JP2019028838A - Delivery management system and delivery management method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a delivery management system for saving manpower on a delivery physical distribution field for a customer, and for performing authentication when receiving a delivered baggage.SOLUTION: A delivery management system 100 has a baggage storage zone 101, and a radio tag 105 in which baggage identification information is stored is fixed to a baggage 102. The baggage identification information stored in the radio tag 105 is read by a radio reader/writer 106. A customer authentication device 108 reads customer identification information from a certificate for identifying a customer 104, and makes an inquiry to a communicably connected delivery management server 110 to acquire specific baggage identification information of a specific baggage 102a addressed to the customer 104. When the baggage identification information of the baggage 102 that the customer 104 tries to carry out of the baggage storage zone 101 is the specific baggage identification information, the customer authentication device 108 opens gate means 107 to enable the customer 104 to pass.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention generally relates to labor saving in the physical distribution field for delivering packages to customers, and more particularly to an authentication procedure when a customer receives delivery packages purchased by electronic commerce or the like.

  With the increase in logistics luggage accompanying the spread of e-commerce, the logistics industry is becoming more tight. The electronic commerce here is an electronic commerce (narrow sense) defined by OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), which means “sale or purchase of goods / services, companies, households, individuals” , Government, other public or private institutions, which are made over the internet, orders for goods and services are made over the internet, but payments and deliveries are made online or offline. It doesn't matter. " Here, as a practical matter, delivery can be done online only for sales of digital contents, tickets, etc., and most other products require physical transportation.

  The tightness of the logistics industry is a shortage of personnel in transportation and sorting due to an increase in logistics luggage. As one means for alleviating this, automation of sorting has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this example, it is assumed that package processing at a large-scale collection site is automated. An RFID (radio frequency identifier) wireless tag is attached to the delivery baggage in advance, and is loaded onto a car cart by an attendant at an area collection site. The car cart is transported to a large-scale collection site by truck and is transported to a sorter (automatic sorting machine) by an automatic transport device. The sorter is equipped with an automatic unloader and an automatic loader. The sorter sorts the cargo unloaded from the car cart according to the delivery destination and loads it again into another car cart. The car cart is transported again to the truck by an automatic transport device.

  On the other hand, as a factor that accelerates the busyness of the logistics industry, there is a situation in which there is no customer who should receive the package, and it is necessary to redeliver the package. As means for coping with this, a delivery box or a delivery locker (hereinafter collectively referred to as a delivery box) is known (for example, see Patent Document 2). The parcel delivery box is a storage room that can individually lock and store delivery packages, and is placed in the vicinity of customers who receive the packages. This delivery box has the problem that it cannot be entered if there is too much luggage, and it cannot be entered if there is no open space. Check the size of the delivery box in advance to check the size of the delivery box. Proposals have been made such as confirming and making the partition wall of the storage space movable (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

JP 2017-19588 A JP 2009-9580 A JP2015-57683A

  The first problem to be solved by the present invention relates to a delivery box. As described above, the delivery box has a problem that it cannot be stored if the luggage is too large, and cannot be stored if all storage spaces are used. As a combination, there may be cases where the large storage space for the luggage is used and only a small storage space remains. On the other hand, although the disclosed technique of Patent Document 3 has an effect of eliminating wasteful delivery, it is difficult to say that it is a fundamental solution for reliably delivering packages. In addition, if a delivery box having a large storage space is installed, the probability that the previous problem will occur will be low, but it is not a desirable solution from the viewpoint of installation cost and installation space.

  The second problem to be solved by the present invention includes the first problem and stands in a larger field of view. In other words, it aims to save labor in the entire distribution for customers. In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the sorting work in a large-scale collection site is automated and labor-saving, but it is not labor-saving over the entire physical distribution route. For example, the part of transporting a car cart by truck remains the same as before, and the problem of the busyness of truck drivers cannot be solved.

  The delivery management system according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a package to be delivered, a wireless tag that is fixed to the package and stores package identification information for identifying the package, and the package in which the package is stored. A baggage storage area having gate means for restricting carry-out, a wireless reader / writer provided in the luggage storage area for reading the package identification information stored in the wireless tag, the gate means and the wireless reader / writer A customer authentication device that is communicatively connected to read the customer identification information of the customer from a certificate identifying the customer, and a specific package that is connected to the customer authentication device and is delivered to the customer. A delivery management server for storing the specific package identification information in association with the customer identification information, and the package of the package to be taken out of the package storage area by the customer Another information, if the a particular baggage identification information, characterized by opening the gate means so as the customer can pass.

  A delivery management system according to a second aspect is the delivery management system according to the first aspect, wherein the certificate is an official certificate issued by a public institution that describes the address and / or name of the customer, which is held by the customer. The customer identification information is an address and / or name of the customer, and the customer authentication device reads the address and / or name from the public certificate by optical character reading means or electronic means. Features.

  The delivery management system according to a third aspect is the delivery management system according to the first aspect, wherein the specific package is a product purchased by the customer in electronic commerce, and the certificate is a credit card used by the customer in the electronic commerce. Yes, the customer identification information is a card number of the credit card, and the customer authentication device reads the card number from the credit card.

  A delivery management system according to a fourth aspect is the delivery management system according to the first aspect, wherein the wireless tag stores delivery destination information for designating a delivery destination of the package, and the package storage areas are installed at a plurality of points. Each of the luggage storage areas arranged at the plurality of points has unique storage location identification information, and the delivery destination information is the storage location identification information.

  The delivery management system according to the fifth aspect is characterized in that, in the fourth aspect, the delivery management system further includes a delivery box for individually locking and storing the package, and the delivery box has the storage location identification information unique to the delivery box.

