JP2024071595A - Soundproof chamber and soundproof chamber management system - Google Patents

Abstract

To secure the convenience of a user who uses an electronic apparatus such as a computer.SOLUTION: A portable soundproof chamber 1 is provided with a housing in which an office space accessible to a user is formed, furniture arranged in the office space, casters and adjusters provided on the bottom surface of the housing, a door provided on one side surface of the housing, and a power supply unit for obtaining a power supply, and is installed in a place where various people pass, the power supply unit has a power supply plug 321 which is connected to a power supply outlet provided at an installation place so as to be insertable and detachable, and is configured so as to be able to distribute and supply power acquired through the power supply plug to electronic equipment provided inside the housing and a computer brought in by a user inside the housing while a power supply wire connected to the power supply plug is drawn from the power supply outlet to the housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a soundproof room and a management system for the soundproof room.

Conventionally, soundproof rooms equipped with a sound-absorbing structure that prevents sound generated inside from leaking to the outside have been known. Patent Document 1 discloses a soundproof room in which a housing is provided with sound-absorbing material that absorbs sound generated by audio equipment installed inside.

JP 2017-8553 A

The present invention aims to provide a soundproof room and a management system for the soundproof room that can ensure convenience for users of electronic devices such as computers.

The soundproof room of the present invention is a portable soundproof room that is installed in a place where many people pass by, and is equipped with a housing in which a work space that users can enter and exit is formed, furniture arranged in the work space, casters and adjusters provided on the bottom surface of the housing, a door provided on one side of the housing, and a power supply unit that acquires power, and is characterized in that the power supply unit has a power plug that is removably connected to a power outlet provided at the installation location, and is configured to distribute and supply the power acquired via the power plug to electronic devices provided inside the housing and to a computer brought into the housing by the user when a power line connected to the power plug is drawn from the power outlet to the housing.

It also has a communication unit for transmitting and receiving data between external devices via a network, and is configured to enable a user who has entered the office space to transmit and receive remote conference data between external devices that have a remote conference function.

The fixture further comprises a table and a seat that is paired with the table, the housing is formed as a rectangular parallelepiped having a depth dimension and a width dimension from the opening that is opened and closed by the door, and the height dimension is greater than the depth dimension. The table is arranged on one side of the work space that is divided equally in the width direction, and the seat is arranged on the other side, so that the inner wall surface of the housing can face a seated user, and the opening has a width center positioned corresponding to the other side space.

It is also a portable soundproof room that is installed in a company where a user is an employee, and includes a housing in which an office space that a user can enter and exit is formed, furniture arranged in the office space, casters and adjusters provided on the bottom surface of the housing, a door provided on one side of the housing, and a power supply unit that acquires power, and is characterized in that the power supply unit has a power plug that can be removably connected to a power outlet provided at the installation location, and is configured to distribute and supply power acquired via the power plug to electronic devices provided inside the housing and a computer brought into the housing by the user when a power line connected to the power plug is drawn from the power outlet to the housing.

Furthermore, the soundproof room management system of the present invention is a soundproof room management system including soundproof rooms installed in a plurality of locations where various people pass through, a server that manages the soundproof rooms installed in the plurality of locations, and a reservation site accessible by a portable information terminal that sets a reservation for a desired soundproof room among the soundproof rooms installed in the plurality of locations, and the soundproof room is a housing in which an office space that a user can enter and exit is formed, fixtures arranged in the office space, casters and adjusters provided on the bottom surface of the housing, a door provided on one side of the housing, a lock that can lock and unlock the door, and a lock for locking and unlocking the door. A portable soundproof room equipped with a control unit that controls the operation of the lock based on management information related to reservations, and a power supply unit that acquires power, the power supply unit having a power plug that can be plugged into and unplugged from a power outlet installed at the installation location, and configured to distribute and supply power acquired via the power plug to electronic devices installed inside the housing, and to one or more electronic devices among the computer and the portable information terminal brought into the housing by the user, when a power line connected to the power plug is drawn from the power outlet to the housing.

The soundproof room and soundproof room management system of the present invention can ensure convenience for users of electronic devices such as computers.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between a soundproof room and external equipment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the external structure of a soundproof room. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of a soundproof room. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a reservation time database stored in a storage unit. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining the structure of a sound attenuation portion. 13 is a flowchart showing a process flow in a soundproof room. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a soundproof room management system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the appearance of a soundproof room according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of a soundproof room according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram of a soundproof room management system according to a second embodiment.

First Embodiment
[Outline of Soundproof Room 1]
1 to 3 are diagrams for explaining the configuration of a soundproof room 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the relationship between the soundproof room 1 and an external device 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the external structure of the soundproof room 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the soundproof room 1.

The soundproof room 1 has a space formed by a housing 11 and a door 12 into which a person (hereinafter, referred to as a user) can enter. The soundproof room 1 is installed in places where various people pass through, such as inside a train station, an airport, a commercial facility, an exhibition center, an outdoor plaza, inside a store, a hotel, an apartment building, or an office. The soundproof room 1 may also be installed in a moving object such as a train car, a bus, a taxi, or an airplane.

