JP7394331B2 - Delivery support system, delivery support method, and mobile information terminal - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a delivery support system, a delivery support method, and a mobile information terminal related to delivery support for workers who perform delivery work.

As the volume of logistics has increased in recent years, the increased burden on workers involved in delivery work and the shortage of personnel have become social issues. Delivery companies use delivery vehicles to deliver to private homes, businesses, etc., but loading and unloading packages, taking into consideration the loading efficiency of the delivery vehicle's platform, requires the experience of skilled workers. This is one of the reasons why delivery operations are not becoming more efficient.

For the purpose of reducing the burden of this delivery work, Patent Document 1 discloses a cargo handling support device that instructs the position on the loading platform of a delivery vehicle and the cargo to be unloaded for cargo of undefined size and weight. There is a description of. In the cargo handling support device described in Patent Document 1, the loading platform is divided into multiple addresses, addresses are assigned to packages according to the distance ratio on the temporary delivery route, and when the size of the package is larger than a predetermined value, the address closest to the entrance is divided into multiple addresses. When the weight of the package is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the vacant address closest to the entrance is assigned to the package.

JP2013-43736A

However, the cargo handling support device described in Patent Document 1 is arranged so that the cargo that is unloaded first is placed closer to the entrance, or that bulky cargo or long objects do not interfere with cargo handling work in the loading platform. In addition, we decide where to place packages so that the distance to carry heavy items in the loading platform is shortened, and we decide where to store packages to make effective use of the empty space inside the delivery vehicle. It was not intended to improve loading efficiency.

The present invention aims to solve the above problems related to delivery support.

A delivery support system according to the present invention is a delivery support system including an imaging device and a mobile information terminal, wherein the imaging device captures an image of a storage shelf that stores packages, and uses the image to determine the location of the storage shelf . detecting information on an empty space, the mobile information terminal detecting package information including dimensions of the package to be delivered, and determining a storage position of the storage shelf according to the information on the empty space and the package information; If there are a plurality of storage positions, the storage position corresponding to information about a smaller empty space is displayed on the display section of the mobile information terminal.

A delivery support method according to the present invention includes the steps of: capturing an image of a storage shelf for storing packages; detecting information on empty space in the storage shelf from the image; and package information including the dimensions of the package to be delivered. a step of determining the storage position of the storage shelf according to the information of the empty space and the baggage information; and a step of determining the storage position of the storage shelf according to the information of the empty space and the baggage information; The method includes the step of displaying the storage position on a display section of the mobile information terminal.

The mobile information terminal according to the present invention detects package information including the dimensions of the package to be delivered, and determines the storage position of the storage shelf according to the information on the empty space of the storage shelf that stores the package and the package information. If there are a plurality of storage positions, the storage position corresponding to the information of the smaller empty space is displayed on the display section.

According to the present invention, it is possible to determine the storage position of cargo so as to effectively utilize the empty space inside the delivery vehicle, and it is possible to improve loading efficiency.

1 is a configuration diagram of a delivery support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram of a delivery support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows an example of the information of free space. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a portable information terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows an example of the content managed as a work history. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of the invention. A flowchart showing the processing procedure when loading luggage. The figure which shows an example of a projection image. A flowchart showing the processing procedure when unloading at a delivery destination. The flowchart which shows the processing procedure at the time of unloading based on the input information of a worker.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a delivery support system according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the delivery support system according to this embodiment. The cargo to be delivered is loaded into the delivery vehicle 101 by a worker. A storage shelf 102 for storing cargo is installed inside the delivery vehicle 101, and the storage shelf 102 is divided into a plurality of blocks.

In order to efficiently load cargo with various external dimensions, it is desirable to have multiple blocks with different dimensions. In the example of FIG. 1, the storage shelves 102 have four types of dimensions (A1 and A2 are height 40 cm, width 100 cm, depth 80 cm, A3 and A4 are height 60 cm, width 100 cm, depth 80 cm, and B1 and B2 are height 40 cm. , width 120cm, depth 80cm; B3 is composed of seven blocks divided by height 120cm, width 120cm, depth 80cm). Labels indicating each block A1 to A4 and B1 to B3 are displayed at the position of the corresponding block on the storage shelf 102, so that it can be easily recognized by the operator when storing luggage.

