Goods Receipt System

Abstract

To provide an article receiving / storing system that improves convenience of a load-receiver and a load-deliverer when a collection / delivery company uses a delivery box.SOLUTION: An article receiving / storing system includes: a first delivery box 1 provided at the outside 51 of a predetermined area; a second delivery box 2 provided at the inside 52 of the predetermined area; first acquisition means for acquiring first information being the information related to the delivery box selected by a load-receiver for storing an article of the first delivery box and the second delivery box; second acquisition means for acquiring second information being the information inputted by a load-deliverer when storing the article; identification means for identifying the delivery box of storing the article of the first delivery box and the second delivery box, on the basis of at least one of the first information and the second information, and an article storage state of the first delivery box and the second delivery box when storing the article; and notification means for notifying the load-deliverer of the information related to the identified delivery box.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article receiving system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, shared delivery lockers have become common in the common spaces of buildings such as apartment complexes and office buildings. When the recipient is not at home, the deliverer, including the collection agent, can deposit the parcel in the shared delivery locker, and the recipient can later retrieve the parcel by retrieving it from the shared delivery locker.

[0003] Recently, in order to further improve convenience for consignees, in addition to the shared delivery lockers installed in the aforementioned shared spaces, there has been a growing trend to install individual delivery lockers within buildings such as apartment complexes and office buildings, or to install delivery lockers on each floor. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a delivery container that can be installed in each apartment in an apartment complex, and Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which both a shared delivery locker and an individual delivery locker are installed. This allows consignees to use both a shared delivery locker and an individual delivery locker or a delivery locker on each floor when receiving packages, thereby improving convenience. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-005443 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-172396 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when shared delivery lockers are used in combination with individual delivery lockers or delivery lockers on each floor, consignees tend to store their packages in the shared delivery locker in the shared space rather than the individual delivery lockers or delivery lockers on each floor to avoid the hassle of having to enter the building to deliver the packages. This does not fulfill the consignee's wish to have their package delivered to the individual delivery locker or delivery locker on each floor installed near their home or office, and does not lead to a true improvement in convenience for the consignee.

[0006] On the other hand, some consignees do not want outsiders, such as consignees (e.g., delivery agents), to enter the building. In such cases, the consignee often requests that the consignee store the package in a delivery locker installed in a shared space outside a designated area (e.g., outside the building's security facilities). However, the consignee may enter the building and store the package in an individual delivery locker or a delivery locker on each floor, contrary to the consignee's wishes, which does not lead to a true improvement in convenience for the consignee, nor does it lead to improved delivery efficiency or service for the consignee.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an item receiving system that improves convenience for both the recipient and the deliverer when a shared delivery box is used in combination with individual delivery boxes or delivery boxes on each floor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides an item receiving system comprising a first delivery box located outside a specified area and a second delivery box located inside the specified area, the item receiving system comprising: a first acquisition means for acquiring first information which is information about the delivery box selected by the consignee from among the first and second delivery boxes to store the item; a second acquisition means for acquiring second information which is information entered by the consignee when storing the item; an identification means for identifying which of the first and second delivery boxes will store the item based on at least one of the first information, the second information, and the item storage status of each of the first and second delivery boxes when storing the item; and a notification means for notifying the consignee of information about the identified delivery box (Invention 1).

[0009] According to this invention (Invention 1), the consignee can select the desired delivery box from a first delivery box located outside the specified area and a second delivery box located inside the specified area, and can guide the consignee to store the package in that delivery box, thereby improving the convenience of the consignee. Furthermore, the consignee can know which delivery box the consignee wants to store the package in before storing it, which leads to more efficient package delivery and improved service. Therefore, convenience can be improved for both the consignee and the consignee.

[0010] In the above invention (Invention 1), there may be provided an authentication means on the way from outside the specified area to inside the specified area for authenticating the consignee based on the second information acquired by the second acquisition means (Invention 2).

[0011] According to this invention (Invention 2), for example, when entering a specified area (e.g., a building), the consignee can be authenticated based on the second information, thereby improving the security function of the specified area.

[0012] The above invention (Invention 2) may further comprise a registration means for registering in advance the identification information relating to the consignor to be used in the authentication means (Invention 3).

[0013] The above invention (Invention 3) may also include a restriction means for restricting the delivery boxes that can be used by consignees whose identification information is not registered by the registration means (Invention 4).

[0014] In the above inventions (Inventions 1 to 4), the second information may include information regarding the delivery box selected by the consignee to store the item, out of the first delivery box and the second delivery box (Invention 5).

[0015] In the above inventions (Inventions 1 to 5), the second information may include the business type of the consignor (Invention 6).

[0016] In the above inventions (Inventions 1 to 6), the second information may include the room number of the consignee (Invention 7).

[0017] In the above inventions (Inventions 1 to 7), the first delivery box and the second delivery box may be capable of communicating information with each other (Invention 8).

[0018] In the above inventions (Inventions 1 to 8), a security facility may be provided on the way from the outside of the predetermined area to the inside of the predetermined area, which allows passage from the outside of the predetermined area to the inside of the predetermined area by disabling the security (Invention 9).

[0019] The above invention (Invention 9) may further comprise a security deactivation means for deactivating the security of the security equipment in accordance with the authentication result by the authentication means (Invention 10).

[0020] The above invention (Invention 10) may further comprise a security deactivation time limiting means for setting a security deactivation time for the security deactivation means (Invention 11).

[0021] The above inventions (Inventions 9 to 11) may further comprise an automatic release means for automatically releasing the security of the security equipment when the delivery box identified by the identification means is the second delivery box (Invention 12).

