JP2023165180A - Stocker and stocker management method - Google Patents

Abstract

To increase a degree of freedom for returning a member that stores a commodity, thereby improving convenience for a user.SOLUTION: A stocker includes: a detection unit which can detect presence/absence and weight of an article in each repository; a storage unit which stores collection-related information including necessity to collect a member and weight of a member to be collected, regarding the commodity in each repository; an acquisition unit which acquires, when a receiver receives a plurality of commodities from multiple repositories, from the collection-related information, a total number of repositories in which the commodities to be received are stored in the members to be collected, or total weight of the members to be collected, as an information value, and acquires the total number of repositories in which articles are detected by the detection unit, out of the repositories from which the commodities have been received, or the total weight of the detected articles, as a detection value; and a determination unit which determines, on the basis of the information value and the detection value, an error when the members to be collected have not been returned, or does not determine an error when the members to be collected have been returned to any of the repositories.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

This specification discloses a stocker and a stocker management method.

BACKGROUND ART Stockers have been known that include a plurality of delivery warehouses for delivering and receiving products purchased by users (purchasers) (for example, see Patent Document 1). This stocker is equipped with a sensor that detects the presence or absence of goods in each delivery warehouse, and after a user receives the product, the sensor detects that a member (accommodating member) such as a cold bag has been returned to the delivery warehouse. Judging from the signal, the system is in a waiting state for parts collection. When the delivery person (recovery person) of the store is authenticated, the delivery warehouse waiting for collection is opened and the parts are collected.

International Publication No. 2019/021791

Here, among the members such as the above-mentioned cold bag, there are those that need to be collected (returned) and those that are unnecessary. When the same user receives multiple products whose parts need to be collected differently from multiple warehouses, the user must return the parts that need to be collected to the original warehouse. That is, if a part that needs to be collected is returned to a delivery warehouse different from the original delivery warehouse, it may be determined as an error that the part has not been returned. Therefore, even if another delivery warehouse is located in a position where it is easier to return the parts, the user must return the parts to the original delivery warehouse, which reduces convenience.

The main purpose of the present disclosure is to improve convenience for users by increasing the degree of freedom in returning members that house products.

The present disclosure has taken the following measures to achieve the above-mentioned main objective.

The stocker of the present disclosure is
A stocker comprising a plurality of delivery warehouses capable of delivering products stored in transport members and receiving delivered products, the stocker comprising:
a detection unit capable of detecting the presence or absence or weight of items in each delivery warehouse;
a storage unit that stores collection-related information regarding the products in each delivery warehouse, including whether or not the parts need to be collected and the weight of the parts that need to be collected;
When the receiver receives multiple products from multiple warehouses, the total number of warehouses in which the products to be received are accommodated in the collection essential parts or the total weight of the collection essential parts is determined from the information value from the collection related information. an acquisition unit that acquires, as a detection value, the total number of delivery warehouses in which the goods are detected by the detection unit or the total weight of the detected goods among the delivery warehouses in which the receiving has been completed;
Based on the information value and the detection value, if it is determined that the collected parts have not been returned, an error is determined; and if it is determined that the collected parts have been returned to one of the delivery warehouses, it is not determined to be an error. and,
The purpose is to have the following.

The stocker of the present disclosure acquires the total number of delivery warehouses in which the products to be received are stored in the collection essential parts or the total weight of the collection essential parts from collection-related information as an information value, and stores the goods in the delivery warehouses for which the receipt has been completed. Obtain the total number of detected delivery warehouses or the total weight of items as a detected value. Then, based on the information value and the detected value, if it is determined that the recovered component has not been returned, an error is determined, and if it is determined that the recovered component has been returned to any warehouse, it is not determined to be an error. Thereby, regardless of whether it is the original delivery warehouse or not, it is possible to prevent an error from occurring if it is determined that the collected component has been returned to any delivery warehouse based on the information value and the detected value. Therefore, the recipient does not need to be aware of the delivery warehouse to which the recovered components are to be returned, and can simply return them to the delivery warehouse from which they have received the product, where it is easy to return them. Therefore, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in returning the member containing the product (collection essential member) and improve convenience for the user.

1 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a stocker system 10. FIG. An explanatory diagram showing an example of delivery warehouse information 54. Flowchart showing an example of delivery/collection processing. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a receiving process. An explanatory diagram showing an example of delivery warehouse information 54. A flowchart showing an example of collection processing. An explanatory diagram showing an example of delivery warehouse information 54. An explanatory diagram showing an example of delivery warehouse information 54. 10 is a flowchart showing a modified example of receiving processing. An explanatory diagram showing storage warehouse information 54B of a modified example. 10 is a flowchart showing a modified example of receiving processing.

