JP6994738B2 - Unmanned delivery system by unmanned delivery vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an unmanned delivery system using an unmanned delivery vehicle for delivering an ordered product to a designated delivery destination by an unmanned delivery vehicle.

Conventionally, in a freight delivery service such as a courier service, a worker manually loads a cargo into a delivery vehicle at a distribution center or the like where the cargo is collected. Then, the delivery vehicle is driven by a worker to move to each delivery destination, and manually carries the cargo to each delivery destination for delivery. Therefore, the loading and unloading of cargo to the delivery vehicle, and the delivery and all the work are performed manually by the workers, and the operation of the delivery vehicle to the distribution center and individual delivery destinations is also performed by the workers.

On the other hand, in the freight delivery service industry, there is a chronic labor shortage problem, and although a delivery time designation system is set, the user is not at the designated place at the time of delivery, so the cargo It is not possible to receive the cargo, and the rate of redelivery of the cargo is high, which is accelerating the labor shortage.

In addition, retail stores such as convenience stores have become widespread nationwide, and users can easily purchase products at nearby convenience stores, supermarkets, home delivery services such as food, and the like. However, the product to be purchased may not be in stock at the store, and in such a case, the user may go to another store or give up the purchase of the product. As a result, the store loses the opportunity to sell the product.

On the other hand, in recent years, mail-order sales via networks have become widespread. In this case, when the mail-order company receives the purchase application for the product from the user, the mail-order company picks up the product in a warehouse or the like, loads the product in the delivery vehicle, and moves the delivery vehicle to the delivery destination to deliver the product to the user. It has become like.

By the way, in stores such as convenience stores mentioned above, delivery services for purchased products are becoming widespread, and demand is increasing mainly for heavy and bulky products. In this case as well, the products are limited to those in stock at the store, and there are cases where the user's purchase request cannot be met, and when there are multiple stores in a certain area, each store Delivery services will be provided separately for each, and the delivery areas of each store may overlap, resulting in an inefficient delivery service for the entire area.

In addition, in the mail-order sales via the network mentioned above, in some cases, a purchase application may be made to a store in a remote place, etc., and the delivery distance of the product will be unnecessarily increased, and free shipping will be provided to the user. Even if it is sung, the shipping cost will actually increase.

Furthermore, if product orders from a large number of users are concentrated, the delivery time will be significantly delayed, and in some cases, the product will be delivered until the product is out of stock and the product arrives. You may not be able to do it. For this reason, the user may take an unexpectedly long time to obtain the desired product. Delivery time is even more important for grocery delivery services such as pizza and sushi.

In view of the above points, it is an object of the present invention to provide a delivery system by an unmanned delivery vehicle for quickly and efficiently delivering an ordered product to a designated delivery destination by an unmanned delivery vehicle.

The above object is according to the configuration of the present invention.
At least one product depot, at least one vehicle waiting area to which at least one unmanned delivery vehicle belongs , and individual product inventory status at each product depot and individual belonging to each vehicle waiting area. It consists of a management center that manages the status of unmanned delivery vehicles, each product depot, each vehicle waiting area, each unmanned delivery vehicle and a network that interconnects the management center, and the management center is from the user. Based on the product order information including the ordered product and the delivery destination, the product collection point and the vehicle waiting area for delivering the ordered product are selected and further selected according to the stock status of the ordered product and the position of the delivery destination. Select one unmanned delivery vehicle or a running unmanned delivery vehicle waiting at the vehicle waiting station, and pick up the ordered product for the unmanned delivery vehicle and the product collection point. And the product delivery information including the delivery destination is transmitted via the network, and the unmanned delivery vehicle includes a traveling unit, a control unit that automatically controls the traveling unit, and a storage unit that can accommodate the ordered product. The unmanned delivery vehicle automatically travels to the product collection point included in the product delivery information, and after loading the ordered product at the product collection point, automatically travels to the delivery destination, and the unmanned delivery vehicle arrives at the delivery destination. Either after notifying the user of the arrival or estimated time of arrival at the time or before arrival, waiting for the user to collate and deliver the ordered product, and after collating and delivering the ordered product to the user. It is achieved by an unmanned delivery system with an unmanned delivery vehicle, characterized in that it automatically travels to the vehicle waiting area of the vehicle or automatically travels to patrol the next delivery destination.
The unmanned delivery vehicle may be provided with a settlement unit for payment of the ordered product, and the settlement unit may settle the ordered product when the product order information by the user can be collated.

