Information processing system, information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To improve convenience in receiving packages.SOLUTION: An information processing system is provided, comprising an acquisition unit configured to acquire schedule information regarding a travel schedule of a recipient of a package, and a designation unit configured to specify a delivery slot corresponding to a scheduled time of arrival of the recipient at a reception site for the package from among multiple delivery slots included in a delivery plan of a mobile vehicle used for delivery of the package in accordance with the schedule information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, technology has been developed for a delivery service to efficiently deliver or collect parcels requested by a user. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for acquiring the load of one or more circular flights that circulate between three base stations, and determining whether to change the operation plan of the circular flight based on the acquired load. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-52525 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 does not take into account the travel plans of the recipient who will receive the package, making it difficult, for example, to adjust the delivery time of the package in accordance with the recipient's travel plans.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved information processing system, information processing device, information processing method, and program that can further improve the convenience of receiving packages. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, an information processing system is provided which includes an acquisition unit that acquires schedule information regarding the travel plans of a recipient who will receive a package, and a designation unit that, based on the schedule information, designates a delivery slot from among multiple delivery slots included in a delivery plan of a mobile body used to deliver the package, which corresponds to the scheduled time that the recipient will arrive at a receiving location for the package.

[0007] In addition, in order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, an information processing device is provided which includes an acquisition unit which acquires schedule information regarding the travel plans of a recipient who will receive a package, and a designation unit which, based on the schedule information, designates a delivery slot out of multiple delivery slots included in a delivery plan of a mobile body used to deliver the package, which corresponds to the scheduled time when the recipient will arrive at a receiving location for the package.

[0008] In addition, in order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing method executed by a computer, which includes obtaining schedule information regarding the travel plans of a recipient who will receive a package, and specifying, based on the schedule information, a delivery slot corresponding to the scheduled time of the recipient's arrival at a receiving location for the package, from among a plurality of delivery slots included in a delivery plan of a mobile body used to deliver the package.

[0009] In addition, in order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, a program is provided that enables a computer to realize an acquisition function of acquiring schedule information regarding the travel plans of a recipient who will receive a package, and a designation function of designating, based on the schedule information, a delivery slot corresponding to the scheduled time when the recipient will arrive at a receiving location for the package, out of multiple delivery slots included in a delivery plan of a mobile body used to deliver the package. Effect of the Invention

[0010] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to further improve convenience in receiving packages. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an overview of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a functional configuration of an information terminal 20 according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a functional configuration of the fleet management server 30 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a functional configuration of a schedule management server 40 according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a process related to designation of a delivery slot. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a delivery slot according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of an operation process of the fleet management server 30 according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a hardware configuration of a schedule management server 40 according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The contents of the embodiment of the present invention will be listed and described below. An information processing system according to the embodiment of the present invention has the following configuration. [Item 1] An acquisition unit that acquires schedule information regarding a travel schedule of a recipient who is to receive a package; A designation unit that designates, based on the schedule information, a delivery slot corresponding to a scheduled time when the recipient will arrive at a receiving position of the package, among a plurality of delivery slots included in a delivery plan of a mobile body used for delivering the package; An information processing system comprising: [Item 2] The schedule information includes information regarding the recipient's means of transportation, The designation unit is Specifying the delivery slot based on the means of transportation acquired by the acquisition unit. Item 1. An information processing system according to item 1. [Item 3] The acquisition unit is Obtaining location information of the recipient; The designation unit is Specifying the delivery slot based on the location information acquired by the acquisition unit. Item 1. An information processing system according to item 1. [Item 4] The receiving location is included in the delivery route of the mobile object. Item 1. An information processing system according to item 1. [Item 5] The moving object includes an aircraft flying on an air route, The receiving position includes a waiting position of the flying object. 5. The information processing system according to any one of items 1 to 4. [Item 6] a storage box for storing the luggage is disposed at the standby position of the flying object; The designation unit is Designating the delivery slot based on the availability of the storage box. Item 6. An information processing system according to item 5. [Item 7] The acquisition unit is Obtaining information about the package; The designation unit is Specifying the delivery slot based on the type of the package included in the information about the package. Item 1. An information processing system according to item 1. [Item 8] The designation unit is specifying a delivery slot that allows the mobile body to arrive at the receiving location before a scheduled time when the recipient will arrive at the receiving location, when the type of the package corresponds to the environment of the receiving location; Item 8. An information processing system according to item 7. [Item 9] The designation unit is When the type of the package does not correspond to the environment of the receiving location, a delivery slot is specified that includes a scheduled time when the recipient will arrive at the receiving location or a delivery slot that allows the mobile body to arrive at the receiving location after the scheduled time. Item 7. The information processing system according to item 7 or 8. [Item 10] The delivery slot is set for each of a plurality of candidate receiving locations, The designation unit is designating one of the plurality of candidate receiving locations as a receiving location for the package; Item 1. An information processing system according to item 1. [Item 11] An acquisition unit that acquires schedule information regarding a travel schedule of a recipient who is to receive a package; A designation unit that designates, based on the schedule information, a delivery slot corresponding to a scheduled time when the recipient will arrive at a receiving position of the package, among a plurality of delivery slots included in a delivery plan of a mobile body used for delivering the package; An information processing device comprising: [Item 12] Acquiring schedule information regarding a travel schedule of a recipient who is to receive a package; Based on the schedule information, specify a delivery slot corresponding to a scheduled time when the recipient will arrive at a receiving location of the package, from among a plurality of delivery slots included in a delivery plan of a mobile body used for delivering the package; 2. An information processing method implemented by a computer, comprising: [Item 13] On the computer, An acquisition function for acquiring schedule information regarding a travel schedule of a recipient who is to receive a package; A designation function for designating, based on the schedule information, a delivery slot corresponding to a scheduled time when the recipient will arrive at a receiving location of the package, among a plurality of delivery slots included in a delivery plan of a mobile body used for delivering the package; A program to achieve this.