Next, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the structure of the stocker system 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the delivery warehouse information 54. As shown in FIG. 1, the stocker system 10 includes a sales management system 20, a stocker 40, and a stocker management device 30 that manages the stocker 40. The sales management system 20, the plurality of stockers 40 (stockers 40A, 40B, etc.), and the stocker management device 30 are connected to networks 12 and 13 such as the Internet.

The sales management system 20 is a system managed by the stores 21 (21A, 21B, etc.) and includes a sales management device 22. The sales management device 22 exchanges information with the mobile terminal 15 of the purchaser 14 (user) via the network 12, and provides product information to the purchaser 14. The sales management device 22 includes a product database (DB) containing product information, a customer DB containing customer (purchaser 14) information, and a stocker 40 that receives inquiry numbers (order numbers) of purchased products (products) and products. Sales information, etc., including information on . In addition, when receiving the product, the purchaser 14 may remove the product from the storage member 17 that requires collection (for example, a sipper such as a cold bag), or remove the product from the storage member 18 that does not require collection (for example, a cardboard box). There are cases where you receive the product. The storage member 17 is used, for example, to transport fresh foods and the like, and needs to be collected at the store 21 thereof. Therefore, a message requesting return to the delivery warehouse 41 is written on the storage member 17 or displayed on the display operation section 42, which will be described later. Further, the storage member 18 is used for transporting items other than fresh food, does not need to be collected, and is normally disposed of after receiving the product. Note that each store 21 may use the storage members 17 and 18 differently depending on the product, or may use only one of the storage members 17 and 18.

The stocker 40 is used when delivering products delivered from the store 21 to the purchaser 14. The stocker 40 is installed in various places such as offices, convenience stores, factories, stations, schools, and condominiums. The stocker 40 includes a plurality of lockable delivery warehouses (boxes, storage boxes) 41. Each delivery warehouse 41 has an internal space in which goods such as products can be delivered (accommodated), and includes a front door 44, a locking mechanism 45 for locking and unlocking the door 44, and a It includes an article sensor 46 (for example, an optical sensor) that detects the presence or absence of an article, and an opening/closing sensor 47 that detects whether the door 44 is opened or closed. In the stocker 40, a control device 50 is housed in one of the delivery warehouses 41 (control box), and a display operation section 42 and a reading device 43 are disposed on the door 44 of the control device 50. The display operation unit 42 is a touch panel, and displays information to the product delivery person 19 and the purchaser 14, and allows the delivery person 19 and the purchaser 14 to input operations. The reading device 43 is a code reader that reads a code such as a password used to unlock the delivery warehouse 41. The control device 50 includes a control section 52, a storage section 53, and a communication section 58. The control unit 52 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and controls the entire device. The storage unit 53 stores various application programs and various data files. The communication unit 58 communicates with external devices such as the stocker management device 30.

The storage unit 53 of the control device 50 stores storage warehouse information 54 shown in FIG. 2 and the like. The delivery warehouse information 54 includes, for each delivery warehouse 41, information on the state of use, information on the deliverer (store 21), information on whether collection of storage members is necessary (whether it is storage member 17 or not), and the recipient of the product (purchaser 14). ), the association of the collectors of the housing members, information on the collection groups to be described later, etc. are stored. The use state of the delivery warehouse 41 includes, for example, an empty state, a waiting state for receiving, a waiting state for collection, and the like. The empty state is a state in which there are no products or storage members in the delivery warehouse 41 and the warehouse 41 is empty. The receiving waiting state is a state in which there are products in the delivery warehouse 41 and waiting for receiving. The collection waiting state is a state in which the returned storage member 17 is waiting for collection. In this embodiment, the store 21 (delivery person 19) that is the delivery person also collects the storage member 17, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a collector specialized in collection may also collect the storage member 17. The delivery warehouse information 54 is also referred to as collection-related information because it includes information related to collection, such as whether collection of storage members is necessary or not. Although not shown, the delivery warehouse information 54 includes information on an inquiry number set by the sales management device 22, information on an unlock code for the delivery person 19 to unlock the delivery warehouse 41, and information on an unlock code for the delivery person 19 to unlock the delivery warehouse 41. Information such as the password for receiving the product is also registered. Although not shown, the storage unit 53 also stores information on authentication codes determined for each store 21 and each delivery person 19.

The stocker management device 30 exchanges information with the stocker 40 and the sales management device 22 via the networks 12 and 13. The stocker management device 30 includes a control section 32, a storage section 33, and a communication section 38. The control unit 32 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and controls the entire device. The storage unit 33 stores various application programs and various data files. The communication unit 38 communicates with external devices such as the stocker 40. The storage unit 33 stores stocker information 34 and the like. The stocker information 34 is information that includes the same delivery warehouse information as the delivery warehouse information 54 of each stocker 40. The stocker management device 30 updates the stocker information 34 through communication with each stocker 40.

