System for regulating entrance/exit of person and communication of wireless communication terminal, entrance/exit regulating apparatus to be used for the system, and wireless communication apparatus whose communication is to be restricted

• US 7,313,383 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2001
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fujii, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peaches, Randy
• Application Number:
  US10/021,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,197 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/501, 455/411, 455/565, 455/574, 455/404.1, 455/418, 455/456, 455/414.2, 455/410, 455/417, 455/454, 455/564.565, 455/414, 235/462.46, 340/825.31, 340/825.69, 340/852.33, 340/825.32, 463/25, 463/1, 463/47
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2011/02 related to amusement parks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/10 Movable barriers with registering means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/21 having a variable access code
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

Communication control is made which satisfies the needs of both an owner or manager of a communication place and users of wireless communication terminals. As a user of a cellular phone passes through an automatic ticket gate and enters a predetermined area, The ticket gate and cellular phone check whether the cellular phone has an electronic ticket for entering the area. After this check, the automatic ticket gate requests the cellular phone to restrict the communication function. After the requested restriction is set by the cellular phone, entrance to the area is permitted and the gate is opened.

Claims

1. A system having an entrance/exit management apparatus for regulating an entrance/exit of a person and a wireless communication terminal for communicating with the entrance/exit management apparatus, wherein:

the entrance/exit management apparatus comprises;

a transceiving device adapted to transmit, by a first wireless communication method, a communication function restriction request to the wireless communication terminal and to receive a response to the communication function restriction request from the wireless communication terminal; and

a gate device adapted to permit an entrance/exit of a person when the transmitting of the communication function restriction request and the receiving of the response by said transceiving device is completed; and

the wireless communication terminal comprises;

a first communication device adapted to communicate with the entrance/exit management apparatus by the first wireless communication method;

a second communication device adapted to communicate by a second wireless communication method; and

a restriction device adapted to restrict communication of said second communication device in accordance with the communication function restriction request received from said transceiving device by said first wireless communication method.

2. A system having an entrance/exit management apparatus for regulating an entrance/exit of a person and having a server apparatus for managing an entrance/exit of a person, wherein:

the entrance/exit management apparatus comprises;

a transceiving device adapted to transmit, by a first wireless communication method, a communication function restriction request to a wireless communication terminal and to receive a response to the communication function restriction request from the wireless communication terminal;

a gate device adapted to permit an entrance/exit of a person when the transmitting of the communication function restriction request and the receiving of the response by said transceiving device is complete; and

a notification device adapted to notify the server apparatus of an indication that the wireless communication terminal from which the response was received by said transceiving device exists in a predetermined area; and

the server apparatus comprises;

a management device adapted to manage an existence location of the wireless communication terminal in accordance with a notice supplied from said notification device.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said management device notifies the existence location of the wireless communication terminal to a second server apparatus owned by a carrier providing wireless communication for the wireless communication terminal.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein said management device also manages an entering/leaving time of the wireless communication terminal relative to the predetermined area.

5. An entrance/exit management apparatus for regulating an entrance/exit of a person, comprising:

a transceiving device adapted to transmit, by a first wireless communication method, a communication function restriction request to a wireless communication terminal and to receive a response to the communication function restriction request from the wireless communication terminal; and

a gate device adapted to permit an entrance/exit of a person when the transmitting of the communication function restriction request and the receiving of the response by said transceiving device is complete.

6. An entrance/exit management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said gate device regulates an entrance/exit of a person by opening/closing of a gate.

7. An entrance/exit management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the communication function restriction request is used for selecting one of a non-restriction mode without communication restriction, a manner mode of automatically turning off incoming call sounds of real time communication, a drive mode of automatically responding to real time communication, a real time communication inhibition mode of permitting only non-real time communication, a call in/out restriction mode of inhibiting call in/out of all communications, and a wireless signal transmission restriction mode of inhibiting transmission of a wireless communication signal.

8. An entrance/exit management apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the response contains information indicating a communication function by the second wireless communication method after the communication function restriction request is received.

