Key management system, key management device, and key management method

Abstract

To efficiently detect, for example, suspicious behavior or illegal stay, by using a plurality of imaging devices.SOLUTION: A key management system includes: a key management device which has a plurality of storage parts capable of storing each holder of a plurality of holders for holding a key; and a plurality of imaging devices capable of communicating with the key management device. Each imaging device out of the plurality of imaging devices is associated with an associated holder which is at least one out of the plurality of holders, and operates based on the use situation of the associated holder.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a key management system, a key management device, and a key management method.

Background Art

[0002] In Patent Document 1, when a recording control unit acquires information indicating that the collation result in an ID collation unit is good from the ID collation unit, the recording control unit causes a recording device to start recording a video being shot by a camera, and when the recording control unit acquires information indicating that a key holder with the driver's vehicle key suspended has been taken out from a storage unit from the storage unit, the recording control unit causes the recording device to end the recording of the video being shot by the camera. A key management device is described.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In an area where a key held by a holder stored in a key management device is used, it may be possible to detect, for example, suspicious behavior or unauthorized stay using a plurality of imaging devices. However, when a configuration in which each imaging device of the plurality of imaging devices is not associated with the holder is adopted, all of the plurality of imaging devices will operate regardless of which holder is used. That is, it has not been possible to efficiently detect, for example, suspicious behavior or unauthorized stay using a plurality of imaging devices.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to enable efficient detection of, for example, suspicious behavior or unauthorized stay using a plurality of imaging devices.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To this end, the present invention provides a key management system comprising: a key management device having a plurality of storage compartments capable of housing each holder of a plurality of key holders; and a plurality of imaging devices capable of communicating with the key management device, wherein each imaging device of the plurality of imaging devices is associated with an associated holder which is at least one holder among the plurality of holders, and operates based on the usage status of the associated holder. Each imaging device may start imaging when the associated holder is removed from any of the storage compartments. In that case, each imaging device may stop imaging when the associated holder is placed in any of the storage compartments. Each imaging device may continue imaging even when the associated holder is placed in any of the storage compartments until predetermined conditions are met. Each imaging device may start imaging when the associated holder is placed in one of the multiple storage compartments. The key management system may further include a notification unit that notifies the outside of information based on the usage status of the relevant holder and the images captured by each imaging device. In that case, the notification unit may notify the outside of information that a person is present based on the images captured by each imaging device, even if the relevant holder is stored in one of the multiple storage compartments. The key management system may further include a switching unit that switches whether or not to operate each imaging device based on related holder information relating to the related holder. In this case, the related holder information may be information indicating the related holder, information indicating the user using the related holder, or information indicating the purpose of using the related holder. The key management system may further include: an actual stay time acquisition unit that acquires the actual stay time of a user in an area accessible using a key held by a related holder, based on images captured by each camera; and a notification unit that notifies the outside of notification information based on the actual stay time acquired by the actual stay time acquisition unit. In that case, the system may further include a standard stay time acquisition unit that acquires a standard stay time of a user in an area, and the notification unit may notify the outside of comparison information regarding the comparison between the actual stay time acquired by the actual stay time acquisition unit and the standard stay time acquired by the standard stay time acquisition unit as notification information. In that case, the notification unit may also notify the outside of comparison information if the actual stay time acquired by the actual stay time acquisition unit exceeds the standard stay time acquired by the standard stay time acquisition unit. The standard stay time acquisition unit may acquire the standard stay time set for the related holder. It may also acquire the standard stay time set for a user using the related holder. The system may also acquire a standard stay time set for the purpose of using related holders. The key management system may further include a setting unit that sets the standard stay time in response to user operations.

[0007] The present invention also provides a key management device comprising: a plurality of storage units capable of housing each holder of a plurality of key holders; an association unit that associates each of a plurality of imaging devices capable of communicating with the device with an associated holder which is at least one of the plurality of holders; and a control unit that controls each imaging device to operate based on the usage status of the associated holder.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a key management method comprising the steps of: a computer associating each of a plurality of imaging devices, which are capable of communicating with a key management device having a plurality of storage compartments capable of housing each of a plurality of holders for holding keys, with an associated holder which is at least one of the plurality of holders; and the computer operating each imaging device based on the usage status of the associated holder. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to efficiently detect, for example, suspicious behavior or unauthorized stays using multiple imaging devices. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the overall configuration of a key management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the external configuration of a key management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the external configuration of the holder and key used in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a key management device in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of camera information in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the key management device in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a key management device in a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figures (a) to (c) show first to third examples of operation flag information in the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the key management device in the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a key management device in a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] Figures (a) to (c) show first to third examples of the stay duration information in the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the key management device in the third embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] [Overall Configuration of Key Management System] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a key management system 1 in the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the key management system 1 includes a key management device 10, a plurality of cameras 40, a communication line 45, a terminal device 60, and a network 80. The key management device 10 and the plurality of cameras 40 are connected via the communication line 45, and the key management device 10 and the terminal device 60 are connected via the network 80.

[0013] Since the key management device 10, the plurality of cameras 40, and the communication line 45 are installed in the trunk room 51, FIG. 1 also shows a floor plan of the trunk room 51. As shown in the figure, the trunk room 51 is partitioned into a lobby area 52 and a trunk room area 53, and an entrance / exit 54 that is opened and closed by a door is provided between the lobby area 52 and the trunk room area 53. A plurality of rooms 55 are provided in the trunk room area 53, and each room 55 is provided with an opening / closing door. A lock such as a cylinder lock that can be locked and unlocked with a key is provided on the door of each room 55. The key management device 10 is installed in the trunk room area 53 and manages the keys of each room 55 while holding them in a holder. When a contractor who has concluded a usage contract for the room 55 of the trunk room 51 uses the trunk room 51, the contractor enters the trunk room area 53 from the entrance / exit 54, operates the key management device 10, and takes out the key of the room 55 for which the contract has been made. Then, the contractor opens the door of the room 55 with the key and uses the room 55. After using the room 55, the contractor locks the door of the room 55 with the key, returns the key to the key management device 10, and exits from the entrance / exit 54.

[0014] The key management device 10 is a device that removably houses a holder for holding keys. In the present embodiment, as an example of a key management device having a plurality of storage units capable of storing each of a plurality of holders for holding keys, the key management device 10 is provided. The plurality of cameras 40 are provided at positions where they can photograph people entering and leaving the corresponding rooms 55, and are so-called surveillance cameras that photograph people entering and leaving the rooms 55. Therefore, it is preferable that the plurality of cameras 40 can shoot videos. In the figure, one camera 40 is provided for one room 55, but one camera 40 may be provided for a plurality of rooms 55, or a plurality of cameras 40 may be provided for one room 55. In the present embodiment, the plurality of cameras 40 are provided as an example of a plurality of imaging devices capable of communicating with the key management device. The communication line 45 is a communication means used for information communication between the key management device 10 and the plurality of cameras 40, and is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or the like.

[0015] The terminal device 60 is, for example, a computer device installed at the headquarters of the operator of the trunk room 51. The network 80 is a communication means used for information communication between the key management device 10 and the terminal device 60, and is, for example, the Internet, a public line, a LAN, or the like.

