JP7792264B2 - Key management device and key management system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a key management device and a key management system.

Patent Document 1 describes a key management box in which a display image is displayed on a touch panel in standby mode, and when a user stays overnight, the user can select "check-in" from the options displayed on the display image, and when returning the electronic key, the user can select "check-out" from the options displayed on the display image.

Patent No. 6765724

When processing holders that hold keys, if the configuration does not accept at least a request indicating the holder to be processed, it is not possible to switch processing for each holder to be processed, and the same processing will be performed for every holder.

The objective of this invention is to enable switching of processing for each holder to be processed when processing holders that hold keys.

With this objective in mind, the present invention provides a key management device comprising a plurality of individual storage units each capable of storing a holder for holding a key, an acquisition unit that acquires at least a requirement indicating the holder to be processed, and a control unit that controls the device to execute processing in accordance with the requirement acquired by the acquisition unit.
The key management device may further include a first opening/closing unit that closes all of the multiple individual storage units, and the control unit may unlock the first opening/closing unit when the requirements acquired by the acquisition unit satisfy specified conditions.
The control unit may perform control so as to execute only the process related to the folder to be processed, which is indicated by the matter acquired by the acquisition unit.
The acquisition unit may acquire a message indicating borrowing or returning a holder. In this case, the key management device may further include a reception unit that receives a holder to be processed from a user, and the acquisition unit may acquire a message indicating borrowing or returning a holder based on the holder to be processed received by the reception unit and the storage status of the holder to be processed. The control unit may perform control to execute only the holder borrowing process when the message acquired by the acquisition unit indicates borrowing a holder, and may perform control to execute only the holder return process when the message acquired by the acquisition unit indicates returning the holder.
The key management device may further include a first opening/closing unit that closes all of the multiple individual storage units, and the control unit may control the first opening/closing unit to unlock when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates borrowing of a holder within the borrowing period, and not to unlock the first opening/closing unit when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates borrowing of a holder outside the borrowing period.
The key management device may further include a bulk storage unit capable of collectively storing multiple holders inserted through the return opening.
In this case, the control unit may determine, from the plurality of individual storage units and the bulk storage unit, a storage unit associated with the holder to be processed indicated by the message acquired by the acquisition unit as the return destination for the holder to be processed. In this case, the key management device may further include a first opening/closing unit that closes all of the plurality of individual storage units, and a second opening/closing unit provided at the return port, and the control unit may unlock the first opening/closing unit when the plurality of individual storage units are associated with the holder to be processed indicated by the message acquired by the acquisition unit, and unlock the second opening/closing unit when the bulk storage unit is associated with the holder to be processed indicated by the message acquired by the acquisition unit.
In this case, the key management device may further include a first opening/closing unit that closes all of the multiple individual storage units, and a second opening/closing unit provided at the return port, and the control unit may unlock the first opening/closing unit when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates borrowing of the holder, and unlock the second opening/closing unit when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates returning the holder.
In this case, the key management device may further include a first opening/closing unit that closes all of the multiple individual storage units, and the control unit may unlock the first opening/closing unit when the request acquired by the acquisition unit indicates borrowing a holder within the borrowing period, and may control the first opening/closing unit not to unlock when the request acquired by the acquisition unit indicates borrowing a holder outside the borrowing period. In this case, the key management device may further include a second opening/closing unit provided at the return port, and the control unit may unlock the first opening/closing unit or the second opening/closing unit when the request acquired by the acquisition unit indicates returning a holder within the return period, and may notify the user that the return period is outside the return period when the request acquired by the acquisition unit indicates returning a holder outside the return period. Furthermore, in this case, the borrowing period and the return period may be set separately.
The key management device may further include a plurality of third opening/closing units each of which closes one of the plurality of individual storage units, and the control unit may unlock the third opening/closing unit that closes the individual storage unit in which the holder to be processed, indicated by the requirements acquired by the acquisition unit, is stored.

The present invention also provides a key management system comprising a key management device that manages keys, a key collection device that collects keys, and a control unit, wherein the key management device comprises a plurality of individual storage units each capable of storing a holder that holds a key, and an acquisition unit that acquires at least a message indicating the holder to be processed, and the key collection device comprises a bulk storage unit that can collectively store a plurality of holders inserted through the return slot, and the control unit determines, as the return destination for the holder to be processed, a storage unit from among the plurality of individual storage units and the bulk storage unit that is associated with the holder to be processed indicated by the message acquired by the acquisition unit.

According to the present invention, when processing holders that hold keys, it is possible to switch processing for each holder to be processed.

1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a key lending system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the external configuration of a key management device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating examples of the external configuration of a holder and a key used in a first embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the key collection box of the key management device according to the first embodiment of the present invention taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a key management device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing first and second examples of utilization destination information according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 4 is a flowchart showing a first operation example of the key management device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart showing a second operation example of the key management device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a key management device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

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

[Overall configuration of the key lending system]
1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a key lending system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the key lending system 1 includes a key management device 10, a server device 40, and a terminal device 50. The key management device 10, the server device 40, and the terminal device 50 are connected via a network 80.