  A delivery management method according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a step of affixing a wireless tag that stores package identification information for identifying a package to a package to be delivered, and a gate unit that restricts carry-out of the package. Storing the package in a storage area, reading the package identification information stored in the wireless tag by a wireless reader / writer provided in the package storage area, the gate means and the wireless reader / writer Reading the customer identification information of the customer from a certificate identifying the customer by a customer authentication device communicatively connected to the customer, and the customer authentication device identifying a specific package to be delivered to the customer Communicating with a delivery management server that stores information associated with the customer identification information; and the customer is taking out of the luggage storage area The baggage identification information of previous period luggage that is, when the a particular baggage identification information, characterized by comprising the step of opening the gate means so as the customer can pass.

  A delivery management method according to a second aspect is the delivery management method according to the first aspect, wherein a shipper that ships the specific package toward the customer or a delivery company that delivers the specific package to the customer includes the specific tag in the wireless tag. The method further comprises a step of writing delivery destination information for designating a delivery destination of the package, wherein the delivery destination information is unique storage location identification information possessed by each of the package storage areas arranged at a plurality of points. To do.

  The delivery management method according to a third aspect includes a step in which, in the second aspect, the specific package is collected and sorted by an automatic router at a plurality of relay bases and delivered to the package storage area. In addition, the automatic router device may perform the sorting by determining a next relay base to which the specific package should reach based on the delivery destination information stored in the wireless tag. .

  The delivery management method according to a fourth aspect is characterized in that, in the third aspect, the delivery management method further includes a step of transporting the parcel by a high-speed railway between two points of the relay base.

  In the third mode, the delivery management method of the fifth form is between the shipper and the relay base, between two of the relay bases, or between the relay base and the luggage storage area. The method further includes the step of transporting the package by an automated guided vehicle or an automated aircraft.

  According to the present invention, a situation in which a package cannot be stored in a delivery box does not occur, and labor saving of the entire distribution for customers is realized.

FIG. 1 is a main part perspective block diagram showing the overall configuration of the delivery management system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the customer authentication apparatus of the delivery management system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of the luggage storage area of the delivery management system according to the first modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a configuration of a delivery management system according to the second modification of the first embodiment. FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams for explaining the background of the delivery management system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5A shows a transaction state before the appearance of electronic commerce, and FIG. 5B shows a transaction state in electronic commerce. It is. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a route map showing the overall configuration of the delivery management system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic map of gradually expanding showing the configuration concept of the delivery management system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7A is a Shinkansen network throughout Japan, FIG. 7B is a railway network in a specific region, FIG.7 (c) is a figure which shows the street corner with a luggage storage area.

(Embodiment 1)
The delivery management system according to the present embodiment includes, for example, a convenience store, a supermarket, a department store, a drug store, a home appliance mass retailer, a retail store having a certain scale such as a home center, a public facility such as a railway station or a public hall, or a housing complex or an apartment. This is a system for temporarily storing a package delivered to a customer and receiving it by a customer. However, the present invention has not been made only focusing on the aspect that “the customer receives the package”, and the present embodiment is included in the larger delivery management system disclosed in the second modification or the second embodiment. Is. The configuration described below is merely an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and the technical idea according to the present invention is not deviated from other embodiments. Various changes can be made within the range.

  FIG. 1 is a main part perspective block diagram showing an overall configuration of a delivery management system 100 according to the first embodiment. The delivery management system 100 includes a luggage storage area 101, in which a luggage shelf 103 for storing a plurality of luggage 102 is installed. The package 102 is delivered to the customer 104. The package addressed to the customer 104 is referred to as a specific package 102a, and the package 102 refers to all packages including the specific package 102a. A wireless tag 105 in which package identification information for identifying the package 102 is stored is fixed to the package 102. The package identification information stored in the wireless tag 105 is read by the wireless reader / writer 106. The luggage storage area 101 is provided with gate means 107 that permits or prohibits the customer 104 to take out the luggage 102, and a customer authentication device 108 is disposed in the vicinity of the luggage storage area 101.

  The customer 104 registers customer identification information with the customer authentication device 108 before entering the package storage area 101. The customer authentication device 108 is communicably connected to the delivery management server 110 via a WAN (wide area network) 109 and inquires of the delivery management server 110 whether or not the specific package 102 a to be received by the customer 104 is in the package storage area 101. . If the result is Yes, the customer authentication device 108 opens the gate means 107 that is communicably connected by a LAN (local area network) 111 so as to be able to pass. At this time, the delivery management server 110 also notifies the customer authentication apparatus 108 of the specific package identification information of the specific package 102a that the customer 104 should receive. In this specification, for the sake of convenience, the package identification information for identifying the specific package 102a is referred to as “specific package identification information”.

  The customer 104 entering the package storage area 101 selects a specific package 102a addressed to himself / herself by looking at a destination label (not shown) attached to the package 102, and proceeds to the gate means 107. On the other hand, the fact that the specific baggage 102a has been taken out of the baggage shelf 103 is detected by the wireless reader / writer 106, and notified to the customer authentication device 108 that is communicably connected via the LAN 111. The customer authentication apparatus 108 confirms that the specific package identification information of the specific package 102a received earlier matches the package identification information detected by the wireless reader / writer 106, and then opens the gate means 107 to allow the customer 104 to pass. To give permission. If the two do not match, the gate means 107 is closed and a notification such as “It is not a baggage addressed to the customer. Please check the destination again.”

  In the present embodiment, it is assumed that there is a manager such as a store clerk or station staff near the luggage storage area 101, or a case where the luggage storage area 101 is in a site where only residents can enter such as an auto-lock apartment. Crime prevention measures are provided by notifying the simple gate means 107 and the customer 104, and in some cases notifying the administrator. When there is no administrator near the luggage storage area 101 and the luggage storage area 101 is installed in a place where anyone can enter freely, more strict crime prevention measures are required. explain.

  Hereinafter, the delivery management system according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.

