Gate control system

Abstract

To open / close a gate in accordance with the position of a passerby even in a case in which a signal issued from a portable terminal of the passerby passing through a passage on which the gate is installed is blocked by the body or the like of the passerby and is not received by any wireless device.SOLUTION: A wireless device 24Ra and a wireless device 24Lb, a wireless device 24Rc and a wireless device 24Lc, and a wireless device 24Rb and a wireless device 24La are respectively located apart from each other in a y-axis direction by a width W of a passage Pa with the passage Pa interposed therebetween. A distance L in an x-axis direction between wireless devices 24 provided in respective enclosures of a gate device 2R and a gate device 2L is also known. Therefore, respective relative locations of the six wireless devices 24 on the right and left on an xy-plane is known. Consequently, the position of a portable terminal 3 is specified if at least two of these six wireless devices 24 specify an arrival direction of radio waves received from the portable terminal 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gate control system for controlling the opening and closing of a gate. [Background technology]

[0002] Gate control systems that perform fee settlement and gate opening / closing control in association with entry and exit are used in various facilities where paid services are provided, such as railways, theaters, and event venues.

[0003] The gate control systems used in conventional ticket gates determine whether or not a pedestrian is allowed to pass through by, for example, inserting a ticket, commuter pass, or the like handed over by the pedestrian trying to pass through the ticket gate into the device and reading the information recorded on the magnetic film applied or vapor-deposited onto the ticket, etc. However, because the equipment that transports magnetic recording media such as tickets within the device is prone to malfunction, in recent years, gate control systems have begun to use wireless communication technology instead of magnetic recording media.

[0004] For example, in recent years, railway ticket gate systems using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) have become widespread. NFC (Near Field Communication), a type of RFID, has become standard on smartphones, and in Japan in particular, it has become possible to use ticket gates using NFC on smartphones. In addition, various gate control technologies have been developed, including those described in Patent Documents 1-4 below.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a gate control system that transmits a query radio wave to a predetermined query range on at least one of the first area side or the second area side of the entrance / exit of the gate body located at the boundary between a first area and a second area where user entry and exit are managed, and that includes an antenna that receives a response radio wave that is transmitted by a mobile terminal carried by a user when the query radio wave is received, and a display control unit that outputs an instruction to a display device to display a query range image on the road surface that shows the query range into which the antenna transmits the query radio wave.

[0006] Patent Document 2 discloses a facial recognition security gate system that includes a gate member that can be moved between an open position that allows a user to enter and a closed position that does not, a first imaging unit that is arranged to be able to capture an image of the user's face before passing through the gate member, an information acquisition unit that acquires facial data about the user's face from a specified information medium presented by the user before passing through the gate member, and a control unit, wherein the control unit controls the gate member to the open position if the first facial authentication based on the facial data from the image captured by the first imaging unit and the facial data acquired by the information acquisition unit is successful, and controls the gate member to the closed position if the first facial authentication is unsuccessful.

[0007] Patent Document 3 discloses a wireless communication device equipped with multiple antennas with a unified phase output direction and a distribution / combining means for distributing output signals to the multiple antennas and combining input signals from the multiple antennas. This wireless communication device is used in an automatic ticket gate device that reads information from a ticket held over an area of ​​about several tens of centimeters and performs ticket gate processing.

[0008] Patent Document 4 discloses a wireless communication device including a receiving unit that receives a network broadcast signal for notifying access information to a network, and a control unit that, when information about a service is included in the received network broadcast signal, performs control to transmit a service request corresponding to the information about the service based on the access information. When this wireless communication device is installed at a station ticket gate, it needs to be connected for a short time to a wireless communication device owned by a passerby who passes through the ticket gate, so it is assumed that it can be connected to a piconet established by IEEE802.15.3e. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-69664 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-128208 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-332959 [Patent Document 4] Patent No. 7037488 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] Incidentally, in order to determine whether a pedestrian may pass through a gate, it is necessary to identify exactly one pedestrian attempting to pass through that gate. For this reason, for example, the above-mentioned conventional technologies use NFC, which is an RFID technology with a communication distance limited to approximately 10 centimeters. Furthermore, the technology described in Patent Document 3 relates to a wireless communication device capable of exchanging information in a communication area limited to close range (paragraph 5), while the technology described in Patent Document 4 uses a piconet (paragraph 23), which limits the communication distance to approximately 3 centimeters.

[0011] In other words, the recent gate control systems mentioned above determine whether or not pedestrians are allowed to pass through the gate only if they are within a narrow range where they can hold an electronic pass stored on a physical ticket, IC card, or mobile device such as a smartphone over an NFC radio or the like.

[0012] However, if the range in which communication with the electronic pass is possible is limited in this way, when passing through a gate, the pedestrian must go through a series of steps: find their electronic pass from their clothing, bag, etc., place it in their hand, and then hold it over the NFC radio in the ticket gate, which is cumbersome.

[0013] Therefore, instead of detecting only one passerby within a physically limited area, a gate control system has been developed that detects the passerby's location as well. For example, the technology described in Patent Document 1 above transmits a query radio wave within a predetermined query range and has an antenna that receives a response radio wave transmitted by a mobile device carried by a user when the query radio wave is received. However, this technology has the problem that the mobile device will respond simply by being within the query range, even if the user has no intention of passing through the gate.

[0014] Furthermore, the technology described in Patent Document 2 controls the opening and closing of security gates using facial recognition based on images of the user's face taken with a camera instead of wirelessly. However, biometric authentication such as facial recognition generally does not have sufficient accuracy, and there is a possibility that false acceptance (first error) or true rejection (second error) may occur.

