Access control system and program

Abstract

To provide a technique for managing entry / exit of a user to / from a spacer as a staying facility using a short-range radio communication part and a portable terminal of the user.SOLUTION: An entry / exit management system uses a short-range radio communication part (transmitter or the like) 30 installed in a space and a portable terminal 90 of a user and has a management server 50, in which the portable terminal can communicate with the management server, when the portable terminal receives a signal from the short-range radio communication part, the portable terminal outputs a message for prompting a user to perform check-in by allowing the user to perform substantial touch operation of holding the portable terminal over or touching it on the short-range radio communication part (S401), and when the user performs the substantial touch operation on the portable terminal in response to the output message, the portable terminal outputs check-in completion information indicating that the user arrives at the space and completes check-in (S410).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for automatically managing spaces such as rental spaces, and in particular to a technology for monitoring a user's dynamic behavior relative to the location of the space by using a short-range wireless communication unit installed in the space and a user's mobile terminal. and / or technology for managing user entry and exit to spaces. Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, services that rent out rental spaces to users have become popular. Such rental spaces can be classified into those for temporary human stays and those for temporary storage of goods other than people.

[0003] Rental spaces for temporary human stay can be further classified by purpose, such as study rooms, conference rooms, exhibition rooms, photo studios, event spaces, shared rooms, and coworking spaces.

[0004] Rental spaces are further classified into those that are provided to users as permanent rental spaces and those that are provided to users as temporary rental spaces.

[0005] Various types of rental space can be envisioned as being temporarily provided to users, such as spaces within establishments that primarily serve food and beverages, such as izakayas, restaurants, cafeterias, and coffee shops (for example, private rooms that can be isolated from other users or user groups), that are rented out to users outside of business hours without the purpose of serving food and beverages.

[0006] Another example of a rental space that may be temporarily provided to a user is a room in a hotel or other accommodation facility (usually a private room that can be isolated from other users or groups of users), which is vacant because it has not yet been booked and is therefore rented out to a user for the purpose of not staying overnight.

[0007] Rental spaces can be categorized by rental period, such as hourly, daily, or monthly. Some rental spaces are provided for a fee, while others are provided free of charge. An example of the latter is a conference room on a university campus that is available to students for free by the hour.

[0008] There is also a movement to install remotely controlled electronic locks on the doors of rental spaces, enabling unmanned management of rental spaces (for example, access control).

[0009] There are already several patent documents that disclose techniques for automatically managing rental spaces.

[0010] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for providing an unmanned seat rental service. Specifically, this document discloses that a user reserves a desired seat by communicating with a management server using a mobile terminal, that a transmitter is installed at each rental seat, that when a user carrying the mobile terminal sits in the reserved seat, the mobile terminal receives the transmitter and checks in, and that when a user carrying the mobile terminal leaves the seat, the mobile terminal can no longer receive the transmitter and therefore checks out.

[0011] Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for providing an unmanned conference room rental service. Specifically, this document discloses that a user reserves a desired conference room by communicating with a management server using a mobile terminal, that a transmitter is installed in each conference room, that when a user carrying a mobile terminal enters the reserved conference room, the mobile terminal receives the transmitter and checks in, and that when the user carrying a mobile terminal leaves the conference room, the mobile terminal can no longer receive the transmitter and checks out. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6253831 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-184241 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] The inventor has conducted research and development into technology for automatically managing rental spaces, and as a result, he has proposed an idea for a service that rents out rental spaces by the hour on the condition that the user reserves one of the rental spaces, in which the actual behavior of the user is dynamically monitored by installing transmitters instead of surveillance cameras in the rental spaces, and having the user terminal measure the distance to the transmitter and send the results to a management server.

[0014] Furthermore, the inventor has also proposed the idea of ​​determining whether the user's actual behavior thus monitored matches the contents of the reservation, and if it does not match, automatically prompting the user to correct their behavior so that it matches.

[0015] However, neither Patent Document 1 nor Patent Document 2 discloses that the user terminal dynamically monitors the time-dependent changes in the user's actual location as the user's actual behavior based on the signal from the transmitter, nor that if the user's actual behavior does not match the normal behavior that matches the contents of the reservation, the user is automatically prompted to correct the user's actual behavior to the normal behavior thereafter.

[0016] While the above describes the need to automatically monitor the dynamic behavior of users relative to specific space locations using rental spaces as an example, similar needs exist for other types of spaces as well. For example, there is a need to automatically monitor the dynamic behavior of each individual in collective facilities such as commercial facilities staffed by multiple salespeople, factories staffed by multiple workers, research facilities staffed by multiple researchers, and organizations staffed by multiple employees.

[0017] In light of the above, the present invention relates to a technology for automatically managing a space, and in particular to a technology for monitoring a user's dynamic behavior relative to the location of the space by using a short-range wireless communication unit installed in the space and a user's mobile terminal. and / or technology for managing user entry and exit to spaces. This was undertaken with the objective of providing the following: [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] In order to solve the problem, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an entry / exit management system that manages entry and exit of a user to a space as a stay facility used by the user by using a short-range wireless communication unit installed in the space and a mobile terminal of the user, the entry / exit management system comprising: a management server capable of communicating with the mobile terminal; The management server is a presence / absence determination unit that enables the mobile terminal to determine whether the user is present in the space based on a signal received from the short-range wireless communication unit; The aforementioned The user is in the space a check-in prompting unit that enables the portable terminal to output a visual or audio check-in prompting message for prompting the user to check in by the user performing a substantial touch action of holding or touching the portable terminal over the near-field wireless communication unit, when and Including, An entry / exit management system is provided in which the short-range wireless communication unit is placed in the space at a position where short-range communication is possible between the short-range wireless communication unit and the mobile terminal of the user present in the space.

[0019] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program executed by a computer of the mobile terminal to implement the entry / exit control system, comprising: The mobile terminal has a plurality of functions, a function of determining whether the user is present in the space based on a signal received by the mobile terminal from the short-range wireless communication unit; a function of receiving the substantial touch action from the user in response to the output check-in prompt message; In response to the substantial touch action Check-in completion signal a function of transmitting the information to the management server; Including, A program is provided that is executed by the computer to realize the functions.

[0020] The present invention provides the following aspects. Each aspect is divided into paragraphs, each numbered, and described by citing the numbers of other paragraphs as necessary. This is to facilitate understanding of some of the technical features and combinations thereof that may be employed by the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the technical features and combinations thereof that may be employed by the present invention to the following aspects. In other words, it should be understood that technical features that are not described in the following aspects but are described in this specification may be appropriately extracted and employed as technical features of the present invention.

[0021] Furthermore, describing each paragraph in a format that refers to the number of other paragraphs does not necessarily mean that the technical features described in each paragraph cannot be separated and made independent from the technical features described in other paragraphs, and it should be interpreted that the technical features described in each paragraph can be made independent as appropriate depending on their nature.

[0022] (1) A space management method for renting out a desired rental space to a user by using a transmitter installed in the rental space, a user's mobile terminal, and a management server, the method comprising: The transmitter is fixedly installed at a position having a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the rental space, and transmits a unique signal; the mobile terminal receives the signal from the transmitter within a receivable range using a short-range communication method, and is capable of measuring the distance from the transmitter based on the received signal; The method comprises: a reservation step in which the mobile terminal, in response to an instruction from a user, reserves a rental space to the management server by specifying a time schedule including a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time; a monitoring step in which the mobile terminal measures the user's position relative to the position of the transmitter based on the signal received from the transmitter in temporal association with at least one of the scheduled start time and the scheduled end time, thereby monitoring the user's actual position relative to the location of the rental space as information representing the user's actual behavior; a prompting step in which the mobile terminal and / or the management server outputs a visual and / or audio message to the user to prompt the user to correct the user's subsequent actual behavior to a normal behavior when the user's actual behavior does not match the user's normal behavior according to the time schedule; Space management methods, including:

[0023] (2) The monitoring step a user position determination step of determining the position of the user relative to the position of the transmitter by performing at least a first determination and a second determination of the following: when the mobile terminal receives a signal from the transmitter, the mobile terminal determines based on the signal whether a substantial touch has occurred, i.e., whether the mobile terminal is held over or touched by the transmitter, and generating a touch signal if a substantial touch has occurred; a second determination of determining whether the substantial touch has not occurred but the mobile terminal is present within the rental space, and generating an indoor presence signal if the mobile terminal is present within the rental space; and a third determination of determining whether the substantial touch has not occurred and the mobile terminal is not present within the rental space but is present within the receivable range, and generating an outdoor presence signal if the mobile terminal is present within the receivable range; The prompting step includes: a checkout determination step of determining that the user has checked out to end use of the rental space when the mobile terminal generates a touch signal indicating that the substantial touch has occurred at a checkout stage when the user leaves the rental space; a checkout prompting step of outputting a visual or audio message to prompt the user to perform the substantial touch and check out if the mobile terminal does not generate the touch signal and instead continuously generates the indoor presence signal or the outdoor presence signal even after the scheduled end time has passed in the checkout stage; The space management method according to claim 1, comprising:

[0024] (3) The prompting step further comprises: The space management method described in (2) includes a room exit prompting step in which, in the checkout stage, if the mobile terminal generates the room presence signal even after the checkout is complete, it outputs a visual or audio message to prompt the user to leave the rental space.

[0025] (4) The prompting step further comprises: A space management method described in any of (1) to (3), which includes a check-in determination step in which, at the check-in stage when a user enters the rental space, the mobile terminal generates the touch signal and determines that the user has checked in to begin using the rental space.