The key management device 10 is a device that includes a key storage cabinet that detachably stores holders that hold keys, and a key collection cabinet that collectively stores multiple returned holders. This key management device 10 is operated by an administrator or a user. The administrator is a user who manages keys, and performs operations such as loading keys that are reserved for the next day into the key management device 10 and retrieving keys that are not reserved for the next day from the key management device 10. The user is a user who borrows keys and uses them, and performs operations such as borrowing keys that they have reserved for the day from the key management device 10 and returning keys that they have finished using to the key management device 10.

The server device 40 is a device that manages information about keys and holders. The server device 40 accepts key reservations and also manages the reservation status. The server device 40 also transmits the reservation status to the key management device 10 and the terminal device 50.

The terminal device 50 is a terminal device used by a user, and may be, for example, a personal computer (PC), a tablet device, or a smartphone. The terminal device 50 receives the key reservation status from the server device 40 and displays the reservation status on a display screen, for example, using a QR code (registered trademark).

The network 80 is a communication means used for information communication between the key management device 10, the server device 40, and the terminal device 50, and is, for example, the Internet, a public line, a LAN (Local Area Network), etc.

[Background and Overview of the Embodiments]
In the past, key management devices 10 were primarily used by people who could be trusted to a certain extent, but recently, they have been increasingly used by unspecified third parties, and as a result, security is becoming more important than convenience for the key management device 10.
In addition, there is also an emerging trend of managing more holders than the individual storage units provided in the key management device 10. In this type of operation, there may be requests to return a specific holder to an individual storage unit, or to reserve an empty individual storage unit for returning a specific holder to an individual storage unit, etc. Therefore, there is also a situation in which it would be inconvenient if a holder were returned to an individual storage unit selected by the user.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the key management device 10 accepts input of a matter and switches processing operations such as which storage unit to store the holder in depending on the matter. In particular, in this embodiment, the holder number of the holder to be processed, the process type of borrowing or returning the holder, etc. are used as the matter to be input.
In the following, this configuration will be referred to as the first embodiment, and an embodiment in which the key storage and key recovery chambers of the key management device 10 in the first embodiment are separate entities will be referred to as the second embodiment, and will be described in detail.

[First embodiment]
(External configuration of the key management device)
Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of key management device 10 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, key management device 10 has a front door 21 that can be opened and closed, and a key storage cabinet 23 that can be opened and closed by front door 21. Key management device 10 also has a display/operation unit 25, a card reader 26, and a reading unit 27 on its front side. Key management device 10 also has a key collection cabinet 29.

The key storage cabinet 23 has a plurality of small doors 22 on its front surface that can be opened and closed, and a plurality of individual storage sections 24 that can be opened and closed by the corresponding small doors 22. The individual storage sections 24 detachably store holders 31 that hold keys.
Each individual storage unit 24 is provided with a locking mechanism 241 that allows or prohibits removal of the holder 31. The key management device 10 controls the locking mechanism 241 for each individual storage unit 24, thereby controlling whether or not removal of each holder 31 is permitted.
In this embodiment, a front door 21 is provided as an example of a first opening/closing section that closes all of the multiple individual storage sections, and multiple small doors 22 are provided as an example of multiple third opening/closing sections that each close one of the multiple individual storage sections.

The display operation unit 25 is, for example, a touch panel display, which accepts operations by the user and displays various information.
The card reader 26 is a reading device that reads information from a card carried by a user. Examples of cards include magnetic cards and IC (Integrated Circuit) cards. When a user swipes a card through the card reader 26, the card reader 26 reads the user ID from the card and performs user authentication based on the read user ID.
The reading unit 27 is a reading device that reads information from various media. For example, the reading unit 27 may be a QR code reader that reads a QR code (registered trademark) from the display screen of the terminal device 50 on which the QR code is displayed or from paper on which the QR code is printed. Alternatively, the reading unit 27 may be an RFID reader that reads an RFID from a wireless tag 34 (described later) in the holder 31.

The key collection box 29 stores returned keys. The key collection box 29 has a return opening 291, and a flapper 292 that can be opened and closed is provided at the return opening 291. In this embodiment, the flapper 292 is provided as an example of a second opening and closing section provided at the return opening.
The key collection box 29 also has a light emitting unit 293 on the front surface thereof. The light emitting unit 293 is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

Note that the components shown in FIG. 2 are merely examples, and the key management device 10 may include other components. For example, the key management device 10 may include a speaker. In that case, instead of displaying a warning on the display operation unit 25, an alarm may be output from the speaker.

(Holder and key configuration)
3 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of the holder 31 and the key 33 used in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the key 33 is connected to the holder 31 by a ring 32.
A wireless tag 34 is provided on the holder 31. The wireless tag 34 is, for example, an RFID tag. The wireless tag 34 has identification information for identifying the holder 31. To provide the wireless tag 34 on the holder 31, for example, a sticker-type wireless tag 34 may be attached to the holder 31, or the wireless tag 34 may be embedded in the holder 31.
Although not shown, the holder 31 may have a sticker with a holder number, for example.

(Configuration of the key collection repository)
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the key collection cabinet 29 of the key management device 10 according to the first embodiment, taken along line A-A in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 4, the key collection cabinet 29 of the key management device 10 according to the first embodiment includes a flapper 292, a light-emitting unit 293, and a lump-sum storage unit 294.

