Delivery system and delivery method

Abstract

To reduce the time required for parcel delivery.SOLUTION: A reception unit 33 receives recipient information on a recipient of a parcel brought into a first area. A detection unit 15 identifies the recipient based on the recipient information and detects whether a beacon terminal 61 carried by the recipient is present within a facility. When the detection unit 15 detects that the beacon terminal 61 is present within the facility, a delivery control unit 16 causes a communication unit 12 to transmit arrival notification information notifying that the parcel has arrived in the first area to a communication terminal carried by the recipient. When the detection unit 15 detects that the beacon terminal 61 is not present within the facility, or when the recipient is in a non-receiving state in which the parcel cannot be received in the first area, the delivery control unit 16 causes the communication unit 12 to transmit a transport command to a transport robot 40. The transport command is a command to instruct the robot to perform a transport task of transporting the parcel from the first area to a parcel storage area provided in the second area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a delivery system and a delivery method, and more particularly, to a delivery system and a delivery method that transports packages using a transport robot. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an information terminal position estimation system that receives a beacon signal from a searched information terminal of a search target by a searching information terminal operated by a searcher, and estimates the position of the searched information terminal of the search target. Patent Document 1 describes, as an example of use of the information terminal position estimation system, a case in which a user holds a searched information terminal in a factory, and a searching autonomous mobile robot holds a package addressed to the user, and the package is automatically delivered to the user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-105637 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the information terminal position estimation system of Patent Document 1, if the searched information terminal is in a position where the searching information terminal cannot receive a beacon signal from the searched information terminal, the information terminal position estimation system cannot estimate the position of the user who has the searched information terminal, and there is a possibility that the package cannot be delivered. Therefore, the package is delivered to the user when the information terminal position estimation system becomes able to estimate the user's position, and there is a problem that it takes a long time to complete the delivery of the package.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a delivery system and a delivery method that can reduce the time it takes to deliver packages. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A delivery system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a delivery system that delivers parcels within a facility including a first area for receiving parcels brought by a carrier and a second area in which a plurality of users, including a recipient of the parcel, are active. The delivery system includes a reception unit, a detection unit, a transport robot, a communication unit, and a delivery control unit. The reception unit receives recipient information regarding the recipient of the parcel brought into the first area. The detection unit identifies the recipient based on the recipient information, and detects whether the beacon terminal carried by the recipient is present within the facility based on a signal transmitted by the beacon terminal carried by the recipient. The transport robot is capable of transporting the parcel. The communication unit is capable of communicating with the transport robot and each of the communication terminals carried by the recipient. The delivery control unit controls the transport robot. When the detection unit detects that the beacon terminal is present within the facility, the delivery control unit causes the communication unit to transmit arrival notification information notifying that the parcel has arrived in the first area to the communication terminal. When the detection unit detects that the beacon terminal is not present within the facility, or when the recipient is in an unreceived state in which the recipient cannot receive the package in the first area, the delivery control unit causes the communication unit to send a transport command to the transport robot instructing it to perform a transport operation to transport the package from the first area to a package storage area provided in the second area.

[0007] A delivery method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a delivery method executed by a delivery system that delivers parcels within a facility including a first area for receiving parcels brought by a carrier and a second area in which a plurality of users, including a recipient of the parcel, are active. The delivery method includes a reception step, a detection step, and a delivery control step. In the reception step, recipient information regarding the recipient of the parcel brought into the first area is received. In the detection step, the recipient is identified based on the recipient information, and whether or not the beacon terminal is present within the facility is detected based on a signal transmitted by a beacon terminal carried by the recipient. In the delivery control step, a transport robot capable of transporting the parcel is controlled. In the delivery control step, when it is detected in the detection step that the beacon terminal is present within the facility, arrival notification information notifying that the parcel has arrived in the first area is transmitted from a communication unit to a communication terminal carried by the recipient. In the delivery control step, if the detection step detects that the beacon terminal is not present within the facility, or if the recipient is in a state where he or she is unable to receive the package in the first area, a transport command is sent from the communication unit to the transport robot, instructing the robot to perform a transport operation to transport the package from the first area to a package storage area provided in the second area. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, a delivery system and a delivery method can be provided that can reduce the time it takes to deliver a package. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a delivery system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the interior of a facility to which the delivery system is applied. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the delivery system. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a carrier is performing a parcel reception process using a reception terminal provided in the delivery system. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display screen of the reception terminal of the above embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display screen of the reception terminal of the above embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display screen of a first communication terminal carried by a recipient of a package transported by the delivery system of the above embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display screen of the reception terminal of the above embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a transport robot included in the delivery system performs a parcel reception process. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the transport robot of the above embodiment is transporting a load. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the transport robot is performing an unloading process. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a display screen of a second communication terminal carried by a carrier in the above embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, a delivery system and a delivery method according to an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, each figure described in the following embodiment is a schematic diagram, and the dimensional ratio of the size of each component does not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratio. Furthermore, the configuration described in the following embodiment is merely one example of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as the effects of the present disclosure can be achieved.

[0011] (Embodiment) (1) Overview Fig. 1 is a schematic system configuration diagram of a delivery system 1 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the inside of a facility 100 to which the delivery system 1 is applied.

[0012] The delivery system 1 of this embodiment is a delivery system 1 that delivers a package B1 inside a facility 100. The facility 100 includes a first area A1 that receives the package B1 brought by a carrier P1, and a second area A2 in which a plurality of users U1, including a recipient U10 of the package B1, are active.

[0013] The delivery system 1 includes a reception unit 33, a detection unit 15, a transport robot 40, a communication unit 12, and a delivery control unit 16.

[0014] The reception unit 33 receives recipient information related to a recipient U10 of the package B1 brought into the first area A1.

[0015] The detection unit 15 identifies the recipient U10 based on the recipient information, and detects whether the beacon terminal 61 carried by the recipient U10 is present within the facility 100 based on a signal transmitted by the beacon terminal 61.

[0016] The transport robot 40 is capable of carrying a package B1.

[0017] The communication unit 12 is capable of communicating with each of the transport robot 40 and a communication terminal (first communication terminal 50) carried by the recipient U10. In other words, the communication unit 12 is capable of communicating with the transport robot 40 and also with the communication terminal (first communication terminal 50).

[0018] The delivery control unit 16 controls the transport robot 40.

[0019] When the detection unit 15 detects that the beacon terminal 61 is present within the facility 100, the delivery control unit 16 causes the communication unit 12 to transmit arrival notification information to a communication terminal (first communication terminal 50) notifying that the package B1 has arrived in the first area A1.

[0020] When the detection unit 15 detects that the beacon terminal 61 is not present within the facility 100, or when the recipient U10 is in a non-receiving state in which he / she cannot receive the package in the first area A1, the delivery control unit 16 causes the communication unit 12 to transmit a transport command to the transport robot 40. The transport command is a command to instruct the robot 40 to perform a transport task of transporting the package B1 from the first area A1 to the package storage area C1 provided in the second area A2.

[0021] Here, the facility 100 is a building used by multiple users U1. The facility 100 may include, for example, an office building, a government office, a factory, a research institute, a hospital, an educational facility such as a school, a commercial facility such as a shopping mall, an accommodation facility such as a hotel, etc. The user U1 who uses the facility 100 may be an employee of a business that uses the facility 100 to conduct business, or a temporary user who uses the facility 100 temporarily. In addition, the second area A2 in the facility 100 is an area in which the user U1 who uses the facility 100 is active. The area in which the user U1 is active is an area in which the user performs activities according to the purpose of use. In the following embodiment, an example will be described in which the facility 100 is an office building and the user U1 is an employee of a business that uses the facility 100 to conduct business. In this case, the second area A2 is, for example, an office area in which the user U1 performs business.

