Monitoring device, monitoring method, and program

Abstract

A monitoring device according to one aspect of the present embodiment comprises: a vibration acquisition unit that acquires vibration occurring in an optical fiber cable; a determination unit that determines whether the vibration corresponds to reference vibration; and a notification control unit whereby, when the vibration corresponds to the reference vibration, notification regarding the source of the vibration is controlled on the basis of permission information that is associated with the reference information and indicates whether passage is permitted. This monitoring device is capable of issuing an alert corresponding to a detected object.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a monitoring device, a monitoring method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, optical fibers have been used not only for communication purposes but also as sensors for detecting vibrations occurring on the ground.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, it is described that two different optical fiber networks respectively detect sensing information regarding a monitoring target, and an optical fiber sensing system identifies the monitoring target based on the two types of detected sensing information. For example, when the optical fiber sensing system detects a person in a first building using an optical fiber network and then detects a person in a second building using the optical fiber network, it can determine whether the person is the same as the person detected in the first building in advance.

[0004] Also, in Patent Document 2, based on an optical signal received from an optical fiber, a unique pattern corresponding to the behavior pattern of an authenticated person or vehicle is obtained, and based on the unique pattern, a monitoring system for identifying the behavior pattern of the authenticated person or vehicle is described. For example, the monitoring system can identify the behavior pattern of a person passing through a gate by obtaining the movement trajectory, walking posture, etc. of the person passing through the gate. Also, when the person passing through the gate is authenticated, if the behavior pattern of the person does not match the pre-registered behavior pattern, the monitoring system can issue an alarm.

[0005] Furthermore, in Patent Document 3, an optical fiber sensing system is described that receives an optical signal having a pattern corresponding to the state of a monitoring target from an optical fiber and identifies the position and trajectory of the monitoring target located around a fence based on the pattern. Also, the sensing system can display an alarm when the monitoring target takes suspicious actions. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2021 / 070222 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2020 / 202694 [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2020 / 161823 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] One possible application of optical fibers is for an authentication or security system in a designated area to manage the passage of objects such as people and vehicles detected by optical fibers. When this process is performed, it is preferable for the system to take action depending on whether the object to be authenticated or guarded is allowed to pass or not. The above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 to 3 do not solve this problem because the system does not determine whether the object is allowed to pass or not. For example, the monitoring system described in Patent Document 2 determines the behavior pattern of a person after the person's authentication is complete, and does not issue an alarm at the authentication stage.

[0008] One of the purposes of this disclosure is to provide a monitoring device, monitoring method, and program capable of providing warnings in response to detected objects. It should be noted that this purpose is only one of several purposes that the embodiments disclosed herein aim to achieve. Other purposes or problems and novel features will be revealed by the description herein or by the accompanying drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A monitoring device according to one embodiment includes: vibration acquisition means for acquiring a first vibration generated in a first optical fiber cable; determination means for determining whether the first vibration corresponds to a reference vibration; and notification control means for controlling a notification regarding the source of the first vibration based on passability information associated with the reference vibration, when the first vibration corresponds to a reference vibration.

[0010] One embodiment of the monitoring method is performed by a computer and involves acquiring vibrations generated in an optical fiber cable, determining whether the vibrations correspond to reference vibrations, and, if the vibrations correspond to reference vibrations, controlling notifications regarding the source of the vibrations based on passability information associated with the reference vibrations that indicates whether passage is permitted or not.

[0011] A program according to one embodiment acquires vibrations generated in an optical fiber cable, determines whether the vibrations correspond to reference vibrations, and, if the vibrations correspond to reference vibrations, causes a computer to control the notification regarding the source of the vibrations based on passability information associated with the reference vibrations that indicates whether passage is permitted or not. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] This disclosure provides a monitoring device, monitoring method, and program that can provide warnings in accordance with the detected object. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This block diagram shows an example of a monitoring device related to this disclosure. [Figure 2] This flowchart shows a typical example of processing performed by the monitoring device related to this disclosure. [Figure 3] Block diagram shows an example of the monitoring system related to this disclosure. [Figure 4]This is a diagram for explaining an example of a situation where an optical fiber cable and an authentication gate are provided in the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram showing an example of an authentication device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram showing an example of a monitoring device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 7A] This is a flowchart showing an example of a typical process of a monitoring device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 7B] This is a flowchart showing an example of a typical process of a monitoring device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 8] This is a block diagram showing an example of a monitoring system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 9] This is a diagram for explaining an example of a situation where an optical fiber cable is provided in the present disclosure. [Figure 10] This is a block diagram showing an example of a monitoring device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 11] This is a block diagram showing an example of a monitoring system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 12] This is a diagram for explaining an example of a situation where an optical fiber cable is provided in the present disclosure. [Figure 13] This is a block diagram showing an example of a monitoring device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 14] This is a diagram for explaining another example of a situation where an optical fiber cable is provided in the present disclosure. <-- [Figure 15] This is a block diagram showing another example of a monitoring device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 16] This is a diagram showing an example of a table according to the present disclosure. [Figure 17] [[ID=四十二]]This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a device according to the present disclosure.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following descriptions and drawings in the embodiments have been omitted and simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, in this disclosure, when "at least one of" is defined for multiple items, that definition may mean any single item, or any multiple items including all of the items.

[0015] Embodiment 1 [Explanation of the structure] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a monitoring device. The monitoring device 10 is connected to an optical fiber cable and includes a vibration acquisition unit 11, a determination unit 12, and a notification control unit 13. The monitoring device 10 is used, for example, for authentication or security in a predetermined area. The predetermined area refers to, for example, the interior of a building, an outdoor area, etc. Here, the interior of a building may refer to the entire interior of the building, or it may refer to a part of the interior, such as a predetermined floor or a predetermined room of the building.

[0016] In this example, the monitoring device 10 is shown as a single computer device, but as described later, it may be configured as a distributed system having multiple computer devices. Each part of the monitoring device 10 is controlled by a hardware controller (not shown). The parts are described below.

[0017] The vibration acquisition unit 11 acquires vibrations generated in the optical fiber cable (hereinafter also referred to as the target optical fiber cable). When an object moves around the optical fiber cable, vibrations originating from the object are transmitted to the optical fiber cable, causing a change in the characteristics of the optical signal within the optical fiber cable. The changing characteristics of the optical signal include, for example, the wavelength and amplitude of the optical signal. By acquiring this optical signal, the vibration acquisition unit 11 can acquire vibration data.

[0018] The target optical fiber cable is laid in any location and can detect when people, vehicles, etc., pass through or approach it. The target optical fiber cable may be laid in places such as the ground or under a floor, around a gate, or on the wall of a building, but the location where the target optical fiber cable is installed is not limited to these. For example, the target optical fiber cable may be installed on a fence, guardrail, or support post. The monitoring device 10 is a device that monitors the area around this target optical fiber cable. The target optical fiber cable detects vibrations of people and acquires gait data of those people based on the detected vibrations. The target optical fiber cable also detects vibrations of vehicles and acquires vehicle driving data based on the acquired vehicle vibrations. Note that the vibrations of vehicles are not limited to road noise, but may also be vibrations emitted from internal combustion engines or motors. In this way, since the vibrations caused by the movement of objects such as people and vehicles differ for each object, it is possible to identify objects by vibration. Furthermore, the target optical fiber cable can also acquire information about artificial sounds caused by speaking or manipulating objects as vibrations.

[0019] The determination unit 12 determines whether the vibration acquired by the vibration acquisition unit 11 corresponds to a reference vibration. This reference vibration is associated with passability information indicating whether or not passage is permitted. This passability information is stored, for example, in a database (not shown).

[0020] The permission / denial information is, for example, information indicating whether or not a reference object, which is the source of the reference vibration, is permitted to pass through. Here, the reference object is an object that the monitoring device 10 may issue a notification for, such as a person or a vehicle. The reference object is an object that is expected to move around the target optical fiber cable, regardless of whether or not passage around the target optical fiber cable is permitted. The permission / denial information is information on whether or not the object is permitted to pass around the target optical fiber cable. The permission / denial information includes, for example, at least one of the following pieces of information, but is not limited to these. (1) Information indicating that the passage of an object is permitted. (2) Information indicating that the passage of the object is not permitted. (3) Information indicating that the passage of an object is permitted under certain conditions, but will be denied if those conditions are not met. Specific conditions include, for example, when information indicating permission for passage is presented for an object subject to permit / denial information (hereinafter also referred to as the "object"), conditions such as the object being accompanied by another object permitted to pass, or the object having permission from a security officer. However, specific conditions are not limited to these.

[0021] Reference vibrations are vibrations used when making decisions regarding the execution of notification control. Reference vibrations refer to vibrations that are thought to occur, for example, when a reference object moves around the target optical fiber cable. The data for reference vibrations may be data of vibrations actually generated in the target optical fiber cable when the reference object moves around the target optical fiber cable, or it may be data of vibrations actually generated in an optical fiber cable different from the target optical fiber cable due to the movement of the reference object. As another example, data obtained by simulating the movement of the reference object, or other types of illustrative data, may be used as reference vibration data. Furthermore, vibration patterns entered by the user may also be used as reference vibration data.

[0022] Furthermore, the reference vibration data may also be data indicating the frequency and amplitude of the vibration. In this case, it is possible to reduce the amount of data stored compared to when sound data of the vibration is stored.

[0023] The determination unit 12 may calculate the similarity of the acquired vibration to, for example, a reference vibration, and determine that the acquired vibration corresponds to a reference vibration if the similarity is above a predetermined threshold. In other words, even if the acquired vibration does not exactly match the reference vibration, the determination unit 12 may determine that the acquired vibration corresponds to a reference vibration if it is similar to a certain extent. Since it is possible to apply the calculation of similarity to existing waveforms, a detailed explanation of this will be omitted here. Here, it means that the acquired vibration corresponds to a reference vibration if the source of the acquired vibration can be considered to be a reference object.

[0024] The notification control unit 13 controls the notification regarding the source of the vibration based on the feasibility information associated with the reference vibration, when the vibration acquired by the vibration acquisition unit 11 is a reference vibration. If the feasibility information is different, the control content of the notification control unit 13 will also be different. The following are specific examples of feasibility information and the corresponding control content, but the examples of feasibility information and the corresponding control content are not limited to these. • If the approval / rejection information is as described in (1) above: The notification control unit 13 will not issue a notification regarding the source of the vibration. Alternatively, the notification control unit 13 will issue a notification indicating that the source of the vibration is permitted to pass through. • If the approval / rejection information is as described in (2) above: The notification control unit 13 issues a notification regarding the source of the vibration. Alternatively, the notification control unit 13 issues a notification indicating that the source of the vibration is not permitted to pass through. • If the approval / denial information is as described in (3) above: The notification control unit 13 will issue a notification regarding the source of the vibration. This notification will be different from the notification regarding (1) or (2). Alternatively, the notification control unit 13 will issue a notification indicating that the passage of the object that is the source of the vibration will be permitted under certain conditions, but will not be permitted if those conditions are not met.

[0025] Furthermore, if the reference vibration satisfies certain predetermined conditions, the pass / fail information may be set as information indicating that passage is permitted. For example, the pass / fail information may be set as information indicating that passage of the reference object is permitted. These predetermined conditions are, for example, that the reference vibration is a vibration stored in the database. Alternatively, it may be determined that the predetermined conditions are met if the vibration pattern includes a vibration corresponding to a specific sound, based on a specific sound stored in the database. However, the predetermined conditions are not limited to these. Specific examples of predetermined conditions will be described in detail in Embodiment 2 and later.

