Stocker

Abstract

To provide a stocker capable of opening a door of a delivery warehouse at proper timing even when an input part on which input is performed by an operator is separated from a storage warehouse at a delivery destination or a reception destination of an article.SOLUTION: A stocker comprises a storage warehouse which has a door capable of being opened and closed, and allows delivery or reception of an article to a delivery warehouse. The stocker comprises: an input part which is installed at a position separated from the storage warehouse and on which input can be performed by an operator; an opening part for opening the door; a control part for controlling the opening part so as to open the door of the storage warehouse, on the basis of an instruction of delivery or reception of the article through the input part; and a change part for changing the standby time since the instruction of delivery or reception of the article until the door of the delivery warehouse is opened.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This specification discloses a stocker. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional stocker of this type has been proposed that includes multiple delivery warehouses, locking devices that lock and unlock the doors of the delivery warehouses, a control unit that controls the locking devices, and a display and operation unit that displays a guide screen related to the delivery and removal of items and accepts various operations related to the delivery and removal of items (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The control unit follows the operator's operations accepted via the display and operation unit, collates the necessary information, and then controls the locking and unlocking of the delivery warehouses into and out of which items are to be placed. The delivery warehouse doors are biased forward (in the opening direction) by a spring, and when unlocked by the locking device, the biasing force automatically opens them slightly. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 026543 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] After performing the necessary operations on the display operation unit for delivery or receipt, the operator moves to the delivery warehouse at the delivery or receipt destination and puts or takes out the items. If the delivery warehouse is opened when the operation unit and the delivery or receipt destination are far apart, it takes a certain amount of time for the operator to move to the open delivery warehouse, and the delivery warehouse will remain open for a certain amount of time. For example, if the delivery warehouse door remains open for a long period of time during rainy weather, rain may enter the delivery warehouse through the gap in the open door, causing dirt inside the warehouse or causing malfunctions.

[0005] The main object of the present disclosure is to open the door of a delivery warehouse at the appropriate time even if the input unit through which the operator inputs and the warehouse where the goods are delivered or received are located far apart. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present disclosure has adopted the following means to achieve the above-mentioned main object.

[0007] The stocker disclosed herein is a stocker that includes a storage warehouse with a door that can be opened or closed, and that can deliver or receive items to or from the delivery warehouse, and is equipped with an input unit that is installed at a location away from the storage warehouse and that can receive input from an operator, an opening unit that opens the door, a control unit that controls the opening unit so that the door of the storage warehouse is opened based on an instruction to deliver or receive the item given via the input unit, and a change unit that changes the waiting time from when an instruction to deliver or receive the item is given until the door of the delivery warehouse is opened.

