JP2021103455A - Server, system, control method of server, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a server, a system, a control method of the server, a program, and an electronic apparatus that can improve the efficiency of package delivery in a service of delivering packages to recipients.SOLUTION: A server that can connect, in a wired or wireless manner, to a container device that houses a package delivered to a recipient, and another electronic apparatus, includes a communication unit and a controller. The communication unit communicates with the container device and the other electronic apparatus. The controller controls a reservation request for the container device so as to be transmitted to the container device by the communication unit based on a request from the other electronic apparatus received by the communication unit. The controller controls a request for reservation cancellation of the container device so as to be transmitted to the container device by the communication unit in the elapse of a predetermined time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to servers, systems, server control methods, and programs.

In recent years, with the growth of the e-commerce market, the number of parcel delivery services handled when products sold by mail order, for example, are delivered has increased rapidly. In addition, the number of nuclear family households and single-person households is increasing, especially in urban areas of Japan. For this reason, when the courier delivers the package, the recipient is often absent, which may force redelivery.

In order to deal with such a situation, a delivery storage box may be installed at the entrance of a condominium such as an apartment or a condominium. The delivery storage box can store the delivery even if the delivery addressed to the recipient is delivered while the recipient is absent. Attempts have been proposed to efficiently use such a delivery storage box.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a delivery box capable of accommodating a product to be delivered to a delivery destination, in which an electronic lock is attached to the door thereof. When the product is stored in the delivery box, the key (password) for unlocking the electronic lock is transmitted to the user terminal and the delivery box.

International Publication No. WO2018 / 207269

Efficient delivery of packages in services that deliver packages to recipients can be beneficial to both the carrier and the recipient of the package.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a server, a system, a server control method, and a program capable of streamlining the delivery of a package in a service of delivering the package to a recipient.

The server according to one embodiment is
A server that can be wired or wirelessly connected to a containment device and other electronic devices that house the package delivered to the recipient.
A communication unit that communicates with the accommodating device and the other electronic device,
It includes a controller that controls the communication unit to transmit a reservation request for the accommodation device to the accommodation device based on a request from the other electronic device received by the communication unit.
The controller controls the communication unit to transmit a request for canceling the reservation of the accommodating device to the accommodating device after a lapse of a predetermined time.

The server according to one embodiment is
A server that can be wired or wirelessly connected to other servers that communicate with the containment device that houses the package delivered to the recipient, and to other electronic devices.
A communication unit that communicates with the other server and the other electronic device,
It includes a controller that controls the communication unit to transmit a reservation request for the accommodating device to the other server based on a request from the other electronic device received by the communication unit.
The controller notifies the other electronic device that the accommodating device has been reserved based on the notification that the communication unit receives from the other server and that the accommodating device has been reserved. Control to send to a different electronic device.

The system according to one embodiment is
A containment device for accommodating packages delivered to the recipient,
At least with a server that communicates with the containment device
A system including at least a terminal that communicates with the server.
Based on the request from the terminal, the server transmits a request for reservation of the accommodation device to the accommodation device, and after a predetermined time elapses, transmits a request for canceling the reservation of the accommodation device to the accommodation device. ..

The server control method according to one embodiment is
A method of controlling a server that can be connected to a containment device and other electronic devices that accommodate the goods delivered to the recipient by wire or wirelessly.
A step of controlling the server to transmit a reservation request for the containment device to the containment device based on a request from the other electronic device received by the server.
After a lapse of a predetermined time, a step of controlling the request for cancellation of the reservation of the containment device to be transmitted to the containment device, and
including.

The server control method according to one embodiment is
A method of controlling a server that can be connected to other servers and other electronic devices by wire or wirelessly, which communicates with a storage device that houses the package delivered to the recipient.
A step of controlling the reservation request of the accommodating device to be transmitted to the other server based on the request from the other electronic device.
Based on the notification received from the other server and the notification that the accommodation device has been reserved, the notification that the accommodation device has been reserved is transmitted to an electronic device different from the other electronic device. And the steps to control
including.

The program according to one embodiment
To a computer that can be wired or wirelessly connected to a containment device and other electronic devices that house the package delivered to the recipient.
A step of controlling the server to transmit a reservation request for the containment device to the containment device based on a request from the other electronic device received by the server.
After a lapse of a predetermined time, a step of controlling the request for cancellation of the reservation of the containment device to be transmitted to the containment device, and
To execute.

The program according to one embodiment
To a computer that can be wired or wirelessly connected to other servers and other electronic devices that communicate with the containment device that houses the package delivered to the recipient.
A step of controlling the reservation request of the accommodating device to be transmitted to the other server based on the request from the other electronic device.
Based on the notification received from the other server and the notification that the accommodation device has been reserved, the notification that the accommodation device has been reserved is transmitted to an electronic device different from the other electronic device. And the steps to control
To execute.

According to one embodiment, it is possible to provide a server, a system, a server control method, and a program capable of streamlining the delivery of a package in a service of delivering the package to a recipient.

It is a block diagram of the delivery system which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram which shows schematic structure of the management server which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram which shows schematic structure of the delivery box which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram which shows schematic structure of the vendor server which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram which shows schematic structure of the trader terminal which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram which shows schematic structure of the recipient terminal which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the operation of the system which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the display in the display part of the trader terminal which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the display in the display part of the trader terminal which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the display in the display part of the recipient terminal which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the operation of the system which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the operation of the system which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the display in the display part of the trader terminal which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the operation of the system which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the display in the display part of the delivery box which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the operation of the system which concerns on one Embodiment.

In the present disclosure, the "accommodation device" may be a device for accommodating packages such as goods delivered by, for example, a courier service. For example, the "storage device" may be something like the delivery storage box as described above. Specifically, the "accommodation device" may be, for example, a delivery box or a delivery locker. Further, in the present disclosure, the "accommodation device" may be a device or device driven by electric power. Here, "accommodation" may mean that an article such as a delivered product is stored in a certain place. In the present disclosure, the "user" of the containment device may be a person who uses the containment device according to the embodiment. Here, the "user" of the accommodation device is not only a person related to the recipient such as the recipient of the package delivered by the courier and his / her family, but also a delivery company that delivers the package by the courier, for example. Personnel may also be included.

Further, in the present disclosure, the "courier service" may typically be a service for delivering a lightweight small package to a general household or the like. However, the "courier service" in the present disclosure is not limited to services for general households and the like. Further, the parcel delivered by the "courier service" in the present disclosure does not have to be lightweight and is not limited to small parcels. Further, in the present disclosure, the "baggage" may be an article to be transported or transported, such as a product delivered by a delivery company such as a courier.

Hereinafter, the system including the management server according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a system according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the system 1 according to the embodiment may be configured to include the management server 10 and the vendor server 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the management server 10 and the vendor server 20 may be connected by wire or wirelessly via the network N. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the system 1 according to one embodiment may include a delivery box 100, a trader terminal 200, and a recipient terminal 300. In FIG. 1, a broken line shows how each element can be connected by wire or wirelessly.

In the present disclosure, the "server" may be a computer that provides services. That is, the "server" may be a computer and / or software that functions to provide information and / or processing results in response to a request from a client, such as a server in a client-server model.

The management server 10 according to the embodiment is a server that manages and / or controls the delivery box 100. The management server 10 according to the embodiment may be a server operated by a delivery company that delivers a package to a storage device such as a delivery box 100 (for example, when the recipient is absent). On the other hand, the management server 10 according to the embodiment does not necessarily have to be operated by the delivery company. The management server 10 according to the embodiment may be, for example, a server operated by a company that provides a service that collectively manages delivery boxes of a plurality of delivery companies (including other companies in the same industry). Further, the management server 10 may be, for example, a cloud server that provides a cloud service.

The management server 10 manages and / or controls at least one delivery box 100. In FIG. 1, the management server 10 is connected to the delivery box 100A, the delivery box 100B, and the delivery box 100C. The management server 10 is at least one, and may be connected to any number of delivery boxes 100 by wire or wirelessly. In the present disclosure, when a plurality of delivery boxes such as the delivery box 100A and the delivery box 100B are not particularly distinguished, they may be simply referred to as "delivery box 100".

The delivery box 100 according to the embodiment may be a storage device that can be used as a delivery box such as the above-mentioned delivery box or a delivery locker. The parcel delivery box 100 according to the embodiment may be a device that stores a package such as a product delivered by a delivery company such as a courier company until the recipient receives it. That is, a delivery company such as a courier company can store the package in the delivery box 100 when the recipient of the package such as the delivered product is absent. In addition, the recipient of the parcel such as the delivered product can take out the parcel delivered from the delivery box 100, for example, while he / she is absent. As described above, each of the at least one delivery box 100 is managed and / or controlled by the management server 10. In FIG. 1, the delivery box 100 is illustrated so as to be connectable to the management server 10. However, the delivery box 100 may be able to connect to the management server 10 via, for example, the network N.

The management server 10 may be connected to at least one vendor server 20 by wire or wirelessly via the network N. In FIG. 1, the management server 10 is connected to the trader server 20A, the trader server 20B, and the trader server 20C. The management server 10 is at least one, and may be connected to any number of vendor servers 20 by wire or wirelessly. In the present disclosure, when a plurality of vendor servers 20 such as the vendor server 20A and the vendor server 20B are not particularly distinguished, they may be simply referred to as "trader server 20".

The vendor server 20 according to the embodiment may be a server typically used by the staff of a vendor that provides a delivery service such as a courier service. For example, the trader server 20A may be a server used by the staff of company A, which is a trader that provides delivery services and the like. Further, the trader server 20B may be a server used by the staff of company B, which is a trader that provides delivery services and the like. Further, the trader server 20C may be a server used by the staff of company C, which is a trader that provides delivery services and the like.

The vendor server 20 transmits, for example, various information regarding the delivery of a package in response to a request. Further, the trader server 20 may generate and provide a delivery plan of the package that the staff is in charge of, for example, in response to a request from the staff who performs the delivery.

In FIG. 1, the trader server 20A is connected to the trader terminal 200Aa, the trader terminal 200Ab, and the trader terminal 200Ac. The trader server 20B is connected to the trader terminal 200Ba, the trader terminal 200Bb, and the trader terminal 200Bc. Further, the trader server 20C is connected to the trader terminal 200Ca, the trader terminal 200Cb, and the trader terminal 200Cc. As described above, the trader server 20A, the trader server 20B, and the trader server 20C may be connected to at least one trader terminal 200 by wire or wirelessly.

In the present disclosure, when a plurality of trader terminals such as the trader terminal 200Aa and the trader terminal 200Ab are not particularly distinguished, it may be simply referred to as "trader terminal 200A". Similarly, in the present disclosure, when a plurality of trader terminals such as the trader terminal 200Ba and the trader terminal 200Bb are not particularly distinguished, it may be simply referred to as "trader terminal 200B". Similarly, in the present disclosure, when a plurality of trader terminals such as the trader terminal 200Ca and the trader terminal 200Cb are not particularly distinguished, it may be simply referred to as "trader terminal 200C". Further, in the present disclosure, when a plurality of trader terminals such as the trader terminal 200A and the trader terminal 200B are not particularly distinguished, it may be simply referred to as "trader terminal 200".