The flapper 292 is a door that can be opened and closed at the return slot 291. The flapper 292 opens counterclockwise, with its upper end as a fulcrum in the figure. The flapper 292 can be locked and unlocked. When unlocked, the holder 31 can be inserted through the return slot 291, but when locked, the holder 31 cannot be inserted through the return slot 291. This prevents dust and other foreign matter from being dropped in when the key management device 10 is installed in a location accessible to unspecified third parties, typically outdoors. The flapper 292 may be made of a transparent material so that the user can visually check the inserted holder 31 and other foreign matter.
The light emitting unit 293 is, for example, an LED for notifying the user that the flapper 292 is unlocked or locked.
The lump-sum storage section 294 is a collection box that can store a plurality of returned holders 31 in a lump.

(Functional configuration of the key management device)
5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of key management device 10 according to the first embodiment. As shown in the figure, key management device 10 includes control unit 11, storage unit 12, communication unit 13, front door locking mechanism 141, small door locking mechanism 142, flapper locking mechanism 143, locking mechanism 241, display operation unit 25, card reader 26, reading unit 27, and light emitting unit 293.

The control unit 11 is equipped with an arithmetic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls each part of the key management device 10 (communication unit 13, front door locking mechanism 141, small door locking mechanism 142, flapper locking mechanism 143, lock mechanism 241, display operation unit 25, card reader 26, reading unit 27, light emitting unit 293, etc.) in accordance with the operating program stored in the memory unit 12.
The storage unit 12 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and stores the operation program of the control unit 11 and is used as a work area during control processing by the control unit 11. The operation program includes a program for the control unit 11 to execute processing described below.
The communication unit 13 communicates information with the server device 40 via a communication line.
The front door locking mechanism 141 is a mechanism for locking the front door 21 .
The small door locking mechanism 142 is a mechanism for locking the small door 22 .
The flapper locking mechanism 143 is a mechanism that locks the flapper 292 .
The lock mechanism 241, the display operation unit 25, the card reader 26, the reading unit 27, and the light emitting unit 293 have already been described using FIG. 2, and therefore, description thereof will be omitted here.

Here, the configuration of the control unit 11 will be described in detail. The control unit 11 includes an input information receiving unit 111, a matter information acquisition unit 112, a destination determination unit 113, a locking/unlocking control unit 115, a light emission control unit 116, a period determination unit 114, a display control unit 117, and a memory control unit 118.

The input information receiving unit 111 receives input information from a user.
The input information from the user may be a QR code read by the reading unit 27 from the display screen of the terminal device 50 or from a piece of paper. The QR code may store the holder number of the holder 31 to be processed. The QR code may further store the process type, borrowing or returning. The QR code may further store the borrowing period or return period of the holder 31. The QR code may further store biometric information, such as the user's face.

In addition, the input information from the user may be operation input information input by the user operating the display operation unit 25. The operation input information may include the holder number of the folder 31 to be processed. In this case, the user may include the folder number in the operation input information by, for example, using the numeric keypad of the display operation unit 25 to input the folder number of the folder 31 to be processed. Alternatively, the user may include the folder number in the operation input information by, for example, selecting the folder number of the folder 31 to be processed from multiple folder numbers displayed on the display operation unit 25. The operation input information may further include a processing type of borrow or return. In this case, the user may include the processing type of borrow or return in the operation input information by, for example, selecting either the processing type of borrow or return from the processing types displayed on the display operation unit 25.

Furthermore, the input information from the user may be an RFID read from the holder 31 to be processed by the reading unit 27. The RFID indicates the identification information of the holder 31 to be processed.
Furthermore, the input information from the user may be the user ID of the user read from the card by the card reader 26 .
In this embodiment, an input information receiving unit 111 is provided as an example of a receiving unit that receives a folder to be processed from a user.

The task information acquiring unit 112 acquires task information indicating the task of the user from the input information accepted by the input information accepting unit 111 .
The task information may be information indicating the folder 31 to be processed. Such information includes, for example, the folder number of the folder 31 to be processed. When the input information received by the input information receiving unit 111 includes the folder number of the folder 31 to be processed, the task information acquiring unit 112 may acquire this folder number as the task information. When the input information received by the input information receiving unit 111 includes a user ID, the reservation information (not shown) received from the server device 40 may be searched for by the user ID, and the folder number of the folder 31 to be processed may be acquired as the task information.
In this embodiment, the matter information acquiring section 112 is provided as an example of an acquiring section that acquires matters indicating at least the folder to be processed.

Furthermore, the business information may be information indicating the process type of borrowing or returning the folder 31. If the input information received by the input information receiving unit 111 includes the process type of borrowing or returning, the business information acquiring unit 112 may acquire this process type as the business information. If the input information received by the input information receiving unit 111 does not include the process type of borrowing or returning but includes the folder number of the folder 31 to be processed, the business information acquiring unit 112 may acquire, as the business information, a process type determined from the folder number and the storage status of the folder 31. For example, if the folder 31 with the folder number included in the input information is stored in the individual storage unit 24, the business information acquiring unit 112 may acquire the borrowing of the folder 31 as the business information. If the folder 31 with the folder number included in the input information is not stored in the individual storage unit 24, the business information acquiring unit 112 may acquire the return of the folder 31 as the business information. If the input information received by the input information receiving unit 111 includes a user ID, the reservation information (not shown) received from the server device 40 can be searched for by the user ID to obtain the processing type as the task information.
In this embodiment, the matter information acquisition unit 112 is provided as an example of an acquisition unit that acquires a matter indicating borrowing or returning a holder. Also, in this embodiment, the matter information acquisition unit 112 is provided as an example of an acquisition unit that acquires a matter indicating borrowing or returning a holder based on the holder to be processed accepted by the acceptance unit and the storage status of the holder to be processed.

