JP7487903B1 - Control device, control method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a control device, control method, and control program that contribute to making it easier to reach a reserved seat. [Solution] The control device includes a reserved seat management unit and a notification unit. The reserved seat management unit manages reserved seats in association with terminals used by users of the reserved seats. When a location notification request is received from a terminal, the notification unit drives an alarm provided in the reserved seat corresponding to the terminal to notify the location of the reserved seat. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a control device, a control method, and a program. In particular, the present invention relates to a control device, a control method, and a program that contribute to making it easier to reach a reserved seat.

There are so-called free address offices, which are offices with a free address format where employees do not have fixed seats. In such free address offices, employees reserve and specify the booths they will use and work in the designated seats. Here, for example, there is technology such as the seat management system in Patent Document 1 that shows the location of the designated seats on a seating chart, making it easy to find the designated seats.

JP 2012-128641 A

The following analysis has been made from the perspective of the present invention. The disclosures of the above-mentioned prior art documents are incorporated herein by reference.

In the seat management system of Patent Document 1, a seating plan is displayed on an operation terminal installed at the entrance to the room. Therefore, if a user (employee) cannot remember the location of their assigned seat after entering the room, they must return to the entrance to look at the seating plan again. In addition, since many booths have similar appearances, even if a user can get close to a assigned seat, they may not know which booth is their assigned seat, or may become anxious about whether they have mistaken it for a nearby booth.

The present invention aims to provide a control device, control method, and program that contribute to making it easier for passengers to reach their reserved seats.

According to a first aspect of the present invention,
a reserved seat management unit that manages a reserved seat in association with a terminal used by a user of the reserved seat;
a notification unit that, when receiving a location notification request from the terminal, drives an alarm provided in a reserved seat corresponding to the terminal to notify the location of the reserved seat;
A control device is provided comprising:

According to a second aspect of the present invention,
The control device,
managing a reserved seat in association with a terminal used by a user of the reserved seat;
when a location notification request is received from the terminal, an alarm provided in the reserved seat corresponding to the terminal is driven to notify the location of the reserved seat;
A control method is provided.

According to a third aspect of the present invention,
On the computer,
managing a reserved seat in association with a terminal used by a user of the reserved seat;
when a location notification request is received from the terminal, an alarm provided in the reserved seat corresponding to the terminal is driven to notify the location of the reserved seat;
A program is provided for carrying out the control method.

According to each aspect of the present invention, a control device, a control method, and a program are provided that contribute to making it easier to reach a reserved seat.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device 100. FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a user management table. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process flow by the control device 100. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device 100. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a computer as a control device 100.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the reference symbols in the drawings are added to each element for convenience as an example to aid understanding, and are not intended to limit the present invention to the illustrated form. Also, the connection lines between blocks in each figure include both bidirectional and unidirectional lines. Furthermore, although not explicitly shown in the circuit diagrams, block diagrams, internal configuration diagrams, connection diagrams, etc. shown in this disclosure, input ports and output ports exist at the input and output ends of each connection line. The same applies to input/output interfaces.

First, an overview of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a control device 100 of the present invention includes a reserved seat management unit 10 and an alarm unit 20. The reserved seat management unit 10 manages reserved seats in association with terminals used by users of the reserved seats. When a position notification request is received from a terminal, the alarm unit 20 drives an alarm provided in the reserved seat corresponding to the terminal to notify the position of the reserved seat.

The control device 100 described above allows a user who has made a location notification request via a terminal to easily reach their reserved seat.

[Embodiment]
In the following, the control device 100 outlined above will be described in more detail as embodiment 1. In embodiment 1, the present invention is applied to a free address style office (room) equipped with booths 1 to 6, as shown in Fig. 2. Note that in this application, the term "booth" may be used synonymously with "seat" and may also be referred to as a "designated booth" or "designated seat" when designated by a user.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 100 of the first embodiment includes a reserved seat management unit 10, a notification unit 20, a memory unit 30, and an interface 40. Each component is connected to each other via an internal bus or the like.

The interface 40 is connected to telephones 1 to 6 installed in booths 1 to 6, respectively, and is also connected to a receiver installed in the office (room) (see also Figure 2). The telephones 1 to 6 have general telephone functions and also function as alarms that notify the location of reserved seats. The receiver functions as an antenna for communicating with the terminals used by users.

As shown in FIG. 4, the storage unit 30 stores a user management table that associates booth numbers, user names, and terminal IDs (identification). The terminal ID only needs to identify the terminal used by the user, and for example, if the terminal is a smartphone, it may be the phone number of the smartphone.

The reserved seat management unit 10 controls the reservation and designation of booths. Control of booth reservation and designation is a common technique as disclosed in, for example, JP 2012-128641 A, and therefore a detailed explanation is omitted. In other words, various common techniques can be adopted for the reservation and designation of booths.

