Storage system, storage device, management device, and method for controlling storage device

Abstract

To provide a storage system facilitating checking of a detection part detecting articles in a storage chamber, and to provide a storage device, a management device, and a method for controlling the storage device.SOLUTION: A storage device includes: a storage chamber having a storage state detection part containing a light source and a light-receiving part; a detection control part transmitting a first command for stopping light irradiation to the inside of the storage chamber, to the storage state detection part of a specific storage chamber on the basis of a predetermined momentum; and a determination part determining whether or not detection of the storage state of the specific storage chamber is normally performed by the storage state detection part, on the basis of whether or not the light is detected by the storage state detection part after transmission of the first command.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a storage system capable of storing items, a storage device, a management device, and a method for controlling the storage device. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a storage system including a storage device having a plurality of storage compartments. In such a storage system, for example, when a delivery person who delivers an item stores the item in one of the storage compartments, the door is locked, and when a legitimate recipient of the item performs a predetermined operation, the door is unlocked. This allows the recipient to receive the item.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a locker device having multiple boxes whose insides can be cooled, in which a luggage sensor and a removable tray are disposed at the bottom of the boxes, and a sensor window for the luggage sensor is formed in the tray. In the locker device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the luggage sensor can detect the presence or absence of luggage inside the boxes without opening the doors of the boxes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-134902 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a storage system, a storage device, a management device, and a control method for a storage device that can easily inspect a detection unit that detects items in a storage facility. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A storage system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a storage cabinet having a storage status detection unit including a light source and a light receiving unit, a detection control unit that transmits a first command to the storage status detection unit of a specific storage cabinet based on a predetermined trigger to stop irradiating light into the interior of the storage cabinet, and a determination unit that determines whether the storage status detection unit is detecting the storage status of the specific storage cabinet normally based on whether the light is detected by the storage status detection unit after transmitting the first command.

[0007] A storage device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of storage cabinets, each having a storage status detection unit including a light source and a light receiving unit; a detection control unit that transmits a first command to the storage status detection unit of a specific storage cabinet among the plurality of storage cabinets based on a predetermined trigger to stop irradiating light into the interior of the storage cabinet; and a determination unit that determines whether the storage status detection unit is detecting the storage status of the specific storage cabinet normally based on whether the light is detected by the storage status detection unit after transmitting the first command.

[0008] A management device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a management device that manages a storage apparatus including a storage cabinet having a storage status detection unit, and includes a detection control unit that transmits a first command to the storage status detection unit of a specific storage cabinet among the multiple storage cabinets based on a predetermined trigger to stop irradiating light into the interior of the storage cabinet, and a judgment unit that determines whether the storage status detection unit is detecting the storage status of the specific storage cabinet normally based on whether the light is detected by the storage status detection unit after transmitting the first command.

[0009] A control method for a storage device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a control method for a storage device equipped with a storage cabinet having a storage status detection unit including a light source and a light receiving unit, and based on a predetermined trigger, transmits a first command to the storage status detection unit of a specific storage cabinet to stop irradiating light into the interior of the storage cabinet, and determines whether the storage status detection unit is detecting the storage status of the specific storage cabinet normally based on whether the light is detected by the storage status detection unit after the first command is transmitted. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the storage system of the present disclosure, the detection unit that detects items in the storage unit can be easily inspected. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a storage system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an external configuration of a storage device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the external configuration of one vertical row of storage devices including storage units and storage cabinets that house cooling units. [Figure 4] A diagram showing the inside of the cabinet from the outside with the door open [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a functional configuration of a control unit; [Figure 6] 11 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation of the storage system when inspection work on the storage device is performed. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display unit as an example of a notification during inspection work. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the description may be omitted if it is more detailed than necessary. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable a person skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, without limiting the subject matter described in the claims.

[0013] A storage system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below.

[0014] <Overall composition> 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a storage system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the storage system 100 includes a storage device 1 and a management device 2.

[0015] The storage device 1 has a control unit 11, a display unit 12, a reception unit 13, a communication unit 14, and a cooling unit 15. The display unit 12, the reception unit 13, the communication unit 14, and the cooling unit 15 are connected to the control unit 11, and the operation of each of them is controlled by the control unit 11. The storage device 1 is also provided with a storage cabinet 16. Each storage cabinet 16 has a storage state detection unit 161 and a key control unit 162. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the storage device 1 has multiple storage cabinets 16, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the storage device may have only one storage cabinet.

