JP7611552B2 - A program executed by a computer of a user's communication device to reserve a parking space - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technology for managing a parking lot using a user's communication device having a positioning function , a technology for managing a parking lot using a user's communication device, a technology for managing a parking lot using a password or authentication code, a technology for managing a parking lot using password matching or authentication code matching, and/or a technology that allows a user to reserve parking in a parking lot online .

There are types of parking lots, which are spatial areas for parking. Some parking lots are used continuously by the same user, while others are used irregularly by different users.

The latter type of parking lot includes parking lots for visitors to a facility (e.g., guests, contractors). Examples of this type of parking lot include parking lots (e.g., visitor parking lots) that are installed in association with an apartment complex where multiple rooms are gathered in one building (including, for example, a form in which multiple homes exist independently of each other on the same site, and a collective housing complex (e.g., an apartment building) where multiple homes exist in the same building), parking lots that are installed in association with a commercial facility (e.g., a store, an exhibition center, an accommodation facility, etc.) for visitors to the commercial facility, and parking lots that are installed in association with a public facility (e.g., a city hall, a gymnasium, a museum, an art gallery, a school, a station, an airport, etc.) for visitors to the public facility.

There is already a demand for managing parking lots so that only visitors who have been pre-authorized by the facility can park there. One example of technology that may meet this demand is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

Patent Document 1 discloses technology for managing shared facilities (e.g., doors, elevators, parcel lockers, multi-storey car parks, etc.; hereafter referred to as "shared facilities") in common areas of apartment complexes and other collective housing, so that they can only be used by residents or visitors who have been authorized in advance, on the premise that the facilities have keys that can be unlocked and locked remotely and electronically.

Specifically, according to the disclosed technology, a person who wishes to use a shared facility carries a general-purpose IC card on which unique serial number information is recorded, and the hardware used includes a reader that is installed in the shared facility and reads the serial number information from the IC card, and an authentication management device that authenticates the IC card based on the serial number information received from the reader and, if successful, permits use of the shared facility and remotely and electronically unlocks the shared facility.

JP 2013-8392 A

This technology makes it possible to manage the use of shared facilities without human intervention. However, this technology requires the use of multiple pieces of hardware to manage the use of shared facilities: a key that can be remotely and electronically unlocked and locked, a reader, and an authentication management device. For this reason, minimizing the amount of such dedicated hardware used is useful in reducing the costs required to operate this type of management (e.g., equipment purchase costs, labor costs for maintenance and inspection, etc.).

Meanwhile, the inventors have conducted various studies on technology for managing parking lots so that only visitors who have been approved in advance by the facility (e.g., by those involved in the facility, such as residents, users, owners, employees, operators, and managers of the facility) are allowed to park in the parking lot. As a result, the inventors have realized that it is desirable and possible to perform this type of management using as few pieces of hardware as possible, whether dedicated or general-purpose.

Furthermore, the inventors have also conducted various researches into technologies that allow for online reservations for parking in general parking lots that are not attached to any particular facility.

Against this background, the present invention has been made with the objective of providing technology for managing a parking lot using a user's communication device having a positioning function , technology for managing a parking lot using a user's communication device, technology for managing a parking lot using a password or authentication code, technology for managing a parking lot using password matching or authentication code matching, and/or technology that enables a user to reserve parking in a parking lot online .

In order to solve the problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program executed by a computer of a user's communication device for reserving one of a plurality of parking lots online as a parking lot that the user wishes to use before entering the parking lot, the program comprising:
The communication device has a plurality of functions,
a receiving function for receiving parking lot data from a management server, the parking lot data including parking lot position data representing a position of each of the plurality of parking lots being associated with each of the plurality of parking lots;
a first display function that selects, based on the parking lot position data received from the management server, from among the plurality of parking lots, those that are located within a predetermined area relative to the current location determined by the positioning unit of the communication device as a small number of candidate parking lots, and displays the selected small number of candidate parking lots on the screen of the communication device in a state in which they are overlaid on a map, and if a corresponding candidate parking lot has an available parking space, displays the selected small number of candidate parking lots together with a first mark indicating this on the screen of the communication device;
a second display function that, when the user performs a parking lot selection operation on the screen of the communication device to select one of the small number of candidate parking lots, displays on the screen of the communication device a plurality of candidate parking spaces in the selected candidate parking lot as images, together with a second mark indicating that the corresponding candidate parking space is vacant;
a transmission function of transmitting parking lot/car room identification data for identifying one of the candidate parking lots and one of the selected candidate car rooms to the management server when the user performs a car room selection operation on the screen of the communication device to select one of the multiple candidate car rooms;
Including,
The management server identifies the parking lot and vehicle space selected by the user based on the parking lot/vehicle space identification data received from the communication device, and reserves the parking lot and vehicle space for the user;
A program is provided that is executed to realize the above-mentioned functions .

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 parking management system that manages a parking lot so that only visitors who have been approved in advance by a facility may park in the parking lot designated by the facility, comprising:
A transmitter installed in a designated parking lot designated by the facility, which transmits an identification signal representing a unique authorized transmitter code, and the identification signal can be received by a mobile terminal of the visitor in the designated parking lot via a short-distance communication method;
a regular authentication code issuing unit that issues a unique regular authentication code in response to a request from the facility, and the issued regular authentication code is ultimately notified to the visitor;
and an entry permission unit that permits the visitor to enter the designated parking lot when multiple conditions are met simultaneously, including a condition that the actual authentication code entered into the visitor's mobile terminal matches the authorized authentication code, and a condition that the actual transmitter code represented by the identification signal received from the transmitter at the designated parking lot when the visitor's mobile terminal enters the designated parking lot matches the authorized transmitter code.

(2) A parking management system as described in paragraph (1), in which, when the authentic authentication code is issued, the authentic authentication code is notified to the visitor via the facility.

(3) further comprising a genuine authentication code invalidation unit that invalidates the genuine authentication code when a predetermined time has elapsed from a reference time,
A parking management system as described in (1) or (2), wherein the regular authentication code issuing unit does not issue another regular authentication code for the designated parking lot while the regular authentication code is valid.

(4) The parking management system described in (3) above, in which the reference time includes the time when the authentic authentication code was issued.

(5) A parking management system according to any one of (1) to (4), in which the authorized authentication code issuing unit, upon issuing the authorized authentication code, associates the authorized authentication code with the corresponding authorized transmitter code and stores the code in memory, thereby establishing a relationship between the authorized authentication code and the authorized transmitter code that allows them to be uniquely derived from each other.

(6) A parking lot management method for managing a parking lot so that only visitors who have been approved in advance by a facility may park in the parking lot designated by the facility, comprising the steps of:
The parking lot management method includes:
A mobile terminal of the visitor;
A transmitter installed in a designated parking lot designated by the facility, which transmits an identification signal representing a unique authorized transmitter code, and the identification signal can be received by a mobile terminal of the visitor in the designated parking lot via a short-distance communication method;
The management server and the
The parking lot management method includes:
a genuine authentication code issuing step of issuing a unique genuine authentication code in response to a request from the facility, the issued genuine authentication code being ultimately notified to the visitor;
and an entry permission step in which the management server permits the visitor to enter the designated parking lot when multiple conditions are met simultaneously, including a condition that the actual authentication code entered into the visitor's mobile terminal matches the genuine authentication code, and a condition that the actual transmitter code represented by the identification signal received from the transmitter at the designated parking lot when the visitor's mobile terminal enters the designated parking lot matches the genuine transmitter code.

(7) A program executed by the computer of the visitor's mobile terminal to implement the mobile terminal described in paragraph (6).

Throughout this specification, the term "program" may be interpreted to mean, for example, but not limited to, a combination of instructions that are 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.

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.

(8) A program executed by the management server computer to implement the management server described in (6).

(9) A recording medium on which the program described in (7) or (8) is recorded in a computer-readable manner.

Throughout this specification, the term "recording medium" may be interpreted 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.

(10) A parking management system as described in paragraph (1), in which the authentic authentication code is valid only for one parking session by the visitor.

(11) the mobile terminal of the visitor displays an input screen that assists the visitor in inputting the real authentication code;
The parking lot management system described in (1) above, wherein the entry permission unit does not permit entry unless the actual authentication code is entered into the visitor's mobile terminal within a predetermined first time limit from the start time of displaying the input screen or a time related thereto.

(12) The parking lot management system described in (1) further includes a first expiration unit that expires the genuine authentication code when a second predetermined time limit has elapsed from the time when the genuine authentication code was issued by the genuine authentication code issuing unit or from a time related thereto.

(13) The parking management system described in (1) further includes a second expiration unit that expires the genuine authentication code when a third predetermined time limit has elapsed from the time when the visitor inputs the real authentication code into the visitor's mobile terminal to transmit the real authentication code to the parking permission unit via the visitor's mobile terminal or from a time related thereto.

(14) The parking lot management system described in (1) further includes an exit permission unit that permits the visitor to exit the designated parking lot when at least one condition is met, including the condition that, when the visitor's mobile terminal exits the designated parking lot, the actual transmitter code represented by the identification signal received from the transmitter at the designated parking lot matches the genuine transmitter code.

(15) The parking management system described in (1) further includes a management list creation unit that creates a management list reflecting the usage history of each of a plurality of parking spaces in the designated parking lot based on signals received from the mobile terminal of the visitor when the visitor enters and leaves the parking lot.

(16) The parking management system described in (15) in which the authorized authentication code issuing unit determines whether or not there is a vacant space in the designated parking lot based on the management list, and does not issue the authorized authentication code if it is determined that there is no vacant space.

(17) The facility includes an apartment building occupied by multiple people,
The visitor includes a visitor to any resident of the apartment complex;
A parking management system as described in (1) above, in which a resident of one of the apartment buildings determines the designated parking lot and issues the request to the official authentication code issuing unit.

(18) In the parking lot management system described in paragraph (1), the genuine authentication code does not expire if the visitor completes the entry operation before a predetermined second time limit has elapsed from the input time or a related time when the visitor inputs the real authentication code into the visitor's mobile terminal to transmit the real authentication code to the entry permission unit via the visitor's mobile terminal, but the genuine authentication code expires if the second time limit has elapsed before the entry operation is completed.

(19) The parking lot management system described in paragraph (1) in which the genuine authentication code does not expire if a visitor completes a specified action related to entering the parking lot before a specified third time limit has elapsed from the time the genuine authentication code is issued by the genuine authentication code issuing unit or a time related thereto, but the genuine authentication code expires if the third time limit has elapsed before the action is completed.