  In the present embodiment, the customer authentication device 108 substantially functions as a local server, and controls the wireless reader / writer 106 and the gate means 107 via the LAN 111. Further, the customer authentication device 108 is also connected to the delivery management server 110 located at a remote location via the WAN 109 so as to be communicable. Hereinafter, the operation of the customer authentication apparatus 108 will be described in order with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the customer authentication device 108.

  A button “Receive package” is displayed on the touch panel 112 of the customer authentication apparatus 108. When the customer 104 presses this button, the process enters block 201 in FIG. At block 202, the customer 104 is informed that “Please insert your license or credit card used for purchase”. This notification may be performed by switching the screen of the touch panel 112 to display characters, or by automatic voice from a speaker (not shown) built in the customer authentication apparatus 108. In this embodiment, the certificate for identifying the customer 104 is a driver's license or a credit card. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

  For example, instead of a driver's license, a public certificate issued by a public institution in which the address and name of the customer 104 held by the customer 104 is written can be used. The credit card is used when the customer 104 orders the package 102 by electronic commerce, and is uniquely associated with the package identification information stored in the wireless tag 105 fixed to the package 102. Other information relating to electronic commerce may be used. For example, the transaction unique code issued when ordering the package 102 may be entered using the numeric keypad, or the transaction unique code is displayed as a two-dimensional barcode on a smartphone owned by the customer, and this is read by the customer authentication device 108. It may be a method.

  Returning to the present embodiment, when the customer 104 inserts a driver's license or credit card into the slot 113 of the customer authentication device 108, the customer authentication device 108 determines which is inserted (decision block 203). If the driver's license has been inserted, the process proceeds to decision block 204, where it is determined whether the driver's license is a genuine driver's license by image recognition from the image obtained by photographing the driver's license. If the driver's license is authentic, the process proceeds to block 205, and the address / name is read from the driver's license by OCR (optical character recognition). On the other hand, if it is determined in the decision block 204 that the driver's license is not authentic, the process proceeds to a block 206 where “not a license” is notified. In this case, as in block 207, the gate means 107 remains closed.

  If the customer 104 has inserted a credit card, the process proceeds to block 208 where the customer authenticator 108 obtains the card number from the credit card magnetic stripe or contactless IC. Next, at block 209, the customer 104 is prompted to enter a credit card PIN. The customer 104 inputs a personal identification number from the ten key 114 of the customer authentication device 108. The customer authentication device 108 queries a credit card company authentication server to determine whether the PIN is correct (decision block 210). If the code number is wrong, the process returns to block 208 to prompt the user to re-enter the code number. However, if there is a mistake three times as in decision block 211, the process proceeds to block 212 to notify the customer 104 of the code number mismatch. Also in this case, the flow ends with the gate means 107 closed. In this embodiment, the process proceeds to block 212 when a mistake is made three times, but the number of times may be set arbitrarily.

  After reading the address / name on the driver's license in block 205, or if the PIN is determined to be authentic in decision block 210, proceed to block 213, where the address / name information or credit card number is received by the customer. It is transmitted from the authentication device 108 to the delivery management server 110. The delivery management server 110 determines whether or not the specific package 102a addressed to the customer 104 is in the package storage area 101 (decision block 214). This will be described in detail in the delivery management server 110 described later. From the delivery management server 110 to the customer authentication device 108, in addition to information on whether or not there is a specific package 102a addressed to the customer 104, specific package identification information of the specific package 102a is also notified. It is stored in the authentication device 108. If the specific package 102a addressed to the customer 104 is in the package storage area 101, the process proceeds to block 215, where the gate means 107 is opened and the flow is terminated. On the other hand, if the specific baggage 102a addressed to the customer 104 is not in the baggage storage area 101, the process proceeds to block 216, informing that “the baggage addressed to the customer has not arrived” and keeping the gate means 107 closed. End the flow.

  It should be noted that if a driver's license or credit card is inserted into the slot 113 of the customer authentication device 108, the customer 104 may be concerned that “personal sensitive information beyond the information necessary for receiving the package may be acquired”. For this purpose, the driver's license is simply held over the customer authentication device 108 (images are taken when held over), or a part of the credit card number (for example, 12 out of 16 digits) is entered using the numeric keypad. It is also possible to use. In the latter case, it is impossible to confirm the match between the credit card number and the password, but it is ensured that the customer 104 is a legitimate package recipient. Further, in the configuration in which the customer authentication device 108 acquires the credit card number and the personal identification number, since these are card payment information, there are security restrictions, but this problem can be avoided if a part of the credit card number is input. it can.

  When the delivery management server 110 determines that the specific package 102 a addressed to the customer 104 is in the package storage area 101 and the gate means 107 is opened by a control signal from the customer authentication device 108, the customer 104 enters the package storage area 101. . Baggage 102 is stored in the baggage storage area 101 in addition to the specific baggage 102a, but the customer 104 looks at a destination label (not shown) attached to the baggage 102 and selects the specific baggage 102a addressed to himself / herself. Take out from the luggage rack 103. A wireless tag 105 storing package identification information is fixed to the package 102 in the package shelf 103. The wireless tag 105 is preferably a passive tag (a wireless tag that does not use a battery and operates by using radio waves from the wireless reader / writer 106 as a power source). For example, a semiconductor of about 2 mm square defined in F-term 3E142GA04 "An antenna is attached to the chip to enable non-contact access, and it is attached to products, parts, packaging, etc. and used for logistics management."

  The wireless tag 105 is always read by the wireless reader / writer 106 in a short cycle. The read package identification information is stored in the customer authentication device 108. It is known that the radio wave 115 emitted from the wireless reader / writer 106 generally has directivity, and the directivity increases as the frequency of the radio wave used increases. When the wireless tag 105 is within the spread range of the radio wave emitted by the wireless reader / writer 106 in the air, the wireless tag 105 returns a response, and the wireless reader / writer 106 can read the information stored in the wireless tag 105. In addition, when there are a plurality of wireless tags 105 in the detection range, a technique for distinguishing and reading these is called anti-collision, which is also a well-known technique (for example, Nikkei RFID technology / Nikkei system construction co-editing). : All of the use of wireless IC tags, published by Nikkei BP, 2005). In the present embodiment, an antenna (not shown) is designed so that the wireless reader / writer 106 reads information from the wireless tag 105 of the luggage 102 placed on the luggage shelf 103.

