Transportation management system and vehicle management system

Abstract

We provide a transport management system that enables efficient inspection of the unique characteristics of numerous transported items, and a vehicle management system that utilizes this system. [Solution] The system includes a file server 50 capable of pre-registering transport information and transport images related to transported goods, a branch field terminal 20 connected to the file server 50 via a network N, capable of capturing images at a specified position P in the transport image 60, and registering the captured image 70 associated with the specified position P to the file server 50, and an administrator terminal connected to the file server 50 via a network N, capable of downloading transport information, transport images 60 and captured images 70 from the file server 50 and displaying them on display units 34 and 44, and displaying the captured image 70 of the specified position P by selecting the specified position P on the transport image 60 displayed on the display units 34 and 44.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transported object management system and a management system for managing a vehicle that transports using the transported object management system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when managing a transported object such as a vehicle, inspections of the transported object are carried out before and after transportation to manage whether damage or the like has occurred during transportation. For example, in Patent Document 1, there are steps of inspecting the condition of an article at a first inspection point and writing it as first inspection data in a first inspection PDA, transferring the first inspection data from the first inspection PDA to an integration computer and integrating it, transferring the first inspection data from the integration computer to a second inspection PDA, inspecting the condition of the article at a second inspection point and adding and writing it as second inspection data to the second inspection PDA in which the first inspection data is written, and transferring the data in which the second inspection data is added and written from the second inspection PDA to a comparison computer and integrating it as comparison data. An article inspection system including these steps has been proposed. In this system, inspections of the article are carried out at different times during storage and transfer, and the inspection is carried out by writing the data of the inspection results at each time to an integration computer and comparing them.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In conventional systems for managing transported goods, when the goods were used cars, at each inspection point, on-site personnel would physically inspect the vehicle and input its unique characteristics, such as the extent of damage, the presence or absence of accessories, and other details, using a portable mobile computer or PDA. For example, damage was described using terms such as "Scratch," "Scoring," "Sm Dent," "Dent," "Broken," "Paint," and "Missing," and then written to a designated computer for comparison.

[0005] However, the unique characteristics of each transported item, such as damage, vary widely in terms of location, shape, type, extent, and size, and are all different for each item. Therefore, conventional transported item management systems that classify and systematize the unique characteristics of each transported item also record each unique characteristic of the transported item as an image.

[0006] However, when managing a very large number of transported items, managing the recording of captured images and conducting inspections using a system that manages the transported items is time-consuming for the site, the manager, and the client, and there was a strong need for a system that could improve work efficiency.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a transport management system that can efficiently perform inspections of the unique characteristics of each of the numerous transported items, and a vehicle management system that uses this system, in order to solve the above problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The transport management system that solves the above problems comprises: a file server capable of pre-registering transport information and transport images related to transported goods; a field terminal connected to the file server via a network, capable of specifying and capturing a designated location in the transport image, and registering the captured image to the file server in association with the specified location; and an administrator terminal connected to the file server via a network, capable of downloading transport information, transport images, and captured images from the file server and displaying them on a display unit, and capable of displaying an captured image of a specified location by selecting a designated location on the transport image displayed on the display unit.

[0009] According to the transport management system of the present invention, images of transported items are pre-registered in a file server prior to transport, and on-site terminals can specify and capture images of designated locations within those transported item images. These captured images can then be registered in the file server, linked to the designated locations. Therefore, even with a large number of transported items, on-site terminals can efficiently register images of each designated location within the numerous transported items to the file server. The administrator terminal can download and display the transport information, transport images, and captured images registered on the file server. By selecting a specific location on the displayed transport image, the captured image of that location can be displayed, allowing the administrator terminal to efficiently and reliably check captured images for each specified location on a large number of transport items. Therefore, it is possible to provide a transport management system that enables efficient inspection of the unique characteristics of numerous transported items.

[0010] In the transported goods management system of the present invention, it is preferable that the field terminal can download transported goods images from a file server and display them on the display unit, and also specify a designated position on the transported goods image displayed on the display unit. In this way, the field terminal can download and display transported goods images from a file server, and capture images by specifying a designated position on these transported goods images, so that the field terminal can capture and register images of each designated position on a large number of transported goods with greater work efficiency.

[0011] In the transported goods management system of the present invention, the administrator terminal can change the designated position on the transported goods image displayed on the display unit, and the changed designated position is registered in the file server. In this way, the administrator terminal can change the designated position on the transported goods image and register the changed designated position, so that images captured with, for example, an unintended designated position by the inspector at the field terminal can be easily corrected to an appropriate position by the administrator terminal.

[0012] In the transported goods management system of the present invention, the client terminal is connected to a file server via a network, and transported goods information, transported goods images, and captured images can be downloaded from the file server and displayed on the display unit of the client terminal. The client terminal can then select a specified location on the transported goods image displayed on the display unit to display the captured image of that specified location. Therefore, the client who requested the inspection of transported goods can download the transported goods image from the file server using their terminal and display it. By specifying a location on this transported goods image, they can confirm the captured image as the actual state of the transported goods. This allows for efficient visual confirmation of captured images of each specified location for a large number of transported goods.

