Ticket gate

Abstract

The goal is to make it easy to determine which passerby each illuminated indicator light corresponds to. [Solution] The customer service surfaces 3a and 3b, which are the surfaces operated by passersby, have inclined sections 4a and 4b and upright flat sections 5a and 5b. Code reading sections 9a and 9b are provided on the inclined sections 4a and 4b. The code reading sections read personal information about passersby from a QR code (registered trademark). Passage permitted indicator sections 15a and 15b are provided on the upright flat sections 5a and 5b, and whether or not to permit the passerby is displayed on these passage permitted indicator sections 15a and 15b. Status indicator lamps 19 and 29 are provided in the area above the upright flat sections 5a and 5b. The status of the passerby is displayed on the status indicator lamps 19 and 29 based on the read personal information. Directional indicator marks 16A and 16B are provided on the upright flat sections 5a and 5b to point to the status indicator lamps 19 and 29.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a ticket gate device that authenticates (i.e., approves as a proper person) a person who intends to enter a target facility (e.g., a railway station building, a desired facility within a building, etc.) and permits passage.

Background Art

[0002] As such a ticket gate device, conventionally, the one disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. In this conventional ticket gate device, a passerby arrives at the ticket gate with a recording medium such as an IC card. In the recording medium, for example, a card ID number, commuter pass information, SF card information, etc. are recorded. The SF card is an abbreviation of Stored-fare card, which is a card in which a prepaid fee is recorded in advance and a predetermined amount is deducted each time a process is performed.

[0003] In this conventional ticket gate device, card information in the recording medium is read by a reading device, and based on the read card information, it is determined whether the recording medium is valid or invalid. When it is determined to be valid, a message indicating validity is displayed on a predetermined display device. After the passerby confirms the message indicating validity, the passerby passes in front of the ticket gate and moves toward the target facility (e.g., a railway station building).

[0004] Also, as a conventional ticket gate device, the one disclosed in Patent Document 2 is known. In this conventional ticket gate device, a passerby arrives at the ticket gate with a recording medium such as an IC card and a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark). In the recording medium, for example, a card ID number, commuter pass information, SF card information, etc. are recorded. Also, in the two-dimensional code, personal information of the passerby, such as age, gender, whether a child or an adult, etc. is recorded. The two-dimensional code may be an independent card ticket, or may be pasted or printed on the surface of a recording medium such as an IC card.

[0005] In this conventional ticket gate system, an internal control device determines whether a passerby is legitimate based on card information in a recording medium such as an IC card and personal information in a 2D code. If it is determined that the passerby is legitimate, the door is opened to allow the passerby to pass through.

[0006] Incidentally, in conventional ticket gate systems, there are known systems that have a status indicator lamp installed on top of the gate. This status indicator lamp displays ON / OFF based on the personal information of the passerby, such as age, gender, whether they are a child or an adult, etc. For example, if the passerby is a child or a person with a disability, the status indicator lamp will light up (ON). By checking this light, the administrator can confirm that the passerby is a child or a person with a disability.

[0007] However, conventional ticket gate systems sometimes had multiple stages for reading personal information within 2D codes, and sometimes multiple status indicator lights were installed on top of the ticket gate system. In such cases, only some of the status indicator lights would light up (turn on), rather than all of them. In this situation, it was difficult for administrators to determine which of the multiple passersby each lit light corresponded to. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-256884 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6189146 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of conventional devices, and aims to provide a ticket gate device that can easily determine which passerby corresponds to the illuminated status indicator lamp. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The ticket gate device according to the present invention is a ticket gate device (1, 41) that authenticates a passerby (i.e., recognizes them as a legitimate person) and permits them to pass through, and has a customer service surface (3a, 3b) which is the surface that the passerby operates, and the customer service surface has an inclined portion (4a, 4b) that slopes upward from the bottom away from the passerby, and an upright flat portion (5a, 5b) that extends above the inclined portion, and an authentication unit (code reading unit 9a, 9b) is provided on the inclined portion, and the authentication unit reads the contents of a recording medium (QR code (registered trademark) 32) that records information about the passerby. The device is equipped with a means (code reading devices 10a, 10b), and the upright plane section is provided with passable indicator sections (15a, 15b), which are indicator sections that provide a passable indication allowing the passerby to pass, and the area above the upright plane section is provided with status indicators (status indicator lamps 19, 29, 39, 49), which are indicators that show the status of the passerby operating the service area, and the upright plane section is provided with directional indicator marks (16A, 16B, 36, 46) for pointing to the status indicators.

