Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To enable the delivery of packages provided by delivery partners in a more optimal manner. [Solution] A delivery management means for recruiting and accepting applications from delivery personnel to deliver the goods on a route that connects a first boarding / alighting point, which is the departure point for the movement related to the delivery of goods using the transportation, and a second boarding / alighting point, which is the destination, via at least one third boarding / alighting point, from a route defined to be divided by the one or more third boarding / alighting points, and targeting each of the multiple sub-routes that are divided by the one or more third boarding / alighting points on the route, in order of proximity to the first boarding / alighting point on the route, and after an application from the delivery personnel has been accepted for the first sub-route of the multiple sub-routes on the route, the delivery management means recruits delivery personnel to deliver the goods on the second sub-route, which is the next sub-route after the first sub-route on the route.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, while demand for home delivery has increased along with the expansion of the e-commerce market, labor shortages and rising CO2 emissions have become social issues in truck transportation, which is the mainstay of home delivery. Against this background, various mechanisms for realizing package delivery without using truck transportation are being studied. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a logistics support system that realizes package delivery in a target delivery section without using truck transportation by obtaining delivery cooperation from one or more delivery cooperators. In the logistics support system disclosed in Patent Document 1, delivery cooperators are responsible for delivering packages in assigned sections using public transportation or the like, and packages are sequentially handed over to the responsible delivery cooperators in a relay manner via delivery lockers, whereby package delivery in the target delivery section is realized.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] On the other hand, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the delivery route of the package and the assignment of delivery personnel (delivery collaborators) for each section of the delivery route are determined by combining offers from delivery collaborators in advance, and then the delivery of the package begins. Due to these characteristics, for example, if there are not enough offers of delivery cooperation, it may not be possible to assign delivery personnel to each section of the delivery route, making it difficult to start the delivery of the package. In addition, if a delivery person assigned to at least some sections becomes unable to deliver the package due to an unforeseen accident or other reason, the delivery of the package may be stopped in the section where the delivery person is absent. In such cases, it becomes necessary to retrieve and deliver the package using alternative means such as truck transport. Given this background, even in situations where deliveries are made with the cooperation of delivery partners, there is a need to realize a system that can ensure the continuation of deliveries by more flexibly controlling the setting of delivery routes and the assignment of delivery personnel according to the circumstances at the time.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to realize the delivery of packages associated with delivery cooperation from delivery partners in a more suitable manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information processing device according to the present invention has a delivery management means that recruits and accepts applications from delivery drivers to deliver the goods on each of a plurality of sub-routes divided by the one or more third boarding and alighting points, starting with the one closest to the first boarding and alighting point on the route, and after an application from the delivery driver has been accepted for the first sub-route of the plurality of sub-routes on the route, the delivery management means then recruits a delivery driver to deliver the goods on the second sub-route, which is the next sub-route after the first sub-route on the route. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to realize the delivery of packages associated with delivery cooperation from delivery partners in a more suitable manner. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the overview of the information processing system. [Figure 2] This diagram shows an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 3] This is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information processing system. [Figure 4] This diagram shows an example of a search screen for finding delivery driver positions. [Figure 5] This diagram shows an example of a reception screen for registering conditions for information notification. [Figure 6] This diagram shows an example of a notification screen related to recruitment settings. [Figure 7] This diagram shows an example of a management table related to the management of information notification targets. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of information processing system processing. [Figure 9] This diagram shows an example of how to set up a delivery route for packages. [Figure 10] This diagram shows an example of how to set up a delivery route for packages. [Figure 11] This diagram shows an example of how to set up a delivery route for packages. [Figure 12] This diagram shows an example of how to set up a delivery route for packages. [Figure 13] This diagram shows an example of a possible route for delivering packages. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Preferred embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted. Furthermore, this disclosure describes an example of a technology for realizing the delivery of goods using transportation methods that transport passengers (people), such as trains and buses, and in particular, transportation methods where points where people get on and off, such as train stations and bus stops, are predetermined.Therefore, the definitions of terms used when describing the technology according to one embodiment of this disclosure are shown below. In this disclosure, "boarding / alighting point" refers to a location established in a predetermined position, such as a train station or a bus stop, where people board or alight from a mode of transport that carries passengers. Therefore, in this disclosure, when the term "boarding / alighting point" is used, it should be interpreted appropriately according to the type of mode of transport to which the person (passenger) boards or alights, for example, if the mode of transport is a "railway," it should refer to a "station." Furthermore, the transportation methods that can be used when applying the technology related to this disclosure are not limited to the railways and buses exemplified above, as long as they have predetermined boarding and alighting points and are capable of transporting people (passengers). For example, a circular ferry or an airplane may also be used. Moreover, any transportation method that has the characteristics described above is not limited to so-called public transportation; for example, it is possible to apply non-public transportation such as buses exclusively for employees or building personnel, or shuttle buses used by accommodation facilities to transport guests. For convenience, this disclosure will provide various explanations assuming that public transportation such as buses and railways are applicable as the means of transportation.

[0010] <Overview> Referring to FIG. 1, an overview of the information processing system according to the present embodiment will be described. The information processing system according to the present embodiment is a system that realizes package delivery by obtaining cooperation from a series of users registered in advance as delivery cooperators when delivering packages such as home delivery packages. In the present embodiment, for convenience, various descriptions will be given on the assumption that railways are used as public transportation means used by the user set as the package deliverer to deliver the package. However, as described above, the public transportation means used for package delivery is not limited. For example, transportation means other than railways such as buses may be used, or multiple types of public transportation means may be used. In addition, when other public transportation means are used, terms specific to the public transportation means, such as the names of boarding and alighting points, may be read and replaced as appropriate.

[0011] The information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a server 100 that performs management of users registered as delivery cooperators and various types of management related to package delivery, terminal devices 200 used by each of a plurality of users to access the system, and a storage locker 300 (e.g., a locker, a warehouse, etc.) for temporarily storing packages to be delivered. In the present embodiment, for convenience, the terminal device 200 used by the user responsible for package delivery (the user set as the deliverer) is also referred to as "terminal device 210" to distinguish it from the terminal devices 200 of other users (users corresponding to the sender and recipient described later). In addition, the terminal device 200 of the user who is the package sender is also referred to as "terminal device 250", and the terminal device 200 of the user who is the package recipient is also referred to as "terminal device 270". The server 100 is communicably connected to each of the series of terminal devices 200 (the terminal devices 210, 250, and 270) via a network such as the Internet. The type of the network is not particularly limited.

[0012] In the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment, a parcel for which a delivery request has been made by a user who is a sender is delivered by each of one or more users set as a deliverer from a series of users registered as delivery cooperators to a location where the parcel is handed over to a user who is a recipient. Further, in the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment, it is assumed that a user who is a delivery cooperator takes charge of the parcel delivery role in the travel section along the way when the user travels using public transportation such as a railway or a bus. Further, in the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment, the reception of the parcel from the sender, the handover of the parcel to the deliverer, and the reception of the parcel by the recipient are performed via a storage cabinet capable of temporarily storing parcels, such as a locker or a warehouse installed in the vicinity of a boarding / alighting point of public transportation (for example, a station or a stop). Hereinafter, for convenience, "delivery cooperator" refers to a user registered in the system as a candidate for a parcel deliverer, and "deliverer" refers to a user who is a delivery cooperator to whom parcel delivery is actually requested (a user assigned as a deliverer). Further, "sender" refers to a user who is a requester of parcel delivery to the system, and "recipient" refers to a user who is the delivery destination of the parcel for which delivery is requested.

