Unit management system, program determination method, and program

Abstract

To provide a unit management system, a program determination method and a program for improving the working efficiency of a worker by automatically determining a control program for controlling the operation of an automatic ticket examination machine on which a plurality of units are mounted, and for omitting the setting work of the control program after the assembly of each unit or the recombination of the units.SOLUTION: In a unit management system, a control part 51 of a control device 50 acquires unit-related information about each unit mounted on an automatic ticket gate, and determines an operation control program applicable to the automatic ticket gate on the basis of the unit-related information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a unit management system, a program determination method, and a program that are applied to an automatic ticket gate to which a unit is attached. [Background technology]

[0002] At the ticket gates of railway stations, boarding gates of airports, and entrances to facilities such as theme parks and buildings, automatic ticket gates are installed to check admission tickets or admission permits and process the admission. Conventionally, automatic ticket gates that process the admission by reading admission ticket information stored in IC memory or admission ticket information contained in an information code displayed on the screen of a mobile device such as a smartphone are known. In recent years, automatic ticket gates that capture an image of a user with a camera as they pass through a ticket gate passage, authenticate the user based on characteristic information about the user's appearance (e.g., face), and permit entry if the authentication is successful are becoming practical.

[0003] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there is known an automatic ticket gate in which the housing of the contactless reading unit and the housing of the door opening / closing unit are separated and configured so that they can be connected to each other as desired (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-331320 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, for example, automatic ticket gates installed at ticket gates in railway stations are configured to be able to accommodate multiple units, such as an IC reading unit that authorizes entry using admission ticket information read from an IC memory, an information code reading unit that reads admission ticket information contained in an information code displayed on the screen of a mobile terminal, a face authentication unit that authorizes entry through facial authentication, a credit card payment unit that reads credit card information and processes entry, etc. The automatic ticket gates are also equipped with one or more display monitors that display guidance corresponding to each unit.

[0006] The combination, number, and installation positions of units to be installed in an automatic ticket gate are determined based on factors such as the installation environment, such as the size of the station and ticket gate where the automatic ticket gate is installed, the convenience for users, and the work efficiency of the workers who maintain the automatic ticket gate. The more units that can be installed in an automatic ticket gate, the greater the number of combinations of units that can be installed. Furthermore, a corresponding number of control programs are required to control the automatic ticket gate. Even if the combination of units is the same, if the relative positions of the units are different, a corresponding number of control programs may be required.

[0007] Therefore, unless a control program corresponding to the combination, number, and installation position of each unit is installed in the control unit of the automatic ticket gate, the automatic ticket gate may not operate properly. For example, the processing displayed on the display monitor differs between when individual display monitors are installed for multiple units that perform entrance processing and when a single common display monitor is installed, so a control program corresponding to each mode must be installed. Furthermore, the guide information displayed on the display monitor may differ between when the unit that performs entrance processing is attached to the top surface of the main body housing and when it is attached to the side of the main body housing, so in this case too, a control program corresponding to each mode must be installed.

[0008] However, it is necessary to check whether or not a control program is available depending on the combination, number, and installation position of the units to be installed, and to select and install the control program, which requires cumbersome work.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide a unit management system, a program determination method, and a program that can automatically determine a control program for controlling the operation of an automatic ticket gate to which multiple units are attached, thereby eliminating the need to set up the control program after assembling each unit or after rearranging units, thereby improving the work efficiency of workers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A unit management system according to the present invention is a system for determining a control program to be applied to an automatic ticket gate having at least two units attached to a device main body. The unit management system includes an acquisition processing unit that acquires unit-related information regarding each unit attached to the device main body, and a program determination processing unit that determines the control program to be applied to the automatic ticket gate based on the unit-related information acquired by the acquisition processing unit.

[0011] The program determination method of the present invention is a program determination method applied to an automatic ticket gate having at least two units attached to the device main body, and is a method executed by one or more processors, comprising an acquisition step of acquiring unit-related information regarding each unit attached to the device main body, and a program determination step of determining a control program to be applied to the automatic ticket gate based on the unit-related information acquired by the acquisition step.

[0012] The program of the present invention is a program applied to an automatic ticket gate having at least two units attached to the device main body, and is a program for causing one or more processors to execute an acquisition step of acquiring unit-related information regarding each unit attached to the device main body, and a program determination step of determining a control program to be applied to the automatic ticket gate based on the unit-related information acquired by the acquisition step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, by automatically determining a control program for controlling the operation of an automatic ticket gate to which multiple units are attached, it is possible to eliminate the need to set up the control program after assembling each unit or after rearranging units, thereby improving the work efficiency of workers. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an automatic ticket gate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a layout diagram showing the installation positions of the units installed in the automatic ticket gate according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of installation of an automatic ticket gate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a unit management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a plurality of units attached to an automatic ticket gate according to an embodiment of the present invention are connected to one another by connection cables. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an automatic ticket gate equipped with two units and the units connected to each other by a connection cable. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an automatic ticket gate installed in a small station with a relatively small number of users and each unit connected to each other by a connection cable. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an automatic ticket gate in which a plurality of units are mounted vertically in a tower-type housing, and the units are connected to each other by connection cables. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the connection state of two adjacent units in an automatic ticket gate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the terminals of the connectors of the units attached to the automatic ticket gate according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the use of each terminal provided in the connector according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a unit correspondence table in which binary data corresponding to the ON or OFF state of each terminal provided in the connector according to the embodiment of the present invention is associated with the unit name corresponding to each binary data. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a unit on the front side in the traveling direction and a unit on the rear side in the traveling direction are connected by a connection cable. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a state in which the head connector is connected to the connector of the unit that is highest in the connection order. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a layout table showing the layout type of each unit installed in the automatic ticket gate according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a program identification code table that is referenced when the control device according to the embodiment of the present invention performs a program setting process. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of a program setting process executed in the unit management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are merely examples of the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0016] [Automatic ticket gate 1] Figures 1 and 2 show an automatic ticket gate 1A, which is an example of an automatic ticket gate according to an embodiment of the present invention, where Figure 1 is an oblique view of the automatic ticket gate 1A and Figure 2 is a layout diagram showing the installation positions of each unit 20 (21 to 29) assembled in the automatic ticket gate 1A.

[0017] In this embodiment, in addition to the automatic ticket gate 1A shown in Fig. 1, other examples of the automatic ticket gate of the present invention will be described, including automatic ticket gate 1B (see Fig. 6), automatic ticket gate 1C (see Fig. 7), and automatic ticket gate 1D (see Fig. 8), each having a different combination of attached units 20. Hereinafter, unless there is a particular need to distinguish between them, the automatic ticket gates 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D will be collectively referred to as automatic ticket gate 1.

[0018] The automatic ticket gate 1 is a station service device used in a transportation service (railway service) that transports users using railroad vehicles, and is installed at the ticket gate of a railway station. The automatic ticket gate 1 performs entry processing (passage processing) or exit processing (passage processing) in a passage 9 through which users pass.

[0019] 1 and 2 show an automatic ticket gate 1 that processes the passage of users proceeding through a passage 9 in a travel direction D10. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, two automatic ticket gates 1 are installed in a staggered orientation facing each other. This forms a passage 9 between each automatic ticket gate 1. Furthermore, by installing them in this manner, the pair of automatic ticket gates 1 can process the passage of users proceeding along the travel direction D10, and also process the passage of users proceeding in the opposite travel direction D11 (see FIG. 3).