The trader terminal 200 may be a terminal typically used by the staff of a trader who provides a delivery service such as a courier service. For example, the trader terminal 200A may be used by the staff of company A, which is a trader that provides a delivery service or the like. Further, the trader terminal 200B may be used by the staff of company B, which is a trader that provides a delivery service or the like. Further, the trader terminal 200C may be used by the staff of company C, which is a trader that provides a delivery service or the like.

The trader terminal 200 according to the embodiment is used as a terminal used by the staff of a trader who provides a delivery service such as a courier service, which collects the parcel from the customer or delivers the parcel to the recipient. Good. For example, the trader terminal 200 may be a terminal in which the staff of a trader who provides a delivery service such as a courier service inputs information on delivery when accepting a delivery request. For example, the trader terminal 200 may be a code reader having a function of reading a bar code or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark). Further, the trader terminal 200 may be a terminal such as a car navigation system used in a delivery vehicle on which the staff of a trader who provides a delivery service such as a courier service rides. In addition, the trader terminal 200 may be various terminals capable of transmitting and / or receiving information provided for the work of the staff of the trader who provides the delivery service and the like. In FIG. 1, the trader terminal 200 is illustrated so as to be able to connect to the trader server 20. However, the trader terminal 200 may be able to connect to the trader server 20 via, for example, the network N.

The system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a recipient terminal 300A, a recipient terminal 300B, and a recipient terminal 300C as an example. In the present disclosure, when a plurality of recipient terminals such as the recipient terminal 300A and the recipient terminal 300B are not particularly distinguished, it may be simply referred to as "recipient terminal 300". In one embodiment, the recipient terminal 300 may be a terminal used by the recipient of the delivered package.

As shown in FIG. 1, the recipient terminal 300A may be used by the recipient who lives in the residence where the delivery box 100A is installed. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the recipient terminal 300C may be used by the recipient who lives in the residence where the delivery box 100C is installed. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the recipient terminal 300B may be used by a recipient who lives in a residence where a delivery box is not installed.

In FIG. 1, the recipient terminal 300 is connected to the management server 10 via the network N. However, the recipient terminal 300 may be connected to the management server 10 without going through the network N. Further, the recipient terminal 300 may be connected to at least one of the delivery box 100, the trader server 20, and the trader terminal 200, for example, by wire or wirelessly.

The recipient terminal 300 according to the embodiment may be a dedicated terminal adapted to the system 1, or may be, for example, a conventional smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, or the like. For example, when a conventional smartphone, mobile phone, tablet terminal, or the like is used as the recipient terminal 300, for example, the application used in the system 1 may be installed on the recipient terminal 300. Further, the recipient terminal 300 may be realized on an Internet browser. In this case, the recipient terminal 300 is not limited to a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, or the like, and may be a notebook PC, a desktop PC, or the like.

The network N shown in FIG. 1 is composed of wired, wireless, or any combination of wired and wireless. The network N is arbitrary, such as the Internet or an intranet, as long as it enables communication between the management server 10 and other electronic devices such as the trader server 20, the trader terminal 200, and at least one of the recipient terminals 300. It may be a network.

Next, the configurations of the management server 10, the delivery box 100, the trader server 20, the trader terminal 200, and the recipient terminal 300 shown in FIG. 1 will be described in more detail.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the management server 10 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the management server 10 according to the embodiment includes a controller 12, a storage unit 14, and a communication unit 16. The management server 10 according to the embodiment may not include a part of the functional unit shown in FIG. 2, or may include a functional unit other than that shown in FIG.

The controller 12 executes various functions for controlling and / or managing the management server 10. The controller 12 may include at least one processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), to provide control and processing power to perform various functions. The controller 12 may be realized collectively by one processor, by several processors, or by individual processors. The processor may be implemented as a single integrated circuit. The integrated circuit is also called an IC (Integrated Circuit). The processor may be implemented as a plurality of communicably connected integrated circuits and discrete circuits. The processor may be implemented on the basis of various other known techniques. In one embodiment, the controller 12 may be configured as, for example, a CPU and a program executed by the CPU. The program executed by the controller 12, the result of the processing executed by the controller 12, and the like may be stored in the storage unit 14. The operation of the controller 12 of the management server 10 according to the embodiment will be further described later.

In one embodiment, the controller 12 may include a function of measuring time, such as a timer function. The controller 12 may have a function of starting time measurement based on a predetermined trigger. Further, the controller 12 may have a function of measuring a predetermined time. Further, the controller 12 may have a function of notifying, for example, another functional unit of the passage of a predetermined time.

The storage unit 14 stores various information acquired from the controller 12, the communication unit 16, and the like. In one embodiment, the storage unit 14 may store information input by a user or the like. Further, the storage unit 14 stores a program or the like executed by the controller 12. In addition, the storage unit 14 also stores various data such as calculation results by the controller 12. Further, the storage unit 14 may also include a work memory or the like when the controller 12 operates. The storage unit 14 can be configured by, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or the like, but is not limited to these, and can be any storage device. For example, the storage unit 14 may be a storage medium such as a memory card inserted in the management server 10 according to the embodiment. Further, the storage unit 14 may be the internal memory of the CPU used as the controller 12.

The communication unit 16 can realize various functions including wireless communication. The communication unit 16 may realize communication by various communication methods such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G, or 5G. The communication unit 16 may include, for example, a modem whose communication method is standardized in ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector). Further, the communication unit 16 may realize wireless communication by various methods such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication unit 16 may wirelessly communicate with a communication unit of an external device such as an external server or a cloud server via a network, for example, via an antenna. In one embodiment, the communication unit 16 may receive various information from an external database such as an external server or a cloud server. The information received by the communication unit 16 may be supplied to, for example, the controller 12 and / or the storage unit 14. Further, the information transmitted from the communication unit 16 may be supplied from, for example, the controller 12 and / or the storage unit 14.

Various information transmitted and received by the communication unit 16 may be stored in the storage unit 14, for example. The communication unit 16 may be configured to include, for example, an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves, an appropriate RF unit, and the like. The communication unit 16 can be configured by a known technique for performing wireless communication. Further, the communication unit 16 may serve as an interface for the management server 10 to perform wired communication with other electronic devices.

In one embodiment, the communication unit 16 of the management server 10 shown in FIG. 2 may communicate with the communication unit 106 (FIG. 3) of the delivery box 100 by wire or wirelessly. Further, the communication unit 16 may communicate with the communication unit 26 (FIG. 4) of the vendor server 20 by wire or wirelessly. Further, the communication unit 16 may communicate with the communication unit 206 (FIG. 5) of the trader terminal 200 by wire or wirelessly. Further, the communication unit 16 may communicate with the communication unit 306 (FIG. 6) of the recipient terminal 300 by wire or wirelessly. The communication unit 16 may communicate with at least one of the communication unit 26 of the trader server 20 and the communication unit 206 of the trader terminal 200 by wire or wirelessly. Thus, in one embodiment, the communication unit 16 is an accommodating device such as a delivery box 100 and other electronic devices such as at least one of a vendor server 20, a vendor terminal 200, and a recipient terminal 300. May communicate with. Further, the communication unit 16 may wirelessly communicate with a communication unit of another electronic device such as an information processing device that functions as an external server, for example.

The management server 10 according to the embodiment may have the same hardware configuration as the server in the general client-server model. Further, as described above, the management server 10 according to the embodiment may be, for example, a cloud server that provides a cloud service.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the delivery box 100 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the delivery box 100 according to the embodiment includes a controller 102, a storage unit 104, and a communication unit 106. Further, the delivery box 100 according to the embodiment may include a reading unit 108, an operation unit 110, and a display unit 112. Further, the delivery box 100 according to the embodiment may include a storage unit 120, a door 122, an electronic lock 124, an open / close detection unit 130, and a weight detection unit 132. The delivery box 100 according to the embodiment may not include a part of the functional unit shown in FIG. 3, or may include a functional unit other than that shown in FIG.

The controller 102 executes various functions for controlling and / or managing the delivery box 100. The controller 102 may be configured as, for example, the controller 12 shown in FIG.

The storage unit 104 stores various information acquired from the controller 102, the communication unit 106, and the like. Further, the storage unit 104 stores a program or the like executed by the controller 102. In addition, the storage unit 104 also stores various data such as calculation results by the controller 102. The storage unit 104 may be configured as, for example, the storage unit 14 shown in FIG.

The communication unit 106 may communicate with the communication unit 16 of the management server 10 shown in FIG. 2 by wire or wirelessly. In this case, the communication unit 106 may communicate with the communication unit 16 of the management server 10 via the network N. The communication unit 106 may be configured as, for example, the communication unit 16 shown in FIG.

The reading unit 108 may be configured by, for example, a bar code reader and / or a camera for reading information identifying a recipient who receives the package housed in the delivery box 100. In this case, the camera may be composed of various imaging devices such as a CCD image sensor. In one embodiment, the recipient who receives the package contained in the delivery box 100 is identified as a one-dimensional barcode or QR code (registered trademark) displayed on the display unit of the recipient terminal such as a smartphone. The image may be held over the reading unit 108. In this case, the delivery box 100 is a legitimate delivery box 100 in which the recipient should receive the package contained in the delivery box 100 by authenticating an identification image such as a one-dimensional barcode or a QR code (registered trademark). You may authenticate whether you are a person or not.

If the recipient of the package is authenticated as a legitimate person, the delivery box 100 may release the electronic lock 124 of the door 122. Further, if the recipient of the package is not authenticated as a legitimate person, the delivery box 100 may not release the electronic lock 124 of the door 122. In this way, only the legitimate recipient can receive the parcel contained in the parcel delivery box 100. In one embodiment, the identification image read by the reading unit 108 is not limited to a one-dimensional code such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark), and may be any identification image. Further, in one embodiment, the identification information read by the reading unit 108 is not limited to the image information, and may be arbitrary information such as a passcode composed of characters or character strings. Further, the reading unit 108 is not limited to a functional unit such as a barcode reader and / or a camera, and may be, for example, an RFID reader that reads identification information from an RF tag. The information read by the reading unit 108 may be supplied to, for example, the controller 102 and / or the storage unit 104.

Further, the reading unit 108 may have a function of reading an identification code such as a one-dimensional barcode or a QR code (registered trademark) attached to a delivered package, for example. In this case, the reading unit 108 is not only an identification code such as a one-dimensional barcode or QR code (registered trademark) attached to the package, but also a one-dimensional bar attached to a slip related to delivery of the package, for example. Identification codes such as codes or QR codes (registered trademarks) may be read.

The operation unit 110 detects an operation by a user such as a recipient of a package or a staff member of a delivery company as an input. The operation unit 110 may be configured by an input device such as a keyboard. The operation unit 110 is for the user to operate, for example, a key (physical key) such as a keyboard, a button (physical button), a switch (mechanical switch), and / or a pointing device such as a mouse or a trackball. It may be any input device used. In one embodiment, the operating unit 110 can be a variety of known input devices. The operation signal (input signal) detected by the operation unit 110 may be supplied to, for example, the controller 102 and / or the storage unit 104.

