JP2017025584A - Management method and management device from remote place with respect to electronic lock - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an easy management method from a remote place with respect to an electronic lock.SOLUTION: When an electronic lock and a management server are connected by a cable or by radio on an IP network, control from a remote place with respect to the electronic lock becomes possible. In one embodiment, the management server receives an unlock request from a Web browser operating on the computer such as a portable terminal or a PC (S401), performs authentication by a 4-digit pass word and the like when necessary (S402), and transmits an unlock signal with respect to the electronic lock response to the unlock request (S403). When performing authentication, input of a pass code and the like can also be regarded as the unlock request. Also, before the transmission of the unlock signal with respect to the electronic lock, an input screen is indicated to a user, and according to an unlock button being clicked or tapped or a knob being flicked or slid, transmission may be performed. On the contrary, when the unlock request is received, the unlock signal may be transmitted without requiring additional input from the user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a remote management method and management apparatus for one or more electronic locks.

  In recent years, electronic locks called “smart locks” that can be unlocked with mobile terminals such as smartphones and tablets have attracted a great deal of attention.

  One of the major features of the smart lock is that it has become extremely easy to pass keys by digitizing a conventional metal key. A key can be “passed” to a family member, friend, courier, etc. via the Internet by setting a date and time, a period, and the like.

  A person who is given a key calls an application corresponding to smart lock (hereinafter referred to as “app”) on the mobile terminal and clicks or taps an unlock button on the screen, or flicks or slides a knob ( 1), unlocking can be performed by transmitting an unlocking signal to a smart lock attached to the door.

  However, as the use of smart locks progresses, it is desired to improve the convenience of management for these.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a simple remote management method or management device for an electronic lock.

  In order to achieve such an object, a first aspect of the present invention is a remote management method for one or more electronic locks, which receives designation of unlocking authority for the one or more electronic locks. A step of generating unlocking information corresponding to the unlocking authority, a step of transmitting the unlocking information to a user terminal, a step of receiving an unlocking request based on the unlocking information, and the unlocking request And a step of transmitting an unlocking signal to at least one of the one or more electronic locks.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the unlocking authority includes designation of a user and one or more electronic locks.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the unlocking authority further includes at least one of a date / time limitation, a time zone limitation, and a frequency limitation.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the unlocking information is transmitted by any one of e-mail, SMS, and a chat tool. .

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the unlocking authority includes designation of a user and a plurality of electronic locks, and the unlocking signal is transmitted in the plurality of states. It is performed after receiving the designation of the electronic lock to be unlocked among the electronic locks.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the unlocking information includes a URL corresponding to the unlocking authority.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect, the unlocking request includes access to the URL by a web browser of a user terminal.

  Further, according to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the seventh aspect, the unlocking information further includes a passcode corresponding to the unlocking authority, and the unlocking request is in a website indicated by the URL. The method further includes inputting the passcode.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the unlocking information includes a telephone number and a passcode corresponding to the unlocking authority.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the ninth aspect, the unlocking request includes a call from a user terminal to the telephone number and an input of the passcode.

  An eleventh aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the ninth or tenth aspect, the unlocking signal is transmitted only when the unlocking request is made from a telephone number registered in advance.

  Further, a twelfth aspect of the present invention is that, in the ninth or tenth aspect, the unlocking signal is transmitted only when the unlocking request is made from a telephone number that is the transmission destination of the unlocking information by SMS. It is characterized by performing.

  According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for causing a computer to execute a remote management method for one or more electronic locks, wherein the management method is an open program for the one or more electronic locks. Receiving a designation of a locking authority; generating unlocking information corresponding to the unlocking authority; transmitting the unlocking information to a user terminal; receiving a unlocking request based on the unlocking information And a step of transmitting an unlocking signal to at least one of the one or more electronic locks in response to the unlocking request.

  A fourteenth aspect of the present invention is a remote management server for one or more electronic locks, which receives designation of an unlocking authority for the one or more electronic locks, and corresponds to the unlocking authority. Generate unlocking information, send the unlocking information to a user terminal, receive an unlocking request based on the unlocking information, and send an unlocking signal in response to the unlocking request among the one or more electronic locks It transmits to at least 1 of these, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic lock system for remotely managing one or more electronic locks, the one or more electronic locks being connectable to the electronic lock on an IP network. The management server according to the fourteenth aspect is provided.

