Toilet management system

Abstract

To manage the reservation of a user according to a collected use charge in a charging type toilet.SOLUTION: A toilet management system according to an embodiment includes a controller that executes management of a toilet room, wherein the controller includes a reservation acceptor that accepts a usage reservation from a user who uses the toilet room, a reservation manager that manages the accepted usage reservation, and a charge manager that manages a usage fee paid by the user of the toilet room, and the controller updates a status of the usage reservation by the reservation manager according to a status of the charge manager.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 21

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The disclosed embodiments relate to a restroom management system. [Background technology]

[0002] When a public restroom is crowded, people generally line up in front of the restroom and the first person in line can use the next available restroom. However, there are restrooms that can be reserved on a smartphone or other device and given priority access, so that people with urgent physiological needs or those with small children can avoid lining up (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-233740 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there is room for improvement in the conventional technology. In the conventional technology, users are only guided to the toilet in the order in which their reservations are received, so people with a high level of urgency are not given priority in using the toilet. Therefore, there is a need for a technology that manages user reservations according to the collected usage fee for pay-to-use toilets.

[0005] In view of the above, a challenge for pay-to-use toilets is how to manage user reservations according to the collected usage fees.

[0006] The disclosed embodiment aims to provide a toilet management system that can manage user reservations in a pay-to-use toilet according to the usage fee collected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A toilet management system according to one aspect of the embodiment is a toilet management system that includes a control means for managing toilet rooms, wherein the control means includes a reservation reception means for receiving reservations from users of the toilet room, a reservation management means for managing the received reservations, and a billing management means for managing the usage fees paid by users of the toilet room, and is characterized in that the status of the reservations made by the reservation management means is updated according to the status of the billing management means.

[0008] According to one aspect of the embodiment, a toilet management system can change the order of reservations depending on the level of collection of toilet usage fees. Therefore, the toilet management system updates the reservation status so that the order of reservations is based on the usage fee of paid toilets, rather than the order in which reservations are accepted, making it possible to prioritize toilet queues and allow urgent users to use the toilet first.

[0009] In one aspect of the embodiment, the reservation management means manages the toilet management system so that the reservations are queued in the order in which they were received.

[0010] According to one aspect of the embodiment, the restroom management system can manage restroom reservations from users in the order in which they are received. Therefore, the restroom management system manages the reservation so that users wait in line in the order in which they receive their reservations, eliminating the need for users to line up in front of the restroom as is the case with conventional restrooms.

[0011] In one aspect of the embodiment, in the toilet management system, the order of use reservations made by the reservation management means is changed depending on the amount of use fee charged by the charge management means.

[0012] According to one aspect of the embodiment, the restroom management system can change the order of use by users who have made reservations depending on the amount of the usage fee collected from the users. Therefore, the restroom management system can manage the order of use so that the waiting order changes depending on the amount of the usage fee. For example, the restroom management system can manage the order of use so that users who pay a larger usage fee can use the restroom earlier.

[0013] In one aspect of the embodiment, in the toilet management system, the charge management means is capable of determining the size of the usage fee, and the control means controls the toilet so that users who charge a large usage fee are given earlier in the order of their usage reservations.

[0014] According to one aspect of the embodiment, the restroom management system can advance the reservation order for users who have collected a relatively large fee. Therefore, the restroom management system can manage the use order so that users with a high level of urgency who pay a larger fee are given priority by moving up the order, thereby enabling reservation management according to the level of urgency.

[0015] In one aspect of the embodiment, the toilet management system includes a reservation acceptance unit that allows the user to accept a reservation for use from a mobile terminal, and a control unit that notifies the mobile terminal of the status of the reservation for use.

[0016] According to one aspect of the embodiment, a restroom management system can accept reservations for restroom use from a user's mobile device and allow the user who has made the reservation to understand the status of the reservation, such as their turn in line and estimated waiting time. Therefore, the restroom management system allows users to understand their turn in line and available time using their mobile device. For example, if a user wants to use the restroom earlier than the displayed turn, the restroom management system can increase the usage fee to be collected to expedite the turn.

[0017] In one aspect of the embodiment, the reservation acceptance unit accepts cancellation of the accepted reservation for use.

[0018] According to one aspect of the embodiment, the restroom management system can accept cancellation of a reservation from the user himself / herself. Therefore, when the user no longer wishes to use the restroom, the restroom management system can accept cancellation of the reservation from the user himself / herself and cancel the reservation from the reservation management information. Furthermore, the restroom management system can reliably let the user know that the reservation has been canceled.

[0019] In one aspect of the embodiment, in the restroom management system, the reservation management means updates the order of the reservations in accordance with the reservation for which the cancellation has been accepted.

[0020] According to one aspect of the embodiment, a restroom management system can cancel a reservation that has been requested to be canceled and update the reservation status. Therefore, the restroom management system can delete the reservation that has been requested to be canceled from the data it manages and update the data to reflect the latest reservation status. Furthermore, by notifying the user of the updated reservation information, the restroom management system can ensure that the user who made the reservation is aware that their reservation has been canceled, while also letting other users who have made reservations know that someone else has canceled, allowing them to know that their turn will arrive sooner.

[0021] In one aspect of the embodiment, the control means issues an unlocking key to the user to unlock the door in response to acceptance of the reservation for use.

[0022] According to one aspect of the embodiment, a restroom management system can provide use of the restroom by issuing an unlocking key only to those who have made a reservation. Therefore, because the restroom management system issues an unlocking key for opening the restroom door only to users who have made a reservation, it is possible to prevent people who have not made a reservation from opening the door and using the restroom without permission.

[0023] In one aspect of the embodiment, in the restroom management system, the control means uses location information of the mobile device to transmit information about one or more restrooms that are close to the user to the mobile device.

[0024] According to one aspect of the embodiment, the restroom management system can suggest the use of a restroom that is close to the user based on the user's current location information. Therefore, the restroom management system shows multiple restrooms that are close to the user's location, allowing the user to select and reserve the restroom that they want to use. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to one aspect of the embodiment, in a pay-to-use toilet, user reservations can be managed according to the collected usage fee. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a toilet management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a toilet room according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed by the restroom management device on a user terminal in the restroom use reservation system according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed by the restroom management device on a user terminal in the restroom use reservation system according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed by the restroom management device on a user terminal in the restroom use reservation system according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed by the restroom management device on the manager terminal in the restroom use reservation system according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed by the restroom management device on the manager terminal in the restroom use reservation system according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the processing content of the toilet management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the toilet management device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in the reservation information storage unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of processing by the reservation management unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the toilet management process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the processing content of the toilet management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a toilet management device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of processing by the toilet room usage determination unit according to the second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the restroom management process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating the processing content of the toilet management system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a toilet management device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of processing related to cancellation of a usage reservation according to the third embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing an example of the toilet management process according to the third embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating the processing content of the restroom management system according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a toilet management device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 23]FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating an example of a series of processes performed by the charge management unit and the reservation management unit according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing an example of the toilet management process according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 25] FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating the processing content of the toilet management system according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a toilet management device according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating an example of processing by the lock control unit according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is a flowchart showing an example of the restroom management process according to the fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of the toilet management system disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined as appropriate.

[0028] [Introduction] (Overall configuration example) Prior to a detailed description of the processing executed in the restroom management system 10 according to the first to fifth embodiments, an example of the overall configuration of the system common to the restroom management systems 10 according to the first to fifth embodiments will be described. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a restroom management system according to an embodiment.

[0029] 1, the toilet management system 10 according to this embodiment comprises a toilet management device 100 that manages the entire system, a self-propelled mobility toilet 200 with toilet functions, a user terminal 300, and an administrator terminal 400. In the toilet management system 10, the toilet management device 100, a communication device mounted on the mobility toilet 200, the user terminal 300, and the administrator terminal 400 are connected to each other so that they can communicate via wired or wireless connections.

[0030] In the example of Figure 1, a self-propelled mobility toilet 200 is shown as the toilet room to be managed by the toilet management system 10, but this is not limited to this and may also be a facility with toilet functions such as a fixed public toilet or temporary toilet.

[0031] The restroom management device 100 is an information processing device that manages the use of managed restrooms, and is realized by a server device, etc. For example, the restroom management device 100 manages the reservation details for the restrooms received from the user terminal 300 according to the status of the managed restrooms.

[0032] The mobility toilet 200 is a self-propelled (mobile) toilet facility with toilet functions. For example, the mobility toilet 200 is equipped with a toilet door, an electronic lock (which can also be operated manually), and a door closer, allowing the user's privacy to be appropriately protected when using the toilet room. The mobility toilet 200 is also equipped with, for example, a water tank, a drainage tank, a storage battery, and sanitary equipment, allowing it to achieve toilet functions without being directly connected to a water supply or sewerage system.

[0033] The user terminal 300 is an information processing terminal owned by a user who makes a reservation to use the mobility toilet 200, and is realized by a tablet terminal, a smartphone, etc. For example, the user operates the user terminal 300 to access the website of the toilet reservation system according to this embodiment, and transmits information related to the reservation to use the mobility toilet 200 to the toilet management device 100.

[0034] In addition, the user terminal 300 has the function of displaying information such as the waiting status for the toilet room and the two-dimensional code for unlocking the electronic lock sent from the toilet management device 100, and of paying the usage fee for using the toilet room.

[0035] The manager terminal 400 is an information processing terminal owned by a manager who manages the various facilities of the mobility toilet 200, and is realized by a computer, etc. For example, the manager terminal 400 receives information about abnormalities in the functions installed in the mobility toilet 200 and notifications about when maintenance should be required for the tank installed in the mobility toilet 200, and displays the received information.

[0036] (Toilet room configuration example) Next, the facilities of the toilet room 210 installed in the mobility toilet 200 will be described. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the toilet room according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the toilet room 210 has, for example, a water supply tank 211, a drainage tank 212, water level sensors 213 and 214, a toilet device 215, a hand washing device 216, an alarm device 217, a payment device 218, a human presence sensor 219, and electrical equipment 220.

[0037] The water supply tank 211 is a tank that stores flush water for multiple flushes of the toilet and supplies the flush water to the toilet. The drainage tank 212 is a tank that stores drainage water from the toilet. Water level sensors 213 and 214 are installed in the water supply tank 211 and the drainage tank 212, respectively, and measure the water level in each tank. The toilet device 215 is a device used by users to urinate and defecate. The hand washing device 216 is a device used by users to wash their hands after using the toilet, etc. The notification device 217 is a device that notifies the outside of the toilet room 210 whether the toilet room 210 is available for use, using notification methods such as voice, lamps, and a display indicating availability. The payment device 218 is a device that collects usage fees from users of the toilet room 210, and has functions such as accepting cash and paying change, and reading two-dimensional codes presented by users. The human presence sensor 219 is a sensor device that can determine whether or not a user is present in the toilet room 210. The electrical equipment 220 is equipment that supplies electricity to enable the functions of various devices in the toilet room 210.