[0013] In this case, the administrator terminal should have a public processing unit that restricts the modification of the specified location and captured images registered on the file server, and allows the download of the transported goods information, transported goods images, and captured images registered on the file server to each terminal. This ensures that the requesting terminal cannot download the specified location and captured images captured by the field terminal until the public processing unit of the administrator terminal has restricted their modification. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the specified location or captured images from being changed after the requesting terminal has viewed and confirmed the captured images of the specified location, thereby ensuring the reliability of the captured images of the specified location. This makes it possible to share information with relevant parties while ensuring the reliability of the captured images of the specified location, regardless of, for example, the distance the transported goods travel or the time the transported goods are managed.

[0014] In the transport management system of the present invention, the administrator terminal may include a headquarters administrator terminal and multiple branch administrator terminals installed in multiple different branches. This allows the use of multiple branch administrator terminals to display and confirm transport information, transport images, and captured images related to transported goods from each branch, as well as to change designated locations and captured images. Since these can be centrally managed by the headquarters administrator terminal, the efficiency of management work is improved.

[0015] In the transport management system of the present invention, the administrator terminal comprises a headquarters administrator terminal and a plurality of branch administrator terminals installed in multiple different branches, and it is preferable that the headquarters administrator terminal and the headquarters administrator terminal among the branch administrator terminals have a public processing unit. In this way, multiple branch administrator terminals can display and verify information about goods transported from each branch, as well as images of the goods and captured images, and modify designated locations and captured images. The headquarters administrator terminal can then perform a public processing that allows downloading of this information, images, and captured images to each terminal, making it easier for the headquarters administrator terminal to manage the entire system centrally.

[0016] In the cargo management system of the present invention, cargo information and images for multiple cargo items are pre-registered in the file server, with each cargo item assigned an identification number. Field terminals, administrator terminals, and client terminals can then display the cargo information and images for each cargo item using the identification number. This facilitates the management of cargo information, cargo images, and captured images for each cargo item.

[0017] In the transport management system of the present invention, transport images are preferably registered in the file server by selectively selecting from a plurality of schematic diagrams pre-stored in the file server. This allows for efficient preparation work, as fewer transport images need to be prepared in advance on the file server for a large number of transport items.

[0018] In the conveyance object management system of the present invention, the designated position is indicated by an icon on the conveyance object image displayed on each display unit, and the icon preferably includes information regarding the imaging image. In this way, since the designated position and the information regarding the imaging image are displayed by the icon on the conveyance object image, a part of the outline can be grasped without displaying the imaging image, and thus the confirmation work for each conveyance object can be performed more efficiently.

[0019] The vehicle management system of the present invention that solves the above problems is a vehicle management system using these conveyance object management systems, wherein the conveyance object is a vehicle, the conveyance object image is an image showing the vehicle, and the imaging image is a photograph of a recording target existing in the vehicle. According to the vehicle management system of the present invention, it is possible to easily and surely confirm whether the recording target existing in the vehicle after being transported has existed since before transportation or has changed its state after the start of transportation, so that it is possible to easily and surely perform certification during vehicle transportation.

[0020] In the vehicle management system of the present invention, a plurality of schematic diagrams commonly used for each vehicle type are stored in advance in a file server as the conveyance object image, and can be registered in the file server by selectively selecting from the plurality of schematic diagrams. In this way, the preparation work for the conveyance object image can be easily performed.

[0021] In the vehicle management system of the present invention, the designated position is indicated by an icon on the conveyance object image displayed on each display unit, and the icon preferably includes information regarding the recording content of the recording target. Thereby, since the recording target and the information regarding its recording content are displayed by the icon on the conveyance object image, the confirmation work for each vehicle can be performed more efficiently.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram for explaining the vehicle management system in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram of the vehicle management system in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3]An example of a vehicle image in an embodiment of the present invention is shown. (a) shows a sedan, and (b) shows a one-box. [Figure 4] In the vehicle images displayed on each display unit in the vehicle management system in an embodiment of the present invention, a diagram showing an example in which a designated position is indicated by an icon. [Figure 5] A diagram showing an example of a photograph of each designated position in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] A flowchart of a vehicle management system in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] A diagram showing an example of a vehicle list registered in a file server of a vehicle management system in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] A diagram showing a state in which a vehicle image and an icon are displayed on a display unit in a field terminal of a vehicle management system in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] A diagram showing a display unit when an imaging unit is activated in a field terminal of a vehicle management system in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] A diagram showing an example of a display screen registered in a file server of a vehicle management system in an embodiment of the present invention and displayed on a display unit of an administrator terminal.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the schematic configuration of the cargo management system of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is its schematic block diagram. This embodiment is an example in which a cargo management system is used as a vehicle management system, and is a system for managing a large number of used cars as cargo when transporting them by ship from a plurality of ports of call to a predetermined destination. In this system, information is registered for the recording targets existing before transportation for each vehicle, and by comparing and checking with the information registered after transportation, it is possible to manage whether or not the state of the recording target has changed during transportation.

