Delivery support system, delivery support server, and delivery support method

Abstract

To provide a new technique for supporting a delivery.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a delivery support system including a server and a terminal. The server has delivery time prediction means, the terminal has delivery time adjusting means, the delivery time prediction means determines a delivery scheduled time, the delivery time adjusting means sends the presence or absence of the terminal in a delivery destination to the server, and the delivery time prediction means determines again the delivery scheduled time when there is no terminal in the delivery destination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a delivery assistance system, a delivery assistance server, and a delivery assistance method that can address the problem of redelivery. [Background technology]

[0002] While there has been no significant change in the volume of transportation in logistics, the number of parcel deliveries has increased in line with the expansion of the e-commerce market. The smaller parcels and more frequent parcel deliveries have led to the problem of redelivery, which can be seen as significantly reducing the productivity of parcel delivery companies.

[0003] The redelivery problem is a problem in which a delivery is not completed because the recipient is absent at the time of delivery, and the transportation costs already incurred become sunk costs. What is concerning about the issue of redelivery is that as redelivery becomes more frequent, it leads to a deterioration in the working environment for delivery companies and their employees, the drivers, and an increase in emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

[0004] According to Non-Patent Document 1, of the cases where redelivery was required, 42% were cases where the delivery recipient was unaware of the scheduled delivery, 26% were cases where the delivery recipient was aware of the scheduled delivery but was absent, and 14% were cases where the delivery recipient had requested redelivery from the beginning. In other words, it can be understood that 40% of cases were cases where the delivery recipient assumed redelivery would be required but was unaware of this intention. In other words, to address the issue of redelivery, a solution is needed that actively involves the delivery destination and enables two-way data sharing and communication between the delivery company and the delivery destination.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses an invention relating to a delivery support server that enables efficient delivery by prompting changes to delivery dates and times or delivery methods before delivery. The delivery support server described in Patent Document 1 is characterized by having a member information storage unit that acquires personal information of users who use delivery services and stores member information; a package notification unit that notifies the member when the delivery company receives a package addressed to the member and confirms whether the package will be received at the destination or at another location; and a pickup location suggestion unit that suggests and confirms possible pickup locations if the member wishes to receive the package at a location other than the destination.

[0006] The invention described in Patent Document 1 aims to contribute to cost reduction for delivery companies by enabling the recipient to change the receiving method according to their convenience and realizing efficient delivery by delivery companies, and also to address the problem of labor shortages and contribute to environmentally conscious business activities. However, with parcel deliveries becoming smaller and more frequent, diversifying the locations where deliveries can be made could lead to increased complexity in the work of delivery companies and drivers.

[0007] Furthermore, as stated in Non-Patent Document 1, one of the factors behind the redelivery problem is that there are cases where the delivery recipient does not express their intentions, including whether or not redelivery is required, and for this reason, it can be understood that diversifying the number of pick-up locations and proposing such diversification may not contribute to cost reduction for delivery companies. In other words, in order to address the issue of redelivery, we need a solution that can prevent the work of delivery companies and drivers from becoming more complicated and that can optimize the work involved in delivery services in the background. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-123275 [Non-patent literature]

[0009] [Non-Patent Document 1] Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, "Report of the Study Group on Promoting Diversification of Delivery Methods to Reduce Redelivery of Parcels," September 2015. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel technology related to delivery support. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a delivery support system comprising a server and a terminal, wherein the server has a delivery time prediction means, the terminal has a delivery time adjustment means, the delivery time prediction means determines a scheduled delivery time, the delivery time adjustment means transmits to the server whether the terminal is present at the delivery destination, and the delivery time prediction means redetermines the scheduled delivery time if the presence / absence indicates absence.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the delivery time predicting means determines a delivery route to the location coordinates of the terminal based on the presence / absence, and determines the scheduled delivery time based on the delivery route.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the delivery time prediction means redetermines the scheduled delivery time for a delivery destination for which delivery has not been completed at the time of arrival at the delivery destination, if there is a discrepancy between the scheduled delivery time and the actual arrival time at the delivery destination.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the terminal further comprises a presence confirmation means, which performs asset tracking of the terminal at the delivery destination and determines the presence or absence based on the results of the asset tracking.

[0015] In a preferred form of the invention, the asset tracking is based on GNSS positioning of the terminal.

[0016] In a preferred form of the invention, the asset tracking is based on receiving beacon signals from access points.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the asset tracking is based on the connection status with an access point at the delivery destination.

[0018] In a preferred form of the invention, the asset tracking is based on wireless LAN positioning of the terminal.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wireless LAN positioning includes terminal side positioning.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wireless LAN positioning includes base station side positioning.