[0013] Based on the above premise, Server 100 sets a public transportation route connecting a first pick-up / drop-off point linked to a storage facility that receives packages from the sender and a second pick-up / drop-off point linked to a storage facility that delivers the packages to the recipient as the route for delivering the packages. Then, Server 100 recruits delivery drivers to deliver the packages along the set route and accepts applications from a series of users registered as delivery collaborators. At this time, Server 100 may also recruit delivery drivers individually for each of the multiple sub-routes that are divided into a series of routes related to package delivery by one or more third pick-up / drop-off points that serve as relay points. Then, Server 100 selects a delivery driver from among the users who have applied as delivery collaborators, assigns that user as a delivery driver for the target route or sub-routes, and notifies the terminal device 210 held by that user that they have been set as a delivery driver. Upon receiving this notification, the target user (deliverer) retrieves the package from the designated storage facility and delivers the package to the other designated storage facilities.

[0014] As a specific example, in the example shown in Figure 1, the server 100 receives a delivery request for a package from a sender via the terminal device 250 and sets up a delivery route for the package, with Station P as the departure point (departure station), Stations A and B as relay points, and Station D as the destination (final station). Then, the server 100 divides the series of delivery routes into separate routes from Station P to Station A, from Station A to Station B, and from Station B to Station D, and recruits package carriers for each of these separate routes. The server 100 then sets up the users who apply as delivery collaborators and assigns them to deliver packages along those separate routes. In this process, the server 100 targets each of the series of separate routes in order of proximity to the departure station P, and recruits carriers to deliver packages along those separate routes.

[0015] For example, in the example shown in Figure 1, the server 100 first recruits delivery personnel for a portion of the route from station P to station A, and assigns the delivery collaborators who apply as delivery personnel Ua for that portion of the route. The server 100 then requests delivery personnel Ua to deliver the package, along with information about the storage facility 300p where the package is stored, information about unlocking the storage facility 300p, and information about the time the package will be stored in the storage facility 300p. Upon receiving this request, the delivery collaborator, delivery personnel Ua, retrieves the package from the storage facility 300p located near station P, delivers the package to the storage facility 300a located near station A, which is a relay point, and then stores the package in the storage facility 300a. Furthermore, once a delivery person is assigned to the partial route from Station P to Station A, Server 100 similarly recruits a delivery person for the next partial route, from Station A to Station B. In the example shown in Figure 1, Server 100 assigns a delivery collaborator who has applied as delivery person Ub for the partial route from Station A to Station B, and requests delivery person Ub to deliver packages along that partial route, along with information about the storage facility 300a and information regarding unlocking the storage facility 300a. Upon receiving this request, the delivery collaborator, who is delivery person Ub, retrieves the packages from the storage facility 300a located near Station A, delivers the packages to the storage facility 300b located near Station B, which is the relay point, and then stores the packages in the storage facility 300a. Similarly, server 100 recruits delivery personnel for the partial route from station B to station D, and as a result of this recruitment, it assigns the applicants as delivery personnel Uc for that partial route. Server 100 then requests delivery personnel Uc to deliver packages along that partial route, along with information about storage facility 300b and information regarding unlocking the lock on storage facility 300b. Upon receiving this request, the delivery personnel Uc retrieve the packages from storage facility 300b located near station B, deliver them to storage facility 300d located near the destination station D, and then store the packages in storage facility 300d. Then, when the package in question is stored in storage facility 300d, which is linked to the destination station D, the server 100 notifies the recipient of the package via the recipient's terminal device 270 of the package's arrival, along with information about the storage facility 300d where the package is stored, information regarding the unlocking of the storage facility 300d, etc. This allows the recipient to receive their package, which has been delivered to and stored in storage facility 300d.

[0016] As described above, the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, with the cooperation of users who are delivery collaborators, realizes the delivery of the target package from a first boarding / alighting point, which is the departure point for the movement related to the delivery of the package using public transportation, to a second boarding / alighting point, which is the destination. The configuration and processing of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment will be described in more detail below.

[0017] <Hardware Configuration> Referring to Figure 2, an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 900 applicable as a device constituting the information processing system according to this embodiment (for example, a server 100, terminal devices 210, 250, and 270, etc.) will be described. As shown in Figure 2, the information processing device 900 according to this embodiment includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 910, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 920, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 930. The information processing device 900 also includes an auxiliary storage device 940 and a network I / F 970. Furthermore, the information processing device 900 may include at least one of an output device 950 and an input device 960. The CPU 910, ROM 920, RAM 930, auxiliary storage device 940, output device 950, input device 960, and network I / F 970 are interconnected via a bus 980.

[0018] The CPU 910 is a central processing unit that controls various operations of the information processing unit 900. For example, the CPU 910 may control the operation of the entire information processing unit 900. The ROM 920 stores control programs, boot programs, and other programs that can be executed by the CPU 910. The RAM 930 is the main memory of the CPU 910 and is used as a work area or a temporary storage area for deploying various programs.

[0019] The auxiliary storage device 940 stores various data and programs. The auxiliary storage device 940 is implemented by a storage device capable of temporarily or permanently storing various data, such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or non-volatile memory such as an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0020] The output device 950 is a device that outputs various types of information and is used to present various types of information to the user. For example, the output device 950 may be implemented by a display device such as a display. In this case, the output device 950 presents information to the user by displaying various types of display information. As another example, the output device 950 may be implemented by an acoustic output device that outputs sounds such as voice or electronic sounds. In this case, the output device 950 presents information to the user by outputting sounds such as voice or electronic sounds. Furthermore, the device to which the output device 950 is applied may be appropriately changed depending on the medium used to present information to the user.

[0021] The input device 960 is used to receive various instructions from the user. In this embodiment, the input device 960 includes input devices such as a mouse, keyboard, and touch panel. As another example, the input device 960 may also include a sound collection device such as a microphone to collect the voice spoken by the user. In this case, various analysis processes such as acoustic analysis and natural language processing are applied to the collected voice so that the content of the voice is recognized as an instruction from the user. Furthermore, the device applied as the input device 960 may be changed as appropriate depending on the method of recognizing the user's instructions. In addition, multiple types of devices may be applied as the input device 960.

[0022] The network interface 970 is used for communication with external devices via a network. The device used as the network interface 970 may be changed as appropriate depending on the type of communication path and the applicable communication method.

[0023] The CPU 910 loads the program stored in the ROM 920 or auxiliary storage device 940 into the RAM 930 and executes this program, thereby realizing the functional configuration of the information processing system 1 shown in Figure 3, and the processing of the information processing system 1 described later with reference to Figure 8.

[0024] The above describes an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 900 that can be used as a device constituting the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, with reference to Figure 2.

[0025] <Functional Configuration> Referring to Figure 3, an example of the functional configuration of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment will be described, with particular attention paid to the configuration of the server 100. The server 100 includes a delivery management unit 101, a route setting unit 102, a user management unit 103, a storage status management unit 104, and a storage unit 105.

[0026] The Delivery Management Department 101 is responsible for various management tasks related to the delivery of packages. For example, the delivery management unit 101 receives a request to ship a package from the shipper via the terminal device 250. At this time, the delivery management unit 101 receives information from the shipper regarding the delivery of the package, such as the origin and destination of the package, the type of package, and the weight of the package. As described above, the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment uses storage facilities such as lockers installed near boarding and alighting points such as stations and bus stops to receive packages to be delivered from the shipper and to hand over the packages to the recipients. Therefore, when the delivery management unit 101 receives a request to ship a package from the shipper, it sets up a first boarding and alighting point and storage facility for receiving the package from the shipper, and a second boarding and alighting point and storage facility for handing over the package to the recipient, in accordance with the instructions from the shipper. For example, in the example shown in Figure 1, the delivery management unit 101 has set up Station P and storage facility 300p as the first pick-up / drop-off point and storage facility for receiving packages from the sender, and Station D and storage facility 300d as the second pick-up / drop-off point and storage facility for handing over the packages to the recipient.