[0016] [External Configuration of Key Management Device] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of the key management device 10 in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, on the front surface of the key management device 10, a first door 21 and a second door 22 are provided so as to be openable and closable, and a key storage 23 opened and closed by the first door 21, and a printer 25 and a key exchange unit 26 opened and closed by the second door 22 are provided. Further, the key management device 10 has a display operation unit 27 and a card reader 28 on the front surface of the device.

[0017] The key storage 23 is provided with a plurality of storage units 24. The storage unit 24 removably houses a holder 31 for holding a key. Each storage compartment 24 is provided with a locking mechanism 241 to allow or prohibit the removal of the holder 31. The key management device 10 controls the locking mechanism 241 for each storage compartment 24, thereby controlling whether or not the removal of each holder 31 is permitted. Furthermore, each storage compartment 24 is provided with a reading unit 242 that reads information from the IC (Integrated Circuit) tag 34 (described later) of the holder 31. The reading unit 242 is provided in close proximity to or inside the storage compartment 24. The reading unit 242 is, for example, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) ​​reader. In addition, to prevent the reading unit 242 of one storage compartment 24 from mistakenly acquiring radio waves from the IC tag 34 of the holder 31 inserted into an adjacent storage compartment 24, a shielding plate or the like that can block radio waves may be provided between adjacent storage compartments 24. In this embodiment, multiple storage compartments 24 are provided as an example of multiple storage compartments capable of housing each holder of a plurality of holders that hold keys.

[0018] The printer 25 prints the history of the key management device 10, including key replacement, insertion, and removal, onto paper such as roll paper. The paper printed by the printer 25 is ejected, for example, from the front of the device. The key exchange unit 26 releases the connection between the holder 31 and the key, and can only be used by authorized personnel, such as administrators, who have the authority to exchange keys. The key exchange unit 26 has an insertion opening 261 into which the holder 31 is inserted, and a cover 262 that opens and closes the insertion opening 261. The key exchange unit 26 also has a release member that releases the lock between the holder 31 body and the ring locking body when the holder 31 is inserted to a predetermined release position in the insertion opening 261, allowing the ring 32 (described later) to be removed, and a key exchange restriction unit that allows the administrator to release the lock on the holder 31, while preventing anyone other than the administrator from releasing the lock on the holder 31. As the key exchange restriction unit, for example, a stopper mechanism that moves a stopper forward and backward in the insertion opening 261 using an electrically driven unit such as a solenoid is preferable. In this case, the key exchange restriction unit normally has the stopper advance into the insertion opening 261, restricting the holder 31 from being inserted to a predetermined release position in the insertion opening 261. On the other hand, the key exchange control unit retracts the stopper from inside the insertion opening 261 only when operated by the administrator, allowing the holder 31 to be inserted to a predetermined unlocked position in the insertion opening 261. Furthermore, the key exchange unit 26 is equipped with a reading unit 263 that reads information from the IC tag 34 of the holder 31. The reading unit 263 is located adjacent to or inside the key exchange unit 26. The reading unit 263 is, for example, an RFID reader.

[0019] The display and operation unit 27 is, for example, a touch panel display, which accepts operations from the user and displays various information. The card reader 28 is a reading device that reads information from a card carried by the user. Examples of cards include magnetic cards and IC cards. When the user passes the card through the card reader 28, the card reader 28 reads the user ID from the card.

[0020] [Holder and key configuration] Figure 3 shows an example of the external configuration of the holder 31 and key 33 used in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the key 33 is connected to the holder 31 by a ring 32. The holder 31 is equipped with an IC tag 34. The IC tag 34 is, for example, an RFID tag. The IC tag 34 has identification information to identify the holder 31. To equip the holder 31 with the IC tag 34, for example, a sticker-type IC tag 34 may be attached to the holder 31, or the IC tag 34 may be embedded inside the holder 31.

[0021] [overview] In this key management system 1, in this embodiment, a camera 40 is associated with a holder 31. Multiple cameras 40 may be associated with a single holder 31, or one camera 40 may be associated with multiple holders 31. Then, for example, when a holder 31 is removed or stored, the camera 40 associated with that holder 31 takes a picture. In this case, the camera 40 is an example of a camera associated with a related holder, which is at least one of the multiple holders.

[0022] [First Embodiment] (Functional configuration of the key management device) Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the key management device 10 in the first embodiment. As shown in the figure, the key management device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, a door locking mechanism 14, a locking mechanism 241, a reading unit 242, a printer 25, a reading unit 263, a display operation unit 27, and a card reader 28.

[0023] The control unit 11 is equipped with an arithmetic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls each part of the key management device 10 (communication unit 13, door locking mechanism 14, lock mechanism 241, reading unit 242, printer 25, reading unit 263, display operation unit 27, card reader 28, etc.) according to the operation program stored in the memory unit 12. The memory unit 12 includes ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and stores the operation program of the control unit 11. It is also used as a work area during the control processing of the control unit 11. The operation program includes a program for the control unit 11 to execute the processes described later. The communication unit 13 communicates information with the camera 40 or terminal device 60 via a communication line. The door locking mechanism 14 is a mechanism for locking the first door 21 and the second door 22. The door locking mechanism 14 may lock and unlock the first door 21 and the second door 22 using different conditions. The locking mechanism 241, reading unit 242, printer 25, reading unit 263, display operation unit 27, and card reader 28 have already been explained using Figure 2, so their explanation will be omitted here.

[0024] Here, the configuration of the control unit 11 will be described in detail. The control unit 11 comprises an operation reception unit 111, an RFID acquisition unit 112, a presence detection unit 113, a communication control unit 117, a storage control unit 118, and a display control unit 119.

[0025] The operation reception unit 111 receives operations performed by the user on the display operation unit 27, etc. Specifically, the operation reception unit 111 accepts operations such as inputting information to borrow or return the holder 31, and inputting information to change the key for the holder 31. At that time, the operation reception unit 111 accepts the user ID entered by the user from the display operation unit 27. Alternatively, the operation reception unit 111 may accept the user ID read from the card by the card reader 28.

[0026] When the reader unit 242 or reader unit 263 reads the RFID from the IC tag 34 of the holder 31, the RFID acquisition unit 112 acquires this RFID from the reader unit 242 or reader unit 263. The RFID acquisition unit 112 then detects the usage status of the holder 31 in the storage unit 24 based on the change in the RFID acquisition status from the reader unit 242 of the storage unit 24. For example, if the RFID acquisition status from the reader unit 242 of the storage unit 24 changes from a state where the RFID is acquired to a state where it is not acquired, the RFID acquisition unit 112 detects that the holder 31 has been removed from the storage unit 24. Also, if the RFID acquisition status from the reader unit 242 of the storage unit 24 changes from a state where the RFID is not acquired to a state where it is acquired, the RFID acquisition unit 112 detects that the holder 31 has been stored in the storage unit 24. In this case, information other than RFID may be used to identify holder 31, but the following explanation will assume the use of RFID.

