JP7105033B2 - Control method - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an authentication card, and more particularly to an authentication card used in a stocker with a lockable delivery warehouse.

Conventionally, as a stocker system, a system for unlocking boxes used by customers is known. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes the following system. First, the customer inputs a personal identification number using the numeric keypad of the stocker (delivery locker), or inserts a pre-registered card into the card reader of the stocker. Subsequently, the database server of the management center determines whether or not the entered personal identification number and card number are correct. If it is determined to be correct, the door of the stocker is opened by a signal from the management center.

JP-A-2002-8130

However, in such a stocker, it is necessary to perform various inputs such as reading an authentication card and reading a slip code. The stocker of Patent Document 1 requires a dedicated card and a dedicated card reader, and lacks versatility for inputting information. In addition, it is conceivable that the worker holds the authentication card on which the code is formed over the code reader when the code is read. There was a problem that the reading accuracy was lowered when trying to use it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and a main object of the present invention is to provide an authentication card capable of further improving code reading accuracy in a stocker system for storing packages.

The present invention employs the following means in order to achieve the above main object.

The authentication card disclosed herein is
A stocker comprising a reading unit that reads one or more of a one-dimensional code and a two-dimensional code, a lockable delivery warehouse, and a control unit that permits or rejects work on the delivery warehouse using the input code. An authentication card used for
A plurality of codes having the same content are arranged.

A plurality of codes including one-dimensional and/or two-dimensional codes having the same content are arranged on this authentication card. For this reason, the reading unit can read one or more codes even when there are a plurality of codes that cannot be read because, for example, the code is partly hidden in the hand or held at an angle and the distance is too close or too far away. . Therefore, with this authentication card, it is possible to further improve the code reading accuracy in a stocker system that stores parcels.

This authentication card may have 6 or more and 16 or less of said codes arranged therein. Six or more codes are preferable because there are more codes that can be read. Also, when the number of codes is 16 or less, the area of the codes is not too small and the code is easy to read.

In this authentication card, the codes may be evenly arranged at first intervals in the vertical direction and evenly arranged at second intervals in the horizontal direction. With this authentication card, the codes are evenly spaced, so the code can be read more accurately. Here, the first interval and the second interval may be different or the same.

The authentication card may have the same size as the reading section. This authentication card is easy to hold over the reader. Note that the size of the authentication card may be exactly the same as that of the reading unit, or may be approximately the same size (for example, an area of 80% or more and 120% or less of the reading unit).

In this authentication card, the code may be a matrix type two-dimensional code. This authentication card can contain a relatively large amount of information.

1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of a sales management system 10 and a stocker system 11; FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an authentication card 60; 4 is a flowchart showing an example of an authentication processing routine; Explanatory drawing showing an example of the authentication card 60B.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a sales management system 10 and a stocker system 11, which are one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the authentication card 60 used by the delivery person 19, where (a) is the front side and (b) is the back side. The sales management system 10 is a system managed by a store 20 and includes a sales management device 21 . The sales management device 21 exchanges information with the mobile terminal 15 of the purchaser 14 via the network 12 such as the Internet, and provides the purchaser 14 with sales information on the product 17 . The sales management device 21 includes, for example, a product database (DB) including information on the product 17, a customer DB including customer information, and sales information including the inquiry number of the purchased product and the information of the stocker 40 that receives the product 17. is stored.

The stocker system 11 includes a stocker management device 31 and a plurality of stockers 40 . This stocker system 11 has, for example, stockers 40A and 40B. Stockers 40A and 40B are collectively referred to as stocker 40. FIG. The stocker management device 31 exchanges information with the stocker 40 and the sales management device 21 via the network 13 . The stocker management device 31 stores stocker information including information such as the identification number of the stocker 40 and location, history information including the inquiry number of the product 17 delivered to the stocker 40 and the usage status of the delivery warehouse 41, and the like. ing.