[0027] Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on how the pick-up / drop-off points and storage facilities for the receiving and delivery of packages are set up. For example, the delivery management unit 101 may receive a designation from the sender for pick-up / drop-off points for the receiving and delivery of packages, and set up storage facilities for the packages at each pick-up / drop-off point. Alternatively, the delivery management unit 101 may receive a designation for the origin and destination addresses of the packages and automatically set up pick-up / drop-off points and storage facilities located near each location. Furthermore, the delivery management department 101 may restrict the pick-up / drop-off points and storage facilities used for temporarily storing packages during delivery, depending on the type and characteristics of the packages to be delivered. Specifically, the pick-up / drop-off points and storage facilities used for receiving packages from senders, handing over packages between delivery personnel, and handing over packages to recipients may be limited depending on the size of the package. In such cases, the delivery management department 101 may restrict the storage facilities and pick-up / drop-off points used for temporarily storing packages for hand-over during delivery to storage facilities capable of accommodating the packages and the pick-up / drop-off points associated with those storage facilities.

[0028] Furthermore, once a first boarding / alighting point, which is the departure point for the movement related to the delivery of the package, and a second boarding / alighting point, which is the destination, are set, the delivery management unit 101 instructs the route setting unit 102 (described later) to set a route for delivering the package from the first boarding / alighting point to the second boarding / alighting point using public transportation. For example, in the example shown in Figure 1, a route is set between station P, which is the departure point (departure station) for the movement related to the delivery of the package, and station D, which is the destination (terminal station), with stations A and B serving as third boarding / alighting points that act as intermediate points. When a delivery route for a package is set, the delivery management unit 101 divides the route into multiple sub-routes, each of which is a series of intermediate points along the route. Then, the delivery management unit 101 targets each of these sub-routes in order of proximity to the starting point along the route, and recruits delivery personnel to deliver packages along that sub-route, accepting applications from a series of delivery collaborators registered in the system. In this case, the delivery management unit 101 is not particularly limited in the timing of starting to recruit delivery personnel for the next sub-route after applications from delivery personnel have been accepted for the sub-route that is the target of the recruitment. As a specific example, the delivery management unit 101 may start recruiting delivery personnel for the next sub-route after the delivery of a package in the current sub-route has been completed. As another example, if the delivery management department 101 receives an application from a delivery person for a portion of the route for which delivery persons are being recruited, it may, even before the delivery of the package is completed, take into account the estimated arrival time of the package and the impact of any time delays that may occur, and may proactively begin recruiting delivery persons for the next portion of the route for the same package. Furthermore, the delivery management unit 101 may provide each delivery collaborator with a UI for receiving applications from delivery collaborators for delivery driver recruitment, and a UI for searching for such recruitment, via their respective terminal device 210. Under these conditions, each delivery collaborator accesses the server 100 via their own terminal device 210, searches for delivery driver recruitment for packages they can deliver, and then applies to recruitment that meets their criteria.

[0029] For example, Figure 4 shows an example of a search screen related to searching for job postings for package delivery drivers. Search screen V101 shows an example of a screen for receiving specification of conditions for searching for delivery personnel from delivery collaborators. Search screen V101 accepts the origin and destination of the package, and the weight of the package that can be delivered, as search conditions for delivery personnel when a delivery collaborator is responsible for delivering the package along at least a portion of the delivery route. The delivery management unit 101 searches for a series of recruitments that meet the specified conditions from among the recruitments set up based on the package delivery requests received from each shipper, and presents the search results to the delivery collaborator via the terminal device 210. In the example shown in Figure 4, the search conditions for delivery personnel recruitment are specified as the origin being Station A, the destination being Station B, and the package weight being 1000g or less. The search results screen V102 shows an example of a screen displaying search results for delivery person recruitment. In the example shown in Figure 4, the search results display a recruitment for the delivery of a 300g package of clothing from warehouse No. 01 at station A to warehouse No. 01 at station B, and a recruitment for the delivery of a 500g package of stuffed animals from warehouse No. 02 at station A to warehouse No. 03 at station B. The search results screen V102 also displays an interface for selecting each of the search results and accepting applications for that recruitment. Delivery collaborators can apply to the selected delivery person recruitment by selecting the target recruitment from the series of recruitments displayed and pressing the button for application (i.e., expression of intent to deliver).

[0030] Furthermore, the delivery management department 101 may accept registration of application conditions from delivery collaborators in advance, and when it sets up a recruitment for delivery personnel who meet those conditions, it may notify the delivery collaborators of the setting up of the recruitment.

[0031] For example, Figure 5 shows an example of a reception screen for receiving registration of conditions related to notifications regarding the setting of delivery personnel from delivery collaborators. The reception screen V111 shown in Figure 5 is configured to accept the specification of conditions regarding the route (section) on which packages can be delivered based on the departure point (origin of the package) and destination point (destination of the package), as well as conditions regarding the date and time on which packages can be delivered, such as the day of the week and time. In addition, as a route condition, the reception screen V111 also allows specifying whether or not to allow delivery of packages in a partial section within the section between the departure point and the destination point, for example, a section where at least one of the intermediate points within that section is the origin or destination of the package. In the example shown in Figure 5, the departure point is Station C, the destination point is Station D, the days on which packages can be delivered are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, the time is 7:00, and the condition that delivery in a partial section within the section between the departure point and the destination point is also allowed is specified.

[0032] Figure 6 shows an example of a notification screen for notifying delivery collaborators about the setting of a recruitment of delivery personnel who meet pre-registered conditions. In the notification screen V121 shown in Figure 6, the conditions for the recruitment of delivery personnel are presented, including the origin, destination, item name, and weight of the package. In the example shown in Figure 6, a notification is given that a recruitment of delivery personnel has been set up to meet the conditions specified in the example shown in Figure 5, for a package whose origin is warehouse No. 01 at station C, destination is warehouse No. 05 at station D, item name is miscellaneous goods, and weight is 500g. In addition, the notification screen V121 presents an interface for receiving applications from delivery collaborators for the recruitment of delivery personnel for which information has been notified. Delivery collaborators can apply for the recruitment for which information has been notified by pressing the button related to application (i.e., expression of intent to deliver).

[0033] Figure 7 also shows an example of a management table used by the delivery management unit 101 to manage the target recipients of notifications regarding the setting of recruitment of delivery personnel for a given package, according to the delivery status of the package. In the example shown in Figure 7, the delivery of a package is shown with Station P as the departure station, Station D as the destination station, and Stations A and B as intermediate points. For convenience, in the example shown in Figure 7, it is assumed that the recruitment of delivery personnel for the next section of the route begins only after the delivery of the package in the relevant section of the route is completed.

[0034] In the example shown in Figure 7, delivery collaborators Ua to Uf are managed as delivery collaborators who have registered at least a portion of the route from station P to station D related to the delivery of the target package as a deliverable section. Under this premise, the example shown in Figure 7 illustrates an example of the notification settings regarding the recruitment of delivery personnel when the target package is located at stations other than the final destination station D, namely stations P, A, and B.