[0020] The automatic ticket gate 1 may be used alone as an entrance gate or an exit gate. In this case, multiple automatic ticket gates 1 are provided facing each other and all facing the same direction, thereby forming multiple passages 9 at the ticket gate.

[0021] 1 and 2, the automatic ticket gate 1 includes a plurality of units 20. Each unit is attached to a housing 10 of the automatic ticket gate 1 (an example of the device main body of the present invention).

[0022] 1 includes a first display unit 21, a second display unit 22, a first door unit 23, a second door unit 24, an IC card reading unit 26, a code reading unit 25, a camera unit 27, and sensor units 28 and 29, which are mounted in a housing 10. In the following description, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the units 21 to 29, the units 21 to 29 will be collectively referred to as unit 20.

[0023] Each of the units 21 to 29 is configured as an independent device, and as shown in FIG.

[0024] The display units 21, 22 display predetermined information such as messages for users passing through the passage 9. The display units 21, 22 perform display processing based on control signals from a control device 50 (see FIG. 4), which will be described later. That is, the control device 50 outputs control signals to the display units 21, 22 to cause the display units 21, 22 to perform the display processing.

[0025] The display units 21 and 22 are display devices having a display panel 31 such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel, and are equipped with a control unit 35 such as a CPU (see Figure 10) that executes the display process to display the specified information on the display panel 31, and an internal memory 36 such as a RAM (see Figure 10).

[0026] The first display unit 21 is assembled to the housing 10 of the automatic ticket gate 1A, and is attached to the top surface of the main body 10A of the housing 10 at a position on the front side in the passage 9 in the direction D10 in which the user is moving.

[0027] When the user is permitted to pass through the passage process by the IC card reading unit 26 or the code reading unit 25, a message indicating that the user is permitted to pass is displayed on the first display unit 21. On the other hand, when the user is not permitted to pass, a message indicating that the user is not permitted to pass (prohibited) is displayed on the first display unit 21. In other words, the first display unit 21 displays information related to the passage process using a transportation IC card or an information code.

[0028] Furthermore, when the automatic ticket gate 1A is used for exiting, the first display unit 21 may display, for example, the amount of charge (remaining balance) on the transportation IC card after payment. Also, a message indicating that the fare is insufficient or a message encouraging cash payment at the payment device may be displayed on the first display unit 21. The payment device is equipped with an information reading unit similar to the IC card reading unit 26 or the code reading unit 25, and an information code such as a QR code (registered trademark) of the transportation IC card or ticket read by the automatic ticket gate 1A upon entry is read, thereby enabling payment of the fare with cash, a credit card, or the like.

[0029] The second display unit 22 is assembled in the housing 10 of the automatic ticket gate 1A, and is attached to a quadrangular pillar-shaped tower portion 10B extending upward from the front portion of the main body portion 10A of the housing 10 in the traveling direction D10.

[0030] When the user is permitted to pass through as a result of the facial authentication process that authenticates the user's face, a message indicating that the user is permitted to pass is displayed on the second display unit 22. On the other hand, when the facial authentication fails and the user is not permitted to pass, the second display unit 22 displays a message indicating that the user's face is not registered, or a message urging the user to perform the passage process again using a transportation IC card or a boarding information code. In other words, the second display unit 22 displays information related to the facial authentication process.

[0031] The camera unit 27 is used to capture a facial image of a user to be used in the facial authentication process. The camera unit 27 is attached to the housing 10 of the automatic ticket gate 1A, and is mounted in a position above the display unit 22 in the tower section 10B. The camera unit 27 has a camera 32 that captures an image of a user about to pass through the passage 9. The camera unit 27 determines whether or not a user is approaching the passage 9, identifies the user entering the passage 9, and performs an imaging process to capture an image of the user. The facial image captured by the camera 32 is transmitted to the control device 50 (see FIG. 4). The control device 50 uses the received facial image to perform the facial authentication process on the user.

[0032] The camera unit 27 includes a control unit 35 (see FIG. 10) such as a CPU that executes the image capturing process, an internal memory 36 such as a RAM, and the like.

[0033] The sensor units 28 and 29 are so-called human sensors that detect a user who enters the passage 9. The sensor units 28 and 29 are, for example, optical proximity sensors that detect a user passing through the passage 9 in a non-contact manner.

[0034] Sensor units 28 and 29 are attached to the aisle-side side of main body 10A of housing 10. Specifically, sensor unit 28 is disposed on the rear side (entrance side) of main body 10A in traveling direction D10 on the side surface of main body 10A. Sensor unit 29 is disposed on the front side (exit side) of main body 10A in traveling direction D10 on the side surface of main body 10A.

[0035] The detection signals of the sensor units 28 and 29 are transmitted to a control device 50 (see FIG. 4) which will be described later.

[0036] Based on the detection signal, the control device 50 controls the opening / closing operation of the door units 23, 24, or displays an alarm message or the like on the display units 21, 22. For example, if a user enters the passage 9 without the passage process being performed and the user is detected by the sensor units 28, 29, the control device 50 outputs a control signal to the door units 23, 24 to cause the door units 23, 24 to perform a passage opening / closing process that blocks the passage 9 and restricts the passage of the user. The control device 50 also causes either or both of the first display unit 21 and the second display unit 22 to perform a display process that displays an alarm message or the like indicating that passage process has not been performed.

[0037] The door units 23, 24 open and close the passage 9 of the automatic ticket gate 1. The door units 23, 24 each have a flap door 33 for opening and closing the passage 9. The door units 23, 24 perform the passage opening and closing process based on a control signal from a control device 50, which will be described later.

[0038] The door units 23, 24 are attached to the side surface of the main body 10A of the housing 10 on the aisle side. Specifically, the first door unit 23 is attached to the side surface of the main body 10A at a position on the rear side (entrance side) in the traveling direction D10. The second door unit 24 is attached to the side surface of the main body 10A at a position on the front side (exit side) in the traveling direction D10.

[0039] The door units 23, 24 include a flap door 33, a motor (not shown) that operates the flap door 33, a control unit 35 such as a CPU that drives and controls the motor to execute the passage opening and closing process (see Figure 10), and an internal memory 36 such as a RAM.

[0040] The IC card reading unit 26 is attached to the top surface of the main body 10A of the housing 10. The IC card reading unit 26 is attached to the top surface of the main body 10A at a position on the rear side (front side) in the traveling direction D10. The IC card reading unit 26 is a contactless communication device that performs a card reading process to contactlessly read predetermined information (ticket information) recorded on a contactless transportation IC card.

[0041] The ticket information includes a user ID that identifies the user, the amount of charge (remaining balance) on the transportation IC card, the expiration date of the transportation IC card, etc. The ticket information that is read when exiting also includes information on the entrance station.

[0042] Specifically, the IC card reading unit 26 is a reader / writer device that contactlessly reads and writes information stored in the contactless IC memory in the transportation IC card using the near field communication standard (NFC) defined in the communication standard ISO / IEC14443.

[0043] The IC card reading unit 26 includes a communication unit that communicates in accordance with the short-range wireless communication standard, a control unit 35 such as a CPU that executes the process of reading and writing the ticket information (see Figure 10), and an internal memory 36 such as a RAM (see Figure 13).

[0044] When using the railway service, a user who uses the transportation IC card brings the transportation IC card close to a reading portion 261 (see FIG. 2) on the upper surface of the IC card reading unit 26, causing the IC card reading unit 26 to read the ticket information. The ticket information read by the IC card reading unit 26 is transmitted to the control device 50 (see FIG. 4), and the control device 50 performs entry or exit processing based on the ticket information.

