JP2022141307A - Program, information processing device and information processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a program or the like that allows the use of boxes to be managed according to a use schedule of the boxes.SOLUTION: A program causes a computer to execute the processes of: acquiring a day of an event and the number of boxes, the event requiring the boxes of a locker, installed at a facility and capable of storing users' ordered goods, and causing a scheduler to reserve the use of the boxes according to the acquired number of boxes for a predetermined period of time according to the day of the event.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to a program, an information processing apparatus, and an information processing method.

2. Description of the Related Art With the spread of the Internet, online shopping for purchasing various items such as food, daily necessities, and accessories is widely used. A user can order a product and have it delivered to a designated destination without visiting a physical store. Delivery boxes that can receive and store parcels even when the user is absent have become widespread. A home delivery system using such a home delivery box has been proposed.

In Patent Document 1, even if the owner of the box that stores the goods and the user are separate, the box transmits a registration request for enabling the user to use the box, so that the user can use the box. , a delivery system is disclosed that allows easy use of boxes without negotiating directly with the owner or the owner's agent.

Japanese Patent No. 6647691

However, the delivery system described in Patent Literature 1 is a technology that focuses on convenience when using boxes, and has the problem that it does not take into account the use of boxes according to the use schedule of each box. rice field.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a program or the like that can manage the use of boxes according to the use schedule of the boxes.

A program according to an aspect of the present disclosure acquires the date and the number of boxes of an event that uses a plurality of boxes in a locker that is installed in a facility and has boxes that can store items ordered by a user, and the acquired said A computer is caused to execute a process of reserving the use of the boxes corresponding to the number of boxes by a scheduler for a predetermined period corresponding to the opening date.

According to the present disclosure, the use of boxes can be managed according to the use schedule of the boxes.

1 is a schematic diagram of an information processing system; FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of an information processing apparatus. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a record layout of an event DB; FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying a record layout of an electronic key DB; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a record layout of a locker DB; It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a user terminal device. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control apparatus of a locker. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a reservation processing procedure for a box related to use by sales event reservation; FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a detailed procedure of reservation processing for a scheduler; FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of a display screen. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of a display screen. FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing an example of a reservation processing procedure for a box related to use for a user's order; FIG. It is a flow chart which shows an example of a processing procedure about receipt of goods. It is a flow chart which shows an example of a processing procedure about receipt of goods. It is a figure which shows the example of a screen displayed on the display part of a user terminal device. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display screen in the second embodiment; FIG.

The present disclosure will be specifically described with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments thereof.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an information processing system 100. As shown in FIG. The information processing system 100 in this embodiment includes an information processing device 1 , a plurality of user terminal devices 2 , a vendor device 3 , and a plurality of lockers 4 each having a control device 400 . The information processing device 1, the user terminal device 2, the distributor device 3, and the control device 400 can transmit and receive information via the network N, respectively. The network N includes a public communication network such as the so-called Internet, a carrier network provided by a carrier business vendor, a wireless communication network, and the like.

The information processing apparatus 1 is an information processing apparatus capable of various types of information processing and transmission/reception of information, and is, for example, a server computer. The information processing device 1 is managed by a management service provider who manages reservations for using the lockers 4 . The information processing device 1 transmits and receives data to and from the control device 400 and acquires the usage status of the lockers 4 in real time. The information processing device 1 transmits the acquired information according to the usage state of the locker 4 to the seller device 3 . The information processing device 1 also manages information regarding electronic keys for unlocking the lockers 4 . The information processing device 1 transmits information about the electronic key to the user terminal device 2 .

The seller device 3 is an EC server (web server) that provides a seller's EC site. The seller device 3 provides an EC site that enables purchase and delivery of various items such as books, accessories, and food. Items purchased at an EC site can be received via a locker 4 in addition to being delivered to a designated location. The distributor device 3 is not limited to one, and may be plural.

The locker 4 is installed, for example, in the premises of a facility managed by a distributor that provides an EC site. The facility is, for example, a store, a warehouse, or the like, and has the function of a shipping facility that stores items sold on the EC site and prepares for shipping the items according to the user's order. Thus, for example, the locker 4 is attached to the shipping facility. The facility where the locker 4 is installed may be one that does not have the function of a shipping facility, such as a station. Further, the lockers 4 are not limited to those installed in the facility, and may be installed outdoors (outside the facility) such as a parking lot.

The locker 4 includes a control device 400 and a plurality of boxes 401 capable of accommodating articles therein. The locker 4 temporarily stores items purchased at the EC site. The box 401 includes a door that opens and closes an opening provided in a part of the box 401, and a locking mechanism 402 that locks and holds the opening in a closed state. The locking mechanism 402 is unlocked with a valid electronic key (digital key). By unlocking the locking mechanism 402 and opening the door, articles can be taken in and out through the opening of the box 401 . It should be noted that the locking mechanism 402 may have two doors such as the front and back of the box 401, for example. In this case, the locking mechanism 402 may be provided for each of the two doors. The control device 400 controls locking and unlocking of the locking mechanism 402 . Also, the control device 400 acquires information about the usage status of each box 401 and transmits the acquired information to the information processing device 1 .

The user terminal device 2 is an information processing terminal having a communication function, such as a smart phone or a tablet terminal. Each user uses the user terminal device 2 to purchase an item at the EC site provided by the seller device 3 . The user can designate locker receipt using the locker 4 as a method of receiving purchased items. When the locker receipt is specified, the item is stored in the locker 4.例文帳に追加The user uses the user terminal device 2 to receive information about the electronic key for unlocking the locker 4 transmitted from the information processing device 1 . The user can go to the facility at any time, use the user terminal device 2 to unlock the locker 4 with the received electronic key, and receive the item.

