JP7465024B2 - Vehicle rental system and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technology for renting a vehicle to a user, and in particular to a technology for renting a vehicle to a user via the user's communication device.

In recent years, services that allow users to lend and return rental items are becoming more common. A variety of rental items already exist, and new ones may emerge in the future. Existing rental items range from tangible movable property and real estate to intangible audiovisual content (e.g., content represented by data that is not fixed on a recording medium).

Examples of movable property that can be rented include land, water, or air vehicles (e.g., for travel or entertainment), furniture, clothing, electrical appliances, accessories that can be detachably attached to electrical appliances (e.g., batteries or chargers), and recording media (e.g., CDs) on which audiovisual content is recorded and that can be played by the user. Examples of real property that can be rented include rooms in accommodation facilities (e.g., hotels) where users can stay short-term or accommodation facilities (e.g., apartments) where users can stay long-term, coin lockers, individual parking spaces in parking lots, etc.

An example of a land vehicle that can be rented is a bicycle. For example, in tourist destinations, there are services that rent bicycles to travelers as a means of transport to their destinations, and in urban areas, there are services that rent bicycles to users as a means of commuting and other transportation.

Specific technologies have already been proposed to provide users with a service for renting and returning bicycles.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for managing each station through communication with an external management center in order to rent bicycles. This technology is characterized by the following: a two-dimensional code is assigned to each bicycle and displayed on a first print medium; a two-dimensional code is assigned to each station and displayed on a second print medium; each bicycle is locked with a combination lock for storage; and a user reads the two-dimensional code of the bicycle they wish to rent and transmits this information to the management center via the user's mobile communication device, which allows the management center to recognize the bicycle.

This technology is further characterized in that the user reads the two-dimensional code of the station where the user is currently located and transmits that information to the management center via the user's mobile communication device, thereby allowing the management center to recognize the current station, and when the bicycle is rented, the management center transmits the unlocking number of the lock to the user's mobile communication device, and upon receiving the unlocking number, the user unlocks the lock using the received unlocking number.

Patent Document 2 also discloses a technology for managing each station through communication with an external management center in order to rent bicycles. This technology is characterized by the use of a lock for each bicycle, the fact that when the management center receives the vehicle number of the bicycle that the user wishes to rent from the user's mobile communication device, it transmits an unlocking signal to the lock of that bicycle to unlock it, and the fact that when the unlocking signal is received, the lock is automatically unlocked.

Patent Document 3 also discloses a technology for independently managing each station for renting bicycles. This technology is characterized by the installation of a common numerical input unit and bicycle parking management unit (having a storage device) for multiple bicycles in the same station, and a bicycle lock control unit for each bicycle, each bicycle lock control unit using a lock, each bicycle lock control unit being assigned a unique device number, and when the bicycle parking management unit receives the device number and a PIN number (a PIN number registered in advance by the user to identify the user) from the user via the numerical input unit, it controls the bicycle lock control unit to unlock the lock.

Patent Document 4 also discloses a technology for managing each station through communication with an external management center in order to rent bicycles. This technology is characterized by the fact that a stand is installed for each bicycle within the same station, that the stand uses a lock, and that when the management center receives an operation message from a user via a mobile communication device indicating the mobile communication device and a specific stand, it transmits an unlocking signal to the specific stand to unlock the lock, and when the release signal is received, the lock is unlocked.

Patent document 5 also discloses a technology that encrypts the current time and displays it every second on the display of a ticket issuing machine installed in a parking lot.

JP 2011-248813 A Patent No. 5008108 Japanese Patent No. 5507916 US Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0196631 Japanese Patent No. 5340466

In the bicycle rental service mentioned above, there are cases where it is important for the management center to correctly know at which of multiple stations a user will rent or return a bicycle.

One example of such a case is one in which the management center employs billing rules to calculate the rental fee to be charged to a user such that the rental fee charged to a user is different when the user returns a bicycle to the same station from which it was rented and when the user returns the bicycle to a different station.

Another example is one in which the station from which a bicycle is rented is accurately identified each time a bicycle is rented, and the station from which a bicycle is returned each time a bicycle is returned, and then the balance of the number of bicycles at each station is calculated (for example, the number of bicycles available for rental is estimated at every moment), and based on the results, bicycles are appropriately distributed among multiple stations so that each station has an adequate supply of bicycles.

However, if a user stores information to identify the station from which the item was rented and communicates the same information to the management center when returning the item, the management center will recognize that the user has returned the item at the same station from which it was rented, regardless of whether the return station and the rental station are actually the same or different.

As a result, users may take advantage of this situation and commit fraud by intentionally transmitting the same information used to identify the station from which the item was rented to the management center when returning the item, even though in reality the return is to a station different from the station from which it was rented.

Also, there have been systems in which a management server centrally and remotely manages multiple stations. In these systems, there is a need to reduce the burden on communication equipment required for station units to send necessary information to a management server in a remote location.

Above, we have used the example of a bicycle as a rental item to explain the issues involved in lending and returning a rental item to a user, but similar issues exist when lending and returning other types of rental items to a user.

Based on the above findings, the present invention aims to provide a technology for renting a vehicle to a user via the user's communication device.

In order to solve the above problem, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle rental system that allows a user to rent out a selected vehicle from among a plurality of vehicles at each of a plurality of stations capable of storing the vehicles for rental, by using a communication device of the user, the system comprising:
a station identification unit that identifies, at the time of rental and return, one of the plurality of stations where the user is currently located as a rental station or a return station;
a providing unit for providing vehicle information including information capable of identifying each vehicle as a code to a user currently present at any one of the stations;
a vehicle identification unit that identifies the vehicle to be rented based on the vehicle information represented by the code acquired by the communication device of the user at the time of rental;
a rental permission unit that, when the vehicle information of the specified current vehicle matches any one of a plurality of vehicle information previously assigned to each of the plurality of vehicles stored at the rental station, sets the current vehicle as the selected vehicle and permits the selected vehicle to be rented to the user at the rental station based on the specified rental station and the specified selected vehicle;
a return permission unit that, at the time of return, allows the user to return the selected vehicle to the return station based on the identified return station and vehicle information stored in a memory for the selected vehicle at the time of rental, without requiring the user to read the code with a communication device of the user;
A vehicle rental system is provided that includes:
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program executed by a computer of a communication device of a user who wishes to rent a selected vehicle, the selected vehicle being a vehicle selected by the user at any one of a plurality of stations, the program comprising:
The user's communication device has a plurality of functions,
a receiving function for receiving station information for identifying any one of the stations as a rental station or a return station from a station side communication device installed in any one of the stations at the time of rental and return;
a reading function at the time of rental for reading the code from a display that displays vehicle information including information that can identify a vehicle as a code at the time of rental;
a transmission function at the time of rental for transmitting the station information and the vehicle information to a management server at the time of rental;
a rental reception function for receiving information from the management server indicating that, when the vehicle information of the current vehicle matches any one of a plurality of vehicle information previously assigned to each of the plurality of vehicles stored at the rental station at the time of rental, the current vehicle is designated as the selected vehicle and the rental station is permitted to rent out the selected vehicle to the user;
a return transmission function for transmitting the station information, excluding the vehicle information, to the management server at the time of return without requiring the user to read the code using the user's communication device;
Including,
A program is provided that is executed to realize the above-mentioned functions.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program executed by a computer of a communication device of a user who wishes to rent a selected vehicle, the selected vehicle being a vehicle selected by the user at any one of a plurality of stations, the program comprising:
The user's communication device has a plurality of functions,
a positioning function for measuring a current location of the user at the time of rental and return;
a reading function at the time of rental for reading the code from a display that displays vehicle information including information that can identify a vehicle as a code at the time of rental;
a transmission function at the time of rental that transmits, to a management server, location information relating to the measured current location and the vehicle information at the time of rental;
a rental reception function for receiving information from the management server indicating that, when the vehicle information of the current vehicle matches any one of a plurality of vehicle information previously assigned to each of the plurality of vehicles stored at the rental station at the time of rental, the current vehicle is designated as the selected vehicle and the rental station is permitted to rent out the selected vehicle to the user;
a return transmission function for transmitting the location information, excluding the vehicle information, to the management server when returning the vehicle, without requiring the user to read the code using the user's communication device;
Including,
A program is provided that is executed to realize the above-mentioned functions.
According to a first aspect of the present invention , there is provided a vehicle rental system that allows a user to rent out a selected vehicle from among a plurality of vehicles at each of a plurality of stations capable of storing the vehicles for rental by using a communication device of the user, the system comprising:
a station identification unit that identifies one of the plurality of stations where the user is currently located at the time of renting and returning the selected vehicle, and identifies the one of the stations as a rental station or a return station based on station information received by the user's communication device from a station side communication device installed in the one of the stations;
a providing unit for providing vehicle information including information for identifying each vehicle as an image to a user currently present at any one of the stations who wishes to rent the vehicle;
a vehicle identification unit that identifies the selected vehicle based on the vehicle information read as the image by the user's communication device when the selected vehicle is rented;
a rental permission unit that, when renting the selected vehicle, permits the rental of the selected vehicle to the user at the rental station based on the specified rental station and the specified selected vehicle;
and a return permission unit that, when returning the selected vehicle, permits the user to return the selected vehicle to the return station based on the identified return station without requiring the user to input the vehicle information.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle rental system that allows a user to rent out a selected vehicle from among a plurality of vehicles at each of a plurality of stations capable of storing the vehicles for rental by using a communication device of the user, the system comprising:
a station identification unit that identifies a station among the plurality of stations where a user is currently located at the time of renting and returning the selected vehicle, and identifies the station as a rental station or a return station based on a current position measured by a positioning unit of a communication device of the user currently located at the station;
a providing unit for providing vehicle information including information for identifying each vehicle as an image to a user currently present at any one of the stations who wishes to rent the vehicle;
a vehicle identification unit that identifies the selected vehicle based on the vehicle information read as the image by the user's communication device when the selected vehicle is rented;
a rental permission unit that, when renting the selected vehicle, permits the rental of the selected vehicle to the user at the rental station based on the specified rental station and the specified selected vehicle;
a return permission unit that permits the user to return the selected vehicle to the return station based on the identified return station without requiring the user to input the vehicle information when returning the selected vehicle;
A vehicle rental system is provided that includes:

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle rental program executed by a computer of a communication device of a user who wishes to rent a selected vehicle, the selected vehicle being a vehicle selected by a user at any one of a plurality of stations, the program comprising:
a receiving function for receiving station information for identifying any one of the stations from a station-side communication device installed in any one of the stations when the selected vehicle is rented and returned by the communication device;
a reading function at the time of rental, in which the communication device reads the code from a display that displays vehicle information for identifying the selected vehicle as a code in the selected vehicle when the selected vehicle is rented;
a rental transmission function in which the communication device transmits the station information and the vehicle information to a management server when the selected vehicle is rented;
a return transmission function in which the communication device transmits the station information to the management server, excluding the vehicle information, when the selected vehicle is returned;
A vehicle rental program is provided that operates to achieve the above.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle rental program executed by a computer of a communication device of a user who wishes to rent a selected vehicle, the selected vehicle being a vehicle selected by a user at any one of a plurality of stations, the program comprising:
a positioning function of the communication device for measuring a current location of the user at the time of renting and returning the selected vehicle;
a reading function at the time of rental, in which the communication device reads the code from a display that displays vehicle information for identifying the selected vehicle as a code in the selected vehicle when the selected vehicle is rented;
a rental transmission function in which the communication device transmits the station information and the vehicle information to a management server when the selected vehicle is rented;
a return transmission function in which the communication device transmits the station information to the management server, excluding the vehicle information, when the selected vehicle is returned;
A vehicle rental program is provided that operates to achieve the above.