[0021] In a preferred form of the invention, the asset tracking is based on geofences.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the delivery time prediction means determines the scheduled delivery time based on the dimensions and weight of the delivery item, the working time required for the delivery person corresponding to the delivery in the past, the dimensions of the delivery item, and the weight of the delivery item.

[0023] In a preferred form of the present invention, the delivery time prediction means determines a delivery person score based on the delivery person's driving level, which is determined based on dangerous driving behavior detectable in video data showing the delivery person's movement status on the delivery route, and determines the delivery route and scheduled delivery time based on the delivery score.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the server further includes a home-at-home management means that determines the home-at-home rate of the terminal for each time period based on the past presence / absence, and the delivery time prediction means determines a delivery route based on the home-at-home rate of each of one or more delivery destinations, and determines the scheduled delivery time for each of the one or more delivery destinations based on the delivery route.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the terminal further comprises an electronic payment means, which performs electronic payment based on a code image or near field communication.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the server further includes a delivery fee determination means which determines a discount rate for the delivery fee based on whether the payment process for the delivery fee is electronic payment, and determines the delivery fee.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the server further has a delivery fee determination means, which determines a discount rate for the delivery fee based on the presence / absence history transmitted from the terminal, and determines the delivery fee.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the server further includes a delivery fee determination means for determining a discount rate for the delivery fee for each time period based on the congestion rate for each time period of the entire delivery destination determined based on the presence or absence in the past, and determining the delivery fee based on the scheduled delivery time and the discount rate.

[0029] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention is a delivery support server having a delivery time prediction means, wherein the delivery time prediction means determines an estimated delivery time and transmits it to a terminal, and when the presence / absence information transmitted from the terminal indicates absence, the delivery time prediction means redetermines the estimated delivery time.

[0030] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention is a delivery support method that causes a server to execute a delivery time prediction step and a terminal to execute a delivery time adjustment step, the delivery time prediction step determines a scheduled delivery time, the delivery time adjustment step transmits to the server whether the terminal is present at the delivery destination, and the delivery time prediction step redetermines the scheduled delivery time if the presence / absence indicates absence. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a new technology for delivery support that can address the problem of redelivery. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] 1 shows a functional block diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 shows a process flow chart according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 shows a delivery setting screen 0w1 and a notification screen 0w2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 13 shows a delivery screen 0w3 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 shows a hardware configuration diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] This specification describes the configuration, effects, and the like of one embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the configuration of one embodiment, and various configurations may be adopted. Furthermore, the present invention may adopt parts of the configurations of each embodiment.

[0034] The delivery support system and delivery support method according to one embodiment of the present invention each provide similar operational effects. The respective means in the delivery support system and delivery support server and the respective steps in the delivery support method each provide similar operational effects. The functions of these means and steps are achieved by a processor.

[0035] 1, the delivery assistance system includes a server 1 and a terminal 2. The delivery assistance system further includes a terminal 3. The server 1 corresponds to a delivery support server, and is a server device that manages data and information handled in the delivery support system and is capable of communicating with terminal devices such as the terminal 2 and the terminal 3. The terminal 2 is a terminal device corresponding to the end user who is the delivery destination. The terminal 3 is a terminal device corresponding to an end user who is a driver acting as a delivery person. The server 1, the terminal 2 and the terminal 3 can communicate with each other via a network.

[0036] Server 1 may consist of multiple server devices such as a front-end server and a back-end server, may be equipped with a database that stores at least some of the data and information handled in the delivery support system, may be capable of communicating with external databases via a network, and may be linked to external services such as delivery platforms and payment platforms based on input and output via APIs.

[0037] Here, the delivery platform is an external service that accepts delivery requests and assigns delivery personnel independently or in cooperation with the delivery support system of the present invention. The delivery platform accepts a delivery request, for example, from a terminal 2 or the like, including information on the location of the delivery destination, the contents of the delivery, and the desired delivery date and time, and then assigns a courier service provider and / or driver to handle the delivery. Delivery-related information held by the delivery platform is shared with the delivery support system as appropriate. The delivery support system may also have the functionality of the delivery platform.

[0038] <Server 1> As illustrated in FIG. 1, the server 1 also has a delivery time prediction means 11 (corresponding to the delivery time prediction step), a home presence management means 12 (corresponding to the home presence management step), and a delivery fee determination means 13 (corresponding to the delivery fee determination step). In addition, the server 1 further has a delivery time notification means 14 (corresponding to the delivery time notification step), an information linking means 15 (corresponding to the information linking step), a delivery destination evaluation means 16 (corresponding to the delivery destination evaluation step), and a deliverer evaluation means 17 (corresponding to the deliverer evaluation step).

