Information processing device, method for controlling the information processing device, and control program for the information processing device

Abstract

To reduce the burden on the person inviting an outsider to the facility. [Solution] An information processing device relating to a management system for managing the use of facilities by users, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises a reservation information acquisition unit that acquires reservation information relating to facility use reservations, a user information acquisition unit that acquires user information of users who use the facilities based on the use reservations, and a provision unit that provides authentication information required for the use of the facilities to target users whose user information meets predetermined conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a control method for an information processing apparatus, and a control program for an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an information processing apparatus is known in which a server transmits a two-dimensional code for reception to a visitor's terminal based on visitor schedule information and person-in-charge information registered in advance by a user, and notifies the person in charge of the visitor's visit in response to the two-dimensional code for reception being read by the reception terminal at the visit destination (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, which pertains to a management system that manages use of a facility by a user, includes a reservation information acquisition unit that acquires reservation information related to a use reservation of the facility, a user information acquisition unit that acquires user information of a user who uses the facility based on the use reservation, and a providing unit that provides authentication information required for using the facility to a target user who is a user whose user information satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0005] In the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the user information acquisition unit may acquire attribute information of a user who uses the facility as the user information, and the providing unit may refer to the association between the use authority of the facility and the attribute information stored in a predetermined storage unit, and provide the authentication information to a user who is not associated with the use authority of the facility in the attribute information among the users who use the facility, as a target user that satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0006] In an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the reservation information acquisition unit and the user information acquisition unit may each acquire reservation information and user information from another information processing device related to a reservation system that processes facility reservations, which is different from the management system.

[0007] In an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the providing unit may provide authentication information to the target user via other information processing devices related to the reservation system.

[0008] In an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention, a predetermined storage unit stores an association between domain information in an email address assigned to a user and facility usage rights as attribute information, a user information acquisition unit acquires the email address of a user who uses the facility as user information, and a provision unit may send authentication information to the email address of a target user whose domain information in the email address is not associated with facility usage rights.

[0009] In an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the reservation information acquisition unit may acquire update information indicating that a facility reservation has been updated, and the provision unit may provide the updated authentication information to the target user in accordance with the update information.

[0010] In an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the reservation information acquisition unit may acquire deletion information indicating that a facility usage reservation has been deleted, and the provision unit may provide the target user with a deletion notification indicating that the usage reservation has been deleted.

[0011] A control method for an information processing device related to a management system for managing the use of facilities by users, according to one embodiment of the present invention, involves the information processing device performing the steps of: acquiring reservation information relating to facility use reservations; acquiring user information of users who use the facilities based on the reservations; and providing authentication information required for facility use to target users whose user information meets predetermined conditions.

[0012] A control program for an information processing device related to a management system for managing the use of facilities by users, according to one embodiment of the present invention, enables the information processing device to implement a function for acquiring reservation information related to facility use reservations, a function for acquiring user information of users who use the facilities based on the reservations, and a function for providing authentication information required for facility use to target users whose user information meets predetermined conditions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] Figures 1(a) and 1(b) illustrate an overview of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the information processing system configuration according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figures 3(a) and 3(b) show an example of data (information) stored in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a sequence between a visiting user terminal, a server, another system server, and an administrator terminal in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5(a) shows an example of the display screen of an administrator terminal in one embodiment of the present invention, and (b) shows an example of the display screen of a visiting user terminal in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of a sequence between a visiting user terminal, a server, and an administrator terminal in a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of a sequence between a visiting user terminal, a server, another system server, and an administrator terminal in a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an example of a functional block diagram of a server in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of the server control flow in one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention described herein (also referred to as the present invention) will be explained using the figures. Note that the figures are examples only, and the present invention is not limited to what is shown in the figures. For example, the number of facility-side user terminals, management servers (information processing devices), visitor user terminals, reservation servers (other system servers), database servers, conference rooms, etc., the datasets (tables), sequence diagrams, flowcharts, display screens, and notification examples shown are examples only, and the present invention is not limited to these.

[0015] Traditionally, companies have implemented reservation systems using designated groupware to coordinate meeting schedules and other appointments. Employees may be able to reserve meeting rooms based on the schedules of employees attending the meeting and the availability of the meeting rooms, using an application (hereinafter also referred to as the "reservation app") launched on their own devices. However, sometimes, for example, an external party who is not affiliated with the company may be invited to a meeting room managed by the company for a business meeting. In this case, to ensure security, an entry pass for the building where the meeting room is located and identification information for reception are issued. At this time, the employee inviting the external party needs to launch an application (hereinafter also referred to as the "management app") for issuing entry passes, etc., from the facility's management system, on their device separately from the reservation app for booking the meeting room, which is cumbersome.