[0015] Another method for detecting radio waves using wireless communication is to use an array antenna. An array antenna can detect the direction of arrival of a signal emitted from a mobile device carried by a passerby. Therefore, by using the direction of arrival of a signal detected by two array antennas installed at a predetermined distance from each other, the gate control system can determine the location of the mobile device that emitted the signal.

[0016] However, a mobile terminal may be stored in a pocket or bag of a passerby's clothing, and may be blocked by the passerby's body. If a signal emitted from a mobile terminal is blocked by a body or the like, a radio such as an array antenna may not be able to detect the signal.

[0017] One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a gate control system that can open and close a gate according to the position of a passerby, even if the signal emitted from the mobile terminal of a passerby passing through a passageway where a gate is installed is blocked by the passerby's body or other obstruction and is not received by any of the radio devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] The present invention provides, as a first aspect, a gate control system having a mobile terminal carried by a passerby passing through a passageway in which a gate is installed, radio devices placed in at least three different locations facing the passageway and each receiving a signal emitted by the mobile terminal, and a control device that acquires authentication information contained in the signal from the radio devices, identifies the location of the mobile terminal that emitted the signal, and controls the opening and closing of the gate based on the location and the authentication information.

[0019] According to the first aspect of the gate control system, even if the signal emitted from the mobile terminal of a passerby passing through a passageway where a gate is installed is blocked by the passerby's body or other obstruction and is not received by any of the radio devices, the gate can be opened or closed depending on the passerby's location.

[0020] In the gate control system of the first aspect, a configuration may be adopted as a second aspect in which at least two of the three or more locations are different on an axis along the traveling direction of the passage.

[0021] According to the gate control system of the second aspect, compared to a system not having this configuration, blocked signals are more likely to be received as passersby move forward.

[0022] In the gate control system of the first or second aspect, a configuration may be adopted as a third aspect in which at least two of the three or more locations are different in the circumferential direction of an axis along the direction of travel of the passage.

[0023] According to the gate control system of the third aspect, the signal is less likely to be blocked by the bodies of passersby, etc., compared to a system not having this configuration.

[0024] In the gate control system of the first aspect, a fourth aspect may be adopted in which at least two of the three or more locations are located on either side of the passage.

[0025] According to the gate control system of the fourth aspect, the signal is less likely to be blocked by the bodies of passersby, etc., compared to a system not having this configuration.

[0026] In the gate control system of the second aspect, a fifth aspect may be adopted in which each of the radio devices placed at the three or more locations has an array antenna, and the location is identified based on the angle of arrival of the signal received by each of the array antennas relative to the direction of travel.

[0027] According to the gate control system of the fifth aspect, the control of opening and closing the gate is less susceptible to the degree of attenuation of the signal strength than in a case without this configuration.

[0028] In the gate control system of the first aspect, a sixth aspect may be adopted in which the gate control system includes a server device that associates the authentication information with status information regarding the passage of the mobile terminal through the gate, and the control device extracts the authentication information from the received signal and controls the opening and closing of the gate based on the results of an inquiry to the server device about the status information associated with the authentication information.

[0029] According to the gate control system of the sixth aspect, the gate can be opened or closed depending on the result of an inquiry to the server device about the position of a passerby and the status information of that passerby. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a gate control system 9 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a server device 4. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a ticket DB 421. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mobile terminal 3 and a gate device 2. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a plan view of the gate device 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a side view of a gate device 2R. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a plurality of antennas that make up a wireless device 24. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how the location of a mobile terminal 3 is identified by a plurality of wireless devices 24. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of each component of the gate control system 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which the specified area differs between when permission is granted and when prohibition is granted. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an outgoing signal according to a modified example. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the gate control system 9 in a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] <Embodiment> <Gate control system configuration> 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a gate control system 9 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The gate control system 9 includes a control device 1, a gate device 2, a mobile terminal 3, a server device 4, and a communication line 5.

[0032] A passerby U is a person who intends to pass through the passage Pa. The portable terminal 3 is a terminal device that the passerby U carries in a pocket or the like, and transmits a carrier wave carrying an information signal.

[0033] The gate device 2 is installed in the passage Pa. The gate 25 is a component of the gate device 2. The gate device 2 and the control device 1 detect a carrier wave transmitted from the portable terminal 3 carried by the passerby U to determine whether the passerby U is permitted to pass through the gate 25 installed in the passage Pa. If the passerby U does not have the authority to pass through, the gate device 2 closes the gate to prevent the passerby U from passing. On the other hand, if the passerby U has the authority to pass through, the gate device 2 opens the gate to allow the passerby U to pass through.

[0034] The carrier wave transmitted by the mobile terminal 3 may be an audible sound, an ultrasonic wave, a light, or the like, but the mobile terminal 3 shown in Fig. 1 transmits radio waves as the carrier wave. This mobile terminal 3 is, for example, a wearable device or a smartphone equipped with a BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) function, and transmits BLE advertisements.

[0035] The control device 1 is a device, such as a computer, that controls the gate device 2. The control device 1 shown in FIG.

[0036] The server device 4 is a device that stores ticket data of the passerby U associated with the mobile terminal 3 and provides it to the control device 1 via the communication line 5. The ticket data is data that indicates an electronic ticket (electronic pass) that permits the passerby U to pass through the passage Pa.

[0037] The communication line 5 is a line that connects the control device 1 and the server device 4 by wire or wirelessly so that they can communicate with each other. The communication line 5 shown in FIG. 1 also connects the mobile terminal 3 and the server device 4 by wire or wirelessly so that they can communicate with each other. The communication line 5 may be, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), the Internet, an intranet, or a combination thereof. The communication line 5 may also include a public switched telephone network (PSTN), an integrated services digital network (ISDN), or the like.

