Management device, management method, management system and management program

Abstract

To achieve efficient collection of a plurality of storage containers.SOLUTION: A management device (1) includes: a reception part (101) for receiving a collection reservation regarding a plurality of storage containers for storing a predetermined stored object; and a reservation management part (102) for managing the collection reservation status of the storage container at three steps of reservation possible, reservation being processed, and reservation confirmed. At the time point when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the reservation management part (102) changes the collection reservation status of the storage container whose reservation is being processed into reservation confirmed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a management device and the like for managing containers that store predetermined items. [Background technology]

[0002] At the waste discharge site, the discharged waste is stored in a storage container. When the amount of waste stored in the container reaches a certain level, a waste collector is arranged, and the container is collected or replaced by the collector.

[0003] One example of a technology for efficiently managing such containers is the collection and exchange system described in the following Patent Document 1. This system is configured to detect the amount of waste loaded into a container by providing the container with a compression load cell, and when loading of the waste is completed, notify the dumping worker, discharge manager, base station, transport vehicle, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-063603 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Here, multiple waste containers may be used at the waste discharge site. When multiple containers are used, it would be efficient if the multiple containers could be collected together. However, since it is difficult to predict the timing and amount of waste that will be discharged at such a discharge site, inefficient situations such as a shortage of collection vehicles or personnel for collection, or conversely, a surplus of collection vehicles and personnel, etc., tend to occur.

[0006] However, the technology of Patent Document 1 does not assume the collection of multiple storage containers at once. Therefore, even if the collection and exchange system of Patent Document 1 is used, it is difficult to realize efficient collection of multiple storage containers. In addition, it may be difficult from a cost perspective to provide devices (specifically, compression load cells and communication means) for detecting the amount of waste and notifying the user of the amount of waste in each of the multiple storage containers. Such issues are not limited to waste, but are common issues that arise with storage containers that store any type of content.

[0007] An object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a management device or the like that realizes efficient collection of a plurality of storage containers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a management device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a reception unit that receives collection reservations for a plurality of storage containers that contain specified items, and a reservation management unit that manages the collection reservation status of the storage containers in at least three stages: available for reservation, currently reserved, and confirmed reservation, and the reservation management unit changes the collection reservation status of the storage container that is currently reserved to confirmed reservation at the time specified conditions are satisfied.

[0009] In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a management method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a management method executed by at least one information processing device, and includes a first change step of, when a collection reservation is accepted for at least one of a plurality of storage containers that contain a specified item, changing the collection reservation status of the storage container for which the collection reservation has been accepted from "available for reservation" to "reserved," and a second change step of, when a specified condition is satisfied, changing the collection reservation status of one or more of the storage containers whose collection reservation status is "reserved" to "confirmed reservation."

[0010] In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a management system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes one or more terminal devices that accept collection reservations for multiple storage containers that contain specified contents, and a management device that manages the collection reservation status of the storage containers in at least three stages: available for reservation, reserved, and confirmed reservation, and the management device changes the collection reservation status of the storage container for which the terminal device has accepted a collection reservation from available for reservation to reserved, and changes the collection reservation status of the one or more storage containers whose collection reservation status is reserved to confirmed reservation when specified conditions are satisfied. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, efficient collection of multiple storage containers can be achieved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a main part of a management device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of reservation management information. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed by the management device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation of a management system. [Figure 6] 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process executed by the management device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] [Management system configuration] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system 3 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The management system 3 is a system that accepts collection reservations for a plurality of storage containers that contain predetermined contents, and manages the collection reservation status of each storage container. As shown in the figure, the management system 3 includes a management device 1 and a terminal device 2. Note that, although Fig. 2 shows only one terminal device 2 included in the management system 3, the management system 3 may include a plurality of terminal devices 2.

[0014] 2 shows an example in which the predetermined contents are waste and the storage vessel is a container for storing waste. When the predetermined contents are waste, efficient collection of the waste can be achieved.

[0015] FIG. 2 shows two containers C1 and C2 managed by the management system 3. In this way, the management system 3 can manage multiple containers. In the following, when there is no need to distinguish between the individual containers, they will simply be referred to as "container C." Note that any item can be stored in container C, and the management system 3 can also manage storage containers other than container C. In other words, "waste" and "container C" in the following explanation can be read as any "item" and any "storage container," respectively.

[0016] A display tag Ta1 is attached to container C1, which displays identification information (hereinafter, the identification information is also referred to as "ID") for identifying container C1. Specifically, the number "0001" is displayed on the display tag Ta1, and this number is the ID of container C1. Similarly, a display tag Ta2 is attached to container C2, which displays an ID for identifying container C2, and the number "0002" shown on the display tag Ta2 is the ID of container C2. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the display tags, they will simply be referred to as "display tag Ta." In this way, a display tag Ta on which an ID for identifying that container C is displayed is attached to each container C.

[0017] The display tag Ta is preferably detachable from the container C, but is not necessarily detachable. Also, instead of using the display tag Ta, the ID of the container C may be printed or engraved, or each container C may be identified by its appearance (design, color, etc.).