(20) A parking management system that manages a parking lot so that a user can reserve parking in the parking lot, comprising:
a transmitter installed in the parking lot, which transmits an identification signal representing a unique authorized transmitter code, the identification signal being capable of being received by the user's mobile terminal in the parking lot via a short-distance communication method;
a password issuing unit that issues a unique authorized password in response to a request from the user or another person and registers the password in a memory;
a parking permission unit that permits the user to enter the parking lot when multiple conditions are met simultaneously, including a condition that a real password entered into the user's mobile terminal is authenticated and a condition that a real transmitter code represented by an identification signal received from the transmitter at the parking lot when the user's mobile terminal enters the parking lot is authenticated.

(21) The parking management system described in (20) in which, when the password issuing unit issues the genuine password, the password issuing unit associates the genuine password with the corresponding genuine transmitter code and stores the password in memory, thereby establishing a relationship between the genuine password and the genuine transmitter code that allows them to be uniquely derived from each other.

(22) The parking management system according to (20) further includes a password expiration unit that expires the password when a predetermined time limit has elapsed from a reference time.

(23) The parking management system described in (22) further includes a display unit that calculates the expected expiration time when the password is scheduled to expire and displays the expected expiration time on the screen of the user's mobile terminal.

(24) The parking management system described in (22), wherein the reference time is the time when the password is issued.

(25) The parking lot includes a plurality of parking spaces,
The parking management system according to claim 20, wherein the password is unique to a designated one of the parking spaces.

(26) A parking management system as described in (20) in which the transmitter is used commonly by the multiple parking spaces.

(27) The warehousing permission unit determines that the password is valid if the password exists in the memory, and determines that the password has expired if the password does not exist in the memory,
The parking lot management system described in (22) above, wherein the password expiration unit records in the memory that the password has expired by clearing the password in the memory.

(28) A status flag is present in the memory, the status flag being in a different state when the password is in a valid state and when the password is in an invalid state;
The warehousing permission unit determines whether the password is valid or expired based on a state of the status flag,
A parking lot management system as described in paragraph (22), wherein the password expiration unit records in the memory that the password has expired by changing the state of the status flag in the memory to indicate that the password has expired.

(29) A parking management system as described in paragraph (20), in which the password, when the password is valid, functions to permit the user to reserve parking at the parking lot and to exclude other users from reserving parking at the same parking lot.

(30) A parking lot management method for managing a parking lot so that a user can reserve parking in the parking lot online, comprising:
The parking lot management method includes:
A mobile terminal of the user;
a transmitter installed in the parking lot, which transmits an identification signal representing a unique authorized transmitter code, the identification signal being capable of being received by the user's mobile terminal in the parking lot via a short-distance communication method;
The management server and the
The parking lot management method includes:
a password issuing/expiring step in which the user's mobile terminal or the management server issues a unique password in response to a request from the user or another person, registers the unique password in a memory, and expires the password when a predetermined time limit has elapsed from a reference time;
and an entry permission step of permitting the user to enter the parking lot when multiple conditions are met simultaneously, including a condition that a password entered into the user's mobile terminal is authenticated and a condition that a transmitter code represented by an identification signal received from the transmitter at the parking lot when the user's mobile terminal enters the parking lot is authenticated.

(31) The parking management system described in (3) further includes a notification unit that, when the authentic authentication code is issued, notifies the occupant of the time when the authentic authentication code is scheduled to expire or the time remaining until that time.

(32) The parking management system described in (22) further includes a notification unit that, when the password is issued, notifies the user via the user's mobile terminal of the time when the password is scheduled to expire or the time remaining until that time.

FIG. 1 is a plan view that shows a parking lot managed by a parking lot management system according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, together with apartment buildings and roads installed in the surrounding area. Figure 2 is an oblique view showing an example of how a transmitter installed in a parking lot, a mobile terminal of a visitor in the parking lot, a mobile terminal of a resident of the apartment building, and a management server in a management center located in a remote location communicate with each other in the parking lot management system. Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram showing long-distance two-way communication between a visitor's mobile terminal shown in Figure 2 and a resident's mobile terminal shown in the same figure, and long-distance two-way communication between the resident's mobile terminal and the management server shown in the same figure. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing short-distance one-way communication between the transmitter shown in FIG. 2 and a visitor's mobile terminal shown in the same figure, and long-distance two-way communication between the mobile terminal and the management server shown in the same figure. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram conceptually showing the transmitter shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart conceptually showing an example of a program executed by the computer of the transmitter shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view showing the transmitter shown in FIG. 2 together with the parking lot in which the transmitter is installed, and conceptually showing the receivable area and effective reception area assigned to the transmitter. FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram conceptually showing what is common between the visitor's mobile terminal and the resident's mobile terminal shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram conceptually showing the management server shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram conceptually showing the mobile terminal of the resident shown in FIG. 2, the management server shown in the same figure, the mobile terminal of the visitor shown in the same figure, and the transmitter shown in the same figure. FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram showing a number of records stored in the memory (internal memory or external memory) of the management server shown in FIG. 9, including general parking lot records and resident/guest parking lot records. FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram showing how the resident/guest parking lot record shown in FIG. 11 is made up of a plurality of files. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing a password issuance/reservation sequence (password issuance/reservation program) that chronologically shows an example of communication between a resident's mobile terminal and the management server in the parking lot management system so that the resident can have the management server issue a password in advance to allow a visitor to park, and an example of communication between the resident's mobile terminal and the visitor's mobile terminal so that the resident can send the issued password to the visitor. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a number of snapshots for explaining the password issuing and reservation sequence shown in FIG. 13 in chronological order. Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an entry sequence (entry program) that chronologically illustrates an example of communication that takes place between a transmitter, a visitor's mobile terminal, and a management server in order to start parking immediately after a visitor enters a parking lot in the parking lot management system. FIG. 16 is a screen transition diagram for explaining the warehousing sequence shown in FIG. 15 in chronological order. FIG. 17 is an additional screen transition diagram for explaining the warehousing sequence shown in FIG. 15 in a time series manner. Figure 18 is a flowchart showing an exit sequence (exit program) that chronologically illustrates an example of communication between a transmitter, a visitor's mobile terminal, and the management server just before a visitor leaves a parking lot in the parking lot management system. FIG. 19 is a screen transition diagram for explaining the retrieval sequence shown in FIG. 18 in chronological order. FIG. 20(a) is a time chart showing a first scenario for explaining the function of the password in FIG. 2, and FIG. 20(b) is a time chart showing a second scenario for explaining that function. FIG. 21 is an additional flow chart for explaining the part of the password issue/reservation sequence (password issue/reservation program) shown in FIG. 13 that controls the valid/invalid state of the password over time. FIG. 22(a) is a time chart showing a first scenario for explaining the function of a password in a parking management system according to an exemplary second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 22(b) is a time chart showing a second scenario for explaining the function. FIG. 23 is a diagram that shows a concept common to the above-described embodiments for determining whether or not entry is permitted.

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

<First embodiment>

First, referring to FIG. 1, a parking management system (hereinafter, simply referred to as "system") 10 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described. This system 10 centrally manages a plurality of geographically distributed parking lots 20. This system 10 is designed to implement a parking management method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

<Parking lot classification>

There are two types of parking lots 20:

1. A typical parking lot that is set up separately from other facilities

(1) This parking lot can be used by anyone who is a member of the parking service provided by this system 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as "member").

(2) The parking service is a time-based parking service without reservations.

2. Parking spaces for residents and visitors that are provided in conjunction with the facility (shared facilities for the facility)

(1) This parking lot is available to members who are residents of the apartment complex 22 (residents, the management association, the resident management company, and other related parties to the apartment complex 22) and members who are visitors (acquaintances, friends, business people, etc.).

(2) The type of parking service is monthly parking service for residents and hourly parking service with reservation using a password for visitors.

(3) In this embodiment, the parking fee payment method is a post-payment method in which the person who should pay the parking fee (the resident or visitor) pays the parking fee in an amount corresponding to the actual parking time when the visitor leaves the parking lot. However, a pre-payment method may also be used in which the parking fee is paid in an amount corresponding to the expected parking time when the visitor enters the parking lot.

<Parking lot configuration>

Figure 1 shows a shared parking lot 20 that is attached to an apartment building 22, which is an example of a facility, as a shared facility for the apartment building 22, as an example of a parking lot for residents and visitors. The shared parking lot 20 may be in the form of, for example, an outdoor parking lot, an indoor parking lot, an above-ground parking lot, an underground parking lot, a surface parking lot, a multi-story parking lot, etc. This shared parking lot 20 has multiple parking spaces within the same contiguous site.

Here, a "space" refers to a two-dimensional or three-dimensional spatial area allocated for one vehicle to be parked. Therefore, in any parking lot, the number of spaces and the number of vehicles that can be parked are the same.

Here, the term "vehicle" should be construed throughout the specification to include not only automobiles but also all kinds of moving objects, such as bicycles, motorcycles, etc.

In this shared parking lot 20, each vehicle compartment can be selectively assigned to either a resident parking space 24 or a visitor parking space 26 at the discretion of the residents (or management association) of the apartment complex 22.

As used herein, the term "parking space" refers to a single vehicle compartment or a collection of multiple vehicle compartments (e.g., multiple vehicle compartments adjacent to each other) within a single parking lot.

This shared parking lot 20 is unmanned. Furthermore, in order to reduce and simplify facilities, the shared parking lot 20 is not equipped with gate devices that open and close as necessary to prevent unauthorized vehicles from leaving the entrance and exit gates of the shared parking lot 20, car stop devices that protrude from the ground and are embedded in the ground as necessary to prevent unauthorized vehicles from leaving the shared parking lot 20, and ticket issuing machines and payment machines that issue parking tickets to users of the shared parking lot 20 on the condition that they pay a parking fee.

<Outline of parking lot management method>

Typically, there are two ways to manage multiple parking lots 20: an autonomous management method in which each parking lot 20 is managed autonomously (individually or self-contained) using only the equipment installed in that parking lot 20, and a centralized management method in which multiple parking lots 20 are managed centrally by communicating with a management server 50 (see Figure 2) in a remote management center 40. In contrast, this system 10 employs the latter centralized management method.

First, to explain the basic hardware configuration, as shown in Figure 2, to realize this system 10, a transmitter 30 is installed in each parking lot 20, a management server 50 is installed in a management center 40 that centrally manages multiple parking lots 20 or is operated or used by the management center 40, mobile terminals 90 of residents, and mobile terminals 90 of visitors are used.

The visitor's mobile terminal 90 is a device carried by the visitor and has wireless communication capabilities, such as a mobile phone, smartphone, laptop computer, tablet computer, PDA, etc.

The resident's mobile terminal 90 is the same as the visitor's mobile terminal 90, but instead of the mobile terminal 90, the resident may use a communication device such as a personal computer that is not suitable for carrying.