The reserved seat management unit 10 also manages reserved seats in association with the terminals used by users of the reserved seats. For example, the reserved seat management unit 10 registers in the user management table the user name and terminal ID (such as a telephone number) registered when a user specifies a specific booth via the Internet and applies to use the booth, in association with the specified booth number.

When the notification unit 20 receives a position notification request from a terminal, it drives an alarm provided in the reserved seat corresponding to the terminal to notify the location of the reserved seat. A specific explanation of the notification unit 20 will be given following the flow of processing by the control device 100.

The flow of processing by the control device 100 will be explained using a specific example. First, assume that user A has reserved booth 2, and that the user name and terminal ID are registered in the user management table (see Figure 2). Also assume that user A has entered the office (room), but is unable to remember which booth his/her reserved seat is, and has made a location notification request via the terminal. Note that the location notification request includes information about the user name and terminal ID.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the notification unit 20 receives a location notification request from a terminal via the receiving unit (step S01, Yes), the notification unit 20 refers to the user management table to identify the booth number (booth 2) corresponding to the terminal ID: aaaa included in the location notification request (step S02). The notification unit 20 then drives the telephone 2 provided in the booth 2 (step S03). For example, the notification unit 20 performs drive control such as blinking a lamp provided in the telephone 2 or playing a melody from the telephone 2.

At this time, user A who has entered the office moves close to booth 2 relying on the melody played by telephone 2, and by visually confirming that the light on telephone 2 is flashing, knows that booth 2 is the reserved seat. In other words, the notification unit 20 drives the notification device provided at the reserved seat to notify the user of the location of the reserved seat, allowing the user to easily reach the reserved seat.

The control device 100 may stop the operation of the telephone 2 in response to a user's operation of the telephone 2, or may stop the operation of the telephone 2 based on a stop request via the terminal.

[Transformation form]
Various variations are described below.

For example, in the first embodiment, the case where the alarm is a telephone installed in the booth is described, but the alarm may be a lamp installed at the entrance to the booth. That is, each booth is equipped with a door, and when the door is closed, the inside of the booth may not be visible from the outside. However, if a lamp is provided as an alarm at the entrance of the booth, the user can know which booth is the reserved seat without having to see inside the booth.

In addition, in the present invention, notifications are not limited to the ringing of a telephone installed in the booth, or the lighting or blinking of a lamp. For example, a display may be installed in each booth, and information such as "This is the reserved seat for..." may be displayed on the display. In other words, any notification form may be adopted as long as the user can identify the reserved seat.

The present invention is not limited to free address offices, but can be applied to a variety of situations. For example, imagine that a user is in a private room at a bar and loses track of which room they were in after going to the restroom. By applying the present invention to blink a light installed in front of the room they were in, the user can find their way back to their room. Similarly, the present invention can be applied to reserved seats on aircraft, trains, buses, and other vehicles, as well as reserved seats in movie theaters, concert halls, and stadiums.

The present invention can also be combined with various navigation systems. That is, with a general navigation system, the user can reach close to the reserved seat, but cannot ascertain which nearby booth is his/her reserved seat. However, by combining this with the present invention, the user can identify which nearby booth is his/her reserved seat. In other words, the present invention can be said to generate a marker on the reserved seat itself, making it possible to identify the reserved seat from among the nearby booths.

Furthermore, the position of the terminal may be monitored, and the notification unit 20 may notify the location of the designated seat when the distance between the designated seat and the terminal falls below a threshold value (e.g., 5 m). That is, in a large-scale free address office with many booths, even if a melody is emitted from the telephone at the designated seat according to the present invention, the user may not hear it. If the melody is emitted from the telephone for a long period of time, it may cause inconvenience to people working in booths nearby the designated seat. For this reason, the navigation system may guide the user close to the designated booth, and then the melody may be controlled to be emitted from the telephone at the designated seat, allowing the user to immediately stop driving.

In addition, FIG. 6 shows an example of a control device 100 further including a navigation unit 50 that functions as a navigation system that guides the user to the vicinity of the reserved seat via the terminal, and a monitor unit 60 that monitors the position of the terminal.

The present invention can also be developed as a program executed by a computer serving as the control device 100. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the computer serving as the control device 100 includes a memory, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and an interface. The memory stores a user management table. The interface is connected to telephones 1-6 installed in booths 1-6, respectively, and is also connected to a receiver installed in the office (room). The CPU reads out the program of the present invention from the memory and executes it, thereby realizing processing modules equivalent to the reserved seat management unit 10 and the notification unit 20.

Some or all of the above embodiments may be described as follows, but are not limited to the following:

(Appendix 1)
a reserved seat management unit that manages a reserved seat in association with a terminal used by a user of the reserved seat;
a notification unit that, when receiving a location notification request from the terminal, drives an alarm provided in a reserved seat corresponding to the terminal to notify the location of the reserved seat;
A control device comprising:

(Appendix 2)
The designated seat is a free address style booth that does not have a fixed user,
the alarm is a telephone set installed in the booth,
The notification unit notifies the location of the reserved seat by activating the telephone.
2. The control device of claim 1.