  When the customer 104 takes out the specific baggage 102a from the baggage shelf 103, the information on the wireless tag 105 of the specific baggage 102a is not read by the wireless reader / writer 106, so it is determined that the specific baggage 102a has been taken out. As explained in the entry permission of the customer 104 described above, when the customer 104 enters the package storage area 101, the customer authentication device 108 stores the specific package identification information of the specific package 102a. Whether the package 102a has been taken out can be determined immediately. When the customer 104 correctly picks up the specific baggage 102a, the gate means 107 is opened and a notification such as "Please take it out carefully" is given. If the package 102 that the customer 104 intends to take out is not the specific package 102a, the gate means 107 is closed and a notification such as "Not a package addressed to the customer. Please reconfirm the destination."

  In the above description, it is determined that the baggage is taken out when the specific baggage 102a is taken out from the baggage shelf 103. However, the gate unit 107 including the wireless reader / writer is provided in front of the gate unit 107 (the baggage storage area 101 side). It is possible to determine whether to take out the luggage 102 (disclosed in Modification 1). The reading range of the wireless tag 105 by the wireless reader / writer 106 and the structure of the gate means 107 have a function of permitting passage only when the package 102 to be taken out by the customer 104 is a specific package 102a addressed to the customer 104. Various modifications are possible as long as the configuration is fulfilled.

  The delivery management server 110 may be operated as a server that manages the entire delivery logistics for customers. This will be described in a second modification. Here, a description will be given focusing on the function that the delivery management server 110 answers to inquiries from the customer authentication apparatus 108. The specific package 102a received by the customer 104 is a product purchased by the customer 104 by electronic commerce, for example. In this case, the customer 104 performs an ordering work related to the specific package 102a by electronic commerce prior to receiving the specific package 102a. This is executed by accessing the shipper's ordering site from an information terminal (for example, a personal computer, a tablet, a smartphone, etc.) owned by the customer 104 via the Internet line, selecting the product to be ordered, and inputting the customer information. Is done.

  The customer information input here is generally the address / name of the customer 104, a contact telephone number, a payment method, and the like. When a credit card is selected as the payment method, the customer 104 also inputs a credit card number, an expiration date, and a card holder. If the customer 104 is an order site of a shipper who has transacted in the past, the information may be stored so that the information is automatically displayed by the login of the customer. In any case, when the order by the customer 104 is completed, the address / name and the credit card number (only when paying by credit card) of the customer 104 are stored in the delivery management server 110 in association with the ordered product. Become.

  The shipper requests the delivery company to deliver the ordered product, and this becomes the specific package 102a. Note that the shipping company itself may operate a delivery business. By the time delivery distribution of the specific package 102a is started, the wireless tag 105 storing the package identification information associated with the order information on the transaction management server is fixed to the specific package 102a. Also, customer identification information such as the address / name and credit card number of the customer 104 is transmitted from the transaction management server to the delivery management server 110 and stored in the delivery management server 110 in association with the package identification information. The information that the specific package 102a has been delivered to the package storage area 101 is, for example, that the wireless reader / writer 106 reads the package identification information of the newly received package 102 and transmits it to the delivery management server 110 via the customer authentication device 108. And stored in the delivery management server 110.

  The delivery management server 110 informs the customer 104 that the specific package 102a has been delivered to the package storage area 101 by means of e-mail or the like. When the customer 104 goes to the package storage area 101 and receives the specific package 102a, the delivery management server 110 sends the package identification information of the package 102 in the package storage area 101 and the address of the customer 104 associated with each package identification information.・ Your name (and credit card number) is stored. Therefore, when the address / name described in the driver's license or the credit card number read from the credit card is transmitted from the customer authentication device 108 to the delivery management server 110, the delivery management server 110 determines that the specific package 102a addressed to the customer 104 is a package. It can be determined whether or not it is in the storage area 101. Further, the specific package identification information of the specific package 102 a can be notified from the delivery management server 110 to the customer authentication device 108.

  As described above, the delivery management system 100 according to the present embodiment stores the package 102 to be delivered, the wireless tag 105 that stores the package identification information that identifies the package 102, and is secured to the package 102. A baggage storage area 101 having gate means 107 for restricting the removal of the baggage 102, a wireless reader / writer 106 for reading the baggage identification information stored in the wireless tag 105 provided in the baggage storage area 101, and a gate A customer authentication device 108 that reads the customer identification information of the customer 104 from a certificate that identifies the customer 104, and a customer communicatively connected to the customer authentication device 108. The specific package identification information of the specific package 102a delivered to 104 is stored in association with the customer identification information. And a transmission management server 110, when baggage identification information of the package 102 that the customer 104 Candidate attempts from luggage storage area 101 is the specific baggage identification information, opens the gate means 107 so that the customer 104 can pass.

  With this configuration, the specific package 102a can be taken out after the customer 104 is authenticated. Further, when the specific package 102a is taken out by a regular procedure, the procedure is automatically performed by the customer authentication device 108, so that the administrator (human) is not bothered. Furthermore, since the luggage 102 including the specific luggage 102a only needs to be placed in the luggage storage area 101, the degree of freedom of storage is higher than that of the delivery box. That is, there is almost no problem of “the luggage cannot be stored unless the storage space for the luggage is available” in the delivery box.