Next, we will explain the basic software configuration (algorithm). To realize this system 10, the parking lot management method is executed. The parking lot management method has several basic steps, as follows:

1. Official password issuing process

As shown in FIG. 2, this is a process in which the management server 50 responds to a request from a resident of an apartment complex 22 to allow a visitor (an example of a visitor) to enter a designated parking lot 20 designated by the resident in advance, and issues a legitimate password (an example of a legitimate authentication code) assigned to the visitor that is unique to both the designated parking lot 20 and the transmitter 30 that is to be installed there. Here, the "password" may be a numeric string, a character string, or a combination of numbers and letters.

As shown in FIG. 3, in order to execute this official password issuing process, in this system 10, the resident uses his/her mobile terminal 90 (or other communication device) to perform long-distance two-way wireless communication with the management server 50 in the management center 40.

<Password characteristics>

As described below, in order to manage multiple parking lots 20, there are general parking lot records and resident/visitor parking lot records. The general parking lot records can be accessed by anyone who is a member of the parking service, whether that be a general member, a resident, or a visitor. However, the resident/visitor parking lot records can essentially only be accessed by residents.

In response, visitors are permitted to access the resident/guest parking records and use the resident/guest parking lots, provided they use the password provided by the resident.

In this embodiment, the password is a one-time password that is valid only for one parking session by a visitor. The password can be generated, for example, as a number (e.g., expressed in decimal, hexadecimal, or 36) that increments by a fixed amount and returns to a minimum value when it reaches a maximum value, or it can be generated irregularly using a random number generator. In either case, the password is generated so that the same password will not be the same as at least the previous value among multiple past values for the same vehicle compartment in the future.

In addition, this password has two time limits.

(1) First time limit

If the visitor does not enter the password into the mobile terminal 90 within a first predetermined time limit after the visitor's mobile terminal 90 starts displaying an input screen (see FIG. 14(c)) that assists the visitor in entering the password, the subsequent processing is terminated, and as a result, the visitor is not permitted to enter the facility.

In this way, if the visitor does not enter the password before the first predetermined time limit has elapsed from the time when the input screen started to be displayed, the visitor is deemed not to have the intention to enter the warehouse, and, for example, the current communication between the mobile terminal 90 and the management server 50 is forcibly interrupted.

(2) Second time limit

This password will expire when a specified second time limit (for example, 10 minutes, 1 hour, 6 hours, 12 hours, or 24 hours) has elapsed from the time the password was issued by the management server 50 (an example of a reference time). In other words, this password is a time-limited password, and the management server 50 (or the visitor's mobile terminal 90) has a first timer that starts counting up from the time the password was issued and times out when the second time limit has elapsed, expiring the password.

By using this password, the user can reserve a parking space, so the user does not have to worry that the designated parking space 20 may be full when a visitor arrives and cannot park there.

Furthermore, the presence of this password in memory 162 described below also indicates that the designated vehicle compartment has been previously booked, so the use of this password can prevent other guests from making duplicate reservations for the same designated vehicle compartment.

However, if the password is set to be valid from the time the password is issued until the visitor completes the exit operation, the visitor may enter the designated parking lot 20 at any time. This expands the time range that the visitor can select as the entry time, improving usability for the visitor.

In this case, however, the parking lot manager cannot charge either visitors or residents for the designated parking space, and the designated parking space cannot be used by other people who wish to park there, so the space is left unused and is economically disadvantageous to the parking lot manager.

In other words, what is an advantage for visitors becomes a disadvantage for the parking lot manager, and this second time limit exists as a simple solution to this trade-off relationship.

This second time limit effectively forces the visitor to enter the designated parking space before the limited time has elapsed from the time the password was issued. If the visitor does not enter the designated parking space before the password expires, the password will expire before the visitor enters the space, and the visitor's reservation will effectively be canceled. Therefore, if the first visitor subsequently attempts to enter the same parking space, the first visitor is penalized in that the same parking space may be reserved by another visitor.

On the other hand, if a visitor enters a designated parking space before the password expires, even if the password expires after the visitor enters and the visitor's reservation is effectively canceled, not only will the visitor appear to be occupying the designated parking space (the entry and exit times are recorded in the management list described below, and as a result, the presence or absence of a parked vehicle is monitored for each parking space), but other visitors will not be able to make a reservation for or actually enter the same parking space, since the visitor will still be physically occupying the designated parking space with their vehicle.

As a result, the period between the time the password is issued and the time the vehicle actually enters the designated parking space, i.e., the wasted period during which the visitor does not park and other visitors cannot reserve parking, is shortened. This improves the utilization rate of the same parking space, which is economically advantageous for the parking lot manager.

Figure 20 shows two scenarios to illustrate the effect of having this second time limit on a password.

Figure 20(a) shows a first scenario in which the visitor enters the password PW into his/her mobile terminal 90 within the second time limit, while Figure 20(b) shows a second scenario in which the visitor fails to enter the password within the time limit.

The following sequence of actions is common to these scenarios:

S1: A visitor (an acquaintance, friend, delivery person, moving company, repairman, salesperson, etc.) wishing to visit a resident will contact the resident by phone, email, etc. prior to the visit (for example, the day before or on the day, or just before arriving at the parking lot) to inform the resident that they would like to visit.

S2: To allow and reserve parking for a visitor in a designated parking space, the resident accesses the management server 50 from the mobile terminal 90 at a time earlier than the visitor's scheduled arrival time (e.g., immediately before the visitor's scheduled arrival time) and requests the management server 50 to issue a unique password PW (password issuance and reservation sequence described below).

S3: The management server 50 issues a password PW and sends it to the resident's mobile device 90 (password issuance and reservation sequence described below).

S4: The resident informs the visitor of the password PW by telephone or email, and the visitor receives the password PW, for example, near or inside the designated parking lot.

S5: The visitor enters the password PW into his/her mobile terminal 90.

S6: The visitor's mobile terminal 90 sends the password PW to the management server 50.

The effect of the password PW is that in either scenario, during the validity period of the password PW, the presence of the valid password PW precludes another visitor from cutting in and reserving parking for the same parking space.

In the first scenario shown in FIG. 20(a), the visitor enters the password PW into his/her mobile terminal 90 while the password PW is valid (S6), and then holds the mobile terminal 90 over the transmitter 30 to authenticate the ID of the transmitter 30 (S7), thereby completing the entry operation.

In this scenario, even after the second time limit has elapsed and the password PW has become invalid, it is possible to determine that the visitor has parked their vehicle in the designated parking space by referring to the management list described below (see FIG. 12), so other visitors are still prevented from reserving parking in the same parking space.

In contrast, in the second scenario shown in FIG. 20(b), the visitor neglects to enter the password PW into his/her mobile terminal 90 during the validity period of the password PW. Therefore, even if the visitor parks a vehicle in a designated parking space after the second time limit has elapsed since the password PW was entered and the password PW becomes invalid, this fact cannot be detected by referring to the management list. Therefore, there is a possibility that another visitor may be able to reserve parking in the same parking space.

2. Official password notification process

As shown in FIG. 2, this is the process in which the resident notifies the visitor of the issued password in advance, either verbally, by telephone, by email, SNS, or by other communication methods (e.g., communication methods using communication devices such as a mobile terminal 90 or a personal computer).

In one example, as shown in FIG. 3, to execute this official password notification process, the resident uses his/her own mobile terminal 90 (or another information device) to perform long-distance two-way wireless communication with the visitor's mobile terminal 90.

3. Identification signal receiving process

As shown in Figure 2, this is a process that enables a visitor's mobile terminal 90 to receive an identification signal from a transmitter 30 at a designated parking lot 20 when the visitor enters the designated parking lot 20.

As shown in FIG. 4, in order to execute this identification signal receiving process, in this system 10, the visitor holds or touches his/her mobile terminal 90 to a transmitter 30 installed in the parking lot 20 that the visitor is currently visiting, thereby receiving the above-mentioned identification signal from the transmitter 30 using his/her mobile terminal 90 via a short-range one-way wireless communication method.

4. Actual password transmission process

As shown in Figure 2, this is the process in which the visitor inputs the real password (an example of a real authentication code) via his/her mobile terminal 90 and transmits it to the management server 50.

5. Warehouse permission process

This is a process for permitting a visitor to enter the designated parking lot 20 when multiple conditions are met simultaneously, including the condition that the real password received from the visitor's mobile terminal 90 matches the authorized password (password authentication is successful) and the condition that the real transmitter ID (an example of a real transmitter code) represented by the identification signal received by the visitor's mobile terminal 90 from the transmitter 30 matches the authorized transmitter ID (an example of a authorized transmitter code) corresponding to that transmitter 30 (transmitter ID authentication is successful).

As shown in FIG. 4, to execute this entry permission process, the visitor uses his/her mobile terminal 90 to perform long-distance two-way wireless communication with the management server 50 of the management center 40.

6. Release permission process

This is a process for permitting a visitor to leave a designated parking lot 20 when at least one condition is met, including the condition that the actual transmitter code represented by the identification signal received from the transmitter 30 at the designated parking lot 20 matches the genuine transmitter code (transmitter ID authentication is successful) when the visitor's mobile terminal 90 leaves the designated parking lot 20.

As shown in FIG. 4, to execute this release permission process, the visitor uses his/her mobile terminal 90 to perform long-distance two-way wireless communication with the management server 50 of the management center 40.

In this embodiment, the visitor is not required to enter the password into the mobile terminal 90 and undergo password authentication when leaving the warehouse, but the present invention may be implemented in such a way that this is required.

＜Transmitter＞

In this embodiment, multiple vehicle compartments are installed in the same parking lot 20, and one transmitter 30 is used in common for all of the vehicle compartments. However, the present invention may also be implemented in a manner in which one transmitter 30 is used for each vehicle compartment.

Each transmitter 30 is configured to transmit an identification signal that represents its own unique transmitter ID (an example of the aforementioned "transmitter code"). Since one transmitter ID is unique to one parking lot 20, it is associated one-to-one with one parking lot ID (an example of the "parking lot code"), as described below.

The transmitters 30 may be installed, for example, on the ground of the parking lot 20 so that they are not mechanically fixed to the ground, i.e., so that they can be easily detached from the ground. In other words, each transmitter 30 is not physically fixed to a corresponding position (corresponding parking lot 20) in space. This is because the owner of the land operated as the parking lot 20 may request the management company to operate the land as the parking lot 20 for a certain period of time, but may suddenly cancel the request.

In such a case, the management company will promptly remove all equipment for the parking service from the parking lot 20, and at that time, the transmitter 30 may simply be placed on the ground of the land in question in order to minimize the effort required to restore the original state. Therefore, against the will of the parking lot management company, the transmitter 30 may be installed due to fraudulent acts by someone in a location other than the parking lot 20 in which it is legally installed (for example, in a different parking lot away from the parking lot 20 in which it is legally installed, or in a different location that does not correspond to the parking lot 20 in which it is legally installed, etc.).

