Delivery control system, delivery control device, and delivery control method

Abstract

The delivery control system (1) of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a decision unit (202) for determining a common collection location (DP) for the delivery destination address (RP) of the goods of the first user and the delivery destination address (RP) of the goods of the second user using collection location decision information; and a movement control unit (230) for moving a delivery machine (20) carrying goods containing order information related to the order to the collection location (DP).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present invention relate to a delivery control system, a delivery control device, and a delivery control method. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, technologies for delivering goods and other commodities using delivery machines that utilize mobile devices were known (e.g., Patent Document 1).

[0003] [Previous Technical Documents]

[0004] [Patent Literature]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 216502 Summary of the Invention

[0006] [The problem the invention aims to solve]

[0007] In this scenario, where there are multiple users nearby who wish to receive goods, if the delivery machine were to move to each user to make deliveries, there would be a problem of reduced delivery efficiency.

[0008] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0009] The delivery control system for solving the aforementioned problem is characterized by comprising: a decision unit that determines a common collection location using collection location decision information for a first user's designated delivery destination and a second user's designated delivery destination; and a movement control unit that moves a delivery machine carrying goods with order information related to the order to the collection location.

[0010] According to the aforementioned configuration, by determining a common pickup location for multiple delivery destinations and picking up goods, it is possible to suppress the reduction in delivery efficiency.

[0011] In the delivery control system, the pickup location determination information may also include information related to the allowable distance between each delivery destination and the pickup location, and the determination unit determines a location within the allowable distance from the delivery destination as the pickup location.

[0012] According to the aforementioned configuration, users can collect goods at a collection location within a permissible distance.

[0013] The delivery control system may also include an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating a user-specified distance related to the order information, as information about the allowable distance.

[0014] Based on the aforementioned configuration, the collection location can be determined according to the user's situation.

[0015] In the delivery control system, the decision-making unit may also use the collection location decision information to specify multiple candidate locations and determine the candidate location with the smallest distance deviation from the delivery destination residence as the collection location.

[0016] According to the aforementioned configuration, the distance deviation between multiple users urging the collection of goods and the collection location can be reduced, ensuring fairness among users moving to the collection location.

[0017] In the delivery control system, the information in the pickup location decision may also include information about a baseline weight, and the decision unit determines the delivery destination address associated with the goods that exceeds the baseline weight as the pickup location.

[0018] According to the aforementioned structure, the burden on users of receiving goods exceeding the standard weight can be reduced.

[0019] In the delivery control system, the collection location determination information may also include information about a reference volume, and the determination unit determines the delivery destination address associated with the goods exceeding the reference volume as the collection location.

[0020] According to the aforementioned structure, the burden on users of receiving goods exceeding the standard volume can be reduced.

[0021] In the delivery control system, the collection location determination information may also include information related to the baseline time required to move from each delivery destination residence to the collection location, and the determination unit determines the location in the delivery destination residence where the required time to move from the delivery destination residence is within the baseline time required as the collection location.

[0022] According to the aforementioned configuration, the waiting time of the delivery machine before the user receives the goods can be shortened, and the burden on the user to move to the collection location can be reduced.

[0023] In the delivery control system, the collection location determination information may also include information related to evacuation sites that are not affected by weather. The determination unit obtains weather information related to the area of ​​the delivery destination residence and determines the location of the evacuation site as the collection location based on the weather information.

[0024] According to the aforementioned configuration, users can receive goods regardless of the weather.

[0025] In the delivery control system, the collection location determination information may also include information indicating the elevation difference, and the determination unit specifies the elevation difference between the collection location and the delivery destination residence, and determines the delivery destination residence as the collection location based on the specific elevation difference.

[0026] According to the aforementioned configuration, the burden on users in collecting goods at the collection point can be reduced.

[0027] In the delivery control system, the collection location determination information may also include information related to the attributes of the user who ordered the goods, and the determination unit determines the delivery destination residence as the collection location based on the attributes.

[0028] Based on the aforementioned structure, the burden on users can be reduced according to the attributes.

[0029] In the delivery control system, the decision unit can also determine a common pickup location for two or more delivery destinations within the allowable distance.

[0030] Based on the aforementioned configuration, it is possible to specifically set a common collection location for multiple delivery destinations based on distance.

[0031] The delivery control system may also include a notification unit that notifies the user of the arrival of the delivery machine when the delivery machine arrives at the pickup location.

[0032] Based on the aforementioned configuration, users can be aware of the arrival of the delivery machine and expedite the collection of goods.

[0033] The delivery control device for achieving the aforementioned objective is characterized by comprising: a decision unit that determines a common delivery location using delivery location decision information for a delivery destination address designated by a first user as the delivery destination address of the goods and a delivery destination address designated by a second user as the delivery destination address of the goods; and a movement instruction unit that instructs a delivery machine carrying goods, indicated by order information related to the goods order, to move to the delivery location.

[0034] The delivery control method for achieving the aforementioned objective is characterized in that the computer uses collection location determination information to determine a common collection location for both the delivery destination address specified by the first user and the delivery destination address specified by the second user, and moves the delivery machine carrying the goods, which contains order information related to the order, to the collection location.

[0035] [The effects of the invention]

[0036] According to the present invention, the reduction in delivery efficiency can be suppressed by determining a common collection location for multiple delivery destinations and collecting goods. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Figure 1This is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the delivery control system according to the first embodiment.

[0038] Figure 2 This is a diagram representing an example of the contents of the customer information database.

[0039] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the delivery sequence in the first embodiment.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing of the terminal device in the first embodiment.

[0041] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing of the delivery machine according to the first embodiment.

[0042] Figure 6 This is a diagram used to illustrate the collection location.

[0043] Figure 7 This is an example of a diagram showing information about an evacuation site.

[0044] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing of the terminal device in the second embodiment.

[0045] Figure 9 This is a diagram used to illustrate the collection location.

[0046] Figure 10 It is a graph used to illustrate distance deviation.

[0047] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing of the delivery machine in the third embodiment.

[0048] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing of the delivery machine in the third embodiment.

[0049] Figure 13 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the delivery control system according to the fourth embodiment.

[0050] Figure 14 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the delivery sequence in the fourth embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0051] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, specific embodiments of the delivery control system, delivery control device, and delivery control method will be described.

[0052] <First Embodiment>

[0053] [Total Composition]

[0054] like Figure 1As shown, the delivery control system 1 includes a server device 10, one or more delivery machines 20, one or more management devices 30, and one or more terminal devices 40. The devices in the delivery control system 1 communicate with each other via a network NW. The network NW includes, for example, the Internet, WAN (Wide Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), supplier terminals, wireless communication networks, wireless base stations, dedicated lines, etc. Alternatively, it may not be necessary to... Figure 1 All combinations of the devices shown can communicate with each other, and a portion of the network NW contains local networks.

[0055] Server device 10 is, for example, an apparatus accessed via terminal device 40, used to mediate the sale of goods, i.e., an apparatus that provides a shopping website. Here, "website" includes not only the website displayed using a browser, but also the raw data of the application screen displayed using an application. In the following description, a person who purchases goods using a shopping website will be referred to as a "user".