[0027] The occupancy detection unit 113 detects whether a person is continuously staying in the storage room 51 by analyzing the captured images received from the camera 40 by the communication control unit 117, as described later. For example, the occupancy detection unit 113 identifies captured images showing a person entering room 55 of the storage room 51 and detects the number of people who entered room 55 based on these images. The occupancy detection unit 113 also identifies captured images showing a person leaving room 55 of the storage room 51 and detects the number of people who left room 55 based on these images. The occupancy detection unit 113 then detects that a person is continuously staying in room 55 if the number of people who left room 55 is less than the number of people who entered room 55. The occupancy detection unit 113 may perform the analysis of captured images in real time while receiving the captured images from the camera 40 from the communication control unit 117, or it may perform the analysis each time the communication control unit 117 receives captured images from the camera 40 for a certain period of time.

[0028] The communication control unit 117 transmits information to the camera 40 or terminal device 60 via the communication unit 13, and receives information from the camera 40 or terminal device 60 via the communication unit 13. Specifically, the communication control unit 117 generates an operation instruction that directs the camera 40 to operate based on the usage status of the holder 31 detected by the RFID acquisition unit 112, and transmits this operation instruction to the camera 40 associated with the holder 31. In this embodiment, this function of the communication control unit 117 is provided as an example of a control unit that controls each imaging device to operate based on the usage status of its associated holder. In this case, the camera 40 is an example of an imaging device that operates based on the usage status of its associated holder. For example, when the RFID acquisition unit 112 detects that the holder 31 has been removed from the storage unit 24, the communication control unit 117 generates a shooting start instruction to instruct the camera 40 to start taking pictures, and transmits this shooting start instruction to the camera 40 associated with the holder 31. In this case, the camera 40 is an example of a shooting device that starts taking pictures in response to the associated holder being removed from any of the multiple storage units. Furthermore, when the RFID acquisition unit 112 detects that the holder 31 has been stored in the storage unit 24, the communication control unit 117 generates a shooting end instruction to signal the camera 40 to stop shooting, and transmits this shooting end instruction to the camera 40 associated with the holder 31. In this case, the camera 40 becomes an example of a shooting device that terminates shooting depending on whether the associated holder has been stored in one of the multiple storage units. Alternatively, the communication control unit 117 does not have to send a shooting completion instruction to the camera 40 associated with the holder 31 when the RFID acquisition unit 112 detects that the holder 31 has been stored in the storage unit 24. Instead, the communication control unit 117 may send a shooting completion instruction to the camera 40 associated with the holder 31 when predetermined conditions are met. Here, an example of a predetermined condition is that a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the holder 31 was removed from the storage unit 24 or since the holder 31 was stored in the storage unit 24. In this case, the camera 40 is an example of a shooting device that continues shooting until predetermined conditions are met, even if the associated holder is stored in any of the multiple storage units. On the other hand, the communication control unit 117 may, when the RFID acquisition unit 112 detects that the holder 31 has been stored in the storage unit 24, generate a shooting start instruction to instruct the camera 40 to start shooting, and transmit this shooting start instruction to the camera 40 associated with the holder 31. In this case, the camera 40 starts shooting in response to the fact that the associated holder has been stored in one of the storage units. do This is an example of a photographic device. The communication control unit 117 then receives the captured image from the camera 40. Furthermore, the communication control unit 117 generates notification information to be sent to the outside based on the usage status of the holder 31 detected by the RFID acquisition unit 112 and the detection result of a person in the trunk room 51 obtained by analyzing the captured images by the presence detection unit 113, and transmits this notification information to the terminal device 60. In this embodiment, the communication control unit 117 is provided with this function as an example of a notification unit that notifies the outside of notification information based on the usage status of the relevant holder and the images captured by each imaging device. For example, the communication control unit 117 transmits notification information to the terminal device 60 when the RFID acquisition unit 112 detects that the holder 31 has been stored in the storage unit 24, and the presence detection unit 113 detects that a person is still staying in the trunk room 51. In this embodiment, even though the associated holder is stored in one of the multiple storage units, if it is determined that a person is present based on the images captured by each imaging device, this function of the communication control unit 117 is provided as an example of a notification unit that notifies the outside as notification information.

[0029] The memory control unit 118 controls the writing of data to the memory unit 12 and the reading of data from the memory unit 12. Specifically, the memory control unit 118 identifies the camera 40 associated with the holder 31 based on the camera information 121 (described later) stored in the memory unit 12. For example, the memory control unit 118 obtains the camera ID associated with the RFID of the holder 31 using the camera information 121 stored in the memory unit 12.

[0030] The display control unit 119 controls the display of information to the display operation unit 27.

[0031] Next, we will explain in detail the information that the memory unit 12 stores. The memory unit 12 stores camera information 121. Camera information 121 is information indicating the association between holder 31 and camera 40 installed in trunk room 51. The specific contents of camera information 121 will be described later.

[0032] (Specific details of camera information) Figure 5 shows an example of camera information 121. As shown in the figure, camera information 121 associates RFID with camera ID. RFID is the identification information of holder 31. The camera ID is the identification information of the camera 40 associated with the corresponding RFID holder 31. For example, the camera ID could be the camera ID of a camera 40 capable of photographing the area near the entrance to room 55, which is unlocked by a key 33 connected to the corresponding RFID holder 31. Alternatively, if the passage leading to room 55 is somewhat limited, the camera ID could be the camera ID of a camera 40 capable of photographing the passage leading to room 55, which is unlocked by a key 33 connected to the corresponding RFID holder 31. The diagram shows, for example, that a camera 40 with camera ID "CAM01" is associated with a holder 31 with RFID "12345678". This means that, for example, the area near the entrance to room 55, which is unlocked by a key 33 connected to the holder 31 with RFID "12345678", can be photographed by the camera 40 with camera ID "CAM01". In Figure 5, one camera 40 is associated with one holder 31, but this is not limited to this. One camera 40 may be associated with multiple holders 31, or multiple cameras 40 may be associated with one holder 31. In this embodiment, a storage unit 12 is provided as an example of an association unit that associates each of the multiple imaging devices capable of communicating with the device with an associated holder, which is at least one holder among the multiple holders.

[0033] (Operation of the key management device) Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the key management device 10 in the first embodiment. Here, the key management device 10 will be described using the example where it sends a recording start instruction to the camera 40 when the holder 31 is removed from the storage unit 24, and sends a recording end instruction to the camera 40 when the holder 31 is stored in the storage unit 24.

[0034] In the key management device 10, first, the operation reception unit 111 receives, for example, a user ID entered by the user on the display operation unit 27 (step 131). This identifies the storage unit 24 in which the holder 31 to be removed by the user is stored. For example, the storage unit 24 is identified based on the correspondence between each user and the room 55 of the storage room 51 that each user has contracted. The identified storage unit 24 is then notified to the user, and the user removes the holder 31 from that storage unit 24.

[0035] Therefore, in the key management device 10, the RFID acquisition unit 112 determines whether the holder 31 has been removed from the storage unit 24 (step 132). For example, the RFID acquisition unit 112 determines whether the holder 31 has been removed from the storage unit 24 based on whether the RFID acquisition status from the reading unit 242 of the storage unit 24 has changed from a state where the RFID is acquired to a state where it is not acquired. If step 132 determines that the holder 31 has not been removed from the storage unit 24, the RFID acquisition unit 112 repeats the process in step 132. If it is determined in step 132 that the holder 31 has been removed from the storage unit 24, the memory control unit 118 identifies the camera 40 associated with that holder 31 (step 133). Specifically, the memory control unit 118 identifies the camera 40 by referring to the camera information 121 stored in the memory unit 12 and obtaining the camera ID associated with the RFID of the holder 31.