Here, we will explain the hardware configuration (see Figure 5) and software configuration (see Figure 6) for one transmitter 30.

First, conceptually, the transmitter 30 is a contactless or contact communication device that is installed at least one in each corresponding parking lot 20 and transmits an identification signal that can identify the parking lot ID unique to the corresponding parking lot 20. The transmitter 30 is sufficient if it has at least a transmission function, but it may also be configured to have a receiving function as well, if necessary.

Next, to explain how it works, the transmitter 30 actively transmits a unique identification signal without the need for an external trigger signal, and continuously so long as there is no shortage of power.

The transmitter 30 is generally known as a beacon device, a radio beacon, or the like, that transmits a beacon signal as an identification signal. In one example, the transmitter 30 generates an identification signal representing the corresponding parking lot ID by modulating an original signal, and transmits the generated identification signal as an IR signal, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) signal, an NFC (near field wireless communication) signal, or the like.

Next, the hardware configuration will be explained with reference to the functional block diagram in FIG. 5. The transmitter 30 is mainly composed of a computer 104 having a processor 100 and a memory 102 that stores multiple applications executed by the processor 100.

The transmitter 30 further has a replaceable disposable battery 106 as a power source. Instead of the battery 106, it is possible to use a rechargeable battery, a commercial power source as an external power source, or a generator that generates electricity using an external magnetic field (e.g., a transponder).

The transmitter 30 further includes a transmitter unit 108 that generates and transmits an identification signal. The transmitter unit 108 is powered by a battery 106 and controlled by a controller 110. The controller 110 is controlled by the computer 100.

Next, referring to FIG. 6, the software configuration of the transmitter 30 will be explained. The processor 100 of the transmitter 30 repeatedly executes a program conceptually represented in the flowchart of FIG. 6.

When this program is executed each time, first, in step S1, the transmitter ID is read from memory 102. The transmitter ID has a one-to-one correspondence with the parking lot ID assigned to the parking lot 20 in which the transmitter 30 is installed.

Next, in step S2, a signal for modulating the original signal (e.g., carrier signal) is output to the controller 110 so that the read transmitter ID is reflected. The controller 110 controls the transmitter 108, and as a result, the transmitter 108 generates the identification signal to be transmitted this time. After that, in step S3, the generated identification signal is transmitted from the transmitter 108. Then, the process returns to step S1.

Here, we will explain one function of the mobile terminal 90 in relation to the transmitter 30. When the mobile terminal 90 receives an identification signal from the transmitter 30, and starts a certain program pre-installed in the computer 134 (see Figure 8) of the mobile terminal 90, the received identification signal is demodulated in real time, thereby deciphering the transmitter ID in real time.

Furthermore, while receiving an identification signal from the transmitter 30, the mobile terminal 90 also measures the distance between the position of the transmitter 30 when the identification signal was transmitted and the position of the mobile terminal 90 when the identification signal was received, based on the received identification signal.

In other words, based on the identification signal received from the transmitter 30, the mobile terminal 90 acquires both the transmitter ID corresponding to that transmitter 30 and the distance from the transmitter 30 at that time.

When a user of the mobile terminal 90 (e.g., a visitor) approaches the transmitter 30 while holding his/her mobile terminal 90 and brings the mobile terminal 90 into complete or near contact with the transmitting section 108 of the transmitter 30, the mobile terminal 90 can receive an identification signal from the transmitter 30 in a contact manner.

In contrast, when a user of the mobile terminal 90 enters a specific receiving area while holding the mobile terminal 90, the mobile terminal 90 can receive an identification signal from the transmitter 30 in a non-contact manner.

As conceptually shown in a plan view in FIG. 7, each transmitter 30 is assigned two types of reception areas: a receivable area and an effective reception area. Both areas are generally defined as a circle originating from each transmitter 30, with the receivable area having a maximum reception radius, whereas the effective reception area has an effective reception radius.

However, specifically, the reception area refers to the area in which the identification signal from each transmitter 30 can reach when the power supply to that transmitter 30 is normal, that is, the area in which the mobile terminal 90 can receive the identification signal as long as it is within that area.

In contrast, the effective reception area has an effective reception radius that is smaller than the maximum reception radius of the coverage area. The maximum reception radius cannot be set arbitrarily, whereas the effective reception radius can be set arbitrarily. The effective reception radius is, for example, within the range of 0 cm to 50 cm or within the range of 30 cm to 50 cm. Also, the maximum reception radius is, for example, within the range of 50 m to 70 m.

In other words, it can be said that the maximum reception radius refers to the reception limit determined by the hardware, whereas the effective reception radius refers to the reception limit determined by the software.

As described above, the mobile terminal 90 measures the distance to the transmitter 30 when it transmits the identification signal it receives. The measured distance may or may not exceed the effective reception radius. When the measured distance does not exceed the effective reception radius, the mobile terminal 90 is present within the effective reception area, whereas when the measured distance exceeds the effective reception radius, the mobile terminal 90 is present within a receivable area but not within the effective reception area.

After receiving the identification signal from the transmitter 30, the mobile terminal 90 determines whether the distance measurement value is equal to or less than the set value of the effective reception radius, and if it determines that the distance measurement value is equal to or less than the set value, the mobile terminal 90 determines that the mobile terminal 90 is currently located within the effective reception area and therefore "has validly received the identification signal from the transmitter 30 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "has received the identification signal").

In contrast, if the mobile terminal 90 determines that the distance measurement value is greater than the set value, the mobile terminal 90 determines that the mobile terminal 90 is currently located outside the effective reception area and therefore that the mobile terminal 90 is "not effectively receiving the identification signal from the transmitter 30 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "not receiving the identification signal").

In other words, in this embodiment, when the mobile terminal 90 is located outside the effective reception area, even though the mobile terminal 90 is actually receiving an identification signal, the software will treat the mobile terminal 90 as if it is not receiving the identification signal.

In this embodiment, the individual performance and relative positional relationship of each transmitter 30, as well as the setting value of the effective reception radius, are set so that at least the effective reception area of each transmitter 30, out of the receivable area and effective reception area, does not overlap with at least the effective reception area of another transmitter 30.

＜Mobile devices＞

Next, the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 90 will be explained with reference to the functional block diagram in FIG. 8. The mobile terminal 90 is mainly composed of a computer 134 having a processor 130 and a memory 132 that stores multiple applications executed by the processor 130.

The mobile terminal 90 further includes a display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display) 136 that displays information, for example, on a screen (having a window of finite area that is variable or fixed) indicated by the reference symbol "135" in FIG. 14, a receiving unit 138 that receives signals from the transmitter 30 and the management server 50, and a transmitting unit 140 that generates a signal and transmits the signal to the management server 50.

The mobile terminal 90 further has an input unit 150 for inputting data and commands from a user who is a visitor or resident. The input unit 150 has, for example, an operation unit that can be operated by a user to input desired information (e.g., commands, data, etc.) into the mobile terminal 90. Examples of the operation unit include, but are not limited to, a touch screen that displays icons (e.g., virtual buttons) that can be operated by the user, a physical operation unit (e.g., a keyboard, keypad, buttons, etc.) that can be operated by the user, and a microphone that detects voice.

The mobile terminal 90 further includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 152. As is well known, the GPS receiver 152 receives multiple GPS signals from multiple GPS satellites and uses triangulation to measure the position (latitude, longitude, and altitude) of the GPS receiver 152 on the Earth based on those GPS signals.

As shown in FIG. 8, the memory 132 has multiple data memories including a map data memory 161, a parking lot data memory 163, and a transmitter data memory 165.

Map data memory 161 temporarily stores map data downloaded from management server 50 or another map database (not shown). Based on the map data, a map (an example of the aforementioned "partial map") is displayed on screen 135 of display unit 136 (see Figures 14(a) and 19(a)). The map displayed on screen 135 changes from moment to moment as mobile terminal 90 and its user move.

The parking lot data memory 163 can store parking lot data relating to at least the shared parking lot 20 among the shared parking lot 20 shown in FIG. 1 and other parking lots 20 (not shown), which has been downloaded from the management server 50.

The parking lot data will be described in detail later with reference to Figures 11 and 12, but in brief, it includes a plurality of parking lot position data corresponding to a plurality of parking lots 20 (i.e., including the shared parking lot 20 shown in Figure 1 and other parking lots 20 (not shown), each of which is a candidate parking lot for the user) geographically present on the map displayed on the screen 135 at each moment in time, associated with a parking lot ID and a transmitter ID.

On the mobile terminal 90, a map based on the map data is displayed on the screen 135, and the positions of the multiple parking lots (i.e., multiple candidate parking lots) 20 are overlaid on the map at each moment based on the multiple parking lot position data stored in the parking lot data memory 163 at that time (see Figures 14(a) and 19(a)).

In contrast, the transmitter data memory 165 is capable of storing data relating to at least the transmitter 30 that should be installed in the shared parking lot 20, among the transmitters 30 that should be installed in the shared parking lot 20 and the transmitters 30 that should be installed in other parking lots 20, which data has been downloaded from the management server 50.

<Administration Server>

Next, the hardware configuration of the management server 50 will be explained with reference to the functional block diagram in FIG. 9. The management server 50 is mainly composed of a computer 164 having a processor 160 and a memory 162 that stores multiple applications executed by the processor 160.

This management server 50 further has a display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display) 166 that displays information, a receiving unit 168 that receives signals from the mobile terminal 90, a transmitting unit 170 that generates signals and transmits them to the mobile terminal 90, and a clock 172 that measures the current time. This management server 50 does not receive information directly from the transmitter 30, but rather does so via the mobile terminal 90.

<Overall system configuration>

Figure 10 shows the overall configuration of this system 10 in a functional block diagram.

<Mobile devices for residents>

The mobile terminal 90 for the resident has the following functional units .

1. Vacancy determination unit 200

This involves selecting one of the multiple candidate parking lots 20 that has an available parking space (vacant space) based on the parking lot data in the management list described below.

2. Parking lot selection unit 202

In response to the tenant's operation, one of multiple candidate parking lots 20 with vacant spaces is selected as the designated parking lot 20 (in this example, it is assumed that the shared parking lot 20 shown in Figure 1 is selected).

3. Vehicle compartment selection unit 204

This involves selecting one of the multiple parking spaces belonging to the designated parking lot 20 as the designated parking space in response to the resident's operation.

4. Password receiving unit 204

This receives the authentic password from the management server 50.

