JP2006028736A - Electronic unlocking system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic unlocking system usable by many persons, operable at a low cost while minimizing the loss of a key and facilitating user management. <P>SOLUTION: The electronic unlocking system comprises an antenna for receiving radio wave which informs a base station of the own location of a cellphone, near an unlocked object, and an unlocking control device for extracting an identifier of the cellphone included in the received radio wave, determining whether the identifier is registered beforehand in an unlocking database, and sending an unlocking command signal to an unlocking device if the identifier is registered. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic unlocking system that performs unlocking determination using a mobile phone.

An electronic locking / unlocking system has been put into practical use in place of the conventional locking with a physical key. For example, it is a system in which a personal identification number is input and unlocked if the personal identification number is correct. This is a very simple electronic unlocking system, but there is an advantage that an unspecified number of people can unlock the password by notifying an unspecified number of people of a personal identification number.
However, the security code has a risk of leakage. In addition, when it is desired to disallow unlocking of only the relevant person due to retirement, dormitory, etc., it is necessary to convey the change of the personal identification number to other users, and management is not easy.
Other electronic unlocking systems that perform identity verification using a magnetic card or IC card, systems that identify physical features such as fingerprints and irises, identify and unlock, and combinations of these It has been known. They keep a list of unlockers on the server. For this reason, user management is easier compared to the password system. This is also effective when you want to disallow unlocking only the person concerned by retirement or withdrawal.

However, a magnetic card or IC card is decisively different from a system based on a personal identification number in that the user needs to bring it for unlocking. Items that need to be brought are at risk of loss. If it is lost, the lost magnetic card or IC card must be invalidated. If the period when the loss is not noticed becomes long, the possibility of being invaded by a malicious third party increases.
A technique using biometric information is known as having little risk of loss. Information such as fingerprints, irises, bills and faces. This information does not need to be brought and there is no risk of loss. However, the authentication method must be complicated to prevent erroneous authentication. There are cases where others are mistakenly authorized, and cases where the principal cannot be authorized. It cannot be said that it is perfect for the system becoming large.
Here, the cellular phone which many people have can be replaced with identity verification by using this. Although it is necessary to bring it with you, if you consider that you usually carry it with you, you will be less aware that you will bring it for unlocking like a magnetic card or IC card. For example, in the method of Patent Document 1 below, memory information such as an address book registered in a mobile phone is used. This utilizes the fact that the information in the address book varies depending on the owner, and according to this technology, the user does not have to bring something like a key for unlocking.

As an example of using outgoing information of a mobile phone, there is a method of Patent Document 2 below. In this system, it is determined whether or not the caller number known at the time of incoming call is in the unlocking permitted caller list, and if it exists, the unlocking method is notified to the caller. According to this method, unlocking authorized persons are centrally managed in the database. Management of the unlocking authorized person, which was difficult with the conventional password method, becomes easy.
Further, as a method of incorporating a wireless unlocking system into a mobile phone, the invention of Patent Document 3 below is known. By introducing a common unlocking system in a car, a house, an office, etc., it becomes possible to open each key by operating one mobile phone.
JP 2003-227383 A JP 2002-54333 A JP 2002-44739 A

A system that uses a personal identification number can be used by an unspecified number of people, but there is a problem with handling when it is not subject to unlocking due to retirement or dormitory. Different personal identification numbers may be given to individuals, but in that case, the number of digits of the personal identification number must be increased, and there is a problem that the burden on the personal identification side is increased this time.
Auto-lock systems often installed at the entrances of condominiums, etc. often prohibit outsiders. The entrance that only residents can enter has become safer, but it has also hindered delivery of mail, newspapers and courier services. In particular, newspaper delivery, which can be delivered when there is no resident or sleeping, is a serious problem.
Since the technique described in Patent Document 1 uses memory information in a mobile phone, it is necessary to connect the mobile phone to the system. When opening the key, it is necessary to insert and connect a connector, and there is a problem that the operation is not easy. Further, the memory information is updated as long as the mobile phone is continuously used, and it is troublesome and problematic that it is necessary to register the updated contents with the server every time the update is performed.
According to the method described in Patent Document 2, an insertion operation by a connector is unnecessary, and there is an advantage that registration to a server is not required when changing memory information. However, the user needs to make a phone call to the key control device, and the operation is troublesome. Furthermore, there is a problem that it is difficult to operate because it is necessary to answer a response sent after confirmation of unlocking permission by the key control device. When it is applied to early morning newspaper delivery to an auto-locking apartment, the time required for unlocking is unfavorable because it increases the newspaper delivery time.
According to the method described in Patent Document 3, there is no need to insert a connector, and there is a merit that there is no need to make a call or respond to a system response message. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new hardware, and there is a problem that costs are separately generated.
For these reasons, there is a need for an unlocking system that eliminates the need to bring a physical key in a building that requires a lock, such as a home, car, or office, and that does not need to rely on memory, such as a password. It was done. Further, there has been a demand for an unlocking system that is easy to manage and easy to operate even when an unspecified number of users receive permission to unlock. Furthermore, there is a need for an unlocking system that does not require additional hardware development.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic unlocking system that can solve these demands.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an antenna for receiving a radio wave in the vicinity of an object to be unlocked, in which the mobile phone notifies the base station of its location, and a mobile phone included in the received radio wave. Provided with an unlocking control device for determining whether or not the identifier is registered in advance in the unlocking database and sending an unlocking command signal to the unlocking device if registered. Note that the size and sensitivity of the antenna are not the same as those of the base station, and the antenna is configured to have a narrow range and low sensitivity so that communication is possible only when the user is nearby.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, only the user owns a mobile telephone can unlock the house, the car, the company, the entrance of an auto-locking apartment, etc. which are permitted.
The user does not need to operate the mobile phone. Further, it is not necessary to connect the connector of the mobile phone to the unlocking system. There is also no need to call the unlocking system. Also, the key mobile phone does not require any special hardware or software modifications.
Even when a plurality of keys are required at home, there is no particular new cost on the key side as long as each mobile phone is owned by each person.
The ID as a key is not owned by a plurality of people as in the conventional PIN code system. For this reason, it is possible to perform user management finely. Transfers such as retirement and dormitory can be easily dealt with simply by deleting the mobile phone number of the retiree from the unlocking database. In addition, it is possible to operate the condominium auto-locking entrance only for early morning newspaper deliverers to allow unlocking.