[0045] The code reading unit 25 is a device that acquires information in a non-contact manner from an information recording medium on which predetermined information is recorded. Specifically, the code reading unit 25 is an optical reading device that optically reads an information code displayed on an information recording medium that is directed toward a transparent reading surface 251 (see FIG. 2) on the upper surface of the code reading unit 25, and acquires the information contained in the information code. Here, the information recording medium is, for example, a user terminal on whose display screen the information code is displayed. The user terminal is a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet used by a user. The information recording medium may also be a sheet-like ticket or card on which the information code is recorded.

[0046] The code reading unit 25 is attached to the top surface of the main body 10A of the housing 10. The code reading unit 25 is attached to the top surface of the main body 10A at a position further rearward in the traveling direction D10 than the IC card reading unit 26. The code reading unit 25 reads the information code held by the user when the user passes through the passage 9 of the automatic ticket gate 1 upon entering or exiting.

[0047] The code reading unit 25 includes an imaging unit (not shown) such as a digital camera, a control unit 35 such as a CPU (see FIG. 10), an internal memory 36 such as a RAM (see FIG. 13), and the like.

[0048] The imaging unit captures a screen image including the information code displayed on the display screen of the user terminal and outputs it as digital image data (read data). When the user holds the information recording medium over the reading surface 251 of the code reading unit 25, the imaging unit captures an image of the surface of the information recording medium through the reading surface 251. When the surface image is captured, the control unit 35 of the code reading unit 25 decodes the information code included in the surface image and obtains predetermined information (passenger ticket information such as a user ID) included in the information code. The ticket information obtained by the code reading unit 25 is transmitted to the control device 50 (see FIG. 4), and the control device 50 then performs entry or exit processing based on the ticket information.

[0049] [Unit Management System 100] 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a unit management system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention (an example of a unit management system of the present invention), which will be simply referred to as the management system 100 hereinafter.

[0050] The management system 100 is a system applied to the automatic ticket gate 1 that performs the passage processing. Specifically, the management system 100 is a system that determines an operation control program (one example of a control program of the present invention) that is applied to the automatic ticket gate 1 having at least two units 20 attached to a housing 10. The operation control program is a program that causes a control device 50, described below, to operate each unit 20 mounted on the automatic ticket gate 1, and is installed in advance in the control device 50 before use.

[0051] The automatic ticket gate 1 to which the management system 100 is applied is not limited to the automatic ticket gate 1A equipped with all of the multiple units 20 (21 to 29), but is also applicable to, for example, automatic ticket gates 1B, 1C, and 1D (see FIGS. 6, 7, and 8) equipped with at least two units 20 selected from the multiple units 21 to 29. In other words, the automatic ticket gates 1B, 1C, and 1D shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 have a different unit configuration from the automatic ticket gate 1A shown in FIG. 1.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 4, the management system 100 includes a control device 50 that controls the automatic ticket gate 1, a database 60, and at least two units 20 attached to the automatic ticket gate 1.

[0053] In the management system 100, the control device 50 is communicatively connected to the database 60 via a network N1, which is a wireless communication network or a wired communication network. The control device 50 is also communicatively connected to each unit 20 provided in the automatic ticket gate 1 via the network N1. The network N1 is, for example, a dedicated line or a public line.

[0054] The control device 50 is an information processing device equipped with a calculation unit such as a CPU capable of executing various types of calculation processing. The control device 50 is installed, for example, in a station office near the ticket gate where the automatic ticket gate 1 is installed. The control device 50 may be configured with a single computer, or may be a computer system in which multiple computers operate in cooperation, or a cloud computing system. The control device 50 may also be a control unit equipped with a calculation unit such as a CPU, and the control unit may be incorporated into the automatic ticket gate 1.

[0055] The database 60 is a storage device such as an HDD or SSD. The database 60 is configured as an external device such as another server device or another storage device that can communicate data with the control device 50 via the network N1. The database 60 may be a storage device provided in the control device 50, or may be a storage device connected to the control device 50 via a local network.

[0056] Incidentally, the automatic ticket gate 1 does not need to be equipped with all of the multiple units 20 (units 21 to 29); for example, it is possible to select and install only the necessary units 20 from the multiple units 20. The combination, number, and installation position of the units 20 to be installed in the automatic ticket gate 1 are determined taking into consideration, for example, the size of the station and ticket gate where the automatic ticket gate 1 is installed, the number of users who use the station, the convenience for users, and the work efficiency of workers who perform maintenance on the automatic ticket gate 1. In other words, the automatic ticket gate 1 of this embodiment can be equipped with functions suited to the installation environment, etc., by assembling the units 20 to be installed in the automatic ticket gate 1 according to the environment in which the automatic ticket gate 1 is installed.

[0057] For example, an unmanned station is equipped with an automatic ticket gate 1B having a minimum unit configuration in which an IC card reading unit 26 and a first display unit 21 are mounted on a housing 10, as shown in Fig. 6. In Fig. 6, a partition wall 11 for dividing the passage 9 is provided at a position opposite the housing 10 across the passage 9.

[0058] Also, for example, in a small station with a relatively small number of users, an automatic ticket gate 1C is installed in which a code reading unit 25, an IC card reading unit 26, a first display unit 21, and a first door unit 23 are attached to a housing 10, as shown in Fig. 7. In Fig. 7, a partition wall 11 for dividing the passage 9 is provided at a position opposite the housing 10 across the passage 9.

[0059] Also, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, an automatic ticket gate 1D having a code reading unit 25, an IC card reading unit 26, a second display unit 22, a camera unit 27, etc. attached to a housing 10 may be installed at a ticket gate of a station.

[0060] The number of combinations of units 20 mounted on the automatic ticket gate 1 increases as the number of types of units 20 that can be attached to the housing 10 increases. Also, the number of operation control programs required to control the automatic ticket gate 1 corresponds to the number of combinations of units 20. Even if the combination of units 20 is the same, if the positional relationship of each unit 20 is different, the number of operation control programs required may correspond to the positional relationship.

[0061] Therefore, unless an operation control program corresponding to the combination, number, and installation position of each unit 20 is set in the control device 50 (see FIG. 4), the automatic ticket gate 1 cannot operate normally.

[0062] However, it is cumbersome for the operator to check whether there is an operation control program corresponding to the combination of units 20 to be attached to the automatic ticket gate 1, the number of units 20 attached, the attachment positions of the units 20, etc., and to select an applicable operation control program from multiple operation control programs and install it in the control device 50.

[0063] In contrast, according to the management system 100 of this embodiment, as will be described later, it is possible to automatically determine an operation control program for controlling the operation of an automatic ticket gate 1 equipped with a plurality of units 20. Furthermore, even when a unit 20 equipped in an automatic ticket gate 1 is replaced with another unit 20, an operation control program applicable to the automatic ticket gate 1 after the replacement is automatically determined. This makes it possible to omit the work of setting an operation control program applicable to an automatic ticket gate 1 equipped with each unit 20, thereby improving the work efficiency of the worker.

[0064] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an automatic ticket gate 1A equipped with multiple units 20 (21 to 29) shown in Figure 1, in which units 21 to 27 are connected to each other by a connection cable 70 (an example of a specified connection member of the present invention).

[0065] As shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment, in order to obtain the information (unit-related information) necessary to determine the operation control program corresponding to the unit 20 attached to the automatic ticket gate 1A, two adjacent units 20 of each unit 20 attached to the automatic ticket gate 1 are connected by a connection cable 70.

