JP7818976B2 - Support request system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a support request system for requesting support from a supporter for residents of a building, etc.

The remote emergency alert system described in Patent Document 1 notifies the transmitting and receiving terminals of the information in the emergency alert email when they receive it. Furthermore, when the transmitting and receiving terminals detect the user's electronic tag and determine that the user has not yet evacuated, they transmit the identification information of the electronic tag and the location information of the transmitting and receiving terminals to an information aggregation server. This allows the remote emergency alert system to grasp the user's evacuation status and provide information when evacuation assistance is requested.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-068215

Some systems for locking and unlocking the front door of a home use a preset electronic code (for example, a digital key). In these locking systems, the front door is unlocked by receiving a digital key transmitted from a terminal device carried by the resident, but if the digital key is not available (or cannot be transmitted), the door cannot be unlocked.

For this reason, in the event of a disaster, when residents of a home receive assistance with evacuation, if the supporter is not given a digital key, they will not be able to unlock the front door, which will result in a long wait to evacuate the residents, creating efficiency issues. While it is also possible to unlock the front door in advance, this raises concerns that people other than the supporter may enter the home.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a support request system that enables supporters to provide efficient support when residents of a home request assistance with evacuation, etc.

To achieve the above objective, a first aspect of the support request system includes a lock unit for locking and unlocking a building entrance door, a lock operation means for receiving preset key information from a portable terminal device when operating the lock unit to lock or unlock the door, thereby releasing the locking by the lock unit and allowing the door to be opened or closed, and a support request means for sending support request information including the key information to the support request destination so that the key information can be used on a supporter terminal device, which is a terminal device carried by a supporter who is a preset support request destination.

In the first aspect of the support request system, a lock is placed on the building's entrance door, and a lock operation unit operates the lock to lock and unlock the door. The lock operation unit also receives pre-set key information from a portable terminal device, causing the lock unit to unlock (unlock) the door. This allows, for example, a building resident to unlock the door and enter the building by sending key information from a portable terminal device, but cannot unlock the door if the key information is not available.

In addition, building residents can request assistance from a pre-set assistance request destination. When requesting assistance, the assistance request means sends assistance request information to the assistance request destination. The assistance request information includes key information that can be used on the assistance terminal device carried by the assistance provider.

This means that even if the building door is locked, the supporter who receives a request for support can unlock the door using the supporter terminal device, allowing for efficient support.

The second aspect of the support request system is the same as the first aspect, but includes a generation means for generating the key information when the support request means sends the support request information.

In the second aspect of the support request system, when the support request means sends support request information, key information is generated and the generated key information is included in the support request information. For example, if the key information is generated as key information with a limited number of uses, it is possible to prevent the key information from being used again.

A third aspect of the support request system is the first or second aspect, wherein the support request information sent by the support request means includes location information of the building.

In the third aspect of the support request system, the support request information sent by the support request means includes location information for the building for which support is requested. The location information may be an address, but is preferably information that allows the location of the building to be determined on a map. This allows the supporter to easily determine the location of the building for which support is requested, allowing for more efficient support.

A fourth aspect of the support request system is any one of the first to third aspects, in which the support request means is provided in at least one of a terminal device carried by a resident of the building and a terminal device carried by a person designated by the resident.

In a fourth aspect of the support request system, the support request means is provided in a terminal device. The terminal device in which the support request means is provided may be a terminal device carried (used) by the resident in need of support, or may be provided in at least one of a terminal device carried by a resident (family member) living with the resident in need of support, and a terminal device carried by a person (third party) designated by the resident in need of support.

This means that support can be requested not only by the resident in need of support themselves, but also by residents who live with the resident in need of support or someone designated by the resident in need of support. Therefore, even if you are not the resident in need of support, you can request support for the resident in need of support, allowing for effective support requests to be made to the resident in need of support.

The support request system of the first aspect of the present invention has the advantage that even if the building door is locked, the support person can unlock the door and provide support efficiently.

