JP7709934B2 - Information processing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device.

Until now, IC tags have been used to manage items in warehouses and other places, but they could only record the history of items taken out of the warehouse when a person took them out, so further improvements in functionality are needed in the future.
A conventional technology related to IC tags has been proposed, for example, in which information is read from each file stored in multiple cabinets, thereby managing which file has been taken out of which cabinet and which cabinet it has been stored in (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2007-133534 A

However, while the above-mentioned patented technology can manage the movement of the items themselves, it cannot manage who has taken the item, or manage the removal of items differently depending on the type or importance of the item.

The present invention was made in consideration of such circumstances, and aims to enable comprehensive inventory management, such as who took what in and out of a cabinet, when, and whether the item was taken in or out.

In order to achieve the above object, an information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises:
An information processing device that manages the entry and exit of one or more items from a cabinet having a storage section capable of storing the one or more items,
an authentication means for authenticating whether or not a user attempting to put or take out a predetermined item among the one or more items into or from the storage section of the cabinet is authorized to access the cabinet;
an acquisition means for acquiring from the cabinet, when the specified item is stored or retrieved by the user authenticated by the authentication means, item identification information that is information capable of identifying the specified item and storage/retrieval information that indicates the storage/retrieval status of the specified item;
A management means for managing the item identification information acquired by the acquisition means, the entry/exit information, and user information of the user used for authentication in association with each other;
Equipped with.

This invention makes it possible to comprehensively manage cabinet inventory, including who took what in and out of the cabinet, when, and whether it was taken in or out.

1 is a diagram showing an information processing system according to a first embodiment of an information processing device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a server in the information processing system of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of the information processing system shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a transition diagram showing an example of a basic operation of the information processing system. FIG. 11 is a transition diagram showing an example of a door forget-to-close door alert operation of the information processing system. 11 is a transition diagram showing an example of an operation performed when a user takes out a car key that has been deposited in the cabinet from the cabinet. FIG. FIG. 11 is a transition diagram showing an example of an operation when a user reserves the use of a cabinet. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a cabinet in an information processing system according to a second embodiment of the information processing device of the present invention. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of cameras that capture images of the cabinet in FIG. 8. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a UV light irradiation section inside the cabinet of FIG. 8 . FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a network configuration of an information processing system according to a second embodiment. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a cabinet management master of a server cabinet in the information processing system of FIG. 11 . 9 is a diagram showing an example of a loan management master stored in a management information storage unit of the server of FIG. 8 .

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an information processing system including a server according to an embodiment of the information processing apparatus of the present invention.

The information processing system shown in FIG. 1 is configured by interconnecting a cabinet 1, a server 2, a management terminal 3, and a user terminal 4 via a network N.
This information processing system manages the items G that are stored in and removed from the cabinet 1 and the users U who store and retrieve the items G, and is used for services such as rental lockers.
The server 2 manages information on the items G that are stored in and removed from the cabinet 1, and information on the users U who store and remove the items G. The management terminal 3 allows an administrator to view the management status of the cabinet 1. The user terminal 4 is a terminal for users U to make reservations over the Web when using the cabinet 1.

Now, the cabinet 1 will be described. The cabinet 1 has a storage section 11. The storage section 11 is divided into multiple shelves, and multiple items G can be placed on each shelf. The storage section 11 is provided with an opening 12. The opening 12 can be opened and closed by a door 13. In the cabinet 1, when the door 13 is opened, it becomes possible to load and unload items G into and from the storage section 11 through the opening 12.

An IC tag 17 is attached to the item G.
The IC tag 17 is, for example, an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentifier) using the HF (High Frequency) band, and is configured by combining a memory element (IC chip) that stores individual identification information (hereinafter referred to as "tag ID") and an antenna in a single chip. The IC tag 17 is also called a wireless tag.
The IC tag 17 exchanges information with an IC tag communication device such as an IC tag reader using radio waves (in this example, an IC tag communication unit 41 in FIG. 3 described later) by short-distance wireless communication. The short distance refers to the range of the cabinet 1.
That is, in this example, each of the one or more items G contained in the cabinet 1 and subject to storage and retrieval is managed so as to be identifiable by the tag ID of the IC tag 17 attached to each of them.

A card reader 15 and a touch panel 16 are provided on the surface of the door 13. The card reader 15 is, for example, a non-contact IC card information reading device, and reads information from the IC card 14 that is brought within a few centimeters of the IC card 14.
The IC card 14 is a card-shaped recording medium in which card information including user identification information such as a card number, expiration date, and user ID is stored in an IC chip. When the IC card 14 is brought close to the card reader 15, the information in the IC chip is read by the card reader 15 and used for user authentication.
The touch panel 16 is a display that can be operated by touch. If touch operation is not required, only a simple display may be used. Other functions of the cabinet 1 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 3.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of the server 2 in the information processing system of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the server 2 is a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 22, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 23, a bus 24, an input/output interface 25, an output unit 27, an input unit 28, a storage unit 29, a communication unit 30, and a drive 31.

The CPU 21 executes various processes according to a program recorded in the ROM 22 or a program loaded from the storage unit 29 to the RAM 23. The RAM 23 also stores data and the like required for the CPU 21 to execute various processes as appropriate.

The CPU 21, ROM 22, and RAM 23 are interconnected via a bus 24. An input/output interface 25 is also connected to this bus 24. An output unit 27, an input unit 28, a memory unit 29, a communication unit 30, and a drive 31 are connected to the input/output interface 25.

The output unit 27 is configured with a display such as a liquid crystal display, and outputs (displays) information to be output (such as a reservation site for reserving the use of the cabinet 1 and advertisements). The output unit 27 also includes a printer, an external output interface, and the like.
The input unit 28 includes various hardware buttons and the like, and receives various information input in response to user operations.

The storage unit 29 is configured with a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or the like, and stores various data.
The communication unit 30 is, for example, a LAN interface, and communicates with other devices (such as the management terminal 3 and the user terminal 4 in the example of FIG. 1) via a network N including the Internet.

The drive 31 is provided as necessary. Removable media 32, which may be a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, is appropriately attached to the drive 31, and data and programs are read from and written to the removable media 32. Programs read from the removable media 32 by the drive 31 are installed in the storage unit 29 as necessary. The removable media 32 can also store various data stored in the storage unit 29 in the same way as the storage unit 29.

The hardware of devices other than the server 2, such as the management terminal 3 and the user terminal 4, is almost the same as that of the server 2, and is therefore not shown in the figures. If the management terminal 3 is, for example, a notebook computer (notebook PC) or a tablet terminal, it is equipped with a touch operation input unit. The touch operation input unit is a touch panel in which the input unit 28 and the output unit 27 are integrated.

Next, the functional configuration of the information processing system will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing system in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cabinet 1 includes an IC tag communication unit 41, a storage information storage unit 42, a card reader 15, a touch panel 16, a communication unit 45, a door sensor 43, a locking unit 47, an alert unit 48, and a control unit 49.

The IC tag communication unit 41 exchanges information with the IC tag 17 attached to the item G via short-range (approximately the storage range of the cabinet 1) wireless communication.
The storage information storage unit 42 stores information on the items G deposited in the cabinet 1 by the user U, and information on the items G taken out of the cabinet 1 by the user U. That is, the storage information storage unit 42 stores information on the items G entered into and taken out of the cabinet 1.

The card reader 15 reads information from the IC card 14. As the IC card 14, for example, a first authentication card such as an unlocking IC card used only to unlock the door 13 is used. In addition, a second authentication card (called an "authorization card") indicating that the user U has passed an alcohol test and is provided to the user U by the checker when the user U has passed an alcohol test and been authorized may also be used.
The touch panel 16 displays information provided by the server 2 and accepts input by the user U's touch operation.

The communication unit 45 is, for example, a LAN interface, and communicates with other devices (such as the server 2 in the example of FIG. 1) via a network N including the Internet.
The door sensor 43 detects whether the door 13 is open or closed. The locking unit 47 locks the closed door 13. The locking unit 47 is controlled by the control unit 49 to lock or unlock the door 13.

The alert unit 48 is, for example, a buzzer or speaker, and issues an alarm (alert) by voice or the like in response to the alert information (control signal) provided by the server 2. In more detail, the alert unit 48 controls the cabinet 1 to output an alarm if the door sensor 43 does not detect that the door 13 is closed for a certain period of time after detecting that the door 13 is open.