[0026] (5) The prompting step further comprises: A space management method as described in any one of (1) to (4), which includes a check-in prompting step of outputting a visual or auditory message to prompt the user to perform the substantial touch and check in if the mobile terminal continues to generate the indoor presence signal or the outdoor presence signal even after the scheduled start time has passed during the check-in stage.

[0027] (6) Furthermore, The space management method described in (4) or (5) includes a cancellation step of generating a cancellation signal indicating that the user has lost the authority to use the rental space if the mobile terminal continues to not generate the touch signal, the indoor presence signal, or the outdoor presence signal even after the scheduled start time has passed.

[0028] (7) A space management method according to (5) or (6), wherein the rental space is rented out to users free of charge.

[0029] (8) Each rental space shall have an electronic locking unit; The electronic lock unit is a communication unit capable of short-distance communication with the mobile terminal and communication with the management server, at least with the management server; a mechanism for switching each rental space between a locked state and an unlocked state; a control unit that switches the mechanism unit between a locked state and an unlocked state in response to a signal from the communication unit; A space management method according to any one of (1) to (7), including:

[0030] (9) The communication unit is capable of both short-range communication with the mobile terminal and communication with the management server, the communication unit receives a first ID signal representing a user ID from the mobile terminal and a second ID signal representing a user ID of a user authorized to use the rental space from the management server, and transfers these ID signals to the control unit; The control unit compares the ID signals, and if successful, outputs a signal to the mechanism unit to switch the rental space from a locked state to an unlocked state.This is a space management method described in (8).

[0031] (10) The communication unit has a function of reading information from a user's personal authentication card and a function of performing short-range communication with the mobile terminal, the communication unit receives a first ID signal representing a user ID from the personal authentication card and a second ID signal representing a user ID of a user authorized to use the rental space from the management server, and transfers these ID signals to the control unit; The control unit collates the ID signals, and if successful, outputs an unlocking signal to the mechanism unit to switch the rental space from a locked state to an unlocked state. This is a space management method described in (8).

[0032] (11) A space management method described in any of (8) to (10), in which when the check-out is completed and the mobile terminal no longer receives the touch signal or the indoor presence signal from the transmitter, the control unit outputs a locking signal to the mechanism unit to switch the rental space from an unlocked state to a locked state.

[0033] (12) Furthermore, A space management method described in any of items (1) to (11), which includes a reservation change process for accepting changes by the user to the reservation details for the rental space and / or scheduled time period through communication between the management server and the mobile terminal after the reservation.

[0034] (13) The rental space is a rental room that is rented to users free of charge and is used for users' stays, The space management method described in (12), wherein the reservation change step includes a rejection step of rejecting a reservation change request from the user if the mobile terminal does not generate the indoor presence signal or the outdoor presence signal when the user changes the reservation on the day of the use.

[0035] (14) The rental space is a rental room that is rented to users free of charge and is used for users' stays, The prompting step includes: A space management method described in any of (1) to (13), including an output step in which the mobile terminal determines whether there is an absence period during the period from the check-in to the check-out in which the user is away from the rental room and therefore does not generate the indoor presence signal, and if the absence period continues for more than a predetermined time, outputs a visual or auditory message to urge the user to return to the rental room.

[0036] (15) A program for causing the mobile terminal to function as any one of the mobile terminals described in (1) to (14).

[0037] Throughout this application, the term "program" may be interpreted to mean, for example, but not limited to, a combination of instructions that are executed by a computer to perform its functions, and may also include not only the combination of instructions, but also the files and data that are processed in accordance with each instruction.

[0038] Furthermore, this program may be executed by a computer alone to achieve its intended purpose, or may be executed by a computer together with other programs to achieve its intended purpose, but is not limited to these. In the latter case, the program according to this paragraph may be, but is not limited to, one that mainly consists of data.

[0039] (16) A program for functioning as the management server according to any one of (1) to (14).

[0040] (17) A recording medium on which the program described in (15) or (16) is recorded in a computer-readable manner.

[0041] Throughout this application, the term "recording medium" may be construed to mean various types of recording medium, including, but not limited to, magnetic recording medium such as a floppy disk, optical recording medium such as a CD or CD-ROM, magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO, and non-removable storage such as a ROM.

[0042] (18) A user monitoring method for monitoring a user's relative behavior in a designated space using a transmitter and a user's mobile terminal, comprising: The method comprises: A transmitter installed in the space that transmits a unique signal; A user's mobile terminal that is capable of receiving a signal from the transmitter within a receivable range and measuring the distance from the transmitter based on the received signal. It is carried out using The method comprises: a space identification step in which the mobile terminal identifies a transmitter ID of the transmitter based on a signal received from the transmitter, and identifies the space in which the transmitter is installed according to a correspondence relationship between the transmitter and a space that is stored in advance in a memory; a distance measurement step in which the mobile terminal and / or the management server discretely measure the distance of the user from the transmitter in association with time based on the received signal; a monitoring step in which the mobile terminal and / or the management server monitors the dynamic behavior of the user relative to the position of the space based on the time transition of the measured distance; A user monitoring method comprising:

[0043] (19) A user monitoring method according to claim (18), wherein the space includes a room whose interior space is surrounded by an exterior wall.

[0044] (20) A user monitoring method according to (18) or (19), wherein the space includes a restricted area where unauthorized users are prohibited from entering.

[0045] (21) A user monitoring method described in any of items (18) to (20), wherein the monitoring step includes a step of determining, based on the distance measured at a certain time, in which of at least two of the following areas the user is located at that time: a first area, which is an area within the space that is close to the location where the transmitter is installed; a second area, which is an area within the space excluding the first area; and a third area, which is an area outside the space.

[0046] (22) A user monitoring method described in any of (18) to (21), wherein the space includes a specific area within a collective facility where multiple personnel as multiple users are located, and the method is implemented to monitor the dynamic behavior of each of the personnel using the transmitter and the mobile terminals of the multiple personnel.

[0047] (23) A program for causing the mobile terminal according to any one of (18) to (22) to function.

[0048] (24) A recording medium on which the program described in (23) is recorded so as to be readable by a computer. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0049] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an oblique view showing an example of communication between multiple transmitters installed in multiple rental rooms, a mobile terminal of a user staying in one of the rental rooms, and a management server in a remote management center in an unmanned rental room management system according to an exemplary first embodiment of the present invention, which manages paid rental rooms. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing short-range one-way communication between each transmitter installed in each rental room shown in Figure 1 and the user's mobile terminal, and long-range two-way communication between the mobile terminal and the management server shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram conceptually showing the transmitter shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart conceptually illustrating an example of a program executed by the computer of the transmitter shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram conceptually showing the electronic lock shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram conceptually showing the mobile terminal shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram conceptually showing the management server shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8(a) is a diagram showing an example of a room-specific management file used to manage rental room reservations in the system, and FIG. 8(b) is a diagram showing an example of a user-specific management file used for that management. [Figure 9] Figure 9(a) is a set of time charts for illustratively explaining the overall sequence (the entire main sequence) of the system shown in Figure 1 when there is no delay by the user, Figure 9(b) is a set of time charts for illustratively explaining the latter half of the overall sequence when there is a delay in the user checking out, and Figure 9(c) is a set of time charts for illustratively explaining the latter half of the overall sequence when there is a delay in the user leaving the room. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart conceptually illustrating a reservation assistance module executed by the user's mobile terminal and the management server, respectively, to assist the user in reserving any of the rental rooms in the system shown in FIG. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a flowchart conceptually illustrating the check-in support module executed by the user's mobile terminal, the management server, and the rental room's electronic lock unit to assist the user in checking into any of the rental rooms in the system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 12]FIG. 12 is a flowchart conceptually illustrating a checkout assistance module executed by the user's mobile terminal and the management server, respectively, to assist the user in checking out of any of the rental rooms in the system shown in FIG. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a set of time charts for illustratively explaining the overall sequence (the entire main sequence) of an unmanned rental room management system according to an exemplary second embodiment of the present invention that manages free rental rooms in a state where there is no delay by the user, Figure 13(b) is a set of time charts for illustratively explaining the first half of the overall sequence in a state where there is a delay in the user checking in, Figure 13(c) is a set of time charts for illustratively explaining the second half of the overall sequence in a state where there is a delay in the user checking out, and Figure 13(d) is a set of time charts for illustratively explaining the second half of the overall sequence in a state where there is a delay in the user leaving the room. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a flowchart conceptually illustrating a check-in assistance module executed by the user's mobile terminal and the management server, respectively, to assist the user in checking into any of the rental rooms in the system shown in FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a flowchart conceptually illustrating a checkout assistance module executed by the user's mobile terminal and the management server, respectively, to assist the user in checking out of any of the rental rooms in the system of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0050] Hereinafter, some of more specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0051] First Embodiment

[0052] FIG. 1 shows an unmanned rental room management system (an example of a "rental space management system", hereinafter simply referred to as "the system") 10 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] First, to give an overview, this system 10 is configured so that, based on the user's reservation of a rental room 22 (specifying the location of use, scheduled start time (desired start time of use), scheduled end time (desired end time of use), etc.), the user's mobile terminal 90 uses a transmitter 30 installed in each rental room 22 to dynamically and remotely monitor changes in the user's position relative to the location of the rental room 22.

[0054] In the illustrated example, the rental room 22 is a private room in which an interior space (for example, a space that is generally rectangular or circular) is surrounded by exterior walls (for example, four exterior walls).