[0039] The delivery time prediction means 11 determines a scheduled delivery time. Furthermore, the delivery time prediction means 11 determines the scheduled delivery time when the request made by the terminal 2 to an external service such as a delivery platform is used as a turning point. Furthermore, the delivery time prediction means 11 may determine the scheduled delivery time based on at least the location information of the delivery destination and the desired delivery date and time included in the request. In addition, the delivery time prediction means 11 simultaneously determines the predicted delivery time for each of one or more deliveries, with each of one or more locations located in a predetermined area as the delivery destination and a predetermined time period as the desired delivery date and time.

[0040] If the presence / absence indicates absence, the delivery time prediction means 11 re-determines the scheduled delivery time. Furthermore, the delivery time prediction means 11 simultaneously determines the predicted delivery time for each of one or more deliveries, after excluding deliveries corresponding to delivery destinations whose presence / absence indicates absence. In addition, the delivery time prediction means 11 may simultaneously determine the predicted delivery times for each of one or more deliveries so that the scheduled delivery times for deliveries corresponding to a delivery destination whose presence / absence indicates absence are different from the original time slot.

[0041] The delivery time prediction means 11 determines a delivery route to the location coordinates of the terminal 2 based on the presence or absence, and determines a scheduled delivery time based on the delivery route. Furthermore, the delivery time prediction means 11 may determine the delivery route and scheduled delivery time further based on a genetic algorithm. Furthermore, the delivery time prediction means 11 may determine the delivery route based on a method other than the genetic algorithm. Furthermore, the delivery time prediction means 11 determines the delivery route based on map data acquired from an external service and location information of the terminal 3. Furthermore, the delivery time prediction means 11 determines a delivery route for one or more deliveries based on a predetermined criterion, such that each of one or more locations located in a predetermined area is a delivery destination and a predetermined time period is a desired delivery date and time. Here, the predetermined criterion may be a short travel distance or the number of right or left turns, and there is no limitation on the form of the criterion. The delivery person makes deliveries to a plurality of delivery destinations in accordance with the delivery order based on the delivery route determined by the delivery time prediction means 11.

[0042] The delivery time prediction means 11 determines the scheduled delivery time based on the dimensions and weight of the delivery item, the working time of each past delivery taken by the delivery person in charge of the delivery, the dimensions and weight of the delivery item. Here, data and information related to past deliveries are received by the server 1 from the delivery platform, and the server 1 determines the scheduled delivery time based on information received by the server 1 from the terminal 3 of the deliverer as background data, for example, and stores the data in the database. Furthermore, the delivery time prediction means 11 determines a recommended working time based on the dimensions and weight of the delivery item, and determines an estimated delivery time based on the recommended working time, the working time for each past delivery, the dimensions and weight of the delivery item. Specifically, for deliveries handled by a driver whose past working time is shorter than the recommended working time, the estimated delivery times for each of one or more delivery destinations may be determined to be earlier, or the number of delivery destinations on the delivery route may be determined to be smaller. The working time is, for example, the time taken from when the driver starts his / her work to when the delivery is completed, and includes the delivery process such as loading the delivery items.

[0043] The delivery time prediction means 11 determines a delivery person score based on the delivery person's driving level, which is determined based on dangerous driving behavior detectable in video data showing the delivery person's movement status on the delivery route, and determines a delivery route and scheduled delivery time based on the delivery person score.

[0044] The delivery time prediction means 11 may determine a delivery route including at least one of one or more delivery destinations and a scheduled delivery time for each of the delivery destinations based on the delivery person score. In addition, the delivery time prediction means 11 may, for example, determine a delivery route and scheduled delivery time so as to advance the scheduled delivery time by increasing the number of delivery destinations along the delivery route if the delivery person has excellent delivery skills, such as a high delivery person score.

[0045] The delivery time prediction means 11 determines a delivery route based on the at-home rate of each of the one or more delivery destinations, and determines a scheduled delivery time for each of the one or more delivery destinations based on the delivery route. Furthermore, the delivery time prediction means 11 sets the order of delivery along the delivery route based on the at-home rate of each of the one or more delivery destinations, giving priority to delivery destinations with a high at-home rate. Furthermore, for example, the delivery time prediction means 11 may exclude a delivery destination where the at-home rate is below a predetermined threshold from the delivery route unless the server 1 receives from the delivery destination's terminal 2 a receipt availability indicating that the delivery destination is available for receipt corresponding to the provisional scheduled delivery time. In this case, the excluded delivery destination may be incorporated into another delivery route.

