Transportation management device, transportation management system, and transportation management method

Abstract

To enable appropriate transportation, tracking, or management of transportation targets.SOLUTION: A transportation management device is provided, comprising a communication unit configured to receive transmission information including transportation target identification information and storage identification information from a terminal device configured to acquire the transportation target identification information and the storage identification information of a storage that accommodates a transportation target, and a processing unit configured to cause a data retaining unit to store the transportation target identification information and the storage identification information in association with each other according to the transmission information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transportation management device, a transportation management system, and a transportation management method. [Background technology]

[0002] One type of transportation using vehicles is relay transportation. In relay transportation, a storage unit (such as a container) loaded with the goods to be transported is connected, mounted, or placed on a vehicle, and the vehicle transporting the storage unit is switched at relay points, and the goods are transported from the shipper's base to the receiving base. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-179453 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When an object to be transported is transported from a shipper's base to a receiving base by a single vehicle, if the single vehicle and the object to be transported are associated, tracking or management of the object to be transported can be easily performed. On the other hand, in relay transport, the vehicle transporting the storage unit (container, etc.) containing the object to be transported is changed one after another, so ingenuity is required for the transportation, tracking or management of the object to be transported. Although relay transport is given as an example, it is important to properly transport, track or manage the object to be transported in any case, not just relay transport.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a transportation management device, a transportation management system, and a transportation management method that contribute to the proper transportation, tracking, or management of transportation objects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The transportation management device of the present invention comprises a communication unit that receives transmitted information including the identification information of the object to be transported and the identification information of the storage unit that stores the object to be transported from a terminal device that acquires the identification information of the object to be transported and the identification information of the storage unit that stores the object to be transported, and a processing unit that associates the identification information of the object to be transported and the identification information of the storage unit with each other based on the transmitted information and stores the association information in a data storage unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a transportation management device, a transportation management system, and a transportation management method that contribute to the proper transportation, tracking, or management of transportation objects. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a transportation management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1A is a side view of the exterior of a vehicle in a state where the storage unit is not connected, and FIG. 1B is a side view of the exterior of a vehicle in a state where the storage unit is connected, according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a transportation management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a configuration diagram of a transportation management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing how packages are placed on a pallet according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing how packages are placed on each of a plurality of pallets according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram showing how two-dimensional codes are attached to a vehicle, a container, a pallet, and luggage according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of relay transportation that is primarily assumed in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10]10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating how two-dimensional codes are photographed by a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the contents of information transmitted by a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 1 is a diagram showing transportation management data (transportation management data in an initial state) created and held by a transportation management device according to a first example belonging to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 13] 1 is a flowchart of relay transportation according to a first example belonging to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart at a first base (shipper base) according to a first example belonging to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of information transmitted from a terminal device at a first base (shipper base) to a transportation management device according to a first example pertaining to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how transportation management data is updated based on information transmitted from a terminal device at a first base (shipper base) in a first example belonging to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart at a first relay point according to a first example belonging to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of information transmitted from a terminal device to a transportation management device at a first relay point according to a first example belonging to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing transportation management data after receiving transmission information from a terminal device at a first relay point according to a first example pertaining to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] 10 is a flowchart at a second relay point according to a first example belonging to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of information transmitted from a terminal device to a transportation management device at a second relay point in a first example belonging to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing transportation management data after receiving transmission information from a terminal device at a second relay point in a first example belonging to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] 10 is a flowchart at a third relay point according to a first example belonging to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of information transmitted from a terminal device to a transportation management device at a third relay point in a first example belonging to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing transportation management data after receiving transmission information from a terminal device at a third relay point in a first example belonging to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] 10 is a flowchart at a second base (receiving base) in a first example belonging to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of information transmitted from a terminal device at a second base (receiving base) to a transportation management device according to a first example pertaining to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing transportation management data after receiving transmission information from a terminal device at a second base (receiving base) in a first example belonging to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each of the drawings, identical parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations of identical parts will be omitted as a general rule. For the sake of simplicity, this specification may use symbols or signs referring to information, signals, physical quantities, components, etc., and omit or abbreviate the names of the information, signals, physical quantities, components, etc. corresponding to the symbols or signs. For example, the container information referenced by "812" (see FIG. 11) described below may be written as "container information 812" or abbreviated as "information 812," but they all refer to the same thing. In this specification, the terms "transportation" and "transportation" are synonymous and may be used interchangeably.

[0010] FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration diagram of a transportation management system SYS according to an embodiment of the present invention. The transportation management system SYS is configured to include a transportation management device 1 and multiple terminal devices 2. The transportation management device 1 and each terminal device 2 are wirelessly connected via a communication network NET to enable two-way communication. The communication network NET includes all or part of the Internet, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), and a short-range wireless communication line. The wireless LAN may be compliant with Wi-Fi (registered trademark), for example. The short-range wireless communication line may be compliant with Bluetooth (registered trademark), for example. The communication network NET may include a wireless communication system. The wireless communication system here includes a wireless communication system compliant with the IMT-Advanced standard, and may be, for example, a fourth-generation mobile communication system.

[0011] The transportation management system SYS functions effectively when transporting cargo from one base to another using multiple vehicles PP, ensuring accurate cargo transportation. In this embodiment, a vehicle PP refers to a vehicle with a motor, including vehicles generally classified as tractors. A storage unit for storing cargo can be connected to each vehicle PP.

[0012] Please refer to Figures 2(a) and (b). The storage unit will be referred to by the symbol "QQ." Figure 2(a) is an exterior side view of the vehicle PP when the storage unit QQ is not connected, and Figure 2(b) is a schematic side view of the vehicle PP when the storage unit QQ is connected. The connection of the storage unit QQ to the vehicle PP does not only mean that the storage unit QQ is physically connected to the vehicle PP, but also that the storage unit QQ is disposed or mounted on the bed of the vehicle PP. The storage unit QQ can be freely connected or disconnected from the vehicle PP. The connection of the storage unit QQ to the vehicle PP and the disposition or mounting of the storage unit QQ on the vehicle PP can be understood to be synonymous with each other. Therefore, for example, in this specification, the expression "connecting the storage unit QQ to the vehicle PP" may be interpreted as "disposing the storage unit QQ on the vehicle PP (more specifically, disposing the storage unit QQ on the bed of the vehicle PP)," and vice versa.

[0013] The storage unit QQ may be any storage unit that can store cargo and can be connected (placed or mounted) to the vehicle PP. For example, the storage unit QQ is a container that can be mounted on the loading platform of the vehicle PP. The storage unit QQ is, for example, a 20-foot container (ISO container). The storage unit QQ may also be a swap body container, in which case the vehicle PP may also be referred to as a swap body truck. The storage unit QQ may also be a trailer with wheels. If the storage unit QQ is a trailer, the vehicle PP is a tractor that tows the trailer. In the following, it is assumed that the storage unit QQ is a container such as a swap body container, and the storage unit QQ will be referred to as a container QQ.

[0014] Each vehicle PP is also equipped with an on-board device 3. The on-board device 3 is a device that acquires information (such as driving information) about the vehicle PP, and may be a device generally called a digital tachograph. 2(a) and (b) schematically show how the on-board device 3 is mounted on the vehicle PP, but this illustration may be omitted in some of the drawings referred to later.

[0015] Each terminal device 2 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, or a portable information terminal. Each terminal device 2 may be a terminal device carried by the driver of the vehicle PP, or may be a terminal device installed in the vehicle PP. Unless otherwise specified, hereinafter, each terminal device 2 is assumed to be a terminal device (such as a smartphone) carried by the driver of the vehicle PP, and there is a one-to-one correspondence between the terminal device 2 and the vehicle PP. The transportation management system SYS includes n terminal devices 2, and when it is necessary to distinguish between the multiple terminal devices 2, the multiple terminal devices 2 may be referred to as terminal devices 2[1] to 2[n] (see FIG. 3). Similarly, when it is necessary to distinguish between the multiple vehicle PPs, the multiple vehicle PPs may be referred to as vehicle PP[1] to PP[n] (see FIG. 3). n is an arbitrary integer value equal to or greater than 2. The driver of vehicle PP[i] carries terminal device 2[i], and therefore terminal device 2[i] corresponds to vehicle PP[i]. i represents an arbitrary integer. Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 3 mounted on the vehicle PP[i] will be specifically referred to as the in-vehicle device 3[i].

[0016] Figure 4 shows the internal configuration of the transportation management device 1. The transportation management device 1 comprises a management control unit 11, a memory 12, a communication unit 13, an interface unit 14, a date and time information acquisition unit 15, and a data storage unit 16. The transportation management device 1 is composed of one or more computer devices connected to a communication network NET. The transportation management device 1 may also be formed using cloud computing.

[0017] The management control unit 11 has a calculation processing unit 11a including an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) as a hardware resource, and comprehensively controls the operation of each part of the transportation management device 1. In the following description, any operation and processing executed by the management control unit 11 may be understood as operation and processing executed by the calculation processing unit 11a. The MPU and GPU may be integrally formed in the calculation processing unit 11a (for example, the GPU may be built into the MPU).

[0018] The memory 12 includes non-volatile memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) or flash memory, and volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory). All or part of the memory 12 may be memory built into the management control unit 11. Each function of the management control unit 11 may be realized by executing a program stored in the memory 12 in the arithmetic processing unit 11a. The program here may include multiple programs. Each function of the management control unit 11 may be realized by providing multiple MPUs in the arithmetic processing unit 11a and executing multiple programs in the multiple MPUs.

