Management device, goods delivery system, storage system, and management method

Abstract

To provide a management device, an article delivery system, a storage system and a management method which properly make the inside of a storage clean without reducing the quality of an article and perform delivery of the article at arbitrary timing.SOLUTION: In an article delivery system 1, a management server 7 being a management device which manages a storage system including a plurality of storage units respectively having storages comprises: a setting unit 722 which sets mutually-different cleaning allocation times to the respective storage units; and a use management unit 723 which inhibits the use of the storage unit but permits the use of the other storage units during the cleaning allocation time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a management device, an item delivery system, a storage system, and a management method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, an article receiving device used for transferring articles is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The article receiving device described in Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of box rows. Each box row is composed of a plurality of article receiving boxes. Furthermore, the article receiving device includes a gas generating device that creates a predetermined state in the article receiving boxes by circulating a gas used for deodorization, sterilization, or the like in the article receiving boxes. When an article is contained in at least one of the article receiving boxes that constitute a box row, the gas generating device circulates gas in all of the article receiving boxes in the box row. On the other hand, when no article is contained in any of the article receiving boxes that constitute a box row, the gas generating device stops circulating gas into all of the article receiving boxes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-64456 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure aims to provide a management device, an item delivery system, a storage system, and a management method that can properly clean the inside of a storage facility without compromising the quality of the items, and that can deliver items at any time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The management device of the present disclosure is a management device that manages a storage system including a plurality of storage units each having a storage cabinet, and is configured to assign different cleaning allocations to each of the storage units. Time Zone A setting unit that sets the cleaning allocation In the time zone and a usage management section that prohibits the use of the storage unit while permitting the use of the other storage units.

[0006] The management device disclosed herein is a management device for managing a storage system including a plurality of storage units each having a plurality of storage cabinets, and is configured to receive items to be stored in the storage system. time a reception unit that receives information representing the number of storage units that can be used for the storage unit; a utilization management unit that selects a specific storage unit as a storage unit for receiving and transferring the item; and a utilization management unit that assigns different cleaning allocations to each of the storage units. Time Zone and a setting unit for setting the scheduled receipt. time The storage unit for delivery is selected from one of the storage units in order of the earliest arrival of the storage unit, and when all the storage units in the one of the storage units are selected as the storage units for delivery, the storage unit for delivery is selected from the storage units in order of the earliest arrival of the storage unit. time The setting unit selects the storage unit for delivery from another storage unit in order of the earliest arrival time of the item, and the setting unit sets the time after the item is removed from all storage units in the storage unit as the cleaning allocation time. Time Zone Set as.

[0007] The item delivery system of the present disclosure includes a storage system including a plurality of storage units each having a storage cabinet, and a management device that manages the storage system, and the management device assigns different cleaning allocations to each of the storage units. Time Zone A setting unit that sets the cleaning allocation In the time zone and a usage management section that prohibits the use of the storage unit while permitting the use of the other storage units.

[0008] The item delivery system of the present disclosure includes a storage system including a plurality of storage units each having a plurality of storage cabinets, and a management device that manages the storage system. The management device is configured to receive items to be stored in the storage system. timea reception unit that receives information representing the number of storage units that can be used for the storage unit; a utilization management unit that selects a specific storage unit as a storage unit for receiving and transferring the item; and a utilization management unit that assigns different cleaning allocations to each of the storage units. Time Zone and a setting unit for setting the scheduled receipt. time The storage unit for delivery is selected from one of the storage units in order of the earliest arrival of the storage unit, and when all the storage units in the one of the storage units are selected as the storage units for delivery, the storage unit for delivery is selected from the storage units in order of the earliest arrival of the storage unit. time The setting unit selects the storage unit for delivery from another storage unit in order of the earliest arrival time of the item, and the setting unit sets the time after the item is removed from all storage units in the storage unit as the cleaning allocation time. Time Zone Set as.

[0009] The storage system disclosed herein includes a plurality of storage units each having a storage unit, and a cleaning device that performs a cleaning process for each of the storage units. The cleaning device is configured to assign cleaning allocations to each of the storage units based on an external command, the cleaning allocations being set to be different from one another. Time Zone The cleaning process is carried out within the container.

[0010] The management method disclosed herein is a management method performed by a management device that manages a storage system including a plurality of storage units each having a storage cabinet, and the management device assigns different cleaning allocations to each of the storage units. Time Zone Setting the cleaning quota Time Zone The middle one prohibits the use of the storage unit, while the other storage units are permitted to be used.

[0011] The management method disclosed herein is a management method performed by a management device that manages a storage system including a plurality of storage units each having a plurality of storage cabinets, and the management device receives an order of receiving items to be stored in the storage system. time and selecting a predetermined storage unit as a storage unit for delivery of the item, and assigning different cleaning allocations to each of the storage units. Time Zone When selecting a storage facility for delivery, timeThe storage unit for delivery is selected from one of the storage units in order of the earliest arrival of the storage unit, and when all the storage units in the one of the storage units are selected as the storage units for delivery, the storage unit for delivery is selected from the storage units in order of the earliest arrival of the storage unit. time Select a storage unit for the delivery from another storage unit in order of the earliest arrival time, and Time Zone When setting the cleaning allocation, the time after the items are removed from all the storage units of the storage unit is set as the cleaning allocation. Time Zone Set as. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the management device, item delivery system, storage system, and management method disclosed herein, the inside of the storage facility can be properly cleaned without compromising the quality of the items, and items can be delivered at any time. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] A block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an article delivery system. [Diagram 2] Perspective view of the storage system [Diagram 3] Vertical cross-section of storage unit [Figure 4] Vertical section of the top of the storage unit [Diagram 5] Block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the storage system [Figure 6] A diagram showing the relationship between the available and unavailable times for each storage unit and the cleaning allocation time [Figure 7] A flowchart showing the process from ordering goods to arranging for warehousing [Figure 8] A flowchart showing the process from ordering goods to arranging for warehousing [Figure 9] Flowchart showing the process of selecting a storage facility for delivery [Figure 10] Flowchart showing the inventory process of goods [Figure 11] Flowchart showing the process of retrieving and cleaning items [Figure 12]Flowchart showing the process of retrieving and cleaning items [Figure 13] Flowchart showing first cleaning end process [Figure 14] Flowchart showing second cleaning end process [Figure 15] Flowchart showing the third cleaning end process DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] [Knowledge that formed the basis of this disclosure] In the article receiving device of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, since gas is circulated in the article receiving box containing the article, for example, if the article is food and the gas has a deodorizing or sterilizing effect, the quality of the food may be deteriorated. In order to eliminate such a problem, it is possible to perform the reverse operation of the operation of the gas generating device of Patent Document 1, that is, when all the article receiving boxes constituting the box row do not contain an article, gas is circulated to all the article receiving boxes, and when at least one article receiving box contains an article, the flow of gas to all the article receiving boxes is stopped. However, since it is not known at what timing which article receiving box will be used, the flow of gas may be stopped before the deodorizing or sterilizing is completed.

[0015] [Embodiment] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0016] <Item Delivery System Configuration> First, the configuration of the article delivery system will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the article delivery system.

[0017] The article delivery system 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a system that allows users to shop over the Internet, and is a type of so-called online shopping system. The article delivery system 1 includes a plurality of user terminals 2, an EC site server 3, a plurality of storage systems 4, and a management server 7. Here, the article delivery system 1 may include a plurality of EC site servers 3. The article delivery system 1 may include a single storage system 4.

[0018] Next, an overview of the item delivery system 1 will be described. Each user terminal 2 is connected to the EC site server 3 via a communication network N so as to be able to communicate with the EC site server 3. The EC site server 3 is connected to the management server 7 via the communication network N so as to be able to communicate with the management server 7. Each storage system 4 is connected to the management server 7 via the communication network N so as to be able to communicate with the management server 7.

