flowchart of the lending process.

[0049] Fig.13 (A) is a processing flow chart during power supply standby. Fig.13 (B) is a processing flow chart when power supply is released.

[0050] Fig.14 This is a processing flow chart of the lending standby step.

[0051] Fig.15 This is another example (Example 2) of the terminal lending system 10 described in the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] First embodiment

[0053] (Overall structure)

[0054] Figure 1-11 is an overall structural diagram showing an implementation method of the terminal lending system. In this example, the terminal lending system 10 is mainly composed of a terminal lending management device 100 and a terminal locker 20. The terminal lending management device 100 has a reservation management server 50, a power supply control server 60, a terminal management server 70, etc. Moreover, it has a structure that is connected to the terminal locker 20 via a local area network via a control Ethernet switch 1 and a communication Ethernet switch 2. As other structures, an operating unit 12 having a touch panel display unit 12a, a card reader 12b, a camera 12c for reading a QR code (registered trademark) attached to the terminal C, a speaker (not shown) for providing a voice guidance function, etc., an access node 13 of a wireless LAN for implementing access to the Internet, etc. may also be provided.

[0055] In addition to realizing the function of a locker for physically storing the terminal C (as shown in the text, locked and restricted from being taken out), the terminal locker 20 also implements control of switching whether to power on each terminal even when a charging cable is connected, in order to prevent the load on the power circuit caused by starting or charging multiple terminals at one time. In addition, the terminal locker 20 connects each terminal to an external network (such as the Internet) via a network switch, and is connected to the reservation management server 50, the power supply control server 60, the terminal management server 70, etc. via the network.

[0056] In addition, Figure 1-1 In the terminal lending management device 100 shown, all server types (i.e., the terminal management server 70, the power supply control server 60, and the reservation management server 50) are set near the terminal locker 20 (within the local area network in the physical sense), but if sufficient network bandwidth and reliability can be ensured, they can also be set in a cloud, other bases, or other locations different from the terminal locker.

[0057] (Terminal Locker)

[0058] Figure 2-1 : This is a schematic structural diagram showing a terminal locker 20. The terminal locker 20 is a device for storing terminals C inside, and has a plurality of terminal storage sections 21. In addition, a terminal management box 22 is provided adjacent to the terminal storage section 21. In addition, one terminal locker control section 28 is bound to one terminal locker 20. However, a structure in which one terminal locker control section 28 controls a plurality of terminal lockers 20 is also possible. The terminal locker control section 28 has the function of a distribution board for distributing power to each terminal, and the function of a switching hub for branching LAN cables. The branched LAN cables and power cables are sent to the respective terminal management boxes 22, where they are combined with one cable and connected to the terminal.

[0059] Figure 2-3The terminal locker control unit 28 is photographed with the top plate of the trial terminal locker 20 removed. The device seen on the lower side of the paper is a switching hub 53, and the device seen on the upper side of the paper is provided with a switchboard 54. In addition, the switching hub 53 is a device that bears Figure 1-1 and Figure 1-2 The control Ethernet switch 1 and the communication Ethernet switch 2 are shown to function together. The size of a terminal locker 20 produced on trial is, for example, about 900 mm in width, 450 mm in height, and 450 mm to 500 mm in depth.

[0060] Figure 2-2 This is a photograph of a sample of the terminal locker 20 taken from the front and above. An operation unit 12 having a display unit 12a, a card reader 12b, a camera 12c, etc. is provided on the top plate of the terminal locker 20, and a speaker (not shown) is further connected to the terminal locker 20.

[0061] Whether to associate a plurality of terminal lockers 20 with one terminal locker control unit 28 is an important consideration in order to efficiently lend to a large number of users in a short time. The reason is that it is also assumed that when too many terminals are kept in one terminal locker, users may queue up and have waiting time when lending and returning.

[0062] -About Terminal Management Box 22-

[0063] Generally, taking a public locker that can also charge fees in IC card authentication used in stations, etc. as an example, a locker for one person requires a key, a key sensor, and a cable (the cable is mainly a signal line for a sensor, LED or key control signal, etc.). In the case of a normal locker, at least 10 (5 pairs) cables are required for a locker for one person, and most of them are examples of multiple cables set up for every 20 or 50 people. In this way, in order to avoid the wiring becoming complicated due to a large number of cables, the signal lines are generally collected and organized by using a "terminal board" for distributing various signal lines to multiple terminals. However, even if a "terminal board" is used, the large number of signal lines has the disadvantages of reduced maintainability and easy cost increase.

[0064] Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, by preparing to set a terminal management box 22 in each terminal, a structure that does not require the collection of signal lines on a terminal board is adopted. Figure 5-1 and 5-2, explaining the structure of the terminal management box 22. Since the terminal management box 22 is used and each locker is controlled by the terminal management box 22, there is no need for a terminal board, which increases the freedom of the structure. In addition, since there is no need for a terminal board, the structure of the terminal management box 22 is also greatly simplified. In addition, since the terminal locker control unit 28 does not have functions other than branching the power cord and LAN cable, the terminal management box 22 can be directly controlled by the power supply control server 60 via the network (LAN), so there is an advantage of being able to separate the functions of the power supply control server 60 and the terminal locker control unit 28.

[0065] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the terminal locker control unit 28.

[0066] The terminal locker control unit 28 includes a power tap 31 , a UPS 32 , an AC / DC converter 33 , a NFB (No Fuse Breaker) 34 , a control Ethernet switch 35 , a communication Ethernet switch 36 , a terminal management box control power supply 37 , and a power circuit unit 30 .

[0067] The power circuit unit 30 is a power circuit for supplying power to the terminal C via the terminal management box 22. The AC adapter provided when the terminal is purchased may be used, or one or more dedicated power circuits may be provided in the terminal locker control unit 28 and distributed to each terminal management box 22. In addition, the main function of the terminal locker control unit 28 is to branch the power line and the LAN wiring to the number of terminal management boxes 22, so the power circuit may also be provided outside the terminal locker control unit 28.

