JP6892683B2 - Goods collection system, collection box and goods collection method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an article collection device, for example, an article collection system for collecting articles such as home delivery and mail using a collection box, a collection box, and an article collection method.

In recent years, due to the rapid spread of mail order (EC), distribution and delivery volumes that greatly exceed the delivery capacity of delivery companies have occurred, and the delivery business has fallen into a situation where it may be paralyzed. One of the causes of this increase in physical distribution and delivery volume is the heavy burden of redelivery due to the absence of the recipient, and there is an urgent need to improve this.

On the other hand, in condominiums and other condominiums, a mailbox or a so-called parcel delivery box may be installed. In particular, the parcel delivery box is an article storage (collection) device having a plurality of lockable article collection boxes for receiving parcels addressed to a specific resident or collecting parcels shipped by a specific resident. is there. This goods collection box is exclusively assigned to each resident, and can also be used for receiving mail. In this type of parcel delivery box, an authentication means such as an ID card (IC card, etc.) is provided on a console using a touch panel, etc., to unlock (or lock) the parcels to be taken in and out of multiple parcel delivery boxes. It has also been proposed that the device is controlled via an authentication operation such as that presented to a card reader (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-2017-64456

By the way, as one solution to increase the delivery amount due to the above-mentioned redelivery, there is the installation of the above-mentioned delivery box. However, when installing a delivery box, the cost for installation and the maintenance / management cost are high, so it becomes a problem who bears this cost, which hinders the spread of the delivery box.

For example, if a parcel delivery box is installed by a specific parcel delivery company or mail-order company, convenience may not be guaranteed due to interests such as whether to allow other parcel delivery companies or mail-order companies to use it. When the property owner or individual resident installs it, the economic merit of installing it is small for the high installation cost, and the interests are complicated and it is difficult to install the delivery box. The current situation.

In view of the above problems, the subject of the present invention is to pay the cost of installing a goods collection box such as a delivery box for a delivery company, a mail order company, a recipient, a delivery box installation / manager, and other related parties. Goods collection system, collection box and goods that can promote the spread of parcel delivery boxes according to the profits they enjoy, suppress the increase in delivery volume due to redelivery, etc., and facilitate distribution. It is to provide a collection method.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention manages the collection of goods using the collection box by a management server through a communication network.
A delivery management database that records the delivery company identifier that identifies the delivery company that delivers the goods and the collection box identifier that identifies the collection box in association with each other.
A shipping source management database that records the shipping source identifier that identifies the shipping source of the goods in association with the collection box identifier, and
A point issuing unit that issues value information having exchange value as points to each collection box and manages the collection box identifier of the collection box in association with the points issued to the collection box.
The delivery management database or the shipping source management database is inquired about whether or not the delivery company or the shipping source related to the delivery of the goods is registered, and whether or not there are points related to the receiving box, and the receiving is performed according to the inquiry result. A control unit for controlling the locking or unlocking of the box is provided.

In the above invention, according to the frequency with which the delivery company or the shipping source stores the goods in the receiving box, the delivery company or the shipping source related to the stored goods to the shipping destination receiving the delivery of the goods. , It is preferable to further provide a point management unit for transferring the points.

In the above invention, the control unit is predetermined when the delivery management database or the shipping source management database does not have the registration of the delivery company or the shipping source related to the delivery of the article, or there is no point regarding the receiving box. It is preferable to request the operation of the above as an operation of an unregistered contractor and provide a support function for controlling locking or unlocking of the collection box based on the operation according to the request.

In the above invention, the unregistered trader operation required by the support function is preferably an operation of depositing banknotes, coins or electronic money.

In the above invention, it is preferable that the unregistered trader operation required by the support function is the input of a password temporarily given.

According to the present invention, the cost of installing a collection box such as a delivery box is charged between the delivery company, the mail order company, the recipient, the installation / manager of the delivery box, and other related parties. It can be shared according to the profits that the parcels enjoy, and the burden of the installation cost of the delivery box can be virtually zero.

For example, by installing a delivery box, a delivery company and a mail-order company can obtain an economic profit, and the profit can be returned to the person who bears the installation cost through points. As a result, it is possible to promote the spread of delivery boxes, suppress an increase in the amount of delivery due to redelivery, etc., and facilitate distribution.

Further, according to the present invention, a unique ID is assigned to each delivery box, the owner information is queried in the database during the delivery business, and the delivery box is linked with a web service such as an EC site contracted by the owner. By delivering goods to the delivery box, it is possible to record data related to physical distribution such as other delivery operations and mail-order sales.

It is a conceptual diagram which shows the whole structure of the article collection system which concerns on embodiment. It is a perspective view which showed the appearance structure of the delivery box which concerns on embodiment. It is a front view which showed the appearance structure of the delivery box which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the delivery box which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the user terminal which becomes the delivery destination which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the terminal for a delivery company which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the information management server and EC site distribution server which concerns on embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows the monitoring method which concerns on embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the whole structure of the article collection system which concerns on the modification.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of providing a delivery box point return service using the goods collection system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an overall configuration of an article collection system according to the present embodiment.

