Entry / exit management system

Abstract

To speed up authentication.SOLUTION: An entrance / exit management system includes a management device 1, a cache memory 12, and a cloud server. The management device 1 includes an input unit 10 that acquires identification information of a user who is going to enter or exit a restricted area, a communication unit 14 for communicating with a cloud server, and an entry / exit permission determination unit 13 that determines whether to permit the user to enter or exit according to an entry / exit permission determination result corresponding to the identification information acquired by the input unit 10 when the entry / exit permission determination result is stored in a cache memory 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an access control system. [Background technology]

[0002] The entry / exit management system is a system in which, when a user holds an entry / exit IC card 101 or the like, on which identification information is recorded, over a device such as a card reader 102 installed near a door 100 or the like as shown in Fig. 8, a server 103 determines whether entry / exit is permitted or not based on the user's identification information, thereby unlocking the electric lock on the door 100. The determination of whether entry / exit is permitted or not is made by the server 103 comparing the user's identification information with preset identification information (Patent Document 1).

[0003] In recent years, there has been growing consideration of moving access control systems to the cloud. Generally, cloud-based systems have the advantages of lower initial and operational costs, easier scaling, and easier distribution and backup. However, cloud-based access control systems have the problem of slow authentication response times, since identification information is verified via the cloud. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-170743 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an entry / exit management system that can speed up authentication. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The entry / exit management system of the present invention comprises a management device installed in an entry / exit restricted area within a facility, a cache memory configured to store user entry / exit permission judgment results, and a cloud server configured to determine whether to permit entry or exit of a user attempting to enter or exit the entry / exit restricted area, wherein the management device comprises an input unit configured to acquire identification information of a user attempting to enter or exit the entry / exit restricted area, a first communication unit for communicating with the cloud server, and a first entry / exit permission judgment unit configured to, if the entry / exit permission judgment result corresponding to the identification information acquired by the input unit is stored in the cache memory, determine whether to permit entry or exit of the user in accordance with this entry / exit permission judgment result, and, if the entry / exit permission judgment result corresponding to the identification information acquired by the input unit is not stored in the cache memory, acquire the entry / exit permission judgment result from the cloud server and store it in the cache memory together with the identification information acquired by the input unit.

[0007] In addition, in one configuration example of the entry / exit management system of the present invention, the management device further includes a database in which information indicating that entry / exit permission information, which associates a user's identification information with the number of the permitted area the user can enter and exit, has been changed on the cloud server is registered, and the first entry / exit permission judgment unit checks the information in the database before checking the information in the cache memory, and if information indicating that the entry / exit permission information corresponding to the identification information acquired by the input unit has been changed is registered in the database, it obtains an entry / exit permission judgment result from the cloud server and determines whether to allow the user to enter or exit in accordance with this entry / exit permission judgment result, and stores the obtained entry / exit permission judgment result in the cache memory together with the identification information acquired by the input unit. In addition, in one configuration example of the entry / exit management system of the present invention, the first communication unit of the management device receives identification information of users whose entry / exit permission information has been changed from the cloud server and registers it in the database, and the cloud server is equipped with a second communication unit for communicating with the management device, a memory unit configured to store the entry / exit permission information of multiple users, and a synchronization unit configured to transmit the identification information of users whose entry / exit permission information has been changed stored in the memory unit to the management device via the second communication unit, and synchronization processing is performed so that a list of identification information of users whose entry / exit permission information has been changed is registered in the database.

[0008] In addition, in one configuration example of the entry / exit management system of the present invention, when the identification information acquired by the input unit is not found in either the database or the cache memory, the first entry / exit permission determination unit of the management device sends an entry / exit permission determination request including the identification information acquired by the input unit to the cloud server via the first communication unit, and the cloud server is characterized in that it comprises a second communication unit for communicating with the management device, a memory unit configured to store the entry / exit permission information of multiple users, and a second entry / exit permission determination unit configured to determine whether to permit the user to enter or exit based on the identification information included in the entry / exit permission determination request received by the second communication unit and the entry / exit permission information stored in the memory unit, and to return the determination result to the management device via the second communication unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, by providing a cache memory, when a user who has been authenticated once for entering and exiting an entry-restricted area attempts to enter and exit the same entry-restricted area for a second or subsequent time, the entry / exit permission decision result from the first authentication is stored in the cache memory, so that the user can be authenticated on the management device side without sending an entry / exit permission decision request to the cloud server for the second or subsequent authentications. As a result, the present invention can speed up authentication.