Further, the operation unit 110 may be an input device such as a touch panel or a touch sensor. In this case, the operation unit 110 may employ various types of touch panels such as a resistive film type, a capacitance type, or an optical type.

The display unit 112 may be any display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display (Organic Electro-Luminescence panel), or an inorganic EL display (Inorganic Electro-Luminescence panel). The display unit 112 may display various types of information such as characters, figures, and symbols. The display unit 112 may display objects constituting various GUIs such as pointers, icon images, and the like in order to prompt the user who operates the delivery box 100 to operate the delivery box 100. Various data necessary for displaying on the display unit 112 may be supplied from, for example, the controller 102 or the storage unit 104. Further, the display unit 112 may be configured to include a backlight or the like as appropriate.

Further, the delivery box 100 according to the embodiment may include, instead of the display unit 112, or together with the display unit 112, a speaker or the like that transmits various information to the user who operates the delivery box 100 by voice.

In one embodiment, the display unit 112 may be configured together with the operation unit 110 as, for example, a touch screen display. In this case, the touch screen display may include a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display as the display unit 112. Further, in this case, the touch screen display may include, for example, a touch sensor or a touch panel for detecting the presence or absence of contact by the user and the position of the contact as the operation unit 110. In such a configuration, for example, a key such as a numeric keypad or an icon may be displayed as an object on the display unit 112, and an operation in which an operator (user) contacts the object may be detected by the operation unit 110. it can.

The storage unit 120 is a space that can store the parcel delivered to the recipient in the delivery box 100. That is, when the staff of the delivery company delivers the package to the address of the recipient, if the recipient is absent, the staff of the delivery company can accommodate the package in the storage unit 120 of the delivery box 100. The storage unit 120 may form, for example, the housing of the delivery box 100. When the delivery box 100 is installed at the entrance of a condominium such as an apartment or condominium, the delivery box 100 may be configured to include a plurality of accommodating units 120.

The door 122 may be attached to a place where the luggage to be accommodated is taken in and out in the accommodating portion 120. The door 122 may be configured so that at least a part of the accommodating portion 120 can be opened and closed. By configuring the delivery box 100 to open the door 122, the recipient of the package can take out the package contained in the delivery box 100. Further, by configuring the door 122 to close, it is possible to prevent, for example, a person other than the recipient from taking out the package until the recipient takes out the package contained in the delivery box 100. When the delivery box 100 includes a plurality of accommodating portions 120, a door 122 may be attached to each accommodating portion 120.

The door 122 may be configured to open and close automatically, for example, under the control of a controller 102. Further, the door 122 may be configured to be manually opened and closed by a user, for example.

The electronic lock 124 can be locked / unlocked with the door 122 closed. The electronic lock 124 may, for example, electronically lock the door 122. In one embodiment, the electronic lock 124 may selectively lock and unlock at least one of the plurality of doors 122. In this case, the locking and unlocking of the controller 102 and the electronic lock 124 may be controlled. When the delivery box 100 includes a plurality of accommodating portions 120, an electronic lock 124 may be attached to each door 122 of each accommodating portion 120.

At least one of the storage unit 120, the door 122, and the electronic lock 124 shown in FIG. 3 may be configured in the same manner as a delivery storage box such as a conventional delivery box or a delivery locker.

The open / close detection unit 130 may be a sensor that detects whether the door 122 is in the closed state or the open state. For example, the open / close detection unit 130 may be a sensor that detects the presence or absence of contact between the door 122 and the accommodating unit 120. In this case, if the contact point between the door 122 and the accommodating unit 120 is in contact with each other, the open / close detection unit 130 can detect that the door 122 is in the closed state. On the other hand, if the contact points between the door 122 and the accommodating unit 120 are not in contact with each other, the open / close detection unit 130 can detect that the door 122 is in the open state. Further, the open / close detection unit 130 may be a sensor for detecting whether the electronic lock 124 is in the locked state or the unlocked state. In this case, the open / close detection unit 130 may determine whether the electronic lock 124 is in the locked state or the unlocked state, for example, based on the status signal of the electronic lock 124. A signal based on the result detected by the open / close detection unit 130 may be supplied to, for example, the controller 102 and / or the storage unit 104.

The weight detection unit 132 may be a sensor that detects the weight of the load contained in the storage unit 120. The weight detection unit 132 may be a sensor that detects the weight of the load contained in the storage unit 120 with high accuracy. Further, the weight detection unit 132 may be a sensor that detects the weight of the load contained in the storage unit 120 with coarse accuracy. In one embodiment, the weight detection unit 132 may be able to detect the weight of the load with an accuracy that can determine whether or not the load is stored in the storage unit 120. If the weight detection unit 132 detects a certain amount of weight inside the storage unit 120, it can be determined that the load is stored inside the storage unit 120. On the other hand, if the weight detection unit 132 does not detect a certain amount of weight inside the storage unit 120 (for example, the weight is almost zero), it can be determined that the load is not stored inside the storage unit 120. ..

The weight detection unit 132 determines whether or not the load is housed inside the storage unit 120 based on the weight of the detected load. In one embodiment, instead of the weight detecting unit 132, an imaging device such as a camera may be used to determine whether or not the load is accommodated inside the accommodating unit 120. A signal based on the result detected by the weight detection unit 132 may be supplied to, for example, the controller 102 and / or the storage unit 104.

Depending on the configuration of the delivery box 100, for example, it may be configured to include only one of the open / close detection unit 130 and the weight detection unit 132, or may be configured not to include either of them.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the vendor server 20 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 4, the vendor server 20 according to the embodiment includes a controller 22, a storage unit 24, and a communication unit 26. The contractor server 20 according to the embodiment may not include a part of the functional unit shown in FIG. 4, or may include a functional unit other than that shown in FIG. As described above, the trader server 20 may be a server typically used by the staff of a trader who provides a delivery service such as a courier service.

The controller 22 executes various functions for controlling and / or managing the vendor server 20. The controller 22 may be configured as, for example, the controller 12 shown in FIG.

The storage unit 24 stores various information acquired from the controller 22, the communication unit 26, and the like. Further, the storage unit 24 stores a program or the like executed by the controller 22. In addition, the storage unit 24 also stores various data such as calculation results by the controller 22. The storage unit 24 may be configured as, for example, the storage unit 14 shown in FIG.

The communication unit 26 may communicate with the communication unit 16 of the management server 10 shown in FIG. 2 by wire or wirelessly. In this case, the communication unit 26 may communicate with the communication unit 16 of the management server 10 via the network N. Further, the communication unit 26 may communicate with the communication unit 206 (FIG. 5) of the trader terminal 200 by wire or wirelessly. In this case, the communication unit 26 may communicate with the communication unit 206 of the trader terminal 200 via the network N. Further, the communication unit 26 may communicate with the communication unit 306 (FIG. 6) of the recipient terminal 300 by wire or wirelessly. In this case, the communication unit 26 may communicate with the communication unit 306 of the recipient terminal 300 via the network N. The communication unit 26 may be configured as, for example, the communication unit 16 shown in FIG.

As described above, the vendor server 20 according to the embodiment may have the same hardware configuration as the server in the general client-server model. Further, the vendor server 20 according to the embodiment may be, for example, a cloud server that provides a cloud service.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the trader terminal 200 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 5, the trader terminal 200 according to the embodiment includes a controller 202, a storage unit 204, and a communication unit 206. Further, the contractor terminal 200 according to the embodiment may include a reading unit 208, an operation unit 210, and a display unit 212. Further, the contractor terminal 200 according to the embodiment may include a position acquisition unit 240. The contractor terminal 200 according to the embodiment may not include a part of the functional unit shown in FIG. 5, or may include a functional unit other than that shown in FIG.

The controller 202 performs various functions for controlling and / or managing the vendor terminal 200. The controller 202 may be configured as, for example, the controller 12 shown in FIG.

The storage unit 204 stores various information acquired from the controller 202, the communication unit 206, and the like. Further, the storage unit 204 stores a program or the like executed by the controller 202. In addition, the storage unit 204 also stores various data such as the calculation result by the controller 202. The storage unit 204 may be configured as, for example, the storage unit 14 shown in FIG.

The communication unit 206 may communicate with the communication unit 26 of the vendor server 20 shown in FIG. 3 by wire or wirelessly. In this case, the communication unit 206 may communicate with the communication unit 26 of the vendor server 20 via the network N. Further, the communication unit 206 may communicate with the communication unit 16 of the management server 10 shown in FIG. 2 by wire or wirelessly. In this case, the communication unit 206 may communicate with the communication unit 16 of the management server 10 via the network N. The communication unit 206 may be configured as, for example, the communication unit 16 shown in FIG.

The reading unit 208 may be configured by, for example, a barcode reader and / or a camera for reading information that identifies the package delivered by the delivery company. In this case, the camera may be composed of various imaging devices such as a CCD image sensor. In one embodiment, the delivery company staff (eg, the driver of the delivery vehicle) or the like identifies such as a one-dimensional barcode or QR code (registered trademark) displayed on a slip or the like attached to the delivered cargo. The sign may be held over the reading unit 208. In this case, the trader terminal 200 can refer to the information associated with the identification mark by identifying the identification mark such as a one-dimensional bar code or a QR code (registered trademark). Further, the trader terminal 200 can associate other information with the identification mark by identifying the identification mark such as a one-dimensional bar code or a QR code (registered trademark). Other information associated with the identification sign includes, for example, the name (name) of the requester who requested the delivery of the package, the address and recipient name (name) of the package to be delivered, and the desired date and time when the package is delivered. , And at least one of the contents of the package to be delivered.

In one embodiment, the identification mark read by the reading unit 208 is not limited to a one-dimensional code such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark), and may be any identification mark. Further, in one embodiment, the identification information read by the reading unit 108 is not limited to the image information, and may be arbitrary information such as a passcode composed of characters or character strings. Further, the reading unit 208 is not limited to a functional unit such as a barcode reader and / or a camera, and may be, for example, an RFID reader that reads identification information from an RF tag. The information read by the reading unit 208 may be supplied to, for example, the controller 202 and / or the storage unit 204.

As described above, in one embodiment, the trader terminal 200 may be a terminal such as a car navigation system used in a delivery vehicle on which a staff of a trader who provides a delivery service such as a courier service rides. In this case, the trader terminal 200, which is a terminal such as a car navigation system, does not have to include the reading unit 208. Further, the staff in this case may further carry another trader terminal 200. Then, another trader terminal 200 carried by the staff may include a reading unit 208.

The operation unit 210 detects an operation by a user such as a staff member of a delivery company as an input. The operation unit 210 may be configured by an input device such as a keyboard. The operation unit 210 is for the user to operate, for example, a key (physical key) such as a keyboard, a button (physical button), a switch (mechanical switch), and / or a pointing device such as a mouse or a trackball. It may be any input device used. In one embodiment, the operating unit 210 can be a variety of known input devices. The operation signal (input signal) detected by the operation unit 210 may be supplied to, for example, the controller 202 and / or the storage unit 204.

Further, the operation unit 210 may be an input device such as a touch panel or a touch sensor. In this case, the operation unit 210 may employ various types of touch panels such as a resistive film type, a capacitance type, or an optical type.