(Outline of goods collection service)
In the delivery box point return service according to the present embodiment, the point management company D provides the user W, who is the shipping destination, with a service of installing a delivery box at home for 300 yen per month. User W subscribes to the delivery box providing service of the point management company D and installs the delivery box 10 at home. According to this contract, the user W pays the point management company D 300 yen every month. As shown in FIG. 2, in the delivery box 10, a plurality of delivery boxes 10 are assembled to form one collective receiving device 100.

The delivery box ID, the service ID of the point management company D, and the point account are linked to the delivery box 10, and if the purchase is made via the mail-order company A, which is the shipping source, the delivery box 10 is automatically displayed. It is a mechanism that works together. In providing the delivery box service, the point management company D is associated with each ID in the point management database 234 so as to cooperate with the mail-order companies A and R, the delivery companies K and S, and the sponsor company J, which is the sponsor company. ing. A sticker or the like displaying the logo of the sponsor company is affixed to the delivery box, and the delivery box itself is also an advertising medium. In addition, the advertisement of the sponsor company J is delivered to the application (web service) for the delivery box.

More specifically, a delivery box ID, which is a unique collection box identifier, is assigned to each delivery box 10 installed in the condominium B1 or the like where the user W resides. As the delivery box ID, various identifiers can be used as long as they can be unique IDs such as barcodes and QR codes (registered trademarks) in addition to character strings. When delivering the package P1, the delivery company K carries a delivery business terminal 2, and the delivery business terminal 2 is used to read the delivery box ID together with the terminal operations required for normal home delivery business. Or, enter it manually to see if the delivery box is available.

In the user information database 235 provided in the point management server 4 arranged on the communication network 5, the login user ID of the mail-order site and the delivery box ID owned by the user are linked and registered. As a result, when a user purchases a product on a mail-order site, it is possible to confirm that the purchaser is a user of the delivery box by collating the information about the purchaser with the user information database 235. You can know that the item can be delivered to the address where the parcel box is located.

In this service, a point management server 4 is arranged on the communication network 5, and the point and the delivery box ID are linked by the point management server 4. The point management server 4 issues points, which are value information having exchange value, to each delivery box (or user W who is the owner of the delivery box), and issues the delivery box ID and the delivery box to the delivery box. Manage by associating with the points that have been made. In the present embodiment, the resources of this point are the courier company K, the mail-order company A, and the sponsor company J, and these persons charge the registration fee, usage fee, advertising fee, etc. as the exchange value equivalent to the issued points. Be the target.

Then, the user W who is the owner of the delivery box 10 can receive points by receiving the goods through the delivery box 10, and the point management company D manages the transfer of points.

(Overall configuration of goods collection system)
Here, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the article collection system according to the present embodiment is a system in which the collection of articles using the collection box is managed by the management server through the communication network, and the communication network 5 Above, it has a user terminal 1 owned by each user, a delivery business terminal 2 carried by a delivery company, a mail order server 3 that distributes a mail order site E1, and a point management server 4. Although only one user terminal 1 owned by the user W is shown in FIG. 1, information processing terminals owned by a large number of users can connect to the communication network 5 and participate in this system. You can do it.

The communication network 5 includes a wireless communication network, and uses the communication protocol TCP / IP to mutually connect various communication lines (telephone line, ISDN line, ADSL line, public line such as optical line, dedicated line, wireless communication network). It is a distributed communication network constructed by connecting, and the communication network 5 includes LANs such as corporate networks and home networks.

The wireless base station 51 is connected to the communication network 5 through a relay device, a gateway device, or the like, establishes a wireless communication connection with the user terminal 1 and the delivery business terminal 2, and is operated by the user terminal 1 and the delivery business terminal 2. A device that provides calls and data communications. The wireless base station 51 in the present embodiment can function as a position information acquisition unit that manages which cell each user terminal 1 is located in on the communication network 5. The relay device is a node device such as a modem, a terminal adapter, or a gateway device for connecting to the communication network 5, and selects a communication path and exchanges data (signals) with the radio base station 51. Relay processing with the communication network 5 is performed.

The point management server 4 is a server device that is arranged on the communication network 5 and manages and controls the entire system such as user management, point management, and maintenance / management of a delivery box. The point management server 4 includes a Web server, and is a server computer or a function thereof that transmits information such as HTML (HyperText Markup Language) files, image files, and music files in a document system such as WWW (World Wide Web). It is software that has the ability to store HTML documents, images, and other information, and distributes content (Web pages) in response to requests from applications such as Web browsers that are executed on the user terminal 1. ..

The user terminal 1 used by each user is, for example, a smartphone having an arithmetic processing function by a CPU and a wireless communication function, and wirelessly communicates with a relay point such as a general base station, and a communication service such as a call or data communication. Can be received while moving. Examples of this communication method include a FDMA method, a TDMA method, a CDMA method, a W-CDMA method, and a PHS (Personal Handyphone System) method. In addition, as a wireless interface different from the above-mentioned communication method, it also has a function corresponding to a communication method by sending and receiving IP packets conforming to a wireless LAN standard or the like. Further, the user terminal 1 is equipped with functions such as a digital camera function, an application software execution function, and a GPS function, and also functions as a personal digital assistant (PDA).