The second aspect of the support request system makes it possible to generate key information that can be used a limited number of times, thereby enabling supporters to provide efficient support while preventing unnecessary use of key information.

The third aspect of the support request system allows the supporter to easily grasp the location of the building where the resident they are supporting is located, thereby enabling the supporter to provide more efficient support.

The fourth aspect of the support request system allows people other than the resident in need of support to request support, which has the effect of enabling effective support requests to be made to supporters.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an electronic key system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the installation of an electronic key system. 10 is a flowchart showing an outline of processing in the support management server. 10 is a flowchart showing an outline of processing in a controller. 10 is a flowchart showing an outline of processing in the supporter terminal device. FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of an electronic key system according to a modified example.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the general configuration of an electronic key system 10 as a locking system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the electronic key system 10 functions as a support request system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of the electronic key system 10 in a house 12 as a building.

As shown in FIG. 2, the building in which the electronic key system 10 is installed may be, for example, a detached house 12. The building is not limited to the house 12, but may also be a single unit (room) in a multi-family dwelling such as an apartment building.

The residence 12 is provided with a front door (entrance door) 14 as a door at the entrance where residents can enter and exit, and residents can go out and come home by unlocking the front door 14. Furthermore, when the front door 14 is locked, it is impossible to enter (break into) the interior of the residence 12.

A broadband router or the like (hereinafter referred to as router 16) is installed in residence 12 to provide communication means, and router 16 is connected to the Internet (an information and communications network, hereinafter referred to as network 16A) via an optical fiber line or the like (broadband line). Router 16 is a wireless system (also referred to as a Wi-Fi connection) that uses the Wi-Fi standard, and router 16 forms a LAN (Local Area Network) (home LAN) within residence 12 in which multiple devices are interconnected via Wi-Fi connections. Router 16 allows devices connected to the LAN to connect to network 16A.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic key system 10 includes a lock unit 20 as a locking means and a controller (lock controller) 22 as the device itself. The electronic key system 10 can also be connected to multiple terminal devices 24 used to unlock (lock and unlock) the front door 14, and the terminal devices 24 can be smartphones carried by each resident.

The lock unit 20 includes a lock section 26 and a communication section 28 that constitutes the lock operation means. The lock unit 20 is attached to the front door 14 of the residence 12, and the lock section 26 locks and unlocks the front door 14 using an actuator (not shown). The lock section 26 also has a thumb turn (not shown) located on the inside of the front door 14 (inside the residence 12), allowing residents to lock and unlock the front door 14 from the inside by operating the thumb turn.

In the electronic key system 10, the controller 22 operates the lock 26 of the lock unit 20 to lock and unlock the front door 14. The lock unit 20 and controller 22 in the electronic key system 10 may be electric, powered by commercial power, or electronic (battery-powered), powered by a storage battery. In one example, the lock unit 20 and controller 22 are equipped with a storage battery (not shown) and are also powered by the commercial power supplied to the house 12. The electronic key system 10 is a hybrid system that operates on commercial power and, in the event of a commercial power outage, on the storage battery.

The communication unit 28 communicates with a pre-set terminal device 24 using a wireless method. The wireless method of the communication unit 28 can be the Wi-Fi standard used for the LAN within the house 12 or the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard. In this embodiment, as an example, the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard is used for the communication unit 28.

The controller 22 is formed with a communication unit 30 as a communication means, a lock operation unit 32 as a lock operation means, a registration unit 34 as a storage means, a generation unit 36 as a generation means, and a request unit 38 as a support request means. The controller 22 is equipped with a microcomputer (not shown) in which a CPU, ROM, RAM, non-volatile storage, and an input/output interface are connected by a bus. In the controller 22, the CPU reads the lock management program and support request program stored in the ROM and storage, and executes them while expanding them into RAM, thereby realizing the functions of the communication unit 30, lock operation unit 32, generation unit 36, and request unit 38. In addition, in the controller 22, the function of the registration unit 34 is realized by the storage.