[0055] More specifically, in this system 10, the mobile terminal 90 measures the user's position relative to the position of the transmitter 30 based on a signal received from the transmitter 30, in temporal association with at least one of the scheduled start time and the scheduled end time (for example, at a timing temporally related to at least one of the scheduled start time and the scheduled end time), thereby monitoring the user's actual position relative to the position of the reserved rental room 22 as information representing the user's actual behavior.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mobile terminal 90 uses a signal from the transmitter 30 (e.g., the relationship between signal strength and distance) to detect the user's actual location relative to the location of the reserved rental room 22 in two stages (e.g., touch state and untouched state), three stages (e.g., touch state, indoor presence signal, and outside the reception area), or four stages (e.g., touch state, indoor presence signal, outdoor presence signal, and outside the reception area).

[0057] Therefore, in this embodiment, the mobile terminal 90 measures the distance to the transmitter 30 without photographing the transmitter 30 or the rental room 22 with its own camera, and therefore the mobile terminal 90 and the transmitter 30 work together to at least partially replace the functions of a surveillance camera.

[0058] Furthermore, in this system 10, when the monitored actual behavior of the user does not match the normal behavior in accordance with the reservation contents (time schedule, behavior schedule), the mobile terminal 90 and / or the management server 50 outputs a visual or auditory message to the user to urge him or her to correct the user's actual behavior thereafter to the normal behavior.

[0059] Next, the configuration of this system 10 will be explained in more detail with reference to Figure 1. This system 10 is a system for centrally managing multiple rental room facilities 20 (only a representative rental room facility A among these rental room facilities 20 is shown in Figure 1). Each rental room facility 20 has multiple rental rooms 22, and each rental room 22 is an example of a rental space that is temporarily rented to one or more users.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, unlike the second embodiment described below, the rental room 22 is a paid service, and the user is required to pay a rental fee commensurate with the length of time the room is used.

[0061] Here, to explain the classification of the rental rooms 22, each rental room 22 belongs to a first type of rental space, which has the characteristic that the user's mobile terminal 90 is located within a distance that allows short-range communication with the transmitter 30 of the rental space throughout substantially the entire period of each use by the user from the start time of use to the end time of use. There are multiple rooms within the accommodation facility that are other rental spaces that belong to the same first type.

[0062] There is also a second type of rental space, which has the characteristic that the user's mobile terminal 90 is located within a distance allowing short-range communication with the transmitter 30 of the rental space at least during the start and end stages of each usage period from the user's start time to the end time of use of the rental space. Rental spaces that belong to this second type include multiple car spaces in a parking lot (including a bicycle parking lot), multiple rental locker rooms, multiple rental warehouses, and multiple safe deposit boxes.

[0063] Each rental room facility 20 is unmanned and remotely managed. Furthermore, in order to reduce and simplify the equipment, each rental room facility 20 is not equipped with an adjustment machine for users to pay rental fees or a ticket issuing machine for issuing tickets to users.

[0064] There are two management methods for rental room facilities 20: an autonomous management method in which each rental room facility 20 is managed autonomously (individually or self-containedly) using only the equipment installed in that rental room facility 20, and a centralized management method in which multiple rental room facilities 20 are managed centrally by remotely communicating with a management server 50 (see FIG. 1). The system 10 according to this embodiment employs the centralized management method described above as its rental room facility management method.

[0065] <System configuration overview>

[0066] Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, this system 10 comprises a transmitter 30 installed in each rental room 22 in each rental room facility 20, a management server 50 installed in a management center 40 that centrally manages multiple rental room facilities 20, and a user's mobile terminal 90. There may be multiple transmitters 30 installed in each rental room 22, and for example, multiple transmitters 30 with multiple effective receiving areas may be used that are arranged so as to cover the entire space of one rental room facility 20 substantially without omissions when viewed in plan.

[0067] The system 10 according to this embodiment is for managing rental rooms 22 for which a fee is charged. Each rental room 22 has a door 91, and users cannot enter or leave the rental room 22 unless the door 91 is opened. An electronic lock unit (hereinafter simply referred to as "electronic lock") 92 is installed on the door 91, which can be unlocked wirelessly by the user using a mobile terminal 90. After making a reservation, the user's mobile terminal 90 wirelessly unlocks the electronic lock unit 92 to enter the rental room 22.

[0068] When the mobile terminal 90 or management server 50 detects using the transmitter 30 that the user has actually left the rental room 22, the management server 50 sends a locking command to the communication unit 93 of the electronic lock unit 92 to remotely lock the electronic lock unit 92. Alternatively or additionally, the electronic lock unit 92 may be configured to automatically lock the room without the intervention of the mobile terminal 90 or management server 50 when the user leaves the rental room 22 and closes the door 91.

[0069] <Transmitter>

[0070] In this embodiment, a plurality of rental rooms 22 are installed in the same rental room facility 20, and one transmitter 30 is used for each rental room 22.

[0071] Each transmitter 30 is configured to transmit an identification signal representing its own unique transmitter ID (an example of a "transmitter code"). Since one transmitter ID is also unique to one rental room 22, it is associated one-to-one with one room ID (an example of a "room code"), as described below.

[0072] As shown in Figure 2, in this system 10, a user uses his or her own mobile terminal 90 to receive the above-mentioned identification signal from a transmitter 30 installed in the rental room 22 in which the user is currently staying, either in contact with the transmitter 30 or in a non-contact state (when the mobile terminal 90 is held over the transmitter 30 or when the mobile terminal 90 is slightly away from the transmitter 30) using a short-range one-way wireless communication method, and also performs long-range two-way wireless communication with a management server 50 of a management center 40.

[0073] The user's mobile terminal 90 is a device that is carried by the user and has a wireless communication function, such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, or a PDA.

[0074] Here, the hardware configuration (see FIG. 3) and software configuration (see FIG. 4) of one transmitter 30 that represents the plurality of transmitters 30 in FIG. 1 will be described.

[0075] First, explaining conceptually, the transmitter 30 is a contactless or contact communication device that is installed with at least one in each corresponding rental room 22 and transmits an identification signal that can identify the rental room facility ID unique to the corresponding rental room 22. It is sufficient for the transmitter 30 to have at least a transmission function, but it may also be configured to have a receiving function as well, if necessary.

[0076] Next, the operation method will be explained. The transmitter 30 actively transmits a unique identification signal without requiring an external trigger signal, and continuously as long as there is no shortage of power supply.

[0077] Transmitter 30 is a device that is generally known as a beacon device, a radio beacon, or the like, that transmits a beacon signal as an identification signal. In one example, transmitter 30 generates an identification signal representing the corresponding rental room facility ID by modulating an original signal, and transmits the generated identification signal as an IR signal, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) signal, an NFC (near field communication) signal, or the like.

[0078] Next, the hardware configuration will be explained with reference to the functional block diagram of FIG. 3. The transmitter 30 is mainly composed of a computer 104 having a processor 100 and a memory 102 that stores multiple applications executed by the processor 100.

[0079] The transmitter 30 further has a replaceable disposable battery 106 as a power source. Instead of the battery 106, it is possible to use a rechargeable battery, a commercial power source as an external power source, or a generator that generates power using an external magnetic field (for example, a transponder).

[0080] The transmitter 30 further includes a transmitter 108 that generates and transmits an identification signal. The transmitter 108 is powered by a battery 106 and controlled by a controller 110. The controller 110 is controlled by the computer 100.

[0081] Next, the software configuration of the transmitter 30 will be explained with reference to FIG. 4. The processor 100 of the transmitter 30 repeatedly executes a program conceptually represented by a flowchart in FIG.

[0082] When this program is executed each time, first, in step S1, a transmitter ID is read from memory 102. The transmitter ID corresponds one-to-one to the room ID assigned to one rental room 22 in which the transmitter 30 is installed.

[0083] Next, in step S2, a signal for modulating an original signal (e.g., a carrier signal) is output to controller 110 so that the read transmitter ID is reflected. Controller 110 controls transmitting unit 108, and as a result, transmitting unit 108 generates an identification signal to be transmitted this time. Thereafter, in step S3, transmitting unit 108 transmits the generated identification signal. Then, the process returns to step S1.

[0084] Here, one function of the user's mobile terminal 90 will be explained in relation to this transmitter 30. When the mobile terminal 90 receives an identification signal from the transmitter 30, and starts a certain program pre-installed in the computer 134 (see Figure 6) of the mobile terminal 90, the received identification signal is demodulated in real time, thereby deciphering the transmitter ID in real time.

[0085] Furthermore, while receiving an identification signal from the transmitter 30, the mobile terminal 90 also measures, based on the received identification signal, the distance between the position of the transmitter 30 when the identification signal was transmitted and the position of the mobile terminal 90 when the identification signal was received.

[0086] That is, based on the identification signal received from the transmitter 30, the mobile terminal 90 acquires both the transmitter ID corresponding to that transmitter 30 and the distance to the transmitter 30 at that time.

[0087] When a user of the mobile terminal 90 approaches the transmitter 30 while holding the mobile terminal 90, or when the user brings the mobile terminal 90 into complete or near contact with the transmitting section 108 of the transmitter 30, the mobile terminal 90 can receive an identification signal from the transmitter 30 in a contactless or contact manner.

[0088] In contrast, when a user of the mobile terminal 90 enters a specific reception area while holding the mobile terminal 90, the mobile terminal 90 can receive the identification signal from the transmitter 30 in a contactless manner.

[0089] 1, each transmitter 30 is assigned two types of reception areas: a coverage area and an effective reception area. Both of these areas are generally defined by a circle originating from each transmitter 30, with the coverage area having a coverage radius (maximum reception radius) and the effective reception area having an effective reception radius.

[0090] However, specifically, the receivable area means an area in which the identification signal from each transmitter 30 can reach when the power supply to that transmitter 30 is normal, that is, an area in which the mobile terminal 90 can receive the identification signal as long as it is within that area.

