Resource management system

Abstract

To enable effective use of resources that are available only to a limited number of users.SOLUTION: A resource management system 101 accepts a reservation for use of a resource 12 from an applicant user 20. The resource management system 101 also records a person 22 who enters a management area 10 where the resource 12 is provided and a person 24 who exits the management area 10. If the entry / exit record indicates that the applicant user 20 is not in the management area 10 at a predetermined time associated with the reservation, the resource management system 101 cancels the reservation of the applicant user 20 and releases the resource 12, whose reservation has been canceled, to a person 26 who is confirmed to be in the management area 10 from the entry / exit record.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a system for managing resources available to a limited number of users. [Background technology]

[0002] The reservation system disclosed in Patent Document 1 acquires the location of an automatic ticket gate as the user's location when a trigger process is executed at the automatic ticket gate. Then, based on the user's location and the location of the facility reserved by the user, the system predicts the time required for the user to arrive at the facility, and confirms or changes the reservation based on the prediction result. If it is predicted that arrival will be impossible, the reservation is canceled.

[0003] In addition to Patent Document 1, Patent Documents 2 and 3 can also be cited as examples of documents that show the state of the art in the technical field related to the present disclosure. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-350846 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-123180 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-208848 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, simply canceling a reservation does not fill the vacant facility slots. Therefore, the reservation system disclosed in Patent Document 1 may not be able to effectively utilize the facilities, which are one of the resources available to a limited number of users.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and one object of the present disclosure is to provide a resource management system that enables effective use of resources that are available only to a limited number of users. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a resource management system includes at least one processor and a memory storing a plurality of instructions executable by the at least one processor. The plurality of instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to perform predetermined operations. The operations performed by the at least one processor include accepting a reservation for use of a resource from a user and recording persons entering and exiting a managed area in which the resource is provided. The operations performed by the at least one processor further include canceling the reservation of the resource when the entry / exit person record indicates that the user is not in the managed area at a predetermined time associated with the reservation, and releasing the resource for which the reservation was canceled to a person confirmed to be in the managed area from the entry / exit person record. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the resource management system configured as described above, if a user is not in the management area at the specified time associated with the reservation, the user's reservation of the resource is canceled, thereby preventing the resource from being unnecessarily occupied. Furthermore, the resource whose reservation has been canceled is released to anyone in the management area, i.e., anyone who can easily access the resource, making it possible to effectively use resources that are available only to a limited number of users. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a process executed in the resource management system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of the process executed in the resource management system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a resource management system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a process executed in a resource management system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a resource management system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of reservation cancellation determination executed in a resource management system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] 1. Overview of the Resource Management System The resource management system described below manages resources available to a limited number of users. Examples of managed resources include places like conference rooms, tennis courts, and experimental areas; facilities like charging stations, training machines, and experimental plants; rental bicycles, rental electric scooters, and computers; and services like restaurants, beauty salons, and hospitals. In the case of a restaurant, a resource might include not only seat reservations but also reservations for the restaurant's limited-to-10-serving-per-day menu. However, since managed resources are limited to those available to a limited number of users, resources that do not limit the number of users, such as gas, water, and electricity, are excluded from the list of managed resources. Resources available to a limited number of users include those with a limited number of concurrent users and those with a limited maximum daily supply. Managed resources are limited to managed areas where user access is tracked—that is, resources provided within designated areas where access is controlled.

[0011] Since resources managed by the resource management system can only be used by a limited number of users, resource use is by reservation. The resource management system accepts reservations for resource use from users. When making a reservation, the information that the resource management system obtains from the user includes the resource to be reserved, the reservation time, and user information such as the user name and user ID.

[0012] A resource management system manages resources so that they are used effectively even if only a limited number of users are available. A typical example of resources not being used effectively is when a person who has reserved a resource ends up not using the resource without canceling the reservation. This can occur for a variety of reasons, such as forgetting to make the reservation or forgetting to cancel the reservation. However, regardless of the reason, if it is discovered early on that a resource will not be used, it is possible to release the resource for use by others and prevent it from being left unused and wasted.

[0013] Therefore, the resource management system determines whether the person wishing to use the resource is within the managed area at a predetermined time associated with the reservation. If records are kept of people entering and leaving the managed area, it is possible to determine whether the person wishing to use the resource is within the managed area from the entry and exit records. The predetermined time for the determination may be the reservation time itself, or a time earlier than the reservation time. However, if the predetermined time is set to a time earlier than the reservation time, the distance from the entrance to the managed area to the resource should be taken into consideration. Furthermore, if lateness to the reservation time is permitted, it may be possible to determine whether the person wishing to use the resource is within the managed area at a time later than the reservation time.