[0013] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0014] In addition, in this specification and drawings, the mobile bodies are distinguished as necessary, such as a manned mobile body 10A for a mobile body used by a deliverer, and an unmanned mobile body 10B for a mobile body that moves by autonomous control or remote control. However, when there is no need to distinguish between the mobile bodies, each mobile body is simply referred to as a mobile body 10. Furthermore, when there is no need to distinguish between the mobile bodies, each information terminal is distinguished as necessary, such as an information terminal used by a deliverer who delivers or collects packages is referred to as a deliverer terminal 20A, and an information terminal used by a requester who requests delivery or collection of packages is referred to as a requester terminal 20B. However, when there is no need to distinguish between the information terminals, each information terminal is simply referred to as an information terminal 20.

[0015] <<1. Overview of the information processing system>> An embodiment of the present invention relates to an information processing system that can further improve convenience in receiving packages.

[0016] <1.1. Overview> Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an overview of an information processing system according to the present embodiment. The information processing system according to the present embodiment includes a moving object 10, an information terminal 20, a traffic management server 30, and a schedule management server 40, as shown in Fig. 1, for example.

[0017] The moving object 10, the information terminal 20, the traffic management server 30, and the schedule management server 40 are connected to each other via a network.

[0018] (Mobile 10) The mobile object 10 according to this embodiment is a mobile object used in delivery work such as delivering or collecting a package L. For example, the mobile object 10 is used when delivering a package L requested for delivery by a requester U2 from a warehouse WH where the package L is stored. Note that the mobile object 10 is not essential for delivery work, and for example, delivery may be performed on foot together with a dolly (e.g., a box dolly or a basket dolly).

[0019] For example, the mobile object 10 includes a manned mobile object 10A used by a delivery person U1 to deliver or pick up a package L.

[0020] For example, the manned moving body 10A according to the present embodiment may be a vehicle moving on a land route as shown in Fig. 1 (for example, a passenger car, a light truck, a cargo vehicle such as a light van, a motorcycle, a bicycle, a kick scooter, etc.). However, the manned moving body 10A is not limited to a vehicle. For example, the manned moving body 10A may be an aircraft flying on an air route, or a ship moving on a waterway such as a sea route or a river route.

[0021] Moreover, the moving body 10 according to this embodiment includes an unmanned moving body 10B that moves by autonomous control or remote control. For example, the unmanned moving body 10B may move by autonomous control using input information such as two positions such as a start point (e.g., a delivery start position of the baggage L or a movement start position of the unmanned moving body 10B) and an end point (e.g., a receiving position of the baggage L), or three or more positions including a relay point (e.g., a collection position of the baggage L in the case of a delivery involving collection of the baggage L) and a return point (e.g., a position that is the same as the movement start position of the unmanned moving body 10 or a different waiting position). Note that the input information used for autonomous control may include various information such as other intermediate points and a delivery route.

[0022] Furthermore, the unmanned mobile body 10B may be moved by remote control using operation information remotely input by an administrator who manages the unmanned mobile body 10B.

[0023] For example, the unmanned moving body 10B may be an air vehicle as shown in Fig. 1. For example, the air vehicle may be a drone that flies by autonomous control, or may be an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that flies by remote control by an administrator.

[0024] In addition, the unmanned mobile body 10B according to the present embodiment is not limited to an aircraft. For example, the unmanned mobile body 10B may be a vehicle that moves on land, such as an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), or a ship that moves on waterways, such as seaways and riverways.

[0025] Furthermore, the manned moving body 10A and the unmanned moving body 10B may be moving bodies capable of moving along at least two or more routes, including land routes, water routes, and air routes.

[0026] (Information terminal 20) The information terminal 20 according to this embodiment is a terminal used by a person involved in a service related to delivery or collection. For example, the information terminal 20 may be various terminals such as a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a PHS (Personal Handy-phone System), a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or a PC (Personal Computer).

[0027] The information terminal 20 includes a deliverer terminal 20A used by a deliverer U1 who delivers or collects a package L. For example, the deliverer U1 may use the deliverer terminal 20A to confirm delivery instruction information including a delivery task based on the request content included in the delivery request registered by the requester U2. In FIG. 1, the package L is delivered to the requester U2 who made the delivery request, but this is not limited to the above case, and the package may be delivered to a recipient other than the requester, with the requester being the sender. In such a case, the deliverer U1 may load the package L onto a mobile unit 10 or the like when leaving the warehouse WH, and one or more delivery tasks may be set in advance as a delivery plan in a predetermined order.

[0028] The information terminal 20 also includes a requester terminal 20B that is used by a requester U2 who requests delivery or collection of a package L. For example, the requester U2 may use the requester terminal 20B to register a delivery request regarding the delivery or collection of the package L.

[0029] The requester terminal 20B may also transmit plan information regarding the requester's travel plan. Here, the plan information may include, for example, information regarding the means of transportation of the requester U2, information regarding the waypoints through which the requester U2 will pass, or information regarding the schedule of the requester U2.

[0030] In the following description, an example will be mainly described in which the recipient who receives the package L is the same as the requester U2 who requested the delivery of the package L, but the recipient is not limited to this example. For example, the recipient may be an agent who receives the package on behalf of the requester U2, or may be another user who is specified as the delivery destination of the package L.

[0031] The recipient may also be another deliverer (for example, a delivery person or gig worker). In this case, the package L may be handed over from the unmanned mobile body 10B to the other deliverer at a certain receiving position. Then, the other deliverer to whom the package L is handed over may deliver the package L to the receiving position designated by the requester.

