KR102509511B1 - System for managing study cafe - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a study cafe management system. The study cafe is physically separated into a cafe space and a study space, but can be accessed through a Chinese door, and provides information necessary for purchasing food / beverages in the cafe space and purchasing seat tickets in the study space. A payment terminal that provides a user interface for input and processes payment for purchasing food/drinks in a cafe space or purchasing a seat ticket in a learning space based on information entered through the user interface, and a user's learning space A Chinese door access control unit that controls entry and exit of the user's learning space, a seat relay unit installed on the desk of each seat to supply or block power to outlets and seat lights under the control of the management server, and At least one sound masking unit that outputs background sound to cover noise, communicates with the payment terminal and the Chinese door access control unit, and controls the supply of power to the seat based on whether the user enters or exits the assigned seat. and a management server including a power control unit and a sound masking control unit that adjusts the volume and background sound output from the sound masking unit in consideration of the number of users in the learning space and the level of noise in the cafe space.

Description

Study cafe management system {SYSTEM FOR MANAGING STUDY CAFE}

It relates to a study cafe management system, and more particularly, an invention related to a study management system capable of providing both an existing cafe service and a study space providing service is disclosed.

Conventional reading rooms and libraries are spaces mainly used by users for individual learning, and are places where a quiet learning atmosphere is given priority either autonomously or by a manager. However, recently, as the number of users who find it frustrating to study in a closed space such as a conventional reading room or library increases, learning spaces having a modern interior such as a cafe differentiated from this and providing a set drink are being created. By the way, these study cafes are also spaces mainly used by users for personal study, such as conventional reading rooms and libraries, and a quiet learning atmosphere must be maintained autonomously or by a manager, and the drinks provided are not as diverse as those of general cafes, so users Compared to existing reading rooms and libraries, I do not feel much merit.

On the other hand, cafes have recently been transformed from a space traditionally used for socializing with people while drinking a beverage such as coffee to a space where individuals spend time alone. For example, an increasing number of users use laptop computers or smart terminals in cafes to watch movies or surf the Internet, or to read or study. However, the diversification of the purpose of using cafes is being accepted as an unwelcome phenomenon by business owners. This is because a drop in seat turnover by these users can lead to a drop in sales. However, there is no justification for restricting the use of these learning spaces, and sanctions can result in the loss of regular customers, which is a big headache for business owners. In addition, since a cafe is not basically a space for learning, it is not a satisfactory environment as a learning space from the user's point of view because noise and other factors may reduce learning efficiency.

Therefore, both study cafes and traditional cafes used as conventional learning spaces do not meet the needs of business owners and users.

The present invention provides a study cafe management system capable of resolving conflicts and inconveniences felt by business owners and users of study cafes and traditional cafes used as conventional learning spaces.

In addition, the present invention provides a study cafe management system that can reduce the cost of installing a separate soundproofing facility for blocking noise generated in the cafe space.

The present invention is a study cafe management system. The study cafe is physically separated into a cafe space and a study space, but can be accessed through a Chinese door, and provides information necessary for purchasing food / beverages in the cafe space and purchasing seat tickets in the study space. A payment terminal that provides a user interface for input and processes payment for purchasing food/drinks in a cafe space or purchasing a seat ticket in a learning space based on information entered through the user interface, and a user's learning space A Chinese door access control unit that controls entry and exit of the user's learning space, a seat relay unit installed on the desk of each seat to supply or block power to outlets and seat lights under the control of the management server, and At least one sound masking unit that outputs background sound to cover noise, communicates with the payment terminal and the Chinese door access control unit, and controls the supply of power to the seat based on whether the user enters or exits the assigned seat. and a management server including a power control unit and a sound masking control unit that adjusts the volume and background sound output from the sound masking unit in consideration of the number of users in the learning space and the level of noise in the cafe space.

The study cafe management system according to the present invention can resolve conflicts and inconveniences felt by business owners and users of study cafes and traditional cafes used as conventional learning spaces.

Specifically, as a separate learning space is provided in the cafe, conflict between the cafe owner and the user regarding the use of the learning space can be resolved. That is, from the business owner's point of view, users can recognize that the cafe space can no longer be used as a learning space, so that the user's use of the cafe space as a learning space can be implicitly restricted. And, from the user's point of view, they can learn confidently at the cafe without having to look at the business owner any longer.