The display unit 212 may be any display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display (Organic Electro-Luminescence panel), or an inorganic EL display (Inorganic Electro-Luminescence panel). The display unit 212 may display various types of information such as characters, figures, and symbols. The display unit 212 may display objects constituting various GUIs such as pointers, icon images, and the like in order to prompt the user who operates the trader terminal 200 to operate the terminal 200. Various data necessary for displaying on the display unit 212 may be supplied from, for example, the controller 202 or the storage unit 204. Further, the display unit 212 may be configured to include a backlight or the like as appropriate.

Further, the trader terminal 200 according to the embodiment may include, instead of the display unit 212, or together with the display unit 212, a speaker or the like that transmits various information by voice to the user who operates the trader terminal 200.

In one embodiment, the display unit 212 may be configured together with the operation unit 210 as, for example, a touch screen display. In this case, the touch screen display may include a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display as the display unit 212. Further, in this case, the touch screen display may include, for example, a touch sensor or a touch panel for detecting the presence or absence of contact by the user and the position of the contact as the operation unit 210. In such a configuration, for example, a key such as a numeric keypad or an icon can be displayed as an object on the display unit 212, and an operation in which the operator touches the object can be detected by the operation unit 210. In one embodiment, the display unit 212 displays first information (information indicating the probability that the recipient of the package is at home) and second information (information indicating the availability of a storage device such as the delivery box 100), which will be described later. ) May be displayed.

The position acquisition unit 240 acquires information regarding the position of the trader terminal 200. In one embodiment, the position acquisition unit 240 may acquire information regarding the position of the delivery vehicle in which the vendor terminal 200 is installed. Information about the position of the trader terminal 200 detected by the position acquisition unit 240 may be supplied to, for example, the controller 202 and / or the storage unit 204.

The position acquisition unit 240 may acquire position information based on GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) technology or the like. GNSS technology may include any satellite positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System), GLONASS, Galileo, and Quasi-Zenith Satellite (QZSS). The position acquisition unit 240 may be a position information income device such as a GPS module. The position acquisition unit 240 is not limited to the GPS module or the like, and may be configured by any device capable of acquiring information regarding the position.

The position information acquired by the position acquisition unit 240 may include, for example, at least one of latitude information, longitude information, and altitude information. The position information acquired by the position acquisition unit 240 is supplied to the controller 202 and / or the storage unit 204. Based on the position information supplied from the position acquisition unit 240, the controller 202 can grasp the current position of the trader terminal 200 and the like.

Further, the trader terminal 200 does not have to have a mechanism such as a GPS system for acquiring its own position. In this case, the trader terminal 200 obtains the position of the trader terminal 200 from a position acquisition unit such as a GPS system provided in another electronic device such as a smartphone or a mobile phone linked with the trader terminal 200 from, for example, the communication unit 206. You may get it. Further, the trader terminal 200 may acquire the position of the trader terminal 200 from a position acquisition unit such as a GPS system provided in a delivery vehicle on which a staff of a trader who provides a delivery service such as a courier service rides.

As described above, the server (management server 10) according to the embodiment includes a storage device (delivery box 100) for accommodating the package delivered to the recipient and other electronic devices (trader server 20, trader terminal 200, or receiving. It may be connected to the human terminal 300) by wire or wirelessly. Further, the communication unit 206 of the trader terminal 200 may directly or indirectly communicate with the accommodation device (communication unit 106) such as the delivery box 100.

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the recipient terminal 300 according to the embodiment. As described above, the recipient terminal 300 may be a terminal used by the recipient of the delivered package. In FIG. 6, the recipient terminal 300 may be, for example, a conventional smartphone in which the application used in the system 1 is installed. On the other hand, the recipient terminal 300 may be, for example, a dedicated terminal that is supposed to be used in the system 1.

As in the example shown in FIG. 6, the recipient terminal 300 may have the same configuration as the trader terminal 200 shown in FIG. The recipient terminal 300 shown in FIG. 6 may include a controller 302, a storage unit 304, a communication unit 306, a reading unit 308, an operation unit 310, a display unit 312, and a position acquisition unit 340. These functional units may correspond to the functional units shown in FIG. 5, that is, the controller 202, the storage unit 204, the communication unit 206, the reading unit 208, the operation unit 210, the display unit 212, and the position acquisition unit 240. Good.

The communication unit 306 may communicate with the communication unit 16 of the management server 10 shown in FIG. 2 by wire or wirelessly. In this case, the communication unit 306 may communicate with the communication unit 16 of the management server 10 via the network N. Further, the communication unit 306 may communicate with the communication unit 26 of the vendor server 20 shown in FIG. 3 by wire or wirelessly. In this case, the communication unit 306 may communicate with the communication unit 26 of the vendor server 20 via the network N.

Next, the operation of the system 1 including the management server 10 according to the embodiment will be further described. The system 1 including the management server 10 according to the embodiment can be used in various situations when a delivery company or the like provides a service related to delivery.

The mode in which each element included in the system 1 according to the embodiment is used is roughly as follows. First, a staff member such as a delivery company can make a reservation for a delivery box 100 installed in the recipient's residence or the like by using the delivery company terminal 200 before delivering the package to the recipient. When the delivery box 100 is reserved, the recipient of the package can use the recipient terminal 300 to know that the delivery box 100 has been reserved for the package to be delivered. In the delivery box 100 reserved in this way, the reservation is canceled when a predetermined time elapses. Therefore, staff such as courier companies are motivated to deliver the package before the reservation is canceled. Further, if the delivery box 100 remains reserved for a long period of time, the frequency of occurrence of a situation in which other packages cannot be accommodated can be reduced.

When notified that the parcel box 100 has been reserved, the recipient of the parcel either wishes to have the parcel contained in the parcel box 100 or wishes to receive the parcel by hand. , Can be selected. When the recipient selects the storage of the package, a staff member such as a courier company can store the package in the reserved delivery box 100 when the package is delivered. On the other hand, when the delivery of the parcel is selected by the recipient, the staff such as the delivery company can grasp that the recipient desires the delivery of the package by the delivery terminal 200 and the delivery box 100. Therefore, the staff such as the courier can hand the delivered package to the recipient.

It is also assumed that staff such as a courier may not be able to hand the parcel to the recipient when the parcel is delivered, even though the recipient has selected to hand the parcel.
Even in such a case, a staff member such as a courier can accommodate the parcel in the reserved parcel delivery box 100. Hereinafter, each element used in the above-described embodiment in the system 1 according to the embodiment will be further described.

In the following description, the operation in which the management server 10 is the main body may be performed by the control of the controller 12 of the management server 10. That is, the operation "performed by the management server 10" may be an operation "performed by the control of the controller 12." Further, when the management server 10 "stores / records", the storage unit 14 of the management server 10 may store / record. Further, the term "transmit / receive" by the management server 10 may mean that the communication unit 16 of the management server 10 transmits / receives.

Similarly, the operation in which the delivery box 100 is the main body may be performed by the control of the controller 102 of the delivery box 100. That is, the operation "performed by the delivery box 100" may be an operation "performed by the control of the controller 102". Further, when the delivery box 100 "stores / records", the storage unit 104 of the delivery box 100 may store / record. Further, when the delivery box 100 "transmits / receives", the communication unit 106 of the delivery box 100 may transmit / receive.

Similarly, the operation mainly performed by the trader server 20 may be performed under the control of the controller 22 of the trader server 20. That is, the operation "performed by the vendor server 20" may be an operation "performed by the control of the controller 22". Further, the term "store / record" by the vendor server 20 may mean that the storage unit 24 of the vendor server 20 stores / records. Further, the term "transmit / receive" by the vendor server 20 may mean that the communication unit 26 of the vendor server 20 transmits / receives.

Similarly, the operation mainly performed by the trader terminal 200 may be performed by controlling the controller 202 of the trader terminal 200. That is, the operation "performed by the trader terminal 200" may be an operation "performed by the control of the controller 202". Further, the term "store / record" by the trader terminal 200 may mean that the storage unit 204 of the trader terminal 200 stores / records. Further, the term "transmit / receive" by the trader terminal 200 may mean that the communication unit 206 of the trader terminal 200 transmits / receives.

Similarly, the operation mainly performed by the recipient terminal 300 may be performed by controlling the controller 302 of the recipient terminal 300. That is, the operation "performed by the recipient terminal 300" may be an operation "performed by the control of the controller 302". Further, "remembering / recording" by the recipient terminal 300 may mean that the storage unit 304 of the recipient terminal 300 stores / records. Further, the term "transmit / receive" by the recipient terminal 300 may mean that the communication unit 306 of the recipient terminal 300 transmits / receives.

(Reservation application for delivery box 100 at trader terminal 200)
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation in which the recipient terminal 300 is notified that the reservation has been completed based on the application for the reservation of the delivery box 100 using the trader terminal 200 in the system 1. Is. FIG. 7 shows the sequence of operations of each element included in the system 1 in order from the top in chronological order. As shown in FIG. 7, each element included in the system 1 may be a recipient terminal 300, a delivery box 100, a management server 10, a trader server 20, and a trader terminal 200.

The operation shown in FIG. 7 may start when a staff member such as a courier company using the courier terminal 200 is trying to reserve a courier box 100 installed in the residence of a recipient of a package to be delivered. That is, a staff member such as a delivery company has a delivery box 100 installed in a specific package recipient's residence or the like at a stage before delivering the package to the recipient, for example, during a delivery plan. Can be reserved remotely using the trader terminal 200. By reserving the delivery box 100 using the delivery box 200 in this way, it is possible to avoid a situation in which packages delivered by the staff of another delivery company are stored in the reserved delivery box.

Further, at the time when the operation shown in FIG. 7 starts, the trader terminal 200 may display a screen as shown in FIG. 8 on the display unit 212, for example. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of display on the display unit 212 of the trader terminal 200 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the trader terminal 200 may display various information related to the delivery of the package on the display unit 212. For example, as shown near the upper part of the display unit 212 in FIG. 8, the trader terminal 200 may display the current date and time, the delivery area of the staff using the trader terminal 200, the delivery driver name, and the like.

As shown in the display unit 212 of FIG. 8, the trader terminal 200 may display a list of delivered packages. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the trader terminal 200 displays a list of information regarding the seven delivered packages on the display unit 212. In the delivery package list, the vendor terminal 200 displays various information such as the invoice number, whether or not the delivery time is specified or the specified time, the status of the delivery box, and the delivery area for each delivery package on the display unit 212. Good.

In order to perform the display as shown in FIG. 8, the management server 10 may acquire information such as the availability status and / or the reservation status of the delivery box 100 in each area. The management server 10 may manage the delivery box 100 in each area by acquiring information such as the availability and / or reservation status of the delivery box 100 in each area on a regular or irregular basis. The trader terminal 200 may appropriately request (request) the trader server 20 or the management server 10 for information such as the availability status and / or the reservation status of the delivery box 100 in a predetermined area. In this way, the trader terminal 200 can acquire the latest information such as the availability status and / or the reservation status of the delivery box 100 in the predetermined area. The trader terminal 200 may acquire various types of information directly from the management server 10 or may be obtained from the management server 10 via the trader server 20.