[0019] The storage systems 4 are installed at locations separate from each other. The storage systems 4 are installed, for example, in or around a train station, in or around a commercial facility such as a convenience store or supermarket, in or around a factory or office building, or in a residential area (specifically, near the entrance of an apartment building or a detached house). The storage system 4 includes a plurality of storage units 5. Each storage unit 5 includes a plurality of storage cabinets 504 and one cleaning device 51. The storage cabinets 504 store items at a refrigerated temperature (e.g., between -5°C and +10°C) or a freezer temperature (e.g., between -30°C and -20°C). Examples of the items include fresh food or frozen food. The cleaning device 51 performs cleaning processing inside the storage cabinet 504 for each storage unit 5.

[0020] A user who is a recipient of an item receives the item purchased through the EC site server 3 by using the storage system 4. Specifically, the user uses the user terminal 2 to purchase the item from the EC site server 3. At this time, the user specifies the delivery location and scheduled date and time of the item. The scheduled date and time of receipt is the date and time when the user plans to receive the item. The time indicated by the scheduled date and time of receipt may be a time (e.g., 9:00) or a time period (e.g., 9:00 to 9:14). The EC site server 3 requests the management server 7 to select a storage shed 504 for delivery of the item (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the "delivery storage shed 504"). The management server 7 selects the delivery storage shed 504 of the storage system 4 installed at the specified delivery location based on the specified delivery location and the scheduled date and time of receipt. The management server 7 transmits information indicating the location of the storage system 4 and the position of the delivery storage shed 504, and unlocking information for unlocking the delivery storage shed 504 to the EC site server 3. In this embodiment, the unlocking information is configured by a QR code (registered trademark), but the unlocking information may be configured by a one-dimensional barcode, a PIN number, etc. The EC site server 3 arranges for the goods to be stored in the delivery storage 504, and transmits information indicating the location of the storage system 4 and the position of the delivery storage 504, and the unlocking information to the user terminal 2. The user unlocks the delivery storage 504 using the unlocking information and receives the goods. The management server 7 commands the cleaning device 51 to perform a cleaning process on the storage units 5 in which no goods are stored in any of the storages 504.

[0021] Next, each component of the article delivery system 1 will be described.

[0022] The user terminal 2 is used when a user uses the item delivery system 1 to purchase an item or receive an item. The user terminal 2 includes an operation unit, a display unit, and a communication unit, none of which are shown. The user terminal 2 transmits information corresponding to an input operation on the operation unit to the EC site server 3 via the communication unit. The user terminal 2 displays the information received from the EC site server 3 via the communication unit on the display unit.

[0023] The EC site server 3 sells items ordered via the user terminal 2. The EC site server 3 includes an EC site DB (database) 31 and an EC site control unit 32.

[0024] Customer-related information is registered in the EC site DB31. The customer-related information includes, for example, personal information and purchase history information. The personal information includes information related to the user of the goods delivery system 1. Examples of information included in the personal information include the user's name, address, ID (identification), password, email address, and the like. The purchase history information includes information representing the ID of the purchase history information, the goods purchased by the user, the quantity, the purchase date, the delivery location (the location of the storage system 4 used for delivery), the scheduled entry date and time, the completion date and time of entry, the scheduled receipt date and time, and the completion date and time of receipt. The scheduled entry date and time is the date and time when the goods are scheduled to be stored in the delivery storage 504. The scheduled entry date and time is set by the management server 7. The completion date and time of entry is the date and time when the goods are stored in the delivery storage 504. The completion date and time of receipt is the date and time when the goods are received from the delivery storage 504. The times represented by the scheduled entry date and time, the entry completion date and time, and the receipt completion date and time may be times of day or a time period, similar to the scheduled receipt date and time.

[0025] The EC site control unit 32 processes the sale of goods, requests the selection of a delivery storage unit 504, and arranges for the goods to be stored. The EC site control unit 32 accepts designation of the goods to be purchased, the delivery location, and the scheduled receipt date and time from the user terminal 2, and requests the management server 7 to select a delivery storage unit 504 based on the delivery location and the scheduled receipt date and time. The EC site control unit 32 receives the delivery location, the delivery storage unit location (the location of the delivery storage unit 504), and unlocking information from the management server 7, and notifies the user terminal 2. The EC site control unit 32 notifies the person who has stored the goods of the purchased goods, the quantity, the delivery location, the delivery storage unit location, and the unlocking information. Details of the processing performed by the EC site control unit 32 will be described later.

[0026] Next, the configuration of the storage system 4 as seen from the outside will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the storage system. As shown in Fig. 2, the storage system 4 includes four storage units 5 and one control unit 6. The front side is the side that a user of the storage system 4 faces when putting items in and taking items out of the storage units 5, and the rear side is the opposite side to the front side. The right side, left side, upper side, and lower side are the right side, left side, upper side, and lower side as seen from the user when the user puts items in and takes items out of the storage units 5.

[0027] The four storage units 5 are arranged, for example, two on each side of the control unit 6. In the following, the four storage units 5 may be referred to as the first storage unit 5A, the second storage unit 5B, the third storage unit 5C, and the fourth storage unit 5D, in order from the left side in FIG. 2. The storage unit 5 includes a storage section 50. The storage section 50 stores items. The storage section 50 includes one outer box 501 and five outer doors 502. The outer box 501 is formed in a vertically long rectangular box shape with an opening on the front side. The outer door 502 opens and closes the opening on the front side of the outer box 501. The outer doors 502 are arranged to be arranged in a vertical direction. The outer door 502 is attached to the edge of the opening of the outer box 501 so as to be freely rotatable. A cover 503 having an opening on the bottom side is arranged on the upper part of the storage section 50. A plurality of air intake holes 503A are formed in the front part of the cover 503.

[0028] The control unit 6 has a main body 60 in the shape of a vertically long rectangular box. A touch panel 61 and a QR reader 62 are arranged on the front of the main body 60. The touch panel 61 is operated, for example, when an item is stored in the storage unit 5 or when an item is removed from the storage unit 5. The QR reader 62 reads unlocking information for unlocking the outer box 501.

[0029] Next, the internal configuration of the storage unit 5 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the storage unit. As shown in Fig. 3, the storage section 50 of the storage unit 5 includes the outer box 501 and outer door 502 described above, and five storage compartments 504.

[0030] The outer box 501 has a heat-insulating housing 505 whose front and top are not closed. Exterior side panels 506 are fixed to both the left and right sides of the heat-insulating housing 505. An outer door 502 is rotatably attached to the front end of the right outer front panel.

[0031] The five storage cabinets 504 are arranged in a vertical line inside the heat-insulating housing 505. Each storage cabinet 504 is arranged at approximately the same height as each outer door 502. Each storage cabinet 504 includes an inner box 507 and an inner door 508.

[0032] The inner box 507 is formed in a square box shape with an opening on the front. Items are stored inside the inner box 507. The inner box 507 is arranged so that a rear flow path F1 is formed between the inner box 507 and the back plate portion of the heat-insulating housing 505. The inner box 507 is arranged so that a side flow path (not shown) is formed between the inner box 507 and the left and right side plate portions of the heat-insulating housing 505. A plurality of rear slits 507A are formed in the back plate portion of the inner box 507. A plurality of side slits 507B are formed in the left and right side plate portions of the inner box 507.