[0026] The notification control unit 13 is connected to the notification unit and controls notifications by controlling the actions performed by the notification unit. The notification method includes any method capable of alerting a monitor or intruder who senses the notification unit. For example, the notification unit may consist of at least one of a screen, a speaker, or a vibration device. Notifications may be made by displaying at least one combination of characters, symbols, or colors on the screen, by a sound or voice emitted by the speaker, or by a vibration pattern. If the notification is changed, the display on the screen, the sound or voice, or the vibration pattern will be changed.

[0027] [Explanation of the processing flow] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing a typical example of the monitoring device 10's processing, and this flowchart explains the overview of the monitoring device 10's processing. Details of each processing step are as described above, so explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

[0028] First, the vibration acquisition unit 11 acquires vibrations generated in the optical fiber cable (step S11). Next, the determination unit 12 determines whether or not the vibrations correspond to reference vibrations (step S12).

[0029] If the acquired vibration is a reference vibration (Yes in step S12), the notification control unit 13 controls the notification regarding the source of the vibration based on the feasibility information associated with the reference vibration (step S13). If the acquired vibration is not a reference vibration, the notification control unit 13 does not perform the control in step S13.

[0030] Multiple vibrations may be set as reference vibrations. In this case, the determination unit 12 performs the determination in step S12 for one of the reference vibrations, and if the acquired vibration is a vibration corresponding to that reference vibration, the notification control unit 13 performs the processing in step S13 based on the feasibility information associated with that reference vibration. On the other hand, if the acquired vibration is not a vibration corresponding to that reference vibration, the monitoring device 10 may terminate the processing there, or the determination unit 12 may perform the determination in step S12 for another reference vibration. If the result of the determination in step S12 is that the acquired vibration is a vibration corresponding to the reference vibration, the processing in step S13 is executed. In this way, the monitoring device 10 may continue to determine whether all or some of the multiple reference vibrations correspond to the acquired vibration until it is determined that the acquired vibration corresponds to that reference vibration.

[0031] Furthermore, if the vibration acquisition unit 11 acquires multiple vibrations, the monitoring device 10 may perform the processing shown in Figure 2 for each acquired vibration.

[0032] [Explanation of effects] As described above, the monitoring device 10 controls notifications regarding the source of vibrations based on the feasibility information associated with the reference vibrations when the acquired vibrations correspond to the reference vibrations. For example, the monitoring device 10 can determine that the source of the detected vibrations is a reference object and control notifications based on its feasibility information. Therefore, the monitoring device 10 can issue warnings according to the detected object.

[0033] Furthermore, if a reference vibration meets certain predetermined conditions and the pass / fail information indicates that passage is permitted, the monitoring device 10 can control the notification regarding the source of the vibration based on that pass / fail information. This makes it possible for the monitoring device 10 to control the notification to indicate that passage is permitted for objects that meet the predetermined conditions.

[0034] Furthermore, the processing performed by the monitoring device 10 may be shared and executed by multiple computer devices. In other words, the processing of the monitoring device 10 may be implemented in a distributed system.

[0035] Here, the method of distributing each part of the monitoring device 10 across multiple computers is arbitrary. For example, the vibration acquisition unit 11 may be mounted on a first computer, the determination unit 12 and notification control unit 13 on a second computer, and the monitoring device 10 may be configured by connecting the first and second computers. Alternatively, the vibration acquisition unit 11, the determination unit 12 and the notification control unit 13 may be mounted on different computers, and the monitoring device 10 may be configured by connecting each computer.

[0036] As yet another example, some or all of the monitoring device 10 may be located on a cloud server built on the cloud, or on another type of virtualized server generated using virtualization technology, etc. Functions other than those located on such servers are located at the edge. For example, in a system that monitors video footage taken at the site via a network, the edge is a device located at or near the site, and is also a device close to the terminal in the network hierarchy.

[0037] Embodiment 2 Embodiments 2 to 4 below disclose specific examples of the monitoring device described in Embodiment 1. However, the specific examples of the monitoring device shown in Embodiment 1 are not limited to those shown below. In other words, the configurations and processes described below are illustrative and not limiting. Furthermore, the configurations or processes shown in Embodiments 2 to 4 below can be combined arbitrarily.

[0038] (2A) [Explanation of the structure] An example of a monitoring system is described below. The monitoring system 100 shown in Figure 3 comprises optical fiber cables 110A and 110B, an authentication device 120, and a monitoring device 130. Optical fiber cables 110A and 110B and the authentication device 120 are connected to the monitoring device 130. Hereafter, optical fiber cables 110A and 110B will be collectively referred to as optical fiber cable 110.

[0039] The optical fiber cables 110A and 110B are installed in different locations. As described in Embodiment 1, vibrations generated around the optical fiber cable 110 are acquired by the monitoring device 130.

[0040] Figure 4 illustrates an example of a situation in which fiber optic cables and authentication gates are installed. Figure 4 shows a state in which fiber optic cables and authentication gates are installed around area L1, which has multiple entrances and exits. Area L1 is an area where entry is restricted, such as the area around a building like an office, research institute, or government office.

[0041] Area L1 has a roughly rectangular outline. A person can enter area L1 from one side of its perimeter where fiber optic cable 110A is laid on the ground, and from the opposite side where fiber optic cable 110B is laid on the ground. In area L1, the area around fiber optic cable 110A is designated as the formal entrance, and the area around fiber optic cable 110B is designated as the service entrance.

[0042] An authentication gate G1 is installed around the optical fiber cable 110A, i.e., at the official entrance / exit point, to manage the entry and exit of people into area L1. Therefore, when a person enters area L1 from around the optical fiber cable 110A, the person must pass through authentication gate G1.

[0043] As described below, the authentication gate G1 is a gate whose opening and closing is controlled by the authentication device 120. The authentication gate G1 is equipped with a device located outside the authentication gate G1 (i.e., outside area L1) that acquires the biometric information of visitors who apply to enter area L1. The device may be, but is not limited to, a camera, sensor, or speaker. The authentication gate G1 opens and closes based on the result of biometric authentication performed by the authentication device 120 based on the acquired information. When the gate is open, visitors can enter area L1 through the authentication gate G1, but when the gate remains closed, visitors cannot enter area L1. The biometric information acquired by the authentication gate G1 is one or more arbitrary types of biometric information.

[0044] Here, the authentication gate G1 is located outside area L1 relative to the optical fiber cable 110A. Therefore, a person entering area L1 via the authentication gate G1 will pass directly over the optical fiber cable 110A after passing through the authentication gate G1.

[0045] Furthermore, section D1, which is around the authentication gate G1 and inside area L1, is set as a section that is not subject to alert issuance. In other words, even if the monitoring device 130 detects that a person is in section D1 based on the optical signal of the optical fiber cable 110A, the monitoring device 130 will not issue an alert regarding that person. Section D1 includes the area directly above and near a portion of the section where the optical fiber cable 110A is installed, which is assumed to be the route taken by a person who has passed through the authentication gate G1. By setting section D1 in this way, it is suppressed that an alert is issued to a person who has been authenticated at the authentication gate G1 and is permitted to enter, if that person is in section D1. Therefore, situations in which an alert is falsely issued can be suppressed.

[0046] In the following description, individuals permitted to enter will be referred to as "authorized entrants," and individuals not permitted to enter will be referred to as "intruders." Authorized entrants are expected to include, for example, company staff or individuals temporarily permitted to enter area L1, but examples of authorized entrants are not limited to these. Temporarily permitted to enter area L1 means that entry to area L1 is permitted for a limited period of time.

[0047] On the other hand, there is no gate at the access point around the fiber optic cable 110B. Therefore, it is possible for either a legitimate visitor or an intruder to enter area L1 from the access point. However, through the process described later, the monitoring device 130 can detect vibrations originating from a person near the fiber optic cable 110B and determine whether that person is a legitimate visitor or an intruder. If the person is a legitimate visitor, no alert is issued; however, if the person is an intruder, an alert is issued. Thus, authentication and security are provided at the access point.

[0048] Next, we will describe the details of the configuration of the authentication device 120 and the monitoring device 130.

[0049] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the authentication device 120. The authentication device 120 manages the authentication gate G1 and includes a biometric information acquisition unit 121, a biometric authentication unit 122, an opening / closing control unit 123, a storage unit 124, and a communication unit 125. The individual parts of the authentication device 120 will be described below.

[0050] The biometric information acquisition unit 121 acquires the biometric information of visitors from equipment installed at the authentication gate G1. The visitor's biometric information is one or more arbitrary types of biometric information from various parts of the human body, such as face, iris, fingerprints, and veins. Biometric information can be considered a type of identification information used for visitor authentication.

[0051] The biometric authentication unit 122 compares the biometric information acquired by the biometric information acquisition unit 121 with the biometric information of persons authorized to enter area L1, which is stored in the memory unit 124. If there is any biometric information in the memory unit 124 that corresponds to the biometric information acquired by the biometric information acquisition unit 121, the biometric authentication unit 122 determines that the visitor is authorized to enter. In this case, the biometric authentication unit 122 determines that authentication was successful. However, if there is no biometric information in the memory unit 124 that corresponds to the biometric information acquired by the biometric information acquisition unit 121, the biometric authentication unit 122 determines that the visitor is not authorized to enter. In this case, the biometric authentication unit 122 determines that authentication failed.

[0052] The biometric authentication unit 122 may also perform authentication by extracting characteristic information (e.g., feature quantities, feature vectors) from the biometric information acquired by the biometric information acquisition unit 121 and comparing that characteristic information with the characteristic information stored in the memory unit 124. For example, the biometric authentication unit 122 may calculate the similarity between the feature quantities extracted from the acquired biometric information and the characteristic quantities of the person permitted to enter, for each person permitted to enter. If there are any calculated similarities that are above a threshold, the biometric authentication unit 122 determines that the person is permitted to enter. On the other hand, if there are no calculated similarities that are above a threshold, the biometric authentication unit 122 determines that the person is not permitted to enter.

[0053] As another example, the biometric authentication unit 122 may calculate the distance between a feature vector extracted from the acquired biometric information and the feature vector of the person permitted to enter, for each person permitted to enter. If any of the calculated distances are greater than or equal to a threshold, the biometric authentication unit 122 determines that the person is permitted to enter. On the other hand, if none of the calculated distances are greater than or equal to a threshold, the biometric authentication unit 122 determines that the person is not permitted to enter.

[0054] The opening / closing control unit 123 controls the opening and closing of the authentication gate G1. For example, the opening / closing control unit 123 normally keeps the gate closed, and when the biometric authentication unit 122 determines that authentication has been successful, it controls the gate to open.

[0055] The memory unit 124 is a database that stores the biometric information of persons authorized to enter area L1, which is used for authentication by the biometric authentication unit 122. The memory unit 124 may also store information about a person associated with their biometric information. This information will be collectively referred to as "person information" from now on, and includes at least one of the following: the person's name, ID (identifier), attributes, and the period during which entry is permitted. Person attributes include, for example, the person's job title, gender, and age.