  Further, the certificate for identifying the customer 104 is a public certificate issued by a public institution, which contains the address and / or name of the customer 104 held by the customer 104, and the customer identification information is The customer authentication device 108 is an optical character reading means (OCR (optical character recognition)) or electronic means (for example, from an IC chip of an IC card driver's license with a wireless reader / writer). The address and / or name may be read from the official certificate, and the address and name of the customer 104 may be determined when requesting delivery from the shipper to the delivery company. On the other hand, even if the conventional delivery management method is used, the customer 104 is distributed at a place other than home. It is a normal procedure to present any official certificate (driver's license, etc.) with your address and name when you receive your package, so it will be a standard procedure for customer delivery by address and / or name. It is possible to prevent false reception equivalent to the management method.

  Further, the specific package 102a is a product (tangible material distributed in the market) purchased by the customer 104 through electronic commerce, and a certificate identifying the customer 104 is a credit card used by the customer 104 in electronic commerce. The information may be a card number of a credit card, and the customer authentication device 108 may be configured to read the card number from the credit card. With this configuration, it is possible to confirm that the customer 104 is a valid recipient of the specific package 102a more reliably than the address and name of the customer 104.

  Hereinafter, modifications of the first embodiment will be listed.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of the luggage storage area 300 according to the first modification of the first embodiment. The luggage storage area 300 is a modification of the luggage storage area 101 in FIG. The biggest difference from the luggage storage area 101 of FIG. 1 is that the luggage storage area 300 is a container-like closed space. The gate means is a security door 301 for entering and exiting the luggage storage area 300 which is a closed space. Hereinafter, although there is a part which overlaps with description of FIG. 1, this modification is demonstrated later on in order.

  In the luggage storage area 300, a luggage shelf 303 for storing a plurality of luggage 302 is installed, and the luggage 302 is also placed on the luggage shelf 303 and on the floor surface 304 of the luggage storage area 300. The package 302 is delivered to the customer 305. The package addressed to the customer 305 is referred to as a specific package 302a, and the package 302 refers to all packages including the specific package 302a. A wireless tag 306 in which package identification information for identifying the package 302 is stored is fixed to the package 302. The package identification information stored in the wireless tag 306 is read by the wireless reader / writer 307 installed in the package storage area 300. A customer authentication device 309 is incorporated in the entrance wall surface 308 of the luggage storage area 300, in other words, the wall surface in front of the customer 305 entering the luggage storage area 300 (the wall surface outside the luggage storage area 300).

  The customer 305 registers customer identification information with the customer authentication device 309, and the customer authentication device 309 determines whether the specific package 302a to be received by the customer 305 is in the package storage area 300 in the delivery management server (not shown). If yes, the security door 301 is opened to allow passage. At this time, the delivery management server also notifies the customer authentication apparatus 309 of the specific package identification information of the specific package 302a that the customer 305 should receive. The security door 301 is automatically closed after the customer 305 passes. If the customer 305 does not close the security door 301, an automatic voice notification is given as “Please close the door.” If the customer 305 still opens the security door 301, the communication line is used for security. Notify the person in charge.

  The customer 305 entering the package storage area 300 selects a specific package 302a addressed to himself / herself by looking at a destination label (not shown) attached to the package 302, and proceeds to the security door 301. Here, the radio wave 310 radiated by the wireless reader / writer 307 irradiates the front of the security door (inside the luggage storage area 300), and the customer 305 identifies the package from the wireless tag 306 of the specific package 302a to be taken out. Read information. The package identification information is transmitted from the wireless reader / writer 307 to the customer authentication device 309. The customer authentication device 309 receives the specific package identification information of the specific package 302a received from the delivery management server and the package identification information detected by the wireless reader / writer 307. Are confirmed, the security door 301 is opened to allow the customer 305 to pass. If they do not match, the security door 301 is kept closed, and a notification such as “It is not a package addressed to the customer. Please check the destination again.”

  In the present modification, the luggage storage area 300 is a closed space having the security door 301, and therefore, security in crime prevention is higher than that in the first embodiment. Therefore, it can be installed in a place where there is no manager nearby. On the other hand, means for emergency unlocking of the security door 301 may be provided in order to prevent the customer 305 from being trapped in the closed space due to a malfunction of the customer authentication device 309 or the like. When emergency unlocking is performed, the security officer is notified through the communication line. Regardless of whether the customer 305 keeps the security door 301 open or the security door 301 is emergency unlocked, the customer 305 is allowed to pass through the security door 301 first. Since the authentication is performed, the customer 305 who has performed the act can be easily identified.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a delivery management system 400 according to the second modification of the first embodiment. In the first embodiment and the modification 1 thereof, the configuration of the luggage storage areas 101 to 300 has been mainly described. However, in this modification, the configuration of a delivery management system having a plurality of luggage storage areas at a plurality of points is disclosed. The delivery management server 401 performs the functions described in the first embodiment for a plurality of luggage storage areas. The first luggage storage area 402a has the same configuration as the luggage storage area 101 of FIG. 1, and the second luggage storage area 402b corresponds to the luggage storage area 300 of FIG. The third luggage storage area 402c is a conventional locker-type delivery box. FIG. 4 schematically shows that these first to third luggage storage areas 402a, 402b, and 402c are arranged in various places throughout the country, and what kind of luggage storage areas are installed is not limited at all. Hereinafter, the plurality of luggage storage areas are collectively referred to as a luggage storage area 402.

  The customer authentication devices in the delivery management server 401 and the luggage storage area 402 are connected to the WAN 403, respectively. Here, the WAN 403 is a wide area network system represented by the Internet, but may be a network using a dedicated line other than the Internet. The delivery management server 401 and the package storage area 402 form the backbone of the delivery management system 400 of this modification, and are installed and managed by, for example, a delivery company. The delivery management server 401 may be installed on-premises in the delivery company's headquarters building, or may be provided as a cloud service operated by the delivery company itself or a third party. In addition, since the delivery management system 400 can obtain economies of scale by managing many packages with the same system, the delivery management system 400 may be operated by a delivery management organization established in cooperation with a plurality of delivery companies, A third sector may operate.

