JP7851882B2 - Automatic ticket gate, control method for automatic ticket gate, and program - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an automatic ticket gate, a control method for an automatic ticket gate, and a program.

Conventionally, automatic ticket gates that allow the use of IC cards loaded with electronic money as train tickets are known. For example, conventional automatic ticket gates used a reader/writer to read and write information to the IC card (such as entry and exit stations).

If other media with different reading methods, such as QR codes (registered trademark), could be used as tickets in addition to IC cards, the convenience of automatic ticket gates could be improved. Therefore, it is conceivable to equip automatic ticket gates with reading units capable of reading multiple types of media with different reading methods. However, there were cases where the automatic ticket gate would read a medium other than the one the user intended to use.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-57021 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-147269

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide an automatic ticket gate, a control method for the automatic ticket gate, and a program that can prevent the automatic ticket gate from reading a medium other than the one intended by the user.

The automatic ticket gate of this embodiment comprises a reading unit, a selection unit, and a control unit. The reading unit has the function of reading multiple types of media with different reading methods. The selection unit allows the user to select the media to be used. The control unit controls the reading unit so that it is impossible to read media not selected by the user, and also causes the reading unit to read the media selected by the user. Based on the information read by the reading unit, the control unit determines whether the user is permitted to pass through.

A diagram showing the ticket gate system 1 in the first embodiment. A diagram showing the configuration and function of IC card 90. A diagram showing the configuration and functions of the mobile terminal device 200. A diagram showing the functional configuration of the automatic ticket gate 30. A diagram showing the functional configuration of the central server device 50. A diagram showing the functional configuration of the electronic money server device 70. A diagram showing the contents of the entry/exit management table 64. A diagram showing the contents of electronic money information 82. A sequence diagram showing the processes executed by the ticket gate system 1. A diagram showing the appearance of the automatic ticket gate 30 when no medium has been selected. A diagram showing the appearance of the automatic ticket gate 30 when a medium has been selected. A flowchart showing the first reading process performed by the automatic ticket gate 30. A flowchart showing the NG解除 (NG)解除 (NG) process performed by the automatic ticket gate 30. A flowchart showing the second reading process performed by the automatic ticket gate 30.

The following describes the automatic ticket gate, the control method for the automatic ticket gate, and the program of the embodiment with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
[Overall structure]
Figure 1 shows a ticket gate system 1 in a first embodiment. The ticket gate system 1 includes, for example, Station A system 10A, Station B system 10B, a central server device 50, an electronic money server device 70A, and an electronic money server device 70B. In addition to Station A system 10A and Station B system 10B, the ticket gate system 1 may include multiple station systems. Hereinafter, if Station A system 10A and Station B system 10B are not distinguished, they will simply be referred to as "Station System 10". In the illustrated example, components included in Station A system 10A are indicated by "A" at the end of the reference numeral, and components included in Station B system 10B are indicated by "B" at the end of the reference numeral. If it is not distinguished which station system a component belongs to, "A" or "B" will be omitted.

Furthermore, the station system 10 includes, for example, automatic ticket gates 30 and payment terminals 40, as well as a station server, ticket vending machines, station equipment, etc. The station server transmits information acquired from the central server device 50 via the network NW to the automatic ticket gates 30 via a dedicated line (or public line), and transmits information acquired from the automatic ticket gates 30 via the dedicated line (or public line) to the central server device 50 via the network NW. The network NW can be a LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), Wi-Fi network, or the Internet. The automatic ticket gates 30 and the payment terminals 40 communicate, for example, via a dedicated line.

The payment terminal 40 communicates with the electronic money server device 70 by directly accessing the network NW without going through the station server, and sends and receives information. Alternatively, the payment terminal 40 may access the network NW directly via the station server.

[Media]
Here, the medium M used in the ticket gate system 1 of this embodiment will be described. Medium M is, for example, a medium containing information used for managing one or more electronic money services. Medium M may be a medium on which the service ID, charge amount, usage history (e.g., usage at XX store, etc.) can be written for each of the multiple electronic money services. In other words, medium M may be a medium on which the information of multiple electronic money services can be managed independently. Medium M may be an IC card, a mobile terminal device having the functionality of an IC card, or a mobile terminal device that displays a code image such as a QR code (registered trademark).

Figure 2 shows the configuration and function of the IC card 90. The IC card 90 is a medium with wireless communication capabilities. The IC card 90 comprises, for example, a base material 91, a chip 92, and an antenna 93. The chip 92 is, for example, a passive type IC chip contained within the base material 91. The chip 92 transmits and receives information to and from the reader/writer of the automatic ticket gate 30 using RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) technology. The chip 92 performs processing based on a command response scheme, transmitting information in response to commands (signals) transmitted by the automatic ticket gate 30. The chip 92 includes, for example, a transmitting/receiving unit 94, a control circuit 95, a storage unit 96, etc. The transmitting/receiving unit 94 demodulates information contained in radio waves transmitted by the automatic ticket gate 30, generates radio waves for superimposing information, and superimposes information onto the generated radio waves.

The control circuit 95 includes a processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control circuit 95 writes information to the storage unit 96 and reads information written to the storage unit 96 according to the content of the command transmitted by the automatic ticket gate 30. The control circuit 95 also reads the information stored in the storage unit 96 and transmits the read information to the automatic ticket gate 30 using the antenna 93 and the transmitting/receiving unit 94.