[0038] <Control device configuration> Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device 1. The control device 1 shown in Fig. 2 has a processor 11, a memory 12, and an interface 13. These are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via, for example, a bus.

[0039] The memory 12 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a solid state drive, a hard disk drive, etc., and stores computer programs (hereinafter simply referred to as programs).

[0040] The processor 11 controls the control device 1 by reading and executing a program from the memory 12. The processor 11 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 11 may also be, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or may include an FPGA. The processor may also have an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or other programmable logic device, and may perform control using these.

[0041] The interface 13 is a communication circuit that connects the control device 1 to other external devices, etc., by wire or wirelessly. The interface 13 may also connect the control device 1 to various external devices, such as a server device 4, via a communication line 5 so that the control device 1 can communicate with them.

[0042] <Server device configuration> Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the server device 4. The server device 4 shown in Fig. 3 includes a processor 41, a memory 42, and an interface 43. These are connected to each other via, for example, a bus so that they can communicate with each other.

[0043] The processor 41 controls the server device 4 by reading and executing a program from the memory 42. The processor 41 is, for example, a CPU. The processor 41 may also be, for example, an FPGA or may include an FPGA. The processor may also have an ASIC or other programmable logic device and perform control using these.

[0044] The interface 43 is a communication circuit that connects the server device 4 to other external devices, etc., via a wired or wireless connection. The interface 43 may communicably connect the server device 4 to various external devices, such as the control device 1 and the mobile terminal 3, via, for example, a communication line 5.

[0045] The memory 42 has a RAM, a ROM, a solid state drive, a hard disk drive, etc., and stores programs. The memory 42 shown in FIG.

[0046] <Ticket DB configuration> 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the ticket DB 421. The ticket DB 421 is a database that stores the above-mentioned ticket data. The ticket DB 421 shown in FIG. 4 has a mobile terminal correspondence table 4211 and a ticket data table 4212.

[0047] The mobile terminal correspondence table 4211 is a table that associates the items of mobile terminal ID and ticket ID. The mobile terminal ID is identification information of the mobile terminal 3. The ticket ID is identification information of the ticket data. This ticket ID identifies the ticket data given to the passerby U who owns the mobile terminal 3 identified by the mobile terminal ID. In other words, the ticket ID is authentication information related to the passage of the passerby U. This mobile terminal correspondence table 4211 stores one ticket ID for one mobile terminal ID. Note that the mobile terminal correspondence table 4211 may store two or more ticket IDs for one mobile terminal ID.

[0048] The ticket data table 4212 is a table associated with each ticket ID listed in the mobile terminal correspondence table 4211, and stores the contents of the ticket data identified by that ticket ID for each item. The ticket data table 4212 shown in Fig. 4 is a table associated with the ticket ID "T11," and stores items such as "expiration date," "section," "amount," and "status."

[0049] For example, when the processor 41 of the server device 4 receives an inquiry from the control device 1 about a certain mobile terminal ID, the processor 41 refers to the ticket DB 421 and identifies the ticket ID corresponding to this mobile terminal ID. Then, the processor 41 reads the expiration date, section, amount, status, etc. from the ticket data table 4212 corresponding to the identified ticket ID and processes the inquiry.

[0050] If two or more ticket IDs are stored for one mobile terminal ID, the server device 4 may determine the ticket ID indicating one ticket data to be used for the transaction in accordance with a predetermined rule. For example, this rule may be that if two or more ticket IDs are associated with types such as "commuter pass" and "deposit," the commuter pass is used preferentially if the section to be used is within the range of the commuter pass section.

[0051] <Configuration of mobile terminal and gate device> Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the mobile terminal 3 and the gate device 2. The mobile terminal 3 shown in Fig. 5 is a smartphone or the like, and includes a processor 31, a memory 32, an interface 33, an operation unit 34, and a display unit 35. These are connected to each other via a bus, for example, so that they can communicate with each other.

[0052] The processor 31 controls the mobile terminal 3 by reading and executing a program from the memory 32. The processor 31 is, for example, a CPU. The processor 31 may also be, for example, an FPGA or may include an FPGA. The processor may also have an ASIC or other programmable logic device and perform control using these.

[0053] The memory 32 includes RAM, ROM, a solid state drive, a hard disk drive, etc., and stores programs.

[0054] The memory 32 also stores a mobile terminal ID 321. The mobile terminal ID 321 is identification information that identifies the mobile terminal 3, which is the mobile terminal itself. When the mobile terminal 3 is a smartphone, the mobile terminal ID 321 is, for example, a MAC (Media Access Control) address, an IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity), a MEID (Mobile Equipment Identifier), an ICCID (IC Card Identifier), an IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity), or the like.

[0055] The operation unit 34 includes operation buttons, a keyboard, a touch panel, a mouse, and other operators for issuing various instructions, and receives operations and sends signals according to the operation content to the processor 31. These operations include, for example, pressing keys on the keyboard and gestures on the touch panel.

[0056] The display unit 35 has a display screen such as a liquid crystal display, and displays images under the control of the processor 31. A transparent touch panel of the operation unit 34 may be placed on top of the display screen. Note that the mobile terminal 3 does not necessarily have the operation unit 34 and the display unit 35. The mobile terminal 3 may be operated by an external device via the interface 33, or may present information to an external device. In this case, the mobile terminal 3 may be a wearable device or terminal device, for example, in the form of a ring, a wristband, or goggles / glasses.

[0057] The interface 33 is a communication circuit that connects the mobile terminal 3 to other external devices, etc., by wire or wirelessly. The interface 33 may communicably connect the mobile terminal 3 to various external devices via a communication line such as an intranet or the Internet.