The operation of the stocker system 10 configured in this way will be explained. First, the purchaser 14 operates the mobile terminal 15 or the like to select the desired product from the product information provided by the sales management device 22, and inputs information such as the information of the stocker 40 from which the purchaser wishes to receive the product. and place an order for the product. When the sales management device 22 receives an order for a product, it stores information about the purchaser 14 and the stocker 40 who wishes to receive the product as sales information by adding a product inquiry number (order number), and also stores it as sales information. Send to. The stocker management device 30 searches for an empty delivery warehouse from the warehouse information of the stocker 40 desired to receive the product, secures an empty delivery warehouse, and determines the empty delivery warehouse 41 as the delivery destination. Then, the stocker management device 30 transmits the number of the delivery warehouse 41 of the delivery destination to the sales management device 22, and also transmits the number of the delivery warehouse 41 of the delivery destination and the inquiry number to the stocker 40 from which the delivery is desired. The stocker 40 stores the received inquiry number in the delivery warehouse information 54 in association with the delivery warehouse 41 of the delivery destination. Note that if the stocker 40 from which you wish to receive the product does not have an empty delivery warehouse that has not been determined as a delivery destination, the stocker management device 30 sends a message to the sales management device 22 that there is no vacancy. When the sales management device 22 receives the notification that there is no vacancy, it transmits the notification to the mobile terminal 15 of the purchaser 14 to change the stocker 40 from which the purchaser 14 wishes to receive the purchase or to accept cancellation of the order. When the sales management device 22 receives the number of the delivery warehouse 41 as the delivery destination from the stocker management device 30, it specifies the number of the delivery destination stocker 40 and the delivery warehouse 41, and stores the product in the storage member 17 (18). Give delivery instructions for delivery (transport). Based on this delivery instruction, the delivery person 19 delivers the product to the stocker 40 at the delivery destination and delivers the product. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of delivery/collection processing.

In the delivery/collection process of FIG. 3, the control unit 52 of the control device 50 first waits for the authentication of the delivery person 19 (collector) to be completed (S100). The authentication in S100 is performed by comparing the authentication code that the delivery person 19 inputs into the display operation section 42 or reads with the reading device 43 with the authentication code stored in the storage section 53. When the authentication is completed, the control unit 52 displays a selection screen on the display operation unit 42 that allows the delivery person 19 to select delivery or collection (S105). Note that the control unit 52 may display a message on the display operation unit 42 to the effect that there is a storage member 17 to be collected by the authenticated delivery person 19. Next, the control unit 52 determines whether delivery has been selected based on the input to the display operation unit 42 (S110), and when determining that delivery has been selected, unlocks the delivery warehouse 41 to be delivered. to open the door 44 (S115). In S115, the control unit 52 acquires the inquiry number that the delivery person 19 inputs into the display operation unit 42 or causes the reading device 43 to read the slip attached to the storage member of the product, and sends the delivery item corresponding to the inquiry number. The target delivery warehouse 41 is selected from the delivery warehouse information 54, and the selected delivery warehouse 41 is unlocked. Note that when the control unit 52 unlocks the delivery warehouse 41, the control unit 52 may display a message on the display operation unit 42 to the effect that the goods will be delivered to the delivery warehouse 41 with the door 44 open and the door 44 will be closed.

Then, the control unit 52 waits for the delivery to be completed (S120). In S120, the control unit 52 determines that the delivery is complete based on the detection signals from the article sensor 46 and the opening/closing sensor 47, since there are articles in the delivery warehouse 41 and the door 44 is closed. When the delivery is completed, the control unit 52 locks the delivery warehouse 41 (S125), changes the delivery warehouse information 54 of the delivery warehouse 41 that has been delivered this time to a waiting state, and also changes the information of the deliverer (delivery store). Information on whether collection of the housing member is necessary is stored (S130). In this embodiment, the deliverer also collects the storage member 17, so the deliverer is stored as the collecter. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, delivery warehouse numbers 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7 are in a receiving waiting state, and information on the deliverer (collector) is stored. In addition, storage warehouse numbers 1, 3, and 6 indicate that the storage member needs to be collected (accommodation member 17), and storage storage numbers 4 and 7 indicate that the storage member does not need to be collected (accommodation member 18). There is.

Next, the control unit 52 generates a receiving password used by the purchaser 14 to receive the product and stores it in the delivery warehouse information 54 (omitted in FIG. 2), and also generates information indicating that the delivery has been completed along with the inquiry number. is transmitted to the stocker management device 30 (S135), and the delivery/collection process is ended. Note that the stocker management device 30 stores the receiving password in the stocker information 34 of the storage section 33 and transmits it to the sales management device 22. The sales management device 22 transmits the received receipt password and inquiry number to the purchaser's 14 mobile terminal. Further, if the control unit 52 determines in S110 that delivery is not selected, that is, collection is selected, it executes the collection process (S140) and ends the delivery/recovery process. Note that details of the collection process in S140 will be described later.

