Pet entry management system and pet entry management method

Abstract

To provide a shop entry management system for pets which urges increase of shops, art museums and other facilities that people can use with their pets, and supports a mechanism of developing a coexisting relation between pets and people.SOLUTION: There is provided a shop entry management system for pets comprising a confirmation unit 10, a determination unit 20 and a storage unit 30 with an acceptance reference for pets in various facilities determined. The storage unit 30 stores pet qualification information and an entry condition to a facility linked to an identification number of a pet and a facility identification number. The confirmation unit 10 asks the determination unit 20 about the possibility of entry of pets when using each facility. When the determination unit 20 receives an inquiry, the determination unit determines whether or not the pet can enter a shop by acquiring the pet qualification information and entry condition linked to the identification number from the storage unit 30, and returns a determination result to the confirmation unit 10. The confirmation unit 10 displays the determination result.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and a method for managing the entry or admission of pets into restaurants, museums and other facilities (hereinafter simply referred to as "entry") so that pets can live a social life while maintaining a certain distance and relationship with ordinary people, and relates to a system and a method for managing whether pets with certain qualifications can enter a facility accompanied by their owners, and a pet entry management system and a method for managing the same that permits or restricts the entry of pets and their companions into facilities equipped with specified facilities depending on the qualifications held by the pet and / or companion. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the number of people who own pets has increased significantly, and many pet owners now view their pets as important companions, just like family members. In households with pets, pets are partners in life, just like children, grandchildren, and other people, and they live in a symbiotic relationship with their owners and their families. For pet owners, the boundaries between pets and people are becoming blurred, and as a result, pet owners are increasingly incorporating their pets into their social lives. To meet these social demands, society as a whole is undergoing major changes toward an environment in which pets can coexist, including the development of infrastructure such as facilities and equipment to accommodate pets and improvements to systems for accepting pets. It could be said that we are currently in the early stages of this transformation.

[0003] On the other hand, it is also true that there are people who are allergic to or dislike animals. Therefore, society as a whole needs to accept the existence of people who have allergic reactions, physiological rejection reactions, and negative values ​​toward pets, and to establish a social environment in which people and pets can coexist. However, social understanding of pets, the development of facilities and infrastructure to accommodate pets, and basic ideas and principles regarding coexistence with pets are still immature.

[0004] As prior art related to the coexistence of people and pets, for example, a pet-friendly apartment complex has been proposed, where residents who like pets and residents who wish to be separated from their pets can live together (see Patent Document 1). Furthermore, in large-scale commercial complexes where both stores that prohibit pets and stores and facilities that allow pets are housed, some stores and facilities that allow pets are gathered in one area, and special entrances and elevators that allow pets are installed in addition to the general entrances and elevators. Patent Document 2 proposes a navigation device for guiding pet-friendly facility parking lots that can guide residents to parking lots near special entrances and elevators that allow pets in such commercial complexes.

[0005] Furthermore, a technology has been proposed for a facility that operates multiple animal-related facilities such as dog runs, grooming salons, cat cafes, small animal interaction facilities, hotels for dogs and cats including temporary care, and hotels where owners can stay together, where a member card can be used at any affiliated store nationwide from the next time onwards without the need to present registration certificates for vaccinations or rabies (see Patent Document 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-41787 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-88407 [Patent Document 3] Utility Model Registration No. 3223718 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Patent Document 1 provides a shared residence where pet lovers and people who want to isolate their pets can live together by minimizing the possibility of contact between people who want to isolate their pets and the pets, and Patent Document 2 provides a technology that minimizes contact with people other than those accompanying pets when using a facility in a large complex that accepts pets, thereby reducing friction between pets and people and contributing to the convenience of people who use the facility. Furthermore, Patent Document 3 provides a pet membership card that, for companies or organizations that operate multiple facilities for animals such as pets, registers pets as members and improves the convenience of each pet's use of the facilities at affiliated facilities.

[0008] That is, Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe technologies that uniformly separate people who accept pets from people who wish to be isolated from pets, thereby avoiding contact between people who wish to be isolated from pets and pets as much as possible, while Patent Document 3 describes a technology that issues a pet membership card that allows access to all facilities that specialize in animal care, primarily for pets and other animals, simply by presenting the card. All of the equipment and infrastructure technologies described in Patent Documents 1-3 are useful technologies for the coexistence of pets and people, and contribute to the creation of a social environment in which people and pets can coexist.

[0009] However, there are many different types of facilities used by people in their daily social lives, and the level of tolerance for accepting pets varies depending on the type of facility. Therefore, simply and uniformly dividing and managing areas into those that accept pets and those that do not, as in Patent Documents 1 and 2, makes it difficult to truly coexist with pets. Furthermore, the pets that are accepted into ordinary stores and facilities vary depending on the type of pet and its level of training. Therefore, in general facilities that are not specialized for animals, it is unreasonable to allow access to all affiliated facilities based on the presence or absence of a membership card issued based on uniform criteria such as vaccination status, as in Patent Document 3. Depending on the type of facility, it may not be possible to uniformly accept all registered pets.

[0010] For example, when using a dog run facility, even dogs that bark and roam freely can be accepted if they can be controlled to a certain extent, but restaurants, museums, and other facilities cannot accept barking dogs. However, if a dog is trained to follow its owner's instructions and stay quiet in one place without barking, it may be possible to accept it by providing certain facilities and systems. Therefore, in order to encourage people to use various facilities with pets and thereby promote the expansion of facilities that can be used with pets, it is desirable to create a system that allows people to use various facilities with pets in a more advanced and flexible manner, taking into account the abilities of the pets and their owners, the facilities and reception systems of the various facilities, etc., and to establish a management system to support this.

[0011] The adaptability and acceptability of pets to society varies depending on the training and abilities of each pet, the owner's knowledge and ability to control the pet, and the facility's acceptance system. For example, in the case of dogs, if a dog is trained to lie down and remain still for 30 to 120 minutes or more on its owner's command, restaurants, art galleries, museums, etc. can accept pets according to the level of training by providing appropriate facilities as needed.