[0016] This will be explained using Figure 1. Hereafter, employees such as full-time employees, contract employees, and executives who belong to the company that owns the facility and are performing their duties, and who invite outsiders to their company, will be referred to as "facility users." Furthermore, outsiders who visit the facility at the invitation of a facility user will be referred to as "visiting users."

[0017] First, FIG. 1(a) is a diagram for describing the conventional problem. A facility-side user activates a reservation application on their own terminal (facility-side user terminal 200), and reserves a conference room for holding a meeting. At this time, information related to participants attending the meeting may be registered in the reservation application. Here, in a case where visiting users are included in the meeting participants, visiting user information which is information related to the visiting users may also be registered together. The visiting user information may include information that allows the visiting users to acquire authentication information described later, and information that allows the facility-side user to identify the visiting users. The visiting user information may include, for example, at least contact information such as email addresses of the visiting users, and names. In a case where visiting users are included in the meeting participants, the facility-side user needs to activate a management application separate from the reservation application, generate authentication information 10 such as an entrance pass of the visiting users via the management application, and transmit the authentication information 10 to the visiting users. This requires separate operations such as activating the management application and registering the visiting user information in the management application, which is troublesome for the facility-side user. Note that, for example, adding an extended function (add-on) of the management application to the reservation application is also conceivable. However, in view of the need to add the extended function to each of a large number of facility-side user terminals, and the fact that the extended function requires updates each time, this is still troublesome.

[0018] FIG. 1(b) is a diagram for describing an embodiment of the present invention. In response to the above problem, according to the embodiment of the present invention, in response to registration of visiting user information in the reservation application on the facility-side user terminal 200, the authentication information 10 may be generated by a management system and transmitted to the visiting users. That is, the facility-side user only needs to perform registration of the visiting users in the reservation application, and does not need to separately activate the management application and input various types of information. Thereby, the workload of the facility-side user can be reduced.

[0019] <System Configuration> Figure 2 shows an example configuration of an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system 600 may be a management system that manages the use of a facility by a user. As will be described in detail later, "management of the use of a facility by a user" may include at least the issuance of authentication information required for the use of the facility. That is, the management system may issue an entry pass as authentication information and perform authentication processing of said entry pass, or issue key information required for unlocking and locking the facility as authentication information and perform authentication processing of said key information, as well as facility use start (check-in) processing, use end (check-out) processing, etc. The type of authentication information may differ depending on the facility. For example, the authentication information issued may function only as an entry pass or key information, or it may function as both an entry pass and key information. In the following explanation, a conference room owned by a company will be used as an example of a facility, and the method by which the information processing system 600 issues an entry pass to an external user (visitor user) who does not belong to the company will be described. Note that the facilities managed by the information processing system 600 are not limited to conference rooms, but may be any facility that is reserved and used. The facilities may include, for example, reception rooms, saunas, and event spaces. Furthermore, the present invention may also be applicable to rental spaces, meeting rooms, co-working spaces, and the like.

[0020] The information processing system 600 may include a server (information processing apparatus) 100, a facility-side user's communication terminal (facility-side user terminal) 200, a visiting user's communication terminal (visiting user terminal) 300, a management server 100, and a database server 101. These may be connected to each other via a network 500. The network 500 may include a wireless network and a wired network. Specifically, for example, the network 500 may be a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), LTE (long term evolution), 4th generation communication (4G), 5th generation communication (5G), and mobile communication systems from 6th generation communication (6G) onwards. Note that the network 500 is not limited to these examples, and may be, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), an optical line, or the like. Further, the network 500 may be a combination of these.

[0021] Further, the information processing system 600 may further include a reservation server (other system server) 400, which is a server related to the above-described reservation system based on groupware.

[0022] The management server 100 may be capable of executing various processes related to a later-described management system implemented in the information processing system 600.

[0023] The facility-side user terminal 200 may be a communication terminal of a facility-side user. The facility-side user terminal 200 may have, for example, a management application, which is an application for using the management system, installed therein. Alternatively, installation of the management application on the facility-side user terminal 200 is not mandatory, and the facility-side user terminal 200 may access a web page for using the management system provided by the management server 100 via a web browser or the like.