The memory unit 96 stores encoded information such as the program executed by the control circuit 95, the media ID, and the electronic money charge amount (deposit amount). This will be explained in detail below. The memory unit 96 has, for example, a first memory area AR1 and a second memory area AR2. The first memory area AR1 stores, for example, the identification information of the IC card 90 (hereinafter referred to as the "media ID"). The media ID is identification information assigned to each chip 92 of the IC card 90, regardless of the electronic money service managed by the IC card 90. This media ID is obtained by communicating with the chip 92 using a predetermined protocol.

The second memory area AR2 is configured, for example, with a first electronic money service area AR2-1, a second electronic money service area AR2-2, and a third electronic money service area AR2-3. The first electronic money service area AR2-1 stores information related to the first electronic money service, the second electronic money service area AR2-2 stores information related to the second electronic money service, and the third electronic money service area AR2-3 stores information related to the third electronic money service. The information related to the first, second, or third electronic money service is acquired or modified by a device with access rights corresponding to the electronic money service, through communication using the protocol corresponding to that electronic money service.

Information regarding the first electronic money service includes the first service ID, the first charge amount, and the first usage history. The first service ID is managed by the administrator of the first electronic money service. Information regarding the second electronic money service includes the second service ID, the second charge amount, and the second usage history. The second service ID is managed by the administrator of the second electronic money service. Information regarding the third electronic money service includes the third service ID, the third charge amount, and the third usage history. The third service ID is managed by the administrator of the third electronic money service. Hereafter, when the first, second, and third service IDs are not distinguished, they will be referred to as "service ID."

Furthermore, the IC card 90 may have at least an area for writing the media ID, but it may not have areas for writing the user's entry station information, exit station information, or charge amount. In this case, the charge amount is managed by the electronic money server device 70. Alternatively, the IC card 90 may store only the media ID and information related to a single electronic money service.

Furthermore, instead of (or in addition to) the IC card 90, a mobile terminal device such as a mobile phone with card emulation functionality may be used in the ticket gate system 1.

The above describes an IC card 90 as an example of medium M, but medium M is not limited to this. For example, medium M may be a portable terminal device that displays a code image as a ticket and allows it to be read by an automatic ticket gate 30. Below, we will describe a portable terminal device that displays a QR code (registered trademark) as a ticket and allows it to be read by an automatic ticket gate 30, as an example of a code image.

Figure 3 shows the configuration and functions of the mobile terminal device 200. The mobile terminal device 200 is a portable terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet. The mobile terminal device 200 has the functions of both an IC transit card and a QR code (registered trademark) transit card.

The mobile terminal device 200 includes, for example, a communication unit 210, a control unit 220, a first processing unit 230, a second processing unit 240, a touch panel 250, and a storage unit 260.

The communication unit 210 is a communication interface for communicating with other devices, such as the electronic money server device 70, via the network NW.

The touch panel 250 comprises a display unit 251 and an input unit 252. The display unit 251 displays an image corresponding to the processing result of the mobile terminal device 200. The input unit 252 accepts user input.

The storage unit 260 is an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), flash memory, or RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage unit 260 may also be a NAS device accessible by the mobile terminal device 200 via a network NW. The storage unit 260 stores the program executed by the control unit 220 and the media ID 262. In addition to this information, the storage unit 260 also stores the service ID of the QR code (registered trademark) payment service.

The control unit 220 oversees the overall control of the mobile terminal device 200. The control unit 220 is implemented, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or by the collaboration of software and hardware. The program may be pre-stored in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory (a storage device with a non-transient storage medium), or it may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM (a non-transient storage medium) and installed in the storage device when the storage medium is inserted into a drive device.

The first processing unit 230 is a processing unit that performs the functions of an IC transit card. The first processing unit 230 has the same functions as the IC card 90 and may be equipped with the aforementioned chip 92 and antenna 93. Therefore, the first processing unit 230 can send and receive information with the reader/writer of the automatic ticket gate 30 using RFID technology.

The second processing unit 240 is a processing unit that performs the function of a QR code (registered trademark) ticket. The second processing unit 240 reads and executes the ticket application from the storage unit 260, and displays the QR code (registered trademark) with the medium ID 262 encoded on the display unit 251. The QR code (registered trademark) displayed on the display unit 251 will be read by the automatic ticket gate 30.

[Automatic ticket gates]
Figure 4 shows the functional configuration of the automatic ticket gate 30. The automatic ticket gate 30 includes, for example, a communication unit 31, a control unit 32, a door 33, a door drive unit 34, a first reading unit 35-1, a second reading unit 35-2, a first lighting unit 36-1, a second lighting unit 36-2, a first detection unit 37-1, a second detection unit 37-2, and a touch panel 38.

The communication unit 31 is a communication interface for communicating with the payment terminal 40, the central server device 50, etc. The communication unit 31 is, for example, a network interface card.

The control unit 32 oversees the overall control of the automatic ticket gate 30. The control unit 32 is implemented, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as LSIs, ASICs, FPGAs, and GPUs, or by the collaboration of software and hardware. The program may be pre-stored in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory (a storage device with a non-transient storage medium), or it may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM (a non-transient storage medium) and installed in the storage device when the storage medium is inserted into a drive device.

Door 33 is a door installed in the passageway of the automatic ticket gate 30, and it guides users on whether or not they are allowed to pass through. The door drive unit 34 is a drive device for opening and closing door 33, and may, for example, be equipped with a motor.

The first reading unit 35-1 is a reading unit that reads information from the medium M (IC card 90 or mobile terminal device 200) used as an IC transit ticket. Specifically, the first reading unit 35-1 is a reader/writer that communicates with the medium M held up by a railway user, reads the medium ID from the medium M, and writes entry and exit records of stations equipped with automatic ticket gates 30 to the medium M.