[0018] The management device 1 is a device that accepts collection reservations for multiple storage containers that store specific items and manages the collection reservation status of each storage container. As described above, Fig. 2 shows an example in which the management device 1 manages a container C that stores waste. The management device 1 may be, for example, a server located on a cloud.

[0019] The terminal device 2 accepts a collection reservation for the container C, and notifies the management device 1 of the details of the accepted collection reservation. Note that the manner of collection of the container C is arbitrary, and for example, the container C may be collected together with the waste contained therein, or only the waste may be collected.

[0020] 2 shows an example in which the terminal device 2 is a smartphone, the terminal device 2 is not limited to a smartphone as long as it has an input reception function for receiving collection reservations and a communication function for notifying the management device 1 of the contents of the received collection reservations. For example, a non-portable personal computer or the like can also be used as the terminal device 2.

[0021] A user of the terminal device 2 (for example, a worker who puts waste into the container C, or a work manager, etc.) makes a collection reservation by inputting the ID of the container C1 into the terminal device 2, for example, when the container C1 becomes full. Note that, at the stage where a collection reservation has not been made, the management device 1 manages the collection reservation status of each container C as "reservation available".

[0022] When the management device 1 receives the collection reservation and ID transmitted from the terminal device 2, it changes the collection reservation status of the container C1 identified by the ID from "reservation available" to "reserved." If the collection reservation status is at the "reserved" stage, the user of the terminal device 2 can change the collection reservation status. For example, the user of the terminal device 2 can use the terminal device 2 to change the collection reservation status of the container C1 back to "reservation available." In other words, "reservation available" is a stage where no reservation has been made and a reservation can be accepted, and "reserved" is a stage where a reservation has been made but the reservation can be canceled.

[0023] After the collection reservation status is updated as described above, when a specified condition is met, the management device 1 changes the collection reservation status of container C, which is currently "reserved," to "confirmed reservation." In the example of FIG. 2, since the collection reservation status of container C1 with ID=0001 is "reserved" at the above-mentioned time, the management device 1 changes the collection reservation status of container C1 to "confirmed reservation." Container C1 that has become "confirmed reservation" is made available for collection. The specified conditions will be described later.

[0024] In addition, the management device 1 notifies the terminal device 2 of the user who made the reservation for collection of the container C1 that the reservation has been confirmed. The user can use this notification as an opportunity to perform work such as moving the container C1 to a collection location.

[0025] The management device 1 does not accept any change to the collection reservation status of the container C that has become "reservation confirmed." In other words, "reservation confirmed" is a stage where a reservation has been made and the reservation cannot be canceled. However, if the display tag Ta is detachable, the collection reservation status can be substantially changed by replacing the display tag Ta. For example, in the example of FIG. 2, after the container C1 becomes "reservation confirmed," a situation arises in which the collection of the container C2 needs to be prioritized (such as the need to have the waste of the container C1 collected early, or the risk of exceeding the load limit of the collection vehicle if the container C1 is collected). In this case, the user can replace the display tag Ta1 attached to the container C1 with the display tag Ta2 attached to the container C2, and provide the container C2 for collection as a container with ID=0001.

[0026] As described above, the management system 3 includes one or more terminal devices 2 that accept collection reservations for multiple containers C that store waste, and the management device 1, which is a management device that manages the collection reservation status of the container C in three stages: "reservation available," "reservation in progress," and "confirmed reservation." The management device 1 also changes the collection reservation status of the container C for which the terminal device 2 has accepted a collection reservation from "reservation available" to "reservation in progress," and changes the collection reservation status of one or more containers C whose collection reservation status is "reservation in progress" to "confirmed reservation" when a specified condition is satisfied.

[0027] According to the above configuration, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the collection reservation status of the container C is changed from "reserved" to "confirmed reservation." Therefore, according to the above configuration, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, it is possible to confirm the number of containers C to be collected and to make a collection request according to the confirmed number. This makes it possible to prevent an excess or shortage of collection vehicles and personnel for collecting the containers C, and to realize efficient collection of multiple containers C. Note that the collection reservation status may include at least the above three stages. For example, the collection reservation status may include other stages such as "collecting," "on hold," etc.

[0028] As described above, the management system 3 includes a display tag Ta that is detachably attached to each of the multiple containers C and displays identification information of the container C. This allows a worker at the waste discharge site to identify each container C. This enables the worker to, for example, move a reserved container C to a collection site using the display tag Ta attached to the container C as a landmark.

[0029] In addition, the display tag Ta is removable. Therefore, even if the container C is replaced when the waste is collected, the display tag Ta attached to the container C to be collected can be transferred to the replacement container and the replacement container can be managed with the same ID. Also, as described above, by replacing the display tag Ta, the collection reservation status of the container C can be changed.

