Automatic distribution and allocation system for frozen foods and packed vegetables

Abstract

To provide a food distribution and allocation system capable of reducing food loss, reducing a workload of an agricultural worker, and improving distribution quality.SOLUTION: A demand destination management module holds various kinds of demand destination information such as school meals, nursing care facilities, supermarkets, delivery service providers, restaurants, municipalities, and overseas exports, and dynamically manages respective delivery dates, acceptance conditions, availability of refrigeration and freezing, and the like. A distribution determination module automatically determines an optimal shipping destination based on an item, a use, a storage state, an ingredient, an expiration date, a delivery distance, a temperature range, and the like of food, and also performs an alternative proposal and priority adjustment according to excess or deficiency. A delivery control module optimizes a route, a means, a possibility of mixed loading, a time zone, and the like. When a temperature deviation risk occurs during delivery, a delivery destination change and a repackaging instruction are performed. A packing support mechanism instructs a packaging format, a label display, and the like according to the requirements of the shipping destination, and clearly presents them to a worker or a robot.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a system that automatically distributes and delivers food products such as frozen foods and cut vegetables generated after agricultural processing efficiently according to the intended use and destination of demand, and in particular to food distribution technology that can be used for optimal distribution to school lunches, welfare facilities, supermarkets, delivery companies, etc., and for support purposes both domestically and internationally. [Background technology]

[0002] Previously, the delivery and sales channels for processed agricultural products were decided by each farmer or intermediary manually selecting the shipping destination and individually adjusting the delivery method and packaging method. This resulted in frequent problems such as uneven demand, excess inventory, excess waste, and reduced delivery efficiency, making it difficult to properly manage distribution, especially for products with long shelf lives such as frozen foods and packaged vegetables. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP2017154328A discloses a technology for adjusting delivery dates and times and optimizing quantities in relation to a delivery planning support system for frozen foods. [Patent Document 2] JP2020112102A discloses a shipping support system with a shipping adjustment function aimed at reducing food waste, but does not include a mechanism for distribution by purpose or support using AI characters. [Patent Document 3] WO2020200710A1 describes a cloud-linked system for quality control and shipping management of processed foods, but does not describe a configuration including delivery control or dialogue support. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For the frozen foods, packaged vegetables, and other products that are produced after agricultural processing, manually selecting sales channels, matching customers, planning delivery, and managing storage and management has been a major burden for farmers and small and medium-sized businesses. Food waste and shipping errors are also common, resulting in lower distribution efficiency and profitability. Furthermore, there is also the social issue of products not being provided to needy areas or recipients at the appropriate time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention comprises a demand management module, a distribution determination module, a delivery control module, a packaging support mechanism, a cloud history management mechanism, and a dialogue support mechanism using an AI character, and is configured as follows:

[0006] The demand management module holds information on a variety of demand sources, including school lunches, nursing homes, supermarkets, delivery companies, restaurants, local governments, and overseas exports, and dynamically manages each source's delivery date, acceptance conditions, and whether or not refrigeration or freezing is possible.

[0007] The distribution determination module automatically determines the optimal shipping destination based on the food item, purpose, storage condition, ingredients, expiration date, delivery distance, temperature range, etc., and also makes alternative suggestions and adjusts priorities depending on surpluses or shortages.

[0008] The delivery control module optimizes the route, means, whether or not mixed loading is possible, time of day, etc., and if there is a risk of temperature deviation during delivery, it will change the delivery destination or issue instructions for repackaging.

[0009] The packaging support mechanism instructs the packaging format and labeling according to the requirements of the shipping destination and clearly displays this to the worker or robot.

[0010] Furthermore, all distribution history is recorded in the cloud, allowing information to be shared between the sender, delivery company, and recipient. The AI ​​character provides this information via voice and on screen, providing a conversational UX that anyone can use. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] This invention simultaneously achieves optimal matching of supply and demand for processed products such as frozen foods and packaged vegetables, allocation according to storage conditions, maximizing transportation efficiency, preventing packaging errors, ensuring traceability through cloud integration, and providing support that anyone can use with AI, all of which will reduce food waste, lighten the workload on farmers, and improve distribution quality.

[0012] Furthermore, it can be operated peacefully, making use of existing systems and people such as supermarkets, school lunches, and welfare delivery companies, and can also be used to fill in only the areas of need and deliver excess waste products to aid areas overseas, making it highly valuable to society. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] This system is installed at agricultural processing plants or processing farms and targets products such as cut vegetables, frozen foods, prepared food packs, and commercial ingredients. AI analyzes the food condition and automatically determines the destination of demand. It handles everything from shipping instructions and labeling to delivery management, and constantly monitors conditions such as temperature and delivery dates.

[0014] All shipping history and trouble records are stored on the cloud, and can be safely viewed and handled by all parties involved. With dialogue support from an AI character, even workers without specialized knowledge can operate the system without hesitation, making it particularly useful in welfare facilities and community support centers.

Claims

1. A food distribution system that delivers processed or harvested agricultural products, characterized by comprising a demand management module that manages demand information, a distribution determination module that automatically determines the shipping destination based on the condition and use of the food, and a delivery control module that determines the delivery route or delivery means based on the determination results.

2. 2. The food distribution system of claim 1, wherein the demand destination management module holds information on a variety of destinations, such as school lunches, welfare facilities, delivery companies, restaurants, supermarkets, and overseas sales channels, and dynamically manages the demand quantity, delivery date, and acceptance conditions for each destination.

3. The food distribution system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the distribution determination module has a function of automatically determining the optimal shipping destination based on the type of processed food, storage condition, expiration date, usage classification, quality rank, etc.

4. A food distribution system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the delivery control module automatically selects the optimal delivery route or means taking into consideration delivery costs, time zones, whether mixed loading is possible, regional characteristics, whether the recipient can handle refrigeration or freezing, etc.

5. 5. A food distribution system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a packing support mechanism that automatically generates packing instructions according to delivery specifications, item restrictions, labeling requirements, etc. set for each shipping destination and displays them to a packaging robot or worker.

6. 6. The food distribution system of claim 1, wherein the distribution determination module includes controls to prioritize shipments to alternative demand sources, reallocate inventory, or coordinate complementary deliveries in the event of a supply surplus or shortage.

7. A food distribution system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, which is equipped with a cloud collaboration mechanism that records distribution history on the cloud and enables information sharing with shipping farmers, delivery companies, sales companies, demand parties, etc.

8. A food distribution system as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, which is equipped with a monitoring mechanism that, when the food is frozen, monitors the risk of thawing or temperature deviation, and automatically decides to change the delivery route or cancel shipment if a temperature abnormality is detected.

9. 9. The food distribution system according to claim 1, further comprising a demand forecasting function for making optimal item proposals and predictive delivery based on the preference history and past ordering trends of the demand destination.

10. 10. The food distribution system of claim 1, further comprising an AI vehicle dispatching planning module that integrates delivery information from multiple demand destinations to create an automatic vehicle dispatching plan and determines whether to deliver in batches or in separate shipments.

11. A food distribution system as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, which is equipped with a checking mechanism that automatically determines whether a food product complies with dietary restriction conditions of schools, hospitals, nursing homes, etc., based on its purpose and ingredient information, and excludes products that do not meet the conditions.

12. A food distribution system as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, which is equipped with a dialogue support mechanism in which an AI character reports distribution results and delivery history by voice or on-screen display, providing support to farmers or shipping personnel.

13. A food distribution system as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the system can be linked to existing distribution networks such as external food delivery companies, retailers, local governments, and overseas exporters via API or physical means.