[0056] The authentication device 120 may also include a notification unit. The notification unit includes at least one of a display unit such as a screen and an audio output unit such as a speaker, and notifies security staff of at least one of the authentication results from the biometric authentication unit 122 or the gate opening and closing control from the opening and closing control unit 123. Furthermore, if the authentication from the biometric authentication unit 122 is successful, the notification unit may also notify the person information associated with the biometric information determined to correspond to the biometric information of the entrant.

[0057] Furthermore, the authentication device 120 and the authentication gate G1 may perform authentication of entrants not by biometric authentication, but by possession authentication using certificates, etc., or by knowledge authentication using passwords, etc. When possession authentication or knowledge authentication is performed, the authentication device 120 compares the information based on the entrant's possessions or knowledge obtained from the authentication gate G1 with the information based on the possessions or knowledge of persons permitted to enter stored in the storage unit 124. If there is any information stored in the storage unit 124 that matches the information obtained from the authentication gate G1, the authentication device 120 determines that the entrant is permitted to enter. In this case, authentication is successful, and the opening / closing control unit 123 opens the authentication gate G1 and allows the entrant to enter. However, if there is no information stored in the storage unit 124 that matches the information obtained from the authentication gate G1, the authentication device 120 determines that the entrant is not permitted to enter. In that case, authentication fails, and the opening / closing control unit 123 keeps the authentication gate G1 closed. In this way, authentication is performed using unique identification information (object information).

[0058] As yet another example, the authentication device 120 and the authentication gate G1 may perform multi-factor authentication, combining two or more of the following: biometric authentication, possession authentication, and knowledge authentication. When multi-factor authentication is performed, the authentication device 120 can open the authentication gate G1 and allow the visitor in if all authentications performed are successful.

[0059] The communication unit 125 communicates with the monitoring device 130 as needed.

[0060] Furthermore, the authentication device 120 may store at least one of the authentication results from the biometric authentication unit 122 or the gate opening and closing history from the opening / closing control unit 123 in the storage unit 124. The stored history may also include person information associated with the biometric information stored in the storage unit 124, which corresponds to the biometric information of the person authorized to enter by the biometric authentication unit 122. In other words, this person information is the information of the person authorized to enter. The stored history information may also be displayed as a report on the screen of the authentication device 120 or a terminal connected thereto.

[0061] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the monitoring device 130. The monitoring device 130 comprises a vibration acquisition unit 131, a determination unit 132, a notification control unit 133, a notification unit 134, a storage unit 135, and a communication unit 136. The vibration acquisition unit 131, the determination unit 132, and the notification control unit 133 correspond to the vibration acquisition unit 11, the determination unit 12, and the notification control unit 13 in Embodiment 1, respectively. The individual parts of the monitoring device 130 will be described below.

[0062] The vibration acquisition unit 131 acquires vibrations generated in the optical fiber cable 110, which is the target of vibration acquisition, using the mechanism described in Embodiment 1. Here, the vibration acquisition unit 131 distinguishes between vibrations generated in the optical fiber cable 110A and vibrations generated in the optical fiber cable 110B. If vibration occurs in the optical fiber cable 110A, the vibration acquisition unit 131 can also detect whether the source of the generated vibration is in section D1 or in another region. Furthermore, the vibration acquisition unit 131 can also estimate the location of the generated vibration in the optical fiber cable.

[0063] The determination unit 132 determines that if the vibration source acquired by the vibration acquisition unit 131 is located in section D1, the vibration originates from a person who has passed through authentication gate G1. In this case, the determination unit 132 refers to the storage unit 135 to determine whether the acquired vibration corresponds to one of the vibrations of a legitimate entrant that has been stored in advance. Such vibration determination processing is as described in Embodiment 1, and a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0064] If the acquired vibration does not match any of the previously stored vibrations of a legitimate visitor, the determination unit 132 updates the storage unit 135 to store the acquired vibration as the vibration of a legitimate visitor. At this time, the vibration of a legitimate visitor is associated with permission information indicating whether that legitimate visitor is permitted to enter area L1 and is stored in the storage unit 135. In this way, the gait data of a legitimate visitor is registered in the storage unit 135. On the other hand, if the acquired vibration matches any of the previously stored vibrations of a legitimate visitor, the determination unit 132 terminates the process.

[0065] Furthermore, the determination unit 132 performs a determination of the vibration if the acquired vibration in the optical fiber cable 110 satisfies any of the following conditions. (a) In the case of vibration occurring in the optical fiber cable 110A, where the location of vibration is other than section D1. (b) In the case of vibrations occurring in the optical fiber cable 110B In other words, if the vibration occurs at a location other than section D1, the determination unit 132 performs a determination of that vibration.

[0066] The determination unit 132 determines whether the acquired vibration corresponds to the vibration of a legitimate visitor stored in the memory unit 135 when either condition (a) or (b) is met. Here, the vibration of a legitimate visitor and the legitimate visitor correspond to the reference vibration and reference object in Embodiment 1, respectively. The details of the determination are as shown in Embodiment 1, so the explanation is omitted.

[0067] Furthermore, the determination unit 132 may determine, with respect to the acquired vibration, whether or not the vibration corresponds to an intruder's vibration pre-stored in the memory unit 135, if condition (a) or (b) is met. The determination unit 132 determines that the vibration generated in the optical fiber cable 110 originates from an intruder if the vibration acquired by the vibration acquisition unit 131 corresponds to an intruder's vibration.

[0068] The notification control unit 133 determines that a person who has generated the acquired vibration is an authorized visitor permitted to enter area L1 by referring to the permission information of that authorized visitor. It then controls the notification unit 134 not to execute a notification for that person.

[0069] On the other hand, if the notification control unit 133 determines that the person who generated the acquired vibration is not a legitimate entrant authorized to enter area L1, it determines that the person is not authorized to enter area L1. Alternatively, if the person who generated the acquired vibration is an intruder who is not authorized to enter area L1, the notification control unit 133 determines that the person is not authorized to enter area L1 by referring to the intruder's authorization information. It then controls the notification unit 134 to execute a notification regarding the person who is not authorized to enter.

[0070] The notification unit 134 includes a screen and a speaker, and executes notifications in accordance with the notification control unit 133. As described above, if the person who generated the acquired vibration is a legitimate visitor authorized to enter area L1, no notification is issued by the notification unit 134. The notification unit 134 may be installed, for example, in a room with a security guard, or it may be installed in area L1 to notify intruders.

[0071] On the other hand, if the person who generated the detected vibration is not authorized to enter area L1, the notification unit 134 will issue a notification regarding that person in accordance with the control of the notification control unit 133. For example, the notification unit 134 may display "There is a person suspected of being an intruder" on its screen. Alternatively, instead of, or in addition to, such a display, a warning sound or an audio notification saying "There is a person suspected of being an intruder" may be made through the speaker.

[0072] In this case, the notification unit 134 may also notify the location of the vibration estimated by the vibration acquisition unit 131, either by displaying it on the screen or by sound. Furthermore, if the person who generated the acquired vibration is an intruder who is not authorized to enter area L1, the notification unit 134 may also notify the intruder's information stored in the memory unit 135, either by displaying it on the screen or by sound.

[0073] Furthermore, the notification control unit 133 may control the notification unit 134 to execute a notification regarding a person who has generated an acquired vibration, if that person is an authorized visitor permitted to enter area L1. In this case, for example, the notification unit 134 screen may display "There is a person who appears to be an authorized visitor." At this time, the notification unit 134 may also notify the location of the vibration estimated by the vibration acquisition unit 131, or the person information of that authorized visitor stored in the memory unit 135, either by screen display or audio.

[0074] The memory unit 135 is a database that stores the vibrations of authorized visitors and the associated personal information of those visitors. Furthermore, each authorized visitor's vibration is associated with permission information indicating whether or not that visitor is permitted to enter area L1, and this information is also stored in the memory unit 135. The definition of personal information is as described above, and therefore no further explanation is provided.

[0075] Furthermore, the memory unit 135 may also store vibrations of intruders who are not permitted to enter area L1. These vibrations are associated with permission / denial information indicating whether the intruder is not permitted to enter area L1, and are stored in the memory unit 135. Additionally, the memory unit 135 may also store personal information of the intruder, associated with their vibrations.

[0076] [Explanation of the processing flow] Figures 7A and 7B are flowcharts illustrating typical processes of the monitoring device 130, and these flowcharts provide an overview of the monitoring device 130's processes. Details of each process are described above, and therefore, explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

[0077] First, the vibration acquisition unit 131 acquires vibrations generated in the optical fiber cable 110 (step S21). Then, the determination unit 132 determines whether or not the acquired vibrations occurred in section D1 (step S22).

[0078] If the acquired vibration occurred in section D1 (Yes in step S22), the determination unit 132 refers to the storage unit 135 to determine whether the acquired vibration has already been registered in the storage unit 135 as the vibration of a legitimate visitor (step S23). If the acquired vibration has already been registered in the storage unit 135 as the vibration of a legitimate visitor (Yes in step S23), the monitoring device 130 terminates processing. On the other hand, if the acquired vibration has not been registered in the storage unit 135 as the vibration of a legitimate visitor (No in step S23), the determination unit 132 newly registers the vibration as the vibration of a legitimate visitor (step S24). Then, the monitoring device 130 terminates processing.

[0079] If the acquired vibration occurred at a location other than section D1 (No. in step S22), the determination unit 132 determines whether the vibration corresponds to a vibration of a legitimate visitor that has been pre-stored in the memory unit 135 (step S25). If it corresponds to a vibration of a legitimate visitor (Yes in step S25), the notification control unit 133 controls the notification unit 134 not to execute a notification for the person who generated the vibration (step S26). On the other hand, if it does not correspond to a vibration of a legitimate visitor (No. in step S25), the notification control unit 133 controls the notification unit 134 to execute a notification for the person who generated the vibration (step S27). The notification unit 134 executes a notification based on this control.

[0080] As described in Embodiment 1, multiple vibrations may be set as vibrations of a legitimate entrant, or the vibration acquisition unit 11 may acquire multiple vibrations. The details of the processing performed in such cases are the same as those shown in Embodiment 1, so the explanation will be omitted. If there are multiple vibrations that trigger an alert, the notification control unit 133 can control the notification unit 134 to execute a notification for each vibration.

[0081] [Explanation of effects] As described above, the monitoring device 130 controls the notification unit 134 not to execute a notification for the person who generated the vibration acquired from the optical fiber cable 110 if that vibration is that of a legitimate entrant. The monitoring device 10 can then issue a notification if the detected person is not a person who is appropriate to enter area L1. Therefore, the monitoring device 130 can issue a warning tailored to the attributes of the detected person.

[0082] When using sensing technology via fiber optic cables to detect pedestrians on the perimeter of a facility or area, all individuals who enter the area where the fiber optic cables are laid will be detected. In this case, even legitimate visitors who are permitted to enter the area may be detected, resulting in an alert being issued.

[0083] However, this monitoring device 130 can accurately determine which intruders should be alerted by filtering and excluding authorized, legitimate entrants from the detected individuals. This allows alerts to be issued only to intruders, making the alerting by the monitoring device 130 more accurate to the actual situation and more efficient.

