safe

Abstract

To provide a safe which is operated by a battery for a long period of time and provides highly easy installation and high antitheft function.SOLUTION: The present invention is directed to a safe operated by power supplied by a battery. The safe has a battery housing part which can detachably house each of a plurality of portable batteries, and a battery connection part for selectively connecting the safe to a part of the batteries, as a power source, of the plurality of batteries stored in the battery housing part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a safe. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, safes that are locked and unlocked by electrical control have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Meanwhile, in recent years, disasters such as earthquakes and heavy rains have become frequent, and an increasing number of people are forced to live in evacuation shelters. Evacuation shelters are generally set up by providing simple partitions in large indoor spaces such as gymnasiums, and management of each person's valuables is important when living in such places. Therefore, there is a need for safes that are easy to use in such places. For example, evacuation shelters are not necessarily set up in locations suitable for transporting goods, and it may be difficult to receive power from a commercial power source at evacuation shelters, so it is desirable for safes used in evacuation shelters to be easy to install, have high theft prevention properties, and be able to operate for long periods of time on batteries. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-211030 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if a large-capacity battery is installed in the safe to realize long-term operation, the weight of the safe itself increases significantly, reducing portability and making it less easy to install. On the other hand, if a small-capacity battery (i.e., lightweight) is installed in the safe to maintain ease of installation, portability increases, but the anti-theft effect during operation decreases. Also, as the battery capacity becomes smaller, battery charging and replacement become more frequent, reducing the convenience of the safe.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide a safe that is capable of long-term battery operation, is easy to install, and has high anti-theft properties. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The safe according to the present invention has the following configuration.

[0007] (1): A safe according to one embodiment of the present invention is a safe that operates using power supplied by a battery and includes a battery storage section capable of detachably storing a plurality of portable batteries, and a battery connection section that selectively connects some of the plurality of batteries stored in the battery storage section as a power source for the safe.

[0008] (2): In the above aspect (1), the battery storage device further includes a drive unit that drives the battery stored in the battery storage unit to a state where it can be removed from the battery storage unit or a state where it cannot be removed from the battery storage unit, an authentication unit that authenticates a user who removes a battery from the battery storage unit, and a drive control unit that controls the drive unit to make the battery specified by the user removable from the battery storage unit removable according to the authentication result of the user by the authentication unit.

[0009] (3): In the above aspect (1), the battery storage device further includes a drive unit that drives the batteries stored in the battery storage section to a state where they can be removed from the battery storage section or a state where they cannot be removed from the battery storage section, and a drive control unit that controls the drive unit to make the batteries removable from the battery storage section when the number of batteries stored in the battery storage section is equal to or greater than a specified number.

[0010] (4): In any of the above aspects (1) to (3), the present invention further includes a battery sensor that measures the charge amount of each of the plurality of batteries, and a power supply control unit that, when the charge amount of a battery being used as a power supply for the safe falls below a threshold value, switches the power supply for the safe from the battery being used to a battery among the plurality of batteries whose charge amount is equal to or greater than the threshold value.

[0011] (5): In any of the above aspects (1) to (4), the device further includes a battery sensor that measures the charge amount of each of the plurality of batteries, and a display unit that displays information regarding the charge amount of each of the batteries in association with the batteries stored in the battery storage unit. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to (1) to (5), a safe that operates on power supplied by a battery is provided with a battery storage section in which a plurality of portable batteries can be detachably stored, and a battery connection section that connects some of the plurality of batteries stored in the battery storage section as a power source for the safe, thereby providing a safe that is capable of long-term operation on battery power, and has high ease of installation and anti-theft properties. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the appearance and usage of a safe according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is an image diagram showing an example of the configuration of an item space in a safe of an embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a safe according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow implemented by a safe of an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the safe of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a safe of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the appearance and usage of a safe 1 according to an embodiment. The safe 1 operates on power supplied by a battery M. The safe 1 includes, for example, a housing 10, an item storage section 20, a battery storage section 30, and a display section 130. The housing 10 is a box-shaped container that constitutes the external shape of the safe 1, and houses the item storage section 20 and the battery storage section 30 therein. The safe 1 has the display section 130 on the surface of the housing 10. The housing 10 is constructed using lightweight and sturdy members that are portable and resistant to destruction. There is no particular limitation on the material used for the housing 10.