[0056] Delivery machine 20 is a machine used to deliver goods to users. Delivery machine 20 utilizes, for example, a driverless or crew-free UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle) that moves automatically on the ground. Figure 1 In the scenario shown, the delivery control system 1 will be described with two delivery machines 20, namely delivery machines 20-1 and 20-2. Furthermore, the number of delivery machines 20 in the delivery control system 1 is an example, not limited to this; the delivery control system 1 may have one delivery machine 20 or more delivery machines 20. In the following description, without distinguishing between delivery machine 20-1 and delivery machine 20-2, they will be simply referred to as "delivery machine 20".

[0057] The management device 30 is a device installed at a distribution point for delivering goods. A distribution point may be, for example, a warehouse containing, or all of, the goods sold on an online shopping website. The management device 30 is equipped with one or more delivery machines 20. Based on information received from the server device 10 via network NW, the management device 30 determines which goods stored in the warehouse will be delivered to users within a specific time period. Operators at the distribution point collect the goods specified by the management device 30 and load them onto the delivery machines 20.

[0058] Terminal device 40 includes client devices such as smartphones, desktop PCs (Personal Computers), laptop PCs, and tablet PCs, and can be any type of information processing device. In the following description, among users A, B, and C of the shopping website, user A uses terminal device 40-1, user B uses terminal device 40-2, and user C uses terminal device 40-3. In the following description, terminal devices 40-1, 40-2, and 40-3 will be simply referred to as "terminal device 40" without distinguishing between them. On terminal device 40, a browser or application's User Agent (UA) 45 is activated. UA 45 displays a sales screen provided by server device 10 and sends requests corresponding to input operations performed by the user using terminal device 40 to server device 10. Server device 10 decides whether to sell the goods based on the requests from UA 45.

[0059] [Server Device 10]

[0060] Server device 10 includes, for example, a control unit 100, a storage unit 110, a communication unit 120, and an operation unit 130. The control unit 100 is implemented by executing programs (software) through a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). In addition, some or all of the above-mentioned components can be implemented using hardware (circuit unit; including circuitry) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc., or can be implemented using a combination of hardware and software.

[0061] The storage unit 110 is implemented using non-transitory storage media such as RAM (Random Access Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), flash memory, and ROM (Read Only Memory). In addition to implementing the program of the control unit 100, the storage unit 110 also stores customer information DB (Database) 111.

[0062] like Figure 2As shown, Customer Information DB111 stores information, for example, including more than one record. These records correspond to user IDs (identity codes) used to identify users of the shopping website, information representing the username, information representing the user's attributes, information representing the user's address, product information, and delivery date information. The user ID is assigned to each user, for example, when the user creates and uses an account associated with the shopping website; it is information that identifies the user. Information representing the user's attributes includes, for example, information representing the user's age or gender. The user's address is an example of "delivery destination address." The information in Customer Information DB111, including the user ID, username, user attributes, and user address, is obtained when creating and using the account associated with the shopping website and is pre-stored in Customer Information DB111.

[0063] The control unit 100 communicates with the terminal device 40 via the network NW and performs various processes as described in the shopping website. Upon receiving a user's order, the control unit 100 receives product information, delivery date information, and user ID from the terminal device 40. The control unit 100 uses the received user ID as a search keyword to retrieve records related to the corresponding user from the customer information DB111. The control unit 100 establishes a correspondence between the received product information and delivery date information and the specific records, generating or updating records in the customer information DB111.

[0064] In addition, the control unit 100 uses delivery date information to categorize customer information DB111, specifically records within the same delivery time period. Within these records for the same delivery time period, the control unit 100 groups each residence within the delivery area of ​​each delivery location. Before a specific time within the delivery time period, the control unit 100 sends the records of each group as order information to the management device 30 of the corresponding delivery location and the delivery machine 20 located at the delivery location.

[0065] Furthermore, the control unit 100 can send order information to a single delivery machine 20, or it can send order information to multiple delivery machines 20 based on the number or quantity of goods that a single delivery machine 20 can deliver. For example, it can send a portion of the order information to delivery machine 20-1 and send the remaining order information to delivery machine 20-2.

[0066] Return to Figure 1 The communication unit 120 communicates with the management device 30 or the terminal device 40 via the network NW to send and receive various information.

[0067] The operation unit 130 is implemented using interfaces such as display output devices and input devices. The display output devices display images based on the control of the control unit 100 and provide various information to the user of the server device 10. In addition, the user's operations are input into the input devices, and the control unit 100 performs various processes based on the operations.

[0068] [Delivery Machine 20]

[0069] The delivery machine 20 includes, for example, a control unit 200, a storage unit 210, a communication unit 220, and a movement control unit 230. The control unit 200 is implemented by executing programs (software) through a hardware processor such as a CPU. In addition, some or all of the above-mentioned components can be implemented using hardware (including circuitry) such as LSI or ASIC, FPGA, GPU, etc., or can be implemented through the cooperation of hardware and software.

[0070] The control unit 200 includes a decision unit 202. The decision unit 202 uses collection location decision information to determine a common collection location for multiple users' residences based on order information received from the server device 10. A collection location is the location used by the multiple users to collect goods purchased on the shopping website. The collection location decision information is the information used to determine the collection location; that is, information indicating guidelines related to the determination of the collection location. The collection location decision information can be stored in the storage unit 210 or retrieved by the decision unit 202 from the server device 10 as needed.

[0071] In this embodiment, the collection location determination information includes information related to the permissible distance between the user's residence and the collection location. In this case, the determination unit 202 determines a location within the permissible distance from the residences of multiple users as the collection location. Details of the process by which the determination unit 202 determines the collection location will be described later.

[0072] The storage unit 210 is implemented using non-transitory storage media such as RAM, HDD, flash memory, or ROM. The storage unit 210 stores the programs of the implementation control unit 200.

[0073] The communication unit 220 communicates with the server device 10 or the terminal device 40 via the network NW to send and receive various information.

[0074] The motion control unit 230 moves the delivery machine 20, loaded with goods, to the collection location. Specifically, the motion control unit 230 controls the speed and steering of the delivery machine 20 as it moves to the user's residence or to the collection location determined by the decision unit 202. The motion control unit 230 controls various drive systems of the delivery machine 20, for example, by having the delivery machine 20 travel along a target track towards the user's residence or collection location at a predetermined time. These drive systems include, for example, the driving force (torque) output to the drive wheels, brake calipers, cylinders that transmit hydraulic pressure to the brake calipers, electric motors that generate hydraulic pressure in the cylinders, and electric motors that change the orientation of the steering wheel. The processing of the motion control unit 230 is achieved through, for example, a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the motion control unit 230 combines feedforward control corresponding to the curvature of the road ahead of the delivery machine 20 with feedback control based on deviation from the target track.

[0075] [Delivery Control Sequence]

[0076] The following is for reference. Figure 3 The following describes a series of processes for delivering goods using the delivery control system 1. First, users access a shopping website and order goods using terminal device 40. Here, users A, B, and C use terminal devices 40-1 to 40-3 to order goods and expect the same delivery date.