[0008] The stocker disclosed herein changes the waiting time between when an instruction to deliver or receive an item is issued and when the delivery warehouse door opens. Therefore, even if the input unit where the operator enters information is far from the delivery or receiving warehouse, the delivery warehouse door can be opened at the appropriate time. This prevents, for example, the delivery warehouse door from opening when the deliverer or receiver is not nearby, or the deliverer or receiver from having to wait a long time in front of the delivery warehouse for the delivery or receiving destination. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one row of storage facilities. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the control unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the input / output relationship between the control unit and other devices. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control routine. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a guide screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a waiting time setting table. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a waiting time setting table according to a modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how a deliverer or receiver inputs information into an operation panel and then moves to a delivery destination or a receiving destination. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A preferred embodiment of the stocker of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of stocker 10. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one row of storage compartments 20. Fig. 3 is a front view of control unit 30. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the input / output relationship between control unit 30 and other devices. In this embodiment, the left-right direction, front-rear direction, and up-down direction are as shown in each figure.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the stocker 10 includes a plurality of box-shaped storage units 20 capable of storing items, and a control unit 30 that receives various operations related to the storage unit 20's delivery and removal and performs various processes related to the locking and unlocking of the storage units 20. The stocker 10 has a plurality of storage units 20 (four in FIG. 1 ) arranged vertically and horizontally in multiple rows (seven rows in FIG. 1 ). The control unit 30 is located in the leftmost row, replacing one storage unit 20. The stocker 10 is installed in various locations, such as offices, stores, train stations, schools, apartment buildings, and shopping centers, and may be installed indoors or outdoors. The stocker 10 is used for handing over items delivered by a deliverer, when a deliverer delivers an item to one of the storage units 20 as the delivery destination (delivery destination), and the recipient then retrieves the item from the storage unit 20 to receive it.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 2, the storage facility 20 includes a rectangular parallelepiped main body 21 that is open at the front, a door 22 that is attached to the main body 21 via a hinge 23 so as to be able to open and close, an electronic lock 24 that locks and unlocks the door 22, an opening / closing sensor 25 that detects whether the door 22 is open or closed, and an item sensor 26 that detects whether an item is present inside the storage facility. The door 22 is biased in the opening direction by a spring (torsion coil spring) attached to the hinge 23, and when the electronic lock 24 is unlocked, the biasing force causes the door to automatically open to a predetermined angle. As shown in FIG. 1, the predetermined angle is adjusted to an angle (e.g., 30 to 45 degrees) that allows the deliverer or recipient to recognize that the door 22 is open. The door 22 may also be configured to open and close automatically by rotating a rotation shaft of the door 22 using power from a motor.

[0013] 1, the control unit 30 includes a rectangular parallelepiped main body 31 having the same size as each storage facility 20, a front panel 32 that covers the front of the main body 31 and on which various devices are attached, and a control device 33 that is arranged in the space within the main body 31. As shown in FIG. 3, the various devices attached to the front panel 32 include an operation panel 34, a reader 35, a camera 36, ​​and a speaker 37.

[0014] The operation panel 34 is disposed in the center of the front panel 32. The operation panel 34 displays operational guidance related to the delivery and receipt of goods and accepts input operations related to the delivery and receipt of goods. In FIG. 3, as an example, a guide image Ga for prompting the operator to select whether to deliver or receive the parcel, and an operation image Gb having a delivery button for prompting the operator to perform the delivery process and a receipt button for prompting the operator to receive the parcel, are displayed. The reader 35 is a QR code reader for reading a QR code (registered trademark) used for authentication by the recipient to receive the goods. The camera 36 is positioned so as to be able to capture an image of a predetermined range in front of the stocker 10, and captures an image including subjects such as the deliverer and recipient. The speaker 37 outputs operational guidance related to the delivery and receipt of goods by voice through multiple audio output holes.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 4, the control device 33 includes a control unit 33a, a storage unit 33b, and a communication unit 33c. The control unit 33a is responsible for overall control of the stocker 10. The control unit 33a is composed of a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc. The storage unit 33b stores processing programs and also stores management information for managing each storage unit 20 (for example, information on the presence or absence of items stored in each storage unit 20 and information on recipients of the items). The communication unit 33c is connected to a network 2 such as the Internet, and transmits various types of information to a portable device carried by a recipient and obtains weather information for the area where the stocker 10 is installed from a weather server 1 that provides weather information.

[0016] The control device 33 can input an input signal from the operation panel 34, a code reading signal from the reader 35, and an image signal from the camera 36. The control device 33 can also input a detection signal from the opening / closing sensor 25 and a detection signal from the item sensor 26 for each storage unit 20. The control device 33 can output a control signal to the operation panel 34, a control signal to the reader 35, a control signal to the camera 36, ​​and an audio signal to the speaker 37. The control device 33 can also output a control signal to the electric lock 24 for each storage unit 20.

[0017] Next, the operation of stocker 10 configured as above will be described. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a control routine. The control routine is stored in storage unit 33b and is constantly executed by the CPU of control unit 33a.