(Internal structure of each device)
Next, the internal structure of each device constituting the above-mentioned system will be described. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a console provided in the delivery box according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a user terminal 1 used by a user as a delivery destination. .. The term "module" used in the description refers to a functional unit composed of hardware such as a device or device, software having the function, or a combination thereof, for achieving a predetermined operation. ..

(1) Delivery Box FIGS. 2 and 3 show the external configuration of the collective receiving device 100 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 shows the internal configuration of the delivery box. The collective collection device 100 is an aggregate of collection boxes arranged near the entrance of a building as a delivery box (delivery locker) used for sending and receiving so-called delivery items, a mailbox, or the like. In the present embodiment, the collective receiving device 100 is installed in an apartment such as an apartment as an example, and is composed of a plurality of delivery boxes 10, 10, .... Each delivery box 10 is provided with a door 101b that opens and closes in front of the delivery box 10, and when the door 101b is closed to close the internal storage space 101c and the delivery box 10 is also installed as a mailbox. Is provided with a mailing port 101a for posting mail through the front and back of the door 101b. Further, the door 101b is provided with an electronic lock 101d whose lock / unlock is controlled by remote control or input of a number key or the like.

The lock / unlock of the door 101b for accommodating and taking out the mail or the delivery of the delivery boxes 10, 10 ... Is controlled by the control unit 103 according to the operation of the resident (or the delivery company) on the console 102. Will be done.

FIG. 2 shows one of the delivery boxes 10 with the door 101b open. Doors are closed in boxes other than this one. The door 101b is rotatably supported by a hinge, and can be locked and unlocked by the electronic lock 101d.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the console 102 has information such as an output unit 102a composed of an LCD panel or a touch panel, a speaker, an operation unit 102b composed of a function key and a numeric keypad, and an ID card as an authentication means. A card reader 102c for reading the coin and a coin insertion unit 102d for inserting coins are provided.

Here, the ID card that can be read by the card reader 102c is owned by a resident of the housing complex or a deliveryman of the courier company, and is an identifier associated with a specific resident of the housing complex, a deliveryman, or the like. It is composed of a non-contact IC card in which an identifier of a company that identifies a courier company is recorded as ID information. In addition, in order to prevent the use of IC cards other than the resident or the courier company, the IC card may store specific key information indicating that it is a legitimate card that can be used in the apartment house, or may be used. It is also possible to encrypt and record ID information such as a living room number using key information that is valid only in the housing complex.

The ID card constitutes an authentication means for various systems arranged in an article receiving device or an apartment house as described above. As the authentication means, in addition to the above IC card, a mobile phone or a smartphone. , A device having an RFID (Radio Frequency Authentication) interface equivalent to a non-contact IC card, such as a tablet terminal (or notebook PC), or the like can also be used.

The control unit 103 of the collective collection device 100 is arranged, for example, inside a housing provided with the console 102. Specifically, the control unit 103 includes a locking control unit 103a, an operation information acquisition unit 103b, and an output information generation unit 103c. The lock control unit 103a is a module that controls an electronic lock drive device 102h for driving an electronic lock provided on each door, and responds to presentation of an IC card on the console 102, key operation, or other remote operation. It controls the opening and closing of the electronic lock that locks / unlocks the delivery boxes 10, 10 ... Of the collective collection device 100. In particular, the control unit 103 has a function of inquiring each database in the delivery management database and the storage unit 23, which is the shipping source management database, in cooperation with the point management unit 227, and the control unit 103 of the console 102 In cooperation, we inquire whether the delivery company or shipping source related to the delivery of the goods is registered, and whether there are points related to the delivery box, and according to the inquiry result, the lock control unit 103a locks each delivery box individually. Or control unlocking.

Further, the control unit 103 cooperates with the point management unit 227, and there is no registration of the delivery company or the shipping source related to the delivery of the goods in each database on the point management server 4, or there is no point related to the collection box. In this case, it is provided with a support function for requesting a predetermined operation as an operation of an unregistered contractor and controlling the locking or unlocking of the corresponding delivery box through the locking control unit 103a based on the operation according to the request. In the unregistered trader operation required by this support function, the operation of acquiring banknotes, coins or electronic money through the coin insertion unit 102d or the card reader 10c, or the temporarily assigned one-time password is transmitted through the operation unit 102b. Examples include accepting processing.

The console 102 communicates with a control unit 103 composed of an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU as a main control unit, a memory 102g for storing programs of the control unit 103 and other data, and an electronic lock 101d or a console 102. It is composed of a data transmission unit 102f, a wireless interface 102e, and the like.

Further, the control unit 103 has a network interface (for example, an IEEE 802.3 network interface or a WAN interface of a predetermined method) 204, and can communicate with a server at a remote location via a network (intranet or the Internet).

(2) User terminal 1
Next, the internal configuration of the user terminal 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the user terminal 1 includes a wireless interface 11, a storage device 15, an application execution unit 14, an output interface 13, and an input interface 12.