[0010] Furthermore, in the present invention, by providing a database, it is possible to immediately apply changes to the cloud server to a user who has an access restricted area that has changed from being allowed to being unable to access, for example. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an access control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a cloud server according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the entry / exit control system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of information registered in the cloud server in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process for synchronizing the databases of the cloud server and the management device in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer that realizes an entry / exit control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional entrance / exit management system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an access control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The access control system is installed near a door 100 of an access-restricted area in a facility and comprises a management device 1 such as a card reader that acquires user identification information, and a cloud server 2 that compares the user identification information acquired by the management device 1 with preset identification information to determine whether to permit or deny entry or exit. In the example of FIG. 1, there is one management device 1, but a management device 1 is provided for each door 100 of an access-restricted area in the facility that requires access control.

[0013] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the management device 1. The management device 1 includes an input unit 10, a database 11, a cache memory 12, an entry / exit permission determination unit 13, a communication unit 14, and an electric lock control unit 15.

[0014] 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the cloud server 2. The cloud server 2 includes a communication unit 20, a storage unit 21, an entry / exit permission determination unit 22, and a synchronization unit 23.

[0015] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the entry / exit management system of this embodiment. When a user attempts to enter or exit an entry-restricted area within a facility, the user holds up their IC card 101 over the input unit 10 of the management device 1. The input unit 10 acquires the user's identification information recorded on the IC card 101 (step S100 in FIG. 4).

[0016] The entry / exit permission determination unit 13 of the management device 1 determines whether or not the user's identification information is registered in the database 11 (step S101 in FIG. 4). Here, a case where the user's identification information is not registered in the database 11 will be described.

[0017] If the user's identification information is not registered in the database 11 (NO in step S101), the entry / exit permission determination unit 13 determines whether the user's identification information is stored in the cache memory 12 (step S102 in FIG. 4). Here, a case where the user's identification information is not stored in the cache memory 12 will be described. The database 11 and the cache memory 12 will be described later.

[0018] If the user's identification information is not stored in either the database 11 or the cache memory 12 (NO in step S102), the entry / exit permission determination unit 13 passes the user's identification information acquired by the input unit 10 to the communication unit 14. The communication unit 14 transmits an entry / exit permission determination request including the user's identification information to the cloud server 2 (step S103 in FIG. 4). The entry / exit permission determination request includes identification information unique to the management device 1.

[0019] The communication unit 20 of the cloud server 2 receives the entry / exit permission determination request sent from the management device 1. The entry / exit permission determination unit 22 of the cloud server 2 compares the user identification information included in the received entry / exit permission determination request with pre-registered identification information, and determines whether to permit the user to enter or exit the room (Step S104 in FIG. 4).

[0020] As shown in Fig. 5, the information registered in the storage unit 21 of the cloud server 2 includes user information and entry / exit permission information. The user information associates the user's identification information (user ID) with the user's name. The entry / exit permission information associates the user's identification information (user ID) with the number of the permitted area (area ID) that the user can enter and exit.

[0021] The entry / exit permission determination unit 22 identifies the entry / exit restricted area that the user is attempting to enter or exit based on the identification information of the management device 1 included in the received entry / exit permission determination request. The entry / exit permission determination unit 22 refers to the entry / exit permission information in the storage unit 21 based on the user's identification information included in the entry / exit permission determination request, and determines whether the number of the entry / exit restricted area that the user is attempting to enter or exit is registered among the numbers of permitted areas associated with the user's identification information.

[0022] Entry / exit permission determination unit 22 determines that entry / exit is permitted if the number of the entry / exit restricted area the user is attempting to enter or exit is registered among the numbers of permitted areas the user can enter and exit, and determines that entry / exit is prohibited if the number of the entry / exit restricted area the user is attempting to enter or exit is not registered among the numbers of permitted areas. Furthermore, entry / exit permission determination unit 22 determines that entry / exit is prohibited if entry / exit permission information corresponding to the user's identification information included in the entry / exit permission determination request is not stored in storage unit 21, that is, if the user's information is not in cloud server 2.

