Information processing apparatus, map display method, and computer program

Abstract

To allow a user to grasp distribution of delivery destinations of loads to be delivered on a specific day.SOLUTION: The information processing apparatus includes a display unit and a processing unit configured to cause the display unit to display a map on which a layer indicating a distribution of delivery destinations of a plurality of packages to be delivered on a specific day by a user of the information processing apparatus is superimposed and displayed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent years, the spread of internet shopping has led to an increase in demand for logistics services, and an increase in the number of people (hereinafter referred to as "delivery personnel") engaged in delivery work, delivering parcels such as goods to designated destinations. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method of creating a delivery map that displays delivery routes, delivery locations that allow the order of delivery to be recognized, and stopping locations by referencing a delivery database that stores delivery information that associates undelivered goods with their delivery locations. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a method of performing an aggregation process that aggregates multiple facility data from loaded facility data when displaying a map, and drawing an aggregated facility icon that represents the aggregation result. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-078571 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-337041 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Although delivery people generally need to deliver approximately 70 to 150 packages per day, the number of deliveries varies depending on factors such as the size and nature of the packages, the delivery person's level of expertise, and the size of the delivery area. For this reason, there has been a demand for delivery people to know the distribution of destinations for packages to be delivered on a specific day (for example, the day of the delivery work). If the distribution of destinations for packages could be known, delivery people could determine an efficient delivery order by taking into account various factors such as traffic congestion and the availability of delivery lockers provided in apartment complexes for shared use by residents (delivery lockers may become full and unusable at later times). The technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not take such issues into consideration at all.

[0005] For this reason, it has been necessary for users to understand the distribution of destinations for packages to be delivered on a specific day. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve at least part of the above-mentioned problems, and can be realized in the following aspects.

[0007] (1) According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing device including a display unit and a processing unit that causes a user of the information processing device to display on the display unit a map on which a layer representing a distribution of destinations of a plurality of packages to be delivered on a specific day is superimposed.

[0008] According to this configuration, the processing unit causes the display unit to display a map on which a layer showing the distribution of destinations for multiple packages to be delivered on a specific day is superimposed. Therefore, by checking the map and the layer superimposed on the map, the user can grasp at a glance the distribution of destinations for packages to be delivered on a specific day. As a result, the user can determine an efficient delivery order by taking into account various factors, such as road congestion and the availability of shared delivery lockers installed in apartment buildings (delivery lockers may become full and unavailable at later times).

[0009] (2) In the information processing device of the above form, each of the packages includes information specifying the time period during which the package should be delivered, and the processing unit displays a first specification field along with the map on which the layer is superimposed, allowing the user to filter by the time period specified, and the layer may have content representing the distribution of delivery destinations on the specific day and during the time period specified by the first specification field. In delivery operations, "time zone designation," in which the recipient specifies the time zone during which the recipient will receive the package, is a widely used and important element. According to this configuration, the processing unit creates a layer that represents the distribution of delivery destinations on a specific day and during the time zone designated in the first designation field. Therefore, by designating a time zone using the first designation field, the user can grasp the distribution of delivery destinations for the designated time zone. As a result, the user can determine an efficient delivery order for each "time zone designation" of the package, taking into account various factors related to the distribution of the time zone.

[0010] (3) In the information processing device of the above form, the layer may be configured such that a color is assigned to each grid obtained by dividing a map into grids of a predetermined size according to the number of delivery destinations located within the grid. According to this configuration, the layer divides the map into grids of a predetermined size, and each grid is colored according to the number of delivery destinations located within that grid. This allows the user to see the detailed distribution of delivery destinations of packages, which is generally expressed in grid units that are finer than a diagram.

[0011] (4) In the information processing device of the above form, the layer may be configured such that, for each predetermined area on the map, a figure is arranged having at least one of a size corresponding to the number of delivery destinations located within the area and a color corresponding to the number of delivery destinations located within the area. According to this configuration, the layer is configured such that, for each predetermined area on the map, a graphic is arranged with a size corresponding to the number of delivery destinations located within that area and / or a color corresponding to the number of delivery destinations located within that area, allowing users to intuitively grasp the distribution of delivery destinations for packages from the graphic.

[0012] (5) In the information processing device of the above form, the processing unit may display a map with the layer superimposed on it on the display unit when predetermined display conditions are met, and when the display conditions are not met, may display a map with multiple delivery destination pins, which are markers representing the delivery destinations of the multiple packages, on the display unit instead of the map with the layer superimposed on it. According to this configuration, the processing unit displays a map with a layer superimposed on it on the display unit when the display condition is met, and displays a map with a delivery destination pin placed on it when the display condition is not met. Therefore, for example, if the display condition is set to "detection of a user operation," the map with a layer superimposed on it and the map with a delivery destination pin placed on it can be switched depending on the user's intention. For example, if the display condition is set to "map scale," the map with a layer superimposed on it and the map with a delivery destination pin placed on it can be switched depending on the user's change of the map scale.

[0013] (6) In the information processing device of the above aspect, the display condition may be whether or not a value of a denominator of a fraction indicating a scale of the map designated by the user is greater than a predetermined value. According to this configuration, the display condition is whether the denominator value of the fraction indicating the scale of the map specified by the user is greater than a predetermined value. Therefore, when the user specifies a wide-area map, the processing unit displays the map with the layer superimposed. Generally, when a user intends to check the distribution of package delivery destinations, the user is expected to display the wide-area map to get an overview. Therefore, according to this configuration, the map with the layer superimposed can be displayed by such an intuitive operation, thereby improving usability for the user.

[0014] (7) In the information processing device of the above form, the processing unit may automatically switch between a map on which the layer is superimposed and a map on which the multiple delivery destination pins are placed, depending on whether the display conditions are met. According to this configuration, the processing unit automatically switches between a map with a layer superimposed and a map with multiple delivery destination pins depending on whether the display conditions are met, thereby further improving usability for users.

