Transportation management method

Abstract

To provide a transport management method that allows a deliverer to properly address the abnormality of a delivery package.SOLUTION: The transport management method includes: a transport status information acquisition process where the transport status information of a transport container that stores a delivery package is acquired; a positional information acquisition process where the positional information of the transport container is acquired; an abnormality detection process where abnormality inside the transport container is detected based on at least one of the transport status information of the transport container and the positional information; a countermeasure identification process where a countermeasure is identified for the detected abnormality; and a notification process where the countermeasure is communicated to the deliverer while transporting the transport container.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transportation management method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a delivery management system is known that includes a delivery unit for delivering a container that cools the stored articles, and an article management server that communicates with the delivery unit in transit via a communication network (for example, Patent Document 1). In the delivery management system described in Patent Document 1, the delivery unit includes GPS receiving means for calculating the position data of the delivery unit based on a GPS signal, adding a device code unique to the position data, and transmitting it to the article management server, temperature measuring means for measuring the temperature inside the container, and storage means for storing the temperature data measured by the temperature measuring means.

[0003] In the delivery management system of Patent Document 1, threshold setting means for setting a threshold related to the temperature data, and alarm means for generating an alarm sound when the temperature data has shifted to the dangerous value side from the threshold set by the threshold setting means are provided. When the alarm means generates an alarm sound, it is possible to transmit an e-mail including a message indicating that the alarm sound has been generated to the terminals of the relevant parties.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the conventional delivery management system, only an alarm is issued when the temperature data has shifted to the dangerous value side, and the delivery person has to judge the countermeasures against the abnormality by himself / herself. It is difficult for a delivery person who is not familiar with the characteristics of the transported goods and the required quality to take appropriate countermeasures based only on his / her own judgment.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a transportation management method that enables a delivery person to take appropriate measures against abnormalities of transported goods.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The transportation management method according to the present invention includes a transportation state information acquisition step of acquiring transportation state information of a transportation container that houses transported goods, a position information acquisition step of acquiring position information of the transportation container, an abnormality detection step of detecting an abnormality in the transportation container based on at least one of the transportation state information and the position information of the transportation container, a countermeasure specification step of specifying a countermeasure against the detected abnormality, and a notification step of notifying a delivery person during delivery of the transportation container of the countermeasure.

[0008] In the transportation management method according to the present invention, the abnormality detection step may include a threshold setting step of setting a threshold value at which the abnormality can be predicted.

[0009] In the transportation management method according to the present invention, the countermeasure specification step may include an arrival prediction time calculation step of calculating an arrival prediction time to a delivery destination from the position information and road traffic information.

[0010] In the transportation management method according to the present invention, the transportation state information acquisition means includes a temperature acquisition step of acquiring the temperature inside the transportation container, and the countermeasure specification step may include a temperature change prediction calculation step of calculating a temperature change prediction from the temperature change inside the transportation container.

[0011] In the transportation management method according to the present invention, the transportation state information acquisition step includes a temperature acquisition step of acquiring the temperature inside the transportation container, the countermeasure specification step includes an arrival prediction time calculation step of calculating an arrival prediction time to a delivery destination from the position information and road traffic information, and a temperature change prediction calculation step of calculating a temperature change prediction from the temperature change inside the transportation container, and may be configured to specify a countermeasure from the arrival prediction time and the temperature change prediction.

[0012] In the transportation management method according to the present invention, the transportation state information may include at least one of information regarding temperature, humidity, illuminance, vibration, shock, load, air pressure, gas concentration, and opening / closing.

[0013] In the transportation management method according to the present invention, the countermeasure may include changing the delivery route.

[0014] The transportation management method according to the present invention may further include a delivery trace step of confirming the transportation state information and the position information during delivery by a terminal of the requester of the transported item (requester side terminal) and a terminal of the recipient (recipient side terminal).

Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, it becomes possible for a delivery person to appropriately respond to an abnormality of a transported item.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

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Figure 5

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Figure 8

Figure 9

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to each claim, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential for the solution means of the invention. Also, the drawings are schematic diagrams that have been appropriately emphasized, omitted, or adjusted in ratio to show the present invention, and may be different from the actual shape, positional relationship, and ratio.

[0018] [Overall Configuration of Transportation Management System] First, referring to FIG. 1, a transportation management system 1 for realizing the transportation management method according to the embodiment of the present invention will be outlined. As shown in FIG. 1, the transportation management system 1 according to this embodiment includes a delivery communication terminal 54 used by delivery personnel nationwide, request-side terminals 60 to 60n owned by delivery requesters, recipient-side terminals 70 to 70n owned by recipients, base terminals 82 to 82n arranged at nationwide delivery bases 80 to 80n or owned by the workers at the delivery bases 80 to 80n, and a transportation management server 100 that centrally manages (unifies management) information related to delivery such as nationwide delivery communication terminals 54, base terminals 82 to 82n, and transportation plans. In other words, the transportation management system 1 according to this embodiment is a nationwide transportation management system capable of constructing and managing a nationwide delivery network (route delivery network). In the transportation management system 1, the delivery communication terminal 54, the request-side terminals 60 to 60n, the recipient-side terminals 70 to 70n, and the base terminals 82 to 82n are configured to be able to access the transportation management server 100 via a communication network.

[0019] In addition, the transportation management system 1 further includes a transportation container 10 for accommodating the transported item 20, a measuring instrument 30, a transport vehicle 50, and a transmitter 52.

[0020] The transport container 10 includes delivery materials (not shown) and an outer box (not shown) capable of accommodating the delivery materials and the transported item 20. Further, the outer box is configured to be able to attach the measuring instrument 30. The measuring instrument 30 may be attached to the outside of the outer box or may be attached to the inside of the outer box.

[0021] The delivery materials can adopt various arbitrary configurations according to the required delivery environment. For example, when the transported item 20 needs to be transported in a low-temperature environment, the delivery materials include a heat-insulating material (not shown) arranged to cover the inner surface of the outer box and a latent heat storage material (not shown) for keeping the inside of the transport container 10 at a low temperature.