The parcels to be delivered are stored in each block by the method described below, but it is not always the case that one parcel is stored in each block. When storing one piece of baggage in a block, if there is free space (horizontal space or vertical space for the stored baggage) in that block, you can store another baggage. I don't mind if you do. In this case, if there is empty space left in the horizontal space, it is possible to store the items next to the items that are already stored, and if there is empty space left in the vertical space, it is possible to store the items next to the items that are already stored. It can be stored on top of stored luggage.

An imaging device 103 for capturing an internal image of the delivery vehicle 101 is provided inside the delivery vehicle 101 . The imaging device 103 is installed in a direction to capture an image of the storage shelf 102. If the entire storage shelf 102 cannot be imaged with one imaging device 103, a configuration may be adopted in which a plurality of imaging devices 103 are used to image the entire storage shelf 102.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of an imaging device according to this embodiment. The camera 301 captures an image of the storage shelf 102, which is an internal image of the delivery vehicle 101. The captured image of the storage shelf 102 is subjected to image analysis by the empty space information detection unit 302 to detect information on the empty space.

For example, if the dimensions of each block of the storage shelf 102 are made to correspond to the image area of each block in the image of the storage shelf 102 as an initial setting, the dimensions of the empty space can be determined by comparing the image area of the stored luggage. Can be detected. Furthermore, when the storage status of luggage on the storage shelf 102 changes due to loading or unloading of luggage, information on empty space is updated.

The information on the empty space is expressed by a combination of the block ID indicating each block and the size of the empty space. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of free space information, and represents the free space information in the example of FIG. In the example of FIG. 1, the dimensions of the blocks A3, B1, and B3 that do not contain luggage are the dimensions of the empty space. In addition, for blocks A1, A2, A4, and B2 in which baggage is already stored, the size of the space excluding the baggage becomes the size of the empty space. Here, if a lower threshold is set for the size of the empty space, if the size of the empty space is less than or equal to the threshold, it may be determined that there is no empty space.

Information about the empty space is transmitted from the imaging device 103 to the mobile information terminal 104 via the communication unit 303 by wireless communication. For wireless communication in the communication unit 303, wireless LAN, short-range wireless communication, cellular communication, etc. can be used. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which wireless communication means (not shown) installed in the delivery vehicle 101 is used through an in-vehicle LAN provided in the delivery vehicle 101.

Note that, as the information on the empty space inside the delivery vehicle 101 that is transmitted from the imaging device 103 to the mobile information terminal 104, internal image data of the delivery vehicle 101 that includes an image of the storage shelf 102 is transmitted from the imaging device 103 to the mobile information terminal 104. You may also send it to In this case, image analysis for detecting information on empty space will be performed in the mobile information terminal 104.

Next, the operation of the mobile information terminal 104 will be explained. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the portable information terminal according to this embodiment. The mobile information terminal 104 is a terminal used by a worker who performs delivery work, and can be a terminal used for business communication or delivery management, such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

For a package 110 to be delivered that is loaded onto a delivery vehicle 101, package information regarding the package to be delivered is detected by a package information detection unit 501 provided in a mobile information terminal 104 held by a worker. The package information includes the number assigned to the package (package ID), the delivery address, the name of the delivery recipient, the desired delivery date and time, the handling method, the weight, etc. This information is collected by the package information detection unit 501. The barcode reader 502 and camera 503 included in the baggage 110 are used to detect the baggage 110 by reading the barcode, two-dimensional code, or characters on the label attached to the baggage 110.

Further, as baggage information, an external image of the baggage 110 is captured by the camera 503, and the external dimensions of the baggage 110 on three sides, ie, height, width, and depth, are detected. A known space measurement technique using a camera can be used to detect this external dimension. Alternatively, the external dimensions of the package 110 may be measured in advance at the time of collection, and the external dimensions may be detected by reading the barcode or the like on the label attached to the package 110.

