Parking position management system

Abstract

To provide a parking position management system capable of improving the work efficiency of a delivery company in a multiple dwelling house.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a parking position management system 1 for a vehicle 10 of a deliverer 2 who delivers a package 3 to a multiple dwelling house 8. Deliverer 2 includes a deliverer 4 and a first computer CP1. The housing complex 8 includes a second computer CP2 that manages the parking positions of the vehicles 10. At the time of delivery to the housing complex 8, the deliverer 4 acquires information about positions where the vehicles 10 should be parked from the second computer CP2, and then parks the vehicles 10 at the positions where the vehicles 10 should be parked. The first computer CP1 stores information indicating that the vehicles 10 are parked at the positions where the vehicles 10 should be parked.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a parking position management system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the spread of online shopping, the volume of parcels delivered to homes by delivery companies has increased, resulting in a significant labor shortage in the logistics industry. As a result, there is a demand for improving the efficiency of delivery work, and various systems for improving the efficiency of delivery work have been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1 below). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-187521 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The delivery destination of a package can be an apartment building or other multi-unit housing complex. When a delivery person visits an apartment building by vehicle to make a delivery, the delivery person may not be able to park their vehicle in an appropriate location on the premises of the apartment building. For example, this can lead to the delivery person parking near the entrance to the building, compromising safety on the premises, or parking in a parking lot reserved for residents, causing unnecessary friction between the delivery person and the residents.

[0005] To avoid the above inconveniences, deliverers sometimes use paid parking lots near apartment complexes. However, in this case, carrying the package from the paid parking lot to the apartment complex is a significant burden. Furthermore, if the desired paid parking lot is full, the deliverer may be forced to change their delivery schedule, such as waiting nearby until a space becomes available in the paid parking lot. Furthermore, when using paid parking lots, payment processing is required after the delivery job is completed, which also places a burden on the deliverer.

[0006] The present invention was devised in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its main objective is to provide a parking location management system that can improve the efficiency of delivery companies' work in apartment buildings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention is a parking location management system for vehicles of a delivery company that delivers packages to an apartment complex, wherein the delivery company includes a delivery person who drives the vehicle and a first computer that manages the vehicle, and the apartment complex includes a second computer that manages parking locations for the vehicle within the apartment complex's grounds, and when delivering to the apartment complex, the delivery person obtains information about the parking location from the second computer and parks the vehicle in the parking location, and the first computer stores information that the vehicle has been parked in the parking location.

[0008] In the parking location management system of the present invention, it is desirable that the first computer transmits the scheduled time period during which the delivery person will make delivery to the second computer, and the second computer determines the available parking location based on the scheduled time period.

[0009] In the parking location management system of the present invention, it is desirable that the apartment building has a parking lot including multiple parking spaces used by residents, and the second computer acquires resident parking data in advance regarding the manner in which the residents use the parking lot, and determines one of the parking spaces included in the parking lot as the available parking location based on the resident parking data and the scheduled time period.

[0010] In the parking location management system of the present invention, it is desirable that the second computer determine as the parking location the parking space among the multiple parking spaces included in the parking lot that is expected to have the lowest possibility of the delivery person and the resident clashing at the time of delivery.

[0011] In the parking location management system of the present invention, it is preferable that the apartment complex includes an entrance gate that is locked to prevent unwanted vehicles from entering, and that the delivery person has means for unlocking the entrance gate.

[0012] In the parking location management system of the present invention, it is desirable that the second computer transmits information about the available parking locations to a mobile terminal owned by the delivery person when the delivery person unlocks the entrance gate.

[0013] In the parking location management system of the present invention, the delivery companies include a first delivery company that includes a first delivery person and a second delivery company that is a business entity different from the first delivery company and includes a second delivery person, and it is desirable that the second computer, after sending the information about the available parking locations to the first delivery company, be able to send the information about the available parking locations to the second delivery company so that the first delivery person and the second delivery person do not conflict with each other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] By adopting the above-mentioned invention-specific features, the parking location management system of the present invention can improve the efficiency of delivery company operations. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing delivery companies and their delivery destinations. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing when a delivery person visits an apartment building. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of a parking position management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between computers used in the parking position management system of the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing various processes of the parking location management system of the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a parking lot for residents. [Figure 7]7 is a bar graph showing a portion of resident parking data for the parking lot of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 10 is a bar graph showing the probability that each parking location will be empty. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings are intended to include the features of the present invention, and the same or common elements are designated by the same reference numerals throughout the embodiments. Furthermore, well-known structures may be used as appropriate for structures not described in this specification.