[0024] Here, "items to be recorded in a vehicle" include parts or components that require current recording. These parts or components that require current recording may be those predetermined as items requiring recording, or they may be those that the inspector or other personnel deem necessary to record for various reasons during the inspection. Examples of items to be recorded include damaged parts in the vehicle, exterior parts of the vehicle, interior parts of the vehicle, and vehicle accessories such as attached cables. Furthermore, information about the object to be recorded may include various types of information, such as the location of the object to be recorded or the type of content to be recorded.

[0025] The vehicle management system, which is a cargo management system in this embodiment, is constructed by connecting a requester terminal 10 used by a requester such as a shipping company that requests inspection during transport, multiple branch site terminals 20 used by inspectors called tallyers who perform cargo receiving and inspection work at berths in each port of call, multiple branch manager terminals 30 used by branch managers in each port of call, and a headquarters manager terminal 40 used by a headquarters manager who oversees management operations, to a file server 50 via a network N. The file server 50 consists of a computer and server software. Network N may be a well-known computer network, such as a wide-area network like the Internet. The branch field terminal 20 may be connected to a wide-area network such as the Internet via a mobile phone network such as 4th generation (referred to as 4G) or 5th generation (referred to as 5G), or via a locally constructed LAN (Local Area Network) and wireless LAN.

[0026] The file server 50 may be a file server located on the cloud, a file server installed in a building where the administrator is located, or an on-premise file server. The file server 50 is a server for registering various transport information and various images related to transported goods and for downloading them to each terminal. Information about the transported goods includes details such as the delivery points and delivery times. Images related to the transported goods include images that represent the shape of the transported goods. The file server 50 in this embodiment can register basic information about vehicles, as well as images such as vehicle images and captured images, and download them to each terminal.

[0027] Hereinafter, the file server 50 will be described as a file server located on the cloud. The file server 50 consists of an input / output unit 51 that communicates with the client terminal 10, the branch field terminal 20, the branch administrator terminal 30, and the headquarters administrator terminal 40 via network N, a storage unit 52 where various information and images of the transported items are registered, and a control unit 53 that controls the function of registering information such as basic information about the vehicle, vehicle images, and captured images. The control unit 53 is equipped with a CPU.

[0028] Basic vehicle information includes details that allow for the identification of each vehicle being loaded, such as the vehicle identification number (VIN), manufacturer, model, vessel name, loading port, and unloading port. This basic information should ideally be pre-registered in the file server 50 prior to receiving and inspecting the goods. The basic information may also be registered from the branch administrator terminal 30 or the headquarters administrator terminal 40 based on the vehicle list from the client terminal 10.

[0029] A vehicle image is an image representing the shape of a vehicle. In this embodiment, the vehicle image 60 is a diagram that has been pre-registered in the file server 50 for use in common with multiple vehicles. This vehicle image 60 is a schematic diagram consisting of unfolded diagrams prepared for common use for each vehicle type, such as a sedan, coupe, minivan, SUV, compact car, van, or truck, and can be selected from multiple schematic diagrams. For example, the schematic diagram consisting of the unfolded diagram shown in Figure 3(a) may be used for a sedan, and the schematic diagram consisting of the unfolded diagram shown in Figure 3(b) may be used for a van.

[0030] The schematic diagram used for each vehicle may be selected and registered from multiple vehicle images 60 during loading or inspection operations. However, in this embodiment, the vehicle image 60 is configured to be used based on the vehicle type included in the basic information. Furthermore, each vehicle image 60 is configured so that recording targets present in each vehicle can be set as designated positions. If the recording target is not shown in the schematic diagram consisting of an exploded view, in this embodiment, it is possible to set a position corresponding to the part of the recording target as the designated position. The position corresponding to the part of the recording target may, for example, if the recording target is an interior part of the vehicle, set a position on the exterior surface of the vehicle body corresponding to the area where the interior part is placed as the designated position. Alternatively, if the recording target is an accessory of the vehicle, set a position on the exterior surface of the vehicle body corresponding to the place where the accessory is used as the designated position.

[0031] The captured images include images 70 of a predetermined position on the vehicle and images 70 related to the vehicle's recording target. These captured images 70 are registered by being captured and uploaded by the branch field terminal 20. The captured images 70 related to the recording target are registered in association with the designated position P set in the vehicle image 60 of each vehicle.

[0032] The client terminal 10 is a personal computer or mobile terminal connected to the file server 50 via a network N, and includes an input / output unit 11, a storage unit 12, a control unit 13, and a display unit 14. In this embodiment, the client terminal 10 can send a vehicle inspection request to the branch administrator terminal 30 or the headquarters administrator terminal 40 before the vehicles are transported. When an inspection request is made, the basic information of each vehicle to be loaded is compiled for each port of call C and sent to the branch administrator terminal 30 or the headquarters administrator terminal 40 as a vehicle list. The vehicle list may be directly registered in the file server 50 if it is created in a predetermined format. Normally, the vehicle list is modified or created and registered at the branch administrator terminal 30 or the headquarters administrator terminal 40.