[0091] In contrast, the effective reception area has an effective reception radius that is smaller than the maximum reception radius of the coverage area. While the maximum reception radius cannot be set arbitrarily, the effective reception radius can be set arbitrarily depending on, for example, the settings of the signal processing characteristics of the mobile terminal 90.

[0092] The effective reception radius is in the range from 0 m (touch state) to the maximum reception radius, which is, for example, in the range from 50 m to 70 m.

[0093] That is, it is possible to say that the maximum reception radius means the reception limit determined by the hardware, whereas the effective reception radius means the reception limit determined by the software.

[0094] As described above, mobile terminal 90 measures the distance to transmitter 30 based on the strength of the identification signal it receives from transmitter 30. The measured distance may or may not exceed the effective reception radius. When the measured distance does not exceed the effective reception radius, mobile terminal 90 is located within the effective reception area (see FIG. 1), whereas when the measured distance exceeds the effective reception radius, mobile terminal 90 is located within the receivable area but not within the effective reception area.

[0095] After receiving the identification signal from the transmitter 30, the mobile terminal 90 determines whether the distance measurement value is equal to or less than the set value of the effective reception radius, and if it determines that it is equal to or less than the set value, the mobile terminal 90 determines that it has "effectively received the identification signal from the transmitter 30 (hereinafter simply referred to as 'received the identification signal')" since it is currently located within the effective reception area. Here, "effectively received" means that the mobile terminal 90 has detected, specified, or identified any of the transmitters 30.

[0096] In contrast, if the mobile terminal 90 determines that the distance measurement value is greater than the set value, the mobile terminal 90 determines that the mobile terminal 90 is currently located outside the effective reception area and therefore has not effectively received the identification signal from the transmitter 30 (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "not receiving the identification signal").

[0097] In other words, in this embodiment, when the mobile terminal 90 is located outside the effective reception area, even though the mobile terminal 90 is actually receiving the identification signal, the software will treat the mobile terminal 90 as if it has not received the identification signal.

[0098] 1 shows a plan view of an example of an effective receiving area assigned to transmitter 30. In this example, transmitter 30 is installed in a generally central position in rental room 22 when viewed from above.

[0099] In this embodiment, the transmitter 30 has two types of effective receiving areas.

[0100] The first effective reception area is an effective reception area (short reception range) for determining that the mobile terminal 90 has effectively received the transmitter 30 when the setting value is 0 (hereinafter referred to as the "short reception range setting value"), i.e., when the mobile terminal 90 is located in the same position as the transmitter 30 and the user touches the mobile terminal 90 to the transmitter 30. Alternatively, an effective reception area for determining that the mobile terminal 90 has effectively received the transmitter 30 when the setting value is approximately 10 to approximately 20 cm, i.e., when the user holds the mobile terminal 90 over the transmitter 30 (when it is in a state immediately before touching), may be used.

[0101] The second effective reception area is a setting value (hereinafter referred to as the "long reception range setting value") that is generally equal to the radius of a circle that generally circumscribes or inscribes the rental room 22 in a plan view, that is, an effective reception area (long reception range) for determining that the mobile terminal 90 has effectively received the transmitter 30 when the mobile terminal 90 is located within the interior space of the rental room 22. This long reception range setting value is, for example, 3 m, 5 m, 10 m, 20 m, etc.

[0102] In other words, the first effective receiving area is for detecting the behavior of the user being in the same location as the transmitter 30 and touching the transmitter 30 with the mobile terminal 90, while the second effective receiving area is for detecting the behavior of the user being inside the rental room 22.

[0103] <Electronic lock unit>

[0104] Next, the hardware configuration of the electronic lock unit 92 will be explained with reference to the functional block diagram in Figure 5. The electronic lock unit 92 has a communication unit 93 capable of short-range communication with the mobile terminal 90 and communication with the management server 50, a mechanism unit 94 that switches the door 91 of the corresponding rental room 22 between a locked state and an unlocked state, and a control unit 95 that switches the mechanism unit 94 between a locked state and an unlocked state in response to a signal from the communication unit 93.

[0105] The control unit 95 is primarily composed of a computer having a processor 96 and a memory 97 that stores multiple applications executed by the processor 96. The mechanism unit 94 has a motor 94a, a movable unit 94b driven by the motor 94a, and a lock 94c that is switched between a locked state and an unlocked state by the movable unit 94b. The motor 94a is driven by power supplied from a power source 98. The lock 94c is installed so as to straddle the door 91 and the frame of the rental room 22 to which the door 91 is attached. An example of the movable unit 94b is a thumb turn, which is a metal fitting attached to the inside of the door 91 to open and close the lock 94c.

[0106] For a user who has reserved one of the rental rooms 22, prior to the scheduled start time, the management server 50 transmits the user ID of the current user who has the authority to unlock that electronic lock unit 92 to the electronic lock unit 92 of the reserved rental room 22. The electronic lock unit 92 is then unlocked when the user holds their own membership card (an example of the "personal authentication card" and also an example of a personal magnetic card or personal IC card) or mobile terminal 90, on which the user ID is recorded, over the communication unit 93 of the electronic lock unit 92. In this way, the electronic lock unit 92 unlocks the electronic lock unit 92 by applying the user ID as if it were a PIN unique to that electronic lock unit 92.

[0107] Alternatively, the electronic lock unit 92 may be configured to be unlocked by applying a PIN number. However, in this case, unless the PIN number is changed periodically in the electronic lock unit 92, there is a risk that a previous user may memorize the combination of the electronic lock unit 92 and the PIN number and use this combination to fraudulently unlock the electronic lock unit 92 and enter the rental room 22.

[0108] When the mobile terminal 90 or the management server 50 detects using the transmitter 30 that the user has actually left the rental room 22, the management server 50 sends a locking command to the communication unit 93 of the electronic lock unit 92 to lock it remotely.

[0109] Alternatively or additionally, the electronic lock unit 92 may be configured to automatically lock when the user leaves the rental room 22 and closes the door 91, without intervention from the mobile terminal 90 or the management server 50.

[0110] Here, "locked" means, for example, a state in which the door 91 opens when operated from inside the room but does not open when operated from outside the room, or a state in which the door 91 does not open when operated from either inside or outside the room.

[0111] <Mobile device>

[0112] Next, the hardware configuration of the user's mobile terminal 90 will be explained with reference to the functional block diagram of FIG. 6. The mobile terminal 90 is mainly composed of a computer 134 having a processor 130 and a memory 132 that stores multiple applications executed by the processor 130.

[0113] The mobile terminal 90 further has a display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display) 136 that displays information on a screen (having a window with a finite area that can be variable or fixed), a receiving unit 138 that receives signals from the transmitter 30 and the management server 50, and a transmitting unit 140 that generates signals and transmits them to the management server 50.

[0114] The mobile terminal 90 further includes an input unit 150 for inputting data and commands from the user. The input unit 150 includes, for example, an operation unit operable by the user to input desired information (e.g., commands, data, etc.) into the mobile terminal 90. The operation unit may be, but is not limited to, a touch screen that displays icons (e.g., virtual buttons) operable by the user, a physical operation unit (e.g., a keyboard, keypad, buttons, etc.) operable by the user, a microphone that detects voice, etc.

[0115] The mobile terminal 90 further includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 152. As is well known, the GPS receiver 152 receives multiple GPS signals from multiple GPS satellites and, based on those GPS signals, measures the position (latitude, longitude, and altitude) of the GPS receiver 152 on Earth by triangulation. In other words, the mobile terminal 90 has a positioning function that uses satellites.

[0116] <Administration Server>

[0117] Next, the hardware configuration of the management server 50 will be explained with reference to the functional block diagram of FIG. 7. The management server 50 is mainly composed of a computer 164 having a processor 160 and a memory 162 that stores multiple applications executed by the processor 160.

[0118] This management server 50 further has a display unit (for example, a liquid crystal display) 166 that displays information, a receiving unit 168 that receives signals from the mobile terminal 90, a transmitting unit 170 that generates signals and transmits them to the mobile terminal 90, and a clock 172 that measures the current time. This management server 50 does not receive information from the transmitter 30 directly, but in fact receives information via the mobile terminal 90.

[0119] <Management file>

[0120] In order to manage reservations for a plurality of rental rooms 22 by a plurality of users, the management server 50 creates and updates a management file, and the latest version of the management file is shared with the mobile terminal 90.

[0121] The management files are classified into room-specific management files for managing reservations for multiple rental rooms 22 by multiple users for each rental room 22, as illustrated in Figure 8(a), and user-specific management files for managing reservations for multiple rental rooms 22 by multiple users for each user, as illustrated in Figure 8(b).

[0122] 8(a), the room-specific management file displays whether a reservation has been made and the planned usage time period (including date and time) for each rental room facility 20 and for each rental room 22. The user visually checks this room-specific management file on the screen of their mobile terminal 90, references it, searches for a rental room facility 20 with available seats, searches for one of the multiple rental rooms 22 in that rental room facility 20 that has available time, and specifies the desired date, time, and time period.

[0123] In the example of Figure 8(a), on the time axis (from 0:00 to 23:59) for each rental room 22 in the room-specific management file, at the time of the most recent update of the room-specific management file, a time period where a horizontal bar hatched with diagonal lines exists indicates a time period where a reservation has already been made, i.e., a time period with a prior reservation (already booked), while a time period where no such bar exists indicates a time period where no reservation has yet been made, i.e., a time period without a prior reservation (vacant).