[0015] The present invention can be realized in various forms, for example, in the form of an information processing device, a map display device, a delivery support device, a computer program for realizing the functions of each of these devices and a system including each of these devices, a server device for distributing the computer program, a non-transitory storage medium on which the computer program is stored, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a delivery support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a package information DB. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a processing procedure for delivery support processing. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a delivery destination pin screen. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a delivery destination distribution screen. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for generating layers. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the delivery destination distribution screen after changing the designation in the first designation field. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a delivery destination distribution screen according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for generating layers. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a delivery destination distribution screen according to the third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a delivery destination distribution screen according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a management screen according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a delivery support system according to a sixth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] A. First embodiment: FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a delivery support system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The delivery support system 1 is a system in which users are delivery personnel engaged in logistics operations, particularly delivery operations that deliver packages such as merchandise to designated destinations. The delivery support system 1 uses information about the packages (hereinafter simply referred to as "packages") that users are to deliver to support users in delivering their packages. In this embodiment, "narrow area" means that the denominator value of the fraction indicating the scale of the map is relatively small. Conversely, "wide area" means that the denominator value of the fraction indicating the scale of the map is relatively large.

[0018] The delivery support system 1 includes a server 10 and a user terminal 30. The server 10 is connected to the Internet INT by wired communication. The user terminal 30 is connected to the Internet INT by wireless communication via a communication carrier BS. The communication carrier BS includes a transmitting / receiving antenna, a wireless base station, and a switching center. In other words, the server 10 and the user terminal 30 can communicate with each other via the Internet INT.

[0019] The server 10 includes a CPU 110, a communication unit 120, a ROM / RAM 130, and a storage unit 140, and each unit is connected to one another by a bus (not shown).

[0020] The CPU 110 controls each part of the server 10 by loading a computer program stored in the ROM 130 into the RAM 130 and executing it. The CPU 110 also functions as a control unit 111. The control unit 111 cooperates with the user terminal 30 to execute the delivery support process described below. Details will be described later.

[0021] The communication unit 120 controls communication with other devices such as the user terminal 30 via a communication interface (not shown).

[0022] The storage unit 140 is configured with a hard disk, a flash memory, a memory card, etc. The storage unit 140 pre-stores a package information database 141, a map information database 142, and a building information database 143. In the following description, the databases will also be simply referred to as "DBs."

[0023] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the package information DB 141. For each user of the user terminal 30, the package information DB 141 stores information on packages to be delivered by that user on that day (hereinafter also referred to as "package information"). As shown in Fig. 2, each package information includes, for example, the following information a1 to a10. Note that information a1 to a10 is registered in advance prior to the delivery support process, and may be updated as needed during the delivery support process. (a1) Delivery address: Indicates the address of the delivery destination. (a2) Latitude and longitude of delivery destination: Indicates the latitude and longitude of the delivery destination. The latitude and longitude of the delivery destination may be omitted because they can be substituted with the delivery address. (a3) Presence or absence of a delivery box at the delivery destination: Indicates whether or not a delivery box exists at the delivery destination. (a4) Nameplate information / building / tenant information: Either information showing the nameplate of the delivery destination (for example, "Yamada" for non-apartment buildings, "101 Yamada" for apartment buildings, etc.), or information showing the building name and tenant name where the delivery destination is located (for example, "XYZ Building XX Restaurant" etc.). (a5) Remarks: Indicates important points to note regarding delivery. (a6) Time zone specification: This indicates the specified delivery time zone for each package. (a7) Availability of delivery box: Indicates whether or not a delivery box designated for each package can be used. (a8) Package status: Indicates the status of each package (for example, delivery, absence, redelivery, collection, cash on delivery, completion, etc.). (a9) Size information: Indicates the size of the package (small, medium, large, extra large, etc.) and the number of packages. (a10) Drop-off information: This may include whether drop-off is possible, the location of drop-off, and the conditions for drop-off (date, time, weather, etc.).

[0024] The package information may omit some of the above items, and may include other information not shown in the examples. While Fig. 2 shows an example of package information for a user A, the above package information for other users B, C, etc. is also stored in advance in the package information DB 141.

[0025] The map information DB 142 in FIG. 1 is a database that stores data representing map images. The data representing the map images includes information necessary for map display, such as the shape of topography, buildings, and roads. The building information DB 143 is a database that stores information about buildings (hereinafter also referred to as "building information"). The building information may include the name of the building, information representing the building's nameplate, the address (and / or latitude and longitude) of the building's location, information about the number of floors the building has, information about whether the building has a delivery box, etc. The building information DB 143 may be omitted.

[0026] Returning to Figure 1, the explanation will continue. The user terminal 30 can be configured as any device, such as a smartphone as shown in the figure, a personal computer, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, etc. The user terminal 30 includes a CPU 310, a communication unit 320, a ROM / RAM 330, a storage unit 340, an input / output unit 350, and a current position acquisition unit 360, and each unit is interconnected by a bus (not shown). The user terminal 30 corresponds to an "information processing device."

[0027] The CPU 310 controls each unit of the user terminal 30 by loading a computer program stored in the ROM 330 into the RAM 330 and executing it, and also functions as a processing unit 311. The processing unit 311 cooperates with the server 10 to execute the delivery support process described below. In the delivery support process, the processing unit 311 causes the input / output unit 350 to display a map on which a layer showing the distribution of delivery destinations for multiple packages that the user is to deliver on a specific day is superimposed. Details will be described later. The communication unit 320 controls communication with other devices such as the server 10 via a communication interface (not shown).

