Management system, control method of management system and control program of management system

Abstract

To provide a management system, when empty spaces of a parking lot are utilized as warehouses, improving convenience of users of the warehouses without reducing a function as the parking lot.SOLUTION: A management system includes: a setting unit that sets, on the basis of a utilization rate of a parking lot having a plurality of parking spaces, the number of the parking spaces in which warehouses are to be installed among a plurality of parking spaces; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of the warehouses installed in the parking spaces according to the number; a warehouse registration unit that associates the location information of the warehouses with identification information of the warehouses installed in the parking spaces; a usage registration unit that receives a warehouse usage request and associates identification information of one or more warehouses with identification information of a user utilizing the warehouse; an item management unit that receives information of items brought into the warehouse from the user of the warehouse and associates it with the identification information of the warehouse; and an output unit that, in response to an unlocking request of the warehouse from the user, outputs information required for unlocking the warehouse.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a management system, a control method for a management system, and a control program for a management system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when constructing buildings such as buildings or commercial facilities, the law requires that parking lots with a certain number of spaces be secured according to the size of the building. This parking lot obligation system has led to the development of many parking lots, particularly in areas where buildings are concentrated. However, the number of car users has declined, and parking lots are now unused and surplus. In response to this, a warehouse management system has been proposed that uses warehouse vehicles to make it possible to effectively use vacant parking spaces as temporary warehouses (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7082731 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When utilizing vacant parking spaces as warehouses, there is a need to increase convenience for warehouse users without reducing the functionality of the parking spaces. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A management system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a setting unit that sets the number of parking spaces among multiple parking spaces in which to install warehouses based on the utilization rate of a parking lot having multiple parking spaces; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of the warehouses installed in the parking spaces according to the number; a warehouse registration unit that associates the location information of the warehouses with identification information of the warehouses installed in the parking spaces; a usage registration unit that accepts a request to use a warehouse and associates the identification information of one or more warehouses with the identification information of a user who uses the warehouse; an item management unit that accepts information of items brought into the warehouse from a user who uses the warehouse and associates it with the identification information of the warehouse; and an output unit that outputs information required to unlock the warehouse in response to a request from a user to unlock the warehouse.

[0006] In a management system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the item management unit may, upon receiving information from a user indicating that an item has been removed from the warehouse, disassociate the information about the item removed from the warehouse from the warehouse identification information.

[0007] In a management system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the setting unit may set the number of parking spaces in which to install warehouses to a number that does not exceed the number of available parking spaces when utilization rate is at its highest, based on trends in utilization rate over a specified period of time in the past.

[0008] In a management system according to one embodiment of the present invention, a parking lot may be provided within a building, and the user registration unit may accept a request to use the warehouse if the user is authorized to enter and exit the building.

[0009] In a management system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the output unit may output a notification to the user suggesting that the user remove items from the warehouse based on the changes in the warehouse's item information over a predetermined period of time.

[0010] In a management system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the warehouse may be provided in a mobile vehicle having a mechanism for restricting the movement of the vehicle when placed in a parking space.

[0011] In a management system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the item management unit may accept images of items as information about items stored in a warehouse, and associate the images of the items and at least one of one or more keywords analyzed from the images of the items with the identification information of the warehouse.

[0012] In a management system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the item management unit may associate keywords relating to items received as information about items stored in a warehouse with identification information about the warehouse.

[0013] A management system according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a proposal unit that proposes the number of warehouses to be installed in a parking lot using the usage history of the warehouses and the usage history of the parking lot in which the warehouses are installed over a predetermined period of time.

[0014] In a management system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the item management unit may output information about the warehouse in which the item is stored in response to a search request for the item from a user.

[0015] A control method for a management system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of a computer setting the number of parking spaces in which to install warehouses based on the utilization rate of a parking lot having multiple parking spaces, acquiring location information of the warehouses installed in the parking spaces according to the set number, associating the location information of the warehouses with identification information of the warehouses installed in the parking spaces, accepting a request to use a warehouse and associating the identification information of one or more warehouses with the identification information of a user using the warehouse, accepting information of items brought into the warehouse from a user using the warehouse and associating it with the identification information of the warehouse, and outputting information required to unlock the warehouse in response to a request from a user to unlock the warehouse.