[0016] The item storage unit 20 provides a space (hereinafter referred to as "item space") for the user of the safe 1 to store items. The item storage unit 20 shown in FIG. 1 includes, for example, 15 item spaces L1 to L15. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the item spaces L1 to L15 will be collectively referred to as item space L. The number of item spaces L included in the item storage unit 20 may be one or more. The number of item spaces L may be 14 or less, or 16 or more. Each item space L is provided with a safe drive unit 11 (see FIG. 2) that blocks or opens access to the item space L to prevent unauthorized removal of stored items.

[0017] FIG. 2 is an image diagram showing an example of the configuration of the item space L. The item space L is a space for which accessibility from the outside can be controlled. For example, the item space L is formed as an internal space of the internal housing 21, and includes a safe drive unit 11 as a functional unit for controlling accessibility from the outside. For example, in this embodiment, the safe drive unit 11 is a door that can be locked and unlocked by electronic control. The safe drive unit 11 is controlled by a safe control unit 160 (see FIG. 3). Note that the safe drive unit 11 does not necessarily have to be a door as long as it can control accessibility to the item space L from the outside. In addition, the safe drive unit 11 may be a lock that is manually locked using a key or a lock, rather than an electronically controlled lock.

[0018] Returning to FIG. 1, the battery storage unit 30 provides a space (hereinafter referred to as a "battery space") for storing a plurality of batteries used as batteries that supply the safe 1 with power required for operation (hereinafter referred to as a "safe battery") or as batteries that can be lent to users (hereinafter referred to as a "rental battery"). FIG. 1 shows an example of a battery storage unit 30 capable of providing 20 battery spaces M1 to M20. In the following, unless otherwise specified, the battery spaces M1 to M20 will be collectively referred to as the battery space M. The battery storage unit 30 includes a battery space M for detachably storing a plurality of batteries used as safe batteries or lending batteries. Each battery space M includes a battery drive unit 12 (see FIG. 3) for locking the stored battery in the battery space M to prevent unauthorized removal of the battery.

[0019] 1 shows a case where an individual battery is stored in each battery space M, but each battery space M does not necessarily have to store one battery. Each battery space M may be configured to store multiple batteries as long as it is equipped with a battery drive unit 12 that locks each stored battery individually so that they can be detached.

[0020] In this embodiment, the battery driving unit 12, like the safe driving unit 11, is a door that can be locked and unlocked by electronic control (see FIG. 2) and is controlled by the battery control unit 170 (see FIG. 3). Like the safe driving unit 11, the battery driving unit 12 does not necessarily have to be a door as long as it can control whether or not access to the battery space M from the outside is possible. For example, instead of a door that opens or closes the battery space M, the battery driving unit 12 may be one that locks the battery in the battery space M by a mechanism such as a claw, lever latch, or push latch.

[0021] From the viewpoint of theft prevention, the larger the total weight of the safe 1 during operation, the better. Therefore, it is desirable for the battery storage unit 30 to have as many battery spaces M as possible. Here, as a constraint on the weight of the safe 1, for example, the total weight during operation can be set to 100 kg or more. For example, if the weight of the safe 1 when no battery is stored is 20 kg and one battery weighs 5 kg, the safe 1 in the example of FIG. 1 can achieve a total weight of 100 kg by storing batteries in all the battery spaces M. In this way, the battery storage unit 30 is configured to have enough battery spaces M to store the number of batteries necessary for the total weight of the safe 1 to be equal to or greater than the weight (hereinafter referred to as the "prescribed weight") required for the safe 1 during operation from the viewpoint of theft prevention. The prescribed weight may be determined arbitrarily according to operational safety standards, etc.

[0022] If the total weight of the safe 1 is equal to or greater than the specified weight, it is not necessary that batteries are stored in all of the battery spaces M during operation of the safe 1. Although the battery storage unit 30 shown in FIG. 1 shows an example in which one battery stored in the battery space M1 is used as a safe battery, the number of safe batteries does not necessarily have to be one, and multiple batteries may be used. In this case, the battery storage unit 30 may be provided with a power supply mechanism only in the battery space M that stores the safe battery. Also, the safe battery and the loan battery do not have to be clearly distinguished. For example, the battery storage unit 30 may be provided with a power supply mechanism that distributes and supplies the power required for the operation of the safe 1 from all of the batteries stored in the battery space M.

