Storage device and delivery system

Abstract

To provide a storage device capable of detecting the opening and closing of a door of each housing and a delivery system while reducing manufacturing costs.SOLUTION: The storage device comprises one or more housings 30 each having an openable / closable door 35 provided with a detector 33, a storage shelf 300 for storing the one or more housings 30, and a detection unit 310 provided on the storage shelf 300 and configured to be able to detect whether the door 35 is open or closed by detecting or not detecting the magnetism of the detector 33 provided on the door 35 when the storage shelf 300 stores one or more housings 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a containment device and a delivery system. [Background technology]

[0002] A delivery system has been developed in which a delivery robot picks up delivery items from a storage shelf in front of a user's home and delivers them to their destination. Delivery items, including trash, come in a variety of forms, so they are often stored in a housing of a predetermined size for easy handling. Such housings may have doors through which users can put and take delivery items. If a delivery robot delivers such a housing with the door open, there is a risk that items inside the housing may fall out or that the housing door may come into contact with the storage shelf and be damaged. Therefore, various sensors are used to ensure that the housing door is closed, for example, by a latch function (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-199358 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, providing an individual sensor or the like for each housing may increase manufacturing costs.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of such problems, and provides a storage device and a delivery system that can detect the opening and closing of a housing door while reducing manufacturing costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A storage device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes one or more housings having an openable / closable door equipped with a detector; a storage shelf for storing the one or more housings; and a detection unit provided on the storage shelf that is configured to detect whether the door is open or closed based on whether the detector provided on the door is detected when the storage shelf stores the one or more housings.

[0007] The door of the housing may have a spring hinge and a latch, and when the door is opened, the spring hinge may open the door by more than a predetermined amount.

[0008] The housing may have an NFC tag for each housing, and the storage shelf may have an NFC reader corresponding to the housing.

[0009] The storage shelf may further include a control device electrically connected to the detection unit and the NFC reader, and configured to receive a signal indicating whether the door of each of the housings is open or closed and an identification signal for each of the housings.

[0010] A delivery system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a storage device including one or more housings having an openable / closable door equipped with a detector, a storage shelf for storing the one or more housings, a detector provided on the storage shelf that can detect whether the door is open or closed depending on whether the detector provided on the door is detected when the housing is stored on the storage shelf, and a control device electrically connected to the detector, and a delivery robot configured to remove the housing from the storage shelf and deliver the housing; and a management server that is communicatively connected to the delivery robot and the control device via a network, and is configured to manage whether the door of the housing is closed and to notify the delivery robot that the door of the housing is closed.

[0011] The delivery system may further include one or more tray-type housings, each of which has a unique NFC tag, and the storage shelf is electrically connected to the control device and has an NFC reader corresponding to the housing, and the management server may be configured to manage the tray-type housings and the housings with doors in a manner that allows them to be distinguished via the control device, and to notify the delivery robot that the tray-type housings and the housings with doors stored in the storage shelf can be distinguished. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a storage device and a delivery system that can detect whether a door of a housing is opened or closed while reducing manufacturing costs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a delivery system according to some embodiments. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a housing having a door according to some embodiments. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a housing having a door and a storage shelf according to some embodiments. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a tray-type housing according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Specific embodiments to which the present disclosure is applied will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, the following description and drawings have been simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation.

[0015] The delivery system according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a delivery system 1. The delivery system 1 can be used for the last mile of logistics, i.e., logistics services from the final location to the end user. The delivery system 1 can also be used for garbage disposal, i.e., delivery from the end user to the garbage dump. The delivery system 1 includes a delivery robot 10 and a storage shelf 300. The storage shelf 300 is also called a smart post, and can complete delivery without the delivery robot having to hand over the item to the end user. The storage shelf 300 is installed, for example, in each room of an apartment building where the end user lives. Residents (end users) can access the items stored in the storage shelf from inside their rooms and take them in and out.

[0016] The delivery robot 10 sequentially moves and stops in front of multiple storage shelves 300 arranged in various locations, and stores the enclosures 30 containing the items 3 in the storage shelves 300. This may also be called delivery. The delivery robot 10 also sequentially moves and stops in front of multiple storage shelves 300 arranged in various locations, picks up the enclosures 30 containing the items 3 from the storage shelves 300, and transports the picked-up enclosures 30. This may also be called collection. The items 3 may have various forms, but in some examples, as shown in FIG. 1, may be garbage bags. The delivery robot 10 can transport the enclosures 30 containing the garbage bags to a garbage dump. The delivery robot 10 (or the storage shelves 300) is equipped with a mechanism (not shown) for transferring items to and from the storage shelves 300. The delivery robot 10 is also equipped with various sensors and can detect people, storage shelves, roads, obstacles, and garbage dumps, and move autonomously. Known object recognition technology may be used. The delivery robot 10 also has a location information acquisition unit that uses a GPS (Global Positioning System) or the like, and can autonomously move to a destination (for example, a garbage dump) based on map information.