Furthermore, when the business information indicates the process type of borrowing or returning the holder 31, it may also be information indicating the borrowing period or return period. When the input information received by the input information receiving unit 111 includes the borrowing period or return period, the business information acquisition unit 112 may simply acquire this borrowing period or return period as business information. When the input information received by the input information receiving unit 111 includes a user ID, the business information acquisition unit 112 may acquire the borrowing period or return period as business information by searching the reservation information (not shown) received from the server device 40 by the user ID.

The destination determining unit 113 determines whether the destination of use of the user in the key management device 10 is the key storage 23 or the key collection repository 29 .
Specifically, when the task information acquired by the task information acquisition unit 112 indicates the folder 31 to be processed, the destination-of-use determination unit 113 determines, based on the destination-of-use information that associates the folder number with the destination-of-use, whether the return destination of the key to be used is the key storage 23 or the key collection 29. In this embodiment, the destination-of-use determination unit 113 is provided as an example of a control unit that determines, from among the multiple individual storage units and bulk storage units, a storage unit associated with the folder to be processed that is indicated by the task acquired by the acquisition unit, as the return destination of the folder to be processed.

Furthermore, when the message information acquired by the message information acquisition unit 112 indicates a process type of borrowing or returning a holder 31, the destination of use determination unit 113 determines whether the destination of use is the key storage 23 or the key collection repository 29 based on this process type. In other words, when the message information indicates borrowing a holder 31, the destination of use determination unit 113 determines that the destination of use is the key storage 23, and when the message information indicates returning a holder 31, the destination of use is the key collection repository 29.

When the task information acquired by the task information acquisition unit 112 indicates borrowing within the borrowing period, the period determination unit 114 determines whether the borrowing is within the borrowing period by determining whether the current date and time is within the borrowing period. Furthermore, when the task information acquired by the task information acquisition unit 112 indicates returning within the return period, the period determination unit 114 determines whether the return is within the return period by determining whether the current date and time is within the return period. Note that the borrowing period and the return period can be set separately. In other words, the borrowing period and the return period may be set to the same period, or may be set to different periods.

The locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the locking/unlocking of the front door 21 , the small door 22 , and the flapper 292 based on the determination result of the destination determination unit 113 which is based on the business information acquired by the business information acquisition unit 112 .
Specifically, when the destination determination unit 113 determines that the destination is the key storage 23 because the holder number included in the message information is associated with the key storage 23, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the front door locking mechanism 141 to lock or unlock the front door 21. The locking/unlocking control unit 115 then controls the small door locking mechanism 142 to lock or unlock the small door 22 corresponding to the individual storage unit 24 of the destination. Furthermore, when the destination determination unit 113 determines that the destination is the key collection box 29 because the holder number included in the message information is associated with the key collection box 29, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the flapper locking mechanism 143 to lock or unlock the flapper 292.
In this embodiment, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 is provided as an example of a control unit that unlocks the first opening/closing unit when multiple individual storage units are associated with the holder to be processed, which is indicated by the message acquired by the acquisition unit, and unlocks the second opening/closing unit when the bulk storage unit is associated with the holder to be processed, which is indicated by the message acquired by the acquisition unit. Also, in this embodiment, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 is provided as an example of a control unit that unlocks the third opening/closing unit that closes the individual storage unit in which the holder to be processed, which is indicated by the message acquired by the acquisition unit, is stored.

Furthermore, when the destination determination unit 113 determines that the destination of use is the key storage box 23 because the process type included in the business information indicates borrowing of the holder 31, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the front door locking mechanism 141 to lock or unlock the front door 21. The locking/unlocking control unit 115 then controls the small door locking mechanism 142 to lock or unlock the small door 22 corresponding to the individual storage unit 24 of the destination of use. Furthermore, when the destination determination unit 113 determines that the destination of use is the key collection box 29 because the process type included in the business information indicates returning the holder 31, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the flapper locking mechanism 143 to lock or unlock the flapper 292.
In this embodiment, a locking/unlocking control unit 115 is provided as an example of a control unit that unlocks the first opening/closing unit when the message acquired by the acquisition unit indicates borrowing of a holder, and unlocks the second opening/closing unit when the message acquired by the acquisition unit indicates returning of the holder. Also, in this embodiment, a locking/unlocking control unit 115 is provided as an example of a control unit that unlocks the third opening/closing unit that closes the individual storage unit in which the holder to be processed, which is indicated by the message acquired by the acquisition unit, is stored.

The locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the locking/unlocking of the front door 21 , the small door 22 , and the flapper 292 based on the determination result of the period determination unit 114 which is based on the business information acquired by the business information acquisition unit 112 .
Specifically, when the period determination unit 114 determines that the borrowing is within the borrowing period, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the front door locking mechanism 141 to unlock the front door 21, and controls the small door locking mechanism 142 to unlock the small door 22 corresponding to the individual storage unit 24 of the destination. Also, when the period determination unit 114 determines that the borrowing is outside the borrowing period, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the front door locking mechanism 141 not to unlock the front door 21.
In this embodiment, a locking/unlocking control unit 115 is provided as an example of a control unit that controls the first opening/closing unit to be unlocked when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates the borrowing of a holder within the borrowing period, and not to be unlocked when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates the borrowing of a holder outside the borrowing period.