[0024] The visitor user terminal 300 may be a communication terminal of a visitor user who uses a meeting room at the invitation of a facility user. The visitor user terminal 300 may store an entry pass to the building where the meeting room is located as authentication information required for using the facility. Authentication information is information transmitted from the management server 100 to authenticate that the user is a legitimate visitor registered for a certain reservation, and may be, for example, a QR code (registered trademark), a barcode, a reservation number, etc. In the example in Figure 2, a QR code is shown. The authentication information may be generated by the management server 100 based on reservation information related to the meeting room reservation. The reservation information may be various types of information set by the facility user when reserving a meeting room. The reservation information may include, for example, the reservation date and time (date and time of visit), information about the meeting room reserved by the facility user, the visitor user's affiliation (company name, name, etc.), and information about the facility user who invited the visitor user. Depending on the facility, the authentication information may also include key information (unlock key number, etc.) for unlocking the reserved meeting room.

[0025] Furthermore, the authentication information itself does not necessarily have to be sent to the visiting user terminal 300. In other words, the visiting user terminal 300 may receive a link such as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) indicating a website or file location that allows the visiting user terminal 300 to obtain or display authentication information such as a QR code or reservation number.

[0026] The database server 101 may store various types of information (data) used by the information processing system 600. In Figure 2, only one database server 101 is shown separately from the management server 100, but it may be integrated with the management server 100. That is, the database server 101 may be the volatile or non-volatile memory of the management server 100. Furthermore, the database server 101 may consist of multiple storage devices. The database server 101 may be connected to the management server 100 via a dedicated internal network different from the network 500, or it may be connected to the management server 100 via the network 500.

[0027] Here, we will explain the information stored in the database server 101. Figure 3(a) is an example of a table relating to companies that use the management application. Note that a table may be a collection of various information (dataset). Table TB10 may store at least the company name and company attribute information, associated with a company ID (IDentifier) ​​(an example of an identifier) ​​to uniquely identify companies that use the management application. Company attribute information refers to supplementary information about the company, and may be the domain of the company's email address. For example, referring to table TB10, the company with company ID "com_001" is a company with the company name "○○ Company" and the attribute information domain "@abstfnko.com". That is, in the case of user A, a facility-side user belonging to the company name "○○ Company", user A may have the email address "com_A@abstfnko.com". Also, a company with company ID "com_002", which is different from "○○ Company" and installs the management application, is a company with the company name "△□ Company" and the attribute information domain "@abc123.co.jp". Note that the information stored in table TB10 is not limited to what is shown in the diagram; it may be more or less than what is shown.

[0028] Figure 3(b) shows an example of a table relating to facilities managed by each company that implements the management application. Table TB20 may store information about facilities that each company has access to. Facilities that each company has access to may be facilities owned by each company and available for use by each company's employees. For example, Table TB20 may store information about the building where the facility is located, such as a building ID that uniquely identifies the building, the type of facility, and the name of the facility, associated with a facility ID that uniquely identifies the facility managed by the company using the management application, for each company (for each company ID). For example, referring to Table TB20, company ID "com_001" (i.e., company name "○○ Company") owns a conference room named "Large Conference Room" identified by facility ID "obj_10" in the building identified by building ID "buil_001". Note that the information stored in Table TB20 is not limited to what is shown in the figure, and may be more or less than what is shown. For example, information such as the capacity of the facility, equipment, and whether use is free or paid may also be stored. Furthermore, while Figure 3(b) shows an example where a table is stored for each company, the configuration of the tables is not limited to this, as long as it is possible to identify the facilities owned by each company.

[0029] Furthermore, the database server 101 may store user information (not shown) for facility-side users who use the management application, for each company. User information is information used to identify each user (facility-side user), and may include, for example, a user ID that uniquely identifies the facility-side user, a username, and attribute information (department, telephone number, email address, etc.). For example, as mentioned above, if user A works for company "○○ Company", the attribute information may include an email address with the domain "@abstfnko.com", such as "user_A@abstfnko.com". Note that these tables TB10, TB20, and the user information may be in a single table.

[0030] As described above, the database server 101 may store associations between facility usage rights and attribute information. For example, the database server 101 may store associations between domain information in an email address assigned to a facility-side user as attribute information and facility usage rights. For example, user A, whose email address is "user_A@abstfnko.com", may be identified as a facility-side user of "○○ Company" with the corporate ID "com_001" from that domain, and as having usage rights for facilities identified by facility IDs "obj_10", "obj_11", and "obj_12".