[0023] The display unit 130 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, or a touch panel. Various information related to the use of the safe 1 is displayed on the display unit 130. For example, the display unit 130 displays a screen that accepts input of an operation to lock or unlock the safe drive unit 11. If the display unit 130 does not have an input function, an input unit (not shown) that accepts the input operation may be provided separately from the display unit 130. Also, for example, the display unit 130 may display information related to each item space L (such as a usage state or a lock state). Also, for example, the display unit 130 may display information related to each battery and each battery space M (such as a storage state of the battery or a charge amount of the battery).

[0024] The safe 1 of the embodiment configured in this manner can be transported to the installation site in a lightweight state by removing the battery, and at the installation site, the battery already installed at the installation site is stored in the battery storage unit 30 to increase the weight, so that the operation of the safe 1 can be started in a state where the portability of the safe 1 itself is greatly reduced. In particular, in disaster areas, etc., the power supply by the battery is an important energy source that supports lifelines. Also, in evacuation shelters, etc., it may be difficult to ensure sufficient security, and items such as safes that can store valuables and other items are important for making life in evacuation shelters more secure. The safe 1 of the embodiment can provide a place to install a battery in addition to providing such a function as a safe, so it can provide higher utility value in disaster areas, etc.

[0025] For example, in an evacuation shelter, the safe 1 can be used as a place to provide charged batteries and a place to return used batteries. First, the lightweight safe 1 that does not store batteries is transported to the evacuation shelter, and the installation location is determined and the used batteries are stored as weights. This makes it easier to install the safe 1 and improves theft prevention. Furthermore, by installing such a safe 1, a battery service provider can collect used batteries and provide charged batteries simply by operating the safe 1, so that the battery service can be efficiently provided in disaster areas. On the other hand, by providing such a battery service, a user can obtain a necessary battery from the safe 1 and use it as a power source for a desired purpose. For example, the user may use the battery obtained from the safe 1 to drive a small EV (Electric Vehicle), a blower, an electric work machine, or the like, or may use the battery obtained from the safe 1 as a power source for a power supply device. Furthermore, since the user only needs to return the used battery to the safe 1, it is possible to avoid the waste of limited space by the used batteries, and to improve the comfort of life in the evacuation shelter.

[0026] The configuration of the safe 1 according to the embodiment that provides such effects will be described in detail below.

[0027] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the safe 1 of the embodiment. The safe 1 includes, for example, a safe drive unit 11, a battery drive unit 12, a battery sensor 13, a battery connection unit 14, a communication unit 110, an input unit 120, a display unit 130, a storage unit 140, and a control unit 150. Of these components, at least the control unit 150 is realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device with a non-transient storage medium) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (non-transient storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM and installed by inserting the storage medium into a drive device.

[0028] As described above, the safe drive unit 11 is provided in each item space L to prevent the stored items from being illegally removed, and is a drive unit that physically blocks or releases access to the item space L. In this embodiment, the safe drive unit 11 is assumed to be a door that can be electrically controlled to be locked and unlocked.

[0029] As described above, the battery driving unit 12 is provided in each battery space M to prevent the battery from being illegally removed from the battery space M, and is a driving unit that locks or unlocks the battery to the battery space M. The battery locking and unlocking operations by the battery driving unit 12 can be electrically controlled by the control unit 150. In this embodiment, the battery driving unit 12 is assumed to be a door that can be electrically controlled to be locked and unlocked. In this case, the battery driving unit 12 physically blocks or releases access to the item space L by opening or closing the door.

[0030] The battery sensor 13 is a sensor for acquiring the state of the battery stored in the safe 1. For example, the battery sensor 13 includes a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a temperature sensor, etc., and acquires information on the state of the battery (hereinafter referred to as "battery information"). For example, the battery sensor 13 acquires information such as the magnitude of the output voltage and output current of the battery, the temperature, and the charge amount as the battery information. The battery sensor 13 outputs the battery information acquired for each battery to the control unit 150. Note that in this embodiment, the battery sensor 13 is installed in the safe 1 so that the charge amount can be measured for all batteries stored in the battery storage unit 30. However, in a case where a battery space M for storing batteries that may be used as a safe battery is predetermined, the battery sensor 13 may be installed corresponding to such a specific battery space M.