[0023] The communication unit 20 returns the result of the entry / exit permission determination made by the entry / exit permission determination unit 22 (entry / exit permitted / entry / exit not permitted) to the management device 1 that is the sender of the entry / exit permission determination request (step S105 in FIG. 4).

[0024] The communication unit 14 of the management device 1 receives the entry / exit permission determination result from the cloud server 2 (Step S106 in FIG. 4). If the received entry / exit permission determination result indicates that entry / exit is permitted (YES in step S107 in FIG. 4), the electric lock control unit 15 of the management device 1 sends an unlock command signal to the electric lock (not shown) of the door 100. When the electric lock receives the unlock command signal, it unlocks (step S108 in FIG. 4). In this way, the user can pass through the door 100. If the entry / exit permission determination result indicates that entry / exit is not permitted, the electric lock control unit 15 does not output an unlock command signal, and therefore the user's entry / exit is denied.

[0025] The entry / exit permission determination unit 13 of the management device 1 associates the received entry / exit permission determination result with the user identification information acquired in step S100 and stores them in the cache memory 12 (step S109 in FIG. 4). By the process of step S109, the entry / exit permission determination result for the user is stored in the cache memory 12 of the management device 1 corresponding to the entry / exit restricted zone from which the user attempted to enter or exit.

[0026] If the user's identification information acquired in step S100 is stored in cache memory 12 (YES in step S102 in FIG. 4), entry / exit permission determination unit 13 determines whether to permit entry and exit of the user in accordance with the entry / exit permission determination result stored in association with the user's identification information (step S110 in FIG. 4). If the entry / exit permission determination result stored in association with the user's identification information indicates that entry and exit is permitted, entry / exit permission determination unit 13 determines that entry and exit is permitted, and if the entry / exit permission determination result indicates that entry and exit is prohibited, entry and exit is prohibited.

[0027] When the determination result by the entry / exit permission determination unit 13 indicates that entry / exit is permitted (YES in step S111 in FIG. 4), the electric lock control unit 15 of the management device 1 sends an unlock command signal to the electric lock of the door 100. When the electric lock receives the unlock command signal, it unlocks (step S112 in FIG. 4). When the determination result by the entry / exit permission determination unit 13 indicates that entry / exit is not permitted, the electric lock control unit 15 does not output the unlock command signal.

[0028] In this way, when a user who has been authenticated once at door 100 wishes to be authenticated a second or subsequent time at the same door 100, the entry / exit permission decision result from the first authentication is stored in cache memory 12, so that at the second or subsequent authentication times, the user can be authenticated on the management device 1 side without sending an entry / exit permission decision request to cloud server 2. As a result, in this embodiment, authentication can be speeded up.

[0029] However, with the above operation, even if there is a change in the entry / exit permission information of cloud server 2 that cancels the user's permitted area, if the entry / exit permission determination result indicating that entry / exit is permitted remains in cache memory 12, the change of cloud server 2 may not be applied immediately, and the user may be permitted to enter or exit.

[0030] Therefore, in this embodiment, for a user who has an entry / exit restricted area that has changed from being allowed to being not allowed, the same information as the entry / exit permission information in the cloud server 2 is stored in the database 11. FIG. 6 is a flowchart explaining the synchronization process between the cloud server 2 and the database 11.

[0031] The synchronization unit 23 of the cloud server 2 transmits the identification information of the user whose entry / exit permission information has been changed to the management device 1 (Step S200 in FIG. 6). The communication unit 14 of the management device 1 registers the identification information received from the cloud server 2 in the database 11 (Step S201 in FIG. 6).

[0032] Such synchronization processing is performed at regular time intervals so that a list of the identification information of users whose entry / exit permission information has been changed is registered in the database 11.

[0033] If the user identification information acquired in step S100 is registered in database 11 (YES in step S101 in FIG. 4), entry / exit permission determination unit 13 of management device 1 passes the acquired user identification information to communication unit 14. Communication unit 14 transmits an entry / exit permission determination request including the user identification information to cloud server 2 (step S103 in FIG. 4). The processing in steps S104 to S109 is as described above.

[0034] If the user identification information acquired in step S100 is registered in the database 11 (YES in step S113 of Figure 4), the entry / exit permission determination unit 13 of the management device 1 deletes the user identification information acquired in step S100 from the list of identification information registered in the database 11 after saving the information in the cache memory 12 (step S114 of Figure 4).