[0058] Furthermore, under the control of the processor 31, the interface 33 transmits the mobile terminal ID 321 read from the memory 32 over radio waves. For example, the interface 33 transmits the mobile terminal ID 321 in the above-mentioned advertising signal.

[0059] As described above, the gate device 2 is a device that detects a carrier wave transmitted from the portable terminal 3 carried by a passerby U and determines whether or not the passerby U is permitted to pass. The gate device 2 shown in Fig. 5 includes a processor 21, a memory 22, an interface 23, a wireless device 24, and a gate 25. These are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other, for example, by a bus.

[0060] The gate device 2 further includes a ticket box 20, a proximity communication device 26, an indicator light 27, a ticket slot 28, and a speaker 29.

[0061] The proximity communication device 26 is provided to handle communication with the above-mentioned proximity communication type tickets such as NFC, in addition to communication with the mobile terminal 3. That is, the proximity communication device 26 is, for example, a device that reads and writes NFC tags and the like.

[0062] The indicator light 27 is, for example, a light-emitting element such as an LED (light emitting diode), and indicates whether the pedestrian U is permitted to pass or not by emitting different colors. The indicator light 27 may also be a liquid crystal screen. In this case, the indicator light 27 may indicate whether the pedestrian U is permitted to pass or not by emitting different characters, symbols, etc. in addition to different colors.

[0063] The ticket slot 28 is a mechanism that allows ticket gate processing using the mobile terminal 3 as well as the acceptance of tickets with magnetic recording surfaces. The speaker 29 is a sound emitting device for notifying and warning passersby U, station staff, etc. The ticket collection box 20 is a box that stores used tickets collected through the ticket slot 28.

[0064] The gate device 2 does not necessarily have to include the ticket box 20, the proximity communication device 26, the indicator light 27, the ticket slot 28, and the speaker 29.

[0065] The processor 21 controls the gate device 2 by reading and executing a program from the memory 22. The processor 21 is, for example, a CPU. The processor 21 may also be, for example, an FPGA or may include an FPGA. The processor may also have an ASIC or other programmable logic device and perform control using these.

[0066] The interface 23 is a communication circuit that connects the gate device 2 to other external devices, etc., by wire or wirelessly. This interface 23 may communicatively connect the gate device 2 to various external devices via a communication line such as an intranet or the Internet. The interface 23 shown in FIG. 5 communicatively connects the gate device 2 to the control device 1.

[0067] The memory 22 includes RAM, ROM, a solid state drive, a hard disk drive, etc., and stores programs.

[0068] The radio device 24 receives transmission signals such as advertising signals transmitted from the mobile terminal 3. The radio device 24 is configured, for example, with an array antenna. That is, the radio device 24 identifies the direction of arrival of the transmission signals by a so-called AoA (Angle of Arrival) method based on the phase difference between the transmission signals received by each antenna constituting the array antenna.

[0069] The gate device 2 has at least one wireless device 24 on each side of the passage Pa in which the gate device 2 is installed.

[0070] The following diagram shows the space in which each component of the gate device 2 is arranged as an xyz right-handed coordinate space. Among the coordinate symbols shown in the diagram, a dot in a circle represents an arrow pointing from the back of the page to the front, and a circle with two intersecting lines represents an arrow pointing from the front of the page to the back. The direction along the x-axis in space is called the x-axis direction. The direction in the x-axis direction where the x component increases is called the +x direction, and the direction where the x component decreases is called the -x direction. The y-axis, +y direction, -y direction, z-axis, +z direction, and -z direction are also defined for the y and z components according to the above definitions.

[0071] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a plan view of a gate device 2. Gate device 2R and gate device 2L (hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between them, they will be simply referred to as "gate device 2") are arranged to sandwich one passage Pa from the left and right. For example, gate device 2R shown in Fig. 6 is arranged on the right side as seen by a passerby U passing through passage Pa in a traveling direction D1. Furthermore, gate device 2L shown in Fig. 6 is arranged on the left side as seen by this passerby U. Gate device 2R and gate device 2L are arranged to be point-symmetric on the xy plane.

[0072] For example, if the travel direction D1 is the direction of entering the station from outside, the opposite travel direction D2 is the direction of exiting from inside to outside. In this case, the gate device 2L is located on the right side of a passerby (not shown) passing through the passage Pa in the travel direction D2.

[0073] 7 is a diagram showing an example of a side view of the gate device 2R, which is seen from the passage Pa side.

[0074] 7 shows an example of the arrangement of the ticket collection box 20, radio 24, gate 25, proximity communication device 26, indicator light 27, ticket slot 28, and speaker 29 in gate device 2R. In FIG. 7, these are expressed as ticket collection box 20R, radio 24R, gate 25R, proximity communication device 26R, indicator light 27R, ticket slot 28R, and speaker 29R.

[0075] Ticket slot 28R shown in Fig. 7 is a set of ticket slots 28Ra and 28Rb. Ticket slot 28Ra is an entrance for receiving tickets (boarding passes), and ticket slot 28Rb is an exit for discharging tickets. Therefore, ticket slot 28Ra is located on the near side in the traveling direction D1. Ticket slot 28Rb is located on the far side in the traveling direction D1.

[0076] 7 is provided on the top surface of the housing facing the passage Pa. Furthermore, the indicator light 27R is provided on the side surface of the housing, on both the front side and the back side in the traveling direction D1 of the passerby U. In other words, the indicator light 27R is provided in three locations on the gate device 2R.

[0077] The ticket collection box 20R shown in Figure 7 is provided at the bottom of the housing. Tickets received through the ticket opening 28Ra are transported by a transport device (not shown). Of these tickets, used tickets are stored in the ticket collection box 20R, and tickets that need to be returned to the passerby U are ejected from the ticket opening 28Rb.