[0014] If the entry / exit record indicates that the person wishing to use the resource is not in the managed area at the specified time, the resource management system notifies the person wishing to use the resource that their reservation will be canceled.The resource management system then releases the resource that has become available due to the canceled reservation to other people in the managed area.The reason that people in the managed area are the targets for resource release is to increase the possibility that the resource whose reservation has been canceled will be used effectively by limiting the target people to those who can immediately go to the resource provision location.

[0015] Furthermore, if there is a list of people waiting to use a resource, the resource management system will release the resource whose reservation has been canceled to those people who are confirmed to be within the managed area based on the entry and exit records. People waiting for a reservation who are within the managed area will likely want to use the resource if their reservation has been canceled. Releasing the resource whose reservation has been canceled to such people increases the likelihood that the resource will be used effectively.

[0016] The above is an overview of the resource management system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Next, several specific embodiments of the resource management system will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] 2. First embodiment 2-1.Processing performed by the resource management system First, an example of processing executed by the resource management system 101 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. In Fig. 1, schematic diagrams of the management environment by the resource management system 101 are arranged along a time axis. On the time axis, time 0 is the time when a resource is reserved, and the reservation time is the time of the resource usage time slot reserved by the user.

[0018] The resources managed by the resource management system 101 are provided within a management area 10. The management area 10 may be a district or a building. The management area 10 is provided with a gate 14 for entry and exit. Both visitors 22 entering the management area 10 and visitors 24 leaving the management area 10 must pass through the gate 14. The gate 14 is provided with an entry / exit person authentication device 15 that authenticates people passing through. The entry / exit person authentication device 15 may be, for example, a face authentication device that identifies individuals by comparing a facial image captured by a camera with a registered image, or a card reader that reads an IC card on which personal identification information is recorded. The identification information of the entry person 22 obtained by the entry / exit person authentication device 15 is sent to the resource management system 101 together with the time of entry. Furthermore, the identification information of the exiting person 24 obtained by the entry / exit person authentication device 15 is sent to the resource management system 101 together with the time of exit. The resource management system 101 records this information as entry / exit person information.

[0019] If the management area 10 is a district, examples of the resources 12 managed by the resource management system 101 include tennis courts, experimental areas, restaurants, beauty salons, hospitals, charging stations, and bicycle rentals. If the management area 10 is a building, examples of the resources 12 include conference rooms, equipment such as computers and projectors, and experimental equipment. A user 20 who wishes to use the resource 12 accesses the resource management system 101 from a user terminal such as a smartphone or tablet PC and reserves the use of the resource 12 with the resource management system 101. The reservation information sent to the resource management system 101 at this time includes the reservation time of the resource 12 to be reserved and the user information of the user 20. The resource management system 101 records the reservation information. Note that at time 0, the user 20 makes a reservation from outside the management area 10, but it is of course possible to make a reservation from within the management area 10.

[0020] When a user 20 has made a reservation to use a resource 12, the resource management system 101 checks whether the user 20 is in the management area 10 at the specified time. The check is performed based on the entry and exit records of the management area 10. If there is a record of the user 20 entering the management area 10 and there is no record of the user 20 subsequently exiting the management area 10, the user 20 is determined to be in the management area 10. The specified time for checking the presence may be exactly at the reservation time, or may be a time when a grace period has elapsed from the reservation time. If a grace period is set, the grace period can be set arbitrarily. In this embodiment, the presence of the user 20 is checked exactly at the reservation time.

[0021] Of the two schematic diagrams at the reservation time, the schematic diagram of case A shows a situation in which the user 20 is in the management area 10 at the reservation time. In case A, it can be assumed that the user 20 intends to use the resource 12, or that the user 20 has remembered to reserve the resource 12, so the resource management system 101 maintains the reservation of the resource 12 by the user 20.

[0022] The schematic diagram of Case B shows a situation in which the would-be user 20 is not within the management area 10 at the reserved time. In Case B, it is highly likely that the would-be user 20 has forgotten that they have reserved the resource 12, or has forgotten to cancel the reservation even though they no longer plan to use the resource. In this case, the resource management system 101 cancels the reservation of the resource 12 made by the would-be user 20, updates the reservation information, and notifies the would-be user 20 that the reservation has been canceled. The reservation cancellation notification is sent, for example, to an email address registered in advance by the would-be user 20.