[0032] (Traffic management server 30) The fleet management server 30 according to this embodiment is a server that manages the operation of the mobile object 10. For example, the fleet management server 30 may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a PC, or may be a cloud server.

[0033] The fleet management server 30 generates delivery instruction information that instructs delivery by the mobile unit 10. Then, the fleet management server 30 transmits the delivery instruction information to an external device. The external device includes, for example, a deliverer terminal 20A of a deliverer U1 that delivers the package L, or an unmanned mobile unit 10B that delivers the package L.

[0034] For example, the fleet management server 30 may generate delivery instruction information based on a delivery frame specified by the schedule management server 40.

[0035] Here, the delivery instruction information is information used for delivery by the mobile object 10, and may include, for example, information regarding the delivery start position and pick-up position, or may include information such as the delivery route and intermediate points.

[0036] More specifically, if the requester U2 has specified a receiving location such as his / her home B, a store near his / her home B2, or a dedicated delivery facility as the receiving location for the package L, the delivery instruction information may include information regarding the location of the warehouse WH where the package L is stored and the receiving location such as his / her home B.

[0037] Further, a delivery slot is a time slot in which the mobile body 10 (or a deliverer U1 who delivers the parcel L using the mobile body 10) responds to a delivery request. For example, the daily delivery plan of the unmanned mobile body 10B (or the deliverer U1) is divided into predetermined delivery slots (for example, 15 minutes or 30 minutes for an unmanned mobile body, or 1 hour for a deliverer), and the unmanned mobile body 10B (or the deliverer U1) delivers the parcel L registered for each delivery slot according to the time indicated by the delivery slot. In the delivery slot of the unmanned mobile body, parcels to a delivery destination such as 1 or 2 may be registered, and in the delivery slot of the deliverer, parcels to multiple delivery destinations such as 5 to 10 may be registered, but this is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the delivery plan and the delivery slot may be set for each of multiple candidate receiving locations.

[0038] Furthermore, each of the multiple candidate receiving positions may be a position included in the delivery route of the package L by the moving object 10, for example.

[0039] (Schedule management server 40) The schedule management server 40 according to the present embodiment is an example of an information processing device, and is a server that manages various schedules related to delivery or collection. For example, the schedule management server 40 may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer, or may be a cloud server.

[0040] The schedule management server 40 manages a delivery plan and a delivery schedule regarding deliveries and collections by the moving body 10. For example, the schedule management server 40 manages a delivery plan and a delivery schedule regarding deliveries and collections by the unmanned moving body 10B.

[0041] The schedule management server 40 also acquires schedule information related to the travel schedule of the requester U2. Based on the acquired schedule information, the schedule management server 40 then designates a delivery slot corresponding to the scheduled time when the requester U2 will arrive at the receiving position of the package L, from among a plurality of delivery slots included in the delivery plan of the mobile body 10 used to deliver the package L.

[0042] Then, the schedule management server 40 may transmit information regarding the specified delivery slot to the fleet management server 30.

[0043] The outline of the information processing system according to the present embodiment has been described above. Next, examples of functional configurations of the information terminal 20, the fleet management server 30, and the schedule management server 40 according to the present embodiment will be described in order.

[0044] <<2. Example of functional configuration>> <2.1. Example of functional configuration of information terminal 20> 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a functional configuration of the information terminal 20 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the information terminal 20 according to the present embodiment includes a communication unit 210, a control unit 230, and an operation display unit 240.

[0045] (Communication unit 210) The communication unit 210 according to the present embodiment performs various communications with the fleet management server 30 or the schedule management server 40. For example, the communication unit 210 included in the requester terminal 20B may transmit a delivery request regarding the delivery or collection of a package registered by a requester to at least one of the fleet management server 30 or the schedule management server 40.

[0046] Furthermore, the communication unit 210 included in the requester terminal 20B may transmit schedule information regarding the travel schedule to the schedule management server 40. For example, the schedule information may include information regarding the transportation means of the requester U2 or information regarding the scheduled time of arrival at the receiving position.

[0047] Furthermore, the communication unit 210 included in the requester terminal 20B may transmit location information indicating the location of the requester U2 to the schedule management server 40. The location information indicating the location of the requester U2 may be, for example, positioning information (information regarding longitude, latitude, and altitude) of the requester terminal 20B obtained by a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Furthermore, the location information indicating the location of the requester U2 may be information (for example, the address of the current location) input by the requester U2 on the operation display unit 240 described later.

[0048] In addition, the communication unit 210 provided in the requester terminal 20B may transmit the delivery request or location information as described above to the schedule management server 40 via the fleet management server 30, or may transmit it directly to the schedule management server 40.

[0049] In addition, the communication unit 210 included in the deliverer terminal 20A may receive delivery instruction information from the fleet management server 30. The deliverer may deliver the parcel based on the delivery instruction information displayed on the operation display unit 240, for example.

[0050] (Control unit 230) The control unit 230 according to this embodiment controls the overall operation of the information terminal 20. For example, the control unit 230 controls the transmission and reception of various information by the communication unit 210. For example, the control unit 230 included in the requester terminal 20B may control the communication unit 210 to transmit a delivery request including request details input by operating the operation display unit 240.

[0051] In addition, the control unit 230 may perform control to cause the operation display unit 240 to display the delivery instruction information received from the fleet management server 30.

[0052] (Operation display section 240) The operation display unit 240 according to this embodiment functions as an operation unit where an operation for inputting request details regarding delivery or collection of a package is performed. The operation display unit 240 also functions as a display unit that displays delivery instruction information received from the fleet management server 30.

[0053] The function of the operation unit may be realized by, for example, a touch panel or a keyboard. The function of the display unit may be realized by a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display device, a liquid crystal display (LCD), or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) device. The function of the display unit and the function of the operation unit may be configured separately.