The wireless interface 11 has a function of executing wireless communication using a mobile communication protocol for making a call and wireless communication using a data communication protocol such as a wireless LAN. The wireless interface 11 is an IEEE 802.11b compliant transmitter / receiver for making a wireless LAN connection, and can be realized by a wireless LAN adapter or the like in a mobile computer or PDA.

The input interface 12 is a device for inputting user operations such as operation buttons and a touch panel. Further, the output interface 13 is a device such as a display or a speaker that outputs video or sound. In particular, the output interface 13 includes a display unit 13a such as a liquid crystal display. The storage device 15 is a storage device that stores an OS (Operating System), programs for various applications, other data, and the like.

The application execution unit 14 is a module that executes an application such as a general OS or browser software, and is usually realized by a CPU or the like. When accessing the Web page by this browser software, the login form is displayed on the display unit 13a, and the user is prompted to input the authentication information. Then, it is confirmed to the point management server 4 via the communication network 5 whether or not the accessor has the right and whether or not the accessor is the person himself / herself based on the input authentication information. Therefore, only the authenticated user can operate the delivery box 10.

(3) Delivery business terminal 2
Next, the internal structure of the delivery business terminal 2 used by the delivery staff of the courier company K will be described in detail. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the smartphone according to the embodiment.

The delivery business terminal 2 includes a wireless interface 11, an input interface 12, an output interface 13, a photographing unit 18, a storage device 15, a CPU 16, and a position information acquisition unit 17 as modules related to the delivery business.

The wireless interface 11 is a module for transmitting and receiving calls and data with other communication devices, and examples of the communication method include public lines such as telephone lines, ISDN lines, ADSL lines, optical lines, dedicated lines, and WCDMA (registration). In addition to 3rd generation (3G) communication methods such as CDMA2000 and 4th generation (4G) communication methods such as LTE, and 5th generation (5G) and later communication methods, Wifi (registered trademark), Includes wireless communication networks such as Bluetooth®. In the present embodiment, the wireless interface 11 transmits and receives packet data via the communication network 5, and acquires various data such as real estate information from the point management server 4 and the like.

The input interface 12 is a module that receives an operation signal from an operation device such as a touch panel or a button, and the received operation signal is transmitted to the CPU 16 to perform an operation on the OS and each application. Note that this user operation includes user operations such as shaking the terminal body such as an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, and changing the posture of the terminal body such as vertically or horizontally. The output interface 13 is a module that sends out a video signal or an audio signal in order to output a video or audio from an output device such as a display or a speaker. In the present embodiment, physical operation switches such as a touch panel and buttons are connected to the input interface 12 and the output interface 13, and the display data of the operation screen is displayed on the display, and the touch corresponding to the display data is displayed. A GUI that acquires a user operation signal by operating an operation or a button is provided.

The photographing unit 18 is attached to the user terminal 1 and has a box ID (QR code (registered trademark) 101e in FIG. 3) displayed on the delivery box and a barcode or QR in which the luggage ID attached to the luggage P1 is coded. An image pickup device that captures a code (registered trademark). It is composed of a lens and a fixed image sensor that is a CCD. Light representing an incident subject image is imaged on the light receiving surface of the CCD, and the camera signal processing circuit and A Image data is transmitted to the CPU 16 via a / D converter or the like. The image data includes moving images and still images, and the moving image data is transferred to the CPU 16 in a streaming format in which a large number of continuous images are frames.

The storage device 15 includes a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and the RAM is used as a working memory and the like of the CPU 16, and temporarily stores the calculation result by the CPU 16. The program for the CPU 16 is recorded in the ROM, and the program execution instructions are sequentially output in response to the request from the CPU 16. The storage device 15 stores data downloaded from a home delivery management server or the like, and the information can be used even in an offline state.

The position information acquisition unit 17 is a module that acquires position information and orientation information indicating the position and direction of the own machine at the time of shooting and records it as the current position information of the courier company K, for example, GPS. , The position of the own machine is detected by the signal from the satellite, the position is detected by the signal strength from the wireless base station 51 of the mobile phone, and the direction and orientation of the magnetism are detected by the magnetic sensor, gyro sensor, acceleration sensor, etc. Detects the direction in which your machine is facing, depending on whether the main unit is upright or laid horizontally.

The CPU 16 is an arithmetic processing unit, and is a module that executes a general OS, browser software, and other applications in addition to a program. The CPU 16 includes an application execution unit 161. By executing the home delivery business program, the application execution unit 161 virtually constructs each function module required for the home delivery business on the CPU 16. This home delivery business program is a program that implements the home delivery business processing and the function of downloading the data required for it on the delivery business terminal 2, and accepts user operations necessary for operating the home delivery business system. The control result of the delivery box is output through the output interface 13.

In the present embodiment, the application execution unit 161 executes a home delivery business program to cause the delivery business terminal 2, which is a general-purpose smartphone, to function as an operation / output means of the collection management system. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the application execution unit 161 includes a code analysis unit 162, an unlocking management unit 163, and an information acquisition unit 164 on the CPU 16 by executing a home delivery business program. , The display information generation unit 165 is virtually constructed.