[0016] The control unit 11 performs overall control of each component of the storage device 1. The display unit 12 performs various displays related to the storage of items in the storage unit 16. The display unit 12 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display.

[0017] The reception unit 13 receives various input operations for the storage device 1 by a user of the storage device 1. The reception unit 13 is, for example, an input device such as a numeric keypad, a keyboard, a trackball, a mouse, a touch pad, a camera, a code reader, etc. Note that a touch panel may be configured by overlapping a display device as the display unit 12 and a touch pad as the reception unit 13 on top of each other.

[0018] The communication unit 14 communicates with the outside (such as the management device 2 shown in FIG. 1) via a public network such as the Internet or a local network. The network is not shown in FIG. 1. In the present disclosure, the communication unit of the storage device may communicate with the outside directly without going through a network.

[0019] The cooling unit 15 is a unit that cools the inside of at least one of the multiple storage compartments 16, and causes each storage compartment 16 to function as a refrigerator or a freezer. In the present disclosure, the structure of the cooling unit 15 is not particularly limited, and a known structure may be appropriately adopted.

[0020] The multiple storage cabinets 16 are boxes for storing items. Each storage cabinet 16 has a storage state detection unit 161 and a key control unit 162. The storage state detection unit 161 and the key control unit 162 are connected to the control unit 11, and the operation of each is controlled by the control unit 11. The storage cabinet 16 may have a heat insulating function.

[0021] The storage state detection unit 161 is a type of sensor that detects the storage state of an item (whether an item is stored or not) inside the storage 16. The storage state detection unit 161 is composed of, for example, a light source and a light receiving unit. For example, an LED or a fluorescent lamp is used as the light source of the storage state detection unit 161. When an item is not stored in the storage 16, the light emitted from the light source is detected by the light receiving unit, and when an item is stored in the storage 16, the light emitted from the light source is blocked by the item and is not detected by the light receiving unit. That is, the storage state detection unit 161 outputs a detection signal indicating whether the light receiving unit is detecting light or not to the control unit 11.

[0022] In order to ensure that the storage status detection unit 161 can detect that an item has been stored in the storage cabinet 16, the location where the item should be placed is indicated so that the item will block light when it is stored in the storage cabinet 16.

[0023] The cabinet 16 has a lockable door. Under the control of the control unit 11, the key control unit 162 detects whether the door of the cabinet 16 is closed or not.

[0024] The control of each component of the storage equipment 1 by the control unit 11 will be described in detail later.

[0025] The management device 2 is a device that manages the operation of the storage device 1. The management device 2 is configured by a computer such as a PC (Personal Computer), a workstation, or a tablet terminal.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the management device 2 includes a communication unit 21, an output unit 22, a control unit 23, and a storage unit 24.

[0027] The control unit 23 controls the overall components of the management device 2. The communication unit 21 communicates with the storage device 1 via a public network such as the Internet or a local network. The output unit 22 outputs various information related to the status of the storage system 100 to a display device (not shown). The output destination to which the output unit 22 outputs information is a display device installed outside the management device 2, such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence display. The memory unit 24 stores various information and the like for the control unit 23 of the management device 2 to appropriately manage the operation of the storage device 1.

[0028] The storage device 1 of the storage system 100 is, for example, a parcel locker installed in an apartment building. Note that the storage device of the present disclosure is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a locker device for receiving parcels installed in various facilities such as train stations or retail stores.

[0029] The management device 2 is constructed, for example, on a cloud system. In the example shown in Fig. 1, one storage device 1 is connected to one management device 2, but in the present disclosure, multiple storage devices may be connected to one management device, and in this case, one management device may manage the operations of multiple storage devices.

[0030] In the above example, the management device 2 is constructed on a cloud system, but the management device of the present disclosure is not limited to this. The management device of the present disclosure may be installed in a specific facility (for example, inside the office of a company that provides the storage system 100). In the example shown in Fig. 1, the output unit 22 is a display device installed outside the management device 2, but in the present disclosure, for example, the management device may have a display device instead of the output unit.

[0031] <External configuration of storage device 1> Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the external configuration of the storage device 1. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the storage device 1 has a total of 30 storage units 16, five in the vertical direction and six in the horizontal direction.

[0032] In the example shown in Fig. 2, a control panel 18 is provided in the center of the storage device 1. An operation panel including a display unit 12 and a reception unit 13 is provided as part of the control panel 18. Although the control panel 18 is provided in the center of the storage device 1 in the example shown in Fig. 2, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the control panel 18 may be provided, for example, at either the left or right end of the storage device.