[0022] The carrier P1 is a person who delivers the package B1 to the user U1 who uses the facility 100, and may be, for example, a delivery person of a carrier or an employee of a delivery company who delivers the package B1. The carrier P1 is allowed to enter the first area A1 of the facility 100, but does not have the authority to enter the second area A2. Therefore, the carrier P1 carries the package B1 into the first area A1 and delivers the package B1 in the first area A1. In the delivery system 1 of this embodiment, when the recipient U10 cannot receive the package B1 from the carrier P1 in the first area A1, the transport robot 40 transports the package B1 to the package storage area C1, thereby delivering the package B1 from the first area A1 to the package storage area C1.

[0023] In the following embodiment, the state in which the beacon terminal 61 is present in the facility 100 may be referred to as the "presence state" of the beacon terminal 61, and the state in which the beacon terminal 61 is not present in the facility 100 may be referred to as the "absence state" of the beacon terminal 61. In the following, the communication terminal possessed by the recipient U10 may be referred to as the first communication terminal 50.

[0024] In this embodiment, when the reception unit 33 receives the recipient information on the recipient U10 of the package B1, the detection unit 15 detects whether the beacon terminal 61 is present in the facility 100 based on a signal transmitted by the beacon terminal 61 carried by the recipient U10. When the detection unit 15 detects the presence of the beacon terminal 61, the delivery control unit 16 causes the communication unit 12 to transmit arrival notification information to the communication terminal (first communication terminal 50), so that the recipient U10 can be prompted to receive the package B1 that has arrived in the first area A1. When the detection unit 15 detects the absence of the beacon terminal 61 or when the recipient U10 is in an unreceivable state, the delivery control unit 16 causes the communication unit (first communication terminal 50) to transmit a transport command to the transport robot 40. The transport robot 40 that receives the transport command transports the package B1 from the first area A1 to the package storage area C1, which eliminates the need to redeliver the package B1 when the package carrier P1 is unable to receive the package B1, and shortens the time it takes to deliver the package. In addition, the recipient U10 can receive the package B1 delivered to the package storage area C1 when the recipient U10 is able to receive the package B1 at the facility 100, which is advantageous in that the time it takes to receive the package B1 can be shortened compared to when the package carrier P1 redelivers the package B1.

[0025] (2) Details Hereinafter, the delivery system 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0026] The delivery system 1 includes, for example, a server 10 having the functions of a detection unit 15 and a delivery control unit 16, a reception terminal 30 having the functions of a reception unit 33, and a transport robot 40. The delivery system 1 further includes a beacon terminal 61 carried by a recipient U10, and a plurality of receiving terminals 62 capable of receiving signals transmitted by the beacon terminal 61. Here, the beacon terminal 61, the plurality of receiving terminals 62, and the detection unit 15 constitute an LPS (Local Positioning System) that identifies the position of the beacon terminal 61.

[0027] The server 10, the reception terminal 30, the transport robot 40, and the LPS will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0028] (2.1) LPS The LPS includes a beacon terminal 61 carried by a recipient U10, a plurality of receiving terminals 62, and the detection unit 15 described above.

[0029] The beacon terminal 61 is possessed by the recipient U10. That is, each of a plurality of users U1 who can be the recipient U10 possesses the beacon terminal 61. An individual beacon terminal ID is assigned to the beacon terminal 61. The beacon terminal 61 has a transmission unit 610 that complies with a communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The transmission unit 610 periodically transmits a signal (beacon signal) including the individual beacon terminal ID assigned to the beacon terminal 61, for example.

[0030] A plurality of receiving terminals 62 are installed inside the facility 100. The facility 100 shown in FIG. 2 is, for example, a four-story building, with a first area A1 provided near the entrance on the first floor, and a second area A2 on the second to fourth floors of the building. Here, the second area A2 is divided into three third areas A21 to A23 provided on each of the second to fourth floors. In other words, the second area A2 is an area that combines a plurality (for example, three) of the third areas A21 to A23. A baggage storage area C1 is provided in each of the three third areas A21 to A23. That is, a plurality of baggage storage areas C1 are provided in the facility 100. When the three baggage storage areas C1 provided in the three third areas A21 to A23 are described separately, they are referred to as baggage storage areas C11 to C13.

[0031] Here, the facility 100 is used by a plurality of organizations, and one or more users U1 belong to each of the plurality of organizations. Each of the plurality of organizations mainly uses one of the three third areas A21 to A23. The three luggage storage areas C11 to C13 provided in the three third areas A21 to A23, respectively, are assigned to the organizations that mainly use the third areas A21 to A23 on each floor. That is, the third areas A21 to A23 on each floor are provided with luggage storage areas (luggage storage areas C11 to C13) for organizations that mainly use the third areas A21 to A23 on each floor. That is, the plurality of luggage storage areas C1 include a plurality of luggage storage areas (luggage storage areas C11 to C13) for organizations that respectively correspond to the plurality of organizations.

[0032] Here, at least one receiving terminal 62 is installed in each of the first area A1 and the third areas A21 to A23. An individual receiving terminal ID is assigned to each of the multiple receiving terminals 62. Each of the multiple receiving terminals 62 has a communication function for communicating with the server 10 by an appropriate communication method such as a wired communication method or a wireless communication method. Each of the multiple receiving terminals 62 has a receiving unit 620 capable of receiving a signal transmitted from the beacon terminal 61. In addition, the receiving unit 620 has a function of measuring the received signal strength (RSSI: Received Signal Strength Indicator) of the signal received from the beacon terminal 61. When the receiving unit 620 receives a signal from the beacon terminal 61, it outputs the beacon terminal ID included in the received signal, the received signal strength of the received signal, and the receiving terminal ID of the receiving terminal 62 to the server 10.

[0033] The detection unit 15 detects whether the beacon terminal 61 exists inside the facility 100 based on the signal from the beacon terminal 61 received by the multiple receiving terminals 62. The detection unit 15 detects whether the user U1 who has the beacon terminal 61 exists inside the facility 100 by detecting whether the beacon terminal 61 exists inside the facility 100.

[0034] Specifically, when none of the multiple receiving terminals 62 receives a signal from the beacon terminal 61 to be detected, the detection unit 15 detects that the beacon terminal 61 to be detected is not present inside the facility 100 and is therefore absent.

[0035] On the other hand, when at least one of the multiple receiving terminals 62 is receiving a signal from the beacon terminal 61 to be detected, the detection unit 15 detects that the beacon terminal 61 to be detected is in a present state inside the facility 100.

[0036] In addition, the detection unit 15 can further detect the position where the beacon terminal 61 exists inside the facility 100 based on the signal received by the receiving terminal 62 from the beacon terminal 61. When one or more receiving terminals 62 receive a signal from the beacon terminal 61 to be detected, the receiving terminal 62 that has received the signal from the beacon terminal 61 transmits the beacon terminal ID, the received signal strength, and the receiving terminal ID of the beacon terminal 61 to the server 10. Here, the memory unit 14 of the server 10 stores map information D2. The map information D2 is electronic map information within the facility 100, and includes installation position information regarding the installation positions of the multiple receiving terminals 62.