[0084] Furthermore, the vibration acquisition unit 131 can acquire vibrations generated in a different optical fiber cable 110A (reference optical fiber cable) than the optical fiber cable 110B used for determining intrusion into area L1. In particular, when the vibration acquisition unit 131 acquires vibrations generated in section D1 of the optical fiber cable 110A, it sets those vibrations in the storage unit 135 as vibrations of a legitimate visitor. At the same time, information indicating whether or not a legitimate visitor is permitted to enter is also set in the storage unit 135 in association with the vibrations. As a result, the monitoring device 130 can detect when vibrations of a legitimate visitor have occurred, and if that legitimate visitor later enters area L1, it can determine this and control the system so as not to issue an alert.

[0085] In (2A), the optical fiber cable 110B or the optical fiber cable 110 (not shown) may be set as an optical fiber cable related to a restricted area. If a person is present around the optical fiber cable 110B, the vibration acquisition unit 131 stores the vibration data in the storage unit 135 as the vibration of an intruder who is not permitted to enter area L1. At this time, permission information indicating whether the intruder is not permitted to enter area L1 is associated with the vibration and stored in the storage unit 135. Subsequently, if the vibration of the intruder is detected by the optical fiber cable 110, the monitoring device 130 can issue an alert regarding the intruder as described above.

[0086] Furthermore, if the vibration acquisition unit 131 acquires vibration in section D1 of the optical fiber cable 110A, the determination unit 132 does not need to perform determination processing for that vibration. This allows the monitoring device 130 to be controlled so as not to issue an alert for vibrations caused by a legitimate visitor in the optical fiber cable 110A.

[0087] The authentication gate G1 may be located directly above the optical fiber cable 110A, or the optical fiber cable 110A may be located outside area L1 relative to the authentication gate G1.

[0088] The optical fiber cables 110A and 110B may be separate optical fiber cables, or they may be a single optical fiber cable connected to each other.

[0089] Instead of the authentication gate G1, a door or similar device for authentication may be provided. Furthermore, the device similar to the authentication gate G1 is not essential in embodiment (2A). In this case, when a person who has been granted permission to enter enters area L1 for the first time, as the person walks through section D1, the determination unit 132 causes the vibrations to be stored in the storage unit 135 as the vibrations of a legitimate entrant, as described above. In this way, the gait data of a legitimate entrant is registered in the storage unit 135.

[0090] In the explanation so far, the authentication device 120 and the monitoring device 130 have been shown as separate devices, but both devices may be provided in the same device. Also, at least one of the authentication device 120 or the monitoring device 130 may be configured as a distributed system as shown in Embodiment 1.

[0091] (2A) describes the case in which the monitoring device 130 is applied to authentication of entry into an area with multiple entrances and exits. This area may be not only an area around a building requiring authentication, but also an open space where there may be many entrances, such as a nature reserve, a border, or an archaeological site. In such an area, there is a possibility that legitimate visitors or intruders may enter or exit from places other than the official gate. Even in such cases, by installing fiber optic cables 110A around the official gate and fiber optic cables 110B at places other than the official gate that may serve as entrances, the monitoring device 130 can detect people entering the area using the fiber optic cables. As a result, the monitoring device 130 distinguishes between legitimate visitors and intruders through the process described above, issuing alerts to intruders while not issuing alerts to legitimate visitors. This makes the alerting by the monitoring device 130 more accurate to the actual situation and more efficient.

[0092] The processing targets shown in (2A) can also be performed on vehicles, not just people. In this case, vehicle authentication by the authentication device 120 may be achieved by performing at least one of the above-mentioned biometric authentication, possession authentication, or knowledge authentication on the person(s) of the vehicle, such as the driver. Alternatively, the authentication device 120 may compare a part of the appearance of a vehicle near the authentication gate G1 with a part of the appearance of a vehicle that has been permitted to enter, which is stored in the storage unit 124 in advance. Preferably, the part of the vehicle's appearance includes a part that shows information considered effective in identifying the vehicle, such as a license plate.

[0093] Furthermore, the monitoring device 130 can control notifications to the vehicle by performing the same processing as described above for vibrations generated in the optical fiber cable 110 by the vehicle.

[0094] Thus, the authentication device 120 and the monitoring device 130 can perform authentication and monitoring processes for objects other than people in the same way as for people. Furthermore, the authentication device 120 and the monitoring device 130 may perform the above processes for both people and vehicles. In the embodiments from (2B) onward, we will use people as an example, but please note that the same processes can be performed for vehicles as well.

[0095] (2B) In (2A), the vibrations of a person detected walking in section D1 were determined to originate from a person who had passed through authentication gate G1 and were stored in the memory unit 135 as vibrations of a legitimate entrant. However, a person detected walking in section D1 may not only be a person who passed through authentication gate G1 after being authenticated, but also a person who passed through authentication gate G1 illegally without being authenticated. Illegally passing through authentication gate G1 means, for example, stepping over authentication gate G1. If a person detected walking in section D1 is a person who passed through illegally, that person will be registered in the memory unit 135 as a legitimate entrant. This raises the problem that the person will be allowed to enter area L1.

[0096] In (2B), the following measures are taken to prevent individuals who have passed through illegally from being registered as legitimate entrants in the memory unit 135.

[0097] The communication unit 125 of the authentication device 120 transmits information to the monitoring device 130 indicating that authentication by the biometric authentication unit 122 is successful and the gate is controlled to be open. In other words, the communication unit 125 transmits information indicating that authentication was determined to be successful as information about the person who passed through. The communication unit 125 may also include time information indicating when the gate was opened in this information.

[0098] Furthermore, the vibration acquisition unit 131 can identify the time that indicates when the vibration occurred. Suppose the monitoring device 130 receives information and time information regarding a person who passed through the authentication gate G1, and the vibration acquisition unit 131 detects the occurrence of vibration in section D1 of the optical fiber cable 110A. Here, the vibration acquisition unit 131 determines from the information indicating that authentication was performed at the authentication gate G1 and the information indicating that the location where the vibration was detected is section D1 that the locations where the two events occurred correspond (i.e., they are in close proximity to each other).

[0099] The determination unit 132 can then compare the acquired vibration occurrence time with the time indicating the gate opening by referring to the time information. The gate opening time information is transmitted from the authentication device 120 as described above. If the two times match, or if the difference between the two times is within a predetermined threshold period, the determination unit 132 determines that the vibration that occurred in section D1 originated from a person who passed through the authentication gate G1. In other words, the determination unit 132 determines that the vibration in section D1 was caused by a person who legitimately passed through the gate. Alternatively, the determination unit 132 may determine that the vibration that occurred in section D1 originated from a person who passed through the authentication gate G1 if the two times match, or if the timing of the vibration occurring in section D1 is later than the timing of the gate opening and within a predetermined threshold period.

[0100] The determination unit 132 determines that the vibration generated in section D1 originated from a person who passed through authentication gate G1. In this case, the determination unit 132 refers to the storage unit 135 to determine whether the acquired vibration corresponds to one of the vibrations of a legitimate entrant that has been stored in advance.

[0101] If the acquired vibration does not match any of the pre-stored vibrations of a legitimate visitor, the determination unit 132 updates the storage unit 135 to store the acquired vibration as the vibration of a legitimate visitor. At the same time, information indicating whether the entry of a legitimate visitor is permitted is also set in the storage unit 135 in association with the vibration. In this way, when a legitimate visitor passes through the authentication gate G1 and enters, the gait of the legitimate visitor is registered in the storage unit 135 in real time. On the other hand, if the acquired vibration matches any of the pre-stored vibrations of a legitimate visitor, the determination unit 132 terminates the process.

[0102] Furthermore, the determination unit 132 performs a vibration determination if either of the conditions (a) or (b) shown in (2A) is met. This determination and subsequent processing are as described in (2A), and therefore will not be explained further.

[0103] [Explanation of effects] As described above, the monitoring device 130 can update the gait data of legitimate entrants when they passed through the gates in the past, which is stored in the memory unit 135, by coordinating with the authentication device 120. As a result, even if an intruder illegally passes through the authentication gate G1 and reaches section D1, their vibrations will not be registered as vibration data of a legitimate entrant. Therefore, if the vibrations of the intruder are detected by the optical fiber cable 110, the determination unit 132 can issue an alert as a result of its determination. Consequently, the monitoring device 130 can detect intruders with greater accuracy.

[0104] Specifically, when the monitoring device 130 acquires information indicating that a person who has passed through has been successfully authenticated (as reference object information), it can set information on whether or not the person is a legitimate entrant subject to vibration based on this information. This allows the monitoring device 130 to accurately set legitimate entrants who will not trigger an alert.

[0105] Furthermore, when the determination unit 132 acquires vibrations in section D1, it can compare the location and time information of the acquisition with the location and time data of the successful authentication and the opening of authentication gate G1. If these two data points correspond, the determination unit 132 can set approval / rejection information based on the person's information. This allows the monitoring device 130 to more accurately set legitimate entrants who will not trigger an alert.

[0106] Furthermore, in the authentication process, if the identification information of a person permitted to enter area L1 matches the identification information of the object being authenticated, the determination unit 132 may set new information indicating that the object is one that the person is permitted to pass through, as permission / denial information. This allows the monitoring device 130 to accurately identify legitimate entrants by setting the person who should be permitted to authenticate as a legitimate entrant.

[0107] Furthermore, even if vibration occurs in section D1, the determination unit 132 may compare the time of vibration occurrence with the time indicating the gate opened, and if the difference between the two times is greater than a predetermined threshold period, the determination unit 132 may perform a vibration determination. Alternatively, the determination unit 132 may perform a vibration determination if the difference between the two times is greater than a predetermined threshold period, or if the timing of vibration occurrence in section D1 is earlier than the timing of gate opening. This enables the monitoring device 130 to issue an alert when an intruder illegally passes through authentication gate G1 and reaches section D1.

[0108] Furthermore, even if a person's biometric information is stored in the memory unit 124 of the authentication device 120 and they are originally permitted to enter, it is possible that their vibration is not stored as a reference vibration in the memory unit 135 of the monitoring device 130. If such a person enters area L1 from the vicinity of the optical fiber cable 110B, the monitoring device 130 determines that the vibration emitted by that person does not correspond to the reference vibration, identifies that person as an intruder, and issues an alert.

[0109] Therefore, when the person enters area L1, they will first be authenticated at authentication gate G1 and pass through that gate. As a result, as described above, the vibration of the person is detected by the optical fiber cable 110A and stored in the monitoring device 130. After this process, even if the person enters area L1 from the vicinity of optical fiber cable 110B, the monitoring device 130 will determine that the vibration emitted by that person is a reference vibration and will determine that the person is a legitimate entrant. Therefore, no alert is issued.

[0110] Furthermore, the determination unit 132 can also determine whether a person has moved from outside to inside area L1, or from inside to outside area L1, by acquiring the time variation of vibration detected by the optical fiber cable 110. Then, as shown in (2A), the determination unit 132 can determine whether the person is a legitimate visitor or not. If the person is a legitimate visitor, the communication unit 136 transmits at least one of the following information to the authentication device 120, along with the legitimate visitor's information: the time the legitimate visitor moved from outside to inside area L1, or the time the legitimate visitor moved from inside to outside area L1. In other words, this information indicates the entry and exit record of a legitimate visitor. Based on the transmitted information, the authentication device 120 may record information indicating the entry and exit record in the legitimate visitor's person information in the storage unit 124. In this way, the authentication device 120 and the monitoring device 130 can share legitimate visitor entry and exit information based on the API (Application Programming Interface).