[0077] Server device 10 generates or updates customer information DB111 records as it receives orders from terminal device 40. Server device 10 sends order information for each group to the management device 30 of the corresponding delivery location and the delivery machine 20 located at the delivery location before a specific time in the nearest delivery period.

[0078] After receiving the order information from the server device 10, the delivery machine 20 waits until the delivery time period. The decision unit 202 of the delivery machine 20 then uses the collection location decision processing (described in detail later) to determine the collection location for users A and B to collect their goods. The delivery machine 20 moves to the determined collection location and notifies the users collecting their goods at that location that it has arrived at the collection location. Specifically, after the delivery machine 20 arrives at the collection location, the communication unit 220 pushes a notification to the target user's terminal device 40, indicating that the notification has arrived. In this case, the communication unit 220 only notifies users A and B of arrival among users A, B, and C. In the process of notifying users' terminal devices 40, the communication unit 220 is an example of a "notification unit".

[0079] After users A and B collect their goods, or after a standby period, delivery machine 20 moves to the residence of the remaining user C, which serves as the collection point. Communication unit 220 notifies user C's terminal device 40 that it has arrived at user C's residence. After user C collects their goods, or after a standby period, delivery machine 20 returns to the delivery point.

[0080] [User order processing]

[0081] The following is for reference. Figure 4 This section explains the details of processing user-ordered goods. Figure 4 The processing shown corresponds to Figure 3 The processing of "orders" within the sequence shown. For example... Figure 4 As shown, server device 10 obtains product information indicating the goods purchased by the user (step S100). Specifically, control unit 100 displays a sales screen prompting the user to select a product via UA45, allowing the user to choose the product they wish to purchase. Next, server device 10 obtains delivery date information indicating the delivery date of the product the user desires (step S102). Specifically, control unit 100 displays a waitlist display indicating the delivery date via UA45, allowing the user to select a delivery date. Control unit 100 instructs UA45 to send the user ID, the product information obtained in steps S100 and S102, and the delivery date information to server device 10 (step S104). Control unit 100 obtains the user ID by utilizing the user's login operation to the shopping website performed on the sales screen.

[0082] [Handling of Delivery Machine 20]

[0083] The following uses Figures 5-6 The details of the handling of delivery machine 20 are explained. Figure 5 The processing shown corresponds to Figure 3 The sequence shown is as follows: "Send order information", "Standby to delivery time", "Determine pickup location", "Move", "Send arrival notification".

[0084] First, the delivery machine 20 receives order information from the server device 10 (step S200). In this case, the delivery machine 20 records the received order information in the storage unit 210. Before the delivery time arrives, the operator at the delivery point loads the specific goods into the delivery machine 20 using the management device 30. Next, when the delivery time arrives, the delivery machine 20 begins the delivery of the goods (step S202). The delivery machine 20 begins the delivery of goods to the residences shown in the order information, in order of distance from the delivery point to the residence. The decision unit 202 determines whether there are other users' residences in the vicinity of the residence of the user whose goods are to be delivered next (step S204). For example, if the received order information includes order information indicating the residences of users in the same area as the residence of the user whose goods are to be delivered next, the decision unit 202 determines whether there are other users' residences in the vicinity of the residence of the user whose goods are to be delivered next. The residence of the user whose goods are to be delivered next is an example of "the delivery destination residence of the first user's goods". In addition, the residences of other users existing in the vicinity of the residence of the user whose goods are subsequently delivered are an example of "the destination residence of the second user's goods".

[0085] If the decision unit 202 determines that there are no other users' residences in the vicinity of the user whose goods will be delivered next, it determines the user's residence as the collection location (step S206). If the decision unit 202 determines that there are other users' residences in the vicinity of the user whose goods will be delivered next, it determines the collection location based on the collection location determination information (step S208).

[0086] The following is for reference. Figure 6 The details of the process for determining the pickup location will be explained. Here, it is assumed that the delivery machine 20 delivers goods in the order of users A, B, and C. Furthermore, the decision unit 202 determines that there are other residences RP around user A's residence RP1, namely user B's residence RP2 and user C's residence RP3.

[0087] As described above, the collection location determination information in this embodiment includes information related to the allowable distance SD between the residence RP and the collection location DP. The allowable distance SD is, for example, the distance that a user can typically move to obtain goods, specifically a distance of several meters to tens of meters. The determination unit 202 uses, for example, map information to specify the overlapping range between a specific range SA1 where the distance from residence RP1 is less than or equal to the allowable distance SD, a specific range SA2 where the distance from residence RP2 is less than or equal to the allowable distance SD, and a specific range SA3 where the distance from residence RP3 is less than or equal to the allowable distance SD. In this case, the determination unit 202 may also obtain map information containing residences RP1 to RP3 from the server device 10 or other services that provide map information. Alternatively, the determination unit 202 may use map information pre-stored in the storage unit 210, that is, map information that at least includes the area where the delivery machine 20 delivers goods.

[0088] exist Figure 6 In one example shown, a portion of a specific range SA1 overlaps with a portion of a specific range SA2. The decision unit 202 determines the location within the overlapping range of the specific range SA1 and the specific range SA2 as the collection location DP. That is, the decision unit 202 determines the location within the allowable distance SD from each of the plurality of residences RP1 to RP2 as the collection location DP.

[0089] Furthermore, the specific range SA3 does not overlap with other specific ranges SA. Therefore, the decision unit 202 excludes user C from the objects that collect goods at the collection location DP within the range where specific ranges SA1 and SA2 overlap.

[0090] return Figure 5 The delivery machine 20 moves to the collection location DP determined by the decision unit 202 (step S210). The communication unit 220 notifies the terminal device 40 of the user who is collecting goods at the collection location DP that the delivery machine 20 has arrived at the collection location DP (step S212). Figure 6 In one example, the communication unit 220 notifies user A's terminal device 40-1 and user B's terminal device 40-2 that they have arrived at the collection location DP. Next, the delivery machine 20 begins standby at the collection location DP (step S214).

[0091] According to the notification in step S212, the user moves to the collection location DP and collects the goods ordered from the goods loaded in the delivery machine 20. The user notifies the delivery machine 20 to collect the goods by operating the UA45 of the terminal device 40 or by operating the operation unit (not shown) installed in the delivery machine 20.

[0092] Delivery machine 20 determines whether the user notified in step S212 has completed the pickup of the goods (step S216). If delivery machine 20 determines that the pickup of the goods has not been completed, it determines whether a specific waiting time has elapsed since the start of the waiting period at pickup location DP in step S214 (step S218). The waiting time is, for example, a period of time that does not interfere with the delivery of goods to other users, specifically a period of several minutes to tens of minutes. If delivery machine 20 determines that the specific waiting time has not elapsed since the start of the waiting period, it returns to the processing in step S216.

[0093] If the user of the target order has completed receiving the goods, or if the standby processing has timed out after a specific standby time since the start of standby, the delivery machine 20 determines whether the delivery related to the order information received in step S200 has ended (step S220). If the decision unit 202 determines that the delivery has not ended, it returns to step S204.