[0018] When the control routine is executed, the control unit 33a first inputs an image of the periphery of the stocker 10 captured by the camera 36 and stores it in the storage unit 33b (S100). Next, the control unit 33a determines whether or not a moving object has been detected around the stocker 10 based on the image captured by the camera 36 (S110). For example, the control unit 33a determines whether or not a moving object has been detected by determining whether or not there is an object whose position has changed over time based on multiple images input from the camera 36 from the current time up to a predetermined time prior. If the control unit 33a determines in S110 that a moving object has not been detected around the stocker 10, the control unit 33a returns to S100. On the other hand, if the control unit 33a determines in S110 that a moving object has been detected around the stocker 10, the control unit 33a displays an instruction reception screen on the operation panel 34 to receive instructions from the deliverer or receiver (S120). In this embodiment, the operation panel 34 is configured to display the guide image Ga and operation image Gb shown in Fig. 3 and to accept input operations to the operation panel 34. A delivery button and a reception button are displayed in a touch-operable state on the operation image Gb.

[0019] Next, the control unit 33a determines whether the delivery button or the reception button has been selected (S130).

[0020] If the control unit 33a determines in S130 that the delivery button has been selected, it prompts the deliverer to enter an authentication number, for example by displaying an input guide image on the operation panel 34 (S140). The authentication number can be entered by code reading using the reader 35, or by displaying a guide image prompting the deliverer to enter the authentication number and a software keyboard for input on the operation panel 34, allowing the deliverer to enter the number using the keyboard. When the authentication number is entered, the control unit 33a verifies whether the entered authentication number matches a regular authentication number registered in advance in the storage unit 33b (S150). If the authentication number does not match, the control unit 33a notifies the deliverer of the error, for example by displaying an error image on the operation panel 34 (S160), and returns to S120.

[0021] On the other hand, when the authentication number is verified, the control unit 33a determines an available storage unit 20 among the storage units 20 in the stocker 10 as the storage unit 20 of the delivery destination, and displays a guidance screen on the operation panel 34 to guide the user to the location of the storage unit 20 of the delivery destination, as shown in FIG. 6 (S170). Next, the control unit 33a acquires current weather information from the weather server 1 via the network 2 using the communication unit 33c (S180). Next, the control unit 33a sets an opening waiting time based on the acquired weather information (S190) and controls the electric lock 24 so that the storage unit 20 of the delivery destination is unlocked after the set opening waiting time has elapsed (S200, S210). As described above, the door 22 is biased in the opening direction, so it automatically opens when the electric lock 24 is unlocked. This allows the deliverer to deliver the item to the storage unit 20. The opening waiting time is the waiting time from when the stocker 10 receives an instruction to deliver goods until it opens the storage warehouse 20 at the delivery destination. It is set longer on rainy days than on sunny or cloudy days. This is because it takes some time for the deliverer to move to the storage warehouse 20 after inputting a delivery instruction via the operation panel 34. Therefore, if the storage warehouse 20 is opened immediately after the delivery instruction is received on rainy days, rainwater may seep into the storage warehouse, causing contamination or malfunction. In this embodiment, the opening waiting time is set by calculating the relationship between weather information and the opening waiting time in advance and storing it in the storage unit 33b as an opening waiting time setting table. When weather information is given, the corresponding opening waiting time is derived from the table. An example of the opening waiting time setting table is shown in FIG. 7. In the opening waiting time setting table shown in FIG. 7, the opening waiting time is set to 1 second on sunny or cloudy days and 7 seconds on rainy days. After unlocking the storage unit 20, the control unit 33a determines whether the delivery is complete (S220). This determination is made by determining whether the door 22 is closed and whether there are any items inside the storage unit, based on detection signals from the opening / closing sensor 25 and the item sensor 26. When the control unit 33a determines that the delivery is complete, it controls the electric lock 24 to lock the storage unit 20 (S230).Then, the control unit 33a generates a receipt number required for the recipient to receive the item, stores the receipt number in the memory unit 33b in association with the delivery warehouse number of the storage warehouse 20 to which the item was delivered, and transmits the receipt number and a receipt code obtained by encoding the receipt number to the recipient's mobile device (not shown) via the network 2 (S240), and ends the control routine.