[0033] On the other hand, after the vehicle inspection, for example after management commencement and after transportation, the client terminal 10 can download information such as basic information of each vehicle registered in the file server 50, as well as images such as vehicle images and captured images, and display them on the display unit 14. The downloaded information and images of each vehicle can be identified and retrieved and displayed by the vehicle identification number. In this embodiment, the captured image 70 relating to the recording target is registered in association with a designated position P set in the vehicle image 60. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, for example, by selecting the designated position P of the vehicle image 60 displayed on the display unit 14, the captured image 70 of each designated position P can be displayed, as shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b).

[0034] The branch field terminal 20 is a mobile terminal or the like connected to the file server 50 via network N. The system of this embodiment has multiple branch field terminals 20, with one branch field terminal 20 provided at each berth in a port of call. The branch field terminal 20 includes an input / output unit 21, a storage unit 22, a control unit 23, a display unit 24, and an imaging unit 25, etc. Each branch field terminal 20 can download basic vehicle information and vehicle images 60 registered in the file server 50, identify the vehicle by, for example, its vehicle identification number, and display it on the display unit 24.

[0035] The branch field terminal 20 is configured to be able to take images using the imaging unit 25. In this embodiment, the branch field terminal 20 takes images of a number of predetermined positions on the vehicle as captured images 70, and also takes images of the items to be recorded on the vehicle as captured images 70. Each branch field terminal 20 can specify a designated position P in the vehicle image 60 displayed on the display unit 24, for example, as shown in Figure 4. It can also capture an image of the designated position P and acquire the captured image, for example, as shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b). Each captured image 70 can be registered in the file server 50, linked to the designated position P. After being registered in the file server 50, it is displayed on the display unit of other terminals as an image of the designated position P.

[0036] In this embodiment, the branch field terminal 20 has a display unit 24 which is a touch panel. With a vehicle image 60 displayed on the display unit 24, the user can specify a position on the vehicle image 60 by touch input, thereby using the coordinates on the display unit 24 to specify a designated position P of the captured image 70. Furthermore, by specifying a designated position P of the captured image 70 on the display unit 24 and capturing the captured image 70 with the imaging unit 25, the data of the captured image 70 and the data of the designated position P can be linked, making it possible to associate each captured image 70 with the designated position P. The order of specifying the designated position P and taking the image is not specified, but for example, by displaying the vehicle image 60 on the display unit 24 to specify the designated position P and then taking the image, the captured image 70 and the designated position P can be linked and stored in the storage unit 22, and further registered in the file server 50.

[0037] Furthermore, in the branch field terminal 20 of this embodiment, when a designated location P is specified, as shown in Figure 4, the designated location P indicating the recording target is shown by an icon 80 on the vehicle image 60 displayed on the display unit 24. Preferably, this icon 80 includes information about the captured image 70, such as information about the recording content of the recording target and an indication 81 showing the number of captured images. In this embodiment, the information about the recording content of the recording target includes an indication 81 showing the type of damage and the number of captured images 70 for the damaged area. The type of damage is indicated by various symbols, such as "A" for Scratch, "U" for Dent, "T" for Tear, "X" for Damage, "P" for Painted, "PO" for PaintOff, "Z" for Missing, and "AD" for Additional. The number of images taken can be indicated by a numerical value, for example, but it is not necessary to take any images; in this case, the number of images taken will not be displayed. These icons 80 can be input, for example, by displaying a selection list of icons and using touch input when specifying a designated position P on the vehicle image 60 displayed on the display unit 24 of the branch field terminal 20.

[0038] In this embodiment, the administrator terminal comprises multiple branch administrator terminals 30 installed in multiple different branches, and a headquarters administrator terminal 40. Each branch administrator terminal 30 and headquarters administrator terminal 40 is a personal computer or the like connected to the file server 50 via a network N, and has input / output units 31, 41, storage units 32, 42, control units 33, 43, and display units 34, 44, etc. In this embodiment, of the multiple branch administrator terminals 30 and headquarters administrator terminal 40, only the headquarters administrator terminal 40 has a public processing unit.

[0039] Each branch administrator terminal 30 and the headquarters administrator terminal 40 can receive inspection requests from the requester terminal 10 for each branch at each port of call, and can register basic information of the vehicle list for each vehicle loaded at each port of call C in the file server 50. Furthermore, after management begins, each branch administrator terminal 30 and the headquarters administrator terminal 40 can download basic information and vehicle images 60 registered in the file server 50, as well as various captured images 70 registered in the file server 50 from each branch field terminal 20, and display them on the display units 34 and 44. Each branch administrator terminal 30 and the headquarters administrator terminal 40 can identify each vehicle by its vehicle identification number and display basic information and vehicle images 60 for each vehicle on the display units 34 and 44. Furthermore, each branch administrator terminal 30 and the headquarters administrator terminal 40 can also display the basic information and vehicle images 60 of multiple vehicles under management in a combined list format on the display units 34 and 44. For example, information on multiple vehicles can be displayed categorized by all vehicles to be transported, by each branch, by various clients, and by transport destination.

[0040] In this embodiment, captured images 70 related to the recording target are registered in the file server 50 and linked to designated positions P set on the vehicle image 60. Therefore, when each branch administrator terminal 30 and the headquarters administrator terminal 40 display the captured images 70 of each vehicle on the display units 34 and 44, for example as shown in Figure 4, the captured images 70 of each designated position P can be displayed by selecting the designated position P on the vehicle image 60 displayed on the display units 34 and 44, for example as shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b).