[0022] In the above inventions (Inventions 1 to 12), the notification means may notify the recipient to place the parcel in the first delivery box if it is not possible to place the parcel in the second delivery box (Invention 13).

[0023] In the above inventions (Inventions 1 to 12), when the second acquisition means acquires the room number of the recipient, the notification means may notify the recipient to place the parcel in a second delivery box (Invention 14).

[0024] In the above inventions (Inventions 1 to 12), after the notification means notifies the second delivery box, if a predetermined condition is met, the parcel may be allowed to be stored in the first delivery box (Invention 15). [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to the item receiving system of the present invention, the consignee can select the delivery box to use for receiving the package from a first delivery box located outside a predetermined area (for example, a building) and a second delivery box located inside the predetermined area, thereby improving the convenience for the consignee. Furthermore, the consignor can know the consignee's preference (the delivery box the consignee wants to use for receiving the package) before storing the package in the delivery box, which makes it possible to improve delivery efficiency and service, and also improve the convenience for the consignee. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a basic configuration of an article receiving system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the appearance of a first delivery box of the item receiving system. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the appearance of a second delivery box of the item receiving system. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of an item receiving system according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] 3 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of a first delivery box and a second delivery box. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of a management server. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of management data. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram for explaining functions that play a major role in an item reception system according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an input screen for second information (authentication information) according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram illustrating functions that play a major role in an item receiving system according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 shows a series of screens that appear on the display unit of the first delivery box when the second acquisition means and notification means of the item reception system according to one embodiment are used. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this embodiment is an example and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0028] (1) Basic configuration of the goods receiving system Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating the basic configuration of an item receiving system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, this item receiving system is configured, for example, with one or more first delivery boxes connectable to a communications network NW (network) such as the Internet, one or more second delivery boxes, and a management server 30 connected to the communications network NW. Being connected to the communications network NW allows the first delivery box and the second delivery box to communicate directly with each other, or to communicate indirectly via the management server 30. The item receiving system may also be provided with a terminal device 40 and / or security equipment 50 that can communicate with the first delivery box, the second delivery box, and / or the management server 30 via the communications network NW.

[0029] In this item receiving system, for example, items stored by a sender can be retrieved by a collection company (consignor) at the location where the first delivery locker or the second delivery locker is installed, and items stored by the collection and delivery company (consignor) can be retrieved by a consignee (destination of the items). Here, the sender may be, for example, an individual or company that requests collection and delivery of items from a collection and delivery company, or may be a business (mail order business) that sells products via a communication network NW, a shop, a department store, or a trading company that brokers and wholesales a large number of products.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 2, the first delivery locker includes at least one storage box 11a, 11b, ... that stores delivered parcels (items) such as parcels (for example, parcels delivered by collection and delivery companies, newspapers, advertising flyers, circulars, etc.) and mail, or that has a storage door for retrieving stored items. The locking and unlocking of the storage door of each storage box 11a, 11b, ... is controlled using an electric lock (not shown).

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2, the first delivery box may have an operation unit 12. The operation unit 12 may be an integrated type housed in a single housing as shown in Fig. 2(a), or a separate type in which the operation unit 12 is provided separately from the housing in which the first delivery box is housed (for example, on a surrounding wall surface, etc.) as shown in Fig. 2(b). Furthermore, the operation unit 12 may be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone.

[0032] Each storage box 11a, 11b, ... of the first delivery box may be provided with an item sensor (not shown) composed of a transmissive or reflective optical sensor or the like for transmitting an item sensor signal indicating whether an item is stored in the storage box. Each storage box 11a, 11b, ... may be provided with a plurality of sizes (e.g., S, M, L, ...) according to the size of the items to be stored.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, the second delivery locker includes a storage box with a storage door for storing delivered parcels (items) such as parcels (for example, parcels delivered by collection and delivery companies, newspapers, advertising flyers, circulars, etc.) and mail, or for retrieving stored items. The second delivery locker may include multiple storage boxes (21a, 21b, ...) as shown in FIG. 3(a), or may have only one storage box (21a) as shown in FIG. 3(b). The locking and unlocking of the storage doors of each storage box 21a, 21b, ... is controlled using an electric lock (not shown).

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 3(a), the second delivery box may have an operation unit 22. Operation unit 22 may be a separate type in which operation unit 22 is provided separately from the housing in which the second delivery box is housed (for example, on a surrounding wall surface, etc.) as shown in Fig. 3(a), or may be an integrated type housed in a single housing (not shown), or may be a terminal such as a smartphone.

[0035] Each storage box 21a, 21b, ... of the second delivery lockers may be provided with an article sensor (not shown) composed of a transmissive or reflective optical sensor or the like, for transmitting an article sensor signal indicating whether an article is stored in the storage box. Each storage box 21a, 21b, ... may be provided with a plurality of sizes (e.g., S, M, L, ...) according to the size of the articles to be stored, for example.

[0036] The first delivery locker is installed outside a predetermined area, and the second delivery locker is installed inside the predetermined area. The predetermined area may be the premises of an apartment building or office, or may be an area inside security equipment installed in the apartment building or office. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, security equipment 50 is installed in building M (apartment building), and the outside of security equipment 50 can be the outside of the predetermined area (51), and the inside of security equipment 50 can be the inside of the predetermined area (52). As shown in FIG. 4, the first delivery locker may be installed in the entrance hall of the apartment building, or in the entrance hall of a company, facility, etc. The second delivery locker may be a floor-specific delivery locker installed in a shared space on each floor of an apartment building or office, an individual delivery locker installed near the door of each room, or an area-specific delivery locker installed in each area. Furthermore, the number of first delivery lockers and second delivery lockers is not limited to one, and multiple units may be used.