[0094] [Decision processing based on the required time for location DP collection]

[0095] Furthermore, while the above description describes the case where the decision unit 202 determines the collection location DP based on the permissible distance SD from the residence RP, it is not limited to this. The decision unit 202 may also determine the collection location DP based on, for example, the time required to move from the residence RP. In this case, the collection location determination information includes information related to the reference required time. The reference required time is, for example, the time generally allowed for a user to move from the residence RP to the collection location DP in order to obtain goods, specifically a time of several minutes to tens of minutes.

[0096] The decision unit 202, based on map information and the typical time required to move from a user's residence RP to the residences RP of other users located in the vicinity of the residence RP, or the typical time required to cross a signalized intersection or crossing, determines a range within which the required time to move from the residence RP is within an allowable time (a reference specific time). Furthermore, the decision unit 202 determines a location within the overlapping range of the specific range as the receiving location DP. In other words, the decision unit 202 determines a location within the reference specific time as the receiving location DP.

[0097] Additionally, the decision unit 202 may consider the time spent moving between floors to specify a range of required times within a specific timeframe. In this case, the decision unit 202 specifies which floor of the building the user's residence is based on the user's address RP included in the order information. Furthermore, the decision unit 202 specifies a range of required times within a specific timeframe based on the time typically required to move using elevators or stairs, etc. For example, if the decision unit 202 specifies the range of required times from the 4th floor of the building as a range of two floors above and below, and determines the collection location DP to be the 4th floor, the communication unit 220 notifies other users with address RPs on floors 2 through 6 of the same building that the delivery machine 20 has arrived at the collection location DP on the 4th floor.

[0098] [Determination and processing of DP for receiving data based on elevation difference]

[0099] Alternatively, the decision unit 202 may determine the collection location DP based on, for example, the elevation difference between the residence RP and the collection location DP. In this case, the collection location determination information includes information related to the baseline elevation difference. The baseline elevation difference is, for example, the degree of vertical distance that a user can move when typically moving to obtain goods, that is, the degree representing the upper limit of vertical distance. For example, the baseline elevation difference is a value of [%]. When the baseline elevation difference is 1 [%], every 10 [m] movement increases by 10 [cm], representing the upper limit of vertical distance.

[0100] The decision unit 202 acquires map information representing elevation differences. Next, the decision unit 202 specifies a range within a reference elevation difference resulting from movement from a residence RP towards the residence RPs of other users located in the vicinity of the residence RP. Furthermore, the decision unit 202 determines a location within the overlapping range of this specific range as the receiving location DP. In other words, the decision unit 202 determines a location within the reference elevation difference from the residence RP as the receiving location DP.

[0101] Furthermore, the baseline elevation difference can also represent the lower limit of the distance related to the elevation difference. Here, a negative elevation difference from the residence RP to the collection point DP indicates that the movement path from the residence RP to the collection point DP is downhill. In this case, the user is required to climb uphill to the residence RP after collecting the goods at the collection point DP. Climbing uphill after collecting the goods is a burden for the user. On the other hand, when the lower limit of the baseline elevation difference is above 0 and the upper limit is a number [%], the determination unit 202 determines the collection point DP within the range of elevation differences within the range of the baseline elevation difference. As a result, the determination unit 202 can reduce the burden of movement for the user.

[0102] Additionally, the decision unit 202 may also consider the elevation difference between floors to specify a range within a reference elevation difference. In this case, the reference elevation difference is, for example, the vertical distance that a user can typically move to obtain goods, i.e., a distance of approximately several floors. Specifically, the reference elevation difference is a distance of approximately several meters. In this case, the decision unit 202 specifies which floor of the building the user's residence is based on the user's address included in the order information. Furthermore, the decision unit 202 specifies the elevation difference from the residence RP as the range within the reference elevation difference. For example, if the decision unit 202 specifies the range within the reference elevation difference from the 4th floor of the building as a range of two floors above and below, and determines the collection location DP to be the 4th floor, the communication unit 220 notifies other users with residence RP on floors 2 to 6 of the same building that the delivery machine 20 has arrived at the collection location DP on the 4th floor.

[0103] [Weather-based location DP collection decision processing]

[0104] Additionally, the decision unit 202 may also determine the collection location DP based on weather information related to the area of, for example, the residence RP. In this case, the collection location decision information includes evacuation site information 112. Evacuation site information 112 is, for example, information indicating the location of an evacuation site unaffected by weather. An evacuation site unaffected by weather is, for example, a location where, in the event of rainfall or snowfall in the area, it does not receive or is unlikely to receive rainfall or snowfall. Specifically, the evacuation site may be an outdoor location with a roof, an indoor location, or a location for which a commitment has been made in advance for the delivery machine 20 to collect goods.

[0105] like Figure 7 As shown, the evacuation site information 112 includes information indicating the location of one or more evacuation sites. The evacuation site information 112 can be pre-stored in the storage unit 210 of the delivery machine 20, or it can be obtained by the delivery machine 20 from the server device 10 as needed.

[0106] The decision unit 202 obtains weather information about the area of ​​the residence RP at the mobile destination from a weather information website or the like, and determines whether there is rain or snow in the area. If it determines that there is rain or snow, the decision unit 202 determines the location of an evacuation site near the residence RP at the mobile destination as the receiving location DP based on the evacuation site information 112.

[0107] [Summary of Implementation Method 1]

[0108] According to the first embodiment described in detail above, the following effects are achieved.

[0109] (1-1) In this embodiment, the delivery control system 1 urges users who are picking up goods at the collection location DP to accept the goods at the collection location DP. Therefore, compared to delivering goods to each of the multiple nearby residences RP, the delivery control system 1 can suppress the decrease in delivery efficiency. Furthermore, users can pick up goods at the collection location DP without waiting for the nearby delivery machine 20 to arrive at their residence RP. Thus, the delivery control system 1 can shorten the time users spend waiting for goods delivery.

[0110] (1-2) In this embodiment, the determination unit 202 determines the collection location DP at a position within the allowable distance SD from the residence RP. As described above, the allowable distance SD is the distance that a user can normally travel to obtain the goods. Therefore, by determining the collection location DP at a position that the user can normally travel to obtain the goods, the determination unit 202 can reduce the burden on the user to travel to obtain the goods.

[0111] (1-3) In this embodiment, the delivery control system 1 urges users corresponding to each residence RP whose time to move from each residence RP to the collection location DP is within the time required, to collect their goods at the common collection location DP. As a result, the delivery control system 1 can shorten the waiting time of the delivery machine 20 until the user collects the goods and reduce the burden on the user to move to the collection location DP.

[0112] (1-4) In this embodiment, the delivery control system 1 urges users corresponding to multiple residences RP within a certain elevation difference (based on the elevation difference between residence RP and collection location DP) to collect their goods at collection location DP. Therefore, the delivery control system 1 can suppress the decrease in delivery efficiency and reduce the burden on users to move to obtain their goods.

[0113] (1-5) In this embodiment, the decision unit 202 obtains weather information about the area of ​​the residence RP at the destination of the journey and determines whether there is rain or snow in that area. If it is determined that there is rain or snow, the decision unit 202 determines the location of an evacuation site near the residence RP at the destination of the journey as the collection location DP based on the evacuation site information 112. Thus, the delivery control system 1 can enable the user to collect the goods at the collection location DP regardless of the weather.