[0030] [Configuration of management device] The configuration of the management device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the main parts of the management device 1. As shown in the figure, the management device 1 includes a control unit 10 that controls each part of the management device 1, and a storage unit 11 that stores various data used by the management device 1. The management device 1 also includes a communication unit 12 that allows the management device 1 to communicate with other devices, an input unit 13 that accepts input of various data to the management device 1, and an output unit 14 that allows the management device 1 to output various data. The control unit 10 also includes a reception unit 101, a reservation management unit 102, a presentation unit 103, a notification unit 104, and a cost determination unit 105. The storage unit 11 stores reservation management information 111.

[0031] The reception unit 101 accepts collection reservations for multiple containers C that store waste. The method of accepting collection reservations is arbitrary. For example, the reception unit 101 may accept a collection reservation from the terminal device 2 via the communication unit 12, or may accept a collection reservation via the input unit 13. When accepting a collection reservation, the reception unit 101 may accept input of the reservation holder's ID, a notification destination to notify of "confirmed reservation," a billing destination for waste collection costs, collection priority, etc. The reception unit 101 also accepts changes to the collection reservation status.

[0032] The reservation management unit 102 manages the collection reservation status of the container C in three stages: "reservation available," "reservation in progress," and "confirmed reservation." Furthermore, the reservation management unit 102 changes the collection reservation status of the container C that is "reservation in progress" to "confirmed reservation" at the time when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0033] Thus, the management device 1 includes a reception unit 101 that receives collection reservations for multiple containers C that store waste, and a reservation management unit 102 that manages the collection reservation status of the container C in three stages: "reservation available," "reservation in progress," and "confirmed reservation." The reservation management unit 102 changes the collection reservation status of the container C that is "reservation in progress" to "confirmed reservation" when a predetermined condition is satisfied. This makes it possible to realize efficient collection of multiple containers C.

[0034] (Regarding certain conditions) The above-mentioned predetermined condition may be, for example, at least one of the arrival of a predetermined date and time and the number of containers C that have become "on reservation" reaching a predetermined number. This makes it possible to finalize the number of containers C to be collected when the predetermined date and time arrives or when the number of containers C that have become "on reservation" reaches a predetermined number, and to make a collection request according to the finalized number. A configuration in which the arrival of a predetermined date and time is the predetermined condition is suitable for cases in which a collection request is made at predetermined intervals. On the other hand, a configuration in which the predetermined condition is the number of containers C that have become "on reservation" reaching a predetermined number is suitable for cases in which the containers C can be collected at any timing. These predetermined conditions may be changeable as necessary.

[0035] In addition, when the specified condition is the arrival of a specified date and time, if the number of containers C whose collection reservation status is ``on reservation'' exceeds a specified upper limit at the time the specified date and time arrives, the reservation management unit 102 may change the collection reservation status of the upper limit number of containers C among the containers C whose collection reservation status is ``on reservation'' to ``confirmed reservation.''

[0036] This allows the number of containers C with "confirmed reservations" to be kept below the upper limit. This makes it possible to prevent problems caused by an excessive number of containers C with "confirmed reservations." For example, it is possible to prevent problems such as a number of containers C exceeding the collection capacity of a collection company being collected at a storage location, with some of them being left uncollected. The upper limit number may be determined in advance.

[0037] Furthermore, when the total weight (or the total weight of waste) of the containers C whose collection reservation status is "reserved" exceeds a predetermined upper limit at the time when a predetermined date and time arrives, the reservation management unit 102 may change the collection reservation status of one or more containers C selected from the containers C whose collection reservation status is "reserved" so that the total weight is equal to or less than the upper limit to "reservation confirmed." This makes it possible to prevent containers C from not being collected due to being overweight. The reservation management unit 102 may specify the weight of the containers C or waste by acquiring their measured values, or by having the user input an estimated value.

[0038] (Change from "Reservation confirmed" to "Reservation available") As described above, the collection of the container C is performed by either collecting the container C and replacing it with an empty container C, or by collecting only the waste in the container C. In either case, a new container C capable of storing waste will be generated after the time of collection.

[0039] Therefore, the reservation management unit 102 may change the collection reservation status of one or more containers C whose collection reservation status is "Reservation confirmed" to "Reservation available" at a predetermined time point after the time when the container C is collected. This makes it possible to accept a new collection reservation for the container C that has become able to store waste after collection.

[0040] Furthermore, the reservation management unit 102 may change the collection reservation status of one or more containers C whose collection reservation status is "reservation confirmed" to "reservation available" at a predetermined time point after the time when the container C is moved to the collection location. In this case, the container C containing waste becomes "reservation available", but since the container C and the display tag Ta are at the collection location, the problem of the container C being mistakenly reserved is unlikely to occur.

[0041] For example, assume that container C that has been "confirmed reservation" is to be moved to a collection location by 5:00 p.m. every day. In this case, the reservation management unit 102 may change the collection reservation status of container C that has been "confirmed reservation" to "reservation available" every day after 5:00 p.m. (e.g., midnight).

[0042] Furthermore, the reservation management unit 102 may change the collection reservation status of one or more containers C whose collection reservation status is "reservation confirmed" to "being collected" at a predetermined time point after the container C is moved to the collection location. In this case, the reservation management unit 102 may change the collection reservation status of one or more containers C whose collection reservation status is "being collected" to "available for reservation" at a time point when a predetermined time has elapsed since the collection reservation status became "being collected" (preferably at a time point after the scheduled time for collection of the container C).