[0028] The storage unit 340 is composed of a hard disk, a flash memory, a memory card, etc. The input / output unit 350 is a variety of interfaces used for inputting and outputting information between the user terminal 30 and the user. Examples of the input / output unit 350 include a camera or a touch panel as an input unit, and a touch panel or LCD panel as a display unit (output unit). In this embodiment, a touch panel is exemplified as the display unit of the input / output unit 350. The current location acquisition unit 360 receives radio waves transmitted from artificial satellites constituting the Global Positioning System (GPS) or the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), and acquires current location information (latitude and longitude) indicating the current location of the user terminal 30. Here, since the user carries the user terminal 30, the current location acquired by the current location acquisition unit 360 can be considered the same as the user's current location.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing procedure of the delivery support process. In FIG. 3, the components of the user terminal 30 are enclosed in a dashed frame, and the user terminal 30 is simply referred to as "terminal 30." The delivery support process of this embodiment is a process that supports the user in delivering a package by using a package information DB 141, a map information DB 142, and a building information DB 143 that are prepared in advance. The delivery support process can be executed at any timing. In the example of FIG. 3, the delivery support process is executed in response to the launch of a predetermined application installed on the user terminal 30. The following description will be given using user A as an example. The server 10 also executes similar processing individually for users B, C, etc. Hereinafter, when it is necessary to particularly distinguish user A from other users, he will be referred to as "user A," and in other cases he will be simply referred to as "user."

[0030] In step S10, when a predetermined application is started, the processing unit 311 of the user terminal 30 transmits the user ID to the server 10. The user ID is an ID that is uniquely assigned to each user to distinguish them from one another.

[0031] In step S12, the control unit 111 of the server 10 searches the package information DB 141 using the user ID as a key, and acquires information on packages to be delivered by the user that day (package information, information a1 to a10). In step S14, the control unit 111 of the server 10 generates a series of data to be used for screen display on the user terminal 30. The series of data to be used for screen display will hereinafter also be referred to as "display data." In generating the display data, the control unit 111 refers to the map information DB 142 and the building information DB 143. In step S16, the control unit 111 of the server 10 transmits the generated display data and the package information acquired in step S12 to the user terminal 30.

[0032] In step S18, the processing unit 311 of the user terminal 30 uses the received display data to display a screen on the input / output unit 350. A series of screens displayed on the user terminal 30 using the display data will be described below. Note that the server 10 and the user terminal 30 may repeatedly execute the processes of steps S14 to S18 to realize the screen transitions described below.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the delivery destination pin screen W1. The delivery destination pin screen W1 is a screen that is initially displayed on the user terminal 30 in step S18 of FIG. 3. The delivery destination pin screen W1 includes a map, multiple pins P1 to P11 arranged on the map, buttons B1 to B7, and a distribution display button B11. The center position and scale of the map displayed on the delivery destination pin screen W1 can be determined arbitrarily. The delivery destination pin screen W1 may also include a current location symbol that indicates the user's current location. The map included in the delivery destination pin screen W1 in FIG. 4 corresponds to a "map on which multiple delivery destination pins are arranged."

[0034] Pins P1 to P11 are markers plotted on a map at locations corresponding to the delivery destinations of packages, and are equivalent to "delivery destination pins." Each pin is displayed in a different color according to the time period specified in the package information (information a6). Inside each pin is written a character indicating the package status (information a8) in the package information. Therefore, it can be said that each pin contains information on the time period specified and information on the package status. Furthermore, if there are multiple delivery destinations in one apartment building, as in the case of pins P1 and P6, a badge indicating the number corresponding to the number of delivery destinations is attached to the pin. The display manner of pins P1 to P11 is merely an example, and various modifications are possible.

[0035] Button B1 is a button for transitioning to the menu screen. On the menu screen, the user can confirm and change their personal settings (name, contact information, etc.) and the general settings of the application (various initial values, etc.). Button B2 is a button that displays the total number of packages that the user has to deliver that day. Tapping button B2 may transition to a package list screen that displays all package information for the packages that the user has to deliver that day in list format. Button B3 is a button for changing the scale of the map to a scale that fits all of the packages that the user has to deliver that day on one screen. For example, if button B2 displays "150" as the total number of packages, tapping button B3 will display a wide-area map on the delivery destination pin screen W1 with those 150 pins fitting on one screen.

[0036] Button B4 is a button for narrowing down (filtering) the pins to be displayed. Tapping button B4 launches a window for specifying filter conditions. Filter conditions can be, for example, a time period (information a6) or package status (information a8). After setting the filter conditions, the user taps the OK button on the window. As a result, only pins narrowed down by the specified conditions are displayed on the delivery destination pin screen W1. Button B5 is a button for switching between displaying and hiding pins on the map. Button B6 is a button for displaying a current location symbol PL indicating the user's current location and for changing the center position of the map so that the current location symbol PL is at the center of the map. Button B7 is a button for enlarging (by tapping +) or reducing (by tapping -) the scale of the map on the delivery destination pin screen W1.

[0037] In step S20 of Figure 3, the processing unit 311 of the user terminal 30 detects that the distribution display button B11 on the delivery destination pin screen W1 has been tapped. In step S22, the processing unit 311 of the user terminal 30 generates a layer representing the distribution of delivery destinations for multiple packages to be delivered on a specific day by a user of the user terminal 30 (e.g., user A). In step S24, the processing unit 311 of the user terminal 30 generates a delivery destination distribution screen W2 using the generated layer and displays the delivery destination distribution screen W2 on the input / output unit 350.

[0038] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the delivery destination distribution screen W2. The delivery destination distribution screen W2 is a screen displayed on the user terminal 30 in step S24 of Fig. 3. The delivery destination distribution screen W2 includes a distribution map W21, a first specification field W22, and buttons B21 and B22.

[0039] As shown in the speech bubble at the bottom of Figure 5, the distribution map W21 is a map MP with a layer L1 superimposed on it. The area represented by the layer L1 corresponds to the area represented by the map MP. The layer L1 divides the map MP into grids of a predetermined size, and each grid is colored according to the number of delivery destinations located within that grid. In this embodiment, the grid is a lattice-shaped area. The grid is not limited to a square, but can be any shape, such as a rectangle or hexagon. The colored grid is also referred to as a "color grid CG." In Figure 5, different colors in the color grid CG are represented by different shades of dot hatching. The button B21 is a button for closing the delivery destination distribution screen W2 and transitioning to the delivery destination pin screen W1 by tapping it. The button B22 is a button for enlarging (by tapping +) or reducing (by tapping -) the scale of the distribution map W21 in the delivery destination distribution screen W2.