[0022] The measuring instrument 30 includes a main body (not shown) and a plurality of sensors (not shown) that are connected to the main body by a cable, attached to the transported item 20, and measure the transport state information inside the transport container 10. The main body of the measuring instrument 30 includes a transmitter (not shown) that transmits the measured transport state information to the transport management server 100. Here, the transport state information includes at least one of information regarding temperature, humidity, illuminance, vibration, shock, load, air pressure, gas concentration, and opening / closing.

[0023] Specifically, the measuring instrument 30 according to the present embodiment includes at least one or more of a temperature sensor capable of measuring temperature, a humidity sensor capable of measuring humidity, an illuminance sensor capable of detecting the presence or absence of opening / closing, an air pressure sensor capable of measuring air pressure, an acceleration sensor capable of detecting vibration, shock, etc., a load sensor capable of detecting load, and a gas sensor capable of detecting gas concentration. Further, the measuring instrument 30 may include, for example, a plurality of temperature sensors, and it is also possible to attach a plurality of temperature sensors to a plurality of locations of the transported item 20. Further, the measuring instrument 30 has a sensor ID for identifying the measuring instrument 30. The transmitter is configured to be able to transmit the sensor ID of the measuring instrument 30 together with the transport state information. The measuring instrument 30 having such a configuration can measure the transport state information and transmit the measured transport state information at an arbitrary frequency.

[0024] The transmitter 52 is configured to acquire position information and transmit the acquired position information to the transportation management server 100. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the transmitter 52 is configured to be attachable to the transport vehicle 50.

[0025] The delivery communication terminal 54 is a notification means for notifying a delivery person during the delivery of the transport container 10 of the abnormalities and countermeasures described below. In the present embodiment, the delivery communication terminal 54 is a portable terminal that can be carried by delivery persons across the country. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any various configurations can be adopted as long as they can confirm countermeasures. For example, the delivery communication terminal 54 may be a stationary terminal that can be attached to the transport vehicle 50.

[0026] Note that the delivery communication terminal 54, the request-side terminals 60 to 60n of the requester, the receiving-side terminals 70 to 70n, and the base terminals 82 to 82n installed in the national delivery bases 80 to 80n can adopt various arbitrary configurations such as personal computers, tablet terminals, and smartphones as long as they can access the transportation management server 100.

[0027] [Configuration of Transportation Management Server] As shown in FIG. 2, the transportation management server 100 includes a communication unit 110 for connecting to a communication network, a control unit 120, and a storage unit 130. As functions for realizing the transportation management method according to the present embodiment, the control unit 120 includes a display control unit 121, a position information acquisition means (position information acquisition unit 122) for acquiring the position information of the transport container 10, a transport state information acquisition means (transport state information acquisition unit 123) for acquiring the transport state information of the transport container 10, an abnormality detection means (abnormality detection unit 124) for detecting an abnormality in the transport container 10 based on at least one of the transport state information and the position information of the transport container 10, a countermeasure specifying means (countermeasure specifying unit 125) for specifying a countermeasure for the detected abnormality, and a countermeasure notification means (notification unit 126) for notifying the countermeasure. These functions are exhibited when the CPU of the control unit 120 executes the transportation management program 132 stored in the storage unit 130.

[0028] The control unit 120, by the functions shown in FIG. 2, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3, executes a transport state information acquisition process (S1 in FIG. 3) for acquiring the transport state information of the transport container 10, a position information acquisition process (S2 in FIG. 3) for acquiring the position information of the transport container 10, an abnormality detection process (S3 in FIG. 3) for detecting an abnormality in the transport container 10 based on at least one of the transport state information and the position information of the transport container 10, a countermeasure specification process (S4 in FIG. 3) for specifying a countermeasure for the detected abnormality, and a notification process (S5 in FIG. 3) for notifying the delivery person during the delivery of the transport container 10 of the countermeasure.

[0029] The display control unit 121 is configured to be able to display the information in the transport management server 100 on the delivery communication terminal 54, the requester terminals 60 to 60n, the recipient terminals 70 to 70n, and the base terminals 82 to 82n of the delivery bases 80 to 80n, respectively. Specifically, the display control unit 121 is configured to be able to display transport plans, transport state information, position information, notifications of omens and abnormalities, countermeasures, information related to collection requests, and the like.

[0030] The transport state information acquisition unit 123 is configured to be able to acquire the transport state information and the sensor ID transmitted from the transmitter of the measuring instrument 30, and record the acquired transport state information and the sensor ID in the delivery trace database 150 described later in the storage unit 130. Specifically, the transport state information acquisition unit 123 includes a temperature acquisition means (not shown) for acquiring the temperature inside the transport container 10, a humidity acquisition means (not shown) for acquiring the humidity inside the transport container 10, an illuminance acquisition means (not shown) for acquiring the illuminance inside the transport container 10, an air pressure acquisition means (not shown) for acquiring the air pressure inside the transport container 10, and an acceleration acquisition means (not shown) for acquiring the acceleration applied to the transport container 10. The transport state information acquisition unit 123 acquires the transport state information from the temperature acquisition means, the humidity acquisition means, the illuminance acquisition means, the air pressure acquisition means, and the acceleration acquisition means in the transport state information acquisition process.

[0031] In the position information acquisition step, the position information acquisition unit 122 acquires the position information of the transport container 10 and records the acquired position information in the transport plan database 140 (to be described later) in the storage unit 130. The transport management system 1 according to the present embodiment acquires the position information transmitted from the transmitter 52 attached to the transport vehicle 50 as the position information of the transport container 10, but is not limited thereto. For example, the transmitter 52 may be attached to each transport container 10, and the position information acquisition unit 122 may acquire the position information from the transmitter 52 attached to the transport container 10. When acquiring the position information of the transmitter 52 attached to the transport vehicle 50 as the position information of the transport container 10, it is not necessary to prepare a transmitter 52 for each transport container 10, so the cost can be reduced. On the other hand, when acquiring the position information from the transmitter 52 attached to the transport container 10, for example, when the transport container 10 is forgotten to be loaded, dropped from the loading platform, stolen, etc., there is an advantage that these abnormalities can be detected.