[0038] 2 is merely an example, and some functions may be omitted depending on the embodiment described below. For example, the toilet room 210 may have only one of the water supply tank 211 and the drainage tank 212.

[0039] Furthermore, the toilet room 210 may have any one of sanitary facilities having a bowl portion, such as a toilet bowl device 215, a hand washing device 216, or a urinal device. If the toilet room 210 does not have a toilet device and only has a hand washing device 216, the toilet management system 10 according to this embodiment can manage the sanitary facility having only the hand washing device 216 as a management target instead of the toilet room 210.

[0040] The door of the toilet room 210 also has an opening / closing mechanism that automatically closes the door from an open state. For example, if the door of the toilet room 210 is a sliding door, the door can be automatically closed from an open state by tilting the door so that the closing direction is lower, utilizing the force acting in the direction of gravity. If the door of the toilet room 210 is a single-leaf door, the door can be automatically closed from an open state by installing a weight so that a biasing force acts in the closing direction of the door.

[0041] The door of the toilet room 210 is provided with a locking device that locks or unlocks the electronic lock. For example, the locking device electronically locks or unlocks the door in response to a locking or unlocking command from the toilet management device 100. The locking device may be attached to the door as a device integrated with the payment device 218, or the locking device and payment device 218 may be attached to the door separately. The electronic lock can also be operated manually.

[0042] (Example of screen display on user terminal 300) Next, a toilet reservation function common to the toilet management system 10 according to this embodiment will be described. The toilet management system 10 according to this embodiment accepts reservations for toilet use from users via the user terminal 300, manages the reservation status online, and notifies users of their turn to use, thereby managing toilet use without restricting user behavior. Figures 3 to 5 are diagrams showing examples of screens displayed on a user terminal by the toilet management device 100 in the toilet use reservation system according to this embodiment. Note that the display screen examples described below are displayed on the user terminal 300, for example, by linking information related to toilet use reservations between the toilet management device 100 and the user terminal 300.

[0043] (Toilet reservation scene) First, an example of a screen display until a user reserves a toilet room 210 will be described. The user terminal 300 accesses a website for a toilet reservation service provided by the toilet reservation system according to this embodiment, and displays a home screen for the toilet reservation system before a reservation is made (FIG. 3(1)). For example, the home screen displays the reservation status of the user's toilet, buttons for searching for nearby toilets, and buttons for searching for toilets that have been used in the past.

[0044] Then, in response to tapping (selection) of the "Find a nearby toilet" button, the user terminal 300 displays a search screen showing methods for searching for toilets (Fig. 3(2)). For example, the search screen displays a "Search by address" button and a "Search by location information" button to search for a nearby toilet. When the "Previously used toilets" button is tapped, a list of toilets used in the past is displayed, including information such as the name of the toilet, its location, the floor on which it is located, and the number of times it has been used.

[0045] Then, in response to tapping the "Search by address" or "Search by location information" button on the search screen, the user terminal 300 displays an input screen for inputting search information for the toilet booth that the user wishes to reserve (Fig. 3(3)). For example, the input screen displays "Toilet Booths," which displays toilets that meet the conditions in response to input or selection of "Facility Name," "Floor Number," and "Facility Area."

[0046] Then, after accepting the selection of a toilet booth on the input screen, when the "Check reservation status" button is tapped, the user terminal 300 displays a reservation screen showing the usage status of the selected toilet and a "Reserve this toilet" button for confirming the reservation of the toilet (Fig. 3(4)). For example, the reservation screen displays the usage status of the selected toilet, including the number of people waiting and the estimated waiting time, as well as toilet characteristics such as fixtures, age of installation, whether or not an automatic flush is available, and whether or not a private cleaning nozzle is available. Furthermore, when the "Reserve this toilet" button is tapped on the reservation screen, the toilet management device 100 reserves the selected toilet and issues a reservation code (unlock code).

[0047] The series of screen displays shown in FIG. 3 allows the restroom management system 10 to understand the input contents related to the reservation for using the restroom to the user terminal 300, and to appropriately accept the reservation for the restroom room 210 from the user.

[0048] (Reserved toilet usage scene) Next, we will explain an example of a screen display from when a user makes a reservation for a toilet to when the user actually uses the toilet. When the user accesses the site after making a reservation, the user terminal 300 displays a screen showing the toilet reservation status of the reserved toilet (Fig. 4(5)). Here, if the "Cancel" button is tapped, the user terminal 300 displays a cancellation screen for the reserved toilet (Fig. 4(6)).

[0049] Then, when it is the user's turn to use the toilet, the user terminal 300 displays a screen showing the booth number of the reserved toilet and the reservation code (unlock code) for unlocking the toilet door, which were sent from the toilet management device 100 (Fig. 4(7)). Then, when the user has completed authentication of the user by inputting the unlock code, the user terminal 300 displays a screen showing an "Open toilet door" button for unlocking the door (Fig. 4(8)). Thereafter, when the "Open toilet door" button is tapped, the key to the reserved toilet booth is unlocked.

[0050] By using the series of screen displays shown in Figure 4, the toilet management system 10 can manage reservation status online and notify users of their usage order, thereby allowing users to use the toilet in order without having to line up in real time.

[0051] (Other scenes) Next, a description will be given of examples of screens other than those described above. For example, if the reserved toilet is undergoing maintenance when the user accesses the site after making a reservation, the user terminal 300 displays a screen indicating that the reserved toilet is undergoing maintenance (FIG. 5(9)). This screen displays a "Cancel" button for canceling the reserved toilet, and when this "Cancel" button is tapped, the toilet management device 100 cancels the reserved toilet.

[0052] Furthermore, if the toilet searched for during the search stage for the toilet the user wishes to reserve is undergoing maintenance, the user terminal 300 will display a screen indicating that the toilet is undergoing maintenance (Fig. 5(10)) instead of the screen shown in Fig. 3(4). This screen displays the reason why the reservation cannot be made, such as maintenance, and also displays a "Find another toilet" button. When the "Find another toilet" button is tapped, a screen such as Fig. 3(2) will be displayed and a new reservation process will be executed.

[0053] In addition, the user terminal 300 can, for example, display a screen informing the user that use of the reserved toilet has been completed after the user has finished using the toilet (Fig. 5(11)), or display a screen showing the user's past toilet usage history in response to a tap on the "Previously used toilets" button on the home screen (Fig. 3(1), Fig. 4(5), Fig. 5(9)) (Fig. 5(12)).

[0054] (Example of the screen display on the administrator terminal 400) Next, an example of a screen displayed on the administrator terminal 400 of the restroom management system 10 according to this embodiment will be described. Figures 6 and 7 are diagrams showing an example of a screen displayed on the administrator terminal by the restroom management device in the restroom use reservation system according to this embodiment. Note that the example of the display screen described below is displayed on the user terminal 300, for example, by linking information related to restroom use reservations between the restroom management device 100 and the user terminal 300.

[0055] First, we will explain examples of screen displays when an administrator checks the operating status of toilets under management, and when adding toilets to the list of managed toilets. The administrator terminal 400 accesses the toilet management system according to this embodiment and displays the home screen of the management system (FIG. 6(1)). For example, the home screen displays a "Toilet Operating Status" button that displays the management status of the toilets, and a "Toilet Management Settings" button that sets management settings for the toilets.

[0056] Then, in response to tapping the "Toilet Operation Status" button, the administrator terminal 400 displays a screen showing the operation status (measurement information from each sensor, etc.) of the toilets registered as managed objects (FIG. 6(2)). For example, this screen displays "Search Conditions" for setting conditions for searching operation status, and when a relevant toilet is selected from the "Search Conditions" using a pull-down menu or the like, the operation status of the selected toilet is displayed. Note that operation status includes, for example, under maintenance, in operation, and out of service.

[0057] Furthermore, in response to tapping the "Toilet Management Settings" button, the administrator terminal 400 displays a screen showing a list of toilets registered as managed objects (Fig. 6(3)). For example, this screen displays "Search Conditions" for setting conditions for searching for managed objects, and when "Search Conditions" is selected from a pull-down menu or the like, a list of toilets that match the selected search conditions is displayed. This screen also displays a button for "Add Managed Toilet."

[0058] Then, in response to tapping the "Add managed toilet" button, the administrator terminal 400 accepts information about the toilet to be newly added to the management list, and displays a screen showing a "Register" button to register the accepted toilet as a managed toilet (Figure 6(4)).

[0059] By displaying the series of screens shown in FIG. 6, the restroom management system 10 allows the administrator to easily grasp management information such as the operating status of the restroom 210 that is the reservation target of the restroom use reservation system.

[0060] Next, an example of a display screen when a notification is received that a toilet under management requires maintenance will be described. When the manager terminal 400 receives maintenance information for a toilet under management from the toilet management device 100, it displays information about the toilet requiring maintenance in a pop-up (Fig. 7(5)). Then, in response to a tap on the "Check details" button, the manager terminal 400 displays a screen showing the usage status of each piece of equipment in the toilet requiring maintenance (Fig. 7(6)).

[0061] Through the series of screen displays shown in Figures 7(5) and 7(6), the restroom management system 10 allows the administrator to understand when maintenance is required for the restrooms under management and the usage status of the equipment requiring maintenance. For example, the example in Figure 7(6) illustrates the situation where the water supply tank, drainage tank, and sanitary equipment of the relevant tray are abnormal, and among the consumables, the drainage tank requires maintenance. The screen in Figure 7(6) also displays a "Maintenance Complete" button to notify that maintenance has been completed, and a "Set as Out of Use" button to suspend use of the relevant restroom.

[0062] In addition, the administrator terminal 400 can, for example, display a screen showing the management information (address, facility name, etc.) of the selected toilet by selecting the toilet displayed in Figure 6 (3) (Figure 7 (7)), or display a screen that accepts changes or deletions to the displayed content.

[0063] [First embodiment] (Problems with the prior art) Next, we will explain the problems with the toilet system related to the first embodiment. As mentioned above, the prior art provides a technique for performing tank maintenance by issuing a command to replace the tank when the storage volume of the drainage tank exceeds a predetermined amount.

[0064] However, while conventional technology can determine when a drainage tank maintenance is required for a toilet-equipped vehicle, it is difficult to manage user reservations based on the tank's usage status. Therefore, there is a need for technology that can prevent users from reserving toilets during drainage tank maintenance times. Previously, operators typically checked the remaining water level in the water supply and drainage tank through a small window installed in the tank to determine when maintenance would be required. However, this method requires constant manual checking, which can be time-consuming and difficult to manage as the number of vehicles increases.

[0065] (Processing contents of the toilet management system 10A) Therefore, in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, the toilet management system 10A of the first embodiment is equipped with a control means for managing a toilet room 210 having at least one of a water supply tank 211 that stores flushing water for multiple toilet flushes and supplies the flushing water to the toilet, and a drainage tank 212 that stores drainage water from the toilet, and the control means is equipped with a determination means for determining whether the usage status of the water supply tank 211 or the drainage tank 212 meets specified conditions, a reservation reception means for receiving usage reservations from users of the toilet room 210, and a reservation management means for managing usage reservations.