[0035] As a specific example, if a package is located at Station P, then delivery partners who can deliver the package from Station P as the origin, and to other stations after Station P along the route, namely Station A, Station B, or Station D, will be designated as recipients of notifications regarding the recruitment of delivery partners. In this case, delivery partners Ua, Ub, and Uc will be designated as recipients of notifications. Furthermore, if the package is at Station A, delivery partners who can deliver the package from Station A as the origin, and to other stations after Station A along the route, namely Station B or Station D, will be designated as recipients of notifications regarding the recruitment of delivery partners. In this case, delivery partners Ud and Ue will be designated as recipients of notifications. Furthermore, if the package is at Station B, a delivery collaborator capable of delivering the package from Station B as the origin, and to another station after Station B along the route, namely Station D, will be designated as the recipient of the notification regarding the recruitment of delivery collaborators. In this case, delivery collaborator Uf is designated as the recipient of the notification.

[0036] The delivery management unit 101 is not particularly limited in its method of detecting the completion of delivery of packages along the assigned delivery route, as long as it is capable of doing so. For example, the delivery management unit 101 may recognize the completion of delivery based on a delivery completion notification from the relevant delivery person. Alternatively, the delivery management unit 101 may recognize the completion of delivery by confirming the usage status of the storage facility where the packages are stored after delivery, i.e., that the storage facility is in use because the packages are being stored there, from the storage status management unit 104, which will be described later. Furthermore, the delivery management unit 101 may recognize the completion of delivery by a combination of the conditions exemplified above.

[0037] The delivery management unit 101 then notifies the recipient of the completion of delivery when the delivery of the package is complete, that is, when the package is stored in the storage facility linked to the final station (destination). This notification may include information that allows the recipient to retrieve the package, such as information on the location of the package and information on how to unlock the storage facility. This allows the recipient to check the notification from the delivery management unit 101 via their terminal device 270, for example, and retrieve the package stored in the designated storage facility.

[0038] The route setting unit 102 receives the origin (origin of the package) and destination (delivery destination where the package will be received) from the delivery management unit 101 and sets the route for the delivery of the package using public transportation. Specifically, the route setting unit 102 targets the boarding and alighting points of the target public transportation that are registered as targets for package drop-off and pick-up, and sets the route that travels using the public transportation connecting the boarding and alighting points designated as the origin and destination, and sets one or more intermediate points related to the provisions of the route. When setting the route, conditions may be specified for at least one of the boarding and alighting points among the origin, destination, and intermediate points. As a specific example, there are so-called terminal stations and ordinary stations among railway stations, but the origin and destination can be specified as either, and the setting conditions may be set so that only terminal stations can be specified as intermediate points.

[0039] Furthermore, if there are multiple candidate routes when setting a route, the route setting unit 102 may determine the route for delivery of the package based on evaluation criteria for the routes to be set. As a specific example, the route setting unit 102 may determine the route for delivery of the package in a way that minimizes the number of intermediate stops. As another example, the route setting unit 102 may determine the route for delivery of the package in a way that minimizes the travel time from the origin to the destination.

[0040] Here, we will describe an example of a method for identifying the route that results in the smallest possible evaluation score (and therefore the minimum score) when delivering goods by rail, based on the sum of the number of intermediate stations (hereinafter also referred to as intermediate stations) and the travel time. The constants, variables, and parameters applied when identifying the route for goods delivery using this method are defined as follows. -constant • S: The departure station (origin) from which the package will be sent. • G: The final destination station for the delivery of the package. T: Meeting point at the terminal station • N: Local station gathering -variable ·x ij : 1 if moving from station i to station j, 0 if not moving. ·z i : 1 if station i is an intermediate station, 0 otherwise -parameters ·d ij Travel time from station i to station j • α: Weight of the number of intermediate stations (relay points) • β: Weight of travel time Furthermore, the evaluation score is expressed by the following relational expression (Equation 1). Evaluation score = α (number of intermediate stations) + β (travel time) (Equation 1) Based on the above, an example of a relational expression for determining the delivery route of goods based on the evaluation points, and the constraints applied to said relational expression, are shown below.

[0041]

number

[0042] Equation (2) is a relation for determining the route for delivering luggage so as to minimize the total number of intermediate stations and travel time. Equation (3) is a constraint that the journey must start from departure station S. Equation (4) is a constraint that the journey must arrive at destination station G. Equation (5) is a constraint that restricts the stations that can be designated as intermediate stations to terminal stations. Equation (6) is a constraint that restricts the edges that can be designated as intermediate stations to edges leaving station i. Equation (7) is a constraint that restricts the number of incoming edges to the number of outgoing edges at intermediate stations. Equation (8) is a relation for the variable x ij and z i These are constraints that indicate the possible values ​​of [the function].

[0043] The above is merely an example and does not limit the method of determining the route for package delivery. The method of determining the route and the applicable constraints may be modified as appropriate depending on the use case to which the technology disclosed herein is applied and the circumstances at the time. Further examples of other methods for determining the route will be described separately in detail as variations.

[0044] The user management unit 103 manages various types of information relating to users of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment. Examples of such users include the delivery collaborators, senders, and recipients mentioned above.

[0045] The storage status management unit 104 manages storage facilities used for receiving and handing over luggage at boarding and alighting points of public transportation when luggage is delivered using public transportation, linking them to those boarding and alighting points. The storage status management unit 104 may also monitor the usage status of the storage facilities linked to each boarding and alighting point and notify the delivery management unit 101 of the usage status of the storage facilities (for example, whether or not luggage is being stored).

[0046] The memory unit 105 is a memory area that stores programs and various data necessary to realize the functions of each component of the server 100. The memory unit 105 is implemented, for example, by an auxiliary storage device 940 or RAM 930 as shown in Figure 2. The data stored in the memory unit 105 may include, for example, data related to the management of the delivery status of packages, data related to the management of delivery routes of packages, data related to the management of users registered in the system, and data related to the management of the usage status of each storage facility.

[0047] The configuration shown in Figure 3 is merely an example, and the functional configuration of server 100 is not limited as long as the functions of each component of server 100 are realized. For example, the functions of each component of server 100 may be realized by the cooperation of multiple devices. As a specific example, some of the components of server 100 shown in Figure 3 may be realized as functions of other devices different from server 100. As a specific example, at least one of the components of the routing unit 102, user management unit 103, storage status management unit 104, and storage unit 105 may be provided in other devices different from server 100.

[0048] The above explanation, with reference to Figure 3, describes an example of the functional configuration of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, with particular attention paid to the configuration of the server 100.

[0049] <Processing> Referring to Figure 8, an example of the processing of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment will be explained, with particular attention paid to the processing of the server 100. In the example shown in Figure 8, the process flow for recruiting delivery drivers for each of the series of sub-routes in the route of package delivery will be explained when the recruitment of delivery drivers for the next sub-route begins after the delivery of the package in the previous sub-route has been completed.

[0050] In S101, the delivery management department 101 receives a request for shipment from the shipper via the terminal device 210. At this time, the delivery management department 101 receives information from the shipper regarding the shipment, such as the origin and destination of the shipment, the type of shipment, and the weight of the shipment.

[0051] In S102, the delivery management unit 101 instructs the route setting unit 102 to set a route for the delivery of a package using public transportation, in response to the package delivery request received in S101. At this time, the delivery management unit 101 specifies the departure point from which the package is sent and the destination where the package will be received. In response to instructions from the delivery management unit 101, the route setting unit 102 sets a route using public transportation, connecting the designated departure and destination boarding and alighting points, from a series of boarding and alighting points of the target public transportation that are registered as targets for package drop-off and pick-up. The delivery management unit 101 also divides the route set by the route setting unit 102 into multiple sub-routes at each of the series of intermediate points along the route. For example, as illustrated in Figure 1, suppose a route is set with station P as the departure station, passing through intermediate stations A and B, and ending at station D. In this case, the route from station P to station D is divided into three sub-routes: from station P to station A, from station A to station B, and from station B to station D.