  Also connected to the WAN 403 is a transaction management server 404 of a shipper that ships products ordered from the customer by electronic commerce to the customer. The order site accessed when a customer orders a product by electronic commerce may be the transaction management server 404 itself or another web server that operates in cooperation with the transaction management server. In any case, when a customer orders a product on the ordering site and inputs a destination address such as home, an order site is displayed so that a selection button for direct delivery to home or delivery to the luggage storage area 402 is displayed. Is configured. Alternatively, the luggage storage area 402 may be selected whenever the product is less than a certain size and weight and there is the luggage storage area 402 near the destination address. The transaction management server 404 makes an inquiry to the delivery management server 401 and displays the package storage area 402 near the destination address. Each of the luggage storage areas 402 has unique storage location identification information (in other words, each of the luggage storage areas 402 is associated with unique storage location identification information). The transaction management server 404 stores the product order information associated with the customer.

  A specific label 405 packed with the product ordered by the customer is attached with a destination label 406 indicating the customer's address and name, and a wireless tag 407 storing the package identification information is fixed. The wireless tag 407 may be configured as part of the destination label 406. Here, when the delivery destination is the luggage storage area 402, storage location identification information is written and stored in the wireless tag 407. In the following description, it is assumed that the delivery destination is the package storage area 402 and storage location identification information is written in the wireless tag 407. The fixing of the wireless tag 407 to the specific package 405 and the writing of the storage location identification information may be performed by a shipping company or a shipping company. The delivery management server 404 transmits the customer's address / name (and credit card number) from the transaction management server 404 to the delivery management server 401 and stores them in the delivery management server 401 in association with the package identification information. This is the same as the description on the server.

  The specific package 405 sent by the shipper is delivered to the package storage area 402, for example, the second package storage area 402b by the delivery means 408 of the delivery company. In FIG. 4, a truck is schematically shown as the transport means 408, but the transport means 408 is not limited to a truck. As described above, the wireless tag 407 of the specific luggage 405 stores the storage location identification information of the second luggage storage area 402b. In general, small delivery to customers by a delivery company collects packages at a collection point, sorts them by destination, and collects the packages for the same area and sends them to the destination collection point repeatedly. Is done. In this sorting, it is also common to make work more efficient by using electronic baggage identification means such as barcodes and RFID wireless tags. However, these efficiency improvements are partially optimized for each delivery company, and have not led to fundamental improvements in the overall small-volume delivery for customers.

  In the delivery management system 400 of this modification, for example, a delivery management organization, a public institution, or a third sector established in cooperation with a plurality of delivery companies manages the luggage storage area 402, and is a storage location standardized for the entire logistics industry. Add identification information. This storage location identification information is stored in the wireless tag 407. As a result, it is possible to carry out distribution sorting by a unified mechanism at a distribution base (transportation terminal, station, port, airport, etc.) of transportation facilities without being limited to a single delivery company. Further, the storage location identification information may be given to the third luggage storage area 402c which is a conventional delivery box. As described above, there is a problem with the conventional delivery box. From the viewpoint of installation cost and the use of existing equipment, the delivery box is designated as a luggage storage area 402 with unified storage location identification information. The advantage of using is great.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the background of the delivery management system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5A schematically shows a distribution route in a commercial transaction before the appearance of electronic commerce. The goods are traded between the manufacturer 501 and the wholesale company 502, traded between the wholesale company 502 and the retail company 503, and the consumer 504 purchases the goods from the retail company 503. Transactions at each stage have a many-to-many path, and the relationship between the manufacturer 501 and the consumer 504 is a mapping from a large number of nodes (manufacturers) to a large number of nodes (consumers). Yes. Viewed another way, it can be said that there are wholesale and retail companies to ensure the complexity of this multi-node to multi-node mapping.

  On the other hand, after the advent of the electronic commerce shown in FIG. 5B, the consumer 504 can directly order from the manufacturer 501 via the Internet. In this order route 505, complex mapping from multiple nodes to multiple nodes is carried by the Internet. In other words, electronic commerce has become prosperous due to the characteristic of “realizing point-to-point communication between any two points in the world in real time” of the Internet. However, most products need to be physically delivered from the manufacturer to the consumer. The delivery route 506 is a complex mapping similar to the order route 505, and this complexity is borne by the delivery company. However, it is difficult to say that the delivery logistics by this delivery company is as efficient as the Internet. This is the fundamental reason for the tightness of the logistics industry.

  While the Internet exchanges electronic data, the delivery logistics carries physical packages, so it is difficult to improve the delivery logistics at the exact same level as the Internet, but the points of efficiency in the Internet are delivered. It can be used in logistics. This is the concept of the delivery management system according to the second embodiment, and is largely the following three points.

  In the Internet, electronic data is divided into packets, and communication is performed by attaching a destination IP (Internet protocol) address to the head (header) of the packet. The router that relays the packet maintains a route table for determining which router to transfer the packet to transmit the packet toward the destination IP address. Forward the packet to the router. In order to achieve the same configuration in delivery logistics, a destination address corresponding to an IP address is read from a package. For example, the storage location identification information disclosed in the second modification of the first embodiment corresponds to an IP address. Since the storage location identification information is stored in a wireless tag fixed to the package, the storage location identification information can be read from the package at any location if there is a wireless reader / writer. A router corresponds to distribution sorting at a relay base, and this sorting is performed based on storage location identification information read by a wireless reader / writer.