In the example shown in FIG. 8, the two packages displayed on the lower side of the display unit 212 may indicate that the delivery has already been completed. That is, the parcels other than the two parcels displayed on the lower side of the display unit 212 may indicate that the parcels to be delivered from now on.

In the example shown in FIG. 8, the third and fifth packages displayed from the top of the delivery package list are displayed as "full" in the item of the delivery box 100. This may indicate that there is no vacancy in the delivery box 100 installed in the residence of the recipient of the package. Therefore, the staff of the courier company cannot accommodate the parcel in the parcel delivery box 100 when the parcel is delivered and the parcel cannot be handed over due to the absence of the recipient or the like. In such a case, the courier staff is forced to redeliver the delivered parcel.

On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 8, the first, second, and fourth packages displayed in the delivery package list are displayed as "empty" in the item of the delivery box 100. This may indicate that the delivery box 100 installed in the residence or the like of the recipient of the package has a vacancy. Therefore, the staff of the courier company can store the parcel in the parcel delivery box 100 even if the parcel cannot be handed over due to the absence of the recipient when the parcel is delivered. If the parcel can be stored in the parcel delivery box 100, the staff of the parcel delivery company does not need to redeliver the delivered parcel.

However, the availability and / or reservation status of the delivery box 100 may change from moment to moment. The trader terminal 200 may appropriately update the display on the display unit 212 by inquiring the management server 10 or the trader server 20 for the latest information such as the availability status and / or the reservation status of the delivery box 100 in the predetermined area. Even if the item of the delivery box 100 on the display unit 212 is "empty" at the time when the staff of the delivery company confirms, the item of the delivery box 100 is "full" by the time the staff arrives at the location of the delivery box 100. It is possible that it has changed to. In such a case, if the recipient cannot hand over the parcel due to absence or the like, the staff of the courier company is still forced to redeliver the delivered parcel.

Therefore, in the system 1 according to the embodiment, the staff of the courier company may reserve the courier box 100 installed in the residence of the recipient of the package to be delivered by the courier terminal 200. As described above, the display unit 212 of the trader terminal 200 may be configured as, for example, a touch screen display together with the operation unit 210. In this case, the trader terminal 200 may detect an operation touched by the staff of the courier company with respect to the item of the package displayed on the display unit 212 as an input to the operation unit 210. For example, it is assumed that the operation unit 210 detects a touch on the column in which the item α shown in FIG. 8 is displayed or the “empty” icon in the column. In this case, the trader terminal 200 transmits a reservation request for the delivery box 100 installed in the residence of the recipient of the package (invoice number 4550-086-0672) to the trader server 20.

In this way, based on the predetermined operation by the staff of the delivery company, the delivery company terminal 200 may determine that the reservation application for the specific delivery box 100 has been made (step S1 shown in FIG. 7). When it is determined that the reservation application for the specific delivery box 100 has been made, the trader terminal 200 transmits the reservation request based on the reservation request to the trader server 20 (step S2). When the trader server 20 receives the reservation request for the specific delivery box 100, the trader server 20 transmits the reservation request to the management server 10 (step S3). In this way, the controller 22 of the trader server 20 controls the communication unit 26 to transmit the reservation request for the delivery box 100 to the management server 10 based on the request from the trader terminal 200 received by the communication unit 26. You can do it. If possible, the trader terminal 200 may send the reservation request for the delivery box 100 directly to the management server 10 without going through the trader server 20.

When the management server 10 receives the reservation request for the specific delivery box 100, the management server 10 transmits the reservation request to the specific delivery box 100 (step S4). In this way, the controller 12 of the management server 10 transmits the request for reservation of the delivery box 100 to the delivery box 100 based on the request from the delivery box 20 or the delivery terminal 200 received by the communication unit 16. You may control it.

Upon receiving the reservation request, the specific delivery box 100 reserves the storage unit 120 for accommodating the package to be delivered (step S5). In step S5, the delivery box 100 may lock the electronic lock 124 of the door 122 so that the door 122 of the storage unit 120 for which the reservation is requested does not open, for example. Therefore, the controller 12 of the management server 10 is controlled to transmit the information requesting the lock (electronic lock 124) of the storage port (door 122) of the delivery box 100 as the information requesting the reservation of the delivery box 100. You may.

When the delivery box 100 is reserved and locked, the delivery box 100 sends a notification to the management server 10 that the delivery box 100 has been reserved (step S6). Upon receiving the notification that the delivery box 100 has been reserved, the management server 10 starts a timer that counts a predetermined time for making a reservation for the delivery box 100 (step S7).

In step S7, the predetermined time for holding the reservation of the delivery box 100 means that the reservation of the delivery box 100 is held before the predetermined time elapses, but when the predetermined time elapses, the delivery box 100 is held. This may be the time when the reservation is canceled. The cancellation of the reservation of the delivery box 100 will be further described later. The predetermined time in step S7 may be appropriately determined, for example, based on the time required to safely deliver the package to the delivery box 100 reserved by the staff of the delivery company. The predetermined time may be, for example, a time determined by the management company of the delivery box 100, the delivery company, or the like. The predetermined time may be a uniformly fixed time such as 30 minutes, or may be a variable time depending on the distance from the current location to the delivery box 100 for delivering the package.

When the timer for counting the predetermined time for holding the reservation of the delivery box 100 is started, the management server 10 transmits a notification to the trader server 20 that the delivery box 100 has been reserved (step S8). Upon receiving the notification that the delivery box 100 has been reserved, the vendor server 20 transmits the notification that the delivery box 100 has been reserved to the vendor terminal 200 (step S9). If possible, the management server 10 may directly transmit the notification that the delivery box 100 has been reserved to the trader terminal 200 without going through the trader server 20.

Upon receiving the notification that the delivery box 100 has been reserved, the trader terminal 200 displays on the display unit 212 that the delivery box 100 has been reserved based on the reservation application for the delivery box 100 in step S1. Step S10).

In step S10, the trader terminal 200 may display a screen as shown in FIG. 9, for example, on the display unit 212. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of display on the display unit 212 of the trader terminal 200 according to the embodiment. For example, in step S10, the trader terminal 200 changes the “empty” icon in the column in which the item α shown in FIG. 8 is displayed to the “reservation” such as in the column in which the item β shown in FIG. 9 is displayed. It may be changed to the icon of and displayed on the display unit 212. By looking at the display on the display unit 212 of the trader terminal 200, the staff of the parcel delivery company can confirm that the parcel delivery box 100 installed in the residence of the recipient of the package to be delivered is reserved.

When the trader server 20 receives the notification that the delivery box 100 has been reserved in step S8, the vendor server 20 may send the notification that the delivery box 100 has been reserved to the recipient terminal 300 (step S11). In step S11, the delivery box 100 identifies the recipient terminal 300 of the recipient of the reserved package, and notifies the recipient terminal 300 that the delivery box 100 has been reserved. You may send it. In this way, the controller 22 of the vendor server 20 indicates that the delivery box 100 has been reserved based on the notification that the communication unit 26 receives from the management server 10 and that the delivery box 100 has been reserved. The notification may be controlled to be transmitted to the recipient terminal 300.

Upon receiving the notification that the delivery box 100 has been reserved, the recipient terminal 300 may display on the display unit 312 that the delivery box 100 has been reserved (step S12).

In step S12, the recipient terminal 300 may display a screen as shown in FIG. 10, for example, on the display unit 312. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of display on the display unit 312 of the recipient terminal 300 according to the embodiment. In step S12, the recipient terminal 300 may display on the display unit 312 that the delivery box 100 (installed in a residence or the like) of the recipient is reserved, for example, as shown in FIG. By looking at such a display, the recipient of the package can know that the package addressed to him / her is scheduled to be delivered by a delivery company or the like soon.

Further, in step S12, the recipient terminal 300 has, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, the invoice number of the package to be delivered, whether or not the delivery time is specified or the specified time, the content of the package, and the name of the company that delivers the package. Various information such as, may be displayed on the display unit 312. By seeing such a display, the recipient of the package can grasp the outline of the package delivered to him / her. In addition, such a display allows the recipient of the package to verify whether or not the company that delivers the package is a legitimate company.

When displaying that the delivery box 100 has been reserved, the recipient terminal 300 may display information on a predetermined time counted by the timer started in step S7 on the display unit 312. For example, in step S7, it is assumed that the management server 10 has started counting 30 minutes as a predetermined time for holding the reservation of the delivery box 100. In this case, the recipient terminal 300 may display a display such as "Luggage will arrive in about 30 minutes at the maximum" on the display unit 312.

In step S12, the recipient terminal 300 may display on the display unit 312 that the delivery box 100 has been reserved, for example, only when a dedicated application that is supposed to be used in the system 1 is started. .. On the other hand, in step S12, the recipient terminal 300 displays, for example, the fact that the delivery box 100 has been reserved on the display unit 312 as a notification (notification) regardless of the application running on the recipient terminal 300. You may. Further, in step S12, the recipient terminal 300 displays some notification on the display unit 312, and when a touch for the notification is detected on the operation unit 310, for example, a screen as shown in FIG. 10 is displayed on the display unit 312. You may.

Further, in step S12, the recipient terminal 300 may display a screen for inquiring the recipient about the method of receiving the delivered package on the display unit 312. In step S12, the recipient terminal 300 may display the "handing" button P1 and the "delivery box" button P2 on the display unit 312 as a method of receiving the delivered package, for example, as shown in FIG. Good. When the operation unit 310 detects a touch on the "handing" button P1, the recipient terminal 300 notifies the staff of the courier company that the recipient wants to hand the cargo. On the other hand, when the operation unit 310 detects a touch on the button P2 of the "delivery box", the recipient terminal 300 notifies the recipient that the parcel is stored in the delivery box 100. Communicate to the staff of the contractor. In this way, the controller 22 of the vendor server 20 may control to send an inquiry regarding the method of receiving the package to the recipient terminal 300 together with the notification that the delivery box 100 has been reserved. The selection of such a baggage receiving method will be further described later.

(Cancellation of reservation for delivery box 100)
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation in which a predetermined time elapses after the delivery box 100 is reserved using the trader terminal 200 in the system 1, and the reservation is canceled. The operation of the management server 10 shown in FIG. 11 may follow the operation of the management server 10 shown in step S7 of FIG. 7. When a predetermined time has elapsed since the management server 10 started counting the timer in step S7 of FIG. 7, the operation of step S21 shown in FIG. 11 may start. That is, the management server 10 may determine that a predetermined time (time for holding the reservation of the delivery box 100) has elapsed in step S21 of FIG. 11 after starting the timer counting in step S7 of FIG. ..

When the time (predetermined time) for holding the reservation of the delivery box 100 elapses, the management server 10 transmits a request for canceling the reservation to the delivery box 100 (step S22). In this way, the controller 12 of the management server 10 may control to transmit the request for canceling the reservation of the delivery box 100 to the delivery box 100 after the lapse of a predetermined time.