[0041] In this embodiment, the branch administrator terminal 30 and the headquarters administrator terminal 40 are configured to allow the change of a designated position P indicated by an icon 80 on the vehicle image 60 of the display units 34 and 44. This allows the change of the position of the designated position P and the change of information such as the number of images included in the icon. Furthermore, when the designated position P is changed in the branch administrator terminal 30 or the headquarters administrator terminal 40, the changed designated position P can be registered in the file server 50.

[0042] The public access processing unit located on the headquarters administrator terminal 40 can process the public access of the basic information, vehicle image 60, designated location P, and captured image 70 data registered on the file server 50. The public access processing unit can restrict all of this data to be unchangeable. By restricting the modification of this data registered on the file server 50, reliability is ensured by making intentional rewriting of data information impossible, and downloads to each terminal, including the requester terminal 10, can be permitted. Once this disclosure process is completed, the client terminal 10 and each branch administrator terminal 30 will be able to view the basic information, vehicle images 60, and captured images 70 registered in the file server 50 on the display units 14 and 34 in an unmodifiable state.

[0043] Next, the operation of the vehicle management system of this embodiment, which has the above configuration, will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 6. First, a vehicle inspection request is sent from the requester terminal 10 to the headquarters administrator terminal 40 or each branch administrator terminal 30 (S101). In this embodiment, the vehicles to be transported are identified for each port of call C, and basic information of each vehicle to be loaded at each port of call is sent to the respective branch administrator terminal 30 (S102). The basic information of each vehicle may also be sent to the branch administrator terminal 30 in the form of a vehicle list.

[0044] Each branch administrator terminal 30 receives and accepts inspection requests from the requester terminal 10 (S201), and uploads basic information for each vehicle to the file server 50 for all vehicles loaded at each port of call C (S202). The basic information for each vehicle is created and uploaded in a unified format as a vehicle list, for example, as shown in Figure 7. On file server 50, basic information is registered when the vehicle list is uploaded from branch administrator terminal 30 (S301).

[0045] At each branch's field terminal 20, once the basic information of each vehicle is registered in the file server 50, it becomes possible to download the basic information of all vehicles loaded at each port of call from the file server 50. The inspector at each berth downloads the basic information and performs the loading and inspection work for the vehicles (S401). At this time, each branch field terminal 20 also downloads a vehicle image 60 corresponding to the basic information from among the multiple vehicle images 60 pre-registered in the file server 50. If the vehicle type in the basic information differs from the actual vehicle, the vehicle type can be re-selected at each branch field terminal 20 during the inspection work.

[0046] During receiving and inspection operations, inspectors can input the basic information of each vehicle, including the vehicle identification number (VIN), into the branch office terminal 20. This allows the basic information of the vehicle to be displayed on the display unit 24 of the branch office terminal 20 for verification. During the inspection process, the inspector takes photographs of multiple designated locations as captured images 70 (S402). The designated locations can be predetermined, and for example, the transport information mark displayed on the vehicle, the front left, front right, rear left, rear right, and the interior of the vehicle can be photographed in any order. The transport information mark is a mark displayed on the vehicle to identify each vehicle, and the captured images 70 of each part of the vehicle indicate that they are images of that vehicle.

[0047] Then, an inspection is conducted to determine whether or not there is any damage to the vehicle (S403). If the inspector determines during the inspection that it is necessary to record the current state of the vehicle to be recorded, the vehicle image 60 is displayed on the display unit 24 of the branch field terminal 20, and the designated location P is specified by placing an icon 80 on the vehicle image 60 on the display unit 24. At this time, the type and condition of the damage are determined and entered (S404). With this arrangement, as shown in Figure 8, the display unit 24 of the branch field terminal 20 displays only an icon 80 indicating the type of damage, as information related to the recorded content of the vehicle image 60, at the designated position P.

[0048] Next, by selecting icon 80 on the display unit 24, the imaging unit 25 is activated as shown in Figure 9, and the image 70 to be recorded is captured. By storing this captured image 70 in the storage unit 22, the image 70 to be recorded can be stored in association with the specified position P. Each captured image 70 is checked, and any necessary corrections or changes are made and confirmed (S405). Then, on the display unit 24 of the branch field terminal 20, as shown in Figure 8, an icon 80 including an indication 81 showing the type of damage and the number of images taken regarding the recording content of the target is displayed at the specified position P of the vehicle image 60. Once the inspection of each vehicle is complete, the captured images 70 at the specified positions and the captured images 70 to be recorded for each vehicle are uploaded to the file server 50 as inspection results, after any necessary modifications (S406). After the upload, the captured images 70 of the vehicle in question will no longer be displayed on the field terminals 20 of each branch.

[0049] When inspection results are uploaded from each branch's field terminal 20, each captured image 70 is registered on the file server 50. At this time, the captured image 70 to be recorded is registered on the file server 50 with the specified location P associated with it (S302). When the captured images 70 are uploaded to the file server 50, each branch administrator terminal 30 and the headquarters administrator terminal 40 can download the basic information of each vehicle, as well as the captured images 70 of the specified location and the captured images 70 of the designated location P for the inspection results (S203, S204).