[0033] A plurality of storage sections 17 for storing cooling units 15 are provided at the top of the storage device 1. One cooling unit 15 stored in one storage section 17 can cool the interiors of five storage compartments 16 arranged vertically below it. In this case, the cooling unit 15 may cool the five storage compartments 16 below it in one of a plurality of operation modes. Examples of the operation modes include a room temperature mode (about 10°C to about 25°C), a refrigeration mode (about 2°C to about 5°C), and a freezer mode (about -18°C to about -25°C).

[0034] The multiple cooling units 15 may each cool the storage 16 in a different operation mode. For example, in the example shown in Fig. 2, the third row from the left may be in normal temperature mode, the fourth row from the left in refrigeration mode, and the fifth and sixth rows from the left in freezing mode. The multiple cooling units 15 may also be able to set the interior of the storage 16 to different temperatures even in the same mode. For example, in the example shown in Fig. 2, the cooling units 15 may be able to set the fifth row, which is in freezing mode, to -20°C, the sixth row to -25°C, and so on.

[0035] Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the external configuration of one vertical row of storage device 1 including storage units 16 and storage compartments 17 that house cooling units 15. Fig. 3 illustrates a state in which doors 163 of each storage compartment 16 are open. Fig. 3 illustrates an example in which storage compartments 16 have double doors, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the storage compartments may have a single door.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the inside of the storage 16 with the door 163 open, as viewed from the outside. In the example shown in FIG. 4, a window 1611 of the storage state detection unit 161 is provided on the bottom surface SB of the storage 16. The window 1611 is a window through which light from a light source constituting the storage state detection unit 161 is emitted. The window 1611 is made of a transparent material. The arrow in FIG. 4 illustrates the direction in which light emitted from the window 1611 travels. In the example shown in FIG. 4, although not shown, a light receiving unit constituting the storage state detection unit 161 is provided on the upper surface of the storage 16. When a person (operator) who stores an item in the storage 16 places an item so that the window 1611 is completely covered by the item, the storage state detection unit 161 can detect the storage state of the item. Although not shown in FIG. 4, a mark indicating the range in which the item should be placed may be displayed on the bottom surface SB.

[0037] <Functional configuration of the control unit> Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the control unit that realizes each function of the storage device 1. In the following description, the functional configuration of the control unit 11 of the storage device 1 will be described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the control unit 23 of the management device 2 may have an equivalent functional configuration. In addition, the control unit 11 of the storage device 1 and the control unit 23 of the management device 2 may have the same functional configuration and be configured to be appropriately switched.

[0038] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the functional configuration of the control unit 11. As shown in FIG.

[0039] The control unit 11 has, as its functional components, a cooling control unit 31, a storage management unit 32, a detection control unit 33, a determination unit , a notification unit 35, and an authentication unit .

[0040] The cooling control unit 31 controls the cooling operation of the cooling units 15 inside the storage 16. The cooling control unit 31 manages the operation mode and the like for each of the multiple cooling units 15.

[0041] The storage management unit 32 manages the storage status for each of the multiple storage cabinets 16. The storage status is information that indicates whether or not an item is stored in the storage cabinet 16. The storage management unit 32 may manage the storage status of the multiple storage cabinets 16 by, for example, acquiring the storage status from a storage status detection unit 161 provided for each storage cabinet 16 and storing the storage status in a memory (not shown) or the like in association with the identifier of the storage cabinet 16.

[0042] The detection control unit 33 controls the detection of the storage state by the storage state detection unit 161 of each of the multiple storage cabinets 16. More specifically, the detection control unit 33 transmits to each of the multiple storage cabinets 16 a first command to cause the light source of the storage state detection unit 161 to stop emitting light, and a second command to cause the light source of the storage state detection unit 161 to emit light into the inside of the storage cabinet 16.

[0043] The determination unit 34 makes a predetermined determination when an inspection work is performed to check whether the storage state detection unit 161 can normally detect the storage state in the multiple storage cabinets 16 of the storage device 1. More specifically, the determination unit 34 determines whether the storage state detection unit 161 is normally detecting the storage state based on whether light is detected by the storage state detection unit 161 after the detection control unit 33 transmits the first command or the second command.

[0044] The notification unit 35 issues a predetermined notification based on various operational states of the storage device 1. More specifically, the notification unit 35, for example, causes the display unit 12 to display a screen corresponding to the notification content, or causes a speaker (not shown) to play a sound corresponding to the notification content.