[0054] The information terminal 20 may be equipped with a microphone not shown in Fig. 2, in which case the requester may use the microphone to input the request details regarding the delivery or collection of the package by voice. The information terminal 20 may further be equipped with a speaker not shown in Fig. 2, in which case the deliverer may confirm the delivery instruction information by the voice output from the speaker.

[0055] <2.2. Example of functional configuration of the traffic management server 30> 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a functional configuration of the fleet management server 30 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the fleet management server 30 according to the present embodiment includes a communication unit 310, a storage unit 320, and a control unit 330.

[0056] (Communication unit 310) The communication unit 310 according to this embodiment performs various communications with the information terminal 20 or the schedule management server 40. For example, the communication unit 310 may receive information about a delivery slot corresponding to a scheduled time when a requester is to arrive at a location to receive the package from the schedule management server 40.

[0057] Furthermore, the communication unit 310 may transmit delivery instruction information generated by the control unit 330, which will be described later, to an external device such as the information terminal 20 or the unmanned mobile unit 10B.

[0058] For example, the communication unit 310 may transmit the delivery instruction information to the deliverer terminal 20A of the deliverer who delivers the package. The communication unit 310 may also transmit the delivery instruction information to the unmanned mobile body 10B who delivers the package.

[0059] Furthermore, the communication unit 310 may transmit the delivery instruction information to the information terminal 20 used by the manager of the unmanned mobile body 10B. In this case, the manager may remotely operate the unmanned mobile body 10B based on the delivery instruction information, or may transmit the delivery instruction information to the unmanned mobile body 10B using the information terminal 20 used by the manager.

[0060] (Storage unit 320) The storage unit 320 according to this embodiment stores software and various data. For example, the storage unit 320 may store requester information. Here, the requester information may include various basic information such as the requester's name, the requester's name in the service, an email address, an address, or a telephone number, or may include one or more of the requester's identification information (ID), account information of an external application, or information regarding the location where the package is to be received. However, the requester information is not limited to these.

[0061] The storage unit 320 may also store deliverer information. Here, the deliverer information may include basic information of the deliverer, such as the deliverer's name, email address, and telephone number, or may include the deliverer's identification information, current location information, current delivery area, and vehicle type identification information, or may include the delivery company name and delivery company identification information. The deliverer information may also include, for example, external application account information, desired delivery area, identification card information (including driver's license information), transfer account information, and delivery history information. However, the deliverer information is not limited to these.

[0062] The storage unit 320 may also store store information. For example, the store information may include basic store information such as the store name, business hours, address, contact information, phone number, store URL, and shipping fee. The store information may also include product-related information such as product name, product identification information, product-compatible storage container type information, weight information, and management temperature range information. However, the store information is not limited to these.

[0063] (Control unit 330) The control unit 330 according to this embodiment controls the overall operation of the fleet management server 30. The control unit 330 may generate delivery instruction information based on a delivery frame designated by the schedule management server 40.

[0064] Furthermore, the control unit 330 may control the communication unit 310 to transmit the generated delivery instruction information to an external device. For example, when the generated delivery instruction information includes an instruction for the unmanned mobile unit 10B, the control unit 330 may control the communication unit 310 to transmit the delivery instruction information to the unmanned mobile unit 10B or the information terminal 20 of the manager who manages the unmanned mobile unit 10B.

[0065] <2.3. Example of functional configuration of schedule management server 40> 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the functional configuration of the schedule management server 40 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the schedule management server 40 according to the present embodiment includes a communication unit 410, a storage unit 420, and a control unit 430.

[0066] (Communication unit 410) The communication unit 410 according to this embodiment performs various communications with the information terminal 20 or the fleet management server 30. For example, the communication unit 410 is an example of an acquisition unit, and receives schedule information regarding the travel schedule of a requester who will receive a package.

[0067] Furthermore, the communication unit 410 may receive, from the requester terminal 20B, location information indicating the location of the requester who will receive the package.

[0068] In addition, the communication unit 410 may transmit to the fleet management server 30 information regarding a delivery slot that corresponds to the scheduled time when the requester is expected to arrive at the package receiving location to receive the package, as specified by a specification unit 433 described later.

[0069] (Storage unit 420) The storage unit 420 according to this embodiment stores software and various data. For example, the storage unit 420 stores a delivery plan of the deliverer and a delivery plan of the unmanned mobile body 10B. For example, the delivery plan includes various information such as the availability of delivery slots set at the receiving position, the loading status of packages for each delivery slot of the manned mobile body 10A used by the deliverer for delivery, or the availability of the unmanned mobile body 10B.

[0070] (Control unit 430) The control unit 430 according to this embodiment controls the overall operation of the schedule management server 40. The control unit 430 includes an estimation unit 431 and a designation unit 433, as shown in FIG.

[0071] The estimation unit 431 according to this embodiment estimates the scheduled time when a requester who is to receive a package will arrive at the package receiving location.

[0072] For example, the estimation unit 431 may estimate the scheduled time when the requester will arrive at the location where the package is to be received, based on the requester's location information and the requester's means of transportation included in the schedule information.

