Locker system, locker management system, and locker management method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12488073-B2
Application number	US-202017797856-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2020
Priority date	Feb 28, 2020
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

Provided is a locker system in which usefulness to a locker user is increased. The locker system comprises an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a locker control unit. The acquisition unit acquires biological information about the user. The determination unit determines a request relating to the locker use of the user. The locker control unit opens a locker specified on the basis of the request relating to the locker use in relation to a user specified by a comparison process using the biological information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A locker system comprising:
one or more memories storing instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to:
receive a signal from a camera;
acquire a face image of a first user based on the signal;
calculate a feature vector from the face image;
authenticate the first user through one-to-many comparison by using the calculated feature vector and a plurality of feature vectors registered in a server, to identify the first user;
retrieve a user identifier of the first user that has been identified;
prompt the first user whether the first user wants to put in or take out an item from a locker, by displaying a first gesture the first user has to perform to indicate that the first user wants to put in the item in the locker and a second gesture that the first user has to perform to indicate that the first user wants to take the item from the locker;
acquire an image, different than the first image;
determine, from the acquired image, whether the first user has performed the first gesture or has performed the second gesture;
in a case where the first user has performed the first gesture, select the locker as one that is empty, and unlock the locker that has been selected to permit the user to open the locker and put the item in the locker; and
in a case where the first user has performed the second gesture, determine the locker as one that the first user has previously put the item in, and unlock the locker that has been determined to permit the user to open the locker and take out the item from the locker.

2 . The locker system according to claim 1 , wherein
analyzing the acquired face image comprises detecting a change related to the face of the first user.

3 . The locker system according to claim 2 , wherein
the change related to the face of the first user comprises at least one of eye gestures or head movements.

4 . A locker management method performed by a computer and comprising:
receiving a signal from a camera; acquiring a face image of a first user based on the signal; calculating a feature vector from the face image; authenticating the first user through one-to-many comparison by using the calculated feature vector and a plurality of feature vectors registered in a server, to identify the first user; retrieving a user identifier of the first user that has been identified; prompting the first user whether the first user wants to put in or take out an item from a locker, by displaying a first gesture the first user has to perform to indicate that the first user wants to put in the item in the locker and a second gesture that the first user has to perform to indicate that the first user wants to take the item from the locker; acquiring an image, different than the first image, from the signal; determining, from the acquired image, whether the first user has performed the first gesture or has performed the second gesture; in a case where the first user has performed the first gesture, selecting the locker as one that is empty, and unlocking the locker that has been selected to permit the user to open the locker and put the item in the locker; and in a case where the first user has performed the second gesture, determining the locker as one that the first user has previously put the item in, and unlocking the locker that has been determined to permit the user to open the locker and take out the item from the locker.

5 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program executable a computer to perform processing comprising:
receiving a signal from a camera; acquiring a face image of a first user based on the signal; calculating a feature vector from the face image; authenticating the first user through one-to-many comparison by using the calculated feature vector and a plurality of feature vectors registered in a server, to identify the first user; retrieving a user identifier of the first user that has been identified; prompting the first user whether the first user wants to put in or take out an item from a locker, by displaying a first gesture the first user has to perform to indicate that the first user wants to put in the item in the locker and a second gesture that the first user has to perform to indicate that the first user wants to take the item from the locker; acquiring an image, different than the first image, from the signal; determining, from the acquired image, whether the first user has performed the first gesture or has performed the second gesture; in a case where the first user has performed the first gesture, selecting the locker as one that is empty, and unlocking the locker that has been selected to permit the user to open the locker and put the item in the locker; and in a case where the first user has performed the second gesture, determining the locker as one that the first user has previously put the item in, and unlocking the locker that has been determined to permit the user to open the locker and take out the item from the locker.

Assignees

• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Norieda Shin
• Fukuoka Kenta
• Yoneda Masashi
• Akasaki Shogo

Classifications

• H04L63/0861

  using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231) · CPC title

• E05B65/02

  for thin, hollow, or thin-metal wings · CPC title

• E05B49/00

  Electric permutation locks; Circuits therefor {; Mechanical aspects of electronic locks; Mechanical keys therefor (arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; mechanisms including electronic locks actuated by nonmechanical keys such as passive and active electrical keys and other data carriers G07C9/00, G07F7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00)} · CPC title

• G07F17/12

  comprising lockable containers, e.g. for accepting clothes to be cleaned · CPC title

• G06F21/32 Primary

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints · CPC title