[0068] In the power circuit unit 30 , it is preferable to provide a relay circuit such as SSR (Solid State Relay) in series with the power circuit.

[0069] In this way, the advantage of configuring a relay circuit such as an SSR in the power supply circuit is that it is possible to suppress the surge current when the commercial power supply is connected.

[0070] On the other hand, when power is supplied uniformly to all terminals, heat may be generated or the capacity of the power circuit may be too large, so it is necessary to switch on and off the power for each terminal while confirming the power status of the terminal. This control is not implemented by the "terminal locker control unit 28" that is associated with multiple terminals, but by the power supply control server 60 and each terminal management box 22 adjacent to each terminal storage unit 21. The terminal management box 22 has the advantage of being able to remotely start the terminal using the Wake on Power Supply function even when the terminal cannot be started via WoL (Wake on LAN) via the network. Thereafter, refer to Figure 5-1 , explaining the structure and operation of the terminal management box 22.

[0071] All cables in the terminal locker control unit 28 (1. control network, 2. communication network, 3. terminal power supply, 4. SSR control signal, 5. power supply control unit power supply) and multiple terminal management boxes 22 ( Figure 2-1 , Figure 3-1 ) connection, 2. communication network and 3. terminal power supply are connected to the terminal via cable 23.

[0072] Figure 4 The power circuit unit 30 shown by the dotted line is arranged at a position adjacent to the terminal locker control unit. In this example, the power circuit unit 30 is arranged on the bottom surface of the terminal locker control unit 28, and a plurality of terminal management boxes 22 are arranged directly below it. The terminal management box control power supply 37 is a distribution circuit of a DC power supply for power distribution, and the power supply to various switching hubs (control and communication Ethernet switches 1, 2) and the equipment in each terminal management box 22 (power supply control unit and electronic lock, etc.) supplied with power from here is backed up by UPS32. Therefore, according to the structure of this embodiment, key management can be performed within a fixed time even when there is a power outage. In addition, although it is less necessary to connect the communication Ethernet switch 2 to UPS32, in order to extract the DC power supply in the terminal locker control unit 28, the power input unit of the communication Ethernet switch 2 has to be connected here, so this connection is adopted.

[0073] Figure 6 This is a functional block diagram related to the data signal system of the terminal locker control unit 28. The terminal management box 22 is connected to the control Ethernet switch 1 and the communication Ethernet switch 2, respectively.

[0074] Figure 7 This is a functional block diagram related to the power supply system of the terminal locker control unit 28. The power branched by the power tap 31 is converted into a DC power supply via the power circuit unit 30 and sent to each terminal via each terminal management box 22. Whether to power on is determined based on the relay control signal (SSR control signal) sent from the terminal management box 22 (specifically, the power supply control unit 41 described later).

[0075] -About Terminal Management Box 22-

[0076] Figure 5-1 The left side of the drawing shows the five power lines or data lines connected to the terminal locker control unit 28. That is, the numbers marked on the signal lines in the figure are the same as those on the right side of the drawing. Figure 4 The numbers of the five cables described in (1. Control network, 2. Communication network, 3. Terminal power supply, 4. SSR control signal, 5. Power supply for power supply control unit) correspond.

[0077] In addition, an ammeter 40 is connected to the terminal power line 3 supplied from the power circuit. The ammeter 40 is connected to the power supply control unit 41, and the measured value is sent to the power supply control unit 41. The power supply control unit 41 is a so-called IoT control device (microcomputer, etc.) with built-in Linux (registered trademark), embedded OS, etc., and is assigned an IP address to control the power supply to the terminal C, which is stored in the terminal storage unit 21 arranged next to the terminal management box 22. In addition, the data required for control is exchanged with other terminal management boxes and various servers via the control network (signal line 1). In addition to controlling the power-on state of the terminal C, the PD controller 42 also has the function of controlling the interface of the terminal C.

[0078] Specifically, by investigating the charging status of terminal C connected to the charging cable, the power consumption required to start terminal C is calculated. A power supply control unit 41 is provided in each terminal management box 22, and an IP address is assigned to each power supply control unit 41. The power supply control server 60 starts terminal C and conducts a survey related to power consumption in order to obtain the charging status of terminal C through the PD controller 42. Therefore, by investigating and grasping the status of all terminals through all terminal management boxes 22, it is possible to control the power consumption of terminal C as a whole system. In this way, a power supply control mechanism is formed, which determines whether to start power supply according to the maximum power that each terminal can consume when starting each terminal and starts power supply on this basis. In addition, when power is supplied to the cable connected to terminal C, charging of terminal C is started only when the inspection mechanism on the terminal side determines that charging is required.

[0079] In addition, regarding the start of power supply to terminal C, it is preferred that both "power is supplied by the control of the SSR" and "power supply is set by the PD controller 42" are used as conditions. The reason is that the main purpose of the former is to "prevent surge power when the commercial power supply is connected", while the main purpose of the latter is to "make the total power consumption not exceed the specified value", so the content and purpose of control are different. Then, control is performed in a manner that does not exceed the maximum power supply power by whether the power supply control server 60 issues permission in response to the request of the power supply control unit 41.

[0080] The main function of the power supply control unit 41 is as described above, but a structure that can also be adopted is that when the terminal C is returned to the terminal storage unit 21, the power supply control unit 41 further implements control so that the terminal storage unit 21 cannot be locked before detecting that the connector 23a at the front end of the cable 23 is properly connected to the terminal C. In this way, the user will not forget the connection of the cable by mistake and fail to connect it correctly. Similarly, when lending, that is, when taking out the terminal C from the terminal storage unit 21, the terminal storage unit 21 can also be unlocked after detecting that the cable is properly removed from the terminal C. When the lock is unlocked before the cable is removed, the cable may be damaged, but such human errors can be prevented.

