JP7706754B2 - Versatile authentication control system - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies. September 30, 2021. Sold by PayPay Card Co., Ltd. Fukuoka Head Office (21-26 Hakataekimae 4-chome, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture)

The present invention relates to an authentication-based control system that can control the operation of a controlled object by authenticating identification information consisting of an IC card, a barcode, a two-dimensional code, or a user's biometric information. More specifically, the present invention relates to an authentication-based control system that can be easily incorporated into an existing controlled object and has excellent customizability for the control content according to the type of controlled object.

In workplaces where possession of personal belongings such as mobile devices is prohibited, rules are established that require employees to store their personal belongings in a locker or other place provided at the workplace before starting work.
Lockers are often locked and unlocked using physical keys, but in recent years there have been electronic lockers equipped with an IC card and password combination (Patent Document 1).

In recent years, coin lockers installed in train stations and other locations have begun to use the user's own IC card as an authentication method for locking and unlocking the locker (Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP 2009-133063 A

https://d-money.jp/dotmagazine/articles/898454627595979476 https://www.tokyu.co.jp/railway/guide/baggage/

However, the cabinets and coin lockers related to these conventional technologies are dedicated products that have been newly designed and developed at great expense, and existing cabinets and coin lockers cannot be used as they are; a complete replacement of the equipment is required, making them unrealistic in terms of cost.

In addition, since the technology of transmitting some kind of control signal to a controlled object by authenticating identification information using an IC card or the like can be expected to be applied to a wide range of fields, there is a growing need for a system related to this technology that can be modularized and easily incorporated into existing systems in order to carry out contactless work and work from remote locations, which have become much needed in recent years amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Therefore, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide an authentication control system that can be easily incorporated into the control target and has excellent customizability for the control content to suit the application.

The present invention, which has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, is an authentication-type control system capable of controlling the operation of a control object by authenticating identification information consisting of an IC card, a bar code, a two-dimensional code, or a user's biometric information, and is equipped with at least an identification information acquisition unit capable of acquiring the identification information, a control unit performing authentication processing of the acquired identification information and capable of transmitting a control signal directly or indirectly to the control object, and a display unit capable of displaying the progress of the authentication processing on a screen, wherein the control unit further has at least a selection screen setting means capable of setting the number and arrangement of selection buttons assigned to each control object on a control object selection screen that can be displayed on the display unit, and a control signal transmission switching means capable of switching the transmission mode of a control signal to the control object, and is configured to switch settings in the authentication processing between: (a) displaying the selection screen on the display unit and transmitting the control signal to a control object selected by a user on the selection screen, or (b) not displaying the selection screen on the display unit, and transmitting the control signal to a control object to which the identification information is previously linked.
In addition, the present invention can be configured so that the control unit further has a selection target narrowing means that can set any selection button on the control target selection screen to be hidden or unselectable depending on user attributes identified from the identification information.
In addition, the present invention can be configured so that the control unit further has a control content selection screen display means for displaying a control content selection screen on the display unit, on which a user can select the content of the control signal, immediately after receiving the identification information.
The present invention can also be configured such that the controlled object is a storage unit such as a locker or cabinet for storing a user's belongings, and the control signal is a locking/unlocking signal for the storage unit.
The present invention can also be configured such that the controlled object is an opening/closing body such as a gate, door, or shutter that manages the passage of users, and the control signal is an opening/closing signal for the opening/closing body.
Furthermore, the present invention can be configured such that the controlled object is an industrial machine such as a production machine or a machine tool, and the control signal is an ON/OFF signal for the industrial machine.