The communication unit 30 is connected to the router 16, and is connected to a LAN (home LAN) and network 16A via the router 16. The communication unit 30 is also connectable via network 16A to various devices, including a terminal device 24, connected to network 16A. The connection between the communication unit 30 and the router 16 may be wired or via Wi-Fi.

The lock operation unit 32 is connected to the lock unit 20. The lock operation unit 32 controls the lock unit 26 to lock and unlock the front door 14. At this time, the lock operation unit 32 checks (verifies) whether the key information obtained by the communication unit 28 of the lock unit 20 from the terminal device 24 is registered in the registration unit 34. The controller 22 and terminal device 24 are each capable of sending and receiving notifications such as emails.

In the electronic key system 10, key information is used to unlock (or lock and unlock) the front door 14 using the terminal device 24. The key information is assigned to each terminal device 24 used to lock and unlock the front door 14 of the house 12 and is stored in the registration unit 34. A pre-set identification code (hereinafter referred to as a digital key) is used as the key information. The digital key is set for the electronic key system 10, or for each terminal device 24 in the electronic key system 10.

The terminal device 24 used in the electronic key system 10 is formed with an operation unit 40, memory 42, generation unit 44, and request unit 46. The operation unit 40, memory 42, generation unit 44, and request unit 46 are formed in the terminal device 24 by installing specific application software compatible with the electronic key system 10.

The memory 42 of the terminal device 24 stores the digital key assigned to the terminal device 24. When the operation unit 40 is operated within the communication range with the communication unit 28 of the lock unit 20 of the house 12 (near the front door 14), the terminal device 24 sends the digital key (a signal corresponding to the digital key) to the communication unit 28.

When the front door 14 is unlocked, the communication unit 28 of the lock unit 20 acquires a digital key from the terminal device 24. When a digital key is acquired by the lock unit 20 (communication unit 28), the lock operation unit 32 of the controller 22 compares the acquired digital key with the digital key registered in the registration unit 34, and if they match, operates the lock unit 26 to unlock the front door 14. This prevents the electronic key system 10 from unlocking the front door 14 by someone not carrying the terminal device 24 (such as a person other than the resident).

Next, we will explain the configuration corresponding to the support request system.

As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic key system 10 has a controller 22 connected via a network 16A to a support management server 52 of a support network 50, which serves as the destination for support requests. The support network 50 may be operated by, for example, a local government or a for-profit or non-profit (public interest) business entity.

The support network 50 can also be applied as a disaster support network, with a predetermined area as its jurisdiction (support area), which, for example, notifies people of the occurrence of a disaster, notifies people of evacuation, etc., and, when support is requested, dispatches supporters (or supporter groups) to provide support for safety confirmation, rescue support, evacuation support, etc.

The support network 50 can also be an emergency support network that supports emergency transport when residents are injured or ill, a rescue support network for rescues that are required due to accidents, or a network that combines these.

The support management server 52 of the support network 50 can be connected via network 16A to the support request systems installed in each home within the jurisdiction of the support network 50. It is preferable that the homes to be supported are registered with the support network in advance, but prior registration may not be necessary if the homes reside within the jurisdiction.

When a resident requests support, the support request system for each home sends the support request to the support management server 52. Upon receiving the support request, the support management server 52 sends the support request to the supporter terminal device 54 carried by the supporter, and the supporter provides support in accordance with the support request received by the supporter terminal device 54.

In the residence 12, the electronic key system 10 functions as a support request system, and is connectable to the support management server 52. In the electronic key system 10, a request unit 38 is formed in the controller 22, and the request unit 38 generates support request information in response to operation by the resident and sends the generated support request information to the support management server 52.

The controller 22 is also provided with a generation unit 36, which generates a digital key that enables unlocking the front door 14. The digital key generated by the generation unit 36 is a key with a limited number of uses; here, as an example, the generation unit 36 generates a one-time key, which is a digital key that can be used once.