[0037] The operation unit 12 of the first delivery box and the operation unit 22 of the second delivery box can be used to perform the operations necessary to deposit and retrieve packages from the storage boxes 11a, 11b, ..., 21a, 21b, .... As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the operation units 12 and 22 are provided with display units 16 and 26 for displaying information and input units 17 and 27 for inputting information. In this embodiment, the input units 17 and 27 may include keyboards 17a and 27a consisting of function keys, a numeric keypad, etc., and readers 17b and 27b for reading barcodes or two-dimensional codes (e.g., QR (Quick Response) Code (registered trademark)), etc.

[0038] The operation units 12 and 22 may be equipped with a camera, and may be able to take pictures and / or record videos of the user, etc. For example, the picture and / or video of the user may be started in conjunction with the start of authentication processing by authentication means 84, which will be described later.

[0039] Management server 30 is connected to the first delivery locker and the second delivery locker via a communications network NW and manages the storage status, item receipt information, and information regarding the sender, receiver (destination of the item), and delivery person (collection and delivery company) of the item. Here, the sender may be, for example, an individual or a company that requests delivery of the package (item) from a collection and delivery company. Furthermore, the delivery person (collection and delivery company) may include, for example, a company that delivers and collects packages such as a delivery company, a company that delivers and collects items such as a dry cleaning company, or a company that delivers newspapers, food, and beverages to individual households such as a newspaper delivery company or a food delivery company, but may also include companies that do not deposit or retrieve packages from delivery lockers.

[0040] The terminal device 40 may be a terminal device operated by an individual user (e.g., a delivery agent, a sender, a recipient, etc.), such as a mobile terminal, a smartphone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a personal computer, or a television receiver with two-way communication capabilities (including so-called multi-function smart televisions).

[0041] The item receiving system may include a security device 50 located on the way from the outside of the designated area to the inside of the designated area, which allows passage from the outside of the designated area to the inside of the designated area by disabling security. The provision of the security device 50 can restrict the entry of the consignee and other third parties into the designated area, such as a designated site or building, thereby improving the security function of the site or building. Specifically, the security device may be any device that has a security function that restricts entry or passage into the designated area, such as a door at the main entrance of a building, a door in a hallway within the building, or an elevator used for moving between floors. It may also be a door provided exclusively for collection and delivery companies (such as a back door of a building or a door formed as part of the housing of a delivery box), or a composite security device that combines multiple such security devices.

[0042] (2) Configuration of the goods receiving system The internal configuration of the first delivery box and the second delivery box will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the first delivery box and the second delivery box.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 5, the first delivery box includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 61, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 62, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 63, a storage device 64, a display processing unit 65, a display unit 16, an input unit 17, and a communication interface unit 68, and is provided with a bus 69 for transmitting control signals or data signals between the respective units. The second delivery box includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 71, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 72, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 73, a storage device 74, a display processing unit 75, and a communication interface unit 78, and is provided with a bus 79 for transmitting control signals or data signals between the respective units. The second delivery box may also include a display unit 26 and an input unit 27.

[0044] When power is applied to the first delivery box, the CPU 61 loads various programs stored in the storage device 64 into the RAM 63 and executes them. In this embodiment, the CPU 61 reads out and executes the programs stored in the storage device 64 through the ROM 62, thereby realizing various functions such as a first acquisition means 81, a second acquisition means 83, a notification means 87, a security release means 88, and a release time limit means 89, which will be described later.

[0045] The CPU 61 receives information transmitted from the management server 30 via the communication interface unit 68 and stores the received information in the RAM 63 or the storage device 64. The CPU 61 also transmits data stored in the ROM 62, the RAM 63, or the storage device 64 to the management server 30 via the communication interface unit 68.

[0046] The storage device 64 may be, for example, a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory, an SSD (Solid State Drive), a magnetic storage device (e.g., an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a floppy disk (registered trademark), a magnetic tape, etc.), an optical disk, or a volatile storage device such as RAM, and stores programs executed by the CPU 61 and data referenced by the CPU 61.

[0047] Although the case where storage devices 64 are provided inside the first delivery boxes has been described as an example here, storage devices 64 may be provided not inside the first delivery boxes but, for example, in a predetermined device (such as a file server) that can communicate with the first delivery boxes via the communication network NW. In this case, CPU 61 may access the predetermined device via the communication network NW to read or write programs and data stored in storage devices 64.

[0048] The display processing unit 65 displays the display data provided by the CPU 61 on the display unit 16. The display unit 16 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitor including thin film transistors arranged in a matrix on a pixel-by-pixel basis, and displays the data to be displayed on the display screen by driving the thin film transistors based on the display data.

[0049] As described above, the input unit 17 includes the keyboard 17a and the reader 17b. The input unit 17 may be configured with, for example, a touch panel or a touch pad, and in this case, it accepts touch input by touching the display screen with, for example, a fingertip or a pen. The touch input method may be a well-known method such as a capacitance method. The input unit 17 may also be a microphone for voice input or a camera for image input.

[0050] The communication interface unit 68 includes an interface circuit for performing communication via the communication network NW.

[0051] Although the first delivery box has been used as an example here, the CPU 71, ROM 72, RAM 73, storage device 74, display processing unit 75, communication interface unit 78, bus 79, display unit 26, and input unit 27 of the second delivery box may also operate in the same manner as the first delivery box.

[0052] (3) Management Server Configuration The configuration of the management server 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the management server 30. As shown in Fig. 6, the management server 30 includes a CPU 31, a ROM 32, a RAM 33, a storage device 34, a display processing unit 35, a display unit 36, an input unit 37, and a communication interface unit 38, and is provided with a bus 39 for transmitting control signals or data signals between the respective units. The management server 30 may be, for example, a general-purpose personal computer.