[0011] In another embodiment of the ticket gate device according to the present invention, the direction indicator marks (16A, 16B, 36, 46) are, (1) It extends from the lower edge (8) of the upright plane portion (5a, 5b) toward the upper edge (18a, 18b) of the upright plane portion, (2) The portion of the upright plane that extends from the lower edge (8) of the upright plane on the side (A1, A2) where the passerby enters the ticket gate (1) to the upper edge (18a, 18b) of the upright plane on the side (B1, B2) where the passerby exits the ticket gate (1), (3) The width (W1, W4) of the portion located below the status indicator (19, 29, 39, 49) at the upper edge (18a, 18b) of the upright plane portion of the direction indicator mark is narrower than the width (W2) of the portion on the side (A1, A2) where the passerby enters the ticket gate at the lower edge (8) of the upright plane portion of the direction indicator mark (16A, 16B, 36, 46). (4) The direction indicator mark is a mark that tapers from the lower edge (8) of the upright plane portion on the side (A1, A2) where the passerby enters the ticket gate device to the upper edge (18a, 18b) of the upright plane portion located below the status indicator (19, 29).

[0012] In yet another embodiment of the ticket gate device according to the present invention, the direction indicator marks (16A, 16B, 36, 46) are marks that guide the pedestrian's line of sight from the inclined section (4a, 4b) towards the status indicator (19, 29, 39, 49). In other words, the direction indicator marks are marks that cause the pedestrian's line of sight to move from the inclined section towards the status indicator.

[0013] A further embodiment of the ticket gate device according to the present invention has a first customer service surface (3a) for serving a first passerby and a second customer service surface (3b) provided on the back side of the first customer service surface for serving a second passerby, wherein the first customer service surface (3a) and the second customer service surface (3b) each have the direction indicator marks (16A, 16B, 36, 46), and the direction indicator marks (16A, 36, 46) of the first customer service surface and the direction indicator marks (16B, 36, 46) of the second customer service surface point in opposite directions to each other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] In the ticket gate device according to claim 1, a direction display mark for indicating the status indicator is provided on the standing plane portion of the customer service surface. For this reason, when the status indicator operates (for example, the status display lamp lights up or blinks), the administrator can easily and quickly determine which ticket gate the operating status indicator corresponds to the passerby who has passed through by checking the direction display mark on the standing plane portion.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing one surface of an embodiment of the ticket gate device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a front view of the ticket gate device according to the arrow Z1 in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a side view of the ticket gate device according to the arrow Z2 in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a plan view showing the top of the ticket gate device in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] It is a view showing the direction display mark used in the ticket gate device in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] It is a block diagram showing the control device used in the ticket gate device in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view showing the back surface of the ticket gate device in FIG. 1. [Figure 8] It is a front view of the ticket gate device according to the arrow Z3 in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] It is a side view of the ticket gate device according to the arrow Z4 in FIG. 7. [Figure 10] It is a view showing another embodiment of the direction display mark used in the ticket gate device according to the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a perspective view showing one surface of another embodiment of the ticket gate device according to the present invention. [Figure 12] It is a perspective view showing the back surface of the ticket gate device in FIG. 11. [Figure 13] It is a view showing the direction display mark used in the ticket gate device in FIG. 11.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] The ticket gate device according to the present invention will be described below based on embodiments. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, in the drawings attached to this specification, components may be shown in proportions different from those of the actual objects in order to clearly illustrate characteristic parts.

[0017] (Entry side ticket gate section of the ticket gate system) Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the ticket gate device according to the present invention. Figure 1 particularly shows the entrance-side ticket gate section 6A, which is the first ticket gate section of the ticket gate device. Figure 2 is a front view of the ticket gate device 1 following the arrow Z1 in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a side view of the ticket gate device 1 following the arrow Z2 in Figure 1. In Figure 1, the overall shape of the ticket gate device 1 is determined by a metal or plastic housing 2. In this embodiment, the housing 2 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape that is elongated in the vertical direction. The height, width, and depth of the housing 2 are, for example, about 150 cm, 50 cm, and 30 cm, respectively.