According to one aspect of the present invention , there is provided a vehicle rental system that allows a user to rent out a selected vehicle from among a plurality of vehicles at each of a plurality of stations capable of storing the vehicles for rental by using a communication device of the user, the system comprising:
a station identification unit that identifies one of the plurality of stations where the user is currently located at the time of renting and returning the selected vehicle, and identifies the one of the stations as a rental station or a return station based on station information locally received by the user's communication device from a station side communication device installed in the one of the stations;
a providing unit for providing vehicle information including information for identifying each vehicle as an image to a user currently present at any one of the stations who wishes to rent the vehicle;
a vehicle identification unit that identifies the selected vehicle based on the vehicle information read as the image by the user's communication device when the selected vehicle is rented;
a rental permission unit that, when renting the selected vehicle, permits the rental of the selected vehicle to the user at the rental station based on the specified rental station and the specified selected vehicle;
and a return authorization unit that, upon return of the selected vehicle, authorizes the user to return the selected vehicle to the return station based on the identified return station.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle rental system that allows a user to rent out a selected vehicle from among a plurality of vehicles at each of a plurality of stations capable of storing the vehicles for rental by using a communication device of the user, the system comprising:
a station identification unit that identifies a station among the plurality of stations where a user is currently located at the time of renting and returning the selected vehicle, and identifies the station as a rental station or a return station based on a current position measured by a positioning unit of a communication device of the user currently located at the station;
a providing unit for providing vehicle information including information for identifying each vehicle as an image to a user currently present at any one of the stations who wishes to rent the vehicle;
a vehicle identification unit that identifies the selected vehicle based on the vehicle information read as the image by the user's communication device when the selected vehicle is rented;
a rental permission unit that, when renting the selected vehicle, permits the rental of the selected vehicle to the user at the rental station based on the specified rental station and the specified selected vehicle;
and a return authorization unit that, upon return of the selected vehicle, authorizes the user to return the selected vehicle to the return station based on the identified return station.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle rental system that allows a user to rent out a selected vehicle from among a plurality of vehicles at each of a plurality of stations capable of storing the vehicles for rental by using a communication device of the user, the system comprising:
a providing unit for providing vehicle information for identifying each vehicle to a user who is present at a corresponding station and who wishes to rent the vehicle;
a management server capable of communicating with a user's communication device, which manages the plurality of stations at a remote location;
The management server receives station information for identifying which of the multiple stations the user is currently located at, and vehicle information about the selected vehicle provided by the provision unit, both via the user's communication device, and a vehicle rental system is provided that includes a rental permission unit that permits the user to rent out the selected vehicle based on the received station information and vehicle information.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle rental system that allows a user to rent out a selected vehicle from among a plurality of vehicles at each of a plurality of stations capable of storing the vehicles for rental by using a communication device of the user, the system comprising:
a station side unit for transmitting, in each station, a signal representing a unique station ID to a communication device of the user located in the station in such a manner that the signal cannot be normally received outside the area of the station;
a vehicle-side unit for providing a unique vehicle ID, in a form of a user-visible code, to a user at a corresponding station who wishes to rent the vehicle;
a management server capable of communicating with a user's communication device, which manages the plurality of stations at a remote location;
A vehicle rental system is provided in which the management server, when receiving both the station ID transmitted from the station side unit and the vehicle ID provided by the vehicle side unit for the selected vehicle via the user's communication device, decrypts the received vehicle ID and, based on the decrypted vehicle ID and the received station ID, authorizes the user to rent out the selected vehicle.

According to one aspect of the present invention, in a system in which an external parking lot server centrally manages multiple parking lots remotely, it is an object of the present invention to provide a technology for reducing the burden on communication equipment used by an internal parking lot unit to transmit necessary information to an external parking lot server located in a remote location. In order to solve this object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a parking lot management system that manages the lending and returning of vehicles to users of multiple parking lots for each parking lot, comprising:
a unit in the parking lot that transmits parking lot information for identifying each parking lot to a communication device of a user in each parking lot by a local communication method;
a server outside the parking lot that remotely and centrally manages the lending and returning of the parking lots to users by communicating with a communication device of a user who wishes to use any of the parking lots;
The communication device of the user, as a relay between the intra-parking lot unit and the outside-parking lot server, transmits the received parking lot information to the outside-parking lot server when the communication device receives the parking lot information corresponding to any one of the parking lots from the intra-parking lot unit;
The server outside the parking lot is
A receiving unit that receives the parking lot information from the communication device of the user;
A parking lot identification unit that identifies any one of the parking lots based on the received parking lot information;
a transmission unit that permits the user to rent out the identified parking lot and transmits a PIN associated with the identified parking lot as visualized data to a communication device of the user;
The pin number is provided to a parking management system which is entered by the user in association with the identified parking lot.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a parking lot management system, comprising:
A plurality of in-parking lot units installed in a plurality of parking lots, respectively;
a server outside the parking lot that is used in common by the plurality of parking lots and that centrally and remotely manages the parking lots;
Each parking lot has a number of individual parking spaces;
Each unit in the parking lot transmits payment-related information required for the user to pay a fee for using any of the parking lots to a communication device of the user by a local communication method;
the user's communication device, acting as a relay between the intra-parking lot unit and the outside-parking lot server, transmits the payment-related information received from the intra-parking lot unit installed in any one of the parking lots to the outside-parking lot server via wireless communication together with space identification information that identifies which of the multiple individual parking spaces in any one of the parking lots the user will use;
A parking lot management system is provided in which the server outside the parking lot receives the payment-related information together with the space-specific information from the user's communication device via wireless communication, associates the received payment-related information with the received space-specific information and stores them in memory, and performs processing to electronically pay the parking fee for the parking lot used by the user based on the payment-related information.

In one example of this parking lot management system, the parking lot unit broadcasts the payment-related information to communication devices of an unspecified number of users who use the parking lot in which the parking lot unit is installed,
When the communication device of the user attempting to make the payment receives payment-related information from the unit within the parking lot, the communication device transmits the payment-related information together with the space-specific information for the current user to the server outside the parking lot via wireless communication.

In one example of such a parking management system, the payment-related information includes time information required for a user using one of the parking lots to pay the parking fee, and a parking lot ID unique to one of the parking lots.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a parking lot management system, comprising:
A plurality of in-parking lot units installed in a plurality of parking lots, respectively;
a server outside the parking lot that is used in common by the plurality of parking lots and that centrally and remotely manages the parking lots;
Each parking lot has a number of individual parking spaces;
Each parking unit is
a transmission unit that transmits payment-related information required for a user to pay a fee for using any of the parking lots to a communication device of the user by a local communication method;
The user's communication device is
a receiving unit that receives the payment-related information from the transmitting unit of the parking lot unit installed in any one of the parking lots;
a transmission unit that transmits the received payment-related information to the server outside the parking lot by wireless communication together with space identification information that identifies which of the multiple individual parking spaces in any one of the parking lots is to be used by the user;
The server outside the parking lot
a receiving unit that receives the payment-related information together with the space-specific information from a user's communication device by wireless communication;
a storage unit that stores the received payment-related information and the received space-specific information in a memory in association with each other;
a payment processing unit that reads out the payment-related information from the memory based on the space identification information received from the user's communication device, and performs processing to settle the fee based on the read-out payment-related information by a payment method selected from bank payment, credit card payment, and prepaid payment in order to collect from the user an amount corresponding to the usage time of the parking lot used by the user;
and a transmitter that, when the payment of the fee is completed, transmits a signal indicating completion of payment of the fee to the user's communication device.

In one example of this parking lot management system, the transmission unit of the parking lot unit transmits the payment-related information by broadcast to communication devices of an unspecified number of users who use the parking lot in which the parking lot unit is installed,
When the communication device of the user attempting to make the payment receives payment-related information from the transmitting unit of the unit within the parking lot, the communication device transmits the payment-related information together with the space-specific information for the current user to the receiving unit of the server outside the parking lot via wireless communication.

In one example of such a parking management system, the payment-related information includes time information required for a user using one of the parking lots to pay the usage fee, and a parking lot ID unique to one of the parking lots.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rental system in which at least one rental object is rented to a user by using a communication device carried by the user in each of a plurality of stations capable of storing the at least one rental object, the system comprising:
a station side unit having a transmitter for transmitting a signal representing a unique station ID to communication devices of a plurality of unspecified users or a plurality of specified users in each station in such a manner that the signal cannot be normally received outside the area of the station;
a target unit for providing, for each rental object, a unique target ID to a user at a corresponding station who wishes to rent the rental object;
a management server capable of communicating with a user's communication device, which manages the plurality of stations at a remote location;
A communication device of a user located at any one of the stations receives the signal from the station side unit of the any one of the stations, acquires the object ID from the object side unit of a selected rental object selected by the user from at least one rental object stored in the any one of the stations, and transmits the station ID represented by the received signal and the acquired object ID to the management server;
A rental system is provided in which the management server authorizes the user to rent the selected rental object based on the received station ID and object ID.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rental system in which at least one rental object is rented to a user by using a communication device carried by the user in each of a plurality of stations capable of storing the at least one rental object, the system comprising:
a station side unit for transmitting, in each station, a signal representing a combination of a unique station ID and time information to communication devices of a plurality of unspecified users or a plurality of specified users present at the station, in such a manner that the signal cannot be normally received outside the area of the station;
a target unit for presenting a unique target ID for each rental object to a user at a corresponding station who wishes to rent the rental object in a computer readable form by the user's communication device;
a management server capable of communicating with a user's communication device, which manages the plurality of stations at a remote location;
A communication device of a user located at any one of the stations acquires the signal from the station side unit of the any one of the stations, acquires the object ID from the object side unit of a selected rental object selected by the user from at least one rental object stored in the any one of the stations, transmits the station ID and time information represented by the acquired signal to the management server in a combined state and associates them with each other, and transmits the acquired object ID to the management server;
The management server is provided with a rental system that permits the user to rent out the selected rental object based on the received station ID, time information, and object ID.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rental system for lending and returning at least one rental item to a user at each of a plurality of stations capable of storing the at least one rental item, the rental system including an encryption unit that generates a code that is dynamic with respect to both time and station location from moment to moment by encrypting pre-encryption information using an encryption algorithm in association with each station location, and a provision unit that provides the generated code to a user at each station.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rental method for lending and returning at least one rental item to a user at each of a plurality of stations capable of storing the at least one rental item, the rental method including an encryption step in which a computer encrypts pre-encrypted information using an encryption algorithm in association with each station location, thereby generating a code that is dynamic with respect to both time and station location from moment to moment, and a providing step in which, at each station, the generated code is provided to a user at the station.

The present invention provides the following aspects. Each aspect is divided into clauses, each clause is numbered, and the numbers of other clauses are cited as necessary. This is to facilitate understanding of some of the technical features that the present invention may employ and their combinations, and should not be construed as limiting the technical features and combinations that the present invention may employ to the following aspects. In other words, it should be construed that there is no prohibition on appropriately extracting and employing technical features that are not described in the following aspects but are described in this specification as technical features of the present invention.

Furthermore, describing each paragraph in a form that refers to the number of other paragraphs does not necessarily mean that it is prohibited to separate and make independent the technical features described in each paragraph from the technical features described in other paragraphs, and it should be interpreted that it is possible to make independent the technical features described in each paragraph as appropriate depending on their nature.

(1) A rental device that is installed in each of a plurality of stations capable of storing at least one rental object, for renting and returning the at least one rental object to a user, comprising:
a display unit that displays, at each station location, a code that is dynamic with respect to both time and station location, from moment to moment;
The code is transmitted by the user to a management center that remotely manages the plurality of stations via a communication device.

Throughout this application, the term "time" can be interpreted to mean time in the narrow sense, i.e., temporal information that represents the position of a point on a time axis that has no length, or time in the broad sense, i.e., temporal information that represents the position of an area, i.e., a time zone, that has length, on a time axis.

(2) The rental device described in (1), wherein the at least one rental item includes at least one of a vehicle, furniture, clothing, electrical appliances, batteries, chargers, a recording medium on which audiovisual content is recorded, a room available for stay, an individual storage space in a coin locker, and an individual parking space in a parking lot.

(3) further comprising an encryption unit that generates the code every moment by encrypting the unencrypted information using an encryption algorithm,
the combination of pre-encryption information and encryption algorithm is configured such that one of the pre-encryption information and the encryption algorithm is dynamic with respect to at least time, while the other is dynamic with respect to at least station location, or at least one of the pre-encryption information and the encryption algorithm is dynamic with respect to both time and station location;
The code is:
The fact that users cannot decrypt it,
The property that if a user is actually currently or has been in any station, the user cannot obtain a genuine code unless the user has actually currently or has been in that station;
The property is that the management center can decrypt the encryption and infer that the user is actually currently or has been at that station;
The management center decrypts the code received from the user by using the same encryption algorithm for decryption, thereby estimating the station where the user is actually currently located or has been located in the past. Rental device described in (1) or (2).

(4) A bicycle rental device installed at each of a plurality of stations, each capable of storing a plurality of bicycles, for renting and returning the bicycles to users, comprising:
a display unit that displays, at each station location, a code that is dynamic with respect to both time and station location, from moment to moment;
The bicycle rental device in which the code is transmitted by the user via a communication device to a management center that remotely manages the plurality of stations.