[0036] Next, in the key management device 10, the communication control unit 117 controls the communication unit 13 and sends a shooting start instruction to the camera 40 identified in step 133, instructing the camera 40 to start shooting (step 134). As a result, camera 40 starts taking pictures and transmits the captured images to key management device 10. Then, in key management device 10, the communication control unit 117 controls the communication unit 13 to receive the captured images from camera 40 (step 135).

[0037] On the other hand, the user unlocks room 55 of the storage room 51 with the key 33 connected to the holder 31 that was removed from the storage unit 24 in step 132, and after finishing their business in room 55, locks room 55 with the key 33 and returns the holder 31. For example, the holder 31 can only be stored in the same storage unit 24 from which it was removed, and by doing so, the user returns the key 33.

[0038] Therefore, in the key management device 10, the RFID acquisition unit 112 determines whether the holder 31 has been stored in the storage unit 24 identified in step 131 (step 136). For example, the RFID acquisition unit 112 determines whether the holder 31 has been stored in the storage unit 24 based on whether the RFID acquisition status from the reading unit 242 of the storage unit 24 has changed from a state where RFID is not acquired to a state where it is acquired. If step 136 determines that the holder 31 is not stored in the storage unit 24, the RFID acquisition unit 112 repeats the process in step 136. If it is determined in step 136 that the holder 31 has been stored in the storage unit 24, the communication control unit 117 controls the communication unit 13 to send a shooting end instruction to the camera 40 identified in step 133, instructing the camera 40 to end shooting (step 137).

[0039] Subsequently, the key management device 10's occupancy detection unit 113 analyzes the captured image received in step 135 to determine whether a person is still staying in the storage room 51 (step 138). If it is determined in step 138 that a person is still staying in the storage room 51, the communication control unit 117 controls the communication unit 13 to send notification information to the terminal device 60 (step 139), and the process ends. If step 138 determines that no one is continuously staying in the storage room 51, the key management device 10 terminates the process without sending notification information to the terminal device 60.

[0040] In this example, the key management device 10 transmits notification information to the terminal device 60 if it detects from the captured image that a person remains after the holder 31 has been returned, but this is not limited to this configuration. The key management device 10 may also control the system so that the holder 31 cannot be returned if it detects from the captured image that a person remains. Furthermore, in this example, the key management device 10 analyzes the captured images to determine whether a person is continuously staying in the storage room 51, and issues a warning if it determines that a person is continuously staying in the storage room 51. However, it is not limited to this. The key management device 10 may also analyze the captured images to determine whether the person in the storage room 51 has engaged in any suspicious behavior, and issue a warning if it determines that such behavior has occurred. For example, if the key management device 10 determines that a person has brought prohibited items (such as a sword or a pet) into the storage room 51, it may issue a warning not to bring prohibited items.

[0041] [Second Embodiment] (Functional configuration of the key management device) Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the key management device 10 in the second embodiment. As shown in the figure, the key management device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, a door locking mechanism 14, a locking mechanism 241, a reading unit 242, a printer 25, a reading unit 263, a display operation unit 27, and a card reader 28.

[0042] The control unit 11 is equipped with an arithmetic circuit such as a CPU and controls each part of the key management device 10 (communication unit 13, door locking mechanism 14, lock mechanism 241, reading unit 242, printer 25, reading unit 263, display operation unit 27, card reader 28, etc.) according to the operation program stored in the memory unit 12. The memory unit 12 includes ROM, RAM, etc., and stores the operation program of the control unit 11. It is also used as a work area during the control processing of the control unit 11. The operation program includes a program for the control unit 11 to execute the processing described later. The communications unit 13 communicates information with the camera 40 via a communication line. The door locking mechanism 14 is a mechanism for locking the first door 21 and the second door 22. The door locking mechanism 14 may lock and unlock the first door 21 and the second door 22 using different conditions. The locking mechanism 241, reading unit 242, printer 25, reading unit 263, display operation unit 27, and card reader 28 have already been explained using Figure 2, so their explanation will be omitted here.

[0043] Here, the configuration of the control unit 11 will be described in detail. The control unit 11 comprises an operation reception unit 111, an RFID acquisition unit 112, an operation determination unit 114, a communication control unit 117, a storage control unit 118, and a display control unit 119.

[0044] The operation reception unit 111 receives operations performed by the user on the display operation unit 27, etc. Specifically, in addition to the operations described in the first embodiment, the operation reception unit 111 also performs the operation of receiving the purpose of use of the holder 31 entered by the user from the display operation unit 27. Furthermore, if the user ID received by the operation reception unit 111 is the user ID of the contract holder of storage room 51, it is clear that the purpose of use of holder 31 is the normal use of room 55 of storage room 51. Therefore, the operation reception unit 111 does not need to request input of the purpose of use of holder 31, nor does it need to accept the purpose of use of holder 31. On the other hand, if the user ID received by the operation reception unit 111 is not the user ID of a contract holder of storage room 51, the operation reception unit 111 should request input of the purpose of use of holder 31 and accept the purpose of use of holder 31. For example, if the user ID received by the operation reception unit 111 is the user ID of a staff member of the operator of storage room 51, the purpose of use could be to provide guidance for manned viewings. If the user ID received by the operation reception unit 111 is the user ID of a staff member of a company other than the operator of storage room 51, the purpose of use could be to clean and maintain room 55 of storage room 51. If the user ID received by the operation reception unit 111 is a user ID temporarily issued to a general user who does not have a contract for storage room 51, the purpose of use could be to provide unmanned viewings of room 55 of storage room 51.

[0045] The RFID acquisition unit 112 performs the operations described in the first embodiment.

[0046] The operation determination unit 114 determines whether to activate the camera 40 associated with the holder 31 when the RFID acquisition unit 112 detects that the holder 31 has been removed from the storage unit 24. In this case, the operation determination unit 114 may determine whether to activate the camera 40 by referring to the operation flag information 122 (described later) stored in the storage unit 12 based on the holder 31 that the RFID acquisition unit 112 has detected as having been removed. Alternatively, the operation determination unit 114 may determine whether to activate the camera 40 by referring to the operation flag information 122 stored in the storage unit 12 based on the user ID of the user of the holder 31 received by the operation reception unit 111. Furthermore, the operation determination unit 114 may determine whether to activate the camera 40 by referring to the operation flag information 122 stored in the storage unit 12 based on the purpose of use of the holder 31 received by the operation reception unit 111. In this embodiment, operation flag information 122 is used as an example of related holder information for related holders, and an operation determination unit 114 is provided as an example of a switching unit that switches whether or not to operate each imaging device based on the related holder information. In addition, in this embodiment, operation flag information 122 is used as an example of information indicating related holders, information indicating users who use related holders, and information indicating the purpose of using related holders.

[0047] The communication control unit 117 transmits information to the camera 40 via the communication unit 13 and receives information from the camera 40 via the communication unit 13. Specifically, when the operation decision unit 114 decides to operate the camera 40, the communication control unit 117 performs the operation of sending and receiving information with the camera 40 as described in the first embodiment.