[0018] In Figure 1, the direction indicated by arrow A1 is the direction in which a passerby (not shown) enters the entrance gate 6A of the ticket gate device 1. The direction indicated by arrow B1 is the direction in which a passerby exits the entrance gate 6A. Hereafter, direction A1 may be referred to as the passerby entry direction, and direction B1 as the passerby exit direction. Also, with respect to the entrance gate 6A, the side on which a passerby enters may be referred to as the passerby entry side A1, and the side on which a passerby exits may be referred to as the passerby exit side B1. The first customer service surface 3a shown in Figure 1 is a customer service surface on which a passerby intending to enter the target facility (for example, a railway station) performs a predetermined operation. In that sense, the word "Entry" is displayed on the upper part of the upright plane 5a. However, in this embodiment, a direction indicator mark, which will be described later, is used, so it is not necessary to display words such as "Entry". The target facility (for example, a railway station) is located beyond the direction B1 in which pedestrians are entering (to the left in Figure 1).

[0019] A first customer service surface 3a is provided on the front of the housing 2. The first customer service surface 3a is the surface on which passersby (not shown) receive customer service on the entrance side, that is, the surface on which passersby perform necessary operations on the entrance side. As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the first customer service surface 3a has an inclined portion 4a and an upright flat portion 5a. The upright flat portion 5a is connected to the upper edge 8 of the inclined portion 4a and stands upright. The upper edge 8 of the inclined portion 4a is, in other words, the lower edge of the upright flat portion 5a.

[0020] Figure 4 is a plan view showing the top surface of the ticket gate device 1. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the upright plane section 5a is inclined around a vertical axis so as to move away from pedestrians, from the pedestrian exit side B1 to the pedestrian entry side A1. The inclined section 4a, as shown in Figure 3, is connected to the lower edge 8 of the upright plane section 5a and is inclined from bottom to top so as to move away from pedestrians (not shown). In other words, the inclined section 4a is inclined diagonally upward, and at the same time, the upright plane section 5a is inclined horizontally (i.e., left to right) so as to face the direction of pedestrians entering the ticket gate device 1.

[0021] In Figure 1, a code reading unit 9a, which serves as an authentication unit, is provided on the inclined portion 4a of the first customer service surface 3a. A code reading device 10a is provided inside the code reading unit 9a. A card reading unit 11a is provided on the upright flat portion 5a of the first customer service surface 3a. A card reading device 12a is provided inside the card reading unit 11a. A passable area indicator unit 15a is provided above the card reading unit 11a on the upright flat portion 5a. The passable area indicator unit 15a is formed, for example, by a liquid crystal display device. A speaker 20a is provided at the bottom of the customer service surface 3a. This speaker 20a can transmit audio information corresponding to the video information displayed on the passable area indicator unit 15a to the outside.

[0022] A status indicator lamp 19 is provided at the top of the housing 2 (i.e., the top of the ticket gate device 1) as a status indicator belonging to the entrance-side ticket gate section 6A. The status indicator lamp 19 is located in the area B1 on the passenger exit side of the top of the ticket gate device 1 when viewed from the entrance-side ticket gate section 6A side. This status indicator lamp 19 displays the status of the passenger operating on the customer service surface 3a of the entrance-side ticket gate section 6A. Specifically, if the passenger is a child or a person with a disability, the status indicator lamp 19 lights up (ON). By observing this light, the manager of the ticket gate device 1 can confirm whether the passenger passing through the entrance-side ticket gate section 6A in Figure 1 is a child or a person with a disability. The reason for placing the status indicator lamp 19 on the top of the housing 2, as mentioned above, is that the housing 2 is a roughly rectangular prism shape that is elongated vertically, and this was done to reduce size and improve visibility for staff and passersby.

[0023] A directional indicator mark 16A is provided on the upright flat surface 5a of the customer service surface 3a of the entrance-side ticket gate 6A in Figure 1. Next, the directional indicator mark 16A will be explained in detail using Figure 5. In cases where both parenthetical and non-parenthetical notations are given for a component, the non-parenthetical notation will be used when explaining the directional indicator mark 16A.