[0012] In order to broadly accept throughout society, owners of pets that can be trained to a certain extent, such as dogs, entering various facilities with their pets while minimizing friction between people and pets, a system is needed that can assess the abilities of the accompanying pet and instantly determine and notify the owner whether or not to allow the pet to enter the facility. In other words, what is needed is a pet entry management system that can individually assess the type of facility, the state of preparation of each facility's pet acceptance system, including the type of pet and its acceptance equipment and capacity, the type of pet, the pet's ability, the owner's ability to control the pet, and so on, and then determine whether or not to allow the pet to enter the facility.

[0013] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems with conventional technologies regarding the coexistence of pets and people, with a view to realizing such an advanced society in which pets coexist, and aims to provide a pet entry management system and method that defines acceptance standards for each pet reception facility and reception system at various facilities where an unspecified number of people gather, and manages the use of each facility according to the qualifications held by the pet and its owner, in order to promote the use of various facilities with pets. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] The pet entry management system and method of the present invention registers, as certification information, the qualifications that are rated after objectively evaluating the abilities and environmental suitability of pets and their owners, and the facility registers, as certification information, the entry conditions or store entry conditions (hereinafter, both the entry conditions and the store entry information are referred to as "store entry conditions") that correspond to the receiving facilities and response capabilities corresponding to the qualifications of the pet and owner, and based on the registered information, restricts or permits entry to or into each facility (hereinafter, both entry and store entry are referred to as "entry") depending on the certification information of the pet and / or owner and the certification information of the facility's receiving side.

[0015] A first aspect of the pet entry management system of the present invention is a pet entry management system that includes a confirmation unit that confirms whether or not a pet is permitted to enter a store, a determination unit that determines whether or not a pet is permitted to enter a store, and a storage unit that stores pet information, owner information, and facility information, and that determines whether or not a pet is permitted to enter a facility, the confirmation unit includes an input unit for inputting various data, a data storage unit, a display unit for displaying the data, and an inquiry unit for inquiring of the determination unit based on a pet identification number, an owner identification number, and a facility identification number as to whether or not a pet corresponding to the pet identification number is permitted to enter a facility corresponding to the facility identification number, and for controlling the display unit to display the determination result received from the determination unit; The determination unit includes an information acquisition unit that, when receiving the confirmation unit inquiry, requests the storage unit to provide any or all of the pet information, the owner information, and the facility information corresponding to the pet identification number, the owner identification number, and the facility identification number received from the confirmation unit, and a determination unit that outputs a determination result as to whether or not pets are allowed to enter the facility and use the pet-friendly facilities within the facility based on the information acquired from the storage unit, The storage unit is characterized by comprising a storage section that stores the pet information and the facility information in a readable and writable manner, in correspondence with at least the pet identification number and the facility identification number, and an information providing section that reads out the specified pet information and facility information and outputs them to the judgment unit in response to a request from the judgment unit.

[0016] In this way, by allowing pets to enter a facility based on objective qualification information corresponding to the pet's abilities, and, if necessary, based on the qualification information of the pet's owner, it is possible to encourage pet training and improve the owner's qualifications, and by granting objective pet acceptance qualifications according to the equipment and acceptance system of each facility, it is possible to improve the facility's pet acceptance facilities and acceptance system. Furthermore, since entry into a facility is permitted based on objective standards, it is possible to reduce friction and problems regarding pets between pets and facility users within the facility.

[0017] In the above-mentioned pet entry management system, the pet information stored in the memory unit includes certified pet qualification information held by the pet identified by the identification number, and the facility information includes one or more entry conditions that stipulate the pet qualifications required to use the pet-friendly facilities at each facility, and the judgment unit can be configured to compare the acquired pet qualification information for each entry condition to determine whether it satisfies the entry condition, and to judge whether the pet is allowed to enter the store. This makes it possible to determine whether or not a pet can enter the store based on the qualifications held by the pet.

[0018] In addition, in the above-mentioned pet entry management system, the memory unit stores the owner information in association with the owner identification number, the owner information including certified owner qualification information held by the owner identified by the owner identification number, and the facility information includes one or more entry information specifying the pet qualifications and owner qualifications required to use the pet-friendly facilities at each facility, and the judgment unit may be configured to compare the acquired pet qualification information and owner qualification information for each entry condition to determine whether they satisfy the entry conditions, and determine whether the pet is allowed to enter the store. With this configuration, it is possible to determine the qualifications of the pet owner as well as the qualifications of the pet as a condition for entry. For example, when allowing entry to private areas or areas shared with other people, the owner's knowledge and ability to control their pet can be set as a condition for entry.

[0019] The confirmation unit, the determination unit, and the storage unit may be integrally arranged in one device, but various other arrangements are also possible. For example, the confirmation unit can be installed in a mobile terminal device held by the owner, and the mobile terminal device can be configured to store the pet identification number and the owner identification number, and the confirmation unit (mobile terminal device) can be configured to send and receive data with the judgment unit and the storage unit via a communication line.

[0020] The confirmation unit may be provided in a facility terminal device, the facility identification number may be stored in the facility terminal device, and the confirmation unit (facility terminal device) may be configured to send and receive data with the judgment unit and the storage unit via a communication line.

[0021] The confirmation unit and judgment unit can be installed in a mobile terminal device held by the owner, the pet identification number and the owner identification number can be stored in the mobile terminal device, and the judgment unit can be configured to obtain various information such as pet information and facility information from the memory unit by sending and receiving data between the mobile terminal and the memory unit via a communication line.

[0022] The confirmation unit and judgment unit can be provided in a facility terminal device, the facility identification number can be stored in the facility terminal device, and the facility terminal device and the memory unit can send and receive data via a communication line, so that the judgment unit can obtain various information such as pet information and facility information from the memory unit.