The information processing device 1 periodically communicates with the control device 400 to collect and manage the usage status of each box 401 in the locker 4 . Information processing device 1 transmits the usage status of box 401 to seller device 3 . Only when there is a usable box 401 according to the usage status of the box 401, the seller's device 3 presents to the user that locker reception is possible as a receiving method. For example, on the day of a sales event such as the release of a new product or a new book, it is expected that a large number of boxes 401 will be used because more orders than usual will be placed. In such a case, the information processing apparatus 1 reserves a predetermined number of boxes 401 for the sales event in advance along with the date of the sales event, thereby avoiding a shortage of the boxes 401 related to the sales event. In this way, the information processing apparatus 1 performs smooth locker management by considering the occurrence of a sales event using a plurality of boxes 401 in the locker 4 . Note that the event is not limited to an event related to the sale of goods. The event may be, for example, a gift event, a charity event, or the like, which does not involve the sale of goods.

The configuration and detailed processing contents of such an information processing system 100 will be described below.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information processing device 1. As shown in FIG. The information processing device 1 includes a control section 10 , a storage section 11 , a communication section 12 , a display section 13 and an operation section 14 . The information processing apparatus 1 may be a multicomputer composed of a plurality of computers, or may be a virtual machine virtually constructed by software.

The control unit 10 is a processor using one or a plurality of CPUs (Central Processing Units), GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), and the like. The control unit 10 uses a built-in memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory) to control each component and execute processing.

The control unit 10 has an acquisition unit 101, a specification unit 102, a reservation unit 103, and a schedule unit 104 as functional units. Each functional unit of the control unit 10 is a program module, and functions as follows by executing the program 1P.

Acquisition unit 101 acquires information on the date of the sales event, the number of boxes, and the user's order from seller device 3 . The obtaining unit 101 also obtains the usage state of the locker 4 from the control device 400 of the locker 4 . Acquisition unit 101 outputs the acquired information to identification unit 102 . The identifying unit 102 identifies the box 401 used for the sales event or the user's order based on the acquired information. The specifying unit 102 outputs information on the specified box 401 to the reservation unit 103 . The reservation unit 103 reserves the use of the box 401 received from the specification unit 102 to the schedule unit 104 . The scheduler 104 is a scheduler composed of an application program having a calendar function, for example. The scheduler performs scheduling including reservation for use of each box 401 according to the reservation details received from the reservation unit 103 . In the present embodiment, the scheduler 104 (scheduler) has been described as a functional unit by the control unit 10 of the information processing device 1, but it is not limited to this. The scheduler 104 (scheduler) may be included in, for example, a cloud server that is communicably connected to the information processing apparatus 1 and executes an application program.

The storage unit 11 is a non-volatile storage medium such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage unit 11 stores programs and data referred to by the control unit 10, including the program 1P. The control unit 10 causes the general-purpose server computer to function as an information processing apparatus unique to the present disclosure by reading and executing the program 1P. The storage unit 11 may be composed of a plurality of storage devices, or may be an external storage device connected to the information processing device 1 .

The program 1P stored in the storage unit 11 may be recorded on a recording medium so as to be computer-readable. The storage unit 11 stores a program 1P read from the recording medium 1A by a reading device (not shown). Alternatively, the program 1P may be downloaded from an external computer (not shown) connected to a communication network (not shown) and stored in the storage section 11 . It should be noted that the program 1P is deployed to be executed on a single computer or on multiple computers located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communications network. be able to.

The storage unit 11 further stores an event DB (Data Base) 111 , an electronic key DB 112 and a locker DB 113 .

The communication unit 12 is a communication device for realizing communication via the network N. FIG. The control unit 10 transmits and receives information to and from each of the user terminal device 2 , the vendor device 3 and the control device 400 via the communication unit 12 .

The display unit 13 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (electroluminescence) display.

The operation unit 14 is an interface that receives user operations. The input device is, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel device with a built-in display, a speaker, a microphone, or the like.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying the record layout of the event DB 111. As shown in FIG. The event DB 111 is a database that stores event information regarding sales events. The event DB 111 stores information such as an event ID, date, number of boxes, and locker ID in association with each other. The event ID is identification information that identifies event information. The opening date is the date on which the sales event is held. The number of boxes is the number of boxes 401 used for the sales event. The locker ID is identification information that identifies the locker 4 where the sales event is held. The control unit 10 of the information processing device 1 receives the event date, the number of boxes, the locker ID, and the like transmitted from the seller device 3, and stores them in the event DB 111 in association with the event ID.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a record layout of the electronic key DB 112. As shown in FIG. The electronic key DB 112 is a database that stores information on electronic keys for unlocking the locking mechanism 402 of the box 401 . The electronic key DB 112 stores information such as an order ID, an order date, a receipt date, an accommodation notice acquisition date, a user ID, user terminal device information, and electronic key information in association with each other.

The order ID is identification information for identifying an order, and is unique data issued for each order from a user. The order date is the date when the order is confirmed. The date of receipt is the date of receipt of the item specified by the user. If the receipt date is specified when the user places an order, the specified receipt date is stored in the receipt date column. The accommodation notification acquisition date is the acquisition date of the accommodation notification indicating that the item has been accommodated in the box 401 . A user ID is identification information that identifies a user who is an orderer. The user terminal device information is information for identifying the user terminal device 2 used by the user. The user terminal device information may include, for example, IP address, device ID, and the like.