[0066] Here, the processing content of the toilet management system 10A will be explained using a specific example. Figure 8 is a diagram explaining the processing content of the toilet management system according to the first embodiment. Figure 8 shows an example in which reservation management is carried out according to the usage status of the tanks by a toilet management device 100A that manages a toilet room 210 having both a water supply tank 211 and a drainage tank 212.

[0067] For example, the toilet management device 100A acquires the measurement results of the water level sensor 213 installed in the water supply tank 211 and the water level sensor 214 installed in the drainage tank 212, and determines whether the acquired water level measurement results have reached a water level at which it becomes impossible to supply water from the water supply tank 211 to the toilet device 215, etc., or a water level at which it becomes impossible to store water in the drainage tank 212.

[0068] For example, if the toilet management device 100A determines that the water level measurement result in the drainage tank has reached a level where water storage is no longer possible, it displays a display screen on the user terminal 300 during the reservation procedure for the toilet room 210 being maintained that reads, "Maintenance is currently underway. Please use another toilet." and stops accepting reservations for the toilet room 210 being maintained.

[0069] As a result, if the toilet management system 10A determines that maintenance is required based on the tank usage status, it can manage the system so that it does not accept reservations for toilet use from users during the maintenance period, thereby allowing it to appropriately manage the reservation status of users for toilet use according to the tank usage status.

[0070] (Configuration example of toilet management device 100A) The following describes the functional configuration of the toilet management device 100A according to the first embodiment. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the toilet management device according to the first embodiment.

[0071] 9, the restroom management device 100A has a communication unit 110, a control unit 120, and a storage unit 140. The restroom management device 100A may also have an input unit (such as a keyboard or mouse) that accepts various operations from an administrator of the restroom management device 100A, and a display unit (such as a liquid crystal display) that displays various information.

[0072] The communication unit 110 is realized by, for example, a communication circuit. The communication unit 110 is connected to a predetermined network by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information to and from an external information processing device. For example, the communication unit 110 is connected to the network N by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information to and from other devices such as communication equipment of the mobility toilet 200, the user terminal 300, and the administrator terminal 400.

[0073] Storage unit 140 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a random access memory (RAM) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. For example, storage unit 140 is a computer-readable recording medium that non-temporarily records data used by various information processing programs such as a toilet management program.

[0074] The storage unit 140 according to the first embodiment has a tank information storage unit 141 and a reservation status storage unit 142. The storage unit 140 stores various information necessary for processing, in addition to the tank information storage unit 141 and the reservation status storage unit 142. For example, the storage unit 140 stores information such as location information of the toilet room 210 to be reserved.

[0075] The tank information storage unit 141 stores the results of measuring the water level of the water supply tank 211 or the drain tank 212 installed in the toilet room 210 that is the management target. For example, the tank information storage unit 141 stores the results of measuring the water level by the water level sensor 213 installed in the water supply tank 211 or the water level sensor 214 installed in the drain tank 212 of the toilet room 210 for each measurement time. The tank information storage unit 141 also stores, for example, a water level that is set in advance as the water level at which water supply from the water supply tank 211 becomes impossible or the water level at which water storage in the drain tank 212 becomes impossible. In other words, the tank information storage unit 141 stores a limit water level that is a threshold value for each water level at which it is determined that maintenance is necessary.

[0076] The reservation status storage unit 142 stores, for each reservation target toilet room 210, the reservation status of the user of that toilet room 210. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of data stored in the reservation information storage unit according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, the reservation status storage unit 142 stores, for example, for each reservation target toilet room 210, the "order of use," "user ID," "estimated waiting time," and "reservation acceptance time."

[0077] "Usage order" stores the order in which users will use the toilet room 210 that is the reservation target. "User ID" stores the ID assigned to the user who has accepted a reservation to use the toilet room. "Estimated waiting time" stores the estimated waiting time until the user can use the toilet room 210. "Reservation acceptance time" stores the acceptance time of the reservation to use the toilet room 210 from the user.

[0078] For example, the reservation status memory unit 142 stores information about the women's restroom booth No. XX on the XX floor of the XX facility, and stores information about the user with user ID B who made a reservation at 12:03, who is second in line to use the restroom and is estimated to be able to use the restroom in 10 minutes.

[0079] Returning to Figure 9, the explanation will continue. The control unit 120 is realized, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) executing a program stored inside the toilet management device 100A using RAM or the like as a work area. The control unit 120 is also realized, for example, by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0080] 9, the control unit 120 has a tank determination unit 121, a reservation reception unit 122, a reservation management unit 123, and a reservation status transmission unit 124, and realizes or executes the functions and actions of information processing described below. Note that the internal configuration of the control unit 120 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 9, and may be any other configuration as long as it performs the information processing described below.

[0081] The tank determination unit 121 determines whether the usage state of the water supply tank or the drainage tank satisfies a predetermined condition. For example, the tank determination unit 121 determines whether water supply from the water supply tank or storage in the drainage tank becomes impossible due to the use of a toilet room based on a usage reservation.

[0082] Specifically, the tank determination unit 121 acquires the measurement results of the water level sensor 213 installed in the water supply tank 211 and the water level sensor 214 installed in the drainage tank 212 at regular intervals or each time the toilet room 210 is used, and stores the results in the tank information storage unit 141. The tank determination unit 121 then determines whether the water level measured in the water supply tank 211 has reached a limit water level that has been set in advance as a water level at which the water supply tank 211 is no longer able to supply water. Similarly, the tank determination unit 121 determines whether the water level measured in the drainage tank 212 has reached a limit water level that has been set in advance as a water level at which the drainage tank 212 is no longer able to store water. If the tank determination unit 121 determines that the measured water level in the tank has reached the limit water level that has been set in advance, it determines that the tank is unusable.

[0083] The reservation acceptance unit 122 accepts reservations from users of the toilet room 210. For example, the reservation acceptance unit 122 accepts reservations from the user terminal 300. Specifically, when the reservation acceptance unit 122 detects access to the website of the toilet reservation system by the user terminal 300, the reservation acceptance unit 122 displays the display screens of Fig. 3(1) to Fig. 3(4) on the user terminal 300 according to the input stage from the user, and accepts the reservation for the toilet room 210 from the user.

[0084] For example, the reservation receiving unit 122 controls whether to accept a usage reservation based on the determination result by the tank determination unit 121. Specifically, when the tank determination unit 121 determines that the water supply tank 211 or the drain tank 212 of the toilet room 210 is unavailable, the reservation receiving unit 122 displays the display screen of Fig. 5(10) on the user terminal 300 and controls not to accept a usage reservation from the user.

[0085] For example, the reservation reception unit 122 determines whether the use of the toilet room based on the reservation status managed by the reservation management unit 123 described later will make it impossible to supply water from the water supply tank or to store water in the drainage tank, and controls whether to accept the reservation based on the result of the determination.

[0086] Here, the processing of the reservation reception unit 122 will be described using a specific example. For example, the reservation reception unit 122 determines from the water level measurement results in the tank information storage unit 141 that the water supply tank 211 can supply water for an estimated five people, and that the water storage capacity of the drainage tank can accommodate an estimated three people. Then, the reservation reception unit 122 determines from the "usage order" value in the reservation status storage unit 142 that three people are currently waiting their turn. In this situation, the reservation reception unit 122 determines that the tank will become unavailable after the three people waiting their turn have used the toilet room 210, and performs control so as not to accept any more reservations for use from the three people currently waiting their turn.

[0087] The processing of the reservation receiving unit 122 is not limited to the processing described above. For example, when a desired use time is received from a user and use of the toilet room 210 is provided at that desired use time, the reservation receiving unit 122 can always accept reservations regardless of the maintenance status, and can control so as not to accept reservations for use at times when maintenance is estimated to be required by making only the times when maintenance is estimated to be required unavailable from the desired use time.

[0088] The reservation management unit 123 manages use reservations. For example, the reservation management unit 123 manages use reservations so that they are queued in the order in which they are received. Specifically, the reservation management unit 123 manages the use order of the toilet rooms 210 received by the reservation receiving unit 122 from users, by referring to the reservation reception time, so that the use order is arranged in order of earliest reservation reception time.

[0089] For example, the reservation management unit 123 controls the status of use reservations based on the determination result by the tank determination unit 121. Specifically, when the tank determination unit 121 determines that the water supply tank 211 or the drain tank 212 of the toilet room 210 is unavailable, the reservation management unit 123 updates the estimated waiting time of users waiting in line for the toilet room 210 to a time that includes the maintenance time.

[0090] For example, the reservation management unit 123 determines, based on the status of the reservation, whether the use of the toilet room 210 due to the reservation will make it impossible to supply water from the water supply tank 211 or to store water in the drainage tank 212, and controls the status of the reservation based on the result of the determination.

[0091] Here, a specific example of the processing of the reservation management unit 123 will be described. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the processing of the reservation management unit according to the first embodiment. The example shown in Fig. 11 shows processing for shifting the time of accepted usage reservations to the estimated maintenance time in response to the fact that the originally estimated maintenance time has come earlier than expected.

[0092] 11, the reservation management unit 123 determines that the measured water level in the tank information storage unit 141 is much closer to the service limit water level than the initially estimated water level due to an abnormally high number of toilet flushes by the user, and updates the maintenance time estimated for 30 minutes later to 15 minutes later. Specifically, if the difference between the initially estimated water level and the limit water level is 6 marks, but the difference between the actually measured water level and the service limit water level is 3 marks, the reservation management unit 123 updates the maintenance time estimated for 30 minutes later to 15 minutes later.

[0093] Then, because the maintenance time has been updated to 15 minutes later, the reservation management unit 123 determines that users with order 3 and later, whose estimated waiting time is 15 minutes, are users who are accepted during the estimated maintenance time, and adds the 30 minutes required for the maintenance to the estimated waiting time. As a result, the time of the reservation for user C, who is order 3, can be shifted to 45 minutes after the end of maintenance.

[0094] In the example of Figure 11, we have explained the case where the maintenance date is brought forward, but this is not limited to this.For example, if the estimated maintenance date is delayed, the reservation management unit 123 can also move the user's reservation time forward.

[0095] For example, when the toilet room 210 consists of multiple independent toilet rooms 210, the reservation management unit 123 transfers the reservation to another toilet room based on the determination result by the tank determination unit 121. Specifically, when the toilet room 210 reserved by the user becomes unavailable due to the determination result that the tank is unusable, the reservation management unit 123 transfers the reservation of the user who has reserved the toilet room 210 to another toilet room 210 near the toilet room 210.