[0019] The communication unit 13 is connected to the communication network NET by wire or wirelessly, and performs two-way communication with the counterpart device of the transportation management device 1 via the communication network NET. The counterpart device of the transportation management device 1 includes the above-mentioned multiple terminal devices 2. If the in-vehicle device 3 is configured to be capable of wireless communication, the counterpart device of the transportation management device 1 may include the in-vehicle device 3.

[0020] The interface unit 14 is a man-machine interface between the transportation management device 1 and a user of the transportation management device 1, and includes a display unit 141, an operation unit 142, a microphone 143, and a speaker 144. The user of the transportation management device 1 is the administrator of the transportation management system SYS (hereinafter simply referred to as the administrator).

[0021] The display unit 141 is a display device configured with a liquid crystal display panel or the like, and displays any image under the control of the management control unit 11. The operation unit 142 accepts any operation input from the manager. The display unit 141 and the operation unit 142 may form a touch panel, and operations on the operation unit 142 may be operations on the touch panel. The microphone 143 picks up sounds around the microphone 143 and converts the picked up sounds into electrical signals. The microphone 143 mainly picks up sounds uttered by the manager. The speaker 144 outputs any sound under the control of the management control unit 11. Note that all or part of the interface unit 14 may be provided outside the transportation management device 1 and externally connected to the transportation management device 1.

[0022] The date and time information acquisition unit 15 acquires date and time information indicating the current date and time. The date and time information acquisition unit 15 may acquire date and time information from another device (not shown) via the communication network NET. Note that the date and time information acquisition unit 15 may be omitted.

[0023] The data storage unit 16 is a non-volatile recording medium such as a magnetic disk and semiconductor memory, and stores various data. The data storage unit 16 may be an external storage device that is provided outside the transportation management device 1 and connected to the transportation management device 1.

[0024] 5 shows an internal configuration diagram of the terminal device 2. The terminal device 2 includes a terminal control unit 21, a memory 22, a communication unit 23, an interface unit 24, a date and time information acquisition unit 25, a GPS processing unit 26, and a camera unit 27.

[0025] The terminal control unit 21 includes a processing unit 21a including an MPU, a GPU, etc. as a hardware resource, and comprehensively controls the operation of each part of the terminal device 2. In the following description, any operation and processing executed by the terminal control unit 21 may be understood as an operation and processing executed by the processing unit 21a. The MPU and GPU may be integrally formed in the processing unit 21a (for example, the GPU may be built into the MPU).

[0026] The memory 22 includes non-volatile memory such as ROM or flash memory, and volatile memory such as RAM. All or part of the memory 22 may be memory built into the terminal control unit 21. Each function of the terminal control unit 21 may be realized by executing a program stored in the memory 22 in the arithmetic processing unit 21a. The program here may include multiple programs. Each function of the terminal control unit 21 may be realized by providing multiple MPUs in the arithmetic processing unit 21a and executing multiple programs in the multiple MPUs.

[0027] The communication unit 23 is connected to the communication network NET by wire or wirelessly, and performs two-way communication with a counterpart device of the terminal device 2 via the communication network NET. The counterpart device of the terminal device 2 includes the transportation management device 1. If the in-vehicle device 3 is configured to enable wireless communication, the counterpart device of the terminal device 2 may include the in-vehicle device 3.

[0028] The interface unit 24 is a man-machine interface between the terminal device 2 and the user of the terminal device 2, and includes a display unit 241, an operation unit 242, a microphone 243, and a speaker 244. When the terminal device 2 is carried by the driver of the vehicle PP, the user of the terminal device 2 is the driver of the vehicle PP.

[0029] The display unit 241 is a display device configured with a liquid crystal display panel or the like, and displays any image under the control of the terminal control unit 21. The operation unit 242 accepts any operation input from the user of the terminal device 2. The display unit 241 and the operation unit 242 may form a touch panel, and operations on the operation unit 242 may be operations on the touch panel. The microphone 243 picks up sounds around the microphone 243 and converts the picked up sounds into electrical signals. The target of the sound picked up by the microphone 243 is mainly the voice uttered by the user of the terminal device 2. The speaker 244 outputs any sound under the control of the terminal control unit 21. In the following description, any operation on the terminal device 2 means an operation input to the terminal device 2 by the user of the terminal device 2 via the interface unit 24.

[0030] The date and time information acquisition unit 25 acquires date and time information indicating the current date and time. The date and time information acquisition unit 25 may acquire date and time information from another device (not shown) via the communication network NET.

[0031] The GPS processing unit 26 detects the position of the terminal device 2 (the current location of the terminal device 2) by receiving signals from multiple GPS satellites that form the GPS (Global Positioning System), and generates location information indicating the detected position. In relay transportation, the terminal device 2[i] is located inside the vehicle PP[i], or the terminal device 2[i] is carried by the driver of the vehicle PP[i] and is located near the vehicle PP[i]. Therefore, it can be said that the location information generated by the GPS processing unit 26 of the terminal device 2[i] represents the current location of the vehicle PP[i].

[0032] The camera unit 27 captures an image of a subject within its field of view and generates image data representing the captured image. The generated image data is sent to the terminal control unit 21.

[0033] Referring to Figure 6, a load to be transported in relay transport is referred to as load LL. Load LL may be a single load or may include multiple separate loads, but in Figure 6 and some of the drawings described below, load LL is illustrated as if it were a single load. In this embodiment, load LL is basically transported by one of vehicles PP while placed on a pallet RR. Pallet RR is a loading platform on which load LL is placed.

[0034] In the relay transport of the transport management system SYS, multiple pallets RR are used to transport multiple packages LL. Of the multiple pallets RR, the i-th pallet RR is specifically referred to as pallet RR[i] (see Figure 7). Also, the package LL associated with the pallet RR[i] is specifically referred to as package LL[i] (see Figure 7). Package LL[i] is transported while placed on the pallet RR[i].

[0035] In the relay transport of the transportation management system SYS, a plurality of vehicles PP, a plurality of containers QQ, and a plurality of pallets RR are operated. Each vehicle PP is assigned a unique vehicle ID. The vehicle ID is identification information unique to each vehicle PP and is used to identify which of the multiple vehicles PP each vehicle PP is. Therefore, the multiple vehicle IDs for the multiple vehicles PP are different from each other. The vehicle ID may be information on the license plate of the vehicle PP. Each container QQ is assigned a unique container ID. The container ID is identification information unique to each container QQ and is container identification information (receptacle identification information) for identifying which of multiple containers QQ each container QQ belongs to. Therefore, multiple container IDs for multiple containers QQ are different from each other. Each pallet RR is assigned a unique pallet ID. The pallet ID is identification information unique to each pallet RR, and is pallet identification information for identifying which of multiple pallets RR each pallet RR belongs to. Therefore, multiple pallet IDs for multiple pallets RR are different from each other. Each package LL is assigned a unique package ID. The package ID is identification information unique to each package LL and is used to identify which of the multiple packages LL each package LL belongs to. Therefore, the multiple package IDs for the multiple packages LL are different from each other.

[0036] As shown in Figure 8(a), a vehicle code PP_CD is assigned to a predetermined location on the body of each vehicle PP. The vehicle code PP_CD assigned to the body of vehicle PP[i] is information that identifies the vehicle ID of vehicle PP[i], and is considered to be composed of a two-dimensional code here. As shown in Figure 8(b), a container code QQ_CD is assigned to a predetermined location on the outer wall of each container QQ. The container code QQ_CD assigned to the outer wall of container QQ[i] is information that identifies the container ID of container QQ[i], and is considered to be composed of a two-dimensional code here. As shown in Figure 8(c), a pallet code RR_CD is assigned to a predetermined location on the outer wall of each pallet RR. The pallet code RR_CD assigned to the outer wall of pallet RR[i] is information that identifies the pallet ID of pallet RR[i] and is considered to be composed of a two-dimensional code here. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8(c), a package code LL_CD is assigned to each package LL. The package code LL_CD assigned to package LL[i] is information that identifies the package ID of package LL[i] and is considered to be composed of a two-dimensional code here.

[0037] The codes PP_CD, QQ_CD, RR_CD, and LL_CD are attached at predetermined positions where they can be easily read by any person, including the driver, using the terminal device 2 (camera unit 27) or any code reading device. For example, the vehicle code PP_CD is attached to the body of each vehicle PP by printing or by attaching a sticker. Similarly, for example, the container code QQ_CD is attached to the outer wall of each container QQ by printing or by attaching a sticker. Similarly, for example, the pallet code RR_CD is attached to the outer wall of each pallet RR by printing or by attaching a sticker. The package code LL_CD may be a code attached to a shipping slip (consignment slip) that describes the sender and destination of the package LL. QR Code (registered trademark) may be used as the codes PP_CD, QQ_CD, RR_CD, and LL_CD.

[0038] FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram of relay transportation assumed in this embodiment. In this embodiment, it is assumed that cargo to be transported (hereinafter, may be specifically referred to as target cargo) is relay transported from a first base 610 to a second base 650. Hereinafter, the pallet on which the target cargo is placed may be referred to as the target pallet. Either the target cargo or the target pallet, or the target cargo and the target pallet together, will be referred to as the object to be transported. When focusing on the cargo that should originally be transported, the object to be transported is the target cargo. When focusing on the pallet that is transported accompanying the cargo that should originally be transported, the object to be transported is the target pallet. Furthermore, the container QQ that contains the object to be transported may be specifically referred to as the target container.