(Appendix 3)
The notification unit causes the telephone to ring, and/or
blinking or lighting a light on the telephone; and/or
Informing the user of the location of the reserved seat by displaying a message on the telephone display;
3. The control device according to claim 2.

(Appendix 4)
4. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a navigation unit that guides the user to a vicinity of the reserved seat via the terminal.

(Appendix 5)
A monitor unit that monitors the position of the terminal is further provided,
The control device according to claim 4, wherein the notification unit notifies the position of the reserved seat when the distance between the reserved seat and the terminal becomes equal to or less than a threshold value.

(Appendix 6)
The control device,
managing a reserved seat in association with a terminal used by a user of the reserved seat;
when a location notification request is received from the terminal, an alarm provided in the reserved seat corresponding to the terminal is driven to notify the location of the reserved seat;
Control methods.

(Appendix 7)
The designated seat is a free address style booth that does not have a fixed user,
the alarm is a telephone set installed in the booth,
The telephone is activated to notify the location of the reserved seat.
7. The control method according to claim 6.

(Appendix 8)
causing the telephone to ring; and/or
blinking or lighting a light on the telephone; and/or
Informing the user of the location of the reserved seat by displaying a message on the telephone display;
8. The control method of claim 7.

(Appendix 9)
The control method according to any one of appendices 6 to 8, further comprising guiding the user to the vicinity of the reserved seat via the terminal.

(Appendix 10)
monitoring the location of said terminal;
10. The control method according to claim 9, further comprising: notifying the location of the reserved seat when the distance between the reserved seat and the terminal becomes equal to or less than a threshold value.

(Appendix 11)
A program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to any one of appendices 6 to 10.

The disclosures of the above cited patent documents are incorporated into this document by reference and may be used as the basis or part of the present invention as necessary. Within the framework of the entire disclosure of the present invention (including the scope of claims), modifications and adjustments of the embodiments and examples are possible based on the basic technical ideas. Furthermore, within the framework of the entire disclosure of the present invention, various combinations or selections (including partial deletions) of various disclosed elements (including each element of each claim, each element of each embodiment or example, each element of each drawing, etc.) are possible. In other words, the present invention naturally includes various modifications and corrections that a person skilled in the art would be able to make in accordance with the entire disclosure, including the scope of claims, and the technical ideas. In particular, with regard to the numerical ranges described in this document, any numerical value or small range included within the range should be interpreted as being specifically described even if not otherwise specified. Furthermore, the disclosures of the above cited documents may be used in part or in whole in combination with the descriptions in this document as part of the disclosure of the present invention in accordance with the spirit of the present invention as necessary, and are considered to be included in the disclosures of this application.

10: Seat reservation management unit 20: Notification unit 30: Memory unit 40: Interface 50: Navigation unit 60: Monitor unit 100: Control device

Claims (11)

a reserved seat management unit that manages a reserved seat in association with a terminal used by a user of the reserved seat;
a notification unit that, when receiving a location notification request from the terminal, drives an alarm provided in a reserved seat corresponding to the terminal to notify the location of the reserved seat;
A control device comprising: The designated seat is a free address style booth that does not have a fixed user,
the alarm is a telephone set installed in the booth,
The notification unit notifies the location of the reserved seat by activating the telephone.
The control device according to claim 1 . The notification unit causes the telephone to ring, and/or
blinking or lighting a light on the telephone; and/or
Informing the user of the location of the reserved seat by displaying a message on the telephone display;
The control device according to claim 2. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a navigation unit that guides the user to the vicinity of the reserved seat via the terminal. A monitor unit that monitors the position of the terminal is further provided,
The control device according to claim 4 , wherein the notification unit notifies the location of the reserved seat when a distance between the reserved seat and the terminal becomes equal to or smaller than a threshold value. The control device,
managing a reserved seat in association with a terminal used by a user of the reserved seat;
when a location notification request is received from the terminal, an alarm provided in the reserved seat corresponding to the terminal is driven to notify the location of the reserved seat;
Control methods. The designated seat is a free address style booth that does not have a fixed user,
the alarm is a telephone set installed in the booth,
The telephone is activated to notify the location of the reserved seat.
The control method according to claim 6. causing the telephone to ring; and/or
blinking or lighting a light on the telephone; and/or
Informing the user of the location of the reserved seat by displaying a message on the telephone display;
The control method according to claim 7. The control method according to claim 6, further comprising guiding the user to the vicinity of the reserved seat via the terminal. monitoring the location of said terminal;
The control method according to claim 9 , further comprising the step of: notifying the location of the reserved seat when a distance between the reserved seat and the terminal becomes equal to or smaller than a threshold value. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to any one of claims 6 to 10.

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