[0081] Figure 5-1 The power line 5 shown is a DC power supply supplied from the terminal management box control power supply 37 and is a power line for supplying power to the power supply control unit 41 .

[0082] A temperature sensor 43 may be provided in either the terminal storage unit 21 or the terminal management box 22 to monitor the temperature of the terminal C, and a contact sensor 44 may be used to detect whether the terminal C is stored in an appropriate position.

[0083] A locking mechanism 24, a movable stick 25 (25a, 25b), and an information display unit 26 may also be provided in the terminal management box 22. The locking mechanism 24 is used to be set to a state that restricts the removal of the terminal C. The movable stick 25 is used to adjust the depth and height according to the size of the terminal C. The information display unit 26 is used to display various information related to the terminal C stored in the adjacent terminal storage unit 21 (such as charging status, update status, whether there is an appointment, etc.).

[0084] - Configuration Example -

[0085] Figure 5-2 express Figure 5-1 The actual structure example of the block diagram shown. In the case of USB-TypeC, data is represented by Tx / Rx and D+ / D-, power is represented by Vcc, and control signals are represented by CC1 / CC2. The LED is set on a substrate inside the terminal management box 22, and the light-emitting portion is configured to be exposed from the frame of the terminal management box 22 and visible from the outside. In order to show this, Figure 5-2 In the example, the LED is located on the boundary line of the terminal management box 22.

[0086] Figure 5-1 The power supply control unit 41 in Figure 5-2 A small board computer called NanoPi is used in the system. Since Linux (registered trademark) is installed and a network interface capable of high-speed communication is installed, it can function as a power supply control unit 41. In addition, Figure 5-1 and Figure 5-2 The position of the ammeter 40 is different because, Figure 5-1 As shown in the figure, it is configured on the DC power supply side in the initial design step, and in the prototype machine, Figure 5-2 The configuration is configured on the Type C cable side. The configuration of measuring the current flowing into the power supply control unit 41 and controlling the power supply by the PD controller does not change, and any configuration is considered to be adopted in the end.

[0087] -About the terminal storage unit 21-

[0088] When the terminal C is stored in the terminal storage unit 21, it can be locked, that is, it can be restricted from being taken out. In addition, "terminal C" refers to any "computer that is easy to carry and equipped with a battery" as described above. As a typical example, it corresponds to a laptop computer or a tablet computer. At least one terminal locker 20 is required in the terminal lending system 10 in a base, but if Figure 1-1 As shown, the number of terminals that can be lent out in one location can be increased by installing multiple terminals. In addition, in each terminal storage unit 21, a cable 23 for distributing a disk image or update data of a charging and operating system from a terminal management box 22 is provided.

[0089] Figure 3-1 (A) is a three-dimensional diagram showing the state in which the terminal C is stored in the terminal storage section 21 of the terminal locker 20. As shown in the figure, the terminal management box 22 is arranged in parallel adjacent to each terminal storage section 21. The terminal storage section 21 and the terminal management box 22 correspond one-to-one, and the number of the two is the same. In this way, by attaching a label to the terminal management box 22, it is easy to clearly indicate where the cable 23 of the terminal C should be connected, so management becomes very easy. It is also possible to adopt a structure in which the cable 23 is suspended from the upper part of the terminal management box 22, and the connector 23a at the end of the cable 23 is connected to the terminal C.

[0090] Figure 3-1 (B) is a perspective view showing a state where the terminal C is removed (i.e., being loaned out). As shown in the figure, when the connector 23a is removed from the terminal C, the cable 23 can be hung from the upper part of the terminal management box 22. According to such a structure, even when a plurality of terminal storage sections 21 are provided, the cable 23 will not become an obstacle when storing the terminal C, and it is very convenient to use. As another method, the cable 23 can also be set as a winding type.

[0091] Here, the cable 23 preferably has an interface based on the "USB3.1PD" standard connected by a "USB-TypeC" type connector 23a, for example. The reason is that according to this interface, both charging and bidirectional data communication can be performed without connecting a charging cable and a data communication cable (such as a LAN cable) separately. That is, the cable is preferably a cable connected by a single interface that can realize both charging and data communication interfaces such as a USB-TypeC cable (hereinafter also referred to as a "USB-C cable") connected to USB3.1PD or its upward compatible or similar interfaces.

[0092] In addition, the word PD included in the "USB3.1PD" interface means the first two words of Power Delivery. The maximum power curve of USB-PD can provide up to 100W (usually 20V / 5A). Therefore, it can also handle fast charging. In addition, it can monitor the charging status and number of charging terminals as the management object, and charge them sequentially and efficiently.

[0093] In the USB3.1PD interface, the power of the terminal can also be turned on by external control, the operating system can be started, and data communication with the outside can be carried out after starting. Importantly, by connecting a single cable, the charging required for the next loan and the update of the operating system can all be carried out during the storage of the terminal C.

[0094] However, soon after each user uses each terminal, the state of the hard disk is changed to a normal state relative to the state before the loan due to the use of the terminal. In such a state, when a patch is applied to the operating system of each terminal, an update of security software is implemented, etc., the state of the hard disk is different for each terminal. Therefore, "update" includes a recovery operation. For example, it includes a case where data added by a user using a terminal is deleted before updating.

[0095] In addition, in the case of a terminal that is not equipped with a USB3.1 PD Type C cable, it is sometimes necessary to separately connect a cable for battery charging and a cable connected to an interface for data communication (such as a LAN cable). In addition, after the terminal is started, after the necessary operations (such as updating the operating system) are performed through a remote connection, it can be shut down through a remote connection, but in order to turn on the power at any time through remote access from the outside, it is necessary to set up LAN wake-up (Wake on LAN), etc., and at least two cables (power cable and LAN cable) must be connected. In addition, since the monitoring of the charging status is only performed when the operating system is started, although it can be implemented, the efficiency is low. As an interface for data communication, external interfaces such as USB2.0 or e-SATA can also be considered, but generally the power cannot be turned on through these interfaces. In addition, since the connection of cables requires a lot of work from the user, it is not realistic.