Furthermore, if the period determination unit 114 determines that the return is within the return period, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the front door locking mechanism 141 to unlock the front door 21 and the small door locking mechanism 142 to unlock the small door 22 corresponding to the individual storage unit 24 of the user. Alternatively, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the flapper locking mechanism 143 to unlock the flapper 292. Furthermore, if the period determination unit 114 determines that the return is outside the return period, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 instructs the display control unit 117 to notify the display operation unit 25 that the return is outside the return period. Here, the information that the return is outside the return period may include a message such as "An additional fee of XX yen will be charged" and an "Accept" button for acknowledging that the additional fee of XX yen will be charged. Thereafter, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the front door locking mechanism 141 to unlock the front door 21 and the small door locking mechanism 142 to unlock the small door 22 corresponding to the individual storage unit 24 of the user. Alternatively, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the flapper locking mechanism 143 to unlock the flapper 292 .
In this embodiment, a locking/unlocking control unit 115 is provided as an example of a control unit that unlocks the first opening/closing unit or the second opening/closing unit when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates the return of a holder within the return period, and notifies the user that the return period is outside the return period when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates the return of a holder outside the return period.

In addition, the key management device 10 may be equipped with a camera (not shown), and the locking/unlocking control unit 115 may control the locking/unlocking of the front door 21, the small door 22, and the flapper 292 when the facial information stored in the QR code matches the facial information captured by this camera.

The light emission control unit 116 controls an unillustrated light emitting unit provided on the small door 22 to light up when the small door 22 is unlocked, and controls an unillustrated light emitting unit provided on the small door 22 to light up when the small door 22 is locked.
Furthermore, the light emission control unit 116 controls the light emitting unit 293 to light up when the flapper 292 is unlocked, and controls the light emitting unit 293 to turn off when the flapper 292 is locked.

The display control unit 117 controls the display of information on the display operation unit 25. For example, the display control unit 117 controls the display operation unit 25 to display messages that prompt users to perform operations such as inputting information from the reading unit 27, display operation unit 25, card reader 26, etc. Furthermore, when the display control unit 117 detects an action that differs from the action taken when carrying out the task indicated by the task information acquired by the task information acquisition unit 112, it controls the display operation unit 25 to display a warning. For example, when the task information acquired by the task information acquisition unit 112 indicates borrowing but an operation to return the holder 31 is physically performed, the display control unit 117 controls the display operation unit 25 to display a warning. Furthermore, when the task information acquired by the task information acquisition unit 112 indicates returning but an operation to borrow the holder 31 is physically performed, the display control unit 117 controls the display operation unit 25 to display a warning. Furthermore, if the period determination unit 114 determines that the return is outside the return period, the display control unit 117 controls the locking/unlocking control unit 115 to display information indicating that the return is outside the return period on the display operation unit 25.

The memory control unit 118 controls the writing of data to the memory unit 12 and the reading of data from the memory unit 12. For example, the memory control unit 118 controls the writing of information to the memory unit 12 to determine whether the destination of use is the key storage repository 23 or the key collection repository 29, and the reading of this information from the memory unit 12.

Next, we will explain in detail the information stored in the memory unit 12. The memory unit 12 stores usage destination information 121. The usage destination information 121 is information for managing whether the key storage repository 23 or the key collection repository 29 should be used as the usage destination. The specific contents of the usage destination information 121 will be described later.

(Specific content of user information)
6A is a diagram showing utilization information 121a, which is a first example of utilization information 121. The utilization information 121a is an example of utilization information 121 stored in the storage unit 12 when the key management device 10 executes the first operation example.
The usage destination information 121a associates a holder number, a usage destination, and a storage unit number. The holder number is a number that uniquely identifies the holder 31. The usage destination is information that indicates whether the key storage 23 or the key collection box 29 should be used for the holder 31 with the corresponding holder number. The storage unit number is information that indicates which individual storage unit 24 of the key storage 23 should be used when using the key storage 23 for the holder 31 with the corresponding holder number.
In the figure, it is assumed that the holder 31 with holder number "H01" will be returned soon, and its destination is shown to be the key collection box 29. It is also assumed that the holders 31 with holder numbers "H02" and "H03" will be borrowed or returned soon, and their destination is shown to be the key storage box 23, and it is shown that the individual storage units 24 with storage unit numbers "S02" and "S03" will be used for them, respectively.
The utilization destination determining unit 113 determines the utilization destination and storage unit number by searching the utilization destination information 121a using the folder number as a key.

6B is a diagram showing utilization information 121b, which is a second example of utilization information 121. Utilization information 121b is an example of utilization information 121 stored in storage unit 12 when key management device 10 executes the second operation example.
The usage information 121b associates a holder number with a storage unit number. The holder number is a number that uniquely identifies the holder 31. The storage unit number is information that indicates which individual storage unit 24 in the key storage 23 should be used when using the key storage 23 for the holder 31 with the corresponding holder number.
The figure shows that when the holders 31 with holder numbers "H04" to "H06" are used in the key storage cabinet 23, the individual storage units 24 with storage unit numbers "S04" to "S06" are used for each.
The destination-of-use determining unit 113 determines the storage unit number by searching the destination-of-use information 121b using the folder number as a key.