According to the above configuration, the management center receives the product order information from the user, selects the product collection point and the vehicle waiting place according to the inventory status of the ordered product and the position of the delivery destination, and delivers the product to the delivery destination as soon as possible. By selecting a possible unmanned delivery vehicle, it is possible to quickly deliver the product ordered by the user to the delivery destination. At that time, since the delivery is performed by the unmanned delivery vehicle, the personnel for delivery becomes unnecessary, and the ordered product can be quickly and efficiently delivered to the delivery destination even if there is a shortage of manpower.

The unmanned delivery system according to the present invention preferably has a plurality of product depots, and when the management center selects a product depot, it is a vehicle waiting area to which the unmanned delivery vehicle in charge of delivery belongs. Select the product collection point where the ordered products are in stock so that the delivery distance and delivery time are shortened from the respective positions of the selected product collection point and the delivery destination. By properly selecting the product collection point, the ordered product can be delivered to the delivery destination more quickly.

The unmanned delivery system according to the present invention preferably has a plurality of vehicle waiting areas, and when the management center selects a vehicle waiting area, it is selected as a vehicle waiting area to which the unmanned delivery vehicle in charge of delivery belongs. Select a vehicle waiting area where there is an unmanned delivery vehicle in a standby state so that the delivery distance and delivery time are shortened from the respective positions of the product collection point and the delivery destination. By properly selecting the vehicle waiting area, the ordered product can be delivered to the delivery destination more quickly.

The unmanned delivery system according to the present invention is preferably the earliest during delivery and after the end of delivery when the management center selects a vehicle waiting area when there is no unmanned delivery vehicle on standby in one vehicle waiting area. A vehicle waiting area where there is an unmanned delivery vehicle that can deliver quickly to the delivery destination by comparing the waiting time and delivery time of the unmanned delivery vehicle returning to the vehicle waiting area with the delivery time of the unmanned delivery vehicle at another vehicle waiting area. Select. Even if there are no unmanned delivery vehicles waiting at the selected vehicle waiting area, the ordered items can be delivered to the delivery destination more quickly by selecting an unmanned delivery vehicle that can arrive earlier at the selected product depot. be able to.
When the unmanned delivery vehicle is provided with a plurality of divided product storage boxes and the unmanned delivery vehicle having an empty storage box is instructed by the management center while traveling, the ordered products are picked up from the product collection point. Then, the ordered product may be stored in the empty storage box and delivered to the user.

The unmanned delivery system according to the present invention is preferably a store where a product collection point sells products. By using a store that always has a certain amount of inventory, the ordered product can be delivered to the delivery destination more quickly.

In the unmanned delivery system according to the present invention, preferably, a user places an order for a product at a store, a terminal device of the store creates product order information in response to the user's product order, and the product order information is networked. Send to the management center via. When the user goes to the store, the ordered product can be quickly delivered to the delivery destination by the unmanned delivery vehicle for the in-stock product or the out-of-stock product in the store.

In the unmanned delivery system according to the present invention, the user preferably creates the product order information by the user terminal device and transmits the product order information to the management center via the network. As a result, the user can order the product at any place such as home or on the go without having to go to the store.

In the unmanned delivery system according to the present invention, the merchandise collection point is preferably a warehouse for storing goods, and the warehouse as a merchandise collection point can be used from a plurality of stores. Therefore, even if the product is not in stock at the store, the ordered product can be delivered directly to the delivery destination from the warehouse where the product is procured, and the ordered product can be delivered to the delivery destination more quickly.

In the unmanned delivery system according to the present invention, preferably, the notification to the user when the unmanned delivery vehicle arrives at the delivery destination or the estimated time of arrival is notified to the user's terminal device via the network. Therefore, when the unmanned delivery vehicle arrives at the delivery destination, the user's terminal device is notified directly without sounding a warning sound, for example, so that noise is scattered in the neighborhood or away from the delivery destination. It is possible to reliably notify the user or the like at the place of the arrival or the estimated time of arrival.

When picking and loading ordered goods at the goods collection point is performed unmanned by automatic picking means, not only the movement from the vehicle waiting place to the goods collection point and the movement from the goods collection point to the delivery destination, but also the goods Picking of ordered products at the collection point and loading into unmanned delivery vehicles will also be performed unmanned, which can further save labor.

If the unmanned delivery vehicle belongs to a specific vehicle waiting area and is configured to return to the vehicle waiting area to which it belongs after the delivery is completed, each unmanned delivery vehicle belongs to the specific vehicle waiting area, so that the vehicle belongs to the specific vehicle waiting area. The waiting area can easily and reliably manage and maintain the unmanned delivery vehicle to which it belongs.