The fixed time period that is the time-up time can be changed to any time by changing the settings. In addition, the cabinet 1 can be set so that alert information is displayed on the touch panel 16 in the form of a message, an object, or the like.
The control unit 49 controls each part of the cabinet 1 in accordance with control information received from the server 2 .

The server 2 is connected via a network N to a cabinet 1 having a storage section 11 into which an item G can be stored and retrieved.
The storage unit 29 of the server 2 is provided with a management information storage unit 51 for managing information on the cabinet 1. The management information storage unit 51 is provided with an item management table.
The item management table is a table in which item identification information is stored in association with item information such as the name and type of item G, and attribute information indicating a specific item.
The item identification information includes an item ID, which is identification information for identifying each item G, and a tag ID of the IC tag 17 attached to the item G. An example of a specific item is a car key. A flag indicating the specific item is added to the attribute information of the specific item.
The management information storage unit 51 is provided with an incoming/outgoing management table. The incoming/outgoing management table stores current inventory information and the like of the items G in the cabinet 1. The current inventory information is, for example, the item ID and the quantity of the items G stored in the cabinet 1.
A reservation table is provided in the management information storage unit 51. The reservation table stores reservation date and time, item ID, storage position of the item G in the storage unit 11, etc.
A history management table is provided in the management information storage unit 51. The history management table stores the item IDs of the items G that have been received or removed, the dates and times of receipt or removal, etc.
The management information storage unit 51 includes a user management table. The user management table stores user authentication information. The user authentication information includes the user ID and card information of a user U who has registered as a member.

The management information storage unit 51 is provided with a cabinet management table. The cabinet management table stores information that associates user information for which user authentication has been successful, item identification information, and in/out information. In addition, the cabinet management table stores, for example, the open/close status of the door 13 of the cabinet 1, the locking status of the locking unit 47, the operating status of the card reader 15 and the IC tag communication unit 41, etc.
The incoming/outgoing information includes a status indicating whether the item G has been incoming or outgoing, and date information such as an incoming date and time, an outgoing date and time, etc. The date information also includes the time of day, etc.

The CPU 21 of the server 2 functions as an information acquisition unit 60, an authentication unit 61, a reservation control unit 62, an item management unit 63, a user management unit 64, a history management unit 65, a cabinet information management unit 66, a cabinet control unit 67, and a website publishing unit 68, etc.

The information acquisition unit 60 acquires user information, which is information about the user U, from the cabinet 1. If the authentication unit 61 is successful based on the acquired user information, the information acquisition unit 60 acquires from the cabinet 1 item identification information, which is information that can identify a specific item among one or more items G when the specific item is entered or taken out by the user U, and entry/exit information that indicates the entry/exit status of the specific item.

The authentication unit 61 attempts to authenticate that a user U attempting to store or retrieve a specific item among one or more items G from the storage section 11 of the cabinet 1 is a person authorized to access the cabinet 1.

Here, permission to access cabinet 1 includes both the following first permission and second permission. That is, the first permission means permission to access cabinet 1 as a whole, i.e., permission to load and unload all of one or more items G that can be stored in cabinet 1. The second permission means permission to load and unload only specified items out of one or more items G that can be stored in cabinet 1, i.e., permission to access cabinet 1 for the purpose of loading and unloading specified items.

Specifically, for example, in this example, it is assumed that the first permission described above is adopted. Furthermore, it is assumed that, among the users U, those who are permitted to access the cabinet 1 have their user IDs preregistered as part of the user information in the user management table of the management information storage unit 51. It is also assumed that all users U possess an IC card 14 in which their user IDs are stored as described above.

In this case, when user U enters or leaves item G (a specified item) in cabinet 1, user U holds his/her IC card 14 over card reader 15 in cabinet 1. Then, card reader 15 reads the user ID from IC card 14 and transmits it to server 2. Then, information acquisition unit 60 acquires this user ID.

The authentication unit 61 determines whether or not the user ID acquired by the information acquisition unit 60 has been registered in advance in the user management table of the management information storage unit 51 .
If the authentication unit 61 determines that the user ID acquired by the information acquisition unit 60 has been pre-registered in the user management table of the management information storage unit 51, it determines that user U is permitted to access cabinet 1, and outputs “authentication successful” as the authentication result.

On the other hand, if the authentication unit 61 determines that the user ID acquired by the information acquisition unit 60 has not been registered in advance, it determines that user U is not permitted to access cabinet 1, and outputs “authentication failed” as the authentication result.
The authentication process by the authentication unit 61 includes both a case where access is permitted to the entire cabinet and a case where access is permitted on an item-by-item basis.

In addition to the IC card 14 for user authentication, it is also possible to use an authorization card 14a (second authentication card), which is an IC card on which second user information for authenticating a person who has passed an alcohol check is recorded, indicating that the user U has passed an alcohol check. The second user information includes a user ID and a flag indicating that the user has passed an alcohol check.

In this case, when the authentication unit 61 performs user authentication (first authentication) using the user ID of the IC card 14 read by the card reader 15, if the item G to be removed is a specific item (such as a car key), it further performs user authentication (second authentication) using second user information read by the card reader 15 from a permission card 14a different from the IC card 14, and outputs "authentication successful" or "authentication failed" as the authentication result after this two-step authentication. The second authentication using the permission card 14a is a process of checking whether the user ID is the same as the first authentication and whether a flag has been attached.

The reservation control unit 62 accepts reservations for the storage and retrieval of a specified item into the cabinet 1. To explain in detail, when reservation information including the planned date of use (date and time) and information on the item (item type, size, etc.) is input into a reservation form on the reservation service website, the reservation control unit 62 accepts the reservation information.
Based on the received reservation information, the reservation control unit 62 refers to the inventory information (current stock information) in the management information storage unit 51 and the reservation information in the reservation table to determine whether or not a reservation is possible, and if the result of the determination is that a reservation is possible, a message is presented to the user urging them to make a reservation.
When the user performs an operation to confirm the reservation after presenting a message prompting the user to make a reservation, the reservation control unit 62 determines that the reservation is confirmed, and registers the reservation information in the reservation table.

Whether or not a reservation is possible is determined based on whether or not there is free space in the storage section 11 in the cabinet 1 on the reservation date, based on the in-stock/out-stock information (current stock information) in the management information storage section 51 and the reservation information in the reservation table.

The goods management unit 63 manages incoming and outgoing information (inventory information) of the goods G in the cabinet 1 using an incoming and outgoing management table.
Specifically, the item management unit 63 manages the inventory status of item G within cabinet 1 by adding and subtracting the quantity corresponding to the item ID in the incoming/outgoing inventory management table, treating item G stored in cabinet 1 as incoming (arrival) and item G removed from cabinet 1 as outgoing (shipment).
The user management unit 64 manages user information of the user U in a user management table. The user information includes a user ID and a password for identifying the user U, and card information of the IC card 14 preregistered by the user U. The card information includes, for example, a card number, a validity date, and the like.

The history management unit 65 manages the inventory history of item G that has been entered and taken out of cabinet 1 (item ID, tag ID, and date and time of entry and exit of entered and taken out item G) in the inventory history table.

The cabinet information management unit 66 stores the user information for which user authentication was successful, the item identification information, and the inventory information in the cabinet management table of the management information storage unit 51 in correspondence with the result of user authentication by the authentication unit 61, and manages the status of the cabinet 1 in the cabinet management table.

In addition, the cabinet management table stores detection information obtained from the cabinet 1, such as the open/closed state of the door 13 of the cabinet 1 (open, time elapsed since the door 13 was opened, closed, etc.), the state of the locking unit 47 (locked, unlocked), and the operating state of the card reader 15 and IC tag communication unit 41 (communication possible, abnormal, etc.), and these conditions are managed by the cabinet information management unit 66.

The cabinet control unit 67 controls each part of the cabinet 1 via the control unit 49 of the cabinet 1 based on the information acquired from the cabinet 1 by the information acquisition unit 60, the authentication result of the authentication unit 61, the information in the cabinet management table, etc. The cabinet control unit 67 transmits control information for controlling each part of the cabinet 1 to the cabinet 1 via the communication unit 30 and the network N.