[0048] The memory control unit 118 controls the writing of data to the memory unit 12 and the reading of data from the memory unit 12. Specifically, in addition to the operations described in the first embodiment, the memory control unit 118 also performs an operation to identify an operation flag indicating whether to operate the camera 40 based on the operation flag information 122 (described later) stored in the memory unit 12. For example, the memory control unit 118 obtains an operation flag associated with the holder 31, the user of the holder 31, or the purpose of use of the holder 31 from the operation flag information 122 stored in the memory unit 12.

[0049] The display control unit 119 controls the display of information to the display operation unit 27.

[0050] Next, we will explain in detail the information that the memory unit 12 stores. The memory unit 12 stores camera information 121 and operation flag information 122. The camera information 121 was described in the first embodiment, so its explanation is omitted here. The operation flag information 122 is information that shows the association between the holder 31, the user of the holder 31, or the purpose of use of the holder 31, and the operation flag that indicates whether to operate the camera 40. The specific contents of the operation flag information 122 will be described later.

[0051] (Specific details of the operation flag information) Figure 8(a) shows a first example of operation flag information 122a, which is operation flag information 122a. As shown in the figure, operation flag information 122a associates RFID with operation flags. RFID is the identification information of holder 31. The operation flag indicates whether the camera 40 will be activated if the corresponding RFID holder 31 is removed. An operation flag of "ON" indicates that the camera 40 will be activated, and an operation flag of "OFF" indicates that the camera 40 will not be activated. The diagram shows that the camera 40 will be activated if the RFID holders 31 with "12345678" and "23456789" are removed. For example, this registration is made when a room 55, which is unlocked with a key 33 connected to the RFID holders 31 with "12345678" and "23456789", is contracted by a general user. The diagram also shows that the camera 40 will not operate if the RFID holder 31 "34567891" is removed. For example, this registration is made when a room unlocked by the key 33 connected to the RFID holder 31 "34567891" is not contracted by a general user.

[0052] Figure 8(b) shows a second example of operation flag information 122, which is operation flag information 122b. As shown in the figure, operation flag information 122b associates the user ID with the operation flag. The User ID is the identification information of the user using Holder 31. Here, the user is defined as a user other than a general user who has a contract for Storage Room 51. The operation flag indicates whether the camera 40 will be activated when the user with the corresponding user ID removes the holder 31. An operation flag of "ON" indicates that the camera 40 will be activated, and an operation flag of "OFF" indicates that the camera 40 will not be activated. The diagram shows that if the user with user ID "U01" removes holder 31, the camera 40 will not activate. For example, this registration would be made if the user with user ID "U01" is a staff member of the operator of the storage unit 51. The diagram also shows that the camera 40 will be activated if users with user IDs "U02" and "U03" remove the holder 31. For example, this registration will be made if users with user IDs "U02" and "U03" are users other than staff of the storage unit 51 operator. Examples of such users include staff of businesses other than the storage unit 51 operator, and general users who do not have a contract for storage unit 51.

[0053] Figure 8(c) shows a third example of operation flag information 122, which is operation flag information 122c. As shown in the figure, operation flag information 122c associates the purpose of use with the operation flag. The purpose of use is the purpose for which the user uses Holder 31. Here, the user is defined as a user other than the staff of the operator of Storage Room 51. The operation flag indicates whether the camera 40 will be activated when the user removes the holder 31 for the corresponding purpose. An operation flag of "ON" indicates that the camera 40 will be activated, and an operation flag of "OFF" indicates that the camera 40 will not be activated. The diagram shows that if the user removes the holder 31 for the purpose of use "cleaning" or "maintenance," the camera 40 will not operate. The diagram also shows that if the user removes the holder 31 when the intended use is "unattended viewing," the camera 40 will be activated.

[0054] (Operation of the key management device) Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the key management device 10 in the second embodiment. Here again, the key management device 10 will be described using the example where it sends a shooting start instruction to the camera 40 when the holder 31 is removed from the storage unit 24, and sends a shooting end instruction to the camera 40 when the holder 31 is stored in the storage unit 24.

[0055] In the key management device 10, first, the operation reception unit 111 receives, for example, the user ID and purpose of use entered by the user on the display operation unit 27 (step 151). This identifies the storage unit 24 in which the holder 31 to be removed by the user is stored. For example, if the user is a contract holder of storage unit 51, the storage unit 24 is identified based on the correspondence between each user and the storage unit 55 of storage unit 51 that each user has contracted. In this case, it is clear that the purpose of use is the normal use of storage unit 55 of storage unit 51, so the purpose of use does not need to be entered. If the user is not a contract holder of storage unit 51, the storage unit 24 is identified based on the correspondence between each user and the storage unit 55 of storage unit 51 that each user plans to use. The identified storage unit 24 is then notified to the user, and the user removes the holder 31 from that storage unit 24.

[0056] Therefore, in the key management device 10, the RFID acquisition unit 112 determines whether the holder 31 has been removed from the storage unit 24 (step 152). For example, the RFID acquisition unit 112 determines whether the holder 31 has been removed from the storage unit 24 based on whether the RFID acquisition status from the reading unit 242 of the storage unit 24 has changed from a state where the RFID is acquired to a state where it is not acquired. If step 152 determines that the holder 31 has not been removed from the storage unit 24, the RFID acquisition unit 112 repeats the process in step 152. If it is determined in step 152 that the holder 31 has been removed from the storage unit 24, the memory control unit 118 retrieves an operation flag from the operation flag information 122 stored in the memory unit 12 (step 153). For example, if the operation flag information 122a shown in Figure 8(a) is stored in the memory unit 12, the memory control unit 118 may retrieve the operation flag associated with the holder 31 that was removed in step 152. If the operation flag information 122b shown in Figure 8(b) is stored in the memory unit 12, the memory control unit 118 may retrieve the operation flag associated with the user ID received in step 151. If the operation flag information 122c shown in Figure 8(c) is stored in the memory unit 12, the memory control unit 118 may retrieve the operation flag associated with the purpose of use received in step 151.

[0057] Next, in the key management device 10, the operation determination unit 114 determines whether the operation flag acquired in step 153 is "ON" (step 154). If the operation flag is determined to be "ON" in step 154, the memory control unit 118 identifies the camera 40 associated with the holder 31 (step 155). Specifically, the memory control unit 118 identifies the camera 40 by referring to the camera information 121 stored in the memory unit 12 and obtaining the camera ID associated with the RFID of the holder 31.

[0058] Next, in the key management device 10, the communication control unit 117 controls the communication unit 13 and sends a shooting start instruction to the camera 40 identified in step 155, instructing it to start shooting (step 156). As a result, camera 40 starts taking pictures and transmits the captured images to key management device 10. Then, in key management device 10, the communication control unit 117 controls the communication unit 13 to receive the captured images from camera 40 (step 157).

[0059] On the other hand, the user unlocks room 55 of the storage room 51 with the key 33 connected to the holder 31 that was removed from the storage unit 24 in step 152, and after finishing their business in room 55, locks room 55 with the key 33 and returns the holder 31. For example, the holder 31 can only be stored in the same storage unit 24 from which it was removed, and by doing so, the user returns the key 33.