[0016] A control program of a management system according to one embodiment of the present invention enables a computer to implement the following functions: set the number of parking spaces among multiple parking spaces in which to install warehouses based on the utilization rate of a parking lot having multiple parking spaces; acquire location information of the warehouses installed in the parking spaces according to the set number; associate the location information of the warehouses with identification information of the warehouses installed in the parking spaces; accept a request to use a warehouse and associate the identification information of one or more warehouses with the identification information of a user using the warehouse; accept information of items brought into the warehouse from a user using the warehouse and associate it with the identification information of the warehouse; and output information required to unlock the warehouse in response to a request from a user to unlock the warehouse. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a management system configuration according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an example of a functional block diagram of a server (information processing device) and a user terminal (user communication device) according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an example of information stored in a management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an example of information stored in a management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an example of information stored in a management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 6(a) to 6(c) are examples of display screens of the user terminal. [Figure 7] 7(a) and (b) are examples of the display screen of the user terminal. [Figure 8] 8(a) and (b) are examples of the display screen of the user terminal. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the server. [Figure 10]10(a) and 10(b) are explanatory diagrams relating to the setting of a parking space in which a warehouse is to be installed in one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention according to the present disclosure (also referred to as the present invention) will be described using the drawings. Note that the drawings are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to those shown in the drawings. For example, the numbers of warehouses, parking spaces, communication terminals, servers, database servers, etc., data sets (tables), flowcharts, sequence diagrams, and display screens shown in the drawings are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

[0019] <System configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The management system 600 may be a system that supports parking lot management by installing a warehouse 300 in an unused parking space 310 in the parking lot and providing a convenient warehouse utilization method to effectively utilize the parking lot. Here, the warehouse 300 may be provided on a mobile vehicle. For example, a so-called warehouse vehicle, such as that described in Japanese Patent No. 7082731, may be used as such a vehicle. A parking lot having the parking space 310 may be either a multi-story parking lot or a flat parking lot. Furthermore, a multi-story parking lot may be either a mechanical or self-propelled type, and the pallet movement method in a mechanical parking lot may be either a pit type or a tower type. When the warehouse 300 is installed in the parking space 310, the movement of the vehicle may be restricted by any method. That is, the warehouse 300 may have a mechanism for restricting the movement of the vehicle. For example, the warehouse 300 may be fixed on a pallet installed in the parking space 310. For example, the warehouse 300 may be fixed to the parking space 310 using a car stopper. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to these examples, as long as the movement of vehicles is restricted when the warehouse 300 is installed in the parking space 310.

[0020] In the following, the parking lot will be described as an example of a parking lot provided within a building (structure) that is required to be provided by the aforementioned obligation to provide parking but whose utilization rate is declining. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the parking lot within the building may be provided with multiple warehouses that can be used by the offices and tenant users within the building.

[0021] The management system 600 may include at least a server (information processing device) 100, a user terminal (communication terminal) 200, and a database server 101.

[0022] The server 100 may be capable of executing various processes related to a warehouse sharing service (hereinafter also referred to as a "warehouse service") realized by the management system 600. The server 100 may be connected to the user terminal 200 via a network 500. The network 500 may include a wireless network or a wired network. Specifically, for example, the network 500 may be a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), code division multiple access (CDMA), long term evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, fourth generation communication (4G), fifth generation communication (5G), sixth generation communication (6G) or later mobile communication system, etc. The network 500 is not limited to these examples and may generally be, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), an optical fiber line, etc. The network 500 may also be a combination of these.

[0023] Although only one server 100 is shown in FIG. 1, this is not a limitation. That is, each function described as being provided by server 100 may be realized by multiple servers. For example, as will be described in detail later, a server that performs the process of calculating the number of parking spaces for installing warehouses in a parking lot may be separate from a server that performs the process related to the warehouse service. Note that server 100 may be, for example, a distributed server system that cooperates by communicating via a network, or may be a so-called cloud server. That is, server 100 is not limited to a physical server, and may also include a virtual server created by software.

[0024] The user terminal 200 is a communication terminal of a user who uses the warehouse service, and may be connected to the server 100 via the network 500. The user terminal 200 may transmit a usage request for requesting use of the warehouse to the server 100. That is, the user terminal 200 may accept input of information necessary for using the warehouse from the user, and transmit the information to the server 100 as a usage request. Note that, for example, an application for using the warehouse service may be installed in the user terminal 200, and the information may be transmitted to the server 100 via the application. Alternatively, installation of an application in the user terminal 200 is not required, and the user may access a web page for using the warehouse service from the user terminal 200 via a web browser or the like, and transmit the required information to the server 100.