[0043] For example, assume that containers C that are "confirmed reservations" are to be moved to a collection location by 5:00 p.m. every day, and those containers C are to be collected by 2:00 p.m. the following day. In this case, the reservation management unit 102 may change the collection reservation status of the containers C that are "confirmed reservations" to "collecting" after 5:00 p.m. (e.g., midnight). Then, the reservation management unit 102 may change the collection reservation status of those containers C to "reservation available" after 2:00 p.m. (e.g., 4:00 p.m.) the following day.

[0044] (Reservation management information) The reservation management information 111 is information for managing the collection reservation status described above, and is generated by the reservation management unit 102. The reservation management information 111 may be, for example, information as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the reservation management information 111. The reservation management information 111 shown in Fig. 3 is information indicating, for each container C, its ID, installation location, the ID of the person who made the reservation, the ID of the destination to be notified of "confirmed reservation," the ID of the destination to be billed for the collection fee, the collection reservation status, and priority.

[0045] When such reservation management information 111 is used, the reservation management unit 102 updates information on the corresponding container C in the reservation management information 111 in response to a collection reservation accepted by the reception unit 101 or a change in the collection reservation status. For example, assume that the reception unit 101 accepts a collection reservation for a container C1 with ID=0001 from a user ID=U0001 who uses a terminal device 2 with ID=T0001. In this case, the reservation management unit 102 updates the collection reservation status of ID=0001 in the reservation management information 111 to "reserved", registers "U0001" as the "reserving party", and registers "T0001" as the "notification party". In addition, when the billing party with ID=N0001 is specified as the "billing party" and the "priority" is specified to be "high", the reservation management unit 102 registers "N0001" as the "billing party" and sets the "priority" to "high". Note that only one of the reserving party and the notification party may be registered. Also, instead of registering the ID of the notification destination, the address of the notification destination may be registered, etc. Similarly, instead of registering the ID of the billing destination, account information of the billing destination may be registered, etc.

[0046] (Installation location) The "installation location" may be input by the user when making a collection reservation, or the reservation management unit 102 may automatically determine the "installation location". In the latter case, for example, a transmitter that emits a different beacon signal may be placed at each location (e.g., the collection location of the container C) that is a candidate for the "installation location". As a result, the terminal device 2 can identify which of the candidate locations for the "installation location" it is located at by detecting the beacon signal. As a result, when making a collection reservation for the container C, the terminal device 2 can notify the management device 1 of information indicating which of the candidate locations it is located at. Then, the reservation management unit 102 can register the "installation location" based on the notified information. Note that when the container C is moved and the installation location is changed, the reservation management unit 102 updates the "installation location" of the moved container C in the reservation management information 111.

[0047] Also, a display tag Ta showing a predetermined ID may be attached to the container C at a predetermined installation location. In this case, an "installation location" can be determined in advance for each container C. In the example of FIG. 3, it is assumed that waste is collected in a building consisting of multiple floors, and the "installation location" indicates the floor on which the container C is located. Of course, it is sufficient to register information indicating the installation location of the container C as the "installation location", and for example, information indicating the room or area in which the container C is installed may be registered as the "installation location".

[0048] (Regarding priority) As shown in the example of FIG. 3, the reservation management unit 102 may set a priority for each container C whose collection reservation status is "reserved". Here, "priority" is an index indicating how much priority should be given to the container C for collection. For example, as shown in the example of FIG. 3, multiple levels of priority may be defined, such as "high" and "low". In this case, the reservation management unit 102 may set one of them as the priority. The user who made the collection reservation or the user who updated the collection reservation status may select which priority to set. Also, instead of allowing the user to select a priority, the user may input the type of waste to be stored and the collection deadline. In this case, the reservation management unit 102 may set a priority according to the type of waste and the collection deadline. For example, if the priority to be set is determined in advance for each type of waste, the reservation management unit 102 can set the priority according to the determination. The same applies to the collection deadline. Also, the reservation management unit 102 may set a higher priority in order of the earliest timing at which the collection reservation status was changed to "reserved". Note that any value may be used to represent the priority. For example, the reservation management unit 102 may set a numerical value indicating the magnitude of the priority as the priority.

[0049] Here, as described above, when a certain condition is satisfied, the number of containers C whose collection reservation status is "reserved" may exceed a certain upper limit. In such a case, the reservation management unit 102 may determine the containers C whose collection reservation status is to be changed to "confirmed reservation" based on the priority set for each container C whose collection reservation status is "reserved". This makes it possible to offer containers C for collection in order of priority.

[0050] (Processing when collection timing differs depending on the type of waste) Here, the timing of waste collection may vary depending on the type of waste. For example, at construction and demolition sites, industrial waste that is not subject to recycling (hereinafter simply referred to as industrial waste) is often collected more frequently than waste that is subject to recycling (hereinafter referred to as recyclable resources). For example, while industrial waste is collected two or three times a week or more, recyclable resources may be collected on a regular basis several times a month. In some cases, recyclable resources are not collected on a regular basis, but rather are requested to be collected when a certain amount has accumulated.