The one-time key generated by the generation unit 36 is registered in the registration unit 34 and is included in the support request information generated by the request unit 38. The request unit 38 also includes location information that can identify the location of the house 12 in the support request information, along with the support content and the one-time key. This location information may be the house number (address) of the house 12, but is preferably information that can identify the location on a map.

The generation unit 44 and request unit 46 of the terminal device 24 have functions corresponding to the generation unit 36 and request unit 38 of the controller 22. This allows the controller 22 or each terminal device 24 in the electronic key system 10 to transmit assistance request information including the location information of the house 12 and a digital key (one-time key) for unlocking the front door 14 of the house 12.

The supporter terminal device 54 of the support network is formed with an operation unit 56 and memory 58. The operation unit 56 and memory 58 have functions corresponding to the operation unit 40 and memory 42 of the terminal device 24, respectively, and the operation unit 56 and memory 58 are formed in the supporter terminal device 54 by installing specified application software.

The supporter terminal device 54 receives information corresponding to the support request information sent from the electronic key system 10 from the support management server 52, and stores the digital key in memory 58. Furthermore, when the operation unit 56 of the supporter terminal device 54, in which the digital key is stored, is operated within the communication range of the communication unit 28 of the lock unit 20 of the house 12, the supporter terminal device 54 sends a one-time key as a digital key to the communication unit 28.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
In the electronic key system 10, a digital key is stored in memory 42 of a terminal device 24 carried by each resident. When a resident carrying the terminal device 24 operates an operation unit 40 in front of (or near) the front door 14, the digital key is acquired by the communication unit 28 of the lock unit 20 installed on the front door 14. When the digital key is acquired by the lock unit 20, the lock operation unit 32 of the controller 22 compares the acquired digital key with a registered digital key, and if they match, operates the lock unit 26 to unlock the front door 14.

As a result, if a digital key is not obtained, or if the obtained digital key is not a registered digital key (does not match), the front door 14 will not be unlocked. This allows the electronic key system 10 to restrict the use of terminal devices that do not have the correct digital key to enter (break into) the home 12, thereby providing a high level of security.

Meanwhile, in the residence 12, the electronic key system 10 is connected to the support management server 52 of the support network 50, allowing the residents of the residence 12 to request any necessary support from the support network 50.

Here, we will explain the support processing in the electronic key system 10 and support network 50. Figure 3 shows a flow chart outlining the processing in the support management server 52, and Figure 4 shows a flow chart outlining the processing in the electronic key system 10. Furthermore, Figure 5 shows a flow chart outlining the processing using the supporter terminal device 54 carried by the supporter.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the support management server 52 first checks in step 100 whether a disaster requiring support has occurred. In the support network 50, when a disaster occurs that requires residents and others within the jurisdiction to evacuate (a disaster requiring support), the support management server 52 makes a positive determination in step 100 and proceeds to step 102. In step 102, the support management server 52 notifies each home (each support request system) and each supporter within the jurisdiction of the disaster occurrence (e.g., evacuation advisory, evacuation order, etc.).

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, in the electronic key system 10, the controller 22 checks in step 110 whether it has received notification of a disaster that requires evacuation. If notification of a disaster has been received, a positive determination is made in step 110 and the process proceeds to step 112. In step 112, the controller 22 notifies the residents of the disaster by forwarding the disaster notification to each resident's terminal device 24. As a result, each terminal device 24 in the electronic key system 10 is notified of the occurrence of a disaster that requires evacuation, and each resident who carries a terminal device 24 can recognize the need to evacuate.

However, residence 12 may contain a person (hereinafter referred to as a person requiring assistance) who has difficulty moving freely due to factors such as advanced age, illness, or injury, and who requires assistance with mobility such as evacuation. When the person requiring assistance requests assistance with mobility such as evacuation, support network 50 dispatches a supporter to the residence that requested assistance and provides support to the person requiring assistance (for example, assistance with evacuation from the residence to a designated evacuation site).