The second reading unit 35-2 is a reading unit that reads information from the medium M (mobile terminal device 200) as a QR code (registered trademark) ticket. The reading method for the medium M as a QR code (registered trademark) ticket differs from the reading method for the medium M as an IC ticket. Specifically, the second reading unit 35-2 optically reads the QR code (registered trademark) displayed on the medium M held up by the railway user, and decodes the read information to read the medium ID of the medium M.

The first lighting unit 36-1 is a lighting device such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) that illuminates the position where the first reading unit 35-1 is located. The second lighting unit 36-2 is a lighting device such as an LED that illuminates the position where the second reading unit 35-2 is located.

The first detection unit 37-1 is a sensor installed near the exit of the automatic ticket gate 30, and is used to detect when a user exits the automatic ticket gate 30 from the exit side. The second detection unit 37-2 is a sensor installed near the entrance of the automatic ticket gate 30, and is used to detect when a user exits the automatic ticket gate 30 from the entrance side.

The touch panel 38 comprises a display unit 38-1 and an input unit 38-2. The display unit 38-1 displays a media selection screen, etc., as described later. The input unit 38-2 accepts user input.

The control unit 32 controls the communication unit 31 to transmit the media ID acquired by the first reading unit 35-1 or the second reading unit 35-2 to the central server device 50. The control unit 32 also receives fare information indicating the railway fare transmitted by the central server device 50 via the communication unit 31. The control unit 32 controls the communication unit 31 to transmit the fare information received from the central server device 50 to the payment terminal 40. The payment terminal 40 performs payment processing based on the fare information received from the automatic ticket gate 30.

[Center Server Equipment]
Figure 5 shows the functional configuration of the central server device 50. The central server device 50 includes, for example, a communication unit 52, an information management unit 54, a fare extraction unit 56, and a storage unit 60.

The communication unit 52 is a communication interface for communicating with the automatic ticket gate 30, etc. The communication unit 52 is, for example, a network interface card.

The information management unit 54 and the fare calculation unit 56 are implemented, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as LSIs, ASICs, FPGAs, and GPUs, or by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be pre-stored in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory (a storage device equipped with a non-transient storage medium), or it may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM (a non-transient storage medium) and installed in the storage device when the storage medium is mounted in a drive device.

The information management unit 54 receives information transmitted by the automatic ticket gate 30 via the communication unit 52 and manages the received information in the entry/exit management table 64. The information management unit 54 controls the communication unit 52 to transmit the railway fare derived by the fare derivation unit 56 to the automatic ticket gate 30 at the exit station.

The fare calculation unit 56 calculates the railway fare based on the received media ID and the fare between the user's entry station and exit station.

The storage unit 60 is an HDD, flash memory, or RAM, etc. The storage unit 60 may also be a NAS device accessible by the central server device 50 via a network NW. The storage unit 60 stores programs executed by the information management unit 54 or the fare calculation unit 56, as well as the fare table 62, entry/exit management table 64, etc. The fare table 62 is information listing fares between stations and is used by the fare calculation unit 56 when calculating fares. The entry/exit management table 64 will be described later.

[Electronic Money Server Device]
Electronic money server device 70A is a device that manages the first electronic money service. Electronic money server device 70B is a device that manages the second electronic money service. When electronic money server device 70A and electronic money server device 70B are not distinguished, they are simply referred to as "electronic money server device 70". The ticket gate system 1 may also include a device that manages the third or fourth electronic money service.

Figure 6 shows the functional configuration of the electronic money server device 70. The electronic money server device 70 includes, for example, a communication unit 72, a payment management unit 74, and a storage unit 80.

The communication unit 72 is a communication interface for communicating with the payment terminal 40, etc. The communication unit 72 is, for example, a network interface card.

The payment management unit 74 is implemented, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as LSIs, ASICs, FPGAs, and GPUs, or by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be pre-stored in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory (a storage device equipped with a non-transient storage medium), or it may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM (a non-transient storage medium) and installed in the storage device when the storage medium is mounted in a drive device. The payment management unit 74 manages the payment processing performed by the payment terminal 40 in the electronic money information 82.

The storage unit 80 is an HDD, flash memory, or RAM, etc. The storage unit 80 may also be a NAS device accessible by the electronic money server device 70 via a network NW. The storage unit 80 stores programs executed by the payment management unit 74, and electronic money information 82 (described later), etc.

[Overview of the ticket gate system's processing]
At an entry station, when a user holds a medium M over the first reading unit 35-1 or the second reading unit 35-2 of the automatic ticket gate 30, the automatic ticket gate 30 transmits the medium ID read by the first reading unit 35-1 or the second reading unit 35-2, along with the identification information of the station where the automatic ticket gate 30 is installed, to the central server device 50. This medium ID is managed in the entry/exit management table 64 of the central server device 50.

Figure 7 shows the contents of the entry/exit management table 64. The entry/exit management table 64 is a list of information associated with each media ID, including information about the entry station, entry time, exit station, exit time, fare between the entry and exit stations, information indicating whether fare payment has been completed, and the type of electronic money service used by the user.

The information management unit 54 of the central server device 50, upon acquiring the media ID and station identification information transmitted by the automatic ticket gate 30, associates the acquired information with the media ID in the entry/exit management table 64 and assigns it to the corresponding item. For example, if the information management unit 54 acquires station identification information when station identification information is not yet associated with the media ID in the entry/exit management table 64, it considers that station as the entry station and the time the station identification information was acquired as the entry time.