[0111] Furthermore, the authentication device 120 may transmit the person's information about the authenticated person to the monitoring device 130. If the transmitted person information includes the period during which entry is permitted, the monitoring device 130 compares the person identification information in the transmitted person information with the person identification information in the person information of legitimate entrants stored in the storage unit 135. The person identification information may include, for example, a name or ID. If there is a match, the monitoring device 130 may delete or invalidate the person information of the matching legitimate entrant and its associated vibration information after the period during which entry is permitted has elapsed. This allows the monitoring device 130 to consider the entry as an unauthorized intrusion and issue an alert even if a person who is no longer permitted to enter area L1 enters the area.

[0112] (2C) When the notification control unit 133 issues an alert, it is also possible to change the manner in which the alert is issued based on the location of the vibration that occurred, which is estimated by the vibration acquisition unit 131.

[0113] For example, the memory unit 135 may store a map showing the locations of region L1 and the optical fiber cable 110. The notification control unit 133 identifies the location of the vibration estimated by the vibration acquisition unit 131 on the map. The notification control unit 133 may then issue stronger alerts as the estimated vibration location moves inward from the outer perimeter of region L1 (i.e., the optical fiber cable 110). In other words, when the estimated vibration location is inside region L1, the stronger the alert issued becomes as the distance between that location and the nearest point on the outer perimeter of region L1 increases.

[0114] Strengthening the nature of an alert means making the alert more attention-grabbing to the person viewing it. Examples of strengthening the nature of an alert on a screen include making the text and symbols used in the notification larger, changing the colors used on the screen from low-saturation to high-saturation colors, and increasing the area where a conspicuous color (e.g., red) is used. Examples of strengthening the nature of an alert through sound from a speaker include increasing the volume of the sound or voice, and outputting a warning sound from the speaker. However, examples of strengthening the nature of an alert are not limited to these.

[0115] [Explanation of effects] As described above, the monitoring device 130 can strengthen the type of alert it issues as the estimated vibration location moves from the outer edge to the inner side of area L1. This allows for stronger warnings to be issued to individuals with a higher degree of intrusion, thus enabling situation-appropriate warnings.

[0116] Furthermore, if there are multiple vibrations that trigger an alert, the notification control unit 133 can issue a stronger alert for vibrations located further inward from the outer periphery of region L1 than for vibrations that are not located further inward.

[0117] Embodiment 3 [Explanation of the structure] Further variations of this disclosure are described below. In the following embodiments, the matters described in Embodiment 2 will be omitted from explanation as appropriate.

[0118] The monitoring system 200 shown in Figure 8 comprises optical fiber cables 210A, 210B, 210C, and 210D, and a monitoring device 220. Optical fiber cables 210A to 210D are connected to the monitoring device 220. Hereafter, optical fiber cables 210A to 210D will be collectively referred to as optical fiber cable 210.

[0119] Figure 9 illustrates an example of a situation in which fiber optic cables are installed. Figure 9 shows a state in which fiber optic cables 210A to 210D are installed within area L2. Area L2 is the area where the facility to be guarded is located, and security guards and other staff regularly patrol area L2.

[0120] In this example, within area L2, the fiber optic cables 210A to 210D form a roughly rectangular shape when connected. The fiber optic cables 210A to 210D are laid underground along the patrol route that security guards use on a daily basis. As described later, the monitoring device 220 can manage information indicating whether or not the security guards patrolled the patrol route at a scheduled time.

[0121] Figure 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the monitoring device 220. The monitoring device 220 includes a vibration acquisition unit 221, a determination unit 222, a notification control unit 223, a notification unit 224, and a storage unit 225. The individual parts of the monitoring device 220 will be described below.

[0122] The vibration acquisition unit 221 acquires vibrations generated in the optical fiber cable 210, which is the target of vibration acquisition. Here, the vibration acquisition unit 221 can detect where among the optical fiber cables 210A to 210D the vibration occurred, and can also estimate which part of the optical fiber cables 210A to 210D the vibration occurred at. Furthermore, the vibration acquisition unit 221 can identify the time that indicates when the vibration occurred.

[0123] When the vibration acquisition unit 221 detects vibration, the determination unit 222 identifies the route the source of the vibration is moving by collecting logs of the estimated location of the vibration and the time information of the vibration occurring over time. Here, the storage unit 225 may store a map showing the locations of area L1 and the optical fiber cable 210. Using this map, the determination unit 222 can identify the movement route of the person who is the source of the vibration on the map.

[0124] The determination unit 222 compares the route identified on the map with the security guard's route stored in the memory unit 225 beforehand and determines whether the two match. A security guard is a person authorized to move within area L2. For example, the determination unit 222 performs a known calculation of similarity regarding the trajectory data as a measure of the degree of route matching, and determines that the two match if the calculated similarity is above a predetermined threshold. If the two match, the determination unit 222 determines that the detected vibration belongs to the security guard; on the other hand, if the two do not match, it determines that the detected vibration does not belong to the security guard. If the determination unit 222 determines that the acquired vibration belongs to the security guard, it logs the movement route and time information along the movement route of this vibration and stores it in the memory unit 225.

[0125] Furthermore, if the determination unit 222 determines that the acquired vibration belongs to a security guard, it stores the acquired vibration of the security guard in the storage unit 225. The determination unit 222 also stores in the storage unit 225, in association with the security guard's vibration, information indicating whether the security guard is permitted to move within area L2. In addition, the storage unit 225 may also store the security guard's personal information in association with the data of that security guard's vibration. The personal information is as described in (2A).

[0126] The notification control unit 223 controls the system so that if it detects a vibration from a security guard, it does not execute a notification in the notification unit 224. On the other hand, if the vibration detected is not from a security guard, the notification control unit 223 determines that the person is not permitted to enter area L2. It then controls the system so that it executes a notification in the notification unit 224 for the person who is not permitted to enter.

[0127] The notification unit 224 executes the processing shown in Embodiment 2 based on the control of the notification control unit 223. Details of this are omitted. The notification unit 224 can also, as appropriate, notify the travel route and time information on the travel route stored in the storage unit 225 by the determination unit 222 as a report. Similar to the notification unit 134, the notification unit 224 may be provided to notify a monitor or to notify an intruder.

[0128] The memory unit 225 stores information on the routes of security guards used for comparison, as well as logs of their movement routes. It may also store information about the vibrations of security guards and related information.

[0129] [Explanation of effects] As explained above, the monitoring device 220 can determine whether or not a security guard is patrolling their designated route and can store a log of the patrol status. This enables attendance management of security guards. If there are multiple security guards, the above process can be performed for each security guard.

[0130] Furthermore, as described below, the monitoring device 220 can acquire vibration data from security guards in real time and use that data to determine if an intruder is present, thereby improving the reliability of the security system.

[0131] The determination unit 222 may determine, when the vibration acquisition unit 221 acquires vibration, whether the acquired vibration corresponds to any of the security guard vibrations stored in the memory unit 225. If the vibration acquired by the vibration acquisition unit 221 does not correspond to any of the stored security guard vibrations, the determination unit 222 determines that the vibration generated in the optical fiber cable 210 is not of security guard origin. On the other hand, if the vibration acquired by the vibration acquisition unit 221 corresponds to any of the previously stored security guard vibrations, the determination unit 222 determines that the vibration generated in the optical fiber cable 110 is of security guard origin.

[0132] If the notification control unit 223 determines that the security guard is permitted to move within area L2 by referring to the security guard's permission information when the acquired vibration originates from a security guard that has been stored in advance. Then, it controls the notification unit 224 not to execute a notification for that person.

[0133] If the notification control unit 223 determines that the person who generated the acquired vibration is not a security guard, it determines that the person is not authorized to enter area L2. It then controls the notification unit 224 to execute a notification regarding the person who is not authorized to enter. The method of this notification is as described in (2A), and therefore the explanation is omitted.

[0134] Embodiment 4 (4A) [Explanation of the structure] The monitoring system 300 shown in Figure 11 comprises optical fiber cables 310A, 310B, and 310C, and a monitoring device 320. Optical fiber cables 310A to 310C are connected to the monitoring device 320. Hereafter, optical fiber cables 310A to 310C will be collectively referred to as optical fiber cable 310.

[0135] Figure 12 illustrates an example of a situation in which optical fiber cables are installed. Figure 12 shows a state in which optical fiber cables 310A to 310C are installed on the outer perimeter of each of the different regions L11 to L13. Regions L11 to L13 are areas where authorized entrants can enter, but if an unauthorized person enters, an alert is issued by the monitoring device 320. A specific example of such regions is shown in Embodiment 2.

[0136] In (4A), each person entering each area L11-L13 is fitted with a sound generator that emits a specific sound. The object then emits sound at least when it is located near the outer edge of areas L11-L13.

[0137] In this example, the sound generator produces a specific electronic sound outside the audible range. However, the sound generator may also be a shoe that emits a specific sound, a portable bell for deterring birds and animals, etc. Preferably, the sound emitted by the sound generator is outside the audible range that humans cannot perceive, but it may also be a sound within the audible range. If the sound generator emits a sound within the audible range, for example, the sound emitted may be a mosquito tone, or the duration of sound emission may be limited to a predetermined period so that it is less likely to be noticed by humans. This can suppress the awareness of sound-based security measures being implemented by third parties.

[0138] Figure 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the monitoring device 320. The monitoring device 320 comprises a vibration acquisition unit 321, a determination unit 322, a notification control unit 323, a notification unit 324, and a storage unit 325. The individual parts of the monitoring device 320 will be described below.

[0139] The vibration acquisition unit 321 acquires vibrations generated in the optical fiber cable 310, which is the target of vibration acquisition. Here, the vibration acquisition unit 321 can detect where among the optical fiber cables 310A to 310C the vibration occurred.

[0140] The determination unit 322 determines whether the acquired vibration corresponds to the vibration of a legitimate visitor stored in the memory unit 325. Here, the data of legitimate visitor vibrations stored in the memory unit 325 includes data of vibrations related to a specific electronic sound emitted by the sound generator 340. Therefore, the determination unit 322 determines whether the detected vibration corresponds to the vibration related to a specific electronic sound stored. When a legitimate visitor who possesses the sound generator 340 enters, the detected vibration includes vibrations related to the electronic sound emitted from the sound generator 340. Therefore, the detected vibration corresponds to the vibration related to a specific electronic sound stored, and the person who generated the acquired vibration is a legitimate visitor.

[0141] Furthermore, the vibration data related to specific electronic sounds is common to each area. In addition, the vibrations of authorized entrants are associated with permission information indicating whether that authorized entrant is permitted to enter each area, and this information is stored in the memory unit 325.

[0142] The notification control unit 323 determines that a person who generated the detected vibration is an authorized visitor permitted to enter the area where the optical fiber cable 310 that detected the vibration is laid, by referring to the permission information of that authorized visitor. It then controls the notification unit 324 not to execute a notification for that person. In this case, the person who generated the detected vibration is emitting a specific electronic sound.

[0143] On the other hand, the notification control unit 323 determines that if the person who generated the detected vibration is not a legitimate visitor permitted to enter the area where the optical fiber cable 310 that detected the vibration is laid, that person is not permitted to enter that area. The notification control unit then controls the notification unit 324 to execute a notification regarding that person who is not permitted to enter. In this case, the person who generated the detected vibration did not emit any specific electronic sound.