  Further, a sixteenth aspect of the present invention is the electronic lock according to the fifteenth aspect, wherein the electronic lock is an electronic lock in which an unlocking assisting device is attached to a door provided with a lock having a thumb turn. It is possible to connect to the management server via a gateway that can be connected to the unlocking assisting device by Bluetooth.

  According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, in the fifteenth or sixteenth aspect, the electronic lock transmits an entry / exit record to the management server, and the management server records the received record in an entry / exit history. It memorizes as.

  According to an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, in the seventeenth aspect, the management server transmits a notification to a predetermined destination based on the entry / exit history.

  According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, in any of the fifteenth to eighteenth aspects, the electronic lock transmits a lock record to the management server, and the management server records the received record. It is memorized as a lock history.

  According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, in the nineteenth aspect, the management server transmits a notification to a predetermined destination based on the locking history.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, unlocking information corresponding to the unlocking authority for one or more electronic locks is generated and transmitted to the user terminal, an unlocking request based on the unlocking information is received from the user, and unlocking is performed. By performing the lock, it is possible to provide a simple remote management method or management device for the electronic lock.

It is a figure which shows the screen for transmitting an unlocking signal with the application for smart locks. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the unlocking assistance apparatus concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the gateway concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the transmission process of the unlocking signal concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the production | generation process of URL concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the production | generation process of the passcode for the telephone authentication concerning one Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
As an example, as shown in FIG. 2, a lock assisting device 202 is attached to a door 201 provided with a lock having a thumb turn, and a conventional lock that is locked and unlocked with a metal key is used as an electronic lock. Think about the case.

  Since the thumb turn is on the indoor side of the door 201, the unlocking assisting device 202 is also installed on the indoor side. When the wireless communication unit of the unlocking assisting device 202 receives the unlocking signal via the door, the unlocking assisting device 202 is driven based on the unlocking signal, and the thumb turn knob is rotated to unlock the unlocking signal. Done, allowing entry into the room. The unlock signal can be transmitted by executing an application for transmitting the unlock signal on the mobile terminal 203 such as a smartphone, a tablet, or a dedicated remote controller. For example, communication can be performed by Bluetooth such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy (BLE) or ZigBee (registered trademark) (see FIG. 2). When using ZibBee, the communication function by ZibBee is also required on the mobile terminal 203. For example, although a smartphone cannot be used as the mobile terminal 203 at present and the versatility is reduced, other small devices that can communicate are Not a few. Because of low power consumption, energy saving of the unlocking assisting device can be achieved.

  The unlocking signal can be transmitted without installing a dedicated application in the mobile terminal 203 as will be described later in the second and third embodiments. Moreover, it can also be performed using a computer such as a PC instead of a portable terminal.

  The unlocking assisting device 202 can include a sensor that detects contact or approach of an object to the housing. In this case, the unlocking assisting device 202 can rotate the thumb-turn knob based on a detection signal indicating that the sensor has detected an object, and the unlocking device 202 moves from the room to the outside, that is, unlocks when leaving the room. It becomes easy. A display unit such as a touch panel display may be provided in the casing of the unlocking assisting device 202, and the display unit may be used as a pressure sensor. In addition, a change in capacitance when an object comes into contact or approaches, a tactile switch that is turned on / off by pressing, or the like can also be used. A part of the case can be made movable, and the thumb turn knob can be manually rotated.

  In order to realize remote management of the electronic lock, an electronic lock system is constructed by connecting the electronic lock and the management server on the IP network by wire or wirelessly. A SIM card can be attached so that the wireless communication unit can be connected to an IP network such as the Internet.

  Further, the unlocking assisting device itself is not directly accessible to the management server, but can also be performed via a gateway as shown in FIG. The unlocking assisting device 301 and the gateway 302 can be connected by a communication method such as Bluetooth or ZigBee so that the gateway 302 and the management server 303 can be connected on the IP network. The gateway 302 includes a wireless or wired communication unit, and may be a wireless communication unit that is connected to an IP network according to a communication standard such as 3G, LTE, or Wi-Fi by attaching a SIM card, for example. In order to reduce power consumption in the unlocking assisting device 301, instead of always securing a connection with the gateway 302, a connection is made periodically or the gateway 302 receives a predetermined signal from the management server 303. Sometimes connection is made, or connection is made when a predetermined amount or content of data is stored in the unlocking assisting device 301.

  As another example, the lock itself may have a wireless or wired communication unit that can be connected to the IP network.