The housing 11 is made of metal, wood, resin, or the like, and is a rectangular or cylindrical member with an opening on at least one side for users to enter and exit. Casters (not shown) and adjusters (not shown) are provided on the bottom of the housing 11. The installer of the soundproof room 1 can move the soundproof room 1 to the installation location using the casters, and then fix the soundproof room 1 in place by adjusting the length of the adjuster so that it is equal to the distance between the bottom of the soundproof room 1 and the floor.

The door 12 is connected to the housing 11 so as to be able to close an opening formed in the housing 11, and is configured so as to be able to open and close around the joint with the housing 11. The door 12 is provided with a door glass 34, which allows the inside of the soundproof room 1 to be viewed from the outside.

As shown in FIG. 1, soundproof room 1 can transmit and receive data to and from external device 2 via a network N such as the Internet. A user using soundproof room 1 can use a videoconferencing terminal installed in soundproof room 1 to hold a videoconference with a user using external device 2 that has a videoconferencing function.

The inside of the housing 11 is provided with sound-absorbing material, so that the voice of the user inside the soundproof room 1 and the voice of the user using the external device 2 are unlikely to leak outside the soundproof room 1. Therefore, even if the soundproof room 1 is installed in a place where an unspecified number of people pass by (hereinafter referred to as a public place), the user can safely talk about highly confidential information.

If the soundproof room 1 is installed in a public place, there is a risk that the internal equipment of the soundproof room 1 may be damaged if an unspecified number of people are allowed to enter the soundproof room 1 freely. Therefore, the soundproof room 1 is provided with a lock 31, and is configured so that only those who pay a set fee can enter the soundproof room 1.

A card reading unit 37 is provided near the door 12 to receive payment from users who use the soundproof room 1. Details will be described later, but the card reading unit 37 is a reading unit that reads information used for payment (hereinafter referred to as payment information) stored on a card that can be used to pay money, such as an electronic money card (e.g., a prepaid card) or a credit card. When a user brings an electronic money card close to the card reading unit 37, a predetermined usage fee is deducted from the balance stored in the electronic money card, completing the payment, and the lock 31 opens after the payment is completed. In addition, after the payment is completed, power is supplied to the electronic devices inside the soundproof room 1, and the user can start a video conference. Instead of a card that can be used to pay money, the card reading unit 37 may read the payment information from an information terminal such as the user's smartphone.

An operation reception unit 38 that receives user operations is provided near the card reading unit 37. The operation reception unit 38 is, for example, a display with a touch panel, and receives the planned use time input by the user. The user can select one of the planned use times, for example, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, or 90 minutes. The fee to be paid is determined according to the planned use time, and power supply to electronic devices inside the soundproof room 1 starts from the completion of payment until the planned use time has elapsed.
The configuration of the soundproof room 1 will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

[Configuration of soundproof room 1]
The soundproof room 1 has a CPU 21, a memory unit 22, a detection unit 23, a lock 31, a power supply unit 32, an air conditioning unit 33, a door glass 34, a display unit 35, an alarm unit 36, a card reading unit 37, an operation reception unit 38, a communication unit 39, and a sound attenuation unit 40. The CPU 21 functions as a control unit and controls the operations of the lock 31, the power supply unit 32, the air conditioning unit 33, the door glass 34, the display unit 35, the alarm unit 36, the card reading unit 37, the operation reception unit 38, and the communication unit 39.

The storage unit 22 has storage media such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a hard disk. The storage unit 22 stores the programs executed by the CPU 21. It also stores the reservation time for the soundproof room 1 that has been set in advance.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a reservation time database stored in the storage unit 22. In the reservation time database, reservation times are associated with user identification information. User identification information is information unique to a user that is stored, for example, on the user's card. A user can reserve a desired time, for example, by performing a reservation operation on the operation reception unit 38 and then making a payment using a card.

A user may make a reservation by accessing a specific reservation site using an external computer or mobile terminal. On the reservation site, the user selects the soundproof room 1 that he/she wishes to use from a number of soundproof rooms 1 that can be reserved, and inputs the date and time that he/she wishes to use the selected soundproof room 1. The user then inputs, for example, a credit card number, and a soundproof room ID, which is soundproof room identification information for identifying the reservation time and the soundproof room 1 in association with the user identification information, is stored in the reservation server that provides the reservation site. The reservation server transmits the reservation time and user identification information to the reserved soundproof room 1, and the CPU 21 of the soundproof room 1 that receives the reservation time and user identification information stores the reservation time and user identification information in the memory unit 22.

The detection unit 23 has an odor sensor 231, a human presence sensor 232, and a weight sensor 233. The odor sensor 231 detects odors within the internal space of the soundproof room 1, and notifies the CPU 21 of odor information indicating at least one of the type and intensity of the detected odor. The human presence sensor 232 detects whether or not a person is present inside the soundproof room 1, and notifies the CPU 21 of human detection information indicating whether or not a person is present. The weight sensor 233 detects the weight of an item inside the soundproof room 1, and notifies the CPU 21 of the detected weight.