When a person requiring assistance is present (at home) in the residence 12 in which the electronic key system 10 is installed, the person requiring assistance can operate the controller 22 of the electronic key system 10 to request assistance from the support network 50.

In step 114, the controller 22 checks whether the person in need of support (or resident) has given an instruction (operation) to send a support request, and if the person in need of support has performed an operation to send a support request (instruction to request support), a positive judgment is made in step 114 and the process proceeds to step 116. If support is not required, a negative judgment is made in step 114 and the process ends.

In step 116, the controller 22 generates a digital key (one-time key) that enables the supporter to unlock the front door 14. In step 118, the controller 22 generates support request information that includes the one-time key and location information of the house 12, and in step 120 sends the generated support request information to the support management server 52.

In addition, in the electronic key system 10, the terminal device 24 is provided with a generation unit 44 and a request unit 46, which function in the same manner as the generation unit 36 and request unit 38 of the controller 22, respectively. Therefore, for example, a person requiring support who is present in the residence 12 can send support request information using the terminal device 24 that they carry. Furthermore, if a person requiring support who is present in the residence 12 is unable to operate the controller 22 or their own terminal device 24, another resident who is not the person requiring support (a resident not present in the residence 12) can use their own terminal device 24 to send support request information to the person requiring support who is present in the residence 12.

This allows the electronic key system 10 to reliably send support requests to the support network 50 (support management server 52) for those in need of support. Furthermore, when a terminal device 24 carried by a resident who is not at home 12 issues a support request, it attaches the location information of the home 12 as location information.

As shown in FIG. 3, after sending a disaster occurrence notification, the support management server 52 proceeds to step 104 and checks whether a support request has been received. At this time, if support request information is sent from a support request system such as the electronic key system 10 (see step 120 in FIG. 4), the support management server 52 makes a positive determination in step 104 and proceeds to step 106.

In step 106 , the support management server 52 sends the received support request information to the supporter terminal device 54. For example, in the support network 50, if the jurisdiction area is divided into multiple areas and a supporter is assigned to each area, the support management server 52 acquires location information from the support request information and sends (transfers) the support request information to the supporter terminal device 54 of the supporter in charge of the divided area corresponding to the acquired location information. Thereafter, in step 108, the support management server 52 checks whether or not to end the acceptance of support requests, and when an instruction to end the acceptance of support requests is received, the support management server 52 makes an affirmative determination in step 108 and ends the processing.

Meanwhile, as shown in Figure 5, the supporter terminal device 54 carried by each supporter checks in step 130 whether it has received a notification of a disaster that requires evacuation. If a notification of a disaster has been received (see step 102 in Figure 3), a positive determination is made in step 130 and the process proceeds to step 132. At this time, the supporter makes the necessary preparations to provide support to the person in need of support.

In step 132, the supporter terminal device 54 checks whether support request information sent from the support management server 52 has been received, and if support request information has been received, an affirmative determination is made in step 132 and the process proceeds to step 134. Note that if multiple pieces of support request information are received , the supporter terminal device 54 performs predetermined required processing, such as performing the same processing for each piece of support request information.

The supporter terminal device 54 extracts a one-time key from the support request information received in step 134 and stores the extracted one-time key in memory 58. This allows the authority to unlock the front door 14 of the house 12 to be delegated to the supporter. Furthermore, in step 136, the supporter terminal device 54 extracts location information, such as the house 12 where the person in need of support is present, from the support request information to identify the support destination. Note that, once the supporter terminal device 54 has finished receiving the support request information, it makes a positive determination in step 138 and ends reception of the support request information.

The supporter then moves to the home 12 where they are receiving support and operates the operation unit 56 in front of the front door 14 of the home 12. At this time, the supporter terminal device 54 checks in step 140 whether the operation unit 56 has been operated, and if the operation unit 56 has been operated, it transmits the one-time key stored in memory 58.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the controller 22 of the electronic key system 10 sends the support request information, it checks in step 122 whether a one-time key has been received (acquired). If the supporter terminal device 54 has sent a one-time key (see step 142 in FIG. 5), the controller 22 receives (acquires) the one-time key, makes a positive determination in step 122, and proceeds to step 124.