[0060] Therefore, in the key management device 10, the RFID acquisition unit 112 determines whether the holder 31 has been stored in the storage unit 24 identified in step 151 (step 158). For example, the RFID acquisition unit 112 determines whether the holder 31 has been stored in the storage unit 24 based on whether the RFID acquisition status from the reading unit 242 of the storage unit 24 has changed from a state where no RFID is acquired to a state where an RFID is acquired. If step 158 determines that the holder 31 is not stored in the storage unit 24, the RFID acquisition unit 112 repeats the process in step 158. If it is determined in step 158 that the holder 31 has been stored in the storage unit 24, the communication control unit 117 controls the communication unit 13 to send a shooting end instruction to the camera 40 identified in step 155, instructing the camera 40 to end shooting (step 159), and the process ends.

[0061] On the other hand, if it is determined in step 154 ​​that the operation flag is not "ON", the key management device 10 terminates the process without executing steps 155 to 159.

[0062] In this embodiment, the operation of the camera 40 was switched depending on the holder 31, the user of the holder 31, or the purpose of use of the holder 31, but this is not limited to this. For example, the operation of the camera 40 may be switched depending on the time of day when the holder 31 is used. Alternatively, the operation of the camera 40 may be switched for each key management device.

[0063] [Third Embodiment] (Functional configuration of the key management device) Figure 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the key management device 10 in the third embodiment. As shown in the figure, the key management device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, a door locking mechanism 14, a locking mechanism 241, a reading unit 242, a printer 25, a reading unit 263, a display operation unit 27, and a card reader 28.

[0064] The control unit 11 is equipped with an arithmetic circuit such as a CPU and controls each part of the key management device 10 (communication unit 13, door locking mechanism 14, lock mechanism 241, reading unit 242, printer 25, reading unit 263, display operation unit 27, card reader 28, etc.) according to the operation program stored in the memory unit 12. The memory unit 12 includes ROM, RAM, etc., and stores the operation program of the control unit 11. It is also used as a work area during the control processing of the control unit 11. The operation program includes a program for the control unit 11 to execute the processing described later. The communication unit 13 communicates information with the camera 40 or terminal device 60 via a communication line. The door locking mechanism 14 is a mechanism for locking the first door 21 and the second door 22. The door locking mechanism 14 may lock and unlock the first door 21 and the second door 22 using different conditions. The locking mechanism 241, reading unit 242, printer 25, reading unit 263, display operation unit 27, and card reader 28 have already been explained using Figure 2, so their explanation will be omitted here.

[0065] Here, the configuration of the control unit 11 will be described in detail. The control unit 11 comprises an operation reception unit 111, an RFID acquisition unit 112, a stay time calculation unit 115, a stay time comparison unit 116, a communication control unit 117, a storage control unit 118, and a display control unit 119.

[0066] The operation reception unit 111 receives operations performed by the user on the display operation unit 27, etc. Specifically, in addition to the operations described in the second embodiment, the operation reception unit 111 may also perform an operation to receive the maximum stay time in room 55 of the storage room 51, which is entered by the user via the display operation unit 27.

[0067] The RFID acquisition unit 112 performs the operations described in the first embodiment.

[0068] The dwell time calculation unit 115 calculates the actual dwell time of a person in the storage room 51 by analyzing the captured images received from the camera 40 by the communication control unit 117, as described later. For example, the dwell time calculation unit 115 identifies a captured image that shows a person entering room 55 of the storage room 51 and obtains the time of capture attached to this image. Then, the dwell time calculation unit 115 calculates the actual dwell time of the person in room 55 by subtracting this time of capture from the current time. The dwell detection unit 113 may perform the analysis of captured images in real time while receiving the captured images from the camera 40 by the communication control unit 117, or it may perform the analysis each time the communication control unit 117 receives captured images from the camera 40 for a certain period of time. In this embodiment, room 55 of the storage room 51 is used as an example of an area accessible using the key held by the related holder. In this embodiment, the actual dwell time of a person is used as an example of the actual dwell time, which is the actual dwell time of a user. In this embodiment, a stay time calculation unit 115 is provided as an example of a stay time acquisition unit that acquires the actual stay time in an area based on the images captured by each imaging device.

[0069] The stay time comparison unit 116 compares the actual stay time calculated by the stay time calculation unit 115 with the available stay time read from the storage unit 12 by the storage control unit 118, as described later. If the actual stay time exceeds the available stay time, the stay time comparison unit 116 notifies the communication control unit 117 of this fact.

[0070] The communication control unit 117 transmits information to the camera 40 or terminal device 60 via the communication unit 13, and receives information from the camera 40 or terminal device 60 via the communication unit 13. Specifically, the communication control unit 117 performs operations to send and receive information with the camera 40 described in the first embodiment. Furthermore, the communication control unit 117 generates notification information to be notified externally based on the actual time a person spends in the trunk room 51, which is obtained by the stay time calculation unit 115 analyzing the captured images, and transmits this notification information to the terminal device 60. In this embodiment, the communication control unit 117 is provided with this function as an example of a notification unit that notifies externally of notification information based on the actual stay time acquired by the actual stay time acquisition unit. For example, the communication control unit 117 transmits notification information to the terminal device 60, which indicates the comparison result obtained when the stay time comparison unit 116 compares the actual stay time of a person in the trunk room 51 with the stay time read from the storage unit 12 by the storage control unit 118, as described later. In this embodiment, the comparison result is used as an example of comparison information relating to the comparison between the actual stay time obtained by the actual stay time acquisition unit and the reference stay time obtained by the reference stay time acquisition unit. Furthermore, in this embodiment, this function of the communication control unit 117 is provided as an example of a notification unit that notifies the comparison information to the outside as notification information. Furthermore, the communication control unit 117 transmits notification information to the terminal device 60 when the stay time comparison unit 116 determines that the actual stay time of a person in the trunk room 51 exceeds the allowable stay time read from the storage unit 12 by the storage control unit 118, as described later. In this embodiment, the communication control unit 117 is provided with this function as an example of a notification unit that notifies the outside as comparison information when the actual stay time acquired by the actual stay time acquisition unit exceeds the standard stay time acquired by the standard stay time acquisition unit.

[0071] The memory control unit 118 controls the writing of data to the memory unit 12 and the reading of data from the memory unit 12. Specifically, in addition to the operations described in the first embodiment, the memory control unit 118 also performs the operation of determining the maximum stay time in room 55 of the storage room 51 based on the maximum stay time information 123 (described later) stored in the memory unit 12. For example, the memory control unit 118 acquires the maximum stay time associated with the holder 31, the user of the holder 31, or the purpose of using the holder 31 using the maximum stay time information 123 stored in the memory unit 12. In this embodiment, the maximum stay time is used as an example of the standard stay time, which is the standard stay time for users in the area, and this function of the memory control unit 118 is provided as an example of a standard stay time acquisition unit that acquires the standard stay time. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the maximum stay time is used as an example of the standard stay time set for the related holder, the standard stay time set for the user using the related holder, and the standard stay time set for the purpose of using the related holder. Furthermore, when the operation reception unit 111 receives a request for the available stay time, the memory control unit 118 sets this available stay time as the available stay time in the available stay time information 123 (described later) stored in the memory unit 12. Alternatively, the memory control unit 118 may set the time reserved by a reservation system (not shown) as the available stay time in the available stay time information 123 stored in the memory unit 12. In this embodiment, this function of the memory control unit 118 is provided as an example of a setting unit that sets a standard stay time according to the user's operation.