[0053] When the management server 30 is powered on, the CPU 31 loads various programs stored in the ROM 32 or the storage device 34 into the RAM 33 and executes them.

[0054] The storage device 34 may be, for example, a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory, SSD, magnetic storage device, or optical disk, or a volatile storage device such as RAM, and stores an operating system (OS) and programs executed on the OS. The storage device 34 also stores management data (shown in FIG. 7), which will be described later.

[0055] The display processing unit 35 displays the display data provided by the CPU 31 on the display unit 36. The display unit 36 ​​may be, for example, an LCD monitor. The input unit 37 may be, for example, an information input device such as a mouse, a keyboard, or a microphone for voice input.

[0056] The communication interface unit 38 includes an interface circuit for performing communication via the communication network NW.

[0057] The configuration of the management data will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management data. In the management data, for each delivery box (B1, B2-1, B2-2, ... in the example shown in the figure), the installation location (L1, L2, L3, ... in the example shown in the figure) and the number (storage box number) of each storage box 11a, 11b, ..., 21a, 21b, ... are recorded. In addition, for each of the multiple storage boxes 11a, 11b, ..., 21a, 21b, ..., the following items are provided: storage status (status), receipt information, and item information. The item information is made up of the following items: sender information, consignee information, collection / delivery company information, unlocking information, ... In addition, the item information may include, for example, the size, weight, temperature, and type of item (e.g., food, clothing, furniture, electrical appliances, leisure goods, fragile items, frozen items, refrigerated items, etc.), the item's identification number (delivery ID) set by the collection and delivery company, and information on the date and time when the item was stored (stored) in the storage box.

[0058] In the storage status (status) field, when it is determined that an item has been stored in a storage box based on a signal (storage completion information) sent from the first delivery box and / or the second delivery box, the information "stored" is recorded, and when it is determined that the storage box has become vacant based on a signal (unloading completion information) sent from the first delivery box and / or the second delivery box, the information "vacant" is recorded. Furthermore, for example, null data (NULL data) is recorded in the item information corresponding to the storage status for which the information "vacant" is recorded.

[0059] In the receipt information field, receipt information indicating that an item has been received when the item is stored in the corresponding storage box is recorded. Here, the receipt information may be configured to be different (individual) for each storage box 11a, 11b..., 21a, 21b..., or may be configured to be different (individual) each time an item is stored in any of the storage boxes. Furthermore, the receipt information may be composed of at least one number, kanji, hiragana, katakana, English letter, graphic and / or symbol. In this case, the receipt information can be composed using at least one number, kanji, hiragana, katakana, English letter, graphic and / or symbol. For example, the receipt information may be composed of a number of a predetermined number of digits (e.g., six digits).

[0060] The sender information item records, for example, the sender's name, address, telephone number, email address, fax number, etc. The consignee information item records, for example, the consignee's name, address, telephone number, email address, fax number, etc. The collection / delivery company information item records, for example, the collection / delivery company's name, address, telephone number, email address, fax number, etc.

[0061] The unlocking information is used, for example, by a consignee to unlock the electric locks of each storage box 11a, 11b..., 21a, 21b... of the first delivery box and / or the second delivery box. The content of this unlocking information may be freely set by a user (for example, a delivery company) who stores items in each storage box 11a, 11b..., 21a, 21b..., or may be set to predetermined content (for example, a password of a predetermined length) generated by the CPU 61 and / or 71.

[0062] (4) Overview of each function in the goods receiving system The functions realized by the item receiving system of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a functional block diagram for explaining the functions that play a major role in the item receiving system of this embodiment. In the functional block diagram of Fig. 8, a first acquisition means 81, a second acquisition means 83, an identification means 85, and a notification means 87 correspond to the main components of the present invention. The other means (registration means 82, authentication means 84, restriction means 86, security release means 88, release time restriction means 89) are not necessarily essential components, but are components that make the present invention even more preferable.

[0063] The first acquisition means 81 is a means by which the item receiving system acquires first information, which is information about the delivery box selected by the consignee to store the item, out of the first delivery box and the second delivery box. The first information includes, for example, information about the first delivery box if the consignee selects the first delivery box, information about the second delivery box if the consignee selects the second delivery box, and information about the first and second delivery boxes if the consignee selects both the first and second delivery boxes. This first acquisition means 81 makes it possible to obtain information about the delivery box in which the consignee wishes to store the package, thereby making it possible to store the package in a delivery box that reflects the consignee's wishes.

[0064] As mentioned above, the consignee may select either the first delivery box or the second delivery box, or may select both the first delivery box and the second delivery box. Also, when there are multiple first delivery boxes or multiple second delivery boxes, the consignee may select one or more first delivery boxes or multiple second delivery boxes, or may select multiple first delivery boxes and multiple second delivery boxes.

[0065] The function of the first acquisition means 81 is realized, for example, as follows: Here, an example will be described in which the consignee inputs the first information via the operation unit 12 of the first delivery box.

[0066] For example, the CPU 61 of the first delivery box creates and displays a screen on the display unit 16 of the operation unit 12 that allows the consignee to select between the first delivery box and the second delivery box. When the consignee selects a delivery box, the CPU 61 acquires the selected delivery box as first information and stores the first information in, for example, the RAM 63 or the storage device 64.

[0067] The CPU 61 may acquire the first information by receiving the first information transmitted from an external device (such as the management server 30 or the terminal device 40) via the communication interface unit 68, or by reading the first information recorded on a recording medium (such as an IC card, a barcode, or a two-dimensional code) with the reader 17b. Furthermore, the CPU 61 may acquire audio information acquired from a microphone provided in the operation unit or image information acquired from a camera as the first information.