Hereinafter, an embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic unlocking system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic unlocking system of the present embodiment includes a door 102 to be unlocked, an unlocking device 104 that unlocks the door 102 in accordance with an unlock command signal, and a mobile phone 101. Antenna 103 that communicates with each other, an unlocking control unit 105, and a database 106 that stores data of an authorized person of unlocking.
A user who wants to pass through the door 102 holds the mobile phone 101 and approaches the antenna 103, whereby the door 102 to be unlocked is unlocked.
The antenna 103 receives radio waves in such a narrow range that other third parties are not interrupted and unlocked. For example, if the antenna is capable of communicating with a mobile phone 100 m away, it will be unlocked by communicating with a mobile phone of the same family (an authorized user permitted to unlock) that is not in front of the door. Therefore, it is not preferable. The antenna 103 is preferably in a state where the sensitivity and the directivity of the antenna are adjusted so that the antenna 103 can communicate only with a mobile phone near the door 102 to be unlocked (for example, 1 m to 2 m).
The unlocking device 104 unlocks / locks the door 102 to be unlocked. In addition to unlocking / locking, the door 102 may be opened and closed. Alternatively, the door may be closed for those who are not allowed to enter, such as a ticket gate of a train.

The unlocking control unit 105 can be configured by an information device such as a notebook personal computer or a dedicated device capable of performing the processing shown in FIG.
In addition to the function of performing the processing of FIG. 2, the unlock control unit 105 has a function of newly registering the mobile phone number of the user who is allowed to unlock the door 102 in the database 106, and the mobile phone number of the user who is allowed to unlock is changed. If the mobile phone number of the user is changed or the mobile phone number of the user is changed, the unlocking is not permitted due to the function of changing the mobile phone number of the unlocking authorized person registered in the database 106, retirement or the like. A function of deleting from the mobile phone number database 106 of the user.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing of the unlocking control unit 105 in the electronic unlocking system of the present invention.
In step 201, it waits for reception of radio waves from the mobile phone 101 outside the door 102. Whether the signal is received is determined by the unlocking control unit 105 when the antenna 103 receives the radio wave from the mobile phone 101.
When a radio wave from the mobile phone 101 (a radio wave notifying the base station of its own position) is received, a mobile phone ID included in the radio wave is acquired in Step 202 and is put into a variable B.
Further, in step 203, the current time is acquired and entered into the variable T.
Next, the unlock control unit 105 determines whether or not the user whose mobile phone ID is B is permitted to unlock at time T. The determination is made by searching the database 106 in which the mobile phone number of the unlocking authorized person is registered using the conditions B and T.
If unlocking is permitted as a result of the determination, an unlock command signal is transmitted to the unlocking device 104 in step 205. The door 102 is kept unlocked for a certain period of time in step 206, and then in a locked state in step 207.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a data configuration example registered in the database 106.
In the database 106, a mobile phone ID, name, affiliation, unlocking permission start time, and unlocking permission end time are registered.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of data registered in the database 106.
In this example, it is an example of a condominium with an auto-locking entrance door. In addition to the four residents, as an authorized person in the early morning, newspaper distributors, milk distributors, cleaning operators' mobile phone numbers and unlocking permission The start time and the unlocking permission end time are registered.
As described above, the family can unlock the mobile phone 101 that he / she owns very easily simply by bringing the mobile phone 101 close to the door 102 or simply approaching the door 102.
In addition, if a newspaper delivery company or the like is registered in advance, the door 102 is unlocked only for the time permitted when the company only approaches the door 102.

  In addition, when the unlocked family enters the room, if the mobile phone owned by that family is in the ON state, in order to periodically perform communication for informing the base station of its location, The lock may be unlocked by communication at this time. The problem is that if the same mobile phone number is received more than once in a given time, it is determined that the communication is from a person in the room and the lock is not unlocked. You can deal with it.

It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the electronic unlocking system of one embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process of an unlocking control part. It is a figure which shows the data structural example of the database for unlocking permission. It is a figure which shows the specific example of the data registered into the database for unlocking permission.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Mobile phone 102 Door to be unlocked 103 Antenna 104 Unlocking device 105 Unlocking control unit 106 Database

Claims (1)

In an electronic unlocking system having an unlocking device that unlocks according to an unlocking command signal,
An antenna that receives a radio wave that notifies the base station of the location of the mobile phone in the vicinity of the object to be unlocked, and an identifier of the mobile phone included in the received radio wave are extracted, and the identifier is used for unlocking. An electronic unlocking system comprising: an unlocking control device that determines whether or not it is registered in advance in a database, and sends an unlocking command signal to the unlocking device if registered.

Images