[0023] In Case B, the resource management system 101 releases the resource 12 whose reservation has been canceled to the person 26 in the management area 10. The person 26 in the management area 10 can be confirmed using the entry and exit record. The fact that the resource 12 has been released due to a reservation cancellation may be, for example, published on a website, notified by email or message to those who have registered their email addresses or phone numbers in advance, or broadcast over the public address system in the management area 10. The released resource 12 is provided to the person 26 who requests to use it on a first-come, first-served basis. However, while it is one policy to equally release the resource 12 to all people 26, it is also possible to release the resource 12 to only a portion of the people 26. Releasing the resource 12 only to those who wish to use it can increase the likelihood that the resource 12 will be used effectively. For example, the resource 12 may be released to people 26 who are waiting for a reservation and wish to use the resource 12. Furthermore, if there is a resource user who is currently using the same type of resource and wants to further increase the usage limit, the resource 12 whose reservation has been canceled may be released exclusively to that user.

[0024] Next, another example of processing executed by the resource management system 101 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. In Fig. 2, schematic diagrams of the management environment by the resource management system 101 are arranged along a time axis. On the time axis, time 0 is the time when a resource is reserved, and the reservation time is the time of the resource usage time slot reserved by the user.

[0025] The example shown in Fig. 2 differs from the example shown in Fig. 1 in that the would-be user 20 is an individual in the example shown in Fig. 1, whereas the would-be user 20 is a group of would-be users, i.e., a group, in the example shown in Fig. 2. The resources 12 managed by the resource management system 101 include resources that are desired for use by groups, such as conference rooms and tennis courts. When reserving a resource 12 for a group, it is required to register user information for all would-be users 20A, 20B, and 20C who make up the group.

[0026] Of the two schematic diagrams at the reservation time, the schematic diagram for Case C shows a situation in which only one user 20A of the group users 20 is present within the management area 10 at the reservation time. It is, of course, possible to adopt a policy of canceling the reservation if all users 20A, 20B, and 20C are not present. However, in Case C, it can be assumed that at least user 20A intends to use resource 12, or that user 20A has remembered to reserve resource 12. Therefore, in Case C, the resource management system 101 maintains the reservation of resource 12 by the group users 20. Because the resource management system 101 is designed to register user information for group members, the reservation of resource 12 is maintained as long as at least one member is present within the management area 10, regardless of the size of the group.

[0027] The schematic diagram of Case D shows a situation in which all of the group users 20 are not in the management area 10 at the reserved time. In Case D, it is highly likely that all of the users 20 have forgotten that they reserved the resource 12, or that they have forgotten to cancel their reservations even though they no longer plan to use the resource. In this case, the resource management system 101 cancels the reservation of the resource 12 made by the group users 20, updates the reservation information, and notifies each of the users 20A, 20B, and 20C that their reservations have been canceled. The resource management system 101 then releases the resource 12 whose reservation has been canceled to the users 26 present in the management area 10. As described above, the resource 12 may be released only to those present 26 who are waiting for a reservation.

[0028] 2-2. Resource Management System Configuration An example of the configuration of the resource management system 101 for realizing the above-mentioned processing will be described with reference to FIG.

[0029] The resource management system 101 includes a reservation management system 110 and an entrance / exit management system 120. The reservation management system 110 and the entrance / exit management system 120 are communicatively connected. The reservation management system 110 and the entrance / exit management system 120 may be operated by a single business operator, or may be operated by separate businesses. For example, in the latter case, the entrance / exit management system 120 may be operated by a pipeline company that manages the managed area 10, and the reservation management system 110 may be operated by a tenant that is authorized to provide resources 12 within the managed area 10.

[0030] The reservation management system 110 is a computer or a group of computers including a processor 111 as a processing circuit, and a memory 112 and storage 114 coupled to the processor 111. The memory 112 stores a program composed of a plurality of instructions 113. The processor 111 executes the instructions 113, causing the processor 111 to execute various processes related to reservation management. A reservation information database for registering resource reservation information is constructed in the storage 114. The reservation management system 110 can also communicate with a user terminal 30 carried by a user 20 via a wireless communication network.