[0022] If the control unit 33a determines in S130 that the receipt button has been selected, it prompts the recipient to input a receipt number by, for example, displaying an input guide image on the operation panel 34 (S250). As with S140, the receipt number can be input by code reading or keyboard input. When the receipt number is input, the control unit 33a verifies whether the input receipt number matches the receipt number generated by the control unit 33a and registered in the storage unit 33b (S260). If the receipt number does not match, the control unit 33a notifies the deliverer of the error by, for example, displaying an error image on the operation panel 34 (S270), and returns to S120.

[0023] On the other hand, when the receiving number is verified, the control unit 33a determines that the storage unit 20 corresponding to the receiving number is the receiving storage unit 20, and similarly to S170, displays a guidance screen on the operation panel 34 indicating the location of the receiving storage unit 20 (S280). Next, similarly to S180 to S210, the control unit 33a acquires current weather information, sets an opening wait time based on the acquired weather information, and controls the electric lock 24 so that the receiving storage unit 20 is unlocked after the set opening wait time has elapsed (S290 to S320). This allows the recipient to receive the item from the storage unit 20. After unlocking the storage unit 20, the control unit 33a determines whether the receiving is complete (S330). This determination is made by determining whether the door 22 is closed and there are no items inside the storage unit based on detection signals from the opening / closing sensor 25 and the item sensor 26. When the control unit 33a determines that the receipt is complete, it controls the electric lock 24 to lock the storage 20 (S340), and ends the control routine.

[0024] The stocker 10 of the present embodiment described above is configured to change the waiting time (opening waiting time) from when an instruction to deliver or receive an item is given until the door 22 of the storage warehouse 20 is opened. Therefore, even if the operation panel 34 where the operator inputs information is far from the storage warehouse 20 at the delivery or receiving destination of the item, the door 22 of the storage warehouse 20 can be opened at the appropriate time. This prevents, for example, the door 22 of the storage warehouse 20 from opening when the deliverer or receiver is not nearby, or the deliverer or receiver from having to wait a long time in front of the storage warehouse 20 at the delivery or receiving destination until the door 22 opens.

[0025] Furthermore, the waiting time for opening is made longer on rainy days compared to sunny or cloudy days, which shortens the time that the door 22 of the storage facility 20 is open on rainy days, thereby preventing rainwater from entering the storage facility and causing soiling or breakdowns inside the storage facility.

[0026] Here, the correspondence between the components of this embodiment and the components of the present invention will be clarified. The storage 20 of this embodiment corresponds to the storage of the present disclosure, the operation panel 34 corresponds to the input unit, the electric lock 24 corresponds to the opening unit, the control unit 33a that executes the processes of S200, S210, S310, and S320 of the control routine corresponds to the control unit, and the control unit 33a that executes the processes of S190 and S300 of the control routine corresponds to the change unit. Furthermore, the control unit 33a that executes the processes of S180 and S290 of the control routine corresponds to the acquisition unit. Furthermore, the control unit 33a that executes the processes of S170 and S280 of the control routine and the operation panel 34 correspond to the guide unit.

[0027] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0028] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the control unit 33a changes the waiting time for opening the storage unit 20 based on current weather information. However, different waiting times for opening may be set for each storage unit 20 without being based on current weather information. In this case, the control unit 33a may set the waiting time for opening so that the waiting time for opening is longer for the storage unit 20 that is farther from the control unit 30. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the waiting times for opening the storage units 20 in the first and second rows from the left, the third row, the fourth row, the fifth row, the sixth row, and the seventh row, where the control unit 30 (operation panel 34) is installed, may be set to 1 second, 3 seconds, 5 seconds, 7 seconds, 9 seconds, and 11 seconds, respectively. This allows the timing for opening the delivery storage unit 20 to be set appropriately according to the travel distance of a person M, such as a deliverer or a recipient, as shown in FIG. 9. The control unit 33a may also set the waiting time for opening based on a combination of current weather information and the distance from the control unit 30 (operation panel 34) to the delivery storage unit 20.