Note that the destination information 121a and 121b in Figures 6(a) and (b) may be set in the server device 40 and received by the communication unit 13 via the network 80.

(Operation of the key management device)
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a first operation example of the key management device 10 in the first embodiment.
First, in the key management device 10, the input information receiving unit 111 determines whether or not input information has been received from the user (step 131).
If it is not determined in step 131 that input information from the user has been accepted, the input information accepting unit 111 repeats the process of step 131 .
If it is determined in step 131 that input information from the user has been accepted, the message information acquisition unit 112 acquires, as message information, the holder number of the folder 31 to be processed from the input information accepted in step 131 (step 132). Then, the use destination determination unit 113 determines whether the user's use destination is the key storage 23 or the key collection box 29 based on the holder number acquired in step 132 (step 133). For example, the use destination determination unit 113 may refer to the use destination information 121a shown in FIG. 6(a) to determine whether the use destination is the key storage 23 or the key collection box 29. The use destination determination unit 113 may also refer to the use destination information 121a shown in FIG. 6(a) to determine which individual storage unit 24 of the key storage 23 the use destination is.

If it is determined in step 133 that the user's destination is the key storage cabinet 23, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the front door locking mechanism 141 to unlock the front door 21 (step 134).
Thereafter, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the small door locking mechanism 142 to unlock the small door 22 corresponding to the individual storage unit 24 to be used, and the light emission control unit 116 turns on the light emitting unit (not shown) of the small door 22 (step 135).
This allows the user to open the small door 22 and remove or insert a key from or into the individual storage section 24. For example, when the user closes the small door 22 after removing or inserting a key from or into the individual storage section 24, the small door 22 is locked. After that, for example, when the user closes the front door 21, the front door 21 is also locked.

If it is determined in step 133 that the user's destination is the key collection cabinet 29, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the flapper locking mechanism 143 to unlock the flapper 292, and the light emission control unit 116 turns on the light emission unit 293 (step 136).
This allows the user to push open the flapper 292 and insert the key into the collective storage section 294 from the return opening 291. For example, when the user inserts the key into the collective storage section 294, the flapper 292 is locked.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a second operation example of the key management device 10 in the first embodiment.
First, in the key management device 10, the input information receiving unit 111 determines whether or not input information has been received from the user (step 151).
If it is not determined in step 151 that input information from the user has been accepted, the input information accepting unit 111 repeats the process of step 151 .
If it is determined in step 151 that input information from the user has been accepted, the task information acquisition unit 112 acquires, from the input information accepted in step 151, the holder number of the target holder 31 and the type of processing (borrowing or returning) of the holder 31 as task information (step 152). Then, the destination of use determination unit 113 determines whether the destination of use by the user is the key repository 23 or the key collection repository 29 based on the type of processing acquired in step 152 (step 153). For example, if the destination of use determination unit 113 determines that the type of processing acquired in step 152 is borrowing, it determines that the destination of use is the key repository 23; and if the type of processing acquired in step 152 is returning, it determines that the destination of use is the key collection repository 29. The destination of use determination unit 113 may also refer to the destination of use information 121b shown in FIG. 6B to determine which individual storage unit 24 of the key repository 23 the destination of use is.

If it is determined in step 153 that the user's destination is the key repository 23, the period determination unit 114 determines whether a borrowing period has been set for the folder 31 being processed (step 154). If it is determined that a borrowing period has been set for the folder 31 being processed, the period determination unit 114 determines whether the current date and time is within the borrowing period (step 155).

If it is determined in step 154 that no borrowing period has been set for the holder 31 to be processed, or if it is determined in step 155 that the current date and time is within the borrowing period, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the front door locking mechanism 141 to unlock the front door 21 (step 156).
Thereafter, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the small door locking mechanism 142 to unlock the small door 22 corresponding to the individual storage unit 24 to be used, and the light emission control unit 116 turns on the light emitting unit (not shown) of the small door 22 (step 157).
This allows the user to open the small door 22 and remove the key from the individual storage section 24. For example, if the user closes the small door 22 after removing the key from the individual storage section 24, the small door 22 is locked. After that, for example, if the user closes the front door 21, the front door 21 is also locked.

If it is not determined in step 155 that the current date and time is within the borrowing period, the control unit 11 terminates the process without unlocking the front door 21 and the small door 22.

If it is determined in step 153 that the user's destination is the key collection repository 29, the period determination unit 114 determines whether a return period has been set for the folder 31 being processed (step 158). If it is determined that a return period has been set for the folder 31 being processed, the period determination unit 114 determines whether the current date and time is within the return period (step 159).

If it is determined in step 159 that the current date and time is not within the return period, the control unit 11 notifies the user that the return period is not yet reached (step 160). For example, the display control unit 117 may display a message indicating that the return period is not yet reached on the display operation unit 25. Then, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the flapper locking mechanism 143 to unlock the flapper 292, and the light emission control unit 116 turns on the light emission unit 293 (step 161).
If it is determined in step 158 that the return period has not been set for the holder 31 to be processed, or if it is determined in step 159 that the current date and time is within the borrowing period, the control unit 11 does not notify the user that the return period is over. Then, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 controls the flapper locking mechanism 143 to unlock the flapper 292, and the light emission control unit 116 turns on the light emitting unit 293 (step 161).
This allows the user to push open the flapper 292 and insert the key into the collective storage section 294 from the return opening 291. For example, when the user inserts the key into the collective storage section 294, the flapper 292 is locked.