According to the present invention, at least one of the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The system consisting of a set of an identification information acquisition unit, a control unit, and a display unit can be incorporated as an external attachment to an existing control target, which contributes to reducing implementation costs compared to the case of producing a custom-made dedicated product.
(2) The selection screen setting means provided in the control unit can generate a selection screen that simulates the layout of actually existing control objects, which makes it easy for the user to operate the device.
(3) The control signal transmission switching means provided in the control unit can be used to switch between sending the control signal after the user selects it or sending it automatically, making it possible to design the device to be used in a complex or simple manner, and to design the device according to the application and the attributes of the user.
(4) The control unit has a means for narrowing down the selection targets, which makes it possible to switch the display of control targets that can be selected by each user, thereby enabling operations that take into account barrier-free access and differences in security authority among employees.
(5) The control content selection screen display means provided in the control unit can be used to switch whether or not the control content selection screen is displayed, making it possible to handle cases where a single user manages multiple control objects by individually changing the control content for each of them.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an authentication-based control system according to the present invention; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example of a control target selection screen. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control unit. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a management screen display. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example of a first setting field. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display example of a second setting field. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example when applied to a storage system. 13 is a diagram showing screen transitions on the display unit during lending processing. 13 is a screen transition diagram on the display unit during the return process.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

<1> Overall configuration (Fig. 1)
As shown in Figure 1, the authentication-based control system of the present invention is a system for controlling the operation of a controlled object 40 by authenticating identification information acquired from an authentication body, and is configured to function at least as an identification information acquisition unit 10, a control unit 20, and a display unit 30.
Each of these units can be configured with a single or multiple information processing devices, control components, etc., and can function according to a program executed by a central processing unit built into the information processing device, etc.
In the present invention, the "controlled object 40" is not particularly limited, and includes storage units such as lockers and cabinets, opening and closing bodies such as gates, doors and shutters that manage the passage of users, industrial machines such as production machines and machine tools, etc. Therefore, examples of the control signal sent to the controlled object include a lock/unlock signal for a storage unit, an opening/closing signal for an opening and closing body, and an ON/OFF signal for industrial machines.
In addition, in the present invention, the "identification information" is not particularly limited, and includes an identification ID that can be obtained from an authentication device such as an IC card, a barcode, or a two-dimensional code, as well as a user's biometric information (fingerprints, facial shape, iris, veins, voice, DNA, handwriting), etc.
The details of each unit will be described below in the order of the identification information acquisition unit 10, the display unit 30, and the control unit 20.

<2> Identification information acquisition unit (Figure 1)
The identification information acquisition unit 10 has a function of reading and acquiring identification information from an authentication body (including both a person and an object) from which the identification information can be read.
The identification information acquisition unit 10 can be composed of an IC card reader, a barcode reader, a camera having a function of photographing a two-dimensional code and reading the identification information, a biometric information reader, or the like.

<3> Display section (Fig. 1, Fig. 2)
The display unit 30 has a function of displaying on a screen the progress of the authentication work in the identification information acquisition unit 10 and the control unit 20, and prompting the user to confirm or perform additional operations.
The display unit 30 may be a display provided in a notebook PC, an external display, a display provided in a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet, or a projector that projects images onto a wall or the like.
Moreover, the display constituting the display unit 30 may be configured as a touch panel so that additional operations can be performed on the screen of the display unit 30 using the user's finger, a touch pen, or the like.

<3.1> Example of display on the display unit (control target selection screen) (Fig. 2)
2 shows an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 30, which is a screen (control target selection screen 33) for selecting a target to sweep a control signal from a plurality of control targets 40. In this diagram, a selection button 331 is assigned to each control target 40, and a total of 12 control targets 40 arranged in 3 rows and 4 columns can be accessed individually.

<4> Control unit (Figs. 1 and 3)
The control unit 20 has a function of performing authentication processing of the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 10 and transmitting a control signal directly or indirectly to the controlled object 40 .
The control unit 20 is not limited to an information processing terminal such as a microcomputer, a personal computer, a smartphone, or a tablet, but may also be a large-scale server device such as a physical server or a virtual server.
The control unit 20 can be broadly divided into a selection screen setting means 21, a control signal transmission switching means 22, a selection target narrowing down means 23, and a control content selection screen display means 24, and each of these means is realized by a program executed by a central processing unit that constitutes the control unit 20.
In the present invention, the conditions for executing the processes in each means can be designed arbitrarily, so that authentication processes and control processes can be realized according to the purpose to which the system is applied.
Each means will be described in detail below.