[0024] As shown in Figure 5, the direction indicator mark 16A extends from the lower edge 8 of the upright plane 5a to the upper edge 18a of the upright plane 5a. Furthermore, the direction indicator mark 16A extends from the pedestrian entry side A1 portion of the lower edge 8 of the upright plane 5a to the pedestrian exit side B1 portion of the upper edge 18a of the upright plane 5a. In other words, it extends from the lower right to the upper left. In addition, the width W1 of the portion of the direction indicator mark 16A corresponding to the upper edge 18a of the upright plane 5a, which is located below the status indicator lamp 19, is narrower than the width W2 of the portion of the direction indicator mark 16A corresponding to the pedestrian entry side A1 portion of the lower edge 8 of the upright plane 5a. Moreover, the direction indicator mark 16A has a tapered shape from the pedestrian entry side A1 portion of the lower edge 8 of the upright plane 5a to the portion located below the status indicator lamp 19 on the upper edge 18a of the upright plane 5a. Based on the above characteristics of the direction indicator mark 16A, the direction indicator mark 16A points from the lower right to the upper left of the upright plane section 5a. In other words, the direction indicator mark 16A is a mark that points to the status indicator lamp 19 belonging to the entrance side ticket gate section 6A (see Figure 1).

[0025] With the above configuration relating to the direction indicator mark 16A, the direction indicator mark 16A is a mark that serves to guide the gaze of a passerby (not shown) from the inclined section 4a towards the status indicator lamp 19. In other words, the direction indicator mark 16A is a mark that encourages the movement of the passerby's gaze from the inclined section 4a towards the status indicator lamp 19. The direction indicator mark 16A can be formed by applying paint to the upright flat surface 5a. Alternatively, the direction indicator mark 16A can be formed by creating the shape shown in Figure 5 from a plastic plate and attaching the plastic plate to the surface of the upright flat surface 5a.

[0026] In Figure 1, a control device 23 is provided inside the lower part of the enclosure 2. The control device 23 is composed of a computer, a programmable sequencer, etc. In Figure 6, the control device 23 has an authorization calculation unit 24 implemented by an arithmetic processing unit such as a computer, and a status display calculation unit 25 also implemented by an arithmetic processing unit such as a computer.

[0027] In Figure 1, the card reader 12a located on the upright flat surface 5a and the code reader 10a located on the inclined surface 4a of the customer service surface 3a of the entrance-side ticket gate 6A are connected to the input ports of the control device 23 by communication lines 26. This allows the card reader 12a and the code reader 10a to function as input devices for the control device 23. The following devices in Figure 1—the status indicator lamp 19, the pass-through indicator 15a, and the speaker 20a—are connected to the output ports of the control device 23 by communication lines 27, acting as computer output devices in Figure 6. A memory 28 is connected to the control device 23. The memory 28 is used as a temporary file to temporarily store data processed during computer calculations, or as a file to save processing result data. The memory 28 can consist of external memory such as a hard disk, or internal memory such as semiconductor memory.

[0028] In Figure 1, a passerby (not shown) carries an IC card 31 as a first recording medium. The IC card 31 has a two-dimensional code attached to it as a second recording medium. The two-dimensional code is, for example, a QR code (registered trademark) or a barcode. In this embodiment, a QR code (registered trademark) 32 is attached to the IC card 31 as a two-dimensional code. The QR code (registered trademark) 32 is attached to the IC card 31 by adhesive or by printing. Alternatively, the passerby can carry the IC card 31 and the QR code (registered trademark) ticket separately.

[0029] The IC chip of the IC card 31 has predetermined card information recorded on it. This card information includes, for example, the card ID number, commuter pass information, stored-fare card information, entry / exit information, etc. Commuter pass information is used when the target facility of the ticket gate device 1 in this embodiment is a railway station. A stored-fare card (SF card) is a card that has a prepaid fare recorded on it and a predetermined amount is deducted each time a transaction is performed. SF card information is the information necessary to use the IC card 31 as an SF card. Entry / exit information is entry information and exit information. Entry information is information such as the entry station and entry time. Exit information is information such as the exit station and exit time. The QR code (registered trademark) 32 has personal information about the passerby recorded on it. This personal information is, for example, information about the passerby such as age, gender, whether they are an adult or a child, whether they have a disability or not, etc.

[0030] (Ticket gate processing) When a person intending to enter the facility arrives at the entrance gate 6A of the ticket gate device 1 in Figure 1, the person (not shown) first holds or touches the QR code (registered trademark) 32 to the code reader 9a (hereinafter simply referred to as "holding"). At this time, the code reader 10a reads the personal information contained in the QR code (registered trademark) 32. Next, the person holds the IC card 31 to the card reader 11a to have the card information read. The read personal information and card information are transmitted to the control device 23 in Figure 6 and recorded in a predetermined area of ​​the memory 28.