Next, the process when the purchaser 14 receives the product will be explained. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the receiving process. In the receiving process of FIG. 4, the control unit 52 first waits for the recipient's authentication to be completed (S200). The authentication in S200 is performed by inputting the inquiry number and password that the purchaser 14 (receiver) inputs into the display operation unit 42 or having the reading device 43 read, and then inputting the inquiry number and password stored in the warehouse information 54 of the storage unit 53. This is done by comparing the When the authentication is completed, the control unit 52 acquires information about the delivery warehouse 41 corresponding to the inquiry number and password, that is, the delivery warehouse 41 where the product to be received is located, from the delivery warehouse information 54 (S205). Next, the control unit 52 determines whether there is a plurality of products to be received based on the information acquired in S205 (S210). In this embodiment, if multiple products purchased by the purchaser 14 (receiver) are delivered to multiple delivery warehouses 41 of the same stocker 40, each product is simultaneously delivered from the multiple delivery warehouses 41 in one receiving process. can be received. Note that the plurality of products may be delivered by different delivery stores (suppliers, delivery persons 19), but only products delivered (delivered) on the same day may be received at the same time in a single receiving process.

If the control unit 52 makes a negative determination in S210, that is, if it determines that there is not a plurality of products to be received, that is, if it determines that the product to be received is one product in the warehouse 41, the control unit 52 executes the normal receiving process (S215) and performs the receiving process. end. In the normal receiving process, when the receipt of the product not stored in the storage member 17 is completed, the control unit 52 changes the delivery warehouse 41 where the product was received to an empty state and updates the delivery warehouse information 54. Further, when the receipt of the product stored in the storage member 17 is completed, the control unit 52 detects that the product is in the delivery warehouse 41 (the storage member 17 has been returned) based on the detection signal of the product sensor 46. confirm. Then, the control unit 52 changes the delivery warehouse 41 in which the product has been received to a collection waiting state and updates the delivery warehouse information 54. Note that there is no problem even if the determination in S210 and the processing in S215 are omitted and the processing in S220 and subsequent steps is performed after S205.

On the other hand, if the control unit 52 determines in S210 that there is a plurality of products to be received, the control unit 52 acquires the total number N0 of the delivery warehouses 41 whose storage members need to be collected from the delivery warehouse information 54 and stores it in the RAM (S220). Subsequently, the control unit 52 unlocks the delivery warehouse 41 to which the product is to be received, opens the door 44 (S225), and waits for completion of receiving the product (S230). Note that the completion of the receipt may be determined by detecting that the doors 44 of all the delivery warehouses 41 opened this time are closed based on the detection signal from the opening/closing sensor 47. Further, in addition to the fact that the doors 44 of all the delivery warehouses 41 have been closed, the determination may also be made based on the fact that the receipt completion operation has been performed on the display operation section 42. If the storage member needs to be collected, the purchaser 14 (recipient) takes out the product from the storage member 17, returns the storage member 17 to the delivery warehouse 41, and closes the door 44. Therefore, it is determined that the receipt of the product is complete, including the return of the product.

When the control unit 52 determines that the receiving is completed in S230, the control unit 52 selects the delivery warehouses 41 in which the articles are detected from among the completed receipts based on the detection signal from the article sensor 46, and calculates the total number N1 of the delivery warehouses 41. Derived (S235). If the article sensor 46 detects the article after the receipt of the article is completed, it can be determined that the storage member 17 has been returned to the delivery warehouse 41. Subsequently, the control unit 52 determines whether the total number N0 stored in S220 and the total number N1 derived in S235 match (S240). If the control unit 52 determines that the total number N0 before and after receipt matches the total number N1, it determines that the storage member 17 has been returned to the delivery warehouse 41 (S245). That is, the control unit 52 makes sure that the total number of products (accommodating members 17) in the delivery warehouse 41 (accommodating members 17) is the same before and after receiving the product, regardless of whether the product (accommodating member 17) is returned to the original delivery warehouse 41 in which it was stored. In this case, it is determined that the housing member 17 has been returned. Then, the control unit 52 changes the delivery warehouse 41 in which no articles are detected among the delivery warehouses 41 that have been completely received to an empty state (S250). Further, the control unit 52 puts the delivery warehouse 41 in which the article has been detected into a waiting state for collection of the storage member 17, associates the collector with the collection group (S255), and locks the delivery warehouse 41 in which the item has been received (S260). , ends the receiving process.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the delivery warehouse information 54, and shows the state after recipients X and Y have received a plurality of products from the state shown in FIG. In the case of recipient X, there are two storage members 17 to be collected that need to be collected, with warehouse numbers 1 and 3 (see FIG. 2), so the total number N0 is 2. Furthermore, in the post-receipt state shown in FIG. 5, delivery warehouse number 1 is empty and delivery warehouse numbers 3 and 4 are waiting for collection. That is, since the articles have been detected from the delivery warehouse numbers 3 and 4, and the total number N1 after receipt is 2, which matches the total number N0, it is determined that the storage member 17 has been returned. In addition, for the products of recipient be. For this reason, stores A and B are associated with the warehouse numbers 3 and 4 as collectors, and the same collection group G1 is associated in order to simultaneously open the door and allow the collectors to check the storage member 17 (see FIG. 5).