[0073] More specifically, if the requester's current location is bus stop A, the means of transportation is a bus, and the pick-up location is bus stop B, the estimation unit 431 may calculate the travel time from bus stop A to bus stop B by bus, and estimate the scheduled time of the requester's arrival at bus stop B based on the calculation result. Here, the information on the requester's current location may be set based on current location information obtainable from the requester terminal 20B, or may be set based on location information linked to the current location by the requester specifying the current location, such as a stop (bus stop) of the means of transportation such as a specified bus stop or station, or a specified facility, building, etc., using the requester terminal 20B. The information on the requester's receiving location may be set based on location information linked to the desired receiving location when the requester uses the requester terminal 20B to specify a desired receiving location such as a bus stop or station, a predetermined facility, or a building, or may be set based on location information linked to the desired receiving location, or a single receiving location may be set from a bus stop or station, a predetermined facility, or a building, included in route information derived based on current location information and preset expected arrival location information (e.g., home location information or shopping destination building location information), and the information may be set based on location information linked to the desired receiving location. In particular, when a bus stop or a facility or building in the vicinity of the bus stop is specified, the expected time at which the requester will arrive at the receiving location can be accurately estimated, considering that a bus or other means of transportation moves on time (even if it is delayed, it moves roughly at the expected delay time).

[0074] Although a bus is given as an example of a means of transportation, the means of transportation may include various means such as a train, walking, bicycle, or taxi. In particular, a means of transportation with a set timetable, such as a bus or train, is more preferable.

[0075] Furthermore, the estimation unit 431 may estimate the scheduled time using a reference speed (for example, a scheduled speed) according to the means of transportation. Furthermore, when the means of transportation is a bus or the like that runs on a fixed schedule, the estimation unit 431 may estimate the scheduled time using an external server that can confirm the scheduled time by searching a known route.

[0076] Furthermore, the estimation unit 431 does not necessarily have to estimate the scheduled time. For example, the requester may input the scheduled time of arrival at the receiving position using the requester terminal 20B. Then, the communication unit 210 included in the requester terminal 20B may transmit the scheduled time input by the requester to the schedule management server 40. In this case, the process of estimating the scheduled time by the estimation unit 431 is omitted.

[0077] The designation unit 433 according to this embodiment designates a delivery slot corresponding to the scheduled time when the requester will arrive at the receiving location of the package, from among a plurality of delivery slots included in the delivery plan of the mobile body 10 used for delivering the package.

[0078] An example of the functional configuration of the information terminal 20, the fleet management server 30, and the schedule management server 40 according to the present embodiment has been described above. Next, a specific example of the process related to the designation of a delivery slot by the designation unit 433 will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.

[0079] <<3. Specific examples of processing related to designation of delivery slots>> When a requester requests delivery or collection of a package such as food or daily necessities on an application or browser, a mobile body 10 or a delivery person may be assigned as a delivery means for the package. For example, an unmanned mobile body 10B is assigned as the mobile body 10 corresponding to the delivery request for the package.

[0080] In this case, the unmanned mobile body 10B delivers the package for which delivery has been requested to the requester to a location designated by the requester as a location for receiving the package.

[0081] Here, the requester may specify various locations as the location for receiving the parcel. For example, when a request is made for delivery of a parcel on the way home and a specific store such as a convenience store that is passed by on the way home is specified as the location for receiving the parcel, the requester may wish to return home after collecting the parcel on the way home. However, depending on the timing of the request made by the requester, the parcel may not necessarily have arrived at the store when the requester arrives at the store. In this way, when the parcel has not arrived at the store, the requester may need to wait at the store until the parcel arrives at the store. Or, when the requester leaves the store (for example, when the requester returns home), the requester may need to return to the store to collect the parcel as soon as the parcel arrives at the store.

[0082] On the other hand, when a package is requested to be delivered at a store at an early arrival time, the storage period at the store will be long in order to ensure that the package is delivered before the requester arrives, and the store may need to secure a large storage space. In particular, if the package is food, there is a risk that the food will cool down if stored for a long period of time, and it may be difficult to stack the food flat, so it may be necessary to secure a large storage space. In addition, when the package is delivered directly to the requester's house, the burden on the delivery side is large, and as the number of packages becomes smaller in the future, the delivery fee may become expensive. These issues are not limited to receiving the package at a store, and similar or similar issues may exist in various places. Furthermore, when a receiving method is used that does not involve a person, rather than a person like a store, other issues may arise.

[0083] In order to reduce the effort and inconvenience involved in retrieving such luggage for the requester, it may be desirable for the unmanned mobile body 10B delivering the luggage to arrive at the luggage receiving location at the same or approximately the same time as the requester is scheduled to arrive at the luggage receiving location, or slightly before the scheduled time.

[0084] Therefore, the information processing system of this embodiment acquires schedule information regarding the travel plans of the requester who will receive the package, and based on the schedule information, designates a delivery slot from among multiple delivery slots included in the delivery plan of the mobile body 10 that corresponds to the scheduled time when the requester is to arrive at the package receiving location (for example, a delivery slot including the scheduled arrival time, or a delivery slot before or after the delivery slot including the scheduled arrival time).

[0085] 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a process related to the designation of a delivery slot. In the following description, a case where a bus stop S is designated as a receiving location of the luggage L will be described, but the receiving location of the luggage L is not limited to the bus stop S.

[0086] For example, the requester U2 may select one of a plurality of candidate receiving locations. In this case, the designation unit 433 may designate the candidate receiving location selected by the requester U2 as the receiving location for the package L.

[0087] More specifically, the requester U2 selects "Bus Stop B" from five possible pick-up locations, such as "Station A," "Bus Stop B," "Bus Stop C," "Store D," and "Storage Box E." In this case, the designation unit 433 may designate "Bus Stop B" selected by the requester U2 as the pick-up location.

[0088] When the unmanned mobile unit 10B delivers the package L, it is desirable that the receiving location be a location where the unmanned mobile unit 10B can wait (particularly a location where a landing facility is provided). However, depending on the situation, such as when the requester U2 specifies that the package be left at the receiving location or when a storage box for storing the package L is provided at the receiving location, the receiving location does not necessarily have to be a location where the unmanned mobile unit 10B can wait.

[0089] In addition, the receiving location for each piece of luggage L may be specified for each piece of luggage L, or a pre-specified receiving location may be applied as the receiving location for all pieces of luggage L unless otherwise specified.