[0114] (1-6) In this embodiment, the communication unit 220 notifies the user of the arrival of the delivery machine 20 when the delivery machine 20 arrives at the collection location DP. As a result, the delivery control system 1 enables the user to be aware of the arrival of the delivery machine 20 and to expedite the collection of the goods.

[0115] <Second Implementation>

[0116] The delivery control system 1 according to the second embodiment will now be described. In the first embodiment, the case where the decision unit 202 determines the collection location DP based on a predetermined allowable distance SD, etc., will be described. In the second embodiment, the case where the user determines the collection location DP based on desired conditions will be described. Furthermore, for configurations that are the same as those in the previous embodiment, the same reference numerals will be used and descriptions will be omitted.

[0117] like Figure 8 As shown, the UA45 in this embodiment is... Figure 2 Between steps S102 and S104 in the flowchart shown, step S103 is executed. Specifically, server device 10 obtains the allowable distance SD to the receiving location DP as desired by the user (step S103). Control unit 100 displays a sales screen prompting the user to input the allowable distance SD via, for example, UA45, allowing the user to input the allowable distance SD. Therefore, in this embodiment, the allowable distance SD is the distance desired by the user, that is, the distance the user is allowed to move to obtain the goods.

[0118] In this embodiment, in step S104, the control unit 100 instructs the UA45 to send the product information, delivery date information, user ID, and information indicating the allowable distance SD to the server device 10. Based on the received order information, the control unit 100 updates the customer information DB111. In this case, the customer information DB111 contains information with one or more records, where the user ID, information indicating the username, information indicating the user's attributes, information indicating the user's address, product information, delivery date information, and information indicating the allowable distance SD are mutually correlated. In the process of obtaining the allowable distance SD from the user, the control unit 100 is an example of an "obtaining unit".

[0119] The details of the processing of the decision unit 202 in the second embodiment will be described below.

[0120] exist Figure 9 In the scenario shown, delivery machine 20 decides to deliver goods in the order of user A, user B, and user C, and the decision unit 202 determines that in the vicinity of user A's residence RP1, there are user B's residence RP2 and user C's residence RP3 as other users' residences RP.

[0121] In this embodiment, the decision unit 202 uses, for example, map information to specify the overlapping ranges of: TA1, which is a distance from residence RP1 less than or equal to the allowable distance SD1 of user A; TA2, which is a distance from residence RP2 less than or equal to the allowable distance SD2 of user B; and TA3, which is a distance from residence RP3 less than or equal to the allowable distance SD3 of user C. Figure 9In one example shown, a portion of the permissible ranges TA1, TA2, and TA3 overlap. The decision unit 202 determines the location within the overlapping area of ​​permissible ranges TA1, TA2, and TA3 as the receiving location DP. In other words, the decision unit 202 determines the location of each user within the desired permissible distances SD1 to SD3 from each of the residences RP1 to RP3 as the receiving location DP.

[0122] [Summary of the Second Implementation]

[0123] According to the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0124] (2-1) In this embodiment, the decision unit 202 of the delivery control system 1 designates a location within the allowable distance SD desired by the user from the residence RP as the collection location DP. Therefore, the delivery control system 1 can determine the collection location DP based on the user's situation.

[0125] <Example of Variation>

[0126] Hereinafter, variations of the embodiment will be described. In these variations, the determination unit 202 will determine the receiving position DP when there are multiple candidate receiving positions DP. Furthermore, for configurations identical to those in the embodiment, the same reference numerals will be used and descriptions will be omitted.

[0127] In the following description, candidate locations for receiving location DP are recorded as candidate locations SDP. Through the aforementioned processing, the decision unit 202 can specify multiple candidate locations SDP using the receiving location determination information. Specifically, this may occur when the specific range SA overlaps extensively, the permissible range TA overlaps extensively, or multiple evacuation sites exist near the residence RP. In these cases, the decision unit 202 specifies multiple locations or multiple evacuation sites within the overlapping range as multiple candidate locations SDP. The decision unit 202 then determines the candidate location SDP with the smallest distance deviation from the residence RP as the receiving location DP.

[0128] exist Figure 10 In one example, the decision unit 202 designates four candidate locations SDPs (SDP1 to SDP4) as candidates for the receiving locations DP of users A, B, C, and D. The decision unit 202 calculates the distance between each candidate location SDP and each user's residence RP. Furthermore, the decision unit 202 calculates the difference between the distance to the residence RP closest to a candidate location SDP and the distance to the residence RP farthest from a candidate location SDP, as a distance deviation. Figure 10In one example shown, the decision unit 202 designates the residence RP closest to candidate position SDP1 as user A's residence RP1, and the residence RP farthest from candidate position SDP1 as user D's residence RP4. Furthermore, the decision unit 202 calculates the distance deviation of candidate position SDP1 to be 50 [m], and the difference from 5 [m] is 45 [m]. The decision unit 202 performs the same processing for candidate positions SDP2 to SDP4, calculating the distance deviation of candidate position SDP2 to SDP4 to be 40 [m], the distance deviation of candidate position SDP3 to SDP4 to be 35 [m], and the distance deviation of candidate position SDP4 to SDP4 to be 30 [m]. The decision unit 202 then selects candidate position SDP4 with the smallest distance deviation as the receiving position DP.

[0129] [Summary of Variation Examples]

[0130] As explained above, the decision unit 202 of the variation example uses the collection location decision information to specify multiple candidate locations SDPs, and selects the candidate location SDP with the smallest distance deviation from multiple residences RP as the collection location DP. According to this, the delivery control system 1 can reduce the distance deviation between multiple users urging the collection of goods and the collection location DP, and ensure fairness among users moving to the collection location DP.

[0131] <Third Implementation>

[0132] The delivery control system 1 according to the third embodiment will be described below. In the third embodiment, the case where the decision unit 202 determines the residence RP as the collection location DP will be described. Furthermore, for configurations that are the same as those in the above embodiment and its variations, the same reference numerals will be used and the descriptions will be omitted.

[0133] In this embodiment, the decision unit 202 determines whether a user is an exclusion target based on the exclusion conditions included in the collection location determination information. If a user is determined to be an exclusion target, the decision unit 202 excludes the user from the collection location DP who is collecting goods with multiple users, and determines the residence RP of the determined user as the collection location DP.

[0134] In this embodiment, the location determination information includes information related to the reference weight, information related to the reference volume, and information related to the user's attributes as information representing exclusion conditions.

[0135] If the decision unit 202 determines, based on the collection location determination information, that the weight of the goods ordered by the user is above the reference weight, the user's residence RP is designated as the collection location DP.

[0136] For example, a product information database (DB) is stored in the storage unit 110 of server device 10, or in the storage unit of another server device accessible to server device 10. The product information DB contains information about products sold on the shopping website, with each product identifier representing that product. This product information includes the product's weight or volume. For products with order information, the decision unit 202 refers to the product information DB and determines the weight of the product ordered by a specific user. If the decision unit 202 determines that the weight of a specific product is above a reference weight, it excludes the user from the list of excluded users and determines the user's address RP as the delivery location DP.