[0072] The display control unit 119 controls the display of information to the display operation unit 27.

[0073] Next, we will explain in detail the information that the memory unit 12 stores. The memory unit 12 stores camera information 121 and the permitted stay time information 123. The camera information 121 was described in the first embodiment, so its explanation is omitted here. The stay duration information 123 is information that shows the association between the holder 31, the user of the holder 31, or the purpose of use of the holder 31, and the maximum stay duration in room 55 of the storage room 51. The specific details of the stay duration information 123 will be described later.

[0074] In this example of the functional configuration, both the dwell time calculation unit 115 and the dwell time comparison unit 116 are incorporated into the key management device 10, but this is not limited to that configuration. For example, the dwell time calculation unit 115 may be incorporated into the camera 40. Also, the dwell time comparison unit 116 may be incorporated into the camera 40, or it may be incorporated into a computer separate from the key management device 10 and the camera 40.

[0075] (Specific details of the information regarding the length of stay) Figure 11(a) shows a diagram illustrating the first example of the stay duration information 123, namely stay duration information 123a. As shown in the diagram, stay duration information 123a associates RFID with the stay duration. RFID is the identification information of holder 31. The permitted stay time is the amount of time a person can stay in the room 55, which is unlocked with a key 33 connected to the corresponding RFID holder 31. The diagram shows that if the RFID holders 31 with "12345678" and "23456789" are removed, the user can stay in room 55 for 60 minutes. For example, this registration is made when the user who has a contract for room 55, which is unlocked with the key 33 connected to the RFID holders 31 with "12345678" and "23456789", has a high contract level. The diagram also shows that if the RFID holder "34567891" is removed, the user can stay in room 55 for 30 minutes. For example, this registration is made when the user who has a contract for a room unlocked by the key 33 connected to the RFID holder "34567891" has a low contract level.

[0076] Figure 11(b) shows a second example of the stay duration information 123, which is stay duration information 123b. As shown in the figure, stay duration information 123b associates the user ID with the duration of stay. The User ID is the identification information of the user using Holder 31. Here, the user is defined as a user other than a general user who has a contract for Storage Room 51. The permitted stay time is the period during which a user with the corresponding user ID can stay in the room 55, which is unlocked by the key 33 connected to the holder 31 when the holder 31 is removed. The diagram shows that if user ID "U01" removes holder 31, they can stay in room 55 for 120 minutes. For example, this registration would be made if user ID "U01" is a staff member of the operator of storage room 51. The diagram also shows that if user ID "U02" removes holder 31, they can stay in room 55 for 60 minutes. For example, this registration would be made if user ID "U02" is a staff member of a company other than the operator of storage room 51. Furthermore, the diagram also shows that if user ID "U03" removes holder 31, they can stay in room 55 for 30 minutes. For example, this registration would be made if user ID "U03" is a regular user who does not have a contract for storage room 51.

[0077] Figure 11(c) shows a third example of the stay duration information 123, namely stay duration information 123c. As shown in the figure, stay duration information 123c associates the purpose of use with the permitted stay duration. The purpose of use is the purpose for which the user uses Holder 31. Here, the user is defined as a user other than the staff of the operator of Storage Room 51. The permitted stay time is the period during which a user can stay in the room 55, which is unlocked with the key 33 connected to the holder 31 when the user removes the holder 31 for the corresponding purpose of use. The diagram shows that if a user removes holder 31 for the purpose of use "cleaning" or "maintenance," they can stay in room 55 for 60 minutes. The diagram also shows that if a user removes holder 31 when using the room for "unattended viewing," they can stay in room 55 for 30 minutes.

[0078] (Operation of the key management device) Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the key management device 10 in the third embodiment. Here again, the key management device 10 will be described using the example where it sends a shooting start instruction to the camera 40 when the holder 31 is removed from the storage unit 24, and sends a shooting end instruction to the camera 40 when the holder 31 is stored in the storage unit 24.

[0079] In the key management device 10, first, the operation reception unit 111 receives, for example, the user ID and purpose of use entered by the user on the display operation unit 27 (step 171). This identifies the storage unit 24 in which the holder 31 to be removed by the user is stored. For example, if the user is a contract holder of storage unit 51, the storage unit 24 is identified based on the correspondence between each user and the storage unit 55 of storage unit 51 that each user has contracted. In this case, it is clear that the purpose of use is the normal use of storage unit 55 of storage unit 51, so the purpose of use does not need to be entered. If the user is not a contract holder of storage unit 51, the storage unit 24 is identified based on the correspondence between each user and the storage unit 55 of storage unit 51 that each user plans to use. The identified storage unit 24 is then notified to the user, and the user removes the holder 31 from that storage unit 24.

[0080] Therefore, in the key management device 10, the RFID acquisition unit 112 determines whether the holder 31 has been removed from the storage unit 24 (step 172). For example, the RFID acquisition unit 112 determines whether the holder 31 has been removed from the storage unit 24 based on whether the RFID acquisition status from the reading unit 242 of the storage unit 24 has changed from a state where the RFID is acquired to a state where it is not acquired. If step 172 determines that the holder 31 has not been removed from the storage unit 24, the RFID acquisition unit 112 repeats the process in step 172. If it is determined in step 172 that the holder 31 has been removed from the storage unit 24, the memory control unit 118 obtains the remaining stay time from the remaining stay time information 123 stored in the memory unit 12 (step 173). For example, if the remaining stay time information 123a shown in Figure 11(a) is stored in the memory unit 12, the memory control unit 118 may obtain the remaining stay time associated with the holder 31 that was removed in step 172. If the remaining stay time information 123b shown in Figure 11(b) is stored in the memory unit 12, the memory control unit 118 may obtain the remaining stay time associated with the user ID received in step 171. If the remaining stay time information 123c shown in Figure 11(c) is stored in the memory unit 12, the memory control unit 118 may obtain the remaining stay time associated with the purpose of use received in step 171.

[0081] Next, in the key management device 10, the memory control unit 118 identifies the camera 40 associated with the holder 31 that was removed in step 172 (step 174). Specifically, the memory control unit 118 identifies the camera 40 by referring to the camera information 121 stored in the memory unit 12 and obtaining the camera ID associated with the RFID of the holder 31.

[0082] Next, in the key management device 10, the communication control unit 117 controls the communication unit 13 and sends a shooting start instruction to the camera 40 identified in step 174, instructing it to start shooting (step 175). As a result, camera 40 starts taking pictures and transmits the captured images to key management device 10. Then, in key management device 10, the communication control unit 117 controls the communication unit 13 to receive the captured images from camera 40 (step 176).

[0083] On the other hand, the user unlocks room 55 of the storage room 51 with the key 33 connected to the holder 31 that was removed from the storage unit 24 in step 172, and after finishing their business in room 55, locks room 55 with the key 33 and returns the holder 31. For example, the holder 31 can only be stored in the same storage unit 24 from which it was removed, and by doing so, the user returns the key 33.