Furthermore, at the exit station, when a user holds the medium M over the first reading unit 35-1 or the second reading unit 35-2 of the automatic ticket gate 30, the automatic ticket gate 30 transmits the medium ID read by the first reading unit 35-1 or the second reading unit 35-2, as well as the identification information of the station where the automatic ticket gate 30 is installed, to the central server device 50.

The information management unit 54 of the central server device 50, upon acquiring the media ID and station identification information transmitted by the automatic ticket gate 30, associates the acquired information with the media ID in the entry/exit management table 64 and assigns it to the corresponding item. For example, if the information management unit 54 acquires station identification information while the entry station identification information is already associated with the media ID in the entry/exit management table 64, it considers that station to be the exit station and the time the station identification information was acquired as the exit time.

Furthermore, the fare extraction unit 56 of the central server device 50 refers to the fare table 62 and extracts the fare from the entry station to the exit station in the entry/exit management table 64. The information management unit 54, by controlling the communication unit 52, transmits the extracted fare to the automatic ticket gate 30 at the exit station.

The automatic ticket gate 30, upon receiving the fare, transmits the received fare to the payment terminal 40. Upon receiving the fare from the automatic ticket gate 30, the payment terminal 40 executes a payment process to settle the fare. This process includes deducting the fare from the charged amount. The payment terminal 40 then transmits the payment details (the deducted amount, the charged amount (remaining balance), and the name of the business operator using the medium M) to the electronic money server device 70. Upon receiving the payment details, the electronic money server device 70 updates the electronic money information 82.

Figure 8 shows the contents of the electronic money information 82. The electronic money information 82 is a list of information where the charged amount after use, the date and time the medium M was used, the amount used by the medium M, and the name of the business operator used by the medium M are associated with the medium ID and service ID. When the payment management unit 74 obtains the payment details, it associates the acquired information with the medium ID in the electronic money information 82 and the corresponding item, managing the usage status of the medium M. As a result, the fare is paid using the charged amount of the medium M, and the user's entry and exit process is completed.

In this embodiment of the ticket gate system 1, information such as the entry and exit stations is managed by the central server device 50, but this is not limited to this configuration. For example, this information may be stored on the IC card 90 or the mobile terminal device 200.

In this embodiment, the automatic ticket gate 30 has been described as accepting both entry and exit of users. However, instead (or in addition to this), the automatic ticket gate 30 may be configured as an entry-only gate or an exit-only gate. An entry-only automatic ticket gate 30 does not need to be connected to a payment terminal 40. In this case, when the entry-only gate obtains the media ID of the media M held up by the user, it transmits the media ID along with information indicating that the user has entered to the central server device 50. When the central server device 50 obtains the above information from the entry-only gate, it determines that the user has entered. When the exit-only gate obtains the media ID of the media M held up by the user, it transmits the media ID along with information indicating that the user is attempting to exit to the central server device 50. When the central server device 50 obtains the above information from the exit-only gate, it determines that the user has exited. Furthermore, when the Information Management Unit 54 obtains information indicating entry and a media ID, if the information indicating the user's previous entry is not associated with the information indicating their previous exit in the Entry/Exit Management Table 64, it sends an error message to the entry machine. The entry machine then notifies the user that the previous fare payment has not been processed. Similarly, when the Information Management Unit 54 obtains information indicating an attempt to exit and a media ID, if the information indicating entry is not associated with the information in the Entry/Exit Management Table 64, it sends an error message to the exit machine. The exit machine then notifies the user that the entry process has not been completed.

Figure 9 is a sequence diagram showing the processing performed by the ticket gate system 1. First, when the medium M is held up to the first reading unit 35-1 or the second reading unit 35-2 of the automatic ticket gate 30 on the entry side, the first reading unit 35-1 or the second reading unit 35-2 reads the medium M and obtains the medium ID. The control unit 32 controls the communication unit 31 to transmit the obtained medium ID and the identification information of the entry station to the central server device 50 (step S10). Next, the information management unit 54 of the central server device 50 associates the medium ID and the identification information of the entry station transmitted by the automatic ticket gate 30 at the entry station with the entry time in the entry/exit management table 64 (step S11).

Next, when the medium M is held up to the first reading unit 35-1 or the second reading unit 35-2 of the automatic ticket gate 30 on the exit side, the first reading unit 35-1 or the second reading unit 35-2 reads the medium M and obtains the medium ID. The control unit 32 controls the communication unit 31 to transmit the obtained medium ID and the identification information of the exit station to the central server device 50 (step S12). Next, the central server device 50 associates the medium ID and the identification information of the exit station transmitted by the automatic ticket gate 30 at the exit station with the exit time in the entry/exit management table 64 (step S13).

Next, the fare calculation unit 56 of the central server device 50 calculates the fare payable by the user based on the fare table 62 and the entry/exit management table 64 (step S14), and transmits the calculated fare to the automatic ticket gate 30 at the exit station (step S15). At this time, the information management unit 54 of the central server device 50 provisionally registers the calculated fare in the entry/exit management table 64.

Next, the automatic ticket gate 30 at the exit station receives the fare from the central server device 50 and transmits the received fare and the type of electronic money service selected from the media selection screen displayed on the touch panel 38 to the payment terminal 40 (step S16). Details will be described later in Figures 10 and 11, but the media selection screen displays multiple buttons, and the user selects one of these buttons to choose the type of media (electronic money service) to be used.