The website publishing unit 68 publishes websites on the network N (Web). Web is an abbreviation for World Wide Web. In this example, the websites published include, for example, a website for cabinet management accessed from the management terminal 3 and a website accessed from the user terminal 4 (referred to as a "reservation site"). The reservation site provides a service for reserving the entry and exit of item G into cabinet 1.

The management terminal 3 is a terminal operated by an administrator of this information processing system, and has a communication unit 71, a CPU 72, an input unit 73, and an output unit 74. The communication unit 71 is, for example, a LAN interface, and communicates with other devices (such as the server 2 in the example of FIG. 1) via a network N including the Internet.

The CPU 72 reads out a program such as a web browser installed in the storage unit and functions as a viewing unit 81. The viewing unit 81 accesses a website for managing the cabinet 1 published by the server 2 and logs in as an administrator, whereby a management page provided by the server 2 is provided, and the management information of the various tables in the management information storage unit 51 can be viewed and edited. The input unit 73 is a keyboard, a mouse, etc. The output unit 74 is a display, etc.

The user terminal 4 includes an input unit 93, an output unit 94, and a viewing unit 101 as a function of the CPU 92. The input unit 73 is a keyboard, a mouse, or the like. The output unit 74 is a display, or the like.

When the user U operates the input unit 93 to access a website (reservation site) for a reservation service published by the server 2 and logs in, the viewing unit 101 displays a reservation form for the reservation site provided by the server 2 on the output unit 94 (display), enabling the user U to input reservation information.

Next, various operations of the information processing system will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7. First, as a first operation example of this information processing system, for example, a basic operation will be described with reference to Figure 4.
In this information processing system, when or before making a reservation to use the cabinet 1, the user U needs to register as a member at the reservation site on the user terminal 4. By registering as a member in advance, a user ID is issued to the member and notified to the user U. Information on the registered user U is stored in a user management table in the management information storage unit 51 of the server 2.

When an item G is stored in the cabinet 1, information about the item G to be stored, such as information about an envelope (item ID, item type, size, attribute information, etc.) is registered in the IC tag 17 in advance.
Then, in step S1 of FIG. 4, the user U attaches the IC tag 17 to the item G to be stored and brings the item G to the location where the cabinet 1 is installed.

Next, in step S2, when the user U holds the unlocking IC card 14 over the card reader 15 of the cabinet 1, the card reader 15 reads the card information from the IC card 14, accepts the read card information as user information, and transmits it to the server 2 via the communication unit 45.

In the server 2, when the user information transmitted from the cabinet 1 is received by the information acquisition unit 60 via the communication unit 30, the authentication unit 61 compares the received user information with the user information in the user information management table of the management information storage unit 51 to authenticate the user.

As a result of the user authentication, if the user information matches and the user authentication is successful, the cabinet control unit 67 outputs control information to the cabinet 1 to unlock it, and controls the locking unit 47 via the communication unit 45 and control unit 49 of the cabinet 1.
The locking unit 47 receives the above information and unlocks the door 13. This allows the user U to open the door 13 of the cabinet 1 with his or her own hands in step S3 and store the item G that he or she brought with him or her.

When the item G is stored, information is exchanged between the IC tag 17 attached to the item G and the IC tag communication unit 41, and the information of the IC tag 17 is transmitted to the server 2.
In the server 2, when the information of the IC tag 17 is received, the cabinet information management unit 66 generates item management information for the stored item G by referring to each table in the management information storage unit 51 based on the received information of the IC tag 17, and stores it in the inventory management table.
The item management information is information that associates, for example, an item ID, an item type, an item name, a tag ID, attribute information (a flag is assigned to a specific item such as a car key), a user ID, a storage date and time, a status (stored or in stock), etc. In addition, when the position of an item G stored in the warehouse (a shelf number such as a certain level of the shelf in the storage section 11 or a frame number such as a certain frame from the right) is specified, the storage position of the item G is also stored as one of the item management information.

In step S4, the information on the item G that has been stored (or removed) in this manner is accessed by the administrator from the management terminal 3 via a website for cabinet management made public by the server 2. By logging in as the administrator, a front page (top screen for system management) for the server 2 to manage the information on the cabinet 1 is displayed on the management terminal 3. This makes it possible to view the management information of the various tables in the management information storage unit 51 from the front page, and the storage status of the item G in the cabinet 1 can be confirmed at a glance.

Next, as a second operation example of the information processing system, an alert operation in the case where, for example, the user U forgets to close the door 13 when depositing an article G in the cabinet 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
In this case, if the user authentication using the IC card 14 is successful, the door 13 of the cabinet 1 is unlocked, and the user U opens the door 13 and stores the item G, as in step S11 of FIG.

At this time, in the cabinet 1, the door sensor 43 detects the opening of the door 13. Detection information indicating that the door 13 is open is notified to the server 2 via the communication unit 45.
In the server 2, the cabinet control unit 67 receives the detection information indicating that the door 13 is open and starts a timer operation in step S12.

When a preset period of time has elapsed without receiving detection information indicating that the door 13 is closed, the cabinet control unit 67 transmits alert information (control signal) to the alert unit 48 of the cabinet 1 to output an alarm, and in step S13, causes the alert unit 48 to output an alarm. Outputting an alarm may involve, for example, issuing an alarm sound or voice message from the alert unit 48, or displaying a message such as "Please close the door properly" on the touch panel 16.

This allows the user U to realize that he or she has forgotten to close the door 13 or that the door 13 is not closed properly, and is able to properly close and lock the door 13.
Thus, according to the second operation example, it is possible to prevent loss of the item G stored in the cabinet 1, thereby improving security.

Next, referring to FIG. 6, a third operation example of the information processing system will be described, in which the user U takes out a specific item (car keys) deposited in the cabinet 1 from the cabinet 1.
In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, when the user U holds the unlocking IC card 14 over the card reader 15 of the cabinet 1, the card reader 15 reads the card information from the IC card 14, accepts the read card information as user information, and transmits it to the server 2 via the communication unit 45.

In the server 2, when the user information sent from the cabinet 1 is received by the communication unit 30, the authentication unit 61 compares the received user information with the user information in the user information management table of the management information storage unit 51 to authenticate the user.

If the user authentication is successful and the user information matches, then in step S22, the authentication unit 61 refers to the item management information in the inventory management table in the management information storage unit 51 and determines whether a flag has been added to the attribute information of the item G stored by the user U. In this example, a car key is a specific item, so a flag has been added to the attribute information.

In this way, when the item G associated with the user information for which the authentication unit 61 has successfully authenticated the user, that is, the item G to be removed from the cabinet 1, is a specific item (car keys) with a flag attached to its attribute information, the cabinet control unit 67 controls the cabinet 1 to acquire second user information (card information on the permission card 14a, which is an IC card for alcohol check authentication that is handed over after an alcohol check).

Specifically, the cabinet control unit 67 causes the touch panel 16 to display a message encouraging the user to hold the authorization card 14a over the card reader 15 of the cabinet 1, and activates the card reader 15.

In step S23, when the user U, who has confirmed the above message, holds up the permission card 14a given to him by the person who gave permission (such as an administrator) as a result of the alcohol check, over the card reader 15, the card reader 15 reads the card information on the permission card 14a, accepts the read card information as second user information, and transmits it to the server 2 via the communication unit 45.

In the server 2, when the second user information transmitted from the cabinet 1 is received by the communication unit 30, the authentication unit 61 performs second user authentication by comparing the received second user information with the card information of the pre-set permission card 14a.

If the information matches as a result of the second user authentication and the second user authentication is successful, the cabinet control unit 67 controls the locking unit 47 to unlock the door 13 via the control unit 49 of the cabinet 1. By this control, the locking unit 47 unlocks the door 13.
When the door 13 is unlocked, in step S24, the user U can open the door 13 of the cabinet 1 with his/her own hands, retrieve the car keys that he/she has left behind, and drive the car home.

Thus, according to this third operation example, when user U takes out item G from cabinet 1, if the stored item G is a specific item (such as car keys), two-step authentication is performed using the unlocking IC card 14 and the permission card 14a, making it possible to manage item G more safely. Note that, while an example in which "car keys" is set as a specific item has been described here, other items such as valuables, medicines, confidential documents, medicines, etc. may also be set as specific items.