9. An entrance/exit management apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a notification device adapted to notify a server apparatus of an entering/leaving state of the wireless communication terminal relative to a predetermined area.

10. An entrance/exit management apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a notification device adapted to notify a server apparatus of an entering/leaving time of the wireless communication terminal relative to a predetermined area.

11. An entrance/exit management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said transceiving device transmits an indication signal for releasing the restriction of communication by the second wireless communication method when the wireless communication terminal exits from a predetermined area.

12. A wireless communication terminal comprising:

a first communication device adapted to communicate with an entrance/exit management apparatus for regulating an entrance/exit of a person by a first wireless communication method;

a second communication device adapted to communicate by a second wireless communication method; and

a restriction device adapted to restrict communication of said second communication device in accordance with a communication function restriction request received by said first communication device from the entrance/exit management apparatus which regulates the entrance/exit of the person.

13. A wireless communication terminal according to claim 12, further comprising a transmission device adapted to transmit information on the communication restriction as a response to the communication function restriction request, and wherein the entrance/exit management apparatus regulates an entrance/exit of a person in accordance with contents of the response.

14. A wireless communication terminal according to claim 12, wherein said second communication device can switch among a plurality of communication restriction modes, and said restriction device changes the communication restriction mode of said second communication device in accordance with a mode designated by the entrance/exit management apparatus.

15. A wireless communication terminal according to claim 14, wherein when a person enters a predetermined area, if communication restriction of the mode designated by the entrance/exit management apparatus is more severe than communication restriction of a mode preset to said second communication mode, said restriction device changes a mode of said second communication device to the designated mode, whereas if not more severe, the mode is not changed.

16. A wireless communication terminal according to claim 14, wherein the communication restriction modes include at least one of a non-restriction mode without communication restriction, a manner mode of automatically turning off incoming call sounds of real time communication, a drive mode of automatically responding to real time communication, a real time communication inhibition mode of permitting only non-real time communication, a call in/out restriction mode of inhibiting call in/out of all communications and a wireless signal transmission restriction mode of inhibiting transmission of a wireless communication signal.

17. A control method for a system having an entrance/exit management apparatus for regulating an entrance/exit of a person and a wireless communication terminal for communicating with the entrance/exit management apparatus, wherein:

the entrance/exit management apparatus executes;

a transceiving step of transmitting, by a first wireless communication method, a communication function restriction request to the wireless communication terminal and of receiving a response to the communication function restriction request; and

a permitting step of permitting an entrance/exit of a person when the transmitting of the communication function restriction request and the receiving of the response in said transceiving step is completed; and

the wireless communication terminal has a second communication device adapted to communicate by a second wireless communication method, and the wireless communication terminal executes;

a communication step of communicating, via a first communication device, with the entrance/exit management apparatus by the first wireless communication method; and

a restricting step of restricting communication of the second communication device in accordance with the communication function restriction request received in said transceiving step by the first wireless communication method.

18. A control method for a system having an entrance/exit management apparatus for regulating an entrance/exit of a person and having a server apparatus for managing an entrance/exit of a person, wherein:

the entrance/exit management apparatus executes;

a transceiving step of transmitting, by a first wireless communication method, a communication function restriction request to a wireless communication terminal and of receiving a response to the communication function restriction request;

a permitting step of permitting an entrance/exit of a person when the transmitting of the communication function restriction request and the receiving of the response in said transceiving step is complete; and

a notification step of notifying the server apparatus of an indication that the wireless communication terminal from which the response was received in said transceiving step exists in a predetermined area; and

the server apparatus executes;

a management step of managing an existence location of the wireless communication terminal in accordance with a notice supplied by said notification step.

19. A control method for an entrance/exit management apparatus for regulating an entrance/exit of a person, comprising:

a transceiving step of transmitting a communication function restriction request to a wireless communication terminal by a first wireless communication method, and of receiving a response to the communication function restriction request, from the wireless communication terminal; and

a permitting step of permitting an entrance/exit of a person when the transmitting of the communication function restriction request and the receiving of the response in said transceiving step is complete.