The stocker 40 is a device used when delivering the product 17 delivered from the store 20 to the purchaser 14 . Stockers 40 are available to a large number of purchasers 14, and are installed in various places such as offices, convenience stores, and various public facilities so that they can receive products 17 when they go out for work or the like. This stocker 40 has a plurality of delivery warehouses 41 that can be locked. Each of the delivery warehouses 41 has an internal space capable of accommodating articles such as the products 17, and includes a front door 44, a locking mechanism 45 for locking and unlocking the door 44, and the articles in the delivery warehouse 41. and an open/close sensor 47 for detecting opening/closing of the door 44 . A control device 50 is housed in one of the delivery warehouses 41, and a display operation section 42 and a reading section 43 are arranged on the door 44 thereof. The display operation unit 42 is a touch panel arranged on the front surface of the stocker 40, and displays various kinds of information for the deliverer 19 and the purchaser 14 of the product 17, and allows the deliverer 19 and the purchaser 14 to input various operations. conduct. The reading unit 43 is a code reader that reads a code such as a password used by the purchaser 14 or the delivery person 19 to unlock the delivery warehouse 41 . The reading unit 43 reads codes including one or more of one-dimensional codes and two-dimensional codes. The control device 50 includes a control section 52 , a storage section 53 and a communication section 58 . The control unit 52 is composed of a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and controls the entire apparatus. The storage unit 53 stores various application programs and various data files. The communication unit 58 communicates with an external device such as the stocker management device 31 . The storage unit 53 stores delivery information 54 and the like. The delivery information 54 is associated with the inquiry number of the product 17, the delivery warehouse number containing the product 17, and the receipt password.

The authentication card 60 is a card distributed to the deliverer 19, and is formed by laminating a sheet of paper on which a unique identification number is printed (see FIG. 2). This authentication card 60 includes a reading unit 43 that reads a code including one or more of a one-dimensional code and a two-dimensional code, a lockable delivery warehouse 41, and permits or rejects work on the delivery warehouse 41 using the input code. It is an authentication card used in a stocker 40 having a control unit 52 for A plurality of matrix-type two-dimensional codes 61 having the same content as information including the authentication number of the delivery person 19 are arranged on the back surface of the authentication card 60 . The authentication card 60 may have two-dimensional codes 61 arranged in a range of 6 or more and 16 or less. Here, a total of 12 two-dimensional codes 61, 3 in length and 4 in width, are arranged. In this authentication card 60, the two-dimensional codes 61 are evenly arranged at a first interval (Y) in the vertical direction and evenly arranged at a second interval (X) in the horizontal direction. The first spacing (Y) and the second spacing (X) may be the same or different. It is preferable that these intervals are closer because reading accuracy can be further improved. Also, the authentication card 60 is formed to have the same size as the reading unit 43 . The size of the authentication card 60 may be exactly the same as that of the reading unit 43, or may be approximately the same size (for example, the area of 80% or more and 120% or less of the reading unit 43).

Next, the operations of the sales management system 10 and the stocker system 11, first of all, the outline of the processing performed by the sales management device 21 and the stocker management device 31 upon receiving an order from the purchaser 14 will be described. When the sales management device 21 receives an order from the purchaser 14, it stores the sales information including the inquiry number of the order, the information of the stocker 40 where the purchaser 14 wishes to store the product 17, and the sales information. is sent to the stocker management device 31 . In the stocker 40 , when the deliverer 19 uses the inquiry number to complete the delivery of the product 17 , the stocker 40 generates a receipt password and transmits it to the stocker management device 31 . The receiving password is used by the purchaser 14 when receiving at the stocker 40 . The stocker management device 31 stores this receipt password in the history information and transmits it to the sales management device 21 . The sales management device 21 transmits the received receipt password and inquiry number in the form of characters and codes to the mobile terminal 15 of the purchaser 14 . The purchaser 14 inputs these codes from the reading unit 43 and receives the product 17 .

Next, the authentication processing using the authentication card 60 performed by the stocker 40 will be described. Here, a case will be described in which the delivery person 19 who has been given an authentication number in advance uses the authentication card 60 to operate the stocker 40 . FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing an example of an authentication processing routine executed by the control unit 52 of the stocker 40. As shown in FIG. This routine is stored in the storage unit 53 and executed when the stocker 40 is activated. When this routine is started, the control unit 52 first causes the display operation unit 42 to display an authentication screen (step S100). After confirming the authentication screen, the delivery person 19 holds the authentication card 60 over the reading section 43 . At this time, regardless of where the finger of the delivery person 19 rests on the authentication card 60, the authentication card 60 has a plurality of two-dimensional codes 61 arranged therein. Readable. In addition, when the deliverer 19 holds the reading unit 43 in a non-parallel or oblique direction, the two-dimensional code 61 may be closer to the reading unit 43 or farther from the reading unit 43. one can be read. The reading unit 43 is set so that when it recognizes any one of the two-dimensional codes 61 , the activation ends and the next processing is performed, and it never reads two or more two-dimensional codes 61 .