[0046] If the actual arrival time at a delivery destination, that is, the time of arrival at the delivery destination, deviates from the scheduled delivery time, the delivery time prediction means 11 may change the scheduled delivery time at the subsequent delivery destination and notify the terminal 2 of the changed scheduled delivery time. Note that the delivery requester may be able to individually set how much difference between the two times is required for notification to be made, and by how much the scheduled delivery time is changed.

[0047] The at-home management means 12 determines the at-home rate of the terminal 2 for each time period based on the past presence or absence. Furthermore, the at-home management means 12 may determine the at-home rate of the terminal 2 for each time period based on the past reception availability transmitted from the terminal 2 in addition to the past presence availability transmitted from the terminal 2. In addition, the at-home management means 12 may determine the at-home rate of terminal 2 for each time period based on past receipt records sent from terminal 3 indicating whether the delivery requester corresponding to terminal 2 actually received the delivery on the desired delivery date and time.

[0048] The delivery fee determination means 13 determines the discount rate for the delivery fee based on whether the payment process for the delivery fee is electronic payment or not and / or the history of the presence or absence transmitted from the terminal 2, and determines the delivery fee. Furthermore, the delivery fee determination means 13 may determine a discount rate for the delivery fee based on the past presence or absence and receipt record at the desired delivery date and time included in the request by the delivery requester. Here, the delivery fee determination means 13 may determine a larger discount rate for delivery fees for delivery destinations with a low frequency of redelivery based on the past presence or absence of the delivery destination and the delivery record. Additionally, the delivery fee may be based on the delivery fee sent by the delivery platform.

[0049] The delivery fee determination means 13 may determine the discount rate based on the delivery destination score. Furthermore, the delivery fee determination means 13 may determine a high discount rate for the delivery fee when the delivery destination score is high, such that the frequency of redelivery to the delivery destination is low.

[0050] The delivery fee determination means 13 determines the discount rate for the delivery fee based on whether the payment process for the delivery fee is electronic payment or not, and determines the delivery fee. Furthermore, the delivery fee determination means 13 determines a discount rate for the delivery fee based on the presence / absence history transmitted from the terminal 2, and determines the delivery fee. In addition, the delivery fee determination means 13 determines a discount rate for the delivery fee for each time period based on the congestion rate for each time period of the entire delivery destination determined based on past presence or absence, and determines the delivery fee based on the scheduled delivery time and the discount rate. Here, the delivery fee determination means 13 determines a large discount rate for the delivery fee for a delivery in which the desired delivery date and time falls in a time period with a low congestion rate, based on the congestion rate for each time period of the entire delivery destination.

[0051] The delivery time notification means 14 notifies the terminal 2 of the latest scheduled delivery time in advance, for example, in the form of a push notification, at a time that is a predetermined time earlier than the scheduled delivery time. When notifying the scheduled delivery time, the delivery time notifying means 14 also notifies the user to input whether or not the user is willing to receive the parcel at the scheduled delivery time.

[0052] Here, the delivery time notification means 14 may determine whether or not the recipient is available for pickup based on a preset setting on the terminal 2 side. For example, if the preset delivery order is A → B → C → D, and the delivery person (driver) departs from the distribution center at 11:00 and is scheduled to arrive at the first delivery destination, house A, at 12:00, house B at 12:30, house C at 13:00, and house D at 13:30, the delivery time notification means 14 may be configured to notify the recipient of the estimated delivery time if the delivery is made any time before arrival (for example, 30 minutes before) and if the delivery order is within a specified order (if notification is to be made up to two houses after departing house A, notification would be made to houses B and C when departing house A). Here, instead of or in addition to notifying the recipient of the estimated delivery time, a determination of the recipient's presence may be made.

[0053] In addition, the delivery time notification means 14 may be configured to, for example, only send a push notification to the delivery destination when it is determined that the delivery destination is at home. 1: Do not send push notifications when the person is absent 2: When the recipient is absent, a push notification will be sent and an option to reschedule delivery will be presented 3: When the recipient is absent, push notifications are sent and a redelivery date is automatically scheduled A configuration may be adopted in which consent is obtained in advance for items such as the above. A response is requested based on these pre-settings, and if there is no response within a specified time or within a specified order, a redelivery request may be sent to the platform as appropriate, and redelivery processing may be initiated.