[0031] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 to 7. Figures 4 and 7 are sequence diagrams relating to one embodiment of the present invention between a management server 100, a facility-side user terminal 200, a visitor user terminal 300, and a reservation server 400. Figure 6 is a sequence diagram relating to the management server 100, the facility-side user terminal 200, and the visitor user terminal 300. Figures 5(a) and 5(b) are examples of screens for the facility-side user terminal 200 and the visitor user terminal 300, respectively.

[0032] <First Embodiment> Figure 4 is a sequence diagram according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Facility users may reserve a meeting room using a meeting room reservation application via groupware on the facility user terminal 200. Figure 5(a) may be an example of a reservation screen displayed on the facility user terminal 200 using the reservation application. In the example of Figure 5(a), user A, who belongs to "○○ Company" with the aforementioned company ID "com_001" and whose email address includes "@abstfnko.com", sets up a meeting that includes an outsider who does not belong to his company as a participant.

[0033] The reservation screen D1 may include areas for setting the reservation target, reservation date and time, whether the reservation is public or not, the organizer, and participants. Here, the settings for the organizer and participants may include at least the input of the email addresses of the organizer and participants. For example, in the example in Figure 5(a), the reservation target may be "Large Conference Room", the reservation date and time may be "Thursday, March 6, 2025, 11:00-12:00", the reservation may be public or not, the organizer may be "User A", and the participants may be "User B", who belongs to XX Company and whose email address includes "@abstfnko.com", as well as "Visitor X" and "Visitor Y", who are outsiders. Note that the figure is just an example and this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0034] When the reservation button 11 is selected on the reservation screen D1, the reservation information for the facility and participant information regarding the participant may be sent to the reservation server 400, which is a server of another system related to the reservation application (step S11 in Figure 4). The reservation information may include at least the reservation target and the reservation date and time, and the participant information may include the participant's email address.

[0035] The reservation server 400 may acquire reservation information and participant information transmitted from the facility-side user terminal 200 and store it in a storage device (not shown) related to the reservation application (step S12). The management server 100 may request reservation information and participant information from the reservation server 400 (step S13). In response to the request, the reservation server 400 may transmit the reservation information and participant information stored in the storage device to the management server 100 (step S14). The management server 100 may then acquire the reservation information and participant information from the reservation server 400 (step S15). The exchange of information between the management server 100 and the reservation server 400 may be achieved by linking the reservation application's API (Application Program Interface) to the management application.

[0036] The management server 100 may determine whether there are any visiting users based on the participant information obtained from the reservation server 400 (step S16). Here, the presence or absence of visiting users may be determined by whether the email address included in the participant information contains a domain different from the domain of the company that has the right to use the reservation target. In the example in Figure 5(a), in area 12 of the reservation screen D1, a user with the domain "@gaibu.co.jp", which is different from "@abstfnko.com", which indicates that the company owns the "large conference room" that is the subject of the reservation, is set as a participant. The management server 100 may also determine whether there are any visiting users by referring to the table shown in Figure 3.

[0037] If it is determined that there are no visiting users (NO in step S16), the process may be terminated. If it is determined that there are visiting users (YES in step S16), the management server 100 may generate authentication information required for use of the reserved item based on the reservation information (step S17). The management server 100 may then send the generated authentication information to the email address of the visiting user included in the participant information (step S18). At this time, the management server 100 may send an email with a predetermined message based on the reservation information. The visiting user terminal 300 may obtain the authentication information attached to the email sent from the management server 100 (step S19).

[0038] Figure 5(b) shows an example of an email screen displayed on a visiting user terminal 300 that has acquired authentication information. The email screen D2 may include information about the meeting organizer, the date and time of the meeting, and the venue (reserved), as well as an entry pass 21 for entering the venue as authentication information.

[0039] Thus, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, authentication information 10 may be generated by the management system and sent to the visiting user in response to the registration of visiting user information in a reservation application related to a predetermined groupware on the facility-side user terminal 200. In other words, the facility-side user only needs to register the visiting user in the reservation application and does not need to launch a separate management application and input various information. This reduces the workload for the facility-side user.

[0040] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figure 6. In the first embodiment, the transmission of authentication information to visiting users was performed by the management server 100. In the second embodiment, the transmission of authentication information to visiting users may be performed by the reservation server 400.