(5) further comprising an encryption unit that generates the code every moment by encrypting the unencrypted information using an encryption algorithm,
the unencrypted information includes information regarding at least one of a time and a station location;
the combination of pre-encrypted information and the encryption algorithm is configured such that one of the pre-encrypted information and the encryption algorithm is dynamic with respect to at least time, while the other is dynamic with respect to at least station location, or at least one of the pre-encrypted information and the encryption algorithm is dynamic with respect to both time and station location;
The code is:
The fact that users cannot decrypt it,
The property that if a user is actually present at any station at any time, the user cannot obtain the information unless the user is actually present at that station at that time;
The property is that the management center can decrypt the encryption and infer that the user is actually at that station at that time.
The bicycle rental device described in (4) above, wherein the management center decrypts the code received from the user by using the same encryption algorithm for decryption, thereby estimating the station where the user is actually located and the time when the user is actually located at the station.

(6) A bicycle rental system in which a plurality of stations each store a plurality of bicycles and allow users to rent and return the bicycles,
a display unit provided in each of the plurality of stations and capable of displaying a dynamic code with respect to both time and station location from moment to moment;
and an analysis unit which is installed in a management center which remotely manages the plurality of stations, and which receives the code currently displayed on the display unit when the user transmits the code to the center unit using a communication device available to the user, and which estimates the station where the user actually is and the time when the user actually is at the station by analyzing the received code.

(7) A bicycle rental system in which a plurality of stations each store a plurality of bicycles and allow users to rent and return the bicycles,
A plurality of station side units installed in the plurality of stations, respectively;
a center unit installed in a management center that centrally manages the plurality of stations;
Each of the plurality of stations is assigned a unique station ID in advance,
Each station unit is
A clock that constantly measures the current time,
an encryption unit for encrypting the current time measured by the clock and a station ID unique to the corresponding station, the encryption unit encrypting the station ID into a code that changes from time to time even though it is for the same station;
a display unit that displays information including the encrypted current time and station ID as two codes;
The user transmits the two ciphertexts displayed on the display unit to the center unit using an available communication device,
The center unit is
a decryption unit for decrypting the two codes upon receiving the two codes from a user;
and an information processing unit that recognizes that the user is actually present at a station having a station ID that is restored by decrypting the encrypted station ID at a time that is restored by decrypting the encrypted current time.

(8) each station ID is a station ID that is dynamic with respect to station location but static with respect to time;
A bicycle rental system as described in (7) above, in which the encryption unit encrypts a station ID unique to the corresponding station into a code that changes from moment to moment by using an encryption algorithm that is static with respect to the station location but dynamic with respect to the time and that is common to the multiple stations.

(9) Each station ID is a station ID that is dynamic with respect to station location and time;
A bicycle rental system as described in (7) above, in which the encryption unit encrypts a station ID, which is unique to the corresponding station, into a code that changes from moment to moment by using an encryption algorithm that is static with respect to both the station location and the time and that is common to the multiple stations.

(10) The center unit further comprises:
Includes a memory capable of reading and storing information;
When renting a bicycle, the user uses the communication device to transmit the rental password, which is one of the two passwords acquired from the display unit, to the center unit;
When the decryption unit receives the two rental encryption codes from the user at the time of rental, it decrypts the rental encryption codes to recognize rental information including the rental time and rental station, and stores the rental information in the memory in association with the user or the bicycle rented to the user.
When returning the bicycle, the user uses the communication device to transmit the two codes acquired from the display unit to the center unit.
the decryption unit, upon receiving the two return encryption codes from the user at the time of the return, decrypts the return encryption codes to recognize return information including a return time and a return station;
A bicycle rental system described in any of items (7) to (9), in which the information processing unit reads from the memory the rental time and rental station stored in association with the user or the bicycle rented to the user, calculates the length of bicycle usage time as the elapsed time from the return time to the rental time, and determines whether there is a match or mismatch between the rental station and the return station.

(11) When renting a bicycle, the user uses the communication device to transmit the rental password, which is one of the two passwords acquired from the display unit, to the center unit;
the decryption unit, upon receiving the two rental encryption codes from the user at the time of rental, recognizes rental information including a rental time and a rental station by decrypting the rental encryption codes;
When returning the bicycle, the user uses the communication device to transmit the two return passwords acquired from the display unit to the center unit together with the two rental passwords already transmitted;
When the decryption unit receives the two rental encryptions and the two return encryptions from the user at the time of the return, the decryption unit recognizes rental information including the rental time and the rental station by decrypting the two received rental encryptions, and recognizes return information including the return time and the return station by decrypting the two received return encryptions;
A bicycle rental system described in any of items (7) to (10), wherein the information processing unit calculates the length of bicycle usage time as the elapsed time from the return time to the rental time, and determines whether there is a match or mismatch between the rental station and the return station.

(12) A bicycle rental system in which a plurality of stations each store a plurality of bicycles and allow users to rent and return the bicycles, comprising:
A plurality of station side units installed in the plurality of stations, respectively;
a center unit installed in a management center that centrally manages the plurality of stations;
Each station unit is
A first clock that measures the current time from moment to moment;
an encryption unit that encrypts the current time measured by the first clock into a different code from the codes acquired by the other stations by using an encryption algorithm corresponding to each station unit and different from the encryption algorithms used by the other stations, while the current time is the same;
A display unit that displays information including the code,
The plurality of encryption algorithms used by the plurality of stations in the respective encryption units are different from each other, and a correspondence between the stations and the encryption algorithms is known;
The user transmits the ciphertext displayed on the display unit to the center unit using an available communication device,
The center unit is
a second clock which, when receiving the code from a user, measures the time at which the code is received as a reception time;
a decryption unit that decrypts the received encryption, thereby recovering the time, and compares the recovered time with the reception time, thereby selecting, from among the plurality of encryption algorithms, an encryption algorithm that, when used to decrypt the received encryption, causes a difference between the recovered time by the decryption and the reception time to be equal to or smaller than a reference value, as a genuine encryption algorithm corresponding to the station where the user actually resides;
and an information processing unit that recognizes that the user is actually present at the station corresponding to the selected true encryption algorithm at a time restored by decryption using the selected true encryption algorithm.

(13) A rental method for renting and returning at least one rental object to a user at a plurality of stations storing the at least one rental object, comprising:
a display step for displaying, at each station location, a code which is dynamic both with respect to time and with respect to the station location, from time to time;
A rental method in which the code is transmitted by a user via a communication device to a management center that remotely manages the plurality of stations.

(14) A bicycle rental method for renting and returning bicycles to users at a plurality of stations each storing a plurality of bicycles, comprising:
Each of the plurality of stations is assigned a unique station ID in advance,
The method includes a number of steps carried out at each station,
These processes are:
A timing process for measuring the current time from moment to moment;
an encryption step of encrypting the measured current time and a station ID unique to the corresponding station, the station ID being encrypted with a code that changes from time to time even though it is for the same station;
a display step of displaying information including the encrypted current time and the station ID as two codes;
The user transmits the two displayed codes to a management center that centrally manages the plurality of stations using an available communication device;
The method includes a number of steps performed at the management center,
These processes are:
a decryption step for decrypting the two codes upon receiving them from a user;
and an information processing step of recognizing that the user is actually present at a station having a station ID restored by decrypting the encrypted station ID at a time restored by decrypting the encrypted current time.

(15) A bicycle rental method in which a plurality of stations each store a plurality of bicycles and rent and return the bicycles to users, comprising:
The method includes a number of steps carried out at each station,
These processes are:
a first timekeeping step for measuring a current time from moment to moment;
an encryption step of encrypting the measured current time into a code different from the code obtained at other stations while having the same current time, by using an encryption algorithm that is dynamic with respect to the station position but static with respect to the time;
and a display step of displaying information including the code,
The plurality of encryption algorithms used by the plurality of stations in the respective encryption units are different from each other, and a correspondence between the stations and the encryption algorithms is known;
The user transmits the code displayed on the display unit to a management center that centrally manages the plurality of stations using an available communication device;
The method includes a number of steps performed at the management center,
These processes are:
a second time counting step of, when the code is received from the user, counting the time when the code is received as a reception time;
a decryption step of decrypting the received cipher, thereby restoring the time, and comparing the restored time with the received time, thereby selecting, from among the plurality of encryption algorithms, an encryption algorithm which, when used to decrypt the received cipher, results in a difference between the restored time and the received time being equal to or smaller than a reference value, as a genuine encryption algorithm corresponding to the station where the user actually resides;
and an information processing step for recognizing that the user is actually present at the station corresponding to the selected true encryption algorithm at a time restored by decryption using the selected true encryption algorithm.

(16) A program executed by a computer to carry out the method described in any one of (13) to (15).

Throughout this application, the term "program" may be interpreted to mean, for example, but not limited to, a combination of instructions executed by a computer to perform a function, and may also include not only that combination of instructions, but also the files and data that are processed in accordance with each instruction.

In addition, this program can be, but is not limited to, a program that achieves the intended purpose by being executed by a computer on its own, or a program that achieves the intended purpose by being executed by a computer together with other programs. In the latter case, the program in this section can be, but is not limited to, a program that is mainly comprised of data.

(17) A recording medium on which the program described in (16) is recorded in a computer-readable manner.

Throughout this application, the term "recording medium" may be construed to mean various types of recording medium, including, but not limited to, magnetic recording media such as floppy disks, optical recording media such as CDs and CD-ROMs, magneto-optical recording media such as MOs, and non-removable storage such as ROMs.

(101) A rental device installed in each of a plurality of stations capable of storing at least one rental object, for lending and returning the at least one rental object to a user, comprising:
an encryption unit that generates dynamic codes with respect to time and station position from moment to moment by encrypting unencrypted information using an encryption algorithm;
a transmitting unit that transmits the generated code to a communication device of a user at each station.

(102) The combination of the pre-encryption information and the encryption algorithm is configured such that one of the pre-encryption information and the encryption algorithm is dynamic with respect to at least time, while the other is dynamic with respect to at least station location, or at least one of the pre-encryption information and the encryption algorithm is dynamic with respect to both time and station location. Rental device as described in (101).

(103) A rental device as described in (101) or (102), in which the code is transmitted by the user via the communication device to a management center that remotely manages the multiple stations.

(104) The code is
The fact that users cannot decrypt it,
The property that if a user is actually currently or has been in any station, the user cannot obtain a genuine code unless the user has actually currently or has been in that station;
the property that it is possible to infer by decrypting said code that the user is actually currently present or has been present at that very station;
The management center decrypts the encryption received from the user by using the same encryption algorithm for decryption, thereby estimating the station where the user is actually currently located or has been located in the past (103).

(105) A rental device according to any one of clauses (101) to (104), wherein the at least one rental item includes at least one of a vehicle, furniture, clothing, electrical appliances, batteries, chargers, a recording medium on which audiovisual content is recorded, a room available for stay, an individual storage space in a coin locker, and an individual parking space in a parking lot.

(106) A rental system for renting and returning at least one rental object to a user at each of a plurality of stations capable of storing the at least one rental object, comprising:
an encryption unit that, outside each station, encrypts unencrypted information using an encryption algorithm in association with each station location, thereby generating dynamic encryptions with respect to both time and station location from moment to moment;
a transmitting unit for transmitting the generated code to each station;
a providing unit which, upon receiving the transmitted code, provides the code to a user at each station.

(107) The rental system described in (106), wherein the providing unit includes at least one of a display unit that displays the code on a screen and a transmission unit that transmits the code to a user's communication device.

(108) A rental method for renting and returning at least one rental object to a user at each of a plurality of stations capable of storing the at least one rental object, comprising:
an encryption step for encrypting, by a computer, the unencrypted information in association with each station location using an encryption algorithm, thereby generating a cryptogram from moment to moment that is dynamic with respect to both time and station location;
a transmitting step in each station of transmitting the generated code to a communication device of a user at each station.

(109) The rental method described in paragraph (108) is configured such that the combination of the pre-encryption information and the encryption algorithm is dynamic, at least with respect to time, while the other is dynamic, at least with respect to station location, or at least one of the pre-encryption information and the encryption algorithm is dynamic, at least with respect to time and station location.

(110) The code is
The fact that users cannot decrypt it,
The property that if a user is actually currently or has been in any station, the user cannot obtain a genuine code unless the user has actually currently or has been in that station;
The rental method according to claim 108 or 109, characterized in that the encryption can be decrypted to infer that the user is actually currently or has been at that station in the past.

(111) A rental method for renting and returning at least one rental object to a user at each of a plurality of stations capable of storing the at least one rental object, comprising:
an encryption step of generating dynamic codes from time to time and station positions by encrypting the unencrypted information using an encryption algorithm in association with each station position by a computer;
a transmitting step of transmitting the generated code to each station;
a providing step in which, upon receiving the transmitted code, each station provides the code to a user at the station.