If the unmanned delivery vehicle does not belong to a specific vehicle waiting area and is configured to move to the nearest vehicle waiting area or a vehicle waiting area where there are few unmanned delivery vehicles waiting after the delivery is completed, each unmanned delivery vehicle has a plurality of vehicles. If there are few unmanned delivery vehicles waiting to be shared at the vehicle waiting area, unmanned delivery vehicles can be accommodated from other vehicle waiting areas, and a smaller number of unmanned delivery vehicles can be placed. It is also possible to reduce the number of delivery vehicles.

In this way, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an extremely excellent unmanned delivery vehicle delivery system for quickly and efficiently delivering an ordered product to a designated delivery destination by an unmanned delivery vehicle.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the whole structure of one Embodiment of the unmanned delivery system by the unmanned delivery vehicle by this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the arrangement of the store and the warehouse as the product collection place in the unmanned delivery system of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the store in the unmanned delivery system of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the warehouse in the unmanned delivery system of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the vehicle waiting place in the unmanned delivery system of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the unmanned delivery vehicle in the unmanned delivery system of FIG. The specific configuration of the unmanned delivery vehicle of FIG. 6 is shown, (A) is a perspective view seen from the front, and (B) is a perspective view seen from the rear. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the management center in the unmanned delivery system of FIG. In the unmanned delivery system of FIG. 1, it is a flowchart which sequentially shows the work of unmanned delivery of an ordered product at a user's store. In the unmanned delivery system of FIG. 1, it is a flowchart which sequentially shows a part of the work of unmanned delivery when a user orders a product directly from a management center by a user terminal device.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of an embodiment of an unmanned delivery system using an unmanned delivery vehicle according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, an unmanned delivery system (hereinafter referred to as an unmanned delivery system) 10 using an unmanned delivery vehicle includes a store 20 and / or a warehouse 30 as a product collection point, a vehicle waiting area 40, a management center 50, and a network 60. , Consists of.

Here, only one store 20 and a vehicle waiting area 40 are shown in FIG. 1, but in reality, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of stores 20 and a plurality of vehicle waiting areas 40 are arranged. ing. At that time, the stores 20 are arranged at a certain distance from each other in order to disperse customers. Further, although only one warehouse 30 is shown in FIG. 1, it is actually distributed in one place or a plurality of places corresponding to a plurality of stores 20.
The network 60 is a dedicated line or a general public line, and as will be described later, each store 20, a warehouse 30, each vehicle waiting area 40, a management center 50, and a user terminal device 72 of a user 70 are connected. By connecting to each other, various information can be transmitted and received to each other.

The store 20 is configured as, for example, a convenience store, and as shown in FIG. 3, a large number of various products 21 are displayed, and the store terminal device 22 for performing inventory management, sales processing, etc. of the products 21 is provided. There is. The store terminal device 22 is provided with, for example, a so-called cash register 22a for sales processing, and is configured to perform various processing related to sales operations in the store, such as inventory management and order processing of products 21, and has a network 60. It is connected to the management center 50 via. As a result, the user 70 who visits the store 20 can select a desired product 21 from the displayed products 21 and pay at the cash register 22a to purchase the product 21. Further, the store terminal device 22 transmits the inventory status of the product 21 of the store 20 as the product inventory information 21a to the management center 50 via the network 60.

Further, the user 70 who visits the store 20 can request the displayed product 21 or the product that is out of stock to be delivered to a delivery destination such as a home. In this case, the user 70 informs the clerk of the user information, the ordered product, and the delivery destination at the store. As a result, at the store 20, the store clerk operates the store terminal device 22, and the store terminal device 22 receives the product order from the user 70 from the order code 71a, the user information 71b, the ordered product 71c, and the delivery destination 71d. The product order information 71 is created and transmitted to the management center 50 via the network 60, and the user authentication key 73 related to the order is issued to the user 70.
The user 70 directly places an order for a product to the management center 50 via the network 60 by operating his / her terminal device 72 without going to the store of the store 20, and transmits the product order information 71. You can also do it.

As shown in FIG. 4, the warehouse 30 stores a large number of products 21 handled by the store 20, and the store 20 corresponds to the products 21 ordered from the warehouse 30 by a delivery vehicle or the like in response to an order from the store 20. Will be delivered as appropriate. The warehouse 30 includes a warehouse terminal device 31 that manages the inventory of the goods 21 in the warehouse 30, and the warehouse terminal device 31 corrects the inventory status each time according to the arrival and shipment of the goods 21 and is always accurate. The product inventory information 21a indicating the inventory status is created and transmitted to the management center 50 via the network 60.