[0078] 6 (hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between them, they will be referred to as gates 25) are movable members provided along passage Pa. Gate 25 is, for example, a plate-like member fixed to a housing by a hinge so as to be able to swing, and is connected to a drive device controlled by processor 21. This gate 25 is stored parallel to passage Pa when processor 21 allows passage of passerby U, and swings to block passage Pa when processor 21 prohibits passage of passerby U.

[0079] In other words, the control device 1 that controls the gate device 2 having the gate 25 is an example of a control device that opens the gate when a signal received from a mobile terminal indicates that passage through the passage by a passerby carrying a mobile terminal is permitted, and closes the gate when a signal received from the mobile terminal indicates that passage is prohibited.

[0080] Gates 25Rb and 25La are provided to block the progress of pedestrians U traveling along direction D1 (for example, a pedestrian entering the station from outside the station). Gates 25Ra and 25Lb are provided to block the progress of pedestrians U traveling along direction D2, which is the opposite direction to direction D1 (for example, a pedestrian leaving the station from inside the station).

[0081] 6 (hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between them, they will be referred to as wireless devices 24) are provided at different positions along the moving direction D1 of a passerby U walking along the passage Pa. Each of these wireless devices 24 receives radio waves from the portable terminal 3.

[0082] 7, the wireless device 24Ra is provided on the side of the housing of the gate device 2R facing the passage Pa, on the near side in the traveling direction D1. The wireless device 24Rb is provided on the side of the housing of the gate device 2R facing the passage Pa, on the far side in the traveling direction D1. The wireless device 24Rc is provided midway between the wireless devices 24Ra and 24Rb when viewed along the traveling direction D1.

[0083] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing multiple antennas constituting the radio device 24. The radio device 24 shown in Fig. 8 is an array antenna and is composed of three antennas 241, 242, and 243. The three antennas 241, 242, and 243 are arranged at known intervals along the x-axis. Note that the number of multiple antennas constituting the radio device 24 is not limited to three.

[0084] For example, antennas 241 and 242 are separated by a distance ΔL along the x-axis, and the distance to mobile terminal 3 is large in comparison. Therefore, angles θ1 and θ2 indicating the direction of radio waves received by antennas 241 and 242 from mobile terminal 3 are approximately the same. However, there is a phase difference between the radio waves received by antennas 241 and 242. Therefore, the distance Δr between antennas 241 and 242 along the direction of receiving radio waves from mobile terminal 3 can be found from this phase difference. The known distance ΔL and distance Δr have the relationship Δr = ΔL cos θ2, so angle θ2 can be found based on the phase difference between the radio waves received by antennas 241 and 242.

[0085] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing how the position of the mobile terminal 3 is identified by multiple wireless devices 24. The above-mentioned wireless devices 24Ra, 24Rb, 24Rc, 24La, 24Lb, and 24Lc all have the array antenna configuration shown in Fig. 8, and therefore identify angles θRa, θRb, θRc, θLa, θLb, and θLc that indicate the reception direction of the radio waves from the mobile terminal 3 based on the radio waves received by each of them.

[0086] 9, the wireless devices 24Ra and 24Lb, the wireless devices 24Rc and 24Lc, and the wireless devices 24Rb and 24La are arranged in the y-axis direction, separated by the width W of the passage Pa, with the passage Pa in between. The distance L in the x-axis direction between the wireless devices 24 provided in the housings of the gate device 2R and the gate device 2L is also known. Therefore, the relative positions of the six wireless devices 24 on the left and right sides in the xy plane are known. Therefore, if the directions of arrival of radio waves received from the portable terminal 3 by at least two of these six wireless devices 24 are identified, the position of the portable terminal 3 can be identified.

[0087] In other words, this gate control system 9 is an example of a gate control system in which radio devices placed at three or more locations each have an array antenna, and the location is determined based on the angle of arrival of the signal received by each of the array antennas relative to the direction of travel.

[0088] The gate device 2 according to the present invention has at least three or more wireless devices 24 arranged in different locations facing the passage Pa. Therefore, if at least two of these wireless devices 24 receive a signal from the portable terminal 3, the gate device 2 can identify the location of the portable terminal 3.

[0089] 9, two gate devices 2 facing each other are each equipped with three wireless devices 24, for a total of six wireless devices 24. In this case, even if up to four of the six wireless devices 24 are blocked by the body of a passerby U or the like and cannot receive the signal emitted from the portable terminal 3, the two gate devices 2 can still identify the location of the portable terminal 3 as long as the remaining two receive the signal.

[0090] If the position of the identified mobile terminal 3 is within a predetermined range of passage Pa, the control device 1 that controls the gate device 2 determines that a passerby U who owns the mobile terminal 3 is about to pass through gate 25. The control device 1 then queries the server device 4 to obtain a ticket ID corresponding to the mobile terminal ID included in the signal received by gate device 2 from the mobile terminal 3, and controls gate device 2 to open or close gate 25 according to the result.

[0091] In other words, a gate control system 9 having a gate device 2 having these radios 24 is an example of a gate control system having a portable terminal carried by a passerby passing through a passageway where a gate is installed, radios placed in at least three different locations facing the passageway and each receiving a signal emitted by the portable terminal, and a control device that uses the received signal to obtain authentication information and identify the location of the portable terminal that emitted the signal, and controls the opening and closing of the gate based on that location and the authentication information.

[0092] In particular, the above-described gate control system 9 is characterized in that at least two of the locations of the radio devices 24 are different on an axis along the traveling direction D1 of the passage Pa. For example, the radio devices 24Ra, 24Rb, and 24Rc are provided at different locations on an axis along the traveling direction D1 on the side surface of the housing of the gate device 2R.