(112) A program executed by a computer to carry out the method described in any one of items (108) to (111).

(113) A recording medium on which the program described in (112) is recorded in a computer-readable manner.

FIG. 1(a) is an oblique view showing station-side equipment installed at a certain station in a bicycle rental system according to an exemplary first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1(b) is an enlarged side view showing a portion of the rental bicycle shown in FIG. 1(a), FIG. 1(c) is a front view showing an example of a code that changes from moment to moment on the screen of a display unit of a station-side unit in the station-side equipment shown in FIG. 1(a), and FIG. 1(d) is an enlarged front view of a combination lock-type wire lock used to secure a bicycle to a bicycle rack in the station-side equipment shown in FIG. 1(a). FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of how a user at a station and a management center at a remote location communicate with each other in the bicycle rental system shown in FIG. 1(a). FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the station side unit shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a flow chart conceptually showing an encryption/display program executed by the computer of the station side unit shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing the parts of the center unit shown in FIG. 2 that operate when a bicycle is rented out. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing the parts of the center unit shown in FIG. 2 that operate when the bicycle is returned. FIG. 7 is a flow chart conceptually showing a part of a lending/returning program executed by the computer of the center unit shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a flow chart conceptually showing the remaining part of the lending/returning program shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram showing a portion of the center unit of the bicycle rental system according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention that operates when renting out a bicycle. FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram showing the portion of the center unit of the bicycle rental system according to the second embodiment that operates when the bicycle is returned. FIG. 11 is a flowchart conceptually showing a portion of the rental/return program executed by a computer in a bicycle rental system according to the second embodiment, the portion corresponding to FIG. FIG. 12 is a functional block diagram showing a station unit installed at a station in a bicycle rental system according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a flow chart conceptually showing an encryption/display program executed by the computer of the station side unit shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a functional block diagram showing the portion of the center unit of the bicycle rental system according to the third embodiment that operates when a bicycle is rented out. FIG. 15 is a functional block diagram showing the portion of the center unit of the bicycle rental system according to the third embodiment that operates when the bicycle is returned. FIG. 16 is a flow chart conceptually showing a part of a rental/return program executed by a computer in the center unit of the bicycle rental system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 17 is a flow chart conceptually showing the remaining part of the lending/returning program shown in FIG. Figure 18 is a perspective view conceptually illustrating communication between a station and a remote management center, communication between the station and a user at that station, and communication between the user and the remote management center in a bicycle rental system according to an exemplary fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a functional block diagram showing the station side unit shown in FIG. FIG. 20 is a flow chart conceptually showing a cipher providing program executed by the computer of the station side unit shown in FIG. FIG. 21 is a functional block diagram showing a portion of the center unit shown in FIG. 18 which operates to repeatedly encrypt and transmit the current time and station ID. FIG. 22 is a flow chart conceptually showing an encryption program executed by the computer of the center unit shown in FIG.

Some exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

<First embodiment of the present invention>

First, referring to Figs. 1(a) and 2, a bicycle rental system 10 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a system for providing a service of renting and returning bicycles 12 to users at a number of stations 20 (only representative stations 20 among the stations 20 are shown in Fig. 1(a)) that each store a number of bicycles 12. Each station 20 is assigned to a corresponding bicycle parking space 22.

This bicycle rental system (hereafter simply referred to as the "system") 20 comprises a number of station side units (each an example of the aforementioned "rental device" and "bicycle rental device") 30 installed at each of the stations 20, and a center side unit 50 installed at a management center 40 that remotely and centrally manages the multiple stations 20. Each of the multiple stations 20 is assigned a unique station ID in advance. Each station side unit 30 is shared by the multiple bicycles 12 stored at the corresponding station 20.

As shown in FIG. 1(b), a unique chassis number 60 that has been assigned to each bicycle 12 in advance is displayed on a specific portion of each bicycle 12. In some examples, the chassis number 60 is displayed permanently by printing on a specific portion of each bicycle 12 (for example, a panel attached near the top vertex of a triangular frame 64 that supports the saddle 62 from below on the bicycle 12) in the form of a character/number string that is directly visible to the user or a computer-readable display (for example, a barcode, a two-dimensional code).

As will be described in detail later, the station side unit 30 measures the current time from moment to moment, and encrypts the measured current time and the station ID unique to the corresponding station, so that the station ID changes from moment to moment while still relating to the same station, and displays the encrypted current time and station ID as two codes, regardless of whether they are visually distinct from each other.

As a result, as in the example shown in FIG. 1(c), the two codes are combined into a single code 66 (an example of "data that is dynamic in terms of both time and station position") so that they are visually indistinguishable from one another, and are displayed on screen 68 at predetermined time intervals (15-minute intervals in the example shown) so that the part of code 66 that is encrypted with the current time and the part that is encrypted with the station ID change dynamically with time. Here, "code" refers to visualized data that cannot be deciphered by the user but can be deciphered by specific authorized persons.

As shown in FIG. 1(a), the system 10 includes, at each station 20, the station-side unit 30 described above as a fixed object installed in one bicycle parking area 22, and a bicycle rack (bicycle storage device) 70 for storing multiple bicycles 12. The bicycle rack 70 includes multiple bicycle stalls (small compartments) 72 for storing one bicycle 12 each. In one example, the bicycle rack 70 is divided into multiple bicycle stalls 72 by a frame 74 installed in the bicycle parking area 22.

Prior to being rented to a user, each bicycle 12 is stored in a bicycle stall 72, and in this stored state, the bicycle 12 is secured to the individual frame of the bicycle stall 72 using a combination wire lock 80 as shown in FIG. 1(d). As is well known, the combination wire lock 80 is constructed by connecting both ends of a single flexible wire 82 to each other via a combination lock 84.

The bicycles 12 housed in the stations 20 managed by the management center 40 are each assigned a combination lock 84 that can be unlocked with a different PIN number. Therefore, only one bicycle 12 can be unlocked with one PIN number.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this system 10, the user transmits the code 66 displayed on the screen 68 to the management center 40 using a communication device 90 available to the user (e.g., a mobile phone or a device with communication capabilities that the user can carry (e.g., a mobile phone, smartphone, laptop computer, tablet computer, PDA), a landline phone installed in the station 20, a public phone installed near the station 20, etc.), which will be described in detail later.

When the code 66 is expressed as an image that is recognizable to the user (e.g., pronounceable), as in the illustrated example, the user can manually enter the code 66 into the communication device 90 or enter it by voice. In contrast, when the code 66 is expressed as an image that is not recognizable to the user, the user can read and enter the code 66 with a scanner in the communication device 90.

When the center unit 50 in the management center 40 receives the cipher 66 from the user, it decrypts the cipher 66 and, as a result, recognizes that the user is actually present at the station 20 having the station ID restored by decrypting the encrypted station ID at the time restored by decrypting the encrypted current time.

Figure 3 shows a functional block diagram of one station side unit 30 installed in one station 20.

The station side unit 30 is mainly composed of a computer 104 having a processor 100 and a memory 102 that stores the programs executed by the processor 100. Specifically, the station side unit 30 includes a clock 110, an encryption unit 112, and a display unit 114.

The clock 110 measures the current time from moment to moment. The encryption unit 112 encrypts the current time measured by the clock 110 and the station ID unique to the station 20 corresponding to this station side unit 30. The encryption unit 112 encrypts the station ID into a code that changes from moment to moment, even though it is for the same station 20. The display unit 114 displays the encrypted current time and station ID as a code 66 on the screen 68 so that it changes from moment to moment.

The cipher 66 is displayed on the screen 68 substantially in real time as it is generated, thereby preventing an older cipher 66 from being displayed on the screen 68 after a newer cipher 66 has been generated. As a result, a cipher 66 from being displayed on the screen 68 even though it has in fact become invalid in time.

In this embodiment, the code 66 is composed of a multi-digit string of letters and numbers (for example, a string of multiple letters, a string of multiple numbers, or a string that combines letters and numbers), of which the most significant digits are the encrypted part of the current time, and the least significant digits are the encrypted part of the station ID.

In this embodiment, the data displayed on screen 68 that the user needs to send to management center 40 is the cipher 66, i.e., the combination of an encrypted portion of the current time and an encrypted portion of the station ID, but the data may also include other information, such as other ciphers, that are added to the combination.

In this embodiment, the station ID is dynamic with respect to the station position (different for each station 20) but static with respect to the time (does not change over time), and the encryption unit 112 encrypts the station ID into an ever-changing code (more precisely, the part of the code 66 that is related to the station ID, hereinafter referred to as the "station ID-related partial code") by using an encryption algorithm that is static with respect to the station position but dynamic with respect to the time and that is common to multiple stations 20.

In this system 10, a different station ID is assigned to each station 20. Each station ID is static with respect to time, but this station ID is encrypted from moment to moment by an encryption algorithm that is dynamic with respect to time, and the station ID-related partial encryption is obtained as a dynamic encryption that is dynamic with respect to both the station position and the time.

Specifically, in this system 10, the station ID to be encrypted is dynamic with respect to the position of the station 20 but static with respect to time, and the encryption algorithm for the station ID is static with respect to the position of the station 20 (the encryption algorithm for the station ID is common to multiple stations 20) but dynamic with respect to time. As a result, the station ID-related partial encryption resulting from the encryption is dynamic with respect to both the position of the station 20 and the time.

That is, this station ID-related partial cipher is generated by encrypting the station ID, which is dynamic with respect to the station position, into a cipher that is dynamic with respect to time (i.e., changes over time).

Therefore, if the time and the station ID-related partial cipher at that time are identified, the station from which the station ID-related partial cipher was obtained can be identified. In addition, since the station ID-related partial cipher is dynamic with respect to time, a user can be prevented from impersonating the user who returned the bicycle at the same station 20 as when it was rented by using the same cipher 66 (which includes the station ID-related partial cipher) when returning the bicycle 12 as when it was rented, thereby preventing fraudulent activities.

Incidentally, of the cipher 66, the current time-related partial cipher related to the current time is encrypted because the subject of encryption is the current time, which is information that is dynamic in time, and therefore a person skilled in the art would easily conceive of the current time-related partial cipher resulting from encryption being dynamic in time. Therefore, this point is not worth mentioning. However, of the cipher 66, the station ID-related partial cipher is encrypted because the subject of encryption is the position of station 20, which is information that is static in time, and therefore even a person skilled in the art would not easily conceive of the station ID-related partial cipher resulting from encryption being dynamic in time.

In addition, in this embodiment, the station ID-related partial cipher and the current time-related partial cipher are combined to generate one cipher 66. As a result, as long as attention is focused on the same cipher 66, information related to the station ID and information related to the current time are linked, making it possible to estimate that the user is at one of the stations 20 at a certain time (for example, the current time or any time in the past).

In addition, in this embodiment, since the cipher 66 is visually recognized by the user as a meaningless character/number string cipher 66, it is expected that the user will be deterred from attempting to decipher and misuse the cipher 66. Furthermore, since the cipher 66 is configured as an integrated series of a character/number string (in the example shown in FIG. 1, the lower four digits of the number string) that is the current time-related partial cipher and a character/number string that is the station ID-related partial cipher, it is expected that the user will be more strongly deterred from misusing the cipher 66 than if these two related partial ciphers were displayed on the screen 68 so as to be visually distinguished from each other.

Figure 4 conceptually shows in a flowchart an encryption/display program executed by computer 104 of station side unit 30 (the station side unit installed in the station 20 of interest) shown in Figure 3. This encryption/display program, like other programs described below, is stored in memory 102 in advance, and is read out from memory 102 and executed by processor 100 as necessary.

Execution of this encryption/display program is repeated at time intervals of, for example, 15 minutes. Each execution of this encryption/display program begins in step S401, in which the current time is measured using clock 110. Next, in step S402, a time encryption algorithm that is static with respect to both the position of station 20 and the time is read from memory 102, and the measured current time is encrypted using this static encryption algorithm.

Next, in step S403, the station ID assigned to the station 20 corresponding to the current station side unit 30 is read from the memory 102. After that, in step S404, an encryption algorithm for the station ID, which is static with respect to the position of the station 20 but dynamic with respect to the time, is read from the memory 102.

As described above, the encryption algorithm for the station ID is dynamic with respect to time, and specifically, is configured as a collection of multiple individual algorithms that are used differently depending on the time. These individual algorithms are stored in memory 202 in association with the time (for example, multiple times that pass every 15 minutes), and in this step S404, one of these individual algorithms that corresponds to the current time (which may be the restored rental time) is selected and read out from memory 202.