  It is desirable that the gateway 302 is always connected to the network in order to be able to receive a signal from the server at all times. In order to maintain this state, the gateway 302 needs to be directly connected to the power source because of high power consumption. .

  In any form, by connecting the electronic lock and the management server on the IP network, the electronic lock records the entry from the outside to the room and the exit from the room to the outside, in real time, regularly. Alternatively, it can be transmitted to the management server 303 at a predetermined time to leave a history. The administrator of the electronic lock can obtain the history remotely by accessing the management server 303. For example, a history can be browsed by accessing a website operating on the management server 303 using a web browser.

  The entry history or exit history (at least one of these is also referred to as “entrance / exit history”) includes, for example, unlocking date and time, unlocking person, unlocking method, unlocking authority, and the like.

  The entry / exit history can be used by the management server 303 to transmit a notification to a predetermined destination based on the entry / exit history. Specifically, if there is no history that a person with unlocking authority such as Mr. A of a part-time job has entered the store by a predetermined date and time, the manager of the store (electronic lock) such as a restaurant or cafe (electronic lock) Notifications can be sent to those associated with In addition, if there is no history of entering or leaving the room for a predetermined period such as one day or one week, such as an elderly person living alone, the unlocking authority such as a helper should be given that there is a risk of poor physical condition. Notifications can be sent to those associated with the owner. Further, when a person having the unlocking authority such as a child returns and enters the room, a notification can be sent to a person associated with the person having the unlocking authority such as the parent of the child. In addition, when the office has a history of entering and leaving the room at a predetermined time zone at midnight, a notification can be sent to a person associated with an electronic lock such as a security company.

  The electronic lock can record the lock in addition to the entry / exit record, and can store this as a lock history on the management server 303. When the unlocking assisting device 202 is used, locking assist such as auto-locking can be performed. The lock history can also be used for the management server 303 to transmit a notification to a predetermined destination based on the lock history. Specifically, when a person with locking authority such as a housekeeping agent leaves the room and locks it, a notice can be sent to the person associated with the electronic lock such as the landlord. Further, when there is no history of locking by a predetermined date and time by a person having the locking authority such as Mr. A of a part-time job, a notification can be sent to the manager of the store such as a restaurant or cafe. Further, when there is no history of locking during a predetermined time period such as during the day, it can be sent to the person associated with the electronic lock that the door of the house is open. In this case, there is a possibility that there is an administrator near the house such as cleaning the garden, so position detection using GPS etc. is performed, and the user's mobile terminal is within a predetermined distance from the electronic lock If you do, you may turn off notifications.

(Second Embodiment)
When the electronic lock and the management server are connected on the IP network by wire or wireless, it is possible to remotely control the electronic lock. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the management server receives an unlocking request from a web browser operating on a computer such as a mobile terminal or a PC (S401), and if necessary, a four-digit password or the like (S402), and an unlocking signal is transmitted to the electronic lock in response to the unlocking request (S403). When performing authentication, it can be considered as an unlocking request including the input of a passcode. Before sending the unlocking signal to the electronic lock, an input screen is displayed to the user, and transmission is performed when the unlocking button is clicked or tapped, or the knob is flicked or slid. Also good. Conversely, when an unlock request is received, an unlock signal may be transmitted without requiring input from an additional user.

  The unlock request can be an access to a given URL by the web browser of the user terminal, and FIG. 5 shows the URL generation process. The passcode is input on the website indicated by the URL.

  First, the management server receives a designation of a user to be given unlocking authority from the administrator of the electronic lock (S501). Next, the designation of the electronic lock to which the unlocking authority is given is received (S502). Then, other unlocking authority designations such as date / time, time zone restriction, number of times, etc. are received (S503). The designation of the unlocking authority may be performed in a different order.

  Next, the management server generates a URL corresponding to the designated unlocking authority (S504). The generated URL is preferably generated uniquely so that the same URL does not correspond to different unlocking authorities at the same time. Specifically, random decimal numbers (only 0-9 numbers), random hexadecimal numbers (combined 0-9, af), random base64 (numbers, alphabets and some symbols) A URL including a character string, a UUID (Universally Unique Identifier), a character string generated by a hash function (such as SHA1) based on user and key information, and the like. When performing authentication, it is preferable to generate pass codes so that a pair of URLs and pass codes do not correspond to different unlocking authorities at the same time. The passcode can also be generated uniquely, such as a random decimal character string (0-9 only).