When the warehouse terminal device 31 receives the product delivery information 54 (described later) from the management center 50 via the network 60, the warehouse terminal device 31 receives the ordered product 71c based on the order code 71a and the ordered product 71c included in the product delivery information 54. The worker selects from the products 21 in stock in the warehouse 30 and picks them, and instructs the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 associated with the order code 71a to load the products. At that time, the unmanned picking device may be used to automatically load the ordered product 71c onto the unmanned delivery vehicle 80. At that time, the warehouse terminal device 31 corrects the inventory information 32 in the warehouse 30 with respect to the loaded goods 21 and transmits the stock information 32 to the management center 50 via the network 60.

The vehicle waiting area 40 is located side by side or independently of the store 20 or the warehouse 30, for example, and is connected to the management center 50 via the network 60 as shown in FIG. It is equipped with a terminal device 41, and at least one, preferably a plurality of unmanned delivery vehicles 80 belong to it.

The unmanned delivery vehicle 80 has the same configuration as a known unmanned automatic driving vehicle, for example, an autonomous mobile device of an unmanned delivery system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-058656 by the present applicant, and as shown in FIG. A traveling unit 81, a control unit 82 for automatically controlling the traveling unit 81, a storage unit 83 for accommodating an ordered product 71c to be delivered, and a settlement unit for making payment for the ordered product 71c. 84 and the vehicle identification information 85 for identifying the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 are attached.
Here, the control unit 82 of the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 receives the product delivery information 54 sent from the management center 50 via the network 60, records it in the storage unit 86, and based on the product delivery information 54. , The delivery start notification 82a and the vehicle identification information 85 are sent to the management center 50 via the network 60, and the traveling unit 81 is controlled to control the product collection point, that is, the store 20 or the warehouse 30 selected in the product delivery information 54. After picking the ordered product 71c, the traveling unit 81 is controlled again to autonomously move to the delivery destination 71d.

Then, the control unit 82 of the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 transmits the arrival notification 82b and the vehicle identification information 85 to the terminal device 72 of the user 70 via the network 60 when the delivery destination 71d arrives or the estimated arrival time.
When the user 70 inputs the user authentication key 73 received at the time of ordering to the control unit 82 of the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 that has arrived at the delivery destination 71d, the control unit 82 causes the user information included in the product delivery information 54. The 71b and the user authentication key 73 are collated, and when the collation is possible, the payment unit 84 pays for the delivery product 71c and opens the storage unit 83.
After that, the control unit 82 of the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 closes the storage unit 83 assuming that the delivery of the ordered product 71c is completed by detecting the opening and empty cargo of the storage unit 83, and the delivery completion notification 82c and the vehicle identification. The information 85 is transmitted to the vehicle waiting area 40 and the management center 50 to which the information 85 belongs via the network 60, and the traveling unit 81 is controlled to return to the vehicle waiting area 40 to which the information 85 belongs.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 has two pairs of wheels 87a at the front and rear lower parts of the vehicle body 87, a headlight 87b necessary for road driving, and a direction indicator 87c. It also has a rear combination lamp 87d, a front monitoring stereo camera 87e, a side monitoring camera 87f, and the like necessary for automatic operation. Further, the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 is provided with an accommodating portion 83 at the rear portion of the vehicle body, and the accommodating portion 83 can load and unload luggage and the like inside by opening and closing the door 83a. The storage unit 83 can be divided into small rooms to form a plurality of storage boxes. In this case, if each storage box is individually locked or unlocked, the package can be delivered to each of the plurality of users.
In the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 having such a configuration, the control unit 82 autonomously travels on the road based on the detection signals from the front surveillance stereo camera 87e, the side surveillance camera 87f, and the map data created in advance. You can do it.

Here, when the control unit 41 of the vehicle waiting station 40 receives the product delivery information 54 (described later) from the management center 50, the control unit 41 of the vehicle waiting station 40 receives the product delivery information 54 (described later) with respect to the designated unmanned delivery vehicle 80 of the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 to which it belongs via the network 60. The product delivery information 54 is sent. As a result, as described above, the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 autonomously moves toward the designated store 20 or warehouse 30 based on the product delivery information 54, and the ordered product 71c designated in the store 20 or warehouse 30. After picking, the product can autonomously move toward the designated delivery destination 71d and deliver the ordered product 71c to the user 70 at the delivery destination 71d.
Here, the warehouse terminal device 41 of the vehicle waiting area 40 is in the operating state of the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 based on the delivery start notification 82a and the delivery completion notification 82c transmitted together with the vehicle identification information 85 from each unmanned delivery vehicle 80. That is, each state of "waiting", "delivering (running)" and "returning" is detected, vehicle state information 42 is created and transmitted to the management center 50 via the network 60.