The control unit 52 waits until the two-dimensional code 61 is read (step S110). When the two-dimensional code 61 is read, the control unit 52 generates an authentication number from the two-dimensional code 61, and confirms the authentication that has been registered in advance so that the stocker 40 can be operated. The number is collated (step S120). If the authentication number is not verified, the control unit 52 notifies an error (step S130), and executes the processes after step S100. On the other hand, when the authentication number is collated, the delivery processing is permitted (step S140), and this routine ends.

Here, correspondence relationships between the components of the present embodiment and the components of the present invention will be clarified. The reading unit 43 of this embodiment corresponds to the reading unit of the present invention, the delivery warehouse 41 corresponds to the delivery warehouse, the control unit 52 corresponds to the control unit, and the two-dimensional code 61 corresponds to the code.

In the authentication card 60 of the embodiment described above, a plurality of codes including one-dimensional and/or two-dimensional codes having the same contents are arranged on the authentication card. For this reason, the reading unit 43 can read one or more codes even if there is a code that cannot be read because, for example, the code is partly hidden in the hand or held at an angle and the distance is too close or too far. be. Therefore, with this authentication card 60, the code reading accuracy can be further improved in the stocker system 11 that stores the goods 17 (packages). In addition, since the authentication card 60 has codes in the range of 6 to 16, for example, if the number of codes is 6 or more, there are more codes that can be read, which is preferable, and the number of codes is 16 or less. , the code area is not too small and is easy to read. Furthermore, in the authentication card 60, the two-dimensional code 61 is evenly arranged at the first interval Y in the vertical direction and is evenly arranged at the second interval X in the horizontal direction. It improves reading accuracy. Furthermore, since the authentication card 60 has the same size as the reading section 43 , it is easy to hold it over the reading section 43 . Since the authentication card 60 is formed with the matrix-type two-dimensional code 61, the authentication card 60 can contain a relatively large amount of information. Moreover, since the authentication card 60 is made by laminating printed paper, it can be manufactured easily and at a low cost compared to an IC card or the like that stores information. Furthermore, since the reading unit 43 reads not only the two-dimensional code 61 of the authentication card 60 but also the code attached to the product 17 and the code written on the slip, versatility can be further improved.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the two-dimensional codes 61 are evenly arranged vertically and horizontally, but if a plurality of two-dimensional codes 61 are arranged, they may be arranged unevenly.

In the above-described embodiment, the authentication card 60 is formed to have approximately the same size as the area of the reading unit 43, but this is not a particular limitation, and both areas may be different.

In the above-described embodiment, the authentication card 60 has a plurality of two-dimensional codes 61 with the same content. It may be an arranged authentication card 60B. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the authentication card 60B. This authentication card 60B can also improve the code reading accuracy in the stocker system 11 that stores the goods 17 (packages). Note that the authentication card 60 may contain both a one-dimensional code and a two-dimensional code.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used in the technical field of product distribution systems that deliver products to stockers.

10 sales management system 11 stocker system 12, 13 network 14 purchaser 15 portable terminal 17 product 19 delivery person 20 store 21 sales management device 31 stocker management device 40, 40A, 40B stocker 41 delivery warehouse, 42 display operation unit, 43 reading unit, 44 door, 45 lock mechanism, 46 article sensor, 47 opening/closing sensor, 50 control device, 52 control unit, 53 storage unit, 54 delivery information, 58 communication unit, 60 authentication card , 61 two-dimensional code, Y first interval, X second interval.

Claims (5)

A stocker comprising a reading unit that reads one or more of a one-dimensional code and a two-dimensional code, a lockable delivery warehouse, and a control unit that permits or rejects work on the delivery warehouse using the input code. A control method using an authentication card on which a plurality of the codes indicating the delivery person's authentication number are arranged as the same content,
a recognition step of recognizing any one of said codes from said authentication card;
a generating step of generating an authorization number from the code recognized in the recognizing step;
a matching step of matching the authentication number generated in the generating step with a pre-registered authentication number;
a permitting step of permitting delivery processing when the authentication number generated in the generating step and the pre-registered authentication number are matched in the collation step,
The control method, wherein the size of the authentication card is 80% or more and 120% or less of the area of the reading unit, and the plurality of codes are arranged over the entire surface of the authentication card . 2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein said authentication card has 6 or more and 16 or less said codes arranged thereon. 3. The control method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the codes of the authentication card are evenly arranged at first intervals in the vertical direction and are evenly arranged at second intervals in the lateral direction. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said authentication card has the same size as said reading unit. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said code is a matrix type two-dimensional code.

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