[0023] A first aspect of the pet entry management method of the present invention is a method for managing pet entry, which uses a data input device, a data display device, and a computer program to determine whether or not a pet can be brought into a facility and display the determination result, obtaining at least a pet identification number and a facility identification number; a confirmation request step of confirming whether the pet corresponding to the pet identification number is allowed to enter the facility corresponding to the facility identification number based on the acquired pet identification number and facility identification number; an information request step of receiving the confirmation request and requesting the provision of pet information corresponding to the pet identification number and facility information corresponding to the facility identification number; an information providing step of acquiring and providing pet qualification information representing the pet qualifications held by the pet stored in association with the pet identification number based on the information request, and facility information including entry conditions that define the conditions for permitting the pet to enter the facility corresponding to the facility identification number by one or more of the pet qualifications; a determination step of sequentially comparing one or more pet qualifications defined as the store entry conditions acquired in the information providing step with the pet qualifications in the pet qualification information corresponding to the identification number acquired in the providing step, and outputting a determination result of store entry permission when the pet corresponding to the pet identification number has all the pet qualifications defined as the store entry conditions, and outputting a determination result of store entry denial when the pet corresponding to the pet identification number does not have any of the pet qualifications defined as the store entry conditions; displaying the determination result on the display; The present invention is characterized by comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] The pet entry management system of the present invention allows various facilities that attract large numbers of people to establish pet-accepting facilities and systems, set acceptance standards, and permit use of each facility according to the qualifications of the pet, owner, and facility. Therefore, pet owners strive to improve the abilities of their pets and their own abilities in order to obtain better certification and increase the availability of various facilities. Furthermore, various facilities strive to improve their pet-accepting facilities in order to increase the number of customers. In other words, by introducing the pet entry management system of the present invention, both the pets and their owners, and the facility, strive to meet their respective acceptance standards, thereby promoting an improved environment for pet coexistence.

[0025] In addition, whether or not pets are allowed to enter each facility is determined based on the type of facility, the equipment possessed by each facility, and the certification qualifications of each pet and / or owner, which makes it possible to reduce friction and trouble caused by pets between facility users, including those who do not like pets, and to maintain a certain standard of a coexistence environment for pets. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] (a) is a sequence diagram explaining the flow of membership registration and qualification examination and registration, and (b) is a sequence diagram showing the flow of procedures when entering a facility. [Figure 2] 1 is a functional block diagram of a pet store entry management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram showing a determination unit according to another embodiment of the store entry management system. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a pet entry management system according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a confirmation unit, a determination unit, and a storage unit are housed in a single facility terminal device 41. FIG. [Figure 5]A diagram showing an example configuration of a pet entry management system according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which a confirmation unit is provided within a facility terminal device or a mobile terminal device, and a judgment unit and a memory unit are provided within a judgment server connected via a communication line. [Figure 6] A diagram showing an example configuration of a pet entry management system according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which a confirmation unit and a judgment unit are provided within a facility terminal device or a mobile terminal device, and a memory unit is provided within a memory server connected via a communication line. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram listing exemplary input devices useful for providing an input portion of the verification unit. [Figure 8] A table illustrating some examples of pet credentials. [Figure 9] A table showing some examples of owner qualification information (certification information) [Figure 10] A table showing some examples of qualifications that pets and their owners can jointly obtain [Figure 11] Table showing some specific examples of pet information [Figure 12] Table showing some specific examples of owner information [Figure 13] Table showing some specific examples of facility information [Figure 14] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of a pet store entry management system and a pet store entry management method according to the present invention. [Figure 15] 15 is a flowchart illustrating another embodiment of the determination step of FIG. 14. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Hereinafter, a pet entry management system and a management method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, we will explain the overall concept of the system for using various facilities with pets, which is the premise of this invention. To develop a pet-friendly environment, pets, owners, and various facilities that accept pets must each mutually enhance the various capabilities required for the coexistence of pets and people. To achieve this, it is useful to create a system that provides incentives for pets, owners, and various facilities to voluntarily engage in various training, education, and equipment improvements.

[0028] To establish such a system, it is necessary to investigate what capabilities are required of pets, owners, and facilities to allow pets to enter various facilities such as restaurants, coffee shops, art museums, cultural schools, etc. Based on this, it is desirable to gradually establish various training and education systems to enable pets, owners, and facilities to acquire the capabilities necessary to use each facility with pets, as well as an examination system to objectively evaluate the capabilities of each pet, owner, and facility, and a system to register the certified capabilities of each pet, owner, and facility (hereinafter, certified capabilities will be referred to as "qualifications," "qualification information," or "certification information," as appropriate).

[0029] Based on this system of registering the qualifications of pets, owners, and facilities, the inventors of this patent application have decided to introduce an entry system that sets entry conditions for owners to enter each facility with their pets, depending on the qualifications held by the pet and the pet-accepting facilities and other capabilities of each facility, and that only pets that meet the entry conditions (the qualifications of the owner may also be included in the entry conditions depending on the situation) are allowed to enter the facility.

[0030] By introducing this pet entry management system, only pets and their owners who meet certain qualifications and meet the entry requirements can use various facilities. Therefore, this pet entry management system serves as an incentive or motivation for pet owners who wish to use various facilities to make efforts to improve their pets' and owners' abilities. Furthermore, by introducing pet-accepting equipment and other pet-accepting systems, facilities can encourage customers with pets to use their facilities. Therefore, the introduction of this pet entry management system creates a competitive environment among similar facilities, further encouraging facilities to introduce and establish new equipment.

[0031] Figure 1 explains the system for creating the aforementioned pet-friendly society, with (a) being a sequence diagram explaining the flow of membership registration and the qualification examination and registration, and (b) being a sequence diagram showing the procedure flow when entering a facility. As shown in Figure 1(a), when a membership application (80) is made, an account is issued (81) to the applying pet owner, and a pet identification number and an owner identification number are assigned (the "identification number" can include not only numbers but also letters and symbols; the same applies below).