Upon receiving the request for canceling the reservation, the delivery box 100 cancels the reservation of the accommodating unit 120 that has already been reserved (step S23). In step S23, the delivery box 100 may unlock the electronic lock 124 of the door 122 so that the door 122 of the accommodating unit 120 requested to cancel the reservation can be opened, for example. Therefore, the controller 12 of the management server 10 requests the unlocking of the storage port (door 122) of the delivery box 100 (unlocking of the electronic lock 124) as the information requesting the cancellation of the reservation of the delivery box 100. May be controlled to send.

When the reservation of the delivery box 100 is canceled, the delivery box 100 transmits a notification to the management server 10 that the reservation of the delivery box 100 has been canceled (step S24). Upon receiving the notification that the reservation of the delivery box 100 has been canceled, the management server 10 transmits the notification that the reservation has been canceled to the vendor server 20 (step S25). Upon receiving the notification that the reservation of the delivery box 100 has been canceled, the trader server 20 transmits the notice that the reservation has been canceled to the trader terminal 200 (step S26). If possible, the management server 10 may directly transmit the notification that the reservation of the delivery box 100 has been canceled to the trader terminal 200 without going through the trader server 20.

Upon receiving the notification that the reservation of the delivery box 100 has been canceled, the trader terminal 200 displays on the display unit 212 that the reservation has been canceled (step S27). For example, in step S27, the trader terminal 200 sets the “reservation” icon in the column in which the item β shown in FIG. 9 is displayed to “empty” such as in the column in which the item α shown in FIG. 8 is displayed. It may be changed to the icon of and displayed on the display unit 212. Further, for example, in step S27, the trader terminal 200 changes the "reservation" icon in the column in which the item β shown in FIG. 9 is displayed to an icon that clearly indicates that the reservation has been canceled. It may be displayed on the display unit 212. By looking at the display on the display unit 212 of the trader terminal 200, the staff of the parcel delivery company can confirm that the reservation of the parcel delivery box 100 that has been reserved has been canceled. In this case, the parcel delivery box 100 for which the reservation has been canceled can accommodate, for example, a parcel delivered by a staff member of another parcel delivery company. Therefore, staff such as courier companies are motivated to deliver the package before the reservation is canceled. Further, if the delivery box 100 remains reserved for a long period of time, the frequency of occurrence of a situation in which other packages cannot be accommodated can be reduced.

(Selection of baggage receiving method at recipient terminal 300)
As described in step S12 of FIG. 7, the recipient terminal 300 transmits the selection by the recipient of the method of receiving the delivered package to the staff of the courier company. Hereinafter, the selection by the recipient of such a package receiving method will be further described.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation in which the method of receiving the package selected by the recipient of the package using the recipient terminal 300 is transmitted to the delivery box 100 and the trader terminal 200 in the system 1. .. The operation of the recipient terminal 300 shown in FIG. 12 may follow the operation of the recipient terminal 300 shown in step S12 of FIG. 7.

As described above, when the recipient terminal 300 performs the operation shown in step S12 of FIG. 7, as shown in FIG. 10, as a method of receiving the delivered package, the "handing" button P1 and the "delivery box" are used. Button P2 may be displayed on the display unit 312. In such a state, when the operation unit 310 detects a touch on the "handing" button P1 or the "delivery box" button P2, the recipient terminal 300 receives the "handing" or "delivery box" by the recipient. Detect selection (step S31 shown in FIG. 12). When the selection of "handing over" or "delivery box" is detected, the recipient terminal 300 transmits a notification of the selection to the management server 10 (step S32). In step S32, the notification of the selection may be a notification indicating whether "handing over" or "delivery box" is selected as the method of receiving the delivered package.

In this way, after the controller 12 of the management server 10 transmits the reservation request for the delivery box 100 (step S4), the communication unit 16 notifies the recipient terminal 300 of the method of receiving the package. It may be controlled to receive. Further, the controller 12 transmits a request for reservation of the delivery box 100 (step S4), receives a notification that the delivery box 100 has been reserved (step S6), and then receives a notification regarding a method of receiving the package. (Step S32) may be controlled.

Upon receiving the selection notification, the management server 10 transmits the selection notification to the delivery box 100 (step S33). In this way, the controller 12 of the management server 10 may control to send the notification regarding the receiving method of the package to the delivery box 100 based on the notification regarding the receiving method of the package received from the recipient terminal 300. .. Upon receiving the notification of the selection, the delivery box 100 stores the contents of the selection (step S34). That is, when the selection of "handing over" receives the notification, the delivery box 100 remembers that the recipient wants to "hand over" the package. Further, when the selection of the "delivery box" receives the notification, the delivery box 100 remembers that the recipient wants the package to be stored in the delivery box 100.

Upon receiving the selection notification, the management server 10 transmits the selection notification to the vendor server 20 (step S35). Upon receiving the notification of the selection, the vendor server 20 transmits the notification of the selection to the vendor terminal 200 (step S36). If possible, the management server 10 may send the notification of the selection directly to the trader terminal 200 without going through the trader server 20. In this way, the controller 12 of the management server 10 transmits the notification regarding the receiving method of the package to the vendor server 20 or the vendor terminal 200 based on the notification regarding the receiving method of the package received from the recipient terminal 300. You may control it. Upon receiving the notification of selection, the trader terminal 200 may display the information based on the selection on the display unit 212 (step S37).

For example, in step S37, the trader terminal 200 changes the "reservation" icon in the column in which the item β shown in FIG. 9 is displayed to the "handing" icon in the column in which the item γ shown in FIG. 13 is displayed. It may be changed to the icon of and displayed on the display unit 212. By looking at the display on the display unit 212 of the trader terminal 200, the staff of the courier company can know that the recipient of the package reserved for the delivery box 100 wants to receive the package by hand. .. Further, if the staff of the delivery company delivers the package to the recipient within the time when the reservation of the delivery box 100 is held, it can be estimated that the recipient of the package is likely to be at home. Therefore, staff such as courier companies can make plans for efficient delivery of cargo.

(Cancellation of reservation of delivery box 100 based on the completion of delivery of luggage)
FIG. 14 shows an example of an operation in which the delivery box 100 is reserved using the trader terminal 200 in the system 1, and then the reservation is canceled based on the fact that the package is handed over to the recipient and the delivery is completed. It is a figure explaining. After the delivery box 100 is reserved using the trader terminal 200, when the package is handed directly to the recipient, the delivery of the package is completed. When the package is handed over directly to the recipient and delivery is complete, the reservation for the parcel delivery box 100 reserved for the package is no longer necessary. Therefore, in the system 1, after the parcel delivery box 100 is reserved for the parcel to be delivered, when the parcel is handed to the recipient, the reservation of the parcel delivery box 100 reserved for the parcel is canceled. Hereinafter, in step S31 of FIG. 12, the operation shown in FIG. 14 will be described assuming that the recipient terminal 300 has detected the selection of “handing over” by the recipient.

The operation shown in FIG. 14 typically starts when a staff member such as a courier who delivers the package arrives at the location of the delivery box 100 installed in the residence of the recipient of the package. Good. For example, the operation shown in FIG. 14 may be started from the time when the reservation application for the delivery box 100 is made using the trader terminal 200 in step S1 of FIG. 7 (at this point, the delivery box 100 is not yet reserved). Good. Further, even if the operation shown in FIG. 14 is started from the fact that the delivery box 100 is reserved in step S10 of FIG. 7 is displayed on the trader terminal 200 (at this point, the delivery box 100 is already reserved). Good. Further, for example, the operation shown in FIG. 14 may be started after the selection of the receiving method (for example, “handing over”) is displayed on the trader terminal 200 in step S37 of FIG.

At the time when the operation shown in FIG. 14 starts, it is assumed that the staff such as the delivery company delivering the package has arrived at the location of the delivery box 100 installed in the residence of the recipient of the package. When a staff member such as a courier who delivers the package arrives at the location of the delivery box 100, the delivery box 100 acquires the delivery information of the package (step S41). In step S41, the reading unit 108 of the delivery box 100 may read an identification code such as a one-dimensional bar code or a QR code (registered trademark) attached to the delivered package or the slip of the package. The delivery box 100 may acquire the delivery information of the package by reading the identification code as described above by the reading unit 108. In this case, a staff member such as a delivery company may hold (approach) the package or the identification code attached to the package slip to the reading unit 108 of the delivery box 100.

For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the delivery box 100 may include a reading unit 108 such as a barcode reader at a position such as under the display unit 112. In FIG. 15, a part of the functional unit of the delivery box 100, that is, the reading unit 108, and the operating unit 110 and the display unit 112 are shown in an enlarged manner. A staff member such as a parcel delivery company holds (approaches) an identification code such as a barcode attached to the delivered parcel over the reading unit 108 shown in FIG. 15, and the parcel delivery box 100 acquires the delivery information of the parcel. It may be (step S41).

The delivery box 100 remembers in step S34 that the recipient selected the “handing over” receiving method in step S31 of FIG. Therefore, when the delivery information of the package is acquired in step S41, the delivery box 100 can determine that the "hand-delivered" receiving method is selected for the package. In this case, the delivery box 100 may display on the display unit 112 that the “handing over” receiving method has been selected for the package (step S42).

In step S42, the parcel delivery box 100 displays a message to staff such as a parcel delivery company, such as "The customer wants to hand over (at the time of delivery of the cargo)", for example, as shown in FIG. It may be displayed on 112. By looking at such a display, a staff member such as a courier who delivered the package can know that the recipient of the package wants to hand the package.

In step S37 shown in FIG. 12, the contractor terminal 200 used by the staff such as a courier has already displayed on the display unit 212 that the recipient of the package wants to hand it over. However, staff such as a courier may miss such a display on the courier terminal 200. In addition, staff such as a courier may forget even though they see such a display on the courier terminal 200. In addition, the method of receipt preferred by the recipient of the package may be changed once selected by the recipient. Even in such a case, the staff such as the courier company can know the receiving method desired by the recipient of the package when it arrives at the delivery box 100 installed in the residence of the recipient of the package. it can.

After step S42, a staff member such as a courier may go to the front door of the recipient's residence in order to deliver the package to the recipient who wishes to deliver the package. As shown in FIG. 14, the timing at which the operation of step S42 is completed is referred to as a time point T1. In FIG. 14, the time point T1 is indicated by a broken line. In FIG. 14, after time point T1, a staff member such as a courier may head to the doorway of the recipient's residence and hand the package to the recipient.

When a staff member such as a courier hands the parcel to the recipient of the parcel, the parcel terminal 200 may acquire information indicating that the delivery of the parcel has been completed (step S51 shown in FIG. 14). In step S51, the trader terminal 200 may acquire information such as an invoice number written on, for example, a package (or a package slip, etc.) for which delivery has been completed. Further, in step S51, the trader terminal 200 may read the bar code or the like displayed on the slip peeled off from the parcel when the staff such as the courier company hands the parcel to the recipient by the reading unit 208. .. The trader terminal 200 may acquire the delivery information of the package handed to the recipient as information indicating that the delivery of the package has been completed.

