System for controlling unlocking of lock, method therefor, and computer program

Abstract

[Problem] When unlocking of a lock of an object is controlled by an unlocking command from a user, the lock of the object is unlocked by the unlocking command even in a time band during which the user cannot use the object since it has not been determined whether the user is in a time band during which the object can be used, the object being a room, an internal facility, an article, or the like locked by the lock. [Solution] A system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a terminal device configured to transmit user-related information which is information related to a user who uses a prescribed object locked by a lock; and a server device having usable-period management information which is information for managing periods during which the user can use the object, the server device being configured to control unlocking of the lock of the object. The terminal device transmits the user-related information and an unlocking command for unlocking the lock to the server device. The server device can determine whether the user specified in the user-related information can use the object on the basis of the usable-period management information and the current time, and control unlocking of the lock of the object in accordance with determining that the user can use the object.

Description

Key unlocking control system, method and computer program

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for controlling key unlocking, a method thereof, and a computer program.

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses a system for controlling electronic keys. When a user of an object protected by a door locked with an electronic key unlocks the door, the system identifies the location of the user's mobile device using a Global Positioning System (GPS) in response to receiving an unlock command for the key. Based on the location, the system then determines whether the user of the mobile device is outside (outdoors) or inside (indoors) the door, and controls the unlocking of the door if it determines that the user is outdoors. This allows the system to prevent the user from unintentionally unlocking the door when the user is indoors (e.g., summary).

[0003] Patent application publication number: JP 2023-129911

[0004] In conventional technology, when controlling the unlocking of an object in response to an unlock command from a user, the technology does not determine whether the time period during which the user can use the object, such as a locked room, indoor facility, or item, is in effect, so the object is unlocked in response to an unlock command even during a time period during which the user cannot use the object.

[0005] In the system according to the embodiment of the present invention, the user-related information may be an identifier of the user.

[0006] In a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the usable period management information may include information associating one or more objects usable by the user with the usable period of each of the one or more objects.

[0007] In a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the server device can control the unlocking of the key to the object by sending an unlock instruction to the object or by sending an unlock instruction to another device that manages the object.

[0008] In a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the server device can obtain the time on the server device as the current time, obtain the current time from the terminal device, or obtain the current time from another device.

[0009] In the system according to the embodiment of the present invention, the terminal device can transmit information about an operator who is operating the terminal device.

[0010] A method executed by a system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include the steps of: a server device managing usable period management information, which is information that manages the period during which a user can use a specified object that is locked with a key; a terminal device sending user-related information, which is information related to the user who uses the object, and an unlocking command to unlock the key to the server device; the server device determining, based on the usable period management information and the current time, whether the user identified in the user-related information can use the object; and the server device controlling the unlocking of the key to the object in response to determining that the user can use the object.

[0011] A computer program executed by a system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include the steps of: a server device managing usable period management information, which is information that manages the period during which a user can use a specified object that is locked with a key; a terminal device sending user-related information, which is information related to the user who uses the object, and an unlocking command to unlock the key to the server device; a server device determining, based on the usable period management information and the current time, whether the user identified by the user-related information can use the object; and a server device controlling the unlocking of the key to the object in response to determining that the user can use the object.

[0012] A method executed by a server device according to an embodiment of the present invention may include the steps of managing usable period management information, which is information that manages the period during which a user can use a specified object that is locked with a key; receiving user-related information, which is information related to the user who uses the object, and an unlocking command to unlock the key from a terminal device; determining whether the user identified by the user-related information can use the object based on the usable period management information and the current time; and controlling the unlocking of the key to the object in response to determining that the user can use the object.

[0013] A computer program executed by a server device according to an embodiment of the present invention may include the steps of managing usable period management information, which is information that manages the period during which a user can use a specified object that is locked with a key; receiving user-related information, which is information related to the user who uses the object, and an unlocking command to unlock the key from a terminal device; determining whether the user identified by the user-related information can use the object based on the usable period management information and the current time; and controlling the unlocking of the key to the object in response to determining that the user can use the object.

