JP2003022476A - Coin locker - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify charge payment, to indicate the transfer of a baggage, and to obtain vacancy information on a coin locker by connecting the coin locker to the Internet and a portable telephone network. SOLUTION: A controller which is connected to the Internet is installed in the coin locker. This controller manages the locked states and vacancy states of individual storage boxes and a user supports the opening and closure of a storage box through the Internet by using a portable telephone set at hand. The charge for the use at this time is paid by the settling function of the portable telephone. Further, the user can make an indication for transfer to another place and know the vacancy state of the nearest coin locker through the portable telephone at need.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technique for adding an Internet function to a coin locker used for temporary storage of luggage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, coin lockers installed at stations and street corners receive a key when a user deposits luggage,
At the time of collection, coins were thrown in and the package was collected by paying a fee.

[0003]

(B) The fee has to be paid by inserting coins corresponding to the amount displayed in the deposited coin locker, which is troublesome. (B) The deposited luggage can only be picked up at the original coin locker, so I had to go to pick it up. (C) I could not know the availability of lockers that I could deposit without going to the actual coin locker.

[0004]

The present invention has solved the above-mentioned problems by providing a coin locker having a function of connecting to the Internet network and having a function of managing the usage status of the storage.

[0005]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a system in which a coin locker connected to the Internet network is installed at a station or a corner of a street to provide free information of the coin locker to a user who wants to deposit luggage and to pay the price.

[0006] For example, a coin locker 1, an internet network 2, a mobile phone network 3, a management server 4, a database 5 for accumulating user information, billing information, server usage status, and the like.
Mobile phone 8, charge management server 6 held by mobile phone company
Composed of.

When the user 7 inputs the storage number displayed in the empty storage of the coin locker 1 to be deposited into the mobile phone 2, the door of the corresponding storage opens and the luggage is deposited. The storage information of this luggage is transmitted to the management server 4 via the Internet network 2 from the control device installed in the coin locker.

At the time of collecting the luggage, the user returns to the place of the coin locker and inputs the stored storage number into the mobile phone so that the door is unlocked and the luggage can be collected. In this case, the usage fee corresponding to the deposited time is deducted from the account of the user 7 separately by the payment settlement system including the charge management server 6 of the mobile phone company.

At this time, if the user wishes to transfer the package to another place, the user can give an instruction to that effect using the mobile phone 8 and separately collect and transfer the package by the carrier.

Next, when the user 7 tries to deposit his / her luggage, he / she needs to search for a vacant coin locker nearby, but since the management server 4 manages the vacant information, the user can access the designated homepage. By browsing and entering your current location information, you can search for the nearest empty coin locker.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the installed coin locker. Reference numeral 9 denotes a control device that manages each storage box 10,
It is connected to the Internet network 2.

FIG. 3 shows a display unit installed in each storage of the coin locker. The user inputs the storage number of 11 into the mobile phone from the designated home page. If it is in a usable state, it is unlocked by the control device 9, the door is opened, the luggage is stored, and the door is automatically locked when the door is closed.

At the time of collection, the amount of money used is displayed on the display unit 12 so that the user can know the amount of money used.
If you enter the storage number of 11 in succession, it will be unlocked and you can collect your luggage.

Information on the usage fee is available on the Internet network 2
Is transmitted to the mobile phone company via the mobile phone network 3 and is deducted and settled at the same time as the mobile phone call charge and usage charge.

FIG. 4 is an example of a screen of an actual mobile phone.
The user can be specified by inputting the user's e-mail address in 13 and used to receive a confirmation e-mail instead of the depository.

Next, the name and address are entered, but if the user has used them even once in the past, the management server 4 stores the history, so that they can be automatically displayed by entering the mail address.

Enter the storage number to be used in 14. If you want to transfer to another place without collecting it at the original deposit place, you can input the transfer destination at 16 by instructing the transfer at 15. When the above input is completed, if an instruction to open the door 17 is given, the door is unlocked and the luggage can be stored.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a screen of a mail in place of the deposit document that is displayed when the lock is confirmed after depositing the luggage.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment in which the nearest empty coin locker is searched from a mobile phone when trying to deposit a luggage. By inputting the name of the place to be searched in 18, the locations and the number of usable lockers are displayed in 19.

As described above, according to the present invention, since the state of each coin locker is managed by the management server, the user can deposit the luggage in the coin locker without holding cash. . In addition, it is possible to transfer the luggage to another location by operating the mobile phone without returning the luggage to the original location. In addition, it is possible to find an empty coin locker from your mobile phone.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view in which a part of a coin locker showing one embodiment of the present invention is cut away.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display unit provided in a storage of the coin locker in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of a mobile phone when a coin locker is used.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of a mobile phone that has received a mail in lieu of a receipt.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of a mobile phone for searching for an empty coin locker.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 coin locker 2 Internet network 3 mobile phone network 4 Management server 5 User information and billing information database 6 Charge management server held by mobile phone companies 7 users 8 mobile phones 9 Rocker control device 10 luggage storage 11 Storage number 12 Fee display 13 Email address input section 14 Storage number input section 15 Transfer instruction part 16 Transfer destination input section 17 Storage instruction section 18 Search area input section 19 Search result display area

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) G06F 17/60 506 G06F 17/60 506

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A coin locker capable of paying a usage fee by using a payment function of a mobile phone. 2. The coin locker according to claim 1, wherein an instruction to transfer the checked baggage to another place can be issued from an internet screen of a mobile phone. 3. The coin locker according to claim 1, wherein the position information of the coin locker which can be used when the storage is empty when the luggage is deposited can be retrieved by using the Internet function of the mobile phone.