[0054] The information linking means 15 refers to the scheduled delivery time in the database in response to a request from the delivery time notifying means 14 prior to the delivery time notifying means 14 notifying the terminal 2 . Furthermore, the information linking means 15 transmits the latest delivery route to the terminal 3 every time the delivery time predicting means 11 determines, changes, or updates the delivery route. Furthermore, the information linking means 15 accepts information transmitted to the server 1 by the delivery time adjusting means 21 as to whether or not the terminal 2 is at the delivery destination. Furthermore, the information linking means 15 receives, as a response to the notification from the delivery time notifying means 14, information on whether or not the item can be received at the scheduled delivery time transmitted from the terminal 2 to the server 1. The information linking means 15 also receives data and information related to a delivery request made by the terminal 2 from an external service such as a delivery platform. Furthermore, based on the received receipt availability, if the receipt availability indicates that the delivery is not possible, the information linking means 15 transmits a redelivery request for the delivery to the delivery platform. Furthermore, based on the notification of early arrival or delay sent from the terminal 3 to the server 1, the information linking means 15 notifies the terminal 2, which is the delivery destination, of early arrival or delay. Furthermore, the information linking means 15 requests the terminal 2 to determine whether it is present or not. Furthermore, the information linking means 15 receives the location information of the terminal 3 transmitted from the terminal 3 . In addition, in response to a request from terminal 2, information linking means 15 transmits to terminal 2 location information of terminal 3 held by the delivery person carrying the package, based on package information (described in detail later) stored in association with ID information.

[0055] The delivery destination evaluation means 16 performs scoring processing for each delivery destination based on at least a part of the transmission and reception history between the server 1 and the terminal 2 regarding delivery support, such as the transition of the presence / absence rate, the response history of whether or not the delivery was accepted in response to the notification of the scheduled delivery time, the past receipt record indicating whether or not the delivery was accepted at the desired delivery date and time, and the average or cumulative number of redelivery processes that occurred until the delivery was completed. Then, the delivery destination score is determined.

[0056] The delivery person evaluation means 17 uses the terminal 3 or an imaging device that cooperates with the terminal 3 to capture video data showing the delivery person's movement along the delivery route, performs image processing on the data, detects dangerous driving behavior such as ignoring traffic lights or sudden stops, and determines the delivery person's driving level. In addition, the delivery person evaluation means 17 performs a scoring process for each delivery person based on delivery skills and driving level based on the work time and recommended work time, and determines a delivery person score.

[0057] <Terminal 2> As illustrated in Figure 1, the terminal 2 also has a delivery time adjustment means 21 (corresponding to the delivery time adjustment step), an at-home confirmation means 22 (corresponding to the at-home confirmation step), and an electronic payment means 23 (corresponding to the electronic payment step).

[0058] After being notified of the scheduled delivery time, the delivery time adjustment means 21 transmits to the server 1 the result of determining whether the terminal 2 is present at the delivery destination. Furthermore, the delivery time adjustment means 21 determines whether or not to accept the delivery corresponding to the scheduled delivery time notified to the terminal 2 from the server 1 based on the intention input on the terminal 2, and transmits the result to the server 1. Furthermore, every time the scheduled delivery time is re-determined by the delivery time prediction means 11, the delivery time adjustment means 21 determines whether or not the delivery can be received in accordance with the latest scheduled delivery time and transmits the result to the server 1.

[0059] The presence confirmation means 22 performs asset tracking of the terminal 2 at the delivery destination and determines whether the terminal 2 is present based on the results of the asset tracking. In other words, if the asset tracking result confirms that the terminal 2 is present at the delivery destination, the presence confirmation means 22 determines that the terminal 2 is present, and if the asset tracking result does not confirm that the terminal 2 is present at the delivery destination, the presence confirmation means 22 determines that the terminal 2 is absent. Specifically, the presence confirmation means 22 determines, based on the asset tracking result, whether the terminal 2 is located within a predetermined distance from the delivery destination registered by the terminal 2 at the time of the delivery request, and whether the terminal 2 is located within a predetermined time range from a predetermined time, thereby determining whether the terminal 2 is present.

[0060] Here, asset tracking may be based on GNSS positioning of the terminal 2, based on reception of a beacon signal from an access point, based on WLAN positioning of the terminal 2, or based on a geofence. Note that WLAN positioning may include terminal-side positioning, and WLAN positioning may include base station-side positioning. Here, asset tracking may determine the probability of the presence or absence of a delivery requester based on one or more known or conventional positioning techniques.

[0061] Alternatively, the presence confirmation means 22 is installed at the home of the delivery requester, and determines the connection status based on information such as the identifier name of the access point in wireless communication such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) that has been registered in advance, thereby determining whether the delivery requester is present or absent.