[0031] Based on the received card information and code information, the control device 23 uses the permission calculation unit 24 to determine whether the passerby is a legitimate or illegitimate person. If the passerby is determined to be a legitimate person, the control device 23 displays "Passage is permitted" on the passability display unit 15a. Upon seeing this permission display, the passerby passes through the entrance-side ticket gate 6A of the ticket gate device 1 shown in Figure 1 and proceeds to the target facility, such as a railway station. If the permission calculation unit 24 determines that the passerby is illegitimate, it displays "Passage is not permitted."

[0032] If the permission calculation unit 24 in Figure 6 determines that the passerby is not a legitimate passerby, the control device 23 displays "Passage is not permitted" on the passability display unit 15a. For example, it displays an "X" on the passability display unit 15a. When a passerby sees this passage denial display, they give up on passing through the ticket gate device 1.

[0033] On the other hand, if the permission calculation unit 24 in Figure 6 determines that the passerby is a legitimate passerby, the control device 23 displays "Passage permitted" on the passability display unit 15a. For example, the passability display unit 15 displays "〇 (circle)". When the passerby sees this permission display, they pass through the entrance-side ticket gate 6A of the ticket gate device 1 shown in Figure 1 and proceed towards the target facility (for example, a railway station, a desired facility inside a building, etc.).

[0034] (Processing to display the status of passersby) In Figure 1, when a passerby holds the QR code (registered trademark) 32 over the code reader 9a, the control device 23 reads the personal information contained in the QR code (registered trademark) 32. At this time, if it is determined that the passerby is a child or a person with a disability, the control device 23 lights up (turns on) the status indicator lamp 19 in Figure 1. The administrator of the ticket gate device 1 confirms that the passerby is a child or a person with a disability by seeing this lamp light up.

[0035] In this embodiment, a direction indicator mark 16A is provided on the upright flat surface 5a of the customer service surface 3a. Therefore, an administrator who sees the illuminated status indicator lamp 19 can easily and immediately determine that the illumination belongs to the entrance-side ticket gate section 6A of the ticket gate device 1 in Figure 1. In this embodiment, the inclined portion 4a is inclined upward, and at the same time, the upright flat portion 5a is inclined to face the direction of a passerby entering the ticket gate device 1, making it very easy for passersby to hold up the QR code (registered trademark) 32 to the code reading portion 9a or to hold up the IC card 31 to the card reading portion 11a.

[0036] (Exit side ticket gate section of the ticket gate system) Figure 7 shows the configuration of the back side of the ticket gate device 1, following the arrow X in Figure 1. While Figure 1 shows the configuration of the entrance-side ticket gate section 6A of the ticket gate device 1, Figure 7 shows the configuration of the opposite side of the ticket gate device 1, specifically the configuration of the exit-side ticket gate section 6B. Naturally, Figure 1 shows the configuration of the front side of the ticket gate device 1, following the arrow Y in Figure 7. The configuration of the exit-side ticket gate section 6B shown in Figure 7 is basically the same as the configuration of the entrance-side ticket gate section 6A shown in Figure 1.

[0037] Figure 8 is a front view of the exit-side ticket gate section 6B of the ticket gate device 1, following arrow Z3 in Figure 7. Figure 9 is a side view of the exit-side ticket gate section 6B of the ticket gate device 1, following arrow Z4 in Figure 7. The facility in question (for example, a railway station) is located behind the direction of pedestrian entry A2 (to the right in Figure 7). In Figures 7, 8, and 9, the same symbols as in Figures 1, 2, and 3 indicate the same equipment or components.

[0038] In Figure 7, the direction indicated by arrow A2 is the direction in which a passerby enters the exit gate 6B of the ticket gate device 1. The direction indicated by arrow B2 is the direction in which a passerby exits the exit gate 6B. Hereafter, direction A2 may be referred to as the passerby entry direction, and direction B2 as the passerby exit direction. Also, with respect to the exit gate 6B, the side on which a passerby enters may be referred to as the passerby entry side A2, and the side on which a passerby exits may be referred to as the passerby exit side B2. The second customer service surface 3b shown in Figure 7 is the customer service surface on which a passerby who is about to leave the target facility (for example, a railway station) performs a predetermined operation. In that sense, the word "Exit" is displayed on the upper part of the upright plane 5b. The target facility (for example, a railway station) is located behind the passerby entry direction A2 (to the right in Figure 7).