Next, referring to FIG. 7, an operation performed when a user U makes a reservation for use of the cabinet 1 will be described as a fourth operation example of the information processing system.
In this case, in the server 2 , the website publishing unit 68 publishes on the network N a reservation site (website) that provides a service for reserving the entry and exit of an item G into and from the cabinet 1 .

The user U operates the user terminal 4 to start the viewing unit 101, and the viewing unit 101 accesses the reservation site by inputting the address (URL) of the reservation site into the browser screen displayed on the user terminal 4 by the started viewing unit 101. As a result, the reservation site screen is displayed on the user terminal 4, as in step S31. The user U then inputs the previously issued user ID and password into the member login field of the reservation site to log in as a member.

Then, in step S32, a reservation form is displayed on the browser screen. The user inputs reservation information (date and time when cabinet 1 will be used and information on the item G that is to be stored or retrieved (item type and size, etc.)) into the displayed reservation form, and then operates a button such as "Inquiry."

Then, in server 2, the reservation control unit 62 accepts the reservation information entered in the reservation form, and based on the accepted reservation information, determines whether cabinet 1 is available for use on the reserved date from the inventory information (inventory information) in the inventory management table for item G of cabinet 1 in the management information storage unit 51 and the information in the reservation table.

If the result of this determination is that cabinet 1 is available for use, in step S33, the reservation control unit 62 causes the user terminal 4 to display a message prompting confirmation such as "Do you want to make a reservation?" along with the reservation information.

When user U confirms this message and wants to confirm the reservation, user U operates the "reservation confirmation button," and the reservation control unit 62 determines that the reservation is confirmed, accepts the instruction operation, stores the reservation information in the reservation table of the management information storage unit 51, and completes the reservation in step S34.

If the result of the determination is that a reservation cannot be made with the entered reservation information, the reservation control unit 62 will display, in step S35, a message prompting the user to select an option such as "Reservation not possible. Would you like to check other days? Or end?" along with the reservation information.

If you want to check another day in response to this message, you can go back to the reservation form in step S36, and the reservation form displayed in step S32 will be displayed on the browser screen, so you can enter information again.

In this way, according to this fourth operation example, the user U can make a reservation to use the cabinet 1 without going to the installation location of the cabinet 1 or to the operating company of the cabinet 1, thereby improving the convenience of the user U. In addition, since the reservation information can be managed on the server 2 side, future entry and exit management of the cabinet 1, such as who, when, and what will be taken in and out of the cabinet 1, can be performed.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when lending out an item G from the cabinet 1, PC operation or the like is not required. The history of taking out and returning the item G from the cabinet 1 is automatically recorded, so that the storage situation can be always understood without any omissions, and inventory, etc. is not required. In addition, only IC card registrants can unlock the cabinet 1, which prevents unauthorized taking out, information leakage, and loss, and enhances security.
That is, it is possible to comprehensively carry out in-and-out management such as who took what in and out of the cabinet 1, when, and whether the item was taken in or out.

In addition to the above embodiment, the following functions and usage methods are also possible.
In the above embodiment, an example was described in which a reservation for use of the cabinet 1 was made on a reservation site, but the reservation site may also be used for other purposes, such as making reservations for a shared common area of an apartment building.
When the cabinet 1 is used for a rental service of an item G, the cabinet 1 may be configured to notify the user terminal 4 as to whether the item G has been returned within the rental period when the scheduled return date approaches.
When the cabinet 1 is placed in an office, advertisements for products used in the office can be displayed on a touch panel or display provided on the cabinet 1, so that orders for office products can be received from the office. The cabinet 1 can be used as a bulletin board or the like in the office in which the cabinet 1 is placed. A display may be provided on the entire surface of the door 13 of the cabinet 1.
The cabinet 1 and the vending machine are combined into a system, and rental items and sales of products are simultaneously performed, so that all information on people who rent items and people who buy products can be collected and used for user analysis.
Cabinet 1 can also be used for umbrella rental services and university co-ops. It will also be possible to sell alcohol using two-step authentication using multiple IC cards.
When confidential documents are stored in the cabinet 1, unlocking authority may be set according to the user U, so that the people who can take out the documents may be limited. In the above embodiment, the IC card 14 is used for user authentication, but the user authentication may be performed by biometric authentication or the like.

Instead of preventing the item G from being taken out of the cabinet 1, the cabinet 1 may be locked after the item G has been taken out, and the item G may not be returned to the cabinet 1 unless the IC card 14 is swiped over the cabinet 1. The door of the room in which the cabinet 1 is placed may be locked after the item G has been taken out of the cabinet 1.
The cabinet 1 is placed at the entrance of a company, and when an employee leaves the company, the IC tag 17 or a medium to which the IC tag 17 is attached is stored in the cabinet 1, and when the employee arrives at work, the medium is taken out of the cabinet 1, so that the system can be used in place of a time card.

In the above embodiment, an IC tag 17 is used as the individual identification means, but the individual identification means is not limited to the embodiment, and may be a different mechanism as long as it is capable of identifying an individual. The individual identification means may be, for example, NFC, a QR code, etc. QR code is a registered trademark.

In addition to the alert for forgetting to close the door 13, an alert may be output, for example, when an item G is taken out of the cabinet 1 and the amount of items inside the cabinet 1 decreases. In this case, the weight of the items G inside the cabinet 1 is measured, the free space in the storage section is measured, and the amount of items remaining is detected, and an alert is output when the measured value or the detected number (remaining amount) falls below a preset threshold. For example, medical supplies or medicines may be stored in the cabinet 1, and when the medical supplies or medicines are running low, a pharmaceutical company may be contacted.
The cabinet 1 may be used for a food delivery service, and an alert may be output to the store's address when a delivery container is returned to the cabinet 1. Operation as an unmanned vending machine is also conceivable.

Second Embodiment
A second embodiment of an information processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below.
First, the functional configuration of a cabinet in an information processing system including an information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a cabinet in an information processing system according to a second embodiment of the information processing device of the present invention. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of a camera that captures an image of the cabinet in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a UV light irradiation unit in the interior of the cabinet in Fig. 8.
In Fig. 8, the functional configurations of information processing devices other than the cabinet, such as the server 2, the management terminal 3, and the user terminal 4, are the same as those in Fig. 3 of the first embodiment, and are abbreviated in boxes (block diagrams) for their respective names. In addition, for the cabinet configuration, the same functional configurations as those in Fig. 3 are assigned the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

(Camera linking function)
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a camera 18 is connected to the cabinet 1 .
9, the camera 18 is installed with its optical axis facing the direction of the storage section 11 of the cabinet 1. Specifically, the camera 18 is fixed to, for example, a wall or the like where the cabinet 1 is installed so as to capture an image of the area in which the door 13 of the cabinet 1 is opened and closed.
The camera linking function is realized by the storage information storage unit 42, the door sensor 43, and the control unit 49.
The control unit 49 controls the camera 18. Specifically, the control unit 49 controls the camera 18 to start capturing images when the door sensor 43 detects that the door 13 is open, and to stop capturing images when the door sensor 43 detects that the door 13 is closed.
The control unit 49 stores images captured by the camera 18 in the storage information memory unit 42 at least while the door sensor 43 detects the action of storing or retrieving an item G.
This camera linking function automatically records video including the user U when the user U enters or leaves the item G, so that video evidence can be left in the entry/exit record. In addition, this function can be used to confirm if a user other than the person who unlocks (opens/closes) the door 13 has entered or left the item G, or to identify the person.

The cabinet 1 includes a fingerprint sensor 111 , a UV light irradiation unit 112 , and a printer 113 .
(Biometric authentication function)
The biometric authentication function is realized by a fingerprint sensor 111 provided on the door 13 of the cabinet 1 , a control unit 49 provided in the cabinet 1 , and an authentication unit 61 of the server 2 .
The fingerprint sensor 111 authenticates the biometric information of the user U. Specifically, the fingerprint sensor 111 detects a fingerprint. The fingerprint sensor 111 is controlled by the control unit 49.
The fingerprint read by the fingerprint sensor 111 is authenticated by the authentication unit 61 of the server 2, and if the authentication result is permitted, the control unit 49 performs control to open the door 13. In other words, the control unit 49 performs control to open and close the door 13 by fingerprint authentication (biometric authentication).