[0025] Although FIG. 1 shows a smartphone as the user terminal 200, the user terminal 200 may be any terminal capable of implementing the functions described in the following embodiments. For example, the user terminal 200 may be a mobile phone (feature phone), a computer (e.g., a tablet, desktop computer, or laptop), or a wearable device (glasses-type device, watch-type device, etc.). Although FIG. 1 shows only one user terminal 200, there may be as many user terminals 200 as there are users who use the warehouse service.

[0026] 1, the management system 600 may include a terminal that is installed, for example, at an entrance of the warehouse 300 and that receives information required for locking and unlocking the warehouse 300. For example, a box-shaped terminal that stores a key to be inserted into a keyhole (cylinder) provided in the warehouse 300 and that requires input of a PIN number to open the box may be installed in the warehouse 300. Note that the method for locking and unlocking the warehouse 300 is not limited to this.

[0027] The database server 101 may store (contain) various information (data) used in the management system 600. Although only one database server 101 is shown in FIG. 1 , separate from the server 100, the database server 101 may be integrated into the server 100. That is, the database server 101 may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory of the server 100. The database server 101 may also be composed of multiple storage devices. The database server 101 may be connected to the server 100 via a dedicated internal network different from the network 500, or may be connected to the server 100 via the network 500.

[0028] The database server 101 may store, for example, user information about users who use the warehouse service. The user information is information for identifying each user, and may include, for example, a user ID (IDentifier) ​​(an example of an identifier) ​​that uniquely identifies the user, a user name, an email address, and the user's affiliation.

[0029] Other information stored in the database server 101 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is an example of a warehouse information table related to warehouse details. The warehouse information table TB10 may be a data set in which a warehouse ID, which uniquely identifies each warehouse, is associated with the warehouse name, location information (installation location), installation date, etc. For example, a warehouse identified by the warehouse ID "str_A01" is named "A Building 01" and is installed at "A Building, 1st basement floor north 104." The installation location information may include the building that includes the parking lot, the number of the parking lot floor in the building, the parking space number, etc. If the parking lot is a mechanical multi-story parking garage, the information may include the pallet number. The installation location information may also include latitude and longitude. This allows the location of the warehouse to be displayed on a map, for example. Multiple warehouses 300 may be installed in one parking space 310. For example, a warehouse identified by the warehouse ID "str_A02" is installed at "A Building, 1st basement floor north 104," just like the warehouse identified by the warehouse ID "str_A01." 3 is merely an example, and any information may be used as long as it is possible to identify the information about the warehouse 300. The warehouse information table TB10 may further store information about the area of ​​the warehouse, the presence or absence of equipment such as lighting, the usage fee, etc.

[0030] FIG. 4 is an example of a usage information table related to the usage status of warehouses. The usage information table TB20 may be a data set that associates the ID of a warehouse being used (rented) with the user ID of the administrative user who sent the warehouse usage request, the usage period, etc. For example, this indicates that a warehouse identified by the warehouse ID "str_A01" will be used by a user identified by the user ID "user_X" from October 20, 2023 to October 20, 2024. The generation of a usage request for using the warehouse 300 will be described later. The usage information table TB20 is not limited to the example of FIG. 4 and may be stored in any manner as long as the usage status of each warehouse can be identified. Furthermore, the information stored in the usage information table TB20 is not limited to that shown in the figure and may be more or less than this. For example, information about other users who can use the warehouse 300 may be further stored in addition to the administrative user. The usage information table TB20 may be updated each time a usage reservation is set based on a usage request from a user, or when the usage period expires or is changed.

[0031] FIG. 5 shows an example of an item information table related to items stored in each warehouse. The item information table TB30 may be a data set that associates the warehouse ID with the stored item name, category, image, delivery date, etc. For example, an item named "Event Banner" was delivered to and stored in a warehouse identified by the warehouse ID "str_A01" on "2023 / 10 / 20." Note that the item information table TB30 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 5 and may be stored in any manner as long as it can identify the items stored in each warehouse. Furthermore, the information stored in the item information table TB30 is not limited to that shown in the figure and may be more or less than this. As will be described in detail later, the item information table TB30 may be updated each time a user requests to register or delete an item.

[0032] Furthermore, the history of goods being carried in and out for each warehouse may be stored in the database server 101. For example, the database server 101 may accumulate and store information about a certain item, such as the date it was carried into the warehouse, the user who carried it in, the date it was taken out, and the user who took it out.

[0033] Next, the hardware configuration and functional configuration of the server 100 and the user terminal 200 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0034] <User device> (1) Hardware configuration of the user terminal The user terminal 200 includes a control unit 210 , a communication unit 220 , a display unit 230 , an input / output unit 240 , and a storage unit 270 .