The information acquisition unit 164 is a module for acquiring various information related to the home delivery business, and in the present embodiment, various delivery destination addresses and IDs related to the delivery business, each delivery information stored in the database, user operations, and the like. Get the data. The information acquired by the information acquisition unit 164 is information input by the user using an input means, shooting data such as still images and moving images acquired by being photographed, and being acquired by searching the Internet or a database. Contains various information.

The code analysis unit 162 is a module that executes image analysis based on an image taken by the photographing unit 18, analyzes a barcode or a QR code (registered trademark), and extracts information described in the code.

The unlocking management unit 163 is a module that identifies a delivery box to be controlled based on the analysis result by the code analysis unit 162 and executes communication control for unlocking the door 101b of the corresponding delivery box 10. is there.

The display information generation unit 165 is a module that generates necessary graphics based on the analysis result by the code analysis unit 162 and the unlock control result, and outputs the necessary graphics from the output interface 13 such as the display.

(4) Point management server 4
Next, the internal configuration of the point management server 4 will be described. The point management server 4 can be composed of a plurality of server groups such as a Web server and a database server in addition to a single server device. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the communication interface 21 and the control unit It is roughly composed of 22 and a storage unit 23.

The storage unit 23 is a database group that stores various information related to this system. Here, a delivery box database 231, a mail order company database 232, a delivery company database 233, a user information database 235, and a point management database 234 are used. And have.

The delivery box database 231 accumulates delivery box information related to delivery boxes installed in various places, and the delivery box information includes an ID, an address, an installation position, a box type, and the like of each delivery box. A mail-order company that can use the delivery box service is registered in the mail-order company database 232, and a delivery company that can use the delivery box service is registered in the delivery company database 233.

The delivery box database 231 will be described in detail. In the delivery box database 231, each delivery box 10 or a unique ID of each unit box included in the delivery box is recorded and stored. In this delivery box database 231, each delivery box is recorded. A delivery box ID as a unique identifier given to 10, an owner ID that is an identifier that identifies the owner of each delivery box, and a delivery company ID that is an identifier unique to a company that can deliver packages to this delivery box. , A mail-order company ID, which is an identifier that identifies a mail-order site that can use this delivery box as a delivery destination, is associated with it. In addition, each delivery box ID includes related information such as the installation location and number where each delivery box is installed, the sponsor ID of the business operator regarding the services associated with the delivery box, and the points associated with each delivery box. A point trader ID that identifies a business operator related to the above, and other IDs that can be linked to the delivery box are linked.

In the association between the delivery company and the delivery box, by registering the delivery company ID in the delivery box database 231 and recording the usage history, it is possible to grasp which delivery company used the delivery box. Further, by using the unregistered company use function, even a delivery company whose home delivery company ID is not registered in the delivery box DB can be made available.

In addition, when linking a mail-order company and a delivery box, register the mail-order company ID in the point management server 4 and record the usage history to know which mail-order company used the delivery box. Can be done. Further, by using the unregistered trader use function, the mail order trader whose mail order trader ID is not registered in the point management server 4 can also be used.

Then, regarding the association between the points and the delivery box ID, the point issuing department issues points, which are value information having exchange value, to each delivery box, and attaches the collection box identifier of the collection box and the collection box to the collection box. It is a module that manages the points issued in association with each other, and in the present embodiment, the resources of the points are a delivery company, a mail order company, and a sponsor, and these persons have an exchange value equivalent to the issued points. , Registration fee, usage fee, advertising fee, etc. will be charged.

Then, the owner of the delivery box can receive points by receiving the goods through the delivery box, and the transfer of points is managed by the point vendor.

The user information database 235 is a database that stores information about the user W and the user terminal 1 that are the delivery destinations, and in the present embodiment, the user ID (IP address of the user terminal 1 or the like) that identifies the user terminal 1 is used. Information about the user (address, terminal email address, phone number, affiliation, etc.) is recorded in association with it.

The point management database 234 is a value information database that stores value information given to a user or a group to which each trader belongs by associating it with an individual / company or a group, and the value information is pointed in this embodiment. Be treated.

The communication interface 21 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from the user terminal 1 and each server device through the communication network 5. In the present embodiment, the communication interface 21 receives inquiries about the delivery box, the mail order company, and the delivery company from the delivery business terminal 2 via the communication network 5, and also receives the searched information on each delivery box, and the like. Information stored in various databases of is distributed.

The control unit 22 is an arithmetic module composed of a processor such as a CPU, a memory, hardware such as other electronic circuits, software such as a program having the function, or a combination thereof, and appropriately sets a program. Various functional modules are virtually constructed by reading and executing, and various processes for operation control and user operation of each part are performed by each constructed functional module. Then, in the present embodiment, the control unit 22 includes an authentication unit 221, a data search unit 222, a search request acquisition unit 223, a search result transmission unit 224, an information collection unit 225, and a data update unit 226. It is equipped with a point management unit 227.

The authentication unit 221 is a computer that verifies the legitimacy of the accessor or software having the function thereof, and acquires an identifier such as the user's own ID or the IP address of the user terminal 1 through the communication network 5 to obtain user information. By collating the database 235, it is a module for confirming whether or not the accessor has the right, and whether or not the accessor is the person himself / herself. If the authentication is successful by the authentication unit 221, the data search service by the data search unit 222 can be used.