[0040] The first specification field W22 includes a time display divided into sections corresponding to the time zone specification (information a6) of the package information, and a slider bar SB located below the time display. In the illustrated example, the initial position of the button B20 on the slider bar SB is AM (morning). This is because the delivery destination distribution screen W2 of FIG. 5 was launched in the morning. In other words, the initial position of the button B20 on the slider bar SB on the delivery destination distribution screen W2 is the position of the time display corresponding to the current time. The specification content of the first specification field W22 and the content of layer L1 of the distribution map W21 are linked. In other words, layer L1 of the distribution map W21 displays the distribution of delivery destinations for packages for the time zone specification specified in the first specification field W22.

[0041] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a method for generating layer L1. In step S22 of Fig. 3, processing unit 311 of user terminal 30 can generate layer L1 by the following steps b1 to b5. (b1) The processing unit 311 extracts package information for which the time zone designation (information a6) is specified by button B20 of the slider bar SB, and package information for which the time zone designation (information a6) is not specified, from the package information acquired from the server 10 in step S16 of FIG. 3. Note that extraction of package information for which the time zone designation is "not specified" may be omitted. Here, the package information acquired in step S16 of FIG. 3 is package information for all packages to be delivered by user A of the user terminal 30 on that day. "That day" means a specific day, i.e., the day on which delivery work is performed. In this way, in this embodiment, the specific day = that day (the day on which delivery work is performed) is set as the default value. (b2) The processing unit 311 calculates the scale and center point of a map that can fit all of the packages extracted in step b1 on one screen. At this time, the processing unit 311 uses the delivery address (information a1) or the latitude and longitude of the delivery destination (information a2) of the package information extracted in step b1. (b3) The processing unit 311 divides the map calculated in step b2 into grids of a predetermined size. At this time, the processing unit 311 may set the width WG and height HG of each grid to be constant, or may change them depending on the scale of the map calculated in step b2. (b4) The processing unit 311 counts the number of delivery destinations of packages located within each grid for each grid. (b5) The processing unit 311 assigns a color to each grid according to the number of delivery destinations counted in step b4, and colors the grid. Here, if the number of delivery destinations of the package located in the grid is 0, no color may be assigned, or the lightest color may be assigned. The color assignment in step b5 may be set by the user from a menu screen or the like.

[0042] In the example of FIG. 6, the processing unit 311 divides the map calculated in step b2 into n×m square grids (n and m are any natural numbers). Each grid is then colored according to the number of delivery destinations P of the packages located within that grid. For example, grids G12 and G1m, which have the fewest number of delivery destinations P, are colored with a color that is less visible than the other grids. For example, grid G22, which has the most number of delivery destinations P, is colored with a color that is more visible than the other grids. In FIG. 6, for convenience of illustration, the maximum number of delivery destinations within a grid is set to five, but in reality, the number may be greater. The other grids G11, Gn1, Gn2, etc. are also colored so that their visibility is proportional to the number of delivery destinations within the grid. Note that FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which the hue of each grid is different depending on the number of delivery destinations. However, while the same hue is used for each grid, one or more of the saturation, brightness, and transparency of each grid may be different depending on the number of delivery destinations.

[0043] In generating layer L1, the user may specify a specific date. In this case, for example, in step S10 of FIG. 3, the user terminal 30 transmits the date specifying the specific date specified by the user, and in step S12, the server 10 acquires package information for that date.

[0044] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the delivery destination distribution screen W2 after changing the designation in the first designation field W22. As shown in FIG. 7, the user taps button B20 in the first designation field W22 and then slides button B20 to the desired time display position. This changes layer L1 of the distribution map W21 to show the distribution of package delivery destinations on a specific day for the time period specified in the first designation field W22. Therefore, by sliding button B20 in the first designation field W22 and referring to the constantly changing distribution map W21, the user can quickly grasp the situation on that day, such as which areas have a high concentration of delivery destinations in the morning, which areas have a high concentration of delivery destinations between 12:00 and 2:00 PM, and which areas have a high concentration of delivery destinations between 2:00 and 4:00 PM.

[0045] As described above, when the processing unit 311 of the user terminal 30 detects a tap on the distribution display button B11 on the delivery destination pin screen W1 (FIG. 4), it displays the delivery destination distribution screen W2. In this case, the detection of a tap on the distribution display button B11 corresponds to a "predetermined display condition" for displaying the distribution map W21. This display condition is also referred to as display condition 1.

[0046] However, the processing unit 311 may adopt other conditions as the predetermined display conditions. For example, the processing unit 311 may display the delivery destination distribution screen W2 when the value of the denominator of the fraction indicating the map scale exceeds a predetermined value as a result of detecting multiple taps of the zoom-out button (- button) of the button B7 on the delivery destination pin screen W1 (FIG. 4). In this case, the fact that the value of the denominator of the fraction indicating the map scale exceeds a predetermined value corresponds to the "predetermined display condition" for displaying the distribution map W21. This display condition is also referred to as display condition 2. In this case, the distribution display button B11 may be omitted. In this case, the processing unit 311 displays the map MP with the layer L1 superimposed when the user specifies a wide-area map. Generally, when a user intends to check the distribution of delivery destinations, it is expected that the user will display a wide-area map to get an overview. Therefore, according to this modification, the map MP with the layer L1 superimposed can be displayed by such an intuitive operation, thereby improving usability for the user.

[0047] The processing unit 311 may execute either display condition 1 or display condition 2 alone, or may execute both. The processing unit 311 also executes the following process. When the processing unit 311 detects multiple taps on the enlargement button (+ button) of button B22 on the delivery destination distribution screen W2 (FIGS. 5 and 7), and the value of the denominator of the fraction indicating the scale of the map becomes smaller than a predetermined value, the processing unit 311 automatically transitions the screen from the delivery destination distribution screen W2 to the delivery destination pin screen W1. Note that this screen transition may be omitted.