[0045] The authentication unit 36 ​​authenticates the user of the storage equipment 1. For example, in response to the presentation of authentication data by a person who is going to perform an inspection of the storage equipment 1, the authentication unit 36 ​​judges whether the authentication data has been registered in advance and whether the person is qualified (authorized) to perform the inspection work. In the following, the person who is going to perform the inspection work of the storage equipment 1 is referred to as the inspector.

[0046] A person who is qualified to perform inspection work in advance is, for example, a manager, a cleaner, a maintenance worker, or a serviceman of the apartment complex in which the storage device 1 is installed. A delivery person who stores delivered items in the storage device 1, or a recipient (such as a resident of the apartment complex) who receives the items delivered from the storage device 1, is not qualified to perform inspection work.

[0047] Examples of authentication data include authentication codes such as two-dimensional codes and bar codes, as well as biometric data such as the performer's face, iris, and voiceprint.

[0048] <Example of operation> An example of the operation of the storage system 100 when an inspection work is performed on the storage equipment 1 will be described below. Fig. 6 is a flow chart for explaining an example of the operation of the storage system 100 when an inspection work is performed on the storage equipment 1. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 12 as an example of a notification during the inspection work.

[0049] In step S1, the authentication unit 36 ​​authenticates the implementer.

[0050] In step S2, the notification unit 35 issues a notification to allow the user to select one of various maintenance works including an inspection work. Fig. 7A shows an example of a screen for allowing the user to select one of various maintenance works including an inspection work.

[0051] When the inspection work is selected in step S2, in step S3, the detection control unit 33 transmits a first command to at least one of the storage units 16 whose doors 163 are locked and the storage units 16 whose items are not stored. As described above, the first command is a command to stop the light source of the storage state detection unit 161 from emitting light. The detection control unit 33 may obtain information indicating whether the door of each storage unit 16 is locked or not from the key control unit 162 of each storage unit 16. In addition, the detection control unit 33 may obtain information regarding the storage state of each storage unit 16 from the storage management unit 32. Note that the selection of the inspection work is performed by the inspector to the reception unit 13. In this specification, the reception unit 13 may receive an inspection start operation to indicate that the reception unit 13 has received an inspection work selection operation by the inspector.

[0052] In the following description, at least one of a storage unit 16 whose door 163 is locked and a storage unit 16 in which no items are stored will be referred to as a specific storage unit 16.

[0053] By the processing of step S3, the light sources of the storage state detection units 161 in all the specific storage cabinets 16 are turned off.

[0054] In step S4, the determination unit 34 determines whether or not there is any storage cabinet 16 in which the storage state detection unit 161 has detected light among the specific storage cabinets 16. If light has not been detected in any of the specific storage cabinets 16, the process proceeds to step S5. On the other hand, if there is a storage cabinet 16 in which light has been detected, the process proceeds to step S9.

[0055] If light is not detected in any of the specific storage cabinets 16, then in step S5, the detection control unit 33 transmits a second command to the specific storage cabinet 16. As described above, the second command is a command to cause the light source of the storage state detection unit 161 to irradiate light.

[0056] By the process of step S5, the light sources of the storage state detection units 161 in all the specific storage cabinets 16 are turned on.

[0057] In step S6, the determination unit 34 determines whether or not there is any storage cabinet 16 among the specific storage cabinets 16 for which the storage state detection unit 161 has not detected light. If light has been detected in all of the specific storage cabinets 16, the process proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if there is any storage cabinet 16 for which light has not been detected, the process proceeds to step S11.

[0058] In step S7, the determination unit 34 determines that the storage state detection units 161 in all of the specific storage cabinets 16 are operating normally.

[0059] In step S8, the notification unit 35 notifies that the inspection has been completed and that the result is normal. Fig. 7B shows an example of a screen that notifies that the inspection has been completed and that the result is normal.

[0060] In step S9, the determination unit 34 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the storage state detection unit 161 in the storage 16 in which light has been detected despite the light source of the storage state detection unit 161 having been turned off by the first command.

[0061] In step S10, the notification unit 35 notifies that the inspection has been completed and that there is a storage cabinet 16 in which an abnormality has occurred. Fig. 7C shows an example of a screen notifying that the inspection has been completed and that there is a storage cabinet 16 in which an abnormality has occurred, and requesting an inside check of the storage cabinet 16 in which the abnormality has occurred. Checking the inside means, for example, having the worker check whether any articles remain in the storage cabinet 16 in which the abnormality has occurred, whether the inside is dirty, etc.