To detect baggage information, a configuration may be adopted in which an RFID tag attached to the baggage is read instead of a bar code or characters. In this case, the information on the RFID tag is read using a non-contact communication means (not shown) included in the baggage information detection unit 501. Also, part of the baggage information can be obtained from an external server device that manages various information regarding the baggage using the communication function of the mobile information terminal 104 based on the read baggage ID.

Information about the empty space inside the delivery vehicle 101 transmitted from the imaging device 103 to the mobile information terminal 104 is received by the communication unit 504. For wireless communication in the communication unit 504, wireless LAN, short-range wireless communication, cellular communication, etc. can be used. The information on the empty space is a combination of the block ID of the storage shelf 102 and the size of the empty space, as described above.

The storage position determination unit 505 compares the dimensions of the vacant space included in the vacant space information received by the communication unit 504 and the external dimensions of the package 110 detected by the package information detection unit 501, thereby determining whether the inside of the delivery vehicle 101 is In other words, it is determined in which block of the storage shelf 102 the luggage 110 should be stored.

This will be explained using the examples shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. In FIG. 1, the external dimensions of the luggage 110 (height 50 cm, width 75 cm, depth 75 cm) are detected by capturing an external image of the luggage 110 with the camera 503 of the mobile information terminal 104. Comparing this external dimension with the information on the empty space shown in FIG. 4, it can be determined that the block that can accommodate the luggage 110 is A3 or B3.

Depending on the external dimensions of the baggage, it may be stored in any block as long as there is free space that can accommodate the baggage, but if the baggage is heavier than the preset threshold, it should be stored in the lower empty space as much as possible. The burden on the worker may be reduced. As described above, the weight of the baggage can be detected by the baggage information detection unit 501 as one piece of baggage information.

Furthermore, if there are multiple empty spaces that can be stored, the storage position may be determined by selecting a smaller empty space. This increases the possibility that even if the external dimensions of the baggage to be loaded later are relatively large, the baggage can be stored in the storage shelf 102. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 1, A3 and B3 are compared and A3, which has a smaller empty space, is determined to be the storage position.

If the external dimensions of the package exceed the dimensions of each block on the storage shelf 102 (for example, if the depth is 80 cm or more), the package will be placed on the floor inside the delivery vehicle 101, so the storage location will be "floor". Become. In this case, the luggage is placed at a position that does not interfere with the imaging of the storage shelf 102 by the imaging device 103. In addition, if two or more items can be stored in one block (when the first item is stored, there is more space than the lower limit to consider empty space), the block ID will be entered as the storage location. You can specify the relative position within the block by writing characters such as "right", "left", "top", and "bottom" together. In the example of FIG. 1, the storage positions of the two pieces of luggage stored in block A2 are "A2 left" and "A2 right", respectively. In the examples shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the lower limit in the height direction and the lower limit in the width direction are both 35 cm when it is assumed that there is a vacant space.

Storage position information regarding the storage position determined by the storage position determination unit 505 is transmitted from the communication unit 504 to the display device 105. Thereafter, the worker carries the luggage 110 whose storage position has been determined and loads it into the delivery vehicle 101.

The work history management unit 506 associates the package ID, package external dimensions, and delivery address corresponding to the package to be delivered detected by the package information detection unit 501 with the storage position determined by the storage position determination unit 505. and manage it as a work history. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of contents managed as a work history, and shows the example of FIG. 1. By referring to this work history at the time of unloading, it becomes possible to determine the storage position of the cargo to be unloaded.

The work history managed by the work history management unit 506 is stored in a storage unit (not shown) inside the mobile information terminal 104, but it is stored in a storage device provided outside the mobile information terminal 104 (for example, an external cloud server). Alternatively, the work history may be transmitted (uploaded) from the communication unit 504 to a storage device (not shown) provided in the imaging device 103 or the display device 105 and stored therein. As a result, even if a worker is replaced in the middle of work, the work history can be received from an external storage device through the communication unit 504 on another mobile information terminal 104 held by the replaced worker. By making it possible to download (download), work can be taken over quickly. The work history may be directly transmitted and received between the mobile information terminals 104 of each worker.