[0017] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a delivery company 2 and its delivery destinations. As shown in FIG. 1, the delivery company 2 has an office 2a in each region. One office 2a collects packages 3 sent from offices in other regions. The collected packages 3 are then delivered by a delivery person 4 using a vehicle 10 to homes, businesses, factories, stores, etc. in the region covered by the office 2a. However, the delivery company 2 in this specification is not limited to a business entity that specializes in such delivery work. The delivery company 2 in this specification also includes, for example, a business division owned by a company that specializes in the retail of furniture, home appliances, etc., that delivers products sold by that company.

[0018] For example, when a delivery person 4 delivers to a company's factory 5 or store 6, the location where the vehicle 10 should be parked is determined for each delivery destination. Also, at a residence 7 such as a detached house, the delivery person often parks the vehicle in front of the house, quickly delivers the package, and then immediately departs. Therefore, at these delivery destinations, there are few problems with the parking location of the delivery person 4's vehicle 10.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view conceptually illustrating when a delivery person 4 visits an apartment building 8. As shown in FIG. 2, when delivering to an apartment building 8, the delivery person 4 enters the premises of the apartment building 8 through an entrance gate 15 and parks appropriately. However, there are cases where the delivery person 4 is unable to park his / her vehicle 10 in an appropriate location. For this reason, for example, the delivery person 4 may park near the entrance to the building of the apartment building 8, compromising safety on the premises, or the delivery person 4 may park in a parking lot 11 used by a resident, causing unnecessary friction with the resident.

[0020] To avoid the above-mentioned inconvenience, the deliverer 4 may use a paid parking lot (not shown) near the apartment complex 8. However, in this case, carrying the package from the paid parking lot to the apartment complex 8 is a significant burden. Also, the desired paid parking lot may be full, which often forces the deliverer to change the delivery schedule, such as waiting nearby until a space becomes available in the paid parking lot. Furthermore, if a paid parking lot is used, payment processing must be carried out after the delivery job is completed, which also places a burden on the deliverer 4.

[0021] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a parking location management system 1 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the delivery company 2 includes a delivery person 4 who drives a vehicle 10 and a first computer CP1 that manages the vehicle 10. The apartment complex 8 includes a second computer CP2 that manages available parking locations for the vehicle 10 within its premises. Note that an available parking location refers to a location (a parking space) where it is expected that there is a low possibility of trouble occurring even if the vehicle 10 is parked.

[0022] The first computer CP1 and the second computer CP2 each have the capabilities necessary to realize the processing of the parking location management system 1 described in this specification, and include at least the five major devices of a computer (a control device, an arithmetic device, a storage device, an input device, and an output device). In the present invention, the implementation of these computers is not particularly limited. For example, one of the components of the first computer CP1 includes an external server that contributes to the management of the vehicle 10 and luggage. The same is true for the second computer CP2. Furthermore, the first computer CP1 and the second computer CP2 may include known components as appropriate, and their description will be omitted here.

[0023] 4 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the computers used in the parking location management system 1 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, a first computer CP1 owned by the delivery company 2 and a second computer CP2 owned by the apartment building 8 can exchange information via a network NT. In this embodiment, the network NT is assumed to be the Internet, but is not limited to this, and a closed WAN (Wide Area Network) may also be used.

[0024] Furthermore, the delivery person 4 (shown in FIG. 3) has a portable terminal 12 that he carries with him when performing delivery duties. The portable terminal 12 of the delivery person 4 is capable of exchanging information with the first computer CP1 and the second computer CP2. In this embodiment, the portable terminal 12 exchanges information with the first computer CP1 and the second computer CP2 via the network NT. The portable terminal 12 may also be capable of exchanging information directly with these computers. The portable terminal 12 is an information device that can be effectively used by the delivery person 4 while on the go, and includes tablets, smartphones, dedicated handheld terminals, etc.

[0025] In this embodiment, a resident 9a (shown in FIG. 3) of the apartment building 8 has a terminal 14 that can exchange information with the second computer CP2. In this embodiment, the terminal 14 exchanges information with the second computer CP2 via the network NT. The terminal 14 may also be capable of directly exchanging information with the second computer CP2. This allows information to be exchanged between the second computer CP2 and the resident when necessary, as will be described later.