[0068] The registration means 82 is a means for registering in advance identification information related to the consignor to be used in the authentication means 84, which will be described later. Specifically, for example, the consignee inputs in advance identification information related to the consignor via the input unit 17 of the first delivery box, and the storage device 64 of the first delivery box or the storage device 34 of the management server 30 registers the input identification information. In the authentication means 84, for example, the CPU 61 of the first delivery box may perform the authentication procedure by determining whether the information registered in advance by the registration means 82 matches the second information (authentication information) input by the consignor. This improves the accuracy of the authentication means 84, and ultimately improves the security functions of the building.

[0069] The identification information can include the name, company name, telephone number, address, delivery time, etc. If the delivery time is registered as the identification information of the consignor (collection / delivery company), for example, if the delivery time of a newspaper delivery company is specified as 5:00 to 9:00, an authentication error will occur if the delivery is made outside the specified delivery time. This makes it possible to impose time restrictions on the entry of collection / delivery companies into the building, making it possible to build a security management system that corresponds to time periods (for example, not allowing collection / delivery companies to enter or leave at night).

[0070] The second acquisition means 83 is a means for acquiring second information, which is information entered by the consignee when storing the item. The function of the second acquisition means 83 is realized, for example, as follows. Note that, although the case where the consignee enters the second information through the operation unit 12 of the first delivery box will be described as an example, the consignee may also enter the second information through, for example, the operation unit 22 of the second delivery box, a mobile terminal, or a personal computer.

[0071] For example, the second acquisition means 83 may acquire second information (authentication information) configured based on numbers, kanji, hiragana, katakana, English letters, figures and / or symbols selected from a plurality of selectably displayed numbers, kanji, hiragana, katakana, English letters, figures and / or symbols. This makes it possible to acquire the second information by selecting any of the plurality of numbers, kanji, hiragana, katakana, English letters, figures and / or symbols.

[0072] The function of second acquisition means 83 is realized, for example, as follows: When the display screen shown in FIG. 9(a) or 9(b) is displayed on display unit 16 (or input unit 17 if input unit 17 is configured as a touch panel, touch pad, or the like), and a numeric string of a predetermined number of digits (for example, six digits) is selected using input unit 17, CPU 61 of the first delivery box acquires the selected numeric string as second information (authentication information) and stores the acquired second information (authentication information) in, for example, RAM 63 or storage device 64.

[0073] In the example shown in Fig. 9(a), the numbers 1 to 9 are arranged in ascending order, but the CPU 61 may change the display position of each of the numbers 0 to 9 at a predetermined timing, as shown in Fig. 9(b). Here, the predetermined timing may be, for example, every time the second information is input, or every time a predetermined time (for example, one hour) has passed. Furthermore, the display position of each number may be changed, for example, randomly, or in a predetermined order (for example, repeating ascending order, descending order, and random order).

[0074] The CPU 61 may acquire the second information (authentication information) by receiving the second information (authentication information) transmitted from an external device (such as the management server 30 or the terminal device 40) via the communication interface unit 68, or by reading the second information (authentication information) recorded on a recording medium (such as an IC card, a barcode, or a two-dimensional code) with the reader 17b. Furthermore, the CPU 61 may acquire audio information acquired from a microphone provided in the operation unit or image information acquired from a camera as the second information (authentication information).

[0075] The second information may include information about the delivery box selected by the consignor to store the item, either the first delivery box or the second delivery box. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the CPU 61 of the delivery box generates a display screen for selecting a delivery box to store the item and instructs the display processing unit 65 to display the generated display screen on the display unit 16. The consignor selects a delivery box to store the item from the delivery boxes displayed on the screen. Options for delivery boxes to store the item include, for example, a shared delivery box installed in the entrance hall of a building (e.g., the mail corner in FIG. 11), a floor-specific delivery box installed in a shared space on each floor of a building (e.g., a floor-specific delivery box in FIG. 11), an individual delivery box installed near the door of each room (e.g., a resident-only entrance in FIG. 11), and an area-specific delivery box installed in each area. This allows, for example, the consignor's intention to be reflected in the selection of a delivery box, improving the convenience of the consignor. Alternatively, for example, only individual delivery boxes can be displayed to guide the consignor to store the item in the individual delivery box.

[0076] The second information may also include the business type of the consignor. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the CPU 61 of the delivery locker generates a display screen for selecting the business type (type of service) of the consignor and instructs the display processing unit 65 to display the generated display screen on the display unit 16, and the consignor selects the business type that applies to him or her from the displayed business types. Business types of collection and delivery companies include delivery companies, dry cleaning companies, newspaper delivery companies, etc. This allows the consignee to obtain information on which delivery locker to use depending on the business type of the consignor, improving the convenience of the consignee. For example, in the case of delivery companies, it is possible to guide the consignee to use an individual delivery locker to store the parcel.

[0077] The second information may also include the consignee's room number. For example, if the consignee enters the consignee's room number as the second information, the consignee can be notified to store the package in the second delivery locker. This improves the consignee's convenience, as, for example, even if the consignee is not at home when the consignee (collection and delivery company, etc.) delivers the package, the consignee's intention to have the package stored in the second delivery locker can be conveyed to the consignee (collection and delivery company, etc.). Furthermore, the consignee (collection and delivery company, etc.) can quickly learn the consignee's intention, which can lead to more efficient collection and delivery operations.

[0078] The authentication means 84 is a means for authenticating the consignor on the way from the outside of the predetermined area to the inside of the predetermined area based on the second information acquired by the second acquisition means 83. When the second information (authentication information) is acquired, the authentication means 84 may perform authentication processing using the second information (authentication information) and identification information related to the consignor that is registered in advance by the registration means 82.