The point management unit 227 issues value information having exchange value as points to each collection box, and manages the collection box identifier of the delivery box in association with the points issued to the collection box. Is. The point management unit 227 is, for example, a shipping destination that receives delivery of the goods from the delivery company or the shipping source related to the stored goods according to the frequency with which the delivery company or the shipping source stores the goods in the delivery box. Perform management such as transferring points to.

Further, the point management unit 227 has a function of inquiring each database in the storage unit 23 which is the delivery management database and the shipping source management database in cooperation with the data search unit 222, and the control unit 103 of the console 102. Inquires about the registration of the delivery company or the shipping source related to the delivery of the goods, and the existence of points related to the delivery box, and controls the locking or unlocking of the delivery box according to the inquiry result. ..

Further, when the point management unit 227 and the control unit 103 cooperate with each other and there is no registration of the delivery company or the shipping source related to the delivery of the article in each database in the storage unit 23, or there is no point related to the collection box. In addition, it is provided with a support function for requesting a predetermined operation as an operation of an unregistered contractor and controlling locking or unlocking of the article collection box based on the operation according to the request. Examples of the unregistered trader operation required by this support function include an operation of depositing banknotes, coins, or electronic money, an operation of temporarily giving a one-time password, and the like.

The data search unit 222 searches each database 231 to 234 based on the keywords included in the search request in the keywords acquired by the search request acquisition unit 223 in cooperation with the database search unit 164e and the like on the user terminal 1 side. It is a module that returns a search result through a search result sending unit 224. The information collection unit 225 is a module that collects the latest information from an external information server such as a mail order server 3 or another information source on the Internet and reflects it in various databases through the data update unit 226. The search result in the data search unit 222 is also input to the information collection unit 225, and the search history by the user is accumulated in the user information database 235.

(5) Mail order server 3
Next, the internal configuration of the mail-order server 3 will be described. The mail-order server 3 is an information providing server operated by an external service provider such as mail-order sales, and sells and delivers products according to the product purchase procedure through the browser software executed on the user terminal 1. Ship the item through a vendor. The mail-order server 3 which is the external information server can also be composed of a plurality of server groups such as a Web server and a database server in addition to a single server device. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, a communication interface is provided. It is roughly composed of 31, a control unit 32, and each product database 33 and 34.

The product databases 33 and 34 are a group of databases that store various types of information. Here, the product database 33 that stores each product information and the customer database 34 that stores personal information, payment information, authentication information, and the like of each customer. And have.

The communication interface 31 is a communication interface that transmits / receives data to / from the user terminal 1 and each server device through the communication network 5. In the present embodiment, the communication interface 31 receives inquiries about disaster information and map information from the user terminal 1 via the communication network 5, and also receives disaster information, map information, and other various databases in each region upon request. The information stored in is distributed.

The control unit 32 is an arithmetic module composed of a processor such as a CPU, a memory, hardware such as other electronic circuits, software such as a program having the function, or a combination thereof, and appropriately sets a program. Various functional modules are virtually constructed by reading and executing, and various processes for operation control and user operation of each part are performed by each constructed functional module.

(Operation of goods collection system)
By operating the article collection system having the above configuration, the article collection method of the present invention can be implemented. FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the article collection system according to the present embodiment.

As shown in the figure, when the user W, who is the delivery destination, purchases the product on the EC site operated by the mail-order company A via the Internet or the like, the product is shipped from the mail-order company A after waiting for the completion of the necessary payment procedures. (S401). This product is delivered by the delivery company K as a package P1 (S301), and arrives at a specific delivery box 10 of the delivery box 10 which is the delivery destination (S201).

In the delivery box 10, the delivery company K operates the console 102 to input necessary information. As a method of inputting this information, the QR code (registered trademark) attached to the door 101b of the delivery box 10 is scanned by the delivery business terminal 2, and the QR code (registered trademark) attached to the package P1 is scanned. It is also obtained by scanning that the product is from the mail order company A.

In the series of processes here, when the user W makes a purchase at the mail order company A via the portal site of the point management company D, the delivery box 10 and the mail order are sent when the purchase procedure is executed on the EC site. Since it is possible to link with the trader A, it is not always necessary for the parcel delivery company K to perform an operation such as capturing the information of the mail-order company A and send it to the point management database 234 during the home delivery business.

The information input by the courier company K or the information acquired by the delivery business terminal 2 is acquired as package information on the console 102 side (S202). Based on the input package information, the console 102 requests the point management server 4 to inquire about various databases (S101), and confirms whether the package can be accepted by the delivery box 10. The point management server 4 side searches each database in response to this inquiry request, and returns the searched information to the request source console 102 as the inquiry result (S102).

In the console 102 that receives this inquiry result, if the delivery company or the mail-order company A that shipped the package is registered in the point management database 234 (Y in S205), the delivery is specified by the console operation as it is. Box 10 is unlocked (S206).

On the other hand, as a result of the inquiry to the point management server 4, if the delivery company or the mail-order company A that shipped the package is not registered in the point management database 234 (N in S205), the console 102 informs the delivery company K. When the unregistered company operation (S303) is requested (S303) and the delivery company responds to this request, the delivery box 10 specified by the console operation is unlocked (S206).