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing various steps of the parking location management system 1 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, when delivering to an apartment building 8, the delivery person 4 obtains information on a location where the vehicle can be parked from the second computer CP2 (step S1). Then, the delivery person 4 parks the vehicle 10 in the parking location (step S2). In addition, the first computer CP1 stores information that the vehicle 10 has been parked in the parking location (step S3).

[0027] As a result, with the parking location management system 1 of the present invention, the delivery person 4 can know in advance where the vehicle 10 can be parked, eliminating the need to use paid parking and allowing the vehicle 10 to be parked quickly. Also, since the parking record is saved in the first computer CP1, the delivery person 4 does not need to carry out settlement processing, etc. Therefore, the parking location management system 1 of the present invention can improve the efficiency of the delivery company 2's operations.

[0028] In the parking location management system 1 of the present invention, the manner of delivery after the delivery person 4 parks the vehicle 10 in the parking location is not particularly limited. Therefore, for example, the delivery person 4 may park the vehicle 10 in the parking location and then make a delivery to another apartment building, residence, or commercial facility. Therefore, for example, if the delivery person secures a parking location in an apartment building 8 in an area where it is difficult to secure parking spaces and makes deliveries within the area from that location, the effort required to search for parking spaces within the area can be significantly reduced. In this case, the first computer CP1 and the second computer CP2 store information that deliveries have been made within the area.

[0029] The configuration of this embodiment will be described in more detail below. Note that each configuration described below represents a specific aspect of this embodiment. Therefore, the parking location management system 1 of the present invention can obtain the above-mentioned advantages even if it does not have the features described below. Furthermore, even if any one of the features described below is applied alone to a parking location management system 1 having the above-mentioned features, advantages corresponding to each feature can be obtained. Furthermore, some of the features described below may be selectively applied to the parking location management system 1 of the present invention.

[0030] In the parking location management system 1 of this embodiment, it is desirable that the apartment complex 8 consider and determine locations where the delivery person 4's vehicle 10 can be parked (step SP1). For example, if there is a normally available parking space for visitors on the premises of the apartment complex 8, that location can be designated as a parking location, and information about that location can be provided to the delivery person 4 in step S1. Also, even if it is a vehicle passageway on the premises, if there is a space where the delivery person 4 can park and stop their vehicle 10 for delivery without any problems, that location can be designated as a parking location, and information about that location can be provided to the delivery person 4 in step S1.

[0031] If multiple parking spaces are available at the apartment complex 8, they may be prioritized for parking, and information about this may be provided to the delivery person 4 in step S1. This allows for flexible measures, such as lowering the parking priority for parking spaces that are available for parking but are likely to obstruct vehicle traffic on the premises. This makes it possible to provide an appropriate parking space for the delivery person 4 while maintaining high convenience within the premises of the apartment complex 8. For example, in the example of FIG. 2, if first parking space 18a near the entrance and second parking space 18b at the rear of the building are available as parking spaces using the roads on the premises, it may be possible to lower the priority of first parking space 18a, which is likely to obstruct vehicle traffic, and give priority to using second parking space 18b.

[0032] If the apartment complex 8 can secure multiple parking spaces, it can provide appropriate parking spaces to multiple delivery companies 2. For example, if the delivery companies 2 include a first delivery company that includes a first delivery person and a second delivery company that is a different business entity from the first delivery company and includes a second delivery person (not shown), the second computer CP2 can send information about available parking locations to the first delivery person, and then send the information about available parking locations to the second delivery person so that the first delivery person and the second delivery person do not collide. This allows each delivery company 4 to carry out their delivery duties efficiently.

[0033] When the second computer CP2 determines a parking location, it is desirable that various information be provided in advance from the first computer CP1. For example, the first computer CP1 transmits to the second computer CP2 the size of the vehicle and the scheduled time period in which the delivery person 4 will make the delivery (step SP2), and the second computer CP2 determines a parking location based on the scheduled time period. This allows the second computer CP2 to more appropriately determine a parking location.