If the fingerprint read by the fingerprint sensor 111 matches a preregistered fingerprint, the authentication unit 61 outputs permission as an authentication result to the control unit 49 .
In this embodiment, biometric authentication is performed using a fingerprint, but other biometric authentication may be performed by providing a sensor that detects voice, retina, face, blood vessels, etc. In addition, a plurality of biometric authentication methods may be combined, and any of these biometric authentication methods may be combined with authentication using the IC card 14.

As a pattern for authenticating an individual when opening and closing the cabinet 1, for example, a pattern adopted by a company that installs the cabinet 1 may be considered.
The identity authentication using the IC card 14 (authentication card) described in the first embodiment is a technology that authenticates a user using an object that only the user should have. Biometric authentication is a technology that authenticates a user using the physical characteristics of the user. Furthermore, authentication IC card + biometric authentication is a two-factor authentication that combines the above authentication technologies. By adopting any one of these authentication technologies, or a combination of these authentication technologies, it is possible to strengthen security and authentication levels.

(Epidemic prevention storage function)
The quarantine storage function is realized by a door sensor 43 that detects whether the door 13 of the cabinet 1 is open or closed, a UV light irradiation unit 112 arranged in the storage section 11, and a control unit 49 that controls the UV light irradiation unit 112, etc.
The control unit 49 controls the UV light irradiation unit 112. Specifically, the control unit 49 controls the UV light irradiation unit 112 to turn on the UV light during the period from when the door sensor 43 detects that the door sensor 43 is closed to when the door sensor 43 detects that the door sensor 43 is open.
In other words, the control unit 49 turns on the UV light only while the cabinet 1 is closed.

The UV light irradiation unit 112 irradiates light to sterilize the inside of the storage unit. The UV light irradiation unit 112 is, for example, an ultraviolet germicidal lamp (low-pressure mercury lamp) and is installed inside the cabinet 1.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10 , the UV light irradiation unit 112 is disposed on the ceiling of one of the frame portions 121 that form a plurality of storage compartments inside the cabinet 1 .
UV is an abbreviation for Ultra Violet. Among the UV wavelength ranges, UV in the UV-C range (100-280 nm) has a bactericidal effect, and UV around 260 nm in particular has the greatest effect, so it is preferable to use a device that emits UV light in this range.

The inner wall 122 of the frame 121 is formed into a mirror surface (UV light reflecting surface) that reflects UV light all around. A storage table 123 with numerous meshes on the entire surface is disposed on the bottom of the frame 121. The storage table 123 is a plate-like member (wire netting or mesh plate) with numerous meshes processed into a table shape. The storage table 123 is used to place the item G to be stored.
In this cabinet 1, sterilization, virus removal, etc. of the items G stored inside the cabinet 1 are automatically performed by irradiating them with UV light.

Generally, when storing items in a storage facility, depending on the arrangement of the items, when light is irradiated from a certain position, there will be some areas (surfaces) that are not illuminated by the light.
Therefore, in the cabinet 1 of this embodiment, the inner wall 122 of the frame portion 121 is made to be a mirror surface, which diffusely reflects the UV light irradiated from the UV light irradiation section 112, and the UV light passes through the mesh of the storage table 123 and hits the top, sides, and bottom of the item G placed on the storage table 123, making it possible to sterilize and remove viruses over a wide area of the surface of the item G.
Although the irradiation of UV light by the UV light irradiation unit 112 does not provide 100% disease prevention, a certain degree of disease prevention effect can be expected mainly for items G that are shared by multiple people.

(IC tag label printing function)
The IC tagged label printing function is realized by the touch panel 16 of the cabinet 1 shown in FIG. 8, the printer 113, the control unit 49, and the item management unit 63 and management information storage unit 51 of the server 2 shown in FIG.
The touch panel 16 accepts operations to store one or more items G in the storage section 11.

The printer 113 prints a label R with an embedded IC tag 17. The label R is attached to an item G stored by the user U in the cabinet 1, and the back side of the label R serves as an adhesive surface for attaching the label R to the item G. The adhesive surface has an adhesive strength sufficient for the user U to easily peel the label R from the item G.
Specifically, the label R has a first surface that can be adhered to the item G, a second surface opposite the first surface that can be printed on, and a wireless tag (such as the IC tag 17 in Figure 8) sandwiched between the first and second surfaces.

The control unit 49 controls the printer 113. Specifically, after the user authentication, when the door 13 is opened, the control unit 49 controls the printer 113 to print the time on the label R and output it. At least date and time information such as the date and time at the time of authentication or the time of door opening is printed on the label R. The same information as that on the label R is also written to the IC tag 17 via the IC tag communication unit 41.
The information printed on the label R, that is, the information of the IC tag 17 embedded in the label R, is stored in the storage information storage unit 42 of the cabinet 1 and is also registered in the server 2.

When the server 2 receives the information of the IC tag 17, the goods management unit 63 checks whether the received information of the IC tag 17 has already been registered in the goods management table and the incoming/outgoing management table of the management information storage unit 51.
If the confirmation reveals that the information in the IC tag 17 is new, the information in the IC tag 17 is registered in the goods management table and the incoming/outgoing management table, and is thereafter managed by the server 2.

By attaching an IC tag 17 that is not registered in the server 2 to an item G and storing it in the cabinet 1, the item management unit 63 generates item management information that includes information from the IC tag 17 (including date and time information and tag ID) and registers the generated item management information in the item management table.

Regarding the item management information, the user U can register information that can be recognized by humans, such as the name of the item, at any time.
Specifically, when depositing an item G in the cabinet 1, for example, by selecting one of the icons of the items to be stored (for example, "keys,""wallet," other "money" and the like) displayed on the deposit registration screen (not shown) of the touch panel 16 and pressing the registration button, the date and time when the registration button was pressed (operated) and the information on the item G ("keys,""wallet,""money") are both recorded in the IC tag 17 of the label R. In addition to selecting an icon, information on the item G may be keyed into the touch panel 16.

The information of the IC tag 17 recorded on the label R is registered in the goods management table and the incoming/outgoing management table of the management information storage unit 51 of the server 2 .
This leaves evidence of what items were left in the cabinet 1, which can be effectively used as supplementary information in the event that an item G is subsequently lost.

(Centralized management of multiple cabinets)
The unified management function of the information processing system according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a network configuration of an information processing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a cabinet management master of a server cabinet in the information processing system of Fig. 11 .
In the first embodiment, a configuration was exemplified in which cabinet 1 is connected to server 2 via network N. In the information processing system of this second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, multiple cabinets are connected to network N, one of which is a server cabinet 201 and the others are client cabinets 202, and the functions of server 2 in the first embodiment (see FIG. 3) are incorporated in server cabinet 201.

As shown in FIG. 12, the server cabinet 201 is provided with a cabinet management master 131 .
In this cabinet management master 131, cabinets #0 to #4, card readers #0 to #4, and IC tag communication units #0 to #4 are associated with each other.
In other words, the cabinet management master 131 is a storage means that associates the cabinets 201, 202 with the card reader 15 and the IC tag communication unit 41, and in the server cabinet 201, each function of the CPU 21 shown in FIG. 3 centrally manages the operation of multiple cabinets 201, 202, both its own and others, and the entry and exit of items G.

By configuring the information processing system in this way, multiple cabinets with the same appearance can be mass-produced, and one of them can be used as a server cabinet 201 to centrally manage the operations of multiple cabinets 201, 202 including the cabinet itself, and information on items G. In addition, since a management server 2 (hardware) is not provided as in the first embodiment, manufacturing costs can be reduced.

(Unreturned item notification function)
The non-return notification function of the information processing system according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the loan management master stored in the management information storage unit of the server of FIG.
For example, this information processing system is used for a service in which items G for rental are stored in the cabinet 1 in advance, and a user U takes out the desired item G from the cabinet 1 when necessary and returns it within a certain period of time.

In this case, the unreturned notification function is realized by the cabinet information management unit 66 in FIG. 3 and the loan management master 132 in FIG.
The loan management master 132 is stored in the management information storage unit 51 of the server 2. As shown in Fig. 13, the loan management master 132 stores an item ID, an item name, a status indicating the state of the item (on loan or not), a scheduled return date of the loaned item G, etc. The status is represented by a flag of "1" for out of stock (on loan) and a flag of "0" for inventory.