[0048] As described above, according to the delivery support system 1 of the first embodiment, the processing unit 311 of the user terminal 30 causes the input / output unit 350 to display a map MP (i.e., a distribution map W21) on which a layer L1 showing the distribution of destinations of multiple packages to be delivered to the user of the user terminal 30 on a specific day is superimposed. Therefore, by checking the map MP and the layer L1 superimposed on the map MP, the user can grasp at a glance the distribution of destinations of packages to be delivered on a specific day. As a result, the user can determine an efficient delivery order based on the distribution, taking into account various factors such as road congestion and the availability of shared delivery boxes installed in apartment buildings (delivery boxes may become full and unavailable at later times).

[0049] In delivery operations, "time zone designation," in which the recipient specifies the time zone for receiving the package, is a widely used and important element. According to the delivery support system 1 of the first embodiment, the processing unit 311 of the user terminal 30 sets the layer L1 to contain content representing the distribution of delivery destinations on a specific day and for the time zone designated in the first designation field W22. Therefore, by designating a time zone using the first designation field W22, the user can grasp the distribution of delivery destinations for the designated time zone. As a result, the user can determine an efficient delivery order for each "time zone designation" of the package, taking into account various factors related to the distribution of the time zone.

[0050] Furthermore, according to the delivery support system 1 of the first embodiment, the layer L1 divides the map MP into grids of a predetermined size, and each grid G11 to Gnm is colored according to the number of delivery destinations located within that grid (FIG. 6). This allows the user to see the detailed distribution of delivery destinations of packages, which is generally expressed in grid units that are finer than a diagram.

[0051] Furthermore, according to the delivery support system 1 of the first embodiment, the processing unit 311 of the user terminal 30 displays a map MP with the layer L1 superimposed on it on the input / output unit 350 when the display conditions are met ( FIG. 5 : delivery destination distribution screen W2), and displays a map with the delivery destination pins P1-P11 arranged on it on the input / output unit 350 when the display conditions are not met ( FIG. 4 : delivery destination pin screen W1). Therefore, for example, if the display condition is set to "detection of a user operation" such as tapping the distribution display button B11, the map MP with the layer L1 superimposed on it and the map with the delivery destination pins P1-P11 arranged can be switched according to the user's intention. For example, if the display condition is set to "map scale," the map MP with the layer L1 superimposed on it and the map with the delivery destination pins P1-P11 arranged can be switched according to the user's change of the map scale using button B7 or button B22.

[0052] Furthermore, according to the delivery support system 1 of the first embodiment, the processing unit 311 of the user terminal 30 automatically switches between a map MP with layer L1 superimposed (FIG. 5: delivery destination distribution screen W2) and a map with multiple delivery destination pins P1 to P11 arranged (FIG. 4: delivery destination pin screen W1) depending on whether the display conditions are met. This further improves usability for users.

[0053] B. Second embodiment: FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a delivery destination distribution screen W2A of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, a configuration in which the content and generation method of layers are different will be described. The delivery support system 1A of the second embodiment includes a user terminal 30A instead of the user terminal 30 in the configuration described in the first embodiment. In step S24 of FIG. 3, the user terminal 30A displays the delivery destination distribution screen W2A shown in FIG. 8 on the input / output unit 350.

[0054] As shown in the balloon at the bottom of Figure 8, the delivery destination distribution screen W2A differs from the first embodiment in that the distribution map W21A is composed of a layer L2 and a map MP. Layer L2 is a configuration in which, for each predetermined area on the map MP, figures C11, C12, and C13 are arranged, each having a size corresponding to the number of delivery destinations located within that area and a color corresponding to the number of delivery destinations located within that area. In this embodiment, figures C11, C12, and C13 are circular. However, the figures are not limited to circles and can be any shape, such as a square or hexagon. The figures may also be irregular, such as a cloud.

[0055] Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating a method for generating the layer L2. In the second embodiment, in step S22 of Fig. 3, the processing unit 311 of the user terminal 30A can generate the layer L2 by the following steps c1 to c7. (c1) The same as step b1 in the first embodiment. (c2) The same as step b2 in the first embodiment. (c3) This is the same as step b3 in the first embodiment. Note that, for the sake of convenience in explaining step c4 and subsequent steps, only 4 × 4 = 16 grids are shown in Fig. 9. However, in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the processing unit 311 divides the map calculated in step b2 into n × m grids (n and m are any natural numbers). (c4) The processing unit 311 counts the number of delivery destinations of packages located within each grid for all grids, and extracts grids with a predetermined number or more of delivery destinations. The processing unit 311 designates the grid extracted in this procedure as the "reference grid SG." In the illustrated example, the predetermined number is 5. The predetermined number may be set arbitrarily, and may be set and changeable by the user. (c5) The processing unit 311 determines a range grid RG that is centered on the reference grid SG set in step c4 and is made up of eight grids adjacent to the reference grid SG. (c6) The processing unit 311 counts the number of delivery destinations of packages located within the range grid RG. Based on the counting result, the processing unit 311 determines the size and color of a graphic C11 to be added to the range grid RG. The size of the graphic C11 is preferably equal to or smaller than the size of the range grid RG. The processing unit 311 places a graphic having the determined size and color on the layer L2, with the reference grid SG as its center. Note that in this procedure, the processing unit 311 may determine only one of the size or color of the graphic C11, and leave the other as a fixed value. (c7) The processing unit 311 executes steps c5 and c6 for all the reference grids SG extracted in step c4, thereby completing the layer L2.

[0056] In the example of FIG. 9, the processing unit 311 determines the range grid RG (G11, G12, G13, G21, G22, G23, G31, G32, G33) based on the reference grid SG (G22) extracted in step c4. Then, the processing unit 311 sets the color and size of the figure C11 according to the number of delivery destinations P of the package located within the range grid RG. For example, if the number of delivery destinations P is relatively large, the processing unit 311 increases the diameter of the figure C11 and darkens the color of the center of the figure C11. In this way, the figure C11 may be displayed with a gradation that differs in one or more of hue, saturation, brightness, and transparency.