The management center 50 is composed of information processing devices such as servers, workstations, and cloud servers provided at appropriate locations, and as shown in FIG. 8, a transmission / reception unit 51, a storage unit 52, and a control unit 53. And have. The processing in the management center 50 is executed by a computer such as a server, a workstation, or a cloud server controlled by a program, and the recording medium may be, for example, a magnetic disk, a semiconductor memory, or any other computer readable. used. Further, the program recorded on the recording medium may be read by the computer by directly mounting the recording medium on the computer, or may be read by the computer via various networks. The storage unit 52 and the control unit 53 may be configured as separate servers and may be connected to each other by a LAN such as a premises network.

The transmission / reception unit 51 of the management center 50 controls the store terminal device 22 of the store 20, the warehouse terminal device 31 of the warehouse 30, the warehouse terminal device 41 of the vehicle waiting area 40, and each unmanned delivery vehicle 80 via the network 60. It is connected to the user terminal device 72 of the unit 82 and the user 70 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

The transmission / reception unit 51 of the management center 50 receives the product inventory information 21a from each store 20 and each warehouse 30 via the network 60, registers the product inventory information 21a in the storage unit 52 as a database, and stores the product inventory information 21a in the control unit 53. Send out. As a result, the control unit 53 of the management center 50 can constantly grasp and centrally manage the product inventory information 21a regarding the product 21 in all the stores 20 and the warehouse 30 to be managed.

Further, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the management center 50 networks the vehicle status information 42 indicating the status of each unmanned delivery vehicle 80, that is, “waiting”, “delivering”, or “returning” from each vehicle waiting area 40. It receives via 60, registers it in the storage unit 52 as a database, and sends the vehicle state information 42 to the control unit 53. As a result, the control unit 53 of the management center 50 can constantly grasp the state of each unmanned delivery vehicle 80 in all the vehicle waiting areas 40 to be managed and centrally manage it.

When the transmission / reception unit 51 of the management center 50 receives the product order information 71 of the user 70 from the store terminal device 22 of the store 20 via the network 60, the transmission / reception unit 51 registers the product order information 71 in the storage unit 52 and also registers the product order information 71. 71 is output to the control unit 53. As a result, the control unit 53 of the management center 50 stocks the ordered product 71c from the order code 71a, the user information 71b, the ordered product 71c, and the delivery destination 71d included in the product order information 71, based on the product inventory information 21a. In addition, the product collection point close to the delivery destination 71d, that is, the store 20 or the warehouse 30, is selected, and the vehicle waiting place 40 closest to the selected store 20 or the warehouse 30 is selected based on the vehicle status information 42.

Here, the control unit 53 of the management center 50 is composed of the next closest store 20 or warehouse 30 when the ordered product 71c is not in stock at the product collection point consisting of the store 20 or the warehouse 30 closest to the delivery destination 71d. Select a product depot. The control unit 53 of the management center 50 belongs to the vehicle waiting place 40 when there is no unmanned delivery vehicle 80 waiting in the vehicle waiting place 40 closest to the product collection point consisting of the selected store 20 or the warehouse 30. Unmanned delivery to a product depot consisting of selected stores 20 or warehouse 30, such as unmanned delivery vehicles returning or unmanned delivery vehicles waiting at another vehicle waiting area 40, with shorter delivery times or the earliest possible unmanned delivery. Select the vehicle waiting area 40 to which the vehicle 80 belongs. The control unit 53 may execute the process of optimizing the delivery time so that the delivery time is the shortest. As a result, the ordered product 71c can be delivered to the delivery destination 71d as quickly as possible.

Then, the control unit 53 of the management center 50 creates the product delivery information 54 including the selected product collection point 54a and the vehicle waiting place 54b consisting of the store 20 or the warehouse 30, the user information 71b, the ordered product 71c, and the delivery destination 71d. Then, the product delivery information 54 is transmitted to the selected product collection point, the store 20 or the warehouse 30, and the vehicle waiting area 40, respectively, via the network 60.