Note that in the above operational example, the borrowing period and return period were determined only in the operational example of Figure 8, but the borrowing period and return period may also be determined in the operational example of Figure 7.

(effect)
In the first embodiment, when processing the holders 31 that hold keys, at least the requirements indicating the holder 31 to be processed are acquired. This makes it possible to switch the processing, such as which storage section to store the key in, for each holder 31 to be processed.

Second Embodiment
9 is a diagram showing the configuration of a key management device 10 according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the key management device 10 according to the first embodiment is divided into a portion other than the key collection repository 29 and a portion containing the key collection repository 29, which are communicatively connected and installed as separate entities. Hereinafter, the portion of the key management device 10 other than the key collection repository 29 will be referred to as a key management device 20, and the portion of the key management device 10 containing the key collection repository 29 will be referred to as a key collection device 28. The communication line connecting these will be referred to as a communication line 85, and a system consisting of the key management device 20, the key collection device 28, and the communication line 85 will be referred to as a key management system 100.

In the second embodiment, the key management device 20 may include the control unit 11, the storage unit 12, the communication unit 13, the front door locking mechanism 141, the small door locking mechanism 142, the locking mechanism 241, the display operation unit 25, the card reader 26, and the reading unit 27, and the key collection device 28 may include the flapper locking mechanism 143 and the light emitting unit 293. Then, the flapper locking mechanism 143 of the key collection device 28 locks and unlocks the flapper 292 based on a locking/unlocking instruction from the locking/unlocking control unit 115 of the key management device 20. In this sense, the flapper locking mechanism 143 can be said to be an example of a control unit that controls the opening/closing unit based on information received from the key management device.
Alternatively, in such a functional configuration, only the portion of the locking/unlocking control unit 115 of the control unit 11 that controls the locking and unlocking of the flapper 292 may be transferred from the key management device 20 to the key collection device 28. Then, the portion of the locking/unlocking control unit 115 of the key collection device 28 that controls the locking and unlocking of the flapper 292 controls the flapper locking mechanism 143 to lock and unlock the flapper 292 based on information from the use destination determination unit 113 of the key management device 20 or the like that indicates that the key is to be returned to the key collection device 28. In this sense, the portion of the locking/unlocking control unit 115 that controls the locking and unlocking of the flapper 292 can be said to be an example of a control unit that controls the opening/closing unit based on information received from the key management device.

In the second embodiment, when processing holders 31 that hold keys, at least the requirements indicating the holder 31 to be processed are acquired. This makes it possible to switch processing, such as which storage section to store the key in, for each holder 31 to be processed.

[Modification]
In the above description, the key management device 10 is described as including the key storage 23 and the key collection repository 29, but the key management device 10 does not necessarily have to include the key collection repository 29. In this case, the control unit 11 of the key management device 10 may execute, in the key storage 23, a process corresponding to the task indicated by the task information acquired by the task information acquisition unit 112. The control unit 11 of the key management device 10 may then display a warning on the display operation unit 25 when it detects an operation to execute a task other than the task indicated by the task information. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 is provided as an example of a control unit that controls the execution of a process corresponding to the task acquired by the acquisition unit.

For example, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 of the key management device 10 may unlock the front door 21 when the task indicated by the task information acquired by the task information acquisition unit 112 satisfies a predetermined condition. Alternatively, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 of the key management device 10 may unlock the front door 21 after the input information acceptance unit 111 accepts input information. In this embodiment, the locking/unlocking control unit 115 is provided as an example of a control unit that unlocks the first opening/closing unit when the task acquired by the acquisition unit satisfies a predetermined condition.

The control unit 11 of the key management device 10 may also be configured to allow only processing of the folder 31 to be processed, which is indicated by the task information acquired by the task information acquisition unit 112. Here, processing of the folder 31 to be processed may include, for example, opening the small door 22 corresponding to the folder number of the folder 31 to be processed. The control unit 11 of the key management device 10 may not accept processing even when it detects processing of a folder 31 other than the folder 31 to be processed, which is indicated by the task information acquired by the task information acquisition unit 112. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 is provided as an example of a control unit that controls to execute only processing related to the folder to be processed, which is indicated by the task acquired by the acquisition unit.

Furthermore, the control unit 11 of the key management device 10 may only permit borrowing when the task information acquired by the task information acquisition unit 112 indicates borrowing, and may only permit returning when the task information acquired by the task information acquisition unit 112 indicates returning. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 is provided as an example of a control unit that controls to execute only the borrowing process of a holder when the task acquired by the acquisition unit indicates borrowing of a holder, and controls to execute only the return process of a holder when the task acquired by the acquisition unit indicates returning of a holder.

Although the individual storage unit 24 has been described above as a type in which the holder 31 is inserted to store the individual storage unit 24, the present invention is not limited to this. The individual storage unit 24 may be a type in which the holder 31 is stored by being housed in a housing, as shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-75852.
In the above description, the key 33 is assumed to be a physical key, but it is not limited to a physical key and may be a card key or a digital key.