  Since electronic data is packetized and transmitted on the Internet, congestion (the amount of communication on the network increases too much and normal transmission / reception becomes difficult) is unlikely to occur compared to the circuit switching method. A high-speed, large-capacity communication line is used for a route with a large amount of transmitted packets. In the world of delivery logistics, truck transportation using highways is the mainstream as a means of high-speed transportation, and there is an urgent need to deal with the problem of carbon dioxide emissions, lack of truck drivers and overwork. As mass transportation means with low carbon dioxide emission, there are conventional transportation by ship or freight train, but all have a problem in high speed. As means for solving these problems, freight transportation by high-speed railway (Shinkansen) is used in this embodiment.

  The access system is a line connected from the home or company to the trunk system on the Internet. In the Internet, speeding up by an optical line and flexibility by a mobile phone line are progressing. On the other hand, in delivery logistics, individual home delivery by small trucks is the mainstream, and the driver's overwork due to redelivery, which is a problem in the first embodiment, has become a social problem. In addition, individual delivery by a small truck is not preferable from the viewpoint of carbon dioxide emissions. In the present embodiment, this problem is solved by delivering the luggage to the luggage storage area by an automated guided vehicle or an unmanned aircraft.

  Hereinafter, the details of the present embodiment will be described with reference to a schematic diagram of a route map and a schematic map of gradual enlargement. However, these explain the same delivery management system from different viewpoints and are substantially the same. . However, the configuration described below is merely an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and the technical idea according to the present invention does not depart from the embodiment other than this embodiment. Various changes can be made within the range.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a route map showing the overall configuration of the delivery management system 600 according to the second embodiment. The first to eighth relay sites 601a, 601b, 601c, 601d, 601e, 601f, 601g, 601h are This is the core of the delivery management system 600. Note that the first to eighth relay bases are collectively referred to as a relay base 601 when distinguished collectively. Although the relay base 601 may be installed by a single delivery company, the advantage of scale can be obtained by operating many packages with the same delivery management system 600, and the relay base 601 is installed at a railway freight station. In view of the circumstances, a delivery management organization, a public organization, or a third sector established by a plurality of delivery companies may be operated. The first to third shipping companies 602a, 602b, and 602c ship packages packed with products in response to orders from customers to shipping companies. The first to fourth luggage storage areas 603a, 603b, 603c, and 603d are the same as the luggage storage areas described in the first embodiment and the modifications thereof.

  Luggage can be transported by the Shinkansen 604 between the first relay base 601a and the second relay base 601b. That is, the first relay base 601a and the second relay base 601b are provided alongside the Shinkansen station. The first relay base 601a and the third relay base 601c are connected by a conventional line 605. That is, the third relay base 601c, the fourth relay base 601d, and the fifth relay base 601e are provided alongside the railway freight station. The sixth relay base 601f, the seventh relay base 601g, and the eighth relay base 601h are connected by a truck service 606.

  Here, for example, a case where the first shipper 602a ships a package toward the first package storage area 603a will be described. A specific package packed with the product ordered by the customer is attached with a destination label indicating the customer's address and name, and a wireless tag storing the package identification information is affixed. Further, storage location identification information of the first luggage storage area 603a is written and stored in the wireless tag. The delivery company requested to collect and deliver the specific package from the first shipper 602a collects the specific package and transports it to the fourth relay base 601d nearest to the first shipper 602a. This conveyance may be performed by a small truck as in the past, or may be performed by an unmanned conveyance machine or an unmanned aircraft. An unmanned aerial vehicle is, for example, a drone (a multirotor helicopter that autonomously maintains a stable posture in the air).

  The specific baggage transported to the fourth relay base 601d has storage location identification information read by an automatic router device (not shown) having a wireless reader / writer and is addressed to the first baggage storage area 603a. Be recognized. The automatic router apparatus determines which of the adjacent first relay base 601a and fifth relay base 601e is the path toward the first luggage storage area 603a by referring to the route table. In this case, it is determined that it is the first relay base 601a, and it is transported to the first relay base 601a by the conventional line 605. Here, the destination is read again by the automatic router device, and it is determined that the Shinkansen 604 should be transported to the second relay base 601b.

  The determination of this route is not merely determined by which is the shortest route. For example, information that the Shinkansen 604 is disconnected due to an accident is reflected in the route table in real time. In this case, the next relay base selected by the automatic router device at the first relay base 601a is the third relay base 601c. Regardless of which route is used, the specific package arrives at the second relay station 601b and is transported from the second relay station 601b to the first package storage area 603a. This last transfer may also be made by an unmanned transfer machine or an unmanned aircraft. Further, the traffic jam condition of the road on which the automatic guided vehicle travels is reflected in real time in the route table stored in the automatic router device of the second relay base 601b, and when there is a traffic jam, the unmanned aircraft may be used. .

  FIG. 7 is a schematic map of gradually expanding showing the configuration concept of the delivery management system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 illustrates the same delivery management system as the delivery management system 600 of FIG. 6 from a different point of view. FIG. 7A shows the Shinkansen network (in operation, under construction, and under planning) throughout Japan. From the planning stage of the Tokaido Shinkansen 701, freight transportation by the Shinkansen was assumed, but it has not yet been realized. The biggest cause is the overcrowded schedule of the Tokaido Shinkansen 701. However, if the Linear Chuo Shinkansen 702 opens, it is assumed that the overcrowded schedule of the Tokaido Shinkansen 701 will be eased and the capacity for freight transportation will be created. As already mentioned, one of the elements for utilizing efficiency points in the Internet in distribution logistics is the construction of a high-speed, large-capacity trunk system, and the utilization of the Shinkansen network is one of the measures.

  FIG. 7B schematically shows a railway network in a specific area (as an example, around Aichi Prefecture). As described with reference to FIG. 6, a conventional line may be used as a delivery logistics route. Although transportation by conventional lines is inferior to the Shinkansen in terms of high speed, the advantages of bulk mass transportation are great, and it is effective in eliminating excessive work by truck drivers and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The historical background that rail transport has been replaced by truck transport is that the actual operation speed of freight trains is slow in the first place (the time required from one freight station to another freight station is long). There was a problem that it took time and labor to transship. The former can be resolved by using both the Shinkansen network and conventional lines, and the latter can be resolved by automatic sorting and automatic transshipment. If the routing function using the wireless tag described in the route map is used, the effect is very large. However, this embodiment does not require that the conventional line be used for delivery logistics.