[0096] Here, for example, the storage unit 140 stores in advance the location information of multiple toilet rooms 210 that are the subject of reservations, and the reservation management unit 123 refers to the location information of the toilet room 210 that has become unavailable due to maintenance, and identifies nearby toilet rooms 210, for example, within a radius of 100 m. Then, when the tank determination unit 121 determines that the tank is unavailable, the reservation management unit 123 deletes the use reservation that has been accepted for the maintenance period, and has the contents of that use reservation accepted as a new use reservation in the destination toilet room 210, thereby making it possible to transfer the use reservation for the maintenance period to another toilet room 210.

[0097] For example, when a reservation for use of a toilet room 210 that has become unavailable due to maintenance is made, the reservation management unit 123 can allow the user to select whether to transfer the reservation to another toilet room 210 or to wait until the maintenance is completed. Specifically, at the time when the tank determination unit 121 determines that the tank is unavailable, the reservation management unit 123 causes the user terminal 300 to display transfer information indicating information about the toilet room 210 to which the reservation is made and an estimated waiting time if the reservation is made, and a reservation status indicating an estimated waiting time to which the maintenance time is added if the user waits as is, and allows the user to select whether to transfer the reservation or to wait.

[0098] The reservation status transmission unit 124 transmits the status of the reservation made by the user to the user terminal 300. For example, when the reservation status transmission unit 124 receives a request to use the toilet room 210 from a user, it transmits to the user terminal 300 an image (FIG. 4(5)) showing the status of the reservation, such as the location information of the toilet room 210 for which the reservation has been made, the number of people waiting at the current time, the estimated waiting time at the current time, and the available time at the current time.

[0099] (Processing flow) Next, the processing flow of the restroom management device 100A will be described. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of restroom management processing according to the first embodiment. Note that the steps in the flowchart shown in Fig. 12 may be executed in a different order, and some processing may be omitted.

[0100] The toilet management device 100A determines whether the tank to be determined (either one or both of the water supply tank 211 and the drainage tank 212) is usable (S101). If the tank to be determined is usable (S101; Yes), the toilet management device 100A waits for a certain period of time and then performs the process of S101 again.

[0101] On the other hand, if the tank to be judged is determined to be unusable (S101; No), the toilet management device 100A notifies the manager terminal 400 of information about the tank that has been judged to be unusable (S102).Then, the toilet management device 100A stops accepting reservations for the toilet room 210 that has become unusable due to the tank becoming unusable (S103).

[0102] The restroom management device 100A then updates the reservation status, such as the estimated waiting time, for users waiting in line for the unavailable restroom room 210 (S104).The restroom management device 100A then transmits the reservation status, such as the estimated waiting time updated by adding the maintenance time, to the user terminal 300 of the users waiting in line for the unavailable restroom room 210 (S105), and ends the process.

[0103] Second Embodiment Next, the system configuration, processing, etc. of an example of a toilet management system 10B according to a second embodiment that appropriately manages locking in a reservation-type toilet so that only users who have made a reservation can use the toilet will be described below.

[0104] (Problems with the prior art) Next, we will explain the problems with the toilet system related to the second embodiment. In a public toilet, when it is crowded, people generally line up in front of the toilet room, and the first person in line uses the next available toilet. However, there are toilets that allow people with urgent physiological needs or people with young children to use the toilet by queuing on a smartphone or other device without having to line up in front of the toilet. In such toilets that allow users to use the toilet by queuing, it is necessary to ensure that the next person in line can use the toilet immediately after one user finishes using it, in order to increase the turnover rate.

[0105] Generally, in reservation systems for public conference rooms, when passing the turn to the next user, the unlock code is sent a few minutes before the time of use, even if the previous user has not finished using the toilet, which means that the previous and next users may bump into each other when they switch places. On the other hand, toilets are private spaces, and users should not bump into each other in the toilet room. In toilets where it is desired to increase turnover and protect privacy, there is a need for a method to reliably determine when there are no users and pass the turn to the next user.

[0106] In this situation, conventional technology provides toilets that can be reserved via smartphone or other means and used preferentially without having to line up in front of the toilet. However, with conventional technology, the toilet door is locked depending on the toilet reservation status, but if no reservation is made, the door is not locked, so users who have not made a reservation can use the toilet freely, and toilet usage cannot be properly managed. Therefore, there is a need for technology to manage locking in reservation-based toilets so that people other than those who have made a reservation cannot enter the toilet without permission.

[0107] (Processing contents of the toilet management system 10B) Therefore, in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, the toilet management system 10B of the second embodiment is equipped with a control means for managing the toilet room 210, and the control means is equipped with a reservation reception means for receiving reservations from users who will use the toilet room 210, a reservation management means for managing the reservations, a locking control means for controlling the locking or unlocking of the door used for entering and exiting the toilet room 210, and a toilet room usage determination means for determining the usage status of the toilet room 210, and the control means controls the locking control means based on the status of the reservations and the determined usage status of the toilet room.

[0108] Here, the processing content of the restroom management system 10B will be explained using a specific example. Fig. 13 is a diagram explaining the processing content of the restroom management system according to the second embodiment. Fig. 13 shows an example in which the restroom management device 100B, which locks the door upon determining that use of the restroom 210 has ended, performs appropriate locking management so that only users who have made a reservation can use the restroom.

[0109] 13(1), the toilet management device 100B acquires the usage status of the toilet bowl device 215 and the hand washing device 216 and the measurement results of the human presence sensor 219. The toilet management device 100B then detects that the hand washing device 216 is in use and that a user is present in the toilet room 210, and determines that the toilet room 210 is in use.

[0110] Then, as shown in Figure 13 (2), when the toilet management device 100B detects, for example, that the use of the sanitary facilities has ended and that no user is present in the toilet room 210, it determines that the use of the toilet room has ended and automatically locks the unlocked door.

[0111] As a result, when it is determined that the use of the toilet room 210 has ended, the toilet management system 10B automatically locks the door of the toilet room 210, thereby preventing people other than those who have made a reservation from entering the toilet without permission, and enabling appropriate locking management so that only users who have made a reservation can use the toilet.

[0112] (Configuration example of toilet management device 100B) The functional configuration of the toilet management device 100B according to the second embodiment will be described below. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the toilet management device according to the second embodiment. Note that, in the toilet management device 100B according to the second embodiment, explanations of the same points as those in the toilet management device 100A according to the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0113] As shown in Fig. 14, the restroom management device 100B has a communication unit 110, a control unit 120, and a storage unit 140. The storage unit 140 according to the second embodiment has a reservation status storage unit 142 and a usage status storage unit 143. The storage unit 140 stores various information necessary for processing, in addition to the reservation status storage unit 142 and the usage status storage unit 143. For example, the storage unit 140 stores information such as the location information of the toilet room 210 to be reserved.

[0114] The usage status storage unit 143 stores information about the usage status of the toilet room 210. For example, the usage status storage unit 143 stores information about the usage status of the facilities of the toilet room 210 by time, such as unlocking or locking of the toilet room 210, the usage history of the toilet device 215, the usage history of the hand washing device 216, and the measurement results of the human presence sensor 219.

[0115] The control unit 120 has a reservation reception unit 122, a reservation management unit 123, a lock control unit 125, a toilet usage determination unit 126, and an issuing unit 127. The toilet usage determination unit 126 has a door opening / closing determination unit 126a and a room presence determination unit 126b, and realizes or executes the information processing functions and actions described below. Note that the internal configuration of the control unit 120 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 14, and may be any other configuration as long as it performs the information processing described below.

[0116] The locking control unit 125 controls the locking or unlocking of the door used for entering or exiting the toilet room 210. For example, the locking control unit 125 controls the locking or unlocking of the door by issuing a locking instruction or an unlocking instruction to a locking device that is attached to the door of the toilet room 210 in a configuration integrated with the payment device 218 and that automatically locks or unlocks the door.

[0117] As mentioned above, the door of the toilet room 210 has an opening and closing mechanism that automatically switches from an open state to a closed state, thereby preventing the locking control unit 125 from accidentally locking the door when it is in the open state.

[0118] Furthermore, the locking control unit 125 controls the locking or unlocking of the door based on, for example, the status of the reservation and the determined usage status of the toilet room 210. Specifically, the locking control unit 125 locks the door of the toilet room 210 when it is determined that the user has finished using the toilet room 210. Thereafter, the locking control unit 125 unlocks the door of the toilet room 210 when the authentication of the next user waiting in line is successful.

[0119] The toilet usage determination unit 126 determines the usage status of the toilet 210. For example, the toilet usage determination unit 126 determines whether the toilet 210 is being used or has been used, based on the determination results of the door opening / closing determination unit 126a and the presence determination unit 126b.

[0120] The door open / close determination unit 126a determines whether the door is open or closed. For example, the door open / close determination unit 126a acquires measurement information from a sensor device or the like attached to the door of the toilet room 210, determines whether the door of the toilet room 210 is open or closed, and stores the determined information in the usage status storage unit 143 together with the determination time.

[0121] Here, the door open / close determining unit 126a can determine not only the open / closed state of the door but also the locked or unlocked state of the door, and store this in the usage status storage unit 143 together with the time of determination.

[0122] The presence determination unit 126b determines whether or not a human body is present in the toilet room 210. For example, the presence determination unit 126b determines whether or not a user is present based on a detection means that detects the use of toilet facilities installed in the toilet room 210.

[0123] Specifically, the presence determination unit 126b acquires usage information of the warm water washing toilet seat of the toilet device 215 installed in the toilet room 210, usage information of the hand washing device 216, and measurement information of the human presence sensor 219 installed on the ceiling of the toilet device 215 or the toilet room 210, and stores the acquired information in the usage status storage unit 143. Then, the presence determination unit 126b uses the acquired information to determine whether a user is staying in the toilet room 210.

[0124] Here, a specific example will be given to explain the processing of the toilet room usage determination unit 126. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the processing of the toilet room usage determination unit according to the second embodiment. Fig. 15 shows an example in which the toilet room usage determination unit 126 sequentially determines the usage status of the toilet room 210 by the user and determines when the user has finished using the toilet room 210.

[0125] First, a user enters the toilet room 210. Here, for example, the door opening / closing determination unit 126a detects that the door has been unlocked by user authentication, and then detects that the door has been locked manually by the user. As a result, the toilet room usage determination unit 126 determines that usage of the toilet room 210 has begun.

[0126] Then, the user uses the sanitary facilities in the toilet room 210. Here, for example, the presence determination unit 126b detects that a user is staying in the toilet room 210 by obtaining the result of draining water from the sanitary facilities (water facilities) such as the toilet bowl device 215 and the hand washing device 216, or the detection result of a human body by the human presence sensor 219. As a result, the toilet room usage determination unit 126 determines that the toilet room 210 is being used.

[0127] Then, the user leaves the toilet room 210. Here, for example, the door opening / closing determination unit 126a detects that the door has been unlocked by a manual operation by the user. As a result, the toilet room usage determination unit 126 determines that the use of the toilet room 210 has ended.