[0039] In relay transportation, a container QQ containing an object to be transported is transported from a first location 610 to a second location 650, passing through one or more relay points, and the vehicle PP transporting the container QQ is switched between two or more vehicles PP in sequence. In other words, in relay transportation, the object to be transported is stored in a container QQ, and is transported from the first location 610 to the second location 650 via one or more relay points using two or more vehicles PP in sequence. In the example of Figure 9, three relay points 620, 630, and 640 are passed through as the first, second, and third relay points.

[0040] That is, in the relay transportation of FIG. 9, first, a container QQ containing the transport object is transported by vehicle PP [1] from the first base 610 to the relay base 620. Then, a container QQ containing the transport object is transported by vehicle PP [2] from the relay base 620 to the relay base 630. Then, a container QQ containing the transport object is transported by vehicle PP [3] from the relay base 630 to the relay base 640. Then, a container QQ containing the transport object is transported by vehicle PP [4] from the relay base 640 to the second base 650. In this case, the first base 610 is the base of the sender of the target cargo (the shipper who sends the target cargo), and the second base 650 is the base of the receiver of the target cargo (the shipper who receives the target cargo). The sender's base may be referred to as the shipper's base. The receiver's base may also be referred to as the receiving base. In reality, relay transport of other cargo from the second location 650 to the first location 610 may also be carried out, but here we will only focus on relay transport of the target cargo from the first location 610 to the second location 650.

[0041] Furthermore, each of the bases described in this specification, such as the first base, second base, and relay base, is capable of parking multiple vehicles PP and has space where containers QQ can be connected or disconnected from vehicles PP and where containers QQ can be loaded and unloaded from vehicles PP.

[0042] In the system SYS, a schedule 700 (FIG. 10) is prepared prior to the implementation of relay transportation and distributed to each carrier responsible for relay transportation. The schedule 700 may be a printed matter or image that each driver can freely refer to. The schedule 700 shows a schedule for relay transportation of the target cargo from the first base 610 to the second base 650. The management control unit 11 may create the schedule 700. In this case, the management control unit 11 may accept input of information representing the wishes and plans of the sender, receiver, and each carrier via the interface unit 14 or the communication network NET, and determine the schedule based on the input information. Note that the schedule 700 may be created by any device other than the transportation management device 1.

[0043] An access code AC_CD is added to the schedule 700. The access code AC_CD is a two-dimensional code that allows the terminal device 2 to access a specified transportation management website. A QR code (registered trademark) can be used as the access code AC_CD. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the transportation management website is embedded in the access code AC_CD. The transportation management website is a website operated by the transportation management device 1. Any two-dimensional code can be photographed with the camera unit 27, and the two-dimensional code can be read into the terminal device 2.

[0044] 10, a user of a terminal device 2[i] (typically, for example, the driver of a vehicle PP[i]) can photograph the code AC_CD, PP_CD, QQ_CD, RR_CD, or LL_CD using the camera unit 27 of the terminal device 2[i]. The photographed code is read into the terminal device 2[i].

[0045] Each terminal device 2 is assumed to have an application program pre-installed that operates to access the website indicated by the scanned two-dimensional code. Therefore, when an access code AC_CD is scanned in any terminal device 2[i], the terminal control unit 21 issues an access request to the transportation management website based on the access code AC_CD. The issued access request is accepted by the management control unit 11 via the communication network NET. When the management control unit 11 receives an access request, it may reject the access request depending on the conditions, but the following discussion will only consider the case where the access request is accepted.

[0046] The state in which any terminal device 2[i] accesses the transportation management website will be referred to simply as the access state hereinafter. In the access state of the terminal device 2[i], as shown in FIG. 11, the terminal device 2[i] can transmit transmission information 810 to the transportation management device 1. The transmission information 810 is received by the communication unit 13 of the transportation management device 1. Although FIG. 11 shows that all of the information 811-816 is included in the transmission information 810, the transmission information 810 may include all of the information 811-816, or may include only a portion of the information 811-816. The information 811-816 may be transmitted from the terminal device 2[i] to the transportation management device 1 simultaneously, or may be transmitted from the terminal device 2[i] to the transportation management device 1 over multiple periods. The transmitted information 810 from terminal device 2[i] will be explained assuming that the target cargo is cargo LL[i], that cargo LL[i] is placed on pallet RR[i], and that container QQ containing cargo LL[i] and pallet RR[i] is container QQ[i].

[0047] The information 811 is location information acquired using the GPS processing unit 26 of the terminal device 2[i] and indicates the current location of the vehicle PP[i]. If a GPS processing unit equivalent to the GPS processing unit 26 is provided in the in-vehicle device 3[i], the location information 811 may be acquired by the in-vehicle device 3[i], and in this case, the location information 811 acquired by the in-vehicle device 3[i] may be transmitted to the terminal device 2[i].

[0048] Information 812 is container information that indicates the container ID of container QQ[i] in which pallet RR[i] (and therefore target cargo LL[i]) is stored. In the access state of terminal device 2[i], the driver of vehicle PP[i] can have terminal device 2[i] read the container code QQ_CD of container QQ[i] (see Figure 10). The container ID embedded in the read container code QQ_CD is indicated in container information 812.

[0049] Information 813 is vehicle information indicating the vehicle ID of vehicle PP[i] that should transport container QQ[i]. In the access state of terminal device 2[i], the driver of vehicle PP[i] can have terminal device 2[i] read the vehicle code PP_CD of vehicle PP[i] (see FIG. 10). The vehicle ID embedded in the read vehicle code PP_CD is indicated in vehicle information 813. The vehicle ID of vehicle PP[i] may be registered in on-board device 3[i], in which case vehicle information 813 may be acquired by on-board device 3[i]. Then, vehicle information 813 acquired by on-board device 3[i] may be transmitted to terminal device 2[i].

[0050] The information 814 is carrier information indicating the carrier ID of the carrier to which the vehicle PP[i] belongs. The driver of the vehicle PP[i], who is the user of the terminal device 2[i], inputs the carrier ID of the carrier to which the driver belongs to the terminal device 2[i] through the interface unit 14 of the terminal device 2[i]. The carrier information 814 is formed by the input carrier ID. However, the carrier information 814 may be information other than the carrier ID (but information associated with the carrier ID). For example, the information other than the carrier ID may be information unique to the terminal device 2[i]. In this case, it is assumed that first known information indicating that the unique information of the terminal device 2[i] corresponds to the carrier to which the vehicle PP[i] belongs is registered in advance in the transportation management device 1. Then, the transportation management device 1 can identify the carrier ID of the carrier to which the vehicle PP[i] belongs (in other words, the carrier associated with the terminal device 2[i]) based on the first known information and the unique information of the terminal device 2[i]. Alternatively, for example, the information other than the carrier ID may be unique information (such as a driver's license number) of the user of the terminal device 2[i] (i.e., the driver of the vehicle PP[i]). In this case, it is assumed that second known information indicating that the unique information of the user of the terminal device 2[i] corresponds to the carrier to which the vehicle PP[i] belongs is registered in advance in the transportation management device 1. Then, based on the second known information and the unique information of the user of the terminal device 2[i], the transportation management device 1 can identify the carrier ID of the carrier to which the vehicle PP[i] belongs (in other words, the carrier associated with the terminal device 2[i]). In the following, it is assumed that the carrier information 814 is formed when the driver of the vehicle PP[i], as the user of the terminal device 2[i], inputs the carrier ID of the carrier to which the driver belongs to the terminal device 2[i] via the interface unit 14 of the terminal device 2[i].

[0051] Information 815 is pallet information that indicates the pallet ID of the pallet RR[i] on which the target cargo LL[i] is placed. In the access state of the terminal device 2[i], the driver of the vehicle PP[i] can have the terminal device 2[i] read the pallet code RR_CD of the pallet RR[i] (see FIG. 10). The pallet ID embedded in the read pallet code RR_CD is indicated in the pallet information 815.

[0052] Information 816 is luggage information that indicates the luggage ID of the target luggage LL[i]. In the access state of the terminal device 2[i], the driver of the vehicle PP[i] can have the terminal device 2[i] read the luggage code LL_CD of the luggage LL[i] (see FIG. 10). The luggage ID embedded in the read luggage code LL_CD is shown in the luggage information 816.

[0053] When an object to be transported is transported from a shipper's base to a receiving base by a single vehicle PP, as long as the vehicle PP and the object to be transported are associated, tracking or management of the object to be transported can be easily performed. On the other hand, in relay transport, the vehicle PP transporting the container QQ containing the object to be transported is switched one after another, so ingenuity is required for the transportation, tracking or management of the object to be transported. In this embodiment, appropriate transportation, tracking or management of the object to be transported is made possible by associating the container ID with the pallet ID (or cargo ID).

[0054] Below, several specific operational examples, application techniques, modified techniques, etc. related to the transportation management system SYS will be described in multiple embodiments. The matters described above in this embodiment apply to each of the following embodiments unless otherwise specified and unless there is a contradiction. If there are any matters in each embodiment that contradict the matters described above, the description in each embodiment may take precedence. Furthermore, unless there is a contradiction, the matters described in any of the multiple embodiments shown below can also be applied to any other of the multiple embodiments (i.e., any two or more of the multiple embodiments can be combined).