On the other hand, in the case of recipient Y, the storage member 17 that needs to be collected among the recipients is one of the warehouse numbers 6 (see FIG. 2), so the total number N0 is 1. Furthermore, in the post-receipt state shown in FIG. 5, delivery warehouse number 6 is empty and delivery warehouse number 7 is waiting for collection. That is, since the article has been detected from the delivery warehouse number 7 and the total number N1 after receipt has a value of 1 and matches the total number N0, it is determined that the storage member 17 has been returned. Furthermore, since the collector of the storage member 17 for the product of recipient Y is store D (see Figure 2), store D is associated with the delivery warehouse number 7 as the collector, and collection group G2 is associated (see Figure 5). ). Note that when the total number N1 is 1, it is only necessary to collect the storage members 17 from one delivery warehouse 41, and there is no need to open the doors of the multiple delivery warehouses 41 and have the collector check the storage members 17. Processing related to collection groups may be omitted.

Further, if the control unit 52 determines in S240 that the total number N0 before and after receipt does not match the total number N1, it determines that the storage members 17 that need to be collected have not been returned to the delivery warehouse 41, and notifies a return error. (S265), returning to S225. In S265, the control unit 52 notifies the return error by displaying a message on the display operation unit 42 to the effect that the storage member 17 has not been returned to the delivery warehouse 41, for example. Further, the control unit 52 may notify the return error by outputting a voice message to that effect from a speaker (not shown). Further, in S225, the control unit 52 reopens the door 44 of the delivery warehouse 41 from which the product was to be received, for example, and prompts the user to return or confirm the storage member. Then, the control unit 52 waits for the return to be completed in S230, that is, for the purchaser 14 (recipient) to return the storage member 17 to the delivery warehouse 41 and close the door 44. If the control unit 52 determines that the return is completed in S230, it performs the processes in S235 and S240 again, and if the total number N0 and the total number N1 match, it performs the processes from S245 onwards.

The storage member 17 is collected in the collection process of S140 of the delivery/recovery process in FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of collection processing. In the collection process, the control unit 52 first selects a delivery warehouse 41 waiting for collection that is associated with a collector based on the delivery warehouse information 54 (S300). Next, the control unit 52 unlocks all of the selected delivery warehouses 41 and opens the doors 44 (S305), and sends a message to the effect that the storage members 17 are collected from the opened delivery warehouses 41 and the doors 44 are closed. It is displayed on the display operation unit 42 (S310) and waits for the completion of collection (S315).

For example, if the collector is store A, the doors of warehouse numbers 3 and 4 (see Figure 5) associated with store A will be opened, and the collector will be able to access one of the warehouses 41 with warehouse numbers 3 and 4. The storage member 17 of store A is collected. The same applies when the collector is store B. Further, when the collector is store D, the door of delivery warehouse number 7 (see FIG. 5) associated with store D is opened, and the storage member 17 of store D is collected. Note that the control unit 52 may determine the completion of collection by detecting that the doors 44 of all opened delivery warehouses 41 are closed based on the detection signal from the opening/closing sensor 47. Further, the control unit 52 may determine that in addition to the doors 44 of all the delivery warehouses 41 being closed, an operation for completing the collection has been performed on the display operation unit 42.

When the control unit 52 determines that the collection is complete, the control unit 52 excludes the delivery warehouses 41 whose doors 44 are closed and in which no articles are detected by the article sensor 46 from the collection target as vacant states (S320). Exclusion from collection targets is performed by deleting collector association and collection group information from the delivery warehouse information 54 regarding the corresponding delivery warehouse 41. Subsequently, the control unit 52 determines whether there is another delivery warehouse 41 in the same collection group (S325). If the control unit 52 determines that there is another delivery warehouse 41, it excludes the current recipient from the other delivery warehouse 41 (S330), and if it determines that there is no other delivery warehouse 41 in the same collection group, it excludes the current recipient from the other delivery warehouse 41 (S330). skip. Recipient exclusion is performed by deleting the current recipient from the collector correspondence in the delivery warehouse information 54 for other delivery warehouses 41. Next, the control unit 52 locks the delivery warehouse 41 (S335) and ends the collection process.