The lock 31 is provided between the housing 11 and the door 12, and is controlled by the CPU 21 to switch between an unlocked state in which the door 12 can be opened and a locked state in which the door 12 cannot be opened.
The lock 31 has an operating portion provided inside the housing 11 so that the lock 31 can be switched between an unlocked state and a locked state by a user operating the lock 31 from inside the housing 11 .

The power supply unit 32 supplies power to the electronic device provided inside the housing 11. The power supply unit 32 supplies the electronic device with power acquired via a power plug 321 that can be connected to a power outlet provided indoors or outdoors. The electronic device is a permanently installed video conference facility, a lighting facility and an air conditioning facility 33 installed inside the housing 11, and a computer or a mobile terminal brought in by the user. The power supply unit 32 supplies power to the electronic device from the completion of payment until the scheduled use time has elapsed, based on the control of the CPU 21. Note that the power supply unit 32 may supply power stored in a battery (not shown) to the electronic device in addition to the power acquired via the power plug 321.

After making a payment in response to the card reading unit 37 reading the payment information, the CPU 21 opens the lock 31 and starts supplying power to the power supply unit 32. The CPU 21 also causes the power supply unit 32 to supply power from the time the lock 31 is opened until the scheduled time of use has elapsed, and stops the power supply to the power supply unit 32 when the scheduled time of use has elapsed since the lock 31 was opened. In this way, only users who have paid the specified fee can use the soundproof room 1.

The CPU 21 opens the lock 31 if the lock 31 is closed when the scheduled use time has elapsed since the lock 31 was opened. The CPU 21 may open the door 12 when the scheduled use time has elapsed. In this way, if the user continues to use the soundproof room 1 after the scheduled use time has elapsed, it is possible to open the door 12 from outside and have the user exit.
Furthermore, when the CPU 21 opens the door 12, the soundproofing effect is lost, so the benefit of the user being inside the soundproof room 1 is lost, and it becomes possible to encourage the user to leave the soundproof room 1 of their own accord.

The air conditioning equipment 33 ventilates the internal space of the soundproof room 1 and adjusts the internal temperature. The air conditioning equipment 33 is installed, for example, on the ceiling of the housing 11, and has a fan that expels air from the internal space of the soundproof room 1 to the outside. The air conditioning equipment 33 operates under the control of the CPU 21 from the completion of payment until the scheduled use time has elapsed. The air conditioning equipment 33 may stop its temperature adjustment function when the scheduled use time has elapsed, and may operate only the fan for a predetermined time after stopping the temperature adjustment function. This makes it possible to prevent unpleasant odors from remaining the next time another user uses the soundproof room 1.

The door glass 34 is provided on the door 12. The door glass 34 functions as a blind whose transparency can be changed based on the control of the CPU 21, for example. The door glass 34 can change its transparency in response to the user's operation accepted by the operation acceptance unit 38 based on the control of the CPU 21 until the scheduled use time has elapsed. For example, if the user does not want people to see a video conference taking place inside the soundproof room 1 from the outside, the user can operate the door glass 34 to lower its transparency so that the image displayed on the monitor for the video conference cannot be seen from the outside. Instead of the door glass 34 whose transparency can be changed, the soundproof room 1 may be provided with a blind made of a plurality of elongated plate-like members whose angle can be changed based on the control of the CPU 21.

When the scheduled use time has elapsed, the CPU 21 maximizes the transparency of the blinds so that the inside can be seen from the outside. In this way, it is possible to prevent the user from remaining in the soundproof room 1 after the scheduled use time has elapsed.

The display unit 35 is a display that displays various information, and is provided, for example, on the front side of the housing 11. The CPU 21 causes the display unit 35 to display information indicating that the device is available for use when not in use by the user. When the CPU 21 opens the lock 31 and the power supply unit 32 starts supplying power, the CPU 21 causes the display unit 35 to display information indicating that the device is in use.

The alarm unit 36 has a sound source that generates an alarm sound. For example, when the human presence sensor 232 detects a person after a predetermined time has elapsed since the scheduled use time has elapsed, the CPU 21 causes the alarm unit 36 to generate an alarm sound. In this case, the CPU 21 may cause the display unit 35 to display information encouraging the user to leave the room, such as "Please leave the room." In this way, by sounding the alarm sound and displaying information encouraging the user to leave the room on the display unit 35, the user can be prevented from remaining in the soundproof room 1.

The card reading unit 37 reads payment information stored in a card that can be used to pay money.
As described above, the card is an electronic money card or a credit card, and the card reading unit 37 notifies the CPU 21 of the read payment information. When the card reading unit 37 reads balance information from the electronic money card, the CPU 21 subtracts the fee corresponding to the planned use time inputted in the operation reception unit 38 from the balance indicated by the balance information, and causes the card reading unit 37 to write the result of the subtraction to the electronic money card. When the card reading unit 37 reads a credit card number from the credit card, the CPU 21 executes the payment by notifying an external server for credit card payments of the credit card number and the fee.