[0057] In step c5, the processing unit 311 may ignore grids G14, G34, and G41 that are not included in the range grid RG but contain the delivery destination of the package. Furthermore, for grids G14, G34, and G41 that are not included in the range grid RG but contain the delivery destination of the package, the processing unit 311 may place a relatively small and / or colored figure with relatively low visibility on layer L1. In this case, if a large figure C11 and a small figure are located on adjacent grids, the processing unit 311 may combine these figures. The combined figure has an outline resembling, for example, a gourd.

[0058] In this way, the layer L2 using the graphic may be superimposed on the map MP. In this second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved. Furthermore, according to the delivery support system 1A of the second embodiment, the layer L2 is configured such that, for each predetermined area RG on the map MP, graphic elements C11, C12, and C13 are arranged, each having a size corresponding to the number of delivery destinations located within that area RG and / or a color corresponding to the number of delivery destinations located within that area RG (FIGS. 8 and 9). This allows the user to intuitively grasp the distribution of delivery destinations for packages from the graphic elements C11, C12, and C13.

[0059] C. Third embodiment: FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the delivery destination distribution screen W2B of the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, a configuration in which the content of the first specification field W22B is different will be described. The delivery support system 1B of the third embodiment has a user terminal 30B instead of the user terminal 30 in the configuration described in the first embodiment. In step S24 of FIG. 3, the user terminal 30B displays the delivery destination distribution screen W2B shown in FIG. 10 on the input / output unit 350.

[0060] The delivery destination distribution screen W2B differs from the first embodiment in that it has a first designation field W22B instead of the first designation field W22. In addition to the configuration described in the first embodiment, the first designation field W22B further has a no designation checkbox B23. The user terminal 30B executes either of the following steps b1A or b2A instead of step b1 in the first embodiment. Steps b2 to b5 are the same as in the first embodiment. (b1A) If the No Designation checkbox B23 is checked, the processing unit 311 extracts from the package information obtained from the server 10 in step S16 of Figure 3 package information for which the time zone designation (information a6) is specified by button B20 of the slider bar SB, and package information for which the time zone designation (information a6) is not specified. (b1B) If the No Designation checkbox B23 is not checked, the processing unit 311 extracts only the luggage information for the time period specified by the button B20 of the slider bar SB from the luggage information obtained from the server 10 in step S16 of Figure 3, where the time period designation (information a6) is the time period specified by the button B20 of the slider bar SB.

[0061] As a result, when the No Designation checkbox B23 is checked, the distribution map W21 on the delivery destination distribution screen W2B displays the distribution of delivery destinations for packages for the time period specified with the button B20 and packages for which no time period is designated. On the other hand, when the No Designation checkbox B23 is not checked, the distribution map W21 on the delivery destination distribution screen W2B only displays the distribution of delivery destinations for packages for the time period specified with the button B20.

[0062] In this way, the first specification field W22B may be configured so that the user can specify whether or not to display the distribution of delivery destinations for packages without a time zone specification. Additionally, the slider bar SB in the first specification field W22B may include a time display such as "All on the Day." In this case, the processing unit 311 may acquire all of the package information acquired from the server 10 in step S16 of FIG. 3 through procedure b1. This third embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the first embodiment described above, while further improving usability for users.

[0063] D. Fourth embodiment: FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a delivery destination distribution screen W2C according to the fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, a configuration in which the delivery destination distribution screen W2C does not have the first specification field W22 will be described. The delivery support system 1C according to the fourth embodiment includes a user terminal 30C instead of the user terminal 30 in the configuration described in the first embodiment. In step S24 of FIG. 3, the user terminal 30C displays the delivery destination distribution screen W2C shown in FIG. 11 on the input / output unit 350.

[0064] The delivery destination distribution screen W2C does not have the first specification field W22 described in the first embodiment. The only difference from the first embodiment is that the processing unit 311 of the user terminal 30C, in step b1, does not consider the time period specification (information a6) in step S16 of Figure 3, and acquires all of the package information acquired from the server 10. Even with this delivery destination distribution screen W2C, the user can understand the distribution of package destinations on a specific day (i.e., the day on which delivery work is performed) by using the distribution map W21.

[0065] In this way, the delivery destination distribution screen W2C may be configured without the time zone filter. In this fourth embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved, and the configuration of the delivery support system 1C can be simplified.

[0066] E. Fifth embodiment: FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a management screen W100 of the fifth embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, a configuration will be described in which a distribution map W21D can be referenced by a user of the server 10D (i.e., a manager of a delivery center). The delivery support system 1D of the fifth embodiment includes a server 10D instead of the server 10 in the configuration described in the third embodiment. The control unit 111 of the server 10D causes the input / output unit 150 to display the management screen W100 shown in FIG. 12 in response to a predetermined trigger. An example of the predetermined trigger is the execution of an application installed on the server 10D.

[0067] The management screen W100 is a screen displayed on the input / output unit 150 of the server 10D. The management screen W100 includes a distribution map W21D, a first specification field W22D, a list of responsible parties W102, a package list W103, details W104, and a button B22. The distribution map W21D is a map that displays the distribution of package delivery destinations according to the conditions specified in the first specification field W22D.

[0068] In addition to the configuration described in the third embodiment, the first designation field W22D further includes a person-in-charge designation section PS. The person-in-charge designation section PS includes check boxes for designating all persons in charge and check boxes for designating each of the delivery persons A to F belonging to the distribution center. A user of the server 10D can designate the person in charge who wishes to view information on the distribution map W21D by checking the person-in-charge designation section PS. The control unit 111 of the server 10D extracts package information from the package information DB 141 after adding the condition that the person in charge is designated in the person-in-charge designation section PS in steps b1A and b1B described in the third embodiment. The control unit 111 then executes steps b2 to b5 described in the first embodiment to generate layers and generate the distribution map W21D. The distribution map W21D may also be overlaid with the movement history (movement trajectory) of each delivery person. A symbol representing the current location of each delivery person may also be overlaid with the distribution map W21D.