7 and 8 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of the delivery warehouse information 54. FIG. 7 is the same as FIG. 5, and shows a case where store A collects the storage member 17 from delivery warehouse number 3. In this case, when the collection is completed, no articles are detected from the warehouse number 3, so the state is changed to empty, and the collector association and collection group information are deleted (see FIG. 8). Therefore, the storage member 17 of store A was returned to delivery warehouse number 3, and the storage member 17 of store B was returned to delivery warehouse number 4. In addition, in the warehouse number 4 of the same collection group (G1) as the warehouse number 3 in Figure 7, store A, which is the current recipient, is deleted from the collector correspondence, leaving only store B (see Figure 8). ). Therefore, when collection processing is performed next with store B as the collector, only the door of delivery warehouse number 4 is opened and the storage member 17 is collected. In FIG. 7, the delivery warehouse 41 with the delivery warehouse number 7 is also waiting for collection, but only the delivery warehouse number 7 is associated with the store D as a collector. Therefore, when the store D performs the collection process as the collector, only the door of the delivery warehouse 41 with the delivery warehouse number 7 is opened and the storage member 17 is collected.

Here, the correspondence between the components of this embodiment and the components of the present disclosure will be clarified. The delivery warehouse 41 of this embodiment corresponds to the delivery warehouse of the present disclosure, the stocker 40 corresponds to the stocker, the article sensor 46 corresponds to the detection section, the storage section 53 corresponds to the storage section, and S205 of the receiving process, The control unit 52 that executes S220 and S235 corresponds to an acquisition unit, and the control unit 52 that executes S240 corresponds to a determination unit. Further, the control section 52 that executes S250 and S255 of the receiving process and S300 to S310 of the collection process corresponds to the processing section. In addition, in this embodiment, an example of the stocker management method of the present disclosure is also made clear by explaining the operation of the control unit 52.

The stocker 40 of the present embodiment described above acquires the total number N0 (information value) of the delivery warehouses 41 in which the products to be received are stored in the storage member 17 (collection essential component) from the delivery warehouse information 54 (collection related information). Then, the total number N1 (detection value) of the delivery warehouses in which the article is detected among the delivery warehouses 41 for which the receipt has been completed is acquired. Then, based on the total number N0 and the total number N1, if it is determined that the storage member 17 has not been returned, it is determined as an error, and if it is determined that the storage member 17 has been returned to any of the delivery warehouses 41, it is not determined as an error. Thereby, regardless of whether the storage member 17 is returned to the original delivery warehouse 41 or not, it is possible to prevent an error from occurring if the storage member 17 is returned to any delivery warehouse 41. Therefore, the receiver does not need to be aware of the delivery warehouse 41 to which the storage member 17 is to be returned, and only needs to return it to the delivery warehouse 41 from which the product is easily returned among the delivery warehouses 41 from which the product was received. For example, if the recipient is short, the storage member 17 may be returned to the delivery warehouse 41 located below, and if the recipient is tall, the storage member 17 may be returned to the delivery storage 41 located above. , the storage member 17 can be returned to the delivery warehouse 41 at a location of the recipient's preference. Therefore, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in returning the storage member 17 and improve convenience for the recipient (user).

Moreover, since the control unit 52 determines that the storage member 17 has been returned when the total number N0 and the total number N1 match, it is possible to reliably determine whether the storage member 17 has been returned. In addition, when the control unit 52 determines that the storage member 17 has been returned, the controller 52 associates the person who collected the storage member 17 with all the storage warehouses 41 in which items have been detected among the items that have been received, and stores them in the storage warehouse information 54. to be memorized. When the collector collects the storage member 17, the doors of all delivery warehouses 41 associated with the collector are opened based on the storage warehouse information 54, so that the storage member 17 can be collected. Therefore, even if the storage member 17 is returned to a delivery warehouse 41 different from the original delivery warehouse 41, the collector can check the delivery warehouse 41 and collect the storage member 17.

It goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

In the embodiment described above, it was determined that the housing member 17 was returned when the total number N0 and the total number N1 matched, but the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a modified example of receiving processing. In the modified example, the same step numbers are given to the same processes as in the embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted. In this receiving process, when the control unit 52 determines that the total number N0 and the total number N1 do not match, it determines whether the total number N1 is greater than or equal to the value 1 (S242). Normally, the total number N1 is not larger than the total number N0, so if the total number N0 and the total number N1 do not match, the total number N1 is smaller than the total number N0. If the control unit 52 determines in S242 that the total number N1 is greater than or equal to the value 1, it determines that the storage member 17 has been returned (S245), and performs the processing from S250 onwards. Further, if the control unit 52 determines that the total number N1 is not greater than or equal to the value 1 (the value is 0), the control unit 52 proceeds to S265. In this way, if the total number N1 is smaller than the total number N0 but is greater than or equal to the value 1, it is determined that at least one housing member 17 has been returned, and that the housing member 17 has been returned. Therefore, even if the receiver does not return the storage members 17 one by one to the delivery warehouse 41 but returns several of them at once to the delivery warehouse 41, a return error will not be reported as the storage member 17 has been returned. The degree of freedom in returning the storage member 17 can be further increased, and convenience can be further improved.