[0052] In S103, the delivery management unit 101 selects from among the multiple subroutes that have been divided from the delivery route for the package set in S102, the subroutes that are closest to the departure point and for which no delivery person has yet been assigned, as targets for recruiting delivery persons. In S104, the delivery management unit 101 begins recruiting delivery drivers for the partial routes designated as target routes for delivery drivers in S103, and accepts applications from delivery collaborators. Delivery collaborators access the server 10 via their terminal device 210 to check the details of the delivery driver recruitment (for example, origin, destination, type of package, weight of package, etc.) and apply for the recruitment. When the delivery management department 101 receives applications from delivery collaborators in response to the recruitment initiated in S104, it sets the delivery collaborators in S105 as the delivery persons for the target packages on the target partial routes. The delivery management department 101 then waits for the completion of the package delivery by the set delivery persons. Upon receiving notification of the completion of package delivery, the delivery management unit 101 confirms in S106 that the delivery has been completed by the delivery person set in S105. As mentioned above, the method for confirming the completion of delivery is not particularly limited, as long as the delivery management unit 101 can confirm the completion of the delivery of the package assigned to the delivery person.

[0053] In S107, the delivery management unit 101 determines whether the delivery of the package has been completed to its final destination (for example, the terminal station). If the delivery management unit 101 determines in S107 that the delivery of the package to its destination has not been completed, it proceeds to S103. In this case, the processing from S103 onward is executed again, targeting the portion of the package delivery route that has not yet been delivered. Then, if the delivery management unit 101 determines in S107 that the delivery of the package to its destination has been completed, it proceeds to S108. In S108, the delivery management unit 101 notifies the recipient that the delivery of the package is complete. This notification may include information that allows the recipient to retrieve the package, such as information on the package's storage location and information on how to unlock the storage location. This allows the recipient to confirm the notification from the delivery management unit 101 via their terminal device 270, for example, and retrieve the package stored in the designated storage facility. Once the delivery management unit 101 confirms that the recipient has retrieved the package, it terminates the series of processes shown in Figure 8.

[0054] In the example shown in Figure 8, we described an example where the recruitment of delivery personnel for the next section of the route begins only after the delivery of the preceding section of the route has been completed. However, as mentioned above, after applications from delivery personnel for the target section of the route have been accepted, recruitment for delivery personnel for the next section of the route may begin even if the delivery of the package has not been completed. In other words, in this case, recruitment for delivery personnel for the next section of the route may begin without waiting for confirmation of the completion of the delivery of the package for the preceding section of the route. On the other hand, it is conceivable that at the time applications from delivery collaborators are accepted for the recruitment of delivery personnel for the next section of the route, the package may not have arrived at the warehouse that will be the source of the shipment for that next section of the route. Therefore, anticipating such a situation, when the package is stored at the warehouse that will be the source of the shipment for that next section of the route, a notification regarding the arrival of the package may be sent to the delivery collaborator responsible for the delivery of that next section of the route.

[0055] <Example of variation 1: Setting delivery routes according to the number of registered delivery collaborators> As a modification 1 of this embodiment, an example of a method for setting delivery routes for packages according to the number of registered delivery collaborators will be described. Due to the nature of the information processing system according to this embodiment, which realizes package delivery with the cooperation of delivery collaborators, there is a possibility that package delivery may be delayed if applications from delivery collaborators are not accepted (no applicants). Given this characteristic, the more likely it is that applications from delivery collaborators will be accepted, the smoother package delivery will be realized. In consideration of this characteristic, this modification will describe an example of a method for setting delivery routes for packages by prioritizing candidate routes that are likely to involve the cooperation of a larger number of delivery collaborators.

[0056] Specifically, in the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, as described above with reference to Figure 5, delivery collaborators can register in the system in advance the conditions for the sections and dates and times in which they can deliver packages, and receive notifications when a call for delivery of packages that meet those conditions is set up. The information processing system 1 according to this modified example refers to the information indicating the conditions for delivery of packages that are the subject of information notifications registered by the delivery collaborators, and sets as the delivery route for packages the route that allows for information notifications to be sent to more delivery collaborators.

[0057] For example, Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of how to set a route for package delivery in the information processing system related to this modified example. In the example shown in Figure 9, two candidate routes are set for delivering a package from Station A to Station B: one that passes through Station C as an intermediate station, and another that passes through Station D as an intermediate station. In Figure 9, the partial routes connecting each station are schematically shown with arrows, and information indicating the time required for travel along the partial route is attached. In parentheses, the number of delivery collaborators registered as recipients of information notification when the partial route is applied as part of the package delivery route is also shown.

[0058] In the example shown in Figure 9, the total travel time for the route from Station A to Station B via Station C (Route ACB) is 44 minutes, while the total travel time for the route from Station A to Station B via Station D (Route ADB) is 50 minutes. Therefore, if simply prioritizing shorter travel time, Route ACB is more desirable than Route ADB as a route for delivering goods. On the other hand, if we focus on the number of registered delivery partners for each route, in route ACB, there are 20 registered delivery partners for the partial route from station A to station C (partial route AC), and 10 registered delivery partners for the partial route from station C to station B (partial route CB). In contrast, in route ADB, there are 30 registered delivery partners for the partial route from station A to station D (partial route AD), and 40 registered delivery partners for the partial route from station D to station B (partial route DB). In other words, route ADB has a larger number of registered delivery partners for each partial route compared to route ACB, which makes it possible to reduce the risk of situations such as delays in package delivery due to a lack of applications for delivery partners. In light of the characteristics described above, in the example shown in Figure 9, the server 100 in this modified example prioritizes the route ADB and sets it as the route for package delivery.

[0059] Furthermore, the information processing system according to this modified example may set the delivery route for packages by taking into account not only the number of registered delivery collaborators, but also the number of divisions when the delivery route is divided into multiple sub-routes by relay points. Specifically, the server 100 sets the delivery route for packages by prioritizing routes with a larger number of registered delivery collaborators in each sub-route, and by prioritizing routes with a smaller number of divisions in each sub-route.

[0060] For example, Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of how to set up a route for package delivery in the information processing system related to this modified example, showing an example where the number of sub-routes is taken into account in addition to the number of registered delivery collaborators when setting up a route for package delivery. In the example shown in Figure 10, in a route where Station A is the departure station, Stations B and C are intermediate stations, and Station D is the destination station, multiple candidate routes from Station A to Station D are set up by switching which intermediate station divides the route into sub-routes. Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 10, four candidate routes are set up: a route that delivers packages directly from Station A to Station D (Route AD), a route that temporarily stores packages at Station B (Route ABD), a route that temporarily stores packages at Station C (Route ACD), and a route that temporarily stores packages at Stations B and C (Route ABCD). Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 10, the number of registered delivery partners is numerically shown for both the direct route connecting Station A and Station D, and for each of the series of sub-routes defined by dividing the route between Station A and Station D at at least one of Stations B and C.

[0061] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 10, the number of divisions refers to the number of intermediate stations (stations where luggage is temporarily stored) between the departure station and the destination station. In the example shown in Figure 10, the number of divisions for route AD is 0, the number of divisions for routes ABD and ACD is 1 each, and the number of divisions for route ABCD is 2. In other words, if the priority of routes is evaluated solely from the perspective of the number of divisions, route AD will have higher priority. On the other hand, the total number of registered delivery collaborators for each candidate route related to package delivery is 5 for route AD, 15 for route ABD, 30 for route ACD, and 30 for route ABCD. In other words, if route priority is evaluated solely from the perspective of the number of registered delivery collaborators, routes ABD, ACD, and ABCD will be given higher priority.