[0031] The entrance / exit control system 120 is a computer or group of computers including a processor 121 as a processing circuit, and a memory 122 and storage 124 coupled to the processor 121. A program made up of a plurality of instructions 123 is stored in the memory 122. When the instructions 123 are executed by the processor 121, various processes related to entrance / exit control are carried out by the processor 121. An entrance / exit person information database that registers information on entering and exiting persons has been constructed in the storage 124. The entrance / exit control system 120 is also connected to an entrance / exit person authentication device 15 installed at the gate 14 via a communication network.

[0032] The operation of the resource management system 101 configured as above will now be described.

[0033] The entrance / exit management system 120 acquires entering / exiting person information transmitted from the entering / exiting person authentication device 15 installed at the gate 14, and records the acquired entering / exiting person information in an entering / exiting person information database. The entering / exiting person information includes identification information of the entering person 22 linked to the entry time, and identification information of the leaving person 24 linked to the exit time. The reservation management system 110 acquires reservation information transmitted from the user terminal 30 of the user 20, and records the acquired reservation information in the reservation information database. The reservation information includes user information linked to the reservation time.

[0034] When the reserved time arrives, the reservation management system 110 inquires of the entrance / exit management system 120 about the entry / exit record of the person who wishes to use 20. The entrance / exit management system 120 searches the entry / exit person information database and checks the entry / exit record to see if the person who wishes to use 20 is present within the managed area 10. The entrance / exit management system 120 then returns information to the reservation management system 110 as to whether the person who wishes to use 20 is present within the managed area 10. If the reservation management system 110 and the entrance / exit management system 120 are operated by different companies, the entry time / exit time of the person who wishes to use 20 is not communicated to the reservation management system 110 for privacy reasons.

[0035] If the applicant 20 is not present within the management area 10, the reservation management system 110 rewrites the reservation information database to cancel the reservation of the applicant 20. At the same time, the reservation management system 110 sends a notification to the user terminal 30 of the applicant 20 informing them that the reservation has been canceled.

[0036] 3. Second embodiment 3-1.Processing performed by the resource management system An example of processing executed by the resource management system 102 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. In Fig. 4, schematic diagrams of the management environment by the resource management system 102 are arranged along a time axis. On the time axis, time 0 is the time when a resource reservation is made, and the reservation time is the time of the resource usage time slot reserved by the user. In the following description, elements that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment will be referred to by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0037] A feature of the resource management system 102 according to the second embodiment is that it performs a two-stage determination as to whether to cancel a reservation. When a user 20 has reserved a resource 12, the resource management system 102 first performs a preliminary determination when the reserved time arrives. In the preliminary determination, the resource management system 102 checks whether the user 20 is present in the management area 10 based on the entry and exit record of the management area 10. As in the first embodiment, if it is confirmed that the user 20 is present in the management area 10, the resource management system 102 maintains the reservation of the user 20. If it is confirmed that the user 20 is not present in the management area 10, the resource management system 102 cancels the reservation of the user 20 and releases the resource 12, whose reservation has been canceled, to the person 26 present.

[0038] The two-stage determination consists of the preliminary determination and the final determination. The resource management system 102 performs the final determination if the reservation is maintained in the preliminary determination. In other words, maintaining the reservation in the preliminary determination is temporary, and whether to maintain or cancel the reservation is determined based on the result of the final determination.

[0039] If the reservation is maintained in the preliminary determination, the resource management system 102 performs a final determination if the elapsed time from the reservation time exceeds a threshold. The grace period set as the threshold may be a fixed value or a variable value. If the grace period is a variable value, the value can be set from various perspectives. Some examples of setting the grace period are listed below.

[0040] <Configuration Example 1> The grace period is set according to the number of users or capacity of the resource. For example, the more users of the resource, the longer the grace period. The reason for configuration example 1 is that if a reservation is canceled, the loss to those who wish to use the resource is large, and it is difficult to find an alternative resource.

[0041] <Configuration Example 2> The grace period is set according to the resource usage fee. For example, the grace period for paid resources is longer than that for free resources. The reason for configuration example 2 is that the loss to the user who wishes to use the resource is large if the reservation is canceled.

[0042] <Configuration Example 3> The grace period is set according to the length of the usage time frame for which the resource is reserved. For example, the longer the reserved usage time frame, the longer the grace period. The reason for configuration example 3 is that if a reservation is canceled, the loss to the user who wants to use the resource is large, and it is difficult to find an alternative resource.