[0090] Furthermore, when the destination is set in advance and the planned travel route is ascertainable, the designation unit 433 may designate, among a plurality of candidate receiving locations, one candidate receiving location that is included in the planned travel route of the requester U2 or that is related to the planned travel route, as the receiving location for the package L. In light of the above, an example of designating a delivery slot will be described with reference to FIG.

[0091] First, the requester U2 uses the requester terminal 20B to request delivery of the package L. Then, the communication unit 410 included in the schedule management server 40 may receive location information from the requester terminal 20B.

[0092] Furthermore, the communication unit 410 may receive schedule information including information related to the means of transportation from the requester terminal 20B. For example, the communication unit 410 may receive schedule information including information indicating that the means of transportation is a bus M as shown in FIG.

[0093] Next, the estimation unit 431 estimates the scheduled time that the requester U2 will arrive at the bus stop S, which is the pick-up location of the baggage L, based on the location information and transportation means (for example, bus M) of the requester U2, and the pick-up location information.

[0094] Then, the designation unit 433 designates a delivery slot corresponding to the scheduled time when the requester U2 will arrive at the bus stop S. Hereinafter, an example of a delivery slot according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0095] 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a delivery slot according to this embodiment. For example, the daily delivery plan DS of the unmanned mobile body 10B (or the deliverer) is divided into predetermined delivery slots (for example, 15 minutes), and the unmanned mobile body 10B (or the deliverer) delivers the parcel L registered for each delivery slot at the time indicated by the delivery slot. Such a combination of the delivery plan DS and the delivery slot may be set for each of multiple candidate receiving locations.

[0096] For example, a delivery plan DS set for a certain receiving location (e.g., bus stop S shown in Figure 5) includes two types of delivery slots: a "full" delivery slot (hereinafter referred to as a "full slot DF") indicating that the delivery schedule by the unmanned mobile unit 10B (or the delivery person) is already filled, and an "empty" delivery slot (hereinafter referred to as an "empty slot DE") indicating that there is a vacancy in the delivery schedule by the unmanned mobile unit 10B (or the delivery person).

[0097] For example, the estimation unit 431 estimates the scheduled time when the requester U2 will arrive at the receiving position as "10:00." In this case, the designation unit 433 may designate a delivery slot in which the unmanned mobile body 10B can arrive before the scheduled time "10:00."

[0098] 6, the delivery slots "9:00-9:15" and "9:15-9:30" are both full DF. Therefore, the delivery slots in which the unmanned mobile body 10B can arrive before "10:00" and to which a delivery schedule can be added (i.e., empty DE) are the two slots "9:30-9:45" and "9:45-10:00".

[0099] Therefore, the designation unit 433 may designate either the delivery slot of "9:30 to 9:45" or "9:45 to 10:00". In this case, the designation unit 433 may preferentially designate "9:45 to 10:00", during which the unmanned mobile body 10B waits for a shorter time at the package receiving position. This can improve the turnover rate of the unmanned mobile body 10B in delivering packages L.

[0100] In addition, if there is no delivery slot that allows the unmanned mobile body 10B to arrive at the receiving location before the scheduled time of arrival of the requester U2 at the receiving location, "10:00," the designation unit 433 may designate a delivery slot that allows the requester U2 to wait at the receiving location for the shortest time.

[0101] For example, the estimation unit 431 estimates the scheduled time when the requester U2 will arrive at the receiving position as "9:30". However, in the example shown in Fig. 6, the two delivery slots "9:00-9:15" and "9:15-9:30", in which the unmanned mobile body 10B can arrive before "9:30", are both full DF. Therefore, the designation unit 433 may designate the delivery slot "9:30-9:45", which is the empty slot DE in which the requester U2 will wait for the shortest time at the receiving position.

[0102] A specific example of the process related to the designation of a delivery slot according to this embodiment has been described above. Referring again to FIG. 5, the continuation of the example of the process after the designation of a delivery slot will be described.

[0103] After the designation unit 433 designates the delivery slot, the communication unit 410 transmits information about the designated delivery slot to the fleet management server 30. The communication unit 410 may also transmit information about the designated delivery slot to the requester terminal 20B of the requester U2, and more specifically, may transmit information about the time (including the time zone) of the designated delivery slot and the type of transportation means corresponding to the delivery slot. In addition, it may be possible to transition to an application screen for changing or canceling the designated delivery slot via the transmitted information (for example, via selection of a link or icon included in the transmitted information). Furthermore, when an operation to confirm the designated delivery slot is executed on the requester terminal 20B and the communication unit 410 receives a confirmation instruction, the process may proceed to the next step.

[0104] Next, the operation management server 30 generates delivery instruction information that includes, for example, the location of the warehouse WH, which is the delivery start location (or the movement start location of the mobile body 10 and the collection location of the delivery luggage), and the location of the bus stop S, which is the receiving location, and transmits the delivery instruction information to the unmanned mobile body 10B.

[0105] Then, the unmanned mobile body 10B delivers the package L to the bus stop S so as to arrive at the time indicated by the delivery frame included in the delivery instruction information.

[0106] Then, the requester U2 arrives at the bus stop S by bus M, collects the luggage from the unmanned mobile body 10B, and returns to his / her home B.

[0107] According to the processing for specifying a delivery slot described above, the unmanned mobile body 10B is able to deliver the luggage L to the bus stop S at a timing that is estimated to be more desirable for the requester U2, thereby improving the convenience of the requester U2 in receiving the luggage L.

[0108] In addition, the requester U2 may manually specify the delivery slot after specifying the package receiving location. For example, the requester U2 may head to the package receiving location after making a detour due to an irregular schedule.