[0079] The function of the authentication means 84 is realized, for example, as follows: When the CPU 61 of the first delivery box obtains the second information from a collection / delivery company using the second obtaining means 83, for example, upon recognizing that the second information has been entered on the display screen shown in Fig. 9(a) or (b), the CPU 61 performs authentication processing using the second information.

[0080] Specifically, the first delivery box and the second delivery box are equipped with an identification information registration means for pre-registering identification information regarding the consignor registered by the registration means 82, identification information regarding the sender of the package, and / or identification information regarding the consignor of the package (collection and delivery company), and the CPU 61 may determine whether the information pre-registered by the registration means matches the input second information (authentication information).

[0081] The CPU 61 may normally terminate the authentication process when the information registered in advance by the registration means 82 matches the input second information (authentication information). On the other hand, the CPU 61 may determine that an authentication error has occurred when the information registered in advance by the identification information registration means does not match the input second information (authentication information).

[0082] An example of the authentication process of the authentication means 84 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 shows a series of screens displayed on the display unit 16 by the CPU 61 of the first delivery locker during the process in which the item receiving system acquires second information using the second acquisition means 83, compares the second information with registered identification information, and as a result, the authentication means 84 terminates normally, identifying and notifying the delivery locker that can store the package. First, the second acquisition means 83 selects the type of delivery locker, then the type of business, and then the passcode (password) is entered. The authentication process is performed by comparing and verifying the acquired second information with identification information that was registered in advance using the registration means 82 as the consignor's identification information, and if these pieces of information match, the authentication process terminates normally, and the consignor is notified of the delivery locker that can store the package.

[0083] The authentication means 84 allows various settings, such as allowing storage in the delivery locker if authentication is successful, or not allowing storage in the delivery locker if authentication is not successful, thereby improving convenience for the recipient. In addition, for example, by locating the authentication means 84 midway from the outside to the inside of a specified area of ​​a building, the security function of the building itself is also improved.

[0084] The goods receiving system may also be equipped with a PIN issuing means for issuing a PIN used to deactivate the security of the security equipment 50, and the PIN may be used by the authentication means 84. The PIN issued by this means may be limited in duration, such as being usable for a certain period of time, or may be limited in number of times, such as being usable a certain number of times. When registering identification information about the consignor (collection / delivery company) in advance, a fee for registration may also be set.

[0085] The identification means 85 is means for identifying the delivery box of the first delivery box or the second delivery box in which the item will be stored, based on at least one of the first information, the second information, and the item storage status of each of the first delivery box and the second delivery box when the item is stored. The item storage status of each of the first delivery box and the second delivery box when the item is stored includes a state in which a package has already been stored in each delivery box when the item is stored, a state in which no package has been stored, a state in which each delivery box is out of order and cannot store items, and a state in which each delivery box is set to not store items.

[0086] For example, if the consignee selects the second delivery box in the first information and the consignee selects the first delivery box in the second information, and if an item has already been stored in the second delivery box, the first delivery box can be identified as the delivery box where the item will be stored. Also, for example, if the consignee selects the second delivery box in the first information and the consignee selects the first delivery box in the second information, and if an item has not been stored in the second delivery box, the second delivery box can be identified as the delivery box where the item will be stored.

[0087] The restriction means 86 is a means for restricting the delivery boxes in which a consignor whose identification information is not registered by the registration means 82 can store a package. This restriction means 86 can restrict the delivery boxes in which a consignor whose identification information is not registered by the registration means 82 can store a package to the first delivery box or the second delivery box. If there are multiple first delivery boxes or multiple second delivery boxes, it is also possible to restrict the delivery boxes in which a package can be stored from among the multiple first delivery boxes or second delivery boxes. For example, it is possible to set up so that a consignor whose identification information is not registered can not store a package in the second delivery box. This restriction means 86 can restrict third parties from entering a specified area (for example, inside a building or within the building premises), thereby improving security functions.

[0088] The notification means 87 is a means for notifying the consignee of information related to the delivery box identified by the aforementioned identification means 85. The function of the notification means 87 is realized, for example, as follows: When a storage box for storing an item is identified, the CPU 61 of the delivery box generates a display screen for notifying the consignee of the identified delivery box and instructs the display processing unit 65 to display the generated display screen on the display unit 16, and the display unit 16 displays the generated display screen. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the floor on which the identified delivery box is installed and the delivery box number may be notified.

[0089] The notification means 87 may notify the consignee to store the package in the first delivery box if it is not possible to store the package in the second delivery box. For example, if it is not possible to store the package in the second delivery box because a package has already been stored there, the notification means 87 can notify the consignee to store the package in the first delivery box. This eliminates the need for the consignee to enter a specified area to check whether the package can be stored in the second delivery box, thereby shortening delivery time and improving convenience for the consignee.

[0090] After the notification means 87 notifies the consignee of the second delivery box, the item receiving system may allow the consignee to store the package in the first delivery box if certain conditions are met. Examples of certain conditions include when the package cannot physically fit into the second delivery box (due to size, weight, etc.) or when a malfunction occurs in the second delivery box and the package cannot be collected. Information about the certain conditions may be input using the operation unit 12 of the first delivery box, the operation unit 22 of the second delivery box, or a mobile terminal. Specifically, for example, when the consignee is notified of the second delivery box by the notification means 87, he or she carries the package to the second delivery box and finds that the package cannot be stored due to the certain conditions, he or she inputs information about the certain conditions using the operation unit 22 of the second delivery box and / or the operation unit 12 of the first delivery box, and the CPU 71 of the second delivery box and / or the CPU 61 of the first delivery box permits the package to be stored in the first delivery box based on the input information. This benefits both the recipient and the consignor, as it reduces the chances of redelivery due to the package not being able to be stored.