[0043] <Configuration Example 4> The grace period is set according to the time period and day of the week when the resource is reserved. For example, the grace period is set shorter for time periods and days when reservations are concentrated than for time periods and days when reservations are not concentrated. The reason for configuration example 4 is that there is a high demand from other users.

[0044] <Setting example 5> The grace period is set depending on whether or not options are used. For example, if the reservation includes the use of options, the grace period is set longer than if the reservation does not include the use of options. The reason for setting example 5 is that the loss to the person wishing to use the service would be large if the reservation were canceled.

[0045] <Configuration Example 6> For users with disabilities, such as wheelchair users, the grace period is set longer than usual. The rationale for configuration example 6 is that users with disabilities may take longer to reach the resource.

[0046] <Setting example 7> If the building is large, the grace period is set longer than if it is small. The reason for setting example 7 is that it takes time for users to move around and they are likely to get lost.

[0047] In the final determination, the resource management system 102 performs a usage start confirmation to determine whether the user wishing to use 20 has started using the resource 12. A user authentication device 16 that authenticates users of the resource 12 is provided at the location where the resource 12 is provided. When the user authentication device 16 authenticates the user wishing to use 20, a usage start detection signal is transmitted from the user authentication device 16 to the resource management system 102. The user authentication device 16 may also be provided at the entrance to the usage area of the resource 12. In this case, when the user authentication device 16 authenticates the user wishing to use 20, entry into the usage area of the resource 12 is permitted, and an entry detection signal is transmitted from the user authentication device 16 to the resource management system 102.

[0048] Of the two schematic diagrams at the final determination time, the schematic diagram of case E shows a situation in which the user 20 has started using the resource 12 at the final determination time. In case E, the user 20 has already used the resource 12, so the resource management system 102 maintains the reservation of the resource 12 by the user 20. Furthermore, even if it is detected that the user 20 has entered the usage area of the resource 12 at the final determination time, the resource management system 102 maintains the reservation of the resource 12 by the user 20.

[0049] The schematic diagram of Case F shows a situation in which the would-be user 20 has not started using the resource 12 at the final determination time. If the would-be user 20 has not started using the resource 12 despite being within the management area 10, it is highly likely that the would-be user 20 has forgotten that he or she reserved the resource 12, or has forgotten to cancel the reservation. In this case, the resource management system 102 cancels the reservation of the resource 12 made by the would-be user 20, updates the reservation information, and notifies the would-be user 20 that the reservation has been canceled. The resource management system 102 also releases the resource 12, whose reservation has been canceled, to the people 26 present in the management area 10. As in the first embodiment, the resource 12 may be released only to those present 26 who are waiting for a reservation.

[0050] The user applicant 20 is not limited to an individual, but may also be a group of users, i.e., an organization. In this case, if at least one person in the organization has started using the resource 12 at the final determination time, the resource management system 102 maintains the organization's reservation of the resource 12. On the other hand, if no one in the organization has started using the resource 12 at the final determination time, the resource management system 102 cancels the organization's reservation of the resource 12.

[0051] 3-2. Resource Management System Configuration An example of the configuration of the resource management system 102 for realizing the above-mentioned processing will be described with reference to Fig. 5. However, in the following description, elements having substantially the same functions as those in the first embodiment will be referred to by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0052] The resource management system 102 includes a reservation management system 110, an entrance / exit management system 120, and a user management system 130. The user management system 130 is communicatively connected to the reservation management system 110. When the reservation management system 110 and the entrance / exit management system 120 are operated by different operators, the user management system 130 is operated by the same operator as the reservation management system 110, for example, by a tenant authorized to provide resources 12 within the management area 10.

[0053] The user management system 130 is a computer or a group of computers including a processor 131 as a processing circuit, and a memory 132 and storage 134 coupled to the processor 131. The memory 132 stores a program consisting of a plurality of instructions 133. The processor 131 executes the instructions 133, causing the processor 131 to execute various processes related to the management of users who use the resource 12. A user information database for registering user information is constructed in the storage 134. The user management system 130 is also connected via a communication network to a user authentication device 16 installed at the location where the resource 12 is provided.

[0054] The operation of the resource management system 102 configured as above will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart of reservation cancellation determination executed by the reservation management system 110 of the resource management system 102. After accepting a reservation for use of the resource 12 from the user 20, the reservation management system 110 executes the routine shown in this flowchart.