[0062] Based on the above premises, the server 100 in this modified example sets a priority among the candidates based on the number of registered delivery collaborators and the number of route divisions for each candidate route related to the delivery of the package. As a specific example, although routes ABD and ACD have the same number of route divisions, route ACD is prioritized over route ABD because it has a larger number of registered delivery partners. Similarly, although routes ACD and ABCD have the same number of registered delivery partners, route ACD is prioritized over route ABCD because it has fewer route divisions. Furthermore, although route AD has fewer divisions than the other candidates, it also has an extremely low number of registered delivery partners compared to the other candidates, and is therefore given a lower priority. As described above, in the example shown in Figure 10, the priority among the candidates is set such that route ACD has the highest priority, followed by routes ABD, ABCD, and AD in decreasing order of priority.

[0063] The above describes an example of a method for setting delivery routes according to the number of registered delivery collaborators, as a modification 1 of this embodiment. As illustrated above, by prioritizing routes with a larger number of registered delivery collaborators when setting delivery routes, it is expected that the risk of delays in delivery due to a lack of applications from delivery personnel can be reduced.

[0064] <Variation 2: Example of setting delivery routes according to the number of available storage spaces> As a second modification of this embodiment, an example of a method for setting a delivery route for packages according to the number of available slots in storage facilities used to temporarily store packages during delivery will be described. As described above, the information processing system according to this embodiment temporarily stores packages in storage facilities such as lockers when receiving packages from the sender, handing them over to the delivery person, and handing them over to the recipient. Due to these characteristics, if the storage facilities run out of space, it becomes difficult to temporarily store packages for receiving and handing them over. Furthermore, since the availability of each storage facility can change moment by moment depending on the order status of package delivery requests, even if there is space in a storage facility at the start of package delivery, it is conceivable that a storage facility may become unavailable later. In consideration of these characteristics, this modification will describe an example of a method for setting a delivery route for packages by prioritizing candidate routes with available space in the storage facilities.

[0065] For example, Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of how to set a route for package delivery in the information processing system related to this modified example. In the example shown in Figure 11, when delivering a package from Station A to Station B, the following routes are set as candidates: a route that passes through Station C as an intermediate station, a route that passes through Station D as an intermediate station, and a route that passes through Stations E and F as intermediate stations. In Figure 11, the partial routes connecting each station are schematically shown with arrows, and the number of available storage units at each intermediate station is indicated by a subscript.

[0066] In the example shown in Figure 11, on the route from station A to station B via station C (route ACB), the number of available storage units at station C, an intermediate station, is 0. Also, on the route from station A to station B via station D (route ADB), the number of available storage units at station D, an intermediate station, is 3. Furthermore, on the route from station A to station B via stations E and F (route AEFB), the number of available storage units at station E, an intermediate station, is 8, and the number of available storage units at station F is 12. In other words, for route ACB, it is practically difficult to deliver packages because it is difficult to use storage facilities at station C to store the packages. Also, because route AEFB has more route divisions than route ADB, the number of handovers between deliveries will be higher, which may result in a longer delivery time than route ADB. On the other hand, route AEFB has more available storage facilities at intermediate stations than route ADB, so it is possible to reduce the risk of running out of storage facilities during package delivery compared to route ADB. In light of the characteristics described above, in the example shown in Figure 11, the server 100 in this modified example prioritizes the route AEFB and sets it as the route for package delivery.

[0067] Furthermore, the information processing system relating to this modified example may, in addition to the number of available storage spaces at each intermediate station, also take into account the number of divisions when the route for delivery of goods is divided into multiple sub-routes by relay points, similar to the modified example 1 described above, when setting the route for delivery of goods.

[0068] For example, Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating another example of how to set up a route for parcel delivery in the information processing system related to this modified example. It shows an example of setting up a route for parcel delivery by taking into account the number of available storage spaces at each intermediate station as well as the number of sub-routes. In the example shown in Figure 12, similar to the example shown in Figure 10, it shows an example where multiple candidate routes are set up by switching which intermediate station divides the route into sub-routes, with Station A as the departure station, Stations B and C as intermediate stations, and Station D as the destination station. In other words, in the example shown in Figure 12, four candidate routes are set: Route AD, Route ABD, Route ACD, and Route ABCD. Also, in the example shown in Figure 12, similar to the example shown in Figure 10, the number of registered delivery collaborators is shown numerically, and the number of available storage spaces is linked to each intermediate station. Furthermore, the method for evaluating route priority based on the number of registered delivery collaborators and the method for evaluating route priority based on the number of sub-routes in the example shown in Figure 12 are the same as in the example shown in Figure 10.

[0069] Based on the above premises, the server 100 in this modified example sets the priority among the candidates by taking into account the number of available storage units at intermediate stations for each candidate route related to the delivery of the goods. In this modified example, when evaluating the priority of each candidate route according to the number of available storage units at intermediate stations, the smallest value among the number of available storage units at each intermediate station in the sequence when that candidate is applied is used for the evaluation. As a specific example, routes ABD and ACD have the same total number of registered delivery partners and the same number of route divisions, but the number of available storage units at intermediate stations B and C differs. Specifically, route ABD has 2 available storage units at intermediate station B, while route ACD has 10 available storage units at intermediate station C. Therefore, route ACD, which has more available storage units at intermediate stations, will be given priority over route ABD. Furthermore, routes A, B, C, and D pass through stations B and C as intermediate stations. Therefore, when evaluating the priority of routes A, B, C, and D based on the number of available storage units at intermediate stations, the smallest of the number of available storage units at stations B and C, i.e., the number of available storage units at station B, which is 2, will be applied to the evaluation.

[0070] The above describes an example of a method for setting delivery routes for packages according to the number of available storage spaces for temporarily storing packages during delivery, as a modification 2 of this embodiment. As illustrated above, by prioritizing the routes for package delivery that have a larger number of available storage spaces, it is possible to reduce the risk of situations where it becomes difficult to temporarily store packages for delivery due to a lack of available storage spaces. Furthermore, this modified version can also be applied in combination with Modified Version 1 described above. In addition, when the priority of candidate routes for parcel delivery is evaluated based on a combination of multiple conditions such as the number of registered delivery collaborators, the number of route divisions, and the number of available slots in storage, the priority given to each condition (weighting between each condition) may be changed as appropriate depending on the use case.

[0071] <Variation 3: Recruitment of delivery personnel targeting multiple candidates> As a third modification of this embodiment, an example of a method for recruiting delivery personnel for a package by targeting multiple candidate routes for the delivery of the package will be described. As mentioned above, in the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, a route for the delivery of the package is set, and then delivery personnel are recruited for that route. On the other hand, depending on the setting of the delivery source and destination of the package, multiple candidate routes for the delivery of the package may be set. Also, as mentioned above, the more registered delivery collaborators there are, the higher the likelihood that applications will be accepted for the recruitment of delivery personnel, and the total number of registered delivery collaborators will increase as the number of candidate routes increases. In consideration of these characteristics, in the information processing system according to this modification, when multiple candidate routes for the delivery of the target package can be set, the likelihood of applications being accepted for the recruitment is increased by targeting multiple candidates for delivery personnel.

[0072] Here, the characteristics of the information processing system related to this modified example will be explained in more detail with reference to Figure 13 and a specific example. Figure 13 shows an example of a route candidate when multiple candidates can be set as routes for the delivery of a package. Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 13, when a package is delivered from station A to station B, the following routes are extracted as route candidates: Route 1 (Route ACB) with station C as an intermediate station, Route 2 (Route ADB) with station D as an intermediate station, and Route 3 (Route AEFB) with stations E and F as intermediate stations. In this case, for example, the server 100 may start recruiting delivery drivers for each of the routes 1, 2, and 3 shown in Figure 13, and identify the candidate whose application is received earliest as the route to be actually used for delivering the packages. By applying such control, the total number of registered delivery collaborators will be greater than when recruitment is conducted for only one of the routes 1, 2, or 3, so it is expected that the likelihood of applications being accepted for the delivery driver recruitment will be higher. In other words, it is expected that the risk of delays in package delivery due to unsuccessful applications for delivery drivers will be reduced.