Next, the operation of the display device 105 will be explained. Display device 105 is installed inside delivery vehicle 101 . FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a display device according to this embodiment. Storage position information regarding the storage position determined by the storage position determination unit 505 of the mobile information terminal 104 is transmitted from the communication unit 504 of the mobile information terminal 104 and received by the communication unit 701 of the display device 105. For wireless communication in the communication unit 701, wireless LAN, short-range wireless communication, cellular communication, etc. can be used. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which wireless communication means (not shown) installed in the delivery vehicle 101 is used through an in-vehicle LAN provided in the delivery vehicle 101.

The projection image generation unit 702 generates a projection image that includes the storage position information (in the example of FIG. 1, an image that includes the characters “A3” representing the block at the storage position), and the generated projection image is sent to the projection unit 703. is projected inside the delivery vehicle 101.

Although the display device 105 shown in FIGS. 1 and 7 is a projection device, it may be any other display device as long as it can display storage position information to the operator. For example, the storage position information may be displayed on a panel display installed inside the delivery vehicle 101, or an LED may be installed in each block of the storage shelf 102, and the LED of the block corresponding to the storage position may be lit. .

When the display device 105 is a projection device, the projection location can be arbitrarily set by providing the projection device with a movable portion that can change the projection direction of the projection section 703. For example, in a case where outside light enters from the entrance/exit of the delivery vehicle 101, visibility can be improved by projecting the projected image onto the back wall inside the delivery vehicle 101.

Note that instead of generating the projection image including storage position information in the projection image generation unit 702, the projection image is generated inside the mobile information terminal 104, and then the projection image is transmitted to the display device 105 and displayed. It may be configured.

Furthermore, the timing at which the display device 105 starts the display operation may be when the display device 105 receives the storage position information, but it is possible for the display device 105 to start the display operation when the display device 105 receives the storage position information. It may be detected by an image captured by the imaging device 103. In this case, the imaging device 103 instructs the display device 105 to start a display operation.

Furthermore, in addition to the display device 105, the storage position information may be displayed on the display unit 507 of the mobile information terminal 104. This display allows the worker to know the storage location before loading the cargo. Note that the display unit 507 can also display the package information detected by the package information detection unit 501, the work history managed by the work history management unit 506, information on empty space inside the delivery vehicle 101, etc. .

A worker who performs delivery work can determine the storage position of a package by visually checking the storage position information displayed on the display device 105 installed inside the delivery vehicle 101, even if the worker is holding the package with both hands. This allows even unskilled workers to easily carry out loading work.

Furthermore, since the imaging device 103 captures an image of the storage shelf 102, even if the worker loads the cargo in the wrong storage position, it is possible to detect the error in the storage position by image analysis. Specifically, the storage position information transmitted from the mobile information terminal 104 to the display device 105 is also transmitted to the imaging device 103, so that the imaging device 103 recognizes the storage location of the baggage 110 to be loaded. can. If the imaging device 103 detects through image analysis that the baggage has been stored in an empty space other than the correct storage position, it determines that the worker has placed the baggage in the wrong storage position.

In this case, the imaging device 103 notifies the portable information terminal 104 held by the worker of the incorrect storage position, and activates an alarm means (not shown) included in the portable information terminal 104. The operator can notice the incorrect storage position due to the sound and vibration generated by the alarm means. Furthermore, by notifying the display device 105, the projection image generation unit 702 generates a projection image that indicates that the storage position is incorrect, and projects it inside the delivery vehicle 101. Errors can also be noticed visually.