[0096] (Improvement of the terminal storage section 21)

[0097] At the beginning of development, the appearance of the locker of storage terminal C was assumed to be Figure 2-1 , Figure 3-1 (A) and Figure 3-1 However, in this structure, when taking the terminal C out of the housing, the initial operation is a one-hand operation of "pinching the terminal C and pulling it out", so it is difficult to carefully operate the terminal C with both hands. When the terminal C is completely pulled out with one hand, when the terminal C is pulled out of the housing, the downward force based on the entire load of the terminal C is applied to the fingers that are unstably pinching the terminal C with one hand, which may cause the terminal C to fall and be damaged.

[0098] Therefore, Figure 3-2 (A) and Figure 3-2 The track type shown in (B) has been improved.

[0099] Figure 3-2 (A) is a schematic structural diagram showing an improved terminal storage unit (single unit). Figure 3-2 (B) in FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state where the terminal tray 21 a of the terminal storage section 21 is pulled out.

[0100] That is, a plurality of rail-type trays are provided on the frame of the terminal locker, and the rails can be locked when stored in the frame. According to such a structure, when taking the terminal C out of the locker, the user first pulls out the rails horizontally as the first action, and then naturally promotes the "two-stage (2Way)" action of lifting the terminal C while firmly holding the terminal C with both hands as the second action.

[0101] (Reservation Management Server)

[0102] The reservation management server 50 manages the lending reservation information of the terminal C stored in the terminal storage unit 21. For example, in addition to obtaining information required for reservation management from the user via the Internet, the date and time available for lending are calculated based on information related to the charging status of each terminal obtained from the terminal locker 20, and the progress of the distribution of the disk image of the operating system of each terminal or the distribution of its update data.

[0103] In the present invention, "reservation management" refers to not only the reservation for lending, but also the user authentication when lending and the processing actions when returning. On the contrary, in the case of only managing the "remaining number" that can be lent, it is also handled as "reservation management". In addition, "reservation management server" refers to a system that provides a structure for authenticating users when lending, and it is not necessary to operate via networks such as the Internet and intranet. If an idle terminal is lent immediately after the reservation on the spot, it is also possible to authenticate the individual on the spot when lending. User authentication can use an existing authentication system, such as an authentication system of an IC card using existing NFC (near field communication) technology such as a student ID card and a transportation system card, or it can be authenticated by a user name and password. However, in the authentication of only IC cards, since it is impossible to cope with the situation of IC card authentication by others, it is also possible to use known multiple authentication methods such as pre-addition of authentication based on passwords, emails and / or short messages to improve security.

[0104] However, in relation to "reservation management", it is extremely important to manage "to whom" the terminal is lent when lending, whereas it is important to return the lent terminal when returning it, and it is not particularly important "by whom" the return operation is performed. That is, it is also possible to authenticate the user when lending and identify the terminal when returning it. For example, by pasting a QR code (registered trademark) on the main surface of the terminal, a QR code (registered trademark) reader is set on the operating terminal of the locker to identify the "terminal". In this way, when returning, no matter who returns the terminal, at least which terminal of the lent terminal is returned can be identified. The user does not need to carry an IC card when returning it, or can also entrust someone else to return it. In this way, asymmetry can also exist in personal authentication and terminal identification when lending and returning it. In addition, as a structure for identifying the terminal, an example of a QR code (registered trademark) is cited, but a label-like mark can also be pasted on the terminal itself, and a barcode can be read with an infrared sensor, etc. As long as it is a structure for identifying the terminal, a known method can be used. In this case, the "reservation management server 50" has a structure for authenticating individuals (such as an IC card reader) and a structure for identifying terminals (such as a QR code (registered trademark) reader). In addition, in order to effectively lend and return to a large number of users, it is preferred to set one for each terminal locker 20 or one for a group of a small number of terminal lockers. Thus, the "reservation management server" does not need to be composed of only one server, but also includes a method in which a reservation management server and an operating terminal for personal authentication and terminal identification are set in each locker.

[0105] -Guidance function-

[0106] In the present system, when lending, before unlocking the terminal and taking it out of the terminal locker 20 and after unplugging the cable 23 connected to the terminal C, it is necessary to pull and take the terminal out of the locker. In addition, when returning, on the contrary, a series of operations that are relatively costly and troublesome are required, such as identifying the terminal, pulling out the track to place the terminal, and pushing the track back into the locker to lock it, and then connecting the cable 23 to the terminal C. As for the cable 23, as described above, in a preferred embodiment of the present system, it is simplified to a single USB-Type C cable having both charging and data communication functions, but in the case of a locker that stores multiple terminals C in parallel, it is necessary to avoid connecting adjacent cables 23 by mistake. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a structure that appropriately guides the next operation step for users who are operating for the first time.

[0107] Therefore, the reservation management server 50 is configured to have a voice guidance function for guiding the lending and returning operations of the terminal by voice, and to provide one or more light-emitting units in each terminal storage unit 21 to light up, extinguish, and flash. Since the individual is authenticated when lending, a user-friendly system can be constructed by selecting the language or voice of the voice guidance in advance according to the user's preference. In addition, by flashing the light-emitting unit in conjunction with the voice guidance, the user will not be confused when performing the lending and returning operations. In particular, the two most important points that must be paid attention to when returning are: (1) returning to the terminal storage unit correctly, and (2) connecting the cable correctly.