[0066] 5, in the automatic ticket gate 1A, the code reading unit 25 is attached to the entrance side, the IC card reading unit 26 is connected to the code reading unit 25 by a connection cable 70, the first display unit 21 is connected to the IC card reading unit 26, and the first door unit 23, the second door unit 24, the second display unit 22, and the camera unit 27 are connected in that order by the connection cable 70. In this connection order, the code reading unit 25 that is highest in order (i.e., at the beginning) is connected to a head connector 30, which will be described later.

[0067] The connection cable 70 connects adjacent units 20 in the housing 10. Each connected unit 20 is provided with a plurality of connectors 80 to which the connection cable 70 can be connected. Furthermore, each end of the connection cable 70 is provided with a connector 71 that can be connected to the connector 80 of the unit 20. Here, the connectors 80 that each unit 20 has are an example of the first connector and second connector of the present invention.

[0068] 6 to 8 also show schematic diagrams illustrating a state in which a plurality of units 20 are connected to one another by connection cables 70 in each of the automatic ticket gates 1B, 1C, and 1D.

[0069] 6, in the automatic ticket gate 1B, a code reading unit 25 is attached to the entrance side, and an IC card reading unit 26 is connected to the code reading unit 25 by a connection cable 70. In this connection order, a head connector 30, which will be described later, is connected to the code reading unit 25 which is positioned highest (first) in the order.

[0070] 7, in the automatic ticket gate 1C, a code reading unit 25 is attached to the entrance side, an IC card reading unit 26 is connected to the code reading unit 25 by a connection cable 70, a first display unit 21 is connected to the IC card reading unit 26, and a first door unit 23 is connected to the first display unit 21. A head connector 30, which will be described later, is connected to the code reading unit 25 which is positioned highest (first) in this connection order.

[0071] 8, the code reading unit 25 is attached to the lowest position in the automatic ticket gate 1D, and the code reading unit 25 is connected to the IC card reading unit 26 attached above the code reading unit 25 by a connection cable 70. The second display unit 22 located above the IC card reading unit 26 is connected to the IC card reading unit 26. The camera unit 27 located above the second display unit 22 is connected to the second display unit 22. A head connector 30, which will be described later, is connected to the code reading unit 25 that is highest in this connection order (first), i.e., the lowest in FIG. 8.

[0072] 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the connection state of two adjacent units 20. In FIG. 9, a first unit 20A and a second unit 20B connected by a connection cable 70 are shown.

[0073] The first unit 20A and the second unit 20B are both examples of the unit 20. For example, the first unit 20A is a code reading unit 25 attached to the top surface of the main body 10A of the housing 10, further rearward in the traveling direction D10 than the IC card reading unit 26. The second unit 20B is an IC card reading unit 26 attached to the top surface of the main body 10A of the housing 10, further forward in the traveling direction D10 than the code reading unit 25.

[0074] 9, two connectors 80 are provided in the first unit 20A, and two connectors 80 are also provided in the second unit 20B. The connectors 80 are provided on side surfaces of the housing 200 of the unit 20. Each connector 80 is provided on a different side surface of the housing 200. For example, when the first unit 20A and the second unit 20B are arranged spaced apart from each other in the forward direction D10, the connectors 80 are provided on a side surface 201 on the rear side of the housing 200 and a side surface 202 on the front side of the housing 200 in the forward direction D10.

[0075] Each unit 20 attached to the housing 10 has a predetermined orientation. For example, the code reading unit 25 is attached to the top surface of the housing 10 so that the side surface 201 of the housing 200 is located rearward in the traveling direction D10 and the side surface 202 of the housing 200 is located forward in the traveling direction D10. The IC card reading unit 26 is attached to the top surface of the housing 10 so that the side surface 201 of the housing 200 is located rearward in the traveling direction D10 and the side surface 202 of the housing 200 is located forward in the traveling direction D10. Hereinafter, in the unit 20, the connector 80 provided on the side surface 201 will be referred to as a first connector 81, and the connector 80 provided on the side surface 202 will be referred to as a second connector 82.

[0076] 9, one connector 71A of the two connectors 71 of the connection cable 70 is connected to the second connector 82 of the first unit 20A. Specifically, the connector 71A of the connection cable 70 is connected to the second connector 82 provided on the side surface 202 of the housing 200 of the first unit 20A. Furthermore, the other connector 71B of the connection cable 70 is connected to the first connector 81 of the second unit 20B. Specifically, the connector 71B of the connection cable 70 is connected to the first connector 81 provided on the side surface 201 of the housing 200 of the second unit 20B.

[0077] Next, the connector 80 provided in the unit 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Here, Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of terminals of a first connector 81 and a second connector 82 provided in the unit 20. Fig. 10 illustrates, for example, the first connector 81 and the second connector 82 provided in the IC card reading unit 26.

[0078] 10, each connector 80 (81, 82) of the unit 20 has 12 terminals P1 to P12 arranged in a horizontal row. Terminal numbers are assigned to the terminals P1 to P12 in order in one direction.

[0079] Each connector 80 has six terminals P1 to P6 and six socket terminals P7 to P12. The socket terminals P7 to P10 are terminals into which so-called pin terminals can be inserted and electrically connected.

[0080] Of the terminals P1 to P12 that the connector 80 has, terminals P1 to P4 (one example of the first terminals of the present invention) with terminal numbers 1 to 4 are terminals that indicate unit identification information of the unit 20 itself. The terminals P1 to P4 are used to notify other units 20 connected by the connection cable 70 of their own unit identification information (see FIG. 11).

[0081] Of the terminals P1 to P12 that the connector 80 has, the socket terminals P7 to P10 (an example of the second terminals of the present invention) with terminal numbers 7 to 10 are used to acquire unit identification information of other units 20 connected by the connection cable 70 (see FIG. 11). In other words, the socket terminals P7 to P10 are terminals for acquiring unit identification information of other units 20 that are connected.

[0082] Furthermore, terminal P5 (an example of the third terminal of the present invention) with terminal number 5 provided on connector 80 is a terminal that indicates information about the attachment position (connector attachment position) of connector 80 in housing 200 of the unit 20. Terminal P5 is used to notify another unit 20 connected by connection cable 70 of the attachment position of connector 80 in the unit 20 (see FIG. 11).

[0083] Furthermore, the socket terminal P11 (an example of the fourth terminal of the present invention) with terminal number 11 provided on the connector 80 is used to acquire information on the connector mounting position in the housing 200 of the other unit 20 connected by the connection cable 70 (see FIG. 11). In other words, the socket terminal P11 is a terminal for acquiring the mounting position of the connector 80 of the other unit 20 connected by the connection cable 70.

[0084] A bridging wire is connected to each of the terminals P1 to P6, and the terminal P6 with terminal number 6 is used as a common terminal (see FIG. 11).

[0085] When two units 20 are connected by the connection cable 70, the socket terminal P12 with the terminal number 12 is used as a common terminal to be connected to the terminal P6 of the other unit 20 as the connection partner.

[0086] Each of the socket terminals P7 to P12 is electrically connected to the control unit 35 of the unit 20 by a signal line corresponding to each terminal.

[0087] In this embodiment, the terminals P1 to P4 are of a type determined based on unit identification information for identifying each unit 20. Specifically, the terminals P1 to P4 are pin terminals that can come into contact with cable terminals provided in the connector 71 of the connection cable 70, or non-contact terminals that cannot come into contact with the cable terminals. Any or all of these four terminals P1 to P4 are connected via the connection cable 70 to socket terminals P7 to P10 of another unit 20 that correspond to the terminals P1 to P4 of that unit 20, respectively, so that the control unit 35 of that unit 20 can identify the connection state (connection combination) between the terminals P1 to P4 and the socket terminals P7 to P10.