[0069] The person in charge list W102 is a screen for displaying information about delivery people managed by the server 10D. The package list W103 is a screen for displaying a list of packages to be delivered that day at the delivery center. The details W104 is a screen for displaying package information (package information: information a1 to a10) for one package or a predetermined number of packages selected in the package list W103.

[0070] In this way, the distribution map W21D may be configured to be referable to the user of the server 10D (i.e., the manager of the delivery center). In the fifth embodiment, the same effects as those of the first and third embodiments can be achieved, and usability for the user of the server 10D can also be improved.

[0071] F. Sixth embodiment: 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a delivery support system 1E of the sixth embodiment. The delivery support system 1E of the sixth embodiment includes a user terminal 30E instead of the user terminal 30, and does not include a server 10. The user terminal 30E of the sixth embodiment executes delivery support processing without collaborating with the server 10.

[0072] 3, the processing unit 311E of the user terminal 30E executes steps S10 to S16. In other words, the processing unit 311E executes the same functions as the control unit 111 described in the first embodiment. The storage unit 340E of the user terminal 30E stores a package information DB 341, a map information DB 342, and a building information DB 343. The package information DB 341 is similar to the package information DB 141 described in the first embodiment, the map information DB 342 is similar to the map information DB 142 described in the first embodiment, and the building information DB 343 is similar to the building information DB 143 described in the first embodiment.

[0073] As described above, the configuration of the delivery support system 1E can be modified in various ways, and may be configured as a single user terminal 30E. At least a portion of the package information DB 341, map information DB 342, and building information DB 343 may be stored in an external data server. In this case, the processing unit 311E simply connects to the data server each time in FIG. 3 to obtain the necessary data. The delivery support system 1E of this sixth embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the first embodiment described above.

[0074] G. Variations: In the above embodiment, a part of the configuration realized by hardware may be replaced by software, and conversely, a part of the configuration realized by software may be replaced by hardware. In addition, the following modifications are also possible.

[0075] Variation 1: Although the above embodiment shows an example of the configuration of the delivery support system, the server, and the user terminal, any configuration may be adopted for each device.

[0076] For example, the server 10 and the user terminal 30 may be configured as devices that only acquire package information and provide information on the delivery destination. In other words, the server 10 and the user terminal 30 may not have a function to support package delivery (such as a display support function when tapping buttons B3 to B6 on the delivery destination pin screen W1, or a navigation function from the current location to the delivery destination).

[0077] For example, at least one of the package information DB 141, map information DB 142, and building information DB 143 of the server 10 may be stored in the user terminal 30 or an external server connected via the Internet INT. For example, the configurations of the package information DB 141, map information DB 142, and building information DB 143 described above are merely examples, and some of the illustrated information may be omitted, other information not illustrated may be included, or the DBs may be stored in multiple databases. For example, each of the above-described screens may be output to a display unit connected to the user terminal 30 via a network, rather than to the input / output unit 350 provided in the user terminal 30.

[0078] Variation 2: In the above embodiment, the delivery support process (FIG. 3) has been described using an example of a processing procedure. However, these processing procedures can be modified in various ways, and the processing content of each step may be added, omitted, or changed, and the execution order of each step may be changed.

[0079] For example, the display conditions in step S20 in FIG. 3 are not limited to the above-described display condition 1 (detection of a tap on the distribution display button B11) and display condition 2 (the value of the denominator of the fraction indicating the scale of the map being greater than a predetermined value), and various modifications are possible. For example, a predetermined motion input on the screen or a voice input of a predetermined command may be adopted as a display condition. Furthermore, a user may be able to set the display conditions on a menu screen that is displayed by tapping button B1. In this way, for example, users A, B, and C can each set an operation that is easy for each user to use as a display condition.

[0080] Variation 3: In the above embodiment, an example of the screen configuration and screen transitions was described for various screens displayed on the user terminal 30. However, these screen configurations and screen transitions can be modified in various ways, and items to be arranged on each screen may be added, omitted, or changed, and the transition order of each screen may be changed.

[0081] For example, the delivery destination distribution screen W2 may omit all or at least some of the items. For example, at least one of the buttons B21 and B22 may be omitted. For example, the delivery destination distribution screen W2 in its initial state may display a distribution map W21 for a preset time period (e.g., AM) and a first designation field W22. For example, the delivery destination distribution screen W2 in its initial state may display the distribution map W21 for all of that day and the first designation field W22. For example, the first designation field W22 may be configured to be foldable. This allows the display area of ​​the distribution map W21 to be increased. The same applies to the management screen W100.

[0082] For example, the delivery destination distribution screen W2 may be switchable between a mode in which the layer L1 and the map MP are superimposed (FIG. 5) and a mode in which the layer L2 and the map MP are superimposed (FIG. 8). The delivery destination distribution screen W2 may be provided with a switch button for switching between the mode of FIG. 5 and the mode of FIG. 8. The menu screen may also be configured so that it is possible to set in advance which mode to adopt. By making it possible to switch between the mode of FIG. 5 and the mode of FIG. 8, it is possible to provide a distribution map W21 with a display mode that suits the user's preference. The same applies to the management screen W100.

[0083] For example, a layer L1 or L2 showing the distribution of package delivery destinations may be superimposed on the map of the delivery destination pin screen W1. In this case, the user terminal 30 displays both the delivery destination pins P1 to P11 and the layer L1 or L2 on the map. This also applies to the management screen W100. For example, the automatic screen transition between the delivery destination pin screen W1 and the delivery destination distribution screen W2 based on whether or not display condition 2 (the value of the denominator of the fraction indicating the scale of the map is greater than a predetermined value) is satisfied may be omitted.