[0039] A second customer service surface 3b is provided on the front of the housing 2. The second customer service surface 3b is the surface on which passersby receive customer service on the exit side, that is, the surface on which passersby perform necessary operations on the exit side. As shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9, the second customer service surface 3b has an inclined portion 4b and an upright flat portion 5b. The upright flat portion 5b is connected to the upper edge 8 of the inclined portion 4b and stands upright. The upper edge 8 of the inclined portion 4b is the lower edge of the upright flat portion 5b.

[0040] As shown in Figures 9 and 4, the upright plane section 5b is inclined around a vertical axis so as to move away from pedestrians, from the pedestrian exit side B2 to the pedestrian entry side A2. The inclined section 4b, as shown in Figure 9, is connected to the lower edge 8 of the upright plane section 5b and is inclined from bottom to top so as to move away from pedestrians (not shown). In other words, the inclined section 4b is inclined upwards, and at the same time, the upright plane section 5b is inclined horizontally (i.e., left to right) so as to face the direction of pedestrians entering the ticket gate device 1.

[0041] In Figure 7, a code reading unit 9b, which serves as an authentication unit, is provided on the inclined portion 4b of the second customer service surface 3b. A code reading device 10b is provided inside the code reading unit 9b. A card reading unit 11b is provided on the upright flat portion 5b of the second customer service surface 3b. A card reading device 12b is provided inside the card reading unit 11b. A passable area indicator unit 15b is provided above the card reading unit 11b on the upright flat portion 5b. The passable area indicator unit 15b is formed, for example, by a liquid crystal display device. A speaker 20b is provided at the bottom of the customer service surface 3b. This speaker 20b can transmit audio information corresponding to the video information displayed on the passable area indicator unit 15b to the outside.

[0042] A status indicator lamp 29, which serves as a status indicator belonging to the exit-side ticket gate 6B, is provided at the top of the housing 2 (i.e., the top of the ticket gate device 1). The status indicator lamp 29 is located in the area B2 on the passenger exit side of the top of the ticket gate device 1 when viewed from the exit-side ticket gate 6B side. This status indicator lamp 29 displays the status of the passenger operating on the customer service surface 3b of the exit-side ticket gate 6B. Specifically, if the passenger is a child or a person with a disability, the status indicator lamp 29 lights up (ON). By observing this light, the manager of the ticket gate device 1 can confirm whether the passenger passing through the exit-side ticket gate 6B in Figure 7 is a child or a person with a disability.

[0043] A directional indicator mark 16B is provided on the upright flat surface 5b of the customer service surface 3b of the exit-side ticket gate 6B shown in Figure 7. The pattern shape of the directional indicator mark 16B is the same as the pattern shape of the directional indicator mark 16A used in the entrance-side ticket gate 6A shown in Figure 1. Next, the directional indicator mark 16B will be explained in detail using Figure 5. Note that in Figure 5, if the notation of a component is shown both with and without parentheses, the notation with parentheses will be used when explaining the directional indicator mark 16B.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5, the direction indicator mark 16B extends from the lower edge 8 of the upright plane portion 5b to the upper edge 18b of the upright plane portion 5b. Furthermore, the direction indicator mark 16B extends from the pedestrian entry side A2 portion of the lower edge 8 of the upright plane portion 5b to the pedestrian exit side B2 portion of the upper edge 18b of the upright plane portion 5b. Additionally, the width W1 of the portion of the direction indicator mark 16B corresponding to the upper edge 18b of the upright plane portion 5b, located below the status indicator lamp 29, is narrower than the width W2 of the portion of the direction indicator mark 16B corresponding to the pedestrian entry side A2 portion of the lower edge 8 of the upright plane portion 5b. Moreover, the direction indicator mark 16B has a tapered shape from the pedestrian entry side A2 portion of the lower edge 8 of the upright plane portion 5b to the portion located below the status indicator lamp 29 on the upper edge 18b of the upright plane portion 5b. Based on the above characteristics of the direction indicator mark 16B, the direction indicator mark 16B points from the lower right to the upper left of the upright plane section 5b. In other words, the direction indicator mark 16B is a mark that points to the status indicator lamp 29 belonging to the exit side ticket gate section 6B.

[0045] With the above configuration relating to the direction indicator mark 16B, the direction indicator mark 16B is a mark that serves to guide the gaze of a passerby (not shown) from the inclined section 4b towards the status indicator lamp 29. In other words, the direction indicator mark 16B is a mark that encourages the movement of the passerby's gaze from the inclined section 4b towards the status indicator lamp 29.