[0062] The electronic payment means 23 performs electronic payment based on a code image or near field communication. Here, the code image refers to an image showing a code such as a barcode or QR code (registered trademark), and corresponds individually to electronic payment. Also, here, the near-field wireless communication is based on a commonly used communication standard such as FeliCa (registered trademark).

[0063] The notification in the description in this specification may take the form of a push notification to a terminal device such as terminal 2 or terminal 3, may take the form of a pop-up display on the terminal device, or may take the form of an alert in an application running on the terminal device, and is not limited within the scope of known or customary methods of information sharing between a server device and a terminal device.

[0064] Example 1 The delivery assistance according to the present invention is realized by the flow illustrated in FIG. In this flow, a delivery route that includes one or more delivery destinations is determined in advance, and a scheduled delivery time for each of the one or more delivery destinations is tentatively determined.

[0065] The flow illustrated in FIG. 2 can be understood as follows. First, based on the input parcel information, the server 1 references the ID information stored in the database and associates the relevant information with the user corresponding to the ID information. The information can be read by optical character recognition of the slip using a dedicated terminal, or if this is not possible, the parcel information can be manually entered by the delivery company. In this embodiment, the parcel information is information written on the slip, such as the postal code, address, and name of the delivery destination, and the ID information is information including the end user's address, name, contact information, and registered ID. Alternatively, instead of optical character recognition, parcel information can be entered by printing a dedicated QR code (registered trademark) on the slip and reading the QR code (registered trademark). For example, when the parcel is collected and the parcel information and ID information are linked and stored, the server 1 requests the delivery requester to specify a desired delivery time period via the delivery setting screen 0w1 described below.

[0066] As illustrated in FIG. 3(a), the terminal 2 displays a delivery setting screen 0w1 including a selection unit 0w1a and a determination unit 0w1b. In the selection unit 0w1a, the delivery requester may be able to select the desired delivery date, desired delivery time slot, and delivery method (such as drop-off or front door pickup). The determination unit 0w1b transmits the selection results of the delivery requester in the selection unit 0w1a to the server 1. In addition, when registering the ID information of the delivery requester, an option such as the shortest delivery option may be provided as a pre-selection option, and if the user selects this option, the date and time when the package can be delivered at the shortest possible time is returned to the server 1.

[0067] The delivery time prediction means 11 determines a delivery route and a scheduled delivery time based on the delivery destination information for each delivery date, and transmits the delivery route and delivery time to the terminal 3. Based on the information received from the server 1, the terminal 3 displays a delivery screen 0w3.

[0068] As shown in Fig. 4, the terminal 3 displays a delivery screen 0w3 including a delivery destination information display section 0w3a and a map display section 0w3b. The delivery destination information display section 0w3a displays the name or title of the delivery destination, address, scheduled delivery time, etc. The map display section 0w3b displays map data of the area where the delivery destination is located and the delivery route to the delivery destination.

[0069] If the current time is within a predetermined time based on the scheduled delivery time, the information linking means 15 requests the terminal 2 to determine whether the terminal 2 is present. Alternatively, when the deliverer arrives at the delivery destination, the information linking means 15 requests the terminal 2 that is within a predetermined delivery order to determine whether the terminal 2 is present. In this embodiment, examples of criteria for arrival include the delivery person operating the delivery screen 0w3, pressing a button that wirelessly connects to the terminal 3 installed in the vehicle driven by the delivery person, and the terminal 3 entering or leaving a geofence area set in the vicinity of the delivery destination. Here, if the presence / absence indicates that the terminal 2 is at home at the delivery destination, the already determined delivery route and scheduled delivery time are notified / shared with the driver. On the other hand, if the presence / absence indicates that the terminal 2 is absent from the delivery destination, the delivery time notifying means 14 sends a push notification to the terminal 2 indicating the latest scheduled delivery time.

[0070] In this embodiment, when the delivery requester opens the push notification, the terminal 2 displays a notification screen 0w2 including a selection section 0w2a and a determination section 0w2b, as illustrated in FIG. 3(b). The selection section 0w2a displays the latest scheduled delivery time and allows the delivery requester to select whether or not to receive the package at that scheduled delivery time. The determination section 0w2b determines the selection made by the delivery requester in the selection section 0w1a.

[0071] Here, when terminal 2 sends a receipt availability signal indicating whether the item is available for receipt at the latest scheduled delivery time to server 1 in response to the push notification, the driver is notified / shared with the already determined delivery route and scheduled delivery time. On the other hand, if terminal 2 does not send to server 1 a receipt availability indication indicating whether the item is available for receipt at the latest scheduled delivery time in response to the push notification, the delivery route and scheduled delivery time are re-determined, for example by excluding the target delivery destination from the delivery route, and the route and scheduled delivery time are notified / shared with the driver. If the above determination of whether the recipient is present or absent is made, a setting option for immediate redelivery when the recipient is absent may be provided as a pre-selection option when registering the ID information of the delivery requester.

