Delivery box system

Abstract

We provide a delivery box system that allows both delivery personnel and recipients to easily and safely exchange packages, even in shared environments, and that can be introduced and operated at a low cost. [Solution] The system comprises multiple storage boxes for storing packages, doors for opening and closing the openings of the storage boxes, electronic locks for locking and unlocking the doors, and an operation panel for operating the loading and unloading of packages. The operation panel includes an input unit for receiving input operations and a control unit for controlling the locking and unlocking of the electronic lock based on the input information from the input unit. When a delivery person loads a package, the input unit specifies the storage box to which the package will be loaded from among the multiple storage boxes and a user ID that identifies the recipient to perform the loading operation. When the recipient retrieves a package, they input the user ID and a unique unlocking password for the recipient to perform the unloading operation. The control unit unlocks the electronic lock if the entered unlocking password matches a password that has been registered in advance.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a delivery box system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, delivery boxes that are used in ordinary households, apartment buildings, etc. and receive delivery goods unmanned are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a locking and unlocking system for a delivery box. The locking and unlocking system includes an electronic lock on the door of the luggage compartment and is configured to be controlled by a release code input unit and a release / locking button. The control unit unlocks the electronic lock by inputting a release code and controls it to automatically relock after a predetermined time has elapsed, so that a delivery person can deposit luggage without entering a password, reducing the work burden.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The configuration described in Patent Document 1 is useful as an individual delivery box, but is not suitable for application to an environment shared by multiple users such as an apartment building or an office. In addition, in order to manage the incoming and outgoing of luggage, an external management server is required, resulting in problems such as increased introduction costs and operation costs. <000E026>

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a delivery box system that enables both delivery personnel and recipients to easily and safely deliver and receive luggage in a shared environment and can be introduced at low cost.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the aforementioned problems, the delivery box system of the present invention is It comprises multiple storage boxes for storing goods, doors for opening and closing the openings of the storage boxes, electronic locks for locking and unlocking the doors, and an operation panel for operating the loading and unloading of goods. The aforementioned control panel is It includes an input unit that accepts input operations from a delivery person or recipient, and a control unit that controls the locking and unlocking of the electronic lock based on the input information from the input unit, The input unit is configured such that when a delivery person stores a package, they specify the storage box to be used to store the package from among multiple storage boxes and the user ID that identifies the recipient to perform a storage operation, and when the recipient retrieves the package, they input the user ID and a unique unlocking password for the recipient to perform a storage operation. The control unit is characterized by unlocking the electronic lock when the entered unlocking password matches a password that has been registered in advance. This feature allows delivery personnel and recipients to perform loading and unloading operations via a common control panel, eliminating the need for individual control panels for each storage box and allowing multiple boxes to be managed with a single control panel. Therefore, multiple users can sequentially share and use the same system. Furthermore, delivery personnel only need to specify the storage box and user ID when loading packages, eliminating the need to enter a password, thus simplifying the loading process. Recipients, on the other hand, can retrieve packages easily and securely by simply entering the user ID and unlock password. Moreover, since there is no need to share a common password between delivery personnel and recipients, and each recipient is assigned a unique password, a high level of security can be maintained. Additionally, this configuration does not require a management server, thus reducing implementation costs.

[0007] The aforementioned user ID is characterized by being identified by a combination of input operations, one from each of several buttons arranged in the row and column directions. This feature allows for the selection of numerous IDs with a small number of buttons by combining the vertical and horizontal axes, making it easier for both delivery personnel and recipients to hand over packages.

[0008] The control panel is equipped with a communication unit that performs local wireless communication with a mobile terminal. The communication unit is characterized by its configuration to accept input operations by receiving signals transmitted from the mobile terminal. This feature allows for communication via local wireless communication, eliminating the need for servers or the cloud. This enables operation regardless of the communication environment, thus reducing implementation costs.

[0009] The control panel is characterized by having a display unit whose illumination or flashing is controlled by the control unit according to the status of the storage in operation or storage out operation. This feature allows for a visual presentation of the operating status, preventing errors and confusion in the operating procedure, and improving usability for both delivery personnel and recipients.

[0010] The control panel is characterized in that its power is turned on in response to the start of an inbound or outbound operation, and if no operation is performed for a predetermined period of time, the control unit automatically shuts off the power. This feature allows for power saving by supplying power only when in operation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, even in a shared environment, both delivery personnel and recipients can easily and safely exchange packages, and it can be introduced and operated at low cost. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing an example of a delivery box system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a front view of the user interface (UI) on the control panel. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram of a delivery box. [Figure 4] It is a flowchart when the delivery person makes a delivery. [Figure 5] It is a flowchart when the recipient picks up the package.

Mode for Carrying out the Invention

[0013] An embodiment of the delivery box system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that each drawing used in the description is simplified for easy understanding and does not accurately represent the shape, size, etc. of each component.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a delivery box system 10 of an embodiment. The delivery box system 10 includes a delivery box 11 and a mobile terminal 70.

[0015] The delivery box 11 includes a plurality of storage boxes 12 having a luggage storage space inside, a door 13 for opening and closing the front opening of each storage box, an electronic lock 35 (FIG. 3) for locking and unlocking each door 13, and an operation panel 15 for operating incoming and outgoing deliveries. The delivery box 11 is installed and used in condominiums, offices, shared parts of facilities, etc., and even in an environment where there are multiple recipients, the delivery luggage can be received unmanned. The delivery box 11 can perform local wireless communication with the mobile terminal 70.

[0016] The door 13 closes the opening on the front side of the storage box 12 and can be opened by gripping and pulling the door 13 in the unlocked state of the electronic lock 35. When the electronic lock 35 is in the locked state, the door 13 cannot be opened.