[0124] The user inputs into his / her mobile terminal 90 the identification information of the rental room facility 20 that he / she wishes to use, the identification information of the rental room 22 that he / she wishes to use, the scheduled start date and time, and the scheduled end date and time, thereby reserving the rental room 22 that he / she wishes to use.

[0125] As illustrated in Figure 8(b), the user-specific management file indicates, for each user, personal authentication information (user ID, password, etc.), location information for identifying the location of the reserved rental room facility 20 (ID unique to the selected facility 20), location information for identifying the location of the reserved rental room 22 (ID unique to the selected rental room 22), time information for defining the planned usage time period for the reserved rental room 22 (planned start time, planned end time, planned usage length, etc.), and the status of the reserved rental room 22, whether it is currently "in use," "vacant," or "reserved."

[0126] <Overview of the entire sequence>

[0127] Figure 9(a) shows an example of the overall sequence (the entire main sequence) of this system 10, represented by multiple time charts, in a state where there is no user delay behavior (a state where the user's actual behavior matches the normal behavior according to the reserved time schedule or behavior schedule).

[0128] In this example, a user has reserved a rental room 22 in a rental room facility 20 based on a time schedule (action schedule) in which the scheduled start time is 15:30 and the scheduled end time is 17:30.

[0129] 1) Reminders to users about the approaching scheduled start time

[0130] The management server 50 instructs the user's mobile terminal 90 to visually or audibly output a message indicating that the scheduled start time is 15:30 at a predetermined time before the scheduled start time, for example, 30 minutes before, at 15:00.

[0131] 2) Unlocking the electronic lock unit 92

[0132] The user approaches the reserved rental room 22, holds or touches the mobile terminal 90 or his / her membership card over the electronic lock unit 92 of the rental room 22 to unlock the electronic lock unit 92, and then enters the rental room 22.

[0133] 3) Indoor determination using transmitter 30

[0134] The mobile terminal 90 receives a signal from the transmitter 30 without the user being aware of it, and measures the distance to the transmitter 30 based on the strength of the signal. If the distance is greater than the set value for the short reception range but less than the set value for the long reception range, it is determined that the user is present in the rental room 22.

[0135] Therefore, when a user enters the rental room 22, the mobile terminal 90 and / or the management server 50 determine that the user is present in the rental room 22, and conversely, when the user leaves the rental room 22, the mobile terminal 90 and / or the management server 50 determine that the user is not present in the rental room 22.

[0136] 4) Check-in determination using electronic lock unit 92

[0137] In this embodiment, when a user unlocks the electronic lock unit 92 of the rental room 22 using the mobile terminal 90 or their own membership card, it is determined that the user has checked in.

[0138] Alternatively, after entering the room, if the user consciously approaches the transmitter 30 in the rental room 22 and holds or touches the mobile terminal 90 to the transmitter 30 (hereinafter, for ease of explanation, this will be simply referred to as "touching"), the mobile terminal 90 and / or management server 50 may determine that the user has checked in.

[0139] 5) Check-out determination using transmitter 30

[0140] Prior to leaving the room, the user consciously approaches the transmitter 30 in the rental room 22 and touches the mobile terminal 90 to the transmitter 30, and the mobile terminal 90 and / or the management server 50 determine that the user has checked out.

[0141] 6) Billing

[0142] If the user checks in before the scheduled start time, the user is charged from the check-in time, and if the user checks in after the scheduled start time, the user is charged from the scheduled start time.

[0143] In addition, whether the user checks out before or after the scheduled end time, the user will be charged at the scheduled end time. However, if the user checks out after the scheduled end time, the user may be subject to an appropriate penalty.

[0144] 7) Payment

[0145] At the time of check-out, the user electronically pays the rental fee using the mobile terminal 90.

[0146] <Measures for late check-out>

[0147] FIG. 9(b) shows the latter half of the overall sequence of the system 10 in a state where there is a delay in the user's check-out, using multiple time charts.

[0148] If the user does not touch the mobile terminal 90 to the transmitter 30 even after the scheduled end time has passed, check-out will not occur even when the scheduled end time arrives, so the mobile terminal 90 and / or management server 50 outputs a visual or auditory message from the mobile terminal 90 to urge the user to "touch the mobile terminal 90 to the transmitter 30 to check-out as the scheduled end time has passed."

[0149] <Measures for late departure>

[0150] FIG. 9(c) shows the latter half of the overall sequence of the system 10 in a state where there is a delay in the user leaving the room, using multiple time charts.

[0151] If, after checking out, the user remains in the same rental room 22 even after the scheduled end time has passed, the mobile terminal 90 and / or the management server 50 outputs a visual or auditory message from the mobile terminal 90 to urge the user to "leave the rental room 22 as the scheduled end time has passed."

[0152] <Reservation stage>

[0153] The reservation stage in the system 10 will now be described with reference to FIG.

[0154] FIG. 10 conceptually shows a flowchart of a reservation assistance module executed by the processor 130 of the user's mobile terminal 90 and the processor 160 of the management server 50, respectively, to assist the user in reserving any of the rental rooms in the system 10.

[0155] First, in step S101, the mobile terminal 90 logs in to the management server 50. At this time, the mobile terminal transmits the user ID of the user to the management server 50.

[0156] In response to this, the management server 50 returns to the mobile terminal 90 in step S151 a plurality of room-specific management files (see FIG. 8(a)) (saved in the memory 162) relating to all the rental room facilities 20.

[0157] In response to this, in step S102, the mobile terminal 90 displays the received multiple room-specific management files on the screen.

[0158] Next, in step S103, the mobile terminal 90 allows the user to select any one of the rental room facilities 20 and reserve any one of the multiple rental rooms 22 in the selected rental room facility 20 for a time period from a scheduled start time to a scheduled end time. At this time, the user inputs necessary information into the mobile terminal 90. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 90 transmits reservation-related data required for the reservation to the management server 50.

[0159] In response to this, in step S152, the management server 50 creates a user-specific management file (see FIG. 8(b)) based on the received reservation-related data, associates it with the user, and stores it in the memory 162. Subsequently, in step S153, the management server 50 determines that the reservation is completed, and transmits the user-specific management file to the mobile terminal 90.

[0160] In response to this, in step S104, the mobile terminal 90 displays the received user-specific management file or an equivalent on the screen.

[0161] <Check-in Stage>

[0162] Next, the check-in stage in the system 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0163] Figure 11 shows a conceptual flowchart of the check-in support module executed by the processor 130 of the user's mobile terminal 90, the processor 160 of the management server 50, and the processor 96 of the electronic lock unit 92 of the rental room 22 in the system 10 to assist the user in arriving and checking in at the reserved rental room 22. be.

[0164] First, in step S231, the management server 50 measures the current time using the clock 172, and then in step S232, reads the scheduled start time of the currently focused user among multiple users with reservations from the user management file, and determines whether the current time is a notice time that is a predetermined time earlier than the scheduled start time (for example, 30 minutes before the scheduled start time). If the determination is NO, the process returns to step S231, but if YES, the process proceeds to step S233.

[0165] In step S233, the management server 50 transmits to the mobile terminal 90 of the current user the room ID of the reserved rental room 22 along with data indicating that the scheduled start time is 30 minutes from now, and also transmits to the electronic lock unit 92 of the reserved rental room 22 the user ID of the user who is scheduled to issue an unlock command shortly.

[0166] In response, in step S201, the mobile terminal 90 displays on the screen the identification information of the rental room 22 represented by the received room ID. Meanwhile, in step S271, the electronic lock unit 92 waits to unlock the room when an unlock command is input from the user together with the same user ID as the received user ID.

[0167] Next, in step S202, the mobile terminal 90 transmits an unlock command to the communication section 93 of the electronic lock unit 92 together with the user ID.

[0168] In response to this, in step S272, the electronic lock unit 92 receives the unlock command together with the user ID from the mobile terminal 90, and compares the received user ID with the user ID received from the management server 50 in step S271. The user ID received from the management server 50 is temporarily stored in memory 97 for future reference, and is erased from memory 97 when processing for the current user is completed.

[0169] If the verification is successful, the electronic lock unit 92 unlocks the lock 94c in step S273. Specifically, the control unit 95 outputs an unlock signal to the mechanism unit 94 to switch the lock 94c of the mechanism unit 94 from a locked state to an unlocked state. Thereafter, the user opens the door 91 from outside the room and enters the reserved rental room 22.

[0170] Next, in step S274, the electronic lock unit 92 transmits an unlock completion signal indicating that the electronic lock unit 92 is in an unlocked state to the management server 50 together with the user ID.

[0171] Meanwhile, in step S234, the management server 50 measures the current time using the clock 172, and then in step S235 determines whether the current time is earlier than the scheduled start time for this user. If the determination is YES, in step S236, reception from the electronic lock unit 92 is attempted.

[0172] Thereafter, in step S237, the management server 50 determines whether or not the unlocking completion signal has been received from the electronic lock unit 92. If the determination is NO, the process returns to S234, but if the determination is YES, the process proceeds to step S238.

[0173] In step S238, the management server 50 determines that the current user has checked in to the reserved rental room 22. Next, in step S239, the management server 50 updates the user-specific management file so that the status is changed from "reserved" to "in use."

[0174] In this embodiment, the unlocking completion signal from the electronic lock unit 92 corresponds to the check-in completion signal indicating that the user has completed check-in, but as in the second embodiment described below, it may be replaced by a check-in completion signal from the mobile terminal 90 (an example of the ``touch signal'').

[0175] Thereafter, the management server 50 starts charging the user in step S240. The rental fee is calculated as a deferred fee, for example, an amount corresponding to the length of actual usage time or an amount corresponding to the length of time from the scheduled start time to the scheduled end time.