[0055] <<First Example>> A first embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, for the sake of concreteness, it is assumed that the target cargo is cargo LL[1], the target pallet on which the target cargo is placed is pallet RR[1], and the target container that contains the transport target (target cargo and target pallet) is container QQ[1]. The flow of relay transportation will be described assuming that the target cargo LL[1] is placed on pallet RR[1] and then stored in container QQ[1], and the relay transportation shown in Figure 9 is performed for container QQ[1].

[0056] The management control unit 11 creates transportation management data 1600 shown in FIG. 12 for the target package LL[1] and stores it in the data storage unit 16. When the data of the schedule table 700 is stored in the data storage unit 16, the data of the schedule table 700 and the transportation management data 1600 may be associated with each other and stored in the data storage unit 16. The transportation management data 1600 shown in FIG. 12 is the initial state transportation management data 1600 created when the package ID, shipper base station, and receiving base station of the target package LL[1] are determined. In the first embodiment, the shipper base station is the first base station 610, and the receiving base station is the second base station 650. The transportation management data 1600 in FIG. 12 includes information 1601 representing the package ID of the target package LL[1], information 1602 representing the shipper base station of the target package LL[1], and information 1603 representing the receiving base station of the target package LL[1]. Various information is added to the transportation management data 1600 during the relay transportation process, and all information in the transportation management data 1600 is mutually associated as information for the target cargo LL[1].

[0057] As shown in Figure 13, the process of transporting the target cargo LL[1] by relay transportation from the first location 610 (shipper location) to the second location 650 (receiving location) includes steps S1 to S5. Steps S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5 are processes carried out at the first location 610, relay location 620, relay location 630, relay location 640, and second location 650, respectively. Each step is carried out in the order of steps S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5. Although not shown in Figure 13, there is a travel process of vehicle PP[1] between steps S1 and S2, a travel process of vehicle PP[2] between steps S2 and S3, a travel process of vehicle PP[3] between steps S3 and S4, and a travel process of vehicle PP[4] between steps S4 and S5.

[0058] --Flow at the first base 610-- Referring to Figure 14, step S1 includes a loading step S11, an information transmission / reception step S12, and a departure notification step S13. The order in which steps S11 and S12 are performed is not important. Steps S12 and S13 may be performed simultaneously. However, step S13 is performed at least after step S11.

[0059] In the loading process of step S11, a loading person loads the pallet RR[1] on which the target cargo LL[1] is placed into the container QQ[1]. The loading person may be the driver of the vehicle PP[1] or another person.

[0060] In the information transmission and reception process of step S12, as shown in Fig. 15, transmission information 1110 is transmitted from the terminal device 2[1] to the transportation management device 1. In step S12, the terminal device 2[1] is made to read the access code AC_CD, thereby allowing the terminal device 2[1] to access the transportation management website. The transmission information 1110 is transmitted in the access state of the terminal device 2[1] and is received by the communication unit 13 of the transportation management device 1.

[0061] The transmission information 1110 corresponds to the transmission information 810 in Fig. 11 when "i=1". The transmission information 1110 includes location information 1111, container information 1112, vehicle information 1113, trader information 1114, pallet information 1115, and cargo information 1116. The information 1111 to 1116 correspond to the information 811 to 816 (see Fig. 11) when "i=1". The information 1111 to 1116 may be generated and acquired by the terminal device 2 [1] in the same manner as the information 811 to 816 are generated and acquired.

[0062] Location information 1111 represents the current location of vehicle PP[1]. Since step S12 is performed when vehicle PP[1] and terminal device 2[1] are located at the first location 610, location information 1111 represents the location of the first location 610. At the first location 610, terminal device 2[1] reads the container code QQ_CD of container QQ[1]. Therefore, container information 1112 represents the container ID of container QQ[1].

[0063] Vehicle information 1113 represents the vehicle ID of vehicle PP[1]. The vehicle information 1113 is formed by, for example, reading the vehicle code PP_CD of vehicle PP[1] departing from the first location 610 by the terminal device 2[1] at the first location 610. Contractor information 1114 represents the carrier ID of the carrier to which vehicle PP[1] belongs. Contractor information 1114 is formed by, for example, inputting the carrier ID of the carrier to which vehicle PP[1] belongs into the terminal device 2[1] at the first location 610.

[0064] Pallet information 1115 represents the pallet ID of pallet RR[1]. Pallet information 1115 is formed by, for example, reading the pallet code RR_CD of pallet RR[1] by terminal device 2[1] at the first location 610. Package information 1116 represents the package ID of package LL[1]. Package information 1116 is formed by, for example, reading the package code LL_CD of package LL[1] by terminal device 2[1] at the first location 610.

[0065] In the transportation management device 1, when the communication unit 13 receives the transmission information 1110, the management control unit 11 updates the state of the transportation management data 1600 from state ST1a to state ST1b, as shown in FIG. 16, based on the transmission information 1110. The transportation management data 1600 in state ST1a is equivalent to the transportation management data 1600 in the initial state shown in FIG. 12. By adding target pallet information 1604, target container information 1605, and departure information 1610 to the transportation management data 1600 in state ST1a, the transportation management data 1600 in state ST1b is formed. The target pallet information 1604 corresponds to pallet information 1115 (see FIG. 15) and indicates that the target pallet on which the target cargo LL[1] is placed is pallet RR[1]. The target container information 1605 corresponds to the container information 1112 (see FIG. 15) and indicates that the target container that accommodates the transport object (LL[1], RR[1]) is container QQ[1]. The departure information 1610 in state ST1b includes location information 1111, vehicle information 1113, and company information 1114 (see FIG. 15).

[0066] The information 1604, 1605, and 1610 in the transportation management data 1600 indicates the following: That is, it indicates that the target cargo LL[1] is placed on the target pallet RR[1], then housed in the target container QQ[1], and transported from the first base 610 by the vehicle PP[1] of the carrier indicated in the carrier information 1114.

[0067] When the vehicle PP[1] is ready to depart from the first base 610, the driver of the vehicle PP[1] inputs a predetermined departure notification operation into the terminal device 2[1] in the departure notification process of step S13. As a result, a departure notification signal is sent from the terminal device 2[1] to the transportation management device 1. After step S13, the vehicle PP[1] with the container QQ[1] containing the transport object attached thereto departs from the first base 610 for the relay base 620.

[0068] When the communication unit 13 receives a departure notification signal in the departure notification process of step S13, the management control unit 11 adds date and time information to the departure information 1610 in the transportation management data 1600 in state ST1b, as shown in Figure 16. As a result, the management control unit 11 transitions the state of the transportation management data 1600 from state ST1b to state ST1c. The date and time information in the departure information 1610 (corresponding to "6 / 1 12:30" shown in Figure 16) represents the departure date and time of vehicle PP[1] from the first base 610, and corresponds to the date and time of reception of the departure notification signal in step S13.

[0069] 15 may not include either the pallet information 1115 or the cargo information 1116. In this case, however, association information (association information between the target cargo LL[1] and the target pallet RR[1]) indicating that the target cargo LL[1] will be transported while placed on the target pallet RR[1] is assumed to be separately provided to the transportation management device 1 during the loading process, etc. The management control unit 11 can create the target pallet information 1604 in the transportation management data 1600 for the target cargo LL[1] based on the association information.

[0070] --Flow at relay point 620-- FIG. 17 shows a flowchart of step S2 in FIG. 13 (steps at relay point 620). Step S2 includes an arrival notification step of step S21, a connection switching step of step S22, an information transmission / reception step of step S23, and a departure notification step of step S24. Here, steps S21, S22, S23, and S24 are considered to be executed in this order, but some of these steps may be executed simultaneously. For example, steps S23 and S24 may be executed simultaneously. However, step S24 is executed at least after steps S21 and S22.

[0071] When the vehicle PP[1] with the container QQ[1] containing the transport object attached thereto arrives at the relay point 620, the process proceeds to step S21. When the vehicle PP[1] arrives at the relay point 620, the driver of the vehicle PP[1] inputs a predetermined arrival notification operation into the terminal device 2[1] in the arrival notification process of step S21. As a result, an arrival notification signal is sent from the terminal device 2[1] to the transportation management device 1. The management control unit 11 regards the date and time when the arrival notification signal is received by the communication unit 13 as the arrival date and time of the vehicle PP[1] at the relay point 620, and adds information 1616 indicating the arrival date and time to the transportation management data 1600 (see FIG. 19).

[0072] The communication unit 13 may continuously receive location information indicating the current location of any vehicle PP[i] from the terminal device 2[i] or the in-vehicle device 3[i]. In this case, the management control unit 11 can determine whether vehicle PP[i] has arrived at its destination based on the location information indicating the current location of vehicle PP[i], thereby eliminating the need for an arrival notification operation. This modification that eliminates the need for an arrival notification operation can be applied to any of the bases 620, 630, 640, and 650. In the relay transportation assumed in this embodiment, the destinations of vehicles PP[1], PP[2], PP[3], and PP[4] are relay base 620, relay base 630, relay base 640, and second base 650, respectively.