[0032] In order to use a facility, pet owners must be certified for their pet's abilities (obtain a license), and so pet owners apply for a test to obtain a license for their pet (83). Some facilities require certain qualifications for not only pets but also owners as conditions for entry (hereinafter, in this specification, the conditions for entry are simply referred to as "entry conditions"), and pet owners can apply for a test to obtain a license. Facilities are evaluated for their facilities for accepting pets and their personnel capacity, and entry conditions are determined for each facility.

[0033] Various tests are conducted in response to the application for the test (84), and a pass / fail determination is made (85). If the test passes, the certified qualification information (certification information) is registered in the storage unit as pet information in correspondence with (linked to) the pet identification number (86). Information about the owner may also be stored as part of the pet information. Furthermore, when the owner holds a predetermined qualification, the owner's certified qualification (certification information) may be linked to the owner identification number and registered in the storage unit as owner information.

[0034] Those who fail the exam will not be certified and will be referred to various facilities that provide pet training and education.(87) In order to create an environment where pets coexist, it is extremely important to improve the overall abilities of pets and owners in society by improving various training and training facilities for pets and owners, and to work to improve and improve pet-related facilities in various facilities. Regarding member registration, facilities may decide to set entry conditions at their own discretion for the time being, until the number of facilities using the system increases and the system stabilizes.

[0035] Figure 1(b) shows the procedure flow for a person accompanying a pet (usually the pet owner; different entry conditions may be set for pet owners) to enter a facility. To determine whether a pet is permitted to enter a facility, the pet owner must compare the pet's various qualifications with the facility's different entry conditions. To determine whether a pet is permitted to enter a facility, the user opens a dedicated app on a mobile device or other device at the facility entrance (90), enters the pet identification number of the pet and its companion, the pet owner identification number, and the facility's facility identification number (91), and is prompted to enter the facility. The result of the determination is displayed (92), and if entry is permitted (93), the user is guided into the facility (94). If the result of the determination is denied (93), the pet is denied entry to the facility (95), and the user is introduced to various training and education facilities (96).

[0036] Next, a pet store entry management system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 2 shows a functional block diagram of a pet store entry management system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The pet store entry management system 1 according to the present invention comprises, as basic constituent units, a confirmation unit 10, a determination unit 20, and a storage unit 30.

[0037] The confirmation unit 10 has the function of confirming whether or not entry to a facility specified by a facility identification number is permitted and displaying the result. The confirmation unit 10 is equipped with an input unit 11 having various input functions that allow desired data input, such as a code reader that reads two-dimensional codes such as QR Codes (registered trademark) or one-dimensional codes such as barcodes, a touch plate, etc., an inquiry unit 12 that inquires of the judgment unit 20 about whether or not entry to the facility is permitted, a memory unit 13 that stores various data and application programs and stores input data and received data as necessary, and a display unit 14 that displays input data, received data, and output data from other programs.

[0038] The confirmation unit 10 reads the pet identification number, owner identification number, and identification number to be confirmed using the input unit 11 or obtains them from the memory unit 13, and then uses the inquiry unit 12 to inquire of the judgment unit 20 whether the pet and owner corresponding to the identification number are allowed to enter the facility corresponding to the facility identification number. The confirmation unit 10 may be an application installed on a smartphone or other mobile device owned by the pet companion (owner, etc.), or may be provided as a facility terminal device installed at the entrance of each facility.

[0039] The judgment unit 20 has the function of judging whether or not entry is permitted in response to an inquiry from the confirmation unit 10 and notifying the judgment result, and is equipped with a response unit 21, an information acquisition unit 22, and a judgment unit 23. In response to an inquiry from the confirmation unit 20, the response unit 21 acquires information necessary for judgment from the storage unit 30 via the information acquisition unit 22, and outputs the judgment result from the judgment unit 23 to the confirmation unit 10.

[0040] The storage unit 30 includes an information update unit 31, an information provision unit 32, and an information storage unit 33. In response to a request from the determination unit 20, the information provision unit 32 reads out pet information, owner information, and facility information corresponding to a specified identification number from the information storage unit 33, and outputs the information to the determination unit 20. The information storage unit 33 is a storage device that stores various data in a readable and writeable manner, and can be written to and updated by the information update unit 33.

[0041] The information update unit 31 stores pet information, owner information, and facility information in the information storage unit 33 in response to a request from an update device (not shown), and updates the stored information to the latest information in response to the request. As shown in Fig. 2, each piece of information may be stored separately in the pet information storage unit 34, owner information storage unit 35, and facility information storage unit 36, but this is not essential, and all information may be stored in a single storage unit.

[0042] The confirmation unit 10, the determination unit 20, and the storage unit 30 may be configured with a CPU, a storage unit, an input / output unit, an OS stored in the storage unit, and various software programs, including application programs for achieving the functions of the present invention. The information storage unit 33 may be configured with an existing storage device, such as a disk drive or an IC storage device. The confirmation unit 10, the determination unit 20, and the storage unit 30 may be connected to each other separately via a communication line, or may be configured as a pet entry management system in which the three units are integrated into a single facility management device, as shown in FIG. 4. When the three units are partially integrated into a single device, the components that can be shared between the integrated units, such as the CPU and input / output unit, may be configured so that only one shareable component is provided. The connection configuration of these units 10, 20, and 30 will be described later.

[0043] <Entry confirmation operation and operation of each part when using the store> As mentioned above, the confirmation unit 10 may be installed in a mobile terminal device owned by the pet owner, or may be provided in a facility terminal device on the facility side. First, a configuration in which the confirmation unit 10 is installed on a smartphone or other mobile terminal of a pet companion (owner) will be described. When the confirmation unit 10 is installed on a mobile terminal, the owner identification number and the pet identification number of the owner's pet are stored in the memory unit 13 of the confirmation unit 10. On the other hand, the facility side is provided with a printed material such as a QR code (registered trademark) or other recording medium or input device that records the facility identification number, in order to facilitate input of the facility identification number into the confirmation unit 10 on the mobile terminal.