When the information that the delivery of the package is completed is acquired, the trader terminal 200 transmits a notification that the delivery is completed to the trader server 20 (step S52). Upon receiving the notification that the delivery has been completed, the vendor server 20 transmits the notification that the delivery has been completed to the management server 10 (step S53). Upon receiving the notification that the delivery has been completed, the management server 10 transmits a request for canceling the reservation of the delivery box 100 reserved for the delivered package to the delivery box 100 (step S54). In this way, the controller 12 of the management server 10 cancels the reservation of the delivery box 100 based on the notification from the vendor terminal 200 that the package has been delivered to the recipient before the elapse of the predetermined time. The request may be controlled to be transmitted to the delivery box 100. The operation from step S55 to step S58 shown in FIG. 14 may be performed in the same manner as the operation from step S23 to step S26 shown in FIG.

Upon receiving the notification that the reservation of the delivery box 100 has been canceled in step S58, the trader terminal 200 displays on the display unit 212 that the package delivery has been completed (step S59). For example, in step S59, the trader terminal 200 may suggest that the delivery of the package has been completed, as shown in the two items below the display unit 212 shown in FIG. In step S59, the trader terminal 200 may display on the display unit 212 that the package delivery has been completed and that the reservation for the delivery box 100 has been canceled. By looking at the display on the display unit 212 of the trader terminal 200, the staff of the courier company can confirm that the delivery of the package has been completed.

As described above, in step S41 of FIG. 14, the staff such as the delivery company arrives at the delivery box 100 installed in the residence of the recipient of the package, and the delivery box 100 may acquire the delivery information of the package. it can. Then, in step S42, the delivery box 100 displays that the receiving method of "handing over" is selected by the recipient for the package. By looking at this display, staff such as a courier can go to the front door of the recipient's residence to hand over the delivered luggage.

However, there may be situations in which the recipient has to go out, for example, due to an urgent need. In such a case, even though the recipient has selected the "handing" receiving method for the delivered package, it is assumed that the delivered package cannot be delivered to the recipient in the end. In such a case, if the package is delivered within the time when the reservation of the delivery box 100 is held in the system 1, the staff such as the delivery company cannot hand the package to the recipient, but the package is delivered. Can be housed in the delivery box 100. The operation in such a case will be described below.

(Luggage that cannot be handed over is stored in the delivery box 100)
FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation in which the delivered package is accommodated in the reserved delivery box 100 without being delivered even though the delivery receiving method is selected for the delivered package. Is. The operation shown in FIG. 16 may start from the time point T1 shown in FIG. In FIG. 16, as in FIG. 14, the time point T1 is indicated by a broken line. That is, at the time when the operation shown in FIG. 16 starts, the delivery box 100 acquires the delivery information of the package (step S41 in FIG. 14) and displays that the "handing" receiving method is selected. Good (step S42).

When the operation shown in FIG. 16 starts, after the time point T1, a staff member such as a courier may go to the entrance of the recipient's residence and try to hand the package to the recipient. However, it is assumed that after the time point T1 shown in FIG. 16, the staff such as the courier company could not hand the delivered cargo to the recipient even though he / she headed to the entrance of the recipient's residence. Therefore, the staff such as the courier company shall return to the place of the courier box 100 in order to accommodate the parcel that could not be handed over in the courier box 100.

When a staff member such as a parcel delivery company returns with the parcel that could not be handed to the recipient, the parcel delivery box 100 acquires the delivery information of the parcel again (step S61). In step S61, the delivery box 100 may reacquire the same information as the package delivery information already acquired in step S41 of FIG. Therefore, in step S61, the delivery box 100 may acquire the delivery information of the package again in the same manner as the operation in step S41 of FIG. For example, a staff member such as a parcel delivery company holds (approaches) an identification code such as a barcode attached to a parcel that could not be handed over the reading unit 108 shown in FIG. 15, so that the parcel delivery box 100 delivers the parcel. You may reacquire the information.

When the parcel delivery information is reacquired, the delivery box 100 authenticates the acquired parcel delivery information (step S62). In step S62, the parcel delivery box 100 may specify the parcel based on the acquired parcel delivery information and check whether or not the parcel delivery box 100 is reserved for the parcel. Further, in step S62, when the delivery box 100 is reserved for the package, the delivery box 100 determines whether or not the reservation holding time (step S21 in FIG. 11) has elapsed. You can. That is, the authentication of the delivery information in step S62 means that the delivery box 100 determines whether or not the delivery box 100 is reserved for the package and / or whether the reservation is still valid. May be.

In FIG. 16, an example has been described in which the delivery box 100 authenticates the delivery information in step S62 by receiving the delivery information of the package in advance. For example, the delivery box 100 may acquire the delivery information of the package in advance in step S4 of FIG. 7, step S33 of FIG. 12, step S41 of FIG. 14, and the like. Further, in step S62, the delivery box 100 may authenticate the delivery information by transmitting the delivery information of the package to the management server 10. In this case, the delivery box 100 may receive the result of authentication by the management server 10.

When the delivery information is authenticated, the delivery box 100 may unlock the electronic lock 124 of the door 122 of the storage unit 120 reserved for the package in the delivery box 100 (step S63). That is, when the delivery box 100 is reserved for the package in step S62 and the reservation is valid (the holding time has not elapsed), the delivery box 100 is set to the door 122 of the storage unit 120 in step S63. Electronic lock 124 may be unlocked. On the other hand, if the delivery box 100 is not reserved for the package in step S62, the delivery box 100 does not unlock the electronic lock 124 of the door 122 of the storage unit 120 in step S63. Further, even when the holding time of the reservation of the delivery box 100 made for the package in step S62 has elapsed, the delivery box 100 unlocks the electronic lock 124 of the door 122 of the storage unit 120 in step S63. do not.

When the electronic lock 124 is unlocked in step S63, a staff member such as a delivery company can accommodate the parcel that could not be handed to the recipient in the storage unit 120 of the delivery box 100. When the parcel is housed in the parcel delivery box 100, the parcel delivery box 100 detects the closing of the door 122 of the parcel 120 in which the parcel is housed and / or the parcel contained in the parcel 120 (step S64). .. In step S64, the open / close detection unit 130 of the delivery box 100 may detect that the door 122 of the storage unit 120 is in the closed state. Further, in step S64, the weight detection unit 132 of the delivery box 100 may detect that the package has been stored in the storage unit 120 by detecting the weight of the package stored in the storage unit 120.

When the door 122 is closed and / or the package is detected, the delivery box 100 locks the electronic lock 124 of the door 122 of the storage unit 120 in which the package is housed (step S65). When the delivery box 100 is locked, the delivery box 100 transmits a notification that the luggage has been stored to the management server 10 (step S66).

Upon receiving the notification that the package has been accommodated, the management server 10 transmits the notification that the package has been accommodated to the recipient terminal 300 (step S67). Upon receiving the notification that the package has been stored, the recipient terminal 300 may display on the display unit 312 that the delivered package has been stored in the delivery box 100 (step S68). By looking at the display on the display unit 312 of the recipient terminal 300, the recipient of the package for which delivery has been selected can know that the package has not been delivered and has been stored in the delivery box 100. Therefore, the recipient of the parcel can receive the parcel contained in the delivery box 100 at a convenient time.

In this way, the controller 12 of the management server 10 sends a notification (selection of handing over) regarding the method of receiving the package to the delivery box 100, and then notifies the delivery box that the package is contained in the delivery box 100. It may be received from 100. Further, when the controller 12 receives the notification that the parcel is contained in the delivery box 100, the controller 12 controls to transmit the notification that the parcel is contained in the delivery box 100 to the recipient terminal 300. You may.

In step S67, the recipient terminal 300 also receives information from the management server 10 for displaying an identification code for unlocking the electronic lock 124 of the door 122 of the storage unit 120 in which the parcel is stored in the delivery box 100. You may. In this case, the recipient terminal 300 can display on the display unit 312 not only that the parcel is stored in the delivery box 100 but also an identification code for unlocking the delivery box 100 in step S68. Therefore, the recipient of the package can unlock the electronic lock 124 of the door 122 of the storage unit 120 in which the package is housed by holding (approaching) the identification code to the reading unit 108 shown in FIG. ..

Further, upon receiving the notification that the luggage has been accommodated, the management server 10 may also transmit the notification that the luggage has been accommodated to the vendor server 20 (step S71). Upon receiving the notification that the package has been accommodated, the vendor server 20 may transmit the notification that the package has been accommodated to the vendor terminal 200 (step S72). If possible, the management server 10 may directly transmit the notification that the baggage has been accommodated to the trader terminal 200 without going through the trader server 20. Upon receiving the notification that the package has been stored, the trader terminal 200 may display on the display unit 212 that the delivered package has been stored in the delivery box 100 (step S73). By looking at the display on the display unit 212 of the trader terminal 200, the staff such as the parcel delivery company can confirm that the parcel that could not be handed over is stored in the parcel delivery box 100.

As described above, according to the system 1, a staff member such as a courier company can reserve a courier box 100 for accommodating a package to be delivered. Therefore, a staff member such as a courier can accommodate the delivered cargo in the reserved delivery box 100 even if the recipient is absent when the cargo is delivered. Therefore, according to the system 1, the situation where the staff such as the courier company has to redeliver the package is avoided. On the other hand, in the system 1, the time for which the reservation of the delivery box 100 is held is limited, and the reservation is canceled when the predetermined time elapses. Therefore, staff such as courier companies are motivated to deliver the package before the reservation is canceled. Further, if the delivery box 100 remains reserved for a long period of time, the frequency of occurrence of a situation in which other packages cannot be accommodated can be reduced.

Further, according to the system 1, the fact that the delivery box 100 has been reserved for the package is displayed on the recipient terminal 300, so that the recipient of the package to be delivered will be delivered the package soon. Can be grasped. Further, according to the system 1, the recipient of the delivered package can choose whether to receive the package by hand or to have it housed in the delivery box 100. Further, according to the system 1, even if the recipient chooses to receive the package by hand but cannot deliver the package, the package can be stored in the reserved delivery box 100. it can. Therefore, according to the system 1, the situation where the staff such as the courier company has to redeliver the package is avoided.

Therefore, according to the system 1 according to the embodiment, the delivery of the package can be made more efficient in the service of delivering the package to the recipient. Further, according to the system 1 according to the embodiment, it may be beneficial to both the delivery company and the recipient of the package.

(When "delivery box" is selected as the method of receiving packages)
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the recipient terminal 300 detects the selection of “handing over” by the recipient in step S31 of FIG. 12 has been described. That is, in the above description, the case where the recipient of the package selects "handing over" as the method of receiving the package to be delivered has been described. Hereinafter, in step S31 of FIG. 12, the case where the recipient terminal 300 detects the selection of the “delivery box” by the recipient will be described. That is, the recipient of the package selects to be housed in the delivery box 100 as a method of receiving the package to be delivered, and the "delivery box" displayed on the display unit 312 of the recipient terminal 300 shown in FIG. It is assumed that the touch operation is performed on the button P2.

When the selection of the "delivery box" is detected in step S31 of FIG. 12, the delivery box 100 may store the selection of the "delivery box" according to the operations from steps S32 to S34 of FIG. On the other hand, at this point, since the delivery box 100 is already reserved for the package to be delivered (step S5 in FIG. 7), the operations of steps S33 and S34 in FIG. 12 may be omitted. That is, the delivery box 100 does not have to store the selection of the "delivery box". Further, in this case, according to the operations from step S35 to step S37 in FIG. 12, the trader terminal 200 may display on the display unit 213 that the “delivery box” has been selected.