[0033] With this configuration, the cooling air C generated by the refrigeration device 52 described below flows downward through the rear flow path F1 and flows into the inside of the storage 504 through the rear slit 507A. The cooling air C that has exchanged heat with the items inside the storage 504 flows out through the side slit 507B, rises through the side flow path, and returns to the refrigeration device 52 described below. The cooling air C that has returned to the refrigeration device 52 is cooled by the refrigeration device 52 and flows back into the rear flow path F1. That is, the inside of the storage 504 is cooled by the circulation of the cooling air C inside the thermally insulated housing 505.

[0034] The inner door 508 opens and closes the opening on the front side of the inner box 507. The inner door 508 is attached to the edge of the opening of the inner box 507 so as to be freely rotatable.

[0035] The storage unit 50 is provided with a locking / unlocking mechanism 53 (see FIG. 5) that can independently lock and unlock the five outer doors 502. On the other hand, the storage unit 50 is not provided with a mechanism for locking and unlocking the inner door 508. Therefore, a user of the storage system 4 can put items in and take items out of the storage unit 504 by unlocking the outer door 502 located in front of the storage unit 504 to be used.

[0036] Next, a more detailed configuration of the inside of the storage unit 5 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the upper part of the storage unit.

[0037] 3 and 4, a plurality of exhaust holes 503B are formed in the back plate portion of the cover 503 of the storage unit 5. The exhaust holes 503B have a function of discharging air inside the cover 503 to the outside of the cover 503.

[0038] Inside the cover 503, a cleaning device 51 and a refrigeration device 52 are arranged.

[0039] The refrigeration device 52 generates cooled air C and introduces the generated cooled air C into the storage 504 to cool items in the storage 504. The refrigeration device 52 includes a compressor 521, a condenser 522, a condensation fan 523, a throttle unit (not shown), an evaporator 524, and a cooling fan 525.

[0040] The compressor 521, the condenser 522, and the condensation fan 523 are disposed on the upper surface of the refrigerator support member 509A that closes the opening on the bottom surface of the cover 503. The intake hole 503A, the condenser 522, the condensation fan 523, the compressor 521, and the exhaust hole 503B are disposed so as to be aligned in a line in the front-rear direction. The throttle section, the evaporator 524, and the cooling fan 525 are disposed on the cooler support member 509B located on the lower side of the refrigerator support member 509A. The cooling fan 525 is disposed in the center in the front-rear direction. The evaporator 524 is disposed behind the cooling fan 525 and in front of the upper end of the rear flow path F1. The cooling fan 525 circulates the cooling air C generated by the evaporator 524 between the rear flow path F1, each storage 504, the side flow path, and the evaporator 524.

[0041] The cleaning device 51 generates nano-sized charged particles M and introduces the generated charged particles M into all of the storage compartments 504 to sterilize and deodorize the insides of all of the storage compartments 504. The cleaning device 51 is configured to continuously send the charged particles M to each storage compartment 504 for a predetermined required cleaning time, thereby cleaning each storage compartment 504. In this embodiment, the required cleaning time is 5 hours, but it may be longer or shorter than 5 hours.

[0042] The purifying device 51 includes a case 511 disposed behind the compressor 521 on the upper surface of the refrigerator support member 509A. A charged particle generating unit (not shown) is disposed inside the case 511. The charged particle generating unit generates charged particles M containing OH radicals using water vapor from air taken in through an inlet hole of the case 511. The case 511 is provided with a charged particle guiding unit 512. The charged particle guiding unit 512 guides the charged particles M to the downstream side of the air flow formed by the cooling fan 525 with respect to the evaporator 524. The charged particles M are sent into the storage 504 together with the cooling air C.

[0043] Next, the control system of the storage system 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the storage system.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 5, the storage system 4 further includes four unit controllers 54 and an overall controller 63. Note that, in Fig. 5, for the sake of simplicity, only one unit controller 54 is shown.

[0045] The four unit control units 54 are disposed in each storage unit 5. The unit control units 54 are configured to be able to communicate between the cleaning device 51, the refrigeration device 52, the locking / unlocking mechanism 53, and the overall control unit 63. The unit control units 54 control the cleaning device 51, the refrigeration device 52, and the locking / unlocking mechanism 53.

[0046] The overall control unit 63 is disposed in the main body 60 of the control unit 6. The overall control unit 63 is configured to be able to communicate between the touch panel 61, the QR reader 62, and a communication unit 64 disposed in the main body 60. The overall control unit 63 controls the unit control units 54 based on instructions from the management server 7 received via the communication unit 64 and the communication network N.

[0047] Next, the configuration of the management server 7 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 6. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the available and unavailable receiving times and the allotted cleaning time for each storage unit.

[0048] 1 manages the usage status of the storage 504 of the storage unit 5. The management server 7 controls the operation of the cleaning device 51. The management server 7 includes a management DB (database) 71 and a management device 72.

[0049] The management DB 71 is an example of a database of the present disclosure. A plurality of pieces of storage system management information corresponding to the plurality of storage systems 4 are registered in the management DB 71. Each piece of storage system management information includes installation location information indicating the installation location of the storage system 4, and a plurality of pieces of storage unit management information corresponding to the plurality of storage units 5. In other words, each piece of storage system management information includes four pieces of storage unit management information corresponding to the first to fourth storage units 5A to 5D, respectively. The storage unit management information includes available receiving time information, selection status information, utilization status information, and cleaning status information.

[0050] The available receiving time information indicates the time (available receiving time) during which an item can be received from the storage 504. For example, the available receiving times for the first to fourth storage units 5A to 5D are set as follows. First Storage Unit 5A 0:00~1:59 8:00~9:59 16:00~17:59 Second storage unit 5B 2:00~3:59 10:00~11:59 18:00~19:59 3rd Storage Unit 5C 4:00~5:59 12:00~13:59 8:00pm - 9:59pm 4th Storage Unit 5D 6:00~7:59 14:00~15:59 22:00~23:59

[0051] In this embodiment, the receiving times of the first to fourth storage units 5A to 5D are set so as not to overlap, but some of the receiving times may overlap. For example, the receiving times of the first and second storage units 5A and 5B may be set to the same time, and the receiving times of the third and fourth storage units 5C and 5D may be set to the remaining time. In this case, the receiving times of the third and fourth storage units 5C and 5D may be the same or different. Furthermore, the lengths of the multiple receiving times in one storage unit 5 do not all have to be the same. The length of the receiving times may be different for each storage system 4, each storage unit 5, each time period, or each season.

[0052] The selection status information indicates whether or not the repository 504 included in the storage unit 5 has been selected as the delivery repository 504 .

[0053] The usage status information includes information related to all of the storage cabinets 504 included in the storage unit 5. The usage status information includes information indicating the user, the scheduled date and time of entry of the item, the date and time of completion of entry, the scheduled date and time of receipt, the date and time of completion of receipt, and the location of the storage cabinet 504, as well as unlocking information.

[0054] The cleaning status information indicates whether the storage unit 5 is undergoing a cleaning process or not, and the date and time of the last cleaning process (last cleaning process date and time).

[0055] The management device 72 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and the CPU executes a management program stored in a storage unit (not shown) to realize the functions of the management device 72. The management device 72 includes a reception unit 721, a setting unit 722, a usage management unit 723, a storage control unit 724, and a cleaning management unit 725.

[0056] The reception unit 721 receives information indicating the user, the delivery location, and the scheduled receipt date and time from the EC site server 3. The reception unit 721 further receives information indicating the location of the storage system 4, the position of the delivery storage 504, the warehousing completion date and time, and the receipt completion date and time from the storage system 4.