While the above description concerns the key management device 10 that manages the keys 33, the present invention can also be applied to an item management device that manages items such as seals, USB memory sticks, etc. In that case, the invention can be understood by replacing "keys" in all documents with "items."
In other words, the present invention can be understood as "an item management device having a plurality of individual storage sections, each capable of storing a holder for holding an item, an acquisition section that acquires at least a requirement indicating the holder to be processed, and a control section that controls the device to execute processing in accordance with the requirement acquired by the acquisition section."
Furthermore, the present invention may be understood as "an item management system comprising an item management device for managing items, an item recovery device for recovering items, and a control unit, wherein the item management device comprises a plurality of individual storage units each capable of storing a holder for holding items, and an acquisition unit for acquiring at least a requirement indicating the holder to be processed, and the item recovery device comprises a bulk storage unit capable of collectively storing a plurality of holders inserted from a return port, and the control unit determines, as the return destination for the holder to be processed, a storage unit among the plurality of individual storage units and the bulk storage unit that is associated with the holder to be processed indicated by the requirement acquired by the acquisition unit."

1...Key lending system, 10...Key management device, 11...Control unit, 111...Input information reception unit, 112...Subject information acquisition unit, 113...Use destination determination unit, 114...Period determination unit, 115...Lock/unlock control unit, 116...Light emission control unit, 117...Display control unit, 118...Storage control unit, 12...Storage unit, 121...Use destination information, 13...Communication unit, 141...Front door locking mechanism, 142...Small door locking mechanism, 143...Flapper locking mechanism, 20...Key management device, 21...Front door, 22...Small door, 23...Key storage cabinet, 24...Individual storage unit, 241...Locking mechanism, 25...Display operation unit, 26...Card reader, 27...Reading unit, 28...Key collection device, 29...Key collection cabinet, 292...Flapper, 293...Light emission unit, 294...Bulk storage unit, 40...Server device, 50...Terminal device

Claims (14)

a plurality of individual storage sections each capable of storing a holder for holding a key;
an acquisition unit that acquires at least a requirement indicating a folder to be processed;
a control unit that controls execution of a process according to the matter acquired by the acquisition unit;
Equipped with
The acquisition unit acquires the matter indicating borrowing or returning of a holder . a first opening/closing section that closes all of the individual storage sections;
The key management device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit unlocks the first opening/closing unit when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit satisfies a predetermined condition. The apparatus further includes a receiving unit that receives a folder to be processed from a user,
The key management device according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit acquires the request indicating borrowing or returning of a holder based on the holder to be processed accepted by the acceptance unit and the storage status of the holder to be processed. The key management device of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the acquisition unit to execute only the holder borrowing process when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates borrowing a holder, and controls the acquisition unit to execute only the holder return process when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates returning a holder. a first opening/closing section that closes all of the individual storage sections;
The control unit controls the key management device of claim 1 to unlock the first opening/closing unit when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates the borrowing of a holder within the borrowing period, and to not unlock the first opening/closing unit when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates the borrowing of a holder outside the borrowing period. The key management device of claim 1, further comprising a bulk storage unit capable of storing multiple holders inserted through the return slot all at once. The key management device of claim 6, wherein the control unit determines a storage unit among the plurality of individual storage units and the bulk storage unit that is associated with the holder to be processed indicated by the matter acquired by the acquisition unit as the return destination for the holder to be processed. a first opening/closing section that closes all of the individual storage sections;
A second opening/closing section provided at the return port;
Further provided with
The key management device of claim 7, wherein the control unit unlocks the first opening/closing unit when the multiple individual storage units are associated with the holder to be processed indicated by the matter acquired by the acquisition unit, and unlocks the second opening/closing unit when the lump-sum storage unit is associated with the holder to be processed indicated by the matter acquired by the acquisition unit . a first opening/closing section that closes all of the individual storage sections;
A second opening/closing section provided at the return port;
Further provided with
The key management device of claim 6, wherein the control unit unlocks the first opening/closing unit when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates borrowing a holder, and unlocks the second opening/closing unit when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates returning a holder. a first opening/closing section that closes all of the individual storage sections;
The key management device of claim 6, wherein the control unit controls the first opening/closing unit to be unlocked when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates the borrowing of a holder within the borrowing period, and controls the first opening/closing unit not to be unlocked when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates the borrowing of a holder outside the borrowing period. Further provided with a second opening and closing part provided at the return port,
The control unit unlocks the first opening/closing unit or the second opening/closing unit when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates the return of a holder within the return period, and notifies that the return period is outside the return period when the matter acquired by the acquisition unit indicates the return of a holder outside the return period. The key management device according to claim 11 , wherein the borrowing period and the return period can be set separately. a plurality of third opening/closing sections each closing one of the plurality of individual storage sections;
The key management device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit unlocks a third opening/closing unit that closes an individual storage unit in which the holder to be processed indicated by the matter acquired by the acquisition unit is stored. a key management device that manages keys;
a key collection device for collecting keys;
A control unit;
Equipped with
The key management device
a plurality of individual storage sections each capable of storing a holder for holding a key;
an acquisition unit that acquires at least a requirement indicating a folder to be processed;
Equipped with
the acquisition unit acquires the matter indicating borrowing or returning of a holder,
The key recovery device
A bulk storage section that can store multiple holders inserted from the return slot at once,
Equipped with
the control unit determines a storage unit corresponding to the purpose acquired by the acquisition unit as a destination of the folder to be processed, from among the plurality of individual storage units and the collective storage unit.
Key management system.