[0108] In this regard, the user can be guided to the appropriate operation method through voice guidance and flashing of the light-emitting unit. Furthermore, the light-emitting unit can also indicate the status of the terminal (charging, maintenance, loanable), etc. According to the above structure, the lending and returning of multiple terminals can be managed in an unmanned manner in a short time, and for the user who receives the loan of the terminal, an easy-to-understand interface that accurately indicates the next action to be performed can also be provided.

[0109] In addition, there is another aspect that should be considered as a guide for returning. In the case of this system, in theory, it is possible to return to a different locker than when borrowing, but similar to the problem that may arise in a loan-type bicycle that can be returned anywhere, when too much freedom is given, the terminals will be concentrated in a gathering place, and the burden of reconfiguration on the side of the system provider will increase. Therefore, if it is in a locker that is close to a locker set directly adjacent to it, the operation of the system provided can give the freedom to return to a different return destination than when borrowing, which is an advantage for both users and system managers.

[0110] On the other hand, regarding the size of the terminal, in this system, from the perspective of charging and maintenance of the operating system, since there is no difference in terminals of different sizes (e.g., 13 inches, 15 inches, etc.), they can be mixed and stored in a locker of the same frame. However, from the perspective of preventing theft, in a locker for storing small-sized terminals, it is of course necessary to limit the improper removal of metal devices such as regulators from the terminal when the locker is locked. However, in the case of returning the terminal to a different locker from that from which it was borrowed, it is also possible that the user will be inconvenienced by the regulator not being able to be returned even though there is space. For such a problem, guidance based on voice guidance and the light-emitting unit is very useful in guiding the user to a nearby returnable locker.

[0111] (Power supply control server)

[0112] The power supply control server 60 provides a function of controlling the power supply to the terminal C in a manner that does not exceed the maximum power supply in response to the request of the power supply control unit 41. In addition, the power supply control server 60 has a function of managing the locking state of the terminal storage unit 21 based on the lending reservation information and the information related to the charging state of the terminal C and the distribution state of the disk image or its update data. In addition, the power supply control server 60 checks and grasps the state of all terminals through all terminal management boxes 22, thereby controlling the power consumption of the terminals in the entire system.

[0113] The power supply control server 60 can also have a function of managing the locking of the terminal storage unit 21 in the terminal locker 20 by issuing a control signal for controlling the locking mechanism 24 provided in the terminal management box 22 .

[0114] In the above-mentioned USB-PD interface specification, when the cable is connected, the PD controller 42 and the terminal C mutually authenticate and / or negotiate, and mutually negotiate and determine information such as "which side is the power supply side and which side is the power receiving side" and "the voltage value and current value when power is supplied". Therefore, the power consumption during charging is not determined by the AC adapter attached to the terminal, but by the result of mutual communication based on the USB-PD specification when the cable is connected. In the present invention, for example, when the terminal locker is set as a whole to consume 500W, when the power supply is started with the setting that 8 terminals consume 60W, for the 9th terminal, a negotiation before the start of power supply is implemented, such as "if it is 15W (5V / 3A), power can be supplied". (In addition, the power value during power supply is pre-defined for several settings, and it cannot be taken out at any power). As an example, there are adapters set to "5V / 3A (15W), 9V / 3A (27W), 15V / 3A (45W), 20V / 2.25A (45W)". Based on such a situation, it is envisaged to implement control in two stages: "putting the SSR into a power-on state in the step of accepting a request for power distribution" and "controlling the controller to actually supply power when it is determined that the terminal should be charged (the reason is that, depending on the situation, there is also a situation where the terminal is started only by powering on as mentioned above)."

[0115] That is, the power supply control server 60 determines whether to grant permission in response to the request of the power supply control unit 41 and controls so as not to exceed the maximum power supply power.

[0116] (Terminal Management Server)

[0117] The terminal management server 70 distributes the disk image of the operating system and its update data to the storage (hard disk, SSD, etc.) of each terminal C stored in the terminal storage unit 21. In addition, the update data refers to the change data for the storage, such as the differential data from the original disk image or the incremental data from the most recent lending time. The update data includes all the change data for the storage of each terminal, such as the data generated by the user during the lending period, the update of the operating system (security update), the update of the virus pattern data of the security software, the addition and update of other application software, etc. In addition, the update includes "restoration".

[0118] When the terminal management server 70 distributes the update data, it is preferred to set up at least one terminal management server 70 in each base. However, if sufficient network bandwidth and reliability can be ensured, it can also be set up in a cloud, other bases, or other places different from the terminal locker. Alternatively, in order to increase the number of terminals to be managed, one or more relay servers can be set up in each base. Such scalability can directly use the characteristics of the terminal management server 70. On the contrary, in the case of "recovery only", distribution is not required, so the terminal management server 70 can be omitted.

[0119] Furthermore, other servers (reservation management server 50, power supply control server 60) constituting the terminal lending management device may be installed in a location different from the terminal locker, such as a cloud or another location.

[0120] As described above, according to the structure of the above embodiment, the distribution of the disk image of the charging and operating system and its update data can be performed without manual work, and the lending management service and maintenance service can be performed stably over a long period of time.

[0121] (Example 1)

[0122] Figure 1-2 The example of constructing the present system by arranging a plurality of terminal lockers 20 in parallel is shown. In this example, an operation unit 12 is provided on each terminal locker 20. The operation unit 12 includes a touch panel display unit 12a, a card reader 12b, a camera 12c for reading a QR code (registered trademark) attached to the terminal C, and a speaker (not shown) for providing a voice guidance function.

[0123] The terminal locker 20 has a terminal storage section for 5 terminals. The terminal locker 20 is arranged in parallel with the terminal storage section 21 and the terminal management box 22 having the same number as the number of the stored terminals. In addition, one terminal locker 20 has one terminal locker control section 28, which is connected to the reservation management server 50, the power supply control server 60, the terminal management server 70, etc. through the network via the switching hubs 1 and 2.