[0031] The battery connection unit 14 is a power input interface that selectively connects some of the batteries stored in the battery storage unit 30 as a power source for the safe 1 (i.e., as a safe battery). Which battery is to be connected as the safe battery is determined by the power supply control unit 174. The battery connection unit 14 connects the selected safe battery to the internal power system, thereby supplying the power stored in the safe battery to each functional unit of the safe 1.

[0032] When multiple batteries are selected as safe batteries, the connection of the batteries may be in series or in parallel as long as the safe 1 is operable. The battery connection unit 14 may be configured to connect the safe batteries in either series or parallel connection. In this case, for example, the power supply control unit 174 may be configured to determine the connection of the safe batteries based on the specifications and charge amount of each battery, and notify the battery connection unit 14 of the determination. The function of determining the connection of the safe batteries may be provided in the battery connection unit 14, not in the power supply control unit 174.

[0033] The communication unit 110 is a communication interface that communicates with a user's terminal device (hereinafter referred to as a "user terminal"). For example, the communication unit 110 communicates with the user terminal by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication unit 110 may also communicate with the user terminal by connecting to the same LAN (Local Area Network) as the user terminal. The communication unit 110 may also communicate with the user terminal via a WAN (Wide Area Network) including a cellular network, the Internet, etc. The communication unit 110 may communicate with the user terminal by either wireless communication or wired communication.

[0034] The input unit 120 is configured using input devices such as a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, etc. The input unit 120 accepts input operations for the safe 1. The input unit 120 outputs the input information to the control unit 150.

[0035] The display unit 130 is configured using a display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, a touch panel, or the like. The display unit 130 can display any information under the control of the control unit 150. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the display unit 130 is a touch panel, and is configured integrally with the input unit 120.

[0036] The storage unit 140 is configured using a storage device such as a HDD, a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 140 stores various information related to the operation of the safe 1. For example, the storage unit 140 records programs executed by the control unit 150, authentication information of users, and the like.

[0037] The control unit 150 has a control function for the safe 1. Specifically, the control unit 150 includes a safe control unit 160 that controls the safe drive unit 11 when an article is inserted into or removed from the article storage unit 20, and a battery control unit 170 that controls the battery drive unit 12 when a battery is inserted into or removed from the battery storage unit 30.

[0038] The safe control unit 160, for example, displays an operation menu of the item storage unit 20 on the display unit 130 and accepts input of an operation related to the use of the item space L. For example, in response to a user inputting an operation to start using the item space L, the safe control unit 160 locks the specified item space L, accepts input of a password required for unlocking, and stores the input password information in the storage unit 140. Also, for example, when a user inputs a password required for unlocking together with an operation to request unlocking the item space L being used, the safe control unit 160 compares the input password with the password set at the time of locking, and unlocks the item space being used by the user if they match.

[0039] The battery control unit 170, for example, displays an operation menu of the battery storage unit 30 on the display unit 130 and accepts input of an operation related to lending out the battery. In response to an operation input by a user requesting lending out of a battery, the battery control unit 170 controls the battery driving unit 12 so that the battery to be lent out can be removed from the battery space M. More specifically, the battery control unit 170 includes an authentication unit 171, a driving control unit 172, a notification unit 173, and a power supply control unit 174.

[0040] When a user inputs an operation to request the lending of a battery, the authentication unit 171 communicates with the user terminal of the user and determines whether or not the user is qualified to use the battery of the safe 1. The authentication unit 171 notifies the drive control unit 173 of the determination result.

[0041] The drive control unit 172 controls the battery drive unit 12 so that the battery stored in the battery storage unit 30 is in a state where it can be removed or cannot be removed from the battery storage unit 30. This control makes it possible to prevent the weight of the safe 1 from falling below the specified weight when the safe 1 is in operation. This makes it possible to prevent the anti-theft performance of the safe 1 from decreasing when the safe 1 is in operation.