The payment terminal 40 settles the fare received from the automatic ticket gate 30 at the exit station using the charged amount of the electronic money corresponding to the type of service received (step S17). For example, the payment terminal 40 receives the charged amount from the electronic money server device 70 corresponding to the type of service received and performs processing such as deducting the fare from the charged amount. Next, the payment terminal 40 transmits the payment details to the electronic money server device 70 corresponding to the type of service (step S18). The payment details may include information such as the service ID, the amount deducted or charged amount (remaining balance), and the name of the business operator using the medium M. Subsequently, the payment management unit 74 of the electronic money server device 70 reflects the payment details received from the payment terminal 40 in the electronic money information 82 (step S19).

Next, the payment terminal 40 transmits the payment result, including the details of the payment, to the automatic ticket gate 30 at the exit station (step S20). If the medium M is an IC card, the charge amount and usage history are stored in the memory unit 96 of the chip 92. Therefore, the reader/writer of the first reading unit 35-1 of the automatic ticket gate 30 updates the information stored in the memory unit 96, such as the charge amount and usage history, according to the payment result. Next, the automatic ticket gate 30 at the exit station transmits the received payment result to the central server device 50 (step S21). In this case, when the central server device 50 receives the payment result, which is a response to the transmitted fare, it confirms the provisionally registered fare in the entry/exit management table 64 and associates a flag indicating that payment for the fare has been completed with the medium ID (step S22).

Furthermore, if the central server device 50 has not received the settlement result, which is a response to the transmitted fare, it will not set the flag indicating that the fare settlement has been completed, because the fare settlement has not been performed correctly. In this state, if a user attempts to enter the station and a media ID with an incomplete settlement is transmitted to the central server device 50, the central server device 50 will transmit information to the automatic ticket gate 30 indicating that the previous settlement was incomplete, as well as information such as the outstanding settlement amount.

Figure 10 shows the external appearance of the automatic ticket gate 30 when no media selection has been made. As shown in Figure 10, the top surface of the automatic ticket gate 30 is provided with a first reading unit 35-1, a second reading unit 35-2, a first lighting unit 36-1, and a second lighting unit 36-2. The first lighting unit 36-1 is provided around the first reading unit 35-1, and the second lighting unit 36-2 is provided around the second reading unit 35-2. The touch panel 38 displays a media selection screen. The media selection screen includes buttons B1 to B7.

Buttons B1 through B4 are buttons that allow the user to select the medium M (electronic money service) to be used. Buttons B1 through B4 may be pictograms indicating the electronic money service corresponding to each button. Of these, buttons B1 through B3 allow the user to select an electronic money service usable as an IC transit card. Button B4 allows the user to select an electronic money service usable as a QR code (registered trademark) transit card.

Buttons B5 (5th) and B6 (6th) are used to switch the media selection screen to a different page. If there are multiple media selection screens due to the large number of available media M (electronic money services), selecting either button B5 or B6 will switch the media selection screen to a different page. Button B5 is a page-advancing button to move to the next page. Button B6 is a page-back button to return to the previous page. The automatic ticket gate 30 may also switch pages in response to a swipe operation on the media selection screen by the user.

The seventh button, B7, is a cancel button used to deselect the selected state. The control unit 32 of the automatic ticket gate 30 deselects the selected state of the medium M, which was selected by the user, in response to the user selecting the seventh button, B7, displayed on the touch panel 38.

Figure 11 shows the appearance of the automatic ticket gate 30 when a medium selection has been made. Figure 11 shows the medium selection screen when the first button B1 is selected by the user. When the first button B1 is selected, the control unit 32 of the automatic ticket gate 30 changes the background of the first button B1 displayed on the touch panel 38 to a darker color. This allows the user to easily understand that the first button B1 has been selected.

Furthermore, the control unit 32 illuminates the first lighting unit 36-1, causing the area around the first reading unit 35-1 to emit a bluish-white light, while simultaneously extinguishing the second lighting unit 36-2. This allows the automatic ticket gate 30 to prompt the user to hold the medium M over the first reading unit 35-1.

Specifically, when the user selects the first button B1 to the third button B3 (i.e., an IC transit card), the control unit 32 illuminates the first indicator 36-1 and turns off the second indicator 36-2. Conversely, when the user selects the fourth button B4 (i.e., a QR code (registered trademark) transit card), the control unit 32 illuminates the second indicator 36-2 and turns off the first indicator 36-1. This allows the user to easily determine which of the first and second reading units 35-1 should hold the medium M.

In this embodiment, when the automatic ticket gate 30 is equipped with multiple reading units, it is possible that a preceding user and a subsequent user may simultaneously hold the medium M over different reading units. Furthermore, in some cases, the subsequent user may hold the medium M over the reading unit before the preceding user. To prevent such situations, the control unit 32 controls the system by turning off the reading unit corresponding to the medium M not selected by the user among the first reading unit 35-1 and the second reading unit 35-2, thereby making it impossible to read the medium M. This prevents the automatic ticket gate 30 from reading a medium M that the user did not intend to use.

[First reading process]
Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the first reading process performed by the automatic ticket gate 30. The control unit 32 of the automatic ticket gate 30 executes the first reading process by running a program stored in the memory unit within the automatic ticket gate 30.

First, the control unit 32 determines whether the medium M that the user intends to use has been selected from the touch panel 38 (step S100). The process in step S100 is repeated until the medium M that the user intends to use is selected from the touch panel 38.