[0137] Furthermore, if the decision unit 202 determines, based on the delivery location determination information, that the volume of the goods ordered by the user is greater than or equal to a reference volume, it determines the user's residence RP as the delivery location DP. Specifically, the decision unit 202, for the goods in the order information, refers to the goods information DB and the volume of the goods ordered by the specific user. If the decision unit 202 determines that the volume of the specific goods is greater than or equal to a reference volume, it excludes the user and determines the user's residence RP as the delivery location DP.

[0138] In addition, the delivery machine 20 can also obtain information indicating the weight or volume of the goods ordered by the user, for example, from the input of the management device 30 or the delivery machine 20 of the operator at the delivery point.

[0139] Furthermore, when a user purchases multiple items, the decision unit 202 can specify the total weight of the multiple items or the weight of the storage container for the multiple items as the weight of the item. Additionally, when a user purchases multiple items, the decision unit 202 can also specify the total volume of the multiple items or the volume of the storage container for the multiple items as the volume of the item.

[0140] Additionally, the decision unit 202 can also determine whether a user is an exclusion target based on the collection location determination information and the user's attributes. Among the attributes used to determine whether a user is an exclusion target, attributes such as those indicating that it is difficult for the user to move to the collection location DP to collect the goods (hereinafter, exclusion target attributes) are used. Specifically, exclusion target attributes include the user's age being above a certain age, the user's gender being female, etc. In detail, the decision unit 202 obtains attribute information from the server device 10 for users shown in the order information recorded in the storage unit 210. Furthermore, if the user's attributes indicate exclusion target attributes, the decision unit 202 determines the user's residence RP as the collection location DP.

[0141] Furthermore, the information representing the user's attributes is only one example and is not limited to those described above. For example, exclusion attributes may include whether the user has family members living with them, whether the user is home during the day, or whether the user has difficulty walking. These exclusion attributes are obtained, for example, when the user creates and uses an account related to a shopping website, and are pre-stored in the customer information DB111. The decision unit 202 may, for example, consider a user without family members living with them as an exclusion attribute and determine the user's residence RP as the collection location DP. Additionally, the decision unit 202 may consider a user who is not home during the day as an exclusion attribute and determine the user's residence RP as the collection location DP. Furthermore, the decision unit 202 may also consider a user with difficulty walking as an exclusion attribute and determine the user's residence RP as the collection location DP.

[0142] like Figure 11 As shown, the delivery machine 20 in this embodiment... Figure 5 Between steps S202 and S204 in the flowchart shown, the processing of step S300 and the processing of step S302 are performed. Additionally, as... Figure 12 As shown, the delivery machine 20 in this embodiment... Figure 5 Between steps S216 or S218 and step S220 in the flowchart shown, the processing of step S304 and the processing of step S306 are performed.

[0143] In detail, in step S202, after the delivery machine 20 begins delivering goods to the user, the decision unit 202 determines, based on the pickup location determination information, whether the user of the order information received in step S200 includes a user whose user attribute is an exclusion attribute (step S300). If the decision unit 202 determines that a user whose user attribute is an exclusion attribute is included, it determines the user's residence RP as the pickup location DP (step S302) and returns to step S204. Conversely, if the decision unit 202 determines that no user whose user attribute is an exclusion attribute is included, it returns to step S204.

[0144] Furthermore, if the decision unit 202 determines in step S216 that the target user has completed the receipt of goods, or if it determines in step S218 that the standby time has elapsed after the start of standby and the standby processing has timed out, it returns to step S304. The decision unit 202 then determines in step S302 whether to designate the residence RP of a user whose user attribute is an exclusion target attribute as the receipt location DP (step S304). If the decision unit 202 determines that the residence RP of a user whose user attribute is an exclusion target attribute is the receipt location DP, it moves to the receipt location DP (step S306) and returns to step S216. If the decision unit 202 determines that the residence RP of a user whose user attribute is an exclusion target attribute is not the receipt location DP, it returns to step S220. Thus, the user whose user attribute is an exclusion target attribute does not receive goods with other users present near the receipt location DP, but receives goods at their own residence RP.

[0145] According to the third embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0146] (3-1) In the delivery control system 1 of this embodiment, the collection location determination information includes information related to the reference weight, and the determination unit 202 determines the residence RP of the user whose goods exceed the reference weight as the collection location DP. Therefore, the delivery control system 1 can reduce the burden on users in collecting goods exceeding the reference weight.

[0147] (3-2) In the delivery control system 1 of this embodiment, the collection location determination information includes information related to the reference volume, and the determination unit 202 determines the user's residence RP as the collection location DP for goods exceeding the reference volume. Therefore, the delivery control system 1 can reduce the burden on users in collecting goods exceeding the reference volume.

[0148] (3-3) In the delivery control system 1 of this embodiment, the collection location determination information includes information related to the attributes of the user who ordered the goods. The determination unit 202 can also determine the user's residence RP as the collection location DP based on the user's attributes. As a result, the delivery control system 1 can determine the collection location DP based on attributes, reducing the burden on the user.

[0149] <Fourth Implementation>

[0150] The delivery control system 2 according to the fourth embodiment will now be described. In the embodiments and variations described above, the case where the delivery machine 20 determines the pickup location DP will be described. In this embodiment, the case where other devices have a configuration for determining the pickup location DP will be described. Furthermore, for configurations that are the same as those in the embodiments and variations described above, the same reference numerals will be used and descriptions will be omitted.

[0151] like Figure 13 As shown, in this embodiment, the delivery control system 2 replaces the server device 10 and includes a server device 11, which has a determination unit 202 for determining the pickup location DP. Furthermore, the delivery machine 21 of the delivery control system 2 may replace the delivery machine 20 and include a control unit 200a that does not have a configuration for determining the pickup location DP.

[0152] Server device 11 replaces the control unit 100 of server device 10 with control unit 100a. Control unit 100a is implemented by executing a program (software) through a hardware processor such as a CPU. In addition, some or all of the above-mentioned components can be implemented using hardware (including circuitry) such as LSI or ASIC, FPGA, GPU, etc., or can be implemented using a combination of software and hardware.

[0153] The control unit 100a includes a decision unit 202 and a movement instruction unit 102. In this embodiment, the decision unit 202 performs a process to determine the pickup location DP based on the grouped order information for each residence in the delivery area of ​​each delivery point. Since the process by which the decision unit 202 determines the pickup location DP is the same as the process described above, it will not be described in detail.

[0154] The movement instruction unit 102 instructs the delivery machine 21 to move to the collection location DP determined by the decision unit 202. In detail, the movement instruction unit 102 sends information indicating the determined collection location DP to the delivery machine 21 via the communication unit 120, instructing the delivery machine 21 to move.

[0155] In this embodiment, the delivery machine 21 moves to the collection location DP based on the information representing the collection location DP received from the server device 11 and delivers goods to the user.

[0156] Furthermore, the movement instruction unit 102 can instruct movement towards a collection location DP by sending information representing one collection location DP to the delivery machine 21. In this case, after the delivery machine 21 reaches the collection location DP, the movement instruction unit 102 instructs movement towards the next collection location DP. Alternatively, the movement instruction unit 102 can also instruct movement towards a series of collection locations DP by sending a series of collection locations DP representing the route of travel to the delivery machine 21.