[0037] When only one receiving terminal 62 receives a signal from the beacon terminal 61 to be detected, the detection unit 15 identifies the installation location of the one receiving terminal 62 that received the signal from the beacon terminal 61 based on the receiving terminal ID of the receiving terminal 62 that received the signal from the beacon terminal 61 and the map information D2 and installation location information stored in the storage unit 14. Then, the detection unit 15 detects that the beacon terminal 61 exists in the first area A1 or the third areas A21 to A23 where the one receiving terminal 62 that received the signal from the beacon terminal 61 is installed.

[0038] In addition, when a plurality of receiving terminals 62 receive a signal from a beacon terminal 61 to be detected, the detection unit 15 identifies the installation positions of the plurality of receiving terminals 62 that received the signal from the beacon terminal 61 based on the receiving terminal IDs of the plurality of receiving terminals 62 that received the signal from the beacon terminal 61 and the map information D2 and installation position information stored in the storage unit 14. In addition, the detection unit 15 obtains the distance from the plurality of receiving terminals 62 to the beacon terminal 61 based on the received signal strength of the signal received by each of the plurality of receiving terminals 62. Then, the detection unit 15 obtains the position of the beacon terminal 61 based on the installation positions of the plurality of receiving terminals 62 and the distance from the plurality of receiving terminals 62 to the beacon terminal 61.

[0039] When the detection unit 15 detects the position of the beacon terminal 61, that is, the position of the user U1 who carries the beacon terminal 61, the detection unit 15 stores the detection result of the position in the storage unit .

[0040] In this embodiment, the transport robot 40 also includes a beacon transmitter 47 that periodically transmits a signal similar to that of the beacon terminal 61, so that the detector 15 can detect the position of the transport robot 40 as well.

[0041] (2.2) Server The server 10 includes a processing unit 11, a communication unit 12, and a storage unit 14.

[0042] The communication unit 12 is capable of communicating with the reception terminal 30, a first communication terminal 50 carried by the recipient U10, and a second communication terminal 70 (carrier communication terminal) carried by the carrier P1. The communication unit 12 is capable of communicating with the reception terminal 30, the first communication terminal 50, and the second communication terminal 70 by an appropriate communication method such as a wired communication method or a wireless communication method.

[0043] The storage unit 14 may include, for example, a main storage device such as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), and an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or an external storage device such as a hard disk drive. The storage unit 14 stores the programs executed by the processing unit 11, and data obtained by the processing unit 11 performing arithmetic processing, etc.

[0044] The storage unit 14 stores organizational information D1 related to an organization to which a plurality of users U1 who use the facility 100 belong, map information D2 which is electronic map information within the facility 100, schedule information D3 which indicates each schedule of the plurality of users U1, and position information D4 of the user U1 detected by the LPS. The organizational information D1 includes, for each of the plurality of users U1 who use the facility 100, the name, identification ID, name of the organization to which the user U1 belongs, the beacon terminal ID of the beacon terminal 61 possessed by the user U1, the telephone number or email address of the first communication terminal 50 possessed by the user U1, and the like. The map information D2 includes electronic map information of the facility 100, and further includes position information of a baggage storage area C11 provided within the facility 100, installation position information of a plurality of receiving terminals 62 installed within the facility 100, and the like. The installation position information of the receiving terminal 62 is stored in association with the receiving terminal ID. The schedule information D3 includes information about plans (e.g., meetings, dealing with visitors, etc.) for one or more days including the current day, which are registered in a schedule management system that manages the schedules of each of the multiple users U1 who use the facility 100. The location information D4 includes information indicating the location of the beacon terminal 61 detected by the detection unit 15, that is, the location of the user U1 who possesses the beacon terminal 61.

[0045] The processing unit 11 mainly comprises a computer system having one or more processors and a memory. The functions of the processing unit 11 are realized by the processor of the computer system executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunication line such as the Internet, or may be provided by recording it on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

[0046] The processing unit 11 has, for example, the functions of the above-mentioned detection unit 15 and delivery control unit 16. Note that the detection unit 15 and the delivery control unit 16 merely indicate functions realized by the processing unit 11, and do not necessarily indicate actual configurations.

[0047] (2.3) Reception terminal The reception terminal 30 is, for example, a computer terminal installed in the first area A1.

[0048] The reception terminal 30 includes a processing unit 31, a communication unit 32, a reception unit 33, and a display unit .

[0049] The processing unit 31 mainly comprises a computer system having one or more processors and a memory. The functions of the processing unit 31 are realized by the processor of the computer system executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunication line such as the Internet, or may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card and provided.

[0050] The communication unit 32 is capable of communicating with the communication unit 12 of the server 10. The communication unit 32 is capable of communicating with the communication unit 12 of the server 10 by an appropriate communication method such as a wired communication method or a wireless communication method.

[0051] The reception unit 33 receives operations of the carrier P1 who has brought the package B1 into the first area A1. The reception unit 33 receives, for example, recipient information related to the recipient U10 of the package B1 brought into the first area A1. The reception unit 33 is composed of, for example, an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse, or a reader device that reads a slip or the like attached to the package B1.

[0052] The display unit 34 includes, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display device, etc. The display unit 34 displays a screen such as a screen for inputting recipient information.

[0053] (2.4) Transport robot The transport robot 40 is, for example, an autonomous robot.

[0054] 9 and 10, the transport robot 40 has a main body 400 that resembles a human body. A plurality of wheels 401 are provided on the bottom of the main body 400, and the transport robot 40 moves autonomously on the floor of the facility 100 using the wheels 401.

[0055] The transport robot 40 is connected to a cart 80 on which a package B1 can be placed. The cart 80 includes a box-shaped main body 800 and a plurality of wheels 801 provided on the lower part of the main body 800. The plurality of wheels 801 are preferably free-wheeling wheels that can rotate in any direction. In addition, in a state in which the transport robot 40 and the cart 80 are connected to each other, the side of the cart 80 as viewed from the transport robot 40 is called the front side, and the side of the transport robot 40 as viewed from the cart 80 is called the rear side. The transport robot 40 can move together with the cart 80 in any direction by pushing the cart 80 forward or pulling the cart 80 backward.

[0056] 1, the transport robot 40 includes a processing unit 41, a communication unit 42, a storage unit 43, an imaging unit 44, a traveling device 45, a load unloading device 46, a beacon transmitting unit 47, and a touch panel 48. The transport robot 40 includes a rechargeable secondary battery and operates on the power stored in the secondary battery.

[0057] The processing unit 41 mainly comprises a computer system having one or more processors and a memory. The functions of the processing unit 41 are realized by the processor of the computer system executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunication line such as the Internet, or may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card and provided.

[0058] The communication unit 42 includes a wireless communication module that complies with a communication standard such as Bluetooth, and can perform wireless communication with the communication unit 12 of the server 10. Note that the communication method of the communication unit 42 is not limited to Bluetooth, and a communication method that complies with standards such as WiFi (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or low-power radio (specified low-power radio) that does not require a license may be adopted.

[0059] The storage unit 43 may include, for example, a main storage device such as a RAM, a ROM, an EEPROM, etc. The storage unit 43 stores the programs executed by the processing unit 41, the results of the arithmetic processing performed by the processing unit 41, and the like.

[0060] The imaging unit 44 is incorporated, for example, in a portion of the head of the main body 400 that corresponds to an eye. In other words, the imaging unit 44 is provided in the transport robot 40. The imaging unit 44 includes, for example, an imaging element such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) imaging element. The imaging unit 44 is used to capture images of the baggage B1 received from the carrier P1 and images of the baggage B1 dropped off at the baggage storage area C1.