[0073] The acquired information of the on-board device 3[1] during the period when the vehicle PP[1] travels from the first base 610 to the relay base 620 may be transmitted directly or indirectly from the on-board device 3[1] to the transportation management device 1. For any on-board device 3[i], indirect transmission means that the acquired information of the on-board device 3[i] is transmitted from the on-board device 3[i] to the terminal device 2[i], and then the acquired information of the on-board device 3[i] is transmitted from the terminal device 2[i] to the transportation management device 1 (i.e., it means transmission to the transportation management device 1 via the terminal device 2[i]). The acquired information of the on-board device 3[1] is received by the communication unit 13. The transmission and reception of the acquired information of the on-board device 3[1] may be performed during the travel of the vehicle PP[1] to the relay base 620, or may be performed after the vehicle PP[1] arrives at the relay base 620.

[0074] The information acquired by any in-vehicle device 3[i] mainly includes driving information of the vehicle PP[i]. The driving information of the vehicle PP[i] indicates the length of driving time and driving distance of the vehicle PP[i], as well as the average driving speed and time-series changes of the driving speed of the vehicle PP[i], and further includes information indicating whether or not the vehicle PP[i] suddenly accelerated or braked.

[0075] The management control unit 11 may add all or part of the acquired information of the in-vehicle device 3[1] received by the communication unit 13 to the transportation management data 1600 (corresponding to the addition of information 1617 in FIG. 19). This allows detailed understanding and accumulation of vehicle driving information during the transportation process of the transport object. Note that the acquired information of any in-vehicle device 3 may be referred to as digital tachograph information in drawings, etc.

[0076] In the connection switching process of step S22, after the vehicle PP[1] and the container QQ[1] are disconnected, the vehicle PP[2] is connected to the container QQ[1]. The subsequent processes of steps S23 and S24 are carried out using the terminal device 2[2] corresponding to the vehicle PP[2].

[0077] In the information transmission and reception process of step S23, as shown in Fig. 18, transmission information 1120 is transmitted from terminal device 2[2] to transportation management device 1. In step S23, access code AC_CD is read into terminal device 2[2], causing terminal device 2[2] to access the transportation management website. In the access state of terminal device 2[2], transmission information 1120 is transmitted and received by communication unit 13 of transportation management device 1.

[0078] Transmission information 1120 corresponds to transmission information 810 in FIG. 11 when "i=2." Transmission information 1120 includes location information 1121, container information 1122, vehicle information 1123, and contractor information 1124. Information 1121-1124 corresponds to information 811-814 (see FIG. 11) when "i=2." Information 1121-1124 may be generated and acquired by terminal device 2 [2] in the same manner as information 811-814. In principle, the door of container QQ [1] remains closed at relay point 620, and terminal device 2 [2] does not read the container ID or package ID. Therefore, pallet information and package information corresponding to information 815 and 816 (see FIG. 11) are not included in transmission information 1120.

[0079] Location information 1121 indicates the current location of vehicle PP[2]. Since step S23 is performed when vehicle PP[2] and terminal device 2[2] are located at relay point 620, location information 1121 indicates the location of relay point 620. At relay point 620, terminal device 2[2] reads the container code QQ_CD of container QQ[1]. Therefore, container information 1122 indicates the container ID of container QQ[1].

[0080] Vehicle information 1123 represents the vehicle ID of vehicle PP[2]. Vehicle information 1123 is formed by, for example, reading the vehicle code PP_CD of vehicle PP[2] departing from relay point 620 by terminal device 2[2] at relay point 620. Contractor information 1124 represents the carrier ID of the carrier to which vehicle PP[2] belongs. Contractor information 1124 is formed by, for example, inputting the carrier ID of the carrier to which vehicle PP[2] belongs into terminal device 2[2] at relay point 620.

[0081] In the transportation management device 1, when the communication unit 13 receives the transmission information 1120, the management control unit 11 adds departure information 1620 to the transportation management data 1600 based on the transmission information 1120, as shown in Fig. 19. The added departure information 1620 includes location information 1121, vehicle information 1123, and contractor information 1124 (see Fig. 18).

[0082] Here, only the transportation management data 1600 for the package LL[1] is focused on, but in reality, transportation management data is created for each package LL (or for each pallet RR) and stored in the data storage unit 16. The management control unit 11 identifies the transportation management data for the package LL corresponding to the container QQ[1] (i.e., the transportation management data 1600 for the package LL[1]) from among the multiple transportation management data stored in the data storage unit 16 based on the container information 1122 in the transmission information 1120. Then, the management control unit 11 adds departure information 1620 to the identified transportation management data (i.e., the transportation management data 1600 for the package LL[1]).

[0083] Information 1604, 1605 and 1620 in the transportation management data 1600 indicates that the target cargo LL[1] is placed on the target pallet RR[1], then placed in the target container QQ[1], and transported from the relay point 620 by the carrier's vehicle PP[2] indicated in the carrier information 1124.

[0084] When the vehicle PP[2] is ready to depart from the relay point 620, the driver of the vehicle PP[2] inputs a predetermined departure notification operation into the terminal device 2[2] in the departure notification process of step S24. As a result, a departure notification signal is sent from the terminal device 2[2] to the transportation management device 1. After step S24, the vehicle PP[2], with the container QQ[1] containing the transport object connected, departs from the relay point 620 to the relay point 630. When the departure notification signal is received by the communication unit 13 in the departure notification process of step S24, the management control unit 11 adds date and time information (corresponding to "6 / 1 17:30" shown in FIG. 19) to the departure information 1620 in the transportation management data 1600. The date and time information in the departure information 1620 represents the departure date and time of the vehicle PP[2] from the relay point 620, and corresponds to the date and time of receiving the departure notification signal in step S24.

[0085] --Flow at relay point 630-- FIG. 20 shows a flowchart of step S3 in FIG. 13 (steps at relay point 630). Step S3 includes an arrival notification step in step S31, a connection switching step in step S32, an information transmission / reception step in step S33, and a departure notification step in step S34. Here, steps S31, S32, S33, and S34 are considered to be executed in this order, but some of these steps may be executed simultaneously. For example, steps S33 and S34 may be executed simultaneously. However, step S34 is executed at least after steps S31 and S32.

[0086] When the vehicle PP[2] with the container QQ[1] containing the transport object attached thereto arrives at the relay point 630, the process proceeds to step S31. When the vehicle PP[2] arrives at the relay point 630, the driver of the vehicle PP[2] inputs a predetermined arrival notification operation into the terminal device 2[2] in the arrival notification process of step S31. As a result, an arrival notification signal is sent from the terminal device 2[2] to the transportation management device 1. The management control unit 11 regards the date and time when the arrival notification signal is received by the communication unit 13 as the arrival date and time of the vehicle PP[2] at the relay point 630, and adds information 1626 indicating the arrival date and time to the transportation management data 1600 (see FIG. 22).

[0087] The information acquired by the on-board device 3 [2] during the period when the vehicle PP [2] travels from the relay point 620 to the relay point 630 may be transmitted directly or indirectly from the on-board device 3 [2] to the transportation management device 1. The information acquired by the on-board device 3 [2] is received by the communication unit 13. The transmission and reception of the information acquired by the on-board device 3 [2] may be performed during the travel of the vehicle PP [2] to the relay point 630, or may be performed after the vehicle PP [2] arrives at the relay point 630. The management control unit 11 may add all or part of the information acquired by the on-board device 3 [2] received by the communication unit 13 to the transportation management data 1600 (corresponding to the addition of information 1627 in FIG. 22). This makes it possible to grasp and accumulate detailed information on the vehicle's travel during the transportation process of the transport object.

[0088] In the connection switching process of step S32, after the vehicle PP [2] and the container QQ [1] are disconnected, the vehicle PP [3] is connected to the container QQ [1]. The subsequent processes of steps S33 and S34 are carried out using the terminal device 2 [3] corresponding to the vehicle PP [3].

[0089] In the information transmission and reception process of step S33, as shown in Fig. 21, transmission information 1130 is transmitted from the terminal device 2[3] to the transportation management device 1. In step S33, the access code AC_CD is read into the terminal device 2[3], causing the terminal device 2[3] to access the transportation management website. The transmission information 1130 is transmitted in the access state of the terminal device 2[3] and is received by the communication unit 13 of the transportation management device 1.

[0090] Transmission information 1130 corresponds to transmission information 810 in FIG. 11 when "i=3." Transmission information 1130 includes location information 1131, container information 1132, vehicle information 1133, and contractor information 1134. Information 1131-1134 correspond to information 811-814 (see FIG. 11) when "i=3." Information 1131-1134 may be generated and acquired by terminal device 2 [3] in the same manner as information 811-814. In principle, the door of container QQ [1] remains closed at relay point 630, and terminal device 2 [3] does not read the container ID or package ID. Therefore, pallet information and package information corresponding to information 815 and 816 (see FIG. 11) are not included in transmission information 1130.

[0091] Location information 1131 indicates the current location of vehicle PP[3]. Since step S33 is performed when vehicle PP[3] and terminal device 2[3] are located at relay point 630, location information 1131 indicates the location of relay point 630. At relay point 630, terminal device 2[3] reads the container code QQ_CD of container QQ[1]. Therefore, container information 1132 indicates the container ID of container QQ[1].

[0092] Vehicle information 1133 indicates the vehicle ID of vehicle PP[3]. The vehicle information 1133 is formed by, for example, reading the vehicle code PP_CD of vehicle PP[3] departing from relay point 630 by terminal device 2[3] at relay point 630. Contractor information 1134 indicates the carrier ID of the carrier to which vehicle PP[3] belongs. The contractor information 1134 is formed by, for example, inputting the carrier ID of the carrier to which vehicle PP[3] belongs into terminal device 2[3] at relay point 630.