[0144] The notification unit 324 executes the processing shown in Embodiment 2 based on the control of the notification control unit 323. Details of this are omitted. The notification unit 324 may be provided to notify a monitoring officer or to notify an intruder.

[0145] The memory unit 325 stores vibration and eligibility information of legitimate entrants in association with each other. It may also store personal information of legitimate entrants.

[0146] [Explanation of effects] As explained above, the monitoring device 320 can determine that a person emitting a specific electronic sound is a legitimate entrant, and that anyone else is an intruder, and can issue an alert to the intruder. In this way, by using sound for determination, the alerting by the monitoring device 320 can be made more accurate to the actual situation and more efficient.

[0147] Furthermore, by making certain electronic sounds outside the audible range, it is possible to suppress the possibility of third parties noticing that sound is being used for security purposes. This can improve the reliability of security.

[0148] (4B) (4A) assumes that the sound generator is either continuously generating sound, or that the owner of the sound generator, who is a legitimate entrant, generates sound in the vicinity of the optical fiber cable 310. However, in the former case, the power of the sound generator will be consumed quickly, and in the latter case, there is a possibility that the owner may forget to turn on the sound generator. (4B) can suppress the occurrence of such problems.

[0149] Figure 14 illustrates an example of a configuration in which an optical fiber cable is installed. Compared to the configuration shown in Figure 12, Figure 14 differs in that radio transmitters 330A to 330C are installed in regions L11 to L13, respectively. Hereafter, radio transmitters 330A to 330C will be collectively referred to as radio transmitter 330.

[0150] The radio transmitter 330 transmits a signal to the sound generator 340 that acts as a trigger for the sound generator 340 to generate sound. Any wireless communication standard, such as WiFi® or Bluetooth®, can be used to transmit the signal. The radio transmitter 330 is controlled by the monitoring device 320.

[0151] The sound generator 340 becomes capable of receiving signals from the radio transmitter 330 when it is close to any of the regions L11 to L13, that is, when it is close to the optical fiber cable 310. Therefore, the sound generator 340 emits a specific electronic sound. The optical fiber cable 110 detects vibrations that include this electronic sound. The processing performed by the monitoring device 320 based on the detected vibrations is as shown in (4A). Note that when the sound generator 340 moves away from the optical fiber cable 310, it will no longer be able to receive signals from the radio transmitter 330. In other words, when the owner of the sound generator 340 moves away from the regions L11 to L13, the sound generator 340 stops emitting sound.

[0152] Figure 15 is a block diagram showing an example of the monitoring device 320 in (4B). The monitoring device 320 further includes a sound control unit 326 in addition to the vibration acquisition unit 321 to the storage unit 325. The processing performed by the vibration acquisition unit 321 to the storage unit 325 is the same as in (4A).

[0153] The sound control unit 326 controls the radio wave transmitters 330 in each region to control the on / off switching of signal transmission by the radio wave transmitters 330. By turning on signal transmission by the radio wave transmitters 330, the optical fiber cable 110 can detect the electronic sound from the sound generator 340 as described above.

[0154] [Explanation of effects] As explained above, the sound control unit 326 of the monitoring device 320 can control the sound generator 340 to emit a specific electronic sound when the sound generator 340 is located in the vicinity of the optical fiber cable 310. As a result, the sound generator 340 only emits sound when it approaches the region L11 to L13, thus reducing the power consumption of the sound generator 340. In addition, the owner does not need to operate the sound generator 340 to generate sound. Therefore, it is possible to prevent situations in which the owner, who is a legitimate entrant, forgets to operate the sound generator 340 and an alert is issued.

[0155] Furthermore, it is preferable to install the radio wave transmitter 330 near the optical fiber cable 310 in each area. In this case, when the owner of the sound generator 340 enters the area, the sound generator 340 emits sound. However, when the owner enters the area and moves away from the optical fiber cable 310, the signal from the radio wave transmitter 330 no longer reaches the owner, and the sound generator 340 stops emitting sound. In other words, the sound generator 340 stops emitting sound when the sound generator 340 and its owner move to a range where the optical fiber cable 310 does not detect vibrations. Therefore, even when the sound generator 340 is located in an area where sound emission is unnecessary, the sound generator 340 stops emitting sound, thus increasing the power saving effect of the sound generator 340.

[0156] As another example, the monitoring device 320 may control the sound generation of the sound generator 340 without installing a radio transmitter 330 in the area. In this case, the sound generator 340 is equipped with, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System, Global Positioning Satellite) receiver and determines its position based on signals received from multiple positioning satellites. The sound generator 340 may determine its position using a satellite positioning system other than GPS. In addition, the sound generator 340 may be further equipped with a gyro sensor and an accelerometer for positioning by dead reckoning, instead of or in addition to the GPS receiver. Thus, the sound generator 340 has a self-position estimation function. The sound generator 340 transmits the estimated self-position information to the monitoring device 320.

[0157] The sound control unit 326 refers to the location of the transmitted sound generator 340 and the locations of regions L11 to L13 on the map stored in the memory unit 325, and calculates the distance between the location of the sound generator 340 and each of the regions L11 to L13. If necessary, the sound control unit 326 calculates the above distance by corresponding the received location of the sound generator 340 to the location on the map, based on the correspondence between the location measured by the sound generator 340 and the location on the map. Then, if it is determined that the distance between the location of the sound generator 340 and any of the regions L11 to L13 has fallen below a predetermined distance, it controls the radio transmitter 330 located in the region where it was determined that the distance has fallen below the predetermined distance, and causes it to transmit a signal.

[0158] Furthermore, if the distance between the sound generator 340 and the area becomes greater than a predetermined distance, the system controls the transmission of signals from the radio transmitter 330 to stop. This includes not only cases where the owner of the sound generator 340 is outside the area, but also cases where the owner is inside the area and separated from the optical fiber cable 310.

[0159] Even when the above control is performed, if the sound generator 340 is located in an area where sound emission is unnecessary, the sound generator 340 can stop emitting sound. This enhances the power saving effect of the sound generator 340. In addition, the sound control unit 326 can stop the radio wave transmitter 330 from transmitting signals when unnecessary, thus enhancing the power saving effect of the radio wave transmitter 330.

[0160] (4C) In (4A) and (4B), common vibration data was used for each region as the data relating to a specific electronic sound. However, different vibration data may be used depending on the region. Such variations are described below. Note that the processing shown in (4A) and (4B) may be used in combination with the following variations.

[0161] The installation status of the optical fiber cable 310 in (4C) is as shown in Figure 12. Here, we assume that areas L11 to L13 are areas of a facility belonging to a certain company, and that the attributes of the person who can enter each area L11 to L13 are different. In such a case, it is preferable that the sound emitted by the sound generator 340 that allows entry into each area L11 to L13 is changed for each area L11 to L13.

[0162] Therefore, each company staff member possesses a sound generator 340 that emits a different electronic sound pattern for each attribute. This makes it possible to change the areas that staff members can enter according to their attributes, as will be described later. In this example, a different electronic sound pattern means that the electronic sound frequencies are different, but this is not the only example of different electronic sound patterns.

[0163] The block diagram of the monitoring device 320 is shown in Figure 13. Below, we will explain the processes performed by the monitoring device 320, particularly the differences from (4A), and will omit explanations of points that are common to (4A) as appropriate.

[0164] The vibration acquisition unit 321 acquires vibrations generated in the optical fiber cable 310, which is the target of vibration acquisition. Here, the vibration acquisition unit 321 can detect where among the optical fiber cables 310A to 310C the vibration occurred.

[0165] The determination unit 322 refers to a table containing ID information for each optical fiber cable 310 (or each area) and vibration data of authorized entrants associated with the ID information, which are pre-stored in the memory unit 325. Here, the ID information for each optical fiber cable 310 is associated with data indicating the frequency of a specific electronic sound as data related to the vibration of authorized entrants. Furthermore, the frequencies shown in this table may be associated with information indicating whether or not an authorized entrant is permitted.

[0166] In the table, each optical fiber cable 310A to 310C has one or more associated frequencies. Furthermore, there may be common frequencies between the frequencies associated with one optical fiber cable 310 and the frequencies associated with another optical fiber cable 310. However, the frequencies associated with one optical fiber cable 310 and the frequencies associated with another optical fiber cable 310 may differ in the presence or absence of at least one frequency.

[0167] Figure 16 shows an example of such a table. In Figure 16, the IDs of the optical fiber cables 310A to 310C are indicated as A to C. For ID:A, the frequencies are set to 100, 50, and 10 Hz; for ID:B, the frequencies are set to 100 and 50 Hz; and for ID:C, the frequency is set to 100 Hz. In this case, the owner of the sound generator 340 that emits an electronic sound with a frequency of 100 or 50 Hz will be able to enter multiple areas. However, Figure 16 is merely an example, and the table may set to only one area for each frequency that can be entered.

[0168] The determination unit 322 identifies the frequency associated with the optical fiber cable from which the acquired vibration originated, using a table. For example, if the acquired vibration originates in optical fiber cable 310A, the determination unit 322 identifies the frequency associated with the ID information of optical fiber cable 310A. The determination unit 322 then determines whether the vibration actually detected from optical fiber cable 310A corresponds to the vibration related to the frequency of optical fiber cable 310A shown in the table. Referring to the example in Figure 16, the determination unit 322 determines whether the vibration actually detected from optical fiber cable 310A includes vibrations with at least one of the frequencies of 100, 50, or 10 Hz.

[0169] If the vibration actually detected from the optical fiber cable 310A includes vibrations with at least one of the frequencies of 100, 50, or 10 Hz, the person who generated the acquired vibration is a legitimate visitor authorized to enter the area where the optical fiber cable 310A is laid. In this case, the notification control unit 323 determines that the legitimate visitor is authorized to enter area L11 by referring to the authorized visitor status information. It then controls the notification unit 324 not to execute a notification for that person.

[0170] On the other hand, if the vibrations actually detected from the optical fiber cable 310A do not include vibrations of any frequency, such as 100, 50, or 10 Hz, then the person who generated the acquired vibrations is a person who is not permitted to enter the area where the optical fiber cable 310A is laid. In this case, the notification control unit 323 controls the notification unit 324 to execute a notification regarding that person who is not permitted to enter.

[0171] The notification unit 324 executes the processing shown in Embodiment 2 based on the control of the notification control unit 323. The storage unit 325 stores the above-mentioned table and the information regarding the eligibility of legitimate entrants in association with each other. In addition, personal information of legitimate entrants may also be stored.

[0172] For example, in the example in Figure 16, security staff may possess a sound generator 340 that emits a 100Hz electronic sound, general staff may possess a sound generator 340 that emits a 50Hz electronic sound, and guests may possess a sound generator 340 that emits a 10Hz electronic sound. In this case, security staff can enter any of areas L11 to L13, general staff can enter areas L11 and L12, and guests can enter only area L11. If general staff or guests attempt to enter an area they are not allowed to enter, an alert will be issued.

[0173] Furthermore, when the vibration acquisition unit 321 acquires vibration, the determination unit 322 may determine whether or not the vibration includes vibrations related to any of the frequencies shown in the table (in the above example, frequencies of 100, 50, or 10 Hz). If the acquired vibrations do not include vibrations related to any of these frequencies, the determination unit 322 determines that an intruder without a sound generator 340 has entered the area. The notification control unit 323 controls the notification unit 324 to execute a notification regarding that intruder.