[0072] The terminal 3 communicates the arrival time at the delivery destination with the server 1 each time the delivery arrives in order to determine whether there is a large discrepancy between the arrival time at the delivery destination and the scheduled delivery time. If the time of arrival at the delivery destination deviates significantly from the scheduled delivery time, the delivery time prediction means 11 changes the scheduled delivery time for delivery destinations for which delivery has not been completed when the delivery destination arrives. Note that in this embodiment, the deviation may be a predetermined time, and the delivery time prediction means 11 changes the scheduled delivery time if the difference between the two times is equal to or greater than that time. The delivery time notification means 14 sends a push notification indicating the changed scheduled delivery time and asks the delivery requester to decide whether or not they will receive the delivery at the changed scheduled delivery time. Note that the delivery time notification means 14 may send the push notification to all delivery requesters after the most recent delivery requester at the time of arrival at the delivery destination.

[0073] In this embodiment, when the delivery requester opens the push notification, terminal 2 displays a screen similar to the notification screen 0w2 illustrated in Figure 3(b), which allows the delivery requester to select and decide whether or not to receive the package at the changed scheduled delivery time.

[0074] Here, when terminal 2 sends a receipt availability signal indicating whether the item is available for receipt at the latest scheduled delivery time to server 1 in response to the push notification, the driver is notified / shared with the already determined delivery route and scheduled delivery time. On the other hand, if terminal 2 does not send to server 1 a receipt availability indication at the latest scheduled delivery time in response to the push notification, the delivery route and scheduled delivery time are re-determined, for example by excluding the target delivery destination from the delivery route, and notified / shared with the driver. In this embodiment, if there are any remaining delivery destinations, the server 1 may return to the process of requesting the terminal 2 owned by the delivery destination whose current time is within a predetermined time period based on the scheduled delivery time to determine whether the terminal 2 is present or not, and if there are no remaining delivery destinations, the server 1 terminates the series of processes.

[0075] The flow according to one embodiment may be modified as appropriate within the scope of various combinations of the components according to one embodiment, as long as the above-mentioned problems can be solved.

[0076] <Hardware configuration> 5, the server 1 takes the form of a known computer and may be a known server device or instance. The server 1 includes an arithmetic unit with a processor, a main storage device with volatile memory such as RAM, an auxiliary storage device with nonvolatile memory such as HDD or SSD, and a communication device with a network interface. These devices are connected via a bus interface. The server 1 may further include an input device and an output device. The server 1 may also receive input processing via a network, and may perform output processing such as display processing in cooperation with the terminal 2 via the network.

[0077] 5, the terminal 2 may take the form of a known computer, a smartphone, a tablet, a wearable device, or the like. The terminal 2 includes an arithmetic unit having a processor, a main storage device having volatile memory such as RAM, an auxiliary storage device having nonvolatile memory such as HDD or SSD, an input device having an input interface such as a touch panel interface, an output device having an output interface such as a touch panel interface, and a communication device having a network interface. These devices are connected via a bus interface. Here, the communication device may be equipped with a network interface for joining a wireless LAN based on a conventional short-range wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), may be equipped with a network interface capable of end-to-end communication based on a conventional short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), may be equipped with a network interface based on a conventional long-range wireless communication standard such as LPWA, or may be equipped with a network interface based on a wireless communication standard capable of individual identification such as RFID.

[0078] 5, the terminal 3 may take the form of a known computer, a smartphone, a tablet, a wearable device, or the like. The terminal 3 may be equipped with an imaging device including an image sensor that can monitor the movement status of the delivery person independently or in cooperation with the terminal 3.

[0079] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rescheduling of the scheduled delivery time includes the case where the delivery date is re-determined in advance by the user at the delivery destination, the case where the rescheduling is based on the date and time period when the recipient is most likely to be at home, and the case where the user at the delivery destination arbitrarily reschedules the time each time.