[0124] As described above, the terminal management box 22 has a power supply control unit ( Figure 5-1 and 5-2 41), and can control the power supply by communicating with the power supply control server 60. Therefore, in theory, it is also possible to have a structure with more terminal storage parts. However, when the terminal locker 20 has a structure that can accommodate too many units, first of all, congestion may occur when lending or returning. Secondly, since the load becomes too large relative to the power supply capacity, the waiting time for charging through the power supply control function may become longer. Since the network load is the same, the waiting time for maintenance operations may become longer. Then, if the number of units is small, it can of course be manufactured at a low cost. These can all be designed by comprehensively considering the actual setting environment and purpose (for example, how many people are lent to, what kind of use is envisioned) such as power supply and network.

[0125] (Example 2)

[0126] The main function of the terminal storage unit 21 is to implement the lending management business of terminal C without manual intervention (i.e., to manage the storage and lending of terminal C), but the lending management business of terminal C can also be set to be implemented manually. In the use environment where the locking state does not need to be systematically managed (for example, it is assumed that the window is managed manually), the above-mentioned "terminal locker with a terminal storage unit for locking and storing the terminal" and "locker control server for controlling the locking state of the terminal storage unit" are not necessary structures. By omitting these structures, there is an advantage that the overall cost of the system can be greatly reduced. In this case, in order to implement the lending management business of terminal C, resident management personnel are required, but even in such a case, for maintenance business, it is only necessary to unplug and plug the cable in terminal C. Even if it is performed manually as "system update", it does not require a high degree of professional knowledge and long and troublesome operations. That is, the workload on the system administrator side is very small.

[0127] For example, Fig.15 Another example (second embodiment) of the terminal lending system 10 described in the first embodiment is shown. The terminal locker 20 does not exist, and various servers (reservation management server 50, power supply control server 60 and terminal management server 70) are concentrated on one server. Furthermore, the switching hub is also preferably a structure that separates the control Ethernet switch 1 and the communication Ethernet switch 2, but a common structure is adopted. In this way, by removing unnecessary components according to the purpose, appropriately integrating multiple server functions, switching hubs, etc., the entire system can be greatly simplified and the cost can be reduced.

[0128] Second embodiment

[0129] Next, the processing flow of each structure is described.

[0130] Figure 8-1 2 shows the processing flow of the terminal management box 22. In the figure, from the completion of the "returning step" to the start of the "borrowing process", the terminal C is locked and is powered only during the "investigation step" and the "charging management step".

[0131] First, when the lending process is implemented, the lock mechanism 24 is activated by receiving a signal from the power supply control server 60, and the lock mechanism 24 is unlocked by unplugging the cable. During lending, the information display unit 26 displays "borrowing", and the reservation management server 50 records the terminal as being in the lending state.

[0132] Next, when the terminal C is returned to the terminal storage unit 21, the process proceeds to the return step. The power supply control unit 41 first sets the power supply standby state (power supply stop state). Then, the power supply control unit 41 investigates the power supply state of other terminals C (investigation step), and then sets the power supply release state. The charging state of the terminal C is confirmed by the PD controller 42.

[0133] In addition, as an optional function in the USB3.1PD interface specification, the charging status can be monitored even when the terminal is powered off. Even in the return step of returning the terminal C when the power is off, when the charging status can be detected using the offline charging status monitoring function, the charging status can be directly checked without turning on the power. When it cannot be used, the terminal C can be temporarily started and the power status can be checked using the function of the operating system.

[0134] When it is determined that charging or an operating system update is required, a charging required flag or an update required flag is set to 1, and power supply is started.

[0135] Figure 8-2 (A) to (D) are photos for explaining the process flow of the lending step. First, the user's personal authentication is performed by placing the IC card on the card reader 12b ( Figure 8-2 (A) in the figure. Figure 8-2 As shown in (B) in FIG. 1 , a guide prompting the user to perform the next operation is displayed on the display unit 12a, and even if the color and flashing of the light emitting unit (both omitted in the figure) provided in the speaker and the terminal management box 22 are changed, the user will not fail to understand the operation. When the connector 23a at the front end of the cable 23 is unplugged according to the guide, the lock of the terminal C is released, and the terminal tray 21a is pulled out ( Figure 8-2 (C), (D)).

[0136] Figure 9-1This is a processing flow chart of the return step. As shown in this processing flow chart, "if the terminal is not stored in an appropriate place and the cable is not connected, the locking mechanism of the terminal does not work and it is considered that the return process has not been performed."

[0137] Figure 9-2 This is a photo for explaining the processing flow of the return step. The structure adopted in the terminal C is that a QR code (registered trademark) that uniquely identifies the terminal is affixed, and when it is placed in the camera 52 of the terminal locker 20, the terminal C is uniquely identified by the QR code (registered trademark). When the terminal C is recognized, the lock is released, and the tray is pulled out in the direction of the arrow to become a state in which the terminal C can be stored ( Figure 9-1 Then, after returning the terminal C to the tray and pushing the rail back to the terminal storage section 21, when the connector 23a at the front end of the cable 23 is connected to the terminal C, the return process is completed, which is displayed on the display section 12a and notified by the voice guidance function.

[0138] Fig.10 It is a process flow chart of the investigation steps.

[0139] Fig.11 It is a flow chart of charging and management steps.

[0140] Fig.12 Here, by removing the cable, a control is implemented as a trigger for releasing the terminal locker fixed mechanism.

[0141] Fig.13 (A) is a processing flow chart during power supply standby. Fig.13 (B) is a processing flow chart when power supply is released.

[0142] Fig.14 This is a processing flow chart of the lending standby step.