[0035] In this way, for example, for a user whose indoor section has changed from being accessible to not being accessible, the change in cloud server 2 can be immediately applied.

[0036] In this embodiment, the cache memory 12 is provided inside the management device 1, but the cache memory may be provided outside the management device 1. Furthermore, if the capacity of the cache memory 12 is small, the information stored in the cache memory 12 may be overwritten with the latest information in order from oldest to newest.

[0037] In this embodiment, the user ID recorded on the IC card 101 carried by the user is used as the user's identification information, but biometric information may also be used as the user's identification information. Examples of biometric information include fingerprints, voiceprints, irises, veins, and faces. In this case, the input unit 10 of the management device 1 acquires the user's biometric information.

[0038] The management device 1 and cloud server 2 described in this embodiment can each be realized by a computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device, and an interface, and a program that controls these hardware resources. An example configuration of this computer is shown in FIG.

[0039] The computer includes a CPU 200, a storage device 201, and an interface device (I / F) 202. In the case of the management device 1, the I / F 202 is connected to the hardware of the input unit 10, the hardware of the communication unit 14, the hardware of the electric lock control unit 15, etc. In the case of the cloud server 2, the I / F 202 is connected to the hardware of the communication unit 20, etc. In such a computer, a program for realizing the entry / exit management method of the present invention is stored in the storage device 201. The CPU 200 executes the processing described in this embodiment in accordance with the program stored in the storage device 201. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1...management device, 2...cloud server, 10...input section, 11...database, 12...cache memory, 13, 22...entry / exit permission determination section, 14, 20...communication section, 15...electric lock control section, 21...memory section, 23...synchronization section.

Claims

1. a management device installed in an entry / exit restricted area within the facility; a cache memory configured to store the user's entry / exit permission determination result; a cloud server configured to determine whether to permit a user who is attempting to enter or exit the entry / exit restricted area; The management device an input unit configured to acquire identification information of a user attempting to enter or exit the entry / exit restricted area; a first communication unit for communicating with the cloud server; an entry / exit permission determination unit configured to, if the entry / exit permission determination result corresponding to the identification information acquired by the input unit is stored in the cache memory, determine whether to allow the user to enter or exit the room in accordance with this entry / exit permission determination result, and, if the entry / exit permission determination result corresponding to the identification information acquired by the input unit is not stored in the cache memory, obtain the entry / exit permission determination result from the cloud server and store it in the cache memory together with the identification information acquired by the input unit.

2. In the access control system according to claim 1, The management device The system further includes a database in which information indicating that entry / exit permission information, which associates user identification information with the number of a permission zone that the user can enter and exit, has been changed on the cloud server is registered, The first entry / exit permission determination unit checks the information in the database before checking the information in the cache memory, and if information indicating that the entry / exit permission information corresponding to the identification information acquired by the input unit has been changed is registered in the database, the first entry / exit permission determination unit obtains the entry / exit permission determination result from the cloud server, determines whether to allow the user to enter or exit the room in accordance with the entry / exit permission determination result, and stores the obtained entry / exit permission determination result in the cache memory together with the identification information acquired by the input unit.

3. 3. The access control system according to claim 2, a first communication unit of the management device receiving, from the cloud server, identification information of the user whose entry / exit permission information has been changed, and registering the information in the database; The cloud server a second communication unit for communicating with the management device; a storage unit configured to store the entry / exit permission information of a plurality of users; a synchronization unit configured to transmit identification information of a user whose entry / exit permission information stored in the storage unit has been changed to the management device via the second communication unit, An entry / exit management system characterized in that synchronization processing is performed so that a list of identification information of users whose entry / exit permission information has been changed is registered in the database.

4. 3. The access control system according to claim 2, a first entry / exit permission determination unit of the management device, when the identification information acquired by the input unit is not found in either the database or the cache memory, transmits an entry / exit permission determination request including the identification information acquired by the input unit to the cloud server via the first communication unit; The cloud server a second communication unit for communicating with the management device; a storage unit configured to store the entry / exit permission information of a plurality of users; An entry / exit management system characterized by comprising a second entry / exit permission determination unit configured to determine whether to permit a user to enter or exit based on identification information included in the entry / exit permission determination request received by the second communication unit and the entry / exit permission information stored in the memory unit, and to return the determination result to the management device via the second communication unit.

Images