Here, the unregistered trader operation is to make the parcel delivery box available temporarily when the parcel delivery trader or the mail order trader is not registered in the point management database 234 and the product cannot be put in the parcel delivery box. It is an operation of. In detail, as a general rule, the parcel delivery box cannot be used for products by a parcel delivery company or a mail order company that are not registered as a registered company in the point management database 234, and a post office delivery person. Therefore, the delivery box 10 can be operated by an unregistered company as a support function for a company not registered in the point management database 234 to use the delivery box. For example, the lock is released by inserting a specified amount of money, such as 100 yen, into the delivery box 10 with banknotes, coins, or electronic money.

Further, for example, a temporary unlocking request from an unregistered company may be accepted through a smartphone dedicated application, and a temporary password may be issued in response to the temporary unlocking request. In this case, the temporary unlocking request may be issued. By entering the one-time password displayed on the dedicated application, the same authority as the registered company may be temporarily granted. When issuing this one-time password, you will be required to enter your e-mail address, payment information, temporary membership registration, etc. and process the procedure so that you can be guided to regular membership registration at a later date through this information. Good.

In addition, if the courier company is a registered company but the mail-order company is an unregistered company that is not registered, for example, the courier company bears 200P or allows 100P to be accepted, depending on the service model. The specifications can be set. For example, the delivery box may be divided into a "delivery box that can be used by anyone" and a "delivery box that can only be used by registered companies".

By this unlocking, the delivery company K can open the door 101b of the delivery box 10, stores the luggage P1 in the box, closes the door 101b (S207), and performs a storage completion operation on the console 102. As a result, the closed door 101b is locked (S208).

Next, the console 102 transmits a storage report to the point management server 4 in response to the execution of the storage completion operation and the locking process (S209). That is, the parcel delivery company K has the authority to put the parcel P1 in the parcel delivery box 10, opens the door 101b, stores the parcel P1 in the parcel delivery box 10, and reports to that effect to the point management server 4.

The point management server 4 that received this storage report (S103) determines that the delivery of the package P1 has been completed successfully, and sends the delivery completion report to the point management server 4 of the courier company or the point management server 4 of the mail order company A. Send. Further, the point management server 4 updates the point information on the assumption that the delivery box service has been successfully executed by receiving the delivery completion report of the package (S105).

For example, 100P is returned to the user W from the courier company K, and 200P is returned to the user W from the mail order company. That is, the user W acquires 300P with one product purchase. At this time, the points from the sponsor company J, which is the sponsor company, may be returned to the user W in the form of, for example, the mileage service provided by the sponsor company J.

That is, in order for this service model to be established, the mail-order company A registers the delivery box 10 as a mail-order company with which the delivery box 10 is affiliated, and returns, for example, 100P each time, and the delivery company K registers as the delivery company of the delivery box 10. However, it is necessary to have a contract to return 100P each time, and the delivery business terminal 2 of the delivery person of the delivery company is equipped with a function to access the point management database 234, and the contract status for each box during the delivery business. To match.

After that, the points consumed as a result or the transfer of the points are notified to the point management server 4 of the courier company or the point management server 4 of the mail-order company A (S106). Upon receiving the delivery completion report (S304) and the point consumption notification, the courier company K or the mail-order company A executes various processes according to the delivery completion (S305).

(Change example)
The above description of the embodiment is an example of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made according to the design and the like as long as the technical idea of the present invention is not deviated. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a plurality of delivery boxes 10 are stacked to form a collective receiving device 100 for use in a condominium B1 or the like, but the present invention is not limited to this, and is shown in FIG. As described above, the delivery box 10 may be independently installed beside the entrance B11 of each dwelling unit. At this time, the delivery box 10 can be fixed via, for example, a fixing jig B12 attached to the side of the entrance B11. Further, each of the delivery boxes 10 may be provided with a communication / control interface corresponding to the console 102. For example, a dial-type lock 104a is provided, and opening / closing management and point management are performed via a QR code (registered trademark) 104b. The ID that identifies the delivery box 10 may be acquired and performed through the delivery business terminal 2.

(Action / effect)
According to the present embodiment described above, since the parcel can be stored in the delivery box 10, even if the user W is absent and the parcel cannot be handed over, the parcel delivery can be safely completed. can do. As a result, the courier company K and the mail-order company A do not need to perform redelivery due to the absence of the user W, can suppress unnecessary costs caused by the redelivery, and suppress the cost required for the redelivery. , You can get the economic benefit from it. As a result, according to the present embodiment, the cost of installing the parcel delivery box is set by each of the parcel delivery company, the mail order company, the recipient, the parcel delivery box installer / manager, and other related parties. It is possible to share according to the profits to be enjoyed, promote the spread of delivery boxes, suppress the increase in delivery volume due to redelivery, etc., and facilitate the distribution.