The card reading unit 37 may further read user identification information stored on the card to identify the user, and notify the CPU 21 of the read user identification information. When the human presence sensor 232 detects that a person has been present since the scheduled time of use at a point in time when a predetermined time has elapsed since the scheduled time of use has elapsed, the CPU 21 may store the user identification information read by the card reading unit 37 in the storage unit 22 as prohibited person information. If the user identification information read by the card reading unit 37 thereafter matches the prohibited person information, the CPU 21 prevents the lock 31 from being opened in response to the card reading unit 37 reading the payment information. In this way, a user who has continued to use the soundproof room 1 even after the scheduled time of use has elapsed can be prevented from using the soundproof room 1 again.

The operation acceptance unit 38 accepts user operations as described above. The operation acceptance unit 38 notifies the CPU 21 of information specified by the accepted operation. For example, the operation acceptance unit 38 notifies the CPU 21 of the input desired use time. The CPU 21 approves the desired use time as the planned use time, on the condition that the desired use time accepted by the operation acceptance unit 38 does not include the reservation time stored in the memory unit 22.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, assume that a reservation has already been made for the period from 10:00 to 11:35 on July 21, 2017. In this case, if the desired time of use input by the user overlaps partly with the reserved time, such as from 9:45 to 10:15 on July 21, 2017, the CPU 21 does not recognize the desired time of use as the scheduled time of use. The CPU 21 then displays "Cannot be used as this time has already been reserved" on the display of the operation reception unit 38. On the other hand, if the desired time of use input by the user does not overlap with the reserved time, such as from 9:30 to 10:00 on July 21, 2017, the storage unit 22 may recognize the desired time of use as the scheduled time of use.

If the end time of the planned use time matches the start time of the reserved time, there is a risk of trouble occurring if another user who made a reservation attempts to enter the room before the user whose planned use time has elapsed has finished leaving the room. Therefore, the memory unit 22 may accept the desired use time as the planned use time on the condition that the end time of the desired use time is at least a predetermined time (e.g., 5 minutes) before the start time of the reserved time. In this way, the reserved time of another user starts after the user who was using the soundproof room 1 has left the room, thereby preventing trouble from occurring.

The communication unit 39 is a communication interface that enables the CPU 21 to send and receive data between external devices via the network N, and includes, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) controller.

The sound attenuation section 40 has a function of attenuating sound. The sound attenuation section 40 has a sound attenuation member that attenuates sound from the inside to the outside of the housing 11 so that sound generated inside the soundproof room 1 is less likely to leak to the outside. The sound attenuation member also has a function of attenuating sound from the outside to the inside of the housing 11 so as to prevent external sound from making it difficult to hold a video conference.

Here, if the external sound is attenuated too much, it is dangerous because it will be impossible to hear alarm sounds such as an emergency bell that would be issued in the event of a fire outside the soundproof room 1. Therefore, the sound attenuation unit 43 is configured so that the attenuation rate of the sound going out from the internal space to the outside of the soundproof room 1 is greater than the attenuation rate of the sound going into the internal space from the outside of the soundproof room 1. For example, the sound attenuation unit 40 has a sound attenuation member that makes it easy for sound to be reflected when sound is transmitted from the inside to the outside of the housing 11, and makes it difficult for sound to be reflected when sound is transmitted from the outside to the inside of the housing 11.

Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the structure of the sound attenuation section 40, and is a diagram that shows a schematic cross section of the soundproof room 1. The sound attenuation section 40 has multiple sound attenuation members 400, and is provided on the ceiling side of the housing 11 of the soundproof room 1. The sound attenuation members 400 have an outer reflection section 401, a straight section 402, and an inner reflection section 403.

Figure 5 (a) shows how sound from outside the soundproof room 1, indicated by solid arrows, and sound inside the soundproof room 1, are less likely to reach the inside and outside of the soundproof room 1, respectively. Sound from outside the soundproof room 1 is attenuated by reflection on the curved surface of the outer reflecting portion 401, and is less likely to reach the inside of the soundproof room 1. Sound inside the soundproof room 1 is attenuated by reflection on the curved surface of the inner reflecting portion 403, and is less likely to reach the outside of the soundproof room 1.

Furthermore, by making the shape of the outer reflection portion 401 and the shape of the inner reflection portion 403 different, it is possible to make it easier for sound to be reflected when sound is transmitted from the inside to the outside of the housing 11, and to make it harder for sound to be reflected when sound is transmitted from the outside to the inside of the housing 11.
For example, by making the inner diameter of the inner reflecting portion 403 smaller than the inner diameter of the outer reflecting portion 401, sound is less likely to leak from the inside to the outside while maintaining the state in which sound can reach the inside from the outside. In order to make it easier for sound to be reflected by the inner reflecting portion 403, the amount of unevenness on the surface of the inner reflecting portion 403 may be made greater than the amount of unevenness on the surface of the outer reflecting portion 401.

In this way, the sound attenuation section 40 can effectively attenuate sound while allowing air and water to pass through. As shown by the solid arrows in FIG. 5(b), the air outside the soundproof room 1 and the water released from a sprinkler installed above the soundproof room 1 reach the space inside the housing 11 via the outer reflecting section 401 and the straight-line section 402. By having the soundproof room 1 configured in this way, the soundproof room 1 can suppress the amount of sound transmitted between the outside and the inside while allowing air and water to reach the internal space, thereby achieving both soundproofing performance and safety performance.