[0029] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the control unit 33a displays a guidance screen on the operation panel 34 to guide the user to the location of the delivery warehouse 20 at the delivery or receiving destination, but it may also be configured to output audio guidance from the speaker 37 instead of or in addition to displaying the guidance screen.

[0030] The stocker of the present disclosure may be configured as follows.

[0031] The stocker of the present disclosure may further include an acquisition unit that acquires weather information for the area in which the stocker is installed, and the change unit may extend the waiting time when the acquired weather information indicates rainy weather compared to when the weather is sunny. This shortens the time that the storage facility is open when it is raining, thereby minimizing the intrusion of rainwater into the storage facility and preventing the storage facility from becoming dirty or malfunctioning.

[0032] Furthermore, the stocker of the present disclosure may include a plurality of storage units, and the change unit may increase the waiting time for a storage unit that is farther from the input unit among the plurality of storage units. In this way, the time from when the deliverer or receiver inputs the necessary information into the input unit until when they move to the storage unit is taken into consideration, making it possible to open the storage unit in accordance with the timing of delivery by the deliverer and the timing of receipt by the receiver.

[0033] Furthermore, the stocker of the present disclosure may include a plurality of storage units and a guide unit that guides the location of the storage unit whose door will open before the door is opened based on an instruction to deliver or receive the item. In this way, the deliverer or receiver can know in advance which storage unit will be opened.

[0034] In the stocker of the present disclosure, the opening portion may open the door to an angle smaller than fully open so that an operator can recognize that the door is open. This reduces the intrusion of rainwater into the storage compartment during rainy weather. [Industrial Applicability]

[0035] The present invention can be used in the manufacturing industry of storage warehouses and stockers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 Weather server, 2 Network, 10 Stocker, 20 Storage warehouse, 21 Main body, 22 Door, 23 Hinge, 24 Electric lock, 25 Open / close sensor, 26 Item sensor, 30 Control unit, 31 Main body, 32 Front panel, 33 Control device, 33a Control unit, 33b Memory unit, 33c Communication unit, 34 Operation panel, 35 Reader, 36 Camera, 37 Speaker, Ga Guidance image, Gb Operation image.

Claims

1. A stocker in which a plurality of storage units each having an openable / closable door are arranged in a row on the left and right, and which is capable of delivering or receiving goods to or from the storage units, an input unit that is installed in place of the storage unit 1 and that allows an operator to input; an opening portion for opening the door; a control unit that controls the opening unit to open the door of the storage facility based on an instruction to deliver or receive the item via the input unit; a change unit that changes the waiting time from when an instruction to deliver or receive the item is given until the door of the storage facility is opened; an acquisition unit that acquires weather information for a region where the stocker is installed; a storage unit that stores the relationship between the weather information and the waiting time as a waiting time setting table for opening; Equipped with The change unit derives the corresponding waiting time for opening from the table, and thereby lengthens the waiting time when the acquired weather information indicates rainy weather compared to when the weather information indicates fine weather.

2. 2. The stocker according to claim 1, Equipped with multiple storage facilities, The change unit increases the waiting time for a storage facility farther from the input unit among the plurality of storage facilities. Stocker.

3. 3. The stocker according to claim 1, Multiple storage facilities and a guidance unit that provides guidance on the location of the storage facility where the door will open before the door is opened based on an instruction to deliver or receive the item; A stocker comprising:

4. 4. The stocker according to claim 1, wherein: The opening unit opens the door at an opening angle smaller than a full opening angle so that an operator can recognize that the door is open. Stocker.

Images