[0032] In the abnormality detection step, the abnormality detection unit 124 detects an abnormality inside the transport container 10 based on the transport state information received from the measuring instrument 30. Further, in the abnormality detection step, the abnormality detection unit 124 may set a threshold value at which an abnormality can be predicted. By having such a configuration, the abnormality detection unit 124 can detect a sign of an abnormality. For example, when temperature management in the range of 2 to 8 °C is required, by setting the threshold value of the lower limit temperature to 3 °C and the threshold value of the upper limit temperature to 7 °C, it is possible to predict deviation from the temperature range. Further, when the measuring instrument 30 includes a plurality of the same sensors, the abnormality detection unit 124 is configured to detect an abnormality or a sign when any one of the sensors exceeds the threshold value.

[0033] Furthermore, in the abnormality detection step, the abnormality detection unit 124 may predict an abnormality inside the transport container 10 based on the position information received from the transmitter 52. Specifically, the abnormality detection unit 124 may calculate the predicted arrival time at the delivery destination based on the received position information and road traffic information, and predict an abnormality by comparing the predicted arrival time with the scheduled arrival time at the transport planning stage. For example, when the allowable delay time for the delivery time is the delivery time at the transport planning stage + 2 hours, the delivery delay can be predicted by setting the threshold value for the delivery time to the delivery time at the transport planning stage + 2 hours. In the present embodiment, the road traffic information includes information such as road conditions such as traffic jams, road construction information, road closures due to events, and traffic restrictions.

[0034] In addition, when the time at which the transport item 20 passes through a passing point on the delivery route is delayed by a predetermined time (for example, 1 hour) from the scheduled passing time at the transport planning stage, the abnormality detection unit 124 may detect an abnormality in the delivery delay and predict the abnormality. Furthermore, when the transport item 20 has not arrived at the destination at the scheduled arrival time at the transport planning stage from the acquired position information, the abnormality detection unit 124 may detect an abnormality in the delivery delay.

[0035] In the countermeasure identification step, the countermeasure identification unit 125 identifies countermeasures against the signs or abnormalities detected by the abnormality detection unit 124. In the present embodiment, the countermeasures identified by the countermeasure identification unit 125 in the countermeasure identification step include changing the delivery route, replacing and replenishing delivery materials, canceling the delivery, and sending a substitute.

[0036] Changing the delivery route may not only prioritize the delivery of the transport item 20 for which a sign or abnormality has been detected, but also optimize the delivery route. For example, in accordance with advancing the delivery order of the transport item 20 for which a sign or abnormality has been detected, the delivery order of other normal transport items 20 may also be changed based on the road traffic information and the positional relationship of each delivery destination, and the delivery route may be reorganized into a more efficient delivery route taking into account the road conditions on the delivery day. For the replacement and replenishment of delivery materials, for example, when the transport item 20 needs to be transported in a low-temperature environment, the transport item stops at the nearest delivery base 80 - 80n to replace and replenish the latent heat storage material.

[0037] Further, in the countermeasure identification process, the countermeasure identification unit 125 calculates the predicted arrival time at the delivery destination from the position information and road traffic information, calculates the predicted temperature change from the temperature change in the transport container 10, and identifies countermeasures based on the predicted arrival time and the predicted temperature change. Further, in the countermeasure identification process, the countermeasure identification unit 125 may calculate the predicted change related to the transport state information other than the temperature in the transport container 10.

[0038] For example, when it is determined that the time for the temperature to reach an abnormal value is later than the predicted arrival time, the countermeasure identification unit 125 identifies continuing the delivery as planned as the countermeasure. When it is determined that the time for the temperature to reach an abnormal value is earlier than the predicted arrival time and the temperature reaches the abnormal value before reaching the nearest delivery base 80 - 80n, the countermeasure identification unit 125 identifies stopping the delivery as the countermeasure. When it is determined that although the time for reaching the abnormal value is earlier than the predicted arrival time, it is possible to deliver by changing the delivery order, the countermeasure identification unit 125 identifies a new delivery route as the countermeasure. When it is determined that although the time for reaching the abnormal value is earlier than the predicted arrival time, it is possible to handle the situation by stopping at the nearest delivery base 80 - 80n, the countermeasure identification unit 125 identifies the route to the nearest delivery base 80 - 80n, the replacement and replenishment of the latent heat storage material as the countermeasures.

[0039] Further, in the abnormal detection process, when the abnormality detection unit 124 detects an abnormality in delivery delay or foresees an abnormality, in the countermeasure identification process, the countermeasure identification unit 125 identifies changing the delivery route and stopping at the delivery base 80 - 80n as the countermeasures.

[0040] In the notification process, the notification unit 126 notifies the delivery communication terminal 54 of the countermeasures identified by the countermeasure identification unit 125. In addition, the notification unit 126 can notify the delivery communication terminal 54, the requesting terminals 60 to 60n, the receiving terminals 70 to 70n, and the base terminals 82 to 82n of the delivery bases 80 to 80n of the information in the transportation management server 100 respectively. Specifically, the notification unit 126 notifies transportation plans, transportation status information, location information, notifications of omens and abnormalities, countermeasures, information related to collection requests, and the like.

[0041] For example, based on the countermeasures identified by the countermeasure identification unit 125, the notification unit 126 notifies the delivery staff of the notification of delivery suspension, the notification of a new delivery route, the notification of the route to the nearest delivery bases 80 to 80n, and the notification of the replacement and replenishment of the latent heat storage material. In addition, the notification unit 126 notifies the base terminals 82 to 82n of the delivery bases 80 to 80n that are the receiving destinations of the instructions for receiving preparation.