[Additional features]
The soundproof room 1 may be provided with various additional functions in order to improve the convenience of the user and to increase the profitability of installing the soundproof room 1.

(Odor removal function)
In order to allow the user to use the soundproof room 1 comfortably, the CPU 21 operates the fan of the air conditioning equipment 33 to ventilate even after the scheduled use time has elapsed. If the odor sensor 231 detects a specific odor when the scheduled use time has elapsed, the CPU 21 may operate the fan of the air conditioning equipment 33 for a longer period of time after the scheduled use time has elapsed than when the odor sensor 231 does not detect the specific odor. If the odor sensor 231 detects a specific odor when the scheduled use time has elapsed, the CPU 21 may release a deodorant material contained in a tank (not shown). In this way, if there is an odor remaining in the soundproof room 1 that may be unpleasant to the user, the odor can be effectively removed.

(Anti-lost property and anti-terrorism features)
In order to prevent the user from leaving the soundproof room 1 without leaving the items brought in, the CPU 21 may cause the alarm unit 36 to output an alarm sound and cause the display unit 35 to display that an item has been left behind when the user's items are left behind. In addition, when the CPU 21 detects that the item left behind is a bomb in a terrorist attack using a sensor such as the odor sensor 231, it may report the information to a predetermined contact. In order to detect the item left behind, the CPU 21 controls, for example, the weight sensor 233 to measure a first weight, which is the weight before the user enters, and a second weight, which is the weight after the user leaves. When the difference between the first weight and the second weight exceeds a predetermined threshold, the CPU 21 causes the alarm unit 36 to generate an alarm sound. The predetermined threshold is determined based on the measurement error of the weight sensor 233, and the CPU 21 generates an alarm sound when, for example, the difference between the first weight and the second weight is 10 grams or more.

(Advertisement display function)
In order to increase the profitability of the business operator who has installed the soundproof room 1, the soundproof room 1 may display advertisements on displays provided on the outside or inside of the housing 11 and the door 12. For example, the CPU 21 acquires one or more pieces of advertisement information from an external device via the communication unit 39 and displays the acquired advertisement information on the display. The method by which the CPU 21 displays the advertisement information is arbitrary, and the advertisement information may be displayed on a display unit 35 provided on the top of the door 12 as shown in FIG. 2, the advertisement information may be displayed on digital signage provided on both sides of the housing 11, or the advertisement information may be displayed on a light-transmitting display provided on the door glass 34.

The CPU 21 may operate to offer a discount to users associated with the advertiser in order to provide benefits to the advertiser and make it easier for them to request advertisements. To achieve this, when the user identification information read from the card by the card reading unit 37 is associated with at least one of the pieces of advertising information received by the communication unit 39, the CPU 21 settles a lower fee than when the user identification information is not associated with at least one of the pieces of advertising information received by the communication unit 39. Specifically, when Company A is the advertiser, and the user identification information indicates that the user is an employee of Company A, the CPU 21 allows the soundproof room 1 to be used at a lower fee than when the user identification information is not an employee of the advertiser.

When the user identification information read from the card by the card reading unit 37 is associated with an advertiser providing any of one or more pieces of advertising information received by the communication unit 39, the CPU 21 may cause the display unit 35 to display the advertising information of that advertiser while the user is using the soundproof room 1. For example, if the user is an employee of Company A, advertisements for Company A are displayed for some or all of the user's planned usage time. In this way, advertisers associated with users who will use the soundproof room 1 are motivated to actively encourage the user to use the soundproof room 1, thereby further improving the profitability of installing the soundproof room 1.

(Security level change)
As described above, the soundproof room 1 can be installed in various locations, but depending on the location, it may be necessary to restrict who can enter or change the security level. For example, when installed within a company, any employee can enter the soundproof room 1 without paying a fee, but when installed in an area where an unspecified number of people pass by, it is necessary to allow only those who have paid the fee to enter the soundproof room 1. Furthermore, when installed in an area where an unspecified number of people pass by, it may be preferable to allow entry only after verifying the identity of the person.

Therefore, the soundproof room 1 may have a setting mode that allows the manager of the soundproof room 1 to easily change the security level depending on the installation location of the soundproof room 1. Specifically, immediately after the power of the soundproof room 1 is turned on, the CPU 21 displays a setting screen on the display of the operation reception unit 38, allowing the manager to input the installation location or the type of installation location. When the manager inputs the installation location or the type of installation location, the CPU 21 controls the lock 31 to open when the condition corresponding to the input installation location or type of installation location is satisfied.

For example, when the CPU 21 recognizes that the soundproof room 1 has been installed in an outdoor plaza, it opens the lock 31 on the condition that it has read a card that contains information that can identify an individual, such as a driver's license, in addition to an electronic money card. On the other hand, when the CPU 21 recognizes that the soundproof room 1 has been installed within a company, it opens the lock 31 on the condition that it has read an employee card.