In addition, from the business owner's point of view, the cost of using the learning space can be charged to the user, which can result in a substantial increase in sales compared to the prior art. In addition, since it is easy to secure users according to the diversification of space use purposes, it can be proposed as a new business model that can reduce concerns that it may not be easy to secure learning users for business owners considering starting a study cafe.

In addition, learning users can not only take a break by using the cafe space freely, but also improve learning efficiency by providing an environment where they can concentrate in the learning space.

In addition, the study cafe management system according to the present invention has the advantage of reducing the cost of installing a separate soundproofing facility by blocking noise generated in the cafe space by sound masking the learning space.

1 shows a block diagram of a study cafe management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 illustrates an example in which a sound masking unit is installed in a learning space according to the present invention.
3 is a block diagram illustrating a sound masking unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The foregoing and additional aspects are embodied through embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is understood that the components of each embodiment are possible in various combinations within an embodiment unless otherwise stated or contradictory to each other. Each block in the block diagram may represent a physical component in one case, but in another case, it may be a logical representation of a function of a portion of a function of one physical component or a function across multiple physical components. Sometimes the substance of a block or part thereof may be a set of program instructions. All or part of these blocks may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination thereof.

1 shows a block diagram of a study cafe management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The study cafe management system of the present invention is installed in a business place where the cafe space and the study space are separated. to be regarded as the space of

1, the study cafe management system includes a payment terminal 100, a Chinese access control unit 200, a learning space management server 300, a seat management terminal 400, and a seat relay unit 500. , The sound masking management terminal 600 and the sound masking units 700-1, 700-2, ..., 700-N are connected to each other by wire or wirelessly to perform communication.

The payment terminal 100 is connected to a payment gateway (PG) server of a payment agency through a network for payment processing. As the payment terminal 100, a smart terminal such as a kiosk system or a tablet PC may be used. The payment terminal 100 may be used by a study cafe employee or a user who visits a study cafe to make a reservation or payment for unattended payment. Alternatively, two or more payment terminals 100 may be installed for manned payment and unmanned payment.

According to the present invention, the payment terminal 100 may include a food/beverage purchase payment unit 110 and a learning space voucher payment unit 120. The food/beverage purchase payment unit 110 provides a user interface for the user to purchase food/beverage, and the learning space voucher payment unit 120 allows the user to reserve a study space or select a seat for immediate use. Provides a user interface that includes menu items. Each interface consists of several steps for food/drink or seat selection and payment, and at each step, the user is prompted to input required use and payment information. At this time, the user can selectively purchase and pay for at least one of food/drink use and study use at the study cafe, and when using both, a separate discount service can be provided.

According to one aspect, the learning space ticket payment unit 120 interworks with the learning space management server 300 based on the input usage information to reserve and allocate seats, and processes payment in conjunction with the PG server. Learning space users can purchase tickets in various forms. Learning space users can purchase a full-day ticket, half-day ticket, or commuter pass, and can purchase a time-charging ticket that can be used by deducting the amount of time used within the charged usage time.

The Chinese door access control unit 200 manages entry and exit of the learning space of the user who has completed the payment.

According to an embodiment, the Chinese door access control unit 200 includes a Chinese entrance access control terminal 210 installed in the cafe space to be used when entering the learning space from the cafe space, and a terminal to be used when entering the cafe space from the learning space. It includes an access control terminal 220 installed at the side of the learning space. Both the Chinese entrance control terminal 210 and the Chinese exit access control terminal 220 are interlocked with the Chinese door opening and closing system, so that the Chinese door can be controlled to be opened when a user who has acquired the access right inputs required personal information. In addition, both the entrance control terminal 210 and the entrance control terminal 220 are smart terminals such as tablet PCs that are the same as or similar to the payment terminal 100 and are embedded in the wall next to the door to prevent theft. Can be installed on any structure. The Chinese entrance control terminal 210 requests the user to input the personal information entered at the time of payment, authenticates the personal information entered by the user through the learning space management server 300, and then controls the user's entry into the learning space. The entrance control terminal 220 controls exit from the learning space by requesting the user exiting the learning space for exit or rest to input personal information input at the time of payment, and selecting exit or rest. If the user selects a break after entering personal information, the departure process is not processed.