[0050] After downloading, each branch administrator terminal 30 and the headquarters administrator terminal 40 display the basic information of each vehicle, the captured image 70 of the specified position, the vehicle image 60 with the designated position P indicated by an icon 80, and the captured image 70 of the designated position P on the display units 34 and 44, as shown in Figure 10, and the headquarters administrator or branch administrator confirms these display screens (S205, S206). The headquarters administrator or branch administrator considers whether any changes to the display are necessary (S207, S208). If the inspection results need to be corrected, for example, if the designated position P needs to be changed, the headquarters administrator or branch administrator improves the inspection accuracy by making the change on the screen of the display units 34 and 44, and uploads the changed designated position and image to the file server 50 (S209, S210). These designated positions and images are registered on the file server 50 (S303).

[0051] Subsequently, the headquarters administrator uses the public processing unit of the headquarters administrator terminal 40 to restrict the basic information of each vehicle registered in the file server 50, the captured image 70 of the specified location, the vehicle image 60 with the designated location P displayed as an icon 80, and the captured image 70 of the designated location P, making them unchangeable. This process allows downloading of this information and images from the file server 50 to each terminal (S211). The file server 50 registers that this public processing has been performed (S304).

[0052] After the publication process, the client terminal 10 can download the information and display it on the display unit 14 (S103). The client terminal 10 displays basic information such as the vehicle information, vehicle images 60, and images 70 of each location, and by comparing this with the condition of each vehicle after transport, it is possible to confirm whether the condition of the recorded object changed during transport, for example, whether or not damage occurred (S104). In addition, the headquarters administrator terminal 40 and each branch administrator terminal 30 can also download the information as needed and display it on the display units 34 and 44 for confirmation (S212, S213).

[0053] For example, if a discrepancy is found between the information registered in the file server 50, such as the recording target, information about the recording content of the recording target, and captured images, on the client terminal 10, and the condition of each vehicle after transport, the administrator terminals 30 and 40 can display and verify the information registered in the file server 50 in response to the information from the client terminal 10, and provide or certify the correct information.

[0054] The file server 50 has the following functions to realize the processing shown in the flowchart of Figure 6: registration of basic information and vehicle images (S301), registration of the captured image 70 to be recorded linked to a specified position P (S302), registration of the specified position and image (S303), and registration of publicly available information (S304). The above functions are performed when the program of the transport management system of the present invention is stored in the storage unit 52 of the file server 50 and executed by the control unit 53.

[0055] By using the vehicle management system of this embodiment to inspect numerous vehicles transported from each port of call to destination D, clients and managers can easily and accurately confirm the condition of each vehicle before transport at each port of call. Therefore, clients and managers can accurately determine whether the condition of each vehicle after transport to destination D has changed during transport.

[0056] According to the vehicle management system of this embodiment described above, vehicle images 60 representing the shape of a vehicle are pre-registered in the file server 50, and the branch field terminal 20 can specify and capture images of a designated position P in the vehicle image 60, and the captured images 70 can be registered in the file server 50 in association with the designated position P. Therefore, even with a large number of vehicles, the branch field terminal 20 can efficiently register captured images 70 for each designated position P of the numerous vehicles in the file server 50. The headquarters administrator terminal 40 and each branch administrator terminal 30 can download and display basic information, vehicle images 60, and captured images 70 registered in the file server 50. By selecting a designated location P on the displayed vehicle image 60, the captured image 70 for that location P can be displayed. This allows the headquarters administrator terminal 40 and each branch administrator terminal 30 to efficiently check the captured images 70 for each designated location P across numerous vehicles. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently perform inspections related to the unique characteristics of each vehicle across a large number of vehicles.

[0057] In particular, in this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a vehicle management system, where the transported item is a vehicle, the vehicle image 60 is an image showing the vehicle, and the captured image 70 is a photograph of the recordable item present on the vehicle. In this case, it is possible to easily and reliably confirm whether the condition of the vehicle has changed, such as whether any damage present on the vehicle after transport existed before transport or occurred after transport began, thus facilitating proof during vehicle transport.

[0058] In the vehicle management system of this embodiment, the branch field terminal 20 can download vehicle images 60 from the file server 50 and display them on the display unit 24, and can also specify a designated position P on the vehicle image 60 displayed on the display unit 24. Therefore, the branch field terminal 20 can download and display the vehicle image 60 from the file server 50, and by specifying a designated position P on this vehicle image 60, it can capture an image 70. This allows the headquarters administrator terminal 40 and each branch administrator terminal 30 to more efficiently check the captured images 70 of each designated position P on a large number of vehicles.

[0059] In the vehicle management system of this embodiment, the headquarters administrator terminal 40 and each branch administrator terminal 30 can change the designated position P on the vehicle image 60 displayed on the display units 34 and 44, and by changing the designated position P, the changed designated position P is registered in the file server 50. Therefore, by changing the designated position P on the vehicle image 60 using the headquarters administrator terminal 40 and each branch administrator terminal 30, the changed designated position P can be registered. As a result, if an image 70 is captured with a designated position P that was not intended by the inspector at the branch field terminal 20, the headquarters administrator terminal 40 and each branch administrator terminal 30 can easily correct it to the appropriate position.