[0035] The control unit 210 is typically a processor, and may be realized by a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), etc. The control unit 210 may execute the functions and methods described in each embodiment by reading out a program stored in the storage unit 270 and executing the code or instructions included in the program.

[0036] The storage unit 270 stores various programs and data required for the operation of the user terminal 200. The storage unit 270 may include, for example, a flash memory. The storage unit 270 may also include memory (such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory)) that provides a working area for the control unit 210.

[0037] The communication unit 220 may be implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, communication software, or a combination thereof. The communication unit 220 may transmit and receive various data to and from the server 100 via the network 500 using a predetermined communication protocol. The communication unit 220 may transmit various data to the server 100 in accordance with instructions from the control unit 210. The communication unit 220 may also receive various data transmitted from the server 100 and transmit it to the control unit 210. When the communication unit 220 is configured as a physically structured circuit, it may also be expressed as a communication circuit.

[0038] The display unit 230 is a monitor that displays data in accordance with the display data written in the frame buffer, and may be, for example, a touch panel, a touch display, or the like.

[0039] The input / output unit 240 may include an input device for inputting various operations to the user terminal 200, and an output device for outputting processing results processed by the user terminal 200. The input device may include, for example, a touch panel, a touch display, a camera, and a microphone, and the output device may include, for example, a display, a touch panel, a speaker, etc.

[0040] (2) Functional configuration of user terminal The user terminal 200 may include a display processing unit 212, an input / output processing unit 213, and an unlock request generating unit 214 as functions realized by the control unit 210. Of the functional units shown in FIG. 2, functional units that are not essential in the embodiments described below may be omitted. Furthermore, the functions or processes of each functional unit may be realized by machine learning or AI (Artificial Intelligence) to the extent feasible. Furthermore, some of the various processes described below as being executed by the user terminal 200 may be executed by the server 100.

[0041] The input / output processing unit 213 may control the transmission of various types of information to and from external devices via the input / output unit 240. For example, the input / output processing unit 213 may transmit various types of information to each functional unit in response to a user's input operation received by an input device, or may transmit information from each functional unit to an output device (not shown), such as a touch panel, a monitor, or a speaker.

[0042] The display processing unit 212 may control the display of data on the display unit 230. For example, the display processing unit 212 may cause the display unit 230 to display a warehouse usage registration screen based on information about each warehouse and information about the usage status of multiple warehouses acquired from the server 100. For example, the screen 10 in FIG. 6(a) may be an example of a usage registration screen that displays a list of warehouse information based on the warehouse information table TB10 in FIG. 3. The display processing unit 212 may transition the display unit 230 to the screen 30 in FIG. 6(c) in response to the user selecting button 11 on the screen 10. The screen 30 will be described later.

[0043] Furthermore, the screen 20 of FIG. 6(b) may be an example of a reservation setting screen that displays the usage status of each warehouse along a time axis based on the usage information table TB20 of FIG. 4. The screen 20 shows the usage status of the warehouse ID "str_A01" from "April 15, 2023 to June 30, 2023" in the reservation information table TB20. The display processing unit 212 may transition the display unit 230 to the screen 30 of FIG. 6(c) depending on the warehouse and period selected by the user on the screen 20. The screen 30 is an example of a warehouse usage registration screen. By setting various settings on the screen 30 and selecting the "Save" button, information required for usage registration may be sent to the server 100 as a usage request. The information required for usage registration may include information regarding the warehouse to be used, the period, the administrator, the co-administrator, etc. Here, the administrator may refer to a user who has registered to use the warehouse and is authorized to enter the warehouse, i.e., the user who is authorized to unlock and lock the warehouse. Furthermore, the joint administrator may be a user who is permitted by the administrator to lock and unlock the warehouse and who can obtain information regarding the locking and unlocking of the keys.

[0044] Furthermore, the display processing unit 212 may cause the display unit 230 to display a registration screen for items to be brought into a warehouse or items to be taken out of a warehouse. For example, a screen 40 in FIG. 7(a) is an example of a registration screen for items to be brought into a warehouse. On the screen 40, a user may input or select a destination warehouse, an item name, and a category, and may attach an appropriate image to transmit information about the items to be brought into the warehouse to the server 100. On the screen 50, a user may input or select a destination warehouse, an item name, and a category, and may attach an appropriate image to transmit information about the items to be taken out of the warehouse to the server 100.