[0143] Here, the processing of "renting a terminal in standby state" is explained. If the terminal C is stored in the terminal locker 20, the battery will be consumed by natural discharge. In addition, for a terminal temporarily determined as "not requiring memory update", it may be necessary to distribute it afterwards due to changes in the status such as "reservation is changed" or "becoming a state where a new version can be distributed".

[0144] Focusing on this point, Fig.14 In the process, according to a predetermined schedule, for example, the "charging status", "presence of a new disk, changes in reservations", etc. are confirmed at fixed intervals, and when it is determined that some kind of operation is required, charging and updating processing is implemented.

[0145] -About the return procedure-

[0146] It is important to have a structure that confirms whether the terminal is damaged when it is returned. However, "terminal damage" includes physical damage (for example, the keyboard falls off, the casing, or the screen is damaged) and software damage such as the operating system not starting up and the system files being destroyed. The more time it takes to complete all these checks, the longer the user has to wait, and the longer it takes to return the device, so it cannot be called a user-friendly system. In addition, in the case of unmanned operation, the physical damage inspection must be performed by the user when returning the device, and it must be assumed that there are cases where damaged parts are missed, false reports are made, or even if there is no malicious intent, it is judged by people based on the extent of the damage.

[0147] As a method to solve such a problem, a method is considered to start the terminal only once when returning the terminal, and shut down the terminal immediately after confirming that the system has started normally. The reason is that if the system starts normally, even if part of the file that does not affect the system startup is damaged or erased, the disk image can be distributed again from the server, so it can be repaired afterwards. In addition, if the startup and shutdown are implemented immediately after the cable is connected, the waiting time required for the user's return processing is suppressed to a minimum. On the other hand, a method is considered in which the confirmation of physical damage is not performed when returning but when lending. That is, when there is physical damage that can be visually confirmed when lending, it can be returned immediately and another terminal can be lent. The reason is that even if it is a relatively small damage such as cracks and defects in the frame that do not hinder actual use, users do not want to use a damaged terminal. Based on this mentality, it is expected that physically damaged terminals will be reported more actively.

[0148] Description of Reference Numerals

[0149] C terminal;

[0150] 100 terminal lending management device;

[0151] 10Terminal lending system;

[0152] 20 terminal lockers;

[0153] 50 appointment management server;

[0154] 60 power supply control server;

[0155] 70 terminal management server;

[0156] 1. Ethernet switch for control;

[0157] 2 Ethernet switch for communication;

[0158] 11. Card reader;

[0159] 12. Operation unit;

[0160] 12a display unit;

[0161] 12b card reader;

[0162] 12c camera;

[0163] 13 Wireless LAN access point;

[0164] 21 terminal storage unit;

[0165] 21a terminal tray;

[0166] 22 terminal management box;

[0167] 23 cables;

[0168] 23a connector;

[0169] 24 locking mechanism;

[0170] 25 (25a, 25b) movable rod;

[0171] 28 terminal locker control unit;

[0172] 30 power supply circuit (AC adapter + SSR);

[0173] 31 power tap;

[0174] 32UPS;

[0175] 33AC / DC converter;

[0176] 34NFB(No Fuse Breaker);

[0177] 35 Ethernet switch for control;

[0178] 36 Ethernet switch for communication;

[0179] 37 Terminal management box controls power supply;

[0180] 41 power supply control unit;

[0181] 42PD controller;

[0182] 43 temperature sensor;

[0183] 44 contact sensors, etc. (various sensors);

[0184] 53 switching hub;

[0185] 54 distribution board.

Claims

1. A terminal lending system, comprising: A reservation management server manages the inventory or lending reservation information of the terminal; a terminal management server that distributes disk images or update data of the operating system to the terminal; a power supply control server that manages at least one of charging of the terminal, updating of the terminal, and locking status of a terminal locker and the terminal based on the lending reservation information, information related to the charging status of the terminal, and the distribution status of the disk image or update data, Charging of the terminal and distribution of disk images or update data are all performed via a single interface that combines charging and bidirectional communication functions.

2. The terminal lending system according to claim 1, wherein: The power supply control server, when the cable is connected via the interface during storage of the terminal, checks the charging status of all the terminals connected with the cable to determine whether charging is required for each of the terminals. Furthermore, for the terminals that are judged to need charging, a power supply control mechanism is provided so that the total power consumption required when starting these terminals does not exceed a preset maximum power supply. The power supply control mechanism does not immediately implement charging, but determines whether to start power supply based on the maximum power that can be consumed by the terminal when starting each terminal, and starts power supply on this basis.

3. The terminal lending system according to claim 2, wherein: The terminal locker has a plurality of terminal storage parts for locking and storing the terminals.

4. The terminal lending system according to claim 2, wherein: The device further has a function of checking the state of the memory of the terminal connected to the cable to determine whether the memory of the terminal needs to be updated, and updating the memory of the terminal if it is determined to be necessary.

5. The terminal lending system according to claim 2, wherein: The reservation management server calculates the charging completion time and determines the loanable date and time according to the determination result of whether charging is necessary.

6. The terminal lending system according to claim 4, wherein: The reservation management server calculates the charging completion time and the memory updating completion time according to the judgment result of whether the charging is needed and the judgment result of whether the memory needs to be updated, and determines the loanable date and time.

7. The terminal lending system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: An information display unit is provided, and the information display unit is used to display the terminal lending information and the charging or memory update information of the returned terminal.

8. The terminal lending system according to any one of claims 3, 4 and 6, wherein: The reservation management server selects as lending objects only the terminals stored in the terminal storage unit to which charging and distribution of a disk image or update data of an operating system have been completed.

9. The terminal lending system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The reservation management server has a function of updating the state of the memory of the terminal before the lending time based on information related to the operating environment of the terminal specified by the user at the time of reservation.

10. The terminal lending system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The terminal management server has the function of backing up the disk image of the operating system at the time of return.