<Administration Server>

The management server 50 manages the parking lot data shown in Figures 11 and 12. As shown in Figure 11, the parking lot data is conceptually a number of records, and these records include general parking lot records and resident/visitor parking lot records.

A general parking lot record is a collection of data related to multiple general parking lots. A resident/guest parking lot record is a collection of data related to multiple resident/guest parking lots.

Each record is made up of multiple files. To explain this, using the resident/guest parking lot record as an example, as shown in Figure 12, the resident/guest parking lot record is made up of multiple files, and each file is prepared for each shared parking lot 20.

Specifically, each file belonging to the resident/visitor parking record has a map position (longitude X, latitude Y) representing the reference position of one shared parking lot 20, the location of that shared parking lot 20 (address, residence, etc.), a parking lot ID unique to that shared parking lot 20, a transmitter ID unique to one transmitter 30 that should be installed in that shared parking lot 20, a management list, and other related information.

Other relevant information includes information about parking fees (such as the name of the fee payer and fee calculation conditions), information about the types of vehicles (such as size) that can be parked in the designated parking lot 20, and image data of the designated parking lot 20.

The management list has multiple items for each of the multiple parking spaces belonging to each shared parking lot 20, including the following items:

1. Who can use each parking space (general users who use hourly parking service without reservation, visitors who use hourly parking service with reservation, or residents who use monthly parking service)

2. The time-limited one-time password (hereinafter simply referred to as "password")

3. The time when the management server 50 issued this password

4. The time when the password given to the parking lot user was entered by the user into his/her mobile terminal 90

5. The time when the parking user entered the parking space.

6. The time when the parking user left the parking space

7. Payer (whether the person paying the parking fee is a resident or a visitor)

To create this management list, the management server 50 has a management list creation unit 210, as shown in FIG. 10.

The management list creation unit 210 creates and appropriately updates the management list for each of the multiple parking spaces in each parking lot 20 to reflect the usage history of each space based on signals received from the mobile terminals 90 of users (tenants, visitors, or other parking lot users) upon entry and exit.

Ideally, the management list is shared between the management server 50 and the visitor's mobile terminal 90, but if the mobile terminal 90 does not access the management server 50 for a long period of time, the latest management list may not be reflected on the mobile terminal 90. Therefore, it is also effective for the mobile terminal 90 to access the management server 50 only for the purpose of updating the management list.

The vacancy determination unit 200 of the visitor's mobile terminal 90 determines whether or not there are any vacant spaces among the multiple parking spaces belonging to the parking lot 20 selected by the visitor based on the contents of the management list.

In the example shown in FIG. 10, the vacancy determination unit 200 is installed in the mobile terminal 90 for the visitor, but instead of or in addition to this, a similar vacancy determination unit 200 may be installed in the management server 50.

As shown in FIG. 10, the management server 50 has a password issuing unit 214 that issues the password. When the password issuing unit 214 issues a password, it records the password for the currently designated vehicle compartment in the management list. The fact that a password has been recorded for the designated vehicle compartment means that the designated vehicle compartment has been reserved for parking by a visitor.

Furthermore, the management server 50 has a password status control unit 216 that controls the valid/invalid state of the password over time. The password status control unit 216 controls the password status in relation to the second time limit (see FIG. 21).

The password issued by the password issuing unit 214 is sent from the management server 50 to the resident, who then notifies the visitor of the password. Thus, in this embodiment, the password issued by the management server 50 is not notified to the visitor directly from the management server 50, but is notified to the visitor directly by the resident who granted the visitor parking authority.

As a result, the visitor is expected to recognize the importance of the password more clearly than if the password were notified directly and impersonally by the management server 50, and to treat the password with care.

As shown in FIG. 10, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 has a password transmission unit 220 that transmits the password notified by the resident to the management server 50.

Furthermore, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 has a regular transmitter ID setting unit 222 that sets the unique transmitter ID of the transmitter 30 that should be installed in the designated parking lot 20 as the regular transmitter ID by referring to the management list, and an identification signal receiving unit 224 that receives an identification signal from the transmitter 30 in the designated parking lot 20.

Furthermore, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 has a transmitter ID matching unit (i.e., a transmitter ID authentication unit) 226 that determines whether the actual transmitter ID represented by the identification signal received from the transmitter 30 matches the set official transmitter ID (whether the transmitter ID matching or transmitter ID authentication was successful or not).

In the example shown in FIG. 10, the authorized transmitter ID setting unit 222 and the transmitter ID matching unit 226 are installed in the visitor's mobile terminal 90, but this is not essential to the present invention, and the authorized transmitter ID setting unit 222 and/or the transmitter ID matching unit 226 may be installed in the management server 50.

In response to this, the management server 50 has a password receiving unit 230 that receives a password from the visitor's mobile terminal 90, and a password matching unit (i.e., password authentication unit) 232 that determines whether the received password (actual password) matches the set official password (whether password matching or password authentication has been successful).

The management server 50 further includes an entry permission unit 234 that allows the visitor to enter the designated parking space in the designated parking lot 20 upon receiving both a match determination from the password matching unit 232 (i.e., a password authentication success determination) and a match determination from the transmitter ID matching unit 226 (i.e., a transmitter ID authentication success determination), and an exit permission unit 236 that allows the visitor to leave the designated parking space in the designated parking lot 20 upon receiving a match determination from the transmitter ID matching unit 226 (i.e., a transmitter ID authentication success determination).

The management server 50 further includes a parking time calculation unit 240 that calculates the parking time at the time of leaving the parking lot as the difference between the entry time and the exit time in the management list, a parking fee calculation unit 242 that calculates the parking fee based on the calculated parking time, and an electronic payment unit 244 for electronically settling the calculated parking fee. The electronic payment unit 244 is connected to an external payment server 250, for example, so as to be capable of long-distance communication.

The electronic payment unit 244 may be installed not on the management server 50 but on another server or on the visitor's mobile terminal 90.

<Password issuing/reservation sequence>

Figure 13 shows a flowchart of a password issuance and reservation sequence that chronologically illustrates an example of communication between the resident's mobile terminal 90 and the management server 50 in this system 10 so that the resident can have the management server 50 issue a password in advance to allow the visitor to park in the visitor parking space 26, and an example of communication between the resident's mobile terminal 90 and the visitor's mobile terminal 90 so that the resident can notify the visitor of the issued password.

When a resident requests a password to be issued on demand from the management server 50, the processor 130 in the resident's mobile terminal 90 executes the portion of the parking service application stored in memory 132 that is related to the password issuance and reservation process. In the management server 50, the processor 160 executes the portion of the parking management program stored in memory 162 that is related to the password issuance and reservation process.

First, in step S101, the resident's mobile terminal 90 sends a login request (an example of a "service start signal") to log in to the management server 50 along with a user ID for identifying the current user who is the resident.

In response, in step S201, the management server 50 receives the login request together with the user ID. Then, in step S202, the management server 50 reads the resident/guest parking lot records from the database (represented as "DB" in FIG. 13) in the memory 162. Then, in step S203, the management server 50 transmits the read resident/guest parking lot records to the mobile terminal 90.

In response to this, in step S102, the resident's mobile terminal 90 receives the transmitted resident/visitor parking lot record from the management server 50 and stores the received resident/visitor parking lot record in the parking lot data memory 163 shown in FIG. 8. As a result, the current contents of the resident/visitor parking lot record are shared between the management server 50 and the visitor's mobile terminal 90.

In this sequence, attention is not focused on all resident/guest parking lots belonging to the resident/guest parking lot records downloaded from the management server 50 and stored in the parking lot data memory 163, and on all the vehicle compartments within those resident/guest parking lots. Of all the resident/guest parking lots, attention is focused on only those that have vehicle compartments that can be used by guests, i.e., guest parking spaces 26. However, hereinafter, these will simply be referred to as "resident/guest parking lots."

Next, in step S103, the resident's mobile terminal 90 measures the current location (longitude and latitude) of the user (in this case the resident) based on the GPS signal received from the outside by the GPS receiver 152.

Next, in step S104, the resident's mobile terminal 90 sets the measured current position of the user (the resident in this case) as the reference position (position of the display reference point (longitude and latitude)) referenced by the processor 130 in order to display the map on the screen 135 of the display unit 136. Furthermore, the portion of the overall map that has a size that can be displayed at one time within the window on the screen 135 and in which the reference position exists is determined to be the display range of the map (i.e., the area of the overall map that is displayed in the window at each moment).

Next, in step S105, the resident's mobile terminal 90 determines whether there is at least one vacant parking space in each of the multiple parking spaces 20 based on the resident/visitor parking space records stored in the parking space data memory 163.

For example, in the management list, a determination is made as to whether or not at least one of the following is true for each vehicle compartment: a password exists (is valid), and there is an entry time but no exit time (indicating that the vehicle has entered the vehicle compartment but not exited), and if the determination is positive, the vehicle compartment is determined to be vacant. With this vacancy determination method, the period from the time the password is issued to the actual exit time is considered to be a fully booked period, and reservations by other visitors are excluded.

In addition, this vacancy determination can instead be performed by determining whether or not a password exists (is valid) for each vehicle compartment in the management list, and if the determination is positive, determining that the vehicle compartment is vacant. With this vacancy determination method, in effect, only the password valid period is considered to be a fully booked period, and reservations by other guests are excluded.

Furthermore, among the multiple parking lots 20, those that have at least one vacant room are extracted as multiple candidate parking lots 20 with vacancies, while among the multiple parking lots 20, those that do not have any vacant rooms are extracted as multiple candidate parking lots 20 with no vacancies.

In addition, this step S105 may be omitted on the resident's mobile terminal 90, and instead, an equivalent step may be added to the management server 50, and a similar vacancy determination may be made by referring to the management list.

This step S105 may also be performed by the resident's mobile terminal 90 in such a manner that, for each vehicle compartment, if the entry time is recorded in the management list but the exit time is not recorded, the vehicle compartment is determined to be full.

According to these aspects, the resident's mobile terminal 90 does not need to refer to the password, and it is sufficient to download from the management server 50 to the mobile terminal 90 only the resident/visitor parking lot records excluding the password information. As a result, the resident's mobile terminal 90 does not need to hold other people's password information, improving security.

Next, in step S106, the resident's mobile terminal 90 overlays multiple candidate parking lots 20 (candidate parking lots with vacancies and candidate parking lots without vacancies) on the map displayed on the screen 135 based on the multiple parking lot position data (coordinate values X, Y) belonging to all the received parking lot records.

An example of such a display is shown in FIG. 14(a). In the figure, the symbol "vacant" indicates that there is one candidate parking lot 20 with vacancies at that display position. Candidate parking lots 20 with no vacancies are displayed using the symbol "full."