[0014] 1 shows a system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 shows the hardware configuration of a terminal device, a server device, and an object included in the system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 shows a process flow according to a first embodiment of the present invention in which a user of an object unlocks a key to the object; FIG. 4 shows a process flow according to a second embodiment of the present invention in which an administrator of an object unlocks a key to the object; FIG. 5 shows a process flow according to a third embodiment of the present invention in which an administrator of an object unlocks a key using a management device; and FIG. 6 shows a system according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] 1 shows a system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system 100 includes a terminal device 110, a server device 115, and an object 120. The terminal device 110, the server device 115, and the control device 120 are connected to each other via a network 130 such as the Internet.

[0016] The terminal device 110 may include a terminal available to a user, such as a mobile phone such as a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, or a smartwatch. The terminal device 110 has user-related information. The user-related information may be an identifier of the user of the object 120 or information about the user used to identify the user in the server device 115. As an example of information about the user used to identify the user in the server device 115, the user-related information may be reservation information (e.g., a reservation identifier, a reservation number, etc.) related to the use of the object 120. The user of the terminal device 110 may include at least a user who uses the object 120 and an administrator who manages the object 120. For example, if the object 120 is a hotel room, the user may be a guest who uses the room, and the administrator may be a cleaning person who cleans the room, or a maintenance person such as a hotel front desk clerk or manager.

[0017] The server device 115 can send and receive instructions and commands to at least one terminal device 110 and / or at least one object 120 via the network 130. The server device 115 may be configured to communicate with two or more terminal devices 110 and / or two or more objects 120. The server device 115 has usable period management information, which is information that manages whether a specific user can use a specific object during a specific period or time zone. The usable period management information may be managed as a database. The server device 115 may be realized by two or more computers. For example, the server device 115 may be composed of a first server device that communicates with the terminal device 110, a second server device that communicates with the object 120, and a third server device for a database that manages the usable period management information.

[0018] The target object 120 can typically be an object that has set time periods during which it can be used by users, such as a hotel room, a rental room, a rental conference room, etc. When the target object 120 is a hotel room, a rental conference room, a parking lot, a bicycle parking lot, an accommodation facility provided by a private lodging business, or the like, it can also be called a target space instead of the target object 120.

[0019] Furthermore, the object 120 is not limited to the above examples of a hotel room, a parking lot, a bicycle parking lot, a space provided by a private lodging business, etc., as long as it can be locked with a key. For example, the object 120 may be a rented bicycle, a car, a motorcycle, etc.

[0020] The object 120 is locked with a key to make the object itself usable or inoperable. If the object 120 is a hotel room, a car, or the like, the door for accessing the object is locked or unlocked by a key attached to the door or a key that can be applied to the door. If the object 120 is a bicycle, a car, or the like, a key may be used for a wheel chock device that restricts the movement of the wheels of the bicycle or car. If the object 120 is a car, a motorcycle, or the like, the key may control the starting of the engine and / or motor of the object 120.

[0021] An object 120 may include a key for enabling or disabling the object 120. In other embodiments, a key that is enabled for the object 120 may be applied or attached to the object 120 rather than being integral to the object 120.

[0022] The object 120 may include a communication control device for communicating with the terminal device 110 and / or the server device 115 .

[0023] In another embodiment, the object 120 may be configured to communicate with a management device (see FIG. 6 ) instead of communicating with the terminal device 110 and / or the server device 115. The management device can communicate with the terminal device 110 and / or the server device 115, and can also communicate with the object 120. The management device can act as a relay between the terminal device 110 and / or the server device 115 and the object 120. The management device can be configured to control two or more objects 120. For example, if the object 120 is two or more rooms in a specific hotel, one management device may be installed in the hotel and configured to control the keys of two or more objects 120.

[0024] [Hardware Configuration] FIG. 2 shows the hardware configuration of the terminal device 110, server device 115, and object 120 included in the system 100. The terminal device 110, server device 115, and object 120 may each include a processor 205, a memory 210, a storage 215, an input / output device 220, and a communication device 225. In the terminal device 110, server device 115, and object 120, the processor 205 loads a computer program stored in the storage 215 into the memory 210 and executes it. The input / output device 220 includes a touch panel on the display, a keyboard, a mouse, a display device, and the like. Users of these devices can input information into the computer using the keyboard or touch panel, and view the information output on the display device. The terminal device 110, server device 115, and object 120 can communicate with at least one of the other devices via the communication device 225 and send and receive data therefrom. In other embodiments, the terminal device 110, the server device 115, and the object 120 may not include some of the hardware components shown in FIG. 2 and / or may include hardware components other than the hardware components shown in FIG. 2.

