JP2001130695A - Mailbox - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To recognize whether mails are already collected or not when a person comes around a mailbox at the scheduled time of collecting the mails. SOLUTION: Scheduled collecting time on a display panel 2 provided on the front of a mailbox is renewed every time of opening and closing a door 5 for the purpose of collecting mails by a controller built in the mailbox. When the mails are dropped from a mail dropping opening 1, a confirmation message of 'Mails are dropped and stored' is issued by a speaker 7. A power source is supplied from a solar battery 8 to the controller.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technique for increasing the added value of a postbox.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Postal boxes are installed all over the country, and when mail is posted to the post box, it is collected periodically and delivered to the address of the destination. And usually, each post box has a scheduled collection timetable on the side, etc., and by posting it using the collection time as a guide,
It is designed to be able to predict the delivery date of most people. However, existing mail boxes only collect mail and have no added value. Therefore, conventionally, as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-276988, each of such functions as a mail measurement function, a postage calculation display function, an article sales function, a state monitoring function, a self-diagnosis function, and an information communication function was provided. A post box has been proposed.

[0003]

The additional functions suitable for the post box are not only essential functions related to the postal business, but also select places where there are many traffics, and cover the whole country. It is all about taking advantage of such locational conditions. However, the post-post functions that have been proposed as post-post functions are infrequently used, so that no effect can be expected in proportion to the investment, and the possibility of realization is low.
By the way, the collection time of the post box is determined as described above, but the post box is not always patroled depending on road conditions, weather, and the like. Therefore, despite the mailing before the scheduled time, it was already collected, the postmark date was delayed by one day and it was not recognized as posting within the sweepstakes application deadline, or the delivery date was unexpected and the holidays were closed It is supposed to be delivered before, but after consecutive holidays, it may be delayed if it continues on holidays, and it may be delivered several days later than expected. In addition, it is difficult to confirm the current location in an unfamiliar land, but the shop is closed at night, and it is difficult to ask in a town where traffic is cut off. If there is a map of the neighborhood nearby, you can refer to it, but the form and location of the map vary, and there is no certainty that it is posted, so it cannot be the best to find a map.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a postal mailbox that has the potential to become a standard model in the future by adding functions that are indispensable to a postal mailbox. In order to be able to recognize the information of the scheduled mail collection time of the next time corresponding to the situation, display means for displaying the scheduled collection time of mail, storage means for storing data of the scheduled collection time of mail, Updating means for updating the display of the scheduled collection time based on the data each time the mail is collected. And the updating means can be interlocked with the opening and closing operation of the door, and the storage means stores a response message,
Detecting that the mail has been posted, automatically enabling the response message to be called, or storing the guidance data of the area where each post is installed in the storage means,
The stored guidance data can be called at any time, or specific voice data can be selectively called out of the stored guidance data to be announced.

[0005]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A mail post according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a post box. At the upper front part of the box, there are provided mail entry ports 1, 1 which are divided into express mail or foreign mail and ordinary mail.
Below that, a display panel 2 for displaying the current time and the scheduled collection time is provided as a display means. In the lower part of the display panel 2, a map 3 centering on the post box and describing the roads and buildings around the post box is displayed. A call button switch 4 and a foreign language selection button switch 4 'for a voice guide relating to the geography of the user are provided.

On the other hand, a lockable door 5 is provided on the side surface of the box, and a plate 6 on which a scheduled timetable for collection is printed is adhered to the surface of the door 5. The door 5
The lock part has a sensor that detects the opening and closing operation, and the mail entry port has a normally-closed shutter that blocks the entry of rainwater and dust. , The sensor detects that the shutter has been opened, and a shutter opening operation signal is issued. Further, a speaker 7 is provided in front of the box.

A pole 8a is provided upright at the rear of the box, and a solar cell 8 is mounted on an upper end of the pole 8a. From the solar cell 8, a control box incorporated in the box is provided. (Not shown)
Power is supplied to the control box, and the control box sequentially charges the supplied electricity to prepare for nighttime, and is consumed for executing a program described later.

[0008] In the control box, a memory as a storage means, a calendar function for recognizing the current time,
A CPU for executing the program is incorporated, and all scheduled mail collection times are stored in the memory. And the current time is always displayed based on the information of the calendar function, and the scheduled collection time is selected at the time of initial setting, the collection scheduled time that reaches the shortest time from the current time,
The time is displayed.