In addition, if the worker stores the baggage in the wrong direction (for example, if the baggage is stored with the width and depth directions reversed) or if the baggage is not stored in the appropriate position within the block, the relevant There is a possibility that the remaining free space in the block where the luggage is stored may be smaller than expected. In this case, by transmitting information about the empty space when the luggage is stored correctly from the mobile information terminal 104 to the imaging device 103, it is possible to detect the storage error through image analysis in the imaging device 103. It is possible. If a storage error is detected, the imaging device 103 notifies the display device 105 of the error situation, and displays instructions on how to correct it (such as "Please change the storage direction" or "Please store it right-aligned"). 105 onto the inside of the delivery vehicle 101 to notify the worker.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure when loading luggage. First, the imaging device 103 captures an internal image of the delivery vehicle 101 (S801). Then, information about the empty space inside the delivery vehicle 101 is detected from the captured internal image (S802). This free space information includes the dimensions of the free space. Next, the mobile information terminal 104 detects package information regarding the package to be delivered (S803). This package information includes the external dimensions of the package to be delivered. Then, by comparing the dimensions of the detected empty space and the external dimensions of the package to be delivered, the storage position inside the delivery vehicle 101 is determined (S804). Storage position information regarding the determined storage position is displayed inside the delivery vehicle 101 by the display device 105 (S805).

Next, the operation when the worker unloads the load will be explained. The luggage loaded onto the delivery vehicle 101 is unloaded by a worker at the delivery destination of the luggage. Furthermore, in order for the delivery vehicle 101 to unload a plurality of packages, the route around the delivery destination of each package is determined using a known route setting method based on the delivery destination address list (for example, a route setting method that minimizes the travel distance). ) may be used in the navigation device 106 installed in the delivery vehicle 101.

The delivery address list can be shared between the mobile information terminal 104 and the navigation device 106 by transmitting the work history managed inside the mobile information terminal 104 to the navigation device 106. can. Alternatively, instead of the navigation device 106, the portable information terminal 104 may be provided with a navigation function so that the delivery address list can be shared.

When the delivery vehicle 101 arrives at the delivery destination according to the guidance of the navigation device 106, the worker starts unloading. First, a geographic location (latitude, longitude, address, etc.) is detected by the geographic location information detection unit 508 included in the mobile information terminal 104. Existing location information detection technology such as GPS may be used to detect the geographical location. Note that the geographical position detected by the navigation device 106 may be shared by the mobile information terminal 104.

The storage position determination unit 505 searches and extracts a delivery address included in a predetermined range from the geographical position detected by the geographic location information detection unit 508 from the work history stored in the work history management unit 506. Here, the predetermined range is a range in which the worker can carry out delivery work on foot starting from the delivery vehicle 101, and the range can be arbitrarily set by the worker through the input unit 509 of the mobile information terminal 104. Multiple delivery addresses may be extracted as long as they fall within a predetermined range.

By referring to the work history, the package ID corresponding to the delivery address extracted as described above, that is, the package to be delivered, can be selected as the package to be unloaded. Similarly, by referring to the work history, it is possible to determine the storage position where the cargo to be unloaded is stored.

This will be explained using the example of the work history shown in FIG. The delivery address of package ID 10001 and the delivery address of package ID 10002 are the most different and are included in the above-mentioned predetermined range where delivery work can be carried out on foot, so these two package IDs are selected as packages to be unloaded. , the worker carries two packages with package ID 10001 and package ID 10002 from the parked delivery vehicle 101 and delivers them on foot.

By referring to the work history, it is determined that there are two storage positions for the cargo to be unloaded (baggage ID 10001 and cargo ID 10002), A2 left and A1, and the storage position information for these two locations is displayed from the mobile information terminal 104. is sent to device 105. In the display device 105 , a projection image generating unit 702 generates a projection image including two storage positions, A2 left and A1, and a projection unit 703 projects the projection image inside the delivery vehicle 101 . By getting into the delivery vehicle 101 and viewing the projected image, the worker can easily recognize the storage position, take out the cargo to be unloaded from the storage shelf 102, and perform the delivery work.