Electronic key information may include key value, locker ID, box ID, start date and validity period. A key value is, for example, unique data generated for each order ID. The locker ID is identification information that identifies the locker 4 . A box ID is identification information for identifying the box 401 and may include, for example, the box number of each box 401 . The box 401 in the locker 4 is uniquely identified by the locker ID and box ID. The start date is the date when the use of the electronic key is started. The start date is also the start date of the availability period in box 401 . The start date is determined according to the date of receipt or the date of receipt of the notice of containment. The term of validity is the term of validity of the electronic key. The electronic key can be used for the box 401 associated with it only within the validity period. The electronic key information may further include user terminal device information, an event ID, and the like. The control unit 10 of the information processing device 1 acquires the order ID, order date, receipt date, user ID, user terminal device information, locker ID, and other order-related information transmitted from the seller device 3 by receiving them. and stored in the electronic key DB 112 . The control unit 10 also acquires the accommodation notification acquisition date by receiving the accommodation notification transmitted from the control device 400 and stores it in the electronic key DB 112 . The control unit 10 generates electronic key information according to the acquired information and stores it in the electronic key DB 112 .

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying the record layout of the locker DB 113. As shown in FIG. The locker DB 113 is a database that stores information on the usage status of each box 401 in each locker 4 . The locker DB 113 stores, for example, a locker ID, a box ID, a usage status, first usage information, and second usage information in association with each of the plurality of boxes 401 .

The locker ID is identification information that identifies the locker 4 . A box ID is identification information for identifying the box 401 and may include, for example, the box number of each box 401 . The usage status is information indicating the usage status of the box 401 . The usage status is classified into, for example, in use, reserved, unavailable, empty, and the like. "In use" means the state of being actually used according to an order from the user. "Reserved" means a state of being reserved (secured) for use at a sales event when the sales event is held. Unusable is a state in which a reservation for normal use is not accepted for use as a spare. Empty is none of the above. If the usage status is empty, it is possible to accept new reservations. If the status of use is in use, reserved, or unavailable, new reservations cannot be accepted.

The first usage information and the second usage information include detailed information on the usage (reservation) contents of the box 401 . The first usage information and the second usage information may each include an order ID, an event ID and a usage period. Order ID is the order ID of the order to which the corresponding box ID is assigned. The date is the event ID of the sales event to which the corresponding box ID is assigned. If the usage status is in use, data is stored in the order ID column. If the usage status is reserved, data is stored in the event ID column.

The usage period is the usage period of the box 401 , that is, the occupancy period of the box 401 . The period of use is a predetermined period (for example, seven days) determined based on the date of the sales event in the case of use by sales event reservation. In the case of use according to a user's order, it is a predetermined period determined based on the date of order or the date of receipt. A method for setting the usage period will be described later.

The second usage information is information about usage after the first usage information. For example, in the case of reserving a predetermined number of boxes 401 for use in a sales event reservation, boxes that are recorded as being in use at the time of the reservation date, but whose use period ends by the date of the sales event. 401 (box ID is 5 in the example of FIG. 5). In this case, in the second usage information of the box 401, the content of the reservation regarding the use of the sales event after the first usage information is recorded.

Here, a method for setting the usage period in box 401 will be described. In this embodiment, in the case of use according to a user's order, the period of use of the box 401 for one order is three business days from the first day of the period of use as the store's packing work, and then three business days as the period during which the user can receive it. In addition, a period (predetermined period) including a total of 7 business days including 1 business day as a reserve day is secured. That is, the user has to receive the item from the box 401 within three days from the start date of the item's receiving period, after which the electronic key cannot be used. Note that the number of days of the usage period is an example, and may be appropriately set according to the preparation period of the item, the period during which the item can be received, and the like.

The first day of the usage period differs depending on whether or not the receipt date is specified for the order related to box 401 . If the receipt date is not specified, the usage period is determined based on the order date so that the order date is the first day of the period. If the receipt date is specified, the usage period is determined based on the receipt date so that the first day of the three business days corresponding to the receipt possible period will be the specified receipt date. That is, the user designates the start date of the receipt possible period as the receipt date. In the case of use by sales event reservation, the date of the sales event is used as a reference, and the day before the sales event is determined to be the last day of the usage period.

The control unit 10 of the information processing device 1 periodically communicates with the control device 400 to collect information on the usage status of each box 401 in real time, and records the information in the locker DB 113 as needed. The control device 400 outputs a notification to the information processing device 1 at any time according to the locking/unlocking history, such as when an item is stored in the box 401 and locked, or when the box 401 is unlocked. The control unit 10 updates the information in the locker DB 113 as needed according to the acquired notification. Also, the control unit 10 updates the information in the locker DB 113 each time the box 401 is assigned to the use of an order by the user or the use of a sales event reservation.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the user terminal device 2. As shown in FIG. The user terminal device 2 includes a control section 20 , a storage section 21 , a first communication section 22 , a second communication section 23 , a display section 24 and an operation section 25 . The control unit 20 is a processor using one or a plurality of CPUs, GPUs, etc., and uses a built-in memory such as ROM or RAM to control each component and execute processing.

The storage unit 21 includes, for example, a non-volatile storage medium such as flash memory. Various programs and data referred to by the control unit 20 are stored in the storage unit 21 .

The first communication unit 22 is a communication device for realizing communication via the network N. FIG. The control unit 20 transmits and receives information to and from the information processing device 1 and the seller device 3 via the first communication unit 22 .