[0045] Furthermore, the display processing unit 212 may cause the display unit 230 to display warehouses and the items stored in the warehouses based on information about the items stored in the warehouses obtained from the server 100. The display processing unit 212 may cause a search screen to be displayed for searching for a warehouse that stores a desired item among the warehouses used by the user. For example, the screen 60 in FIG. 8(a) may be a list of warehouses and the items stored in the warehouses based on the item information table TB30 of the warehouses used by the user. The user may be able to search for the item they are looking for and / or the warehouse that stores the item they are looking for by entering keywords or selecting a category.

[0046] The unlocking request generation unit 214 may transmit information (unlocking request) requesting the unlocking of a lock on a warehouse used by the user to the server 100. For example, the unlocking request generation unit 214 may transmit the unlocking request to the server 100 in response to detecting a predetermined operation on the user terminal 200. Then, based on the server 100's response to the unlocking request, the display processing unit 212 may cause the display unit 230 to display information for unlocking the lock (such as a PIN number), as shown on screen 70 in FIG. 8(b).

[0047] <server> Next, the hardware configuration and functional configuration of the server 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0048] (1) Server hardware configuration The server 100 may include a control unit 110, a communication unit 120, and a storage unit 170.

[0049] The control unit 110 is typically a processor, and may include a central processing unit (CPU), MPU, GPU, microprocessor, etc., and may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, LSI (Large Scale Integration)), etc., or a dedicated circuit.

[0050] The storage unit 170 stores various programs and various data required for the operation of the server 100. The storage unit 170 may include, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 170 may also include a memory that provides a working area for the control unit 110.

[0051] The communication unit 120 may be implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, communication software, or a combination of these. The communication unit 120 may transmit and receive various data to and from the user terminal 200 via the network 500. The communication unit 120 may transmit various data to the user terminal 200 in accordance with instructions from the control unit 110. The communication unit 120 may also receive various data transmitted from the user terminal 200 and transmit the data to the control unit 110.

[0052] (2) Server functional configuration The server 100 may include, as functions realized by the control unit 110, a setting unit 111, an acquisition unit 112, a warehouse registration unit 113, a usage registration unit 114, an item management unit 115, an output unit 116, and a proposal unit 117. Of the functional units shown in FIG. 2, functional units that are not essential for the embodiments described hereinafter may be omitted. Furthermore, the functions or processes of each functional unit may be realized by machine learning or AI to the extent feasible.

[0053] <Server control flow> Hereinafter, the control flow of the server 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, along with a description of each functional unit of the server 100. FIG.

[0054] The setting unit 111 may set the number of parking spaces in which to install warehouses among the multiple parking spaces based on the utilization rate of a parking lot having multiple parking spaces (step S11). Here, the processing by the setting unit 111 will be described with reference to FIG. 10.

[0055] 10(a) is a graph showing the transition of the number of vehicles using a specified parking lot, with the horizontal axis representing the number of days and the vertical axis representing the number of vehicles using the parking lot. The setting unit 111 may set the number of parking spaces for installing warehouses to a number that does not exceed the number of available parking spaces when the utilization rate is highest, based on the transition of the number of vehicles using the parking lot over a specified period in the past. This makes it possible to secure a number of parking spaces that does not fall below the peak number, for example, based on the maximum number of vehicles using the parking lot throughout the year (peak number).

[0056] If it is not possible to obtain actual usage data for the entire year, the peak number of vehicles may be estimated by taking into account a safety factor for fluctuations in parking demand. This will be explained using FIG. 10(b). As shown in FIG. 10(b), if parking lot usage data is available only for a specific period, the estimated annual peak number may be calculated by multiplying the peak number of vehicles from the acquired usage data by a predetermined safety factor. The safety factor may be set according to the local rules of the area where the parking lot is located, and may be, for example, 20%, but is not limited to this. The safety factor may also be variable depending on the usage status of the parking lot and the time of year. If the parking lot has seasonal fluctuation factors specific to the parking lot, the annual peak number may be estimated by taking into account the seasonal fluctuation factor. For example, if parking lot demand is higher in the summer than in other seasons, the annual peak number may be estimated by taking into account this increase.