[0073] As another example, server 100 may control which of the multiple possible routes for package delivery are targeted for recruiting delivery drivers, depending on the circumstances at the time. For example, server 100 may initially prioritize recruiting delivery drivers for a certain route (the first route), and if no applications are received within a predetermined period or other predetermined conditions, it may then recruit delivery drivers for a different route (the second route). As a specific example, in the example shown in Figure 13, server 100 may first start recruiting delivery drivers for route 1, and if no applications are received after a predetermined period, it may start recruiting delivery drivers for routes 2 and 3. In this case, server 100 may maintain recruitment for route 1 while additionally starting recruitment for routes 2 and 3. As yet another example, server 100 may withdraw recruitment for route 1 when it starts recruiting for routes 2 and 3.

[0074] The above describes an example of a modification 3 of this embodiment, in which, when recruiting delivery personnel for a package, recruitment is conducted targeting multiple candidate routes for the delivery of the package. As illustrated above, by recruiting delivery personnel targeting multiple candidate routes for the delivery of the package, the total number of registered delivery collaborators who can be expected to apply increases. Therefore, the likelihood of applications being accepted for the recruitment of delivery personnel increases, and consequently, the risk of delays in package delivery due to unsuccessful applications for delivery personnel is expected to be reduced.

[0075] <Modification 4: Reconfiguring the delivery route for packages> As a fourth modification of this embodiment, an example of control related to the reconfiguration of delivery routes for packages will be described. As mentioned above, in the information processing system according to this embodiment, the delivery of packages is realized with the cooperation of delivery collaborators, who are registered in the system in advance, by soliciting applications from delivery collaborators and accepting applications. Due to this characteristic, applications are not always accepted in response to the solicitation of delivery collaborators, and situations may occur where packages deposited in warehouses at the origin or transit points are not collected by delivery collaborators, causing delays in delivery. On the other hand, depending on the circumstances at the time, it is conceivable that even if it is difficult to obtain the cooperation of delivery collaborators for some routes, it may be possible to obtain the cooperation of delivery collaborators for other routes. Therefore, in this modification, an example of control that enables the continuation of package delivery is described by reconfiguring the delivery route for the package according to the application status to the solicitation of delivery collaborators, even after a route has been set for package delivery.

[0076] Specifically, in the modified version, if the server 100 is temporarily storing the package in a warehouse at the departure point or transit point and the application is not accepted before a predetermined period of time has elapsed or other predetermined conditions have been met, it may reset the delivery route of the package, using the location at that time as the new departure point. As a concrete example, a situation may arise where, although delivery of a package has begun, the package is being held in a storage facility at an intermediate station, and no applications have been received for delivery personnel for the subsequent portion of the route, causing a delay in delivery. In such a case, server 100 may reconfigure the route for package delivery to the final station, using the intermediate station as the new starting station, and then recruit delivery personnel for the newly configured route. In this case, server 100 may also prioritize setting a route that passes through a station with a larger number of registered delivery collaborators as an intermediate station, such as a large terminal station (for example, one with many types of railway lines serving it), even if it increases travel time. Furthermore, as explained in Modification Example 3, server 100 may set multiple candidate routes for package delivery and recruit delivery personnel for these multiple candidate routes.

[0077] The above describes an example of control related to the reconfiguration of delivery routes as Modification 4 of this embodiment. As described above, the information processing system according to this modification makes it possible to reconfigure the delivery route even after the delivery route has been set and the delivery of the package has started, according to the circumstances at the time. This makes it possible to recruit delivery personnel from other cooperating delivery personnel by reconfiguring the delivery route, for example, in the event that delivery of a package is delayed because no applications have been received for delivery personnel on some routes. In other words, the information processing system according to this modification makes it possible to flexibly change the delivery route in response to the ever-changing circumstances, and is expected to further reduce the risk of situations such as delays in delivery due to the absence of delivery personnel.

[0078] <Conclusion> As described above, in the information processing system according to this embodiment, the server 100 recruits and accepts applications from delivery drivers to deliver packages along a plurality of sub-routes that are divided by at least one third boarding / alighting point, starting from a first boarding / alighting point which is the departure point for a trip related to the delivery of packages using public transportation, and a second boarding / alighting point which is the destination, from a route defined to connect these two points via at least one third boarding / alighting point. The sub-routes are selected in order of proximity to the first boarding / alighting point on the route. After receiving applications from delivery drivers for the first sub-routes on the route, the server 100 then recruits delivery drivers to deliver packages along the second sub-routes that follow the first sub-routes on the route. With the above configuration, even in situations where there are no delivery partners available to deliver a package along a given route, it is possible to divide the route into multiple sub-routes and obtain the cooperation of delivery partners for each sub-route to realize package delivery. Furthermore, the information processing system according to this embodiment allows for control such as selecting a delivery route or resetting a delivery route according to various conditions, enabling more flexible responses depending on the situation at the time. Thus, the information processing system according to this embodiment makes it possible to realize package delivery in a more favorable manner in conjunction with delivery partners' cooperation.

[0079] It should be noted that the embodiments described above are merely examples and do not necessarily limit the configuration or processing of the present invention. Various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the technical concept of the present invention. Furthermore, the embodiments and modifications described above may be combined and applied as appropriate, provided there are no inhibiting factors. Furthermore, the present invention includes a program that realizes the functions of the embodiments described above, and a recording medium that can be read by a computer storing the program.