The CPU 21 may enable the use of a video conference terminal installed inside the soundproof room 1 regardless of the location of the room, but may also change the performance of the video conference terminal depending on the location of the room. For example, the CPU 21 may set the soundproof room 1 to be able to display images in the highest image quality when the room is installed inside a company connected to a high-speed communication line, and may set the soundproof room 1 to be able to display images in lower image quality than the highest image quality when the room is installed outdoors and only wireless communication lines are available.

[Processing flow in soundproof room 1]
6 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the soundproof room 1. The flowchart shown in FIG. 6 starts when a user who wishes to use the soundproof room 1 brings his/her electronic money card close to the card reading unit 37.

When a user brings an electronic money card close to the card reading unit 37, the card reading unit 37 reads the payment information and user identification information from the card and notifies the CPU 21 of the read information (S1). The CPU 21 refers to the reservation time database stored in the memory unit 22 and determines whether the user whose user identification information was notified by the card reading unit 37 has made a reservation within a predetermined time from the time the card reading unit 37 read the information from the card (S2). If the CPU 21 determines that the user has made a reservation, it proceeds to step S5.

When the CPU 21 determines that the user has not made a reservation, it causes the display of the operation reception unit 38 to display a screen for inputting the desired use time. When the input desired use time does not include the reserved time, the CPU 21 acquires the input desired use time as the planned use time (S3). When the input desired use time includes the reserved time, the CPU 21 causes the operation reception unit 38 to display a message to select another time.

When the CPU 21 acquires the planned usage time, it performs payment based on the payment information acquired from the card reading unit 37 (S4). Specifically, if the card read by the card reading unit 37 is an electronic money card, it performs payment by deducting the usage fee from the balance indicated by the payment information.

Next, the CPU 21 opens the lock 31 to allow the user to enter the soundproof room 1 (S5). The CPU 21 also controls the power supply unit 32 to start supplying power to the electronic devices (S36).

Thereafter, the CPU 21 monitors whether the scheduled usage time has elapsed since the start of the power supply (S7). When the CPU 21 determines that the scheduled usage time has elapsed (YES in S7), it stops the power supply (S8) and opens the lock 31 (S9). The CPU 21 determines whether a specific odor remains based on the odor information notified from the weight sensor 233 (S10).
10), if it is determined that the predetermined odor remains (YES in S10), the fan of the air conditioning equipment 33 is operated until the odor disappears (S11).

[Effects of soundproof room 1]
As described above, the soundproof room 1 reads the payment information stored in the electronic money card or credit card, and after the payment of the usage fee is completed, opens the lock 31 and starts supplying power to the electronic devices inside. In this way, even if the soundproof room 1 is installed in a public place where an unspecified number of people pass by, only people who have paid a certain fee can use the soundproof room 1, so that it is possible to limit the people who can enter the soundproof room 1 and reduce the risk of damage to the soundproof room.

Second embodiment [Outline of unlocking system S]
Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining an overview of the soundproof room management system S according to the second embodiment. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the appearance of the soundproof room 10 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the soundproof room 10 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 10 is a sequence diagram of the soundproof room management system S according to the second embodiment.

The soundproof room management system S includes a plurality of soundproof rooms 10 and a management server 3 that manages the plurality of soundproof rooms 10. The management server 3 is a management device that manages the plurality of soundproof rooms 10, transmits and receives data between the plurality of soundproof rooms 10 via a network such as the Internet N, and controls the soundproof rooms 10 to be unlocked or locked.

In the soundproof room 1 according to the first embodiment, the card reading unit 37 reads the payment information stored in an electronic money card or credit card, and opens the lock 31 in response to the completion of payment of the usage fee. In contrast, each of the multiple soundproof rooms 10 (soundproof rooms 10a and 10b are exemplified in FIG. 7) in the soundproof room management system S is different from the soundproof room 1 according to the first embodiment in that the lock 31 is opened by the information terminal 4 (e.g., a smartphone) of the user who wishes to use the soundproof room 10 reading a QR code 41 (QR code is a registered trademark) that includes a soundproof room ID, which is information for identifying the soundproof room 10. The following mainly describes the differences from the first embodiment.

8, the QR code 41 is attached, for example, near the lock 31. The QR code 41 is readable by the information terminal 4 of the user who uses the soundproof room 10, and is an information display unit that displays the soundproof room ID for identifying the soundproof room 10. A user who wants to use the soundproof room 10 starts the soundproof room use application software installed in the information terminal 4 to read the QR code 41. The information terminal 4 recognizes the soundproof room ID contained in the read QR code 41 (S21 in FIG. 10). The information terminal 4 transmits the recognized soundproof room ID together with user identification information (user ID in FIG. 8) for identifying the user of the information terminal 4 to the management server 3. The user identification information is, for example, registered in advance in application software for using the soundproof room (hereinafter referred to as the soundproof room app). The user identification information may be the personal ID of the information terminal 4, or may be the ID of the organization (for example, the company) where the user who uses the information terminal 4 works.