[0057] The information used to calculate the parking lot utilization rate (information regarding the number of vehicles in use) may be obtained, for example, from any parking system installed in each parking lot. For example, the number of vehicles in use in the parking lot may be transmitted to server 100 from a communication device installed in the parking lot equipment based on information regarding the entry and exit of vehicles detected by parking lot equipment such as a fee adjustment machine, parking ticket issuing machine, and exit detector of the parking lot system. Alternatively, the number of vehicles in use may be transmitted to a parking lot management server (not shown) and then transmitted from the management server to server 100. Information regarding the number of vehicles parked in the parking lot may be collected by an IoT device (camera, infrared sensor, weight sensor, etc.) installed in each parking lot, a drone equipped with a camera, or the like, and the information may be transmitted to server 100 via an IoT gateway (not shown) or the like. The method for transmitting the number of vehicles in use to server 100 is not limited to the above, and any method may be used.

[0058] The parking lot manager may determine the number and locations of parking spaces where warehouses will be installed, based on the number estimated by the setting unit 111, and transmit this information from his / her user terminal 200. The acquisition unit 112 may acquire information (location information) related to the locations of the warehouses installed in the parking spaces from the user terminal 200, according to the number set by the setting unit 111 (step S12). This allows the parking lot manager to arbitrarily determine the number and locations of parking spaces where warehouses will be installed, and therefore, can utilize parking spaces according to demand while taking into consideration not only the demand for parking spaces but also individual circumstances (for example, when an event is scheduled to be held during a certain period and the demand for parking spaces temporarily increases, or when a large amount of materials need to be used in a building during a certain period and space needs to be secured to store the materials).

[0059] The warehouse registration unit 113 may associate the location information of the parking space where the warehouse is installed with identification information (warehouse ID) of the warehouse installed in the parking space, and update the warehouse information table TB10 in Fig. 3 (step S13). Note that the warehouse ID may be assigned by the warehouse registration unit 113.

[0060] The usage registration unit 114 may accept a request to use a warehouse, associate the identification information of one or more warehouses with the identification information of the user who uses the warehouse, and update the usage information table TB20 in Fig. 4 (step S14). The warehouse usage request may be sent to the server 100 based on a selection operation on the screens 10 to 30 of Figs. 6(a) to 6(c) on the user terminal 200.

[0061] The item management unit 115 may receive information about items brought into the warehouse from a user using the warehouse, associate it with the warehouse identification information, and update the item information table TB30 in Fig. 5 (step S15). Note that the information about the items brought into the warehouse may be transmitted to the server 100 based on a selection operation on the screen 40 in Fig. 7(a) on the user terminal 200.

[0062] The output unit 116 may output information required to unlock the warehouse in response to a request from the user to unlock the warehouse (step S16).

[0063] In this way, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a warehouse is set up in an unused parking space estimated from the parking lot utilization rate and rented out to a user. At this time, information about the items brought in is stored in a database, making it easy to manage the items, and a highly user-friendly warehouse rental service can be provided.

[0064] In addition, the item management unit 115 may cancel the association between the information of the item removed from the warehouse and the warehouse identification information in response to receiving information from the user indicating that the item has been removed from the warehouse. In addition, the information of the item removed from the warehouse may be transmitted to the server 100 based on a selection operation on the screen 50 of Fig. 7(b) on the user terminal 200. This ensures the accuracy of the warehouse information.

[0065] The usage registration unit 114 may accept a warehouse use request if the user is authorized to enter the building in which the parking lot is installed. Users authorized to enter the building may be users of offices or tenants in the building, or businesses that regularly deliver goods to offices or tenants in the building. For example, user information may be associated in advance with authority indicating whether or not the user is permitted to enter the building, and the usage registration unit 114 may accept a warehouse use request depending on whether or not the user has the authority. For example, by allowing delivery businesses to use the warehouse, the warehouse can be used as a final base for logistics. This shortens the distance from the final base to the end user (the so-called last mile) and improves logistics efficiency.

[0066] Furthermore, the output unit 116 may output a notification to the user suggesting the removal of items from the warehouse based on the transition of the warehouse's item information over a predetermined period. The transition of the warehouse's item information may be a history of items being brought into and removed from the warehouse. Items stored in the warehouse may include items used only during specified events and seasonal items. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the removal of items at the same time as the previous year may be suggested based on the item delivery / removal history. This allows the warehouse to remind the user, for example, even if the items needed for a specified event are unknown.

[0067] Furthermore, the item management unit 115 may accept images of items as information about items stored in a warehouse, and associate the images of the items and / or one or more keywords analyzed from the images of the items with the warehouse's identification information. When users register brought-in items, the item names may be different for each user. If the item names are different, it will be impossible to search for the warehouse where the items are stored. Therefore, the item management unit 115 may perform image analysis on the accepted images of the items and associate keywords characteristic of the items with the item information table TB30. Keywords may include text, color, etc. contained in the image. This makes it possible to find the storage location of an item by searching using keywords that indicate the characteristics of the item, even if the registered users are different.