The second communication unit 23 is a communication device for realizing short-range wireless communication according to communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Low Energy, and NFC (Near Field Communication). The control unit 20 transmits and receives information to and from the control device 400 via the second communication unit 23 . The control unit 20 may communicate with the control device 400 according to communication standards such as wireless LAN (Local Area Network) and Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

The display unit 24 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

The operation unit 25 is an interface that receives user operations. The input device is, for example, a touch panel device with a built-in display, a speaker, a microphone, or the like.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 400 of the locker 4. As shown in FIG. The control device 400 includes a control section 40 , a storage section 41 , a first communication section 42 , a second communication section 43 and an input/output section 44 . The control unit 40 is a processor using one or a plurality of CPUs, GPUs, etc., and uses a built-in memory such as ROM or RAM to control each component and execute processing.

The storage unit 41 includes, for example, a non-volatile storage medium such as flash memory. Various programs and data referred to by the control unit 40 are stored in the storage unit 41 . The programs stored in the storage unit 41 include a program for executing locking/unlocking of the locking mechanism 402 .

The first communication unit 42 is a communication device for realizing communication via the network N. FIG. The control unit 40 transmits and receives information to and from the information processing device 1 via the first communication unit 42 .

The second communication unit 43 is, for example, a communication device for realizing short-range wireless communication according to the above-described communication standard such as Bluetooth. The control unit 40 transmits and receives information to and from the user terminal device 2 via the second communication unit 43 . A plurality of second communication units 43 may be provided.

The input/output unit 44 is an input/output interface that connects the locking mechanism 402 . When receiving an unlocking command for the locking mechanism 402 from an external device, the control unit 40 sends a control signal for unlocking the locking mechanism 402 to the locking mechanism 402 via the input/output unit 44 .

In the present embodiment, the control device 400 is not limited to the above configuration, and may include, for example, a display device for displaying images, an input device for receiving operation inputs, a reading device for reading information codes such as QR codes (registered trademark), and the like. . In this case, for example, a display device, an input device, a reading device, and the like may be connected via the input/output unit 44 . A plurality of display devices, input devices, reading devices, and the like may be provided on the front side and the back side of the locker 4, for example.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing an example of the reservation processing procedure of the box 401 related to use by sales event reservation. The control unit 10 of the information processing device 1 executes the following processes according to the program 1P. The control unit 10 executes the processing shown in FIG.

The control unit 10 of the information processing device 1 acquires event information including the locker ID, the date of the sales event, and the number of boxes related to the sales event using the plurality of boxes 401 in the locker 4 (step S11). The control unit 10 may acquire event information by receiving event information transmitted from the seller device 3 . The control unit 10 stores the acquired event information in the event DB 111 (step S12).

The control unit 10 reserves the use of the box 401 in the locker 4 identified by the locker ID with the scheduler according to the date of the sales event and the number of boxes obtained (step S13).

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a detailed procedure of reservation processing to the scheduler. The processing procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9 corresponds to the details of step S13 in the flowchart of FIG.

Based on the information stored in the locker DB 113, the control unit 10 identifies the box 401 that can be used for the sales event related to the acquired event information (step S131). Specifically, the control unit 10 selects a box 401 whose usage status is "empty" when the event information is acquired (reservation acceptance date), or a box 401 whose usage status is "in use" when the event information is acquired. Also, a box 401 is specified in which the usage period of the first usage information ends by the date of the sales event. Note that the control unit 10 may calculate the period of use of the box 401 according to the date of the sales event, and specify the box 401 that satisfies the above conditions on the start date of the calculated period of use.

The control unit 10 selects the required number of boxes 401 from among all the specified available boxes 401, thereby determining the box ID of the target box 401 to be reserved (step S132).

Based on the information stored in the locker DB 113, the control unit 10 determines whether the usage status of the target box 401 associated with the specified box ID is "empty" (step S133). If the usage status of the target box 401 is not "empty" (step S133: NO), the control unit 10 stores the event ID and usage period related to the target box 401 in the second usage information field of the target box 401 of the locker DB 113. (step S134). The control unit 10 reserves the suspension of new use of the target box 401 with the scheduler by reflecting the updated storage contents of the locker DB 113 (step S135). Suspension of new use refers to suspension of acceptance of new use after the date of acceptance of the reservation related to the second usage information. The control unit 10 returns the process to step S133 and waits until the usage status of the target box 401 becomes "empty".

If the usage status of the target box 401 is "empty" (step S133: YES), the control unit 10 stores the event ID and the usage period in the first usage information field of the target box 401 in the locker DB 113, and stores the usage status field. (step S136). By reflecting the updated storage contents of the locker DB 113, the control unit 10 reserves the use of the target box 401 in the scheduler (step S137), and returns the process to step S14 in the flowchart of FIG. The control unit 10 executes the reservation processing described above for all target boxes 401 associated with the specified box ID.

It should be noted that acquisition of the event information from the seller device 3 must be performed before the number of days of the usage period (occupation period) set in advance from the date of the sales event. For example, if the number of days of the usage period is seven business days, the acquisition date of the event information (reservation reception date) needs to be seven business days before the date of the sales event. As a result, even if the box 401 is already in use when the event information is acquired, the use of the box 401 will be completed by the date of the sales event. can do.

Returning to FIG. 8, the description continues. The control unit 10 generates display screen information reflecting the usage status. The control unit 10 displays the display screen 130 based on the generated display screen information on the display unit 13 (step S14), and ends the series of processes.