In this case, in the server 2, the cabinet information management unit 66 checks the lending status of the item G by referring to the lending management master 132.
If the result of this check shows that the loaned flag for the item G with the item ID whose return date has passed remains at "1", the cabinet information management unit 66 sends an email (notification email) to a specified email address, containing a message to the effect that some items have not been returned even though the return date has passed. The specified email address may be, for example, the address of an administrator, and in this case, the notification email arrives at the management terminal 3.

In the second embodiment, the non-return notification is sent by email, but other than this, for example, the notification may be displayed on a management page for the administrator. Also, instead of email, the notification may be sent to the management terminal 3 by a message on a social network service (SNS) or the like.
In addition, if item G has been reserved for loan in advance, a column for the reserver (a column for the user ID) can be provided in the reservation table managed by the reservation control unit 62, and the reserver information and stock status can be obtained using the scheduled date and time, the user ID, and the inventory status in the inventory management table managed by the item management unit 63.

When the manager receives the notification email from the server 2 at the management terminal 3, the manager can identify the unreturned items G and take appropriate measures for the next prospective user and optimize the number of items under management.
In addition, by calling on users U to strictly follow the operational rules for the item G rental service and by issuing warnings such as urging users U who have forgotten to return items to do so, it is possible to reduce the number of unreturned items G and prevent the loss of loaned items G.

(Linkage with other systems)
In this case, the cabinet 1 contains products to be sold as items G, and this information processing system is used for a service of selling the desired item G that a user U takes out of the cabinet 1.

In the information processing system of the first embodiment, the item management unit 63 of the server 2 managed the inbound and outbound of the item G using the inbound and outbound management table stored in the management information storage unit 51, but the scope of management was limited to the cabinet 1.

In the second embodiment, the item management unit 63 manages the quantity of items G in the cabinet 1 in the incoming/outgoing management table by treating items G stored in the cabinet 1 as incoming (arrival) and items G removed from the cabinet 1 as outgoing (shipment), and when the number of items outgoing (shipped) falls below a threshold, such as 1 or 2, the item type, quantity, etc. of the item G is notified to other systems connected to the server 2 via the network N.

If the other system is, for example, an ordering system for item G, it can automatically perform processes such as ordering item G that is likely to run out of cabinet 1. By configuring it in this way, management of item G is not limited to the cabinet, but can be linked with other systems, making it possible to automatically perform processes such as replenishing out-of-stock items G.

(Displays storage location of items)
When a user U takes out a reserved specific product (item G) from among a plurality of products stored in a cabinet 1, if the storage space of the cabinet 1 is large, the user U may not know where the item G is placed in the large storage space.
Furthermore, if multiple items G with the same appearance are stored in the cabinet 1, the user U may not be able to tell which one is his or her own.

Therefore, in the second embodiment, a function for displaying the storage location of an item is provided.
The function of displaying the storage location of an item is realized by the storage information storage unit 42, the touch panel 16, and the control unit 49 shown in FIG.
The storage information memory unit 42 stores item IDs, which are identification information of one or more items G stored in the cabinet 1, in correspondence with the storage locations, such as shelf numbers or frame numbers, of each of the one or more items G in the storage section 11.
The touch panel 16 is controlled by the control unit 49 and is capable of presenting to the user U the storage locations of one or more items.

The control unit 49 controls the touch panel 16 .
Specifically, when an operation to remove a specified item from the storage section 11 is performed by touching the touch panel 16, presenting an IC card 14, touching a fingerprint to a fingerprint sensor, etc., the control unit 49 controls the touch panel 16 to present the storage location of the specified item G in the storage section 11 based on the information (item ID and storage location) from the storage information memory unit 42.
As a result of this control, a layout diagram of the interior of the warehouse is displayed on the touch panel 16, and a mark indicating the position of the item G to be removed is displayed on the layout diagram.

Specifically, for example, when IC card 14 is held over card reader 15 to authenticate the user, server 2 identifies the position of item G within cabinet 1 and notifies control unit 49 of cabinet 1 of the identified position of item G.
As a method for identifying the position of item G within cabinet 1, an IC tag communication unit 41 is provided for each frame portion 121 shown in FIG. 10, and when item G is placed on frame portion 121, communication is made between the IC tag 17 and the IC tag communication unit 41, and the positions of frame portion 121 and item G (IC tag 17) are associated with each other and registered in a reservation table, an inventory management table, or the like.

The control unit 49 receives the position of the item G, and displays the position of the item G inside the warehouse on the touch panel 16 while locking and unlocking the door 13. Then, when the user U operates the confirmation button on the touch panel 16, the door 13 is opened.
This allows the user U to confirm in advance the storage location of the item G within the storage unit before removing the item G from the cabinet 1.

In the above embodiment, the touch panel 16 is used as a means for notifying the user of the position of the item G inside the cabinet 1, but the present invention is not limited to this.
After the user authentication, when the door 13 is opened, the control unit 49 may control the lighting of the UV light irradiation unit 112 arranged in the frame unit 121 shown in Fig. 10, for example, to notify the user U of the position of the item G to be taken out. Also, instead of using the UV light irradiation unit 112 as a combined unit, an independent position indicating means (such as an LED) may be provided for each frame unit 121.
Furthermore, a voice message may be output from the speaker to notify the location of the item G to be removed. An example of the voice message is, "The item G to be removed is in the second box from the left on the third shelf from the bottom."

(Fraudulent removal alert function)
In the above first embodiment, the operation of reserving the use of the cabinet 1 and depositing the article G has been described. Also, as a second operation example, the operation of the alarm for forgetting to close the door 13 has been described. By combining these, it is possible to realize a function of the alarm for unauthorized removal of the article G.
Specifically, the unauthorized removal alert function is realized by the alert unit 48 of the cabinet 1 shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 49 that controls the alert unit 48, the goods management unit 63 of the server 2 shown in FIG. 3, and the inventory management table and reservation table of the management information memory unit 51.
The alert unit 48 is capable of issuing an alert, and issues the alert under the control of the control unit 49 .
The control unit 49 controls the alert unit 48 to issue an alert when the first item G reserved for removal from the storage unit 11 differs from the second item G actually removed from the storage unit 11.
The unauthorized removal alert function may be utilized, for example, when a user U comes to collect an item G that has been deposited in cabinet 1, or when a user U has made a reservation to lend an item G that is stored in cabinet 1 and comes to collect it, they may mistakenly take out a different item G.

For example, when a user U retrieves an item G that he or she has deposited in the cabinet 1, the item management unit 63 changes the state of the item ID obtained from the IC tag 17 of the item G retrieved by the user U in the inventory management table from "retrieved" to "retrieved," reads the item ID and the date and time of the retrieval reservation in the reservation table, compares them with the item ID of the retrieved item G, and determines whether the item G is a reserved item based on whether the item IDs match.
If the result of this determination is that the item IDs do not match, the item management unit 63 determines that the item G reserved for removal is different from the item G that was removed, and transmits a signal to the cabinet 1 to issue an alert. In the cabinet 1, upon receiving the signal from the server 2, the control unit 49 controls the alert unit 48 to issue an alert.

As a result, if the user U takes out an item G different from the one he or she deposited, the user U can return the mistakenly taken out item G and take out the real item G that he or she deposited.
Furthermore, if someone tries to illegally take something else, an alert will be issued, so the illegal act will become known.
In other words, when a user U makes a reservation for lending in advance, it is possible to prevent the user U from taking out, i.e., removing, from the cabinet 1 an item other than the item G reserved for lending.

In the above second embodiment, the control and condition determination of the functional elements (door 13, touch panel 16, camera 18, alert unit 48, fingerprint sensor 111, UV light irradiation unit 112, printer 113, etc.) provided in or connected to the cabinet 1 are mainly performed by the control unit 49 of the cabinet 1, but these may also be performed by the cabinet control unit 67 or cabinet information management unit 66 of the server 2. In addition, the above control and determination may also be performed by the management terminal 3.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and modifications and improvements that can achieve the object of the present invention are included in the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the original data for authentication is random number data, but the original data for authentication can be other electronic data that only the required person possesses, such as image data, text files (text data), video data, etc., stored in the user terminal 4. The original data for authentication can also be a timestamp, a code, etc.

For example, the above-mentioned series of processes can be executed by hardware or software. Furthermore, one functional block and database can be configured by hardware alone, by software alone, or by a combination of both.