When the management server 3 receives the soundproof room ID and the user identification information, it authenticates whether or not the user identification information is registered as a user who can use the soundproof room 10 (S22). If the received user identification information matches any of the multiple user identification information registered in advance, the management server 3 transmits an unlocking instruction to the soundproof room 10 corresponding to the received soundproof room ID to instruct it to open the lock 31. At this time, the management server 3 may transmit an unlocking advance notice to notify the information terminal 4 that the lock will be unlocked. If the received user identification information does not match any of the multiple user identification information registered in advance, the management server 3 transmits an unusable notice to notify the information terminal 4 that the soundproof room 10 cannot be used.

When the CPU 21 of the soundproof room 10 receives an unlocking instruction from the management server 3, it opens the lock 31 and starts supplying power to the electronic devices inside (S23). The CPU 21 then sends an unlocking completion notification to the management server 3 indicating that unlocking has been completed. The management server 3 records the time when the unlocking completion notification was received as the time when the user started using the soundproof room 10 in a storage medium in association with the user identification information (S24).

After that, when the user finishes using the soundproof room 10, he opens the door 12, goes outside the soundproof room 10, and reads the QR code 41 with the information terminal 4. The information terminal 4 recognizes the soundproof room ID contained in the read QR code 41 (S25), and transmits the user identification information together with the soundproof room ID to the management server 3. Before transmitting the soundproof room ID and user identification information, the information terminal 4 may display a confirmation message asking "Are you sure you want to close the soundproof room?" and transmit the soundproof room ID and user identification information on the condition that approval has been received from the user.

When the management server 3 receives the soundproof room ID and user identification information while the user of the user identification information is using the soundproof room 10 with the soundproof room ID, it determines that the user has finished using the soundproof room 10 and transmits a locking instruction to close the lock 31 to the soundproof room 10. When the CPU 21 of the soundproof room 10 receives the locking instruction, it closes the lock 31 (S26) and transmits a locking completion notification to the management server 3 indicating that locking has been completed. The management server 3 records the time when the locking completion notification was received as the time when the user finished using the soundproof room 10 in a storage medium in association with the user identification information.

The management server 3 calculates the fee based on the time difference between the start time and end time of use stored in association with the user identification information, and settles the fee using a method previously registered in association with the user identification information (S27). For example, the management server 3 issues an invoice that includes the name or company name corresponding to the user identification information, or executes the settlement by notifying an external server that executes the settlement process of the credit card number and fee registered in association with the user identification information.

The method of collecting the usage fee for the soundproof room 10 is arbitrary, and various other methods can be used. For example, when the management server 3 receives the soundproof room ID and user identification information with the lock 31 of the soundproof room 10 closed, it collects the basic fee using the credit card number registered in association with the user identification information. In this case, when the management server 3 receives the soundproof room ID and user identification information with the lock 31 of the soundproof room 10 open, it may collect an additional fee according to the usage time using the credit card number registered in association with the user identification information.

Furthermore, when the management server 3 receives the soundproof room ID and user identification information while the lock 31 of the soundproof room 10 is closed, it transmits a fee collection instruction to the soundproof room 10, and the CPU 21 of the soundproof room 10 may collect the usage fee with an electronic money card or credit card using the card reading unit 37, as in the soundproof room 1 according to the first embodiment. In this case, when the CPU 21 receives the fee collection instruction, it may prompt the user to pay the fee by, for example, displaying a message such as "Please pay the fee using your card" on the display unit 35 or by lighting up a light-emitting unit provided on the card reading unit 37.

Furthermore, when the CPU 21 receives an unlock instruction, the CPU 21 may cause the user to input a planned usage time in the operation reception unit 38 before opening the lock 31. When the user inputs the planned usage time, the CPU 21 notifies the management server 3 of the input planned usage time, and opens the lock 31 on the condition that approval is received from the management server 3.

If there is a reservation to use the soundproof room 10 between the current time and the scheduled time of use, the management server 3 notifies the soundproof room 10 of the maximum time that it can be used. The CPU 21 displays a confirmation message on the display unit 35, such as "It can only be used until 10:00. Is that OK?", and opens the lock 31 on the condition that the user performs an operation to approve it. In this way, the user can use the soundproof room 10 until the time of the next reservation.

In response to reading the QR code 41, the information terminal 4 may display a screen for inputting the planned time of use, and transmit the planned time of use to the management server 3 along with the soundproof room ID and user identification information. In this case, if there is a reservation for use of the soundproof room 10 between the current time and the planned time of use, the management server 3 notifies the information terminal 4 of the longest time available for use. The information terminal 4 may display a confirmation message such as "It can only be used until 10:00. Is that OK?", and if the user operates to approve, transmits that message to the management server 3. The management server 3 transmits an unlock instruction to the soundproof room 10 on the condition that approval has been obtained. This also allows the user to use the soundproof room 10 until the time of the next reservation.

[Effects of the Soundproof Room Management System S]
As described above, in the soundproof room management system S, a user can start using the soundproof room 10 by reading the QR code 41 affixed to the soundproof room 10 with the information terminal 4. In this case, the fee can be paid by a payment method preregistered in the management server 3, without using the user's own prepaid card or credit card. Therefore, this is suitable for a case where a company with many users contracts to use the soundproof room 10, and the company pays the fee for the users' use of the soundproof room 10.