10 and 11 are schematic diagrams showing an example of the display screen 130. FIG. The control unit 10 functions as the scheduling unit 104 to display the display screen 130 showing the usage status of the lockers 4 in real time on the display unit 13 . FIG. 10 is an example of the display screen 130 showing the usage status on December 16th, and FIG. 11 is an example of the display screen 130 showing the usage status on December 19th. The display screen 130 includes an illustration showing the position of each box 401 in the locker 4 and the usage status of each box 401 in a recognizable manner. In the example of FIGS. 10 and 11, the locker 4 has a total of 100 boxes 401 arranged in 10 rows×10 rows. The box number of the box 401 at the left end of the top row is 1, and the box number increases by one toward the right end of the bottom row. 10 and 11 show examples of lockers 4 in which all the boxes 401 have the same size for the sake of simplification of explanation.

The usage status of each box 401 is indicated using a different display mode according to the usage status, such as, for example, using different colors to display text information indicating the usage status. In the examples of FIGS. 10 and 11, each box 401 is hatched according to the usage status. "Reserved", which indicates use by sales event reservation, is further distinguished by a different display mode for each sales event.

For example, on December 16th, the control unit 10 acquires the event information of the date December 23rd with 24 boxes. The control unit 10 determines the boxes 401 with box numbers 4 to 7, 14 to 17, . Of these, the boxes 401 of Nos. 5 and 35 store the first usage information at the time of acquisition of the event information, and the other boxes 401 do not store the first usage information. The control unit 10 updates the usage status of the other box 401 during reservation. The usage statuses of boxes 401 numbered 5 and 35 remain in use.

The control unit 10 refers to a table (not shown) that stores the usage status and its display mode in association with each other, and displays the usage status of each box 401 in a display mode according to the usage status. As shown in FIG. 10, boxes 401 of Nos. 5 and 35 indicate "in use" and other boxes 401 indicate "in use".

The use of the fifth box 401 ends on December 19th. By acquiring a notification indicating that the use of the No. 5 box 401 has ended, the control unit 10 temporarily updates the use status of the No. 5 box 401 to be empty, and then opens the No. 5 box 401 by processing described later. Based on the suspension of new use reserved in 401, the usage status is updated during reservation. The use of the 35th box 401 ends and the same processing is performed. The control unit 10 changes the display mode of the usage status of the boxes 401 of Nos. 5 and 35. FIG. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, "reserved" is displayed for all 24 boxes 401 related to sales event use as the usage status on December 19th. In this manner, all the boxes 401 to be reserved for the sales event are reliably reserved by the day before the sales event is held. Since the usage period of the box 401 used for the sales event reservation ends on the day before the sales event is held, the box 401 is displayed as a box 401 that can be used for ordering from the user on the sales event date.

A manager or the like can easily grasp the usage status of each box 401 at a glance using the scheduler. Note that the display screen 130 is not limited to what is displayed on the display unit 13 of the information processing device 1 . The control unit 10 may output the display screen information to an external device such as the distributor device 3 or the terminal device of the person in charge of the facility. Further, the control unit 10 may generate and output display screen information at any timing in response to a request for display screen information.

In parallel with the reservation of the box 401 for the sales event described above, a reservation is made for the user to place an order on the EC site. FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing an example of the reservation processing procedure of the box 401 related to the use of the user's order. When an inquiry about the usage status of the lockers 4 is output from the distributor device 3, the control section 10 of the information processing device 1 executes the following processes according to the program 1P.

The control unit 10 of the information processing device 1 acquires an inquiry about the usage status of the lockers 4 from the seller device 3 (step S21). For example, when the seller device 3 receives an order for an item from the user terminal device 2 via an EC site, the seller device 3 transmits an inquiry regarding the usage status of the lockers 4 to the information processing device 1 . The inquiry includes the locker ID of the locker 4 that is the object of the inquiry.

Based on the information stored in the locker DB 113, the control unit 10 specifies the number of available boxes at the time of receiving the inquiry (step S22). Specifically, the control unit 10 specifies the number of boxes 401 whose usage status is "empty" among the boxes 401 of the locker ID to be inquired at the time of receiving the inquiry. Control unit 10 transmits the specified number of boxes to seller device 3 (step S23).

When the number of received boxes is equal to or greater than the predetermined number, the seller device 3 transmits to the user terminal device 2 screen information that displays locker reception as a method for receiving ordered products. Thus, the user can select locker pickup only if there are boxes 401 available. It should be noted that the user can designate a desired receipt date if it is later than a predetermined number of days (for example, three business days for the store's packing work) from the order date. When the user places an order specifying locker pickup and completes payment processing, the order is confirmed. After confirming the order, the seller's device 3 transmits order confirmation information including information on the order to the information processing device 1 .

For example, if the arrival date of the product ordered by the user is earlier than the date of receipt of the order, the seller device 3 may send an inquiry regarding the usage status of the locker 4 by designating the arrival date. In this case, the control unit 10 of the information processing device 1 may specify the number of available boxes on the arrival date based on the information stored in the locker DB 113 . The user can specify a desired receipt date, for example, if it is later than a predetermined number of days (for example, three business days) from the arrival date.

The control unit 10 of the information processing device 1 receives the order confirmation information from the seller device 3 (step S24). The order confirmation information includes, for example, the order ID, order date, receipt date, user ID, user terminal device information, locker ID, etc. related to the confirmed order. The control unit 10 stores the acquired order confirmation information in the electronic key DB 112 (step S25). Note that the control unit 10 is not limited to receiving and storing the order confirmation information transmitted from the seller device 3 . For example, the control unit 10 may acquire order confirmation information as necessary by accessing a database on the seller device 3 side.