[0080] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a new technology for delivery support that can address the problem of redelivery. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1: Server 2: Terminal 3: Terminal 11: Delivery time prediction method 12: Home care measures 13:Delivery fee determination means 14: Delivery time notification means 15: Information sharing methods 16: Delivery destination evaluation method 17: Delivery person evaluation method 21: Delivery time adjustment means 22:Method of confirming presence 23: Electronic payment instruments

Claims

1. A delivery assistance system, A server and a terminal are included, The server has a delivery time prediction means, The terminal has a presence confirmation means and a delivery time adjustment means, the delivery time prediction means refers to a database that stores the dimensions and weights of past deliveries, the delivery personnel who delivered the past deliveries, and the work times associated with the past deliveries, and determines a scheduled delivery time for the deliveries scheduled to be delivered this time based on the work times associated with the past deliveries that correspond to the dimensions and weight of the deliveries scheduled to be delivered this time and that are associated with the delivery personnel who will be in charge of the deliveries; The presence-at-home confirmation means acquires an identifier of an access point for wireless communication, compares the identifier of the access point with a pre-registered identifier, and determines that the user is at home if the identifiers match; The delivery time adjustment means transmits to the server whether the terminal is present at the delivery destination, The delivery support system, wherein the delivery time prediction means re-determines the scheduled delivery time when the presence / absence indicates absence.

2. the delivery time prediction means determines a delivery route to the location coordinates of the terminal based on the presence or absence, and determines the scheduled delivery time based on the delivery route; The delivery assistance system according to claim 1.

3. When there is a discrepancy between the scheduled delivery time and the actual arrival time at the delivery destination, the delivery time prediction means re-determines the scheduled delivery time for the delivery destination for which delivery has not been completed at the time of arrival at the delivery destination. The delivery support system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The connection status of the access point in the wireless communication is based on the wireless LAN positioning of the terminal, A delivery support system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The wireless LAN positioning includes terminal-side positioning. The delivery support system according to claim 4.

6. The wireless LAN positioning includes base station side positioning.

6. A delivery support system according to claim 4 or 5.

7. The delivery time prediction means determines a delivery person score based on a driving level of the delivery person determined based on a risky driving behavior detectable in video data showing the movement status of the delivery person on the delivery route, and determines the delivery route and scheduled delivery time based on the delivery person score. A delivery support system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The server further comprises a home management means, The at-home management means determines the at-home rate of the terminal for each time period based on the past presence / absence, The delivery support system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the delivery time prediction means determines a delivery route based on the at-home rate for each of one or more delivery destinations, and determines the scheduled delivery time for each of one or more delivery destinations based on the delivery route.

9. the terminal further comprises an electronic payment means; The electronic payment means performs electronic payment based on a code image or near-field wireless communication. A delivery support system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The server further comprises a delivery fee determination means; the delivery fee determination means determines a discount rate for the delivery fee based on whether or not the payment process for the delivery fee is electronic payment, and determines the delivery fee; A delivery support system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The server further comprises a delivery fee determination means; the delivery fee determination means determines a discount rate for the delivery fee based on the presence / absence history transmitted from the terminal, and determines the delivery fee; A delivery support system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The server further comprises a delivery fee determination means; the delivery fee determination means determines a discount rate for the delivery fee for each time period based on the congestion rate for each time period of the entire delivery destination determined based on the past presence / absence of the delivery destination, and determines the delivery fee based on the scheduled delivery time and the discount rate; A delivery support system according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A delivery assistance server, A delivery time prediction means is provided, the delivery time prediction means refers to a database that stores the dimensions and weights of past deliveries, the delivery personnel who delivered the past deliveries, and the work times associated with the past deliveries, and determines a scheduled delivery time for the deliveries currently scheduled to be delivered based on the work times associated with the dimensions and weight of the deliveries currently scheduled to be delivered and the delivery personnel who will be in charge of the deliveries, and transmits the scheduled delivery time to the terminal; The terminal acquires an identifier of an access point for wireless communication, compares the identifier of the access point with a pre-registered identifier, and determines that the terminal is at home if the identifiers match; The delivery support server, wherein the delivery time prediction means re-determines the scheduled delivery time when the presence / absence information transmitted from the terminal indicates absence.

14. A delivery assistance method, comprising: causing the server to execute a delivery time prediction step; causing the terminal to execute a step of confirming presence at home and a step of arranging a delivery time; The delivery time prediction step refers to a database that stores the dimensions and weights of past deliveries, the delivery personnel who delivered the past deliveries, and the work times associated with the past deliveries, and determines a scheduled delivery time for the deliveries scheduled to be delivered this time based on the work times associated with the dimensions and weight of the deliveries scheduled to be delivered this time and the delivery personnel who will be in charge of the deliveries this time; The at-home confirmation step includes acquiring an identifier of an access point for wireless communication, comparing the identifier of the access point with a pre-registered identifier, and determining that the user is at home if the identifiers match; The delivery time adjustment step transmits to the server whether the terminal is present at the delivery destination, The delivery support method, wherein the delivery time predicting step re-determines the scheduled delivery time when the presence / absence indicates absence.

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