[0128] In other words, the toilet room usage determination unit 126 can appropriately determine when a user has finished using the toilet room 210 by detecting the entire process of the user's toilet use, from the door locking operation, through the use of the sanitary facilities, to the door unlocking (opening) operation.

[0129] The toilet room usage determination unit 126 can more appropriately determine the end of use of the toilet room 210 by referring to the detection results of the human presence sensor 219 in addition to the detection results of the series of toilet usage flows described above. For example, in the series of toilet usage flows described above, if the sanitary facilities are not used and the door is unlocked, the toilet room usage determination unit 126 determines the end of use of the toilet room 210 after referring to the fact that no human body has been detected by the human presence sensor 219.

[0130] Furthermore, for example, in the aforementioned series of toilet usage sequences, if no response is detected for a certain period of time after detecting the use of sanitary facilities, the toilet usage determination unit 126 can determine that an abnormality has occurred in the use of the toilet 210 and issue an abnormality alert to the administrator terminal 400, etc.

[0131] The issuing unit 127 issues an unlocking key for unlocking a lock to a user in response to the acceptance of a use reservation. For example, the issuing unit 127 issues an unlocking key for unlocking the door of the toilet room 210 that is the subject of the reservation to the user terminal 300 of the user whose use reservation has been accepted.

[0132] Here, the unlocking key issued by the issuing unit 127 may be, for example, a four-digit personal identification number such as the reservation code shown in Fig. 4(7), or a two-dimensional code that is read by a reading device installed in the toilet room 210. Furthermore, the issuing unit 127 may issue to the user terminal 300, for example, at the time of accepting a reservation for use, an unlocking code with an expiration date set so that it can be used only when it is the user's turn, or may issue the unlocking code to the user terminal 300 simultaneously with a notification of availability from the reservation management unit 123, which will be described later.

[0133] When the usage status of the toilet room 210 changes to "use completed," the reservation management unit 123 issues a notification that the toilet room 210 is available to the next user. For example, when the toilet room usage determination unit 126 determines that the use of the toilet room 210 has ended, the reservation management unit 123 issues a notification that the reserved toilet room 210 is available to the user whose order of use is 1 and is stored in the reservation status storage unit 142.

[0134] Here, the reservation management unit 123, for example, in cooperation with the issuing unit 127, can send an unlocking code confirmation screen (Figure 4 (7)) in which the unlocking code is written in the availability notification, and display it on the user terminal 300.

[0135] In addition, the reservation management unit 123 can always manage the user with usage order 1 as the first user waiting in line by, for example, deleting the row of the user who has finished using the toilet room 210 and updating the usage order each time the toilet room usage determination unit 126 determines that usage of the toilet room 210 has been completed.

[0136] Furthermore, if the user does not unlock the door within a predetermined time after receiving the notification that the door is available, the reservation management unit 123 updates the user's turn to a predetermined position. For example, if the door is not unlocked within several minutes after receiving the notification that the door is available, the reservation management unit 123 updates the reservation status by shifting the user's reservation to a later position in the turn, changing the position to a position a predetermined number behind or at the end of the queue.

[0137] For example, if the unlock code is not used within five minutes of sending a notification of availability to a user with usage order 1, the reservation management unit 123 shifts the user's usage reservation to the row with usage order 4 and updates the reservation status.

[0138] (Processing flow) Next, the processing flow of the restroom management device 100B will be described. Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of restroom management processing according to the second embodiment. Note that the steps in the flowchart shown in Fig. 16 can be executed in a different order, and some processing may be omitted.

[0139] The restroom management device 100B accepts a reservation for use of the restroom room 210 from a user (S201). Then, the restroom management device 100B notifies the user whose turn it is that the restroom is available (S202). Then, the restroom management device 100B unlocks the door by authenticating the user (S203).

[0140] The toilet management device 100B then detects that the door has been manually locked by the user (S204).The toilet management device 100B then detects that the user has used the sanitary facilities in the toilet room 210 (S205).The toilet management device 100B then detects that the door has been manually unlocked by the user (S206).

[0141] The toilet management device 100B then locks the closed door (S207). The toilet management device 100B then determines whether or not the user is staying in the toilet room 210 (S208). If it is determined that the user is not staying in the toilet room 210 (S208; No), the toilet management device 100B determines that the user has finished using the toilet room 210 (S209), and returns to S202 to continue the process. On the other hand, if it is determined that the user is staying in the toilet room 210 (S208; Yes), it returns to S206 to continue the process.

[0142] Third Embodiment Next, the system configuration, processing, etc. of an example of a toilet management system 10C according to a third embodiment that appropriately collects a usage fee from a user who has made a reservation to use a pay-to-use toilet will be described below.

[0143] (Problems with the prior art) The following describes the problems with the toilet system related to the third embodiment. In a public toilet, when it is crowded, people generally line up in front of the toilet room, and the first person in line uses the next available toilet room. From the user's perspective, people who experience an urgent physiological need in a crowded place or who want to use a toilet room equipped with special facilities want a toilet that can be used on a priority basis without having to line up in front of the toilet, and there is a demand for toilets that can be used quickly by paying a usage fee.

[0144] However, even if you wait your turn online, in toilets that require payment, there are expected to be issues such as cases where you make a reservation to wait your turn but do not actually use the toilet, and then the payment is not made, or someone else enters the toilet after paying, even though you have waited your turn.

[0145] In this situation, conventional technology has provided pay toilets that collect a fee when users use the toilet. However, in conventional technology, users are required to line up and wait their turn to use the toilet. Therefore, there is a need for technology that can appropriately collect a usage fee from users who have reserved use of the toilet in pay-to-use toilets.

[0146] (Processing contents of the toilet management system 10C) Therefore, in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, the toilet management system 10C of the third embodiment is a toilet management system 10C equipped with a control means for managing the toilet room 210, the control means being equipped with a reservation reception means for receiving reservations from users who will use the toilet room 210, a reservation management means for managing the order of reservations for use, a locking control means for controlling the locking of the door used for entering and exiting the toilet room 210, and a transmission means for transmitting unlocking conditions that can be unlocked by the locking control means to the user who has made the reservation for use, and the control means collects a usage fee for the toilet room 210 in conjunction with the use of the unlocking conditions.

[0147] Here, the processing content of the toilet management system 10C will be explained using a specific example. Figure 17 is a diagram explaining the processing content of the toilet management system according to the third embodiment. Figure 17 shows an example in which the toilet management device 100C, which unlocks the door after collecting the usage fee for the toilet room 210, performs control to unlock the door of the toilet room 210 when a user whose turn it is to use the toilet performs the appropriate unlocking operation.

[0148] For example, when it is determined that the previous user has finished using the toilet, the toilet management device 100C issues an unlocking key to the next user to unlock the door of the toilet room 210. The toilet management device 100C then collects a fee for using the toilet in conjunction with authentication of the user using the unlocking key, and unlocks the door of the toilet room 210 after determining that the fee has been collected.

[0149] As a result, the toilet management system 10C unlocks the door of the toilet room 210 after detecting both the authentication of the user whose turn it is to use the toilet and the collection of the usage fee, so that in a pay-to-use toilet, the usage fee can be appropriately collected from the user who has reserved the use of the toilet.

[0150] (Configuration example of toilet management device 100C) The functional configuration of the toilet management device 100C according to the third embodiment will be described below. Fig. 18 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the toilet management device according to the third embodiment. Note that, in the toilet management device 100C according to the third embodiment, explanations of the same aspects as those of the toilet management device 100A according to the first embodiment or the toilet management device 100B according to the second embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0151] As shown in Fig. 18, the restroom management device 100C has a communication unit 110, a control unit 120, and a storage unit 140. The storage unit 140 according to the third embodiment has a reservation status storage unit 142, a usage status storage unit 143, and a billing status storage unit 144. The storage unit 140 stores various information necessary for processing, in addition to the reservation status storage unit 142, the usage status storage unit 143, and the billing status storage unit 144. For example, the storage unit 140 stores information such as the location information of the toilet room 210 to be reserved.

[0152] The billing status storage unit 144 stores the status of collection of the usage fee from the user for the restroom 210. For example, the billing status storage unit 144 stores the amount of the usage fee collected by the user whose turn it is to use the restroom through operation of the payment device 218, together with the time of collection, information on the user terminal 300, etc.

[0153] The control unit 120 has a reservation reception unit 122, a reservation management unit 123, a lock control unit 125, a toilet usage determination unit 126, an issuing unit 127, a notification unit 128, and an accounting management unit 129. The toilet usage determination unit 126 has a door opening / closing determination unit 126a and a room presence determination unit 126b, and realizes or executes the information processing functions and actions described below. Note that the internal configuration of the control unit 120 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 18, and may be any other configuration that performs the information processing described below.

[0154] The issuing unit 127 transmits to the user who has made the reservation the unlocking conditions that enable the lock control unit 125 to unlock the toilet. For example, the issuing unit 127 transmits the unlocking conditions, which are configured from information about user authentication and payment of the usage fee required to unlock the door of the toilet room 210 that is the subject of the reservation, to the user terminal 300 of the user who has accepted the reservation.

[0155] Specifically, the issuing unit 127 sends to the user terminal 300 an unlocking code for authenticating the user whose turn it is to use the card, link information to move to a payment screen for collecting the usage fee, and the like.

[0156] The billing management unit 129 collects the fee for using the toilet 210 in conjunction with the use of the unlocking condition. For example, when the billing management unit 129 confirms the use of the unlocking condition, it collects the fee for using the toilet 210 from the user. Specifically, the billing management unit 129 accepts the payment process for the usage fee after successfully authenticating the user whose turn it is to use the toilet by using the unlocking code sent to the user.

[0157] Here, the order of the user authentication process for unlocking the door and the usage fee collection process is not particularly limited as long as they are performed in conjunction with each other. For example, the billing management unit 129 can remotely accept the usage fee payment process via the network, and then authenticate the user by accepting an unlock code entered into a button installed on the door of the toilet room 210. Furthermore, the billing management unit 129 can simultaneously perform the user authentication process and the usage fee collection process by determining, through the payment process via the user terminal 300, that the user terminal 300 that accepted the usage reservation and the user terminal 300 that accepted the payment are the same.

[0158] The billing management unit 129 can automatically collect the usage fee using a payment method registered in advance by the user. For example, the billing management unit 129 can collect the usage fee according to a payment method selected in advance by the user from among common payment methods such as electronic money or two-dimensional code payment using the user terminal 300, payment using a credit card, cash payment, or debit payment from a bank account registered in advance by the user.

[0159] Here, the payment device 218 installed in the toilet room 210 has functions such as accepting cash and paying change, and reading the two-dimensional code presented by the user, so that it can accommodate the payment method selected by the user.