[0051] In this way, when the frequency of collection of recyclable resources is low, it is preferable to give priority to containers containing recyclable resources when the recyclable resources are collected, because if a container containing recyclable resources is left uncollected, the container will remain at the site until the next collection time for recyclable resources.

[0052] Therefore, for example, the reservation management unit 102 may increase the priority of the container in which the recyclable resources are stored a predetermined period before the timing of collection of the recyclable resources. This allows the container in which the recyclable resources are stored to be collected preferentially at the timing of collection of the recyclable resources.

[0053] The timing for increasing the priority of a container that holds recyclable resources may be the timing when the collection reservation status is changed to "confirmed reservation" for the next collection of recyclable resources or any timing prior to that timing. For example, when the reservation management unit 102 changes the collection reservation status to "confirmed reservation" at a specified time on the day before the collection date of recyclable resources, the reservation management unit 102 may change the priority of the container that holds recyclable resources (e.g., set the priority to "high") a specified time before that specified time. This allows containers that hold recyclable resources to be given priority in the confirmed reservation state.

[0054] Furthermore, for example, when changing the collection reservation status to "confirmed reservation" for the collection of the next recyclable resource, the reservation management unit 102 may change the collection reservation status of the containers that contain recyclable resources among the containers with the collection reservation status of "on reservation" to "confirmed reservation". Then, if the total number or total weight of containers with the collection reservation status of "confirmed" has not reached the upper limit after the change, the reservation management unit 102 may change the collection reservation status of the containers that contain industrial waste among the containers with the collection reservation status of "on reservation" to "confirmed reservation" up to the upper limit. This process also allows containers that contain recyclable resources to be given priority in the reservation confirmed state.

[0055] As described above, when the collection timing differs for each type of waste, the reservation management unit 102 may perform a process of increasing the priority of the container that accommodates the type of waste to be collected next. This allows the container that accommodates the type of waste to be collected in the next collection to be preferentially set to a reservation confirmed state, and the container can be preferentially collected in the next collection.

[0056] The above-mentioned "process of raising priority" includes a process of updating an already set priority to a higher one, as well as a process of setting a priority for a container for which no priority has been set. As described above, the timing of the "process of raising priority" may be when the collection reservation status for the next collection is changed from "reserved" to "confirmed reservation" or any time before that timing. Also, it may be determined in advance which type of waste containers are to have their priority raised. For example, containers containing recyclable resources, which are collected less frequently, may be subject to a higher priority, while containers containing industrial waste, which is collected more frequently, may not be subject to a higher priority.

[0057] Furthermore, as described above, when the collection timing differs for each type of waste, when the reservation management unit 102 changes the collection reservation status from "reserved" to "confirmed reservation" for the next collection, it may preferentially change the collection reservation status of containers that contain the type of waste to be collected in the next collection to "confirmed reservation" among the containers with the collection reservation status "reserved". Even with this configuration, it is possible to preferentially set a reservation confirmed status to a container that contains the type of waste to be collected in the next collection, and have that container collected preferentially in the next collection.

[0058] The above-mentioned process of "prioritizing change to confirmed reservation" is performed when at least one of the number and total weight of containers with a collection reservation status of "reserved" exceeds a specified upper limit, and the containers with a collection reservation status of "reserved" include containers containing the type of waste to be collected in the next collection and containers containing other types of waste.

[0059] (Information of collection reservation status) The presentation unit 103 presents the collection reservation status so that it can be viewed by a predetermined target person. By being provided with the presentation unit 103, the management device 1 can make the collection reservation information recognized by a predetermined target person. The target person may be any person involved in the collection of waste. For example, the target person may be a person who makes a reservation, or may be a worker or a work manager on-site. If the target person is a person who makes a reservation, the person who makes a reservation can make a reservation taking into account the collection reservation information. Also, if the target person is a worker or a work manager on-site, the worker or the work manager can decide how to proceed with the work at the discharge site taking into account the collection reservation information. It should be noted that the worker or the work manager may be a person who makes a reservation. Hereinafter, the target person is referred to as a user.

[0060] For example, upon receiving a request to view the collection reservation status from the terminal device 2, the presentation unit 103 may present the collection reservation status to the user by displaying an image such as Img1 in Fig. 4 on the terminal device 2. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an image that the presentation unit 103 of the management device 1 displays on the terminal device 2.

[0061] In Img1, each floor of a building where waste is collected is shown as a rectangle A1, and inside the rectangle, an icon A2 is displayed indicating the container C located on that floor. The display manner of the icon A2 indicates the collection reservation status. Specifically, the icon A2 of a container C that is "available for reservation" is displayed without filling, and the icon A2 of a container C that is "on reservation" is displayed with a diagonal line pattern filling. The icon A2 of a container C that is "on reservation" shows that the container C is full of waste. Note that Img1 does not include the icon A2 of a container C that is "on reservation", but as shown in the legend below Img2, the icon A2 of a container C that is "on reservation" is displayed with a dot pattern filling.