<4.1> Selection screen setting means (FIGS. 3, 4, and 5)
The selection screen setting means 21 is a means for setting the number and arrangement of selection buttons 331 assigned to each control object 40 on a control object selection screen 33 that can be displayed on the display unit 30 .

<4.1.1> Management screen (Fig. 4)
FIG. 3 shows an image of a management screen A for performing settings by the selection screen setting means 21. As shown in FIG.
The management screen A is a screen that is displayed on the display of the administrator's terminal when the control unit 20 is accessed from a terminal operated by the administrator (administrator terminal) via a web browser or the like.
In this embodiment, multiple setting fields B can be displayed by selecting a specific menu from the menu displayed on this management screen A, and in one of these setting fields B (first setting field B1), the number and arrangement of selection buttons 331 assigned to each control object 40 can be set.

<4.1.2> First setting section (Fig. 5)
FIG. 4 shows an image diagram of the first setting field B1.
The first setting section B1 has input fields for setting the number of column numbers and row numbers, and the administrator can set the number and layout of selection buttons 331 to be displayed on the control object selection screen 33 by inputting a specified number into the input field.
Therefore, if the control object 40 in the system of the present invention is storage units arranged vertically and horizontally, such as lockers or shoe boxes, or industrial machinery on a production line, the selection screen setting means 21 can be set to simulate the actual layout configuration of these control objects, thereby helping the user understand which control object 40 to select when viewing the control object selection screen 33.

<4.2> Control signal transmission switching means (FIGS. 3 and 5)
The control signal transmission switching means 22 is a means for switching the mode of transmission of a control signal to the controlled object 40 .
In this embodiment, the control signal transmission switching means 22 can switch the setting by switching on or off the "display of selection screen" in the first setting field B1 shown in FIG.
The manner in which the control signal is transmitted is mainly classified into the following two types.

<4.2.1> Manual setting type (when control content selection screen is displayed)
The "manual setting type" is a pattern in which, after the authentication process of the identification information is completed, a control target selection screen 33 is displayed on the display unit 30, and a control signal is transmitted to the control target 40 selected by the user on the screen.
This aspect is effective in a situation where the user has a plurality of options for the control target 40. For example, the following case is considered.
[1] When the controlled object 40 is a storage unit where the user's possessions are temporarily stored, the user is asked to select which storage unit to use on the controlled object selection screen 33, and the selected storage unit is unlocked and used.
[2] When the control target 40 is an industrial machine or the like, the user is asked to select, on the control target selection screen 33, which industrial machine to start in the production line.

<4.2.2> Automatic setting type (when control content selection screen is not displayed)
The “automatic setting type” is a pattern in which, after the authentication process of the identification information is completed, a control signal is sent to the control target 40 to which the identification information is previously linked, without displaying the control target selection screen 33 on the display unit 30.
This aspect is effective in a situation where the user has specified the control target 40. For example, the following case is considered.
[1] When the controlled object 40 is a vault where a user's belongings are temporarily deposited, the user's belongings have already been deposited in the vault, and it is necessary to unlock only the target vault immediately after the authentication process is completed.
[2] When the controlled object 40, such as an opening/closing device or industrial machinery, is narrowed down to one.

<4.3> Selection target narrowing means (Figs. 4 and 6)
The selection target narrowing means 23 is a means for making any selection button 331 invisible or unselectable on the control target selection screen 33 according to the user attributes identified from the identification information.
In this embodiment, the setting can be switched by the selection target narrowing means 23 by switching on or off the "display restriction" in the setting field B (second setting field B2) provided for each control target 40, which is displayed by selecting a specific menu from the menu displayed in the management screen A shown in Figure 4.
For example, when the display restriction is set to "no," the same display is made to any user; on the other hand, when the display restriction is set to "yes," the selection button 331 can be configured to be displayed only to users with a specific identification number.