In the above example, the worker can take out both packages and deliver them at once, but depending on the size and weight of the packages, it may not be possible to carry both packages at once. In that case, since the worker will take out the packages one by one from the storage shelf 102 and deliver them, the projected image may also be changed according to the task.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a projected image. For example, if the display device 105 is displaying two storage positions, A2 left and A1, as shown in FIG. 9(a), when only the luggage stored in A2 left is taken out from the storage shelf 102, The storage position display is changed to display only A1 as shown in FIG. 9(b). This process detects the empty space created by taking out the baggage, that is, the baggage is taken out, by image analysis in the imaging device 103, and transmits the information of the empty space to the mobile information terminal 104, so that the work history management unit 506 can perform the work. Just update the history.

Specifically, when we compare the sent empty space information with the storage position information in the work history and detect that the block that was previously set as the storage position for luggage has become a new empty space. , change the field for the storage location in the work history to "Removed". The storage position of the baggage whose storage position field is "taken out" is not displayed on the display device 105.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure when unloading at the delivery destination. When the delivery vehicle 101 arrives at the delivery destination, the mobile information terminal 104 detects the geographical position (S1001). Next, delivery addresses included in a predetermined range from the detected geographical location are extracted from the work history (S1002). Then, by referring to the work history, the storage position determination unit 505 selects the package corresponding to the extracted delivery address as the package to be unloaded (S1003), and selects the storage position where the selected package to be unloaded is stored. (S1004). Storage position information regarding the determined storage position is displayed inside the delivery vehicle 101 by the display device 105 (S1005).

Furthermore, regardless of the parking location of the delivery vehicle 101, by inputting the cargo ID of the cargo to be unloaded from the input unit 509 provided on the mobile information terminal 104, the worker can store the cargo on the display device 105 inside the delivery vehicle 101. You can also display the location. Based on the luggage ID input to the input unit 509, the storage position determination unit 505 refers to the work history in the work history management unit 506 to determine the storage position corresponding to the luggage ID, and displays the corresponding storage position on the display device 105. This can be implemented by transmitting storage position information regarding the storage position. Here, the input unit 509 may be a physical keyboard or a virtual keyboard displayed on a touch panel, or the operator may input voice from a microphone to perform voice recognition.

The information that the operator inputs from the input unit 509 does not have to be the package ID itself, but may be other package information such as the delivery address, the name of the delivery recipient, or the delivery phone number. If these pieces of baggage information are managed in a manner that corresponds to the baggage ID in the work history of the work history management unit 506, for example, a worker can input the name of the recipient of the baggage he or she wants to unload using the microphone of the mobile information terminal 104. By inputting voice, the cargo corresponding to the input information can be selected as the cargo to be unloaded. Then, the storage position where the cargo to be unloaded is stored is determined by referring to the work history. The storage position information regarding the determined storage position is transmitted to the display device 105 inside the delivery vehicle 101, and the display device 105 can display the storage position information of the package corresponding to the delivery recipient name input by the worker. It becomes like this.

In this way, when a worker inputs input information that includes any of the information of the baggage to be unloaded into the mobile information terminal 104, the storage position of the baggage to be unloaded inside the delivery vehicle 101 is displayed. As a result, workers can smoothly perform unloading operations that occur occasionally during delivery operations, such as passing packages between workers or passing packages to recipients at addresses other than the delivery address. becomes possible.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure at the time of unloading based on information input by the operator. The worker inputs any of the baggage information of the baggage to be unloaded into the input unit 509 of the mobile information terminal 104 (S1101). Input information input by the worker is detected by the input unit 509 (S1102). Then, by referring to the work history, the storage position determining unit 505 selects the baggage corresponding to the input information as the baggage to be unloaded (S1103), and determines the storage position where the selected baggage to be unloaded is stored ( S1104). Storage position information regarding the determined storage position is displayed inside the delivery vehicle 101 by the display device 105 (S1105).

In addition, during delivery work, if the delivery destination is not present at a private residence, re-delivery may be necessary, and the worker must take the package out of the storage shelf 102 and bring it back from the delivery destination to the delivery vehicle 101. The task of loading the storage shelves 102 again occurs. Here, when loading the parcel for re-delivery, the worker can perform the above-mentioned loading process again to return the parcel to the appropriate storage position, and the work history will also be updated. .