The unmanned delivery system 10 according to the present invention is configured as described above, and operates as shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 9 and 10. First, a case where the user 70 places an order for a product at the store 20 will be described according to the flowchart of FIG.
In the flowchart of FIG. 9, when the user 70 orders a product at the store 20 in step A1, the store terminal device 22 of the store 20 creates the product order information 71 in step A2, and in step A3. The user authentication key 73 is issued to the user 70, and the product order information 71 is transmitted to the management center 50 via the network 60 in step A4.

In response to this, the control unit 53 of the management center 50 refers to the product inventory information 21a in step A5, and the ordered product 71c included in the product order information 71 is in stock and is close to the delivery destination 71d. , In the case of illustration, the warehouse 30 is selected, and then in step A6, the vehicle waiting place 40 closest to the selected warehouse 30 is selected with reference to the vehicle status information 42.

Next, the control unit 53 of the management center 50 selects one unmanned delivery vehicle 80 waiting at the selected vehicle waiting area 40 by the vehicle identification information 85 in step A7, and selects it in step A8. Create the product delivery information 54 including the store 54a, the vehicle waiting place 54b, the user information 71b, the ordered product 71c, and the delivery destination 71d.
Then, the control unit 53 of the management center 50 transmits the product delivery information 54 to the selected unmanned delivery vehicle 80 of the selected vehicle waiting area 40 in step A9, and sends the product delivery information 54 in step A10. It is transmitted to the warehouse 30 which is the selected product collection point.

Here, when the control unit 82 of the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 receives the product delivery information 54 in step A11, the delivery start notification 82a and the vehicle identification information 85 are transmitted to the management center 50 via the network 60, and the step. At A12, the traveling unit 81 is controlled based on the product delivery information 54 to automatically travel toward the selected warehouse 30. On the other hand, when the warehouse terminal device 31 of the warehouse 30 receives the product delivery information 54 in step A13, the warehouse terminal device 31 picks the ordered product 71c based on the product delivery information 54, and is unmanned in charge of delivering the ordered product 71c. Wait for the delivery vehicle 80 to arrive.
When the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 arrives, the warehouse terminal device 31 of the warehouse 30 loads the ordered product 71c into the storage unit 83 of the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 in step A14.

The unmanned delivery vehicle 80 loaded with the ordered product 71c automatically travels toward the delivery destination 71d in step A15. When the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 arrives at the delivery destination 71d in step A16, the control unit 82 of the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 notifies the user terminal device 72 of the user 70 via the network 60 of the arrival notification 82b in step A17. do.
When the user 70 who received the arrival notification 82b inputs the user authentication key 73 to the control unit 82 of the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 at the delivery destination 71d in step A18, the control unit 82 of the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 causes the control unit 82 of the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 to enter step A19. When the user information 71b included in the product delivery information 54 and the user authentication key 73 can be collated and collated, the settlement unit 84 makes a payment for the ordered product 71c in step A20, and the payment is made in step A21. Then, the accommodating unit 83 is opened and the ordered product 71c is delivered to the user 70.

In step A22, when the ordered product 71c is taken out from the accommodating unit 83 opened by the user 70, the control unit 82 of the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 detects the opening and empty load of the accommodating unit 83 in step A23 to place an order. The storage unit 83 is closed assuming that the delivery of the product 71c is completed, and the delivery completion notification 82c and the vehicle identification information 85 are transmitted to the vehicle waiting area 40 and the management center 50 to which the product 71c belongs via the network 60 in step A24. In step A25, the traveling unit 81 is controlled to automatically travel toward the vehicle waiting station 40 to which the vehicle belongs, and in step A26, the vehicle returns to the vehicle waiting area 40 to which the vehicle belongs.
This completes the delivery and return of the ordered product 71c of the user 70 to the delivery destination 71d.

Next, a case where the user 70 directly orders the product from the management center 50 by his / her own user terminal device 72 will be described according to the flowchart of FIG.
In the flowchart of FIG. 10, in step B1, the user 70 creates the product order information 71 using his / her own user terminal 72, and in step B2, the product order information 71 is managed by the management center via the network 60. Send to 50.

In response to this, the control unit 53 of the management center 50 issues the user authentication key 73 for the product order information 71 in step B3, and in step B4, the user authentication key 73 is used via the network 60. It is transmitted to the user terminal device 72 of the user 70. At this time, the user 70 can confirm the user authentication key 73 by visually recognizing the user authentication key 73 displayed on the screen of the user terminal device 72 in step B5. At this time, the information displayed from the control unit 53 of the management center 50 to the user's terminal device 72 via the network 70 may include the estimated time of arrival.