[0093] When a passerby U walks along the direction of travel D1, the portable terminal 3 carried by the passerby U also moves along the direction of travel D1. Therefore, in this case, even if the signal emitted from the portable terminal 3 is temporarily blocked because the body of the passerby U is on the line connecting any one of the wireless devices 24 and the portable terminal 3, the passage of time and the movement of the body of the passerby U increase the likelihood that the blocking will be lifted.

[0094] That is, this gate control system 9 is an example of a gate control system in which at least two of the three or more locations where wireless devices are placed are located at different locations on an axis along the direction of travel of the passage.

[0095] Furthermore, the above-described gate control system 9 has a feature that at least two of the locations of the wireless devices 24 are different in the circumferential direction of the axis along the traveling direction D1 of the passage Pa. For example, the above-described wireless devices 24Ra, 24Rb, and 24Rc are located at the same position in the circumferential direction of the axis along the traveling direction D1, but are located at different positions from the wireless devices 24La, 24Lb, and 24Lc. This is because these two groups are provided in different gate devices 2 (i.e., gate device 2R and gate device 2L) and are located on both sides of the passage Pa.

[0096] For example, if a passerby U is walking with the portable terminal 3 in a pocket on the left side of his / her body, the signal emitted from the portable terminal 3 may be blocked by the passerby U's body and may not reach the wireless devices 24Ra, 24Rb, and 24Rc located to the right of the passerby U. In this case, the wireless devices 24Ra, 24Rb, and 24Rc cannot identify the location of the portable terminal 3. However, as described above, the wireless devices 24La, 24Lb, and 24Lc are located in different positions in the circumferential direction from the wireless devices 24Ra, 24Rb, and 24Rc. Therefore, there is a high possibility that these devices will be able to receive the signal.

[0097] That is, this gate control system 9 is an example of a gate control system in which at least two of the three or more locations where wireless devices are arranged are different in the circumferential direction of an axis along the traveling direction of the passage.

[0098] Moreover, this gate control system 9 is an example of a gate control system in which at least two of the three or more locations where wireless devices are placed are located on either side of a passageway.

[0099] In the above-described gate control system 9, the gate device 2R and the gate device 2L are provided on the left and right sides of the passage Pa so as to face each other, and the wireless devices 24 are provided in three or more locations on each of the gate devices 2R and 2L. However, the locations at which the wireless devices 24 are provided are not limited to each side of the passage. The three or more locations at which the wireless devices 24 are provided may be different in the circumferential direction of an axis along the direction of travel of the passage Pa. For example, the two wireless devices 24 described above may be provided in combinations such as above and to the right of the passage Pa, or below and to the left of the passage Pa, rather than being limited to the left and right of the passage Pa. Furthermore, the locations at which the two wireless devices 24 are provided do not necessarily have to be on either side of the passage Pa, as long as they are different in the circumferential direction of an axis along the direction of travel of the passage Pa.

[0100] <Display device operation> Fig. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of each component of the gate control system 9. As shown in Fig. 10, the mobile terminal 3 transmits radio waves indicating an advertising signal (step S101), and the radio 24 of the gate device 2 receives the radio waves and identifies the location of the mobile terminal 3 (step S102).

[0101] When the gate device 2 determines that the position of any one of the identified portable terminals 3 is within a predetermined area of ​​the passage Pa, it notifies the control device 1 of the content of the signal received from that one portable terminal 3 along with information about the position (step S103). The control device 1 extracts the portable terminal ID, which is identification information of the portable terminal 3, from the notified signal content (step S104), and makes an inquiry to the server device 4 (step S105).

[0102] The processor 41 of the server device 4 receives an inquiry from the control device 1, collates the mobile terminal ID with the ticket DB 421 in the memory 42, and authenticates the mobile terminal 3 (step S106). Then, the processor 41 notifies the control device 1 of the authentication result (step S107).

[0103] The control device 1 issues a control instruction to the gate device 2 according to the authentication result (step S108). The gate device 2 drives the gate 25 in accordance with the instruction issued from the control device 1 (step S109). As a result, if the content of the signal indicates that passage through the passage Pa is permitted, the passerby U who possesses the portable terminal 3 is permitted to pass through.

[0104] In other words, this control device 1 is an example of a control device that receives signals on both sides of a passageway where a gate is installed, identifies the location of the mobile terminal of the signal, and controls the opening and closing of the gate based on the location and the content of the signal. Also, this control device 1 is an example of a control device that controls the opening and closing of the gate when the mobile terminal of the received signal is located in a predetermined area of ​​the passageway.

[0105] Furthermore, the gate control system 9 described above is an example of a gate control system that has a server device that associates identification information for identifying a mobile terminal with status information regarding the mobile terminal's passage through a gate, and the control device extracts the identification information from a received signal and queries the server device for the status information associated with the identification information, based on the results of the query.

[0106] The gate device 2 displays an indication using the indicator light 27 in accordance with the instruction issued from the control device 1 (step S110). Then, the gate device 2 tracks the location of the portable terminal 3 (step S111) and notifies the control device 1 of the identified location (step S112). Based on the location of the portable terminal 3, the control device 1 determines whether or not the passerby U who owns the portable terminal 3 has passed through the passage Pa (step S113), and if it determines that the passerby has passed through, notifies the server device 4 of the result (step S114).

[0107] When the server device 4 receives a report from the control device 1 that the passerby U has passed through the passage Pa, the server device 4 updates the contents of the ticket DB 421 in the memory 42 (step S115). As a result, the ticket DB 421 stores the status that the passerby U is inside the station or has left the station.