[0062] Also, in Img1, a rectangle A3 is displayed indicating the collection location of the container C. That is, in the example of Img1, three containers C are installed at the collection location, one of which is "on reservation." In this way, by displaying the collection reservation status of the containers C installed at the collection location, it is possible to easily share the progress of the work of gathering the "confirmed reservation" containers C to the collection location by the time of collection. This also makes it possible to prevent delays in the work and make the work more efficient.

[0063] The reception unit 101 may accept collection reservations and changes thereto through user operations on such a collection reservation status display screen. For example, the reception unit 101 may accept an operation of selecting the "reservation available" icon A2 as an operation instructing a collection reservation for the container C corresponding to that icon A2. The reception unit 101 may also accept an operation of selecting the "reserved" icon A2 as an operation instructing a change in the collection reservation status for the container C corresponding to that icon A2 to "reservation available."

[0064] In addition, when presenting the collection reservation status, the presentation unit 103 may display the timing at which the collection reservation status of each container C that is "on reservation" will be changed to "reservation confirmed" or the period during which the collection reservation status can be changed from "on reservation" to "reservation available". For example, when the collection reservation status of each container C that is "on reservation" will be changed to "reservation confirmed" at a predetermined time, the presentation unit 103 may display the time or the remaining time until the time. This allows the user to efficiently proceed with the work of loading waste into the container C by referring to the displayed time or remaining time. In addition, for example, when the collection reservation status of the containers C that are "on reservation" will be changed to "reservation confirmed" when the number of the containers C that are "on reservation" reaches a predetermined number, the presentation unit 103 may display the predetermined number or the remaining number until the predetermined number. This allows the user to make adjustments such as loading waste that the user wants to have collected early into the container C early by referring to the displayed predetermined number or the remaining number.

[0065] (Notification of confirmed reservation) The notification unit 104 notifies a predetermined target person that the collection reservation status has been changed to "reservation confirmed." Since the management device 1 is equipped with the notification unit 104, the target person can use this notification as a trigger to start preparations for offering the container C, whose reservation has been confirmed, for collection. The target person may be any person involved in the collection of waste materials. Hereinafter, the target person is referred to as a user.

[0066] For example, the notification unit 104 may notify the user that the collection reservation status has been changed to "reservation confirmed" by displaying an image such as Img2 in Fig. 4 on the user's terminal device 2. Img2 displays a message indicating that the reservation has been confirmed. The notification destination may be registered in the reservation management information 111 in advance, for example by having the user input it. The notification destination may also be the terminal device 2 that made the collection reservation.

[0067] Img2 also displays the deadline for moving container C (specifically, container C2 with ID=0002) to the collection location. In this way, the notification unit 104 may also notify the ID of container C whose collection reservation status has been changed to "reservation confirmed" and the deadline for moving container C to the collection location. This makes it easier for the user to create a schedule for moving container C to the collection location.

[0068] The notification unit 104 may also notify the collection company of the number of containers C whose collection reservation status has been changed to "reservation confirmed." This makes it possible to automate the process of requesting the collection company to collect the containers C. The notification unit 104 may also notify information necessary for collecting the containers C, such as the type and weight of waste, in addition to the number of containers.

[0069] (Determination of collection costs) In response to the reservation management unit 102 changing the collection reservation status of the container C from "reserved" to "reservation confirmed", the cost determination unit 105 determines the collection cost for each container C that has become "confirmed" for each billing destination associated with each container C. By providing the management device 1 with the cost determination unit 105, it is possible to automatically determine the collection cost for each billing destination and reduce the effort involved in calculating the collection cost. The billing destination may be input by the user, for example, at the time of reservation, and may be included in the reservation management information 111.

[0070] For example, the cost determining unit 105 may present the determined cost to the user of the management device 1, for example by outputting the determined cost to the output unit 14. This allows the user to smoothly perform the process of billing each billing destination for the presented cost. The cost determining unit 105 may also perform billing processing for the determined cost. In this case, the cost determining unit 105 may notify the billing destination of the determined cost and request payment of the cost.

[0071] [Operation example] An example of operation of the management system 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of operation of the management system 3. More specifically, Fig. 5 shows a timetable for two days during which the management system 3 managed the container C.

[0072] In the example of FIG. 5, the reservation management unit 102 of the management device 1 changes the status of nine containers C that were "on reservation" as of 10:00 on the first day to "confirmed reservation." At this time, the notification unit 104 notifies each user that the status has been changed to "confirmed reservation." These nine containers C are then moved to the collection location at approximately 17:00 on the same day. In this way, the management system 3 notifies each user of the fact that the reservations are confirmed, and therefore it is possible to avoid a situation in which the movement of the containers C is not completed in time for collection.

[0073] For example, when the containers C are moved to a collection location using an elevator with a limited transport capacity, if each user tries to move all "reserved" containers C at once, congestion may occur during the move, reducing work efficiency. For this reason, the notification unit 104 may assign a time period for moving each "reserved" container C to the collection location, and notify the users to move the container C during the assigned time period. This can improve the efficiency of the container C movement work.