The CPU is programmed with updating means for updating the scheduled collection time based on the door opening / closing operation detection signal. The operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2 showing an example of the program. When the door is opened and closed to collect the data, step S1 (hereinafter S1) is performed.
And the same applies to other steps)
, The opening / closing of the door 5 is recognized, and the display field of the scheduled collection time on the display panel 2 is updated to the next scheduled collection time.
Also, when the mail is posted, it receives a signal from the sensor attached to the shutter, recognizes that the mail has been posted in S2, and uses the speaker 7 to "leave the mail." And send a confirmation message.

Further, the post box is provided with a guide function in addition to the function of displaying the scheduled collection time described above. When the call button switch 4 is operated in addition to the map 3 described above, this guide function recognizes that the push button switch 4 has been pressed in S3, and automatically outputs the geography in the vicinity to the speaker 7 from the speaker 7. Let me know by message,
Even visually impaired people can clearly grasp the surrounding situation. The voice message can be arbitrarily selected from among a plurality of voice messages stored in the memory by the number of times the call button switch is pressed. By pressing ', it is also possible to select a voice message in a foreign language.

Although the postbox of the above embodiment uses a solar cell as a power source, it operates economically and effectively in a place where a power source cannot be secured. However, a power line may be used. When a solar cell is used, it is desirable to install the solar cell in a high place so that it is hard to be shaded and children do not play mischief, but it can also be directly assembled to a post box.
Also, since the current time and the scheduled collection time are displayed,
The expected time until the next pickup can be clearly recognized. In addition, because it has a guide function, even if you can not find the way, you can quickly find the destination location by finding a post.

[0012] The collection schedule display means can be made recognizable by displaying a discrimination display by turning on a light on a list of scheduled collection times. Use a mechanical type that changes the scale by opening the door, or not interlock with the opening and closing operation of the door,
A non-interlocking type in which the collector changes the display by pressing a switch provided inside the box every time the collector collects the information, or the collector can change the time plate by hand and replace the time plate as appropriate. The response message can also be used to announce the next collection time, and advertisement data can be incorporated into the guidance data to reduce expenses, such as obtaining profits from sponsors.

[0013]

According to the present invention, the next scheduled collection time is updated at each collection, so that the delivery date can be easily predicted.
If it is determined that a late delivery is anticipated, it will be treated as express delivery, so that it is not necessary to worry about whether posting is immediately after collection or immediately before collection, and it is possible to respond appropriately. If the updating means is linked to the opening and closing operation of the door, the display of the scheduled collection time is reliably updated, and the update is not forgotten and the reliability is high. In addition, by adding a response message, not only does the user not have anxiety after posting the mail, but also a kind of communication can be achieved, which leads to an enhancement of the image of the post box. Further, by adding the guide function, the merit of maximizing the location condition of the post box is exhibited, and if it is adopted by voice, it can be widely used by persons with visual impairment.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the appearance of a post box according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a program.

[Explanation of symbols]

1. Mail entry port 2. Display panel 3. Map
4. Call button switch, 4 '... foreign language selection button switch, 5 ... door, 6 plate, 7 speaker, 8 solar cell.

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Toshihisa Fujiwara 3-9-1, Yoshino, Higashi-ku, Nagoya-shi Aps International Co., Ltd. Inventor Tadashi Kitamura Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya-shi, Showa-ku, Nagoya-shi (72) Inventor Norio Watanabe 1-1-1, Baba, Hikone-shi, Shiga Prefecture

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A post box capable of recognizing information on the next scheduled mail collection time corresponding to the collection status. 2. A display means for displaying the scheduled collection time of postal matter, a storage means for storing data of the scheduled collection time of the postal matter, and each time the postal matter is collected, the collection time of the planned collection time is determined based on the data. And updating means for updating the display.
Post box described in. 3. The post box according to claim 1, wherein the updating means can be linked to an opening and closing operation of the door. 4. The post box according to claim 2, wherein a response message is stored in the storage means, and the response message can be automatically called upon detecting that the mail has been posted. . 5. The mail post according to claim 2, wherein the storage means stores guidance data of an area where each post is installed, and the stored guidance data can be called at any time. . 6. The post box according to claim 5, wherein specific voice data can be selectively called out from the stored guidance data so that an announcement can be made.