[0044] A person accompanying a pet starts a dedicated app on their mobile device at the entrance of the facility, performs a confirmation operation for entry, and reads the facility identification number from a recording medium on which the facility identification number is recorded, such as a QR code (registered trademark), using the input unit 11. In response, the inquiry unit 12 outputs the pet identification number of the accompanying pet, the owner identification number, and the facility identification number to the judgment unit 20, and inquires whether or not the person is allowed to enter the facility. If the owner has multiple pets, the pet identification number of the accompanying pet is specified from the pet identification numbers stored in the mobile device.

[0045] When a request is received from the confirmation unit 20, the determination unit 20 requests the storage unit 30 to provide the pet information, owner information, and facility information corresponding to the received pet identification number, owner identification number, and facility identification number. The information providing unit 32 of the storage unit 30 reads out each piece of information corresponding to the presented identification number from the information storage unit 33 and outputs it to the information acquiring unit 32 of the determination unit 20.

[0046] The information acquisition unit 22 of the determination unit 20 outputs various information received from the storage unit 30 to the determination unit 23. The determination unit 23 stores the qualification information (certification information) and entry conditions required for determination from the received pet information and facility information in the temporary storage unit 24, and the comparison unit 26 compares the qualification information in the pet information with the entry conditions in the facility information. The entry conditions differ depending on the facility, and in a facility that has multiple types of entry equipment within a single facility, different entry conditions A and B can be set within the single facility depending on the available equipment. The comparison unit 26 compares the pet certification conditions (qualifications) for each entry condition.

[0047] The determination unit 25 determines whether the pet is allowed to enter the facility based on all of the received entry conditions for the facility, and outputs the result to the response unit 21. The response unit 21 outputs the determination result from the determination unit 25 to the inquiry unit 12 of the confirmation unit 10. The inquiry unit 12 outputs the acquired determination result to the display unit 14 for display. This allows the person accompanying the pet and the facility staff to confirm whether the pet and the person accompanying the pet are allowed to enter the facility, and they can enter the facility provided that they use the pet facilities for which permission to enter the facility has been granted. If none of the entry conditions are met, entry will be denied.

[0048] Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram showing a determination unit 231 according to another embodiment, which can be replaced with the determination unit 23 of the pet entry management system of Fig. 2. The determination unit 231 of Fig. 3 differs from the determination unit 23 of Fig. 2 in the configuration of the temporary storage unit 241, the comparison unit 261, and the determination unit 251. The determination unit 23 of Fig. 2 makes a determination using both the qualifications held by the pet and the qualifications held by the owner as entry conditions. Therefore, the temporary storage unit 241 stores the qualification information of the owner in addition to the qualification information of the pet, and stores the entry conditions of the owner in addition to the entry conditions of the pet as facility information.

[0049] Then, the comparison unit 261 performs a logical AND operation on the qualification information (certification information) α held by the pet and the qualification information β held by the owner to compare whether or not they satisfy the store entry conditions A, B, etc. The determination unit 251 permits entry when both the qualification α held by the pet and the qualification β held by the owner satisfy the respective store entry conditions, and denies entry when they do not. Therefore, only entry to the store that corresponds to the facilities that can be used by the qualifications held by both the pet and the owner (companion) is permitted. Specific examples of qualification information and store entry conditions will be described later.

[0050] 4 to 6 are conceptual diagrams showing several configuration examples regarding the arrangement of the confirmation unit 10, determination unit 20, and storage unit 30 that constitute the pet entry management system 1 according to the present invention. The pet entry management system 1-1 in FIG. 4 shows a configuration example in which the confirmation unit 10, determination unit 20, and storage unit 30 are housed within a single facility terminal device 41. In this configuration example, all of the component units 10, 20, and 30 are integrated into a facility terminal device located at the facility to form a pet entry management system. This configuration requires a storage unit 30 to be installed at each facility, which makes updating and managing the data in the storage unit 30 cumbersome. However, this configuration has the advantage of eliminating the need to access the storage unit 30 via a communication line such as the Internet for each individual determination, thereby increasing the determination speed. It is also possible to configure the data stored in the storage unit 30 in the facility terminal device 41 to be automatically updated remotely via a communication line such as the Internet.

[0051] In the pet entry management system 1-2 of the present invention shown in Figure 5, several configuration examples are shown in Figure 5. First, the first configuration example shown in Figure 5 is a configuration in which a confirmation unit 10 is installed in a facility terminal device 411 provided in the facility, and a judgment unit 20 and a storage unit 30 are provided in a management server 43. Data is transmitted and received between the confirmation unit 10 in the facility terminal device 411 and the judgment unit in the management server 43 via a communication line 70 such as the Internet. In this configuration, a person accompanying a pet presents a pet identification number and an owner identification number recorded on a membership card or stored in a smartphone, etc., which are read or entered by the facility terminal device to initiate a judgment operation.

[0052] 5 is a second configuration example in which the confirmation unit 10 is installed in a mobile terminal 42 such as a smartphone owned by a person accompanying a pet. In this configuration, the confirmation unit 10 reads a facility identification number provided by the facility using a QR code (registered trademark) or the like, and transmits the facility identification number, the pet identification number stored in the mobile terminal device, and the owner identification number to the determination unit 20 to confirm whether or not the person is allowed to enter the facility. The mobile terminal device communicates wirelessly with a base station 71, is connected to a communication line 70 via the base station 71, and transmits and receives data to and from the management server 43.

[0053] The third configuration example shown in Figure 5 is a pet management system in which the memory unit 30 in the management server 43 in the figure is separated and connected to a communication line 70 as a separate memory server 45, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 5, and the confirmation unit 10, judgment unit 20 and memory unit 30 each send and receive data via the communication line 70 to make judgments at the time of entry into the store.