[0074] On the first day, the reservation management unit 102 accepts collection reservations, and as of 10:00 on the second day, eight containers C are "on reservation." The collection reservation status of these eight containers C is then changed to "confirmed reservation" by the reservation management unit 102 as of 10:00 on the second day. These eight containers C are moved to the collection location at around 17:00 on the same day.

[0075] Also, at around 14:00 on the second day, the nine containers C that were moved to the collection site at around 17:00 on the first day are collected. As a result, the number of containers C moved to the collection site is reduced to zero, and nine empty containers are left at the collection site instead. At this time, the display tag Ta attached to the container C to be collected is replaced with that of an empty container C. At this point, the collection reservation status of these nine empty containers C is "confirmed reservation."

[0076] Then, at midnight on the second day, the reservation management unit 102 changes the collection reservation status of the nine containers C with the replaced display tags Ta to "reservation available." This allows collection reservations to be accepted for these nine containers C from the third day onward. Note that the timing for changing the collection reservation status to "reservation available" may be any timing as long as it is after the collection of the containers C is completed, and is not limited to the example of FIG. 5.

[0077] Here, as described above, at 10:00 on the second day, the eight containers C are changed to "confirmed reservation". Therefore, at midnight on the second day, in addition to the nine containers C whose collection has been completed, the eight containers C are also "confirmed reservation". However, at midnight on the second day, the eight containers C are before the collection time, so the reservation management unit 102 does not change the collection reservation status of these containers C to "available for reservation" at this point. In order to make such a distinction, for example, the reservation management unit 102 may record in the reservation management information 111 whether or not it is after the collection time for each container that has become "confirmed reservation".

[0078] [Processing flow] The flow of the process (management method) executed by the management device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flow chart showing an example of the process executed by the management device 1.

[0079] In S1, the reservation management unit 102 sets the collection reservation status of each container C in the reservation management information 111 to "reservation available." Next, in S2, the reception unit 101 judges whether or not a reservation change for the container C has been accepted. Note that "reservation change" here includes a new collection reservation. If the judgment in S2 is NO, the process proceeds to S4, and if the judgment in S2 is YES, the process proceeds to S3. Note that, as described above, the presentation unit 103 may display the collection reservation information on the terminal device 2 in response to a request from a user, and the reception unit 101 may accept a reservation change via a display screen of the collection reservation information.

[0080] In S3, the reservation management unit 102 updates the collection reservation status in the reservation management information 111 in accordance with the contents of the reservation change accepted by the reception unit 101. For example, when the reception unit 101 accepts a collection reservation for container C1, the reservation management unit 102 changes the collection reservation status of container C1 from "reservation available" to "reservation in progress" (first change step).

[0081] In S4, the reservation management unit 102 determines whether a predetermined condition that serves as a trigger for changing the collection reservation status from "on reservation" to "confirmed reservation" has been satisfied. As described above, this condition may be at least one of the following: a predetermined date and time has arrived, and the number of containers C that have become "on reservation" has reached a predetermined number. If the determination in S4 is YES, the process proceeds to S5, and if the determination in S4 is NO, the process proceeds to S10.

[0082] In S5, the reservation management unit 102 judges whether the number of containers C whose collection reservation status is "reserved" exceeds a predetermined upper limit. If the judgment in S5 is YES, the process proceeds to S6, and if the judgment in S5 is NO, the process proceeds to S7.

[0083] In S6, the reservation management unit 102 determines a container C whose collection reservation status is "reserved" when the determination in S4 is YES, and changes the collection reservation status to "confirmed reservation". For example, the reservation management unit 102 may determine a container C whose collection reservation status is "reserved" when the determination in S4 is YES, and has a relatively high set priority, as the container C whose collection reservation status is "reserved".

[0084] In S7 (second change step), the reservation management unit 102 changes the collection reservation status of container C whose collection reservation status was ``on reservation'' when YES was determined in S4, or of container C whose collection reservation status was decided to be changed to ``confirmed reservation'' in S6, to ``confirmed reservation.''

[0085] In S8, the notification unit 104 notifies a predetermined target person that the collection reservation status has been changed to "reservation confirmed." For example, the notification unit 104 may transmit a message (such as Img2 shown in FIG. 4) notifying that the collection reservation status has been changed to "reservation confirmed" to the terminal device 2 that made the collection reservation or changed the collection reservation status for the container C whose collection reservation status has been changed to "reservation confirmed" and cause the terminal device 2 to display this message.

[0086] In S9, in response to the reservation management unit 102 changing the collection reservation status of the container C from "reserved" to "confirmed reservation" in S7, the cost determination unit 105 determines the collection cost for each container C whose reservation has been confirmed for each billing destination associated with each container C. The process of S9 may be performed at any timing after S7. For example, the cost determination unit 105 may determine the collection cost when a user of the management device 1 performs an operation to output the collection cost, and present the determined collection cost to the user.