[0174] On the other hand, if the acquired vibration includes vibrations related to any frequency, the determination unit 322 identifies the frequency associated with the optical fiber cable 310 in the table, as described above. If the optical fiber cable 310 in which vibration was detected is optical fiber cable 310A, the determination unit 322 determines whether the acquired vibration corresponds to the vibration related to the frequency of optical fiber cable 310A shown in the table. The processing in the case where it does correspond is as described above.

[0175] If it is determined that the person does not meet the criteria, the determination unit 322 determines that an unauthorized person has entered the area. The notification control unit 323 controls the notification unit 324 to execute a notification regarding that person. At this time, the content of the notification made by the notification unit 324 may be different from the notification made by the notification unit 324 regarding an intruder. For example, suppose the notification unit 324 is installed as a speaker in the area. If it is determined that an intruder has entered the area, the notification control unit 323 will have the notification unit 324 output an announcement saying, "Only staff are allowed to enter." However, if it is determined that an unauthorized person has entered the area, the notification control unit 323 will have the notification unit 324 output an announcement saying, "Staff without authorization are not allowed to enter."

[0176] For example, suppose a regular staff member possessing a sound generator 340 that emits a 50Hz electronic sound attempts to enter area L13. In this case, the determination unit 322 determines, based on the acquired vibrations, that the person attempting to enter L13 is a regular staff member and that the regular staff member does not have the authority to enter area L13. At this time, the notification control unit 323 may have the notification unit 324 output an audio announcement stating, "Please do not enter unless you are security staff." In other words, the notification control unit 323 can control the notification unit 324 to notify the attributes of staff members who are allowed to enter the target area, and to notify that the person attempting to enter does not have the authority to enter the target area.

[0177] The processes described above can be performed for each optical fiber cable 310.

[0178] [Explanation of effects] In (4C), the monitoring device 320 sets the frequency of the sound generator 340 that allows entry into the area for each fiber optic cable 310. This makes it possible to assign permission or denial of entry to different people, etc., for each area, and to construct a more sophisticated security system.

[0179] Furthermore, even for individuals who do not have access privileges to the area, the notification method can be changed depending on whether they are mere intruders or staff members equipped with the sound generator 340. This makes it possible to ensure that the person being notified is accurately aware of their own status.

[0180] The monitoring device 320 may change the contents of the table in response to user operations. For example, the monitoring device 320 may delete the frequency "100" for ID:A in the table in Figure 16. In this case, before the deletion, no alert will be issued if the owner of the sound generator 340 that emits an electronic sound of 100Hz enters any of areas L11, L12, or L13. However, after the deletion, an alert will be issued if this owner enters area L11.

[0181] Furthermore, the monitoring device 320 may control the sound generator 340 to change the frequency of the sound it emits. For example, the memory unit 325 stores the attributes of a person and the corresponding ID of the sound generator 340 in association with them. If the monitoring device 320 wants to change the access rights to an area for a predetermined attribute, it will cause the sound generator 340 having an ID associated with the predetermined attribute to change the frequency of the sound it emits. For example, in the above example, if the monitoring device 320 wants to suspend the access rights of security staff to area L13, it can control the sound generator 340 having an ID corresponding to the security staff to emit a sound from 100Hz to 50Hz. The monitoring device 320 can perform similar control on sound generators 340 having IDs corresponding to other attributes. In this way, the sound patterns emitted by the sound generator 340 can be updated.

[0182] However, the monitoring device 320 may ensure that at least one of the sound patterns emitted by the sound generator 340 having an ID corresponding to the first attribute and the sound generator 340 having an ID corresponding to a second attribute different from the first attribute are different, both before and after the above control. This allows the monitoring device 320 to grant different access privileges to the area to individuals with different attributes.

[0183] The monitoring device 320 may temporarily change at least one of the frequencies associated with the optical fiber cable 310 listed in the table, or the frequency of the sound emitted by the sound generator 340. This makes it possible, for example, to have the guest sound generator 340 emit a frequency that allows entry and exit to a predetermined area for only a short period of time.

[0184] Furthermore, the electronic sound generated by the sound generator 340 may include not only an electronic sound relating to one of the frequencies stored in the table of the memory unit 325, but also electronic sounds relating to multiple frequencies. In this case, the determination unit 322 determines whether at least one of the vibration frequencies actually detected from the optical fiber cable 310 corresponds to the vibration of the optical fiber cable 310 shown in the table. If at least one of the vibration frequencies actually detected from the optical fiber cable 310 corresponds to the vibration of the optical fiber cable 310 shown in the table, the person who generated the acquired vibration is a legitimate entrant. On the other hand, if it does not, the person who generated the acquired vibration is not a legitimate entrant. The notification control unit 323 and the notification unit 324 perform the same processing as described above based on this determination result.

[0185] The frequency of the sound emitted by the sound generator 340 and the table settings are not limited to those described above. For example, in the table, the frequencies associated with the optical fiber cables 310A, 310B, and 310C are set to 100, 50, and 10 Hz, respectively. In this case, if the sound generator 340 held by the security staff emits an electronic sound containing all frequencies of 100, 50, and 10 Hz, the security staff will be able to enter any of areas L11 to L13. On the other hand, if the sound generator 340 held by the general staff emits an electronic sound containing frequencies of 100 and 50 Hz, the security staff will be able to enter areas L11 and L12. Furthermore, if the sound generator 340 held by the guest emits an electronic sound containing a frequency of 100 Hz, the security staff will only be able to enter area L11. In this way, even when the sound generator 340 emits a synthesized sound composed of multiple frequencies, the areas that can be entered can be set according to the attributes of each person.

[0186] (4D) In (4C), the sound generator 340 emits a constant frequency of 1 or higher. However, in a real environment, it is conceivable that sounds of a similar frequency may be emitted by sources other than the sound generator 340. The optical fiber cable 310 also detects such sounds as vibrations. Therefore, the determination unit 322 may mistakenly determine that such sounds, which are not emitted by the sound generator 340, were emitted by the sound generator 340. In this case, an alert may not be issued to a person who does not have the right to enter the area.

[0187] In (4D), to suppress the occurrence of such problems, the sound generator 340 does not emit sound of a certain frequency. Instead, the sound generator 340 emits an electronic sound in which a predetermined pattern of on and off during the sound emission period is changed according to the attributes of the person possessing the sound generator 340.

[0188] Unlike (4C), in (4D), in the table stored in the memory unit 325, the ID information of each optical fiber cable 310 is associated with data indicating a specific on / off pattern as data related to the vibrations of a legitimate entrant.

[0189] The determination unit 322 identifies the pattern associated with the optical fiber cable from which the acquired vibration originated using a table. The determination unit 322 then determines whether the vibration actually detected from the optical fiber cable 310 includes vibrations of at least one frequency from one or more patterns associated with the optical fiber cable.

[0190] As another example, the determination unit 322 can also determine whether the vibration acquired by the vibration acquisition unit 321 includes vibrations related to any of the patterns shown in the table. If the acquired vibrations do not include vibrations related to any of the patterns, the determination unit 322 determines that an intruder without a sound generator 340 has entered the area. On the other hand, if the acquired vibrations include vibrations related to any of the patterns, the determination unit 322 identifies the pattern associated with the optical fiber cable 310 in the table, as described above. The determination unit 322 then determines whether the acquired vibrations correspond to vibrations related to the pattern of that optical fiber cable shown in the table.

[0191] [Explanation of effects] The processing performed based on the result of the determination is the same as in (4C), so the explanation is omitted. As shown above, the monitoring device 320 can use data indicating a specific on / off pattern instead of frequency. Therefore, the monitoring device 320 can more accurately determine whether or not sound has been emitted from the sound generator 340. Furthermore, even if sound generators 340 owned by individuals with different attributes emit sounds in the same or similar frequency bands, the monitoring device 320 can clearly identify that the two sound generators 340 are different. This expands the range of sounds that can be used by the sound generator 340, allowing the monitoring device 320 to more finely differentiate and distinguish owners.

[0192] The various variations of (4D) are the same as those of (4C). For example, the monitoring device 320 can change at least one of the tables stored in the memory unit 325 or the sound patterns emitted by the sound generator 340. This makes it possible, for example, to make the guest sound generator 340 emit a sound pattern that allows entry and exit to a predetermined area for only a short period of time.

[0193] (4E) The frequencies or on / off patterns shown in (4C) or (4D) may be set differently for each sound generator 340, i.e., for each individual who has a sound generator 340. A table associating the IDs and patterns of the sound generators 340 is stored in the storage unit 325. The data in this table can be changed as appropriate, as described above.

[0194] When the determination unit 322 detects vibrations originating from sound emitted from the sound generator 340 via the optical fiber cable 310, it refers to a table and determines that the vibrations correspond to vibrations associated with a specific sound generator 340 ID. In other words, the determination unit 322 determines that the vibrations originate from a person corresponding to that ID.

[0195] At this time, the determination unit 322 identifies the movement history of the source of the detected vibration by collecting logs of the estimated location of the vibration and the time information of the vibration that occurred over time. The movement history identifies the time when an individual entered a certain area and the time when they left that area.

[0196] The determination unit 322 can then create a report based on the movement history, indicating the time period during which a specific individual was present in a particular area. This report, for example, shows the individual's work status and can be viewed by an administrator via the notification unit 324. Furthermore, if a device for managing entry and exit is connected to the monitoring device 320, the monitoring device 320 may send the report contents to the management device via an API. This allows the management device to store the report as an entry and exit record.

[0197] [Explanation of effects] By generating the above report in a system using the sound generator 340, the monitoring device 320 can be used for staff attendance management.

[0198] In the embodiments described above, this disclosure has been explained as a hardware configuration, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. This disclosure can also be implemented by having a processor in a computer execute a computer program to perform the processing of each device described in the embodiments described above.

[0199] Figure 17 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device in which the processing of each embodiment described above is performed. Referring to Figure 17, this information processing device 90 includes a signal processing circuit 91, a processor 92, and a memory 93.

[0200] The signal processing circuit 91 is a circuit for processing signals in accordance with the control of the processor 92. The signal processing circuit 91 may also include a communication circuit for receiving signals from a transmitting device.

[0201] The processor 92 is connected to the memory 93 and performs the processing of the device described in the above embodiment by reading and executing a computer program from the memory 93. As an example of the processor 92, one of the following may be used: CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), DSP (Demand-Side Platform), or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or multiple of these may be used in parallel.

[0202] Memory 93 is composed of volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof. Memory 93 is not limited to one unit, but may be provided in multiple units. Volatile memory may be RAM (Random Access Memory) such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or SRAM (Static Random Access Memory). Non-volatile memory may be ROM (Read Only Memory) such as PROM (Programmable Random Only Memory) or EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), flash memory, or SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0203] Memory 93 is used to store one or more instructions. Here, one or more instructions are stored in memory 93 as a program. The processor 92 can perform the processing described in the above embodiment by reading and executing these programs from memory 93.

[0204] Furthermore, the memory 93 may include not only memory located outside the processor 92, but also memory built into the processor 92. The memory 93 may also include storage located separately from the processors that make up the processor 92. In this case, the processor 92 can access the memory 93 via an I / O (Input / Output) interface.