In this step 106, not all parking lots 20 stored in the memory 162 of the management server 50 are displayed on the screen 135. Only a smaller number of candidate parking lots 20 than the above-mentioned multiple parking lots 20, which are located within a window determined by the resident's current location and the size of the screen 135, are displayed on the screen 135. In other words, the multiple parking lots 20 received from the management server 50 are further narrowed down to a smaller number of candidate parking lots 20 based on the resident's current location and the size of the screen 135.

Then, in step S107, the resident touches the display position of one of the candidate parking lots 20 with available spaces with his/her finger on his/her mobile terminal 90 to select one of the parking lots 20 as the designated parking lot for the visitor.

Then, in step S110, the resident's mobile terminal 90 sets the parking lot ID corresponding to the currently designated parking lot 20 as the currently authorized parking lot ID. Then, in step S111, it sets the transmitter ID unique to the transmitter 30 that should be installed in the currently designated parking lot 20 as the currently authorized transmitter ID.

Then, in step S112, the resident's mobile terminal 90 displays a predetermined menu screen on the screen 135 together with the parking spaces. Specifically, a number of parking spaces in the selected designated parking lot 20 are displayed on the screen 135. At this time, pins are displayed on vacant parking spaces.

An example of such a display is shown in FIG. 14(b). In this display example, there are four vacant spaces in the designated parking lot 20, and for each space, a space number and a pin that can be selected by the resident to indicate that the space is vacant are displayed.

In addition, in this example display, a resident password issue button 300 labeled "Visitor Password" is displayed as one of multiple buttons selectable by the resident. In this example display, there are four parking spaces in the currently designated parking lot 20, and all of these parking spaces are vacant.

Next, in step S113, the resident selects one of the pins displayed on the screen 135 of the mobile terminal 90 to specify the vehicle compartment for the visitor. After that, in step S114, the resident selects the resident password issue button 300 displayed on the screen 135 of the mobile terminal 90.

It is desirable that immediately before executing step S113, the mobile terminal 90 of the resident accesses the management server 50 and downloads the latest management list from the management server 50 to the mobile terminal 90, thereby updating the management list on the mobile terminal 90. This is because the management list on the management server 50 may be updated at any time.

Next, in step S115, the resident's mobile terminal 90 transmits to the management server 50 the current authorized parking lot ID or data for identifying it (e.g., the current authorized transmitter ID), the current designated parking space number or data for identifying it, and a password request requesting the issuance of a password.

In response, in step S204, the management server 50 receives the information from the mobile terminal 90. Next, in step S205, a unique password is issued. The password may be, for example, a number that increments by a fixed amount and is generated in a regular cyclical manner so that it returns to a minimum value when it reaches a maximum value, or may be generated irregularly using a random number generator.

In this step S205, the vacancy determination unit 200 may be executed, thereby confirming that the currently designated vehicle compartment is vacant based on the management list. However, in one example, the currently designated vehicle compartment is treated as fully booked from the time a password is issued to another guest with a prior reservation to the time the other guest leaves the designated vehicle compartment. In this case, a password is not issued to the current guest, and therefore the current guest is prevented from making a reservation for the same vehicle compartment.

In contrast, the present invention may be implemented in such a way that for each vehicle compartment, the vehicle compartment is treated as fully booked from the time a password is issued to another guest with a prior reservation until the time the password expires, and the current guest is precluded from making a reservation for the same vehicle compartment.

The present invention may also be implemented in such a way that for each vehicle compartment, the vehicle compartment is treated as being fully booked from the time another guest with a prior reservation enters the vehicle compartment until the time the other guest leaves the vehicle compartment, and the current guest is precluded from reserving the same vehicle compartment.

Then, in step S206, the management server 50 records the issued password for the currently designated parking space in the management list, and the designated parking space is reserved for the visitor. Next, in step S207, the management list is updated. Then, in step S208, the issued password is sent to the mobile terminal 90 of the resident.

In response, in step S116, the resident's mobile terminal 90 receives the current password from the management server 50. Then, in step S117, the received password is displayed on the screen 135.

An example of such a display is shown in FIG. 14(c). In this display example, the password is "9680" and the second time limit for that password is 10 minutes.

In the display example of FIG. 14(c), the screen 135 of the resident's mobile terminal 90 also displays the time that has elapsed until the time that the issued password is scheduled to expire, i.e., the remaining time of the second time limit.

The resident can therefore know the final time during which the visitor is permitted to use the current password to enter the designated parking space, and can use that knowledge to inform the visitor of that final time.

The remaining time may be calculated by the resident's mobile device 90, but as described below, the management server 50 may perform the calculation and transmit the calculated value to the resident's mobile device 90 at any time.

The management server 50 may also transmit the calculated value of the remaining time to the visitor's mobile terminal 90, and in response, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 may display the remaining time on the screen 135, thereby notifying the visitor, i.e., the user of the designated parking lot 20, of the remaining time.

Then, in step S118, the resident's mobile terminal 90 sends a logout request to the management server 50, requesting that the resident log out from the management server 50.

In response, in step S209, the management server 50 receives the logout request. Then, in step S210, the management server 50 transmits an acknowledgment signal ACK to the mobile terminal 90, indicating that the logout request has been received successfully.

Then, in step 119, the resident uses the mobile terminal 90 to create electronic media (e.g., an electronic message including the current password) to notify the visitor of the current password. The resident then transmits the created electronic media from his/her own mobile terminal 90 to the visitor's mobile terminal 90.

In response, in step S131, the visitor receives the current password from the resident's mobile terminal 90 on his or her own mobile terminal 90.

The management server 50 further executes a password status control program, the flowchart of which is shown in FIG. 21, to control the valid/invalid status of the password over time.

In this password status control program, first, in step S801, the parking lot number m that identifies the current target of attention among the multiple parking lots 20 is set to 1. Next, in step S802, the vehicle compartment number n that identifies the current target of attention among the multiple vehicle compartments belonging to the current parking lot 20 is set to 1.

Next, in step S803, the password issuance time for the current parking space in the current parking lot 20 is read from the management list. After that, in step S804, the current time is measured using the clock 172. Next, in step S805, the password issuance time is subtracted from the current time to calculate the elapsed time T from the password input time.

Then, in step S806, it is determined whether the elapsed time T is equal to or greater than the second time limit T2, i.e., whether the second time limit T2 has elapsed since the password was entered.

If we assume that the elapsed time T is equal to or greater than the second time limit T2 this time, the determination in step S806 will be YES, and in step S807, the current password for the current parking space in the current parking lot 20 will be invalidated, and the current password will be cleared from the management list.

In contrast, if we assume that the elapsed time T is shorter than the second time limit T2 this time, the determination in step S806 will be NO, and step S807 will be skipped.

In any case, thereafter, in step S808, it is determined whether the current value of the vehicle compartment number n is equal to or greater than the maximum value _nmax , i.e., whether processing has been completed for all the vehicle compartments in the current parking lot 20. If the determination is NO, in step S809, the vehicle compartment number n is incremented by 1, and the process returns to step S803.

In contrast, if the determination in step S808 is YES this time, then in step S810, it is determined whether the current value of the parking lot number m is equal to or greater than the maximum value _mmax , i.e., whether processing has been completed for all parking lots 20. If the determination is NO, then in step S811, the parking lot number m is incremented by 1, and the process returns to step S803. If the determination in step S810 is YES, the process returns to step S801.

In one example, the management server 50 sequentially calculates the time that has not yet elapsed of the second time limit T2, i.e., the remaining time, and transmits the calculated value to the mobile terminal 90 of the resident. In response, the mobile terminal 90 of the resident displays the remaining time on the screen 135 as a numerical value and/or a bar chart, as shown in FIG. 14(c).

In addition to or instead of the remaining time, a calculated value of the time when the second time limit T2 is scheduled to elapse may be displayed on the resident's mobile terminal 90.

<Storage sequence>

Figure 15 shows a flow chart of an entrance sequence that chronologically illustrates an example of communication that takes place between a transmitter 30 and the visitor's mobile terminal 90 located in the same parking lot 20, and a management server 50 located in a remote location, in order to start parking immediately after the visitor enters a designated parking space in the designated parking lot 20.

The transmitter 30 spontaneously and continuously transmits an identification signal unique to itself. When entering the parking lot 20, the processor 130 in the visitor's mobile terminal 90 executes the portion of the parking service application stored in memory 132 that is related to the entry process. In the management server 50, the processor 160 executes the portion of the parking lot management program stored in memory 162 that is related to the entry process.

First, in step S301, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 sends a login request (an example of a "service start signal") to the management server 50 to log in to the management server 50 together with a user ID for identifying the current user who is the visitor.

In response, in step S401, the management server 50 receives the login request together with the user ID. Then, in step S402, the management server 50 reads the general parking lot record and the resident/visitor parking lot record from the database (represented as "DB" in FIG. 13) in the memory 162. Then, in step S403, the management server 50 transmits the read general parking lot record and resident/visitor parking lot record to the mobile terminal 90.

In response to this, in step S302, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 receives the transmitted parking lot record from the management server 50 and stores the received parking lot record in the parking lot data memory 163 shown in FIG. 8. As a result, the general parking lot record and the resident/visitor parking lot record with their current contents are shared between the management server 50 and the visitor's mobile terminal 90.

Next, in step S303, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 displays a menu screen on the screen 135 based on the data previously stored in the memory 132.

Figure 16(a) shows an example of such a display. In this example, a visitor entry button 310 for requesting entry by the visitor and a logout button 312 for logging out are displayed as multiple buttons that can be selected by the visitor. Thereafter, in step S304, the visitor selects the visitor entry button 310.

Next, in step S305, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 displays an input screen on the screen 135 to assist the visitor in entering a password.

An example of such a display is shown in FIG. 16(b). In this example, a space 314 into which a password is entered, a cancel button 316 and a confirm button 318 as multiple buttons selectable by the visitor, and a keypad 320 having multiple numeric keys and multiple alphabetic keys are displayed. The visitor's mobile terminal 90 starts counting down the remaining time of the first time limit from the time when the display of the space 314 begins.

Then, in step S306, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 determines whether the remaining time of the first time limit is not 0, and if it is determined that the remaining time is 0, in step S307, an error termination is performed. In this case, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 stops further processing, and as a result, the visitor is prohibited from entering the warehouse.

In contrast, if it is determined that the remaining time of the first time limit is not 0, then in step S308, the visitor inputs a password in space 314, as shown in FIG. 16(c). After completing the input, in step S309, the visitor selects the confirm button 318, as shown in FIG. 16(c).

Then, in step S310, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 transmits the entered password to the management server 50 as the actual password.

In response, in step S404, the management server 50 receives the real password. Then, in step S405, it determines whether the received real password exists in the management list of the resident/guest parking lot record, that is, it performs password matching. Then, in step S406, it determines whether the password matching is successful.