[0068] That is, the item management unit 115 may output information about the warehouse where the item is stored in response to a search request for the item from the user. The search request may be sent to the server 100 based on a selection operation on the screen 60 of Fig. 8(a) on the user terminal 200. This makes it possible to provide a warehouse service with better usability.

[0069] <Recommendation of number of warehouses> In one embodiment of the present invention, the database server 101 may store usage histories of warehouses and parking lots in which the warehouses are installed over a predetermined period. The suggestion unit 117 may propose the number of warehouses to be installed in the parking lot based on these usage histories. For example, the suggestion unit 117 may perform an analysis such as "two parking spaces should be used as warehouses" based on information such as "the warehouse utilization rate over the past three months has been 90% on average" based on the warehouse usage history and "the parking lot utilization rate over the past year has been 50% at peak times" based on the parking lot usage history. The suggestion unit 117 may calculate the optimal number of warehouses using machine learning or mathematical optimization. The suggestion unit 117 may also send recommendation information proposing the optimal number of warehouses to the user terminal of the administrative user. For example, the proposal unit 117 may display a notification on the user terminal of the administrative user such as, "The average warehouse utilization rate for the past three months has exceeded 90%. It is expected that many tenant companies have given up on using the facility because they have not been able to make a reservation. Why not add one or more warehouse spaces? Furthermore, the parking lot utilization rate is 50% at peak times, so four more spaces can be used for warehouses." This allows for more effective use of vacant parking spaces.

[0070] While the present invention has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art would readily be able to make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of the present invention. For example, the functions included in each component, step, etc. may be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies, and multiple components, steps, etc. may be combined or separated into one. Furthermore, the configurations described in the above embodiments may be appropriately combined. For example, each function described as being provided by the server 100 may be distributed and implemented by multiple servers, or may be implemented on the user communication terminal side. Furthermore, each function described as being provided by the user terminal 200 may be provided by the server 100 itself.

[0071] For example, in the above description, a building was used as an example of a building with a parking lot, but the present invention may be applicable to any building with a parking lot, such as an apartment building or an entertainment facility, not just a building.

[0072] Also, in the above description, a mode has been described in which the management user determines the number of parking spaces in which to install warehouses from among a plurality of parking spaces, with reference to the number estimated by the setting unit 111. However, the number of parking spaces may be automatically set based on the number estimated by the setting unit 111. Furthermore, the positions of the parking spaces may also be automatically set by the setting unit 111. In this way, the parking spaces are automatically utilized, thereby reducing the management workload of the parking lot manager.

[0073] In the above description, the warehouse key is stored in a box that is unlocked with a PIN. However, the warehouse key itself may be a smart lock that is unlocked and locked with a user terminal. In this case, the output unit 116 transmits unlocking information (e.g., identification information such as a QR code (registered trademark)) for unlocking the smart lock to the user terminal of the user using the warehouse, and the user may have a reading terminal installed in the warehouse read the identification information to unlock the smart lock. In this case, the server 100 can transmit unlocking information only to the user using the warehouse, thereby increasing the security of the warehouse.

[0074] The programs of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided in a state stored in a storage medium readable by an information processing device. The storage medium may store the programs in a "non-transitory tangible medium." The programs include, for example, software programs and control programs. When the functional units of the server 100 are realized by software, the server 100 functions as a control unit 110, a setting unit 111, an acquisition unit 112, a warehouse registration unit 113, a usage registration unit 114, an item management unit 115, an output unit 116, and a proposal unit 117 by the processor executing the programs loaded into the memory.

[0075] The storage medium may, where appropriate, include one or more semiconductor-based or other integrated circuits (ICs) (e.g., field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific ICs (ASICs), etc.), hard disk drives (HDDs), hybrid hard drives (HHDs), optical disks, optical disk drives (ODDs), magneto-optical disks, magneto-optical drives, floppy diskettes, floppy disk drives (FDDs), magnetic tapes, solid state drives (SSDs), RAM drives, secure digital cards or drives, any other suitable storage media, or any suitable combination of two or more of these. The storage medium may, where appropriate, be volatile, non-volatile, or a combination of volatile and non-volatile.

[0076] Furthermore, the program of the present disclosure may be provided to the server 100 via any transmission medium (such as a communication network or broadcast waves) capable of transmitting the program.