B1 ... Mansion B11 ... Entrance B12 ... Fixed jig D ... Point management company E1 ... Mail order site J ... Sponsor company K ... Delivery company P1 ... Luggage W ... User 1 ... User terminal 2 ... Delivery business terminal 3 ... Mail order server 4 ... Point management server 5 ... Communication network 10 ... Delivery box 11 ... Wireless interface 12 ... Input interface 13 ... Output interface 13a ... Display unit 14 ... Application execution unit 15 ... Storage device 16 ... CPU
17 ... Location information acquisition unit 18 ... Shooting unit 21 ... Communication interface 22 ... Control unit 23 ... Storage unit 31 ... Communication interface 32 ... Control unit 33 ... Product database 34 ... Customer database 51 ... Wireless base station 100 ... Collective collection device 101a ... Mailing port 101b ... Door 101c ... Storage space 101d ... Electronic lock 101e ... QR code (registered trademark)
102 ... Console 102a ... Output unit 102b ... Operation unit 102c ... Card reader 102d ... Coin insertion unit 102e ... Wireless interface 102g ... Memory 103 ... Control unit 103a ... Locking control unit 103b ... Operation information acquisition unit 103c ... Output information generation unit 104a ... Lock 104b ... QR code (registered trademark)
161 ... Application execution unit 162 ... Code analysis unit 163 ... Unlocking management unit 164 ... Information acquisition unit 164e ... Database search unit 165 ... Display information generation unit 221 ... Authentication unit 222 ... Data search unit 223 ... Search request acquisition unit 224 ... Search Result sending section 225 ... Information collecting section 226 ... Data updating section 231 ... Delivery box database 232 ... Mail order company database 233 ... Delivery company database 234 ... Point management database 235 ... User information database

Claims (13)

A goods collection system that manages the collection of goods using a collection box that collects goods by a management server through a communication network.
A delivery management database that records the delivery company identifier that identifies the delivery company that delivers the goods and the collection box identifier that identifies the collection box in association with each other.
A shipping source management database that records the shipping source identifier that identifies the shipping source of the goods in association with the collection box identifier, and
A point issuing unit that issues value information having exchange value as points to each collection box and manages the collection box identifier of the collection box in association with the points issued to the collection box.
The delivery management database or the shipping source management database is inquired about whether or not the delivery company or the shipping source related to the delivery of the goods is registered, and whether or not there are points related to the receiving box, and the receiving is performed according to the inquiry result. An article collection system including a control unit that controls locking or unlocking of a box. Depending on the frequency with which the delivery company or the shipping source stores the goods in the receiving box, the delivery company or the shipping source related to the stored goods sends the points to the shipping destination to which the goods are delivered. The goods collection system according to claim 1, further comprising a point management unit to be relocated. The control unit performs a predetermined operation when there is no registration of the delivery company or the shipping source related to the delivery of the goods in the delivery management database or the shipping source management database, or there is no point regarding the receiving box. The article collection system according to claim 1, further comprising a support function that requests as an operation of an unregistered contractor and controls locking or unlocking of the collection box based on the operation in response to the request. The article collection system according to claim 3, wherein the unregistered trader operation required by the support function is an operation of depositing banknotes, coins, or electronic money. The goods collection system according to claim 3, wherein the unregistered trader operation required by the support function is inputting a password temporarily given. A collection box used in the article collection system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
The delivery management database or the shipping source management database is inquired about whether or not the delivery company or the shipping source related to the delivery of the goods is registered, and whether or not there are points related to the receiving box. A collection box including a control unit that controls locking or unlocking of the collection box. The control unit performs a predetermined operation when there is no registration of the delivery company or the shipping source related to the delivery of the goods in the delivery management database or the shipping source management database, or there is no point regarding the receiving box. The collection box according to claim 5, further comprising a support function that requests as an operation of an unregistered contractor and controls locking or unlocking of the collection box based on the operation in response to the request. The unregistered trader operation required by the support function is an operation for depositing banknotes and coins.
The collection box according to claim 7, wherein the control unit is connected to an insertion unit that receives the banknotes or coins. The unregistered trader operation required by the support function is an operation of inputting electronic money.
The collection box according to claim 7, wherein an input unit into which the electronic money is input is connected to the control unit. The unregistered trader operation required by the support function is the input of a password temporarily given.
The collection box according to claim 7, wherein an input operation unit for inputting a temporary password is connected to the control unit. An article collection method for managing the collection of articles using the article collection system according to claim 1.
When the goods are stored in the collection box, whether or not the delivery company or the shipping source related to the delivery of the goods is registered in the delivery management database or the shipping source management database, and whether or not there are points related to the receiving box. Query and
If the result of the inquiry is that the delivery management database or the shipping source management database has the registration of the delivery company and the shipping source related to the delivery of the goods, and there is a point regarding the receiving box, the receiving box. Allow storage in, and control the locking or unlocking of the collection box based on this permission,
If the result of the inquiry is that the delivery management database or the shipping source management database does not have the registration of the delivery company or the shipping source related to the delivery of the goods, or there is no point regarding the receiving box, a predetermined operation is performed. Is an unregistered trader operation, and the locking or unlocking of the collection box is controlled based on the operation in response to the request. The article collection method according to claim 11, wherein the unregistered trader operation is an operation for depositing banknotes, coins, or electronic money. The article collection method according to claim 11, wherein the unregistered trader operation is inputting a password temporarily given.

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