If the password matching fails, the management server 50 terminates the process with an error in step S407. In this case, the management server 50 stops further processing, and as a result, the visitor is prohibited from entering the warehouse.

In contrast, if the password matching is successful, in step S409, the management server 50 reads from the memory 162 of the management server 50 a message indicating that the password matching was successful and the one in which the current password exists among the multiple vehicle compartment data sets belonging to the management list of the resident/visitor parking record (hereinafter referred to as the "relevant vehicle compartment data set") and transmits it to the visitor's mobile terminal 90.

In this way, the visitor transmits the correct password to the management server 50 via the mobile terminal 90, and is thus able to access the resident/visitor parking lot record that would normally only be accessible to residents.

As shown in FIG. 12, the relevant vehicle compartment-specific data set is composed of multiple pieces of data, including data identifying the currently designated parking lot 20 (e.g., parking lot ID), data indicating the location of the designated parking lot 20 (not shown), data identifying the vehicle compartment number of the currently designated vehicle compartment, the transmitter ID of the transmitter 30 that should be installed in the designated vehicle compartment, the current password, and the time the password was issued.

In response, in step S311, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 receives from the management server 50 a message indicating that the password matching was successful and the corresponding vehicle compartment-specific data set. The received vehicle compartment-specific data set is stored in the parking lot data memory 163 of the mobile terminal 90.

Then, in step S312, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 displays multiple pieces of data, including the vehicle compartment number and location of the designated vehicle compartment, on the screen 135 based on the various data in the stored vehicle compartment-specific data set, as illustrated in FIG. 17. After that, the visitor checks the displayed content, and in step S313, selects the entry button 322 to request entry into the designated vehicle compartment.

Next, in step S314, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 determines whether the mobile terminal 90 has validly received the identification signal from the transmitter 30.

If the visitor's mobile terminal 90 is currently located outside the reception area, the mobile terminal 90 cannot receive any identification signal from the transmitter 30.

In contrast, if the visitor's mobile terminal 90 is currently located within the reception area, the mobile terminal 90 can receive the identification signal from the transmitter 30.

In this case, in step S314, the distance between the current transmitter 30 and the visitor's mobile terminal 90 is measured based on the received identification signal. In step S314, it is further determined whether the measured distance value is smaller than the set value, that is, whether the visitor's mobile terminal 90 is currently located within the effective reception area. In short, in step S314, it is determined whether the visitor's mobile terminal 90 has identified any of the transmitters 30.

If the distance measurement value is smaller than the set value, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 has identified one of the transmitters 30, and the process proceeds to step S315; if not, the user is not permitted to enter the parking lot 20 (to start the parking service).

Then, in step S315, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 demodulates the received identification signal, and then, in step S316, decodes the transmitter ID represented by the demodulated identification signal as the actual transmitter ID.

In other words, the current transmitter 30 is identified. If the demodulated identification signal is a code expressed as a multi-digit binary number, for example, the code is converted into a transmitter ID using a conversion table prepared in advance (e.g., one downloaded in advance from the management server 50). However, in terms of usage, the difference between "code" and "ID" is not important since the purpose is identification.

Next, in step S317, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 sets the transmitter ID present in the corresponding vehicle compartment-specific data set stored in the parking lot data memory 163 as the legitimate transmitter ID.

Then, in step S318, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 determines whether the decrypted real transmitter ID and the genuine transmitter ID match each other. In other words, ID matching is performed.

Then, in step S319, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 determines whether the ID matching was successful. If the ID matching was unsuccessful, in step S320, an error termination is performed. In this case, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 stops further processing, and as a result, the visitor is prohibited from entering the warehouse.

In contrast, if the ID matching is successful, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 displays the message "Authentication" on the screen 135 in step S321, which means that the ID authentication was successful, thereby visually communicating to the visitor that the entry operation by the visitor has been completed. Next, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 transmits a message to the management server 50 in step S322 indicating that the authentication was successful (the ID matching was successful).

In response, in step S410, the management server 50 allows the visitor to enter the garage, and then in step S411, the clock 172 is used to calculate the entry time as being equal to the current time. Then, in step S411, the entry time is recorded in the management list in association with the designated vehicle compartment that corresponds to the current password.

Then, in step S322, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 sends a logout request to the management server 50, requesting to log out from the management server 50.

In response, in step S412, the management server 50 receives the logout request. Then, in step S413, it transmits an acknowledgment signal ACK to the visitor's mobile terminal 90, indicating that the logout request has been received successfully.

<Basic concepts for determining whether to allow storage>

Here, by referring to FIG. 23, we will specifically explain the basic concept of this embodiment for determining whether to allow entry.

Prior to entering the storehouse, the resident receives a genuine password from the management server 50 and notifies the visitor of the genuine password. The visitor enters the actual password into the mobile terminal 90 to reproduce the genuine password.

Next, it is determined whether the real password matches any of the multiple authorized passwords stored in the management list. If it matches any of the authorized passwords, the current real password is authenticated for the time being, and the authorized password that matches the current real password is assumed to be the current authorized password (first assumption).

In this embodiment, the visitor and the legitimate password notified by the resident are not directly associated with each other in advance. In other words, personal authentication information such as the visitor's user ID is not referenced to determine whether the actual password is legitimate.

Therefore, even if the actual password in this case was not notified to the visitor by the resident, if it happens to match one of the legitimate passwords, the actual password will be successfully authenticated (possibility of erroneous authentication).

Then, among the multiple compartments stored in the management list, the one that corresponds to the assumed current authorized password is assumed to be the current authorized compartment (second assumption).

Next, it is assumed that the authentic transmitter ID of the current authorized vehicle compartment is the authentic transmitter ID of the current authorized vehicle compartment among the multiple authentic transmitter IDs stored in the management list (third assumption).

Then, it is determined whether the actual transmitter ID represented by the identification signal received by the visitor from the actual transmitter 30 via the mobile terminal 90 matches the assumed current official transmitter ID.

However, as mentioned above, the real transmitter 30 is not permanently installed in any of the parking lots 20, and therefore may be moved to an unauthorized parking lot 20 due to some kind of fraudulent activity, and the relationship between the actual parking lot 20 and the actual transmitter 30 is not immutable. Therefore, the mere fact that the real transmitter ID matches any authorized transmitter ID does not allow one to conclude that the real transmitter 30 is installed in the authorized parking lot 20.

However, if the actual transmitter ID matches the assumed legitimate transmitter ID, then all three of the above assumptions prove valid, leading to the following facts:

1. It is unclear whether the visitor this time was the person in question, but the visitor has been notified of the official password by one of the residents and has been granted permission in advance by that resident to park in the designated parking space.

2. The actual password entered by the visitor into the mobile terminal 90 matches the legitimate password notified by one of the residents.

3. The vehicle compartment that corresponds to this official password must match the designated vehicle compartment.

4. The actual transmitter 30 is installed in the designated vehicle compartment.

5. The visitor is currently staying in the designated vehicle compartment.

Thus, according to this concept, the password authentication process and the transmitter ID authentication process are not carried out independently of each other, but are linked to each other via the designated vehicle compartment; specifically, the official password and the official transmitter ID are associated with each other in a bidirectionally inducible manner.

Therefore, by adopting this concept, it becomes possible to remotely monitor whether only visitors who have been granted authority by the resident have entered the designated parking space, without the need to perform personal authentication of visitors or to permanently install the actual transmitter 30 in the official parking lot 20.

In the example shown in FIG. 23, the transmitter ID is authenticated after the password is authenticated, but the present invention may be implemented in a manner in which the password is authenticated after the transmitter ID is authenticated.

<Shipping sequence>

Figure 18 shows a flow chart of an exit sequence that chronologically illustrates an example of communication that takes place between the transmitter 30 and the visitor's mobile terminal 90, both located in the same parking lot 20, and the management server 50, located in a remote location, immediately before the visitor leaves the designated parking lot 20.

The transmitter 30 spontaneously and continuously transmits an identification signal unique to itself. When leaving the designated parking lot 20, the processor 130 in the visitor's mobile terminal 90 executes the portion of the parking service application stored in memory 132 that is related to the leaving process. In the management server 50, the processor 160 executes the portion of the parking lot management program stored in memory 162 that is related to the leaving process.

Specifically, in step S501, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 first measures the current location (longitude and latitude) of the user (the visitor in this case) based on the GPS signal received from the outside by the GPS receiver 152.

Next, in step S502, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 sets the measured current position of the user (the visitor in this case) as the reference position (position (longitude and latitude) of the display reference point) referenced by the processor 130 in order to display the map on the screen of the display unit 136. Furthermore, the part of the overall map that has a size that can be displayed at one time within the window on the screen 135 and in which the reference position exists is determined to be the display range of the map (i.e., the area of the overall map that is displayed in the window at each moment).

Next, in step S503, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 sends a login request (an example of the aforementioned "service start signal") to log in to the management server 50 together with a user ID for identifying the current user to the management server 50.

In response, in step S601, the management server 50 receives the login request together with the current location and the user ID. Then, in step S602, the management server 50 reads the general parking lot record and the resident/visitor parking lot record from the database (represented by "DB" in FIG. 13) in the memory 162. Then, in step S603, the read parking lot records are transmitted to the mobile terminal 90.

In response, in step S504, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 receives the transmitted parking lot record from the management server 50. Next, in step S505, multiple candidate parking lots 20 (general parking lots and resident/visitor parking lots) are overlaid on the map displayed on the screen 135 based on the multiple parking lot position data (coordinate values X, Y) belonging to the received parking lot record.

In one example, as shown in FIG. 19(a), the user's current location is overlaid on the map displayed on the screen 135 using a black triangle 332, and multiple candidate parking lots 20 are overlaid using multiple parking lot icons 334. This display allows the visitor to confirm that he or she is in the parking lot 20 from which he or she should exit.

Then, in step S506, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 overlays the exit button 330 (a virtual button displayed with characters, symbols, images, etc.) that is operated by the user to request exit on the map displayed on the screen 135 as shown in FIG. 19(b). Next, in step S507, the user selects the exit button 330 on his or her own mobile terminal 90.

Next, in step S508, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 determines whether the mobile terminal 90 has validly received an identification signal from the transmitter 30, in the same manner as in step S314 shown in FIG. 15.

Then, in step S509, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 demodulates the received identification signal in the same manner as in step S315, and then in step S510, in the same manner as in step S316, decodes the transmitter ID represented by the demodulated identification signal as the actual transmitter ID. In other words, the current transmitter 30 is identified.

Next, in step S511, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 determines whether the decoded real transmitter ID and the currently received genuine transmitter ID match each other, in the same manner as in step S318. In other words, it performs ID matching.