This setting is effective in the situation where users of this system are classified into multiple attributes. For example, the following cases are possible.
[1] In the case where the controlled object 40 is a storage unit where a user's belongings are temporarily stored, for example, if the users using the storage unit include a wheelchair user, the lower storage units are not displayed on the selection screen when other users are authenticated so that the lower storage units are not all occupied by other users, and the lower storage units are displayed only when a wheelchair user is authenticated to encourage their use.

<4.4> Control content selection screen display means 24 (FIGS. 4 and 5)
The control content selection screen display means 24 is a means for displaying on the display unit 30 a control content selection screen 32 on which the user can select the content of the control signal immediately after receiving the identification information.
In this embodiment, the setting can be changed by the control content selection screen display means 24 by switching on or off the "display of control content selection screen" in the first setting field B1 shown in FIG.

This setting is effective in situations where users of this system have multiple purposes for performing authentication. For example, the following cases are possible:
[1] When the controlled object 40 is a vault where a user's belongings are temporarily stored, and multiple vaults are set up to be used by the same user, after completing the authentication process, it is necessary to select an action to unlock the vault in order to store belongings in the vault (e.g., the "Clock in" button) or an action to unlock the vault in order to retrieve belongings that have already been stored in the vault (e.g., the "Break" button or the "Clock out" button).

<5> Usage example (application to storage facility)
The following describes an example of how the authentication-based control system of the present invention can be used as a storage system in which an existing storage unit for lending and returning employee belongings during working hours is retroactively incorporated as a controlled object.

(1) System configuration (Fig. 7)
FIG. 7 shows a configuration diagram of the storage system.
This system is composed of an identification information acquisition unit 10 consisting of an IC card reader, a control unit 20 consisting of an information processing device 20A such as a notebook PC and a control panel 20B, a display unit 30 consisting of a touch display, and a control object 40 consisting of 3 x 10 storage units arranged in parallel, all of which are connected to each other via a network not shown in the figure so that they can send and receive information to each other.
When the identification information is read by holding an IC card over the identification information acquisition unit 10, the user can perform authentication operations, selection of the control target 40, selection of control content, etc. by touching the display unit 30 in accordance with the control flow previously set up in the information processing device 20A.
Each of the storage cabinets, which are the control targets 40, has a built-in electronic lock, and the specified storage cabinet can be locked or unlocked by sending a control signal (lock signal, unlock signal) from the information processing device 20A to each electronic lock via the control panel 20B.

(2) At the time of lending (Figure 8)
An image of lending out a repository will be described with reference to FIG.

(2.1) Reception process Fig. 8(a) shows a standby screen 31 displayed on the display unit 30 when the system is in standby mode. The standby screen 31 displays a message saying "Please hold your card over the card reader", and when using the system, the user starts the authentication process by holding their own IC card (transportation card, employee ID card, or other item with an IC chip) over the IC card reader, which is the identification information acquisition unit 10.

(2.2) Selection of control contents Fig. 8(b) shows the control contents selection screen 32. This screen is displayed when the item "Display of control contents selection screen 32" in the first setting field B1 described in <4.4> above is set to "Yes" after the IC card or the like is held over the device.
The control content selection screen 32 displays buttons for "Come to work,""Break," and "Leave work." If the user selects the "Come to work" button, the process will proceed to the storage unit lending process.

Note that if the "Display control content selection screen" item in the first setting field B1 described in <4.4> above is set to "No," the display in Figure 8 (b) will be omitted.

(2.3) Selection of Control Target FIGS. 8( c 1 ) and 8 ( c 2 ) show the control target selection screen 33 .
In this embodiment, the handling of the bottommost repository is changed according to the user attributes obtained from the read identification information.
More specifically, when "Display restriction" in the second setting field B2 described in <4.3> above is selected as "Yes", the information processing device 20A compares the read identification number with its own database to determine whether the user has authority to use the bottommost storage unit, and depending on the result of the determination, displays either the loanable storage units excluding the bottommost storage unit (Figure 8 (c1)), the loanable storage units including the bottommost storage unit are displayed, or only the loanable storage unit at the bottommost storage unit is displayed (Figure 8 (c2)).
With this configuration, if the user is a wheelchair user or a child, they can be given priority for using the lower storage unit which is easier to reach, making it possible to create a more user-friendly system.