When the user selects a medium M from the touch panel 38, the control unit 32 controls the system so that reading of the medium M is impossible by turning off all reading units from the first reading unit 35-1 and the second reading unit 35-2 except for the one corresponding to the selected medium M (step S101). The control unit 32 also turns off all other lighting units from the first lighting unit 36-1 and the second lighting unit 36-2 except for the one corresponding to the selected medium M (step S102).

Next, the control unit 32 determines whether the reading of the medium M has been completed by the first reading unit 35-1 or the second reading unit 35-2 (step S103). If the control unit 32 determines that the reading of the medium M has not been completed by the first reading unit 35-1 or the second reading unit 35-2, it determines whether a certain amount of time (e.g., 10 seconds) has elapsed since the user selected the medium M they wish to use (step S104). If the control unit 32 determines that a certain amount of time has not elapsed since the user selected the medium M they wish to use, it returns to step S103. On the other hand, if the control unit 32 determines that a certain amount of time has elapsed since the user selected the medium M they wish to use, it proceeds to step S109, which will be described later.

In step S103, if the control unit 32 determines that the reading of the medium M has been completed by the first reading unit 35-1 or the second reading unit 35-2, it determines whether or not to allow the user to pass through the automatic ticket gate 30 (step S105). For example, the control unit 32 determines that it will not allow the user to pass through the automatic ticket gate 30 if the user attempts to exit without an entry record, if the user attempts to enter without an exit record for the previous entry record, or if the amount charged to the electronic money is less than the fare. If the control unit 32 determines that it will not allow the user to pass through the automatic ticket gate 30, it executes the NG cancellation process described later in Figure 13 (step S200).

On the other hand, if the control unit 32 determines that it is permissible for the user to pass through the automatic ticket gate 30, it controls the door drive unit 34 to open the door 33 of the automatic ticket gate 30 (step S106). Next, the control unit 32 waits until the user passes through the automatic ticket gate 30 (step S107). Specifically, based on the detection result of the first detection unit 37-1, the control unit 32 determines whether the user has exited the passage of the automatic ticket gate 30 from the exit side. If the control unit 32 determines that the user has passed through the automatic ticket gate 30, it controls the door drive unit 34 to close the door 33 of the automatic ticket gate 30 (step S108).

Subsequently, the control unit 32 controls the first reading unit 35-1 and the second reading unit 35-2, except for the reading unit corresponding to the selected medium M, to enable reading of the medium M (step S109). The control unit 32 also illuminates the first lighting unit 36-1 and the second lighting unit 36-2, except for the lighting unit corresponding to the selected medium M (step S110). As a result, all reading units are turned on, and all lighting units are illuminated. At this point, the control unit 32 returns the medium selection screen on the touch panel 38 to a state where nothing is selected. After this, the control unit 32 terminates the process according to this flowchart. After the completion of the process according to this flowchart, the process in step S100 is executed again.

Thus, when the control unit 32 determines that it is permissible for a user to pass through, and in response to the first detection unit 37-1 detecting that the user has exited the passageway from the exit side, it permits the first reading unit 35-1 or the second reading unit 35-2 to read the medium M that was not selected by the user. This allows the automatic ticket gate 30 to be ready to read the medium M owned by the next user.

[NG removal process]
Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the NG release process performed by the automatic ticket gate 30. The NG release process shown in Figure 13 is a detailed explanation of step S200 in Figure 12.

If the control unit 32 determines in step S105 of Figure 12 that it does not permit the user to pass through the automatic ticket gate 30, it determines whether reading has been completed again with the same medium M (step S201). If the control unit 32 determines that reading has been completed again with the same medium M, it determines whether it permits the user to pass through the automatic ticket gate 30 (step S202). The process in step S202 is the same as the process in step S105 of Figure 12. If the control unit 32 determines that it does not permit the user to pass through the automatic ticket gate 30, it returns to step S201.

On the other hand, if the control unit 32 determines that it is permissible for the user to pass through the automatic ticket gate 30, it proceeds to step S106 in Figure 12 and controls the door drive unit 34 to open the door 33 of the automatic ticket gate 30. This allows the user to pass through the automatic ticket gate 30.

Furthermore, if the control unit 32 determines in step S201 that reading has not been completed again with the same medium M, it determines whether the user has exited the entrance of the automatic ticket gate 30 (step S203). Specifically, based on the detection result of the second detection unit 37-2, the control unit 32 determines whether the user has exited the passage of the automatic ticket gate 30 from the entrance side. If the control unit 32 determines that the user has not exited the entrance of the automatic ticket gate 30, it determines whether a certain amount of time (e.g., 10 seconds) has elapsed since the NG release process started (step S204). If the control unit 32 determines that a certain amount of time has not elapsed since the NG release process started, it returns to step S201.

On the other hand, if the control unit 32 determines in step S203 that the user has exited the entrance of the automatic ticket gate 30, or if it determines in step S204 that a certain amount of time has elapsed since the NG release process began, it proceeds to step S109 in Figure 12. As a result, the control unit 32 turns on all reading units except those corresponding to the selected medium M, and illuminates all indicator lights except those corresponding to the selected medium M. That is, all reading units are turned on, and all indicator lights are illuminated. Therefore, the automatic ticket gate 30 can be returned to a state where the medium M that the user intends to use is not selected.

Thus, when the control unit 32 determines that it does not permit the user to pass, and the second detection unit 37-2 detects that the user has exited the passageway from the entrance side, it authorizes the first reading unit 35-1 or the second reading unit 35-2 to read the medium M that was not selected by the user. This allows the automatic ticket gate 30 to be ready to read the medium M owned by the exiting user or the next user.