[0042] The storage unit 130 stores a transportation plan database 140 and a delivery trace database 150. Furthermore, the storage unit 130 stores a transportation management program 132 for causing the transportation management server 100 to execute each process of transportation management shown in FIG. 3. The transportation management program 132 includes a transportation status information acquisition process for acquiring the transportation status information of the transportation container 10 that houses the transported item 20, a location information acquisition process for acquiring the location information of the transportation container 10, an abnormality detection process for detecting an abnormality in the transportation container 10 based on at least one of the transportation status information and the location information of the transportation container 10, a countermeasure identification process for identifying countermeasures against the detected abnormality, and a notification process for notifying the delivery staff during the delivery of the transportation container 10 of the abnormality and the countermeasures, and is configured to cause the transportation management server 100 to execute them.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 4, the transportation plan database 140 includes storage areas 140a to 140e. The storage areas 140a to 140e each include a transportation plan No. area 141, a product name area 142, a status area 143, a registration date area 144, an update date area 145, a shipping date area 146, a shipping origin area 147, and a delivery destination area 148. Different transportation plans are stored in the transportation plan database 140 for each storage area.

[0044] The storage areas 140a to 140e each have different transportation plan Nos. in the transportation plan No. area 141. The transportation plan No. is a unique ID automatically generated when the transportation plan is created. The product name area 142 registers the product name of the transported item 20. The status area 143 registers the arrangement status (status) of the transportation plan. The status is, for example, "not arranged", "materials shipped" indicating that the transportation materials have been shipped before collection, "collecting" indicating that the vehicle is heading for collection under the consignor, "in transit" indicating that the vehicle is in transit for delivery under the recipient, and "delivery completed", etc.

[0045] The registration date area 144 registers the date and time when the transportation plan was first registered in the transportation plan database 140. The update date area 145 registers the date and time when the transportation plan was last updated. The shipping date area 146 registers the date and time (collection date and time) when the item 20 was shipped. The shipping origin area 147 registers the name of the consignor. The delivery destination area 148 registers the name of the recipient.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 6, the delivery trace database 150 includes storage areas 150a to 150n. The storage areas 150a to 150n each include a transport plan No. area 151, a sensor ID area 152, a slip number area 153, a status area 154, a reception time area 155, a measurement time area 156, a transport status information area 157, and a position information area 158. A plurality of delivery trace databases 150 are stored for each transport plan. For example, the delivery trace database 150 shown in FIG. 6 is associated with the transport plan in the storage area 140d of the transport plan database 140.

[0047] The transport plan No. area 151 has a transport plan No. registered therein and is linked to the transport plan No. registered in the transport plan database 140. The sensor ID area 152 has the sensor ID of the measuring instrument 30 acquired by the transport status information acquisition unit 123 of the control unit 120 in the transport status information acquisition process registered therein. The slip number area 153 has the slip number (invoice number) related to the transport plan registered therein. The status area 154 has the same status registered as the status registered in the status area 143 of the transport plan database 140.

[0048] The reception time area 155 has the time when the transport status information acquisition unit 123 of the control unit 120 received the transport status information from the measuring instrument 30 in the transport status information acquisition process registered therein. The measurement time area 156 has the time when the sensor of the measuring instrument 30 measured the transport status information registered therein. Since the deviation between the reception time and the measurement time is basically about several seconds to several tens of seconds, it may be acceptable to regard the reception time as the measurement time and register only the reception time in the delivery trace database 150.

[0049] However, when the transport vehicle 50 travels through a tunnel or the like during delivery and the transmitter of the measuring instrument 30 goes out of the communication range, since it will be transmitted again after entering the communication range, there may be a large difference between the reception time and the measurement time. If a sign or abnormality occurs outside the communication range, only the reception time cannot accurately grasp the occurrence time of the sign (abnormality), so it is preferable to register both the reception time and the measurement time in the delivery trace database 150. The delivery trace database 150 having such a configuration is recorded in ascending order of the measurement times registered in the measurement time areas 156 of the storage areas 150a to 150n.

[0050] The transport state information area 157 stores the transport state information acquired by the transport state information acquisition unit 123 of the control unit 120 in the transport state information acquisition process. The transport state information area 157 according to the present embodiment stores temperature, humidity, illuminance, atmospheric pressure, and accelerations in the x, y, and z directions, but is not limited thereto, and various arbitrary configurations can be adopted. The position information area 158 stores the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 122 of the control unit 120 in the position information acquisition process. The position information area 158 according to the present embodiment stores latitude and longitude, but is not limited thereto, and various arbitrary configurations can be adopted.

[0051] In the transport management system 1 according to the present embodiment, the above processing is executed by the transport management program 132 in the storage unit 130 of the transport management server 100.

[0052] The transport management system 1 having the above configuration is configured to enable the creation and browsing of a transport plan by the requesting side terminals 60 to 60n and the receiving side terminals 70 to 70n of the transported item 20, and is configured to enable the confirmation of transport state information and position information during delivery. Specifically, the display control unit 121 of the control unit 120 of the transport management server 100 is configured to be able to display the transport plan dashboard 200 and the delivery trace dashboard 300 on the requesting side terminals 60 to 60n and the receiving side terminals 70 to 70n.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 5, the transportation plan dashboard 200 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the transportation plan dashboard 200 includes a transportation plan list area 210 where a list of transportation plans is displayed, a filtering area 220, a transportation plan creation button 230, and a document output button 240. The transportation plan list area 210 includes transportation plan display areas 210a to 210n, and the transportation plan display areas 210a to 210n each include a selection area 211, a status display area 212, a transportation plan No. display area 213, a product name display area 214, a destination display area 215, a registration date display area 216, a scheduled shipping date display area 217, and an editing area 218.

[0054] The transportation plan display areas 210a to 210n are configured to be able to display the transportation plans registered in the transportation plan database 140. The selection area 211 is configured to be able to select any transportation plan in the transportation plan display areas 210a to 210n. The status display area 212 displays the status registered in the status area 143 of the transportation plan database 140. The transportation plan No. display area 213 displays the transportation plan No. registered in the transportation plan No. area 141 of the transportation plan database 140.