[0077] Furthermore, each embodiment of the present disclosure may be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission. Note that the program of the present disclosure may be implemented using, for example, a scripting language such as JavaScript (registered trademark) or Python, or C, Go, Swift, Koltin, Java (registered trademark), or the like.

[0078] According to each aspect of the present disclosure described above, by providing a more comfortable working environment for users, it is possible to contribute to achieving Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "Sustainable cities and communities." [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 100 Server (information processing device) 110 control section 111 Setting section 112 Acquisition Department 113 Warehouse Registration Department 114 User Registration Department 115 Materials Management Department 116 Output section 117 Proposal Department 120 Communications Department 170 Storage device 101 Database Server 200 User terminal (communication terminal) 210 Control Unit 212 Display processing unit 213 Input processing section 214 Unlock request generation unit 220 Communications Department 230 Display section 240 Input / output section 270 Storage section 300 Warehouse 310 parking spaces 500 Network 600 Management System

Claims

1. a setting unit that sets the number of parking spaces in which to install warehouses among the plurality of parking spaces based on a utilization rate of a parking lot having the plurality of parking spaces; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of the warehouses installed in the parking spaces according to the number set by the setting unit; a warehouse registration unit that associates the location information of the warehouse with identification information of the warehouse installed in the parking space; a usage registration unit that receives a request to use the warehouse and associates identification information of one or more of the warehouses with identification information of a user who uses the warehouse; an item management unit that receives information on items delivered to the warehouse from users of the warehouse and associates the information with identification information of the warehouse; an output unit that outputs information required to unlock the warehouse in response to a request from the user to unlock the warehouse; A management system comprising:

2. the item management unit, in response to receiving information from the user indicating that the item has been removed from the warehouse, cancels the association between the information on the item removed from the warehouse and the identification information of the warehouse; The management system according to claim 1 .

3. The setting unit sets the number of parking spaces in which the warehouse will be installed to a number that does not exceed the number of vacant parking spaces when the utilization rate is highest, based on a transition of the utilization rate over a predetermined period in the past. The management system according to claim 1 .

4. The parking lot is provided within the building, The usage registration unit accepts a request to use the warehouse if the user is authorized to enter the building. The management system according to claim 1 .

5. The output unit outputs a notification to the user suggesting removal of the items in the warehouse based on a transition of the item information of the warehouse over a predetermined period. The management system according to claim 1 .

6. The warehouse is provided in a movable vehicle that has a mechanism for restricting movement of the vehicle when installed in the parking space. The management system according to claim 1 .

7. the item management unit receives an image of the item as information about the item stored in the warehouse, and associates the image of the item and at least one of one or more keywords analyzed from the image of the item with identification information of the warehouse; The management system according to claim 1 .

8. the item management unit associates keywords related to the items received as information about the items stored in the warehouse with identification information of the warehouse; The management system according to claim 1 .

9. the item management unit outputs information about a warehouse in which the item is stored in response to a search request from the user for the item. The management system according to claim 7 or 8.

10. The system further includes a proposal unit that proposes the number of warehouses to be installed in the parking lot using a usage history of the warehouses and a usage history of the parking lot in which the warehouses are installed over a predetermined period of time. The management system according to claim 1 .

11. The computer A step of setting the number of parking spaces for installing warehouses among the plurality of parking spaces based on a utilization rate of a parking lot having the plurality of parking spaces; acquiring location information of the warehouses installed in the parking spaces according to the set number; Associating the location information of the warehouse with identification information of the warehouse installed in the parking space; receiving a request to use the warehouse and associating identification information of one or more of the warehouses with identification information of a user who uses the warehouse; receiving information on items delivered to the warehouse from a user of the warehouse and associating the information with identification information of the warehouse; a step of outputting information required to unlock the warehouse in response to a request from the user to unlock the warehouse; A method of control for the management system.

12. On the computer, A function of setting the number of parking spaces to install warehouses among the plurality of parking spaces based on the utilization rate of a parking lot having the plurality of parking spaces; a function of acquiring location information of the warehouses installed in the parking spaces according to the set number; a function of associating the location information of the warehouse with identification information of the warehouse installed in the parking space; A function of accepting a request to use the warehouse and associating identification information of one or more of the warehouses with identification information of a user who uses the warehouse; A function of receiving information on items delivered to the warehouse from users of the warehouse and associating the information with identification information of the warehouse; a function of outputting information required to unlock the warehouse in response to a request from the user to unlock the warehouse; A control program for the management system that realizes this.

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