[0108] By executing the above-described processing, the gate control system 9 according to the present invention identifies the position of the portable terminal 3 on the passage Pa using the gate device 2, and determines whether or not the passerby U is permitted to pass through using the control device 1 based on the position of the portable terminal 3. Therefore, when passing through the passage Pa, the passerby U does not need to hold the portable terminal 3, which is a terminal such as a smartphone, over a predetermined area.

[0109] The configurations, shapes, sizes, and layout relationships described in the above embodiments are merely schematic illustrations to enable understanding and implementation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and can be modified in various forms without departing from the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims.

[0110] <Modification> The above is a description of the embodiment, but the contents of this embodiment can be modified as follows. In addition, the following modifications can be combined.

[0111] <1> In the above-described embodiment, when the position of any one of the identified portable terminals 3 is found to be in a predetermined area of ​​the passage Pa, the content of the signal received from that one portable terminal 3 is notified to the control device 1 along with information about the location. The server device 4 then authenticates the portable terminal 3 based on the content of the notified signal and notifies the control device 1 of the authentication result. However, the server device 4 may also issue instructions to the control device 1 based on a combination of the authentication result and the area to which the portable terminal 3 is located.

[0112] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example in which the area for identifying the portable terminal 3 differs depending on whether the passage of the portable terminal 3 (i.e., the passage of a passerby U who owns the portable terminal 3) is permitted or prohibited. As shown in FIG. 11, an area Fc and an area Fa are defined in the passage Pa. The area Fc is an area located near the center of the passage Pa. The area Fa is an area of ​​the passage Pa that is located near the entrance side of the gate device 2. In other words, the area Fa is located closer to the passerby U than the area Fc in the traveling direction D1.

[0113] When the gate device 2 receives radio waves from the mobile terminal 3 and detects that the mobile terminal 3 is in the area Fa, the control device 1 makes an inquiry to the server device 4 in response to this detection result.

[0114] The server device 4 performs authentication, and if the ticket indicated by the signal from the mobile terminal 3 in the area Fa permits passage through the passage Pa, the server device 4 does not notify the control device 1.

[0115] On the other hand, if the ticket prohibits passage through passage Pa, server device 4 instructs control device 1 to operate gate 25 to block passage of mobile terminal 3.

[0116] Furthermore, when the gate device 2 receives radio waves from the portable terminal 3 and detects that the portable terminal 3 is in the area Fc, the control device 1 receives this detection result and makes an inquiry to the server device 4. That is, at this time, the portable terminal 3 has advanced in the direction of travel D1 beyond the area Fa as the passerby U walks.

[0117] The server device 4 performs authentication, and if the ticket indicated by the signal from the mobile terminal 3 in the area Fc permits passage through the passage Pa, it instructs the control device 1 to cause the indicator light 27 to emit a blue light or the like to indicate that the mobile terminal 3 is permitted to pass through.

[0118] On the other hand, if the ticket prohibits passage through passage Pa, server device 4 instructs control device 1 to cause indicator light 27 to emit red light or the like to indicate that passage is prohibited for mobile terminal 3. Furthermore, at this time, server device 4 instructs gate 25 to move to the storage position to permit passage of mobile terminal 3.

[0119] That is, the control device 1 in this modified example can change the predetermined area in which the mobile terminal 3 is detected depending on whether the gate 25 is open or closed when controlling the opening and closing of the gate 25. That is, the control device 1 in this modified example is an example of a control device in which the predetermined area of ​​the passage in which it is determined whether the mobile terminal is located when controlling the opening and closing of the gate differs depending on whether the signal received from the mobile terminal indicates permission or prohibition regarding passage of a passerby carrying the mobile terminal through the passage.

[0120] According to this configuration, when the gate 25 is closed to prevent the passage of the portable terminal 3, the portable terminal 3 is located closer in the traveling direction D1 than when the gate 25 is opened to allow the passage. Therefore, the passerby U is less likely to receive a direct impact on the body due to the swinging of the gate 25.

[0121] Furthermore, the indicator light 27 does not emit blue or other light to allow the mobile terminal 3 to pass until the mobile terminal 3 reaches an area Fc that is further ahead in the traveling direction D1 than the area Fa. Therefore, it is difficult for a malicious passenger other than the passerby U to see the display of the indicator light 27 and cut in to the aisle Pa to pass through the aisle Pa in place of the passerby U.

[0122] <2> In the above-described embodiment, the server device 4 receives an inquiry from the control device 1 and authenticates the mobile terminal 3, and the control device 1 receives the authentication result from the server device 4 and controls the gate device 2. However, the authentication of the mobile terminal 3 may be performed by the control device 1. In this case, for example, the transmission signal itself, such as an advertising signal included in the radio waves emitted by the mobile terminal 3, may contain authentication information.

[0123] 12 is a diagram showing an example of a transmission signal according to a modification. The transmission signal according to this modification is, for example, a BLE advertisement signal. That is, this transmission signal is composed of, for example, a preamble, an access address, a protocol data unit (PDU), and a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code.

[0124] In this example, the preamble is used for bit-level timing, the access address is a data string with relatively high autocorrelation to distinguish between noise and packets and to achieve byte-level timing, and the cyclic redundancy check code is used to specify the value of the cyclic check code for detecting reception errors.

[0125] In this example, the protocol data unit includes a payload indicating the contents of the ticket itself and a header preceding and modifying the payload. The payload further includes a mobile terminal ID, ticket data, and authentication information.