The controller 22 compares the acquired one-time key with the one-time key stored in the registration unit 34, and if the one-time keys match, it makes a positive determination in step 124, proceeds to step 126, and unlocks the front door 14.

This allows the support person to open the front door 14, enter the house 12, and provide support to the person in need of support. Once the front door 14 is unlocked, the controller 22 proceeds to step 128, invalidates the one-time key, and ends the process.

In this way, with the electronic key system 10, the front door 14 can be unlocked using the terminal device 24 that has been assigned a digital key, and the front door 14 cannot be unlocked without the digital key, thereby improving the security of the home 12.

Furthermore, with the electronic key system 10, when a person requiring assistance is present in the residence 12, assistance request information can be sent to the assistance network 50 (assistance management server 52) to request a supporter to perform the desired process. At this time, in the electronic key system 10, the generation unit 36 generates a new digital key for unlocking the front door 14, and the request unit 38 sends assistance request information including the generated digital key to the assistance management server 52 so that it can be passed to the supporter (supporter terminal device 54). This allows the supporter to unlock the front door 14 using the supporter terminal device 54, enabling the supporter to efficiently support the person requiring assistance.

In addition, the electronic key system 10 uses a generation unit 36 to generate a digital key with a limited number of uses (e.g., a one-time key), which prevents the front door 14 from being accidentally unlocked by anyone other than the resident or supporter, preventing a decline in the security of the home 12 (maintaining high security).

In addition, the electronic key system 10 sends support request information, including location information for the residence 12, to the support management server 52. This allows the supporter to accurately determine the location (location on a map) of the residence 12 of the person requiring support, allowing the supporter to travel to the residence 12 without getting lost, thereby enabling more efficient support for the person requiring support. Furthermore, when a supporter (or supporter group) is responding to multiple support requests, being able to obtain location information for each person requiring support makes it easier to set a travel route for support (order of support), enabling more efficient support.

Furthermore, with the electronic key system 10, residents can request assistance from the person requiring assistance who is present in the residence 12 using the terminal device 24 they carry. Therefore, even if only the person requiring assistance is present in the residence 12 and that person is unable to request assistance, a resident outside the residence 12 can request assistance from the person requiring assistance without returning to the residence 12. This allows the electronic key system 10 to effectively request assistance from the person requiring assistance.

On the other hand, if the person requiring support is not present (absent) at home 12, it is possible that the supporter's trip to home 12 will be a wasted trip, or that they will have to search the area around home 12. Therefore, the modified example described below makes it easier to confirm whether the person requiring support is present or absent.

[Modification]
6 is a schematic diagram of an electronic key system 60 serving as a support request system according to a modified example. A controller 62 of the electronic key system 60 includes a history acquisition unit 64 serving as a management unit. A terminal device 66 used with the electronic key system 60 includes a history request unit 68, and a supporter terminal device 70 carried by the supporter includes a history request unit 72 with the same functions as the history request unit 68.

The electronic key system 60 of the modified example differs from the controller 22 of the electronic key system 10 in that a controller 62 is provided with a history acquisition unit 64. The electronic key system 60 of the modified example also differs from the terminal device 24 and the supporter terminal device 54 of the electronic key system 10 in that a terminal device 66 is provided with a history request unit 68, and a supporter terminal device 70 is provided with a history request unit 72.

The lock unit 26 can unlock and lock the front door 14 from the outside by using the terminal device 24, and can also unlock and lock the front door 14 from the inside by a resident or other person operating the thumb turn.

