server

Abstract

To provide a server configured to properly generate a delivery plan for delivering food and drink to a vehicle which is moving toward a destination.SOLUTION: A server provides a service for delivering food and drink to a vehicle which is moving toward a destination. The server is configured to generate a delivery plan for food and drink on the basis of current location information of a vehicle, location information of the destination, location information of a store which provides the food and drink, and location information of a delivery staff who delivers the food and drink.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a server that provides a service of delivering food and beverages to a vehicle traveling toward a destination. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a delivery support device that provides support for reducing the workload associated with the delivery of a transaction object desired by an orderer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-174447 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, there is a service that delivers items such as food and beverages to homes, as realized by the delivery support device described in Patent Literature 1. On the other hand, when providing a service that delivers food and beverages to a vehicle moving toward a destination, it is required to generate a delivery plan taking into account the destination of the vehicle.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a server that can appropriately generate a delivery plan for delivering food and beverages to a vehicle traveling toward a destination. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A server according to the present disclosure provides a service of delivering food and beverages to a vehicle moving toward a destination. The server is configured to generate a delivery plan for the food and beverages based on current location information of the vehicle, location information of the destination, location information of a store that provides the food and beverages, and location information of a delivery person for the food and beverages. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the server of the present disclosure, a delivery route can be appropriately generated taking into account the vehicle's destination, thereby improving convenience when receiving delivered food and beverages in the vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example of the configuration of a food and beverage delivery system including a server relating to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow related to a delivery service according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining specific examples of delivery plans and delivery feasibility in the embodiment. [Figure 4] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining specific examples of delivery plans and delivery feasibility in the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, when the number, quantity, amount, range, etc. of each element is mentioned in the following embodiments, the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure is not limited to the mentioned number unless otherwise specified or clearly specified in principle.

[0010] 1. System Configuration Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a food and drink delivery system 1 including a server 10 according to an embodiment. The food and drink delivery system (hereinafter also simply referred to as "system") 1 shown in Fig. 1 provides a service (hereinafter also simply referred to as "delivery service") of delivering food and drink to a vehicle 2 moving toward a destination. The vehicle 2 is a vehicle in which a user who uses the delivery service rides, and is, for example, a four-wheeled vehicle, a two-wheeled vehicle, or a bicycle.

[0011] The system 1 includes a server 10 that manages a delivery service, a user terminal 20, a store terminal 30, and a delivery person terminal 40.

[0012] The user terminal 20 is operated by a user who uses the delivery service. The user terminal 20 is, for example, a smartphone or a tablet personal computer, and includes a processor, a storage device, and a communication device. The user terminal 20 can obtain location information of the user who possesses the user terminal 20 based on signals from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellite. The user terminal 20 may be an in-vehicle terminal mounted on the vehicle 2 instead of being possessed by the user.

[0013] The store terminal 30 is operated by a supplier of food and drink related to the delivery service. The store terminal 30 is, for example, a personal computer, and includes a processor, a storage device, and a communication device.

[0014] The deliveryman terminal 40 is carried and operated by a deliveryman who delivers the food and drink. The deliveryman makes the delivery by a means of transportation such as a bicycle, a two-wheeled vehicle, or on foot. The deliveryman terminal 40 is, for example, a smartphone, and includes a processor, a storage device, and a communication device. Like the user terminal 20, the deliveryman terminal 40 can obtain location information of the deliveryman.

[0015] The server 10 is a computer that executes various processes related to the delivery service, as described later. Specifically, the server 10 includes a communication device 12, a processor 14, and a storage device 16. The server 10 (communication device 12) is connected to each of the user terminal 20, the store terminal 30, and the deliveryman terminal 40 via a communication network 3 such as wireless. The processor 14 executes the various processes described above. The storage device 16 stores various information. Examples of the storage device 16 include a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), and a solid state drive (SSD). The processor 14 executes various computer programs to realize various processes by the processor 14. The various programs are stored in the storage device 16 or recorded in a computer-readable recording medium. Note that there may be a plurality of processors 14 and storage devices 16.