[0055] The product name display area 214 displays the product name of the transported item 20 registered in the product name area 142 of the transportation plan database 140. The destination display area 215 displays the destination of the transported item 20 registered in the destination area 148 of the transportation plan database 140. The registration date display area 216 displays the registration date of the transportation plan registered in the registration date area 144 of the transportation plan database 140. The scheduled shipping date display area 217 displays the scheduled shipping date (scheduled collection date) of the transported item 20 related to the transportation plan. The editing area 218 includes an editing button and a deletion button, and is configured to be able to edit and delete the registered transportation plan.

[0056] The filtering area 220 is configured to be able to filter the transportation plans displayed in the transportation plan list area 210 by status specification, date specification, and word search. The transportation plan dashboard 200 is configured to be able to create a new transportation plan from the transportation plan creation button 230. Also, the transportation plan dashboard 200 is configured to be able to output a form of the transportation plan from the form output button 240.

[0057] Next, the delivery trace dashboard 300 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The delivery trace dashboard 300 includes a status display area 302, a transportation plan No. display area 304, a transportation plan display button 306, a form output button 308, a notification display area 320, a transportation status information display area 330, a display switching area 350, and a position information display area 360. The transportation status information display area 330 includes a temperature display area 332, a humidity display area 334, a shock display area 336, and an illuminance display area 338. The temperature display area 332, the humidity display area 334, the shock display area 336, and the illuminance display area 338 each include an actual measurement value display area mv, an upper limit setting display area ul, and a lower limit setting display area ll.

[0058] The status display area 302 displays the status registered in the status area 154 of the delivery trace database 150. The transportation plan No. display area 304 displays the transportation plan No. registered in the transportation plan No. area 151 of the delivery trace database 150. The delivery trace dashboard 300 is configured to be able to display the transportation plan from the transportation plan display button 306. Also, the delivery trace dashboard 300 is configured to be able to output a form regarding the transportation status information and the position information from the form output button 308.

[0059] The notification display area 320 displays the omen detection information and the abnormality detection information detected by the abnormality detection unit 124 of the control unit 120 in the abnormality detection process. The transport status information display area 330 is configured to be able to display the transport status information registered in the transport status information area 157 of the delivery trace database 150. The temperature display area 332 displays information regarding temperature. The humidity display area 334 displays information regarding humidity. The shock display area 336 displays information regarding shock. As shown in FIG. 7, the shock display area 336 can display the resultant force in the x, y, and z directions and can also display a single value in each direction. The illuminance display area 338 displays information regarding illuminance.

[0060] The measured value display area mv displays the measured values of the respective transport status information registered in the transport status information area 157 of the delivery trace database 150. The upper limit setting display area ul and the lower limit setting display area ll display the upper threshold value and the lower threshold value for detecting an abnormality or an omen of the respective transport status information, respectively.

[0061] The display switching area 350 includes a current value button, a minimum value button, and a maximum value button, and is configured to be able to switch the transport status information display area 330 to the current value, the minimum value from the start of transport to the present, and the maximum value from the start of transport to the present, respectively. The position information display area 360 is configured to be able to display the position information registered in the position information area 158 of the delivery trace database 150 on a map.

[0062] By having the above-described configuration, the transport management server 100 can perform unified management of delivery traces on a national scale.

[0063] [Explanation of the transport management method] A delivery procedure using the transport management method according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a delivery procedure using the transport management method according to the present embodiment. In the following description, the delivery company is a general term including delivery personnel and workers at the delivery bases 80 to 80n.

[0064] The transportation management method according to this embodiment generally includes, as described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3, a transportation status information acquisition step (S1 in FIG. 3) of acquiring the transportation status information of the transportation container 10 that houses the transported item 20, a position information acquisition step (S2 in FIG. 3) of acquiring the position information of the transportation container 10, an abnormality detection step (S3 in FIG. 3) of detecting an abnormality in the transportation container 10 based on at least one of the transportation status information and the position information of the transportation container 10, a countermeasure specification step (S4 in FIG. 3) of specifying a countermeasure for the detected abnormality, and a notification step (S5 in FIG. 3) of notifying the delivery person during the delivery of the transportation container 10 of the abnormality and the countermeasure.

[0065] In addition, the transportation management method further includes a delivery trace step of confirming the transportation status information and the position information during delivery by the requester terminals 60 to 60n and the recipient terminals 70 to 70n of the transported item 20. The abnormality detection step includes a threshold setting step of setting a threshold value at which an abnormality can be predicted. The transportation status information acquisition step includes a temperature acquisition step of acquiring the temperature inside the transportation container 10. The countermeasure specification step includes an arrival prediction time calculation step of calculating the predicted arrival time at the delivery destination from the position information and the road traffic information, and a temperature change prediction calculation step of calculating a temperature change prediction from the temperature change inside the transportation container 10, and is configured to specify a countermeasure from the predicted arrival time and the temperature change prediction. This method will be described in detail below.

[0066] In the transportation management system 1 according to this embodiment, first, before the transportation plan is created, the measuring instrument 30 is shipped from the delivery company under the requester (S20 in FIG. 8). It is preferable that the shipment of the measuring instrument 30 is performed regularly, but it is not limited thereto.

[0067] The requester accesses the transportation management server 100 using the request-side terminals 60 to 60n and creates a transportation plan from the transportation plan dashboard 200 (S10 in FIG. 8). Specific input items for the transportation plan are, for example, in addition to the departure location information, the collection request date, and the product name of the transported item 20, the email address for notification, the sensor ID of the measuring instrument 30 to be used, the transportation status information that requires monitoring, and the threshold values for detecting omens and abnormalities of the transportation status information (threshold setting process). When the requester creates a transportation plan, the transportation plan is registered in the transportation plan database 140 of the storage unit 130 of the transportation management server 100. After a new transportation plan is registered, the transportation management server 100 notifies the delivery provider of the collection instruction (S30 in FIG. 8).