The control unit 10 reserves the use of the box 401 with the scheduler based on the acquired order confirmation information (step S26). The reservation processing to the scheduler in step S26 is the same as the processing shown in FIG. However, in step S131 of FIG. 9, the control unit 10 identifies the box 401 whose usage status is "empty" at the time of acquisition of the order confirmation information (order date) as a usable box. When the date of receipt is specified, the control unit 10 determines that the usage status is "in use" at the time of acquisition of the order confirmation information, and that the specified number of days from the date of receipt (e.g. (3 business days) A box 401 in which the usage period of the first usage information ends by the first day of the previous usage period may be specified.

The control unit 10 associates the box ID of the target box 401 to be used for the user's order with the order ID, and transmits them to the seller device 3 (step S27), ending the series of processes. . Note that the control unit 10 may transmit the box ID and the order ID to the control device 400 .

The distributor device 3 generates an order list including the user name, order number, order details, box ID received from the information processing device 1, etc., and provides it to the distributor's person in charge. The facility's shipping personnel prepare the items for shipment according to the order list. The person in charge of shipping puts the items ordered by the user in a storage bag or the like, and transports the storage bag to the locker 4 . An information code such as a QR code containing an order number, a box number, etc. may be attached to the containing bag. The person in charge of shipping puts the storage bag in the box 401 with the box number corresponding to the order ID, and locks the box 401 . When the box 401 is provided with two doors, the person in charge of shipping opens and closes the box 401 using the door used for storage, such as the rear side door. The control device 400 of the locker 4 accepts the operation of the input button for inputting the completion of accommodation by the person in charge of shipping via, for example, a display unit and an operation unit (not shown), thereby locking the box 401 in which the accommodation bag is accommodated. 402 may be locked.

In the above, the order ID and the box number may be transmitted from the seller device 3 or the information processing device 1 to the control device 400 in advance. The control unit 40 of the control device 400 displays the box number of the box 401 in which the item of the order ID is to be stored to the person in charge of shipping via the display unit. The control device 400 may display the box number corresponding to the order ID, for example, by accepting the input of the order ID from the person in charge of shipping.

Moreover, the person in charge of shipping may transmit and receive data to and from the control device 400 using a dedicated terminal device or the like capable of communicating with the control device 400 . In this case, the person in charge of shipping uses a dedicated terminal device to read the QR code including the order ID and locker number attached to the storage bag, and transmits the read QR code to the control device 400 to store the item. The box number of the box 401 to be done may be obtained. The control device 400 transmits and receives data to and from a dedicated terminal device via, for example, a second communication unit or a reading device.

After the item is stored in the box 401 as described above, the item is received by the user. 13 and 14 are flowcharts showing an example of a processing procedure for receiving an item. When an item is stored in the box 401 and the locking mechanism 402 of the box 401 is locked, each device of the information processing system executes the following processing.

The control unit 40 of the control device 400 transmits to the information processing device 1 a storage notification indicating that storage of the item in the box 401 in use is completed (step S31). The accommodation notification includes, for example, the box ID and locker ID of the box 401 with the locking mechanism 402 locked. The accommodation notification may further include an order ID.

The control unit 10 of the information processing device 1 receives the accommodation notice (step S32). The control unit 10 generates electronic key information in response to receiving the accommodation notice (step S33). Specifically, the control unit 10 refers to the locker DB 113 and identifies the order ID based on the locker ID and box ID of the received receipt notification. Furthermore, the control unit 10 refers to the electronic key DB 112 to acquire the receipt date associated with the identified order ID. The control unit 10 specifies the period during which the item can be received according to either the acquisition date of the accommodation notice or the acquired receipt date. The possible receipt period is, for example, three days from the date of acquisition or the date of receipt, whichever is later.

The control unit 10 generates electronic key information including the key value for the order ID, locker ID, box ID, start date and validity period. The start date of the electronic key information may be the start date of the above specified receivable period, and the validity period may be the same as the receivable period. The control unit 10 stores the generated electronic key information in the electronic key DB 112 in association with the order ID (step S34). Control unit 10 also transmits the electronic key information to control device 400 (step S35). In this case, the control unit 10 may transmit the user terminal device information in association with the electronic key information.

The control unit 40 of the control device 400 receives the electronic key information and stores the received electronic key information in the storage unit 41 (step S36). The electronic key information is preferably generated using a predetermined encryption algorithm. For example, electronic key information may be information encrypted with a specific user's public key, and may not be decrypted by unspecified users.

The control unit 10 also transmits to the user terminal device 2 a receipt availability notification indicating that it is possible to receive the item in the box 401 in response to receiving the receipt notification (step S37). Based on the information stored in the electronic key DB 112, the control unit 10 sends a receipt ready notification to the user terminal device 2 identified by the user terminal device information and the user ID associated with the order ID of the electronic key information. Send.

The receipt-ready notice contains information about the electronic key for unlocking the locking mechanism 402 of the box 401 . Information about the electronic key includes information for obtaining electronic key information. Information about the electronic key may include, for example, a URL for starting an unlocking application program for acquiring electronic key information. The unlocking application program is a program for executing processing for acquiring electronic key information with the information processing device 1 .

The control unit 20 of the user terminal device 2 receives the notice of availability (step S38). After receiving the receipt-available notice, the user goes to the locker 4 installed in the facility and receives the item in the box 401 within the receipt-available period.