[0157] [Delivery Control Sequence]

[0158] refer to Figure 14 This section explains the series of processes involved in delivering goods using the delivery control system 2. For example... Figure 13As shown, server device 11 generates or updates customer information DB111 records as it receives orders from terminal device 40. Before a specific time in the delivery period, server device 11 processes the process to determine the pickup location DP for each group based on the order information for each group. Server device 11 sends information indicating the determined pickup location DP to the delivery machine 21 located at the corresponding delivery point.

[0159] After receiving the collection location DP from the server device 11, the delivery machine 21 waits until the delivery period ends. Then, the delivery machine 21 moves to the received collection location DP and notifies the user who collected the goods at that location DP that it has arrived at the collection location DP. After user A and user B collect their goods, or after the waiting period, the delivery machine 21 moves to the residence RP of the remaining user, user C, which is the collection location DP. The delivery machine 21 notifies user C that it has arrived at user C's residence RP. After user C collects their goods, or after the waiting period, the delivery machine 21 returns to the delivery point.

[0160] According to the fourth embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0161] (4-1) In the delivery control system 2 of this embodiment, the collection position DP is determined in the server device 11, and the delivery machine 21 moves to the collection position DP determined by the server device 11. Thus, the delivery control system 2 can achieve the same effect as the delivery control system 1 described above.

[0162] [The combination of methods to determine the location DP]

[0163] Furthermore, while the implementation and variations described above illustrate the case where the decision unit 202 determines the receiving location DP based on various information included in the receiving location determination information, the scope is not limited to this. The decision unit 202 may determine the receiving location DP based on one piece of information from the various pieces of information included in the receiving location determination information, or it may determine the receiving location DP based on a combination of multiple pieces of information. For example, the decision unit 202 may also determine, as a combination of multiple pieces of information, a location within the allowable range TA of the user's desired allowable distance SD, and within the elevation difference between the residence RP and the receiving location DP as a reference elevation difference, as the receiving location DP.

[0164] Furthermore, priorities can be assigned to various pieces of information included in the location determination information. In this case, the decision unit 202 performs the process of determining the location DP using information with higher priority from the information included in the location determination information. For example, the decision unit 202 may also determine the location DP based on information with higher priority if the allowable range TA to the user's desired allowable distance SD does not overlap with the range within the elevation difference based on the elevation difference between the residence RP and the location DP.

[0165] Additionally, the user can select information from the various information included in the location determination information to determine the location point of sale (DP). Furthermore, the user can also assign priorities to the various information included in the location determination information. In this case, the server device 10 replaces the processing in step S103, or otherwise performs the following processing: obtaining information in the location determination information indicating the selection result of the information selected by the user for determining the location point of sale (DP), or information indicating the priorities assigned by the user to the various information included in the location determination information.

[0166] For example, if a user selects to use information indicating the user's desired allowable distance (SD) and information indicating the elevation difference in the location determination information to determine the location (DP), the determination unit 202 uses both the allowable distance (SD) and elevation difference information to determine the location (DP). In other words, the determination unit 202 determines the location (DP) within the range where the allowable range (TA) of the user's desired allowable distance (SD) overlaps with the range within the elevation difference between the residence (RP) and the location (DP). Alternatively, the determination unit 202 can also determine the location (DP) based on information assigned a higher priority by the user, even if the user's desired allowable range (TA) and the range within the elevation difference do not overlap. Therefore, the delivery control systems 1 and 2 can deliver goods to the location (DP) that best matches the user's desired conditions.

[0167] Furthermore, the delivery control systems 1 and 2 can also determine the collection location DP based on the information prioritized by the service provider (in this case, the shopping website provider) among the information included in the collection location determination information, regardless of the user's choice. For example, if the service provider assumes a danger such as thunderstorms or heavy rain, it may prioritize evacuation site information 112 among the various pieces of information included in the collection location determination information. In such cases, the decision unit 202 may also determine the collection location DP based on the evacuation site information 112, regardless of the user's choice, if it determines that there is thunderstorms or heavy rain in the area of ​​the user's residence RP, or if thunderstorms or heavy rain are expected in the future, based on weather information related to the area of ​​the user's residence RP. Thus, the delivery control systems 1 and 2 can determine the collection location DP based on the information prioritized by the service provider.

[0168] [Combination of processes excluding DP from the receiving position]

[0169] Furthermore, while the implementation and variations described above illustrate how the decision unit 202 excludes other users from those receiving goods at the collection location DP based on various exclusion conditions included in the collection location determination information, and sets the user's residence RP as the collection location DP, this is not a limitation. The decision unit 202 may exclude an object based on a single piece of information, or based on a combination of multiple pieces of information, among various pieces of information representing exclusion conditions included in the collection location determination information. Specifically, the decision unit 202 may determine that a user is an exclusion object if any one exclusion condition is met, or it may determine that a user is an exclusion object if all exclusion conditions are met.

[0170] Alternatively, the user can select information used in the process of excluding an object from various exclusion conditions included in the location determination information. In this case, the server device 10 replaces the process of step S103, or otherwise performs the following process: obtaining information in the location determination information representing the selection result of the information used as the exclusion condition selected by the user.

[0171] Furthermore, the delivery control systems 1 and 2 can determine the collection location DP using various exclusion conditions included in the collection location determination information specified by the service provider, regardless of the user's choice. For example, the service provider can instruct, regardless of the user's specification, to use a reference weight to exclude items from the list of exclusion conditions included in the collection location determination information. In this case, if the determination unit 202 determines that the weight of the goods ordered by the user is above the reference weight, it can also determine that the user is an exclusion target and determine the user's residence RP as the collection location DP, regardless of the user's choice. Thus, the delivery control systems 1 and 2 can determine the collection location DP based on information that the service provider prioritizes.

[0172] The embodiments described herein may be modified as follows. Furthermore, the embodiments and individual examples described below may be combined with each other to the extent that they are not technically contradictory.

[0173] The delivery machines 20 and 21 may also be occupied by crew members, such as drivers, who operate the delivery machines 20 and 21. In this case, the drivers of the delivery machines 20 and 21 will drive the delivery machines 20 and 21 to the server devices 10 and 11 or to the collection location DP determined by the delivery machines 20 and 21.

[0174] In addition, even when delivery machines 20 and 21 are operating under automatic control, crew members who perform tasks such as loading and unloading goods can ride on delivery machines 20 and 21.

[0175] The operators at the distribution points can replace the loading of goods onto delivery machines 20 and 21, with goods collected and loaded by UGVs that operate within the distribution points using automatic control. In this case, the management device 30 can control the UGVs that operate within the distribution points using automatic control. Alternatively, delivery machines 20 and 21 can also operate within the distribution points using automatic control to collect and load goods.

[0176] When UA45 processes an order from a user, it may replace the user ID, or otherwise, send information indicating the user's address to the server device 10. Additionally, when a user first uses the shopping website, UA45 may, in conjunction with the order, obtain information indicating the username, user attributes, and the user's address.