[0176] Next, in step S241, the management server 50 transmits to the mobile terminal 90 rental-related information regarding check-in completion, identification information of the rental room 22 being used, the scheduled check-out time (scheduled end time), the billing method, and other terms of use.

[0177] In response, in step S203, the mobile terminal 90 receives the rental-related information from the management server 50 and displays the information on the screen. Next, in step S204, the mobile terminal 90 enters the reserved rental room 22 together with the user, or if already entered, begins using the room.

[0178] <Checkout Stage>

[0179] Next, the checkout stage in the system 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0180] Figure 12 conceptually shows a flowchart of the checkout assistance module executed by the processor 130 of the user's mobile terminal 90, the processor 160 of the management server 50, and the processor 96 of the electronic lock unit 92 of the rental room 22 in the system 10 to assist the user in checking out of the reserved rental room 22.

[0181] First, in step S331, the management server 50 measures the current time using the clock 172. Next, in step S332, the management server 50 reads the scheduled end time of the currently selected user among multiple users with reservations from the user management file and determines whether the current time is earlier than the scheduled end time. If the determination is YES, in step S333, the management server 50 attempts to receive a check-out completion signal (an example of the "touch signal") from the mobile terminal 90.

[0182] Thereafter, in step S334, the management server 50 determines whether or not the check-out completion signal has been received from the mobile terminal 90. If the determination is NO, the process returns to S331, but if the determination is YES, in step S335, the management server 50 determines that the current user has checked out of the reserved rental room 22.

[0183] Here, steps S332-S334 work together to realize the function of discretely measuring the user's distance from the transmitter 30 (i.e., an example of an indicator representing the user's dynamic behavior relative to the location of the rental room 22) in association with a specific time (scheduled end time).

[0184] Next, in step S339, management server 50 updates the user-specific management file so that the status is changed from "in use" to "vacant." Thereafter, in step S340, management server 50 calculates the amount of the rental fee by, for example, calculating the length of the actual usage time, and transmits invoice data indicating that the rental fee will be charged to mobile terminal 90, thereby charging the rental fee to the current user.

[0185] On the other hand, if the determination in step S332 is NO, that is, if the user does not check out even after the scheduled end time has passed, the management server 50 in step S336 sends a check-out prompting signal to the mobile terminal 90 to instruct the mobile terminal 90 to output a visual or auditory message prompting the user to "touch the mobile terminal 90 to the transmitter 30 to check out because the scheduled end time has passed."

[0186] Upon receiving the check-out prompt signal, the mobile terminal 90 outputs the message on the screen or through the speaker in accordance with the signal in step S301.

[0187] After executing step S336, the management server 50 attempts to receive a check-out completion signal from the mobile terminal 90 in step S337.

[0188] Thereafter, in step S338, the management server 50 determines whether or not the check-out completion signal has been received from the mobile terminal 90. If the determination is NO, the process returns to S336, but if the determination is YES, the process proceeds to step S335. As a result, the management server 50 determines that the current user has checked out of the reserved rental room 22.

[0189] Meanwhile, in step S302, the mobile terminal 90 attempts to receive a signal from the transmitter 30, and then, in step S303, if a signal is received, measures the distance between the transmitter 30 and the mobile terminal 90 based on the strength of the signal. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 90 determines whether the measured distance is shorter than the set value for the short reception range, i.e., whether the user has substantially touched the mobile terminal 90 to the transmitter 30.

[0190] If the determination is NO, the process returns to S302, but if the determination is YES, the mobile terminal 90 extracts the corresponding transmitter ID from the received signal in step S304. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 90 converts the acquired transmitter ID into identification information of the rental room 22 in accordance with the correspondence between the transmitter ID and the identification information (e.g., room number) of the rental room 22 that is stored in memory 132. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 90 compares the identification information with the identification information of the rental room 22 reserved by the current user.

[0191] Next, if the verification is successful in step S305, the mobile terminal 90 determines that the current user has checked out, and transmits the check-out completion signal to the management server 50 (step S333 or S337).

[0192] In Figure 12, the dashed line marked "Case 1" represents a scenario in which the mobile terminal 90 sends a check-out completion signal to the management server 50 before the scheduled end time has passed, while the dashed line marked "Case 2" represents a scenario in which the mobile terminal 90 receives the prompt and sends a check-out completion signal to the management server 50 after the scheduled end time has passed.

[0193] Thereafter, the mobile terminal 90 receives the bill based on the received bill data and electronically settles the rental fee in step S306.

[0194] Next, in step S307, the mobile terminal 90 again attempts to receive a signal from the transmitter 30, and then, in step S308, if a signal is received, measures the distance between the transmitter 30 and the mobile terminal 90 based on the strength of the signal. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 90 determines whether the measured distance is shorter than the set value for the long reception range, i.e., whether the user is still present in the current rental room 22.

[0195] If the determination is YES, in step S309, the mobile terminal 90 outputs a visual or audible message to urge the user to "leave the rental room 22 because the scheduled end time has passed." Thereafter, the process returns to step S307.

[0196] On the other hand, if the judgment in step S308 is NO, the mobile terminal 90 judges in step S310 that the user has left the rental room 22, and then in step S311 sends a locking command together with the user ID to the communication unit 92 of the electronic lock unit 92.

[0197] In response, in step S371, the electronic lock unit 92 compares the received user ID with the user ID stored in the memory 97. Specifically, the control unit 95 outputs a locking signal to the mechanism unit 94 to switch the lock 94c of the mechanism unit 94 from an unlocked state to a locked state. Thereafter, the user ID is erased from the memory 97.

[0198] If the verification is successful, the electronic lock unit 92 locks the lock 94c in step S372. After that, the user opens the door 91 from inside the room, leaves the reserved rental room 22, and closes the door 91, after which an unauthorized person cannot open the door 91 from outside the room.

[0199] Next, in step S373, the electronic lock unit 92 transmits a locking completion signal indicating that the electronic lock unit 92 is in a locked state to the management server 50 together with the user ID.

[0200] On the other hand, in step S341, the management server 50 confirms, based on the received information, that the current rental room 22 has been locked normally.

[0201] <Second embodiment>

[0202] Next, an unmanned rental room management system 10 according to an exemplary second embodiment of the present invention will be described. However, duplicated explanations of parts common to the unmanned rental room management system 10 according to the first embodiment will be omitted, and only the differences will be described in detail. The unmanned rental room management system according to this embodiment is configured to execute the unmanned rental room management method according to this embodiment.

[0203] As described above, in the first embodiment, each rental room 22 is rented to a user for a fee, and there is a charge and a user settlement associated with the use. In contrast, in the present embodiment, each rental room 22 is rented to a user free of charge, and there is no charge and a user settlement associated with the use.

[0204] In addition, an electronic lock unit 92 is present in the first embodiment because, since each rental room 22 is rented out to users for a fee, there is usually a desire to limit the range of people who can enter and exit each rental room 22, and also to improve the security of each rental room 22.

[0205] In contrast, in this embodiment, there is no electronic lock unit 92 because the rental room facility 20 is installed in a facility where the range of people allowed to enter is somewhat restricted (for example, a school such as a university campus), and each rental room 22 is rented out to users free of charge, so it is expected that many people will enter and exit the same rental room 22 relatively freely.

[0206] Therefore, in this embodiment, the door 91 is not equipped with an electronic lock unit 92, or even if it is equipped, it is not used, and as a result, the user can freely open and close the door 91 at any time at their own will (for example, by operating an operating member such as a door handle, lever handle, or door knob).

[0207] <Overview of the entire sequence>

[0208] Figure 13(a) shows an example of the overall sequence (the entire main sequence) of this system 10, represented by multiple time charts, in a state where there is no delaying behavior by the user (a state where the user's actual behavior matches the normal behavior according to the reserved time schedule (behavior schedule)).

[0209] In this example, a user has reserved a rental room 22 in a rental room facility 20 based on a time schedule (action schedule) in which the scheduled start time is 15:30 and the scheduled end time is 17:30.

[0210] 1) Reminders to users about the approaching scheduled start time

[0211] The management server 50 instructs the user's mobile terminal 90 to visually or audibly output a message indicating that the scheduled start time is 15:30 at a predetermined time before the scheduled start time, for example, 30 minutes before, at 15:00.

[0212] 2) Indoor determination using transmitter 30

[0213] The mobile terminal 90 receives a signal from the transmitter 30 without the user being aware of it, and measures the distance to the transmitter 30 based on the strength of the signal. If the distance is greater than the set value for the short reception range but less than the set value for the long reception range, it is determined that the user is present in the rental room 22.

[0214] Therefore, when a user enters the rental room 22, the mobile terminal 90 and / or the management server 50 determine that the user is present in the rental room 22, and conversely, when the user leaves the rental room 22, the mobile terminal 90 and / or the management server 50 determine that the user is not present in the rental room 22.

[0215] 3) Check-in determination using transmitter 30

[0216] After entering the room, the user consciously approaches the transmitter 30 in the rental room 22 and holds or touches the mobile terminal 90 to the transmitter 30 (hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, this will be simply referred to as "touching").The mobile terminal 90 and / or the management server 50 will then determine that the user has checked in.

[0217] 4) Check-out determination using transmitter 30

[0218] Prior to leaving the room, the user consciously approaches the transmitter 30 in the rental room 22 and touches the mobile terminal 90 to the transmitter 30, and the mobile terminal 90 and / or the management server 50 determine that the user has checked out.

[0219] <Measures for late check-in>

[0220] FIG. 13(b) shows the latter half of the overall sequence of the system 10 in a state where there is a delay in the user's check-in, using multiple time charts.