The control unit 20 accepts a request for an electronic key by the user operating the operation unit 25 (step S39). Specifically, the control unit 20 accesses the information processing device 1 by accepting a URL tap operation from the user, and activates an unlocking application program to receive reception screen information for accepting a request for an electronic key. to get The control unit 20 displays a reception screen corresponding to the acquired reception screen information on the display unit 24, and receives a request from the user using the reception screen (see FIG. 15).

The control unit 20 transmits the accepted electronic key request and user terminal device information for identifying the user terminal device 2 to the information processing device 1 via the first communication unit 22 (step S40). The electronic key request includes an order ID corresponding to the user ID obtained according to the unlocking application program.

The control unit 10 of the information processing device 1 receives the request for the electronic key (step S41). The control unit 10 refers to the electronic key DB 112 and acquires electronic key information corresponding to the order ID included in the received electronic key request (step S42). The control unit 10 transmits the acquired electronic key information to the user terminal device 2 identified by the user terminal device information (step S43).

The control unit 20 of the user terminal device 2 receives the electronic key information (step S44). When the electronic key information is encrypted data, the control unit 20 preferably decrypts the received electronic key information using an encryption key. The electronic key information includes a key value, locker ID, box ID, start date and validity period.

By accepting the unlocking operation of the locking mechanism 402, the control unit 20 transmits the received electronic key information and user terminal device information to the control device 400 of the locker 4 via the second communication unit 23 (step S45). Specifically, the control unit 20 displays an unlock screen for accepting an unlocking operation on the display unit 24, and accepts an unlocking operation by the user operating the operation unit 25 (see FIG. 15).

The control unit 40 of the control device 400 receives the electronic key information and the user terminal device information via the second communication unit 43 (step S46). Based on the received electronic key information, the control unit 40 sends an unlock command to the locking mechanism 402 of the box 401 corresponding to the box ID in the electronic key information, and unlocks the locking mechanism 402 (step S47). After unlocking, the control unit 40 may terminate communication with the user terminal device 2 according to a predetermined communication standard via the second communication unit 43 . The user opens the door and takes out the item from the opening of box 401 . When the box 401 is provided with two doors, the user opens and closes the box 401 using the door used for receiving, such as the front side door.

After a predetermined time (for example, one hour) has passed since the unlocking command was sent, the control unit 40 locks the locking mechanism 402 of the box 401 again (step S48). The control unit 40 transmits to the information processing device 1 a lock notification indicating that the lock mechanism 402 is locked in the box 401 (step S49). The lock notification may include, for example, the box ID of the locked box 401, the locker ID, the locking time, and the like.

The control unit 10 of the information processing device 1 receives the lock notification (step S50). The control unit 10 accesses the locker DB 113, blanks the first usage information of the box ID related to the reception of the lock notification, and stores the usage status field as blank (step S51). When the second usage information is stored, the control unit 10 stores the second usage information in the first usage information, and stores the usage status according to the second usage information in the usage status field. . The control unit 10 updates the scheduler by reflecting the updated storage contents of the locker DB 113 (step S52), and ends the series of processes.

In the above process, the electronic key information is not limited to that generated by the information processing apparatus 1 . The control unit 10 of the information processing device 1 may acquire electronic key information by communicating with an external key distribution device (not shown) and receiving electronic key information generated and distributed by the key distribution device.

Further, the control unit 40 may perform authentication processing of the electronic key information when unlocking the locking mechanism 402 . The control unit 40 executes authentication processing based on, for example, the received key value, validity period, user terminal device information, etc., and unlocks the locking mechanism 402 only when the received electronic key information is correct. There may be.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 24 of the user terminal device 2. As shown in FIG. When the control unit 20 of the user terminal device 2 receives the receipt availability notification from the information processing device 1, for example, by using the mail function or the like, screen information including a URL for starting the unlocking application program is displayed as shown in the upper left part of FIG. is displayed on the display unit 24 .

The control unit 20 accesses the information processing device 1 by accepting a URL tap operation via the operation unit 25 . The control unit 10 of the information processing device 1 generates reception screen information for receiving a request for an electronic key according to the user terminal device information of the user terminal device 2, and transmits the generated reception screen information to the user terminal device 2. .

The control unit 20 of the user terminal device 2 displays the reception screen as shown in the upper center of FIG. 15 based on the received reception screen information. The acceptance screen includes an acquisition button for accepting a request for an electronic key. The control unit 20 transmits a request for the electronic key to the information processing device 1 by receiving a tap operation of the acquisition button via the operation unit 25 . The control unit 10 of the information processing device 1 reads the electronic key information from the electronic key DB 112 and transmits it to the user terminal device 2 in response to the received request for the electronic key. During this time, screen information indicating the progress of the electronic key acquisition process is displayed on the display unit 24 of the user terminal device 2, as shown in the upper right of FIG.

After receiving the electronic key information, the control unit 20 of the user terminal device 2 displays a connection screen as shown in the lower left part of FIG. Send. The control unit 40 of the control device 400 receives a communication request from the user terminal device 2 and establishes communication with the user terminal device 2 according to a communication standard such as Bluetooth.

After establishing communication, the control unit 20 displays an unlock screen as shown in the lower center of FIG. The unlock screen includes an acceptance object for accepting an unlocking operation. The control unit 20 transmits the electronic key information to the control unit 20 by accepting a tap operation of the accepted object via the operation unit 25 .