In the first embodiment described above, the control unit 32 of the automatic ticket gate 30 controls the reading unit (first reading unit 35-1 or second reading unit 35-2) so that it is impossible to read any medium M not selected by the user. It also causes the reading unit (first reading unit 35-1 or second reading unit 35-2) to read the medium M selected by the user, and determines whether the user is allowed to pass based on the information read by the reading unit (first reading unit 35-1 or second reading unit 35-2). This prevents the automatic ticket gate 30 from reading any medium other than the one the user intends to use.

In this embodiment, the automatic ticket gate 30 is provided with two reading units, but it is not limited to this. For example, the automatic ticket gate 30 may be provided with three or more reading units with different reading methods, and three or more indicator lights corresponding to each of the three or more reading units. The more reading units there are, the more difficult it becomes for the user to determine which reading unit to hold the medium M over. However, according to this embodiment, the indicator lights illuminate the positions where the reading units to be held over the medium M are located, so the user can easily determine which reading unit to hold the medium M over.

(Second embodiment)
In the first embodiment, as shown in step S100 of Figure 12, the automatic ticket gate 30 waits until the medium M that the user intends to use is selected from the touch panel 38. In contrast, in the second embodiment, if the medium M that the user intends to use is not selected from the touch panel 38, the automatic ticket gate 30 automatically selects a reading unit to read the medium M and performs a second reading process to read the medium M using the selected reading unit. If the user knows which of the multiple reading units to hold the medium M over, they may want to have the medium M read by holding it over the reading unit without having to select the medium M from the touch panel 38. In such cases, in the second embodiment, the automatic ticket gate 30 can automatically select a reading unit and read the medium M without requiring the user to select the medium M, thereby improving the convenience of the automatic ticket gate 30. The second embodiment will be described in detail below.

[Second reading process]
Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the second reading process performed by the automatic ticket gate 30. The control unit 32 of the automatic ticket gate 30 executes the second reading process by running a program stored in the memory unit within the automatic ticket gate 30.

First, the control unit 32 determines whether the medium M that the user intends to use has been selected from the touch panel 38 (step S300). If the medium M that the user intends to use has been selected from the touch panel 38, the control unit 32 proceeds to step S101 in Figure 12. This completes the processing for when medium M is selected from the touch panel 38.

On the other hand, if the medium M that the user intends to use is not selected from the touch panel 38, the control unit 32 selects a default reader from the first reader unit 35-1 and the second reader unit 35-2 (S301). The default reader unit may be the reader unit that reads the most frequently used medium M among the multiple types of medium M usable by the automatic ticket gate 30. For example, the control unit 32 may select a reader unit that reads transportation IC cards issued by railway companies as the default reader unit.

Next, the control unit 32 controls the system to enable reading of the medium M by turning on the selected reading unit from the first reading unit 35-1 and the second reading unit 35-2 (step S302). The control unit 32 also controls the system to disable reading of the medium M by turning off the other reading units from the first reading unit 35-1 and the second reading unit 35-2 (step S303).

Next, the control unit 32 determines whether the reading of the medium M has been completed by the selected reading unit (step S304). If the control unit 32 determines that the reading of the medium M has not been completed by the selected reading unit, it determines whether a certain amount of time (e.g., 0.2 seconds) has elapsed since the reading unit was selected (step S305). If the control unit 32 determines that a certain amount of time has not elapsed since the reading unit to be used was selected, it returns to step S304.

On the other hand, if the control unit 32 determines that a certain amount of time has elapsed since the selection of the reading unit to be used, it determines whether or not there is another reading unit (in other words, a reading unit that has not yet been selected) (step S306). If the control unit 32 determines that there is another reading unit, it selects the next reading unit (step S307) and returns to step S302 described above. This allows the control unit 32 to attempt to read the medium M with the next reading unit. On the other hand, if the control unit 32 determines that there is no next reading unit, it proceeds to step S312, which will be described later.

In step S304, if the control unit 32 determines that the reading of the medium M has been completed by the selected reading unit, it determines whether or not to allow the user to pass through the automatic ticket gate 30 (step S308). For example, the control unit 32 determines that it will not allow the user to pass through the automatic ticket gate 30 if the user attempts to exit without an entry record, if the user attempts to enter without an exit record for the previous entry record, or if the amount charged to the electronic money is less than the fare. If the control unit 32 determines that it will not allow the user to pass through the automatic ticket gate 30, it executes the NG release process shown in Figure 13 (step S200). In this embodiment, if it is determined to be OK in step S202 in Figure 13, the process proceeds to step S309 in Figure 14, and if it is determined to be YES in step S204 in Figure 13, the process proceeds to step S312 in Figure 14.

On the other hand, if the control unit 32 determines that it is permissible for the user to pass through the automatic ticket gate 30, it controls the door drive unit 34 to open the door 33 of the automatic ticket gate 30 (step S309). Next, the control unit 32 waits until the user passes through the automatic ticket gate 30 (step S310). Specifically, based on the detection result of the first detection unit 37-1, the control unit 32 determines whether the user has exited the passage of the automatic ticket gate 30 from the exit side. If the control unit 32 determines that the user has passed through the automatic ticket gate 30, it controls the door drive unit 34 to close the door 33 of the automatic ticket gate 30 (step S311).

Subsequently, the control unit 32 controls the system to enable reading of the medium M by turning on all but the selected reading unit from the first reading unit 35-1 and the second reading unit 35-2 (step S312). This turns on all reading units. After this, the control unit 32 terminates the process according to this flowchart. Following the completion of the process according to this flowchart, the process in step S300 is executed again.