[0057] The setting unit 722 sets different assigned cleaning times for each storage unit 5. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the setting unit 722 sets assigned cleaning times for times not set as the available receiving time for each storage unit 5 based on the available receiving time information in the management DB 71. In this embodiment, since the required cleaning time is 5 hours, the length of the assigned cleaning time is set to 5 hours. The setting unit 722 may set the time specified by an input operation of an operation unit (not shown) of the management device 72 as the assigned cleaning time. The length of the assigned cleaning time may be longer than the required cleaning time. The assigned cleaning time may start from a time a predetermined time after the end of the available receiving time.

[0058] The usage management unit 723 selects the storage 504 of a storage unit 5 whose scheduled receipt date and time (scheduled receipt time) is included in the available receipt time as the delivery storage 504. In other words, the usage management unit 723 selects the delivery storage 504 from a storage unit 5 whose scheduled receipt time is outside the allotted cleaning time. In this way, the usage management unit 723 manages the storage system 4 so as to prohibit the use of a storage unit 5 during the allotted cleaning time, while permitting the use of other storage units 5. When selecting the delivery storage 504, the usage management unit 723 sets the scheduled entry date and time.

[0059] The storage control unit 724 generates usage status information based on the information accepted by the accepting unit 721 and the information set by the usage management unit 723 , and stores the generated usage status information in the management DB 71 .

[0060] The cleaning management unit 725 instructs the cleaning device 51 to perform the cleaning process of the storage unit 5 within the allotted cleaning time.

[0061] In this way, by performing the cleaning process during the assigned cleaning time when the storage unit 5 is prohibited from being used, which is different for each storage unit 5, the inside of the storage unit 504 can be properly cleaned without degrading the quality of the goods. Furthermore, since the assigned cleaning time differs for each storage unit 5, goods can be delivered at any timing using a storage unit 504 that has not been cleaned. In particular, the usage management unit 723 selects a delivery storage unit 504 and presents it to the user via the EC site server 3 and the user terminal 2 as described later, eliminating the need for the user to select the delivery storage unit 504.

[0062] Furthermore, since the length of time (non-receivable time) between two available receiving times for the same storage unit 5 (6 hours) is longer than the length of the allotted cleaning time and the required cleaning time (both 5 hours), even if an item is received earlier than the available receiving time, depending on the time of entry, the cleaning process can be completed before the item is received. For example, if an item is received into the first storage unit 5A later than 15:00 and the cleaning process starts at 10:00, the cleaning process of the first storage unit 5A can be completed. The length of the non-receivable time and the allotted cleaning time may be the same as the required cleaning time.

[0063] The processes performed by the reception unit 721, the usage management unit 723, the storage control unit 724, and the cleaning management unit 725 will be described in detail later.

[0064] <Item delivery system operation> Next, the operation of the article delivery system 1 will be described.

[0065] (Processing from ordering goods to arranging for warehousing) First, the process from ordering an item to arranging for storage will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8.

[0066] A user of the item delivery system 1 operates the user terminal 2 to access the EC site. As shown in FIG. 7, the user terminal 2 accepts an item selection operation by the user (step S1). The user terminal 2 accepts an operation by the user to set the delivery location and scheduled receipt date and time of the item (step S2). Next, the user terminal 2 transmits order information for purchasing the item to the EC site server 3 (step S3). The order information includes information indicating the user, the item, the quantity, the delivery location, and the scheduled receipt date and time.

[0067] When the EC site control unit 32 of the EC site server 3 receives the order information from the user terminal 2, it requests the management server 7 to select a delivery storage 504 for delivering the item to the user (step S4). This request includes information indicating the user, the delivery location, and the scheduled date and time of receipt.

[0068] When the use management unit 723 of the management server 7 receives a selection request for the delivery storage 504 from the EC site server 3, the use management unit 723 performs a selection process for the delivery storage 504 (step S5). The selection process for the delivery storage 504 will be described later. After that, the use management unit 723 transmits a selection result report indicating the result of the selection process to the EC site server 3 (step S6). As a result of the selection process in step S5, the delivery storage 504 may or may not be selected, as will be described later in detail. The selection result report indicating that the delivery storage 504 can be selected includes information indicating the user, the delivery location, the delivery storage location, the scheduled receipt date and time, and the scheduled entry date and time, and unlocking information. The selection result report indicating that the delivery storage 504 cannot be selected includes information indicating the user. With the above, the processing of the management server 7 is completed. In this embodiment, the scheduled entry date and time is set by the management server 7, but the EC site server 3 may set it.

[0069] When the EC site control unit 32 of the EC site server 3 receives the selection result of the delivery storage 504 from the management server 7, it judges whether the delivery storage 504 has been selected (step S7). When the EC site control unit 32 judges that the delivery storage 504 has been selected (step S7: YES), it transmits a selection completion report to the user terminal 2 indicating that the selection has been completed (step S8). The selection completion report includes information indicating the item, its quantity, the delivery location, the delivery storage location, the scheduled receipt date and time, and the scheduled entry date and time, as well as unlocking information. On the other hand, when the EC site control unit 32 judges that the delivery storage 504 has not been selected (step S7: NO), it transmits a selection incompletion report to the user terminal 2 indicating that the item has not been selected (step S9). The selection incompletion report includes information indicating the item, the delivery location, and the scheduled receipt date and time.

[0070] When the user terminal 2 receives a selection completion report or selection incomplete report from the EC site server 3, the user terminal 2 displays the received report on the user terminal 2. When the selection completion report is displayed on the user terminal 2, the user performs a purchase confirmation operation to confirm the purchase of the item. On the other hand, when the selection incomplete report is displayed on the user terminal 2, the user performs an operation to reset the scheduled receipt date and time. The user may also perform an operation to reset the delivery location together with or instead of the scheduled receipt date and time.

[0071] The user terminal 2 determines whether or not a purchase confirmation operation by the user has been received (step S10). If the user terminal 2 determines that a purchase confirmation operation by the user has been received (step S10: YES), it transmits a purchase confirmation request to the EC site server 3 (step S11). On the other hand, if the user terminal 2 determines that a purchase confirmation operation by the user has not been received (step S10: NO), that is, if the user has performed a resetting operation, it accepts the resetting operation (step S2). Thereafter, the above-mentioned processing is performed based on the reset contents.

[0072] 8, after transmitting a selection completion report to the user terminal 2 in step S8, the EC site control unit 32 of the EC site server 3 performs sales processing when it receives a purchase confirmation request from the user terminal 2 (step S12). The EC site control unit 32 also updates the user's purchase history information (step S13). When updating this purchase history information, the EC site control unit 32 searches the EC site DB 31 for customer-related information including personal information about the user who purchases the item. The EC site control unit 32 associates information indicating the ID, the item to be purchased this time, the quantity, the purchase date, the delivery location, the scheduled date and time of arrival, and the scheduled date and time of receipt, and adds it to the purchase history information included in the searched customer-related information.

[0073] Next, the EC site control unit 32 arranges for the goods to be stored (step S14). For example, the EC site control unit 32 transmits to the person who will store the goods information indicating the goods, the quantity, the delivery location, the location of the storage unit for delivery, the scheduled date and time of storage, and the scheduled date and time of receipt, as well as unlocking information. This completes the process from ordering the goods to arranging for storage in the storage system.

[0074] (Selection process of storage facility for delivery) Next, a description will be given of the selection process of the delivery storage 504. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the selection process of the delivery storage.

[0075] In a state where the cleaning allocation time has been set by the setting unit 722, as shown in FIG. 9, when the reception unit 721 receives information indicating the user, the delivery location, and the scheduled receipt date and time, the usage management unit 723 of the management server 7 selects a storage unit 5 whose scheduled receipt time is included in the available receipt time (step S21). When making this selection, the usage management unit 723 searches the management DB 71 for storage system management information of the storage system 4 installed at the delivery location. The usage management unit 723 searches the searched storage system management information for available receipt time information indicating the available receipt time including the scheduled receipt time. The usage management unit 723 selects a storage unit 5 based on the storage unit management information including the searched available receipt time information. In the following, the storage unit 5 selected by the processing of step S21 may be referred to as the selected storage unit 5. For example, when the scheduled receipt time is 10:15, the usage management unit 723 selects the second storage unit 5B as the selected storage unit 5.