The storage position when returning the package does not necessarily have to be the original storage position, and an empty space created during the delivery process may be used as the new storage position. If the empty space created near the entrance/exit of the delivery vehicle 101 is used as a new storage location for returning the package, the distance traveled by the worker inside the delivery vehicle 101 will be reduced, and the workload for re-delivery will be reduced. Ru.

The process of reloading the package is performed even when the storage position of the package changes during the delivery process. For example, if two items are stacked one above the other in one block of the storage shelf 102, and the lower item is to be unloaded first, the upper item will be moved to the storage shelf. 102. In that case, after the cargo at the bottom has been taken out and delivered to the destination, the work history is updated by reloading the package at the top.

Note that the display device installed inside the delivery vehicle 101 may have a configuration in which a plurality of display devices of different types are installed. For example, if the display device is configured to light up the LED of a block corresponding to the storage position of the storage shelf 102, the operator cannot visually recognize the LED unless the worker advances inside the vehicle to near the front of the block. Therefore, a projection device or a panel display is installed as an auxiliary display device near the entrance/exit of the delivery vehicle 101 to display guidance for each row of storage shelves (A and B in the example of FIG. 1). This guide display may be characters indicating the rows of the storage shelves 102 or may be arrows indicating the direction in which the storage shelves 102 are located.

With this configuration, the worker can determine in which block of the storage shelf the item should be stored once he or she has advanced to the front of the row of storage shelves that contains the block in the storage position, making the loading process easier. Increased convenience at the time of delivery.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to determine the storage position of the cargo so as to effectively utilize the empty space inside the delivery vehicle, and it is possible to improve the loading efficiency.

101 Delivery vehicle 102 Storage shelf 103 Imaging device 104 Mobile information terminal 105 Display device 106 Navigation device 110 Luggage 301, 503 Cameras 303, 504, 701 Communication section 302 Free space information detection section 501 Luggage information detection section 502 Barcode reader 505 Storage position Judgment unit 506 Work history management unit 507 Display unit 508 Geographic location information detection unit 509 Input unit 702 Projection image generation unit 703 Projection unit

Claims (7)

A delivery support system including an imaging device and a mobile information terminal,
The imaging device includes:
Capturing images of storage shelves that store luggage,
Detecting information about the empty space of the storage shelf from the image,
The mobile information terminal is
Detects package information including the dimensions of the package to be delivered,
determining the storage position of the storage shelf according to the information on the empty space and the baggage information;
If there are a plurality of storage positions, displaying the storage position corresponding to information on a smaller empty space on a display unit of the mobile information terminal;
Delivery support system. The mobile information terminal is
If the package to be delivered is heavier than a preset threshold, displaying a storage position corresponding to information of a lower empty space on the display section;
The delivery support system according to claim 1. The delivery support system further includes a display device,
The display device includes:
displaying information indicating the storage position on the storage shelf ;
The delivery support system according to claim 1 or 2. a step of capturing an image of a storage shelf for storing luggage;
detecting information about the empty space of the storage shelf from the image;
detecting package information including dimensions of the package to be delivered;
determining the storage position of the storage shelf according to the empty space information and the baggage information;
If there are a plurality of storage positions, displaying the storage position corresponding to information of a smaller empty space on a display unit of a mobile information terminal;
Shipping assistance methods, including: If the package to be delivered is heavier than a preset threshold, displaying on the display a storage position corresponding to information about a lower empty space;
5. The delivery support method according to claim 4, further comprising: displaying information indicating the storage position on the storage shelf ;
The delivery support method according to claim 4 or claim 5, further comprising: Detects package information including the dimensions of the package to be delivered,
Determining the storage position of the storage shelf according to the information on the empty space of the storage shelf that stores the luggage and the luggage information,
If there are multiple storage positions, displaying the storage position corresponding to information on a smaller empty space on a display unit;
Mobile information terminal.

Images