[0062] In step S11, the judgment unit 34 judges that an abnormality has occurred in the storage state detection unit 161 in the storage 16 in which no light has been detected even though the light source of the storage state detection unit 161 has been turned on by the second command.

[0063] In step S12, the notification unit 35 notifies that the inspection has been completed and that there is a storage unit 16 in which an abnormality has occurred.

[0064] In this way, in the storage system 100, first, a first command is sent to a specific storage cabinet 16 to turn off the light-emitting unit of the storage status detection unit 161, and the presence or absence of an abnormality is determined based on whether or not the storage status detection unit 161 of each storage cabinet 16 detects no light. In this inspection method, the light source of the storage status detection unit 161 is turned off to artificially create a state in which an item is stored in that storage cabinet 16, and if light is detected in that state, it can be determined that some kind of abnormality (i.e., a failure on the light-receiving unit side of the storage status detection unit 161, or a control abnormality on the light source side, etc.) has occurred.

[0065] According to this inspection method, an inspection can be performed when an article is stored in a specific storage 16 without actually storing the article therein. This reduces the burden on the worker during the inspection work.

[0066] <Modification> 6, after the inspection start operation is performed, the detection control unit 33 automatically transmits the first command and the second command, but may also confirm with the worker whether to transmit the first command or the second command. In this case, the inspection start operation may be used as a trigger for the notification unit 35 to issue a notification inquiring whether it is OK to turn off or on the storage state detection unit 161.

[0067] 6, when the determination unit 34 determines that there is a storage cabinet 16 in which an abnormality has occurred, the notification unit 35 notifies the worker and has him check the inside, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a notification may be issued to prohibit the use of the storage cabinet 16 in which an abnormality has occurred, and an alarm may be issued to notify other workers of the occurrence of the abnormality.

[0068] The alarm may be issued by an alarm device that is installed in advance in a facility where a person who manages the storage equipment 1 is always present (for example, a manager's room of an apartment building in which the storage equipment 1 is installed). The worker for whom the alarm is issued may be a different person from the worker who performed the inspection work.

[0069] After the alarm is issued, an operator who recognizes that an abnormality has occurred in storage 16 due to the alarm may carry out an unlocking operation to unlock the door of storage 16 and check the inside.

[0070] 6, the first command to turn off the stored state detection unit 161 is transmitted first, and the second command to turn on the stored state detection unit 161 is transmitted later, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the second command to turn on the stored state detection unit 161 may be transmitted first, and then the first command may be transmitted.

[0071] Also, only either the first command or the second command may be transmitted, and whether or not an abnormality has occurred may be determined based on the result of the transmission.

[0072] <Action and effect> As described above, the storage system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a storage cabinet 16 having a storage status detection unit 161 including a light source and a light receiving unit, a detection control unit 33 that transmits a first command to the storage status detection unit 161 of a specific storage cabinet 16 based on a predetermined trigger to stop irradiating light into the interior of the storage cabinet 16, and a determination unit 34 that determines whether the storage status detection unit 161 is detecting the storage status of the specific storage cabinet 16 normally based on whether light is detected by the storage status detection unit 161 after the first command is transmitted.

[0073] In the storage system 100, it is necessary to periodically check whether the storage status detection unit 161, which detects items inside the storage 16, is operating normally. In order to inspect a storage 16 that does not contain any items, it is necessary to inspect the storage 16 with items actually stored inside, and when there are multiple storage 16, this places a heavy burden on the person inspecting the storage 16.

[0074] According to the storage system 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to simulate a state in which an item is stored in the storage 16 by turning off the light source of the storage state detection unit 161. This makes it possible to inspect a specific storage 16 in which an item is stored without actually storing the item therein. This reduces the burden on the worker during the inspection work.

[0075] Furthermore, according to the storage system 100, if the storage state detection unit 161 does not detect light after the first command, the determination unit 34 determines that the detection of the storage state is performed normally. This allows the inspection work to be performed accurately with less burden on the worker.

[0076] Furthermore, according to the storage system 100, the determination unit 34 further transmits a second command to the storage state detection unit of the specific storage unit based on the trigger to irradiate light into the interior of the storage unit, and determines whether or not the detection of the storage state is being performed normally based on whether or not the storage state detection unit detects light based on the transmission of the second command. Then, when the storage state detection unit 161 detects light based on the transmission of the second command, the determination unit 34 determines that the detection of the storage state is being performed normally.