[0093] In the transportation management device 1, when the communication unit 13 receives the transmission information 1130, the management control unit 11 adds departure information 1630 to the transportation management data 1600 based on the transmission information 1130, as shown in FIG. 22. The added departure information 1630 includes location information 1131, vehicle information 1133, and contractor information 1134 (see FIG. 21). As described above, the management control unit 11 identifies the transportation management data of the package LL corresponding to the container QQ[1] (i.e., the transportation management data 1600 of the package LL[1]) based on the container information 1132 in the transmission information 1130 from among the multiple transportation management data stored in the data storage unit 16. Then, the management control unit 11 adds the departure information 1630 to the identified transportation management data (i.e., the transportation management data 1600 of the package LL[1]). Information 1604, 1605 and 1630 in the transportation management data 1600 indicates that the target cargo LL[1] is placed on the target pallet RR[1], then placed in the target container QQ[1], and transported from the relay point 630 by the carrier's vehicle PP[3] indicated in the carrier information 1134.

[0094] When the vehicle PP[3] is ready to depart from the relay point 630, the driver of the vehicle PP[3] inputs a predetermined departure notification operation into the terminal device 2[3] in the departure notification process of step S34. As a result, a departure notification signal is sent from the terminal device 2[3] to the transportation management device 1. After step S34, the vehicle PP[3], with the container QQ[1] containing the transport object connected, departs from the relay point 630 to the relay point 640. When the departure notification signal is received by the communication unit 13 in the departure notification process of step S34, the management control unit 11 adds date and time information (corresponding to "6 / 1 23:30" shown in FIG. 22) to the departure information 1630 in the transportation management data 1600. The date and time information in the departure information 1630 represents the departure date and time of the vehicle PP[3] from the relay point 630, and corresponds to the date and time of receiving the departure notification signal in step S34.

[0095] --Flow at relay point 640-- FIG. 23 shows a flowchart of step S4 in FIG. 13 (steps at relay point 640). Step S4 includes an arrival notification step of step S41, a connection switching step of step S42, an information transmission / reception step of step S43, and a departure notification step of step S44. Here, steps S41, S42, S43, and S44 are considered to be executed in this order, but some of these steps may be executed simultaneously. For example, steps S43 and S44 may be executed simultaneously. However, step S44 is executed at least after steps S41 and S42.

[0096] When the vehicle PP[3] with the container QQ[1] containing the transport object attached thereto arrives at the relay point 640, the process proceeds to step S41. When the vehicle PP[3] arrives at the relay point 640, the driver of the vehicle PP[3] inputs a predetermined arrival notification operation into the terminal device 2[3] in the arrival notification process of step S41. As a result, an arrival notification signal is sent from the terminal device 2[3] to the transportation management device 1. The management control unit 11 regards the date and time when the arrival notification signal is received by the communication unit 13 as the arrival date and time of the vehicle PP[3] at the relay point 640, and adds information 1636 indicating the arrival date and time to the transportation management data 1600 (see FIG. 25).

[0097] The information acquired by the on-board device 3 [3] during the period when the vehicle PP [3] travels from the relay point 630 to the relay point 640 may be transmitted directly or indirectly from the on-board device 3 [3] to the transportation management device 1. The information acquired by the on-board device 3 [3] is received by the communication unit 13. The transmission and reception of the information acquired by the on-board device 3 [3] may be performed during the travel of the vehicle PP [3] to the relay point 640, or may be performed after the vehicle PP [3] arrives at the relay point 640. The management control unit 11 may add all or part of the information acquired by the on-board device 3 [3] received by the communication unit 13 to the transportation management data 1600 (corresponding to the addition of information 1637 in FIG. 25). This makes it possible to grasp and accumulate detailed information on the vehicle's travel during the transportation process of the transport object.

[0098] In the connection switching process of step S42, after the vehicle PP [3] and the container QQ [1] are disconnected, the vehicle PP [4] is connected to the container QQ [1]. The subsequent processes of steps S43 and S44 are carried out using the terminal device 2 [4] corresponding to the vehicle PP [4].

[0099] In the information transmission and reception process of step S43, as shown in Fig. 24, transmission information 1140 is transmitted from the terminal device 2[4] to the transportation management device 1. In step S43, the access code AC_CD is read into the terminal device 2[4], causing the terminal device 2[4] to access the transportation management website. The transmission information 1140 is transmitted in the access state of the terminal device 2[4] and is received by the communication unit 13 of the transportation management device 1.

[0100] Transmission information 1140 corresponds to transmission information 810 in FIG. 11 when "i=4." Transmission information 1140 includes location information 1141, container information 1142, vehicle information 1143, and contractor information 1144. Information 1141-1144 correspond to information 811-814 (see FIG. 11) when "i=4." Information 1141-1144 may be generated and acquired by terminal device 2 [4] in the same manner as information 811-814. In principle, the door of container QQ [1] remains closed at relay point 640, and terminal device 2 [4] does not read the container ID or package ID. Therefore, pallet information and package information corresponding to information 815 and 816 (see FIG. 11) are not included in transmission information 1140.

[0101] Location information 1141 indicates the current location of vehicle PP[4]. Since step S43 is performed when vehicle PP[4] and terminal device 2[4] are located at relay point 640, location information 1141 indicates the location of relay point 640. At relay point 640, terminal device 2[4] reads the container code QQ_CD of container QQ[1]. Therefore, container information 1142 indicates the container ID of container QQ[1].

[0102] Vehicle information 1143 indicates the vehicle ID of vehicle PP[4]. The vehicle information 1143 is formed by, for example, reading the vehicle code PP_CD of vehicle PP[4] departing from relay point 640 by terminal device 2[4] at relay point 640. Contractor information 1144 indicates the carrier ID of the carrier to which vehicle PP[4] belongs. The contractor information 1144 is formed by, for example, inputting the carrier ID of the carrier to which vehicle PP[4] belongs into terminal device 2[4] at relay point 640.

[0103] In the transportation management device 1, when the communication unit 13 receives the transmission information 1140, the management control unit 11 adds departure information 1640 to the transportation management data 1600 based on the transmission information 1140, as shown in FIG. 25. The added departure information 1640 includes location information 1141, vehicle information 1143, and contractor information 1144 (see FIG. 24). As described above, the management control unit 11 identifies the transportation management data of the package LL corresponding to the container QQ[1] (i.e., the transportation management data 1600 of the package LL[1]) based on the container information 1142 in the transmission information 1140 from among the multiple transportation management data stored in the data storage unit 16. Then, the management control unit 11 adds the departure information 1640 to the identified transportation management data (i.e., the transportation management data 1600 of the package LL[1]). Information 1604, 1605 and 1640 in the transportation management data 1600 indicates that the target cargo LL[1] is placed on the target pallet RR[1], then placed in the target container QQ[1], and transported from the relay point 640 by the carrier's vehicle PP[4] indicated in the carrier information 1144.

[0104] When the vehicle PP[4] is ready to depart from the relay point 640, the driver of the vehicle PP[4] inputs a predetermined departure notification operation into the terminal device 2[4] in the departure notification process of step S44. As a result, a departure notification signal is sent from the terminal device 2[4] to the transportation management device 1. After step S44, the vehicle PP[4], with the container QQ[1] containing the transport object connected, departs from the relay point 640 toward the second base 650. When the departure notification signal is received by the communication unit 13 in the departure notification process of step S44, the management control unit 11 adds date and time information (corresponding to "6 / 2 5:30" shown in FIG. 25) to the departure information 1640 in the transportation management data 1600. The date and time information in the departure information 1640 represents the departure date and time of the vehicle PP[4] from the relay point 640, and corresponds to the date and time of receiving the departure notification signal in step S44.

[0105] --Flow at the second base 650-- FIG. 26 shows a flowchart of step S5 in FIG. 13 (steps at the second site 650). Step S5 includes an arrival notification step S51, a separation step S52, and an unloading step S53. Here, steps S51, S52, and S53 are considered to be performed in this order, but some of these steps may be performed simultaneously. Also, step S52 may be performed after step S53.

[0106] When the vehicle PP[4] with the container QQ[1] containing the transport object attached thereto arrives at the second base 650, the process proceeds to step S51. When the vehicle PP[4] arrives at the second base 650, the driver of the vehicle PP[4] inputs a predetermined arrival notification operation into the terminal device 2[4] in the arrival notification process of step S51. As a result, an arrival notification signal is sent from the terminal device 2[4] to the transportation management device 1. The management control unit 11 regards the date and time when the arrival notification signal is received by the communication unit 13 as the arrival date and time of the vehicle PP[4] at the second base 650, and adds information 1646 indicating the arrival date and time to the transportation management data 1600 (see FIG. 28).

[0107] The information acquired by the on-board device 3 [4] during the period when the vehicle PP [4] travels from the relay point 640 to the second base 650 may be transmitted directly or indirectly from the on-board device 3 [4] to the transportation management device 1. The information acquired by the on-board device 3 [4] is received by the communication unit 13. The transmission and reception of the information acquired by the on-board device 3 [4] may be performed during the travel of the vehicle PP [4] to the second base 650, or may be performed after the vehicle PP [4] arrives at the second base 650. The management control unit 11 may add all or part of the information acquired by the on-board device 3 [4] received by the communication unit 13 to the transportation management data 1600 (corresponding to the addition of information 1647 in Figure 28). This makes it possible to grasp and accumulate detailed information on the vehicle's travel during the transportation process of the transport object.