[0041] Steps S21 and S22 in Figure 6 may be the same as steps S11 and S12 in Figure 4. That is, facility reservation information and participant information are transmitted from the facility-side user terminal 200 to the reservation server 400 (step S21), and the reservation server 400 may acquire the reservation information and participant information and store it in a storage device (not shown) related to the reservation application (step S22). In the second embodiment, in response to acquiring the reservation information and participant information from the facility-side user terminal 200, the reservation server 400 may transmit the reservation information and participant information to the management server 100 along with a request to generate authentication information (step S23). The management server 100, having acquired the reservation information and participant information, may determine whether or not there are visiting users (steps S24 and S25). If the management server 100 determines that there are visiting users (YES in step S25), it may generate authentication information required for the use of the reserved item based on the reservation information (step S26). Steps S24 to S26 are the same as steps S15 to S17 in Figure 4, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0042] In the second embodiment, the management server 100 may send the generated authentication information to the reservation server 400 along with information about the visiting user to whom the authentication information should be sent (step S27). The reservation server 400 may then send the generated authentication information to the visiting user's email address (step S28). At this time, the reservation server 400 may send an email with a predetermined message based on the reservation information. The visiting user terminal 300 may obtain the authentication information attached to the email sent from the reservation server 400 (step S29). Note that the email sent from the reservation server 400 to the visiting user terminal 300 only needs to contain information equivalent to that in Figure 5(b), and may be similar to, for example, Figure 5(b).

[0043] Thus, in the second embodiment of the present invention, authentication information 10 may be generated by the management system and sent to the visiting user in response to the registration of visiting user information in the reservation application related to the predetermined groupware on the facility-side user terminal 200. In other words, the facility-side user only needs to register the visiting user in the reservation application and does not need to launch a separate management application and input various information. This reduces the workload for the facility-side user.

[0044] <Third Embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 7. In the first and second embodiments, a case was described in which a meeting room reservation is made in a reservation application related to a reservation system separate from the management system. In the third embodiment, the management system may have a meeting room reservation function. That is, in the third embodiment, authentication information may be sent to the visiting user simply by setting up the reservation in the management application related to the management system.

[0045] In the third embodiment, the database server 101 may store the schedules of facility users and the reservation status or availability of each facility. The management server 100 may be able to set up a meeting room reservation by referring to this information stored in the database server 101. Facility users may reserve a meeting room using a management application related to the management system implemented on the management server 100 at the facility user terminal 200. That is, the facility user terminal 200 may send the facility reservation information and participant information to the management server 100 (step S31). The reservation screen in the management application may be the same as the reservation screen D1 in Figure 5(a), or a screen in which equivalent information to that of the reservation screen D1 is entered.

[0046] The management server 100 may then check for the presence of a visiting user, generate authentication information, and send the authentication information to the visiting user (steps S32-S36). Steps S32-S36 may be the same as steps S15-S19 in Figure 4, and their explanation is omitted.

[0047] Thus, according to the third embodiment of the present invention, facility reservations and the issuance of authentication information to visitors can be completed within a single system.

[0048] <Other Embodiments> Furthermore, the meeting time and location may be updated by the facility user, or the meeting itself may be deleted. According to one embodiment of the present invention, when a reservation is updated in the reservation application by the facility user, the management server 100 may generate new authentication information and send the new authentication information to the visiting user. At this time, the visiting user may be sent information along with the new authentication information indicating that the reservation has been changed, new authentication information has been generated, and that the previous authentication information is no longer valid. The generation of this new authentication information and its transmission to the visiting user may be performed by the management server 100 in response to the reservation being updated in the reservation application, and the facility user does not need to launch the management application or anything like that. This further reduces the burden on the facility user.

[0049] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, if a reservation is deleted in the reservation application by a facility user, the management server 100 may send a deletion notification to the visiting user indicating that the reservation has been deleted. The sending of the deletion notification to the visiting user may be performed by the management server 100 in response to the deletion of the reservation in the reservation application, and the facility user does not need to launch the management application or take any other action. This further reduces the burden on the facility user.

[0050] <Management Server> Using Figure 8, the hardware configuration and functional configuration of the management server (information processing device) 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be explained.

[0051] (1) Server hardware configuration The management server 100 may include a control unit 110, a communication unit 120, and a storage unit 170.