[0061] The traveling device 45 has an electric motor that drives the wheels 401 provided on the bottom of the main body 400, a driving circuit for the electric motor, and the like. The traveling device 45 controls the rotation speed and rotation amount of the electric motor in response to a control signal input from the processing unit 41, thereby causing the transport robot 40 to travel in a desired direction at a desired speed.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 11, the unloading device 46 includes an arm 461 connected to a handle 802 provided at the rear of the cart 80, and an electric cylinder for moving the arm 461 up and down. The height of the upper surface of the main body 800 is set to a dimension higher than the height of the upper surface of the baggage storage C1. When the transport robot 40 unloads the baggage B1 placed on the cart 80 to the baggage storage C1, the transport robot 40 moves the arm 461 upward by the unloading device 46 and lifts the rear of the cart 80 after moving the front end of the cart 80 to a position where it contacts the baggage storage C1. At this time, the upper surface of the main body 800 is lowered toward the front, and the baggage B1 placed on the upper surface of the main body 800 slides down to the baggage storage C1. The configuration of the unloading device 46 can be appropriately changed, and the unloading device 46 may be a robot arm that grabs the baggage B1 and moves it to the baggage storage C1, or an electric cylinder that pushes the baggage B1 placed on the upper surface of the main body 800 forward, or the like.

[0063] The beacon transmitting unit 47, like the beacon terminal 61, includes a transmission module that complies with a communication standard such as Bluetooth, and periodically transmits a signal that includes individual identification information assigned to the transport robot 40.

[0064] The touch panel 48 is disposed, for example, on the upper surface of the main body 800 of the cart 80. The touch panel 48 functions as a display unit that presents information to the carrier P1, and an input unit that accepts input operations by the carrier P1. The touch panel 48 is configured to be able to communicate with the processing unit 41 housed in the main body 400 of the transport robot 40. The touch panel 48 displays based on screen data input from the processing unit 41, and upon accepting an input operation by the carrier P1, outputs the input content input by the carrier P1 to the processing unit 41.

[0065] (2.5) First communication terminal The first communication terminal 50 is a communication terminal owned by a user U1 who may become a recipient U10. The first communication terminal 50 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal having a communication function, or a wearable terminal having a communication function.

[0066] The first communication terminal 50 includes a processing unit 51, a communication unit 52, an operation unit 53, and a display unit 54.

[0067] The processing unit 51 mainly comprises a computer system having one or more processors and a memory. The functions of the processing unit 51 are realized by the processor of the computer system executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunication line such as the Internet, or may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card and provided.

[0068] The communication unit 52 can communicate with the server 10 via a wireless communication network such as a mobile phone network. The communication method between the communication unit 52 and the server 10 can be changed as appropriate. The communication method between the communication unit 52 and the server 10 may be a communication method conforming to standards such as Bluetooth, WiFi, ZigBee, or low-power radio (specified low-power radio) that does not require a license.

[0069] The display unit 54 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

[0070] The operation unit 53 has, for example, an input device such as a touch pad provided on a display device of the display unit 54. The operation unit 53 and the display unit 54 may be integrated as a touch panel.

[0071] (2.6) Second communication terminal The second communication terminal 70 is a communication terminal carried by the carrier P1. The second communication terminal 70 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal having a communication function, or a wearable terminal having a communication function.

[0072] The second communication terminal 70 includes a processing unit 71, a communication unit 72, an operation unit 73, and a display unit 74.

[0073] The processing unit 71 mainly comprises a computer system having one or more processors and a memory. The functions of the processing unit 71 are realized by the processor of the computer system executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunication line such as the Internet, or may be provided by recording it on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

[0074] The communication unit 72 can communicate with the server 10 via a wireless communication network such as a mobile phone network. The communication method between the communication unit 72 and the server 10 can be changed as appropriate. The communication method between the communication unit 72 and the server 10 may be a communication method conforming to standards such as Bluetooth, WiFi, ZigBee, or low-power radio (specified low-power radio) that does not require a license.

[0075] The display unit 74 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

[0076] The operation unit 73 has, for example, an input device such as a touch pad provided on a display device of the display unit 74. The operation unit 73 and the display unit 74 may be integrated as a touch panel.

[0077] (2.7) Operation Description The operation of the delivery system 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2 to Fig. 12. Note that the flowchart shown in Fig. 3 is merely an example of a delivery method executed by the delivery system 1 according to this embodiment, and the order of processes may be changed as appropriate, and processes may be added or omitted as appropriate.

[0078] First, the carrier P1 carries the baggage B1 into the first area A1 of the facility 100 (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 4), and performs reception processing of the baggage B1 using the reception terminal 30 installed in the first area A1. The display unit 34 of the reception terminal 30 displays an initial screen G1 (see FIG. 5) for reception processing of the baggage B1. In the center of the initial screen G1, a selection button E1 for starting reception processing of the baggage is displayed. When the carrier P1 performs an operation to select the selection button E1 displayed on the initial screen G1, the reception terminal 30 starts reception processing of the baggage B1 (step ST1), and the screen of the display unit 34 is switched to an input screen for inputting the recipient information and the contact information of the carrier P1. The recipient information is information for identifying the recipient U10. The recipient information is, for example, the name of the recipient U10, or ID information assigned to the recipient U10. The contact information is, for example, the telephone number or email address of the second communication terminal 70 possessed by the carrier P1.

[0079] When the reception unit 33 of the reception terminal 30 receives the recipient information and the contact information, the processing unit 31 causes the communication unit 32 to transmit the recipient information and the contact information received by the reception unit 33 to the server 10. When the communication unit 12 of the server 10 receives the recipient information and the contact information from the reception terminal 30, the detection unit 15 identifies the recipient U10 based on the recipient information, and acquires the beacon terminal ID of the beacon terminal 61 held by the recipient U10 based on the organization information D1.

[0080] Here, the beacon terminal 61 present inside the facility 100 periodically transmits a signal. When the receiving terminal 62 receives the signal transmitted from the beacon terminal 61, the receiving terminal 62 transmits the beacon terminal ID and the received signal strength contained in the signal from the beacon terminal 61 and the receiving terminal ID of the receiving terminal 62 to the server 10. The detection unit 15 detects the position of the beacon terminal 61 based on the beacon terminal ID, the received signal strength, and the receiving terminal ID received by the communication unit 12 from the receiving terminal 62. As a result, the detection unit 15 periodically performs a detection process to detect whether the beacon terminal 61 possessed by each user U1 exists inside the facility 100, that is, whether each user U1 exists inside the facility 100 (step ST2). Note that when the beacon terminal 61 exists inside the facility 100, the detection unit 15 further detects the position where the beacon terminal 61 exists. In this way, the detection unit 15 periodically performs the detection process of the beacon terminal 61, and periodically detects whether or not the user U1 who possesses the beacon terminal 61 is present inside the facility 100.

[0081] Next, the delivery control unit 16 determines, based on the detection result of the detection unit 15, whether the recipient U10 is in a present state, that is, present inside the facility 100, or whether the recipient U10 is in an absent state, that is, not present inside the facility 100 (step ST3).