Then, in step S405, the read station ID is encrypted using the selected individual algorithm.

Then, in step S406, the encrypted current time and the encrypted station ID are combined to generate a code 66, and the generated code 66 is displayed on the screen 68 substantially in real time. The code 66 displayed on the screen 68 can be directly known by a user at the corresponding station 20 (a user looking at the screen 68).

This completes one execution of the encryption and display program. Once the encryption 66 starts to be displayed on the screen 68, it will remain on the screen 68 until the next execution of the encryption and display program starts.

In this embodiment, as in some other embodiments described below, the encryption of the current time and the station ID is performed intermittently at regular time intervals. Therefore, in each encryption event for generating one cipher 66, the current time used for encryption (i.e., the start time of the encryption event) means the current time in the narrow sense. However, considering that the generated cipher 66 is valid until the start of the next encryption event, the current time used for encryption (i.e., the start time of the previous encryption event) means the start time of a time zone, which is time in a broad sense (the period from the start time to the end time of the previous encryption event). Therefore, it is also possible to interpret the current time used for encryption (i.e., the start time of the previous encryption event) itself as meaning a time zone, which is time in a broad sense.

Figures 5 and 6 show functional block diagrams of the center unit 50 installed in the management center 40. However, Figure 5 shows the center unit 50 with an emphasis on the parts that function when renting a bicycle, while Figure 6 shows the center unit 50 with an emphasis on the parts that function when returning a bicycle.

This center unit 50 is mainly composed of a computer 204 having a processor 200 and a memory 202 that stores the programs executed by the processor 200. The hardware configuration realized by the computer 204 is shown in the functional block diagrams of Figures 5 and 6.

To explain the hardware configuration in detail, as shown in Figure 5, the center unit 50 operates a receiving unit 210, a decryption unit 212, a rental permission unit 214, a clock 216, a PIN number acquisition unit 220, and a transmitting unit 222 to rent a bicycle.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the center unit 50 operates the receiving unit 210, the decryption unit 212, the clock 216, the return permission unit 230, the reading unit 232, the rental fee calculation unit 234, the payment processing unit 236, and the transmitting unit 222 in order to return the bicycle.

Therefore, in this center unit 50, the receiving unit 210, the decryption unit 212, the clock 216, and the transmitting unit 222 are operated both for renting a bicycle and for returning a bicycle.

The hardware configuration thus configured executes the bicycle rental method (an example of the aforementioned "rental method") represented by the bicycle rental program described below.

To explain the hardware configuration in more detail, focusing on the process of renting a bicycle, as shown in Figure 5, the receiving unit 210 receives from the user the code 66 displayed on the screen 68 of the display unit 114 at the time of rental, and the chassis number 60 of the bicycle 12 that the user is about to rent.

The decryption unit 212 restores the current time (more precisely, the time when the user sent the code 66 to the management center 40) by using the time encryption algorithm to the most significant digits of the received code 66 at the time of lending, and treats this as the lending time.

To be precise, the encryption algorithm should be called a decryption algorithm, since this time it is used for decryption, not encryption. However, because the encryption algorithm has the property of being a table that shows the correspondence between information before encryption and information after encryption, for the sake of convenience we will call it an encryption algorithm, regardless of whether we are talking about encryption or decryption.

Furthermore, the decryption unit 212 restores the station ID by decrypting the lower digits of the received rental code 66 using the encryption algorithm for the station ID, and treats it as the rental station ID.

The rental permission unit 214 permits the current user to rent out the bicycle 12 on the condition that the difference between the rental time and the current time measured by the clock 216 is equal to or less than a tolerance value (a length that is statistically unlikely to occur if the user's operation is normal and not fraudulent), the rental station ID is authentic, and the received chassis number 60 is authentic.

To determine whether the rental station ID is genuine, a plurality of station IDs assigned to each of the plurality of stations 20 are pre-stored in memory 202 as a first table, and when the current rental station ID matches any of the plurality of station IDs in the first table, the current rental station ID is determined to be genuine.

Similarly, to determine whether the chassis number 60 is genuine, a plurality of chassis numbers 60 assigned to the plurality of bicycles 12 stored in each of the plurality of stations 20 are pre-stored in memory 202 as a second table, and when the current chassis number 60 matches any of the plurality of chassis numbers 60 in the second table, the current chassis number 60 is determined to be genuine.

The storage unit 218 stores the rental time and rental station ID in memory 202 in association with the chassis number 60 for future use.

When the rental permission unit 214 issues a rental permission, the PIN acquisition unit 220 reads from the third table a PIN for unlocking the combination lock 84 used on the bicycle 12 corresponding to the current chassis number 60. In the third table, multiple chassis numbers 60 and multiple PINs are pre-stored in association with each other.

The transmission unit 222 transmits a message to the user's communication device 90 to notify the user that rental has begun, together with the read PIN. By using the PIN, the user can unlock the combination lock 84 of the bicycle 12 that they wish to rent, and release the bicycle 12 from the bicycle stall 72.

To explain the hardware configuration in more detail, focusing on the process of returning a bicycle, as shown in Figure 6, the receiving unit 210 receives from the user the code 66 displayed on the screen 68 of the display unit 114 at the time of return, and the chassis number 60 of the bicycle that the user is about to return.

The decryption unit 212 decrypts the upper digits of the received return code 66 using the encryption algorithm for the time to restore the current time (more precisely, the time when the user sent the code 66 to the management center 40) and treats it as the return time. Furthermore, the decryption unit 212 decrypts the lower digits of the received return code 66 using the encryption algorithm for the station ID to restore the station ID and treats it as the return station ID.

The return permission unit 230 permits the current user to return the bicycle 12 on the condition that the difference between the return time and the current time measured by the clock 216 is equal to or less than the allowable value, the return station ID is authentic, and the received chassis number 60 is authentic.

The return permission unit 230 determines that the current return station ID is genuine when the current return station ID matches any one of the multiple station IDs in the first table. The return permission unit 230 determines that the current chassis number 60 is genuine when the current chassis number 60 matches any one of the multiple chassis numbers 60 in the second table.

The reading unit 232 reads from the memory 202 the rental time and rental station ID stored in association with the current chassis number 60.

The rental fee calculation unit 234 calculates the length of time elapsed from the rental time to the return time as the length of usage time (rental time) that the user used the bicycle 12. The amount of the rental fee increases according to the length of usage time, and is set to be higher if the return station ID does not match the rental station ID than if they do, and this relationship is pre-stored in memory 202 as a fourth table. The rental fee calculation unit 234 determines whether the return station ID matches the rental station ID, and calculates the amount of the current rental fee by referring to the fourth table based on the result of this determination and the calculated length of usage time.

The payment processing unit 236 collects the current rental fee from the user by making a bank payment, credit card payment, prepaid payment, etc.

The transmission unit 222 sends a message to the user's communication device 90 indicating that the return is complete, along with details of the payment for the current rental fee. The user then uses the wire lock 80 to secure the bicycle 12 that they are about to return to any unused bicycle stall 72, and then locks the combination lock 84 of the wire lock 80.

Figures 7 and 8 conceptually show a flow chart of the loan/return program executed by the processor 200 of the center unit 50 and pre-stored in the memory 202.

Each execution of this lending/returning program begins at step S701 shown in FIG. 7. At step S701, the system receives from the user via the communication device 90 information for identifying whether the type of the current request made to the management center 40 is a lending or return request, the vehicle chassis number 60, and the code 66, along with the member ID and password previously assigned to the current user.

To enjoy the bicycle rental service provided by this system 10, users are required to register as members in advance, and at that time, they are also required to register a password that is necessary for subsequent personal authentication.

Next, in step S702, the received member ID and password are compared with the registered information to determine whether personal authentication of the current user has been successful. If personal authentication is successful, in step S703, it is determined whether the current request from the user is a loan request. If the current request is a return request, the determination is NO, and the process proceeds to the steps shown in FIG. 8, but if the current request is a loan request, the determination is YES, and the process proceeds to step S704.

In step S704, the most significant digits of the received code 66 are decrypted using the encryption algorithm for the time, thereby restoring the rental time. Next, in step S705, it is determined whether the difference between the rental time and the current time measured by the clock 216 is equal to or less than the tolerance. If the difference is greater than the tolerance, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the data currently received from the user, and the rental/return program is terminated without providing the current service to the user.

On the other hand, if the difference between the rental time and the current time is equal to or less than the allowable value, the determination in step S705 becomes YES, and then in step S706, in memory 202, one of the multiple individual algorithms (the same as the multiple individual algorithms stored in memory 102 of the station side unit 30 described above) that constitute the encryption algorithm for the station ID that corresponds to the current time (which may be the restored rental time) is selected and read out from memory 202.

Next, in step S707, the lower digits of the received code 66 are decrypted using the read individual algorithm, thereby recovering the lending station ID.

Next, in step S708, it is determined whether the current rental station ID is genuine by determining whether the rental station ID matches any of the multiple station IDs in the first table. If the current rental station ID is not genuine, it is determined that there is some abnormality in the data currently received from the user, and the current service is not provided to the user, and the execution of the rental/return program is terminated.

On the other hand, if the current rental station ID is genuine, the determination in step S708 becomes YES, and then in step S709, it is determined whether the current chassis number 60 is genuine by determining whether the current chassis number 60 matches any of the multiple chassis numbers in the second table. If the current chassis number 60 is not genuine, it is determined that there is some abnormality in the data currently received from the user, and the execution of the rental/return program is terminated without providing the current service to the user.

On the other hand, if the current chassis number 60 is genuine, the determination in step S709 is YES, and then in step S710, the bicycle 12 having the chassis number 60 is permitted to be rented to the user. This is based on the premise that the user is recognized as actually being present at the station 20 having the restored station ID at the restored rental time. Then, in step S711, the current rental time and rental station are stored in memory 202 in association with the current chassis number 60 for future use.

Next, in step S712, the third table is referenced to obtain the pin number corresponding to the current chassis number 60, i.e., the number (e.g., a multi-digit number) that the user should enter into the combination lock 84 of the current bicycle 12 in order to unlock the combination lock 84.

Then, in step S713, the acquired PIN number and a message indicating that rental of the bicycle 12 has begun are sent to the user's communication device 90. This completes the execution of the portion of the rental/return program that rents out the bicycle 12.

On the other hand, if the current request made by the user is a return request, the determination in step S703 is NO, and the process proceeds to step S801 shown in FIG. 8. In this step S801, the most significant digits of the code 66 received at the time of return are decrypted using the encryption algorithm for the time, thereby restoring the return time.

Next, in step S802, it is determined whether the difference between the return time and the current time is equal to or less than the tolerance. If the difference is greater than the tolerance, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the data currently received from the user, and the current service is not provided to the user, and execution of the lending/returning program is terminated.

On the other hand, if the difference between the return time and the current time is equal to or less than the allowable value, the determination in step S802 becomes YES, and then in step S803, an encryption algorithm for the station ID is selected in memory 202 and read out from memory 202. Specifically, as described above, of the multiple individual algorithms constituting the encryption algorithm for the station ID, the one that corresponds to the current time (or the restored return time) is selected and read out from memory 202.

Next, in step S804, the lower digits of the code 66 received at the time of return are decrypted using the read encryption algorithm (individual algorithm), thereby restoring the return station ID.

Next, in step S804, it is determined whether the current return station ID is authentic by determining whether the return station ID matches any of the multiple station IDs in the first table. If the current return station ID is not authentic, it is determined that there is some abnormality in the data currently received from the user, and the execution of the lending/return program is terminated without providing the current service to the user.

On the other hand, if the current return station ID is genuine, the determination in step S805 becomes YES, and then in step S806, it is determined whether the current chassis number 60 is genuine by determining whether the current chassis number 60 matches any of the multiple chassis numbers in the second table. If the current chassis number 60 is not genuine, it is determined that there is some abnormality in the data currently received from the user, and the execution of the rental/return program is terminated without providing the current service to the user.

On the other hand, if the current chassis number 60 is genuine, the determination in step S806 is YES, and then in step S807, the user is permitted to return the bicycle 12 having the chassis number 60 to the current station 20. The premise is that the user is recognized as actually being present at the station 20 having the restored station ID at the restored return time. Then, in step S808, the rental time and rental station for the bicycle 12 to be returned this time are read from memory 202 in association with the current chassis number 60.

Next, in step S809, the length of time that has elapsed from the rental time to the return time is calculated as the length of time that the user used the bicycle 12. Then, in step S810, it is determined whether the return station ID matches the rental station ID.