Then, in step S512, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 determines whether the ID matching was successful. If it was unsuccessful, an error termination is performed in step S513. In this case, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 stops further processing, and as a result, the visitor is prohibited from leaving the warehouse.

If the ID matching is successful, in step 514, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 displays on the screen 135 a confirmation button 342 that can be operated by the user to confirm that the user will actually leave the parking lot 20, as shown in FIG. 19(b).

Next, in step S515, the user selects the confirmation button 342 on his/her mobile terminal 90. After that, in step S516, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 transmits final confirmation data indicating that the user has selected the confirmation button 342 (which also indicates that the ID match was successful) together with the actual transmitter ID to the management server 50.

In response, in step S604, the management server 50 receives the final confirmation data together with the actual transmitter ID for this time. As a result, the user is permitted to leave the current parking lot 20, i.e., to end the parking service.

Next, in step S605, the management server 50 sets the current time indicated by the clock 172 as the departure time. The departure time is recorded in the management list in association with the current actual transmitter ID. After that, in step S606, the entry time stored in association with the current actual transmitter ID is read from the management list in memory 162, and the elapsed time from the entry time to the departure time is calculated as the parking time.

Then, in step S607, the management server 50 calculates a parking fee that corresponds to the calculated length of parking time. For this calculation, the fee calculation table stored in memory 162 is referenced. Next, in step S608, electronic payment is made so that the calculated parking fee is deducted from the account of the resident or visitor (according to the payment provider data in the management list).

Furthermore, in this step S608, when the electronic payment is completed, the password, issue time, input time, entry time, and exit time for that vehicle compartment are cleared in the management list in order to allow a new visitor to use the same vehicle compartment. Then, in step S609, the management server 50 sends a message to the visitor's mobile terminal 90 indicating that the exit procedure has been completed successfully.

In response to this, the visitor's mobile terminal 90 receives the message in step S517, and then in step S518 displays on the screen 135 a message indicating that the withdrawal procedure has been completed successfully. After that, in step S519, a logout request requesting logout from the management server 50 is sent to the management server 50.

In response, in step S610, the management server 50 receives the logout request. Then, in step S611, it transmits an acknowledgement signal ACK to the mobile terminal 90.

In response, the mobile terminal 90 receives an acknowledgment signal ACK from the management server 50.

In this embodiment, the resident, not the visitor, is obligated to pay the parking fee corresponding to the visitor's parking time. Therefore, if the visitor forgets to move his/her vehicle out of the designated parking space, or if the visitor moves his/her vehicle out but forgets to perform the necessary operation to move the vehicle out through communication between the mobile terminal 90 and the management server 50, the management server 50 will recognize that the vehicle is still parked, which will result in a longer parking time and a higher parking fee.

To prevent such forgetting to perform the withdrawal operation, the system 10 allows a worried resident to access the management server 50 by posing as a visitor. At this time, the resident logs into the management server 50 using his or her own user ID and starts the withdrawal sequence shown in FIG. 18.

In this sequence, the resident goes to the designated parking space, enters the same password used by the visitor, and receives an identification signal from the transmitter 30 using his/her own mobile terminal 90. At this time, the relationship between the resident's user ID and the transmitter ID does not match the relationship between the visitor's user ID and the transmitter ID, and in that sense, the relationship can be said to be fraudulent. However, in this system 10, the management server 50 ignores such fraud. As a result, the resident can pose as the visitor and perform the withdrawal operation.

<Second embodiment>

Next, a parking lot management method according to an exemplary second embodiment of the present invention will be described. However, elements common to the first embodiment will be referred to using the same reference numerals or names to avoid duplicate explanations, and only the different elements will be described in detail.

In this embodiment, the password is assigned the first time limit, as well as the third and fourth time limits described below.

(1) Third time limit

This password will not expire if the visitor enters the password into his/her mobile terminal 90 before a predetermined third time limit (e.g., 10 minutes, 1 hour, 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours) has elapsed from the time the password was issued by the management server 50. In contrast, this password will expire if the third time limit elapses before the visitor enters the password. In other words, the management server 50 (or the visitor's mobile terminal 90) has a second timer that starts counting up from the time the password is issued, and expires when the third time limit has elapsed, conditionally expiring the password.

This password reduces the aforementioned wasted time between the time the password is issued and the time the visitor actually enters the designated parking space.

(2) Fourth time limit

This password will not expire if the visitor holds his/her mobile terminal 90 over the transmitter 30 and successfully authenticates the ID of the transmitter 30 before a fourth predetermined time limit (e.g., 10 minutes) has elapsed from the time the visitor enters the password into the mobile terminal 90 to be transmitted from the visitor's mobile terminal 90 to the management server 50 upon entering the warehouse. In contrast, this password expires if the fourth time limit elapses before the ID authentication is successful. In other words, the management server 50 (or the visitor's mobile terminal 90) has a third timer that starts counting up from the time the password is entered and expires when the fourth time limit has elapsed, conditionally expiring the password.

The combination of these two types of time limits has the effect that if the visitor actually enters the designated parking space and completes all procedures for entering before the third time limit has elapsed, the current password will remain uncleared until the visitor actually leaves the designated parking space.

This makes it easy to ensure that a new password issued to the same visitor or a different visitor for the same vehicle compartment after the vehicle leaves the parking lot will not match the previous password.

Similar to Figure 20, Figure 22 shows two scenarios to illustrate the effect of this password.

Figure 22(a) shows a first scenario in which the visitor inputs the password PW into his/her mobile terminal 90 within the third time limit (S6) and also holds his/her mobile terminal 90 over the transmitter 30 within the fourth time limit to authenticate the ID of the transmitter 30 (S7), while Figure 22(b) shows a second scenario in which the visitor fails to hold his/her mobile terminal 90 over the transmitter 30 within the fourth time limit.

In this first scenario shown in FIG. 22(a), the visitor holds his/her mobile terminal 90 over the transmitter 30 within the fourth time limit to authenticate the ID of the transmitter 30, thereby completing the entry operation. Thus, the password remains valid from the time it is issued to the time it is left out. As long as the password is valid, other visitors are prevented from reserving parking in the same parking space.

In contrast, in the second scenario shown in FIG. 22(b), the visitor neglects to hold his/her mobile terminal 90 over the transmitter 30 within the fourth time limit. Therefore, after the fourth time limit has elapsed and the password PW has become invalid, other visitors can make reservations for and actually enter the same parking space, since the visitor does not physically occupy the designated parking space with his/her vehicle, not to mention appearing to do so (on the screen of the mobile terminal 90).

As exemplary embodiments of the present invention, examples have been described in which the "facility" is an apartment building 22 and the "visitor" is a guest of a resident of the apartment building 22, but the present invention can be implemented in other ways. For example, the "facility" may be a commercial facility (e.g., a store, an exhibition center, an accommodation facility, etc.), a public facility (e.g., a city hall, a gymnasium, a museum, an art gallery, a school, a station, an airport, etc.), etc.

In addition, in some of the embodiments described above, the management server 50 is designed to issue a password in response to a request from a resident and send it to the resident, who then notifies the visitor of the password, but instead, the present invention may be implemented in a manner in which the management server 50 issues a password in response to a request from the visitor and sends it to the visitor.

In addition, in some of the embodiments described above, if a password exists in memory 162 for each vehicle compartment, the password is determined to be valid, and if the password does not exist, the password is determined to have expired. Furthermore, by clearing the password in memory 162, the state that the password has expired is recorded in memory 162.

In response to this, the present invention can be implemented in the following manner. That is, a status flag exists in memory 162, the state of which differs depending on whether the password is valid or expired. Whether the password is valid or expired is determined based on the state of the status flag. The state of the status flag in memory 162 is changed to indicate that the password is expired, and the state that the password is expired is recorded in memory 162.

<Effects of some embodiments>

According to the several embodiments described above, by issuing and registering a password (a password unique to a visitor or a password unique to a designated vehicle compartment), several advantages can be obtained, such as:

1. Thanks to the issuance of a password, even visitors can access parking lot data that would normally only be accessible to residents, and as a result, after the password is issued, the visitor can log in to the management server 50 to park and be allowed to enter the parking lot without the intervention of the resident (the password gives the visitor the authority to access parking lot data that would normally only be accessible to residents)

2. The benefit of visitors being able to reserve parking in a designated parking space (a password gives visitors the authority to reserve a parking space)

3. The effect of excluding other visitors from reserving the same designated parking space (the password gives the visitor the authority to exclude other visitors from reserving the same parking space if the visitor reserves the parking space)

The second and third of these effects can be realized not only when the present invention is implemented for a parking lot 20 that does not have independence, such as when the parking lot 20 is attached to an apartment building 22, but also when the present invention is implemented for a general parking lot that has independence from other facilities.

Although several exemplary 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 forms described in the "Summary of the Invention" section above.

Claims (6)

A program executed by a computer of a user's communication device for reserving online any one of a plurality of parking lots as a parking lot that the user wishes to use before entering the parking lot, the program comprising:
The communication device has a plurality of functions,
a receiving function for receiving parking lot data from a management server, the parking lot data including parking lot position data representing a position of each of the plurality of parking lots being associated with each of the plurality of parking lots;
a first display function that selects, based on the parking lot position data received from the management server , from among the plurality of parking lots, those that are located within a predetermined area relative to the current location determined by the positioning unit of the communication device as a small number of candidate parking lots , and displays the selected small number of candidate parking lots on the screen of the communication device in a state in which they are overlaid on a map, and if a corresponding candidate parking lot has an available parking space, displays the selected small number of candidate parking lots together with a first mark indicating this on the screen of the communication device;
a second display function that, when the user performs a parking lot selection operation on the screen of the communication device to select one of the small number of candidate parking lots, displays on the screen of the communication device a plurality of candidate parking spaces in the selected candidate parking lot as images, together with a second mark indicating that the corresponding candidate parking space is vacant;
a transmission function of transmitting parking lot /car room identification data for identifying one of the candidate parking lots and one of the selected candidate car rooms to the management server when the user performs a car room selection operation on the screen of the communication device to select one of the multiple candidate car rooms;
Including,
The management server identifies the parking lot and vehicle space selected by the user based on the parking lot/vehicle space identification data received from the communication device, and reserves the parking lot and vehicle space for the user;
A program executed to realize the functions. The program according to claim 1 , wherein the cabin selection operation is performed by the user selecting the second mark corresponding to any one of the candidate cabins on a screen of the communication device . The program according to claim 1 , wherein the management server remotely and centrally manages the plurality of parking lots . The program product according to claim 1 , wherein the communication device includes a mobile terminal . The program according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning unit includes a positioning function called GPS. 6. A recording medium on which the program according to claim 1 is recorded so as to be readable by a computer .

Images