[0082] If it is determined in step ST3 that the recipient U10 is in a present state (step ST3: Yes), the delivery control unit 16 determines based on the schedule information D3 whether the recipient U10 is in a present state where the recipient U10 can receive the package B1 in the first area A1, or whether the recipient U10 is in a non-receiving state where the recipient U10 cannot receive the package B1 in the first area A1 (step ST4). That is, when the detection unit 15 detects that the beacon terminal 61 is present in the facility 100, the delivery control unit 16 determines whether the recipient U10 is in a non-receiving state based on schedule information related to the schedule of the recipient U10. Here, the schedule information D3 includes information regarding the schedule of the day of multiple users U1 who use the facility 100. The delivery control unit 16 determines that the recipient U10 is in a non-receiving state based on the schedule information D3 if the recipient U10 has an unavoidable schedule such as a meeting or attending to a visitor. The delivery control unit 16 determines that the recipient U10 is in a present state based on the schedule information D3 if the recipient U10 has no schedule, or if the recipient U10 has a schedule but can temporarily leave it. When the delivery control unit 16 determines based on the schedule information that the recipient U10 is not available for receipt, it causes the transport robot 40 to carry out the transport work, thereby shortening the time until the transport robot 40 starts the transport work.

[0083] When it is determined in step ST4 that the package is available for receipt (step ST4: Yes), the delivery control unit 16 displays a call screen G2 (see FIG. 6) for calling the first communication terminal 50 held by the recipient U10 on the display unit 34 of the reception terminal 30. A message "This person is employed at XXX. Please call the following number." is displayed at the top of the call screen G2, and a start button E2 for starting a call to the first communication terminal 50 held by the recipient U10 is displayed in the center of the call screen G2. When the carrier P1 confirms that the recipient U10 of the package B1 is correctly displayed based on the contents displayed on the call screen G2, he or she selects the start button E2. When the reception unit 33 accepts the selection operation of the start button E2, the delivery control unit 16 performs a call process for transmitting arrival notification information notifying that the package B1 has arrived in the first area A1 from the communication unit 12 to the first communication terminal 50 held by the recipient U10 (step ST5).

[0084] When the communication unit 52 of the first communication terminal 50 carried by the recipient U10 receives the arrival notification information, the processing unit 51 displays the selection screen G11 shown in Fig. 7 on the display unit 54. The selection screen G11 displays a message saying "Your package has arrived. Please select a receiving method," and below that, a selection button E11 for selecting delivery by the transport robot 40 and a selection button E12 for selecting receiving in the first area A1 are displayed.

[0085] When the recipient U10 performs an operation to select the selection button E11 or E12, the processing unit 51 causes the communication unit 52 to transmit a response signal including the selection of the recipient U10 to the server 10. When the communication unit 12 receives the response signal from the first communication terminal 50 (step ST6: Yes), the delivery control unit 16 determines whether the recipient U10 has selected receipt in the first area A1 based on the selection included in the response signal (step ST7).

[0086] If it is determined in step ST7 that the recipient U10 has selected to receive the parcel in the first area A1 (step ST7: Yes), the delivery control unit 16 causes the display unit 34 of the reception terminal 30 to display a message indicating that the recipient U10 will arrive at the first area A1 to receive the parcel B1. Based on the content displayed on the display unit 34 of the reception terminal 30, the carrier P1 can confirm that the recipient U10 will arrive at the first area A1, and then hands over the parcel B1 to the recipient U10 who has arrived at the first area A1 (step ST8), completing the delivery of the parcel B1.

[0087] On the other hand, if the recipient U10 is absent (step ST3: No), if the recipient U10 is unavailable for receipt (step ST4: No), if there is no response from the recipient U10 to the arrival notification information (step ST6: No), or if the recipient U10 selects delivery by the transport robot 40 (step ST7: No), the delivery control unit 16 displays a call screen G3 for calling the transport robot 40 on the display unit 34 of the reception terminal 30. The call screen G3 shown in Fig. 8 displays a message saying "XXXXX is absent. Please call the transport robot.", and a call button E3 is displayed below this message.

[0088] When the carrier P1 selects the call button E3, the processing unit 31 of the reception terminal 30 causes the communication unit 32 to transmit request information requesting a call for the transport robot 40 to the server 10. When the communication unit 12 of the server 10 receives the request information from the reception terminal 30, the delivery control unit 16 performs a call process for the transport robot 40 to move the transport robot 40 from a predetermined waiting position to a parcel receiving position near the reception terminal 30 (step ST9). The waiting position is provided, for example, in the first area A1. A charging facility for the transport robot 40 is provided at the waiting position, and the transport robot 40 charges its secondary battery while waiting at the waiting position. Note that FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 show a state in which the transport robot 40 was near the reception terminal 30 before the call process for the transport robot 40 was performed.

[0089] When the transport robot 40 moves to a luggage receiving position set near the reception terminal 30 in the first area A1, the transporter P1 places the luggage B1 on the top surface of the cart 80 and operates the touch panel 48 to input that loading of the luggage B1 is complete (see Figure 9).

[0090] When the processing unit 41 of the transport robot 40 receives information from the touch panel 48 that the loading of the luggage B1 has been completed, the processing unit 41 causes the imaging unit 44 to capture the luggage B1 placed on the cart 80 to generate a captured image, and causes the communication unit 42 to transmit the captured image of the luggage B1 to the server 10. When the communication unit 12 of the server 10 receives the captured image of the luggage B1 from the transport robot 40, the delivery control unit 16 causes the communication unit 12 to transmit reception information including the captured image of the luggage B1 to the second communication terminal 70, and the receiving process of the luggage B1 by the transport robot 40 is completed (step ST10). In this way, when the transport robot 40 starts the transport work, the imaging unit 44 captures the luggage B1 transported by the transport robot 40 to generate a captured image. Then, the delivery control unit 16 transmits the reception information including the captured image received by the communication unit 12 from the transport robot 40 to the carrier communication terminal (second communication terminal 70) carried by the carrier P1 from the communication unit 12. When the communication unit 72 of the second communication terminal 70 receives the reception information from the server 10, the processing unit 71 causes the display unit 74 to display the photographed image of the package B1 included in the reception information and a message indicating that the receiving process of the package B1 by the transport robot 40 has been completed. This allows the carrier P1 to obtain certification information indicating that the package B1 has been handed over to the transport robot 40.

[0091] The delivery control unit 16 also selects an organization-specific luggage storage area (one of luggage storage areas C11 to C13) associated with the organization to which the recipient U10 belongs based on the organization information D1 as the luggage storage area to which the recipient U10 belongs. For example, if the recipient U10 belongs to an organization that mainly uses the third area A22 on the third floor, the delivery control unit 16 selects the luggage storage area C12, which is an organization-specific luggage storage area provided in the third area A22, as the luggage storage area to which the recipient U10 belongs. The delivery control unit 16 then creates route information that specifies a transport route for transporting the luggage B1 from the first area A1 to the luggage storage area C12, and causes the communication unit 12 to transmit a transport command including the created route information to the transport robot 40 (step ST11). In this way, the delivery control unit 16 selects, from among the multiple organization-specific luggage storage areas (luggage storage areas C11-C13), the organization-specific luggage storage area corresponding to the organization to which the recipient U10 belongs as the luggage storage area C1 to which the package B1 is to be delivered, based on organization information on the organization to which the recipient U10 belongs. This enables the delivery system 1 to deliver the package B1 to the organization-specific luggage storage area determined to be closer to the location within the facility 100 where the recipient U10 is active, from among the multiple organization-specific luggage storage areas.