[0091] The security deactivation means 88 is a means for deactivating the security of the security equipment 50 in accordance with the authentication result by the authentication means 84. Specifically, when the authentication process by the authentication means 84 is completed successfully, the security of the security equipment 50 is deactivated, and when the authentication process is not completed successfully, the security of the security equipment 50 is not deactivated. By deactivating the security, it becomes possible to pass from the outside of a specified area to the inside of the specified area.

[0092] The function of the security deactivation means 88 is realized, for example, as follows. When the authentication process based on the function of the authentication means 84 is successfully completed, the CPU 61 of the first delivery locker or the CPU 31 of the management server 30 deactivates the security of the secured security equipment 50. For example, if the security equipment 50 is an automatic door at the main entrance, the automatic door will not open even if a delivery person or the like stands in front of the door when the security is activated. However, when the security is deactivated, the automatic door will open when a delivery person or the like stands in front of the door. Alternatively, when the security is deactivated, the automatic door may be controlled to remain open for a certain period of time, and further, as shown in FIG. 11, the automatic door (auto-lock) may notify the user of the time from when it opens to when it closes. Also, for example, if the security equipment 50 is an elevator, when the security is activated, pressing the destination button for the desired floor will not allow the user to select that floor. However, when the security is deactivated, the user will be able to select that floor by pressing the destination button for the desired floor.

[0093] Furthermore, the function of disabling security may involve the item receiving system automatically disabling the security of security device 50 as described above, or the display unit 16 of operation unit 12 may display a method for disabling security of security device 50, and a collection / delivery company or the like may manually disabling the security. For example, if security device 50 is an automatic door at the main entrance, the display unit 16 of operation unit 12 may display the PIN number for the automatic door, and the collection / delivery company may manually enter the PIN number into the operation unit of the automatic door to disabling the security and open the automatic door. Disabling the security of security device 50 by a user using information for disabling security provided by the operation unit in this way is also one form of disabling the security of security device 50 using the operation unit.

[0094] The security device 50 may also have a deactivation time limiting means 89 that limits the time for which security is deactivated when the security of the security device 50 is deactivated. For example, if the security deactivation time is set to 30 seconds, the CPU 61 of the delivery box or the CPU 31 of the management server 30 controls the security device 50 so that the deactivated state is maintained for 30 seconds after the start of security deactivation and the deactivated state ends immediately after 30 seconds have elapsed. This prevents the security device from being left in the deactivated state, thereby improving security functionality. Furthermore, for example, in cases where the device used to deactivate the security device is far from the security device 50 and it takes time to pass through the security device 50 after the security device is deactivated, maintaining the deactivated state for a certain period of time allows the consignee to pass through the security device 50 without panicking, which is convenient for the consignee.

[0095] Furthermore, after security is released, the collection and delivery company can enter the building, go to the desired storage box, and store the items in that storage box. However, for example, after security is released, the storage box may be unlocked so that the items can be stored.

[0096] Furthermore, if the delivery box identified by the identification means 85 is a second delivery box, an automatic deactivation means may be provided that automatically deactivates the security of the security equipment 50. This allows the security to be automatically deactivated without going through the authentication means 84, etc., thereby shortening the time it takes to deactivate the security, which is convenient for the consignor as it increases the efficiency of deliveries.

[0097] The item receiving system may also include a usage history recording means for recording, for example, information obtained by the first acquisition means 81 and second acquisition means 83 and the results of the authentication process by the authentication means 84 as a usage history of the item receiving system. The usage history may include collection and delivery time, storage box number, room number, business name, contact information, receipt number, etc. The recorded usage history can be viewed or transmitted, and can also be used for subsequent authentication by the authentication means 84, for example, as information previously registered by the above-mentioned identification information registration means.

[0098] (5) Main processing flow of the item receiving system of this embodiment An example of an item receiving system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of Fig. 10. Note that Fig. 10 describes an embodiment in which the first acquisition means 81 and the second acquisition means 83 are performed through a first delivery box as an example.

[0099] First, the first delivery box acquires first information from the consignee based on the function of the first acquisition means 81 (S101). The CPU 61 of the first delivery box creates and displays a screen on the display unit 16 of the operation unit 12 that allows the consignee to select between the first delivery box and the second delivery box. When the consignee selects a delivery box, the selected delivery box is acquired as first information. The CPU 61 of the first delivery box stores the first information in, for example, the RAM 63 or the storage device 64.

[0100] Next, CPU 61 of the first delivery box transmits the first information to management server 30 (S102). CPU 31 of management server 30 stores the first information, for example, in RAM 33 or storage device 34. Note that CPU 61 of the first delivery box can also transmit the first information directly to management server 30 without storing it.

[0101] The first delivery locker acquires second information from the consignor when storing the item based on the function of the second acquisition means 83 (S103). The CPU 61 of the first delivery locker creates and displays a screen that enables the consignor to input the second information into the display unit 16 of the operation unit 12. When the second information is input by the consignor, the CPU 61 of the first delivery locker acquires the information as second information and stores the second information in, for example, the RAM 63 or the storage device 64.

[0102] Next, CPU 61 of the first delivery box transmits the second information to management server 30 (S104). CPU 31 of management server 30 stores the second information in, for example, RAM 33 or storage device 34. Note that CPU 61 of the first delivery box can also transmit the second information directly to management server 30 without storing it.