[0017] The storage shelf 300 may include multiple shelves (three shelves in FIG. 1 ) that can store multiple enclosures 30 containing items. The storage shelf 300 is installed, for example, in front of each room in a building or apartment building. In some embodiments, the storage shelf 300 has a front door (not shown) on the front side. The front door can open automatically when the delivery robot 10 stops in front of the storage shelf 300. The front door can be, for example, a horizontal opening shutter, a vertical opening shutter, a single swing door, or a double swing door.

[0018] The delivery robot 10 comprises a base 11 equipped with a plurality of wheels 13, and a storage section 12 provided on the base 11 and capable of storing a housing 30 containing a large number of items 3. The base 11 may be a substantially rectangular, elongated plate-like member. One or more sensors are provided at any location on the delivery robot 10 (the base 11 in this example) to detect or photograph objects in all directions of the delivery robot, and to detect the positions of obstacles on the road, the positions of storage shelves, etc. The sensor may be, for example, a camera.

[0019] The delivery robot 10 includes a platform (not shown) and a mechanism for placing one of the casings 30 removed from the storage unit 12 on it and storing the casing 30 in a desired shelf of the storage shelf 300. The platform is also equipped with a telescopic arm (not shown) that can move up and down vertically and extend and retract around a horizontal axis, and the telescopic arm is configured to be movable forward, backward, left, and right. In some embodiments, the platform may be configured to be rotatable about the vertical axis. The platform may also be configured to be movable in all directions (360°) with the casing 30 placed on it. However, as shown in FIG. 1 , because the storage unit 12 is located on one side of the base unit 11, the platform cannot move in the direction of the storage unit 12 (also referred to as the rear side in this specification).

[0020] The delivery system 1 may also include a management server 500 that controls the movement of the delivery robot 10. In this case, the management server 500 includes a control device that is communicatively connected to the delivery robot 10 via a network N. In some embodiments, the control device of the management server 500 and the control unit of the delivery robot may have distributed functions to realize a delivery system according to the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the housing 30 having the door 35. As shown in FIG. The housing 30 has a door 35 at its front that can be opened and closed. While the door 35 in FIG. 2 is shown as a side door with a single hinge, in some embodiments, the door 35 may be any suitable door, such as a single-side roll-up shutter or a top door with a single hinge. The front of the housing 30 and the door 35 are connected via two hinges 34. The hinges 34 may be spring hinges. When the door 35 is opened, the spring hinges are configured to open the door 34 by a predetermined amount or more. The predetermined amount or more may be any amount that allows a user to easily see that the door is open, such as halfway open or fully open. This prevents the user from forgetting to close the door 35 of the housing 30.

[0022] The door 35 has a latch mechanism including a latch bolt 31 and an engaged portion 32. This makes it possible to fix the door 35 so that it does not open by itself. The door 35 has a detector 33 provided below the latch bolt 31. The detector 33 can be a magnet that is the detection target (detector) of the detection unit 310 described below.

[0023] An NFC tag 37 is provided on the bottom of the housing 30. The NFC (Near Field Communication) tag is a non-contact communication tag, and a housing ID is written to the NFC tag. In addition to housings 30 with doors 35, the storage shelf 300 also stores doorless tray-type housings 30a as shown in FIG. 4 as delivery objects. An NFC tag 37a is also provided on the bottom of the tray 30a. The housing ID of each housing or tray ID of each tray is also written to the NFC tag 37 or NFC tag 37a. That is, in the delivery system 1, the delivery robot 10 can distinguish between tray-type housings 30a and housings 30 with doors 35. When transporting a housing 30 with doors 35, the delivery robot 10 checks in advance whether the doors 35 of the housing 30 are closed to ensure safe delivery.