[0068] The delivery person who has received the collection instruction goes to collect the transported item 20 under the requester with the outer box of the transportation container 10 and the delivery materials (S21 in FIG. 8). In the transportation management system 1 according to the present embodiment, the delivery materials are carried at the time of collection, but may be sent to the requester before collection. The requester receives the transportation container 10 from the delivery person, packs the transported item 20 into the transportation container 10, and attaches the measuring instrument 30 registered in the transportation plan to the transportation container 10 (S11 in FIG. 8). Then, the power of the measuring instrument 30 is turned on (S40 in FIG. 8), and the transportation container 10 is handed over to the delivery person (S12 in FIG. 8). The delivery person who has received the transportation container 10 contacts the transportation management server 100 from the delivery communication terminal 54 to notify the completion of collection (S22 in FIG. 8), and delivers the transported item 20 to the recipient (S23 in FIG. 8).

[0069] After receiving the notification of the completion of collection, the transportation management server 100 notifies the recipient of the transported item 20 of the delivery (S31 in FIG. 8). Thereafter, delivery tracing including monitoring of the transportation status information and location information of the transportation container 10 (transported item 20) is performed.

[0070] Next, the delivery trace using the transportation management method according to this embodiment will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a delivery trace procedure using the transportation management method according to this embodiment. The measuring instrument 30 with power on measures the transportation state information inside the transportation container 10 by the sensor (S140 in FIG. 9), and the transmitter transmits the measured transportation state information and the sensor ID to the transportation management server 100. The measurement and transmission of the transportation state information are sequentially performed until the power of the measuring instrument 30 is turned off (YES in S141 in FIG. 9).

[0071] The transportation state information acquisition unit 123 of the control unit 120 of the transportation management server 100 acquires the transportation state information transmitted from the measuring instrument 30 and registers it in the delivery trace database 150 of the storage unit 130 (transportation state information acquisition step, temperature acquisition step). Also, the transmitter 52 attached to the transport vehicle 50 acquires the position information of the transmitter 52 and sequentially transmits the acquired position information to the transportation management server 100. The position information acquisition unit 122 of the control unit 120 of the transportation management server 100 acquires the position information transmitted from the transmitter 52 and registers it in the delivery trace database 150 of the storage unit 130 as the position information of the transportation container 10 (position information acquisition step).

[0072] The requester and the recipient access the transportation management server 100 using the requester-side terminals 60 to 60n and the recipient-side terminals 70 to 70n, and by selecting an arbitrary transportation plan from the delivery trace dashboard 300, they can monitor the transportation state information and track the position information during delivery (S110, S150 in FIG. 9: delivery trace step).

[0073] The abnormality detection unit 124 of the control unit 120 of the transportation management server 100 determines whether the transportation status information registered in the delivery trace database 150 exceeds the threshold value set in the transportation plan, and detects signs and abnormalities. When a sign or abnormality is detected (YES in S130 of FIG. 9: abnormality detection step), the countermeasure specifying unit 125 of the control unit 120 calculates the estimated arrival time at the delivery destination from the position information and road traffic information (estimated arrival time calculation step), and calculates a prediction of the change in the transportation status information from the change in the transportation status information (temperature change prediction calculation step), and specifies a countermeasure based on the calculated estimated arrival time and the prediction of the change in the transportation status information (S131 in FIG. 9: countermeasure specification step).

[0074] The transportation management server 100 notifies the delivery staff of the countermeasure by transmitting the specified countermeasure to the delivery communication terminal 54 of the delivery staff who is delivering the corresponding transportation container 10 (S132 in FIG. 9: notification step). Further, when the content of the countermeasure is to be handled at the delivery bases 80 to 80n, the countermeasure is also transmitted to the base terminals 82 to 82n of the corresponding delivery bases 80 to 80n and notified to the workers at the delivery bases 80 to 80n (not shown).

[0075] When the delivery company receives a notification of the countermeasure from the transportation management server 100 (YES in S120 of FIG. 9), it takes measures against the sign or abnormality according to the countermeasure (S121 in FIG. 9). When the delivery staff does not receive a notification of the countermeasure from the transportation management server 100 (NO in S120 of FIG. 9) or after completing the response to the sign or abnormality, the delivery staff delivers the transported item 20 and hands it over to the recipient (S122 in FIG. 9).

[0076] After the delivery is completed, the delivery staff transmits a delivery completion notification from the delivery communication terminal 54 to the transportation management server 100 (S123 in FIG. 9). When the transportation management server 100 receives the delivery completion notification (YES in S133 of FIG. 9), it notifies the requester of the delivery completion (S32 in FIG. 8). Through the above steps, a series of transportation management methods according to the transportation management method according to the present embodiment are executed.

[0077] [Advantages of the transportation management method according to the present embodiment] As described above, the transportation management method according to the present embodiment includes a transportation state information acquisition step of acquiring transportation state information of the transportation container 10 that houses the transported item 20, a position information acquisition step of acquiring the position information of the transportation container 10, an abnormality detection step of detecting an abnormality inside the transportation container 10 based on at least one of the transportation state information and the position information of the transportation container 10, a countermeasure specification step of specifying a countermeasure for the detected abnormality, and a notification step of notifying a delivery person during the delivery of the transportation container 10 of the countermeasure.

[0078] And, by having such a configuration, the transportation management method according to the present embodiment enables the control unit 120 of the transportation management server 100 to detect the occurrence of a sign and an occurrence of an abnormality inside the transportation container 10 during the delivery of the transported item 20, and to notify the delivery person of an appropriate countermeasure by specifying a countermeasure for the detected sign or abnormality.

[0079] Also, in the transportation management method according to the present embodiment, the abnormality detection step includes a threshold setting step of setting a threshold value for predicting an abnormality. By having such a configuration, it is possible to take measures at the sign stage before an abnormality occurs inside the transportation container 10, and it has the advantage of being able to prevent product loss by taking appropriate countermeasures.