After that, the control unit 53 of the management center 50 picks and loads the ordered product 71c of the user 70 in the warehouse 30 by performing the work after step A5 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9, and automatically travels to the delivery destination. Deliver to 71d. When the user 70 inputs the user authentication key 73 to the control unit 82 of the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 that has arrived at the delivery destination 71d, the payment for the ordered product 71c and the delivery of the ordered product 71c from the storage unit 83 are delivered. After performing at 71d, the vehicle automatically returns to the vehicle waiting area 40 to which the vehicle belongs.
In this way, the user 70 places an order for the product 21 directly to the management center 50 via the network 60 at any place without going to the store 20, and orders the ordered product 71c at the delivery destination 71d. You can receive it.

The present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, each of the unmanned delivery vehicles 80 belongs to the vehicle waiting area 40, and after delivering the ordered product 71c to the delivery destination 71d, the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 returns to the belonging vehicle waiting area 40. However, not limited to this, the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 does not belong to a specific vehicle waiting place 40, and after the delivery is completed, the nearest vehicle waiting place 40 or a vehicle waiting place where there are few unmanned delivery vehicles 80 waiting. It is clear that you may move to 40.

In the above-described embodiment, the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 is provided with only one storage unit 83, and the ordered product 71c is delivered to one delivery destination 71d for each order. Not limited to this, by dividing the accommodation unit 83 of the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 into a plurality of sections or by providing the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 with a plurality of accommodation units 83, a plurality of delivery destinations 71d are patrolled in one delivery operation. As a result, it is possible to process a plurality of sets of product orders, and the delivery efficiency is further improved.

Specifically, when the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 has a plurality of containment boxes, some of the containment boxes have already been delivered, and an empty containment box is created, the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 is described as follows. The new merchandise 21 may be loaded into the empty containment box.
In the management center 50, when an empty storage box is generated in the unmanned delivery vehicle 80, the management center 50 is notified of the information. The management center 50 searches for the undelivered product order information 71, has the product 21 in stock in the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 in which the empty storage unit 83 is generated, and has the track route of the unmanned delivery vehicle 80. Search for the nearest product collection point 30 located on the way. Even if the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 is in the middle of delivery to the next delivery destination 71d, the management center 50 will drop in at the product collection / delivery station 30 if the nearest product collection point 30 is in the middle of the next delivery destination 71d. The new product 21 may be packed and reflected in the subsequent delivery plan. At this time, in the management center 50, when an empty storage box is generated in the plurality of unmanned delivery vehicles 80, the management center can select the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 closest to the product depot 30 so that the efficiency of the delivery plan is improved. It may be optimized by the management unit 30 of 50.

According to this configuration, when an empty storage box is generated in the unmanned delivery vehicle 80, the nearest product collection point 30 in the middle of the track of the unmanned delivery vehicle 80 is appropriately selected as the product 21 to be newly delivered. Thereby, the ordered product 21 can be delivered to yet another delivery destination 71d more quickly. In this case, since the product is stopped at the product collection point 30, the delivery time to the next delivery destination 71d is slightly extended, but the delivery time can be adjusted by setting the delivery time within a range of, for example, about 1 hour.

10 Unmanned delivery system by unmanned delivery vehicle (unmanned delivery system)
20 stores (product collection point)
21 Products 21a Product inventory information 22 Store terminal equipment 22a Cash register 30 Warehouse (product collection point)
31 Warehouse terminal equipment 40 Vehicle waiting area 41 Vehicle waiting area warehouse terminal equipment 42 Vehicle status information 50 Management center 51 Transmission / reception unit 52 Storage unit 53 Control unit 54 Product delivery information 54a Selected product collection point (selected store)
54b Selected vehicle waiting area 60 Network 70 User 71 Product order information 71a Order code 71b User information 71c Order product 71d Delivery destination 72 User terminal equipment 73 User authentication key 80 Unmanned delivery vehicle 81 Driving unit 82 Control unit 82a Delivery start notification 82b Arrival Notification 82c Delivery completion notification 83 Containment unit 83a Door 84 Settlement unit 85 Vehicle identification information 86 Storage unit 87 Body 87a Wheels 87b Headlight 87c Direction indicator 87d Rear combination lamp 87e Front monitoring stereo camera 87f Side monitoring camera

Claims (15)