[0108] In the separation process of step S52, the vehicle PP[4] and the container QQ[1] are separated. In the unloading process of step S53, the unloader unloads the cargo LL contained in the container QQ[1] at the second base 650, either by cargo or by pallet. In the unloading process, the terminal device 2 operated by the unloader is referred to as terminal device 2[x] (x is a natural number). In the unloading process, terminal device 2[x] is located at the second base 650. The unloader may or may not be the same as the driver of vehicle PP[4]. If the unloader is the same as the driver of vehicle PP[4], terminal device 2[x] may be the same as terminal device 2[4].

[0109] During the unloading process, the unloader reads the access code AC_CD into the terminal device 2[x], causing the terminal device 2[x] to access the transportation management website. With the terminal device 2[x] in an access state, the unloader reads the container code QQ_CD of container QQ[1] into the terminal device 2[x]. As a result, transmission information 1150 containing container information 1152 indicating the container ID of container QQ[1] is sent from the terminal device 2[x] to the transportation management device 1 (see FIG. 27). The transmission information 1150 also includes location information 1151. The location information 1151 indicates the current location of terminal device 2[x]. Because the unloading process is performed with container QQ[1] and terminal device 2[x] located at the second base 650, the location information 1151 indicates the location of second base 650, which is the current location of container QQ[1].

[0110] In the transportation management device 1, when the communication unit 13 receives the transmission information 1150, the management control unit 11 determines, based on the transmission information 1150, that the transportation object (LL[1], RR[1]) has arrived at the second base 650, which is the receiving base. The transportation management data 1600 specifies that the receiving base for the target cargo LL[1] belonging to the transportation object is the second base 650 (see information 1603 in FIG. 28 ). Therefore, the management control unit 11 can determine, based on the transportation management data 1600 and the transmission information 1150, that the transportation object (LL[1], RR[1]) has arrived at the receiving base. The management control unit 11 can store information indicating the result of this determination in the transportation management data 1600.

[0111] In this embodiment, the correspondence between the transport objects (LL[1], RR[1]) and the container (QQ[1]) that houses the transport objects is stored in the data storage unit 16, so inspection of the transport objects in the container is possible simply by reading the container ID. For convenience of explanation, the relay transport flow is described here focusing on the package LL[1]. In reality, however, the relay transport from the first location 610 to the second location 650 is carried out with a large number of packages LL housed in the container QQ[1]. The container QQ[1] and each package LL in the container QQ[1] are associated with each other through data (transportation management data) in the data storage unit 16. This means that inspection of all packages in the container QQ[1] is possible simply by reading the container ID of the container QQ[1], eliminating the need for inspection on a package-by-package basis, providing a high level of convenience.

[0112] During the unloading process, the unloader may have the terminal device 2[x] read the pallet code RR_CD of the pallet RR[1] contained in the container QQ[1]. In this case, the pallet information indicating the pallet code RR_CD of the pallet RR[1] is transmitted from the terminal device 2[x] to the transportation management device 1 together with the location information 1151, and is received by the communication unit 13. The management control unit 11 performs an unloading verification process that verifies the pallet information and location information 1151 received from the terminal device 2[x] against the transportation management data 1600, thereby determining that the pallet RR[1] and the package LL[1] have correctly arrived at the receiving point.

[0113] During the unloading process, the person in charge of unloading may have the terminal device 2[x] read the package code LL_CD of package LL[1] contained in container QQ[1]. In this case, package information indicating package code LL_CD of package LL[1] is transmitted from terminal device 2[x] to transportation management device 1 together with location information 1151, and is received by the communication unit 13. The management control unit 11 performs an unloading verification process that verifies the package information and location information 1151 received from terminal device 2[x] with transportation management data 1600, thereby determining that package LL[1] has correctly arrived at the receiving point.

[0114] <<Second Example>> A second embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, assume a case EX2a in which an arbitrary worker attempts to remove the contents of a container QQ[1] at a relay point 640. For convenience, the terminal device 2 operated in the case EX2a will be referred to as the terminal device 2a.

[0115] At the relay point 640, the worker in charge of the case EX2a has the terminal device 2a read the pallet code RR_CD of the pallet RR[1] stored in the container QQ[1]. In this case, the pallet information indicating the pallet code RR_CD of the pallet RR[1], together with the location information indicating the current location of the terminal device 2a (and therefore the location of the relay point 640), is transmitted from the terminal device 2a to the transportation management device 1 and received by the communication unit 13.

[0116] The management control unit 11 performs an unloading verification process to verify the pallet information and location information received from the terminal device 2a against the transportation management data 1600. While the transportation management data 1600 indicates that the receiving point for pallet RR[1] is the second location 650, the location information received from the terminal device 2a indicates the relay location 640. Therefore, the management control unit 11 involved in the unloading verification process determines that pallet RR[1] has not correctly arrived at the receiving point (second location 650) and transmits a predetermined error signal to the terminal device 2a. In response to receiving the error signal, the terminal device 2a issues a predetermined error notification (for example, a notification indicating that pallet RR[1] should not be unloaded) to the worker.

[0117] Alternatively, at the relay point 640, the worker in charge of the case EX2a has the terminal device 2a read the package code LL_CD of the package LL[1] stored in the container QQ[1]. In this case, package information indicating the package code LL_CD of the package LL[1], together with location information indicating the current location of the terminal device 2a (and therefore the location of the relay point 640), is transmitted from the terminal device 2a to the transportation management device 1 and received by the communication unit 13.

[0118] The management control unit 11 performs an unloading verification process to verify the package information and location information received from the terminal device 2a against the transportation management data 1600. While the transportation management data 1600 indicates that the receiving point for package LL[1] is the second location 650, the location information received from the terminal device 2a indicates the relay location 640. Therefore, the management control unit 11 involved in the unloading verification process determines that package LL[1] has not arrived correctly at the receiving point (second location 650), and transmits a predetermined error signal to the terminal device 2a. In response to receiving the error signal, the terminal device 2a issues a predetermined error notification (for example, a notification indicating that package LL[1] should not be unloaded) to the worker.

[0119] <<Third Example>> A third embodiment will be described. The shipper base station of a certain parcel LL may or may not be the same as the shipper base station of another parcel LL. Similarly, the receiving base station of a certain parcel LL may or may not be the same as the receiving base station of another parcel LL. For example, the shipper base stations of parcels LL[1], LL[2], and LL[3] may be first base station 610, first base station 610, and relay base station 620, respectively, and the receiving base stations of parcels LL[1], LL[2], and LL[3] may be second base station 650, relay base station 640, and second base station 650, respectively. In this case, consider case EX3a in which parcels LL[1] to LL[3] are transported via relay transport while contained in container QQ[1].

[0120] In case EX3a, the cargo LL[1] is transported from the first base station 610 to the second base station 650 according to the flow shown in the first embodiment. On the other hand, the cargo LL[2] is the same as the cargo LL[1] until the vehicle PP[3] arrives at the relay base 640. However, in case EX3a, the cargo LL[2] is unloaded from the container QQ[1] at the relay base 640. In this case, the management control unit 11 may determine whether or not to unload the cargo LL[2] from the container QQ[1] at the relay base 640 by using the unloading verification process described above.

[0121] In case EX3a, the cargo LL[3] is loaded into the container QQ[1] at the relay point 620. After that, the cargo LL[3] is transported together with the cargo LL[1] from the relay point 620 to the second point 650 according to the flow shown in the first embodiment. The cargo LL[3] is unloaded from the container QQ[1] at the second point 650. In this case, the management control unit 11 may determine whether or not to unload the cargo LL[3] from the container QQ[1] at the second point 650 by using the unloading verification process described above.

[0122] <<Fourth Example>> A fourth embodiment will be described. A two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark) is assumed as the code (AC_CD, QQ_CD, PP_CD, RR_CD, LL_CD) to be read by the terminal device 2. However, the code to be read may be a one-dimensional code, or any pattern code that is not classified as a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code.

[0123] The method of obtaining various IDs (container ID, vehicle ID, pallet ID, and baggage ID) by the terminal device 2 may be arbitrary. That is, for example, various IDs (container ID, vehicle ID, pallet ID, and baggage ID) may be read by the terminal device 2 using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). That is, for example, an RF tag capable of transmitting the container ID of container QQ[i] may be attached to any container QQ[i], and the container ID from the RF tag may be received by the terminal device 2 using short-range wireless communication. The same applies to other IDs (vehicle ID, pallet ID, and baggage ID).

[0124] <<Fifth Example>> A fifth embodiment will be described. An example has been given in which a route from a first location 610 to a second location 650 passes through three relay locations 620, 630, and 640. If a vehicle PP traveling toward and arriving at the second location 650 is referred to as the final vehicle, then in the first embodiment, vehicle PP[4] functions as the final vehicle.

[0125] However, the total number of relay points that are passed through in relay transportation from the first base station 610 to the second base station 650 can be any number equal to or greater than 1. If the total number is 1, it can be considered that the vehicle PP[2] departing from the relay point 620 carries the target container QQ directly to the second base station 650 as the final vehicle, without passing through the relay points 630 and 640, or that the relay point 630 is the same as the second base station 650.