[0052] The control unit 110 is typically a processor, and may include a central processing unit (CPU), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a microprocessor, etc., and may be implemented by logic circuits (hardware) or dedicated circuits formed on an integrated circuit chip (IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, LSI (Large Scale Integration)), etc.

[0053] The communication unit 120 may be implemented as hardware such as a NIC (Network Interface Card) or network adapter, communication software, or a combination thereof. The communication unit 120 may send and receive various types of data between the facility-side user terminal 200, the visitor user terminal 300, and the reservation server 400 via the network 500.

[0054] The storage unit 170 stores various programs and data necessary for the operation of the management server 100. The storage unit 170 may include, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), flash memory, etc. The storage unit 170 may also include memory that provides a workspace for the control unit 110.

[0055] (2) Server Functional Configuration The management server 100 may include a reservation information acquisition unit 111, a user information acquisition unit 112, a determination unit 113, a generation unit 114, and a provision unit 115 as functions implemented by the control unit 110. Of the functional units shown in Figure 8, those that are not essential in the above embodiments may be omitted. Furthermore, the functions or processing of each functional unit may be implemented by machine learning or AI (Artificial Intelligence) to the extent that it is feasible.

[0056] The reservation information acquisition unit 111 may acquire reservation information relating to facility use reservations. Reservation information may include various types of information set when a facility is reserved, such as the reservation date and time, information about the facility reserved by the facility user, the affiliation (company name, name, etc.) of the visiting users included as participants, and information about the facility user who is the organizer and invited the visiting users.

[0057] The user information acquisition unit 112 may acquire user information of users who use the facility based on their reservations. That is, the user information acquisition unit 112 may acquire information about participants included in the reservation information. In addition, the user information acquisition unit 112 may acquire attribute information of users who use the facility as user information. Attribute information may be domain information of the email address assigned to the user.

[0058] The determination unit 113 may determine whether the user information satisfies predetermined conditions. These predetermined conditions may be conditions that allow determination of whether or not visiting users are included among the participants. For example, the determination unit 113 may determine that users who use the facility and whose attribute information does not have facility usage rights associated with them are target users who satisfy the predetermined conditions. The determination unit 113 may determine target users by referring to the association between facility usage rights and attribute information, such as table TB10 in Figure 3(a) and table TB20 in Figure 3(b), which are stored in the database server 101 as a predetermined storage unit. Target users may be external users who do not belong to the company that owns the facility, i.e., visiting users.

[0059] The generation unit 114 may generate authentication information required for the use of the facility. The authentication information may be the aforementioned entry pass or key information, or it may be a QR code or the like. The provision unit 115 may provide the authentication information generated by the generation unit 114 to the visiting user. That is, the provision unit 115 may send the authentication information to the visiting user's email address.

[0060] As described in the first and second embodiments, the reservation information acquisition unit 111 and the user information acquisition unit 112 may each acquire reservation information and user information from a reservation server 400 related to a reservation system that processes facility reservations, which is different from the management system.

[0061] Furthermore, as described in the second embodiment, the provisioning unit 115 may provide authentication information to the target user via the reservation server 400 related to the reservation system.

[0062] The reservation information acquisition unit 111 may acquire update information from the reservation server 400 indicating that a facility reservation has been updated. The update information may be transmitted from the reservation server 400 in response to a request from the management server 100, as in the first embodiment. Alternatively, the update information may be provided from the reservation server 400 to the management server 100, as in the second embodiment. In this case, the generation unit 114 may generate authentication information based on the new reservation information. The provision unit 115 may provide the newly generated authentication information to the visiting user as updated authentication information.

[0063] Furthermore, the reservation information acquisition unit 111 may acquire deletion information from the reservation server 400 indicating that a facility reservation has been deleted. The deletion information may be transmitted from the reservation server 400 in response to a request from the management server 100, as in the first embodiment. Alternatively, the deletion information may be provided from the reservation server 400 to the management server 100, as in the second embodiment. The provision unit 115 may then provide the visiting user with a deletion notification indicating that the reservation has been deleted.

[0064] <Server control method> The control method for the management server 100 described above will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 9. The reservation information acquisition unit 111 may acquire reservation information related to facility use reservations (step T11). The user information acquisition unit 112 may acquire user information of users (participants) who will use the facility based on the use reservation (step T12). The determination unit 113 may determine whether the user information satisfies predetermined conditions (step T13). The predetermined conditions may be conditions that allow determination of whether the participant is a visiting user or not. If it is determined that the user information satisfies the predetermined conditions (YES in step T13), the provision unit 115 may provide authentication information required for facility use to the target user (visiting user) whose user information satisfies the predetermined conditions (step T14). If it is determined that the user information does not satisfy the predetermined conditions (NO in step T13), the process may be terminated.