[0088] In other words, the control unit 35 of the unit 20 can detect the conductive terminals of its own socket terminals P7 to P10 as being in the ON state and the non-conductive terminals as being in the OFF state, and can obtain 4-bit binary data corresponding to the combination of these ON and OFF states as unit identification information of other units 20.

[0089] 10 is an IC card reading unit 26, terminal P1 of each connector 80 (81, 82) is the pin terminal, terminal P2 is the non-contact terminal, terminal P3 is the pin terminal, and terminal P4 is the non-contact terminal. In this case, the control unit 35 of the unit 20 to which the IC card reading unit 26 is connected via the connection cable 70 can detect that socket terminal P7 of the connector 80 of the unit 20 is in the ON state (=1), socket terminal P8 is in the OFF state (=0), socket terminal P9 is in the ON state (=1), and socket terminal P10 is in the OFF state (=0), and acquires binary data "1010" that combines these states in that order from terminals P1 to P4 of the connector 80 of the IC card reading unit 26 via the connection cable 70. In this case, the binary data "1010" acquired by the unit 20 is unit identification information of the connected IC card reading unit 26.

[0090] That is, the control unit 35 of the unit 20 acquires binary data indicating the unit identification information of the other unit 20 with which it is connected. When the control unit 35 acquires the binary data of the other unit 20 as the unit identification information of the other unit 20, it stores the data in the internal memory 36 of the unit 20. Furthermore, the control unit 35 transmits the acquired binary data of the other unit 20 together with its own unit identification information to the control device 50 via the network N1, as necessary.

[0091] In this embodiment, a unit correspondence table TB1 (see FIG. 12) in which binary data corresponding to the ON or OFF state of terminals P1 to P4 is associated with the unit name corresponding to each binary data is stored in the database 60 (see FIG. 4). When the binary data is sent from the control unit 35 of each unit 20, the control device 50 refers to the unit correspondence table TB1, extracts the unit name corresponding to the received binary data, and identifies the other units 20 connected to that unit 20.

[0092] In this embodiment, a terminal of a type determined based on the mounting position (connector mounting position) of the connector 80 in the housing 200 is applied to the terminal P5. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 10, in the connector 81 mounted on the side surface 201 on the rear side in the traveling direction D10 of the unit 20, a pin terminal that can be inserted into and connected to a socket terminal is applied to the terminal P5. On the other hand, in the connector 82 mounted on the side surface 202 on the front side, a non-contact terminal that cannot be connected to a socket terminal is applied to the terminal P5, or no contact terminal is provided. Depending on the type of the terminal P5 of each of the connectors 81, 82, the connection state with the corresponding socket terminal P11 differs.

[0093] 13, when an IC card reading unit 26 attached to the front side in the traveling direction D10 and a code reading unit 25 attached to the rear side are connected by a connection cable 70, the control unit 35 of the code reading unit 25 can detect that the socket terminal P11 corresponding to the terminal P5 of the connector 81 of the connected unit (unit 26) is in the ON state. In this case, the control unit 35 of the code reading unit 25 can determine, based on the binary data, that the unit connected to itself is the IC card reading unit 26. Furthermore, the control unit 35 of the code reading unit 25 can determine that the connection position with the IC card reading unit 26 via the connection cable 70 is the side surface 201 on the rear side of the IC card reading unit 26, that is, the connector 81 provided on the side surface 201.

[0094] The control unit 35 of the IC card reading unit 26 can also detect that the socket terminal P11 corresponding to the terminal P5 of the connector 82 of the connected unit (unit 25) is in the OFF state. In this case, the control unit 35 of the IC card reading unit 26 can determine, based on the binary data, that the unit connected to itself is the code reading unit 25. Furthermore, the control unit 35 of the IC card reading unit 26 can determine that the connection position of the connection cable 70 with the code reading unit 25 is the side surface 202 on the front side of the code reading unit 25, that is, the connector 82 provided on the side surface 202.

[0095] Information (other-side connection position information) relating to the connection position of the other unit 20 to which the connection cable 70 is connected is stored in the internal memory 36 by the control unit 35 of the unit 20.

[0096] In this embodiment, for example, as shown in Figures 5 to 8, when each unit 20 is connected by a connection cable 70 in a predetermined connection order, the head connector 30 is directly connected to the connector 81 of the unit 20 that is highest (first) in the connection order.

[0097] Fig. 14 shows a state in which the head connector 30 is connected to the connector 81 on the front side surface 202 of the code reading unit 25. As shown in Fig. 14, the head connector 30 has pin terminals P1 to P4 connected to socket terminals P7 to P10 provided on the connector 81 of the code reading unit 25, and a pin terminal P6 as a common terminal connected to the socket terminal P12.

[0098] Since the terminals P1 to P4 of the head connector 30 are all pin terminals, when the head connector 30 is connected to the connector 81 of the code reading unit 25, the control unit 35 of the code reading unit 25 can detect that all of the socket terminals P7 to P10 of the connector 80 are in the ON state (=1), and can acquire binary data "1111" that combines these states in that order from each of the terminals P1 to P4 of the head connector 30. The acquired binary data "1111" is identification information (see FIG. 11) that indicates the head connector 30, and this information indicates that the unit 20 to which the head connector 30 is connected is positioned highest (first) in the connection order.

[0099] That is, the control unit 35 of the code reading unit 25 to which the head connector 30 is connected can determine that it itself is at the top (first) in the connection order.

[0100] [Control device 50] Hereinafter, a specific configuration of the control device 50 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0101] The control device 50 is used to realize the management system 100 of this embodiment. The control device 50 executes a process (program setting process) of determining an operation control program for controlling the operation of each unit 20 (21 to 29) of the automatic ticket gate 1 and setting the operation control program so that it can be executed, and also controls the operation of each unit 20 (21 to 29) of the automatic ticket gate 1 in accordance with the operation control program set by the program setting process. As shown in FIG. 15, the control device 50 includes a control unit 51, a storage unit 52, a communication unit 53, and a display unit 54.

[0102] The storage unit 52 is a non-volatile storage medium such as an HDD or SSD that stores various types of information. The storage unit 52 stores a program for executing the program setting process (see FIG. 18), as well as data, thresholds, reference values, etc. used in various processes.

[0103] In this embodiment, the storage unit 52 stores a layout table TB2 shown in Fig. 16 and a program identification code table TB3 shown in Fig. 17. The storage unit 52 is an example of a first storage unit of the present invention.

[0104] The layout table TB2 (see FIG. 16) is table data that indicates the layout type of each unit 20 installed in the automatic ticket gate 1. The layout type is determined, for example, based on the connection order in which each unit 20 is connected by the connection cable 70.

[0105] For example, if, in the connection order of the units 20, the IC card reading unit 26 is at the highest position (first position) where the head connector 30 is connected, followed by the first display unit 21, and followed by the first door unit 23, the layout type of the automatic ticket gate 1 is determined to be Type T11. In this case, other units 20 may be connected between the IC card reading unit 26, the first display unit 21, and the first door unit 23.

[0106] Also, for example, if the code reading unit 25 is at the highest position (first position) in the connection order of the units 20 to which the head connector 30 is connected, followed by the IC card reading unit 26, followed by the first display unit 21, and followed by the first door unit 23, the layout type of the automatic ticket gate 1 is determined to be Type T12. In this case, other units may be connected between the units 20.