[0221] If the user is in the rental room 22 but does not touch the mobile terminal 90 to the transmitter 30 even after the scheduled start time has passed, check-in will not occur even when the scheduled start time arrives, and the mobile terminal 90 and / or management server 50 will output a visual or auditory message from the mobile terminal 90 to urge the user to "touch the mobile terminal 90 to the transmitter 30 to check in as the scheduled start time has passed."

[0222] <Measures for late check-out>

[0223] FIG. 3(c) shows the latter half of the overall sequence of the system 10 in a state where there is a delay in the user's check-out, using multiple time charts.

[0224] If the user does not touch the mobile terminal 90 to the transmitter 30 even after the scheduled end time has passed, check-out will not occur even when the scheduled end time arrives, so the mobile terminal 90 and / or management server 50 outputs a visual or auditory message from the mobile terminal 90 to urge the user to "touch the mobile terminal 90 to the transmitter 30 to check-out as the scheduled end time has passed."

[0225] <Measures for late departure>

[0226] FIG. 13(c) shows the latter half of the entire sequence of the system 10 using multiple time charts, with the user being delayed in leaving the room.

[0227] If, after checking out, the user remains in the same rental room 22 even after the scheduled end time has passed, the mobile terminal 90 and / or the management server 50 outputs a visual or auditory message from the mobile terminal 90 to urge the user to "leave the rental room 22 as the scheduled end time has passed."

[0228] <Reservation stage>

[0229] In this embodiment, the reservation assistance module is executed in the same manner as described above with reference to FIG. 10 to assist the user in reserving a rental room 22.

[0230] <Check-in Stage>

[0231] Next, the check-in stage in the system 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0232] Figure 14 is a conceptual flowchart showing a check-in assistance module executed by the processors 130 and 160 of the user's mobile terminal 90 and management server 50, respectively, in the system 10 to assist the user in arriving at and checking into the reserved rental room 22.

[0233] First, in step S431, the management server 50 measures the current time using the clock 172, and then in step S432, reads from the user management file the scheduled start time of the currently focused user among multiple users with reservations, and determines whether the current time is the advance notice time that is a predetermined time earlier than the scheduled start time (for example, 30 minutes before the scheduled start time). If the determination is NO, the process returns to step S431, but if YES, the process proceeds to step S433.

[0234] In step S433, the management server 50 transmits to the mobile terminal 90 of the current user the room ID of the reserved rental room 22, as well as data indicating that the scheduled start time will arrive in 30 minutes.

[0235] In response to this, in step S402, the mobile terminal 90 displays on the screen the identification information of the rental room 22 represented by the received room ID.

[0236] Meanwhile, in step S434, management server 50 measures the current time using clock 172, and then in step S435 determines whether the current time is earlier than the scheduled start time for this user. If the determination is YES, in step S436, management server 50 attempts to receive a check-in completion signal (an example of the "touch signal") from mobile terminal 90.

[0237] Thereafter, in step S437, management server 50 determines whether or not a check-in completion signal has been received from mobile terminal 90. If the determination is NO, the process returns to S434, but if the determination is YES, the process proceeds to step S438.

[0238] Here, steps S434-S437 work together to realize the function of discretely measuring the user's distance from the transmitter 30 (i.e., an example of an indicator representing the user's dynamic behavior relative to the location of the rental room 22) in association with a specific time (scheduled start time).

[0239] In step S438, the management server 50 determines that the current user has checked in to the reserved rental room 22. Next, in step S447, the management server 50 updates the user-specific management file so that the status is changed from "reserved" to "in use."

[0240] Thereafter, in step S448, the management server 50 transmits to the mobile terminal 90 information related to the check-in completion, the identification information of the rental room 22 being used, the scheduled check-out time (scheduled end time), and other rental-related information related to the terms of use.

[0241] In response, in step S410, the mobile terminal 90 receives the rental-related information from the management server 50 and displays the information on the screen.

[0242] On the other hand, if the determination in step S435 is NO, then in step S439 the management server 50 attempts to receive an indoor presence signal (a signal indicating that the user is present in the rental room 22) from the mobile terminal 90. If the determination in step S440 is NO, then in S441 it is determined whether or not a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes) has elapsed since the scheduled start time. If this time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S439, but if this time has elapsed, then in step S442 the current reservation is forcibly canceled as a penalty for the user's delay.

[0243] On the other hand, if the determination in step S440 is YES, in step S443, the management server 50 sends a check-in prompting signal to the mobile terminal 90 to instruct the mobile terminal 90 to output a visual or auditory message prompting the user to "touch the mobile terminal 90 to the transmitter 30 to check in, as the scheduled start time has passed."

[0244] Upon receiving the check-in prompt signal, the mobile terminal 90 outputs the message on the screen or through the speaker in accordance with the signal in step S401.

[0245] After executing step S443, management server 50 attempts to receive a check-in completion signal from mobile terminal 90 in step S444.

[0246] Thereafter, in step S445, the management server 50 determines whether or not the check-in completion signal has been received from the mobile terminal 90. If the determination is NO, in S446, it determines whether or not a predetermined time (e.g., 10 minutes) has elapsed since the scheduled start time. If the determination is NO, the process returns to step S439, but if the determination is YES, in step S442, the current reservation is forcibly canceled as a penalty for the user's delay.

[0247] If the determination in step S445 is YES, the management server 50 determines in step S438 that the current user has checked in to the reserved rental room 22.

[0248] Meanwhile, in step S403, the mobile terminal 90 attempts to receive a signal from the transmitter 30, and then, in step S404, if a signal is received, measures the distance between the transmitter 30 and the mobile terminal 90 based on the strength of the signal. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 90 determines whether the measured distance is shorter than the set value for the short reception range, i.e., whether the user has substantially touched the mobile terminal 90 to the transmitter 30.

[0249] If the determination is NO, then in step S405, the mobile terminal 90 determines whether the distance measurement value is longer than the set value for the short reception range but shorter than the set value for the long reception range. That is, it determines whether the user is present in the rental room 22. If the determination is YES, then in step S407, the mobile terminal 90 transmits the indoor presence signal to the management server 50 (step S439).

[0250] On the other hand, if the determination in step S405 is NO, the mobile terminal 90 determines in step S406 that the current distance measurement value is longer than the set value for the long reception range, and therefore determines that the user is outside the rental room 22, and transmits an outside presence signal to the management server 50 (step S439). Then, the process returns to step S403.

[0251] On the other hand, if the determination in step S404 is YES, in step S408, the mobile terminal 90 extracts the corresponding transmitter ID from the received signal. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 90 converts the acquired transmitter ID into identification information of the rental room 22 in accordance with the correspondence between the transmitter ID and the identification information (e.g., room number) of the rental room 22 that is stored in memory 132. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 90 compares the identification information with the identification information of the rental room 22 reserved by the current user.

[0252] Next, if the verification is successful in step S409, the mobile terminal 90 determines that the current user has checked in, and transmits the check-in completion signal to the management server 50 (step S436 or S444).

[0253] In Figure 14, the dashed line marked "Case 1" represents a scenario in which the mobile terminal 90 sends a check-in completion signal to the management server 50 before the scheduled start time has passed, while the dashed line marked "Case 2" represents a scenario in which the mobile terminal 90 sends a check-in completion signal to the management server 50 after the scheduled start time has passed in response to the prompt.

[0254] <Checkout Stage>

[0255] Next, the checkout stage in the system 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0256] Figure 15 conceptually shows a flowchart of a checkout assistance module executed by the processors 130 and 160 of the user's mobile terminal 90 and the management server 50, respectively, in the system 10 to assist the user in checking out of the reserved rental room 22.

[0257] First, in step S531, the management server 50 measures the current time using the clock 172, and then in step S532, reads the scheduled end time of the currently selected user among multiple users with reservations from the user management file, and determines whether the current time is earlier than the scheduled end time. If the determination is YES, in step S333, an attempt is made to receive a check-out completion signal (an example of the "touch signal") from the mobile terminal 90.

[0258] Thereafter, in step S534, the management server 50 determines whether or not the check-out completion signal has been received from the mobile terminal 90. If the determination is NO, the process returns to S331, but if the determination is YES, in step S535, the management server 50 determines that the current user has checked out of the reserved rental room 22.

[0259] Here, steps S531-S534 cooperate with each other to realize the function of discretely measuring the user's distance from the transmitter 30 (i.e., an example of an indicator representing the user's dynamic behavior relative to the location of the rental room 22) in association with a specific time (scheduled end time).

[0260] Next, in step S539, the management server 50 updates the user-specific management file so that the status is changed from “in use” to “vacant.” Thereafter, in step S540, the management server 50 transmits rental-related information to the mobile terminal 90.

[0261] On the other hand, if the determination in step S532 is NO, that is, if the user does not check out even after the scheduled end time has passed, the management server 50 in step S536 sends a check-out prompting signal to the mobile terminal 90 to instruct the mobile terminal 90 to output a visual or auditory message prompting the user to "touch the mobile terminal 90 to the transmitter 30 to check out because the scheduled end time has passed."

[0262] Upon receiving the check-out prompt signal, the mobile terminal 90 outputs the message on the screen or through the speaker in accordance with the signal in step S501.

[0263] After executing step S536, the management server 50 attempts to receive a check-out completion signal from the mobile terminal 90 in step S537.

[0264] Thereafter, in step S538, the management server 50 determines whether or not the check-out completion signal has been received from the mobile terminal 90. If the determination is NO, the process returns to S536, but if the determination is YES, the process proceeds to step S535. As a result, the management server 50 determines that the current user has checked out of the reserved rental room 22.