According to another embodiment, the voucher may be issued with a QR code or RFID transmitted to the user's smartphone. In this case, a short-range communication reader is installed as the Chinese door access control unit 200, and the short-range communication reader is a payment terminal ( 100) and the learning space management server 300, it is possible to control Chinese door access through QR code or RFID reading.

The learning space management server 300 is connected to the payment terminal 100 and each Chinese entrance control unit 200 to perform communication, and the seat management unit 310, the seat power control unit 320, and the notification notification unit 330 ), a device control unit 340, and a sound masking management unit 330.

The seat management unit 310 manages the allocation status of each seat for each time slot according to reservation and payment. In addition, it is possible to manage a change in seat allocation status according to the user leaving the room. For example, the seat management unit 310 manages the assigned seat in a state in which reservations, etc. are possible from after the user's check-out time when a user who has purchased an all-day pass leaves the room after using it for only 12 hours. In addition, the seat management unit 310 manages the remaining time of the seat based on the payment type and usage time of each seat. For example, the seat management unit 310 manages the remaining time based on the expiration of one month for a user who has paid for a one-month commuter pass, and manages the remaining time based on 12 hours for a user who has paid for a half-day pass. And for users who have purchased a time charging ticket, the remaining time is managed based on the remaining charging time. In addition, the seat management unit 310 may change the assignment state of the seat according to the user's seat change request. At this time, the seat management unit 310 may continue to manage the remaining time for the changed seat.

The seat power controller 320 supplies power or cuts off power by controlling a relay installed in each seat. In the learning space, power is supplied to the seat only when a user assigned a seat through reservation and payment actually enters the room, and power is cut off when the user leaves the room. Therefore, the seat power control unit 320 controls the power supply of the seat based on the user's entrance and exit information of the assigned seat. The seat power control unit 320 controls power supply by controlling a power relay that is substantially installed in each seat through IoT communication and can be remotely controlled by IoT. For example, when a user who has completed the payment inputs the usage information entered at the time of payment into the entrance control terminal 210 for the Chinese entrance and enters the room, the entrance information is transmitted to the learning space management server 300, and the learning space management server 300 The seat power control unit 320 controls to supply power to the seat relay unit 500 of the corresponding seat through IoT communication, and the user who has finished using the learning space enters the middle gate exit control terminal 220 at the time of payment. Information is entered and exited, and the exit information is transmitted to the learning space management server 300, and the seat power control unit 320 of the learning space management server 300 powers the seat relay unit 500 of the corresponding seat through IoT communication. control to block

The notification notification unit 330 notifies the user that the departure time is over, and notifies the user of a notification recommending departure and extension of use time. The notification notification unit 330 notifies the user of the seat using the notification message when the remaining time of the assigned seat becomes less than or equal to the preset remaining time. For example, if the remaining time set in advance to notify the alarm is 30 minutes, when the usage time of the user who has purchased the half-day ticket passes 11 hours and 30 minutes, the notification notification unit 330 notifies the user of the remaining time and recommends leaving or extending the room. .

The seat management terminal 400 is a smart terminal such as a tablet PC that is embedded in a wall in the learning space or installed in a structure capable of preventing theft, and provides a user interface that allows the user of the learning space to change the assigned seat while using the learning space. and the user requests a seat change to the learning space management server 300 through the corresponding user interface. At this time, the provided user interface may vary according to the aspect of the invention. For example, a graphic interface for distinguishing between assigned seats and empty seats is provided, and the user touches his or her seat and drags it to the desired seat. You can request a change of seat. The seat management terminal 400 transmits the user's seat change request to the learning space management server 300, and the learning space management server 300 controls the seat relay unit 500 through the seat power control unit 320 to control the existing It cuts off power to the seat and controls to supply power to the seat to be moved.

The seat relay unit 500 is a relay switch installed on the desk of each seat and has an IoT communication function. That is, the seat relay unit 500 receives a control command for controlling the relay switch from the learning space management server 300 through IoT communication to supply or block power to the desk outlet and seat lighting.