In the modified example of FIG. 9, the same process (processing after S245) is performed when the total number N0 and the total number N1 match in S240 and when the total number N1 is greater than or equal to the value 1 in S242. Not limited. For example, if the total number N1 is greater than or equal to the value 1, it is considered that the storage members 17 have been returned to the delivery warehouse 41 all at once, but there is also a possibility that the recipient has forgotten to return some of the storage members 17. Therefore, if the total number N1 is greater than or equal to the value 1, a message may be displayed on the display/operation unit 42 to confirm whether or not you have forgotten to return the item. On the other hand, if the total number N0 and the total number N1 match, there is no need for confirmation, and the processes from S245 onward may be performed.

In the embodiment, whether or not the storage members 17 have been returned is determined based on the total number N0 and the total number N1, but it may be determined based on the total weight of the storage members 17. In that case, the stocker 40 may include a weight detection type sensor as the article sensor 46 of each delivery warehouse 41. Furthermore, as shown in the storage warehouse information 54B of the modified example of FIG. 10, instead of (or in addition to) whether or not the storage member 17 needs to be collected, the weight of the storage member 17 that needs to be collected can be stored. good. Note that the weight of the storage member 17 may be registered in advance by each store 21 (supplier).

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a modified example of receiving processing. In this receiving process, the control unit 52 acquires the total weight W0 of the storage members 17 to be collected from the delivery warehouse information 54B and stores it (S220b). For example, when the receiver X receives the goods, the weight a of the delivery warehouse number 1 and the weight b of the delivery warehouse number 3 are acquired from the delivery warehouse information 54B, and the total weight W0 (=a+b) is stored. Further, the control unit 52 calculates the total weight W1 of the weight of the articles detected by the article sensor 46 (weight detection type sensor) from the delivery warehouse 41 that has been received (S235b), and determines whether it matches the total weight W0. is determined (S240b). If the control unit 52 determines that the total weight W0 and the total weight W1 match, it determines that the storage member has been returned (S245), and performs the processes from S250 onwards without determining a return error. On the other hand, if the control unit 52 determines that the total weight W0 and the total weight W1 do not match, it determines in S265 that the accommodation member has not been returned, and notifies a return error. In this way, if the storage member 17 is returned to any one of the delivery warehouses 41 based on the total weights W0 and W1 before and after receipt, it is possible to prevent an error from occurring. Moreover, since the determination is based on the total weights W0 and W1, even if the housing members 17 are returned all at once, it is possible to appropriately determine whether all the housing members 17 have been returned.

In the embodiment, all collectors are associated with each delivery warehouse 41 in which the storage member 17 has been returned, and at the time of collection, each delivery warehouse 41 associated with the collector is opened all at once. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to open the cabinets 41 one by one for confirmation. That is, if the storage member 17 in the opened delivery warehouse 41 does not belong to the collector, the next delivery warehouse 41 may be sequentially opened.

In the embodiment, the control unit 52 of the control device 50 performs the delivery/recovery process and the receiving process, but the control unit 32 of the stocker management device 30 may perform part or all of each process.

Here, the stocker of the present disclosure may be configured as follows. For example, in the stocker of the present disclosure, the determination unit may determine that the collection essential component has been returned when the information value and the detection value match. In this way, it is possible to reliably determine that the recovered component has been returned.

In the stocker of the present disclosure, the detection unit detects the presence or absence of articles in each delivery warehouse, and the determination unit determines that the total number of delivery warehouses obtained as the detected value is greater than the total number of delivery warehouses obtained as the information value. Even if the detected value is smaller than 1, it may be determined that the recovered component has been returned. In this way, the recipient does not have to return multiple collection essential parts one by one to the delivery warehouse, and they can be returned all at once to one delivery warehouse, which can further improve convenience for users. can.

In the stocker of the present disclosure, the storage unit includes information on the person who collected the material to be collected in the collection-related information, and when it is determined that the material to be collected has been returned, the storage unit includes information on the person who collected the material to be collected in the collection-related information. A process of associating the acquired collector with all the delivery warehouses in which the article or the weight of the article is detected by the detection unit among the delivery warehouses in which receipt has been completed, and storing it in the collection-related information, which is obtained from the collection-related information. When the collection person collects the collection essential parts, the processing unit is configured to store all the warehouses associated with the collection person based on the collection related information, so that the collection of the collection parts is possible. Processing may be performed to make it possible. In this way, even if the recovered parts are returned to a warehouse different from the original one, the collector will be able to check the warehouse that may have been returned and collect the recovered parts. .