In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the door sensor 43 of the cabinet 1 is used as a detection means for detecting whether the door 13 of the cabinet 1 is open or closed, but the opening or closing of the door 13 may also be detected from an image captured by the camera 18 (imaging means). In other words, an image processing circuit or the like provided in the server 2 processes the image captured by the camera 18 to detect whether the door 13 is open or closed.

In other words, the functional configurations in FIG. 3 and FIG. 8 are merely examples and are not particularly limited.
That is, it is sufficient that the information processing device or cabinet is provided with a functional block and a database that can execute the above-mentioned series of processes as a whole, and the functional block and database used to realize this function are not limited to the example in Fig. 3. Furthermore, the location of the functional block and database is not particularly limited to that in Fig. 3 and may be arbitrary.

When a series of processes is executed by software, the programs that make up the software are installed into a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium. The computer may be a computer that is built into dedicated hardware. The computer may also be a computer that is capable of executing various functions by installing various programs, such as a server, or a general-purpose smartphone or PC.

The recording medium containing such a program may be configured not only as a removable medium (not shown) that is distributed separately from the device body in order to provide the program to the user U, but also as a recording medium that is provided to the user U in a state where it is already installed in the device body.

In this specification, the steps of describing a program to be recorded on a recording medium include not only processes that are performed chronologically according to the order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically but are executed in parallel or individually.
In addition, in this specification, the term "system" refers to an overall device that is composed of a plurality of devices, a plurality of means, etc.

In other words, the information processing system to which the present invention is applied can take various forms, including the information processing system of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 above, having the following configurations:

That is, an information processing device to which the present invention is applied (for example, the server 2 in FIG. 3)
An information processing device (e.g., the server 2 in FIG. 3) that manages the in-stock and out-stock of one or more items G in a cabinet 1 having a storage section 11 capable of storing the one or more items G,
An authentication means (e.g., an authentication unit 61 in FIG. 3) that attempts to authenticate that a user U who attempts to put or take out a specific item among the one or more items G into or out of the storage unit 11 of the cabinet 1 is a person who is permitted to access the cabinet 1;
an acquisition means (e.g., information acquisition unit 60 in FIG. 3 ) for acquiring from the cabinet 1 item identification information (e.g., the tag ID or item ID of the IC tag 17 in FIG. 3 ) that is information for identifying the item when the item is entered or taken out by the user U authenticated by the authentication means, and entry/exit information (entry/exit date and time) that indicates the entry/exit status of the item;
A management means (e.g., the cabinet information management unit 66 in FIG. 3) that manages the item identification information acquired by the acquisition means, the entry/exit information, and the user information of the user U used for authentication (e.g., the card authentication information of the IC card 14 in FIG. 3) in association with each other;
Equipped with.
With this configuration, it becomes possible not only to manage the in- and out-of-stock of item G, but also to manage the person (user U) who in- and out-of-stocks item G in cabinet 1. As a result, it becomes possible to comprehensively manage the in- and out-stock of cabinet 1, such as who, when, and what was put in and taken out of cabinet 1.
The cabinet 1 is further provided with an opening/closing means (e.g., a door 13 in FIG. 1) for opening or closing the storage section 11.
An information processing device (for example, the server 2 in FIG. 3)
A detection means (e.g., a door sensor 43 in FIG. 3) for detecting the opening or closing of the opening/closing means (the door 13);
a cabinet control means (e.g., the cabinet control unit 67 in FIG. 3) for controlling the cabinet 1 so as to output an alarm (alert) from the alert unit 48 of the cabinet 1 when the closing of the opening/closing means is not detected for a certain period of time after the opening of the opening/closing means is detected;
Equipped with.
This configuration makes it possible to prevent loss of items G stored in the cabinet 1 and improve security.
Moreover, the information processing device (for example, the server 2 in FIG. 3)
A reservation control means (e.g., the reservation control unit 62 in FIG. 3) that accepts reservations for the storage and retrieval of predetermined items into and from the cabinet 1;
Equipped with.
With this configuration, the user U can make a reservation to use the cabinet 1 without visiting the installation location of the cabinet 1 or the operating company of the cabinet 1, thereby improving the convenience of the user U. In addition, based on the reservation information, future in-and-out management of goods G to and from the cabinet 1 can be performed, such as who, when, and what will be put in and taken out of the cabinet.
The cabinet 1 is further provided with a display means (e.g., a touch panel 16 in FIG. 3) for displaying information.
The information processing device (for example, the server 2 in FIG. 3)
a cabinet control means (e.g., the cabinet control unit 67 in FIG. 3) for controlling the cabinet 1 so as to display preset advertising information on the display means of the cabinet 1;
Equipped with.
With this configuration, the cabinet 1 can be used as a medium for transmitting advertisements.

The cabinet 1 is further provided with a display means (e.g., the touch panel 16 in FIG. 1) for displaying information.
The information processing device (for example, the server 2 in FIG. 3)
a cabinet control means (e.g., the cabinet control unit 67 in FIG. 3 ) for controlling the cabinet 1 so as to cause the display means to display the inventory status in the storage unit 11 of the cabinet 1 based on the incoming/outgoing inventory information managed by the management means for each of the one or more items G;
Equipped with.
With this configuration, the current inventory status of items G in the cabinet 1 can be seen at a glance, thereby improving convenience for the user U.
The cabinet 1 is further provided with an opening/closing means (e.g., a door 13 in FIG. 1) for opening or closing the storage section 11.
The information processing device (for example, the server 2 in FIG. 3)
a cabinet control means (e.g., a cabinet control unit 67 in FIG. 3 ) for controlling the cabinet so as to permit the opening of the storage unit 11 by the opening/closing means when user authentication by the authentication means (e.g., the authentication unit 61 in FIG. 3 ) is successful, and to prohibit the opening of the storage unit 11 by the opening/closing means when the authentication by the authentication means is unsuccessful;
Equipped with.
With this configuration, the opening and closing means can be opened only by an authenticated user, making it possible to more safely manage the entry and exit of goods G, including people.
Furthermore, the information processing device (for example, the server 2 in FIG. 3 )
a cabinet control means (e.g., a cabinet control unit 67 in FIG. 3 ) for controlling the cabinet to acquire second user information (e.g., card information of the permission card 14 a in FIG. 3 ) indicating that the user, whose user authentication has been successful by the authentication means (e.g., the authentication unit 61 in FIG. 3 ), has placed in the cabinet a specific item (a car key) that has been set in advance;
Equipped with.
By having this configuration, two-step authentication can be performed on a user U who has deposited a specific item (such as a car key) in the cabinet 1 when the item is taken out, and the item G can be managed for withdrawal according to the type of item G.