[0034] If a regularly available parking space cannot be secured on the grounds of the apartment complex 8, for example, the parking lot 11 (shown in FIG. 2) used by the resident 9a may be used. That is, the second computer CP2 acquires in advance resident parking data regarding the usage of the parking lot 11 by the resident 9a, and determines one of the parking spaces included in the parking lot 11 as an available parking location based on the resident parking data and the scheduled time period of the delivery person 4, while taking care not to conflict with the resident. This makes it possible to provide an appropriate parking space to the delivery person 4 even if there is no regularly available parking space on the grounds of the apartment complex 8. Here, conflicting means that when the delivery person 4 parks his / her vehicle in a resident's parking space, the vehicle of the user (contractor) of that parking space returns.

[0035] In a more preferable embodiment, the second computer CP2 determines as the available parking location the parking space within the parking lot 11 that is least likely to cause a collision between the delivery person 4 and the resident 9a during delivery. Specific methods for achieving this prediction include, for example, the following.

[0036] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a parking lot 11 for resident 9a, and FIG. 7 is a bar graph showing a portion of resident parking data for the parking lot 11 in FIG. 6. The parking lot 11 illustrated in FIG. 6 includes parking spaces A through H. In this example, data on usage patterns in the parking lot 11 is acquired by cameras 13 installed around the parking lot 11 and an analysis computer (not shown) connected to the cameras 13. The cameras 13 constantly capture images of the parking spaces A through H. Based on this captured data, the analysis computer can analyze and record the time periods during which vehicles were parked in each parking space. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and instead of the cameras 13, sensors that can detect whether a vehicle has been parked in each parking space may be used.

[0037] Fig. 7 is a bar graph showing the parking status of A to H on a given weekday. The horizontal axis of Fig. 7 represents time, and the vertical axis plots parking spaces A to H. Within each bar graph, the hatched areas represent the time periods when a vehicle is parked in each parking space, and the dotted areas represent the time periods when a vehicle is not parked in each parking space.

[0038] In this example, it can be seen that vehicles are parked in spaces A through H during the early morning hours up until 8:00 AM and the nighttime hours after 8:00 PM (the relevant areas are hatched). It can also be seen that vehicles are not parked in spaces A, G, and H during the daytime (approximately 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM) (the relevant areas are dotted). In other words, it can be inferred that the residents of parking spaces A, G, and H are likely to be using their vehicles during the day on weekdays. On the other hand, spaces B and F are parked all day. Therefore, it can be inferred that the residents of parking spaces B and F are likely not using their vehicles all day, at least on weekdays.

[0039] Additionally, parking spaces C, D, and E are alternately parked and vacant during the day. Therefore, it can be seen that the residents associated with parking spaces C, D, and E frequently enter and exit their residences during the day on weekdays. As such, from Figure 7, it can be seen that the usage of vehicle 10 (i.e., the usage of the parking lot) differs depending on the lifestyle of resident 9a. While Figure 7 only shows data from an arbitrary weekday, useful resident parking data can be obtained by continuing to take photographs with camera 13 and accumulating data over a long period of time. From such resident parking data, it is possible to predict which parking spaces are likely to be vacant on a specific date and time.

[0040] FIG. 8 is a bar graph showing predicted results based on the obtained resident parking data. FIG. 8 shows the probability P that parking spaces A through H will be empty during any given weekday morning. In FIG. 8, the horizontal axis plots parking spaces A through H, and the vertical axis represents the magnitude of the probability P. As shown in FIG. 8, A, G, and H have a high probability of being empty, while B and F have a low probability of being empty. C, D, and E have a medium probability. In other words, by aggregating daily parking data over a long period, such as that shown in FIG. 7, it is possible to determine the probability P that a parking space in resident 9a's parking lot 11 will be empty at any given date and time. The probability P can be obtained, for example, by determining a survey period and examining the duration of time that a parking space is empty during a target time period during that period.

[0041] Based on this resident parking data, the second computer CP2 can determine the parking location that is least likely to result in a collision between the delivery person 4 and the resident 9a as the available parking location. In other words, in the case of the prediction shown in Figure 8, the second computer CP2 should send A, G, and H to the delivery person 4 as the available parking locations. Note that the above prediction method is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0042] In general, vehicle usage patterns tend to vary significantly depending on the day of the week. That is, a parking space that is occupied all day on weekdays may be occupied and become vacant on Saturday or Sunday. Therefore, it is desirable to adjust the data used in the above-mentioned prediction depending on the day of the week on which the delivery is made. For example, when determining available parking locations for Saturday deliveries, it is desirable to make the above prediction based on resident parking data for Saturdays. Similarly, when determining available parking locations for holidays, it is desirable to make the above prediction based on data for the holiday or data for other holidays that are close to the holiday.