The device controller 340 automatically and remotely controls devices installed in the learning space or remotely according to the control of an administrator. Devices installed in the learning space controlled by the device controller 340 may include CCTVs, air conditioners, indoor lighting, TVs, and beam projectors, and the installed devices are IoT devices for remote control or control the devices through IoT communication. It is connected to a capable terminal. For example, the device controller 340 may control the operation of the air conditioner based on the temperature measured by a temperature sensor installed inside the learning space or control the operation of the air conditioner to operate at a preset time.

On the other hand, if the cafe space and the study space are physically separated through a glass wall, it is possible to give a learning space user a sense of openness, but it may not be easy to block noise generated in the cafe space. However, a desk with a partition may be used in the learning space for space utilization and a sense of separation between users, so that a physical distance between users may be reduced. In this situation, if the background noise is reduced by blocking external noise, the sound of the disturbing sound around the desk of the user of the learning space can be heard louder. That is, when the background sound is lowered, the normal voice level, external traffic noise, user movement sound, air conditioner sound, etc. may be perceived as louder than they actually are. Therefore, performing soundproofing to simply remove or block noise is not very effective compared to the installation cost.

Therefore, in the present invention, the sound masking unit 700 is installed in the learning space to sprinkle stable background sounds such as the sound of water to cover not only the voice generated in the learning space, but also other noises within the same frequency range as the masking sound. . That said, this sound masking is easy to understand if you've ever left the water running in the kitchen sink and talked to someone in another room at the same time. In other words, you obviously know that someone in another room is talking, but it is difficult to understand what is being said because the flowing water has increased the noise floor in the space. This is possible because the human ear cannot separate or differentiate between sounds of similar volume and frequency. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the user using the learning space from being disturbed by noise and to ensure privacy.

2 shows an example in which a sound masking unit is installed in a learning space according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a sound masking unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, at least one of the sound masking units 700-1 and 700-2 has hubs 710-1 and 710-2 mutually connected to other permitted structures in the deck or ceiling of the learning space. , and the speakers 720-1 and 720-2 may have a shape dependent on the hubs 710-1 and 710-2. Most of the hubs 710-1 and 710-2 and speakers 720-1 and 720-2 constituting the sound masking units 700-1 and 700-2 are installed in the ceiling, but they are installed in an open ceiling or a reflector ceiling. It is possible to install various types of speakers to suit different ceiling environments.

The number of sound masking units 700-1 and 700-2 can be adjusted according to the size of the learning space. As shown in FIG. It can be the main hub 710-1 and the others can be the secondary hubs 710-2. At this time, the secondary hub 700-2 replicates the setting state of the primary hub 710-1.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the hub 710 includes, in detail, a communication unit 711, a masking sound generator 712, a masking equalizer 713, a call equalizer 714, and an amplification unit 715. , a volume control unit 716 and a monitoring unit 717 may be included.

The communication unit 711 is connected to the sound masking management terminal 600, the sound masking control unit 350, and other sound masking units to perform communication, and receives control signals from the sound masking management terminal 600 and the sound masking control unit 350. and may share the received control signal with other sound masking units.

The sound generator 712 generates a corresponding sound according to a control signal, and may be a digital signal processing (DSP) randomness masking sound generator. Here, the masking sound is a pure background sound pressure (Noise Floor) covering the masking spectrum of the entire band, and may be usually 100 to 5,000 KHz. This noise floor is the level of general sound that exists in a space. If the noise floor is too high, the sound itself will be annoying, and if it is too low, the conversation or noise around you may not be covered. , the sound generator 712 creates a noise layer that is high enough to mask unwanted noise but low enough not to be irritating.

Also, the sound generating unit 712 may generate a ringing voice or music as well as a masking sound. It can be used when a user of a learning space needs to be called or music is played.

Therefore, the masking sound is generated through the masking equalizer 713, the calling voice is generated through the call equalizer 714, and the speaker 720 through the amplifier 715 and the volume control unit 716. to be output to

The volume control unit 716 may adjust the volume in 100 steps with a difference of 0.5 dB, which is difficult for users of the learning space to perceive.