[0076] Next, the utilization management unit 723 determines whether or not all the storage cabinets 504 of the selected storage unit 5 have already been selected as the delivery storage cabinets 504 at the available receiving time including the scheduled receiving date and time based on the selection status information of the storage unit management information (step S22). If the utilization management unit 723 determines that all the storage cabinets 504 have already been selected as the delivery storage cabinets 504 (step S22: YES), it generates a selection result report indicating that the delivery storage cabinets 504 cannot be selected (step S23), and ends the selection process for the delivery storage cabinets 504.

[0077] On the other hand, when the utilization management unit 723 determines that all the storage cabinets 504 of the selected storage unit 5 have not been selected as the delivery storage cabinets 504 (step S22: NO), it determines whether or not there is a clean unselected storage cabinet 504 (step S24). A clean unselected storage cabinet 504 is a storage cabinet 504 that has not been selected as the delivery storage cabinet 504 and has not been used after the cleaning process. When the last reception completion date and time of the unselected storage cabinet 504 represented by the utilization status information is a date and time before the last cleaning process date and time represented by the cleaning status information, the utilization management unit 723 determines that the storage cabinet 504 is a clean unselected storage cabinet 504. On the other hand, when the last reception completion date and time of the unselected storage cabinet 504 is a date and time after the last cleaning process date and time, the utilization management unit 723 determines that the storage cabinet 504 is a non-clean unselected storage cabinet 504. An uncleaned, unselected repository 504 is a repository 504 that has not been selected as a delivery repository 504 and that has been used between the cleaning process and the scheduled receipt date and time.

[0078] When the utilization management unit 723 determines that a clean unselected storage unit 504 exists (step S24: YES), it selects the clean unselected storage unit 504 as the delivery storage unit 504 (step S25). By selecting a clean unselected storage unit 504 as the delivery storage unit 504 in this manner, it is possible to prevent contamination or deterioration in quality of the items stored in the delivery storage unit 504. On the other hand, when the utilization management unit 723 determines that a clean unselected storage unit 504 does not exist (step S24: NO), it selects a non-clean unselected storage unit 504 as the delivery storage unit 504 (step S26).

[0079] When the use management unit 723 selects the delivery storage unit 504 by the process of step S25 or step S26, it sets the planned entry date and time so that both the planned entry date and time of the item and the planned receipt date and time are outside the allocated cleaning time of the selected storage unit 5 (step S27). For example, when the planned receipt time is 16:30, the use management unit 723 selects the first storage unit 5A as the selected storage unit 5. When the allocated cleaning time of the first storage unit 5A is set from 10:00 to 15:00, the use management unit 723 sets a time between 15:01 and 16:29 as the planned entry date and time, and presents it to the user via the EC site server 3. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the entry operation (unlocking the delivery storage unit 504) from being performed during the cleaning process of the first storage unit 5A.

[0080] Next, the usage management unit 723 generates a selection result report indicating that the delivery storage unit 504 has been selected (step S28). The storage control unit 724 updates the storage unit management information corresponding to the selected storage unit 5 (step S29). When updating this storage unit management information, the storage control unit 724 updates the selection status information to reflect the latest selection status of the delivery storage unit 504. Furthermore, the storage control unit 724 associates information indicating the user and scheduled receipt date and time included in the selection request from the EC site server 3, information indicating the scheduled entry date and time set by the usage management unit 723, and unlocking information, and adds them to the usage status information of the storage unit 504 selected as the delivery storage unit 504. With the above, the selection process for the delivery storage unit 504 is completed.

[0081] (warehousing of goods) Next, the warehousing process of an item will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG 10.

[0082] The person who receives the goods performs an operation so that the goods are received in the delivery storage 504 on the scheduled receiving date and time received from the EC site server 3. First, the worker displays the unlocking information received from the EC site server 3 on, for example, a mobile terminal, and holds the unlocking information over the QR reader 62 of the storage system 4. As shown in FIG. 10, the overall control unit 63 of the storage system 4 accepts an unlocking operation of the delivery storage 504 by reading the unlocking information with the QR reader 62 (step S31). In the following, "unlocking or locking the delivery storage 504" means unlocking or locking the outer door 502 located in front of the delivery storage 504. Next, the overall control unit 63 specifies the delivery storage 504 to be unlocked based on the unlocking information, and commands the unit control unit 54 of the storage unit 5 having the delivery storage 504 to unlock the specified delivery storage 504. The unit control unit 54, which has received the command from the overall control unit 63, controls the locking / unlocking mechanism 53 to unlock the delivery storage unit 504 to be unlocked (step S32).

[0083] When the delivery storage 504 is unlocked, the user opens the outer door 502, stores the item, and closes the outer door 502. When the unit control unit 54 detects that the outer door 502 is closed based on a signal from an opening / closing sensor that detects the opening / closing of the outer door 502 (step S33), it controls the locking / unlocking mechanism 53 to lock the delivery storage 504 (step S34). The unit control unit 54 notifies the overall control unit 63 that the item has been stored in the delivery storage 504. The overall control unit 63, which has received the notification from the unit control unit 54, transmits a storage completion notification to the management server 7 indicating that the storage of the item has been completed (step S35). The storage completion notification from the overall control unit 63 to the management server 7 includes information indicating the delivery location, the delivery storage location, and the storage completion date and time.

[0084] When the reception unit 721 receives the storage completion notification from the storage system 4, the storage control unit 724 of the management server 7 updates the usage status information corresponding to the delivery storage warehouse 504 in which the item has been stored (step S36). When updating the usage status information, the storage control unit 724 adds information indicating the storage completion date and time of the item so as to associate it with the scheduled storage date and time in the usage status information of the delivery storage warehouse 504. The usage management unit 723 transmits a storage completion notification to the EC site server 3 indicating that the storage of the item has been completed (step S37). The storage completion notification from the usage management unit 723 to the EC site server 3 contains the same information as the storage completion notification from the overall control unit 63 to the management server 7.

[0085] When the EC site control unit 32 of the EC site server 3 receives the inventory completion notification from the management server 7, it updates the purchase history information of the inventory-entered item (step S38). When updating the purchase history information, the EC site control unit 32 adds information indicating the inventory completion date and time of the item so as to associate it with the planned inventory date and time in the purchase history information. This completes the inventory process for the item.

[0086] (Item delivery (receiving) and cleaning) Next, the process of taking out an item and the process of cleaning the item will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12.

[0087] In order to receive the item, the user who has purchased the item displays the unlocking information received from the EC site server 3 on the user terminal 2 and holds the unlocking information over the QR reader 62 of the storage system 4. As shown in Fig. 11, the overall control unit 63 accepts an unlocking operation for the delivery storage unit 504 by a process similar to that of step S31 (step S41). Next, the overall control unit 63 and the unit control unit 54 unlock the delivery storage unit 504 to be unlocked by a process similar to that of step S32 (step S42).