[0080] Furthermore, in the transportation management method according to the present embodiment, the countermeasure specification step includes an arrival prediction time calculation step of calculating an arrival prediction time to the delivery destination from the position information and the road traffic information. By having such a configuration, it has the advantage of being able to specify an appropriate countermeasure according to the time required for delivery.

[0081] Moreover, in the transportation management method according to the present embodiment, the transportation state information acquisition step includes a temperature acquisition step of acquiring the temperature inside the transportation container 10, and the countermeasure specification step includes a temperature change prediction calculation step of calculating a temperature change prediction from the temperature change inside the transportation container 10. By having such a configuration, it has the advantage of being able to know the time required for deviating from the specified temperature range during the delivery of the transported item 20 that requires strict temperature management.

[0082] Also, in the transportation management method according to this embodiment, the transportation status information acquisition step includes a temperature acquisition step of acquiring the temperature inside the transportation container 10, and the countermeasure identification step includes an arrival prediction time calculation step of calculating the predicted arrival time at the delivery destination from the position information and the road traffic information, and a temperature change prediction calculation step of calculating a temperature change prediction from the temperature change inside the transportation container 10, and is configured to identify countermeasures from the predicted arrival time and the temperature change prediction.

[0083] By having such a configuration, there is an advantage that more optimal countermeasures according to the situation can be identified by considering the time required for delivering the transported item 20 and the time until deviation from the specified temperature range.

[0084] Furthermore, in the transportation management method according to this embodiment, the transportation status information includes at least one of information regarding temperature, humidity, illuminance, vibration, shock, load, atmospheric pressure, gas concentration, and opening / closing. By having such a configuration, there is an advantage that a delivery trace suitable for each transported item 20 can be provided in a situation where various delivery environments are required depending on the type of the transported item 20.

[0085] Moreover, in the transportation management method according to this embodiment, the countermeasure includes a change in the delivery route. By having such a configuration, there is an advantage that it is possible to perform delivery without replenishing delivery materials or the like by changing the delivery route according to the priority of delivering the transported item 20.

[0086] Also, the transportation management method according to this embodiment further includes a delivery trace step of confirming the transportation status information and the position information during delivery by the requesting-side terminals 60 to 60n and the receiving-side terminals 70 to 70n of the transported item 20. By having such a configuration, there is an advantage that the requester and the recipient can monitor the delivery status (transportation status information and position information) of the transported item 20.

[0087] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, the delivery bases 80 to 80n provided throughout the country and the delivery communication terminals 54 used by delivery personnel nationwide cooperate with the transportation management server 100, enabling delivery tracing and anomaly response across the national network.

[0088] [Modification Example] As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been explained. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. Various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments.

[0089] For example, in the above-described embodiments, the anomaly detection process has been described as including a threshold setting process for setting a threshold value that can predict anomalies. However, it is not limited to this, and the anomaly detection unit 124 may not include a process for setting a threshold value that can predict anomalies.

[0090] In the above-described embodiments, the countermeasure identification process has been described as including an arrival prediction time calculation process for calculating the predicted arrival time at the delivery destination from the location information and road traffic information. However, it is not limited to this, and the countermeasure identification process may not include the arrival prediction time calculation process.

[0091] In the above-described embodiments, the transportation state information acquisition process has been described as including a temperature acquisition process for acquiring the temperature inside the transportation container 10, and the countermeasure identification process has been described as including a temperature change prediction calculation process for calculating a temperature change prediction from the temperature change inside the transportation container 10. However, it is not limited to this. The transportation state information acquisition process may not include the temperature acquisition process, and the countermeasure identification process may not include the temperature change prediction calculation process.

[0092] In the above-described embodiments, the transportation state information acquisition step includes a temperature acquisition step of acquiring the temperature inside the transportation container 10, and the countermeasure identification step includes an arrival prediction time calculation step of calculating the predicted arrival time at the delivery destination from the position information and the road traffic information, and a temperature change prediction calculation step of calculating a temperature change prediction from the temperature change inside the transportation container 10. Although it has been described as being configured to identify countermeasures from the predicted arrival time and the temperature change prediction, it is not limited thereto. The countermeasure identification step may not be configured to identify countermeasures from the predicted arrival time and the temperature change prediction.

[0093] In the above-described embodiments, the transportation state information has been described as including at least one of temperature, humidity, illuminance, vibration, shock, load, atmospheric pressure, gas concentration, and information related to opening and closing. However, it is not limited thereto, and the transportation state information may not include information related to temperature, humidity, illuminance, vibration, shock, load, atmospheric pressure, gas concentration, and opening and closing.

[0094] In the above-described embodiments, the countermeasures have been described as including a change in the delivery route. However, it is not limited thereto, and the countermeasures may not include a change in the delivery route.

[0095] In the above-described embodiments, it has been described as further including a delivery trace step of confirming the transportation state information and the position information during delivery by the requesting-side terminals 60 to 60n and the receiving-side terminals 70 to 70n. However, it is not limited thereto, and it may not further include the delivery trace step.

[0096] In the above-described embodiments, it has been described on the premise of small-lot delivery. However, it is not limited thereto, and large-lot delivery may also be possible.

[0097] In the above-described embodiments, it has been described on the premise that the transported item 20 is a pharmaceutical product. However, it is not limited thereto, and it can be applied to various products such as precision instruments, organisms, and foods.

[0098] In the above-described embodiments, the description was based on the premise of overland transportation by the transport vehicle 50. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the transport management system 1 can be applied to various transportation methods such as air transportation, sea transportation, railway transportation, and overland transportation by light vehicles.

[0099] In the above-described embodiments, the description was based on the premise that the transported item 20 is directly placed inside the outer box of the transport container 10. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the transport container 10 may further include an inner box, and the transported item 20 may be placed inside the inner box. Alternatively, distribution materials for appropriately maintaining the distribution environment inside the inner box, such as a refrigerant, may be further placed inside the inner box. By further including the inner box, it is possible to provide a space for separating the transported item 20 from other transported items that can be placed in the outer box of the transport container 10 and perform transportation.