After the selection of the "delivery box" is detected in step S31 of FIG. 12, the operation shown in FIG. 14 starts, and the staff such as the delivery company installs the delivery box 100 in the residence of the recipient of the package. Suppose you arrive at the place of. In this case, when the delivery box 100 acquires the delivery information of the package in step S41 shown in FIG. 14, the delivery box 100 may accommodate the delivered package in the reserved delivery box 100. Therefore, after step S41 shown in FIG. 14, the delivery box 100 can accommodate the delivered package in the delivery box 100 according to the operation after step S62 shown in FIG.

Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications or modifications based on the present disclosure. It should be noted, therefore, that these modifications or modifications are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions included in each functional unit can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent. A plurality of functional parts and the like may be combined or divided into one. Each of the above-described embodiments according to the present disclosure is not limited to the implementation faithful to each of the embodiments described above, and may be implemented by combining the features or omitting a part thereof as appropriate. ..

In the above-described embodiment, the timer for measuring the holding time of the delivery box 100 has been described as starting counting at the time of step S7 in FIG. However, the start time of the reservation holding time may be another time, for example, when the management server 10 receives the reservation request for the specific delivery box 100 in step S3 of FIG. 7. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the start of the reservation holding time and the passage of the holding time have been described as being determined by the management server 10. However, each of the delivery boxes 100 may determine the start of the reservation holding time and the passage of the holding time. Further, the controller 102 of the delivery box 100 may have a function of measuring time, and neither the management server 10 nor the delivery box 100 may have a function of measuring time.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, in step S21 shown in FIG. 11, it is determined that the reservation holding time of the reserved delivery box 100 has elapsed. That is, in the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the timer for measuring the holding time of the delivery box 100 is started, and when the holding time of the reservation elapses, the reservation of the delivery box 100 is immediately canceled. In this case, if the parcel is not stored in the delivery box 100 before the reservation holding time elapses, the reservation of the delivery box 100 is canceled. However, for example, if the package arrives near the reserved delivery box 100 before the reservation holding time elapses, the reservation of the delivery box 100 is not canceled even if the holding time elapses. May be good.

For example, if the operation of step S41 shown in FIG. 14 is completed before the reservation holding time elapses, the reservation of the delivery box 100 may not be canceled even if the holding time elapses. That is, in this case, if the parcel identification code is read by the reading unit 108 of the delivery box 100 before the reservation holding time elapses, the reservation of the delivery box 100 is not canceled even if the holding time elapses. Further, for example, if the operation of step S61 shown in FIG. 16 is completed before the reservation holding time elapses, the reservation of the delivery box 100 may not be canceled even if the holding time elapses. .. That is, in this case, if the identification code of the package that could not be handed over is read by the reading unit 108 of the delivery box 100 before the reservation holding time elapses, the reservation of the delivery box 100 is made even if the holding time elapses. Is not released.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the system 1 has been described as including two servers, the management server 10 and the vendor server 20. In this way, the system 1 may include a first server and a second server. In this case, the first server communicates with the second server. The first server may be a server (management server) of a company that manages the accommodation device that communicates with the accommodation device such as a delivery box. Further, the second server may be a server (contractor server) used by the delivery company that communicates with a terminal (contractor terminal) used by the staff of the company such as a delivery company. Here, the first server (management server) may be a server other than the server (contractor server) used by the delivery company.

On the other hand, if these servers can be integrated into one, the system 1 may be realized as including one server. In this case, the system may include a parcel delivery box 100 that houses the parcel delivered to the recipient, at least a server that communicates with the parcel box 100, and at least a trader terminal 200 that communicates with the server. Then, the server transmits a request for reservation of the delivery box 100 to the delivery box 100 based on the request from the delivery box 200, and after a lapse of a predetermined time, requests the cancellation of the reservation of the delivery box 100 at the delivery box 100. It may be sent to 200. Further, the server requests the cancellation of the reservation of the delivery box 100 based on the notification from the trader terminal 200 that the package has been delivered to the recipient before the elapse of the predetermined time. It may be controlled to transmit to the delivery box 100.

In the communication between the management server 10 and the trader server 20, when the information stored in the trader server 20 is information that should not be transmitted to the management server 10, the trader server 20 transmits information other than the information that should not be transmitted. You may. For example, when the trader server 20 is a server operated by a delivery company and the management server 10 is a server operated by a person other than the delivery company, the trader server 20 is a recipient of the package stored in the trader server 20. Personal information should not be sent to the management server 10. In that case, the trader server 20 does not send the personal information of the recipient of the package to the management server 10, and the personal information of the recipient of the package cannot be identified (for example, the invoice number or the barcode attached to the delivered package). Identification code) is transmitted to the management server 10.

The above-described embodiment is not limited to the implementation as the management server 10 included in the system 1. For example, the above-described embodiment may be implemented as a vendor server 20 included in the system 1. Further, the above-described embodiment may be implemented as a system including a server such as the management server 10 and / or the trader server 20 included in the system 1. Further, the above-described embodiment is not limited to the implementation as a server (equipment) such as the management server 10 and / or the trader server 20 included in the system 1. For example, the above-described embodiment may be implemented as a control method for a server (equipment) such as the management server 10 and / or the vendor server 20 included in the system 1. Further, for example, the above-described embodiment may be implemented as a program executed by a server (device) such as the management server 10 and / or the trader server 20 included in the system 1.

Further, the delivery box 100 according to the embodiment is not limited to the entrance of a condominium such as an apartment. For example, the delivery box 100 according to the embodiment may be installed in a public space such as a railway station or a store such as a convenience store.

1 Delivery management system 10 Management server 12 Controller 14 Storage unit 16 Communication unit 20 Contractor server 22 Controller 24 Storage unit 26 Communication unit 100 Delivery box 102 Controller 104 Storage unit 106 Communication unit 108 Reading unit 110 Operation unit 112 Display unit 120 Storage unit 122 Door 124 Electronic lock 130 Open / close detection unit 132 Weight detection unit 200 Contractor terminal 202 Controller 300 Recipient terminal 204,304 Storage unit 206, 306 Communication unit 208, 308 Reading unit 210, 310 Operation unit 212, 312 Display unit 240, 340 Position Acquisition department

Claims (17)

A server that can be wired or wirelessly connected to a containment device and other electronic devices that house the package delivered to the recipient.
A communication unit that communicates with the accommodating device and the other electronic device,
A controller is provided, which controls the communication unit to transmit a reservation request for the accommodation device to the accommodation device based on a request from the other electronic device received by the communication unit.
The controller controls the communication unit to transmit a request for canceling the reservation of the accommodating device to the accommodating device after a lapse of a predetermined time. Prior to the elapse of the predetermined time, the controller reserves the accommodating device based on the notification from the other electronic device received by the communication unit that the package has been delivered to the recipient. The server according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit controls the request for cancellation of the server to be transmitted to the accommodation device. After transmitting the request for reservation of the accommodating device, the controller controls the communication unit to receive a notification from an electronic device different from the other electronic devices and regarding a method of receiving the package. The server according to claim 1 or 2. The controller transmits a request for reservation of the accommodation device, receives a notification to the effect that the accommodation device has been reserved by the communication unit, and then receives a notification from an electronic device different from the other electronic devices. The server according to claim 3, wherein the communication unit controls the notification regarding the method of receiving the package. The controller controls to transmit the notification regarding the receiving method of the package to the other electronic device based on the notification regarding the receiving method of the package received from the electronic device different from the other electronic device. The server according to claim 4. 4. The controller controls to transmit a notification regarding a method of receiving the package to the storage device based on a notification regarding the method of receiving the package received from an electronic device different from the other electronic device. Or the server according to 5. When the controller sends a notification regarding the receiving method of the package to the accommodating device and then receives a notification from the accommodating device that the package is accommodated in the accommodating device, the baggage is accommodated in the accommodating device. The server according to claim 6, wherein the communication unit controls the communication unit to transmit the notification to at least one of the other electronic device and an electronic device different from the other electronic device. The controller according to claims 1 to 7, wherein the controller controls the communication unit to transmit the information requesting the lock of the accommodation port of the accommodation device as the information requesting the reservation of the accommodation device. The server listed in either. The controller controls to transmit the information requesting the unlocking of the storage port of the storage device to the storage device by the communication unit as the information requesting the cancellation of the reservation of the storage device. The server according to any one of 8 to 8. A server that can be wired or wirelessly connected to other servers that communicate with the containment device that houses the package delivered to the recipient, and to other electronic devices.
A communication unit that communicates with the other server and the other electronic device,
A controller that controls the communication unit to transmit a reservation request for the accommodating device to the other server based on a request from the other electronic device received by the communication unit is provided.
The controller notifies the other electronic device that the accommodating device has been reserved based on the notification that the communication unit receives from the other server and that the accommodating device has been reserved. A server that controls sending to different electronic devices. The server according to claim 10, wherein the controller controls to send an inquiry regarding a method of receiving the package to an electronic device different from the other electronic devices together with a notification that the storage device has been reserved. .. A containment device for accommodating packages delivered to the recipient,
At least with a server that communicates with the containment device
A system including at least a terminal that communicates with the server.
Based on the request from the terminal, the server transmits a request for reservation of the accommodation device to the accommodation device, and after a predetermined time elapses, transmits a request for canceling the reservation of the accommodation device to the accommodation device. ,system. Prior to the elapse of the predetermined time, the server requests the cancellation of the reservation of the accommodation device based on the notification from the terminal that the package has been delivered to the recipient. 12. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is controlled to transmit to. A method of controlling a server that can be connected to a containment device and other electronic devices that accommodate the goods delivered to the recipient by wire or wirelessly.
A step of controlling the server to transmit a reservation request for the containment device to the containment device based on a request from the other electronic device received by the server.
After a lapse of a predetermined time, a step of controlling the request for cancellation of the reservation of the containment device to be transmitted to the containment device, and
How to control the server, including. A method of controlling a server that can be connected to other servers and other electronic devices by wire or wirelessly, which communicates with a storage device that houses the package delivered to the recipient.
A step of controlling the reservation request of the accommodating device to be transmitted to the other server based on the request from the other electronic device.
Based on the notification received from the other server and the notification that the accommodation device has been reserved, the notification that the accommodation device has been reserved is transmitted to an electronic device different from the other electronic device. And the steps to control
How to control the server, including. To a computer that can be wired or wirelessly connected to a containment device and other electronic devices that house the package delivered to the recipient.
A step of controlling the computer to send a request for reservation of the containment device to the containment device based on a request from the other electronic device received by the computer.
After a lapse of a predetermined time, a step of controlling the request for cancellation of the reservation of the containment device to be transmitted to the containment device, and
A program that runs. To a computer that can be wired or wirelessly connected to other servers and other electronic devices that communicate with the containment device that houses the package delivered to the recipient.
A step of controlling the reservation request of the accommodating device to be transmitted to the other server based on the request from the other electronic device.
Based on the notification received from the other server and the notification that the accommodation device has been reserved, the notification that the accommodation device has been reserved is transmitted to an electronic device different from the other electronic device. And the steps to control
A program that runs.

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