[0025] [First Example] An example in which the user of the terminal is the user of the object. FIG. 3 shows a processing flow based on a first example of the present invention in which a user of the object unlocks the lock of the object 120. In this example, the user can use the terminal device 110 to unlock or lock the lock of the object 120. Unlocking and locking refer to opening and closing the lock, respectively. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, even if an example of unlocking is described, it will be understood that such an example includes an example of locking, since the operation is similar for locking.

[0026] First, the user operates the terminal device 110 to perform an unlocking operation (step 305). In the unlocking operation, the user can use the terminal device 110 to specify the object 120 that the user wants to unlock and instruct the unlocking of the lock of the object 120. For example, the terminal device 110 may display one or more objects 120 to be operated on a display device of the terminal device 110 or another device connected to the terminal device 110, and allow the user to select the object 120 for which the lock operation is to be performed.

[0027] The terminal device 110 may be a mobile terminal of the user. In this case, the terminal device 110 may store information identifying the user and the object (user-related information and an unlocking command, respectively) in advance, and the user may perform an unlocking operation by pressing a physical button on the terminal device 110, shaking the terminal device 110 itself, or operating an element displayed on the screen of the terminal device 110 (for example, pressing or swiping on the touch screen).

[0028] In other embodiments, the terminal device 110 may be installed near the object 120, a gate separating a space, or the server device 115. In this case, a user can input user-related information and unlocking command information to the terminal device 110. In one embodiment, input to the terminal device 110 may be achieved by the user's terminal transmitting information to the terminal device 110 via short-range communication. Examples of short-range communication include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ZigBee. Furthermore, short-range communication may be achieved by a sensor (e.g., an imaging device) of the terminal device 110 reading information displayed on the user's terminal. This reading is typically achieved using an optical method, such as a barcode or a QR code. For example, the terminal device 110 can read a QR code displayed on the user's terminal. Through short-range communication, the terminal device 110 can obtain information, such as a user identifier, from the user's terminal.

[0029] In another embodiment in which the terminal device 110 is installed near the object 120, a gate separating a space, or the server device 115, the terminal device 110 may include a device for reading biometric information (e.g., information on veins, irises, fingerprints, voiceprints, faces, etc.). The terminal device 110 reads the biometric information, compares the read biometric information with biometric information associated with information identifying a user that is pre-stored in the terminal device 110, the server device 115, and / or another external device, and acquires information on the user corresponding to the read biometric information from the pre-stored information identifying the user. If the server device 115 and / or another external device pre-stores biometric information associated with information identifying a user, the terminal device 110 can acquire the biometric information associated with information identifying a user that is pre-stored in the server device 115 and / or another external device by communicating with the server device 115 and / or another external device. In another embodiment, the terminal device 110 transmits the read biometric information to the server device 115 and / or another external device, and the server device 115 and / or another external device can acquire biometric information associated with information identifying the user that is pre-stored in the server device 115 and / or another external device based on the transmitted biometric information, and / or acquire information identifying the user, and transmit the information to the terminal device 110. This allows the terminal device 110 to identify the user from the read biometric information.

[0030] In another embodiment in which the terminal device 110 is installed near the object 120, a gate separating a space, or the server device 115, the terminal device 110 can acquire information for identifying the user through short-range communication or acquisition of biometric information in response to an unlocking operation. If the terminal device 110 is pre-associated with a specific object 120, the terminal device 110 can transmit user-related information and an unlock command based on the information for identifying the user and information related to the specific object 120 (step 310). In another embodiment, the terminal device 110 may acquire information for identifying the user based on short-range communication or biometric information, and also acquire information for identifying the object 120. In this case, the information identifying the target object 120 may be obtained by the terminal device 110 from the user's terminal via short-range communication, or the terminal device 110 may obtain the information identifying the target object 120 through input by the user or another person via an input device of the terminal device 110 or an input device of another terminal device that can communicate with the terminal device 110 (for example, input via a physical keyboard, keyboard input via a touch panel, input via voice recognition, etc.).