[0046] The ticket gate processing for the exit-side ticket gate 6B shown in Figure 7, using the control device 23 (see Figure 7), is performed in the same way as the entrance-side ticket gate 6A shown in Figure 1, using the control device 23 shown in Figure 1. Therefore, the explanation of the ticket gate processing for the exit-side ticket gate 6B is omitted.

[0047] In Figure 7, when a passerby holds the QR code (registered trademark) 32 over the code reader 9b, the control device 23 reads the personal information contained in the QR code (registered trademark) 32. At this time, if it is determined that the passerby is a child or a person with a disability, the control device 23 lights up (turns on) the status indicator lamp 29 in Figure 7. The administrator of the ticket gate device 1 confirms that the passerby is a child or a person with a disability by seeing this lamp light up.

[0048] In this embodiment, a direction indicator mark 16B is provided on the upright flat surface 5b of the second customer service surface 3b. Therefore, an administrator who sees the illuminated status indicator lamp 29 can easily and immediately determine that the illumination belongs to the exit-side ticket gate area 6B in Figure 7.

[0049] (Other embodiments) Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and can be modified in various ways within the scope of the invention as described in the claims.

[0050] For example, the ticket gate device 1 of this embodiment can be applied to any facility other than a railway station as needed. For instance, the ticket gate device 1 of this embodiment can be used when ticket gates are required for pedestrians entering and exiting some facility within a building.

[0051] Furthermore, for example, the directional indicator marks 16A shown in Figure 1 and 16B shown in Figure 7 are marks that serve the function of directing the gaze of passersby or managers from the inclined sections 4a and 4b towards the status indicator lamps 19 and 29. Therefore, as long as this function is achieved, the directional indicator marks are not limited to the patterned marks shown in Figure 5, and any mark can be selected as desired. For example, it is also possible to use the mark 36 shown in Figure 10. This directional indicator mark 36 is a mark that imitates the pattern of an arrow and points in the direction where the status indicator lamps 19 and 29 are located.

[0052] Figure 11 shows yet another embodiment of the ticket gate device according to the present invention. Figure 11 shows the entrance-side ticket gate section 56A, which is one side of the ticket gate device 41. Figure 12 shows the configuration of the ticket gate device 41 of Figure 11 as seen from the back side, following the arrow X. Figure 12 shows the exit-side ticket gate section 56B, which is the other side of the ticket gate device 41. In Figures 11 and 12, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as in Figures 1 and 7, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0053] In Figures 11 and 12, the ticket gate device 41 has a direction indicator mark 46. As shown in Figure 13, the direction indicator mark 46 extends from the lower edge 8 of the upright plane section 5a(5b) to the upper edge 18a(18b) of the upright plane section 5a(5b). Furthermore, the direction indicator mark 46 extends from the pedestrian entry side A1(A2) portion of the lower edge 8 of the upright plane section 5a(5b) to the pedestrian exit side B1(B2) portion of the upper edge 18a(18b) of the upright plane section 5a(5b).

[0054] Specifically, the direction indicator mark 46 extends almost vertically from the lower right of the upright plane section 5a(5b). Furthermore, the direction indicator mark 46 widens from the lower left of the upright plane section 5a(5b) to a width of W3. Additionally, the direction indicator mark 46 narrows in the middle of the upright plane section 5a(5b) and extends upwards to the right. Therefore, the width W4 of the part of the direction indicator mark 46 corresponding to the upper edge 18a(18b) of the upright plane section 5a(5b) tapers towards the part located below the status indicator lamp 39 (Figure 11) belonging to the entrance side and the status indicator lamp 49 (Figure 12) belonging to the exit side.

[0055] Based on the above characteristics of the direction indicator mark 46, the direction indicator mark 46 points from the lower right to the upper right of the upright plane section 5a (5b). In other words, the direction indicator mark 46 at the entrance side ticket gate section 56A (Figure 11) is a mark that points to the status indicator lamp 39 belonging to the entrance side ticket gate section 56A. On the other hand, the direction indicator mark 46 at the exit side ticket gate section 56B (Figure 12) is a mark that points to the status indicator lamp 49 belonging to the exit side ticket gate section 56B.

[0056] With the above configuration of the direction indicator mark 46, the direction indicator mark 46 is a mark that serves to guide the gaze of a passerby (not shown) from the inclined section 4a (4b) towards the status indicator lamp 39 (49). In other words, the direction indicator mark 46 is a mark that encourages the movement of the passerby's gaze from the inclined section 4a (4b) towards the status indicator lamp 39 (49).