[0084] Therefore, in the key management device 10, the RFID acquisition unit 112 determines whether the holder 31 has been stored in the storage unit 24 identified in step 171 (step 177). For example, the RFID acquisition unit 112 determines whether the holder 31 has been stored in the storage unit 24 based on whether the RFID acquisition status from the reading unit 242 of the storage unit 24 has changed from a state where no RFID is acquired to a state where an RFID is acquired. If step 177 determines that the holder 31 is not stored in the storage unit 24, the stay time calculation unit 115 calculates the actual stay time of the person in the trunk room 51 by analyzing the captured image received in step 176 (step 178). Then, the stay time comparison unit 116 determines whether the actual stay time calculated in step 178 exceeds the allowable stay time obtained in step 173 (step 179). If step 179 determines that the actual stay time does not exceed the permitted stay time, the key management device 10 returns the process to step 177. If it is determined in step 179 that the actual stay time has exceeded the permitted stay time, the communication control unit 117 controls the communication unit 13 to send notification information to that effect to the terminal device 60 (step 180), and the process ends.

[0085] On the other hand, if it is determined in step 177 that the holder 31 has been stored in the storage unit 24, the communication control unit 117 controls the communication unit 13 to send a shooting end instruction to the camera 40 identified in step 174 (step 181), instructing the camera 40 to end shooting, and the process ends.

[0086] [effect] In this embodiment, the camera 40 is linked to the holder 31, and the camera 40 takes pictures when the holder 31 is removed or put back in. This makes it possible to deter illegal activity and unauthorized stays within the area.

[0087] [Differentiation] In the above description, the storage section 24 was described as a type in which the holder 31 is stored by inserting it, but it is not limited to this. The storage section 24 may also be of a type in which the holder 31 is housed inside the housing, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-75852. In the above explanation, key 33 was described assuming a physical key, but it is not limited to physical keys; it could also be a card key or a digital key.

[0088] Although not mentioned above, the system may also be configured to delete the captured images if the holder 31 is returned in a normal state, and to save the captured images if the holder 31 is returned in an abnormal state. Here, abnormal states include delayed return of the holder 31, detection of suspicious behavior or unauthorized stay while the holder 31 is on loan, and detection of an abnormal state of the object in the area unlocked by the key 33 connected to the holder 31 (for example, the object being missing). Although not mentioned above, when the holder 31 is removed from the storage compartment 24, a camera (not shown) provided on the key management device 10 may capture an image of the user's face, and this face image may be compared with the face image captured by each camera 40. In the above example, the key management device 10 is installed in the storage room 51, but this is not the only option. The key management device 10 can be applied to any key management device 10 installed in a facility where security is important for the area unlocked by the key 33 managed by the key management device 10. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0089] 1...Key management system, 10...Key management device, 11...Control unit, 12...Storage unit, 13...Communication unit, 14...Door locking mechanism, 24...Storage unit, 25...Printer, 26...Key exchange unit, 27...Display operation unit, 28...Card reader, 40...Camera, 60...Terminal device

Claims

1. A key management device having multiple storage compartments capable of housing each of the holders of multiple key holders, Multiple imaging devices capable of communicating with the aforementioned key management device, Equipped with, A key management system in which each of the plurality of imaging devices is associated with an associated holder which is at least one of the plurality of holders, and imaging is performed based on the usage status of the associated holder.

2. The key management system according to claim 1, wherein each of the aforementioned imaging devices starts imaging in response to the associated holder being removed from any of the plurality of storage compartments.

3. The key management system according to claim 2, wherein each of the aforementioned imaging devices continues imaging even if the associated holder is stored in any of the plurality of storage compartments, until predetermined conditions are met.

4. The key management system according to claim 1, wherein each of the aforementioned imaging devices starts imaging in response to the associated holder being stored in any of the plurality of storage compartments.

5. The key management system according to claim 1, further comprising a switching unit that switches whether or not to operate each of the aforementioned imaging devices based on related holder information relating to the related holder.

6. The key management system according to claim 5, wherein the related holder information is information indicating the related holder.

7. The key management system according to claim 5, wherein the related holder information is information indicating a user who uses the related holder.

8. The key management system according to claim 5, wherein the related holder information is information indicating the purpose for which the related holder is used.

9. A key management device having a plurality of storage compartments capable of accommodating each holder of a plurality of holders for holding keys, Multiple imaging devices capable of communicating with the aforementioned key management device, Equipped with, A key management system in which each of the plurality of imaging devices is associated with an associated holder which is at least one of the plurality of holders, and imaging is started when the associated holder is removed from any of the plurality of storage compartments, and imaging is stopped when the associated holder is stored in any of the plurality of storage compartments.

10. A key management device having a plurality of storage compartments capable of accommodating each holder of a plurality of holders for holding keys, Multiple imaging devices capable of communicating with the aforementioned key management device, Equipped with, Each of the plurality of imaging devices is associated with an associated holder, which is at least one of the plurality of holders, and operates based on the usage status of the associated holder. A key management system further comprising a notification unit that notifies an external party of notification information based on the usage status of the aforementioned related holders and the images captured by each of the aforementioned imaging devices.

11. The key management system according to claim 10, wherein the notification unit, even though the associated holder is stored in any of the plurality of storage units, determines that a person is present based on the images captured by each of the imaging devices, and notifies the outside of this fact as notification information.

12. A key management device having a plurality of storage compartments capable of accommodating each holder of a plurality of holders for holding keys, Multiple imaging devices capable of communicating with the aforementioned key management device, Equipped with, Each of the plurality of imaging devices is associated with an associated holder, which is at least one of the plurality of holders, and operates based on the usage status of the associated holder. Based on the images captured by each of the aforementioned imaging devices, the actual stay time unit acquires the actual stay time, which is the user's actual stay time in an area accessible using the key held by the associated holder. A notification unit that notifies an external party of notification information based on the actual stay time acquired by the actual stay time acquisition unit, A key management system that also includes [features / features].

13. The system further includes a standard stay time acquisition unit that acquires a standard stay time, which is the standard length of stay for users in the aforementioned area. The key management system according to claim 12, wherein the notification unit notifies an external party of comparison information relating to a comparison between the actual stay time obtained by the actual stay time acquisition unit and the standard stay time obtained by the standard stay time acquisition unit, as notification information.

14. The key management system according to claim 13, wherein the notification unit notifies the outside of the fact that the actual stay time obtained by the actual stay time acquisition unit exceeds the standard stay time obtained by the standard stay time acquisition unit, as comparison information.

15. The key management system according to claim 13, wherein the reference dwell time acquisition unit acquires the reference dwell time set for the associated holder.

16. The key management system according to claim 13, wherein the reference stay time acquisition unit acquires the reference stay time set for a user using the related holder.

17. The key management system according to claim 13, wherein the reference stay time acquisition unit acquires the reference stay time set for the purpose of using the related holder.

18. The key management system according to claim 13, further comprising a setting unit that sets the standard stay time according to the user's operation.

19. Multiple storage compartments capable of accommodating each of the holders for holding the keys, An association unit that associates each of the multiple imaging devices capable of communicating with the device with an associated holder which is at least one holder among the multiple holders, Each of the aforementioned imaging devices includes a control unit that controls the imaging device to take pictures based on the usage status of the associated holder, A key management device equipped with the following features.

20. The computer associates each of several imaging devices, which can communicate with a key management device having multiple storage compartments capable of housing each of the holders of a plurality of key holders, with an associated holder which is at least one of the plurality of holders; The computer causes each of the aforementioned imaging devices to perform imaging based on the usage status of the associated holder, Key management methods, including those mentioned above.

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