[0054] 6 shows another example of a pet entry management system 1-3. In this pet entry management system 1-3, a confirmation unit 10 and a determination unit 20 are installed in a facility terminal device 411 or a mobile terminal device 421. A storage unit 30 is provided in a storage server 45, and is configured to transmit and receive data to and from the determination unit 20 of a management server 43 via a communication line 70.

[0055] 7 is a functional block diagram illustrating examples of input devices that are useful for use as the input section 11 of the confirmation unit 10. The input devices may include a code reader that reads two-dimensional codes such as QR Code (registered trademark) and one-dimensional codes such as barcodes, an IC card reader that reads IC cards on which various data is recorded, a Bluetooth communication device, a touch panel, a keyboard, and a variety of other input devices.

[0056] Figures 8 to 13 show examples of pet information, owner information, and facility information for the case where the pet is a dog. First, examples of qualification information (certification information) related to qualifications to be registered as pet information and owner information are shown in Figures 8 to 10. Figure 8 is a table showing specific examples of pet qualification information. The leftmost column is a code indicating the type of qualification. PA1 to 10 are qualifications related to health such as vaccinations and fleas and ticks, PB1 to 7 are related to discipline and training, and PC01 is a qualification related to insurance enrollment. These are just examples, and qualifications other than these can be set and registered.

[0057] To the right of the code is a description of the qualification, and the column to the right of that lists the requirements for obtaining the qualification. Next to that, the method for obtaining the qualification and information about the certifier are listed. While dogs are used as a specific example of the target pet here, qualifications can also be obtained for cats and other pets. For vaccinations and flea and tick prevention prescriptions, veterinarians certify qualifications based on designated forms such as vaccination certificates. For qualifications related to skills acquired through discipline and training, qualifications are objectively certified through examinations conducted by designated certified trainers at designated certification venues.

[0058] Figure 9 is a table showing an example of pet owner qualification information (certification information). Code numbers OA1 to OA6 are qualifications for various pet-related knowledge, OB1 to OB6 are qualifications related to pet control techniques, and OC1 is a qualification related to insurance. The conditions and methods for obtaining each qualification are also clearly defined. Figure 9 is an example of pet owner qualification information, so it is possible to recognize more types of qualifications than this, or to determine whether or not a pet owner can enter the store with fewer qualifications than this.

[0059] Fig. 10 shows examples of qualifications that can be acquired jointly by a pet and its owner, i.e., qualifications for the owner's ability to control the pet to make it behave in a specific way. In Fig. 10, seven qualifications are shown as examples in codes B1 to B7, such as stopping scavenging and learning basic commands, but it is also possible to configure the system so that more or fewer qualifications can be certified as appropriate.

[0060] FIG. 11 shows a specific example of pet information. FIG. 10 shows the main items of pet information, such as an example of three dogs with pet identification numbers (pet IDs) P00001 to P00003. Note that pets P00001 and P00003 have the same owner. Individual pet identification information can include photos or videos of the pet, the number of the implanted microchip, or a nose print. This makes it possible to confirm the identity of the accompanying pet and the pet with the pet ID number. Since the pet with pet ID P00003 has fewer qualifications than the pet with pet ID P00001, it is highly likely that it will not be allowed into the store. Other pet information, such as the pet's age and personality, may also be registered.

[0061] In the pet type field, it is advisable to register the breed as well if it is a dog. Also, if the qualification includes pet training, the owner's identification number should also be registered. Only the qualification code needs to be registered as qualification information, and it is advisable to also register the certification date, expiration date, and certifier ID. You can also register a video that shows the level of training required for the target pet.

[0062] Figure 12 shows an example of owner information for two people with owner identification numbers (owner IDs) O000011 and O00002. Owner ID number O00001 is registered alone with two pets (dogs), and the owner has different qualifications for each pet. Photographs and videos can be used to verify the identity and training proficiency of the owner. Videos are not required, and photographs can be replaced with other forms of proof (physical authentication or other). It is also preferable to register the certification date and expiration date of the qualifications held.

[0063] FIG. 13 illustrates conditions for entering a facility. In the example of FIG. 12, the facility with facility identification number (facility ID) F00001 has seven types of pet-friendly facilities, L1 to L7, and each facility has its own acceptance conditions. The "W / C" sign in the private room area W / C of facility L4 stands for "With Crate," meaning that pets are allowed to enter the facility while kept in a crate. Facilities L1 to L3 do not require owner qualifications as a condition for entry, but facilities L4 to L7 do require owner qualifications as a condition for entry.

[0064] In the logical formula in Figure 13 showing the entry conditions, the symbol "*" means logical product, the symbol "~" is a symbol representing the logical sum of all components in a certain range, and the symbol "-" is a symbol representing the logical product of all components in a certain range. For example, "(A1~A3)" represents the logical sum (A1+A2+A3) of all components included in the range from A1 to A3, and "(A1-A3)" represents the logical product (A1*A2*A3) of all components included in the range from A1 to A3.

[0065] An example of the conditional expression shown in FIG. 13 is as follows: The example is "(D1~D6)*(PA5~PA8)*PA9*PA10*PB5*PB6*PB7*PC1." This indicates that the pet must be one of the six breeds D1 to D6 (D1~D6), must have received one of four vaccines from six to nine breeds (PA5~PA8), must have received the rabies vaccine (PA9), and must have all the qualifications for bite prevention (OB4), bark prevention (OB5), and location suitability (OB6), and must be insured (PC1).

[0066] In contrast, the entry conditions for facility L4 are: The conditions for entry are (D1~D2)*(PA5~PA8)*PA9*PA10*PB5*PB6*PB7*PC1*(OA1~OA6)*(OB1-B5)*OC1), which indicates that in addition to the conditions for entry for facility L1 above, various knowledge and pet control abilities, which are qualifications for pet owners, are also required (OA1~OA6)*(OB1-B5)*OC1.