[0265] Meanwhile, in step S502, the mobile terminal 90 attempts to receive a signal from the transmitter 30, and then, in step S503, if a signal is received, measures the distance between the transmitter 30 and the mobile terminal 90 based on the strength of the signal. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 90 determines whether the measured distance is shorter than the set value for the short reception range, i.e., whether the user has substantially touched the mobile terminal 90 to the transmitter 30.

[0266] If the determination is NO, the process returns to S502, but if the determination is YES, the mobile terminal 90 extracts the corresponding transmitter ID from the received signal in step S504. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 90 converts the acquired transmitter ID into identification information of the rental room 22 in accordance with the correspondence between the transmitter ID and the identification information (e.g., room number) of the rental room 22 that is stored in memory 132. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 90 compares the identification information with the identification information of the rental room 22 reserved by the current user.

[0267] Next, in step S505, if the verification is successful, the mobile terminal 90 determines that the current user has checked out, and transmits the check-out completion signal to the management server 50.

[0268] In Figure 15, the dashed line marked "Case 1" represents a scenario in which the mobile terminal 90 sends a check-out completion signal to the management server 50 before the scheduled end time has passed, while the dashed line marked "Case 2" represents a scenario in which the mobile terminal 90 receives the prompt and sends a check-out completion signal to the management server 50 after the scheduled end time has passed.

[0269] Thereafter, in step S506, the mobile terminal 90 displays the rental-related information received from the management server 50 on the screen.

[0270] Next, in step S507, the mobile terminal 90 again attempts to receive a signal from the transmitter 30, and then, in step S508, if a signal is received, measures the distance between the transmitter 30 and the mobile terminal 90 based on the strength of the signal. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 90 determines whether the measured distance is shorter than the set value for the long reception range, i.e., whether the user is still present in the current rental room 22.

[0271] If the determination is YES, in step S509, the mobile terminal 90 outputs a visual or audible message to urge the user to "leave the rental room 22 because the scheduled end time has passed." Thereafter, the process returns to step S507.

[0272] On the other hand, if the determination in step S508 is NO, the mobile terminal 90 determines in step S510 that the user has left the rental room 22.

[0273] Furthermore, the system 10 according to this embodiment and the system 10 according to the first embodiment optionally have the following functions.

[0274] <Reservation change function>

[0275] A reservation change function that accepts changes to the reservation details of the rental room 22 and / or the scheduled time period by the user through communication between the management server 50 and the mobile terminal 90 after the user makes a reservation.

[0276] According to one example of this reservation change function, if a user changes a reservation on the day they plan to use the rental room 22, the reservation change request from the user will be rejected unless the mobile terminal 90 generates the indoor presence signal or outdoor presence signal.

[0277] <Absence period suppression function>

[0278] The mobile terminal 90 judges whether there is an absence period during the period from check-in to check-out for the rental room 22 in which the user is out of the rental room 22 and does not generate the indoor presence signal, and if the absence period continues for a predetermined time or longer, it outputs a visual or audio message to urge the user to return to the rental room 22.

[0279] It should be noted that this embodiment can be implemented with various modifications, and for example, it can be improved so that the management server 50 executes the same data processing as at least a part of the data processing by the mobile terminal 90, or conversely, it can be improved so that the mobile terminal 90 executes the same data processing as at least a part of the data processing by the management server 50. This also applies to the following second embodiment.

[0280] As is clear from the above explanation, according to some of the embodiments described above, the actual dynamic behavior of the user is dynamically monitored by installing a transmitter rather than a surveillance camera in the rental space, and measuring the distance to the transmitter discretely in relation to time using the user's mobile terminal.

[0281] While a surveillance camera monitors the rental space and users, which are the targets of surveillance, in two dimensions from a bird's-eye view, a transmitter measures the same targets in one dimension, that is, in the dimension of distance. In other words, the transmitter is effectively taking a distance image of the same targets.

[0282] Considering that the distance measured by the transmitter is the radius of a circle centered at the transmitter's location, the distance image acquired by the transmitter is expanded into a two-dimensional image divided into multiple concentric circular regions centered at the transmitter's location. Therefore, if the shape of the rental space to be monitored can be approximately depicted in a plan view by multiple concentric circles centered at the transmitter's location, the rationality of expanding the one-dimensional distance image into a two-dimensional image in this way is improved.

[0283] In this way, transmitters have the same monitoring function as surveillance cameras, but because surveillance cameras are installed in locations that are always visible to users, users may feel anxious that they are being watched by others and may be concerned about their privacy being violated. In contrast, when a transmitter is installed, users do not have such anxiety or concerns. In that sense, transmitters, unlike surveillance cameras, can perform the same monitoring function without causing anxiety to users.

[0284] Furthermore, when using a surveillance camera, the person being photographed is not specified in advance, so capturing a facial image is an important role. In contrast, when using a transmitter, the user being monitored is specified in advance, so the monitored person can be represented as a single point on a distance image.

[0285] Furthermore, when using a surveillance camera, automatic analysis of the captured image requires sophisticated and complex data processing, which usually requires human intervention. However, when using a transmitter, the captured image is expressed as multiple distance values, so simple data processing can convert the multiple distance values ​​into user behavior patterns.

[0286] Some embodiments of the present invention have been described above by taking two embodiments as examples, and the following ideas can be extracted from these embodiments.

[0287] It is a user monitoring method that uses a transmitter (an example of which is transmitter 30) and the user's mobile terminal (an example of which is mobile terminal 90) to monitor the user's relative behavior in relation to a designated space (an example of which is rental space 22).

[0288] The method is implemented using a transmitter installed in the space that emits a unique signal and a user's mobile terminal that receives a signal from the transmitter within a reception range and is capable of measuring the distance from the transmitter based on the received signal.

[0289] Specifically, the method may include at least one of: a) a space identification process (e.g., step S408) in which the mobile terminal identifies the transmitter ID of the transmitter based on a signal received from the transmitter, and identifies the space in which the transmitter is installed according to a correspondence between the transmitter and the space that is pre-stored in memory; b) a distance measurement process (e.g., steps S404, S440) in which the mobile terminal and / or management server discretely measure the user's distance from the transmitter in association with time based on the received signal; and c) a monitoring process (e.g., steps S404-S406, steps S440, S443, steps S507-S510) in which the mobile terminal and / or management server monitor the user's dynamic behavior relative to the position of the space based on the time progression of the measured distance.

[0290] The space may include a room with an interior space enclosed by an exterior wall (one example of which is the rental space 22). The space may also include a restricted area where unauthorized users are prohibited from entering (in a sense, one example of which is the rental space 22 after checkout).

[0291] The monitoring process may include a process of determining, based on the distance measured at a certain time, which of at least two of the following the user is present at that time: a first area (e.g., the touch state) which is an area within the space that is close to the location where the transmitter is installed; a second area (e.g., the indoor presence state) which is an area within the space excluding the first area; and a third area (e.g., the outdoor presence state) which is an area outside the space.

[0292] The space may include a specific area within a collective facility where multiple personnel as multiple users are located, and the method may be implemented to monitor the dynamic behavior of each of the personnel using the transmitter and the mobile devices of the multiple personnel.

[0293] Although some exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, these are merely examples, and the present invention can be embodied in other forms that incorporate various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, including the embodiments described in the "Summary of the Invention" section above.

Claims

1. An entry / exit management system that manages entry and exit of a user to a space as a stay facility used by the user by using a short-range wireless communication unit installed in the space and a mobile terminal of the user, a management server capable of communicating with the mobile terminal; The management server is a presence / absence determination unit that enables the mobile terminal to determine whether the user is present in the space based on a signal received from the short-range wireless communication unit; a check-in prompting unit that enables the mobile terminal to output a visual or audio check-in prompting message to prompt the user to check in when the user is present in the space by performing a substantial touch action of holding or touching the mobile terminal over the near-field wireless communication unit; Including, The short-range wireless communication unit is an access control system that is placed in the space at a position that enables short-range communication with the mobile terminal of a user present in the space.

2. The management server further a reservation unit that enables the mobile terminal to make a reservation of the space to the management server by specifying a scheduled start time in response to an instruction from the user, 2. The entry / exit management system of claim 1, wherein the check-in prompting unit initiates a check-in determination to determine whether the user has checked in by determining whether a signal indicating that the user has performed the substantial touch action on the mobile terminal is received as a check-in completion signal from the mobile terminal before the scheduled start time has elapsed, and enables the mobile terminal to output the check-in prompt message if it is not determined that the user has checked in before the scheduled start time has elapsed.

3. A program executed by the computer of the mobile terminal to implement the entry / exit management system according to claim 1, The mobile terminal has a plurality of functions, a function of determining whether the user is present in the space based on a signal received by the mobile terminal from the short-range wireless communication unit; a function of receiving the substantial touch action from the user in response to the output check-in prompt message; transmitting a check-in completion signal to the management server in response to the substantial touching action; Including, A program executed by the computer to realize the functions.

4. A program executed by the computer of the mobile terminal to implement the entry / exit management system according to claim 2, The mobile terminal has a plurality of functions, a function to assist the user in making the reservation; a function of determining whether the user is present in the space based on a signal received by the mobile terminal from the short-range wireless communication unit; a function of receiving the substantial touch action from the user in response to the output check-in prompt message; transmitting the check-in completion signal to the management server in response to the substantial touching action; Including, A program executed by the computer to realize the functions.

5. A program for functioning as the management server according to claim 1 or 2.

6. 5. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 3 or 4 is recorded.

7. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 5 is recorded.

Images