In the second embodiment described above, if the type of medium M to be used has not been selected by the user via the touch panel 38, the control unit 32 controls the first reading unit 35-1 and the second reading unit 35-2 to repeatedly read the medium M while switching the reading method. This allows the user, knowing which of the multiple reading units to hold the medium M over, to have the medium M read by holding it over the corresponding reading unit without having to select the medium M from the touch panel 38, thereby improving the convenience of the automatic ticket gate 30.

In the first and second embodiments, the first reading unit 35-1 and the second reading unit 35-2 are provided independently, but this is not limited to this configuration. For example, the first reading unit 35-1 and the second reading unit 35-2 may be configured as a single integrated reading unit. In this case, since one reading unit can read multiple types of media M, there is a possibility that media other than the one the user intends to use may be read by the automatic ticket gate 30. Specifically, when attempting to have the reading unit read a QR code (registered trademark) displayed on a mobile terminal device 200, it is conceivable that the contents of the chip 92 on the mobile terminal device 200 may be read and recognized as an IC transit card. Even in such a case, according to this embodiment, since the reading units other than the one for the media M selected from the touch panel 38 are turned off, it is possible to prevent media other than the one the user intends to use from being read by the automatic ticket gate 30.

Furthermore, while the first and second embodiments show the automatic ticket gate 30 and the payment terminal 40 being provided separately, this is not limited to this configuration. For example, the payment terminal 40 may be omitted by equipping the automatic ticket gate 30 with the functions of the payment terminal 40.

Furthermore, while the first and second embodiments described examples of the ticket gate system 1 being used in railways, the system is not limited to this. For example, the ticket gate system 1 may be applied to other transportation systems such as buses, trams, ferries, aircraft, and cable cars.

According to at least one embodiment described above, the automatic ticket gate 30 includes a reading unit (first reading unit 35-1 and second reading unit 35-2), a selection unit (touch panel 38), and a control unit 32. The reading units (first reading unit 35-1 and second reading unit 35-2) have the function of reading multiple types of media M with different reading methods. The selection unit (touch panel 38) allows the user to select the media M to be used. The control unit 32 controls the reading units (first reading unit 35-1 and second reading unit 35-2) so that it is impossible to read media M that have not been selected by the user, and causes the reading units (first reading unit 35-1 and second reading unit 35-2) to read the media M selected by the user, and determines whether the user is allowed to pass through based on the information read by the reading units (first reading unit 35-1 and second reading unit 35-2). This prevents the automatic ticket gate 30 from reading a medium other than the one the user intends to use.

While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the claims and its equivalents.

1…Ticket gate system, 10…Station system, 30…Automatic ticket gate, 31…Communication unit, 32…Control unit, 33…Door, 34…Door drive unit, 35-1…First reading unit, 35-2…Second reading unit, 36-1…First lighting unit, 36-2…Second lighting unit, 37-1…First detection unit, 37-2…Second detection unit, 38…Touch panel, 38-1…Display unit, 38-2…Input unit, 40…Payment terminal, 50…Center server device, 70…Electronic money server device, 90…IC card, 200…Mobile terminal device, M…Media

Claims (9)

A reading unit having the function of reading multiple types of media with different reading methods,
A selection section that allows the user to choose the medium to use,
A control unit controls the reading unit to prevent the reading of media not selected by the user, causes the reading unit to read the media selected by the user, and determines whether the user is allowed to pass based on the information read by the reading unit.
An automatic ticket gate equipped with this feature. The reading unit is,
A first reading unit that reads the first medium,
The system includes a second reading unit that reads a second medium using a different reading method than the first medium,
The automatic ticket gate according to claim 1. A first lighting unit that illuminates the position where the first reading unit is provided,
It comprises a second lighting unit that illuminates the position where the second reading unit is provided,
The control unit turns off the second indicator light when the user selects the first medium, and turns off the first indicator light when the user selects the second medium.
The automatic ticket gate according to claim 2. The system further includes a first detection unit that detects when the user exits the automatic ticket gate from the exit side.
When the control unit determines that it is permissible for the user to pass through, and the first detection unit has detected that the user has exited the passage from the exit side, it permits the reading unit to read a medium not selected by the user.
The automatic ticket gate according to claim 1. The system further includes a second detection unit that detects when the user exits the automatic ticket gate passage from the entrance side.
If the control unit determines that it does not permit the user to pass through, and the second detection unit detects that the user has exited the passage from the entrance side, it permits the reading unit to read a medium not selected by the user.
The automatic ticket gate according to claim 1. If the type of medium to be used has not been selected by the user, the control unit controls the reading unit to repeatedly read the medium while switching the reading method.
The automatic ticket gate according to claim 1. The control unit, in response to input from the user to the selection unit, deselects the medium selected by the user.
The automatic ticket gate according to claim 1. An automatic ticket gate equipped with a reader unit that has the function of reading multiple types of media with different reading methods,
The user is allowed to choose the medium to use.
The reading unit is controlled to prevent the reading of media not selected by the user, and the reading unit is made to read the media selected by the user. Based on the information read by the reading unit, the system determines whether or not the user is allowed to pass.
Control methods for automatic ticket gates. An automatic ticket gate equipped with a reader unit that has the function of reading multiple types of media with different reading methods,
A process that allows the user to select the medium to be used,
The reading unit is controlled to prevent the reading of media not selected by the user, and the reading unit is made to read the media selected by the user, and the reading unit determines whether or not the user is allowed to pass based on the information read by the reading unit.
A program that executes the command.