[0109] In such a case, the requester U2 may manually specify (particularly change) a delivery slot based on the time required for the irregular schedule. This can reduce the discrepancy between the time when the requester U2 arrives at the receiving position and the time when the package arrives at the receiving position. As a result, it is possible to reduce the waiting time of the unmanned mobile body 10B required until the package is collected by the requester at the receiving position, and the turnover rate of the delivery of the package L by the unmanned mobile body 10B can be improved.

[0110] In addition, when a storage box is arranged at the receiving position, the designation unit 433 may designate a delivery slot based on the availability of the storage box. For example, the designation unit 433 may preferentially designate a candidate receiving position where the storage box has availability as the receiving position. The storage box may be a known object, and it is preferable that the unmanned mobile body 10B in particular is equipped with a mechanism for automatically taking luggage into the storage box. The storage box may unlock the storage unit in which the luggage is stored based on information regarding unlocking transmitted from the communication unit 410 to the requester terminal 20B of the requester U2. The information regarding unlocking may be an unlocking code, and the requester U2 may directly operate the storage box to input the unlocking code, or the requester terminal 20B may communicate to input the unlocking code.

[0111] In addition, when the requester U2 designates a candidate receiving location where there is no free space in the storage box as the receiving location, the communication unit 410 may transmit notification information related to the fact that there is no free space in the storage box to the requester terminal 20B.

[0112] For example, the notification information may include a message such as "There is no vacant storage box. Please specify another candidate receiving location.", which prompts the user to specify another receiving location. Then, the application executed on the requester terminal 20B may transition to a screen for re-specifying a receiving location, or a screen for specifying a delivery slot. The notification information may also include a message notifying the user of the impact associated with the lack of vacant storage boxes, such as "There is no vacant storage box. The drone will need to be kept on standby, so the delivery fee will increase. Is this OK?". Then, the application executed on the requester terminal 20B may transition to a screen for re-specifying a receiving location, a screen for specifying a delivery slot, or a screen for selecting whether or not to accept the presented conditions.

[0113] In addition, if the request content includes the type of parcel L, or if the communication unit 410 receives information regarding the type of parcel L separately from the delivery request made by the requester, the designation unit 433 may designate a delivery slot based on the type of parcel L.

[0114] For example, the type of luggage L may or may not correspond to the environment of the receiving location. The type of luggage that corresponds to the environment of the receiving location includes luggage types that are not easily affected by temperature, such as books and clothes.

[0115] When such a type of luggage L corresponds to the environment of the receiving location of the luggage L, the designation unit 433 may designate a delivery slot that allows the unmanned mobile body 10B to arrive at the receiving location before the scheduled time at which the requester U2 arrives at the receiving location, as described above.

[0116] The type of luggage that does not correspond to the environment of the receiving location includes luggage that is easily affected by temperature, such as food or frozen goods. However, even food may be less affected by temperature (e.g., in winter). In such a case, food may be considered as a type of luggage L that corresponds to the environment of the receiving location according to environmental determination result information obtained by comparing environmental information with environmental condition information.

[0117] If such a type of package L does not correspond to the environment of the receiving location of the package L, the package L may be affected by the temperature if the package L arrives at the receiving location a certain amount of time before the requester U2 arrives at the receiving location.

[0118] More specifically, if a certain amount of time passes between when the unmanned mobile body 10B delivers the food to the receiving position and when the requester U2 collects the food, there is a risk that the food will spoil.

[0119] Therefore, if the type of luggage L does not correspond to the environment of the receiving location of the luggage L, the designation unit 433 may designate a delivery slot that allows the unmanned mobile body 10B to arrive at the receiving location at a time later than the scheduled time that the requester U2 arrives at the receiving location.

[0120] Alternatively, the designation unit 433 may designate a delivery slot including a scheduled time when the requester U2 will arrive at the receiving location when the type of the package L does not correspond to the environment of the receiving location of the package L. This can suppress the influence caused by the environment according to the type of package L.

[0121] The criteria for determining whether the type of luggage L corresponds to the environment of the location where the luggage is received is not limited to the above-mentioned example.

[0122] For example, if a storage box with a refrigeration function (or freezing function) is located at the receiving location, the designation unit 433 may determine that the receiving location is suitable for packages such as food or frozen goods. Alternatively, based on the type information of the package L, the receiving location candidates may be presented so that only receiving locations that can manage such temperature (for example, receiving locations with a refrigeration function or receiving locations with a caretaker that can store the package in a refrigerator) can be selected.

[0123] In addition, if an unmanned mobile body 10B having a refrigeration function (or freezing function) holds the food or frozen product until the food or frozen product is collected by the requester U2 at the receiving location, the designation unit 433 may determine that the food or frozen product corresponds to the environment of the receiving location.

[0124] Such a refrigeration function (or freezing function) may be realized by a material such as a heat insulating material, or by other devices such as a cooling device or a heat dissipation device. In this way, by having the unmanned mobile body 10B or the storage box have a refrigeration function or a freezing function, it may be possible to reduce the limitations on the delivery frame that may occur depending on the type of luggage L.

[0125] The above describes a specific example of the process related to the designation of a delivery slot by the designation unit 433. Next, an example of the operation process of the schedule management server 40 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0126] <<4. Operation processing example>> 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the operation process of the schedule management server 40 according to this embodiment. First, the communication unit 410 receives a delivery request from the requester terminal 20B (S101).

[0127] Next, the communication unit 410 receives schedule information regarding the travel schedule of the requester from the requester terminal 20B (S105).

[0128] Next, the communication unit 410 receives location information indicating the location of the requester from the requester terminal 20B (S109).

[0129] Then, the estimation unit 431 estimates the scheduled time when the requester will arrive at the receiving position, based on the means of transportation included in the schedule information of the requester, the position of the requester, and the receiving position information (S113).