[0065] Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, when a facility reservation is made, if it is determined that a visitor user who does not belong to the company that owns the facility will participate, authentication information such as an entry pass to the facility may be automatically sent to the visitor user. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the effort required from the party inviting the visitor user and provide a facility management system with high usability.

[0066] The present invention has been described based on various drawings and embodiments, but it should be noted that those skilled in the art will find it easy to make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of the present invention. For example, the functions included in each component, step, etc., can be rearranged in a way that is logically consistent, and multiple components or steps, etc., can be combined into one or divided. Furthermore, the configurations shown in the above embodiments may be combined as appropriate. Also, the processing described as being performed by the management server 100 may be performed by the facility-side user terminal 200, and the processing described as being performed by the facility-side user terminal 200 may be performed by the management server 100.

[0067] For example, the above description explained a scenario in which authentication information is sent to the visiting user according to the reservation settings, without verification by the facility user. However, the facility user may choose whether or not to send authentication information to the visiting user.

[0068] Furthermore, although only one management server 100 is shown in Figure 1, it is not limited to this. That is, each function described as being provided by the management server 100 may be implemented by multiple servers. Also, the management server 100 may be a distributed server system that operates cooperatively by communicating over a network, for example, or it may be a so-called cloud server. In other words, the management server 100 may include not only a physical server but also a virtual server created by software.

[0069] Furthermore, although only one database server 101 is shown in Figure 2, separate from the management server 100, it may be integrated with the management server 100. That is, the database server 101 may be the volatile or non-volatile memory of the management server 100. Also, the database server 101 may consist of multiple storage devices. The database server 101 may be connected to the management server 100 via a dedicated internal network different from the network 500, or it may be connected to the management server 100 via the network 500.

[0070] Furthermore, the facility-side user terminal 200 and the visitor user terminal 300 are not limited to those shown in Figure 2, and any terminal capable of realizing the functions of each embodiment may be used. For example, the facility-side user terminal 200 and the visitor user terminal 300 may be smartphones, computers (e.g., tablets, desktop computers, laptop computers), or wearable devices (glasses-type devices, watch-type devices, etc.).

[0071] The programs of each embodiment of this disclosure may be provided stored in a storage medium readable by a server, which is an information processing device. The storage medium is a "non-temporary tangible medium" capable of storing programs. The programs include, for example, software programs and information processing device programs. When each functional unit of the management server 100 is implemented by software, the management server 100 functions as a reservation information acquisition unit 111, a user information acquisition unit 112, a determination unit 113, a generation unit 114, and a provision unit 115 by having the processor execute a program loaded into memory.

[0072] The storage medium may, where appropriate, include one or more semiconductor-based or other integrated circuits (ICs) (e.g., field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), hard disk drives (HDDs), hybrid hard drives (HHDs), optical disks, optical disk drives (ODDs), magneto-optical disks, magneto-optical drives, floppy diskettes, floppy disk drives (FDDs), magnetic tape, solid-state drives (SSDs), RAM drives, secure digital cards or drives, any other suitable storage medium, or two or more suitable combinations thereof. The storage medium may, where appropriate, be volatile, non-volatile, or a combination of volatile and non-volatile.

[0073] Furthermore, the program disclosed herein may be provided to the management server 100 via any transmission medium capable of transmitting the program (such as a communication network or broadcast waves).

[0074] Furthermore, each embodiment of this disclosure can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, where the program is embodied by electronic transmission. The programs of this disclosure may be implemented using, for example, scripting languages ​​such as JavaScript® and Python, C language, Go language, Swift®, Koltin®, Java®, etc.