[0031] Upon receiving the unlocking operation, the terminal device 110 can transmit user-related information and an unlock command to the server device 115 (step 310). The user-related information can be a user identifier that identifies the user. In another embodiment, the user-related information can be any information that allows the server device 115 to identify the user. For example, the user-related information can include one or more of a terminal device identifier, an object identifier, and an identifier generated on an occasional basis. The server device 115 can identify the user based on the received user-related information. For example, the server device 115 associates the terminal device identifier with user information and stores it in advance, and can identify the user based on the received user-related information and the stored information. The unlocking command can include information related to the object 120 to be unlocked. The information related to the object 120 can include one or more of the object 120 identifier and information that allows the server device 115 to identify the object 120 based on the information related to the object 120. For example, if object 120 is a hotel room, the information associated with object 120 may be a hotel room number, a room identifier, a reservation identifier that uniquely identifies the reservation, and so on.

[0032] The server device 115 inquires whether the user can use the object based on the received user-related information and unlock command (step 315). The server device 115 pre-stores usable period management information, which is information that manages the period during which the user can use the object 120. The usable period management information includes information that identifies the user (e.g., a user identifier), information that identifies the object 120 (e.g., an identifier of the object 120), and an available date and time that indicates the period during which the user can use the object 120. In one embodiment, the available date and time may be a date alone. For example, if the available date and time is December 2, 2022, the server device 115 may determine that the user can use the object 120 associated with this available date and time from 0:00 to 23:59 on December 2, 2022. In another embodiment, the available date and time may be a range of dates and times. For example, if the object is a hotel room, the available date and time can be the time from the check-in time (e.g., December 2, 2022, 3:00 PM) when the room is available to the check-out time (e.g., December 3, 2022, 10:00 AM).

[0033] As another example, if the object 120 is a space such as a hotel room, a presence sensor can be installed in the space. The presence sensor may detect the presence of a person in the space using infrared detection, microwave detection, carbon dioxide concentration detection, or the like. In step 315 of this embodiment, the server device 115 accesses the presence sensor, and if it detects the presence of a person in the space, it can determine not to permit unlocking of the lock. In this case, the server device 115 does not execute step 320, which will be described later. This ensures the privacy of a person in the room when the person is present in the space.

[0034] As an example, the usable period management information can manage the following information: (1) Information identifying the user (2) Information identifying the object 120 that can be used by the user (3) The usable date and time when the user can use the object In one embodiment, the server device 115 and / or an external device that can communicate with the server device 115 can manage the usable period management information. When the external device manages the usable period management information, at least one of the above three pieces of information is managed by the external device, and therefore, by making the security resistance of the external device higher than that of the server device 115, it can contribute to preventing information leaks, etc. Furthermore, the usable period management information may be managed as a database table.

[0035] The server device 115 can identify the user and the object 120 based on the user-related information and the unlock command received in step 310, respectively. The server device 115 determines whether the identified user and object 120 exist in the usable period management information. In one embodiment, the server device 115 may be composed of two or more devices. In this case, for example, a first server device 115 and a second server device 115 that manages the usable period management information operate in cooperation, and the first server device 115 can cause the second server device 115 to determine whether the combination of the identified user and object 120 exists in the usable period management information.

[0036] If the identified user and object 120 are not included in the usable period management information, the server device 115 notifies the terminal device 110 that the object 120 cannot be unlocked. If they are included, the server device 115 obtains the usable date and time associated with the identified user and object 120 from the usable period management information and determines whether the current time is within the usable date and time range. In one embodiment, the server device 115 can obtain the current time from a time server installed externally or internally to the server device 115 when or after receiving at least one of the user-related information and the unlock command from the terminal device 110. In another embodiment, the server device 115 may be configured to receive the current time by receiving the current time from the terminal device 110 in addition to the user-related information and the unlock command.

[0037] If the current time is not within the usable date and time range, the server device 115 notifies the terminal device 110 that the object 120 cannot be unlocked. If the current time is within the usable date and time range, the server device 115 can instruct the object 120 to unlock the object 120 (step 320). The server device 115 then transmits information regarding the unlock instruction to the object 120. The information regarding the unlock instruction may include key information. In this embodiment, the server device 115 can transmit the unlock instruction to the object 120 identified based on the unlock command received in step 310. In one embodiment, the object 120 may already have a key that can control the use of the object. In this case, the information regarding the unlock instruction transmitted from the server device 115 to the object 120 does not include key information, thereby preventing key leakage. In response to receiving the unlock instruction, the object 120 unlocks the object 120 (step 325). In one embodiment, the object 120 may notify the server device 115 and / or the terminal device 110 of the success or failure of the unlocking attempt.