[0077] This makes it possible to detect even an abnormality in which the storage state detection unit 161 does not light up, such as a malfunction of the storage state detection unit 161.

[0078] The storage system 100 further includes a storage management unit that manages the storage status of each of the multiple storage cabinets, and the detection control unit designates a storage cabinet among the multiple storage cabinets in which no storage is being performed as a specific storage cabinet.

[0079] This eliminates the need for the worker to check the storage state of each storage shed 16 before the inspection work, thereby reducing the worker's workload.

[0080] Furthermore, according to the storage system 100, the detection control unit determines, among the multiple storage cabinets, a storage cabinet whose door 163 is locked as the specific storage cabinet. This eliminates the need for workers to check the locking status of the doors 163 of each storage cabinet 16 before inspection work, thereby reducing the workload of the workers.

[0081] The storage system 100 further includes a reception unit 13 that receives an inspection start operation that instructs the start of inspection work of the storage shed 16, and the predetermined trigger is when the reception unit 13 receives the inspection start operation.

[0082] This allows the worker to easily begin inspection work. [Industrial Applicability]

[0083] The present disclosure is useful for a storage system having multiple coolers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1 Storage device 2 Management device 11 Control section 12 Display section 13 Reception 14 Communications Department 15 Cooling Unit 16 Storage 17 Storage unit 18 Control Panel 21 Communications Department 22 Display section 23 Control Unit 24 Memory section 31 Cooling control unit 32 Collection Management Department 33 Detection control section 34 Judgment section 35 Notification Department 36 Authentication Section 100 Storage System 161 Storage state detection unit 1611 Window 162 Key control section 163 Door

Claims

1. a storage unit having a storage state detection unit including a light source and a light receiving unit; a detection control unit that transmits a first command to the storage state detection unit of a specific storage unit based on a predetermined trigger, to stop emitting light into the storage unit; a determination unit that determines whether the detection of the storage state of the specific storage cabinet by the storage state detection unit is performed normally based on whether the light is detected by the storage state detection unit after the transmission of the first command; and A storage system comprising:

2. The determination unit determines that the detection of the stored state is performed normally when the light is not detected by the stored state detection unit after the first command. The storage system of claim 1 .

3. The determination unit further transmits a second command to the storage state detection unit of the specific storage unit based on the trigger, to cause the storage state detection unit to irradiate light into the interior of the storage unit, and determines whether the detection of the storage state is being performed normally based on whether the light is detected by the storage state detection unit based on the transmission of the second command. The storage system of claim 1 .

4. The determination unit determines that the detection of the stored state is performed normally when the light is detected by the stored state detection unit based on the transmission of the second command. The storage system of claim 3.

5. A storage management unit that manages the storage status of each of the plurality of storage cabinets is further provided, The detection control unit determines a storage unit in which no storage is being performed among the plurality of storage units as the specific storage unit. The storage system of claim 1 .

6. the detection control unit determines a storage unit whose door is locked as the specific storage unit among the plurality of storage units, 6. A storage system according to claim 1 or 5.

7. A reception unit that receives an inspection start operation to instruct the start of inspection work of the storage shed, The predetermined trigger is that the reception unit receives the inspection start operation. The storage system of claim 1 .

8. A plurality of storage units each having a storage state detection unit including a light source and a light receiving unit; a detection control unit that transmits a first command to the storage state detection unit of a specific storage unit among the plurality of storage units based on a predetermined trigger, to stop emitting light into the storage unit; a determination unit that determines whether the detection of the storage state of the specific storage cabinet by the storage state detection unit is performed normally based on whether the light is detected by the storage state detection unit after the transmission of the first command; and A storage device comprising:

9. A management device for managing a storage device including a storage unit having a storage state detection unit, a detection control unit that transmits a first command to the storage state detection unit of a specific storage unit among the plurality of storage units based on a predetermined trigger, to stop emitting light into the storage unit; a determination unit that determines whether the detection of the storage state of the specific storage cabinet by the storage state detection unit is performed normally based on whether the light is detected by the storage state detection unit after the transmission of the first command; and A management device comprising:

10. A method for controlling a storage device including a storage cabinet having a storage state detection unit including a light source and a light receiving unit, Transmitting a first command to the storage state detection unit of the specific storage unit based on a predetermined trigger, the first command causing the storage state detection unit to stop irradiating light into the storage unit; determining whether the detection of the storage state of the specific storage cabinet by the storage state detection unit is performed normally based on whether the light is detected by the storage state detection unit after the transmission of the first command; A method for controlling a storage device.

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