[0107] Also, for example, if, in the connection order of each unit 20, the code reading unit 25 is at the highest position (first position) where the head connector 30 is connected, followed by the IC card reading unit 26, followed by the first display unit 21, and followed by the camera unit 27, the layout type of the automatic ticket gate 1 is defined as type T13.

[0108] Also, for example, if, in the connection order of each unit 20, the code reading unit 25 is at the highest position (first position) where the head connector 30 is connected, followed by the IC card reading unit 26, followed by the first display unit 21, followed by the second display unit 22, and followed by the camera unit 27, the layout type of the automatic ticket gate 1 is defined as type T14.

[0109] The layout table TB2 is referred to by the control unit 51 of the control device 50 when the control unit 51 performs a layout determination process, which will be described later.

[0110] The program identification code table TB3 is table data that indicates program identification codes for identifying operation control programs corresponding to the layout types of the automatic ticket gate 1. The program identification code table TB3 includes layout types of the automatic ticket gate 1 and the corresponding program identification codes.

[0111] The program identification code table TB3 (see FIG. 17) is referred to by the control unit 51 of the control device 50 when the control unit 51 performs a program setting process (see FIG. 18) described below for determining the operation control program.

[0112] A plurality of operation control programs corresponding to automatic ticket gates 1 with different unit configurations are stored together with the program identification codes in database 60. Database 60 in which a plurality of operation control programs are stored is an example of a second storage unit of the present invention.

[0113] Furthermore, the storage location of the layout table TB2 and the program identification code table TB3 does not necessarily have to be the storage unit 52, and they may be stored in any location as long as it is a storage area that can be referenced by the control unit 51 of the control device 50. For example, the layout table TB2 or the program identification code table TB3 may be stored in the database 60.

[0114] The communication unit 53 is a communication interface that connects the control device 50 to the network N1 and executes data communication with the automatic ticket gate 1 through the network N1 in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol. Once an operation control program is determined and installed, the control device 50 executes operation control in accordance with the operation control program through the network N1.

[0115] The display unit 54 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display that displays various information. The operation unit 55 is an input device such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel that accepts operations by an operator.

[0116] The control unit 51 controls the operation of each unit of the control device 50. The control unit 51 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage medium that stores in advance programs for causing the CPU to execute the program setting process (see FIG. 18) and various arithmetic processes. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage medium that stores various information and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for the various arithmetic processes executed by the CPU. The control unit 51 controls the control device 50, the management system 100, etc. by having the CPU execute various programs that are stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 52.

[0117] In order to enable the execution of the program setting process (see FIG. 18), the control unit 51 includes various processing units, such as a data acquisition processing unit 511 (an example of an acquisition processing unit of the present invention), a layout determination processing unit 512 (an example of a layout determination processing unit of the present invention), a program determination processing unit 513 (an example of a program determination processing unit of the present invention), a program setting processing unit 514 (an example of a program setting unit of the present invention), a similar selection processing unit 515 (an example of a selection processing unit of the present invention), and an output processing unit 516 (an example of a first output processing unit and a second output processing unit of the present invention), as shown in FIG. 15. Note that in this embodiment, not all of these processing units are necessarily required, and in some cases they can be omitted.

[0118] The control unit 51 functions as the various processing units by the CPU executing various arithmetic processes in accordance with a predetermined program. The control unit 51 or the CPU is an example of a computer or processor that executes the program. Note that some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 51 may be configured with electronic circuits. Furthermore, the program may be a program that causes multiple processors to function as the various processing units.

[0119] The data acquisition processing unit 511 communicates with the automatic ticket gate 1 via the network N1 and performs processing to acquire unit-related information about each unit 20 attached to the automatic ticket gate 1. The unit-related information is information used in the program setting processing (see FIG. 18) described later.

[0120] The unit-related information is specifically unit identification information indicating each unit 20 attached to the automatic ticket gate 1, and attachment position information indicating the attachment position of each unit 20. These pieces of information are stored in the internal memory 36 of each unit 20 of the automatic ticket gate 1. Specifically, the attachment position information is the above-mentioned counterpart connection position information, that is, information indicating the connection position of the connection cable 70 in the counterpart unit 20 connected by the connection cable 70. Furthermore, the unit identification information includes the unit identification information of the unit 20 and the unit identification information of the other counterpart unit 20 connected by the connection cable 70.

[0121] In this embodiment, the data acquisition processing unit 511 communicates with each unit 20 of the automatic ticket gate 1 via the network N1, acquires the unit identification information of the unit 20 from the communicatively connected unit 20, and identifies the unit 20.

[0122] In addition, the data acquisition processing unit 511 acquires the binary data stored in the internal memory 36 from the unit 20 that is communicatively connected via the network N1, and by referring to the unit correspondence table TB1 (see Figure 12), extracts from the unit correspondence table TB1 the unit name that corresponds to the acquired binary data, thereby identifying other units 20 that are connected to the communicatively connected unit 20.

[0123] The layout determination processing unit 512 performs processing (layout determination processing) to determine a layout indicating the installation position of each unit 20 in the automatic ticket gate 1 based on the unit-related information acquired by the data acquisition processing unit 511.

[0124] For example, the layout determination processing unit 512 identifies the unit 20 to which the head connector 30 is connected among the units 20 connected by the connection cable 70 based on the mounting position information included in the unit-related information, and further determines the connection order of the units 20 connected by the connection cable 70. The connection order of the units 20 can be determined from the connection position of the connection cable 70 in the unit 20 to be connected, unit identification information of the unit to be connected, etc.

[0125] Thereafter, the layout determination processor 512 refers to the layout table TB2 (see FIG. 16) to determine whether or not the layout type corresponding to the connection order is included in the layout table TB2. If the layout type corresponding to the connection order is included in the layout table TB2, the layout determination processor 512 extracts the layout type corresponding to the connection order from the layout table TB2.

[0126] The program determination processing unit 513 performs a process (program determination process) of determining the operation control program most appropriate for the automatic ticket gate 1 based on the unit-related information acquired by the data acquisition processing unit 511.

[0127] In this embodiment, when the layout type is extracted by the layout determination processing unit 512, the program determination processing unit 513 refers to the program identification code table TB3 (see Figure 17) and extracts the identification information (program identification code) of the operation control program corresponding to the extracted layout type from the program identification code table TB3.

[0128] The program setting processing unit 514 reads out from the database 60 an operation control program corresponding to the program identification code extracted by the program determination processing unit 513, and installs it in the control device 50 as an operation control program for controlling the automatic ticket gate 1 by the control device 50. Specifically, the operation control program is set in the memory unit 52 of the control device 50 so that it can be executed by the CPU of the control unit 51.

[0129] When the layout determination processing unit 512 does not determine a layout indicating the installation position of each unit 20 in the automatic ticket gate 1, the similar selection processing unit 515 performs a process of selecting from the layout table TB2 a type of similar layout that is similar to the installation position of each unit 20 indicated by the installation position information acquired by the data acquisition processing unit 511.

[0130] In this embodiment, the similar selection processing unit 515 determines whether the layout table TB2 contains a connection order (similar connection order) similar to the connection order of each unit 20 determined by the layout determination processing unit 512, and if the similar connection order is contained in the layout table TB2, selects a layout type corresponding to the similar connection order from the layout table TB2 as the similar layout type. Note that, regarding the connection order, the criteria for determining whether it is similar or not are, for example, if all of the connection orders determined by the layout determination processing unit 512 are included, or if only one unit 20 is out of order, it is determined to be a similar layout type.