[0130] Then, the designation unit 433 designates the delivery slot corresponding to the estimated scheduled time (S117), and the schedule management server 40 according to this embodiment ends the operation process.

[0131] <<5. Hardware configuration example>> The information processing described above is realized by cooperation between software and the hardware of the schedule management server 40 described below. The hardware configuration described below is also applicable to the information terminal 20 and the fleet management server 30.

[0132] 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the hardware configuration of the schedule management server 40 according to this embodiment. The schedule management server 40 includes a control unit 430, a memory 41, a storage 42, a transmission / reception unit 43, an input / output unit 44, etc., which are electrically connected to each other via a bus 45, as shown in FIG.

[0133] The control unit 430 is a computing device that controls the overall operation of the schedule management server 40, controls the transmission and reception of data between each element, and performs information processing required for application execution and authentication processing. For example, the control unit 430 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and / or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and executes programs for this system stored in the storage 42 and deployed in the memory 41 to perform various information processing as described above.

[0134] The memory 41 includes a main memory configured with a volatile storage device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and an auxiliary memory configured with a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory, a HDD (Hard Disc Drive), etc. The memory 41 is used as a work area for the control unit 430, and also stores a BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) that is executed when the schedule management server 40 is started, various setting information, etc.

[0135] The storage 42 stores various programs such as application programs, etc. A database that stores data used in each process may be constructed in the storage 42.

[0136] The transmission / reception unit 43 connects the schedule management server 40 to a network and / or a blockchain network. The transmission / reception unit 43 may include a short-range communication interface such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).

[0137] The input / output unit 44 includes information input devices such as a keyboard, a microphone, and a mouse, and output devices such as a display and a speaker.

[0138] A bus 45 is commonly connected to each of the above elements, and transmits, for example, address signals, data signals and various control signals.

[0139] <<6. Supplementary Information>> Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such an example. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modified or altered examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0140] For example, in the present specification, an example in which a deliverer delivers a package using a mobile object 10 has been mainly described, but the deliverer does not necessarily have to use the mobile object 10. For example, the deliverer may deliver the package on foot.

[0141] In addition, the schedule management server 40 according to this embodiment may have some or all of the functional configuration of the fleet management server 30. If the schedule management server 40 has all of the functional configuration of the fleet management server 30, the information processing system according to this embodiment may not have the fleet management server 30.

[0142] In addition, the fleet management server 30 may have some or all of the functional configuration of the schedule management server 40. For example, the fleet management server 30 may have a configuration having the function of the estimation unit 431 or the function of the designation unit 433.

[0143] The schedule management server 40 may also include a display unit, in which case the display unit may display information related to the delivery plan or delivery slot. The deliverer may then check the information displayed by the display unit and deliver the package requested by the requester at the time indicated by the delivery slot.

[0144] It is also possible to create a computer program that causes hardware such as the CPU, ROM, and RAM built into the information terminal 20, the operations management server 30, and the schedule management server 40 to perform functions equivalent to those of the above-mentioned information terminal 20, the operations management server 30, and the schedule management server 40. [Explanation of symbols]

[0145] 10 Mobile 20 Information terminal 210 Communications Department 230 Control Unit 240 Operation display section 30 Traffic management server 310 Communications Department 320 Storage section 330 Control Unit 40 Schedule Management Server 410 Communications Department 420 Storage section 430 Control Unit 431 Estimation Department 433 Specified part

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires schedule information regarding the planned movement of a recipient who will receive a package; Based on the schedule information, among a plurality of delivery slots included in the delivery plan of a mobile body used for delivering the package, a specifying unit that specifies a delivery slot corresponding to the scheduled arrival time of the recipient at the package receiving position; An information processing system comprising:

2. The mobile body includes an aircraft that flies in the airspace, The receiving position is where a storage box for automatically storing the package from the aircraft is arranged, The specifying unit: Specifies the delivery slot based on the availability of the storage box, The information processing system according to claim 1.

3. The acquisition unit: Acquires information regarding the package, The specifying unit: When the type of the package included in the information regarding the package corresponds to the environment of the receiving position, specifies a delivery slot in which the mobile body can arrive at the receiving position before the scheduled arrival time of the recipient at the receiving position, The information processing system according to claim 1.

4. The acquisition unit: Acquires information regarding the package, The specifying unit: When the type of the package included in the information regarding the package does not correspond to the environment of the receiving position, specifies a delivery slot that includes the scheduled arrival time of the recipient at the receiving position or a delivery slot in which the mobile body can arrive at the receiving position at a time after the scheduled arrival time, The information processing system according to claim 1.

5. The delivery slot is set for each of a plurality of candidate receiving positions, The specifying unit: Specifies one of the plurality of candidate receiving positions as the receiving position of the package, The information processing system according to claim 1.

6. An acquisition unit that acquires schedule information regarding the planned movement of a recipient who will receive a package; Based on the schedule information, among a plurality of delivery slots included in the delivery plan of a mobile body used for delivering the package, a specifying unit that specifies a delivery slot corresponding to the scheduled arrival time of the recipient at the package receiving position; An information processing apparatus comprising:

7. Acquiring schedule information regarding the planned movement of a recipient who will receive a package; Based on the schedule information, among a plurality of delivery slots included in the delivery plan of a mobile body used for delivering the package, specifying a delivery slot corresponding to the scheduled arrival time of the recipient at the package receiving position; An information processing method executed by a computer, including

8. a computer, an acquisition function for acquiring schedule information regarding the movement schedule of a recipient who receives a package, and a designation function for designating, among a plurality of delivery frames included in a delivery plan of a moving body used for delivering the package, a delivery frame corresponding to the scheduled arrival time of the recipient at the package receiving position, based on the schedule information A program for realizing the above.

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