[0042] For example, when authentication unit 171 determines that the user of safe 1 is qualified to use the safe, drive control unit 172 activates battery drive unit 12 so that the battery to be lent can be removed. Also, for example, drive control unit 172 may recognize the number of batteries stored in battery storage unit 30 (hereinafter referred to as the "storage number"), and control battery drive unit 12 so that the battery can be removed from battery storage unit 30 when the recognized storage number is equal to or greater than a specified number. In this case, the specified number of batteries for the storage number may be determined based on the specified weight of safe 1 and the individual weight of the batteries.

[0043] The method of recognizing the number of stored batteries is not limited to a specific method. For example, the drive control unit 172 may recognize the state of each battery drive unit 12 (e.g., the open / close state of the door, etc.) and determine the number of battery drive units 12 that are in a state that makes it impossible to remove the battery as the number of stored batteries. Also, for example, when a battery sensor 13 is provided in each battery space M, the drive control unit 172 may determine whether or not a battery is stored in each battery space M based on the measurement result of each battery sensor 13.

[0044] The notification unit 173 has a function of notifying information about the battery stored in the battery storage unit 30. For example, the notification unit 173 obtains a measurement result of the charge amount of the battery stored in the battery storage unit 30 from the battery sensor 13, and notifies the user by displaying the obtained measurement result of the charge amount on the display unit 130 in association with the battery (or the storage location of the battery) stored in the battery storage unit 30. Also, for example, the notification unit 173 may display information indicating whether or not a battery is stored in each battery space M on the display unit 130 based on the measurement result of the charge amount. Also, for example, the notification unit 173 may be configured to display a warning to that effect on the display unit 130 when the charge amount of the safe battery among the batteries stored in the battery storage unit 30 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. With such a configuration, the user of the safe 1 can easily determine which battery can be used.

[0045] Also, for example, notification unit 173 may be configured to display a warning to that effect on display unit 130 when the total weight of safe 1 does not meet a specified weight. With such a configuration, the operator of safe 1 can operate safe 1 in a state where the anti-theft performance is always met.

[0046] The power supply control unit 174 selects some of the batteries stored in the battery storage unit 30 as safe batteries, and instructs the battery connection unit 14 to connect the selected safe batteries as the power source for the safe 1. Note that the power supply control unit 174 may determine the safe batteries in any manner as long as the power required for the operation of the safe 1 can be secured. For example, the power supply control unit 174 may be configured to randomly select batteries that can cover the required power based on the remaining capacity (charge amount) of each battery, or may be configured to select safe batteries so as to maximize or minimize the number of selected batteries.

[0047] Furthermore, when the charge amount of the battery being used as the safe battery falls below a threshold, the power supply control unit 174 may select a battery whose charge amount is at least equal to or greater than the threshold as the next safe battery. Note that, when multiple batteries are selected as safe batteries, the charge amount when the multiple batteries are regarded as one battery may be compared with the threshold.

[0048] 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the safe 1 of this embodiment. First, the battery control unit 170 judges whether or not a new battery has been stored in the battery storage unit 30 (step S101). Specifically, the battery control unit 170 judges whether or not any of the battery spaces M of the battery storage unit 30 has changed from a state in which no battery is stored to a state in which a battery is stored. For example, the battery control unit 170 may detect the above-mentioned state change based on the measurement result of the charging voltage by the battery sensor 13, or may make the judgment based on the state of the battery drive unit 12 (for example, the open / closed state of the door, etc.).

[0049] Here, if it is determined that a new battery has been stored in any of the battery spaces M in the battery storage section 30, the battery control section 170 controls the battery drive section 12 of the battery space M in which the new battery has been stored to make it impossible for the battery to be removed from that battery space M (step S102).

[0050] As described above, the battery control unit 170 in this embodiment is a door that can open and close the battery space M. In this case, the battery control unit 170 closes the door of the battery space M to make the battery unable to be removed from the battery space. Hereinafter, making the battery space unable to be removed from the battery space, including closing the door, is expressed as "locking the battery." In contrast, making the battery space able to be removed from the battery space is expressed as "unlocking the battery." That is, unlocking the battery in this embodiment means opening the door of the battery space.