[0131] When a similar layout type is selected by the similar selection processing unit 515, the output processing unit 516 performs processing to output similar type information related to the similar layout type. For example, the output processing unit 516 performs processing to display the similar type information on the display unit 54 or to transmit the information to a mobile terminal carried by the administrator of the management system 100.

[0132] In addition, if the layout determination processing unit 512 does not determine a layout indicating the installation position of each unit 20 in the automatic ticket gate 1, the output processing unit 516 performs processing to output error information indicating that an operation control program cannot be determined and that an operation control program applicable to the automatic ticket gate 1 is unknown.

[0133] [Program setting process] An example of the procedure of the program setting process executed in the management system 100 and the program determination method of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 18. In the figure, S11, S12, ... indicate the numbers (step numbers) of the processing procedures.

[0134] Note that one or more steps included in the program setting process described below may be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the order of execution of the steps in the program setting process may be different as long as the same operational effect is achieved. Furthermore, although the following description will be given using an example in which one processor corresponding to the control unit 51 executes the processing of each step in the program setting process, the steps in the program setting process may be executed in a distributed manner by multiple processors.

[0135] The program setting process described below is executed when the management system 100 and the automatic ticket gate 1 are powered on and in operation.

[0136] <Step S11> As shown in FIG. 18, in step S11, the control unit 51 communicates with each unit 20 provided in the automatic ticket gate 1 via the network N1 and acquires the unit identification information of each unit 20.

[0137] <Step S12> In the next step S12, the control unit 51 acquires the binary data and the counterpart connection position information stored in the internal memory 36 of each unit 20. For example, when the control unit 51 transmits a transfer request to each unit 20, the control unit 35 of the unit 20 reads out the binary data and the counterpart connection position information from the internal memory 36 in response to the transfer request, and transmits them to the control device 50.

[0138] As described above, the internal memory 36 of each unit 20 stores binary data indicating unit identification information of the other unit 20 that is the other party connected by the connection cable 70. Also, the other party connection position information regarding the connection position of the other party unit 20 to which the connection cable 70 is connected is stored. Therefore, by acquiring the binary data and the other party connection position information from each unit 20, the control unit 51 can grasp the connection partners of all units 20 mounted on the automatic ticket gate 1 and the connection position relationships between each of the connected units 20. Note that steps S11 and S12 are examples of acquisition steps of the present invention.

[0139] When two units 20 are separately connected to one unit 20, the binary data and the counterpart connection position information are acquired for each of the two units 20.

[0140] <Step S13> In the next step S13, the control unit 51 determines the layout type of the automatic ticket gate 1 based on the installation order of the units 20 of the automatic ticket gate 1.

[0141] <Step S14> In step S14, the control unit 51 determines whether or not the layout type determined in step S13 is included in the layout table TB2.

[0142] <Step S15> If it is determined in step S14 that the layout type is included in the layout table TB2, the control unit 51 refers to the program identification code table TB3 (see FIG. 17), extracts the program identification code corresponding to the layout type from the program identification code table TB3, and determines the operation control program to be applied to the automatic ticket gate 1 (S15). Step S15 is an example of a program determination step of the present invention.

[0143] <Step S16> Thereafter, in step S16, the control unit 51 reads out from the database 60 an operation control program corresponding to the program identification code.

[0144] <Step S17> In the next step S17, the control unit 51 installs the read operation control program in the control unit 50 as an operation control program for controlling the automatic ticket gate 1 by the control unit 50. In other words, the operation control program is set in the memory unit 52 of the control unit 50 so that it can be executed by the CPU of the control unit 51.

[0145] <Step S18> On the other hand, if it is determined in step S14 that the layout type is not included in the layout table TB2, in this case it is not possible to determine an operation control program applicable to the automatic ticket gate 1, and the control unit 51 outputs error information indicating that the operation control program applicable to the automatic ticket gate 1 is unknown.

[0146] <Step S19> Thereafter, the control unit 51 determines whether or not a layout type (similar layout type) similar to the installation position of each unit 20 of the automatic ticket gate 1 is included in the layout table TB2.

[0147] <Step S20> In step S19, if it is determined that there is a similar layout type, the control unit 51 outputs the similar type information regarding the similar layout. If it is determined that there is no similar layout type, error information is output, and then the series of processes ends.

[0148] As described above, in the management system 100 of this embodiment, the control unit 51 acquires the unit-related information (the unit identification information and the installation position information) for each unit 20 installed in the automatic ticket gate 1, and determines an operation control program applicable to the automatic ticket gate 1 based on the unit-related information. As a result, the management system 100 automatically determines an operation control program to be applied to the automatic ticket gate 1 installed with multiple units 20. Furthermore, even when the units 20 installed in the automatic ticket gate 1 are replaced with other units 20, an operation control program applicable to the automatic ticket gate 1 after the replacement is automatically determined. As a result, it is possible to omit the work of setting an operation control program applicable to the automatic ticket gate 1 installed with each unit 20, thereby reducing the workload on the worker and improving work efficiency.

[0149] Furthermore, since the unit-related information includes the unit identification information indicating each unit 20 attached to the automatic ticket gate 1 and the attachment position information indicating the attachment position of each unit 20, the control unit 51 can accurately and reliably determine the operation control program to be applied to the automatic ticket gate 1 based on the unit identification information and the attachment position information.

[0150] In the above embodiment, the layout type is determined based on the installation position of each unit 20 installed in the automatic ticket gate 1, and the operation control program corresponding to that layout type is extracted from the program identification code table TB3. In this processing example, even if multiple automatic ticket gates 1 have different layouts for each unit 20, if these automatic ticket gates 1 have the same type of layout, the same operation control program is determined for the multiple automatic ticket gates 1.

[0151] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, if a layout type corresponding to the layout of each unit 20 in the automatic ticket gate 1 is not determined, it is determined whether the similar layout type exists in the layout table TB2, and if it is determined that the similar layout type exists, the similar type information is output. If the layout type is not determined, the operation control program to be applied to the automatic ticket gate 1 is not determined. Therefore, by outputting the similar type information, the worker can receive a proposal of a layout for which the operation control program can be determined. Then, the worker changes the installation position of the units 20 in the automatic ticket gate 1 so that the connection order is in accordance with the similar type information, and then executes the program setting process (FIG. 18), whereby the operation control program corresponding to the similar layout type is automatically determined.

[0152] In the above embodiment, a configuration example in which each unit 20 is provided with two connectors 80 to which the connection cable 70 is connected has been illustrated, but for example, a unit 20 may be provided with three or more connectors 80. In this case, terminal P5 and socket terminal P11 alone are insufficient to indicate the attachment position of the connector 80, i.e., the connection position of the connection cable 70, so at least two terminals similar to terminal P5 and two terminals similar to socket terminal P11 are required. Depending on the combination of the connection states of these two terminals, it is possible to identify up to four connection positions.

[0153] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a configuration has been exemplified in which the units 20 are connected to each other by the connection cable 70, but for example, a configuration is also possible in which connectors 71 (71A, 71B) of the connection cable 70 are attached to the housing 10 in which the units 20 are mounted, these connectors are connected by cable inside the housing 10, and the connectors 80 of the units 20 are connected to each connector 71. The present invention is also applicable to such a configuration.

[0154] [Notes on the Invention] The following is a summary of the invention extracted from the above-described embodiment. Note that the configurations and processing functions described in the following supplementary notes can be selected and combined as desired.