[0075] According to each aspect of this disclosure described above, by providing users with a more user-friendly work environment, we can contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11, "Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and inclusive, safe [Explanation of Symbols]

[0076] 100 Management Server (Information Processing Device) 101 Database Server 110 Control Unit 111 Reservation Information Acquisition Department 112 User Information Acquisition Unit 113 Judgment section 114 Generation part 115 Provision Department 120 Communications Department 170 Storage section 200 Facility-side user terminals (communication terminals) 300 Visitor User Terminals (Communication Terminals) 400 Reservation Server (Other System Server) 500 Networks 600 Information Processing Systems

Claims

1. An information processing device relating to a management system for managing the use of facilities by users, A reservation information acquisition unit that acquires reservation information related to reservations for the use of the aforementioned facility, A user information acquisition unit that acquires user information of users who use the facility based on the aforementioned reservation, A provisioning unit provides authentication information required for the use of the facility to target users whose user information meets predetermined conditions, Equipped with, The user information acquisition unit acquires attribute information of users who use the facility as user information, The providing unit is an information processing device that, by referring to the association between the facility usage rights and attribute information stored in a predetermined storage unit, provides the authentication information to users who use the facility, whose attribute information does not have facility usage rights associated with it, as target users who satisfy the predetermined conditions.

2. An information processing device relating to a management system for managing the use of facilities by users, A reservation information acquisition unit that acquires reservation information related to reservations for the use of the aforementioned facility, A user information acquisition unit that acquires user information of users who use the facility based on the aforementioned reservation, A provisioning unit provides authentication information required for the use of the facility to target users whose user information meets predetermined conditions, Equipped with, The reservation information acquisition unit and the user information acquisition unit each acquire the reservation information and user information from another information processing device related to a reservation system that processes reservations for the facility, which is different from the management system.

3. The provisioning unit provides the authentication information to the target user via the other information processing device related to the reservation system. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The predetermined storage unit stores the association between the domain information of the email address assigned to the user and the facility usage rights, as attribute information. The user information acquisition unit acquires the email address of the user using the facility as user information. The providing unit sends the authentication information to the email address of the target user, who is a user whose domain information in the email address is not associated with the right to use the facility. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned reservation information acquisition unit acquires update information indicating that the reservation for use of the facility has been updated. The providing unit provides the authentication information updated according to the update information to the target user. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The reservation information acquisition unit acquires deletion information indicating that the reservation for use of the facility has been deleted. The provisioning unit provides the target user with a deletion notification indicating that the reservation has been deleted. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

7. A control method for an information processing device related to a management system for managing the use of facilities by users, Information processing device, The steps include obtaining reservation information regarding the reservation of the aforementioned facility, The steps include obtaining user information of a user who will use the facility based on the aforementioned reservation, The steps include providing authentication information required for using the facility to a target user whose user information meets predetermined conditions, Execute, In the step of acquiring the user information, the user information includes attribute information of the user who will be using the facility. A control method for an information processing device, in the step of providing the information, which involves referring to the association between the facility usage rights and attribute information stored in a predetermined storage unit, and providing the authentication information to users who use the facility and whose attribute information does not have facility usage rights associated with it, as target users who satisfy the predetermined conditions.

8. A control program for an information processing device related to a management system for managing the use of facilities by users, In an information processing device, A function to obtain reservation information regarding reservations for the aforementioned facilities, A function to obtain user information of users who use the facility based on the aforementioned reservation, A function to provide authentication information required for the use of the facility to target users whose user information meets predetermined conditions, To make it happen, The function for acquiring user information acquires attribute information of users who use the facility as user information, The function provided is a control program for an information processing device that, by referring to the association between the facility usage rights and attribute information stored in a predetermined memory unit, provides authentication information to users who use the facility but whose attribute information does not have facility usage rights associated with it, as target users who meet the predetermined conditions.

9. A control method for an information processing device relating to a management system for managing the use of a facility by a user, Information processing device, The steps include obtaining reservation information regarding the reservation of the aforementioned facility, The steps include obtaining user information of a user who will use the facility based on the aforementioned reservation, The steps include providing authentication information required for using the facility to a target user whose user information meets predetermined conditions, Execute, A control method for an information processing device, wherein in the step of acquiring the reservation information and the step of acquiring the user information, the reservation information and the user information are acquired from another information processing device related to a reservation system that processes reservations for the facility, which is different from the management system.

10. A control program for an information processing device relating to a management system for managing the use of a facility by a user, In an information processing device, A function to obtain reservation information regarding reservations for the aforementioned facilities, A function to obtain user information of users who use the facility based on the aforementioned reservation, A function to provide authentication information required for the use of the facility to target users whose user information meets predetermined conditions, To make it happen, The functions for acquiring the reservation information and acquiring the user information are control programs for information processing devices that acquire the reservation information and the user information, respectively, from other information processing devices related to a reservation system that processes reservations for the facility, which are different from the management system.

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