[0060] In this embodiment of the vehicle management system, a client terminal 10 is connected to a file server 50 via a network N and can download basic information, vehicle images 60, and captured images 70 from the file server 50 and display them on a display unit 14. The client terminal 10 can display the captured image 70 of a specified position P by selecting a specified position P on the vehicle image 60 displayed on the display unit 14. Therefore, the client terminal 10 can download the vehicle image 60 from the file server 50 and display it, and by specifying the designated position P on this vehicle image 60, the captured image 70 can be confirmed as the actual state of the vehicle. This allows the client terminal 10 to efficiently check the captured image 70 of each designated position P for a large number of vehicles.

[0061] In the vehicle management system of this embodiment, the headquarters administrator terminal 40 has a public processing unit that restricts the modification of the designated location P and captured image 70 registered in the file server 50, and allows the download of the basic information, vehicle image 60, and captured image 70 registered in the file server 50 to each terminal. Therefore, the designated location P and the captured image 70, which were captured by the branch field terminal 20, cannot be downloaded by the requester terminal 10 until they have been restricted to be unchangeable by the public processing unit of the headquarters administrator terminal 40. This ensures that the designated location P and the captured image 70 are not altered after they have been displayed and made verifiable on the requester terminal 10, and information can be shared with relevant parties while ensuring the reliability of the captured image 70 of the designated location P, regardless of the distance traveled by the transported goods or the time the transported goods are managed.

[0062] In the vehicle management system of this embodiment, the administrator terminal comprises a headquarters administrator terminal 40 and multiple branch administrator terminals 30 installed in multiple different branches. Therefore, multiple branch administrator terminals 30 can display and confirm basic information, vehicle images 60, and captured images 70 regarding vehicles transported from each branch on the display unit 34, and can also change designated locations P and captured images 70. The headquarters administrator terminal 40 can then centrally manage and efficiently control these.

[0063] In the vehicle management system of this embodiment, the administrator terminal comprises a headquarters administrator terminal 40 and a plurality of branch administrator terminals 30 installed in multiple different branches, and the headquarters administrator terminal 40 of the headquarters administrator terminal 40 and the branch administrator terminals 30 have a public processing unit. Therefore, multiple branch administrator terminals 30 can display and confirm basic information, vehicle images 60, and captured images 70 regarding vehicles transported from each branch on the display unit 34, and can also change designated locations P and captured images 70. The headquarters administrator terminal 40 then performs a public processing that allows the download of this basic information, vehicle images 60, and captured images 70 to each terminal. In this way, the headquarters administrator terminal 40 can easily manage the entire system.

[0064] In the vehicle management system of this embodiment, basic information and vehicle images 60 for multiple vehicles are pre-registered in the file server 50, with each vehicle assigned a vehicle identification number. Branch field terminals 20, branch administrator terminals 30, headquarters administrator terminal 40, and client terminals 10 can display the basic information and vehicle images 60 for each vehicle using the vehicle identification number. Therefore, it is easy to centrally manage the basic information, vehicle images 60, and captured images 70 for each vehicle.

[0065] In the vehicle management system of this embodiment, vehicle images 60 are registered in the file server 50 by selectively selecting from multiple types of schematic diagrams pre-stored in the file server 50. Therefore, fewer vehicle images 60 need to be prepared in advance in the file server 50 for a large number of vehicles, allowing for efficient preparation work.

[0066] In particular, in the vehicle management system of this embodiment, vehicle images 60 can be registered in the file server 50 by selectively selecting from multiple schematic diagrams that are commonly used for each vehicle type, which are pre-stored in the file server 50. Therefore, the preparation work for vehicle images 60 can be carried out very easily.

[0067] In the vehicle management system of this embodiment, the designated location P is indicated by an icon 80 on the vehicle image 60 displayed on each display unit, and the icon 80 includes a display 81 of information such as the type of damage and the number of images taken related to the captured image 70. Therefore, since the information regarding the designated location P and the captured image 70 is displayed on the vehicle image 60 by the icon 80, a part of the overview can be grasped without displaying the captured image 70, and the inspection work for each vehicle can be performed efficiently.

[0068] In the vehicle management system of this embodiment, a designated position P is indicated by an icon 80 on the vehicle image 60 displayed on each display unit, and the icon 80 includes a display 81 that shows information about the recording content to be recorded and the number of images taken. Therefore, information such as the recording content to be recorded and the number of images taken is displayed on the vehicle image 60 by the icon 80, improving the efficiency of the verification work for each vehicle.