Next, in step S811, the amount of the current rental fee is calculated by referring to the fourth table based on the calculated length of use time and the result of the determination of whether the return station ID matches the rental station ID. Then, in step S812, the calculated rental fee is paid to the current user, and the current rental fee is collected from the user.

Next, in step S813, a message indicating that the return is complete and a payment statement for the current rental fee are sent to the user's communication device 90. This completes the execution of the portion of the rental/return program that returns the bicycle 12.

In this embodiment, as described above, the station ID is dynamic with respect to the position of the station 20 but static with respect to the time, and the encryption unit 112 shown in FIG. 3 encrypts the station ID into a code that is dynamic with respect to both the position of the station 20 and the time by using an encryption algorithm that is static with respect to the position of the station 20 but dynamic with respect to the time and that is common to multiple stations 20.

In contrast, in one variant, each station ID is dynamic with respect to both the position of station 20 and the time. Encryption unit 112 encrypts this station ID from moment to moment using an encryption algorithm that is static with respect to both the position of station 20 and the time, thereby obtaining encryption 66 that is dynamic with respect to both the position of station 20 and the time.

Specifically, in order to realize a station ID that is dynamic with respect to both the position of station 20 and the time, multiple individual station IDs are stored in memory 202 in association with different times. A collection of these individual station IDs for one day is different for each station 20. Encryption unit 112 selects from these individual station IDs the one that corresponds to the current time, reads the selected individual station ID from memory 202, and encrypts the read current individual station ID using an encryption algorithm that is static with respect to both the position of station 20 and the time.

Specifically, in this variant, the station ID to be encrypted is dynamic with respect to both the position of station 20 and the time, whereas the encryption algorithm is static with respect to both the position of station 20 and the time. As a result, the encryption result, cipher 66, is dynamic with respect to both the position of station 20 and the time.

Therefore, if the time and the code 66 at that time are identified, the station 20 from which the code 66 was obtained can be identified. In addition, since the code 66 is dynamic with respect to time, a user can be prevented from impersonating the same user who returned the bicycle at the same station 20 as when the bicycle was rented by using the same code 66 when returning the bicycle, thereby preventing fraudulent activities.

As is clear from the above description, in the system 10 according to this embodiment, the unique information for identifying the station 20, i.e., the station ID (whether static or dynamic), is encrypted into a code 66 that changes from moment to moment while still being for the same station 20.

However, of the cipher 66, only the station ID-related partial cipher is a cipher that is dynamic with respect to both the position of the station 20 and the time, whereas the current time-related partial cipher is a cipher that is static with respect to the position of the station 20 but dynamic with respect to the time.

Therefore, the unique information for identifying the same station 20 is encrypted into multiple different codes 66 at multiple different times. Therefore, since the return time is different from the rental time, the code 66 at the time of return will not actually match the code 66 at the time of rental, even if it is a code for the same station 20.

Nevertheless, if the user were to use the same code 66 displayed on the screen 68 at the time of lending when returning the device to another station 20 because the encryption scheme is kept secret from the user, the encryption code would be an invalid code that could not have existed at that time, and the management center 40 would not be able to decrypt the code when it was returned from the user.

If the management center 40 is unable to decrypt the return code, it can inform the user that the return code is fraudulent. The user who receives the report will know that they have been monitored for fraudulent activity and that their own fraudulent activity has been discovered. This will create a desire in the user not to commit the same fraudulent activity again, which will have a deterrent effect on users' fraudulent activities.

By adopting a method in which the management center 40 receives the dynamic encryption code 66 from the user via the mobile communication device 90, the management center 40 is able to recognize the station 20 in which the user is actually located at the time of rental and return without activating a positioning function (e.g., a GPS function) in the user's mobile communication device 90 that constantly measures the user's current location.

Furthermore, by adopting a technique in which the dynamic encryption code 66 is received from the user via the mobile communication device 90, it becomes possible to recognize the station 20 in which the user is truly located at the time of rental and return without the need to install communication equipment in each station 20 for transmitting a signal from that station 20 to the management center 40 to identify the station 20 at which rental or return is taking place. This allows the equipment costs of each station 20 to be reduced, and ultimately the maintenance and management costs of that equipment to be reduced.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to calculate the length of time the bicycle is used and to determine whether the rental station and return station match without requiring the user to transmit rental information, including the rental time and rental station, to the management center 40 when returning the rented bicycle 12. This reduces the burden on the user.

<Second embodiment of the present invention>

Next, a bicycle rental system 300 according to an exemplary second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 11. However, since this bicycle rental system 300 has many elements in common with the bicycle rental system 10 according to the first embodiment described above, only the different elements will be described in detail, and duplicate explanations will be omitted by referring to the common elements with the same names or symbols.

First, to give an overview, this bicycle rental system (hereinafter simply referred to as the "system") 300 is generally the same as the bicycle rental system 10 according to the first embodiment described above in terms of the station side unit 30, but the center side unit 50 is the same except that it does not have the storage unit 218 and reading unit 232, as shown in the functional block diagrams of Figures 9 and 10. Also, in this system 300, instead of having the storage unit 218 and reading unit 232, when returning a rented bicycle 12, the user is required to transmit the rental password 66 along with the return password 66 to the management center 40.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the receiving unit 210 receives both the return code 66 and the rental code 66 from the user at the time of return. As in the first embodiment, the decryption unit 212 uses a dynamic encryption algorithm to restore the rental time and rental station ID from the rental code 66, and further restores the rental time and rental station ID from the return code 66. In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the unique station ID assigned to each station is static and does not change over time.

Therefore, the loan/return program executed by the computer 204 of the center unit 50 is basically the same as the loan/return program shown in Figures 7 and 8 for the first embodiment.

Specifically, the flowchart showing the rental/return program in this embodiment is the same as the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 for the first embodiment, except that the rental time and rental station ID are not associated with the chassis number 60 and stored in memory 202 during the rental process.

Furthermore, the flowchart representing the rental/return program in this embodiment is the same as the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 for the first embodiment, except that in the process for returning, the rental time and rental station ID are not read from memory 202 in association with the chassis number 60, and a user who is about to return a bicycle 12 that has already been rented is required to enter the rental password 66, but is not required to enter the chassis number 60.

Of the flowcharts showing the lending and returning program in this embodiment, the parts corresponding to the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 will not be further illustrated or explained in text, while the parts corresponding to the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 will be explained in comparison with the flowchart in FIG. 8 by referring to FIG. 11.

If the request submitted by the user is a return request, the determination in the step (not shown) corresponding to step S703 in FIG. 7 is NO, and the process proceeds to step S1101 in FIG. 11. In this step S1101, similar to step S704 in FIG. 7, the most significant digits of the rental time code 66 are decrypted using the encryption algorithm for the time, thereby restoring the rental time.

Then, in step S1102, similar to step S801 shown in FIG. 8, the most significant digits of the return time code 66 are decrypted using the encryption algorithm for the time, thereby restoring the return time.

Next, in step S1103, in the same manner as in step S802, it is determined whether the difference between the return time and the current time is equal to or less than the tolerance. If the difference is greater than the tolerance, execution of the lending/returning program is immediately terminated.

On the other hand, if the difference between the return time and the current time is less than or equal to the tolerance, the determination in step S1103 is YES.

Next, in step S1104, similar to step S803 shown in FIG. 8, among the multiple individual algorithms constituting the encryption algorithm for the station ID (the same as the multiple individual algorithms stored in memory 102 of station side unit 30 to generate code 66), the one corresponding to the lending time (the same as the individual algorithm used in station side unit 30 to generate code 66 at the time of lending) is selected and read out from memory 202.

Next, in step S1105, the lower digits of the rental code 66 are decrypted using the individual algorithm that was read out, thereby recovering the rental station ID.

Then, in step S1106, of the multiple individual algorithms that make up the encryption algorithm for the station ID, the one that corresponds to the current time (or the restored return time) is selected and read out from memory 202.

Next, in step S1107, the lower digits of the return code 66 are decrypted using the individual algorithm that was read out, thereby restoring the return station ID.

Then, in step S1108, it is determined whether the current return station ID is genuine by determining whether the return station ID matches any of the multiple station IDs in the first table. If the current return station ID is not genuine, execution of the lending/return program is immediately terminated.

In contrast, if the current return station ID is authentic, the determination in step S1108 is YES, and then in step S1109, the length of time elapsed from the rental time to the return time is calculated as the length of time the user used the bicycle 12. Then, in step S1110, it is determined whether the return station ID matches the rental station ID.

Next, in step S1111, the amount of the current rental fee is calculated by referencing the fourth table based on the calculated length of use time and the result of the determination of whether the return station ID matches the rental station ID. Then, in step S1112, the calculated rental fee is paid to the current user, and the current rental fee is collected from the user.

Next, in step S1113, a message indicating that the return is complete and a payment statement for the current rental fee are sent to the user's communication device 90. This completes the execution of the portion of the rental/return program that returns the bicycle 12.

As is clear from the above explanation, according to this embodiment, it is possible to calculate the length of time the bicycle is used and determine whether the rental station and the return station match without requiring the center unit 50 to associate rental information, including the rental time and rental station, with the chassis number 60 and store it in memory 202, or to associate the rental information with the chassis number 60 and read it from memory 202 when returning the bicycle. This reduces the burden on the center unit 50.

<Third embodiment of the present invention>

Next, a bicycle rental system 400 according to an exemplary third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 12 to 17. However, since this bicycle rental system 400 has many elements in common with the bicycle rental system 10 according to the first embodiment described above, only the different elements will be described in detail, and duplicate explanations will be omitted by referring to the common elements with the same names or symbols.

First, to give an overview, this bicycle rental system (hereinafter simply referred to as the "system") 400 is the same as the bicycle rental system 10 according to the first embodiment described above, except that the encryption algorithm used to encrypt the current time differs for each station 20, i.e., is dynamic with respect to the position of the station 20, and the station ID is not encrypted, as shown in the functional block diagram of Figure 12 and the flow chart of Figure 13 for the station side unit 30.

In addition, this system 400 is the same as system 10 except that the center unit 50 does not perform decryption to restore the station ID, as shown in the functional block diagrams of Figures 14 and 15 and the flow charts of Figures 16 and 17, respectively.

Figure 13 conceptually illustrates in a flowchart the encryption and display program executed by the computer 104 of the station side unit 30 shown in Figure 12.

Each execution of this encryption/display program begins in step S1301, in which the current time is measured using the clock 110. Next, in step S1302, a time encryption algorithm that is different for each station 20 is read from the memory 102, and the measured current time is encrypted using that encryption algorithm.

Next, in step S1303, the encrypted current time is displayed on the screen 68 as a code 66. This completes one execution of the encryption/display program.

Figures 16 and 17 conceptually show, in flow chart form, a loan/return program executed by the processor 200 of the center unit 50 shown in Figures 14 and 15 and pre-stored in the memory 202.

However, when encrypting the current time from moment to moment, even if the current time is encrypted using an encryption algorithm that is static with respect to time, the encryption obtained by the encryption will be a time-dynamic encryption because the object of encryption is dynamic with respect to time.

On the other hand, if a numeric string representing the same time is encrypted using multiple, mutually different encryption algorithms at the same time, multiple, mutually different codes will be obtained.

Furthermore, if a different encryption algorithm is assigned to each station 20 to encrypt the time, each station 20 will obtain a different code from the other stations 20 at the same time. In the end, the code will be dynamic not only with respect to time, but also with respect to the position of the station 20.

Therefore, if the time is common, a known relationship is established between the type of encryption algorithm and the cipher, and this relationship is associated with the time. In addition, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the type of encryption algorithm and the position of station 20.

Therefore, if the time and the code at that time are known, it is possible to estimate the type of encryption algorithm used to obtain the code, and thus the location of the station 20 from which the code was obtained.

Based on this knowledge, to give an overview, in this system 400, a user uses a communication device 90 to transmit a code 66 displayed on the screen 68 of a display unit 114 installed in the current station 20 to a center unit 50 in the management center 40.

When the center unit 50 receives the code 66 from the user, it measures the time when the code was received as the reception time, decrypts the received code, and thereby restores the time.

The center unit 50 further compares the restored time with the reception time, and selects, from among the multiple encryption algorithms (hereinafter, for ease of explanation, referred to as "multiple candidate encryption algorithms") EA that differ for each station 20, a candidate encryption algorithm EA for which the difference between the time restored by the decryption and the reception time is less than a reference value, as the genuine encryption algorithm corresponding to the station where the user is actually located.