[0092] When the communication unit 42 of the transport robot 40 receives the transport command from the server 10, the processing unit 41 controls the traveling device 45 to move from the first area A1 to the baggage storage C12 along the transport route specified by the route information to perform the transport work of transporting the baggage B1 (step ST12). That is, the transport robot 40 performs the transport work of transporting the baggage B1 along the transport route specified by the route information from the first area A1 to the baggage storage C12. FIG. 10 shows an example of the transport route from the first area A1 to the baggage storage C12. The dotted arrow in FIG. 10 indicates the transport route. In the transport route shown in FIG. 10, the transport robot 40 moves from the first floor to the third floor using the elevator 101. The delivery control unit 16 sequentially detects the position of the transport robot 40, and when the transport robot 40 moves to the entrance of the elevator 101, it instructs the controller of the elevator 101 to move the elevator car to the first floor. When the elevator car of the elevator 101 moves to the first floor and the entrance opens, the transport robot 40 gets into the car. When the transport robot 40 gets into the car, the delivery control unit 16 instructs the controller of the elevator 101 to move the car to the third floor. When the elevator car of the elevator 101 arrives at the third floor and the entrance opens, the transport robot 40 gets out of the car and moves to the baggage storage area C12.

[0093] When the transport robot 40 moves to the destination baggage storage area C12, it starts the unloading process of unloading the baggage B1 placed on the cart 80 (step ST13). As shown in Fig. 11, after the transport robot 40 moves to a position where the front end of the cart 80 contacts the baggage storage area C12, the unloading device 46 moves the arm 461 upward and lifts the rear of the cart 80. As a result, the top surface of the main body 800 of the cart 80 slopes downward, and the baggage B1 placed on the top surface of the main body 800 slides down into the baggage storage area C12, and the baggage B1 is placed on the baggage storage area C12.

[0094] When the unloading process is completed, the processing unit 41 of the transport robot 40 causes the imaging unit 44 to capture an image of the package B1 placed in the package storage area C12 to generate a captured image (step ST14), and causes the communication unit 42 to transmit the captured image of the package B1 to the server 10. When the communication unit 12 of the server 10 receives the captured image of the package B1 from the transport robot 40, the delivery control unit 16 causes the communication unit 12 to transmit transport completion information including the captured image of the package B1 to the first communication terminal 50 (step ST15).

[0095] When the communication unit 52 of the first communication terminal 50 receives the transportation completion information from the server 10, the processing unit 51 causes the display unit 54 to display the captured image of the luggage B1 included in the transportation completion information and a message indicating that transportation to the luggage storage area C12 has been completed. Fig. 12 is an example of a notification screen G21 displayed on the display unit 54 of the first communication terminal 50. The notification screen G21 displays a message saying "Delivery completed to luggage storage area 3F", and below this message, the captured image F1 of the luggage B1 captured by the imaging unit 44 and a map F2 indicating the location of the luggage storage area C12 are displayed.

[0096] In this way, when the transport robot 40 transports the package B1 to the baggage storage C1, the delivery control unit 16 causes the communication unit 12 to transmit transport completion information notifying that the transport of the package B1 to the baggage storage C1 has been completed to the communication terminal (first communication terminal 50). Therefore, the recipient U10 can confirm that the package B1 has been transported to the baggage storage C1 based on the transport completion information transmitted to the communication terminal 50. In addition, when the transport robot 40 transports the package B1 to the baggage storage C1, the image capture unit 44 captures the package B1 that has been dropped off at the baggage storage C1 to generate a captured image. Then, the delivery control unit 16 causes the communication unit 12 to transmit transport completion information including the captured image received by the communication unit 12 from the transport robot 40 to the communication terminal (first communication terminal 50). The recipient U10 can check the captured image of the package B1 using the first communication terminal 50 and visually confirm the state of the package B1 placed in the baggage storage C11.

[0097] When the transport robot 40 finishes the transport task, the delivery control unit 16 transmits a movement command to the transport robot 40 from the communication unit 12 to move the transport robot 40 to a predetermined waiting position. When the communication unit 42 of the transport robot 40 receives the movement command, the processing unit 41 controls the traveling device 45 to move the transport robot 40 to the waiting position (step ST16), and prepares for the next transport task at the waiting position.

[0098] As described above, when the communication unit 12 receives delivery instruction information instructing delivery to the luggage storage area C1 from the first communication terminal (communication terminal) 50 that has received the arrival notification information, the delivery control unit 16 causes the transport robot 40 to perform the transport work of transporting the luggage B1 from the first area A1 to the luggage storage area C1. In this way, the recipient U10 who has received the arrival notification information can cause the transport robot 40 to perform the transport work by sending delivery instruction information from the communication terminal 50, and the recipient U10 can receive the luggage B1 at the luggage storage area C1 that is closer than the first area A1.

[0099] (3) Variations The above embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design and the like as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. In addition, the same function as the delivery system 1 may be embodied in a delivery method executed by the delivery system 1, a computer program, or a non-transitory recording medium on which a program is recorded, etc. A delivery method according to one aspect is a delivery method executed by the delivery system 1 that delivers a package B1 inside a facility 100. The facility 100 includes a first area A1 that accepts the package B1 brought by a carrier P1, and a second area A2 in which a plurality of users U1 including a recipient U10 of the package B1 are active. The delivery method includes a reception step, a detection step, and a delivery control step. In the reception step, recipient information regarding the recipient U10 of the package B1 brought into the first area A1 is accepted. In the detection step, the recipient U10 is identified based on the recipient information, and whether or not the beacon terminal 61 is present in the facility 100 is detected based on a signal transmitted by the beacon terminal 61 held by the recipient U10. In the delivery control step, the transport robot 40 capable of transporting the parcel B1 is controlled. In the delivery control step, if the beacon terminal 61 is detected to be present in the facility 100 in the detection step, arrival notification information notifying that the parcel B1 has arrived in the first area A1 is transmitted from the communication unit 12 to the communication terminal (first communication terminal 50) carried by the recipient U10. In the delivery control step, if the beacon terminal 61 is detected to be absent in the facility 100 in the detection step, or if the recipient U10 is in a non-receiving state in which the parcel B1 cannot be received in the first area A1, a transport command instructing the transport robot 40 to perform a transport operation of transporting the parcel B1 from the first area A1 to the parcel storage area C1 provided in the second area A2 is transmitted from the communication unit 12 to the transport robot 40. The (computer) program according to one aspect is a program for causing a computer system to execute a delivery method.

[0100] Modifications of the above embodiment are listed below. The modifications described below can be combined as appropriate and applied. Hereinafter, the above embodiment may also be referred to as a basic configuration.

[0101] The execution subject of the delivery system 1 or the delivery method in the present disclosure includes a computer system. The computer system is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. The processor executes a program recorded in the memory of the computer system to realize the function of the execution subject of the delivery system 1 or the delivery method in the present disclosure. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, provided through an electric communication line, or provided by recording it in a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, an optical disk, or a hard disk drive that can be read by the computer system. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The integrated circuits such as IC or LSI referred to here are called by different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). Furthermore, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmed after the manufacture of the LSI, or a logic device that can reconfigure the connection relationship inside the LSI or reconfigure the circuit partition inside the LSI, can also be adopted as a processor. The electronic circuits may be integrated in one chip or distributed among multiple chips. The chips may be integrated in one device or distributed among multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Thus, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

[0102] Furthermore, it is not essential for the delivery system 1 that multiple functions are concentrated in one housing, and the components of the delivery system 1 may be distributed across multiple housings. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the delivery system 1, for example, some of the functions of the server 10, may be realized by the cloud (cloud computing) or the like.

[0103] Conversely, in the above embodiment, at least some of the functions of the delivery system 1 that are distributed among multiple devices may be integrated into one housing. For example, some of the functions of the delivery system 1 that are distributed among the reception terminal 30 and the transport robot 40 may be integrated into the main body 400 of the transport robot 40. In other words, the transport robot 40 may be equipped with the reception unit 33. Compared to the case where the reception terminal 30 is provided separately, the number of components of the delivery system 1 can be reduced.