[0160] The reservation management unit 123 cancels the use reservation if it does not confirm the use of the unlocking conditions. For example, the reservation management unit 123 cancels the use reservation if it does not confirm the use of the unlocking conditions for a predetermined time after it is the user's turn to use the reservation. Specifically, if the use of the unlocking code is not confirmed within five minutes after the reservation management unit 123 sends the unlocking conditions to a user whose turn is first, the reservation management unit 123 deletes the use reservation of that user from the reservation status storage unit 142.

[0161] The notification unit 128 notifies the user of the cancellation of the usage reservation. For example, the notification unit 128 notifies the user terminal 300 of the user whose reservation has been canceled by the reservation management unit 123 of a cancellation screen showing the details of the canceled usage reservation and the reason for the cancellation.

[0162] Furthermore, the notification unit 128 can notify a user whose scheduled use time has come earlier due to a cancellation by another user, for example, that another user's reservation has been canceled. Specifically, when the reservation management unit 123 deletes the user's use reservation and updates the information in the reservation status storage unit 142, the notification unit 128 notifies the user terminal 300 of the user whose turn of use has come earlier due to the update of the updated number of people waiting, the estimated waiting time, and the fact that another user has canceled.

[0163] Here, a specific example will be given to explain a series of processes from the process of issuing an unlocking code by the issuing unit 127, through the process of canceling the use reservation, to the process of issuing an unlocking code to the next user. Fig. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the process related to the cancellation of a use reservation according to the third embodiment. Fig. 19 shows an example in which the use reservation of user A is canceled because the unlocking code of user A has not been used for a certain period of time.

[0164] 19, first, the issuing unit 127 issues an unlocking key to the user terminal 300 of user A, who is number 1 in the usage order. Then, the reservation management unit 123 detects that the unlocking key has not been used for five minutes since the issuance of the unlocking code.

[0165] Here, the reservation management unit 123 deletes the use reservation of user A stored in the reservation status storage unit 142 and updates the use order. Then, in response to the deletion of the use reservation of user A, the notification unit 128 transmits a cancellation notification of the use reservation to the user terminal 300 of user A.

[0166] Thereafter, the reservation management unit 123 issues an availability notification to the user terminal 300 of user B, who is number 1 in the updated usage order, and the issuing unit 127 issues an unlocking key.

[0167] 19, the restroom management system 10C automatically cancels the reservation of a user who does not use the unlock code for a certain period of time, allowing the next user in line to use the restroom 210. As a result, the restroom management system 10C reduces the amount of time the restroom 210 is not in use, and can efficiently manage the restroom 210. Furthermore, because the restroom management system 10C automatically cancels the reservation before the fee is paid, the user does not need to apply for cancellation of the reservation or a refund of the fee if they do not intend to use the restroom, and can make the reservation with peace of mind.

[0168] (Processing flow) Next, the processing flow of the restroom management device 100C will be described. Fig. 20 is a flowchart showing an example of restroom management processing according to the third embodiment. Note that the steps in the flowchart shown in Fig. 20 may be executed in a different order, and some processing may be omitted.

[0169] The restroom management device 100C accepts a reservation for use of the restroom room 210 from a user (S301). Then, the restroom management device 100C notifies the user whose turn it is to use the restroom of the unlocking conditions (S302). Then, the restroom management device 100C authenticates the user by accepting the unlocking conditions (S303).

[0170] The restroom management device 100C then determines whether payment of the usage fee from the user has been accepted (S304). If payment of the usage fee from the user has been accepted (S304; Yes), the restroom management device 100C unlocks the door of the restroom room 210 (S305).

[0171] The toilet management device 100C then detects that the door has been manually locked by the user (S306).The toilet management device 100C then detects that the user has used the sanitary facilities in the toilet room 210 (S307).The toilet management device 100C then detects that the door has been manually unlocked by the user (S308).

[0172] The restroom management device 100C then locks the closed door (S309). If payment by the user has not been accepted (S304; No), or after the processing of S309, the restroom management device 100C determines whether the user is staying in the restroom room 210 (S310). If it is determined that the user is not staying in the restroom room 210 (S310; No), the restroom management device 100C determines that the user has finished using the restroom room 210 (S311), and returns to S302 to continue the processing. On the other hand, if it is determined that the user is staying in the restroom room 210 (S310; Yes), it returns to S308 to continue the processing.

[0173] [Fourth embodiment] Next, the system configuration, processing, etc. of an example of a toilet management system 10D according to a fourth embodiment that manages user reservations according to usage fees collected in pay-to-use toilets will be described below.

[0174] (Problems with the prior art) The following describes the problems with the toilet system related to the fourth embodiment. In a public toilet, when it is crowded, people generally line up in front of the toilet room, and the first person in line can use the next available toilet room. From the user's perspective, there is a need for a toilet that can be used on a priority basis without having to line up in front of the toilet, for people who have an urgent physiological need in a crowded place, or for people who want to use a toilet room equipped with special facilities.

[0175] However, in a toilet system where users wait in line, there are cases where people with low urgency use the toilet, or where people whose turn it is take a long time to enter the toilet, leaving a gap in the toilet even though it is empty, preventing people with high urgency from using it. This poses an issue.

[0176] In this situation, as mentioned above, conventional technology provides toilets that can be reserved via smartphone or other means and used preferentially without having to line up in front of the toilet. However, in this conventional technology, the order of reservation management is limited to guiding users to the toilet in the order in which reservations are received, so people with a high level of urgency are not given priority in using the toilet. Therefore, there is a need for technology that manages user reservations according to the collected usage fee for pay-to-use toilets.

[0177] (Processing contents of the toilet management system 10D) Therefore, in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, the toilet management system 10D of the fourth embodiment is equipped with a control means for managing the toilet room 210, and the control means is equipped with a reservation reception means for receiving reservations from users who use the toilet room 210, a reservation management means for managing the received reservations, and a billing management means for managing the usage fees paid by users of the toilet room 210, and the control means updates the status of reservations made by the reservation management means according to the status of the billing management means.

[0178] Here, the processing content of the restroom management system 10D will be explained using a specific example. Fig. 21 is a diagram explaining the processing content of the restroom management system according to the fourth embodiment. Fig. 21 shows an example in which the restroom management device 100D, which manages the order of reservations based on the amount of usage fee collected, performs control to move the reservation order forward if the user pays a larger fee.

[0179] As shown in Fig. 21, the restroom management device 100D accepts a reservation from a user and transmits the reservation status to the user terminal 300. At this point, the restroom management device 100D transmits the reservation status indicating that there are three users waiting. The restroom management device 100D then accepts the user's selection of a "priority ticket" that will advance the line of use, and charges 500 yen.

[0180] Then, in response to receiving a charge from the user, the toilet management device 100D advances the order of the user's reservation, updates the reservation status, and transmits to the user terminal 300 a reservation status indicating that the number of people waiting has been reduced from 3 to 0.

[0181] As a result, the toilet management system 10D can advance the order of reservations for users who have been charged a higher usage fee through additional charges, and can manage user reservations according to the usage fee collected in a pay-to-use toilet.

[0182] (Configuration example of toilet management device 100D) The functional configuration of the toilet management device 100D according to the fourth embodiment will be described below. Fig. 22 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the toilet management device according to the fourth embodiment. Note that, in the toilet management device 100D according to the fourth embodiment, explanations of the same aspects as those of the toilet management device 100A according to the first embodiment, the toilet management device 100B according to the second embodiment, and the toilet management device 100C according to the third embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0183] As shown in Fig. 22, the restroom management device 100D has a communication unit 110, a control unit 120, and a storage unit 140. The storage unit 140 according to the fourth embodiment has a reservation status storage unit 142 and a billing status storage unit 144. The storage unit 140 stores various information necessary for processing, in addition to the reservation status storage unit 142 and the billing status storage unit 144. For example, the storage unit 140 stores information such as the location information of the toilet room 210 to be reserved.

[0184] The reservation status storage unit 142 stores the amount charged to a user who has accepted a reservation, in addition to the storage contents according to each embodiment described above. For example, the reservation status storage unit 142 stores the amount charged to be collected from each user who has accepted a usage reservation. Here, the amount charged includes not only the amount of the fee actually paid by the user, but also the amount of the fee to be paid that was accepted at the usage reservation stage or the waiting stage.

[0185] In addition to the storage contents according to the third embodiment described above, the billing status storage unit 144 also stores the charge amount received when a reservation is made, the charge amount received when the user is waiting in line, and the total of both. For example, for a certain user, the billing status storage unit 144 stores the charge amount of 500 yen received when a reservation is made and the charge amount of 500 yen received when the user is waiting in line, along with the time at which the charges were received. The billing status storage unit 144 also stores the total of both charge amounts, 1,000 yen, as the total charge amount received from that user.

[0186] The control unit 120 has a reservation reception unit 122, a reservation management unit 123, a reservation status transmission unit 124, an issuing unit 127, a notification unit 128, a billing management unit 129, and a restroom information transmission unit 130, and realizes or executes the information processing functions and actions described below. Note that the internal configuration of the control unit 120 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 22, and may be any other configuration that performs the information processing described below.

[0187] The toilet room information transmission unit 130 uses the location information of the user terminal 300 to transmit information about one or more toilet rooms 210 that are close to the user to the user terminal 300. For example, the toilet room information transmission unit 130 acquires the location information of the user terminal 300 using the GPS (Global Positioning System) function of the user terminal 300. Then, the toilet room information transmission unit 130 transmits to the user terminal 300 information about toilet rooms 210 that are located nearby, for example, within a radius of 100 meters from the acquired location information of the user terminal 300.

[0188] Specifically, when the toilet room information transmission unit 130 detects a tap on the "Search by location information" button when reserving a toilet room 210 by a user (Figure 3 (2)), it acquires the location information of the user terminal 300 and displays on the user terminal 300 toilet rooms 210 that are available for reservation and are registered within a radius of 100 m from the location information of the user terminal 300.

[0189] The billing management unit 129 can determine the amount of the usage fee. For example, the billing management unit 129 determines the amount of the usage fee charged to a user who has accepted a usage reservation. Specifically, the billing management unit 129 can determine the user who has been charged the largest amount among the users waiting in line by comparing the amounts charged for each user stored in the billing status storage unit 144.

[0190] The billing management unit 129 can extract a billing amount to compare with from the billing amount received when the user made a reservation, the billing amount received when the user was waiting in line, or the total amount of both, stored in the billing status storage unit 144, and determine whether the amount is large or small depending on the situation.

[0191] The issuing unit 127 issues an unlocking key when the billing management unit 129 confirms that the usage fee has been collected. For example, the issuing unit 127 issues an unlocking key to the user terminal 300 after being notified by the billing management unit 129 that the usage fee has been collected through the user's operation of the payment device 218.

[0192] As a result, the toilet management device 100D issues an unlocking key when the usage fee is collected, but does not issue an unlocking key unless the usage fee is paid. Therefore, an unlocking key will not be issued indiscriminately to someone who has made a reservation but does not need to use the toilet, allowing users to make reservations with ease.