  FIG. 7C schematically shows a street corner where the luggage storage area 703 is located. The illustrated luggage storage area 703 is disclosed in the second modification of the first embodiment, but is not limited thereto, and may be the luggage storage area or the delivery box of the first embodiment. Delivery of a specific package to the package storage area 703 may be performed by the unmanned transporter 704 or the unmanned aircraft 705. For example, the unmanned transporter 704 transports a luggage basket 706 loaded with a load, and when the unmanned transporter 704 approaches the luggage storage area 703, the security door 707 is automatically opened. The unmanned transfer machine 704 that enters the luggage storage area 703 opens one side of the car so that the customer 708 can take out the luggage from the luggage car 706, and leaves the luggage car 706 in the luggage storage area 703. Alternatively, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 705 approaches the luggage storage area 703, a part of the ceiling surface of the luggage storage area 703 is opened, and the luggage 710 transported by the unmanned aircraft 705 is placed in the luggage storage area 703 without any manual intervention. The

  As described above, the delivery management system of this embodiment stores storage location identification information corresponding to an IP address in a wireless tag fixed to a package, and an automatic router device at a relay base corresponding to a router is a wireless reader / writer. Since the sorting is performed based on the storage location identification information read in step 1, the automatic sorting can be performed unattended. In addition, since the automatic router device is performed in consideration of the route table updated in real time, it can flexibly cope with accidents and traffic jams. Also, freight transportation by high-speed rail (Shinkansen) is used for the main route that carries a large amount of luggage. This eliminates the overwork of long distance truck drivers and reduces carbon dioxide emissions. Furthermore, the use of automated guided vehicles or unmanned aerial vehicles to transport packages from individual shippers to relay locations, or from the relay locations to individual luggage storage areas, reduces overloading of courier truck drivers. Solved. Furthermore, by making the final delivery destination a luggage storage area, there is no need for re-delivery, and carbon dioxide emissions are reduced.

  Provide a delivery management system that saves labor in the delivery logistics field for customers and performs authentication when receiving delivery packages.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Delivery management system 101 Baggage storage area 102a Specific baggage 105 Wireless tag 106 Wireless reader / writer 107 Gate means 108 Customer authentication apparatus 110 Delivery management server 601 Relay base 602a, 602b, 602c Shipper 604 Shinkansen 704 Unmanned carrier 705 Unmanned aircraft

Claims (10)

The package to be delivered,
A wireless tag that is fixed to the package and stores package identification information for identifying the package;
A luggage storage area having gate means for restricting the removal of the luggage, wherein the luggage is stored;
A wireless reader / writer for reading the package identification information stored in the wireless tag, provided in the package storage area;
A customer authentication device that reads the customer identification information of the customer from a certificate that identifies the customer, which is communicably connected to the gate means and the wireless reader / writer;
A delivery management server connected in communication with the customer authentication device and storing specific package identification information of a specific package delivered to the customer in association with the customer identification information;
The delivery is characterized in that the gate means is opened so that the customer can pass when the package identification information of the package that the customer intends to take out from the package storage area is the specific package identification information. Management system. The certificate is a public certificate issued by a public institution that is held by the customer and that describes the address and / or name of the customer;
The customer identification information is the address and / or name of the customer;
The delivery management system according to claim 1, wherein the customer authentication device reads the address and / or name from the public certificate by optical character reading means or electronic means. The specific package is a product purchased by the customer through electronic commerce,
The certificate is a credit card used by the customer in the electronic commerce,
The customer identification information is a card number of the credit card,
The delivery management system according to claim 1, wherein the customer authentication device reads the card number from the credit card. The wireless tag stores delivery destination information for specifying a delivery destination of the package,
The luggage storage areas are installed at a plurality of points,
Each of the luggage storage areas arranged at the plurality of points has unique storage location identification information,
The delivery management system according to claim 1, wherein the delivery destination information is the storage location identification information. A delivery box for individually storing and storing the luggage;
The delivery management system according to claim 4, wherein the delivery box has unique storage location identification information. Affixing a wireless tag storing package identification information for identifying the package to the package to be delivered;
Storing the luggage in a luggage storage area having gate means for restricting the removal of the luggage;
Reading the package identification information stored in the wireless tag by a wireless reader / writer provided in the package storage area;
Reading customer identification information of the customer from a certificate identifying the customer by a customer authentication device communicably connected to the gate means and the wireless reader / writer;
The customer authentication device communicating with a delivery management server that stores specific package identification information of a specific package delivered to the customer in association with the customer identification information;
Opening the gate means so that the customer can pass when the package identification information of the package that the customer intends to take out from the package storage area is the specific package identification information. A delivery management method characterized by the above. A step in which a shipper who ships the specific package to the customer or a delivery company who delivers the specific package to the customer writes the delivery destination information specifying the delivery destination of the specific package in the wireless tag; Including
The delivery management method according to claim 6, wherein the delivery destination information is unique storage location identification information included in each of the luggage storage areas arranged at a plurality of points. The specific package further includes a step of collecting and sorting the specific package by an automatic router at a plurality of relay bases and delivering the package to the package storage area,
The said automatic router apparatus judges the next relay base which the said specific package should reach | attain next based on the said delivery destination information memorize | stored in the said radio | wireless tag, and performs the said classification. The delivery management method described in 1.   The delivery management method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of transporting the parcel by a high-speed rail between two points of the relay base.   A step of transporting the package by an automated guided vehicle or an unmanned aircraft between the shipper and the relay site, between two of the relay sites, or between the relay site and the luggage storage area; The delivery management method according to claim 8, further comprising:

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