The center unit 50 further recognizes that the user is actually present at the station corresponding to the selected authentic encryption algorithm at the time restored by decryption using the selected authentic encryption algorithm.

In this way, according to this system 400, by changing the type of encryption algorithm for time, i.e., the encryption method, for each station 20, i.e., by making the type of encryption algorithm for time dynamic with respect to the position of the station 20, it is possible to identify the current station 20 from the code 66 without using a unique station ID assigned to each station 20 or encrypting the station ID into a broad dynamic code.

In addition, because the code 66 is time-dynamic, a user can return the bicycle using the same code 66 used when renting the bicycle, thereby preventing fraudulent activity by impersonating the user who returned the bicycle at the same station 20 as when it was rented.

Each execution of the lending/returning program in this embodiment begins at step S1601 shown in FIG. 16. At step S1601, the system receives from the user via the communication device 90 information for identifying whether the type of the current request made to the management center 40 is a lending or return request, the chassis number 60, and the code 66, along with the member ID and password previously assigned to the current user.

Next, in step S1602, a comparison is made between the received member ID and password and the registered information to determine whether personal authentication of the current user has been successful. If personal authentication is successful, in step S1603, a determination is made as to whether the current request from the user is a loan request. If the current request is a return request, the determination is NO, and the process proceeds to the steps shown in FIG. 17, but if the current request is a loan request, the determination is YES, and the process proceeds to step S1604.

In this step S1604, the number i for identifying the candidate encryption algorithm EA to be selected this time is set to 1. Next, in step S1605, the one to which the current value of the number i is assigned is selected from the multiple candidate encryption algorithms EA in the memory 202.

Then, in step S1606, the selected candidate encryption algorithm EAi is read from memory 202, and the received encryption 66 is decrypted using the read candidate encryption algorithm EAi, thereby restoring the candidate lending time.

Next, in step S1607, it is determined whether the difference between the candidate lending time and the current time is equal to or less than the reference value. If the difference is greater than the reference value, the determination is NO, and then in step S1608, the number i is incremented by 1. Then, the process returns to step S1605.

In contrast, if the difference between the candidate loan time and the current time is less than or equal to the reference value, the determination in step S1607 is YES, and then in step S1609, the current candidate encryption algorithm EAi is selected as the genuine encryption algorithm suitable for decrypting the current code 66.

Then, in step S1610, the current candidate lending time is selected as the true lending time. Next, in step S1611, the lending station ID corresponding to the current true encryption algorithm number i is determined according to a predetermined relationship between the station ID and the true encryption algorithm number i that is pre-stored in memory 202.

Then, in step S1612, it is determined whether the current lending station ID is genuine by determining whether the lending station ID matches any of the multiple station IDs in the first table. If the current lending station ID is not genuine, execution of the lending/return program is immediately terminated.

On the other hand, if the current rental station ID is genuine, the determination in step S1612 becomes YES, and then in step S1613, it is determined whether the current chassis number 60 is genuine by determining whether the current chassis number 60 matches any of the multiple chassis numbers in the second table. If the current chassis number 60 is not genuine, the execution of the rental/return program is immediately terminated.

On the other hand, if the current chassis number 60 is genuine, the determination in step S1613 becomes YES, and then in step S1614, the bicycle 12 having the chassis number 60 is permitted to be rented to the user. After that, in step S1615, the current rental time and rental station are associated with the current chassis number 60 and stored in memory 202 for future use.

Next, in step S1616, the third table is referenced to obtain the pin number corresponding to the current chassis number 60, i.e., the number (e.g., a multi-digit number) that the user should enter into the combination lock 84 of the current bicycle 12 in order to unlock the combination lock 84.

Then, in step S1617, the acquired PIN number and a message indicating that rental of the bicycle 12 has begun are sent to the user's communication device 90. This completes the execution of the portion of the rental/return program that rents out the bicycle 12.

On the other hand, if the current request issued by the user is a return request, the determination in step S1603 is NO, and the process proceeds to step S1701 shown in FIG. 17.

In this step S1701, the number j for identifying the candidate encryption algorithm EA to be selected this time is set to 1. Next, in step S1702, the one to which the current value of the number j is assigned is selected from the multiple candidate encryption algorithms EA in the memory 202.

Then, in step S1703, the selected candidate encryption algorithm EAj is read from memory 202, and the received encryption 66 is decrypted using the read candidate encryption algorithm EAj, thereby recovering the candidate return time.

Next, in step S1704, it is determined whether the difference between the candidate return time and the current time is equal to or less than the reference value. If the difference is greater than the reference value, the determination is NO, and then in step S1705 , the number j is incremented by 1. Then, the process returns to step S1702.

In contrast, if the difference between the candidate return time and the current time is less than or equal to the reference value, the determination in step S1704 is YES, and then in step S1706, the current candidate encryption algorithm EAj is selected as the genuine encryption algorithm suitable for decrypting the current code 66.

Then, in step S1707, the current candidate return time is selected as the true return time. Next, in step S1708, the return station ID corresponding to the current true encryption algorithm number j is determined according to a predetermined relationship between the station ID and the true encryption algorithm number j that is pre-stored in memory 202.

Then, in step S1709, it is determined whether the current return station ID is genuine by determining whether the return station ID matches any of the multiple station IDs in the first table. If the current return station ID is not genuine, execution of the lending/return program is immediately terminated.

On the other hand, if the current return station ID is genuine, the determination in step S1709 is YES, and then in step S1710, it is determined whether the current chassis number 60 is genuine by determining whether the current chassis number 60 matches any of the multiple chassis numbers in the second table. If the current chassis number 60 is not genuine, the execution of this lending/return program is immediately terminated.

In contrast, if the current chassis number 60 is genuine, the determination in step S1710 becomes YES, and then in step S1711, the user is permitted to return the bicycle 12 having the chassis number 60 to the current station 20. Then, in step S1712, the rental time and rental station for the bicycle 12 to be returned this time are read from memory 202 in association with the current chassis number 60.

Next, in step S1713, the length of time that has elapsed from the rental time to the return time is calculated as the length of time that the user used the bicycle 12. Then, in step S1714, it is determined whether the return station ID matches the rental station ID.

Next, in step S1715, the amount of the current rental fee is calculated by referencing the fourth table based on the calculated length of use time and the result of the determination of whether the return station ID matches the rental station ID. Then, in step S1716, the calculated rental fee is paid to the current user, and the current rental fee is collected from the user.

Next, in step S1717, a message indicating that the return is complete and a payment statement for the current rental fee are sent to the user's communication device 90. This completes the execution of the portion of the rental/return program that returns the bicycle 12.

As is clear from the specific explanations of some of the embodiments described above, in those embodiments, the encryption section 112 of the station side unit 30 installed in each station 20 generates the code 66 every moment by encrypting the pre-encryption information (e.g., station ID, current time) using an encryption algorithm.

To simplify the explanation, the encryption process can be likened to a process of multiplying pre-encryption information by an encryption algorithm. In this case, in order for the encryption resulting from this multiplication to be dynamic with respect to both time and station position, it is required that one of the pre-encryption information and the encryption algorithm is dynamic with respect to at least time, while the other is dynamic with respect to at least station position, or that at least one of the pre-encryption information and the encryption algorithm is dynamic with respect to both time and station position.

The pre-encryption information thus includes information regarding at least one of time and station location. The combination of the pre-encryption information and the encryption algorithm is configured such that one of the pre-encryption information and the encryption algorithm is dynamic with respect to at least time, while the other is dynamic with respect to at least station location, or at least one of the pre-encryption information and the encryption algorithm is dynamic with respect to both time and station location.

The code 66 has the property that it cannot be deciphered by the user. Furthermore, the code 66 is configured to be dynamic with respect to both time and station location, so that if the user is actually present at any station 20 at any time, the user cannot obtain the genuine code 66 unless he or she is actually present at that very station 20 at that very time, and the center unit 50 of the management center 40 can decipher the code 66 and infer that the user is actually present at that very station 20 at that very time.

The center unit 50 decrypts the code 66 received from the user according to a predetermined relationship between the multiple codes that can be generated, the multiple decryption results, and the locations of the multiple stations 20 (e.g., multiple unique station IDs that have been assigned in advance to the multiple stations 20) if the type of encryption algorithm is common to the multiple stations 20, or according to a predetermined relationship between the multiple codes that can be generated, the multiple decryption results, the multiple types of encryption algorithms, and the locations of the multiple stations 20 (e.g., multiple unique station IDs that have been assigned in advance to the multiple stations 20) if the type of encryption algorithm is unique to each station 20, thereby estimating the station 20 where the user is actually located and the time when the user is actually located at that station 20.

Now, looking at the station ID-related partial cipher of cipher 66, the station ID-related partial cipher is dynamic with respect to both time and station ID. This means that the station ID-related partial cipher changes with time for the same station. However, since the numbers that the station ID-related partial cipher takes at each time for each station are known, if the time at which the station ID-related partial cipher is valid (for example, the time displayed on screen 68) is known, the corresponding station ID can be deduced.

If the time at which the management center 40 received the station ID-related partial cipher can be determined without the aid of the current time-related partial cipher (for example, in the case of the rental, the rental time is substantially the same as the time at which the management center 40 received the station ID-related partial cipher), the station ID-related partial cipher can be decrypted in association with the determined time without the aid of the current time-related partial cipher, thereby estimating the corresponding station ID.

In contrast, if the time at which the management center 40 received the station ID-related partial cipher cannot be determined without the aid of the current time-related partial cipher (for example, when the rental time that precedes the rental time is required at the time of return), the rental time can be restored by first decrypting the current time-related partial cipher, and then the station ID-related partial cipher can be decrypted in association with the restored time to estimate the corresponding station ID.

<Fourth embodiment of the present invention>

Next, a bicycle rental system 500 according to an exemplary fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 18 to 22. However, since this bicycle rental system 500 has many elements in common with the bicycle rental system 10 according to the first embodiment described above, only the different elements will be described in detail, and the common elements will be referred to with the same names or symbols to avoid redundant explanations.

First, to give a brief overview, this bicycle rental system (hereinafter simply referred to as the "system") 500 is the same as the bicycle rental system 10 according to the first embodiment described above, except that for the station side unit 30, as shown in the functional block diagram of Figure 19, at least the encryption unit 112 has been removed and instead a communication device 510 that communicates with the management center 40 has been added, and for the center side unit 50, as shown in the functional block diagram of Figure 21, an encryption unit 520 having the same functions as the encryption unit 112 has been added.

In this system 500, unlike system 10, the station side unit 30 does not encrypt the current time and station ID in association with the corresponding station 20, but the center side unit 50 encrypts the current time and station ID in association with each station 20. When a new code 66 is generated in the center side unit 50, the code 66 is transmitted to the corresponding station 20 substantially in real time.

The transmission of the cipher 66 from the center unit 50 to each station 20 is realized, for example, as wireless transmission, for example, wireless transmission using telephone lines or wireless transmission using the Internet as an example of a global network. In one example, on the Internet, a unique destination address is assigned to each station 20, and the center unit 50 identifies the corresponding destination address for each station 20 and transmits the cipher 66 unique to each station 20 individually to the destination station 20 (for example, monocast method).

Furthermore, in this system 500, when the code 66 is received in the station side unit 30, the code 66 is displayed on the screen 68 in substantially real time, thereby allowing the code 66 to be directly known to the user at the corresponding station 20, and the same code 66 is transmitted in substantially real time to the communication device 90 of the user at the corresponding station 20 using the local area network, thereby allowing the code 66 to be indirectly known to the user via the communication device 90.

The local area network is configured so that signals transmitted from the station side unit 30 do not reach the user's communication device 90 unless the user is actually present at the corresponding station 20. For example, the reach of signals transmitted from the station side unit 30 is set so that it does not substantially exceed the area of the corresponding station 20.

In such a local area network, a communication method (e.g., broadcast or multicast) is non-exclusively adopted to transmit data to an unspecified or specified number of users in the area of the corresponding station 20 (e.g., a geographical area physically occupied by the station 20, an area where signals from the station 20 can be normally received (e.g., located so as to at least partially overlap the geographical area)). In addition, a communication standard (e.g., Ethernet (registered trademark), token ring, serial transfer (e.g., IrDA (infrared optical wireless data communication), USB, IEEE 1394, etc.), etc., is non-exclusively adopted.

In this system 500, unlike system 10, the same code 66 is provided to the user in the station side unit 30 both through display on the screen 68 and through data transmission, but it is sufficient to employ at least one of these two methods.

Figure 19 shows a functional block diagram of a representative station side unit 30 corresponding to one of the multiple stations 20 that are remotely and centrally managed by the management center 40.