[0067] 14 is a flowchart for explaining the processing steps of the pet entry management system and method according to the present invention. When the dedicated software of the confirmation unit 10 is started and the facility identification number, pet identification number, and customer identification number are acquired (S1: Yes), the confirmation unit 10 requests the judgment unit 20 to judge whether or not the pet and owner corresponding to each identification number are allowed to enter the facility (S2).

[0068] When the judgment unit 20 receives a judgment request (S11; Yes), it requests the storage unit 30 to provide pet information, owner information, and facility information corresponding to the pet identification number, owner identification number, and facility identification number (S12). Having received a request for qualification information from the judgment unit 20, the storage unit 30 reads out the pet information, owner information, and facility information corresponding to the identification number sent from the judgment unit 20 that is stored in the storage unit 30 (S22), and creates the acquired pet information, owner information, and facility information in the judgment unit 20 (S22).

[0069] When the determination unit 20 receives various qualification information from the storage unit 30 (S13: Yes), the determination section compares the pet identification number and pet corresponding to the owner identification number received from the storage unit 30, and the qualifications held by the owner, to determine whether they satisfy the entry conditions for each facility of the facility corresponding to the facility identification number, and stores the results (S14). After comparison of all entry conditions is completed, the determination unit 20 determines whether entry is permitted for each entry condition of each facility (S15), and transmits the determination result indicating whether entry is permitted to the confirmation unit 10 (S16).

[0070] When the confirmation unit receives the judgment result (S3; Yes), it displays the judgment result on the display unit of the confirmation unit 10. Based on this display, the facility allows the pet owner to enter the facilities that are available. If there are multiple facilities that are available, the pet owner is allowed to use the facility that he or she desires.

[0071] Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of the judgment steps (S14 to S16) of Fig. 14. In this embodiment, it is confirmed whether the entry conditions can be judged only by the qualifications held by the pet (S141), and if so (S141; Yes), the qualification information held by the pet is compared with the entry conditions and stored (S142, S143), and when comparison of all entry conditions is completed (S144: Yes), a judgment is made on whether entry is permitted based on the stored comparison results (S15), and the judgment result is output to the confirmation unit 10 (S16).

[0072] If the owner's qualifications are also required as a condition for entry (S141; No), the owner information required as a condition for entry is first compared with the qualification information held by the owner (S145), and the comparison result is stored (S146). Once comparison of all owner qualifications required for the entry conditions has been completed (147: Yes), the qualification information held by the pet is compared with the pet information in the entry conditions, and the comparison result is stored (S142, S143). Once comparison of all pet qualifications required for the entry conditions has been completed (144: Yes), a decision on whether to permit entry is made based on the comparison results between the stored owner information and pet information (S15), and the decision result is output to the confirmation unit 10 (S16).

[0073] In the above explanation, an example was shown in which the qualifications held by the pet owner as well as the qualifications held by the pet are determined as entry conditions, but all facilities may be configured to determine entry conditions based only on the qualifications held by the pet.

[0074] 4 to 7 show various configurations of the confirmation unit 10, determination unit 20, and storage unit 30, but other arrangements are also possible. Below, other configuration examples of the arrangement of each unit and other configuration examples of the pet entry management system according to the present invention that do not use a storage unit will be described (not shown). For example, it is possible to install the confirmation unit 10 and the determination unit 20 in the owner's mobile terminal device, store the pet identification number and the corresponding pet information, and the owner identification number and the corresponding owner qualification information, and then read and input the entry conditions for the facility from a QR code (registered trademark) at the facility visited. This eliminates the need for the storage unit 30, making it possible to speed up and simplify the determination process.

[0075] Furthermore, the confirmation unit 10 and the determination unit 20 may be installed in a facility management device, and the conditions for entering the facility may be stored in the facility management device, so that pet owners can present a mobile terminal device or a membership card that stores owner information and pet information. Alternatively, the confirmation unit 10 and the determination unit 20 may be installed separately in a mobile terminal device and a facility terminal device, respectively.

[0076] Furthermore, using the mobile terminal devices 42, 421 configured as shown in Figures 5 and 6, it is also possible to input the facility identification number before using the facility, obtain entry permission in advance, store it in the mobile terminal device of the accompanying person, and present it when using the facility.

[0077] It is also possible to assign a pet identification number, an owner identification number, and a facility identification number to each owner or facility, and issue a certificate for each identification number via the blockchain. This makes it possible to prevent tampering with the identification number certificate. When using the facility, the issued identification number is read, and the judgment unit and storage unit are accessed using that identification number to read the information corresponding to the identification number, and a judgment is made as to whether or not the facility can be used, in the same manner as described above. The authenticity of the identification number can be confirmed using the blockchain.

[0078] Furthermore, instead of providing the above-mentioned storage unit, a pet entry management system can be configured to issue a certificate that records (stores, prints, etc.) pet information (including pet qualification information, etc.), owner information (including owner qualification information, etc.), and facility information (including entry conditions, etc.) for each pet identification number, owner identification number, and facility identification number via blockchain instead of the storage unit. For example, a license granter who grants a license through a test or inspection can update and reissue the certificate for each identification number via blockchain every time they grant a license.

[0079] Furthermore, if the pet information, owner information, or qualifications or other information in the facility information corresponding to each pet identification number, owner identification number, or facility identification number is updated even slightly, a predetermined certificate issuing authority, rather than the license issuer, can issue a new updated certificate via the blockchain each time an update is made. Because these certificates are issued via the blockchain, they cannot be tampered with, not only by others but also by the person himself.

[0080] By issuing a certificate for each identification number that records pet information, owner information, or facility information corresponding to that identification number, each owner can use each facility by presenting a certificate that records owner information linked to their own owner identification number and a certificate that stores pet information linked to their own pet identification number. Note that one owner can keep multiple pets, so one owner can also hold certificates for multiple pet identification numbers. Furthermore, the certificate for the owner identification number may also record the identification number of the pet owned by the owner and the pet information linked to the pet identification number, and be issued as a single certificate via blockchain.