[0038] In another embodiment, the object 120 may include the object itself, a key, and another device that manages the object 120. In this case, the server device 115 transmits an unlocking instruction to the other device, and the other device can unlock the key that controls the use of the object itself in response to receiving the unlocking instruction.

[0039] The server device 115 transmits an unlocking notification indicating that the object has been unlocked to the terminal device 110 when or after determining in step 315 that the user can use the object, before, when, or after transmitting the unlock instruction in step 320, or when, before, or after the key is unlocked in step 325 (step 330). When the unlocking notification of step 330 is transmitted in step 325, the object 120 may notify the server device 115 that the key has been successfully unlocked, and the server device 115 may transmit an unlocking notification to the terminal device 110 in response to receiving this notification. In another embodiment, in step 325, the object 120 may transmit the unlocking notification to the terminal device 110 without going through the server device 115.

[0040] In another embodiment, in step 310, the terminal device 110 may acquire the location where the unlocking operation was performed using the terminal device 110's GPS or Bluetooth and determine whether the location is within a predetermined range. If the location is within the predetermined range, the process continues. If the location is not within the predetermined range, the process is stopped, and the terminal device 110 may notify the user that the unlocking operation has been canceled. In another embodiment, the terminal device 110 may transmit location information acquired by the terminal device 110's GPS to the server device 115 and / or the object 120. The server device 115 and / or the object 120 may determine that the received location is within a predetermined range. If the received location is not within the predetermined range, the server device 115 and / or the object 120 may notify the terminal device 110 that the unlocking operation has been canceled. For example, if the object is a hotel room, the predetermined location may be a specific location within the hotel, such as in front of the room, inside the hotel building, or the hotel front desk. As an example of obtaining a location, when GPS is used, the coordinates where the device is located are obtained as the location by GPS, and when Bluetooth is used, when a specific device located at a specific location starts communicating with terminal device 110 via Bluetooth, it is determined that terminal device 110 is within a predetermined location range.

[0041] In another embodiment, the administrator of the object 120 can stop a specific user from using the object 120. The administrator can set the object 120 to be stopped from being used by a specific user, all users, or a portion of all users via an input device of the terminal device 110, the server device 115, the object 120, or another device associated with at least one of them. This prevents the user from unlocking the object 120. This control is realized by at least one of the terminal device 110, the server device 115, and the object 120. For example, when the use of the object 120 is stopped, at least one of the following is executed, such that the terminal device 110 cannot send an unlock command (step 310), the server device cannot send an unlock instruction (step 320), and the unlocking control is stopped, thereby preventing the object 120 from being unlocked.

[0042] In another embodiment, the user of the terminal device 110 may be designated as the administrator. In this case, in step 310, the terminal device 110 may transmit administrator identification information (e.g., an administrator identifier or information identifying the administrator's title) to the server device 115 by performing an unlocking operation, instead of or in addition to the user-related information. The server device 115 may determine whether the administrator who performed the unlocking operation is authorized to unlock the object 120 based on the received administrator identification information and administrator authority information managed by the server device 115 or managed by another device that can communicate with the server device 115. The administrator authority information associates information about the administrator's group based on the administrator's information and / or title with information defining whether the administrator and / or the administrator's group can unlock / lock a specific object. The server device 115 may determine to send an unlock instruction in step 320 or before or after this step, depending on whether the administrator and / or the administrator's group is authorized to unlock the object 120. In addition, the server device 115 may decide to stop sending the unlocking instruction at or before or after step 320 in response to determining that the administrator and / or group of administrators cannot unlock the object 120.

[0043] In steps 315 and 320 of this embodiment, the usable date and time in the usable period management information is used to control key unlocking. Therefore, the system of this embodiment can provide more accurate date and time-based key unlocking or locking management using the usable date and time. Furthermore, if the usable period management information is managed in real time, more time-accurate key unlocking or locking management can be provided. For example, if the object 120 is a space such as a room in a hotel or private lodging, the usable period management information may be information from a hotel reservation system or may be generated from information from the reservation system. Because the reservation system information can be updated by the room user, it is updated more immediately, providing more time-accurate key unlocking or locking management.