[0088] When the delivery storage 504 is unlocked, the user opens the outer door 502 to receive the item, and closes the outer door 502. When the unit control unit 54 detects that the outer door 502 is closed (step S43) by the same process as the process of step S33, it locks the delivery storage 504 (step S44). The unit control unit 54 notifies the overall control unit 63 that the item has been taken out from the delivery storage 504. The overall control unit 63, which has received the notification from the unit control unit 54, transmits a receipt completion notification to the management server 7 indicating that the receipt of the item has been completed (step S45). The receipt completion notification from the overall control unit 63 to the management server 7 includes information indicating the delivery location, the delivery storage location, and the receipt completion date and time. As shown in FIG. 12, the overall control unit 63 judges whether or not a command to start a cleaning process of the cleaning target storage unit 5 described later has been received from the management server 7 within a predetermined period after the transmission of the receipt completion notification (step S46). When the general control unit 63 determines that a command to start the cleaning process has not been received (step S46: NO), the general control unit 63 ends the process.

[0089] 11, when the storage control unit 724 of the management server 7 receives a receipt completion notification from the storage system 4, it updates the storage unit management information corresponding to the delivery storage 504 from which the item was received (step S47). When updating the storage unit management information, the storage control unit 724 adds information indicating the date and time of receipt completion of the item so as to associate the date and time with the scheduled receipt date and time in the usage status information of the delivery storage 504. Furthermore, the storage control unit 724 updates the selection status information to reflect the latest selection status of the delivery storage 504, that is, to reflect that the storage 504 from which the item was removed is no longer selected as the delivery storage 504.

[0090] The usage management unit 723 transmits a receipt completion notification to the EC site server 3 to notify that receipt of the item has been completed (step S48). The receipt completion notification from the usage management unit 723 to the EC site server 3 contains the same information as the receipt completion notification from the overall control unit 63 to the management server 7.

[0091] When the EC site control unit 32 of the EC site server 3 receives the receipt completion notification from the management server 7, it updates the purchase history information of the removed item (step S49) and terminates the process. When updating the purchase history information, the EC site control unit 32 adds information indicating the receipt completion date and time of the item so as to associate it with the scheduled receipt date and time in the purchase history information.

[0092] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12, when the receipt completion notification is sent to the EC site server 3, the cleaning management unit 725 of the management server 7 determines whether all the storage units 504 of the storage unit 5 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the storage unit 5 to be cleaned) including the storage unit 504 from which the item was removed are available based on the information indicating the entry completion date and time and the receipt completion date and time in the usage status information (step S50). If the cleaning management unit 725 determines that at least one storage unit 504 of the storage unit 5 to be cleaned is not available (step S50: NO), the processing ends. On the other hand, if the cleaning management unit 725 determines that all the storage units 504 of the storage unit 5 to be cleaned are available (step S50: YES), the cleaning management unit 725 determines whether the scheduled vacancy period of all the storage units 504 is longer than the cleaning allocation time (step S51). Here, the scheduled vacancy period is the period from the current date and time when the processing of step S51 is performed to the earliest scheduled entry date and time in the storage unit 5.

[0093] When the cleaning management unit 725 determines that the planned vacancy period is shorter than the cleaning allocation time (step S51: NO), the cleaning management unit 725 ends the process. On the other hand, when the cleaning management unit 725 determines that the planned vacancy period is longer than the cleaning allocation time (step S51: YES), the cleaning management unit 725 sends a cleaning start command for the storage unit 5 to be cleaned to the storage system 4 (step S52). The cleaning start command includes information indicating the storage unit 5 to be cleaned. Note that the cleaning management unit 725 also determines that the planned vacancy period is longer than the cleaning allocation time if none of the storage units 504 have been selected as the delivery storage units 504 since the current date and time, that is, if none of the storage units 504 are scheduled to receive items (step S51: YES). After this, the memory control unit 724 updates the cleaning status information for the storage unit 5 to be cleaned (step S53) and ends the process. When updating the cleaning status information, the memory control unit 724 updates the cleaning status information to reflect that the cleaning target storage unit 5 is undergoing cleaning processing.

[0094] When the overall control unit 63 of the storage unit 5 determines in step S46 after receiving a command to start cleaning the storage unit 5 to be cleaned from the management server 7 that the command to start cleaning has been received (step S46: YES), it commands the unit control unit 54 of the storage unit 5 to be cleaned to start the cleaning process. Having received the command from the overall control unit 63, the unit control unit 54 controls the cleaning device 51 to start the cleaning process of the storage unit 5 to be cleaned (step S54). This completes the item unloading process and cleaning process.

[0095] 11 and 12, if all items in the storage cabinets 504 of a storage unit 5 are received within the receiving time, that is, before the allotted cleaning time, the cleaning management unit 725 issues a command to the storage unit 5 to start cleaning processing for that storage unit 5 before the allotted cleaning time. This allows the cleaning processing to start early. In particular, if the cleaning management unit 725 determines that the planned vacant period is longer than the allotted cleaning time, it issues a command to start cleaning processing. This makes it possible to prevent the storage operation of items from being performed during the cleaning processing of the storage unit 5.

[0096] (Cleaning completion process) Next, the cleaning end process will be described. Although three processes are exemplified as the cleaning end process, at least one of the three processes can be applied. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing the first cleaning end process. Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing the second cleaning end process. Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing the third cleaning end process.

[0097] (First cleaning end process) First, the first cleaning end process will be described. The first cleaning end process is a process for ending the cleaning process as necessary when the delivery storage 504 is selected. As shown in Fig. 13, when the selection of the delivery storage 504 is completed by the process of step S25 or step S26 (step S61), the cleaning management section 725 of the management server 7 determines whether the storage unit 5 from which the delivery storage 504 is selected is undergoing cleaning process based on the cleaning status information of the storage unit 5 (step S62).

[0098] If the cleaning management unit 725 determines that the storage unit 5 is not in the cleaning process (step S62: NO), it ends the first cleaning end process. On the other hand, if the cleaning management unit 725 determines that the storage unit 5 is in the cleaning process (step S62: YES), it sends a cleaning process end command to the storage system 4 (step S63). The cleaning process end command includes information indicating the storage unit 5 that will end the cleaning process. Thereafter, the memory control unit 724 updates the cleaning status information of the storage unit 5 that will end the cleaning process (step S64) and ends the process. When updating the cleaning status information, the memory control unit 724 updates the cleaning status information to reflect that the cleaning process of the storage unit 5 has ended. Furthermore, the memory control unit 724 updates the last cleaning process date and time of the cleaning status information to the end date and time of the cleaning process.

[0099] Meanwhile, when the overall control unit 63 of the storage system 4 receives the cleaning process end command from the management server 7, it commands the unit control unit 54 of the storage unit 5 that is to end the cleaning process to end the cleaning process. The unit control unit 54 that has received the command from the overall control unit 63 controls the cleaning device 51 to end the cleaning process of the storage unit 5 that is the target of the command (step S65). This ends the first cleaning end process.

[0100] According to the first cleaning end process, when the storage 504 of the storage unit 5 undergoing cleaning is selected as the delivery storage 504, that is, when the use of the storage unit 5 undergoing cleaning is permitted, the cleaning process is ended. This makes it possible to advance the time at which items are stored in the delivery storage 504. For example, when the delivery storage 504 with a planned receipt time of 16:00 is selected at 14:50 within the cleaning allocation time of the first storage unit 5A, the cleaning process of the first storage unit 5A is ended. This makes it possible to delay the storage time of an item with a planned receipt time of 16:00 to 14:51 or later.

[0101] (Second cleaning end process) Next, the second cleaning end process will be described. The second cleaning end process is a process for ending the cleaning process as necessary after the storage system 4 accepts an unlocking operation for storing goods and before unlocking is performed. The second cleaning end process is performed between the process of step S31 and the process of step S32 in the storing process of goods shown in Fig. 10. As shown in Fig. 14, when the overall control unit 63 of the storage system 4 accepts an unlocking operation for the delivery storage 504 by the process of step S31, it notifies the management server 7 of the storage unit 5 including the delivery storage 504 for which the unlocking operation has been performed (step S71).