[0193] The reservation acceptance unit 122 accepts cancellation of an accepted use reservation. For example, the reservation acceptance unit 122 cancels the use reservation in response to an operation on the user terminal 300 by the user who accepted the use reservation, and notifies the reservation management unit 123 of the cancellation details.

[0194] Specifically, the reservation acceptance unit 122 displays a cancellation screen (FIG. 4(6)) in response to a tap on "Cancel" on the home screen (FIG. 4(5)) after a reservation is made in the toilet reservation system. When the reservation acceptance unit 122 detects a tap on the "Cancel" button on the cancellation screen, it determines that a cancellation operation for the use reservation has been made by the user, and accepts the cancellation of the use reservation.

[0195] The reservation management unit 123 updates the order of use reservations in accordance with the processing by the reservation reception unit 122 and the processing by the billing management unit 129. The following describes the processing details of the reservation management unit 123 of the toilet management device 100D according to the fourth embodiment.

[0196] For example, the reservation management unit 123 changes the order of usage reservations depending on the size of the usage fee determined by the billing management unit 129. Specifically, the reservation management unit 123 rearranges the order of users waiting in line in descending order of the amount charged by the billing management unit 129, and updates the information in the reservation status storage unit 142, thereby controlling the order of usage reservations to be advanced for users with large usage fees.

[0197] Here, a specific example of the process of changing the order of use depending on the amount charged will be described. Fig. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a series of processes performed by the billing management unit and the reservation management unit according to the fourth embodiment. Fig. 23 shows an example in which, in a situation where the reservation status of the toilet room 210 is stored in the reservation status storage unit 142 as being reserved in the order of user A, user B, user C, and user D, after a new reservation for use of the toilet room 210 is received from user E, the order of use is determined depending on the amount charged at the time of the reservation.

[0198] 23, the reservation acceptance unit 122 accepts a reservation for use of the toilet room 210 from user E for "priority reservation 500 yen," and stores the reservation details in the reservation status storage unit 142. Then, the billing management unit 129 compares the amounts charged to the four users, including user E and users B to D (excluding user A who is currently using the toilet room 210), who are waiting in line to use the toilet room 210, and arranges them in descending order of the amount charged. As a result, the four users are arranged in the order of user B, user E, user C, and user D.

[0199] Then, the reservation management unit 123 rearranges the listed users with the same billing amount in order of earliest reservation acceptance time (no rearrangement in the example of FIG. 23), and then updates the information in the reservation status storage unit 142. In other words, the reservation management unit 123 updates the order of use so that the order of users in use orders 2 to 5 becomes user B, user E, user C, and user D.

[0200] As a result, the toilet management device 100D can quickly change the order of use for users who have the latest reservation acceptance time and would normally be the last to use the toilet, depending on the amount of the accepted charge, making it possible to prioritize toilet queues and allow people who need to use the toilet urgently to use it first.

[0201] For example, the reservation management unit 123 updates the order of use reservations according to the use reservation for which cancellation has been accepted. Specifically, when the reservation management unit 123 receives a notification from the reservation acceptance unit 122 that the cancellation of the use reservation has been accepted, the reservation management unit 123 deletes the use reservation of the user to be canceled from the reservation status storage unit 142, moves up the use order of users waiting after the user, and then updates the information in the reservation status storage unit 142.

[0202] (Processing flow) Next, the processing flow of the restroom management device 100D will be described. Fig. 24 is a flowchart showing an example of restroom management processing according to the fourth embodiment. Note that the steps in the flowchart shown in Fig. 24 may be executed in a different order, and some processing may be omitted.

[0203] The toilet management device 100D accepts a reservation for use of the toilet room 210 from a user (S401). Then, the toilet management device 100D updates the use order according to the billing status of the user (S402). Then, the toilet management device 100D notifies the user whose turn it is to use the toilet of the unlocking conditions (S403). Then, the toilet management device 100D authenticates the user by accepting the unlocking conditions (S404).

[0204] The restroom management device 100D then determines whether payment of the usage fee from the user has been accepted (S405). If payment of the usage fee from the user has been accepted (S405; Yes), the restroom management device 100D unlocks the door of the restroom room 210 (S406).

[0205] The toilet management device 100D then detects that the door has been manually locked by the user (S407).The toilet management device 100D then detects that the user has used the sanitary facilities in the toilet room 210 (S408).The toilet management device 100D then detects that the door has been manually unlocked by the user (S409).

[0206] The restroom management device 100D then locks the closed door (S410). If payment by the user has not been accepted (S405; No), or after the processing of S410, the restroom management device 100D determines whether the user is staying in the restroom room 210 (S411). If it is determined that the user is not staying in the restroom room 210 (S411; No), the restroom management device 100D determines that the user has finished using the restroom room 210 (S412), and returns to S402 to continue the processing. On the other hand, if it is determined that the user is staying in the restroom room 210 (S411; Yes), it returns to S409 to continue the processing.

[0207] Fifth Embodiment Next, the system configuration, processing, etc. of an example of a toilet management system 10E according to a fifth embodiment that restricts a user's use of the toilet room 210 depending on the state of the tank will be described below.

[0208] (Problems with the prior art) The following describes a problem with the toilet system related to the fifth embodiment. In places where there are no water supply or sewerage systems or where one-off outdoor events with large numbers of people are held, autonomous toilets with water supply tanks and drainage tanks are sometimes installed. In these toilets, the capacity of the water supply tank and drainage tank is limited, so the toilets become unusable when the water supply tank runs out or the drainage tank becomes full.

[0209] A problem with these conventional autonomous toilets is that they do not communicate that the toilet is no longer available, so users continue to use the toilet room, which means that waste cannot be flushed or that flushing causes backflow.

[0210] In light of this situation, a conventional technology has been proposed that performs tank maintenance by issuing a command to replace the drainage tank when the storage volume in the drainage tank exceeds a predetermined level. However, while the conventional technology allows users in toilet-equipped vehicles with drainage tanks to know when maintenance is due, users cannot know when the storage volume in the drainage tank has reached its limit, which can lead to users accidentally using the toilet when maintenance is required. Therefore, a technology is needed that restricts users' use of the toilet when maintenance is due for the water supply tank or drainage tank.

[0211] (Processing contents of the toilet management system 10E) Therefore, in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, the toilet management system 10E of the fifth embodiment is equipped with a control means for managing a toilet room 210 having at least one of a water supply tank 211 that stores flushing water for multiple toilet flushes and supplies the flushing water to the toilet, and a drainage tank 212 that stores drainage water from the toilet, and the control means is equipped with a determination means for determining whether the usage state of the water supply tank 211 or the drainage tank 212 meets predetermined conditions, and a locking control means for controlling the locking or unlocking of the door used for entering and exiting the toilet room 210, and the control means limits the control by the locking control means depending on the determination result of the determination means.

[0212] Here, the processing content of the toilet management system 10E will be explained using a specific example. Figure 25 is a diagram explaining the processing content of the toilet management system according to the fifth embodiment. Figure 25 shows an example in which the toilet management device 100E, which controls the door lock depending on the tank usage status, performs control to lock the door when the tank installed in the toilet room 210 becomes unusable.

[0213] As shown in Figure 25, the toilet management device 100E acquires the measurement results of the water level sensor 213 installed in the water supply tank 211 and the water level sensor 214 installed in the drainage tank 212, and determines whether the acquired water level measurement results have reached a water level at which water cannot be supplied from the water supply tank or a water level at which water cannot be stored in the drainage tank.

[0214] Then, for example, when the toilet management device 100E determines that the water level measurement result of the drainage tank 212 has reached a level at which water storage is no longer possible, it locks the door of the toilet room 210, thereby restricting users from using the toilet room 210 during the maintenance period.

[0215] As a result, the toilet management system 10E can immediately lock the door of the toilet room 210 when the tank reaches its limit water level and maintenance is required, thereby restricting users' use of the toilet room 210 depending on the condition of the tank.

[0216] The toilet management system 10E is particularly effective not only in situations where the manager can carry out maintenance relatively quickly, such as the aforementioned mobility toilet 200, but also in toilets where it takes a long time for the manager to carry out maintenance, such as temporary toilets installed deep in the mountains. In other words, the toilet management system 10E can keep the door of the toilet room 210 locked even if a long time has passed since the toilet room 210 became unusable until maintenance was carried out, thereby preventing situations where users are unable to flush waste due to excessive toilet use, or where flushing causes waste to backflow.

[0217] (Configuration example of toilet management device 100E) The functional configuration of the toilet management device 100E according to the fifth embodiment will be described below. Fig. 26 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the toilet management device according to the fifth embodiment. Note that in the toilet management device 100E according to the fifth embodiment, explanations of the same aspects as those in the toilet management device 100A according to the first embodiment, the toilet management device 100B according to the second embodiment, the toilet management device 100C according to the third embodiment, and the toilet management device 100D according to the fourth embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0218] 26, the toilet management device 100E has a communication unit 110, a control unit 120, and a storage unit 140. The storage unit 140 according to the fifth embodiment has a tank information storage unit 141, a reservation status storage unit 142, a usage status storage unit 143, and a billing status storage unit 144. The storage unit 140 stores various information necessary for processing, including but not limited to the tank information storage unit 141, the reservation status storage unit 142, the usage status storage unit 143, and the billing status storage unit 144. For example, the storage unit 140 stores information such as the location information of the toilet room 210 to be reserved.

[0219] The control unit 120 has a tank determination unit 121, a reservation reception unit 122, a reservation management unit 123, a lock control unit 125, a toilet usage determination unit 126, a notification unit 128, and an accounting management unit 129. The toilet usage determination unit 126 has a door opening / closing determination unit 126a and a room presence determination unit 126b, and realizes or executes the information processing functions and actions described below. Note that the internal configuration of the control unit 120 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 26, and may have any other configuration as long as it performs the information processing described below.

[0220] The tank determination unit 121 determines the usage state using the condition that the usable remaining amount of the water supply tank 211 or the drainage tank 212 reaches a predetermined amount as the predetermined condition. For example, the tank determination unit 121 can determine whether the usable remaining amount of the tank has reached its limit by setting the usable limit water level described in the first embodiment as the water level at which the usable remaining amount of the tank reaches its limit. If the tank determination unit 121 determines that the usable remaining amount of the tank has reached its limit, it notifies the lock control unit 125 and the notification unit 128 of the determination result that the tank cannot be used.