[0016] The storage device 16 stores a database DB of various information related to the delivery service. The information in the database DB includes personal information for identifying a user who uses the delivery service, information on various restaurants corresponding to the delivery service (e.g., information on the restaurant's menu and the location of the restaurant), and information on the delivery person (e.g., personal information for identifying the delivery person, information on the means of transportation for delivery (e.g., bicycle), and information indicating an evaluation of the delivery person). The information in the database DB also includes various information that is the basis for generating the delivery route Rd (e.g., various traffic information such as road traffic information, and various map information such as road maps).

[0017] Users, food and drink suppliers, and delivery personnel can participate in the delivery service by installing a dedicated application on their respective terminals 20, 30, and 40 and completing registration for the delivery service.

[0018] 2. Processing related to delivery services In order to improve the convenience of the service of delivering food and beverages to a user aboard vehicle 2 traveling toward a destination, the "processing related to the delivery service" includes a process of generating a delivery plan for food and beverages to vehicle 2 as follows: That is, server 10 (processor 14) generates a delivery plan for food and beverages based on current location information of vehicle 2, location information of the destination of vehicle 2, location information of the store, and location information of the delivery person.

[0019] Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow related to a delivery service according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 are diagrams for explaining specific examples of a delivery plan and delivery feasibility according to an embodiment.

[0020] In step S100, the server 10 (processor 14) determines whether or not order information for food and drink has been received from the user via the user terminal 20. The order information includes, for example, information indicating the order content (e.g., the name and quantity of the ordered food and drink) and information on the store S that provides the food and drink, as well as location information of the current position P0 and destination Pg of the vehicle 2 and personal information of the user. The order information may also include at least one of information indicating the travel route Rv of the vehicle 2 and information on the predicted arrival time at the destination Pg.

[0021] If the determination result in step S100 is Yes (order acceptance), the process proceeds to step 102, where the server 10 generates a delivery plan. The delivery plan is generated based on the location information of the current position P0 and the destination Pg, the location information of the store S, and the location information of the delivery person D. The location information of the store S is obtained from the database DB. The location information of the delivery person D is provided via the delivery person terminal 40.

[0022] Specifically, the delivery plan includes a delivery route Rd. The delivery route Rd is a route from the store S to a delivery location Pr for the user (vehicle 2). The server 10 sets, for example, a location on the travel route Rv of the vehicle 2 where shoulder parking is possible as the delivery location Pr. That is, the delivery location Pr is set so as to avoid a section where shoulder parking is prohibited. The delivery location Pr may also be set so as to avoid roads where the vehicle speed limit is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0023] Basically, the server 10 obtains the driving route Rv used to set the delivery location Pr from the user, for example, as information included in the order information. However, the driving route Rv used for the setting does not necessarily have to be obtained from the user. That is, for example, the server 10 may calculate the driving route Rv (predicted value) based on the position information of the current position P0 and the destination Pg, map information, and road traffic information by executing a predetermined route search algorithm.

[0024] The delivery plan also includes a predicted delivery time Tpr of the delivery person D to the food and drink pick-up location Pr. The predicted delivery time Tpr is calculated by adding the time (pick-up time) ta required for the delivery person D to pick up the food and drink at the store S and the time (required delivery time) tb required for the delivery person D to travel from the store to the pick-up location Pr to the current time. The former pick-up time ta is calculated, for example, based on the distance of the route from the delivery person D's current location to the store S and the travel speed (predetermined value) of the means of transportation (e.g., a bicycle) used by the delivery person D. The latter required delivery time tb is calculated, for example, based on the distance of the delivery route Rd and the travel speed of the delivery person's means of transportation. The predicted delivery time Tpr is calculated by adding the time (pick-up time) ta required for the delivery person D to pick up the food and drink at the store S and the time (required delivery time) tb required for the delivery person D to travel from the store to the pick-up location Pr to the current time. thing If the time required for preparation (preparation time) tc is longer than the receiving time ta, the preparation time tc affects the predicted delivery time Tpr. Therefore, in this case (tc>ta), the difference between the preparation time tc and the receiving time ta may be added to the predicted delivery time Tpr. This makes it possible to generate a more appropriate delivery plan.