From this point, when the lock unit 26 is unlocked or locked, the history acquisition unit 64 acquires whether the operation was performed from the outside or inside of the front door 14, as well as the time of the operation, and generates a lock/unlock history. The history acquisition unit 64 also registers the lock/unlock history in the registration unit 34. This makes it possible to confirm from the lock/unlock history stored in the registration unit 34 whether the last unlocking was performed from the inside or outside of the front door 14, and to confirm (estimate) whether the resident of the house 12 has left or is at home (returned home).

The history request unit 68 of the terminal device 66 (similar to the history request unit 72 of the supporter terminal device 70) requests the locking/unlocking history stored in the registration unit 34 from the controller 62, and displays the locking/unlocking history notified by the controller 62 in response to the history request on a display not shown .

From here, at a predetermined timing or prior to making a request for assistance for evacuation , a resident who is out requests the locking/unlocking history using the terminal device 66. As a result, if the last displayed locking/unlocking history shows the front door 14 being unlocked from the outside, it can be assumed that the person requiring assistance is at home, and a request for assistance for the evacuation of the person requiring assistance can be made to the support network 50, for example.

Furthermore, if the last time the locking/unlocking history shows the front door 14 being unlocked from the inside, it is possible that the person requiring assistance is not at home. From this, for example, rather than requesting assistance for the evacuation of the person requiring assistance, it is possible to request a confirmation of the safety of the person requiring assistance (a request for assistance to confirm the safety) or a request for a search for the person requiring assistance (a request for assistance to search). This prevents requests for assistance with unclear content from being issued.

Furthermore, a supporter who receives a request for assistance with evacuation, etc., can use the supporter terminal device 70 to request the locking/unlocking history from the electronic key system 60 (controller 62) before proceeding to the residence 12. This allows the supporter to go to the residence 12 to provide assistance if it can be confirmed (estimated) that the person requiring assistance is at home based on the acquired locking/unlocking history, thereby preventing a wasted trip.

In addition, if the acquired locking and unlocking history indicates that the person requiring assistance may be out, it can be assumed that there is a possibility of checking on their safety or searching for them, allowing for easy changes to the assistance method, enabling more effective assistance.

In the above-described embodiment and variant examples, the electronic key systems 10, 60 are described as requesting assistance with evacuation and other matters from the support network 50. However, the support request system can also be applied to requests to facilities that do not have a support network (organization), such as police stations, fire stations, and nursing homes.

Furthermore, in this embodiment and the modified example, the electronic key systems 10, 60 installed in the residence 12 have been described as an example. However, the present invention may also be applied to a support system in which the electronic key systems 10, 60 of multiple residences are each connected to the support management server 52 that is the support request destination.

10, 60 Electronic key system (assistance request system)
12. Housing (building)
14. Entrance door
20 Lock unit 22, 62 Controller 24, 66 Terminal device 26 Lock unit 28 Communication unit (acquisition means)
32 Lock operation unit (lock operation means)
36, 44 Generation unit (generation means)
38, 46 Request unit (support request means)
50 Support network 52 Support management server 54, 70 Supporter terminal device

Claims (4)

a locking unit for locking and unlocking the entrance door of the building;
a lock operation means for receiving preset key information from a portable terminal device when operating the locking unit to lock or unlock the door, thereby releasing the locking by the locking unit and enabling the door to be opened or closed;
a support request means for sending support request information including the key information to the support request destination so that the key information can be used in a supporter terminal device as the terminal device carried by a supporter of a preset support request destination;
a history acquisition unit that generates a locking/unlocking history including first information indicating whether the unlocking or locking operation performed on the lock unit was performed from outside the door or from inside the door, and second information indicating the time of the operation, and sends the generated locking/unlocking history to at least the terminal device carried by the supporter of the support request destination;
A support request system including: The support request system of claim 1, further comprising a generation means for generating the key information when the support request means sends the support request information. The support request system described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the support request information sent by the support request means includes location information of the building. 2. The support request system according to claim 1, wherein the support request means is provided in at least one of a terminal device carried by a resident of the building and a terminal device carried by a person designated by the resident .