[0205] As described above, the one or more processors in each of the above embodiments execute one or more programs that include a set of instructions for causing a computer to perform the algorithm described with reference to the drawings. This process enables the information processing described in each embodiment.

[0206] The program, when loaded into a computer, includes a set of instructions or software code for causing the computer to perform one or more of the functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored on a non-temporary computer-readable medium or a physical storage medium. Examples, but not limited to, include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD), Blu-ray® disc or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices. The program may be transmitted over a temporary computer-readable medium or a communication medium. Examples, but not limited to, include temporary computer-readable medium or a communication medium that includes electrical, optical, acoustic or other forms of propagating signals.

[0207] Some or all of the embodiments described above may also be described as follows, but are not limited to. Furthermore, some or all of the elements (e.g., configuration and function) described in Appendices 2 to 14 that are dependent on Appendice 1 may also be dependent on Appendices 16 and 17 in the same way as in Appendices 2 to 14. Thus, some or all of the elements described in any appendice may be applied to various hardware, software, recording means, systems, and methods for recording software. (Note 1) A vibration acquisition means for acquiring a first vibration generated in a first optical fiber cable, A determination means for determining whether the first vibration corresponds to a reference vibration, When the first vibration corresponds to the reference vibration, a notification control means controls a notification regarding the source of the first vibration based on passability information associated with the reference vibration, A monitoring device equipped with the following features. (Note 2) The system further comprises a first setting means for setting the approval / approval information as information indicating that passage is permitted when the reference vibration is a vibration that satisfies predetermined conditions. The monitoring device described in Appendix 1. (Note 3) The vibration acquisition means further comprises a second setting means that, when it acquires vibrations generated in a reference optical fiber cable different from the first optical fiber cable, sets the vibrations as the reference vibrations and sets information indicating whether or not the reference object that is the source of the vibrations can pass as the passability information. The monitoring device described in Appendix 1 or 2. (Note 4) The system further comprises information acquisition means for acquiring reference object information, which is information relating to the aforementioned reference object, The second setting means sets the feasibility information based on the reference object information. The monitoring device described in Appendix 3. (Note 5) The second setting means compares the position and time information obtained by the vibration acquisition means with the position and time information obtained by the information acquisition means with the reference object information, and sets the feasibility information based on the reference object information if the two correspond. The monitoring device described in Appendix 4. (Note 6) The second setting means, when the reference object information matches the object information of the object to be authenticated, generates new information indicating that the reference object is an object permitted to pass, and sets this information as the permit / fail information. The monitoring device described in Appendix 4 or 5. (Note 7) When the vibration acquisition means acquires a third vibration generated in the reference optical fiber cable, the determination means does not determine whether the third vibration corresponds to the reference vibration. A monitoring device as described in any one of the items 3 to 6 of the appendix. (Note 8) The aforementioned predetermined condition is that the reference vibration includes vibrations relating to a specific electronic sound. The monitoring device described in Appendix 2. (Note 9) The aforementioned specific electronic sound is a sound outside the audible range. The monitoring device described in Appendix 8. (Note 10) The aforementioned specific electronic sound includes a specific pattern of sound on and off, The monitoring device described in Appendix 8 or 9. (Note 11) The system further comprises sound control means for controlling the sound generating device to generate the specific electronic sound when the sound generating device is located in the vicinity of the first optical fiber cable. A monitoring device as described in any one of the items 8 to 10 of the appendix. (Note 12) The vibration acquisition means further acquires a second vibration generated in a second optical fiber cable that is different from the first optical fiber cable. The determination means, when the vibration acquisition means acquires the first vibration, determines whether the first vibration includes vibrations relating to at least one pattern from among the first electronic sound patterns which include one or more electronic sound patterns, and when the vibration acquisition means acquires the second vibration, determines whether the second vibration includes vibrations relating to at least one pattern from among the second electronic sound patterns which include one or more electronic sound patterns and which differ from the first electronic sound pattern by at least one pattern. The notification control means controls a notification regarding the source of the first vibration based on the feasibility information when the first vibration includes vibration relating to at least one of the first electronic sound patterns, and controls a notification regarding the source of the second vibration based on the feasibility information when the second vibration includes vibration relating to at least one of the second electronic sound patterns. A monitoring device as described in any one of the items 8 to 11 of the appendices. (Note 13) The first setting means assigns a first sound generating device that generates the specific electronic sound to generate at least one of the patterns included in the first electronic sound pattern and at least one of the patterns included in the second electronic sound pattern, and assigns a second sound generating device that generates the specific electronic sound to generate at least one of the patterns included in the first electronic sound pattern and at least one of the patterns included in the second electronic sound pattern, The pattern assigned to the first sound generator and the pattern assigned to the second sound generator differ in at least one pattern. The monitoring device described in Appendix 12. (Note 14) The first setting means updates the first electronic sound pattern to a third electronic sound pattern including one or more electronic sound patterns, and updates the second electronic sound pattern to a fourth electronic sound pattern including one or more electronic sound patterns. The third electronic sound pattern differs from the first electronic sound pattern in at least one electronic sound pattern, the fourth electronic sound pattern differs from the second electronic sound pattern in at least one electronic sound pattern, and the third electronic sound pattern differs from the fourth electronic sound pattern in at least one electronic sound pattern. The monitoring device described in Appendix 12 or 13. (Note 15) The monitoring device described in any one of the appendices 1 to 14, The aforementioned first optical fiber cable, A monitoring system equipped with the following features. (Note 16) By acquiring vibrations generated in an optical fiber cable, Determine whether the vibration in question corresponds to a reference vibration. If the vibration corresponds to the reference vibration, the system controls the notification regarding the source of the vibration based on the passability information associated with the reference vibration, which indicates whether or not passage is permitted. A monitoring method performed by a computer. (Note 17) By acquiring vibrations generated in an optical fiber cable, Determine whether the vibration in question corresponds to a reference vibration. If the vibration corresponds to the reference vibration, the system controls the notification regarding the source of the vibration based on the passability information associated with the reference vibration, which indicates whether or not passage is permitted. A program that causes a computer to perform a task.

[0208] Each drawing referenced in the embodiments described above is merely illustrative to illustrate one or more embodiments. Each drawing may be associated with one or more other embodiments rather than with only one specific embodiment. As those skilled in the art will understand, various features or steps described with reference to any one drawing can be combined with features or steps shown in one or more other drawings, for example, to create embodiments not explicitly shown or described. Not all features or steps shown in any one drawing to illustrate an exemplary embodiment are necessarily required, and some features or steps may be omitted. The order of steps shown in any of the drawings may be changed as appropriate.

[0209] Although the present disclosure has been described above, it is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications to the structure and details of the present disclosure are possible, as can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0210] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-010977, filed on 27 January 2023, and incorporates all of its disclosures herein. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0211] 10 Monitoring equipment 11 Vibration acquisition section 12 Judgment section 13 Notification Control Unit 100 monitoring systems 110 Fiber Optic Cable 120 Authentication device 121 Biometric Information Acquisition Unit 122 Biometric Authentication Unit 123 Opening / closing control unit 124 Storage unit 125 Communications Department 130 Monitoring equipment 131 Vibration acquisition section 132 Judgment section 133 Notification control unit 134 Notification unit 135 Memory Unit 136 Communications Unit 200 monitoring systems 210 Fiber Optic Cables 220 Monitoring equipment 221 Vibration acquisition section 222 Judgment section 223 Notification control unit 224 Notification unit 225 Storage section 300 monitoring systems 310 Fiber Optic Cable 320 Monitoring equipment 321 Vibration acquisition section 322 Judgment section 323 Notification control unit 324 Notification unit 325 Storage section 330 Radio Transmitter 340 Sound Generator

Claims

1. A vibration acquisition means for acquiring a first vibration generated in an optical fiber cable, A determination means for determining whether the first vibration corresponds to a reference vibration, When the first vibration corresponds to the reference vibration, a notification control means controls a notification regarding the source of the first vibration based on passability information associated with the reference vibration, When the vibration acquisition means acquires vibrations generated in a reference optical fiber cable different from the optical fiber cable, the first setting means sets the vibrations as the reference vibrations and sets information indicating whether or not the reference object that is the source of the vibrations can pass as the passability information. A monitoring device equipped with the following features.

2. The system further comprises information acquisition means for acquiring reference object information, which is information relating to the aforementioned reference object, The first setting means sets the feasibility information based on the reference object information. The monitoring device according to claim 1.

3. The first setting means compares the position and time information obtained by the vibration acquisition means for acquiring the reference vibration with the position and time information obtained by the information acquisition means for acquiring the reference object information, and sets the feasibility information based on the reference object information if the two correspond. The monitoring device according to claim 2.

4. The first setting means, when the reference object information matches the object information of the object to be authenticated, generates new information indicating that the reference object is an object permitted to pass, and sets this information as the permit / fail information. The monitoring device according to claim 2.

5. When the vibration acquisition means acquires a second vibration generated in the reference optical fiber cable, the determination means does not determine whether the second vibration corresponds to the reference vibration. The monitoring device according to claim 1.

6. A vibration acquisition means for acquiring a first vibration generated in an optical fiber cable, A determination means for determining whether the first vibration corresponds to a reference vibration, When the first vibration corresponds to the reference vibration, a notification control means controls a notification regarding the source of the first vibration based on passability information associated with the reference vibration, A second setting means sets the approval / approval information as information indicating that passage is permitted when the reference vibration includes vibrations related to a specific electronic sound, A monitoring device equipped with the following features.

7. The first vibration generated in the optical fiber cable is acquired, Determine whether the first vibration corresponds to a reference vibration. If the first vibration corresponds to the reference vibration, the notification regarding the source of the first vibration is controlled based on the passability information associated with the reference vibration, indicating whether or not passage is permitted. When vibrations are acquired in a reference optical fiber cable different from the aforementioned optical fiber cable, these vibrations are set as the reference vibrations, and information indicating whether or not the reference object that is the source of the vibrations can pass is set as the pass / fail information. A monitoring method performed by a computer.

8. To acquire a first vibration generated in an optical fiber cable, Determine whether the first vibration corresponds to a reference vibration. If the first vibration corresponds to the reference vibration, the notification regarding the source of the first vibration is controlled based on the passability information associated with the reference vibration, indicating whether or not passage is permitted. If the reference vibration includes vibrations related to a specific electronic sound, the approval / denial information is set as information indicating that passage is permitted. A monitoring method performed by a computer.

9. The first vibration generated in the optical fiber cable is acquired, Determine whether the first vibration corresponds to a reference vibration. If the first vibration corresponds to the reference vibration, the notification regarding the source of the first vibration is controlled based on the passability information associated with the reference vibration, indicating whether or not passage is permitted. When vibrations are acquired in a reference optical fiber cable different from the aforementioned optical fiber cable, these vibrations are set as the reference vibrations, and information indicating whether or not the reference object that is the source of the vibrations can pass is set as the pass / fail information. A program that causes a computer to perform a task.

10. To acquire a first vibration generated in an optical fiber cable, Determine whether the first vibration corresponds to a reference vibration. If the first vibration corresponds to the reference vibration, the notification regarding the source of the first vibration is controlled based on the passability information associated with the reference vibration, indicating whether or not passage is permitted. If the reference vibration includes vibrations related to a specific electronic sound, the approval / denial information is set as information indicating that passage is permitted. A program that causes a computer to perform a task.

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