This station side unit 30 has the aforementioned screen 68, computer 104, and display unit 114 (e.g., a driver and controller for driving the multiple elements (e.g., LEDs as light-emitting elements) that make up the screen 68), and further has a communication device 510.

The communication device 510 has a transmitting unit 512, a receiving unit 514, and a controller 516. The controller 516 has, for example, an interface, a MAC, a memory, etc. The receiving unit 514 receives a code 66 transmitted from the management center 40. The transmitting unit 512 transmits the received code 66 to the communication device 90 of the user located at the corresponding station 30.

Figure 20 conceptually shows in a flowchart a cryptography program executed by computer 104 of station side unit 30 (the station side unit installed in the station 20 of interest) shown in Figure 19. This cryptography program, like the other programs mentioned above, is stored in memory 102 in advance, and is read out from memory 102 and executed by processor 100 as necessary.

The execution of this encryption program is repeated at time intervals that do not exceed the period of the execution cycle of the encryption program described below in the center unit 50, for example, at five-minute intervals. Each execution of this encryption program begins in step S2001, in which the latest encryption code 66 is received from the management center 40 via the receiving unit 514.

Next, in step S2002, the received code 66 is displayed on the screen 68. This display is performed in the same manner as in the system 10. This allows a user at the corresponding station 20 to directly perceive the latest code 66.

Next, in step S2003, a signal representing the received cipher 66 is transmitted substantially in real time via the transmitter 512 to the communication device 90 of the user at the corresponding station 20. This allows the user at the corresponding station 20 to indirectly perceive the latest cipher 66 via his or her own communication device 90.

This completes one execution of the cipher suite program. Once the cipher suite 66 starts to be displayed on the screen 68 and transmitted from the transmission unit 512, the display and transmission states of the cipher suite 66 are maintained until the next execution of the cipher suite program starts.

Figure 21, as well as Figures 5 and 6, show functional block diagrams of the center-side unit 50 installed in the management center 40. However, Figure 21 focuses on the part of the center-side unit 50 that operates to repeatedly encrypt and transmit the current time and station ID, Figure 5 focuses on the part of the center-side unit 50 that functions when renting a bicycle (shown in the flow chart of Figure 7), and Figure 6 focuses on the part of the center-side unit 50 that functions when returning the bicycle (shown in the flow chart of Figure 8).

In this system 500, the parts of the center unit 50 that function when renting a bicycle and when returning a bicycle are the same as those in system 10, so duplicated explanations and illustrations will be omitted and only the parts that operate to repeatedly encrypt and transmit the current time and station ID will be described in detail.

As described above, the center unit 50 is mainly composed of a computer 204 having a processor 200 and a memory 202 that stores the programs executed by the processor 200. The hardware configuration realized by the computer 204 is shown in the functional block diagrams of Figures 21, 5, and 6.

To explain the hardware configuration in detail, the center unit 50 operates a clock 216, a transmission unit 222, and an encryption unit 520 to encrypt and transmit the current time and station ID, as shown in Figure 21.

As shown in FIG. 5, the center unit 50 also operates the receiver 210, the decryption unit 212, the rental permission unit 214, the clock 216, the PIN acquisition unit 220, and the transmitter 222 to rent a bicycle.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the center unit 50 activates the receiving unit 210, the decryption unit 212, the clock 216, the return permission unit 230, the reading unit 232, the rental fee calculation unit 234, the payment processing unit 236, and the transmitting unit 222 in order to return the bicycle.

Therefore, in this center unit 50, the clock 216 and the transmission unit 222 are operated to encrypt and transmit the current time and the station ID, and to rent and return a bicycle. Also, the reception unit 210, the decryption unit 212, the clock 216, and the transmission unit 222 are operated both to rent and return a bicycle.

The hardware configuration shown in Figure 21 and Figures 5 and 6 executes a bicycle rental method (one example of the aforementioned "rental method") that includes an encryption/transmission process represented by an encryption program described below, a bicycle rental process represented by multiple steps shown in Figure 7 (the portion of the aforementioned rental/return program related to bicycle rental), and a bicycle return process represented by multiple steps shown in Figure 8 (the portion of the aforementioned rental/return program related to bicycle return).

Figure 22 conceptually illustrates the encryption program executed by the center unit 50 in a flowchart.

Execution of this encryption program is repeated at time intervals of, for example, 15 minutes. Each execution of this encryption program begins in step S2201, in which a number i assigned to one station 20 that is the subject of this execution among the multiple stations 20 is set to "1". A station ID is prestored in memory 202 in association with each number i.

Next, in step S2202, the current time is measured using the clock 216.

Then, in step S2203, a time encryption algorithm that is static with respect to both the position of station 20 and the time is read from memory 202, and the measured current time is encrypted using the static encryption algorithm.

Next, in step S2204, the station ID assigned to the current station 20 is read from memory 202 by referencing the current value of number i.

Then, in step S2205, an encryption algorithm for the station ID, which is static with respect to the location of station 20 but dynamic with respect to the time, is read from memory 202.

As described above, the encryption algorithm for the station ID is dynamic with respect to time, and specifically, is configured as a collection of multiple individual algorithms that are used differently depending on the time. These individual algorithms are stored in memory 202 in association with the time (e.g., multiple times that pass every 15 minutes), and in this step S2205, of these individual algorithms, the one that corresponds to the current time is selected and read out from memory 202.

Then, in step S2206, the read station ID is encrypted using the selected individual algorithm.

Then, in step S2207, the encrypted current time and the encrypted station ID are combined to generate a code 66, and a signal representing the generated code 66 is sent individually (by specifying a unique destination address) to the current station 20.

When a transmission of a certain cipher 66 has begun, the transmission of the previous cipher 66 continues until the next execution of the encryption program begins the transmission of the next cipher 66.

Then, in step S2208, it is determined whether the current value of number i is equal to or greater than threshold value _i0 . It is determined whether the process of generating unique passwords 66 for all of the plurality of stations 20 and transmitting them to each station 20 has been completed.

This time, assuming that the current value of number i is smaller than threshold value _{i_0} , the determination in step S2208 becomes NO, and then in step S2209, number i is incremented by "1". Then, returning to step S2202, the same process as above is performed for the next station 20.

When the execution of steps S2202 through S2209 is repeated several times and the current value of number i becomes equal to or greater than threshold value _{i_0} , the determination in step S2208 becomes YES, thus completing one execution of the encryption program.

Above, several embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, taking as an example the case where the rental item is a bicycle, but the present invention can also be applied to other rental items.

For example, the present invention can be applied when the rental item is a motorcycle (e.g., the pin number is applied to the engine key of the motorcycle), a car (e.g., the pin number is applied to the door key or engine key of the car), a boat or jet ski with an engine (e.g., the pin number is applied to the engine key of the boat or jet ski), or a go-kart that runs around a specific course (e.g., the pin number is applied to the door key or engine key of the go-kart).

The present invention can also be applied when the rental item is furniture (the PIN number is applied, for example, to the door key of the closed space in which the furniture is stored), an electrical appliance (the PIN number is applied, for example, to the door key of the closed space in which the electrical appliance is stored), an accessory that is detachably attached to the electrical appliance (the PIN number is applied, for example, to the door key of the closed space in which the accessory is stored), or a recording medium (for example, a CD) on which audiovisual content is recorded and which the user can play (the PIN number is applied, for example, to the door key of the closed space in which the recording medium is stored).

The present invention can also be applied when the rental item is a hotel or apartment room in which the user can reside (the PIN number is applied, for example, to the door key of the room), an individual storage space in a coin locker (the PIN number is applied, for example, to the door key of each room in the coin locker), or an individual parking space in a parking lot (the PIN number is entered by the user, for example, in association with the individual parking space, into a device that manages the rental of the parking lot for each individual parking space).

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, these are merely examples, and the present invention can be embodied in other forms that incorporate various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, including the aspects described in the "Summary of the Invention" section above.

Claims (11)

A vehicle rental system that allows a user to rent out a selected vehicle from among a plurality of vehicles at each of a plurality of stations capable of storing the vehicles for rental by using a communication device of the user, the system comprising:
a station identification unit that identifies, at the time of rental and return, one of the plurality of stations where the user is currently located as a rental station or a return station;
a providing unit for providing vehicle information including information capable of identifying each vehicle as a code to a user currently present at any one of the stations;
a vehicle identification unit that identifies the vehicle to be rented based on the vehicle information represented by the code acquired by the communication device of the user at the time of rental;
a rental permission unit that, when the vehicle information of the specified current vehicle matches any one of a plurality of vehicle information previously assigned to each of the plurality of vehicles stored at the rental station, sets the current vehicle as the selected vehicle and permits the selected vehicle to be rented to the user at the rental station based on the specified rental station and the specified selected vehicle;
and a return permission unit that, at the time of return, permits the user to return the selected vehicle to the return station based on the identified return station and vehicle information stored in a memory for the selected vehicle at the time of rental, without requiring the user to read the code with the user's communication device. A lock is associated with each vehicle and unlocked when a pin number is applied.
The vehicle rental system of claim 1 further includes a PIN sending unit that sends a PIN to be applied to the lock corresponding to the selected vehicle to the user's communication device when the rental permission unit allows the user to rent the selected vehicle, thereby enabling the PIN to be applied to the lock via the user's communication device. The vehicle rental system according to claim 1, wherein the station identification unit identifies one of the stations as a rental station or a return station based on station information received by the user's communication device from a station-side communication device installed in one of the stations at the time of rental and return. The providing unit includes a display medium for visibly displaying the code in each vehicle,
4. A vehicle rental system according to claim 1, wherein the code is read by a communication device of the user. The vehicle rental system according to claim 1, wherein the station identification unit identifies one of the stations as a rental station or a return station based on location information relating to a current location measured by a positioning unit of a communication device of a user who is currently present at one of the stations at the time of rental and return. A program executed by a computer of a communication device of a user who wishes to rent a selected vehicle, the selected vehicle being a vehicle selected by the user, at any one of a plurality of stations, comprising:
The user's communication device has a plurality of functions,
a receiving function for receiving station information for identifying any one of the stations as a rental station or a return station from a station side communication device installed in any one of the stations at the time of rental and return;
a reading function at the time of rental for reading the code from a display that displays vehicle information including information that can identify a vehicle as a code at the time of rental;
a transmission function at the time of rental for transmitting the station information and the vehicle information to a management server at the time of rental;
a rental reception function for receiving information from the management server indicating that, when the vehicle information of the current vehicle matches any one of a plurality of vehicle information previously assigned to each of the plurality of vehicles stored at the rental station at the time of rental, the current vehicle is designated as the selected vehicle and the rental station is permitted to rent out the selected vehicle to the user;
a return transmission function for transmitting the station information, excluding the vehicle information, to the management server at the time of return without requiring the user to read the code using the user's communication device,
A program executed to realize the functions. The management server includes:
7. The program of claim 6, which allows the user to return the selected vehicle to the return station based on the identified return station and vehicle information stored in memory for the selected vehicle at the time of rental, without requiring the user to read the code with the user's communication device at the time of return. A program executed by a computer of a communication device of a user who wishes to rent a selected vehicle, the selected vehicle being a vehicle selected by the user, at any one of a plurality of stations, comprising:
The user's communication device has a plurality of functions,
a positioning function for measuring a current location of the user at the time of rental and return;
a reading function at the time of rental for reading the code from a display that displays vehicle information including information that can identify a vehicle as a code at the time of rental;
a transmission function at the time of rental that transmits, to a management server, location information relating to the measured current location and the vehicle information at the time of rental;
a rental reception function for receiving information from the management server indicating that, when the vehicle information of the current vehicle matches any one of a plurality of vehicle information previously assigned to each of the plurality of vehicles stored in the rental station at the time of rental, the current vehicle is designated as the selected vehicle and the rental station is permitted to rent the selected vehicle to the user;
a return transmission function for transmitting the location information, excluding the vehicle information, to the management server at the time of return without requiring the user to read the code using the user's communication device,
A program executed to realize the functions. The management server includes:
At the time of rental and return, one of the stations is identified as a rental station or a return station based on a current position determined by the positioning function;
At the time of the rental, the vehicle is identified based on the vehicle information;
9. The program of claim 8, which allows the user to return the selected vehicle to the return station based on the identified return station and vehicle information stored in memory for the selected vehicle at the time of rental, without requiring the user to read the code with the user's communication device at the time of return. A recording medium on which the program according to claim 6 or 7 is recorded so as to be readable by a computer. A recording medium on which the program according to claim 8 or 9 is recorded so as to be readable by a computer.

Images