[0024] FIG. 3 shows the state in which the housing 30 is stored in the storage shelf 300 with the door 35 closed. When the door 35 of the housing 30 is securely closed (by latching), the detector 310 provided on the side wall of the storage shelf 300 can be configured to detect magnetic force, etc., from the detector 33 without contact. This allows the control device 350 to determine whether the door 35 of the housing 30 is securely closed based on the detection signal from the detector 310. A detector 310 is provided for each housing stored on each shelf. Therefore, the control device 350 can determine the open / closed state of each housing door based on the detection signal from each detector 310. The detector 310 can be a reed switch, a Hall element (Hall sensor), or a magnetic resistance element. From the perspective of cost reduction, a reed switch is advantageous. In this case, the detector 33 can be, for example, a neodymium magnet with a diameter of 10 mm or more and a magnetic flux density of 4300 to 4600 G or more. Furthermore, there is no magnetic shielding other than resin between the reed switch and the magnet (detector 33). For example, the distance between the reed switch and the magnet (detector 33) can be 20 mm or less. Also, a notification unit (e.g., an LED (Light Emitting Diode)) that notifies the open / closed state of door 35 may be provided in correspondence with the reed switch. For example, when door 35 is closed, the notification unit may emit blue light in response to a detection signal from detection unit 310.

[0025] Additionally, the storage shelf 300 is provided with an NFC reader 317 corresponding to the NFC tag 37 provided on the bottom surface of the housing 30. Therefore, based on the signal from each NFC reader 317, the control device 350 can determine which housing 30 (or which tray 30a) is placed on which shelf of the storage shelf 300.

[0026] Returning to Fig. 1 again, the explanation will be continued. As described above, a detector 33 made of a magnet is provided on the door 35 of each housing 30, and a detection unit 310 is provided in the storage shelf 300 in which each housing 30 is stored, corresponding to the detector 33 of each housing 30. The control device 350 may be a microcomputer, and includes a communication unit 351, a control unit 355, and an AC / DC converter 356. The control device 350 is connected to an AC power source via the AC / DC converter 356. The control device 350 is electrically connected to each detection unit 310.

[0027] The control unit 355 includes, for example, a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores a control program executed by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs control processing, arithmetic processing, etc., an arithmetic program, etc. The control unit 355 can acquire an identification signal indicating a housing ID from the NFC tag 37 of the housing 30 placed on each shelf. The control unit 355 can also acquire a signal indicating the open / closed state of the door 35 of each housing 30 from the detector 33 provided on the door 35 of the housing 30 placed on each shelf and the corresponding detection unit 310. The communication unit 351 is an interface unit (I / F) that inputs and outputs signals to and from the outside.

[0028] This makes it possible to centralize as a storage device the control device, power supply, communication interface, etc. that determines the open / closed state of the door of each housing based on the detection signal from the detection unit 310 of the storage shelf 300 that detected the detector 33 of the door 35. This makes it possible to reduce the costs of the housings and the entire system.

[0029] The control device 350 of the storage shelf 300 is connected to a management server 500 in the cloud via a network N. The management server 500 can obtain information on the arrangement of the cabinets or trays in the storage shelf 300 and the open / closed status of the cabinet doors via the network N, and can notify each delivery robot 10 of this information.

[0030] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1. Delivery System 3 Goods 10. Delivery Robot 30 Case 30a tray type enclosure 31 Latch bolt 32 Engaged part 33 Detector 34 Hinge 35 Doors 37 NFC tags 37a NFC tag 300 Storage Shelves 310 Detection unit 317 NFC Reader 350 control device 351 Communications Department 355 Control Unit 356 AC / DC Converter 500 Management Server

Claims

1. one or more housings having openable doors with detectors; a storage shelf for storing the one or more housings; a detection unit provided on the storage shelf that is configured to detect whether the door is open or closed based on whether the detector provided on the door is detected when the storage shelf stores the one or more housings.

2. 2. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein the door of the housing has a spring hinge and a latch, and when the door is opened, the spring hinge opens the door by more than a predetermined amount.

3. The housing has an NFC tag for each housing, The storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the storage shelf has an NFC reader compatible with the housing.

4. 4. The storage device according to claim 3, wherein the storage shelf further comprises a control device electrically connected to the detection unit and the NFC reader, and configured to receive a signal indicating opening or closing of the door for each of the enclosures and an identification signal for each of the enclosures.

5. one or more housings having openable doors with detectors; a storage shelf for storing the one or more housings; a detection unit provided on the storage shelf that can detect whether the door is open or closed based on whether the detector provided on the door is detected when the storage shelf stores the housing; a storage device including a control device electrically connected to the detection unit; a delivery robot configured to retrieve the housing from the storage shelf and deliver the housing; a management server that is communicatively connected to the delivery robot and the control device via a network, and that is configured to manage whether the door of the housing is closed and to notify the delivery robot that the door of the housing is closed; A delivery system comprising:

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