[0104] In the above embodiment, the delivery control unit 16 determines the organization-specific luggage storage area corresponding to the organization to which the recipient U10 belongs as the luggage storage area C1 of the destination based on the organization information, but the recipient U10 may specify the luggage storage area C1 of the destination. For example, when the recipient U10 selects delivery on the selection screen G11 displayed on the display unit 54 of the first communication terminal 50, the recipient U10 may perform an operation to specify a luggage storage area of ​​the destination from among the luggage storage areas C11 to C13. At this time, the processing unit 51 of the first communication terminal 50 transmits transportation instruction information including destination information specifying the luggage storage area of ​​the destination of the luggage B1 from the communication unit 52 to the server 10. In other words, the transportation instruction information includes destination information specifying the luggage storage area of ​​the destination of the luggage B1 from the multiple luggage storage areas C1, and the delivery control unit 16 causes the transport robot 40 to perform a transport task of transporting the luggage B1 from the first area A1 to the luggage storage area C1 specified in the destination information. This allows the recipient U10 to specify the baggage storage area C1, which is convenient for receiving the baggage B1, as the destination, and allows the recipient U10 to receive the baggage B1 smoothly.

[0105] Furthermore, the delivery control unit 16 may determine the destination luggage storage location C1 from among the multiple luggage storage locations C1 based on the schedule information of the recipient U10 or the location information of the beacon terminal 61 carried by the recipient U10. For example, the delivery control unit 16 may determine the luggage storage location C1 that is closer to the current location of the recipient U10 as the destination based on the schedule information or the location information of the beacon terminal 61, among the multiple luggage storage locations C1, so that the recipient U10 can smoothly receive the luggage B1.

[0106] (summary) The above-described embodiments and the like disclose the following aspects.

[0107] The delivery system (1) of the first embodiment is a delivery system (1) that delivers a package (B1) inside a facility (100). The facility (100) includes a first area (A1) that receives the package (B1) brought by a carrier (P1), and a second area (A2) in which a plurality of users including a recipient (U10) of the package (B1) are active. The delivery system (1) includes a reception unit (33), a detection unit (15), a transport robot (40), a communication unit (12), and a delivery control unit (16). The reception unit (33) receives recipient information related to the recipient (U10) of the package (B1) brought into the first area (A1). The detection unit (15) identifies the recipient (U10) based on the recipient information, and detects whether the beacon terminal (61) carried by the recipient (U10) is present within the facility (100) based on a signal transmitted by the beacon terminal (61). The transport robot (40) is capable of transporting the package (B1). The communication unit (12) is capable of communicating with the transport robot (40) and the communication terminal (50) carried by the recipient (U10). The delivery control unit (16) controls the transport robot (40). When the detection unit (15) detects that the beacon terminal (61) is present within the facility (100), the delivery control unit (16) causes the communication unit (12) to transmit arrival notification information notifying that the package (B1) has arrived in the first area (A1) to the communication terminal (50). When the detection unit (15) detects that the beacon terminal (61) is not present within the facility (100), or when the recipient (U10) is in an unreceivable state in which the recipient (U10) is unable to receive the package (B1) in the first area (A1), the delivery control unit (16) causes the communication unit (12) to transmit a transport command to the transport robot (40) instructing the transport robot to perform a transport operation to transport the package (B1) from the first area (A1) to a package storage area (C1) provided in the second area (A2).

[0108] According to this aspect, the time required for delivery of packages can be reduced.

[0109] In the second aspect of the delivery system (1), in the first aspect, when the communication unit (12) receives delivery instruction information instructing delivery to the luggage storage area (C1) from the communication terminal (50) that has received the arrival notification information, the delivery control unit (16) causes the transport robot (40) to perform the transport work of transporting the luggage (B1) from the first area (A1) to the luggage storage area (C1).

[0110] According to this embodiment, the recipient (U10) can have the transport robot (40) carry out the transport work by transmitting delivery instruction information from the communication terminal (50).

[0111] In the delivery system (1) of the third embodiment, in the second embodiment, a facility (100) is provided with a plurality of luggage storage areas (C1). The delivery instruction information includes destination designation information that designates a luggage storage area (C1) to which the luggage (B1) is to be transported from the plurality of luggage storage areas (C1). The delivery control unit (16) causes the transport robot (40) to perform a transport task of transporting the luggage (B1) from the first area (A1) to the luggage storage area (C1) designated by the destination designation information.

[0112] According to this embodiment, the recipient (U10) can specify the baggage storage location (C1) to which the baggage (B1) is to be delivered from among a plurality of baggage storage locations (C1).

[0113] In a fourth aspect of the delivery system (1) in any one of the first to third aspects, a facility (100) is used by a plurality of organizations. One or more users belong to each of the plurality of organizations. A plurality of parcel storage areas (C1) are provided in the facility (100). The plurality of parcel storage areas (C1) include a plurality of organization-specific parcel storage areas (C1) corresponding to the plurality of organizations. The delivery control unit (16) selects, based on organization information related to an organization to which the recipient (U10) belongs among the plurality of organization-specific parcel storage areas (C1), as the parcel storage area (C1) to which the parcel is to be delivered.

[0114] According to this embodiment, the transport robot (40) can transport the package (B1) to the organization-specific package storage area (C1) corresponding to the organization to which the recipient (U10) belongs.

[0115] In the delivery system (1) of the fifth aspect, in any of the first to fourth aspects, the delivery control unit (16) creates route information specifying a transport route for transporting the package (B1) from the first area (A1) to the package storage area (C1), and causes the communication unit (12) to transmit the created route information to the transport robot (40). The transport robot (40) performs a transport task of transporting the package (B1) from the first area (A1) to the package storage area (C1) along the transport route specified by the route information.

[0116] According to this embodiment, it is possible to cause the transport robot (40) to transport the package (B1) along a transport route specified by the route information created by the delivery control unit (16).

[0117] In the sixth aspect of the delivery system (1), in any of the first to fifth aspects, when the detection unit (15) detects that the beacon terminal (61) is present within the facility (100), the delivery control unit (16) determines whether or not the recipient (U10) is in a non-receivable state based on schedule information regarding the recipient's (U10) schedule.

[0118] According to this embodiment, when the delivery control unit (16) determines based on the schedule information that the recipient (U10) is unable to receive the parcel, it causes the transport robot (40) to carry out the transporting work, thereby shortening the time until the transport robot (40) starts the transporting work.

[0119] In the seventh aspect of the delivery system (1), in any of the first to sixth aspects, when the transport robot (40) transports the luggage (B1) to the luggage storage area (C1), the delivery control unit (16) causes the communication unit (12) to transmit transport completion information to the communication terminal (50) notifying that the transport of the luggage (B1) to the luggage storage area (C1) has been completed.

[0120] According to this embodiment, the recipient (U10) can confirm that the baggage (B1) has been transported to the baggage storage area (C1) based on the transport completion information transmitted to the communication terminal (50).

[0121] In the delivery system (1) of the eighth aspect, in the seventh aspect, the transport robot (40) includes an imaging unit (44). When the transport robot (40) transports the package (B1) to the package storage area (C1), the transport robot (40) captures an image of the package (B1) dropped off at the package storage area (C1) with the imaging unit (44) to generate a captured image. The delivery control unit (16) causes the communication unit (12) to transmit transport completion information including the captured image received from the transport robot (40) to the communication terminal (50).

[0122] According to this embodiment, the recipient (U10) can confirm that the baggage (B1) has been transported to the baggage storage area (C1) based on the image included in the transport completion information.