Based on the received electronic key information, the control unit 40 sends an unlock command to the locking mechanism 402 of the box 401 corresponding to the electronic key information, and unlocks the locking mechanism 402 . After unlocking, the control unit 40 transmits a signal indicating unlocking to the user terminal device 2 . The signal indicating unlocking includes, for example, the box ID of the unlocked box 401 . In response to the reception of the signal indicating unlocking, the control unit 20 displays a screen indicating unlocking of the box 401 as shown in the lower right of FIG. Control unit 20 generates a screen including the box number of unlocked box 401 based on the received box ID, and displays it on display unit 24 . The user confirms the unlocked box number via the display unit 24 .

According to this embodiment, the information processing device 1 accurately manages the latest usage status of the boxes 401 in the lockers 4 by communicating with the control device 400 in real time. The information processing device 1 outputs information according to the latest usage status to the distributor device 3 . By linking the information processing device 1 and the distributor device 3, it is possible to efficiently operate and manage the lockers 4 installed in the facility. Since the locker 4 is installed in the facility, it is possible to omit the process of delivering the item to the user's home, leading to a reduction in delivery costs.

For example, in the case of delivery using a delivery locker in an apartment building or the like, the delivery locker may not be available due to the use of other residents, and the delivery may not be possible. In this embodiment, box receipt can be specified only when the box 401 is available, and the box 401 is surely reserved according to the user's order, thus avoiding such a shortage of the box 401. be able to. In addition, when using a sales event or the like, by reserving the boxes 401 in advance according to the expected number of boxes, the shortage of boxes 401 can be reduced and the boxes 401 can be used smoothly.

The user can receive the item at any timing without worrying about the business days and hours of the facility. In addition, if the process from ordering to payment is completed online, the final receipt of the goods can be completed non-face-to-face, which improves the user's convenience. Since the box 401 is unlocked using the electronic key sent to the user terminal device 2, convenience and security are improved.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the display screen 130 in the second embodiment. FIG. 16 shows an example of displaying the detailed information of the sales event for the reserved box 401 . As shown in FIG. 16, the display screen 130 shows an illustration showing a box 401 under reservation for each sales event in different display modes corresponding to a plurality of sales events, and a display example showing each reservation underway. and detailed information of the sales event pertaining to the reservation. The detailed information includes, for example, the event ID and date of each sales event. The control unit 10 of the information processing device 1 acquires the event ID of the first usage information based on the information stored in the locker DB 113, and acquires the date corresponding to the event ID based on the information stored in the event DB 111. . The control unit 10 displays the acquired event ID and date in association with the reserved box 401 associated with each event ID. The method of displaying the detailed information is not limited, and the detailed information may be displayed by operating a detailed display button included in the display screen 130, for example.

By displaying the detailed information of each sales event on the scheduler in this way, it is possible to appropriately manage the use of the box 401 by a plurality of sales events.

The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered as examples in all respects and not restrictive. The technical features described in each embodiment can be combined with each other, and the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the scope of the claims and the scope of equivalents to the scope of the claims. be done.

1 Information Processing Device 10 Control Unit 11 Storage Unit 111 Event DB
112 Electronic key DB
113 Locker DB
1P program 1A recording medium 12 communication unit 13 display unit 14 operation unit 2 user terminal device 3 seller device 4 locker 400 control device 401 box 402 locking mechanism

Claims (11)

Acquiring the dates and number of boxes of an event that uses a plurality of boxes in a locker that is installed in a facility and has boxes that can store items ordered by the user,
A program for causing a computer to execute a process of making a scheduler reserve the use of the boxes according to the acquired number of boxes for a predetermined period according to the opening date. obtaining the order date or receipt date of said item;
2. The program according to claim 1, further comprising: reserving the use of one of the plurality of boxes for containing the item with the scheduler for a predetermined period of time according to the obtained order date or receipt date. 3. The program according to claim 1, wherein the item has been ordered from an EC site where locker receipt using the locker is available as a method of receiving the item. 4. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: reserving with the scheduler the use of the box for containing the item after payment for the order for the item is completed. The box has a locking mechanism that can be unlocked with an electronic key,
5. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein information about an electronic key for unlocking the locking mechanism is output to the user terminal device of the user. obtaining a notification that the locker contains the item;
6. The program according to claim 5, which outputs information about the electronic key according to the obtained notification. 7. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein for each of a plurality of events, the scheduler reserves the use of the box according to the date of each event and the number of boxes. 8. The scheduler according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the usage status of each of the plurality of boxes is displayed by the scheduler in such a manner that usage related to the event and usage related to other than the event can be distinguished. program. Identifying boxes that will be available from the time when the opening date and the number of boxes are acquired to the day before the predetermined period corresponding to the opening date,
reserving, from among the specified boxes, use of the boxes that are available at the time when the date and number of boxes are acquired, with the scheduler;
9. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: making a reservation to the scheduler to stop new use of a box in use from among the specified boxes when the opening date and the number of boxes are acquired. an acquisition unit that acquires the dates and the number of boxes of a sales event that uses a plurality of boxes in a locker that is installed in a facility and has boxes that can store items ordered by a user;
an information processing apparatus comprising: a reservation unit that reserves the use of the boxes according to the number of boxes acquired by the acquisition unit with a scheduler for a predetermined period according to the date of the event. Acquiring the date and number of sales events using a plurality of boxes in a locker installed in a facility and equipped with boxes capable of storing items ordered by the user,
An information processing method for causing a computer to execute a process of reserving the use of the boxes corresponding to the acquired number of boxes with a scheduler for a predetermined period corresponding to the opening date.

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