[0084] In the first embodiment, an example was described in which package information for a time period specified by the button B20 of the slider bar SB and package information for which the time period designation (information a6) is not specified are extracted. In the third embodiment, an example was described in which the No Designation check box B23 is provided. However, only package information for which the time period designation (information a6) is not specified may be extracted, and layer L1 and layer L2 may be generated using only the no-designation package information. In this case, for example, in the configuration of the first embodiment, a time display for "No Designation" may be provided on the slider bar SB. In addition, in the configuration of the third embodiment, the slider bar SB and the No Designation check box B23 may be displayed in a mutually exclusive manner (a display mode in which only one of them can be selected). In this way, the user can grasp the distribution of only package information for which no time period designation is specified, thereby further improving usability for the user.

[0085] Variation 4: The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, examples, and modifications, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the technical features in the embodiments, examples, and modifications corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate.

[0086] For example, the first to sixth embodiments and modifications 1 to 3 described above may be combined as appropriate. For example, the distribution map W21 described in any of the first, second, and fourth embodiments may be realized on the management screen W100 of the fifth embodiment. For example, the layer L2 of the second embodiment may be combined with the first specification field W22B of the third embodiment. For example, the layer L2 of the third embodiment may be combined with the configuration of the fourth embodiment that does not have the first specification field W22. For example, the user terminal 30 of the second to fourth embodiments may be configured as a single user terminal 30 described in the sixth embodiment.

[0087] The present invention can also be realized in the following forms. [Application example 1] An information processing device, A display unit; a processing unit that causes the display unit to display a map on which a layer representing a distribution of destinations of a plurality of packages to be delivered on a specific day is superimposed; and An information processing device comprising: [Application example 2] The information processing device according to Application Example 1, Each of the packages includes information specifying a time period during which the package should be delivered, The processing unit displaying a first specification field for the user to apply a filter by specifying the time period together with the map on which the layer is superimposed; An information processing device in which the layer has content representing the distribution of the delivery destinations on the specific day and during the time period specified in the first specification field. [Application example 3] The information processing device according to Application Example 1 or Application Example 2, The layer is an information processing device in which a map is divided into grids of a predetermined size, and each grid is colored according to the number of delivery destinations located within that grid. [Application example 4] The information processing device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 3, The information processing device is configured such that, for each specified area on a map, a figure is arranged, the figure having at least one of a size corresponding to the number of delivery destinations located within the area and a color corresponding to the number of delivery destinations located within the area. [Application example 5] The information processing device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 4, The processing unit When a predetermined display condition is satisfied, the map on which the layer is superimposed is displayed on the display unit; When the display conditions are not met, the information processing device displays on the display unit a map on which multiple delivery destination pins, which are markers representing the delivery destinations of the multiple packages, are placed, instead of the map on which the layer is superimposed. [Application Example 6] The information processing device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 5, The information processing device, wherein the display condition is whether or not a value of a denominator of a fraction indicating a scale of the map specified by the user is greater than a predetermined value. [Application Example 7] The information processing device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 6, The processing unit automatically switches between a map on which the layer is superimposed and a map on which the plurality of delivery destination pins are arranged, depending on whether the display conditions are satisfied. [Application Example 8] A map display method, comprising: A map display method comprising a processing step in which a user of the information processing device causes the display unit to display a map on which a layer showing the distribution of delivery destinations of multiple packages to be delivered on a specific day is superimposed. [Application Example 9] A computer program that is installed in an information processing device connected to a display unit, A computer program that causes a user of the information processing device to execute a processing function of displaying on the display unit a map on which a layer showing the distribution of destinations of multiple packages to be delivered on a specific day is superimposed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1, 1A~1E...Delivery support system 10,10D...Server 30, 30A to 30E...User terminal 110...CPU 111...Control unit 120…Communications Department 130...ROM / RAM 140...Storage section 141...Baggage information database 142...Map information database 143...Building information database 150…Input / output section 310...CPU 311, 311E...Processing section 320…Communications Department 330...ROM / RAM 340,340E…Storage section 350…Input / output section 360…Current position acquisition unit

Claims

1. An information processing device, A display unit; a processing unit that causes the display unit to display a map on which a layer representing a distribution of destinations of a plurality of packages to be delivered on a specific day is superimposed; and An information processing device comprising:

2. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, Each of the packages includes information specifying a time period during which the package should be delivered, The processing unit displaying a first specification field for the user to apply a filter by specifying the time period together with the map on which the layer is superimposed; An information processing device in which the layer has content representing the distribution of the delivery destinations on the specific day and during the time period specified in the first specification field.

3. 3. The information processing device according to claim 2, The layer is an information processing device in which a map is divided into grids of a predetermined size, and each grid is colored according to the number of delivery destinations located within that grid.

4. 3. The information processing device according to claim 2, The information processing device is configured such that, for each specified area on a map, a figure is arranged, the figure having at least one of a size corresponding to the number of delivery destinations located within the area and a color corresponding to the number of delivery destinations located within the area.

5. 5. The information processing device according to claim 1, The processing unit When a predetermined display condition is satisfied, the map on which the layer is superimposed is displayed on the display unit; When the display conditions are not met, the information processing device displays on the display unit a map on which multiple delivery destination pins, which are markers representing the delivery destinations of the multiple packages, are placed, instead of the map on which the layer is superimposed.

6. 6. The information processing device according to claim 5, The information processing device, wherein the display condition is whether or not a value of a denominator of a fraction indicating a scale of the map specified by the user is greater than a predetermined value.

7. 7. The information processing device according to claim 6, The processing unit automatically switches between a map on which the layer is superimposed and a map on which the plurality of delivery destination pins are arranged, depending on whether the display conditions are satisfied.

8. A map display method, comprising: A map display method comprising a processing step in which a user of the information processing device causes the display unit to display a map on which a layer showing the distribution of delivery destinations of multiple packages to be delivered on a specific day is superimposed.

9. A computer program that is installed in an information processing device connected to a display unit, A computer program that causes a user of the information processing device to execute a processing function of displaying on the display unit a map on which a layer showing the distribution of destinations of multiple packages to be delivered on a specific day is superimposed.

Images