The stocker management method of the present disclosure includes a plurality of delivery warehouses capable of delivering products stored in transport members and receiving the delivered products, and a detection method capable of detecting the presence or absence or weight of the products in each delivery warehouse. A stocker management method for managing a stocker comprising: (a) a storage unit that stores collection-related information regarding products in each delivery warehouse, including whether or not the parts need to be collected and the weight of the parts to be collected; (b) If the receiver receives multiple products from multiple delivery warehouses, the total number of warehouses in which the products to be received are stored in the collection material or the total number of the collection material. (c) obtaining the weight as an information value from the collection-related information; and (c) determining the total number of delivery warehouses in which items have been detected by the detection unit or the total weight of the detected items among the delivery warehouses for which receipt has been completed as a detection value. (d) If it is determined based on the information value and the detected value that the recovered essential parts have not been returned, an error is determined and the recovered essential parts are returned to one of the delivery warehouses. The gist is to include a step that does not result in an error if it is determined that the error has occurred. In the stocker management method of the present disclosure, similarly to the above-described stocker, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in returning the member (required collection member) that accommodates the product, thereby improving convenience for the user. In addition, in this stocker management method, various aspects of the stocker described above may be adopted, and steps for realizing each of the functions of the stocker described above may be added.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used in the technical field of product distribution systems that deliver products to stockers.

10 stocker system, 12, 13 network, 14 purchaser, 15 mobile terminal, 17, 18 storage member, 19 delivery person, 20 sales management system, 21, 21A, 21B store, 22 sales management device, 30 stocker management device, 32 Control unit, 33 Storage unit, 34 Stocker information, 38 Communication unit, 40, 40A, 40B Stocker, 41 Delivery warehouse, 42 Display operation unit, 43 Reading device, 44 Door, 45 Lock mechanism, 46 Article sensor, 47 Open/close sensor, 50 control device, 52 control unit, 53 storage unit, 54, 54B warehouse information, 58 communication unit.

Claims (5)

A stocker comprising a plurality of delivery warehouses capable of delivering products stored in transport members and receiving delivered products, the stocker comprising:
a detection unit capable of detecting the presence or absence or weight of items in each delivery warehouse;
a storage unit that stores collection-related information regarding the products in each delivery warehouse, including whether or not the parts need to be collected and the weight of the parts that need to be collected;
When the receiver receives multiple products from multiple warehouses, the total number of warehouses in which the products to be received are accommodated in the collection essential parts or the total weight of the collection essential parts is determined from the information value from the collection related information. an acquisition unit that acquires, as a detection value, the total number of delivery warehouses in which the goods are detected by the detection unit or the total weight of the detected goods among the delivery warehouses in which the receiving has been completed;
Based on the information value and the detection value, if it is determined that the collected parts have not been returned, an error is determined; and if it is determined that the collected parts have been returned to one of the delivery warehouses, it is not determined to be an error. and,
A stocker equipped with The stocker according to claim 1,
The determination unit determines that the collection essential component has been returned when the information value and the detection value match. The stocker according to claim 1,
The detection unit detects the presence or absence of articles in each delivery warehouse,
The determination unit determines that the collection essential parts are not returned when the detected value is 1 or more, even if the total number of delivery warehouses obtained as the detected value is smaller than the total number of delivery warehouses obtained as the information value. Judge, Stocker. The stocker according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The storage unit includes information on a person who collected the essential parts for collection in the collection related information,
If it is determined that the essential parts to be collected have been returned, the person who collected the essential parts to be collected is obtained from the collection related information, and the detection unit detects the article or the weight of the article in the delivery warehouse where the receipt has been completed. comprising a processing unit that associates the acquired collectors with all delivery warehouses and stores them in the collection-related information;
When the collection person collects the collection essential parts, the processing unit sets all delivery warehouses associated with the collection person to a state in which collection of the collection essential parts is possible based on the collection related information. A stocker that processes as follows. Manages a stocker that is equipped with multiple delivery warehouses that can deliver products stored in transport members and receive delivered products, and a detection unit that can detect the presence or absence or weight of products in each delivery warehouse. A stocker management method comprising:
(a) storing in a storage unit collection-related information regarding the products in each delivery warehouse, including whether or not the parts need to be collected and the weight of the parts that need to be collected;
(b) When the receiver receives multiple products from multiple warehouses, the total number of warehouses in which the products to be received are stored in the collection essential parts or the total weight of the collection essential parts is recorded in the collection related information. a step of obtaining an information value from
(c) obtaining as a detection value the total number of delivery warehouses in which items have been detected by the detection unit or the total weight of the detected items among the delivery warehouses in which receipt has been completed;
(d) Based on the information value and the detected value, if it is determined that the recovered component has not been returned, an error is determined; if it is determined that the recovered component has been returned to any warehouse, an error is determined. Steps that do not
Stocker management method including.

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