[0051] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S101 that no new battery has been stored in any of the battery spaces M, the battery control unit 170 skips the process of locking the battery (step S102) and proceeds to step S103. The battery locking mechanism may be electrically operated or manually operated as long as the unlocking can be achieved by electrical control. For example, a manual locking mechanism may be a method using a push latch that fixes the battery inside the battery space M by pushing it in when storing the battery.

[0052] Next, the battery control unit 170 judges whether or not an operation requesting the lending of a battery has been input (step S103). Here, when it is judged that an operation requesting the lending of a battery has been input, the battery control unit 170 causes the authentication unit 171 to execute a first authentication process (step S104). Here, the first authentication process is a process for judging whether or not a user requesting the lending of a battery is qualified to use the battery. For example, the authentication unit 171 may judge the presence or absence of the qualification to use by checking the user ID and password input by the user against pre-registered authentication information. Also, when the user terminal has an imaging function, for example, the authentication unit 171 may obtain an image of the user from the user terminal by wireless communication and judge the presence or absence of the qualification to use by face authentication based on the obtained image.

[0053] Next, the battery control unit 170 judges whether the authentication of the user has been successful in the first authentication process (step S105). If it is judged that the authentication of the user has been successful in the first authentication process, the battery control unit 170 determines a battery to be lent to the user from among the batteries stored in the battery storage unit 30, and controls the battery drive unit 12 of the battery space M storing the target battery to unlock the target battery (step S106). This makes the target battery available for removal from the battery space M.

[0054] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S103 that an operation to request the lending of a battery has not been input, the battery control unit 170 skips the execution of the first authentication process (step S104) and the unlocking of the battery (step S106) and proceeds to step S201. Similarly, if it is determined in step S105 that the authentication of the user has failed in the first authentication process, the battery control unit 170 skips the unlocking of the battery (step S106) and proceeds to step S201.

[0055] Next, the safe control unit 160 judges whether or not an operation requesting unlocking of the item space L has been input (step S201). Here, when it is judged that an operation requesting unlocking of the item space L has been input, the safe control unit 160 executes a second authentication process (step S202). Here, the second authentication process is a process for judging whether or not the user requesting unlocking of the item space L is the person who stored the item in the item space L. For example, the safe control unit 160 may authenticate the user by comparing the password input by the user when requesting unlocking with the password registered when the user locked the item space L.

[0056] Furthermore, if the user terminal has an imaging function, for example, the safe control unit 160 may obtain an image of the user from the user terminal via wireless communication and authenticate the user by face recognition based on the obtained image. In this case, when the user locks the item space L, the safe control unit 160 records the user's facial feature information in the storage unit 140 in association with the item space L. The user's facial feature information may be information registered in advance as the user of the safe 1, or may be information obtained based on an image taken when the user locks the item space L.

[0057] Next, the safe control unit 160 judges whether or not the authentication of the user has been successful in the second authentication process (step S203). If it is judged that the authentication of the user has been successful in the second authentication process, the safe control unit 160 unlocks the item space L designated by the user (step S204).

[0058] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S201 that an operation requesting unlocking of the item space L has not been input, the safe control unit 160 skips execution of the second authentication process (step S202) and unlocking of the specified item space L (step S204) and proceeds to step S205. Similarly, if it is determined in step S203 that authentication of the user has failed in the second authentication process, the safe control unit 160 skips unlocking of the specified item space L (step S204) and proceeds to step S205.

[0059] Next, the safe control unit 160 judges whether or not an operation requesting locking of the item space L has been input (step S205). If it is judged that an operation requesting locking of the item space L has been input, the safe control unit 160 locks the item space L designated by the user (step S206). On the other hand, if it is judged in step S205 that an operation requesting locking of the item space L has not been input, the safe control unit 160 ends the process without locking the designated item space L.

[0060] Although the case where the processes related to locking and unlocking the battery and unlocking and locking the item space are executed in series has been described here, these processes may be executed in an order different from that shown in Fig. 4, or may be executed in parallel. Also, in Fig. 4, for the sake of simplicity, the case where the processes related to locking and unlocking the battery and unlocking and locking the item space are executed only once has been described, but in reality, these processes are executed repeatedly at predetermined intervals.