  Then, the generated URL and the passcode generated as necessary are transmitted to the user terminal as unlocking information (S505). The transmission can be performed using email, SMS, or a chat tool such as LINE (registered trademark) or Facebook (registered trademark) messenger. The transmission destination may be registered in advance in the management server as user information, or may be input when designating a user to be given unlocking authority.

  A user who has received a URL and a passcode as necessary can access the URL by designating the URL on the web browser of the user terminal. If the URL is clickable, it can be accessed by clicking or tapping.

  In this way, when unlocking via a web browser, the user can unlock the electronic lock without installing a dedicated application on the mobile terminal. Smart locks, which are electronic locks that can be unlocked on mobile devices, have the advantage of being able to easily assign and share a key (exactly the unlocking authority), but for example, you need the key only once instead of regularly. For a guest user who does not, it is complicated to install an application just for that purpose, but according to the present embodiment, a generally available web browser is sufficient and simple.

  Furthermore, when a feature phone is used as a mobile terminal instead of a smartphone, a tablet, etc., a dedicated application cannot be installed. Therefore, although the user of the feature phone has not enjoyed the convenience of smart lock, according to the present embodiment, unlocking can be performed by a method of remote control via a web browser.

  Further, when a computer such as a PC is used as a user terminal, complicated operations required for managing a large number of users are facilitated.

  The unlocking authority can be given to a plurality of electronic locks. In this case, after accessing a given URL as an unlocking request, it is possible to request selection or designation of at least one electronic lock to be unlocked.

  In the above description, unlocking has been described as an example. However, remote control can be similarly performed for locking.

  Further, it is added that the management server is appropriately configured by one or a plurality of servers, and can be configured by causing a computer on the IP network to execute a program for executing the above steps.

(Third embodiment)
When the electronic lock and the management server are connected on the IP network by wire or wireless, it is possible to remotely control the electronic lock. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the management server receives an unlock request from the mobile terminal (S401), authenticates with a four-digit password (S402), and responds to the unlock request. An unlock signal is transmitted to the electronic lock (S403). It can be considered as an unlocking request including the input of a passcode for authentication. Moreover, you may ask | require user operation in a portable terminal, such as input of a number, before transmitting the unlocking signal with respect to an electronic lock. Conversely, when an unlocking request is received, an unlocking signal may be transmitted without requiring an additional user operation.

  The unlock request can be a call to a given telephone number from the user terminal. At this time, it is necessary to transmit a passcode for authentication to the user terminal, and the process is shown in FIG. The pass code may be input in response to automatic voice as appropriate during a call to the telephone number.

  First, the management server receives a designation of a user to be given unlocking authority from the administrator of the electronic lock (S601). Next, the designation of the electronic lock to which the unlocking authority is given is received (S602). Then, other unlocking authority designations such as date / time, time zone restriction, number of times restriction, etc. are received (S603). The designation of the unlocking authority may be performed in a different order.

  Next, the management server generates a pass code for telephone authentication corresponding to the designated unlocking authority (S604). The generated passcode is preferably generated uniquely so that the same passcode does not correspond to different unlocking authorities at the same time. Specifically, it can be a random decimal character string (0-9 only). Alternatively, it is preferable to select a telephone number and generate a passcode so that a set of telephone numbers and a passcode do not correspond to different unlocking authorities at the same time. If you can generate a phone number each time, you can make it a unique phone number for each unlocking authority, but it is usually necessary to purchase and contract in advance, and it is not possible to prepare an unlimited number of phone numbers in advance Since it is difficult, it is required to be unique by a combination with a passcode or the passcode itself.

  Then, the given telephone number and the generated passcode are transmitted to the user terminal as unlocking information (S605). The transmission can be performed using email, SMS, or a chat tool such as LINE (registered trademark) or Facebook (registered trademark) messenger. The transmission destination may be registered in advance in the management server as user information, or may be input when designating a user to be given unlocking authority.

  The user who has received the telephone number and pass code can make a call by designating the telephone number at the user terminal. If the telephone number is clickable, a call can be made by clicking or tapping.

  In this way, when unlocking via the telephone, the user can unlock the electronic lock without installing a dedicated application on the portable terminal. Smart locks, which are electronic locks that can be unlocked on mobile devices, have the advantage of being able to easily assign and share a key (exactly the unlocking authority), but for example, you need the key only once instead of regularly. However, it is troublesome for a guest user to install an application just for that purpose, but according to the present embodiment, a generally available telephone function is sufficient and simple.