[0043] The second computer CP2 can also determine available parking locations by taking other factors into account. For example, in the example shown in Figure 6, if the possibility of collision is equally low at locations A, G, and H, it is desirable to determine available parking locations by taking into account the ease of carrying luggage after parking. Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 6, if there is an apartment building 8 on side A, it is desirable to determine A as the available parking location.

[0044] Even if we try to avoid collisions in the above manner, there is still a possibility that an unforeseen incident will occur and the delivery person 4 and the resident 9a will collide. For this reason, in this embodiment, when the delivery person 4 uses the resident 9a's parking space, the second computer CP2 sends this fact and the contact information of the delivery person 4 to the terminal 14 of the resident 9a (shown in FIG. 4). This allows the resident 9a to contact the delivery person 4 even if a collision occurs, and the delivery person 4 can quickly move their vehicle 10.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 2 , the apartment building 8 of this embodiment includes an entrance gate 15 that is locked to prevent unwanted vehicles from entering. The entrance gate 15 can prevent the entry of such vehicles using, for example, an electric chain, shutter, or pole. In addition, a means for unlocking the entrance gate 15 is provided in advance to those entering or exiting the apartment building 8, such as the resident 9a. Therefore, the delivery person 4 of this embodiment also has a means for unlocking the entrance gate 15 that has been provided to them in advance. Examples of the unlocking means include a remote control key, a card key, and a two-dimensional code. However, the unlocking means is not limited to these embodiments, and for example, an app downloaded to a smartphone carried by the delivery person 4 is also considered as the unlocking means.

[0046] In a preferred embodiment, when the delivery person 4 unlocks the entrance gate 15, the second computer CP2 determines available parking locations in real time and transmits the available parking locations to the mobile terminal 12 (shown in FIG. 4) owned by the delivery person 4. This allows available parking locations to be optimized according to the delivery time, further improving the efficiency of the delivery company's work.

[0047] While a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment and can be modified and implemented in various ways. As described above, for example, if the delivery person 4 parks the vehicle 10 in the parking space and then delivers to another apartment building, house, or commercial facility, delivery can be made efficiently even in areas where it is difficult to find a parking space. [Industrial Applicability]

[0048] As described above, the present invention is useful as a parking position management system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 2. Delivery company 3. Luggage 4. Delivery Person 8 Apartment complex 10 vehicles CP1 First Computer CP2 Second Computer

Claims

1. A parking location management system for vehicles of delivery companies that deliver packages to apartment complexes, The delivery company includes a delivery person who drives the vehicle and a first computer that manages the vehicle, the apartment complex includes a second computer that manages available parking locations for the vehicle within the premises of the apartment complex; When delivering to the apartment complex, the delivery person acquires information about the available parking location from the second computer, and then parks the vehicle in the available parking location; The first computer stores information that the vehicle has been parked in the available parking position. Parking location management system.

2. The first computer transmits to the second computer a scheduled time period during which the delivery person will make delivery; The parking location management system according to claim 1 , wherein the second computer determines the available parking locations based on the scheduled time period.

3. the apartment complex has a parking lot including a plurality of parking spaces for use by residents; The second computer Acquire resident parking data relating to the manner in which the resident uses the parking lot in advance; The parking location management system according to claim 2 , wherein one of the parking spaces included in the parking lot is determined as the available parking location based on the resident parking data and the scheduled time period.

4. The parking location management system of claim 3, wherein the second computer determines as the available parking location the parking space among the plurality of parking spaces included in the parking lot that is expected to have the lowest possibility of the delivery person and the resident colliding at the time of delivery.

5. the apartment complex includes an entrance gate that is locked to prevent unwanted vehicle entry; The parking location management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the delivery person has means for unlocking the entrance gate.

6. The parking location management system according to claim 5, wherein the second computer transmits information about the available parking locations to a mobile terminal owned by the delivery person when the delivery person unlocks the entrance gate.

7. The delivery company includes a first delivery company including a first deliverer, and a second delivery company that is a business entity different from the first delivery company and includes a second deliverer, 5. A parking location management system according to claim 1, wherein the second computer, after transmitting the information on the available parking locations to the first delivery person, can transmit the information on the available parking locations to the second delivery person so as to prevent the first delivery person and the second delivery person from conflicting with each other.

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