[0221] Furthermore, the tank determination unit 121 determines whether the usage state of the water supply tank 211 or the drain tank 212 satisfies a predetermined condition, depending on the determination result of the presence determination unit 126b described later. For example, when the presence determination unit 126b notifies the tank determination unit 121 of the determination result that no user is present in the toilet room 210, the tank determination unit 121 determines whether the usage state of the tank satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0222] Furthermore, when the toilet room usage determination unit 126 determines that the user has finished using the toilet, the tank determination unit 121 determines whether the usage state of the water supply tank 211 or the drainage tank 212 satisfies a predetermined condition. For example, when the toilet room usage determination unit 126 detects a series of events from the door locking (closing) operation, through the use of the sanitary equipment, to the door unlocking (opening) operation, and notifies the user that the user has determined that the user has finished using the toilet room 210, the tank determination unit 121 determines whether the tank usage state satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0223] The door open / close determination unit 126a determines whether the door is open or closed, and notifies the lock control unit 125 of the open / closed state of the door. For example, when the state of the door of the toilet room 210 changes (from an open state to a closed state, or from a closed state to an open state), the door open / close determination unit 126a notifies the lock control unit 125 of the determination result of the door state. For example, when the door open / close determination unit 126a receives a request from the lock control unit 125 to determine whether the door is open or closed, it determines the state of the door and notifies the lock control unit 125 of the determination result.

[0224] Furthermore, the door open / close determination unit 126a can, for example, measure the time the door is open and compare it with a preset threshold. For example, if the door open / close determination unit 126a determines that the open state of the door is significantly longer than the time required for a user to enter or exit the toilet room 210 (a preset threshold), it can determine that an abnormality has occurred in the door of the toilet room 210 and notify the notification unit 128, which will be described later. Specifically, if the open state of the door exceeds 25 seconds, out of the 5 seconds that is set as the time normally required for a user to enter or exit the toilet room 210, the door open / close determination unit 126a determines that an abnormality has occurred in the door of the toilet room 210 and notifies the notification unit 128, which will be described later. It is assumed that the door of the toilet room 210 is automatically transitioned from an open state to a closed state by an opening / closing mechanism unit.

[0225] The presence determination unit 126b determines whether or not a human body is present in the toilet room 210 using a sensor installed in the toilet room 210. For example, the presence determination unit 126b acquires the measurement results of a human presence sensor 219 installed in the toilet room 210, and when the status of the user staying in the toilet room 210 changes, notifies the tank determination unit 121 whether or not the user is present. For example, when the presence determination unit 126b receives a request to determine whether or not a user is present from the tank determination unit 121, it determines whether or not the user is present, and notifies the tank determination unit 121 of the determination result.

[0226] The locking control unit 125 locks the door of the toilet room 210 in accordance with the determination result of the tank determination unit 121. For example, when the locking control unit 125 is notified by the tank determination unit 121 that it has been determined that the usable remaining amount of the tank has reached its limit, the locking control unit 125 confirms that the door has been determined to be in a closed state by the door opening / closing determination unit 126a, and locks the door of the toilet room 210.

[0227] In other words, the locking control unit 125 can lock the door of the toilet room 210 when it determines that the tank requires maintenance, that no user is present in the toilet room 210, and that the door is in a closed state.

[0228] Furthermore, the lock control unit 125 controls to prohibit unlocking of the door of the toilet room 210 according to the determination result of the tank determination unit 121. For example, if the door is locked at the time when the tank determination unit 121 notifies that it has determined that the usable remaining amount of the tank has reached its limit, the lock control unit 125 controls to maintain the door locked without accepting an unlocking operation from the user.

[0229] Here, a specific example of the process of maintaining the locked state of the door by the lock control unit 125 will be described. Fig. 27 is a diagram showing an example of the process of the lock control unit according to the fifth embodiment. Fig. 27 shows an example of door lock control under normal circumstances (Fig. 27(1)) and an example of door lock control under maintenance (Fig. 27(2)). Note that the example in Fig. 27 shows an example in which the door is unlocked by presenting an unlocking key.

[0230] As shown in FIG. 27, under normal circumstances, the lock control unit 125 unlocks the door of the toilet room 210, which is in a locked state, when it is determined that the user has been authenticated by the user presenting the unlocking key (FIG. 27(1)).

[0231] On the other hand, during maintenance, the lock control unit 125 does not accept the unlocking key even if presented by the user, and keeps the door of the toilet room 210 in a locked state (FIG. 27(2)).

[0232] As a result, the toilet management device 100E can prevent the user from entering the toilet room 210 even if it is determined that tank maintenance is required after an unlocking key has been issued to the user.

[0233] When it is determined that the remaining usable amount of the water supply tank 211 or the drainage tank 212 has reached a predetermined amount, the notification unit 128 notifies the manager of the toilet room 210 that maintenance of the water supply tank 211 or the drainage tank 212 is required.

[0234] For example, when the notification unit 128 is notified by the tank determination unit 121 that the remaining usable capacity of the tank has reached its limit, the notification unit 128 notifies the administrator terminal 400 of the administrator who manages the toilet room 210 that maintenance is required by notifying the administrator that maintenance is required on the tank by notifying the administrator terminal 400 of the administrator who manages the toilet room 210 of a maintenance notification screen (Figure 7(5)) and a detailed screen of the toilet that is undergoing maintenance (Figure 7(6)).

[0235] Furthermore, the notification unit 128 notifies that a malfunction or abnormality has occurred in the equipment installed in the toilet room 210. For example, when the notification unit 128 detects that a malfunction or abnormality has occurred in the various facilities and equipment installed in the toilet room 210 shown in Fig. 2, it notifies the administrator terminal 400 of the administrator who manages the toilet room 210 of the details of the malfunction or abnormality.

[0236] Specifically, when the notification unit 128 is notified that an abnormality has occurred in the door based on the result of the determination of the door open state by the door opening / closing determination unit 126a described above, it notifies that the door of the toilet room 210 has been open for an abnormally long time.

[0237] (Processing flow) Next, the processing flow of the restroom management device 100E will be described. Fig. 28 is a flowchart showing an example of restroom management processing according to the fifth embodiment. Note that the steps in the flowchart shown in Fig. 28 may be executed in a different order, and some processing may be omitted.

[0238] The toilet management device 100E determines whether or not a user is staying in the toilet room 210 (S501). If a user is staying in the toilet room 210 (S501; Yes), the toilet management device 100E waits until it is determined that the user is not staying in the toilet room 210. On the other hand, if a user is not staying in the toilet room 210 (S501; No), the toilet management device 100E determines whether or not the tank to be determined is usable (S502).

[0239] If the tank to be determined is usable (S502; Yes), the toilet management device 100E ends the series of steps related to determining whether the tank is usable. On the other hand, if the tank to be determined is not usable (S502; No), the toilet management device 100E determines whether the door of the toilet room 210 is closed (S503).

[0240] If the door of the toilet room 210 is not closed (S503; No), the toilet management device 100E waits until it is determined that the door is closed. On the other hand, if the door of the toilet room 210 is closed (S503; Yes), the toilet management device 100E locks the door of the toilet room 210 (S504).

[0241] Then, the toilet management device 100E notifies the manager of information about the tank that has been determined to be unusable (S505), and ends the series of steps related to determining whether the tank is usable.

[0242] [Other examples] The above-described processing is merely an example, and the restroom management systems 10A to 10E may perform various processing other than the above. For example, the restroom management systems 10A to 10E may perform processing described in other embodiments, regardless of the description of each of the above-described embodiments.

[0243] Further advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0244] The above-described embodiments and modifications may have the following configurations, but are not limited to these. (1) In a toilet management system having a control means for managing toilet rooms, The control means includes a reservation receiving means for receiving a reservation from a user who uses the toilet room; a reservation management means for managing accepted reservations; a charge management means for managing the fees paid by users of the toilet rooms; Equipped with the control means updates the status of the use reservation made by the reservation management means in accordance with the status of the charge management means; A toilet management system. (2) The reservation management means manages the reservation so that the reservation is queued in the order in which it was received. The toilet management system according to (1) is characterized in that: (3) the control means changes the order of use reservations made by the reservation management means depending on the amount of the use fee determined by the charge management means; The toilet management system according to (2) is characterized in that: (4) the charge management means is capable of determining the amount of the usage fee, The control means controls the system so that the order of reservations made by users who pay large usage fees is advanced. The toilet management system according to (3) above. (5) the reservation accepting means is capable of accepting a reservation for use from the user via a mobile terminal, the control means notifies the mobile terminal of the status of the reservation; The toilet management system according to (1) or (2) is characterized in that: (6) The reservation acceptance means accepts cancellation of the accepted use reservation. The toilet management system according to (1) or (2) is characterized in that: (7) the reservation management means updates the order of the reservations in accordance with the reservation for which the cancellation has been accepted. The toilet management system according to (6) above. (8) the control means issues an unlocking key to the user to unlock the door of the toilet room in response to the acceptance of the reservation for use; The toilet management system according to (1) is characterized in that: (9) The control means uses the location information of the mobile device to transmit information about one or more toilet rooms that are close to the user to the mobile device. The toilet management system according to (5) above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0245] 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E Toilet Management System 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E Toilet management device 110 Communications Department 120 control section 121 Tank Judgment Unit 122 Reservations Department 123 Reservation Management Department 124 Reservation status transmission unit 125 Locking control unit 126 Toilet Room Usage Determination Unit 126a Door opening / closing determination unit 126b Occupancy Judgment Department 127 Publishing Department 128 Notification Department 129 Billing Management Department 130 Toilet room information transmission unit 140 Storage section 141 Tank information storage unit 142 Reservation status memory unit 143 Usage status memory unit 144 Charging status memory unit 200 Mobility Toilet 210 Toilet Room 211 Water Tank 212 Drainage Tank 213, 214 Water level sensor 215 Toilet device 216 Hand washing equipment 217 Alarm device 218 Payment Device 219 Human Sensor 220 Electrical Equipment 300 User terminal 400 Administrator terminal

Claims

1. In a toilet management system having a control means for managing toilet rooms, The control means includes a reservation receiving means for receiving a reservation from a user who uses the toilet room; a reservation management means for managing accepted reservations; a charge management means for managing the fees paid by users of the toilet rooms; Equipped with the control means updates the status of the use reservation made by the reservation management means in accordance with the status of the charge management means; A toilet management system.

2. The reservation management means manages the reservation so that the reservation is queued in the order in which it was received. The toilet management system according to claim 1 .

3. the control means changes the order of use reservations made by the reservation management means depending on the amount of the use fee determined by the charge management means; The toilet management system according to claim 2 .

4. the charge management means is capable of determining the amount of the usage fee, The control means controls the system so that the order of reservations made by users who pay large usage fees is advanced. The toilet management system according to claim 3 .

5. the reservation accepting means is capable of accepting a reservation for use from the user via a mobile terminal, the control means notifies the mobile terminal of the status of the reservation; 3. The toilet management system according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The reservation acceptance means accepts cancellation of the accepted use reservation.

3. The toilet management system according to claim 1 or 2.

7. the reservation management means updates the order of the reservations in accordance with the reservation for which the cancellation has been accepted. The toilet management system according to claim 6 .

8. the control means issues an unlocking key to the user to unlock the door of the toilet room in response to the acceptance of the reservation for use; The toilet management system according to claim 1 .

9. The control means uses the location information of the mobile device to transmit information about one or more toilet rooms that are close to the user to the mobile device. The toilet management system according to claim 5 .

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