[0025] In generating the delivery plan, the server 10 extracts candidates for the delivery person D from among the delivery person D present within a predetermined distance from the store S that can provide the ordered food and drink. As a result, multiple candidates for the delivery person D may be extracted (for example, delivery person D2 and D3 in FIG. 4). When multiple candidates for the delivery person D are extracted in this manner, a delivery plan is calculated for each candidate for the delivery person D. In addition, when multiple stores S that can provide the same food and drink exist near the travel route Rv of the vehicle 2 to the destination Pg (for example, stores S1 and S2 in FIG. 4), the store S that actually provides the food and drink may be specified by the user. Alternatively, the server 10 may generate a delivery plan with each of the multiple stores S as a candidate, as in the example shown in FIG. 4.

[0026] In step S104 following step S102, the server 10 judges whether or not the food and drink can be delivered according to the generated delivery plan. This judgment can be made, for example, by comparing the predicted passing time Tv of the vehicle 2 at the delivery location Pr included in the delivery plan with the predicted delivery time Tpr of the delivery person D. Specifically, for example, the result of the judgment is positive if the predicted delivery time Tpr of the delivery person D is earlier than or the same as the predicted passing time Tv of the vehicle 2, and negative otherwise. The predicted passing time Tv is calculated based on the distance from the current position P0 of the vehicle 2 along the travel route Rv of the vehicle 2 to the delivery location Pr and the expected average vehicle speed of the vehicle 2 (for example, a predetermined value according to the road on which the vehicle 2 travels).

[0027] A specific example of delivery feasibility will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. In this specific example, the current time (the time when the user places an order for food and drink) is "12:00", and the estimated arrival time of the vehicle 2 at the destination Pg is "12:25".

[0028] First, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the predicted passing time Tv1 of vehicle 2 at delivery location Pr1 is "12:15". In contrast, the time ta1 for delivery person D1 to receive the food and drink is 20 minutes (> preparation time tc1 of 5 minutes), and the delivery time tb1 for delivery route Rd1 is 5 minutes. Therefore, the predicted delivery time Tpr1 for delivery person D1 is "12:25", which is later than the predicted passing time Tv1. For this reason, in this example, it is determined that delivery is not possible.

[0029] Next, in the example of deliveryman D2 shown in FIG. 4, the receipt time ta2 for the same store S1 as in FIG. 3 is 7 minutes (>5 minutes of preparation time tc1), and the required delivery time tb1 is 5 minutes. Therefore, the predicted delivery time Tpr1' for deliveryman D2 is "12:12", which is earlier than the predicted passing time Tv1 of vehicle 2, "12:15". Therefore, in this example, delivery is determined to be possible. Similarly, in the example of deliveryman D3, the receipt time ta3 for the store S2 is 8 minutes (>5 minutes of preparation time tc2), and the required delivery time tb2 for delivery route Rd2 is 10 minutes. Therefore, the predicted delivery time Tpr2 for deliveryman D3 is "12:18", which is earlier than the predicted passing time Tv2, "12:22". Therefore, in this example, delivery is also determined to be possible.

[0030] If the determination result in step S104 is No (delivery not possible), the process proceeds to step S106, and if the determination result is Yes (delivery possible), the process proceeds to step S108. Note that if multiple delivery plans are generated, the determination result will be No if all delivery plans are not possible, and Yes if any one of the multiple delivery plans is possible.

[0031] In step S106, the server 10 notifies the user that delivery is not possible via the user terminal 20. Thereafter, the process of this flowchart ends.

[0032] In step S108, the server 10 notifies the user of information regarding the delivery plan for which delivery is possible via the user terminal 20. The notified information regarding the delivery plan includes information regarding the delivery location Pr of the food and drink, and information regarding the predicted delivery time Tpr of the delivery person D. As described above, the delivery location Pr is a location on the travel route Rv where roadside parking is possible. The notification may also include a predicted time Tv at which the vehicle 2 will pass the delivery location Pr. Furthermore, the notification may include a notice indicating that the food and drink cannot be received while the vehicle 2 is moving.