[0100] In the above-described embodiments, the distribution communication terminal 54 was described as a notification means for notifying the delivery person during the delivery of the transport container 10 of abnormalities and countermeasures. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the transport vehicle 50 may be provided with a speaker, and the notification means for notifying the delivery person during the delivery of the transport container 10 of abnormalities and countermeasures may be a voice emitted from the speaker. Alternatively, the transport vehicle 50 may be provided with a printer, and the notification means for notifying the delivery person during the delivery of the transport container 10 of abnormalities and countermeasures may be a printed material printed by the printer.

[0101] In the above-described embodiments, the transport management system 1 was described as being on a national scale. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0102] 1 Transport management system 10 Transport container 20 Transported item 30 Measuring instrument 50 Transport vehicle 52 Transmitter 54 Distribution communication terminal 60~60n, 70~70n, 82~82n Terminal 80~80n Distribution base 100 Transport management server 110 Communication unit 120 Control Unit 121 Display Control Unit 122 Position Information Acquisition Unit 123 Transportation Status Information Acquisition Unit 124 Abnormality Detection Unit 125 Countermeasure Determination Unit 126 Notification Unit 130 Memory Unit 132 Transportation Management Program 140 Transportation Plan Database 140a~140e Memory Areas 141 Transportation Plan No. Area 142 Commodity Area 143 Status Area 144 Registration Date Area 145 Update Date Area 146 Scheduled Shipment Date Area 147 Shipment Origin Area 148 Destination Area 150 Delivery Trace Database 150a~150n Memory Areas 151 Transportation Plan No. Area 152 Sensor ID Area 153 Slip Number Area 154 Status Area 155 Reception Time Area 156 Measurement Time Area 157 Transportation Status Information Area 158 Position Information Area 200 Transportation Plan Dashboard 210 Transportation Plan List Area 210a~210n Transportation Plan Display Areas 211 Selection Area 212 Status Display Area 213 Transportation Plan No. Display Area 214 Commodity Name Display Area 215 Destination Display Area 216 Registration Date Display Area 217 Scheduled Shipment Date Display Area 218 Editing Area 220 Narrowing-down Area 230 Transportation Plan Creation Button 240 Document Output Button 300 Dashboard for Delivery Trace 302 Status Display Area 304 Transportation Plan No. Display Area 306 Transportation Plan Display Button 308 Document Output Button 320 Notification Display Area 330 Transportation Status Information Display Area 332 Temperature Display Area 334 Humidity Display Area 336 Impact Display Area 338 Illuminance Display Area 350 Display Switching Area 360 Location Information Display Area ll Lower Limit Setting Display Area mv Measured Value Display Area ul Upper Limit Setting Display Area

Claims

A transportation management method for managing the transportation of a transported item containing a pharmaceutical product or a test reagent using a transportation management server, comprising: a transportation plan registration step of receiving registration of a transportation plan for the transported item from a first terminal used by a requester; a collection instruction step of notifying a delivery person of a collection instruction based on the registration of the transportation plan; a collection notification step of notifying a recipient based on the fact that the transported item has been collected; a transportation status information acquisition step of acquiring transportation status information of a transportation container that houses the collected transported item; a position information acquisition step of acquiring position information of the transportation container; an abnormality detection step of detecting a sign or occurrence of an abnormality inside the transportation container based on at least one of the transportation status information and the position information of the transportation container; a countermeasure identification step of identifying a countermeasure against the detected sign or abnormality; a notification step of notifying a second terminal used by the delivery person during delivery of the transportation container of the countermeasure; and a step of providing information for tracing the delivery status of the transported item to the first terminal and a third terminal used by the recipient. The transportation management method is characterized in that: a measuring instrument capable of measuring the temperature inside the transportation container can be attached to the transportation container; the transportation plan can be registered in association with a threshold value for detecting a sign of an abnormality of the transported item and a threshold value for detecting an occurrence of an abnormality of the transported item, and a sensor ID for identifying the measuring instrument attached to the transportation container, according to the settings of the requester; the transportation status information acquisition step includes a temperature acquisition step of acquiring the temperature measured by the measuring instrument attached to the transportation container in association with the sensor ID; the abnormality detection step includes a step of detecting an abnormality or a sign inside the transportation container by comparing the temperature acquired from the measuring instrument with the threshold value registered in the transportation plan in association with the sensor ID. A transportation management method characterized by the above.

2. The information for tracing the delivery status includes: identification information assigned to the transportation plan of the transported item; the position information; the temperature acquired by the measuring instrument; and information for notifying an abnormality inside the transportation container when the temperature exceeds the threshold value. The transportation management method according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The countermeasure identification step includes an arrival prediction time calculation step of calculating an arrival prediction time to the delivery destination from the position information and road traffic information. The transportation management method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above. ​

4. The corresponding measure specifying step includes a temperature change prediction calculation step of calculating a temperature change prediction from the temperature change in the transport container. The transport management method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that.

5. The corresponding measure specifying step includes an arrival prediction time calculation step of calculating an arrival prediction time to the delivery destination from the position information and road traffic information, and a temperature change prediction calculation step of calculating a temperature change prediction from the temperature change in the transport container, and is configured to specify the corresponding measure from the arrival prediction time and the temperature change prediction. The transport management method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

6. The transport state information includes at least one of information regarding temperature, humidity, illuminance, vibration, shock, load, atmospheric pressure, gas concentration, and opening / closing. The transport management method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that.

7. The corresponding measure includes a change in the delivery route. The transport management method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that.

8. The transport plan can be created and viewed by the first terminal of the requester and the third terminal of the recipient. The transport management method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that.

9. The measuring instrument can transmit the measured transport state information at an arbitrary frequency and is managed by the sensor ID that identifies each measuring instrument. The transport management method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that.

10. The information for tracing the delivery status is managed in a database associated with each sensor ID and a transport plan number that identifies each of the transport plans. The transport management method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that.

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