[0069] Next, we will describe some examples. (Examples) The following equipment was used to construct the transport management system of the present invention. File server: Sakura Cloud Server (VPS) OS:Windows Server 2022 Datacenter Edition Database: Microsoft SQL Server 2022 Web Edition • Headquarters administrator terminal, branch administrator terminal, and client terminal: Commercially available personal computers (PCs) Recommended specifications: CPU: 8th generation Core i5 or higher, RAM: 8GB or more, Storage: 1GB or more, OS: Windows 11 • Field terminal; OS: Android 11 (e.g., Panasonic FZ-N1)

[0070] (Comparative example) Although this varies depending on the number of items to be inspected and the completeness of the transported materials, compared to conventional paper processing and other systems, the personnel required for inspection can be reduced by approximately two-thirds, and the time required for inspection, which previously took a full day (approximately 7 hours of actual work), can now be reduced to approximately half a day (approximately 4 hours). Furthermore, while conventional paper processing and other systems required inspection by skilled personnel, the transport management system, thanks to its design and user-friendliness optimized for mobile devices, can now be implemented by beginners after just a 5-10 minute lecture.

[0071] The above embodiments can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. In the above embodiment, an example was described in which a transport management system is applied to a vehicle management system and used cars are transported by ship as the transported goods, but the transported goods are not limited in any way. For example, even when transporting new vehicles instead of used cars, or when transporting by car carriers instead of ships, the present invention can be applied in exactly the same way as in the above embodiments. Furthermore, the transported goods do not have to be cars; the present invention can also be applied when transporting industrial products such as various types of equipment, or various agricultural, forestry, and fisheries products.

[0072] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described an example in which vehicles, which are the transported goods, are loaded at multiple locations, the present invention can also be applied when the goods are loaded at a single location and transported. Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes an example in which the administrator terminal is comprised of a headquarters administrator terminal 40 and multiple branch administrator terminals 30, it is also possible to manage with a single administrator terminal. In that case, each process from receiving inspection requests (S201) to publishing them (S211) at the headquarters administrator terminal 40 and the multiple branch administrator terminals 30 can be handled by a single administrator terminal. In the above embodiment, the icon 80 displays information about the captured image 70, including information about the content to be recorded and the number of captured images. However, this is not particularly limited, and for example, only the type may be displayed. Furthermore, it is also possible to not display this information on the icon 80, or to display information different from this information. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0073] 10. Client terminal 20 Branch Field Terminals 30 Branch Administrator Terminal 40 Headquarters Administrator Terminal 50 File Servers 60 Vehicle Images 70 Acquired Images 80 icons 81 Display of information regarding the content of the recording target and the number of images taken. N Network P specified position C Port of Call D destination

Claims

1. A file server in which information and images of transported goods are pre-registered, A field terminal connected to the aforementioned file server via a network, capable of specifying a location in the transported object image, capturing an image of that location, and registering the acquired image in association with the specified location to the file server, A manager terminal connected to the aforementioned file server via a network, which downloads the transported goods information, transported goods images, and captured images from the file server and displays them on a display unit, and which can display the captured image of the specified position by selecting the specified position on the transported goods image displayed on the display unit, A transport management system equipped with [a specific feature].

2. The transported goods management system according to claim 1, wherein the field terminal is capable of downloading the transported goods image from the file server and displaying it on the display unit, and is capable of specifying the designated position on the transported goods image displayed on the display unit.

3. The transported goods management system according to claim 1, wherein the administrator terminal can change the designated position on the transported goods image displayed on the display unit, and by changing the designated position, the changed designated position is registered in the registration unit of the file server.

4. The client terminal is connected to the aforementioned file server via a network and is capable of downloading the transported goods information, transported goods images, and captured images from the file server and displaying them on a display unit. The transported goods management system according to claim 1, wherein the client terminal can display the captured image of the transported goods at the specified position by selecting the specified position on the transported goods image displayed on the display unit.

5. The transport management system according to claim 4, wherein the administrator terminal has a public processing unit that restricts the modification of the designated location and the captured image registered in the file server, and allows the download of the transport information, transport image, and captured image registered in the file server to each of the terminals.

6. The transport management system according to claim 1, wherein the administrator terminal comprises a headquarters administrator terminal and a plurality of branch administrator terminals installed in multiple different branches.

7. The transport management system according to claim 5, wherein the administrator terminal comprises a headquarters administrator terminal and a plurality of branch administrator terminals installed in a plurality of different branches, and the headquarters administrator terminal and the headquarters administrator terminal among the branch administrator terminals have the public processing unit.

8. The aforementioned file server has pre-registered information and images of multiple transported items, each with an identification number assigned to it. The transported goods management system according to claim 1, wherein the field terminal, the administrator terminal, and the client terminal are capable of displaying the transported goods information and the transported goods image for each transported goods using the identification number.

9. The transported goods management system according to claim 1, wherein the transported goods image is registered in the file server by selectively selecting one for each transported goods from a plurality of schematic diagrams pre-stored in the file server.

10. The designated position is indicated by an icon on the image of the transported object displayed on each of the display units, and the icon includes information about the captured image, as described in claim 1.

11. A vehicle management system using a transport management system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, A vehicle management system in which the transported object is a vehicle, the transported object image is an image showing the vehicle, and the captured image is a photograph of a recordable object present in the vehicle.

12. The vehicle management system according to claim 11, wherein the images of the transported goods are pre-stored in the file server as multiple types of schematic diagrams used commonly for each vehicle type, and can be registered in the file server by selectively selecting from the multiple schematic diagrams.

13. The designated position is indicated by an icon on the image of the transported object displayed on each of the display units, and the icon includes information relating to the recorded content of the record target, as described in claim 11.

Images