In the above description, a QR code 41 is used as an example of the information display unit, but the information display unit may be in a form other than a QR code 41. For example, the information display unit may be text information indicating the soundproof room ID, or may be an object with a shape unique to the soundproof room.

In addition, for crime prevention, the soundproof room 10 may be equipped with a surveillance camera, and the soundproof room 10 may transmit images captured by the surveillance camera to the management server 3. For example, the soundproof room 10 may transmit images captured of the outside of the soundproof room 10 to the management server 3 when the user is not using the soundproof room 10, and may transmit images captured of the inside of the soundproof room 10 to the management server 3 when the user is using the soundproof room 10. In this way, the soundproof room 10 can minimize the volume of images transmitted to the management server 3, monitor actions that may damage the inside of the soundproof room 10 when the soundproof room 10 is in use, and monitor actions that may damage the outside of the soundproof room 10 when the soundproof room 10 is not in use.

In addition, since confidential information may be spoken in the soundproof room 10, it is necessary to take measures against eavesdropping. Therefore, the soundproof room 10 is equipped with a sensor that detects radio waves, and if it detects radio waves different from those that were detected when the soundproof room 10 was installed, it may notify the management server 3 that suspicious radio waves have been received. In this way, the manager of the soundproof room 10 can check whether any electronic devices for eavesdropping have been installed, thereby preventing eavesdropping.

Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, the specific embodiments of the distribution and integration of devices are not limited to the above embodiments, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit. In addition, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of the new embodiments resulting from the combination combine the effects of the original embodiments.

1 Soundproof room 2 External device 3 Management server 4 Information terminal 11 Housing 12 Door 21 CPU
22 Memory unit 23 Detection unit 31 Lock 32 Power supply unit 34 Door glass 35 Display unit 36 Alarm unit 37 Card reading unit 38 Operation reception unit 39 Communication unit 40 Sound attenuation unit 41 QR code 231 Odor sensor 232 Human sensor 233 Weight sensor 321 Power plug 400 Sound attenuation member 401 Outer reflection unit 402 Straight portion 403 Inner reflection unit

Claims (5)

A housing having an office space that a user can enter and exit;
Fixtures arranged in the office space;
Casters and adjusters provided on a bottom surface of the housing;
A door provided on one side of the housing;
A power supply unit for obtaining power;
A portable soundproof room that is installed in a place where various people pass by,
The power supply unit has a power plug that can be inserted and removed from a power outlet provided at the installation location, and when a power line connected to the power plug is run from the power outlet to the housing, the power obtained via the power plug can be distributed and supplied to electronic devices provided inside the housing and to a computer brought inside the housing by a user. The soundproof room according to claim 1, characterized in that it is equipped with a communication unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from external devices via a network, and is configured so that a user who enters the office space can transmit and receive remote conference data to and from external devices having remote conference functions. The furniture comprises a table and a seat that is paired with the table,
The housing is formed as a rectangular parallelepiped having a depth dimension and a width dimension from the opening that is opened and closed by the door, and the height dimension is greater than the depth dimension. The table is arranged on one side of the work space that is equally divided in the width direction, and the seats are arranged on the other side of the work space, so that the inner wall surface of the housing can face a seated user.
3. The soundproof room according to claim 1, wherein the opening has a widthwise center positioned corresponding to the other space. A housing having an office space that a user can enter and exit;
Fixtures arranged in the office space;
Casters and adjusters provided on a bottom surface of the housing;
A door provided on one side of the housing;
A power supply unit for obtaining power;
A portable soundproof room installed in a company to which a user belongs as an employee,
The power supply unit has a power plug that can be inserted and removed from a power outlet provided at the installation location, and when a power line connected to the power plug is run from the power outlet to the housing, the power obtained via the power plug can be distributed and supplied to electronic devices provided inside the housing and to a computer brought inside the housing by a user. Soundproof rooms are installed in multiple locations where various people pass by,
A server that manages the soundproof rooms installed in the plurality of locations;
a reservation site accessible by a portable information terminal for setting a reservation for a desired soundproof room among the soundproof rooms installed in the plurality of locations;
A soundproof room management system comprising:
The soundproof room is
A housing having an office space that a user can enter and exit;
Fixtures arranged in the office space;
Casters and adjusters provided on a bottom surface of the housing;
A door provided on one side of the housing;
A lock capable of locking and unlocking the door;
A control unit that controls the operation of the lock based on management information related to reservations of the soundproof room;
A power supply unit for obtaining power;
A portable soundproof room equipped with:
The power supply unit has a power plug that can be inserted and removed from a power outlet provided at the installation location, and is configured so that when a power line connected to the power plug is run from the power outlet to the housing, the power obtained via the power plug can be distributed and supplied to electronic devices provided inside the housing, and to one or more electronic devices, including a computer brought into the housing by a user and the portable information terminal.This is a soundproof room management system.

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