[0155] <Appendix 1> A system for determining a control program to be applied to an automatic ticket gate in which at least two units are attached to a device main body, comprising: an acquisition processing unit that acquires unit-related information regarding each unit attached to the device body; a program determination processing unit that determines the control program to be applied to the automated ticket gate based on the unit-related information acquired by the acquisition processing unit; A unit management system comprising:

[0156] <Appendix 2> the unit-related information includes unit identification information indicating each installed unit and installation position information indicating the installation position of each unit; the program determination processing unit determines the control program to be applied to the automatic ticket gate based on the unit identification information and the installation position information. 1. A unit management system as described in Appendix 1.

[0157] <Appendix 3> a layout determination processing unit that determines a layout of each unit installed in the automatic ticket gate based on the unit identification information and the installation position information; the program determination processing unit determines the control program corresponding to the layout determined by the layout determination processing unit. 1. A unit management system as described in Appendix 2.

[0158] <Appendix 4> a first storage unit that stores table data in which a plurality of layouts and a plurality of program candidates corresponding to each of the plurality of layouts are associated with each other; the program determination processing unit refers to the table data, extracts from the table data a program candidate corresponding to the layout determined by the layout determination processing unit, and determines the program candidate as the control program; 10. A unit management system as described in Appendix 3.

[0159] <Appendix 5> a selection processing unit that, when the layout determination processing unit has not determined the layout, selects from the plurality of layouts a similar layout that is similar to the mounting position of each unit indicated by the mounting position information acquired by the acquisition processing unit; and a first output processing unit that outputs information about the similar layout, 10. The unit management system described in Appendix 4.

[0160] Appendix 6 a second output processing unit that outputs error information indicating that the control program is unknown when the layout determination processing unit has not determined the layout, 6. A unit management system according to claim 3.

[0161] Appendix 7 The two units are connected to each other by a predetermined connecting member, the unit has a first connector and a second connector to which the connection member can be connected, each of the first connector and the second connector includes a plurality of first terminals indicating the unit identification information of the unit and a plurality of second terminals for acquiring the unit identification information of other units connected by the connection member; the acquisition processing unit acquires the unit identification information of each of the first unit and the second unit based on a connection state between the first terminal and the second terminal when the first connector of one first unit and the second connector of the other second unit are connected; 7. The unit management system of any of appendixes 2 to 6.

[0162] Appendix 8 each of the first connector and the second connector includes a third terminal indicating a connector mounting position in the unit and a fourth terminal for acquiring the connector mounting position in another unit connected by the connection member; the acquisition processing unit acquires, as the mounting position information, information indicating a positional relationship between the first unit and the second unit based on a connection state between the third terminal and the fourth terminal when the first connector of the first unit and the second connector of the second unit are connected. 7. The unit management system described in Appendix 7.

[0163] Appendix 9 The control program determined by the program determination processing unit is extracted from a predetermined second storage unit that stores a plurality of control programs, and the program setting unit sets the control program in the automatic ticket gate. 9. The unit management system of any of claims 1 to 8.

[0164] Appendix 10 A program determination method applied to an automatic ticket gate having at least two units attached to a device body, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring unit-related information regarding each unit attached to the device body; a program determination step of determining a control program to be applied to the automatic ticket gate based on the unit-related information acquired in the acquisition step; A method for determining a program to be executed by one or more processors.

[0165] Appendix 11 A program applied to an automatic ticket gate having at least two units attached to a device body, an acquisition step of acquiring unit-related information regarding each unit attached to the device body; a program determination step of determining a control program to be applied to the automatic ticket gate based on the unit-related information acquired in the acquisition step; A program for causing one or more processors to execute the above, or a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which the program is stored. [Explanation of symbols]

[0166] 1: Automatic ticket gate 10: Housing 10A: Main body 10B: Tower section 20: Unit 30: Head connector 31: Display panel 32: Camera 33: Flap door 35: Control section 36: Internal memory 50: Control device 51: Control unit 60: Database 70: Connection cable 71: Connector 80: Connector 100: Unit Management System 511: Data acquisition processing unit 512: Layout determination processing unit 513: Program determination processing unit 514: Program setting processing section 515: Similarity selection processing unit 516: Output processing section

Claims

1. A system for determining a control program to be applied to an automatic ticket gate in which at least two units are attached to a device main body, comprising: an acquisition processing unit that acquires unit-related information regarding each unit attached to the device body; a program determination processing unit that determines the control program to be applied to the automated ticket gate based on the unit-related information acquired by the acquisition processing unit; A unit management system comprising:

2. the unit-related information includes unit identification information indicating each installed unit and installation position information indicating the installation position of each unit; the program determination processing unit determines the control program to be applied to the automatic ticket gate based on the unit identification information and the installation position information. The unit management system of claim 1 .

3. a layout determination processing unit that determines a layout of each unit installed in the automatic ticket gate based on the unit identification information and the installation position information; the program determination processing unit determines the control program corresponding to the layout determined by the layout determination processing unit. The unit management system of claim 2 .

4. a first storage unit that stores table data in which a plurality of layouts and a plurality of program candidates corresponding to each of the plurality of layouts are associated with each other; the program determination processing unit refers to the table data, extracts from the table data a program candidate corresponding to the layout determined by the layout determination processing unit, and determines the program candidate as the control program; The unit management system according to claim 3 .

5. a selection processing unit that, when the layout determination processing unit has not determined the layout, selects from the plurality of layouts a similar layout that is similar to the mounting position of each unit indicated by the mounting position information acquired by the acquisition processing unit; and a first output processing unit that outputs information about the similar layout, The unit management system according to claim 4 .

6. a second output processing unit that outputs error information indicating that the control program is unknown when the layout determination processing unit has not determined the layout, The unit management system according to claim 3 .

7. The two units are connected to each other by a predetermined connecting member, the unit has a first connector and a second connector to which the connection member can be connected; each of the first connector and the second connector includes a plurality of first terminals indicating the unit identification information of the corresponding unit and a plurality of second terminals for acquiring the unit identification information of other units connected by the connection member; the acquisition processing unit acquires the unit identification information of each of the first unit and the second unit based on a connection state between the first terminal and the second terminal when the first connector of one first unit and the second connector of the other second unit are connected; The unit management system of claim 2 .

8. each of the first connector and the second connector includes a third terminal indicating a connector mounting position in the unit and a fourth terminal for acquiring the connector mounting position in another unit connected by the connection member; the acquisition processing unit acquires, as the mounting position information, information indicating a positional relationship between the first unit and the second unit based on a connection state between the third terminal and the fourth terminal when the first connector of the first unit and the second connector of the second unit are connected. The unit management system of claim 7.

9. The control program determined by the program determination processing unit is extracted from a predetermined second storage unit that stores a plurality of control programs, and the program setting unit sets the control program in the automatic ticket gate. The unit management system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A program determination method applied to an automatic ticket gate having at least two units attached to a device body, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring unit-related information regarding each unit attached to the device body; a program determination step of determining a control program to be applied to the automatic ticket gate based on the unit-related information acquired in the acquisition step; A method for determining a program to be executed by one or more processors.

11. A program applied to an automatic ticket gate having at least two units attached to a device body, an acquisition step of acquiring unit-related information regarding each unit attached to the device body; a program determination step of determining a control program to be applied to the automatic ticket gate based on the unit-related information acquired in the acquisition step; A program for causing one or more processors to execute the above.

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