[0126] The control device 1 extracts the payload included in the transmission signal, and extracts the mobile terminal ID, ticket data, and authentication information from this payload. Then, the control device 1 determines whether to allow the mobile terminal 3 to pass based on the extracted authentication information. For example, the control device 1 performs a predetermined calculation on the authentication information, and if the result satisfies a predetermined condition, the control device 1 allows the mobile terminal 3 to pass.

[0127] Fig. 13 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the gate control system 9 in this modified example. As shown in Fig. 13, the control device 1 in this modified example performs some steps that were performed by the server device 4 in the sequence diagram shown in Fig. 10. That is, the control device 1 performs step S201 instead of steps S105 to S107, and step S202 instead of steps S114 to S115.

[0128] In other words, the control device 1 authenticates the mobile terminal 3 using the authentication information contained in the signal received from the mobile terminal 3 without querying the server device 4 (step S201), and issues an instruction to operate the gate 25 according to the authentication result (step S108).

[0129] Furthermore, when the control device 1 determines whether or not a passerby U who owns the mobile terminal 3 has passed through the passage Pa based on the location of the mobile terminal 3, the control device 1 shares the determination result with, for example, another control device 1 that controls another gate device 2 (step S201).

[0130] In this example, the gate control system 9 has a plurality of gate devices 2, and each gate device 2 is controlled by a different control device 1. The plurality of control devices 1 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via dedicated lines or the like.

[0131] For example, suppose a passerby U enters a station through one of the multiple gate devices 2 installed at the station's ticket gates, and then immediately exits the station through another gate device 2. Even in this case, one of the multiple control devices 1 tracks the latest location of the mobile terminal 3 owned by the passerby U. These multiple control devices 1 share information on the latest locations of the mobile terminals 3 with each other, and therefore can control each gate device 2 according to the current content of the electronic ticket associated with the mobile terminal 3. Furthermore, with this configuration, the control device 1 determines whether or not to allow the mobile terminal 3 to pass using the signal itself received from the mobile terminal 3, and therefore does not need to receive a determination result from the server device 4.

[0132] That is, the gate control system 9 in this modified example is an example of a gate control system that includes a mobile terminal carried by a passerby passing through a passageway where a gate is installed, radio devices that are placed in at least three different locations facing the passageway and receive signals emitted by the mobile terminals, and a control device that obtains authentication information contained in the signals from the radio devices, identifies the location of the mobile terminal that emitted the signals, and controls the opening and closing of the gate based on that location and that authentication information.

[0133] It should be noted that the gate control system 9 in this modified example does not have a server device 4, but the authentication information may be extracted from the above-mentioned signal by the server device 4. In this case, the gate control system 9 is an example of a gate control system that has a server device that associates the authentication information included in the signal emitted by the mobile terminal with status information related to the mobile terminal's passage through the gate, and the control device extracts the authentication information from the received signal and queries the server device for the status information associated with the authentication information, based on the result of the query.

[0134] <3> The gate device 2 only needs to be able to determine whether the location of the mobile terminal 3 belongs to a predetermined area using the arrival directions of the radio waves received by at least two wireless devices 24, without specifying the location of the mobile terminal 3. For example, once the arrival directions of the radio waves received by the two wireless devices 24 are known, the interior angles of the mobile terminal 3 in a triangle whose vertices are the two wireless devices 24 and the mobile terminal 3 are determined from these two arrival directions. As a result, it can be determined that the mobile terminal 3 is located inside the circumscribed circle of the triangle, according to the inscribed angle theorem. Therefore, if this circumscribed circle is included in the predetermined area, it can be determined whether the mobile terminal 3 is located inside the predetermined area, for example, by comparing the sum of the two arrival angles with a threshold, without specifying the exact location of the mobile terminal 3. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 1...control device, 11...processor, 12...memory, 13...interface, 2(2R, 2L)...gate device, 20(20R)...ticket collection box, 21...processor, 22...memory, 23...interface, 24(24Ra, 24Rb, 24Rc, 24La, 24Lb, 24Lc)...radio device, 241, 242, 243...antenna, 25(25Ra, 25Rb, 25La, 25Lb)...gate, 26(26R, 26L)...proximity communication device, 27(27R, 27L)...table Indicator light, 28 (28Ra, 28Rb, 28La, 28Lb)...ticket slot, 29 (29R)...speaker, 3...mobile terminal, 31...processor, 32...memory, 321...mobile terminal ID, 33...interface, 34...operation unit, 35...display unit, 4...server device, 41...processor, 42...memory, 421...ticket DB, 4211...mobile terminal compatibility table, 4212...ticket data table, 43...interface, 5...communication line, 9...gate control system, D1...direction of travel.

Claims

1. A mobile device carried by a passerby passing through a passageway where a gate is installed; wireless devices disposed at at least three or more different locations facing the passage, each receiving a signal emitted by the mobile terminal; a control device that acquires authentication information contained in the signal from the wireless device, identifies the location of the mobile terminal that transmitted the signal, and controls opening and closing of the gate based on the location and the authentication information; A gate control system having:

2. At least two of the three or more locations are different on an axis along the direction of travel of the passage. The gate control system of claim 1 .

3. At least two of the three or more locations are different in the circumferential direction of the axis along the direction of travel of the passage.

3. The gate control system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. 2. The gate control system of claim 1, wherein at least two of said three or more locations are located on opposite sides of said passageway.

5. Each of the wireless devices arranged at the three or more locations has an array antenna, and the location is identified based on the angle of arrival of the signal received by each of the array antennas with respect to the traveling direction. The gate control system of claim 2 .

6. a server device that associates the authentication information with status information related to passage of the mobile terminal through the gate, The gate control system according to claim 1, wherein the control device extracts the authentication information from the received signal, and controls the opening and closing of the gate based on the results of querying the server device for the status information associated with the authentication information.

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