[0044] Second Embodiment: An Example in Which the Terminal User is the Administrator of an Object. FIG. 4 shows a process flow based on a second embodiment of the present invention in which the administrator of an object unlocks the lock on the object 120. In this embodiment, the administrator can use the terminal device 110 to unlock or lock the object 120. The administrator operates the terminal device 110 to perform the unlock operation (step 405). For example, the terminal device 110 may display one or more objects 120 to be operated on a display device of the terminal device 110 or another device connected to the terminal device 110, and allow the administrator to select the object 120 for which the administrator wishes to operate the lock. Upon the unlock operation, the terminal device 110 transmits administrator-related information and an unlock command to the server device 115 (step 410). The administrator-related information may include administrator-specific information (e.g., the administrator's identifier, information identifying the administrator's position, etc.). The unlock command may include information related to the object 120 to be unlocked.

[0045] The server device 115 or another device capable of communicating with the server device 115 may store information about administrator privileges. The server device 115 may determine whether the administrator can use the object based on the administrator privilege information, the administrator-related information, and the unlock command (step 415). In another embodiment, the terminal device 110 may obtain information about administrator privileges from the server device 115 or another device capable of communicating with the server device 115 in response to an unlocking operation, and determine whether the administrator can use the object based on the administrator privilege information and the administrator-related information. If it is determined that the administrator can use the object, the terminal device 110 may send an unlock command, etc. to the server device 115. If it is determined that the administrator cannot use the object, the terminal device 110 may stop sending an unlock command, etc. to the server device 115. In another embodiment, the object 120 may determine whether the administrator can use the object based on information transmitted from the server device 115. In this case, the object 120 may notify the server device 115 and / or the terminal device 110 of the determination result.

[0046] In another embodiment, the user of the object can use the terminal device 110 or another device capable of communicating with the server device 115 to instruct the server device 115 not to allow a specific administrator and / or a specific administrator group to unlock the object. The server device 115 can update the unlocking permission list upon receiving the instruction. The terminal device 110, the server device 115, and / or the object 120 may refer to the unlocking permission list before or after step 415 to determine whether the administrator can use the object. In this embodiment, for example, if the object is a hotel room, the user's privacy can be ensured by disallowing the administrator from entering the room in the unlocking permission list. The system of this embodiment can electronically fulfill the role of a "Don't Disturb" card used outside the door of a hotel room.

[0047] As another example, if the object 120 is a space such as a hotel room, a presence sensor can be installed in the space. The presence sensor may detect the presence of a person in the space. In step 415 of this example, the server device 115 can access the presence sensor and, if it detects the presence of a person in the space, determine not to permit unlocking the lock. If it determines not to permit unlocking the lock, the server device 115 does not execute step 320, which will be described later. This allows the administrator to avoid violating the user's privacy when a person is present in the space.

[0048] The processing from step 320 onward in FIG. 4 may be the same as the processing from step 320 onward in FIG.

[0049] Third Embodiment: An Example of an Administrator Unlocking a Lock Using a Management Device. FIG. 5 shows a process flow according to a third embodiment of the present invention, in which an administrator of an object unlocks a lock using a management device. FIG. 6 shows a system 600 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In addition to the terminal device 110, server device 115, and object 120 shown in FIG. 1 , the system 600 includes a management device 605. Some or all of the administrators can operate the management device 605. The management device 605 can communicate with the server device 115 and issue unlocking instructions. The management device 605 may be a device different from the terminal device 105. In another embodiment, the terminal device 105 may be used as the management device 605. The management device 605 may be located, for example, remotely from the object 120. In one embodiment, the management device 605 is located in a management center, and the administrator can remotely manage the unlocking of the object 120.

[0050] 5 , first, the administrator operates the management device 605 to perform an unlocking operation (step 505). In the unlocking operation, the administrator can use the management device 605 to identify the object 120 to be unlocked and instruct the unlocking of the lock of the object 120. For example, the management device 605 may display one or more objects 120 to be operated on a display device of the management device 605 or another device connected to the management device 605, and allow the administrator to select the object 120 for which the lock operation is to be performed.