In addition, the hub 710 may feed back a result of the monitoring unit 717 monitoring the speaker 720 through the communication unit 711 . Accordingly, the sound masking management terminal 600 or the sound masking control unit 350 may perform control processing by referring to the feedback result.

Referring to FIG. 2, the sound masking management terminal 600 may be a smart terminal such as a tablet PC embedded in a wall in a learning space or installed in a structure capable of preventing theft. However, in FIG. 2, a sound masking management terminal Although 600 is illustrated as being installed in the same space where the sound masking units 700-1 and 700-2 are installed, that is, a learning space, the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the sound masking management terminal 600 may be installed in a cafe space where a manager or employee resides to facilitate management. In addition, a sound masking function provided by the sound masking management terminal 600 through a separate remote control and wireless communication with a smart terminal may be set by a manager or an employee.

The sound masking management terminal 600 provides a user interface through which a manager can set a sound masking function, and the manager can set functions of the sound masking units 700-1 and 700-2 through the corresponding user interface. At this time, the provided user interface may vary according to aspects of the invention, and as an example, a graphic interface including masking sound selection, volume control, equalizer setting, ramp-up setting, and timer schedule setting menu items is provided. Each menu item is composed of several steps, and the administrator is required to input required setting information at each step.

Here, the Ramp-Up function is a function that slowly and automatically raises the sound masking volume to a level that is not recognized by the user, and allows users to get used to the learning space environment. In addition, the timer/schedule is to adjust the masking volume to the activity level, and increases the volume of the masking sound during times when there are many users of the study space or cafe space, and reduces the volume of the masking sound during quiet times.

In addition, the sound masking management terminal 600 has a communication unit or an audio input module such as a separate USB port, so that if a call broadcast or background music is needed, it can be received through the communication unit or inputted through the audio input module.

Referring back to FIG. 1 , the sound masking control unit 350 automatically sets menu items provided by the sound masking management terminal 600 to remotely control the sound masking unit 700 installed in the learning space or under the control of an administrator. so that it can be controlled remotely. The sound masking controller 350 collects control state information of other components, that is, selects sound masking, sets a timer, Volume control and lamp-up function settings can be automatically controlled. For example, the volume of the sound masking unit 700 may be adjusted differently in seasons in which separate cooling and heating operations are not required, such as spring and autumn, and in seasons in which cooling and heating operations are required, such as summer and winter. In addition, according to the season, it may be adjusted so that a masking sound with a warm feeling is output in the cold winter and a masking sound with a cool feeling, such as the sound of water, is output in the summer.

As another example, as the number of users entering and exiting the learning space increases, the volume level of the masking sound may be gradually increased. As another example, the volume of the masking sound may be adjusted during times when there are many users in the cafe space and times when there are few users.

In the above, the present invention has been described through embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, but is not limited thereto, and should be interpreted to cover various modifications that can be obviously derived by those skilled in the art. The claims are intended to cover such variations.

Claims (1)

In the study cafe management system,
The study cafe is physically separated into a cafe space and a study space, but you can enter and exit through the Chinese gate.
Provides a user interface to enter information necessary for purchasing food/drinks in the cafe space and purchasing seat tickets in the study space, and based on the information entered through the user interface, purchasing food/drinks in the cafe space or learning A payment terminal for processing payment for purchasing a seat pass in the space;
Chinese entrance control unit that controls the user's entry into the learning space and the user's exit from the learning space;
A seat relay unit installed on the desk of each seat to supply or block power to outlets and seat lights under the control of a management server;
at least one sound masking unit installed in the learning space and outputting background sound to cover noise generated in the cafe space or the learning space; and
A seat power control unit that communicates with the payment terminal and the Chinese door access control unit and controls the supply of power to the assigned seat based on whether users enter or exit the assigned seat, and the number of users in the learning space and noise in the cafe space a management server including a sound masking control unit that adjusts the background sound and volume output from the sound masking unit in consideration of the degree;
Including,
The sound masking control unit selects the background sound to be output based on the number of users entering the learning space, the degree of noise generation in the cafe space, and the device usage status, and controls the volume of the study cafe management system.

Images