[0087] In S10, the reservation management unit 102 judges whether the collection time of the containers C for which the collection reservation status was changed from "reserved" to "confirmed reservation" in S7 has passed. If the judgment in S10 is YES, the process proceeds to S11, and if the judgment in S10 is NO, the process returns to S2.

[0088] In S11, the reservation management unit 102 changes the collection reservation status of the container C whose collection time has passed from "reservation confirmed" to "reservation available" among the containers C whose collection reservation status has been changed from "reservation in progress" to "reservation confirmed". After this, the process returns to S2.

[0089] As described above, the management method according to this embodiment includes a first change step (S3) of changing the collection reservation status of the container C for which the collection reservation has been accepted from "reservation available" to "reservation in progress" when a collection reservation has been accepted for at least one of the multiple containers C that store waste, and a second change step (S7) of changing the collection reservation status of one or more containers C whose collection reservation status is "reservation in progress" to reservation confirmed at the time when a predetermined condition is satisfied. Thus, it is possible to realize efficient collection of the multiple containers C.

[0090] [Modifications] The execution subject of each process described in the above embodiment is arbitrary and is not limited to the above example. In other words, the management system 3 may include, instead of the management device 1, a plurality of information processing devices capable of communicating with each other and realizing the same functions as the management device 1. For example, each process shown in FIG. 6 may be shared and executed by a plurality of information processing devices (which may also be called computers). In other words, the execution subject of the management method according to this embodiment may be one information processing device or a plurality of information processing devices.

[0091] [Software implementation example] The functions of the management device 1 can be realized by a program (management program) that causes a computer to function as the management device 1 and causes a computer to function as each control block of the management device 1 (particularly each part included in the control unit 10).

[0092] In this case, the management device 1 includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the above program. The above program is executed by the control device and the storage device, thereby realizing each function described in the above embodiment.

[0093] The above program may be recorded in one or more computer-readable recording media, not temporarily. The recording media may or may not be included in the management device 1. In the latter case, the above program may be supplied to the management device 1 via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0094] In addition, some or all of the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by a logic circuit. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0095] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1 Management device 101 Reception 102 Reservation Management Department 103 Presentation section 104 Notification Department 105 Cost Determination Department

Claims

1. a reception unit that receives collection reservations for a plurality of containers that contain predetermined items; a reservation management unit that manages the collection reservation status of the storage container in at least three stages, namely, reservation available, reservation in progress, and reservation confirmed; The reservation management unit changes the collection reservation status of the storage container that is currently reserved at the time when a predetermined condition is satisfied to a confirmed reservation.

2. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined condition is at least one of the following: a predetermined date and time has arrived, and a predetermined number of the storage containers that have been placed on reservation has been reached.

3. The management device according to claim 1 , further comprising a presentation unit that presents the collection reservation status so that it can be viewed by a predetermined target person.

4. The management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reservation management unit changes the collection reservation status of one or more of the storage containers, whose collection reservation status is confirmed, to available for reservation at a predetermined point in time after the time when collection is to be performed for the storage container.

5. the predetermined condition is that a predetermined date and time has arrived, The management device described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, when the number of storage containers whose collection reservation status is reserved exceeds a predetermined upper limit at the time when the specified date and time arrives, the reservation management unit changes the collection reservation status of the storage containers whose collection reservation status is reserved up to the upper limit to confirmed reservation.

6. The management device according to claim 5 , wherein the reservation management unit determines a storage container for which the collection reservation status is changed to confirmed reservation based on a priority set for each storage container whose collection reservation status is currently reserved.

7. The management device according to claim 1 , further comprising a notification unit that notifies a predetermined target person that the collection reservation status has been changed to a confirmed reservation.

8. The management device of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a cost determination unit that determines the collection costs for each storage container whose reservation has been confirmed for each billing address corresponding to each storage container in response to the reservation management unit changing the collection reservation status of the storage container from reserved to confirmed.

9. 3. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined contained items are waste materials.

10. A management method executed by at least one information processing device, comprising: a first change step of changing a collection reservation status of the storage container for which the collection reservation has been accepted from "available" to "reserved" when a collection reservation has been accepted for at least one of a plurality of storage containers that accommodate a predetermined content; a second change step of changing the collection reservation status of one or more of the storage containers whose collection reservation status is currently reserved to a confirmed reservation when a specified condition is satisfied.

11. one or more terminal devices that accept collection reservations for a plurality of containers that contain predetermined items; a management device for managing the collection reservation status of the storage container in at least three stages, namely, reservation available, reservation in progress, and reservation confirmed; The management device changes the collection reservation status of the storage container for which the terminal device has accepted a collection reservation from available for reservation to reserved, and when specified conditions are met, changes the collection reservation status of one or more storage containers whose collection reservation status is reserved to confirmed reservation.

12. The management system according to claim 11 , further comprising a display tag detachably attached to each of the plurality of storage containers, the display tag displaying identification information of the storage container.

13. 2. A management program for causing a computer to function as the management device according to claim 1, the management program causing a computer to function as the reception unit and the reservation management unit.

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