[0051] The unlocking operation allows the management device 605 to send administrator-related information and an unlocking command to the server device 115 (step 510). The server device 115 or another device capable of communicating with the server device 115 can store administrator authority information. The server device 115 can determine whether the administrator can use the object based on the administrator authority information, the administrator-related information, and the unlocking command (step 515). In another embodiment, the unlocking command can include information identifying two or more objects 120, thereby enabling a single unlocking operation to manage the unlocking of keys for two or more objects. For example, two or more keys corresponding to two or more objects 120 arranged in a predetermined area may all be unlocked by a single unlocking operation.

[0052] The processing from step 320 onward in FIG. 5 may be the same as the processing from step 320 onward in FIG.

[0053] This embodiment may be an embodiment in which the terminal device 110 in the second embodiment is replaced with the management device 605. In steps 310, 410, and 510 in the first, second, and third embodiments, user-related information or administrator-related information is transmitted, and in each embodiment, the attributes transmitted vary depending on the person (operator) operating the terminal device 110. In the first embodiment, user information is transmitted as user-related information, and in the second and third embodiments, administrator information is transmitted as administrator-related information. That is, the terminal device 110 transmits at least operator information.

[0054] [Others] The above embodiments may be realized as a method, or may be implemented as a computer program for realizing the method. The computer program may be executed on each device, or on some or all of multiple devices. The computer program may be distributed via a storage medium or a transmission medium.

[0055] It will be understood that in the above embodiments, some or all of the elements described as being implemented in hardware may be implemented in software, and vice versa.

[0056] In the processes or processing sequences described above, the processes or processing sequences can be freely changed as long as no contradictions arise in the processes or processing sequences, such as when a certain process uses data that should not yet be available in that process.

[0057] With regard to each of the embodiments described above, a part or all of the embodiments may be combined to be realized as a single embodiment.

[0058] The above-described embodiments are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0059] 100, 600: System 110: Terminal device 115: Server device 120: Object 605: Management device

Claims

1. A system comprising: a terminal device configured to transmit user-related information, which is information related to a user who uses a specified object that is locked with a key; and a server device having usable period management information, which is information that manages the period during which the user can use the object, and configured to control the unlocking of the key to the object, wherein the terminal device transmits an unlocking command to unlock the key and the user-related information to the server device, and the server device determines, based on the usable period management information and the current time, whether the user identified in the user-related information can use the object, and controls the unlocking of the key to the object depending on whether it is determined that the user can use the object.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-related information is an identifier for the user.

3. The system described in claim 1, wherein the usable period management information includes information associating one or more objects usable by the user with the usable period for each of the one or more objects.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the server device is configured to control the unlocking of the key to the object by sending an unlock instruction to the object or by sending an unlock instruction to another device that manages the object.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the server device acquires the time on the server device as the current time, acquires the current time from the terminal device, or acquires the current time from another device.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device transmits information about an operator operating the terminal device.

7. A method executed by a system, comprising: a step in which a server device manages usable period management information, which is information that manages the period during which a user can use a specified object that is locked with a key; a step in which a terminal device sends to the server device user-related information, which is information related to the user who uses the object, and an unlocking command to unlock the key; a step in which the server device determines, based on the usable period management information and the current time, whether the user identified in the user-related information can use the object; and a step in which the server device controls the unlocking of the key to the object in response to determining that the user can use the object.

8. A computer program executed by a system, comprising: a step in which a server device manages usable period management information, which is information that manages the period during which a user can use a specified object that is locked with a key; a step in which a terminal device transmits to the server device user-related information, which is information related to the user who uses the object, and an unlocking command to unlock the key; a step in which the server device determines, based on the usable period management information and the current time, whether the user identified by the user-related information can use the object; and a step in which the server device controls the unlocking of the key to the object in response to determining that the user can use the object.

9. A method executed by a server device, comprising the steps of: managing usable period management information, which is information that manages the period during which a user can use a specified object that is locked with a key; receiving user-related information, which is information related to the user who uses the object, and an unlocking command to unlock the key from a terminal device; determining whether the user identified by the user-related information can use the object based on the usable period management information and the current time; and controlling the unlocking of the key to the object in response to determining that the user can use the object.

10. A computer program executed by a server device, comprising the steps of: managing usable period management information, which is information that manages the period during which a user can use a specified object that is locked with a key; receiving user-related information, which is information related to the user who uses the object, and an unlocking command to unlock the key from a terminal device; determining whether the user identified by the user-related information can use the object based on the usable period management information and the current time; and controlling the unlocking of the key to the object in response to determining that the user can use the object.

Images