[0055] First, in step S101, the reservation management system 110 determines whether the reservation time at which the user 20 has reserved the use of the resource 12 has arrived. This determination is made based on a comparison between the reservation time registered in the reservation information database and the current time. If the reservation time has not yet arrived, the reservation management system 110 ends the routine.

[0056] When the reserved time arrives, in step S102, the reservation management system 110 determines whether the user 20 is within the management area 10. More specifically, the reservation management system 110 queries the entrance / exit management system 120 for the entry / exit record of the user 20. The entrance / exit management system 120 searches the entry / exit person information database and checks the entry / exit record to see if the user 20 is within the management area 10. The reservation management system 110 receives the result of the check made by the entrance / exit management system 120 in the entry / exit person information database.

[0057] If the applicant 20 is not within the management area 10, in step S105, the reservation management system 110 releases the resources 12 to those present 26 who are waiting for a reservation. Then, in step S106, the reservation management system 110 notifies the applicant 20 that the reservation has been canceled.

[0058] If the user 20 is within the management area 10, in step S103, the reservation management system 110 determines whether the user 20 has appeared at the location where the resource 12 is provided within the grace period. Specifically, the reservation management system 110 inquires of the user management system 130 whether the user 20 has started using the resource 12. The user management system 130 searches the user information database and checks the usage start detection record to see if the user 20 has started using the resource 12. The reservation management system 110 receives the result of the user management system 130 checking the user information database.

[0059] If the user 20 does not show up at the resource 12 provision location within the grace period, in step S105, the reservation management system 110 releases the resource 12 to those present 26 who are waiting for a reservation. Then, in step S106, the reservation management system 110 notifies the user 20 that the reservation has been canceled.

[0060] If the user 20 appears at the resource 12 providing location within the grace period, the reservation management system 110 maintains the reservation of the resource 12 by the user 20 in step S104.

[0061] 4.Effects As described above, according to the resource management systems 101 and 102, if the user 20 is not in the management area 10 at the specified time associated with the reservation, the reservation of the resource 12 by the user 20 is canceled, thereby preventing the resource 12 from remaining unnecessarily occupied. The resource 12 whose reservation has been canceled is then released to the people 26 in the management area 10, i.e., to those who can easily access the resource 12, making it possible to effectively use the resource 12 that is available only to a limited number of users. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 10...Management area, 12...Resource, 14...Gate, 15...Entry / exit person authentication device, 16...User authentication device, 20...User wishing to use, 26...Present person, 30...User terminal, 101...Resource management system, 102...Resource management system, 110...Reservation management system, 120...Entry / exit management system, 130...User management system

Claims

1. A system for managing resources available to a limited number of users, comprising: at least one processor; a memory storing a plurality of instructions for execution by the at least one processor; The plurality of instructions may include instructions to the at least one processor: Accepting reservations for use of the resources from users who wish to use them; recording persons entering and exiting a controlled area where the resources are provided; canceling the reservation if an entry / exit record indicates that the user is not in the managed area at a predetermined time associated with the reservation; and releasing the resource for which the reservation has been canceled for a person who is confirmed to be in the management area from the entry / exit person record. A resource management system comprising:

2. 2. The resource management system according to claim 1, The plurality of instructions may include instructions to the at least one processor: and releasing the resource whose reservation has been canceled for a person who is confirmed to be in the management area from the entry / exit person record among the people waiting for reservation who wish to use the resource. A resource management system comprising:

3. 2. The resource management system according to claim 1, The plurality of instructions may include instructions to the at least one processor: and if the user is a group of users, maintaining the reservation if the entry / exit record indicates that at least one user of the group is in the managed area at the specified time. A resource management system comprising:

4. 4. The resource management system according to claim 1, The plurality of instructions may include instructions to the at least one processor: If the entry / exit record indicates that the user is in the management area, detecting the user's entry into the resource usage area; and canceling the reservation if the elapsed time from the predetermined time exceeds a threshold without detecting the entry of the user into the use area. A resource management system comprising:

5. 4. The resource management system according to claim 1, The plurality of instructions may include instructions to the at least one processor: If the entry / exit record indicates that the user is in the managed area, detecting that the user has started using the resource; and canceling the reservation if the elapsed time from the predetermined time exceeds a threshold without the start of use by the person who wishes to use being detected. A resource management system comprising:

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