[0102] When the cleaning management unit 725 receives a notification from the storage system 4, it determines whether the storage unit 5 to which the notification is directed is undergoing cleaning processing based on the cleaning status information of the storage unit 5 to which the notification is directed (step S72). If the cleaning management unit 725 determines that the storage unit 5 is not undergoing cleaning processing (step S72: NO), it ends the second cleaning end processing. On the other hand, if the cleaning management unit 725 determines that the storage unit 5 is undergoing cleaning processing (step S72: YES), it sends a cleaning process end command to the storage system 4 (step S73). Thereafter, the cleaning management unit 725 updates the cleaning status information of the storage unit 5 to end the cleaning process (step S74), and ends the processing. The processing in step S74 is the same as the processing in step S64.

[0103] Meanwhile, the overall control unit 63 and the unit control unit 54 of the storage system 4 end the cleaning process of the storage unit 5 that is the target of the command based on the cleaning process end command from the management server 7 (step S75). Note that the process of step S75 is the same as the process of step S65. With the above, the second cleaning end process is completed.

[0104] According to the second cleaning end process, if the storage 504 of the storage unit 5 undergoing cleaning is unlocked, for example, if an item is unintentionally stored earlier than the scheduled storage time, the cleaning process ends. This allows for flexible selection of the opportunity to store items.

[0105] (Third cleaning completion process) Next, the third cleaning end process will be described. The third cleaning end process is a process for ending the cleaning process when the required cleaning time has elapsed since the start of cleaning. As shown in Fig. 15, when the unit control unit 54 of the storage system 4 detects that the required cleaning time has elapsed since the start of cleaning (step S81), it controls the cleaning device 51 to end the cleaning process of the storage unit 5 (step S82). Next, the unit control unit 54 notifies the management server 7 of the storage unit 5 that has ended the cleaning process via the overall control unit 63 (step S83).

[0106] When the storage control unit 724 of the management server 7 receives the notification from the storage system 4, it updates the cleanliness status information of the notified storage unit 5 (step S84) and ends the process. Note that the process of step S84 is the same as the process of step S64.

[0107] [Modifications of the embodiment] Needless to say, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above embodiments and the modifications described below may be combined in any way as long as they function normally.

[0108] Although a configuration has been exemplified in which the usage management unit 723 selects the delivery storage unit 504 based on the scheduled receipt date and time, for example, the usage management unit 723 may display the available receipt times for each storage unit 5 on the user terminal 2 via the EC site server 3, and allow the user to select the delivery storage unit 504 from among the storage units 5 whose available receipt times include the scheduled receipt time.

[0109] When all the storage cabinets 504 of the storage units 5 whose scheduled receipt time is included in the available receipt time have already been selected as the delivery storage cabinets 504, the usage management unit 723 may select the storage cabinets 504 of the storage units 5 whose scheduled receipt time is not included in the available receipt time as the delivery storage cabinets 504. For example, when all the storage cabinets 504 of the first storage unit 5A whose available receipt time is 8:00 to 9:59 have been selected as the delivery storage cabinets 504, the usage management unit 723 may select the storage cabinets 504 of the second storage unit 5B whose available receipt time is 10:00 to 11:59 as the delivery storage cabinet 504 for the item whose scheduled receipt time is 9:00. With this configuration, the opportunity to deliver the item using the storage unit 5 can be flexibly selected.

[0110] The usage management unit 723 does not need to set the scheduled entry date and time. Even with this configuration, depending on the entry time, the cleaning process can be completed by the entry time.

[0111] The usage management unit 723 may correct the scheduled receipt date and time of the item to be stored based on the difference between the scheduled receipt time and the receipt completion time of the user of the item in the past, and select the delivery storage 504 based on the corrected scheduled receipt date and time. For example, if a user tends to come to receive the item 30 minutes later than the scheduled receipt time and the scheduled receipt time of the item to be stored by the user is 9:45, the usage management unit 723 may consider the scheduled receipt time to be 10:15, and select the storage 504 of the second storage unit 5B, whose available receipt time is 10:00 to 11:59, as the delivery storage 504, instead of the first storage unit 5A, whose available receipt time is 8:00 to 9:59. With this configuration, the selection process of the delivery storage 504 can be optimized based on the tendency of each user to receive the item. The usage management unit 723 may obtain information regarding the user's past planned receipt time and receipt completion time from the usage status information in the management DB 71 or from the purchase history information in the EC site DB 31.

[0112] The usage management unit 723 may set the scheduled entry date and time based on the difference between the scheduled receipt time and the completion time of receipt of the user in the past. For example, if the user has a tendency to come to receive the item 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled receipt time, the usage management unit 723 may set the scheduled entry time to a time 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled entry time set for other users who come to receive the item at the scheduled receipt time. The EC site server 3 may also perform such a process of setting the scheduled entry time. For example, the EC site control unit 32 of the EC site server 3 may receive from the usage management unit 723 actual receipt information indicating the difference between the scheduled receipt time and the completion time of receipt of the item by the user in the past, and set the scheduled entry time based on the actual receipt information. With such a configuration, the entry process can be optimized based on the tendency of the timing at which each user receives the item. When the EC site server 3 performs the process of setting the scheduled entry time, the EC site control unit 32 may obtain information indicating the difference between the scheduled receipt time and the completion time of receipt of the item by the user in the past from the purchase history information of the EC site DB 31.

[0113] Although the cleaning process of each storage unit 5 is performed by controlling the cleaning device 51 by the cleaning management unit 725, a worker or a robot may perform the cleaning process during the assigned cleaning time. In this case, the cleaning device 51 and the cleaning management unit 725 are not necessary.

[0114] Even if the items in all of the storage cabinets 504 of a storage unit 5 are received within the receiving time, the cleaning management unit 725 may issue a command to the storage unit 5 to start cleaning processing for that storage unit 5 after the receiving time. When the items in all of the storage cabinets 504 of a storage unit 5 are received within the receiving time, the cleaning management unit 725 may issue a command to start cleaning processing without determining whether the planned vacancy period is longer than the allotted cleaning time.

[0115] The utilization management unit 723 may select an unselected repository 504 as the delivery repository 504 regardless of whether the unselected repository 504 is clean or not.

[0116] The usage management unit 723 of the management device 72 may select the delivery storage 504 from one storage unit 5 (e.g., the first storage unit 5A) in order of earliest expected receiving time, and when all the storage units 504 (five storage units 504) of the one storage unit 5 have been selected as the delivery storage units 504, the usage management unit 723 may select the delivery storage 504 from another storage unit 5 (e.g., the second storage unit 5B) in order of earliest expected receiving time. Similarly, when all the storage units 504 of the second storage unit 5B have been selected as the delivery storage units 504, the usage management unit 723 may select the delivery storage 504 from the third storage unit 5C in order of earliest expected receiving time, and when all the storage units 504 of the third storage unit 5C have been selected as the delivery storage units 504, the usage management unit 723 may select the delivery storage 504 from the fourth storage unit 5D in order of earliest expected receiving time. The setting unit 722 may set the time after the items have been removed from all the storage cabinets 504 of each storage unit 5 as a different assigned cleaning time for each storage unit 5. With this configuration, the inside of the storage cabinets 504 can be appropriately cleaned without degrading the quality of the items by performing the cleaning process at a different assigned cleaning time for each storage unit 5. Furthermore, since the assigned cleaning time differs for each storage unit 5, items can be handed over at any time using storage cabinets 504 that have not been cleaned.

[0117] Although the configuration in which the management device 72 is disposed in the management server 7 has been exemplified, the management device 72 may be disposed in the EC site server 3 or the storage system 4 .