[0081] The certificates corresponding to the owner identification number and pet identification number may be stored in the mobile terminal device or on an IC card. When the confirmation unit and judgment unit are installed in the mobile terminal device, the confirmation unit can read the certificates that record facility information (entry conditions, etc.) linked to the facility identification number held by each facility, and the judgment unit can make a judgment.

[0082] If the confirmation unit and judgment unit are installed in the facility terminal device, when entering or going into a facility, the certificate recorded on the owner's mobile terminal device or the like can be read by the facility terminal device of the facility, and the confirmation unit and judgment unit can determine whether or not the owner is allowed to enter. By issuing a certificate recording pet information and facility information in this way, a storage unit becomes unnecessary. Furthermore, it becomes possible to verify via blockchain whether the presented certificate is genuine.

[0083] In the above explanation, a configuration for issuing certificates via a blockchain has been described, but a certificate may be issued that records (stores or prints) pet information, facility information, and owner information for each pet, owner, and facility identification number without using a blockchain. In this case, unlike when using a blockchain, tampering cannot be prevented, but it is easier to determine. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1, 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 Pet entry management system 10 Confirmation Unit 20 Judgment Unit 30 Storage Unit 23,231,Judgment part 24,241 Temporary storage 25,251 Determined part 26,261 Comparison section 41, 411, 412 Facility terminal equipment 42, 421, 422 Mobile terminal equipment 43 Management Server 45 Storage Server 70 Communication Lines

Claims

1. A pet entry management system comprising: a confirmation unit for confirming whether or not a pet is permitted to enter a store; a determination unit for determining whether or not a pet is permitted to enter a store; and a storage unit for storing pet information including certified qualification information held for each pet corresponding to the pet's identification number and facility information including one or more entry conditions that define pet qualifications required for pet entry corresponding to the facility's identification number, wherein a computer requests confirmation of whether or not a pet is permitted to enter a store, determines whether or not entry is permitted, and transmits the requested pet information and facility information based on the pet's identification number and the facility's identification number, thereby determining whether or not a pet is permitted to enter a store; the confirmation unit is provided in a mobile terminal device or a facility terminal device of the facility to be entered, and includes an input unit, a data storage unit, a display unit, and an inquiry unit that inquires of the determination unit about whether or not the pet is permitted to enter the desired facility and displays the determination result; the determination unit is provided in the mobile terminal device, the facility terminal device, or a server connected via a communication network, and includes an information acquisition unit that requests and acquires the pet information and the facility information from the storage unit based on an inquiry from the confirmation unit, and a determination unit that determines whether the inquired pet is allowed to enter the facility based on the pet information and the facility information acquired from the storage unit, and outputs the determination result; the storage unit is provided in the server or the facility terminal device, and includes an information storage section that stores the pet information and the facility information in association with the pet's identification number and the facility's identification number, respectively, and an information providing section that reads out information requested by the determination unit and outputs it to the determination unit; the determination unit includes a comparison unit that compares the pet information corresponding to the acquired pet identification number with the facility information corresponding to the facility identification number for each of the entry conditions, and determines whether or not the pet is allowed to enter the facility for each of the entry conditions based on a comparison result by the comparison unit. A pet entry management system characterized by the above.

2. 2. The pet entry management system of claim 1, wherein the various identification numbers include identification numbers of pet owners, the storage unit stores certified qualification information of the owners corresponding to the owner identification numbers, and the entry conditions selectively include qualification conditions of the owners.

3. A pet entry management system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the confirmation unit and the judgment unit are provided in the facility terminal device, and the facility identification number is stored in at least one of the confirmation unit or the judgment unit, and the judgment unit determines whether the pet is allowed to enter the facility by confirming whether the pet is allowed to enter the facility based on the pet's identification number input into the confirmation unit and the facility identification number stored therein.

4. The pet entry management system of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the confirmation unit is provided in the mobile terminal device, the judgment unit and the memory unit are provided in the server, and by inputting the facility's identification number into the confirmation unit, the confirmation unit confirms with the judgment unit whether the pet corresponding to the pet's identification number can enter the facility corresponding to the facility's identification number, thereby determining whether the pet can enter the facility.

5. A pet entry management system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the confirmation unit and the judgment unit are provided in the mobile terminal device, the memory unit is provided in the server, and by inputting the facility's identification number into the confirmation unit, the judgment unit requests the pet information and facility information corresponding to the pet's identification number and the facility's identification number from the memory unit, and determines whether the pet is allowed to enter the store.

6. 6. A pet store entry management system according to claim 1, wherein the confirmation unit, the determination unit, and / or the storage unit are connected via a wired and / or wireless communication line.

7. A method for managing pet entry, which uses a computer-controlled confirmation unit, a determination unit, a storage unit, and a display unit to determine whether or not a pet can be brought into a facility and display the determination result, the verification unit accepting input of various identification numbers including at least a pet identification number and a facility identification number; a confirmation request step of transmitting the identification number from the confirmation unit to the determination unit to request a determination of whether the pet corresponding to the pet's identification number meets the entry conditions of the facility corresponding to the facility's identification number; an inquiry step in which the determination unit receives the confirmation request and inquires of the storage unit about pet information corresponding to the pet identification number and facility information corresponding to the facility identification number; an information providing step in which the storage unit reads and provides pet information including certified qualification information for each pet stored in correspondence with the pet's identification number and facility information including pre-filled store conditions for pets for each facility stored in correspondence with the facility's identification number, based on the inquiry from the determination unit; a determination step in which the determination unit compares one or more pieces of qualification information that constitute the entry conditions acquired in the information provision step with the qualification information in the pet information corresponding to the pet's identification number acquired in the information provision step, and outputs a determination result of entry permission if the pet corresponding to the pet's identification number has all of the qualification information specified as the entry conditions, and outputs a determination result of refusing entry to the facility if the pet corresponding to the pet's identification number does not have any of the qualification information specified as the entry conditions; and displaying the determination result by the display unit.

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