[0057] As is clear from the above description, when the status indicator lamp 19 in Figure 1 or the status indicator lamp 29 in Figure 7 is lit, the administrator can easily and quickly determine which pedestrian passed through which ticket gate the lit status indicator lamp corresponds to by checking whether the corresponding direction indicator mark is 16A (Figure 1), 16B (Figure 7), or 36 (Figure 10). Alternatively, when the status indicator lamp 39 in Figure 11 or the status indicator lamp 49 in Figure 12 is lit, the administrator can easily and quickly determine which pedestrian passed through which ticket gate the lit status indicator lamp corresponds to by checking whether the corresponding direction indicator mark is the direction indicator mark 46 in Figure 11 or the direction indicator mark 46 in Figure 12.

[0058] In the embodiments described above using Figures 1 and 7, an example was shown where the ticket gate device 1 has two ticket gate sections 6A and 6B. However, the ticket gate device of the present invention also includes a ticket gate device having only one ticket gate section. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 1,41: Ticket gate device, 2: Housing, 3a: First customer service surface, 3b: Second customer service surface, 4a,4b: Inclined section, 5a,5b: Upright flat section, 6A,56A: Entrance side ticket gate section, 6B,56B: Exit side ticket gate section, 8: Upper edge of inclined section (lower edge of upright flat section), 9a,9b: Code reading section (authentication section), 10a,10b: Code reading device, 11a,11b: Card reading section, 12a,12b: Card reading device, 15a,15b: Passable indicator section, 16A,16B: Direction indicator mark, 18a,18b: Upper edge of upright flat section, 19: Status indicator lamp (status indicator) belonging to entrance side ticket gate section 6A, 20a,20b: Speaker, 26,27: Communication line, 29: Exit side ticket gate section 6B: Status indicator lamp (status indicator), 31: IC card (first storage medium), 32: QR code (registered trademark) (second recording medium), 36, 46: Direction indicator marks, 39, 49: Status indicator lamp, Direction A1, Direction A2: Direction in which a passerby enters the ticket gate, A1, A2: Passerby entry side, Direction B1, Direction B2: Direction in which a passerby exits the ticket gate, B1, B2: Passerby exit side, W1: Width of the direction indicator mark located below status indicator lamps 19, 29, W2: Width of the direction indicator mark on the side in which a passerby enters the ticket gate, W3: Width of the left side of the direction indicator mark, W4: Width of the upper edge of the direction indicator mark

Claims

1. A ticket gate device that authenticates and permits passage for pedestrians, It has a customer service surface which is the surface that the passerby operates, The customer service surface has an inclined section that slopes upward from the bottom so as to move away from the passerby, and an upright flat section that extends above the inclined section. The inclined section is provided with an authentication unit, and the authentication unit has a reading means for reading the contents of a recording medium that records information about the passerby. The aforementioned upright flat section is provided with a passable indication section, which is a display section that indicates permission for the passage of the aforementioned passersby. A status indicator is provided in the area above the aforementioned upright plane, and this status indicator is a display that shows the status of the passerby operating the service area. The upright plane portion is provided with a directional indicator mark for pointing to the status indicator. A ticket gate device characterized by the following features.

2. The aforementioned directional indicator mark extends from the lower edge of the upright plane portion toward the upper edge of the upright plane portion. The aforementioned directional indicator mark extends from the lower edge of the upright plane portion on the side where the pedestrian enters the ticket gate device to the upper edge of the upright plane portion on the side where the pedestrian exits the ticket gate device. The width of the portion of the upright plane in the direction indicator mark that is located below the status indicator at the upper edge of the upright plane in the direction indicator mark is narrower than the width of the portion of the upright plane in the direction indicator mark that is on the side where the passerby enters the ticket gate. The directional indicator mark is a mark that tapers from the lower edge of the upright plane on the side where the passerby enters the ticket gate to the upper edge of the upright plane located below the status indicator. The ticket gate device according to claim 1, characterized by its features.

3. The ticket gate device according to claim 2, characterized in that the directional indicator mark is a mark that guides the pedestrian's line of sight from the inclined portion toward the status indicator.

4. It has a first customer service surface for serving a first passerby, and a second customer service surface located on the back of the first customer service surface for serving a second passerby. The first customer service area and the second customer service area each have the directional indicator marks. The directional indicator marks on the first customer service surface and the directional indicator marks on the second customer service surface point in opposite directions. A ticket gate device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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