[0177] The order information can also be found in the customer information DB111 record, containing at least information indicating the pickup location and product information. In this case, control units 100 and 100a read the pickup location information and product information from the specified record, generate order information, and send it to management device 30 and delivery machines 20 and 21. In this case, decision unit 202 accesses server devices 10 and 11 to retrieve the corresponding customer information DB111 and specific user attributes in order to perform pickup location DP decision processing based on user attributes.

[0178] Server devices 10 and 11 may not have an operation unit 130, while the client devices of server devices 10 and 11 may have an operation unit 130.

[0179] While the foregoing described the process by which the decision unit 202 determines the collection location DP for a user's residence RP in the same region as the user whose residence RP is to be delivered next, it is not limited to this. The decision unit 202 may also determine a common collection location DP for two or more residence RPs that exist within the allowable range TA of the user's residence RP to be delivered next.

[0180] For example, in Figure 6 In one example, the decision unit 202 can also determine a common collection location DP for two or more residences RP that exist within a specific range SA of the residence RP of the user A whose goods are to be delivered next. In the above, in Figure 6 In the scenario described above, the decision unit 202 specifies a specific range SA for each of users A, B, and C, excluding user C's residence RP3. On the other hand, according to this configuration, the decision unit 202, for other residences RP, temporarily determines the collection location DP based on the condition that they are within an allowable distance SD of a certain residence RP. Therefore, compared to the case where the decision unit 202 specifies a specific range SA for all residences RP existing in the same area, the processing load for determining the collection location DP can be reduced. Thus, by enabling multiple users receiving goods to collect their goods at the collection location DP, the delivery control systems 1 and 2 can suppress the decrease in delivery efficiency.

[0181] Although in the described embodiment, user A is assumed to be the first user, and multiple users B to D are assumed to be the second users, the decision unit 202 is only required to apply to the residence RP of at least two users (the first user and the second user), and is not limited to the number of user residence RPs processed by the decision unit 202.

[0182] The RP (Residence Register) is not only the user's place of residence, but can also be a residence designated by the user.

[0183] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0184] 1,2: Delivery Control System

[0185] 10, 11: Server devices

[0186] 20,20-1,20-2,21: Delivery machine

[0187] 30: Management device

[0188] 40, 40-1, 40-2, 40-3: Terminal devices

[0189] 100, 100a, 200: Control Unit

[0190] 102: Movement Instruction Unit

[0191] 110, 210: Storage Department

[0192] 112: Evacuation Site Information

[0193] 120,220: Ministry of Communications

[0194] 130: Operations Department

[0195] 202: Decision Department

[0196] 230: Mobility Control Unit

[0197] 111: Customer Information DB

[0198] DP: Location to collect

[0199] RP, RP1, RP2, RP3, RP4: residence

[0200] SD, SD1, SD2, SD3: Permissible Distance

[0201] SDP, SDP1, SDP2, SDP3, SDP4: Candidate positions.

Claims

1. A delivery control system, characterized in that... have: The decision-making department, using collection location determination information, determines a common collection location for multiple delivery destinations, including the delivery destination address of the goods belonging to user 1 and the delivery destination address of the goods belonging to user 2; and The movement control unit moves the delivery machine, which carries the order information related to the order, to the common collection location. The decision unit is configured as follows: Using the location determination information, multiple candidate locations are determined. For each of the plurality of candidate locations, the distance between each candidate location and each of the plurality of delivery destination residences is calculated. For each of the multiple candidate locations, the difference between the distance to the nearest delivery destination and the distance to the farthest delivery destination is calculated as the distance deviation of the candidate location. The candidate position with the smallest distance deviation among the multiple candidate positions is selected as the common receiving position.

2. The delivery control system according to claim 1, wherein... The pickup location determination information includes information regarding the permissible distance of each of the multiple delivery destination residences relative to a common pickup location. The decision-making unit determines a location within the allowable distance from the delivery destination as the common pickup location.

3. The delivery control system according to claim 2, further comprising: The acquisition unit, as information about the permissible distance, acquires information indicating the user-specified distance related to the order information.

4. The delivery control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The information determining the collection location includes information about the reference weight. The decision unit determines the delivery destination address associated with the goods exceeding the benchmark weight as the mobile destination, i.e., the collection location, of the delivery machine.

5. The delivery control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein... The information determining the collection location includes information about the reference volume. The decision unit determines the delivery destination address associated with the goods above the reference volume as the mobile destination, i.e., the collection location, of the delivery machine.

6. The delivery control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The pickup location determination information includes information related to the baseline time required for movement from each of the multiple delivery destinations to a common pickup location. The decision-making unit determines a location within the baseline required time for movement from the delivery destination address among the multiple delivery destination addresses as the common pickup location.

7. The delivery control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The location determination information includes information related to evacuation sites unaffected by weather. The decision-making unit obtains weather information related to the regions of each of the multiple delivery destinations, and determines the location of the evacuation site as the common collection location based on the weather information.

8. The delivery control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The information determining the receiving location includes information indicating the difference in elevation from the reference point. The decision unit determines the elevation difference from the pickup location to each of the plurality of delivery destinations, and based on the determined elevation difference, determines one of the plurality of delivery destinations as the common pickup location.

9. The delivery control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The location information for receiving the goods includes information related to the attributes of the user who ordered the goods. The decision-making unit determines the delivery destination address of the user who ordered the goods as the mobile destination, i.e., the collection location, based on the attribute.

10. The delivery control system according to claim 2, wherein The decision-making unit determines a common pickup location for two or more delivery destinations within the allowable distance among the multiple delivery destinations.

11. The delivery control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: The notification department will notify the user of the arrival of the delivery machine when it reaches the common pickup location.

12. A delivery control device, characterized in that... have: The decision-making department uses collection location decision information to determine a common collection location for multiple delivery destinations, including the delivery destination address of the goods of the first user and the delivery destination address of the goods of the second user. and The movement instruction unit instructs the delivery machine, which carries the order information related to the goods order, to move to the common collection location. The decision unit is configured as follows: Using the location determination information, multiple candidate locations are determined. For each of the plurality of candidate locations, the distance between each candidate location and each of the plurality of delivery destination residences is calculated. For each of the multiple candidate locations, the difference between the distance to the nearest delivery destination and the distance to the farthest delivery destination is calculated as the distance deviation of the candidate location. The candidate position with the smallest distance deviation among the multiple candidate positions is selected as the common receiving position.

13. A delivery control method, characterized in that... Make the computer perform the following operations: For multiple delivery destinations including the delivery destination of the goods belonging to user 1 and the delivery destination of the goods belonging to user 2, a common delivery location is determined using the pickup location determination information. The delivery machine carrying the goods, which contains the order information related to the order, is moved to the common collection location. The computer mentioned: Using the location determination information, multiple candidate locations are determined. For each of the plurality of candidate locations, the distance between each candidate location and each of the plurality of delivery destination residences is calculated. For each of the multiple candidate locations, the difference between the distance to the nearest delivery destination and the distance to the farthest delivery destination is calculated as the distance deviation of the candidate location. The candidate position with the smallest distance deviation among the multiple candidate positions is selected as the common receiving position.

Images