(3) When returning (Figure 9)
An image of returning a repository that is the object of control will be described with reference to FIG.

(3.1) Reception process Fig. 9(a) shows a standby screen 31 displayed on the display unit 30 when the system is in standby mode. The standby screen 31 displays a message saying "Please hold your card over the card reader", and when the user uses the device, he or she holds the IC card used at the time of lending over the IC card reader, which is the identification information acquisition unit 10, to start the authentication process.

(3.2) Selection of control contents Fig. 9(b) shows a control content selection screen 32. This screen is displayed when the item "display of control content selection screen" in the first setting field B1 described in <4.4> above is set to "on" after the IC card or the like is held over the device.
The control content selection screen 32 displays buttons for "Come to work,""Break," and "Leave work," and when the "Break" button or the "Leave work" button is selected, the device proceeds to the return process.

Note that if the "Display control content selection screen" item in the first setting field B1 described in <4.4> above is set to "No," the display in Figure 9(b) will be omitted.

(3.3) Selection of Control Target FIG. 9( c ) shows a control target selection screen 33 .
In the control object selection screen 33, the identification information read from an IC card or the like for the user is checked against its own database, and if it is confirmed that the "break" button or the "leave work" button has been selected while the item is already on loan, only the storage unit that is on loan is displayed as lit up from the IC card or the like.
When the user selects a storage unit that is lit and displayed on the screen, the storage unit is unlocked, and the user can remove his/her belongings from the storage unit.

In addition, if the user does not have the authority to use multiple vaults (control target 40) and the vault is already on loan, the automatic setting type of the control signal transmission switching means 22 described in <4.2> above may be adopted, the screens related to Figures 9(b) and (c) may be omitted, and the process of unlocking the vault on loan may be immediately performed.

10: Identification information acquisition unit 20: Control unit 20A: Information processing device 20B: Control panel 21: Selection screen setting means 22: Control signal transmission switching means 23: Selection target narrowing means 24: Control content selection screen display means 30: Display unit 31: Standby screen 32: Control content selection screen 33: Control target selection screen 331: Selection button A: Management screen B: Setting field B1: First setting field B2: Second setting field

Claims (6)

An authentication-type control system capable of controlling the operation of a controlled object by authenticating identification information consisting of an IC card, a bar code, a two-dimensional code, or a user's biometric information,
an identification information acquisition unit capable of acquiring the identification information;
A control unit that performs authentication processing of the acquired identification information and is capable of transmitting a control signal directly or indirectly to the control target;
A display unit capable of displaying the progress of the authentication work on a screen,
The control unit further
a selection screen setting means for setting the number and arrangement of selection buttons assigned to each control object on a control object selection screen that can be displayed on the display unit;
A control signal transmission switching means for switching a mode of transmitting a control signal to a control target,
The control signal transmission switching means, in the authentication process,
(a) displaying the selection screen on the display unit, and transmitting the control signal to a control target selected by a user on the selection screen;
or
(b) transmitting the control signal to a control target to which the identification information is previously associated without displaying the selection screen on the display unit; or
is configured as a switching setting,
Authentication control system. The control unit further
a selection target narrowing means for making any selection button invisible or unselectable on the control target selection screen according to a user attribute identified from the identification information;
Characterized in that it has
The authenticated control system according to claim 1 . The control unit further
a control content selection screen display means for displaying, on the display unit, a control content selection screen on which a user can select a content of the control signal immediately after receiving the identification information;
Characterized in that it has
3. The authentication-based control system according to claim 1 or 2. The controlled object is a storage facility such as a locker or cabinet for storing user's belongings,
The control signal is a lock/unlock signal for the storage unit.
4. An authentication -based control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the controlled object is an opening/closing body such as a gate, a door, or a shutter that manages the passage of users;
The control signal is an opening/closing signal for the opening/closing body,
4. An authentication-based control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the controlled object is an industrial machine such as a production machine or a machine tool,
The control signal is an ON/OFF signal for the industrial machine.
4. An authentication-based control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.