11. The terminal lending system according to claim 10, wherein: The terminal management server further includes a unit for storing a disk image of the terminal returned from a user and for recording the borrowing information based on the user in association with information on an operating environment. The method further comprises means for preparing the terminal having the disk image restored before the date and time of the lending reservation when the reservation management server accepts the next lending reservation.

12. The terminal lending system according to claim 3, wherein: Terminal management boxes are arranged in parallel in each of the terminal storage sections, and the cables hang down from the upper parts of the terminal management boxes.

13. The terminal lending system according to claim 3, wherein: When the terminal is returned to the terminal housing, the power supply control server locks the terminal housing after detecting that the cable is properly connected to the terminal.

14. The terminal lending system according to claim 3, 12 or 13, wherein: When the terminal is taken out of the terminal housing portion, the power supply control server unlocks the terminal housing portion after detecting that the cable is properly removed from the terminal.

15. The terminal lending system according to claim 3, 12 or 13, wherein: The terminal storage unit can adjust the storage space according to the size of the terminal to be stored.

16. The terminal lending system according to claim 3, 12 or 13, characterized in that: The frame of the terminal locker is provided with a rail-shaped tray that can be pulled out to the outside of the frame when the terminal is placed thereon.

17. The terminal lending system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The terminal lending system authenticates the user when lending and identifies the terminal when returning, thereby not asking whether the terminal is lending or returning.

18. The terminal lending system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The terminal lending system includes voice guidance for guiding a lending operation and a returning operation of the terminal.

19. The terminal lending system according to claim 3, 12 or 13, characterized in that: The terminal lending system includes a light emitting unit near the terminal storage unit for guiding a lending operation and a returning operation of the terminal.

20. The terminal lending system according to claim 19, characterized in that: The terminal lending system prompts the user to store the terminal in a terminal storage section of an appropriate size according to the size of the terminal when returning the terminal through the light emitting section.

21. The terminal lending system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The terminal lending system implements the start and stop actions of the operating system when returning.

22. The terminal lending system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: When the terminal is returned, the terminal is started at least once, and shut down immediately after confirming that the system is started normally.

23. The terminal lending system according to claim 1, wherein: The terminal locker has a plurality of terminal storage parts for locking and storing the terminals.

24. The terminal lending system according to claim 1, characterized in that: In a terminal lending system that manages lending of a plurality of terminals for a fixed period of time to a plurality of users who have predetermined a plurality of terminals, A terminal management server is provided, wherein the terminal management server distributes a disk image or update data of the operating system to the terminal, managing the system status of the terminal based on information related to the distribution status of the disk image or update data of the terminal, When the terminal is connected to the terminal via the interface cable of the terminal during storage, the system status of all the terminals connected to the cable is checked to determine whether the system needs to be updated for each terminal. Implementing system update for the terminal determined to need system update, The terminal to which the loan will be implemented is determined based on the status of the system update.

25. The terminal lending system according to claim 1, characterized in that: In a terminal lending system that manages lending of a plurality of terminals for a fixed period of time to a plurality of users who have predetermined a plurality of terminals, A terminal locker is provided, wherein the terminal locker has a plurality of terminal storage parts for locking and storing the terminal. When the terminal is returned to the terminal storage unit, after the terminal storage unit is locked, a cable is connected to the terminal via an interface of the terminal, thereby determining that the terminal is returned.

26. The terminal lending system according to claim 1, characterized in that: In a terminal lending system that manages lending of a plurality of terminals for a fixed period of time to a plurality of users who have predetermined a plurality of terminals, When lending, the lending terminal is not authenticated but the user is authenticated, and when returning, the terminal is identified without authenticating the user.

27. The terminal lending system according to claim 4, characterized in that: In a terminal lending system that manages lending of a plurality of terminals for a fixed period of time to a plurality of users who have predetermined a plurality of terminals, A terminal locker is provided, wherein the terminal locker has a plurality of terminal storage parts for locking and storing the terminal. The terminal lending system prompts the user to store the terminal in a terminal storage unit of an appropriate size based on the identified size of the terminal when returning the terminal.

28. The terminal lending system according to claim 1, characterized in that: In a terminal lending system that manages lending of a plurality of terminals for a fixed period of time to a plurality of users who have predetermined a plurality of terminals, When the terminal is returned, the terminal is started at least once, and is shut down immediately after confirming that the system has started normally.

29. The terminal lending system according to claim 1, characterized in that: In a terminal lending system that manages lending of a plurality of terminals for a fixed period of time to a plurality of users who have predetermined a plurality of terminals, A terminal management server is provided, which distributes disk images or update data of the operating system to the terminal, When the terminal is returned, the terminal is started at least once, and after confirming that the system has started normally, the terminal is shut down after restoring the system to the saved disk image.

30. A terminal lending system, characterized in that: The determination of whether charging is required in claim 2 or whether memory updating is required in claim 4 is repeated according to a predetermined schedule.

31. A terminal lending system, characterized in that: In a terminal lending system that manages lending of a plurality of terminals for a fixed period of time to a plurality of users who have predetermined a plurality of terminals, With power supply control server, The power supply control server, when a cable is connected via an interface during storage of the terminal, checks the charging status of all the terminals connected to the cable to determine whether charging is required for each of the terminals. Furthermore, for the terminals determined to need charging, a power supply control mechanism is provided so that the total power consumption required when starting these terminals does not exceed a preset maximum power supply. The power supply control mechanism does not immediately perform charging, but determines whether to start power supply based on the maximum power that the terminal can consume when starting each terminal, and starts power supply on this basis. The terminal to be lent is determined based on the charging status of each terminal.

32. The terminal lending system according to claim 31, wherein: The terminal locker also has a terminal locker having a plurality of terminal storage parts for locking and storing the terminals, and has a function of determining the terminal to be lent out according to the charging state of the terminal and managing the locking state.

Images