A cabinet (e.g., cabinet 1 in FIG. 8 ) having a storage section (e.g., storage section 11 in FIG. 1 ) capable of storing one or more articles (e.g., article G in FIG. 8 ),
An opening/closing means (e.g., the door 13 in FIG. 1 ) for opening or closing the storage section;
A detection means for detecting the opening or closing of the opening/closing means (e.g., the door sensor 43 in FIG. 8, etc.);
An irradiation means (e.g., UV light irradiation unit 112 in FIG. 8 ) that is disposed in the storage unit and irradiates the inside of the storage unit with light for sterilizing the inside of the storage unit;
A control means (e.g., the control unit 49 in FIG. 8 ) that controls the illumination means to turn on the light during the period from when the closing of the opening/closing means is detected by the detection means until when the opening is detected by the detection means;
Equipped with.
By providing the cabinet with an antimicrobial storage function (UV light irradiation) in this way, the light is irradiated onto the items stored in the cabinet, sterilizing the items and removing viruses, thereby providing an antimicrobial effect on the items.
A cabinet (such as cabinet 1 of FIG. 8) having a storage section capable of storing one or more items,
A detection means (e.g., a door sensor 43 in FIG. 8 ) for detecting a person who puts or takes out the one or more articles into or from the storage section or an operation of an opening/closing means of the storage section (e.g., the door 13 in FIG. 1 );
a storage control unit (e.g., the control unit 49 in FIG. 8 ) that stores in a storage unit (e.g., the storage information storage unit 42 in FIG. 8 ) an image captured by an imaging unit (e.g., the camera 18 in FIG. 9 ) that is installed with its optical axis facing the direction of the storage unit (e.g., the storage unit 11 in FIG. 9 ) of the cabinet at least while the storing or retrieving operation is being detected by the detection unit;
Equipped with.
In this way, by providing a camera link function to the cabinet and automatically recording video during entry and exit operations, video evidence can be left in the entry and exit records. The recorded video can be used to identify people who enter and exit items when a user other than the person who unlocked (opened) the door enters and leaves the item.
The authentication means includes:
A biometric authentication unit (e.g., the fingerprint sensor 111 in FIG. 8 ) for authenticating biometric information of the user;
Includes.
By including a biometric authentication function in the authentication means in this way, only the person depositing or retrieving an article can use the cabinet, thereby improving security.
A cabinet (such as cabinet 1 of FIG. 8) having a storage section capable of storing one or more items,
an operation receiving unit (e.g., the touch panel 16 in FIG. 8 ) that receives an operation for storing the one or more articles in the storage unit;
a label output means (e.g., the printer 113 in FIG. 8 ) for outputting a label (e.g., the label R in FIG. 8 ) including a first surface that can be attached to the article, a second surface that faces the first surface and can be printed on, and a wireless tag (e.g., the IC tag 17 in FIG. 8 ) sandwiched between the first and second surfaces;
a control means (e.g., the control unit 49 in FIG. 8 ) for controlling the label output means to print the date and time when the operation was accepted by the operation accepting means on the second side and output the label;
Equipped with.
By providing the cabinet with the function of printing labels with IC tags in this way, when the user arrives at the cabinet, a label can be printed on the spot and affixed to the item to be deposited and then stored in the cabinet. This means that there is no need to have someone near the cabinet to accept the items, and the user can deposit the items in the cabinet with just the user's own operation, making it possible to operate the cabinet unmanned.
A cabinet having a storage portion capable of storing one or more items (such as the fingerprint sensor 111 of FIG. 8 ),
An alert issuing means (e.g., the alert unit 48 in FIG. 8 ) capable of issuing an alert;
and a control means (e.g., the control unit 49 in Figure 3) that controls the alert issuing means to issue an alert if the first item scheduled to be removed from the storage section differs from the second item actually removed.
By providing the cabinet with this unauthorized removal alert function, an alert is output when a user removes an item from the cabinet that has not been reserved, which makes it possible to prevent the user from mistakenly removing other items from the cabinet. It is also possible to prevent the user from removing items from the cabinet without a reservation.
A cabinet (such as cabinet 1 of FIG. 8) having a storage section capable of storing one or more items,
A storage unit (e.g., a lending management master 132 in FIG. 13 ) that stores a status indicating the entry and exit status of the one or more items in the storage unit and a scheduled return date and time of the one or more items that have been exited from the storage unit in a corresponding manner;
and a notification means (such as the cabinet information management unit 66 in FIG. 3 ) for notifying a predetermined contact point when the item is detected to be in a released state after the scheduled return date and time.
By providing the cabinet with this non-return notification function, the administrator can be made aware of unreturned items that have not been returned even after the scheduled return date. As a result, for example, it is possible to take measures for the next scheduled user and to optimize the number of items managed. In addition, there is an effect of thoroughly enforcing operational rules. Specific examples of thoroughly enforcing operational rules include, for example, urging users who forget to return items to do so, and warning users who often forget to return items. By taking such actions, it is possible to prevent items from being lost.
The information processing system is
A plurality of cabinets (e.g., server cabinet 201 and client cabinet 202 in FIG. 11 ) each having a storage section capable of storing one or more items communicate via a network N, and one of the plurality of cabinets (e.g., server cabinet 201 in FIG. 11 ) manages the inflow and outflow of each of the one or more items in the plurality of cabinets.
In this way, by providing a function for centrally managing multiple cabinets (such as server cabinet 201 and client cabinet 202 in FIG. 11 ) in one of the cabinets (such as server cabinet 201 in FIG. 11 ), it is possible to mass-produce the same hardware, thereby achieving cost reduction compared to setting up a management server separate from the cabinets.
A cabinet (such as cabinet 1 of FIG. 8) having a storage section capable of storing one or more items,
A storage unit (e.g., the storage information storage unit 42 in FIG. 8 ) that stores identification information (item ID) of the one or more items stored in the cabinet and storage positions (e.g., shelf numbers, frame numbers, etc.) of the one or more items in the storage section in association with each other;
A presentation means for presenting the position of the one or more items (e.g., the touch panel 16 in FIG. 8, the UV light irradiation unit 112 in FIG. 10, an LED, a sound, etc.);
a control means (e.g., the control unit 49 in FIG. 8 ) for controlling the presentation means to present the storage location of the specified item in the storage unit based on information (item ID and storage location) of the memory means when an operation to remove the specified item from the storage unit is performed;
Equipped with.
By providing this function of displaying the storage location of an item, when a user takes out an item, the user can see where the item to be taken out is stored in the cabinet, preventing the user from accidentally taking out an item that is not the intended item.
The presentation means includes a display means for displaying information (e.g., the touch panel 16 in FIG. 8, etc.),
The information processing device (e.g., server 2 in FIG. 8 )
The apparatus further includes a cabinet control means (such as the cabinet control unit 67 in FIG. 3) for controlling the cabinet so as to cause the display means to display the storage position of the predetermined item in the storage section.
In this way, by providing the display means with the function of displaying the storage location of an item in the cabinet, when the user stands in front of the cabinet and performs an operation to remove an item, the location of the item is displayed on the display means, allowing the user to see where the item to be removed is stored in the cabinet, and to remove the item from the cabinet without hesitation.

G: Goods, N: Network, U: User, 1: Cabinet, 1: Server, 3: Management terminal, 4: User terminal, 11: Storage unit, 12: Opening, 13: Door, 14: IC card, 15: Card reader, 16: Touch panel, 17: IC tag, 18: Camera, 21: CPU, 42: Storage information storage unit, 51: Management information storage unit, 60: Information acquisition unit, 61: Authentication unit, 62: Reservation control unit, 63: Goods management unit, 64: User management unit, 65: History management unit, 66: Cabinet information management unit, 67: Cabinet control unit, 68: Website publication unit, 81, 101: Viewing unit, 111: Fingerprint sensor, 112: UV light irradiation unit, 113: Printer, 121: Frame unit, 122: Inner wall, 123: Storage stand, 201: Server cabinet, 202: Client cabinet

Claims (3)

A cabinet having a storage section capable of storing one or more items to be quarantined ,
An opening/closing means for opening or closing the storage section;
a first detection means for detecting whether the opening/closing means is open or closed;
An irradiation means is disposed in the storage section and emits light for sterilizing the inside of the storage section;
An alert issuing means capable of issuing an alert;
a control means for controlling the illumination means to turn on the light from when the first detection means detects that the opening/closing means is closed until when the opening is detected, and for controlling the alert issuing means to issue the alert if the opening/closing means is not detected even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the first detection means detected that the opening of the opening/closing means is opened, and for controlling the alert issuing means to issue the alert if a first item scheduled to be removed from the storage section differs from a second item actually removed;
a first storage means for storing a status indicating the entry and exit states of the one or more items in the storage unit and a scheduled return date and time of the one or more items that have been exited from the storage unit in association with each other;
a notification means for notifying a predetermined contact point when the item is detected to be in a released state after the scheduled return date and time has passed;
A second detection means for detecting a person who puts or takes out the one or more items into or from the storage unit or an operation of an opening/closing means of the storage unit;
a storage control means for storing, in a second storage means, an image captured by an imaging means installed with an optical axis directed toward the storage section of the cabinet, at least while the storing or retrieving operation is being detected by the second detection means;
A cabinet equipped with a storage means for storing the one or more items stored in the cabinet in association with respective storage positions of the one or more items in the storage section;
A presentation means capable of presenting the location of the one or more items;
Further equipped with
The control means further comprises:
when an operation for removing a predetermined item from the storage unit is performed, the display unit is controlled to display a storage location of the predetermined item in the storage unit based on information from the storage unit.
The cabinet of claim 1. an operation receiving means for receiving an operation for storing the one or more articles in the storage section;
a label output means for outputting a label having a first surface that can be attached to the article, a second surface that faces the first surface and is printable, and a wireless tag sandwiched between the first and second surfaces;
Further equipped with
The control means further comprises:
controlling the label output means to print the date and time when the operation was accepted by the operation accepting means on the second surface and output the label;
The cabinet of claim 1.