[0080] Furthermore, the following configurations also fall within the technical scope of this disclosure. (1) A delivery management means for recruiting and accepting applications from delivery personnel to deliver the goods on a route defined to connect a first boarding / alighting point, which is the departure point for a movement related to the delivery of goods using the means of transport, and a second boarding / alighting point, which is the destination, via at least one third boarding / alighting point, from a series of boarding / alighting points of a means of transport, with each of the multiple sub-routes divided by the one or more third boarding / alighting points, in order of proximity to the first boarding / alighting point on the route, wherein after an application from a delivery person has been accepted for the first sub-route of the multiple sub-routes on the route, the delivery management means recruits a delivery person to deliver the goods on the second sub-route, which is the next sub-route after the first sub-route on the route. (2) The information processing device according to (1), wherein, upon receiving designation of the first boarding / alighting point and the second boarding / alighting point, a route setting means sets the route for the delivery of the cargo and one or more third boarding / alighting points specified in the route, and the delivery management means recruits the delivery personnel for each of the plurality of sub-routes that are divided from the route set by the route setting means. (3) The information processing device according to (2), wherein the route setting means sets a plurality of candidate routes connecting the first boarding / alighting point and the second boarding / alighting point, and the delivery management means applies at least one of the plurality of candidates as the route for the delivery of the cargo. (4) The information processing apparatus according to (3), comprising a user management means for managing a link between each of the series of boarding and alighting points of the transportation service and a user who is a candidate for a delivery person to deliver goods along the said part route, wherein the delivery management means accepts applications from the users managed in association with the part route for the part route related to the delivery of the goods in question, and the route setting means sets as the route related to the delivery of the goods, prioritizing the candidate among a plurality of candidate routes for the route connecting the first boarding and alighting point and the second boarding and alighting point that has a larger number of users managed in association with each of the plurality of part routes included in the candidate. (5) The information processing device according to (3), wherein the device has a storage status management means for managing the storage status of luggage in a storage facility, which links a series of boarding and alighting points of the transportation service with a storage facility for temporarily storing luggage that has reached the boarding and alighting points, and the route setting means sets as the route for the delivery of the luggage, with priority given to the candidate route among a plurality of candidate routes connecting the first boarding and alighting point and the second boarding and alighting point, which has a larger number of available storage facilities linked to the third boarding and alighting point in that candidate route. (6) The information processing device described in (3), wherein the delivery management means recruits delivery persons for a plurality of routes set by the route setting means, and if an application from a delivery person is accepted for any of the plurality of routes, it subsequently recruits delivery persons for that route. (7) The information processing device according to (3), wherein the delivery management means prioritizes recruiting delivery persons for a first route among a plurality of routes set by the route setting means, and if no applications from delivery persons are accepted for the first route before the predetermined conditions are met, it recruits delivery persons for a second route other than the first route among the plurality of routes. (8) The information processing device according to any one of paragraphs (2) to (7), wherein the route setting means sets a new route for the delivery of the package, with the third boarding / alighting point being a new first boarding / alighting point that will be the starting point for the movement related to the delivery of the package, when the delivery management means is unable to accept applications from the delivery person to deliver the package from any third boarding / alighting point on the route related to the delivery of the package and certain conditions are met. (9) The information processing device according to any one of paragraphs (1) to (8), wherein the delivery management means recruits a delivery person to deliver the package in the second partial route when the delivery of the package in the first partial route is completed. (10) The information processing device according to any one of paragraphs (1) to (8), wherein the delivery management means recruits a delivery person to deliver the goods along the second partial route when an application from the delivery person has been accepted for the first partial route. (11) An information processing method executed by an information processing device, comprising a delivery management step of recruiting and accepting applications from delivery persons to deliver the goods on each of a plurality of sub-routes divided by the one or more third boarding / alighting points, starting with the one or more third boarding / alighting points, from a route defined to connect a first boarding / alighting point which is the departure point for a movement related to the delivery of goods using the transportation, and a second boarding / alighting point which is the destination, from a series of boarding / alighting points of the transportation, the delivery management step further includes, after applications from the delivery persons have been accepted for the first sub-routes among the plurality of sub-routes on the route, recruiting delivery persons to deliver the goods on the second sub-routes, which are the next sub-routes after the first sub-routes on the route. (12) A program that causes a computer to execute a delivery management step of recruiting and accepting applications from delivery personnel to deliver the goods on each of a plurality of sub-routes divided by the one or more third boarding and alighting points, from a route defined to connect a first boarding and alighting point which is the departure point for a movement related to the delivery of goods using the means of transport, and a second boarding and alighting point which is the destination, via at least one third boarding and alighting point, and the program targets each of the sub-routes on the route in order of proximity to the first boarding and alighting point, and after applications from the delivery personnel have been accepted for the first sub-route of the plurality of sub-routes on the route, the program then targets the second sub-route that follows the first sub-route on the route, and recruits delivery personnel to deliver the goods on the second sub-route. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0081] 1. Information Processing System 100 servers 101 Delivery Management Department 102 Route setting section 103 User Management Department 104 Storage Status Management Department 105 Storage section 200 terminal devices 300 Storage

Claims

1. A delivery management means for recruiting and accepting applications from delivery personnel to deliver goods on a route defined to connect a first boarding / alighting point, which is the departure point for the movement related to the delivery of goods using the transportation, and a second boarding / alighting point, which is the destination, via at least one third boarding / alighting point, from a series of boarding / alighting points of a transportation service, with each of the multiple sub-routes divided by the one or more third boarding / alighting points, in order of proximity to the first boarding / alighting point on the route, The delivery management means, after receiving applications from delivery personnel for a first sub-route among the plurality of sub-routes on the route, then recruits delivery personnel to deliver the goods along the second sub-route following the first sub-route on the route. Information processing device.

2. The system has route setting means for setting the route for the delivery of the cargo and one or more third boarding / alighting points related to the provisions of the route, based on the designation of the first boarding / alighting point and the second boarding / alighting point. The delivery management means recruits delivery drivers for each of the multiple sub-routes that are divided from the route set by the route setting means. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The route setting means sets a plurality of candidate routes connecting the first boarding / alighting point and the second boarding / alighting point, The delivery management means applies at least one of the plurality of candidates as the route for the delivery of the package. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The system includes a user management means for managing and linking each of the partial routes connecting each of the aforementioned boarding and alighting points of the transportation system with the users who are candidates for delivery personnel who will deliver goods along those partial routes. The delivery management means accepts applications from users who are managed in association with a portion of the delivery route for the target package, for the portion of the delivery route for the target package. The route setting means sets, among a plurality of candidate routes connecting the first boarding / alighting point and the second boarding / alighting point, the candidate with the larger number of users associated with each of the plurality of sub-routes included in the candidate, as the route for the delivery of the package. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The system has a storage status management means that links each of the aforementioned boarding and alighting points of the transportation system with a storage facility for temporarily storing luggage that has arrived at said boarding and alighting point, and manages the storage status of luggage in said storage facility. The route setting means sets, among a plurality of candidate routes connecting the first boarding / alighting point and the second boarding / alighting point, the candidate with the largest number of available storage units linked to the third boarding / alighting point, as the route for the delivery of the cargo. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3.

6. The aforementioned delivery management means is: The delivery drivers are recruited for the multiple routes set by the route setting means, If an application for a delivery person is accepted for any of the aforementioned routes, then the company will continue to recruit delivery persons for that route. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3.

7. The aforementioned delivery management means is: The recruitment of delivery personnel will be conducted prioritizing the first route among the multiple routes set by the route setting means. If no applications from delivery personnel are received for the first route before the predetermined conditions are met, then recruitment of delivery personnel will be conducted for a second route, which is different from the first route among the multiple routes. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3.

8. The route setting means, when the delivery management means is unable to accept applications from the delivery person to deliver the package from any third pick-up / drop-off point along the route for the delivery of the package and certain conditions are met, sets a new route for the delivery of the package, with the third pick-up / drop-off point as a new first pick-up / drop-off point that will be the starting point for the movement related to the delivery of the package. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

9. The delivery management means, when the delivery of the package is completed for the first partial route, recruits a delivery person to deliver the package for the second partial route. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

10. The delivery management means, when an application from a delivery person is received for the first partial route, recruits a delivery person to deliver the goods along the second partial route. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

11. An information processing method performed by an information processing device, A delivery management step includes recruiting and accepting applications from delivery personnel to deliver the goods on a route defined to connect a first boarding / alighting point, which is the departure point for the movement related to the delivery of goods using the transportation, and a second boarding / alighting point, which is the destination, via at least one third boarding / alighting point, from a series of boarding / alighting points of the transportation, with each of the multiple sub-routes divided by the one or more third boarding / alighting points, in order of proximity to the first boarding / alighting point on the route, The delivery management step, after receiving applications from delivery personnel for a first sub-route among the multiple sub-routes on the route, recruits delivery personnel to deliver the goods along the second sub-route following the first sub-route on the route. Information processing methods.

12. On the computer, A delivery management step is performed in which, from a route defined to connect a first boarding / alighting point, which is the departure point for the movement related to the delivery of goods using the transportation, and a second boarding / alighting point, which is the destination, via at least one third boarding / alighting point, a delivery management step is performed in which delivery personnel are recruited and applications are accepted for each of the multiple sub-routes that are divided by the one or more third boarding / alighting points, in order of proximity to the first boarding / alighting point on the route, and who will deliver the goods on the said sub-routes. The delivery management step, after receiving applications from delivery personnel for a first sub-route among the multiple sub-routes on the route, recruits delivery personnel to deliver the goods along the second sub-route following the first sub-route on the route. program.

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