[0103] The CPU 61 of the first delivery box transmits the item storage status to the management server 30 (S105). Similarly, the CPU 71 of the second delivery box transmits the item storage status to the management server 30 (S106). The CPU 31 of the management server 30 stores the item storage status of the first delivery box and the second delivery box in, for example, the RAM 33 or the storage device 34.

[0104] The CPU 31 of the management server 30 identifies a delivery box in which to store the item based on the function of the identification means 85 (S107). The CPU 31 of the management server 30 compares the first information acquired in S101 and S102, the second information acquired in S103 and S104, and the information on the item storage status of each delivery box acquired in S105 and S106, and identifies the delivery box in which to store the package.

[0105] Although not shown in the figure, the CPU 31 of the management server 30 may perform an authentication means 84 that compares and verifies the second information acquired in S103 and S104 with the identification information of the consignor registered in the memory device 34 by the registration means 82.

[0106] The CPU 31 of the management server 30 transmits information about the delivery box identified by the identification means 85 to the first delivery box (S108). The CPU 61 of the first delivery box that receives the information generates a display screen notifying the identified delivery box, displays the generated display screen on the display unit 16, and notifies the consignor (S109).

[0107] Although not shown in the figures, if security equipment 50 is provided and the second delivery box is identified as the delivery box to store the package, CPU 31 of management server 30 may issue a command to security equipment 50 to deactivate security based on the result that the above-mentioned authentication means 84 has successfully completed. CPU 31 of management server 30 may issue a command to deactivate security to the first delivery box, and CPU 61 of the first delivery box may issue a command to security equipment 50 to deactivate security.

[0108] As described above, the item receiving system of this embodiment allows the consignee to select a desired delivery box from a first delivery box located outside the specified area and a second delivery box located inside the specified area, and guides the consignee to store the package in that delivery box, which is expected to improve convenience for the consignee. Furthermore, for the consignee, since the consignee can know which delivery box the consignee wants to store the package in before storing it, it is expected to lead to more efficient package delivery and improved service. Therefore, it is expected to improve convenience for both the consignee and the consignee.

[0109] The above-described embodiments have been described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above embodiments is intended to include all design modifications and equivalents that fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0110] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the management server 30 is provided has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if the first delivery box or the second delivery box stores the management data shown in Fig. 7 in, for example, storage device 64 (i.e., if the first delivery box or the second delivery box manages the storage status and item information of at least the multiple storage boxes 11a, 11b, ..., 21a, 21b, ... provided therein), management server 30 may not be provided.

[0111] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the delivery box is configured to realize the functions of each means, such as first acquisition means 81, second acquisition means 83, and notification means 87, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, all of these means may be realized by management server 30, or at least some of the means may be realized by management server 30. Because the delivery box and management server 30 can have substantially the same hardware configuration, each function can also be realized by management server 30 as described in the above embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 1...First delivery box 2...Second delivery box 11a, 11b, 21a, 21b...Storage box 12,22...Operation unit 16,26...Display section 17,27...Input section 30...Administration server 40...Terminal device 50...Security equipment 51...Outside the designated area 52...Inside the designated area M...Building

Claims

1. a first delivery box provided outside the predetermined area; A second delivery box provided inside the predetermined area, a first acquisition means for acquiring first information which is information about the delivery box selected by the consignee to store the item from the first delivery box and the second delivery box; a second acquiring means for acquiring second information input by a consignor when storing the goods; an identification means for identifying one of the first delivery box and the second delivery box in which the item is to be stored, based on the first information, the second information, and the item storage status of each of the first delivery box and the second delivery box when the item is stored; a notification means for notifying the consignee of information about the identified delivery box; Equipped with and an authentication means for authenticating a consignor based on the second information acquired by the second acquisition means, on the way from the outside of the predetermined area to the inside of the predetermined area; An item receiving system, wherein the first information includes information regarding the first delivery box if the consignee selects the first delivery box, information regarding the second delivery box if the consignee selects the second delivery box, and information regarding the first delivery box and the second delivery box if the consignee selects both the first delivery box and the second delivery box.

2. 2. The goods receiving system according to claim 1, further comprising a registration means for registering in advance identification information relating to the consignor to be used in the authentication means.

3. 3. The goods receiving system according to claim 2, further comprising a limiting means for limiting the parcel delivery boxes that can be used by consignees whose identification information is not registered by said registration means.

4. The item receiving system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second information includes information regarding the delivery box selected by the consignor to store the item, from the first delivery box and the second delivery box.

5. The goods receiving system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second information includes the business type of the consignor.

6. 6. The goods receiving system according to claim 1, wherein the second information includes the room number of the recipient.

7. The item receiving system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first delivery box and the second delivery box are capable of information communication.

8. An item receiving system as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising security equipment on the way from outside the specified area to inside the specified area, which enables passage from outside the specified area to inside the specified area by disabling security.

9. 9. The article receiving system according to claim 8, further comprising a security deactivating means for deactivating the security of the security equipment in accordance with the authentication result by the authentication means.

10. 10. The article receiving system according to claim 9, further comprising a security deactivation time limiting means for setting a security deactivation time for said security deactivation means.

11. 9. The item receiving system according to claim 8, further comprising an automatic release means for automatically releasing the security of the security equipment when the delivery box identified by the identification means is the second delivery box.

12. The item receiving system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the notification means notifies the recipient to store the item in the first delivery box if it is not possible to store the item in the second delivery box.

13. An item receiving system as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein when the second acquisition means acquires the recipient's room number, the notification means notifies the recipient to store the item in a second delivery box.

14. An item receiving system as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein after the notification means notifies the second delivery box, if predetermined conditions are met, the item can be stored in the first delivery box.

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