[0061] The safe 1 of the embodiment configured in this manner is a safe that operates on power supplied by a battery, and includes a battery storage section 30 capable of detachably storing a plurality of portable batteries, and a battery connection section 14 that connects some of the plurality of batteries stored in the battery storage section 30 as a power source for the safe. With this configuration, the safe 1 of the embodiment can operate for a long period of time on a battery, and has high ease of installation and anti-theft properties.

[0062] <Modification> Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a modified example of the safe 1 of the embodiment. The modified safe 1A differs from the safe 1 of the embodiment in that it further includes a battery charging unit 16 instead of the battery connection unit 14. The rest of the configuration of safe 1A is the same as that of safe 1. Therefore, in Fig. 5, functional units similar to those in safe 1 are given the same reference numerals as in Fig. 3, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0063] The external power supply connection unit 15 is a power supply input interface that connects an external power supply as a power supply for safe 1A. The external power supply connection unit 15 supplies power supplied from the external power supply to each functional unit in safe 1A, and also supplies power required for charging the battery to battery charging unit 16. The external power supply connection unit 15 may be configured to supply power output by the battery to each functional unit in safe 1A when the connection with the external power supply is cut off.

[0064] Battery charging unit 16 has the function of charging the connected battery in addition to the function of battery connection unit 14 of safe 1. Battery charging unit 16 charges the battery connected to itself using power supplied from external power supply connection unit 15. Battery charging unit 16 may also have the function of battery sensor 13. In this case, battery sensor 13 may be omitted from safe 1A.

[0065] The modified safe 1A configured in this way can provide a user with a fully charged battery, and can also recharge used batteries returned by the user and provide them to the user. With this configuration, the modified safe 1A can function as a charging station in addition to functioning as a safe and a place to install batteries, and can therefore provide greater utility in disaster areas and the like.

[0066] In this case, since the safe 1A can operate using power supplied from an external power source, it does not need to include the power supply control unit 174 in the safe 1 of the embodiment.

[0067] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1... safe, 10... housing, 11... safe drive unit, 12... battery drive unit, 13... battery sensor, 14... battery connection unit, 15... external power supply connection unit, 16... battery charging unit, 20... item storage unit, 21... internal housing, 30... battery storage unit, 31... internal housing, 110... communication unit, 120... input unit, 130... display unit, 140... memory unit, 150... control unit, 160... safe control unit, 170... battery control unit, 171... authentication unit, 172... drive control unit, 173... notification unit, 174... power supply control unit, L, L-1 to L-15... item space, M, M-1 to M-20... battery space

Claims

1. A safe that operates on power supplied by a battery, a battery storage unit capable of detachably storing a plurality of portable batteries; a battery connection unit that selectively connects some of the batteries stored in the battery storage unit as a power source for the safe; a drive unit that drives the battery stored in the battery storage unit to a state in which the battery can be removed from the battery storage unit or a state in which the battery cannot be removed from the battery storage unit; a drive control unit that controls the drive unit so that the batteries can be removed from the battery storage unit when the number of batteries stored in the battery storage unit is equal to or greater than a specified number; A safe equipped with:

2. a drive unit that drives the battery stored in the battery storage unit to a state in which the battery can be removed from the battery storage unit or a state in which the battery cannot be removed from the battery storage unit; an authentication unit that authenticates a user who removes a battery from the battery storage unit; a drive control unit that controls the drive unit in accordance with a result of authentication of the user by the authentication unit so that the battery designated by the user is made removable from the battery storage unit; Further comprising:

2. A safe as claimed in claim 1.

3. a battery sensor that measures a charge amount for each of the plurality of batteries; a power supply control unit that switches the power supply of the safe from the battery being used as a power supply of the safe to a battery among the plurality of batteries whose charge amount is equal to or greater than the threshold when the charge amount of the battery being used as a power supply of the safe becomes equal to or less than a threshold; Further comprising: A safe as claimed in any one of claims 1 or 2.

4. a battery sensor that measures a charge amount for each of the plurality of batteries; a display unit that displays information regarding the charge amount of each battery in association with the battery stored in the battery storage unit; Further comprising: A safe according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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