[0126] <<Sixth Example>> A sixth embodiment will now be described.

[0127] The relay transport in which cargo LL is placed on a pallet RR and transported has been described above. When a pallet RR is used, relay transport can be carried out in units of pallets RR. However, the use of pallets RR is not mandatory. In this case, individual cargo LL is placed in a container QQ without using a pallet RR, and relay transport is carried out in units of cargo.

[0128] A program that causes a computer to execute any of the methods described in the embodiments of the present invention, and a computer-readable non-volatile recording medium on which the program is recorded, are included in the scope of the embodiments of the present invention. Any processing in the embodiments of the present invention may be realized by hardware such as a semiconductor integrated circuit, software equivalent to the program, or a combination of hardware and software. There may be multiple pieces of software and hardware.

[0129] The embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways as appropriate within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims. The above-described embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and the meanings of the terms of the present invention and each constituent element are not limited to those described in the above-described embodiments. The specific numerical values ​​shown in the above description are merely examples, and as a matter of course, they can be changed to various numerical values.

[0130] <<Additional Notes>> The present invention, the specific configuration of which has been shown in the above embodiment, will now be described with additional notes.

[0131] A transportation management device (1) according to one aspect of the present invention is configured (first configuration) to include a communication unit (13) that receives transmitted information including identification information of the object to be transported (LL or RR) and identification information of the storage unit (QQ) that stores the object to be transported from a terminal device (2) that acquires the identification information of the object to be transported and the identification information of the storage unit, and a processing unit (11, 11a) that associates the identification information of the object to be transported and the identification information of the storage unit based on the transmitted information and stores them in a data storage unit (16).

[0132] As in the first configuration, by acquiring the identification information of the object to be transported and the identification information of the storage unit, and storing them in association with each other, it becomes possible to properly transport, track, or manage the object to be transported.

[0133] The transportation management device according to the first configuration may also be configured (second configuration) to manage relay transportation in which the item to be transported is stored in the storage section and transported sequentially using multiple vehicles from the shipper's base to the receiving base via one or more relay bases.

[0134] When an object to be transported is transported from a shipper's base to a receiving base in a single vehicle, as long as the single vehicle and the object to be transported are associated, tracking or management of the object to be transported can be easily performed. On the other hand, in relay transportation, the vehicle transporting the storage unit containing the object to be transported is changed one after another, so ingenuity is required for the transportation, tracking or management of the object to be transported. As in the second configuration, by acquiring the identification information of the object to be transported and the identification information of the storage unit and storing them in association with each other, it becomes possible to properly transport, track or manage the object to be transported.

[0135] In the transportation management device according to the second configuration, the storage unit containing the object to be transported is transported from the shipper's base (610) by a first vehicle (PP[1]), and then the storage unit containing the object to be transported is transported from any of the relay bases by a second vehicle (PP[2], PP[3] or PP[4]). At the shipper's base, a first terminal device (2[1]) corresponding to the first vehicle transmits first transmission information (1110; see FIG. 15) including identification information of the object to be transported, identification information of the storage unit, and identification information of the first vehicle. Then, at any of the relay bases, the first transmission information (1110) corresponding to the first vehicle transmits first transmission information (1110; see FIG. 15). A second transmission information (1120, 1130 or 1140; see Figure 18, Figure 21 or Figure 24) including the identification information of the storage unit and the identification information of the second vehicle is transmitted from the corresponding second terminal device (2[2], 2[3] or 2[4]), and the processing unit, when the communication unit receives the first transmission information, stores transportation management data based on the first transmission information in the data storage unit (see Figure 16), and when the communication unit subsequently receives the second transmission information, adds information based on the second transmission information to the transportation management data (see Figure 19, Figure 22 or Figure 25) (third configuration).

[0136] This makes it possible to properly understand and track which vehicle the item was transported in.

[0137] In the transportation management device relating to the third configuration above, the first transmission information (1110; see Figure 15) may include location information of the shipper's base station, and the second transmission information (1120, 1130 or 1140; see Figure 18, Figure 21 or Figure 24) may include location information of any of the relay base stations (fourth configuration).

[0138] This makes it possible to properly grasp and track which vehicle and which base the item was transported (shipped) through.

[0139] In the transportation management device relating to the third or fourth configuration, the first transmission information (1110; see Figure 15) may include identification information of the transportation company to which the first vehicle belongs, and the second transmission information (1120, 1130 or 1140; see Figure 18, Figure 21 or Figure 24) may include identification information of the transportation company to which the second vehicle belongs (fifth configuration).

[0140] This makes it possible to properly understand and track which carrier and which vehicle the item was transported in.

[0141] In a transportation management device relating to any of the above third to fifth configurations, the acquired information of a first on-board device (3[1]) mounted on the first vehicle and acquiring driving information of the first vehicle is transmitted from the first on-board device or the first terminal device and received by the communication unit, and the acquired information of a second on-board device (3[2], 3[3] or 3[4]) mounted on the second vehicle and acquiring driving information of the second vehicle is transmitted from the second on-board device or the second terminal device (2[2], 2[3] or 2[4]) and received by the communication unit, and the processing unit may add all or part of the acquired information of the first on-board device received by the communication unit to the transportation management data (corresponding to the addition of information 1617; see Figure 19), and add all or part of the acquired information of the second on-board device received by the communication unit to the transportation management data (corresponding to the addition of information 1627, 1637 or 1647; see Figure 22, Figure 25 or Figure 28). (Sixth configuration).

[0142] This allows the status of the transported item to be properly understood and managed while it is being transported from the relay point.

[0143] In a transportation management device relating to any of the third to sixth configurations above, after the storage unit containing the object to be transported is transported to the receiving point by the final vehicle of the plurality of vehicles (PP[4] in the relay transportation example of Figure 9), third transmission information (1150; see Figure 27) containing identification information of the storage unit is transmitted from a terminal device (2[x]) located at the receiving point, and the processing unit may be configured (seventh configuration) to determine that the object to be transported has arrived at the receiving point based on the third transmission information being received by the communication unit.

[0144] This allows an operator at the receiving point to inspect the transported items simply by having a terminal device acquire the identification information of the storage unit.

[0145] In the transportation management device relating to the seventh configuration, the acquired information of a third on-board device that is mounted on the final vehicle (PP[4] in the relay transportation example of Figure 9) and acquires driving information of the final vehicle is transmitted from the third on-board device or a terminal device corresponding to the final vehicle and received by the communication unit, and the processing unit may be configured to add all or part of the acquired information of the third on-board information received by the communication unit to the transportation management data (eighth configuration).

[0146] This allows the status of the transport object to be properly understood and managed while it is being transported to the receiving point. [Explanation of symbols]

[0147] SYS Transportation Management System NET communication network PP vehicle QQ container RR Palette LL Luggage 1 Transportation management device 11 Management and Control Unit 11a Processing unit 12 Memory 13 Communications Department 14 Interface section 15 Date and time information acquisition section 16 Data storage unit 2. Terminal Device 21 Terminal control unit 21a Processing unit 22 Memory 23 Communications Department 24 Interface section 25 Date and time information acquisition section 26 GPS processing unit 27 Camera Club 700 Schedule AC_CD Access Code PP_CD Vehicle Code QQ_CD container code RR_CD Pallet Code LL_CD luggage code 810, 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150 Transmission information 1600 Transportation Management Data

Claims

1. a communication unit that receives, from a terminal device that acquires identification information of an object to be transported and identification information of a storage unit that stores the object to be transported, transmission information including the identification information of the object to be transported and the identification information of the storage unit; a processing unit that associates the identification information of the object to be transported and the identification information of the container unit based on the transmitted information and stores the associated information in a data storage unit; A transportation management device that manages relay transportation in which the object to be transported is stored in the storage unit, and the object is transported from a shipper's base to a receiving base via one or more relay bases using a plurality of vehicles in sequence, The storage unit containing the transport object is transported from the shipper base by a first vehicle, and then the storage unit containing the transport object is transported from any relay base by a second vehicle, When first transmission information including identification information of the object to be transported, identification information of the storage unit, and identification information of the first vehicle is transmitted from a first terminal device corresponding to the first vehicle at the shipper base and the communication unit receives the first transmission information, the processing unit causes the data storage unit to store transportation management data based on the first transmission information, after that, In a first case in which second transmission information including identification information of the storage unit and identification information of the second vehicle is transmitted from a second terminal device corresponding to the second vehicle at any of the relay points, and the communication unit receives the second transmission information, the processing unit adds information based on the second transmission information to the transportation management data, In a second case in which other transmission information including identification information of the transport object is transmitted from another terminal device at any of the relay points and the communication unit receives the other transmission information, the processing unit transmits a predetermined error signal to the other terminal device. , transportation management equipment.

2. In the first case, after the information based on the second transmission information is added to the transportation management data and the storage unit containing the object to be transported is transported to the receiving base by the final vehicle included in the plurality of vehicles, third transmission information including identification information of the storage unit is transmitted from a terminal device located at the receiving base, and when the third transmission information is received by the communication unit, the processing unit determines that the object to be transported has arrived at the receiving base. The transportation management device according to claim 1 .

3. When the other transmission information is received in the second case, the processing unit determines that the transport object has not arrived at the receiving point, and notifies the user of the other terminal device through the transmission of the error signal that the transport object should not be unloaded. The transportation management device according to claim 2 .

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