[0033] Information about the delivery plan notified from the server 10 is displayed on the screen of the user terminal 20. When there are multiple delivery plans that can deliver (for example, when there are multiple stores S that can provide the ordered food and drink and therefore multiple candidates for the delivery location Pr, or when there are multiple delivery personnel D related to the delivery plans that can deliver), information about the multiple delivery plans is displayed on the screen of the user terminal 20.

[0034] The notification in step S108 includes information requesting the user to approve the delivery plan for which delivery is possible. If there are multiple delivery plans for which delivery is possible, the information includes information requesting the user to select one of the multiple delivery plans. The notification may also include information regarding the evaluation of delivery person D. This allows the user to approve the delivery plan taking the evaluation information into consideration.

[0035] In step S110 following step S108, the server 10 judges whether or not the user has approved the delivery plan. In addition, when multiple delivery plans are presented to the user, the user's selection of one of the multiple delivery plans corresponds to approval of the delivery plan. If the judgment result in step S110 is No, the processing of this flowchart ends. On the other hand, if the judgment result is Yes, the processing proceeds to step S112.

[0036] In step S112, the server 10 notifies the store S and the delivery person D of the delivery plan approved by the user, together with the order details of the food and drink (name and quantity of the food and drink) included in the order information, via the store terminal 30 and the delivery person terminal 40, respectively.

[0037] In addition, payment for the food and drink order by the user may be made when receiving the food and drink from delivery person D, or may be made when approving the delivery plan described above.

[0038] 3.Effects As described above, according to this embodiment, a delivery plan for food and beverages is generated based on information on the current position P0 of the vehicle 2, position information on the destination Pg, position information on the store S, and position information on the delivery person D. This allows a delivery route to be appropriately generated taking into account the destination of the vehicle 2, improving convenience when receiving delivered food and beverages inside the vehicle. In addition, it is possible to appropriately realize a service of delivering food and beverages to the vehicle 2 on the travel route Rv of the vehicle 2 heading toward the destination Pg.

[0039] 4. Other examples of setting the delivery location Pr The delivery location Pr of the food and drink along the travel route Rv may be set, for example, as follows, according to a request from a user. That is, in an example in which the vehicle 2 is a battery electric vehicle (BEV) or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a charging station that is stopped at along the travel route Rv to charge the vehicle 2 may be set by the user as the delivery location Pr. Specifically, the information on the delivery location Pr may be included in the above-mentioned order information for food and drink from the user. Then, the server 10 may generate a delivery plan to deliver food and drink to the delivery location Pr set by the user. This allows the user to eat and drink while effectively utilizing the time it takes to charge. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1. Food and beverage delivery system 2 Vehicles 3. Communication Network 10 Server 12. Communications Equipment 14 processors 16 Storage device 20 User terminal 30 Store terminals 40 Delivery Person Terminal

Claims

[Claim 1] A server that provides a delivery service for delivering food and beverages to a vehicle moving toward a destination, a communication device connected via a communication network to each of a user terminal operated by a user who boards the vehicle and uses the delivery service, a store terminal operated by a provider of the food and beverages, and a delivery staff terminal carried and operated by a delivery staff who delivers the food and beverages; a storage device for storing a database of information relating to the delivery service, including information on the locations of stores that provide the food and beverages; A processor; Equipped with The processor is configured to generate a delivery plan for the food and beverages based on current location information of the vehicle, location information of the destination, location information of the store acquired from the database, and location information of the delivery person acquired via the delivery person terminal; The generation of the delivery plan includes: The processor calculates a predicted delivery time of the delivery person to the delivery location by adding a pickup time, which is a time required for the delivery person to pick up the food and beverage at the store, and a delivery time, which is a time required for the delivery person to travel from the store to a delivery location of the food and beverage, to a current time; When a preparation time, which is a time required to prepare the food and beverage at the store, is longer than the receiving time, the processor adds a difference between the preparation time and the receiving time to the predicted delivery time; The processor extracts candidates for delivery personnel who will deliver the food and beverages ordered by the user from among delivery personnel present within a predetermined distance from the store that can provide the food and beverages ordered by the user, and when multiple candidates for delivery personnel are extracted, generates a process for generating the delivery plan for each candidate for delivery personnel; Includes server.

Images