At least one merchandise depot, at least one vehicle waiting area to which at least one unmanned delivery vehicle belongs, and individual merchandise depots that manage the inventory status of individual products and belong to each vehicle waiting area. It consists of a management center that manages the status of unmanned delivery vehicles, each product collection point, each vehicle waiting area, each unmanned delivery vehicle, and a network that interconnects the management center.
A product collection center for the management center to deliver the ordered product according to the inventory status of the ordered product and the position of the delivery destination based on the product order information including the ordered product and the delivery destination from the user. And select one unmanned delivery vehicle or a running unmanned delivery vehicle waiting at the selected vehicle waiting station, and place the ordered product for the unmanned delivery vehicle and the product depot. Product delivery information including product collection points, unmanned delivery vehicles and delivery destinations to be picked up is transmitted via the network.
The unmanned delivery vehicle includes a traveling unit, a control unit that automatically controls the traveling unit, and a storage unit that can accommodate the ordered product.
The unmanned delivery vehicle automatically travels to the product collection point included in the product delivery information, loads the ordered product at the product collection point, and then automatically travels to the delivery destination.
The unmanned delivery vehicle notifies the user of the fact that it has arrived or the estimated time of arrival at the time of arrival or before arrival at the delivery destination, waits for the user to collate and deliver the ordered product, and at the same time, the user. By an unmanned delivery vehicle, characterized in that it automatically travels to one of the vehicle waiting areas or automatically travels to patrol the next delivery destination after collation and delivery of the ordered goods to. Unmanned delivery system. The unmanned delivery vehicle includes a settlement unit that setstles the price of the ordered product, and when the user can collate the product order information, the settlement unit setstles the ordered product. The unmanned delivery system by the unmanned delivery vehicle according to Item 1. The product collection points are provided at multiple locations,
When the management center selects the product collection point, it is selected as the vehicle waiting area to which the unmanned delivery vehicle in charge of delivery belongs, and the delivery distance and delivery time are shortened from the respective positions of the product collection point and the delivery destination. The unmanned delivery system by the unmanned delivery vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the product collection point where the ordered product is in stock is selected. The vehicle waiting areas are provided at multiple locations,
When the management center selects a vehicle waiting area, the delivery distance and delivery time are shortened from the vehicle waiting area to which the unmanned delivery vehicle in charge of delivery belongs, the selected product collection point, and the delivery destination. The unmanned delivery system by the unmanned delivery vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a vehicle waiting place in which an unmanned delivery vehicle in a standby state exists is selected. When the management center selects a vehicle waiting area, if there is no unmanned delivery vehicle in the standby state in one vehicle waiting area, the unmanned delivery vehicle that returns to the vehicle waiting area during delivery and after the delivery is completed. Claiming, characterized by comparing the waiting time and delivery time with the delivery time of an unmanned delivery vehicle at another vehicle waiting place, and selecting a vehicle waiting place where there is an unmanned delivery vehicle that can deliver quickly to the delivery destination. The unmanned delivery system by the unmanned delivery vehicle according to item 4. When the storage unit of the unmanned delivery vehicle is composed of a plurality of divided storage boxes and the unmanned delivery vehicle having an empty storage box is instructed by the management center while traveling, an order is placed from the product collection point. The unmanned delivery system using an unmanned delivery vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the ordered product is picked up, stored in an empty storage box, and delivered to the user. The unmanned delivery system using an unmanned delivery vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the product collection point is a store that sells products. The user places an order for the product at the store,
7. The terminal device of the store creates the product order information in response to the user's product order, and transmits the product order information to the management center via a network. Unmanned delivery system by unmanned delivery vehicle described in. The unmanned delivery according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the user creates product order information by a user terminal device and transmits the product order information to the management center via a network. Unmanned delivery system by vehicle. The unmanned delivery system using an unmanned delivery vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the product collection point is a warehouse for storing products. The unmanned delivery system by an unmanned delivery vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the warehouse as the product collection point can be used from a plurality of stores. The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the notification to the user when the unmanned delivery vehicle arrives at the delivery destination or the estimated time of arrival is notified to the user's terminal device via the network. Unmanned delivery system by the described unmanned delivery vehicle. The unmanned delivery system by an unmanned delivery vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the loading of ordered products at the commodity collection point is performed unmanned by an automatic picking means. The unmanned delivery vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the unmanned delivery vehicle belongs to a specific vehicle waiting area and returns to the vehicle waiting area to which the unmanned delivery vehicle belongs after the delivery is completed. Delivery system. The first aspect of the present invention, wherein the unmanned delivery vehicle does not belong to a specific vehicle waiting place and moves to the nearest vehicle waiting place or a vehicle waiting place where there are few unmanned delivery vehicles waiting after the delivery is completed. The unmanned delivery system by the unmanned delivery vehicle according to any one of 13.

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