  Furthermore, when a feature phone is used as a mobile terminal instead of a smartphone, a tablet, etc., a dedicated application cannot be installed. Therefore, although the user of the feature phone has not enjoyed the convenience of the smart lock, according to the present embodiment, the unlocking can be performed by a method of remote control via the telephone.

  The unlocking authority can be given to a plurality of electronic locks. In this case, selection or designation of at least one electronic lock to be unlocked can be requested after a call to a given telephone number is made as an unlocking request.

  Further, transmission can be permitted only from the telephone number registered in the management server, and furthermore, it can be permitted only from the telephone number used as the SMS transmission destination by the management server. By doing so, security is enhanced. In such a case, it is possible to dispense with a passcode.

  In the above description, unlocking has been described as an example. However, remote control can be similarly performed for locking.

  Further, it is added that the management server is appropriately configured by one or a plurality of servers, and can be configured by causing a computer on the IP network to execute a program for executing the above steps.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 201 Door 202 Unlocking assistance apparatus 203 Portable terminal 301 Electronic lock 302 Gateway 303 Management server

Claims (20)

A remote management method for one or more electronic locks,
Receiving designation of unlocking authority for the one or more electronic locks;
Generating unlocking information corresponding to the unlocking authority;
Transmitting the unlocking information to a user terminal;
Receiving an unlocking request based on the unlocking information;
And a step of transmitting an unlocking signal to at least one of the one or more electronic locks in response to the unlocking request.   The management method according to claim 1, wherein the unlocking authority includes designation of a user and one or more electronic locks.   The management method according to claim 2, wherein the unlocking authority further includes at least one of a date / time limitation, a time zone limitation, and a frequency limitation.   The management method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the unlocking information is transmitted by any one of e-mail, SMS, and a chat tool. The unlocking authority includes designation of a user and a plurality of electronic locks,
5. The management method according to claim 1, wherein the unlocking signal is transmitted after receiving designation of an electronic lock to be unlocked among the plurality of electronic locks.   The management method according to claim 1, wherein the unlocking information includes a URL corresponding to the unlocking authority.   The management method according to claim 6, wherein the unlocking request includes access to the URL by a web browser of a user terminal. The unlocking information further includes a passcode corresponding to the unlocking authority,
The management method according to claim 7, wherein the unlocking request further includes an input of the passcode in a website indicated by the URL.   6. The management method according to claim 1, wherein the unlocking information includes a telephone number and a passcode corresponding to the unlocking authority.   The management method according to claim 9, wherein the unlocking request includes a call from a user terminal to the telephone number and an input of the passcode.   The management method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the unlocking signal is transmitted only when the unlocking request is made from a telephone number registered in advance.   The management method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the unlocking signal is transmitted only when the unlocking request is made from a telephone number as a transmission destination of the unlocking information by SMS. A program for causing a computer to execute a remote management method for one or more electronic locks, the management method comprising:
Receiving designation of unlocking authority for the one or more electronic locks;
Generating unlocking information corresponding to the unlocking authority;
Transmitting the unlocking information to a user terminal;
Receiving an unlocking request based on the unlocking information;
And a step of transmitting an unlocking signal to at least one of the one or more electronic locks in response to the unlocking request. A remote management server for one or more electronic locks,
Receiving designation of unlocking authority for the one or more electronic locks;
Generating unlocking information corresponding to the unlocking authority,
Sending the unlocking information to the user terminal,
Receiving an unlocking request based on the unlocking information;
A management server that transmits an unlock signal to at least one of the one or more electronic locks in response to the unlock request. An electronic lock system for remotely managing one or more electronic locks,
The one or more electronic locks;
15. An electronic lock system comprising: the management server according to claim 14, connectable to the electronic lock on an IP network. The electronic lock is an electronic lock in which an unlocking auxiliary device is attached to a door provided with a lock having a thumb turn,
16. The electronic lock system according to claim 15, wherein the electronic lock can be connected to the management server via a gateway that can be connected to the unlocking assisting device by Bluetooth. The electronic lock transmits an entry / exit record to the management server,
The electronic lock system according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the management server stores the received record as an entry / exit history.   18. The electronic lock system according to claim 17, wherein the management server transmits a notification to a predetermined destination based on the entry / exit history. The electronic lock transmits a record of locking to the management server,
19. The electronic lock system according to claim 15, wherein the management server stores the received record as a lock history.   20. The electronic lock system according to claim 19, wherein the management server transmits a notification to a predetermined destination based on the locking history.

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