[0118] Although charged fine particles having a sterilizing function and a deodorizing function have been exemplified as the charged fine particles generated by the cleaning device 51, charged fine particles having only a sterilizing function or a deodorizing function may also be used. Furthermore, a device that cleans the storage 504 with gas instead of charged fine particles may also be applied as the cleaning device 51. Although one cleaning device 51 is provided for each storage unit 5, one cleaning device 51 may be used to perform cleaning processing on four storage units 5.

[0119] The goods delivery system of the present disclosure may be a system for delivering goods without monetary exchange, or may be a goods delivery system. The goods delivery system is a system in which a delivery requester stores goods in a storage system, and a deliverer delivers the goods stored in the storage system to a delivery destination. The storage system 4 may store goods at room temperature, or may store goods at a heated temperature. The storage system 4 does not need to be provided with a locking function. [Industrial Applicability]

[0120] The present disclosure can be applied to a management device, an item delivery system, a storage system, and a management method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0121] 1. Goods delivery system 2. User terminal 3. EC site server 4. Storage System 5 Storage Units 5A First Storage Unit 5B Second storage unit 5C 3rd Storage Unit 5D 4th Storage Unit 6. Control Unit 7 Management Server 31 EC site database 32 EC site control section 51 Purification Equipment 52 Refrigeration equipment 53 Locking / unlocking mechanism 54 Unit control section 60 Main Unit 61 Touch Panel 62 QR Reader 63 Overall Control Unit 71 Management DB 72 Management device 501 Outer box 502 Outer door 503 Cover 503A Intake hole 503B Exhaust hole 504 Storage shed (Delivery storage shed) 505 Insulated housing 506 Exterior side plate 507 Inner box 507A Rear slit 507B Side slit 508 Inner Door 509A Refrigerator support member 509B Cooler support member 511 cases 512 Charged particle guide unit 521 Compressor 522 Condenser 523 Condenser Fan 524 Evaporator 525 Cooling Fan 721 Reception Department 722 Setting Department 723 Usage Management Department 724 Memory control unit 725 Cleanliness Management Department F1 Rear flow passage N Communication Network

Claims

1. A management device for managing a storage system including a plurality of storage units each having a storage cabinet, A setting unit that sets different cleaning allocation time periods for each of the storage units; and a usage management unit that prohibits the use of the storage unit during the cleaning allocation time period, while permitting the use of the other storage units. Management device.

2. A reception unit that receives information indicating a scheduled receipt time of the item to be stored in the storage system, The usage management unit is selecting and presenting a storage unit of a storage unit that is permitted to be used at the scheduled receipt time as a storage unit for delivery of the item; The management device according to claim 1 .

3. The usage management unit is setting and presenting the scheduled entry time at which the item will be stored in the storage facility for delivery so that the scheduled entry time is outside the cleaning allocation time period of the storage unit including the storage facility for delivery; The management device according to claim 2 .

4. A storage control unit is further provided for storing usage status information relating to the usage status of the storage unit in a database, The reception unit is After receiving information representing the recipient of the item together with the information representing the scheduled receipt time, further receiving information representing a receipt completion time when the item is received and a storage facility for delivery of the item; The storage control unit, storing information representing the recipient, the delivery storage facility, the scheduled receipt time, and the receipt completion time in the database as the usage status information; The usage management unit is When selecting a storage facility for receiving and storing an item to be newly stored in the storage system, correcting the scheduled receipt time of the item based on a difference between the past scheduled receipt time and the receipt completion time of the recipient of the item represented by the usage status information; selecting a bin for delivery of the item based on the revised scheduled delivery time; The management device according to claim 2 or 3.

5. A management device for managing a storage system including a plurality of storage units each having a plurality of storage cabinets, A reception unit that receives information indicating a scheduled time of receipt of an item to be stored in the storage system; A usage management unit that selects a predetermined storage facility as a storage facility for receiving and delivering the item; A setting unit that sets different cleaning allocation time periods for each of the storage units, The usage management unit is Select the storage unit for delivery from one of the storage units in the order of earliest scheduled receipt time, and when all storage units in the one of the storage units have been selected as the storage units for delivery, select the storage unit for delivery from another storage unit in the order of earliest scheduled receipt time; The setting unit is setting the time after the items have been removed from all of the storage units in the storage unit as the cleaning allocation time period; Management device.

6. The storage system comprises: Further comprising a cleaning device for performing a cleaning process for each of the storage units; The management device includes: A cleaning management unit is further provided for instructing the cleaning device to perform a cleaning process on the storage unit within the cleaning allocation time period. The management device according to claim 1 .

7. The storage system comprises: Further comprising a cleaning device for performing a cleaning process for each of the storage units; The management device includes: A cleaning management unit that instructs the cleaning device to perform a cleaning process on the storage unit within the cleaning allocation time period, The usage management unit is When selecting a storage unit for delivery of the item, a storage unit that has not been used after a cleaning process is preferentially selected from among storage units in a storage unit that is permitted to be used at the scheduled receipt time. The management device according to claim 2 .

8. The cleaning management section includes: When permitting the use of the storage unit during the cleaning process, instruct the cleaning device to suspend the cleaning process of the storage unit that is permitted to be used. The management device according to claim 7.

9. a storage system including a plurality of storage units each having a storage compartment; A management device for managing the storage system, The management device includes: A setting unit that sets different cleaning allocation time periods for each of the storage units; and a usage management unit that prohibits the use of the storage unit during the cleaning allocation time period, while permitting the use of the other storage units. Goods delivery system.

10. a storage system including a plurality of storage units each having a plurality of storage compartments; A management device for managing the storage system, The management device includes: A reception unit that receives information indicating a scheduled time of receipt of an item to be stored in the storage system; A usage management unit that selects a predetermined storage facility as a storage facility for receiving and delivering the item; A setting unit that sets different cleaning allocation time periods for each of the storage units, The usage management unit is Select the storage unit for delivery from one of the storage units in the order of earliest scheduled receipt time, and when all storage units in the one of the storage units have been selected as the storage units for delivery, select the storage unit for delivery from another storage unit in the order of earliest scheduled receipt time; The setting unit is setting the time after the items have been removed from all of the storage units in the storage unit as the cleaning allocation time period; Goods delivery system.

11. The storage system comprises: Further comprising a cleaning device for performing a cleaning process for each of the storage units; The management device includes: A cleaning management unit is further provided for instructing the cleaning device to perform a cleaning process on the storage unit within the cleaning allocation time period. The article delivery system according to claim 9 or 10.

12. a plurality of storage units each having a storage compartment; a cleaning device for performing a cleaning process for each of the storage units; The cleaning device performs the cleaning process within a cleaning allocation time period that is set differently for each of the storage units based on an external command. Storage system.

13. A management method performed by a management device that manages a storage system including a plurality of storage units each having a storage cabinet, comprising: The management device includes: Setting different cleaning time slots for each of the storage units; prohibiting use of the storage unit during the allotted cleaning time period while permitting use of other storage units; Management method.

14. A management method performed by a management device that manages a storage system including a plurality of storage units each having a plurality of storage cabinets, comprising: The management device includes: receiving information indicating a scheduled time of receipt of an item to be stored in the storage system; Selecting a predetermined storage facility as a storage facility for delivery of the item; Setting different cleaning time slots for each of the storage units; When selecting the storage shed for delivery, the storage shed for delivery is selected from one of the storage units in the order of earliest scheduled receipt times, and when all storage sheds in the one of the storage units have been selected as the storage shed for delivery, the storage shed for delivery is selected from another storage unit in the order of earliest scheduled receipt times; When setting the assigned cleaning time period, a time after the items have been removed from all of the storage cabinets of the storage unit is set as the assigned cleaning time period. Management method.

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