[0123] In the delivery system (1) of the ninth aspect, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, the transport robot (40) includes an imaging unit (44). When the transport robot (40) starts a transport operation, the transport robot (40) captures an image of the package (B1) to be transported by the transport robot (40) with the imaging unit (44) to generate a captured image. The delivery control unit (16) transmits reception information including the captured image received by the communication unit (12) from the transport robot (40) from the communication unit (12) to a carrier communication terminal (70) carried by the carrier (P1).

[0124] According to this embodiment, the carrier (P1) can obtain a certificate of handing over the baggage (B1) to the transport robot (40) based on the reception information transmitted to the carrier communication terminal (70).

[0125] In the delivery system (1) of the tenth aspect, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the transport robot (40) includes a reception unit (33).

[0126] According to this embodiment, by giving the transport robot (40) the function of the reception section (33), the number of components of the delivery system (1) can be reduced compared to the case where the reception section (33) is provided separately from the transport robot (40).

[0127] The delivery method of the eleventh aspect is a delivery method executed by a delivery system (1) that delivers a package (B1) inside a facility (100). The facility (100) includes a first area (A1) that receives the package (B1) brought by a carrier (P1), and a second area (A2) where a plurality of users including a recipient (U10) of the package (B1) are active. The delivery method includes a reception step, a detection step, and a delivery control step. In the reception step, recipient information on the recipient (U10) of the package (B1) brought into the first area (A1) is received. In the detection step, the recipient (U10) is identified based on the recipient information, and based on a signal transmitted by a beacon terminal (61) carried by the recipient (U10), it is detected whether or not the beacon terminal (61) is present within the facility (100). In the delivery control step, a transport robot (40) capable of transporting the package (B1) is controlled. In the delivery control step, if the beacon terminal (61) is detected to be present in the facility (100) in the detection step, arrival notification information notifying that the package (B1) has arrived in the first area (A1) is transmitted from the communication unit (12) to the communication terminal (50) carried by the recipient (U10). In the delivery control step, if the beacon terminal (61) is detected to be not present in the facility (100) in the detection step, or if the recipient (U10) is in a non-receiving state in which the package (B1) cannot be received in the first area (A1), a transport command instructing the transport robot (40) to perform a transport operation to transport the package (B1) from the first area (A1) to the package storage area (C1) provided in the second area (A2) is transmitted from the communication unit (12) to the transport robot (40).

[0128] According to this aspect, the time required for delivery of packages can be reduced.

[0129] Without being limited to the above aspects, various configurations (including modified examples) of the delivery system (1) according to the above embodiment can be embodied as a delivery method executed by the delivery system (1), a (computer) program, or a non-transitory recording medium on which a program is recorded, etc.

[0130] The configurations according to the second to tenth aspects are not essential to the delivery system (1) and may be omitted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 1. Delivery System 12 Communications Department 15 Detection section 16 Delivery Control Unit 33 Reception 40 Transport Robot 44 Imaging unit 50 First communication terminal (communication terminal) 61 Beacon Terminal 70 Second communication terminal (carrier communication terminal) A1 1st Area A2 2nd Area B1 Luggage C1 Luggage storage area P1 Carrier U10 Recipient

Claims

1. A delivery system for delivering parcels within a facility including a first area for receiving parcels brought by a carrier and a second area in which a plurality of users including a recipient of the parcel are active, comprising: a reception unit that receives recipient information related to the recipient of the package brought into the first area; A detection unit that identifies the recipient based on the recipient information and detects whether the beacon terminal carried by the recipient is present within the facility based on a signal transmitted by the beacon terminal; A transport robot capable of carrying the luggage; a communication unit capable of communicating with each of the transport robot and a communication terminal carried by the recipient; A delivery control unit that controls the transport robot, The delivery control unit: When the detection unit detects that the beacon terminal is present within the facility, the communication unit transmits arrival notification information notifying that the package has arrived in the first area to the communication terminal, When the detection unit detects that the beacon terminal is not present within the facility, or when the recipient is in a state where the recipient cannot receive the package in the first area, a transport command is transmitted from the communication unit to the transport robot, the command instructing the transport robot to perform a transport operation of transporting the package from the first area to a package storage area provided in the second area. Delivery system.

2. The delivery control unit: When the communication unit receives delivery instruction information instructing delivery to the luggage storage area from the communication terminal that has received the arrival notification information, the communication unit causes the transport robot to execute the transport work of transporting the luggage from the first area to the luggage storage area. The delivery system of claim 1 .

3. The facility includes a plurality of luggage storage areas, The delivery instruction information includes destination designation information that designates a destination baggage storage facility for the baggage from among the plurality of baggage storage facilities, The delivery control unit causes the transport robot to perform the transport task of transporting the package from the first area to the package storage area designated by the transport destination designation information.

3. The delivery system of claim 2.

4. The facility is used by multiple organizations, One or more users belong to each of the plurality of organizations; The facility is provided with a plurality of the luggage storage areas, The plurality of baggage storage locations include a plurality of organization-specific baggage storage locations corresponding to the plurality of organizations, The delivery control unit selects, as the luggage storage facility to be delivered, a luggage storage facility for an organization to which the recipient belongs among the plurality of organization-specific luggage storage facilities, based on organization information regarding an organization to which the recipient belongs among the plurality of organizations. The delivery system of claim 1 .

5. The delivery control unit creates route information that specifies a transport route for transporting the luggage from the first area to the luggage storage area, and transmits the created route information from the communication unit to the transport robot, the transport robot performs the transport task of transporting the luggage from the first area to the luggage storage area along the transport route specified by the route information; A delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. When the detection unit detects that the beacon terminal is present within the facility, the delivery control unit determines whether or not the delivery is unavailable based on schedule information regarding the recipient's schedule. A delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. When the transport robot transports the package to the package storage area, the delivery control unit causes the communication unit to transmit, to the communication terminal, transport completion information notifying that the transport of the package to the package storage area has been completed. A delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. The transport robot includes an imaging unit, When the transport robot transports the luggage to the luggage storage area, the transport robot photographs the luggage unloaded at the luggage storage area with the imaging unit to generate a photographed image; The delivery control unit causes the communication unit to transmit the transport completion information including the captured image received from the transport robot from the communication unit to the communication terminal.

8. A delivery system according to claim 7.

9. The transport robot includes an imaging unit, When starting the transporting task, the transport robot captures an image of the luggage to be transported by the transport robot with the imaging unit to generate a captured image; The delivery control unit transmits reception information including the captured image received by the communication unit from the transport robot from the communication unit to a carrier communication terminal carried by the carrier. A delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

10. The transport robot includes the reception unit. A delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

11. A delivery method implemented by a delivery system that delivers packages within a facility including a first area for receiving packages brought by a carrier and a second area in which a plurality of users including a recipient of the packages are active, comprising: a receiving step of receiving recipient information regarding the recipient of the package brought into the first area; A detection step of identifying the recipient based on the recipient information and detecting whether the beacon terminal carried by the recipient is present within the facility based on a signal transmitted by the beacon terminal; A delivery control step of controlling a transport robot capable of carrying out the luggage transporting task, In the delivery control step, When the beacon terminal is detected to be present within the facility in the detection step, arrival notification information notifying that the package has arrived in the first area is transmitted from a communication unit to a communication terminal carried by the recipient; If it is detected in the detection step that the beacon terminal is not present within the facility, or if the recipient is in a state where the recipient cannot receive the package in the first area, a transport command is transmitted from the communication unit to the transport robot, the command instructing the transport robot to perform a transport operation of transporting the package from the first area to a package storage area provided in the second area. Delivery method.

Images