[0017] The storage box 12 is formed in a box shape from a rigid material such as metal or resin, and a door 13 is attached to its front surface via a hinge so as to be openable and closable. An electronic lock 35 is provided inside the door 13, and the electronic lock 35 is constituted by, for example, a snatching motor. The snatching motor is configured such that an L-shaped metal dog provided on the door 13 side engages therewith. By closing the door 13, the dog is inserted into the locking portion of the electronic lock 35, and the dog is fixed by the operation of the motor to lock the box. When unlocking, the snatching motor pushes the dog back to release the lock, and the door 13 is opened. The structure of the electronic lock 35 can adopt any form such as a solenoid type, a motor-driven type, or an electromagnetic adsorption type. Each storage box 12 is provided with an individual door 13 and an electronic lock 35, and is configured to be individually locked and unlocked by a control unit 31 (FIG. 3).

[0018] The operation panel 15 includes an input unit 32 that receives an input operation by a delivery person or a recipient, and a control unit 31 that controls locking and unlocking of the electronic lock 35 based on input information from the input unit 32. An operation UI (user interface) 15a is provided on the front surface of the operation panel 15 (FIG. 2). The delivery person performs a warehousing operation on the operation UI 15a, and the recipient performs an outwarehousing operation on the operation UI 15a.

[0019] The portable terminal 70 is carried by the recipient of the luggage, such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. When taking out the luggage, the recipient uses the portable terminal 70 to perform local wireless communication with the communication unit 36 (FIG. 3) of the home delivery box 11, and performs operations such as inputting an unlocking password. The portable terminal 70 may be any device that can be connected to the home delivery box system 10 by local wireless communication, and may be a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PC, or the like.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the operation UI 15a has vertical buttons 21, horizontal buttons 22, designated box buttons 23, management buttons 24, cancel buttons 25, decision buttons 26, warehousing buttons 27, outwarehousing buttons 28, and room number LEDs 29. Further, in addition to these buttons, the operation UI 15a may include a numeric keypad for performing numeric input or password input.

[0021] The receiving button 27 displays, for example, the word "receive" and lights up when pressed to indicate the start of the receiving operation. When the receiving button 27 is pressed, the power to the delivery box 11 is turned on via the power supply unit 37 (Figure 3). The control unit 31 manages the receiving operation time and, for example, allows operation acceptance for 60 seconds. Ten seconds before the end of the operation, the receiving button 27 blinks and automatically shuts off the power after 60 seconds have elapsed. If the receiving button 27 is pressed again before 60 seconds have elapsed, the operation time may be extended.

[0022] The delivery button 28 displays, for example, the word "Delivery" and lights up when pressed to indicate the start of the delivery operation. When the delivery button 28 is pressed, the power to the delivery box 11 is turned on, and the control unit 31 manages the delivery operation time. Ten seconds before the end of the operation, the delivery button 28 blinks, and the power is automatically shut off after a predetermined time has elapsed. The operation time may be extended by pressing the delivery button 28 again.

[0023] The designated box button 23 displays, for example, the "box number," indicating the storage box number, such as BOX1 to BOX6. When the designated box button 23 is pressed, the corresponding box number is stored in the memory unit 34 (Figure 3). Based on the memory unit 34, the control unit 31 identifies the box number currently in use, and if there are empty boxes, the designated box button 23 corresponding to the empty box is lit, allowing the delivery person to visually identify the available boxes.

[0024] The vertical row of buttons 21 displays, for example, "numbers," representing 1, 2, 3, etc., from bottom to top. The vertical row of buttons 21 lights up when pressed to indicate selection.

[0025] The row of buttons 22 displays, for example, "English letters," representing A, B, C, etc., from left to right. The row of buttons 22 lights up when pressed to indicate selection.

[0026] The delivery person identifies the user ID by pressing the vertical button 21 and the horizontal button 22 in that order. The user ID is information used to identify the recipient; for example, pressing "6" on the vertical button 21 and "A" on the horizontal button 22 allows the user ID "6A" to be selected. This user ID "6A" may be associated with, for example, the room number "601". The user ID is identified by a combination of input operations, one from each of the multiple buttons arranged in the row and column directions. At this time, the room number LED 29 lights up in accordance with the selected user ID to improve visibility.

[0027] The management button 24 is used by the administrator for various settings and operations. After pressing the management button 24, the administrator can use local wireless communication between the mobile terminal 70 and the communication unit 36 ​​to set the operating time, the unlock password for the user ID, and perform forced door opening operations from the administrator settings screen on the mobile terminal 70. The setting information is stored in the storage unit 34.

[0028] The cancel button 25 is used to restart the process from the beginning if an error occurs during an inbound or outbound operation.

[0029] The confirmation button 26 is used to confirm the box number and user ID selection by the delivery person, and also to confirm the user ID selection by the recipient.

[0030] The room number LED 29 lights up or flashes in accordance with the selected and set user ID, allowing delivery personnel and recipients to visually confirm the specified information. This reduces input errors and misinterpretations. The display unit 33 also includes an LED whose lighting or flashing is controlled by the control unit 31 according to the progress of the receiving or shipping operation. This configuration allows for a visual presentation of the operating procedure, improving usability.

[0031] Figure 3 is a block diagram of the delivery box 11. The delivery box 11 comprises a control unit 31, an input unit 32, a display unit 33, a storage unit 34, an electronic lock 35, a communication unit 36, and a power supply unit 37.

[0032] The storage unit 34 is composed of a storage medium, such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), flash memory, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Read / Write Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or any combination of these storage media. Non-volatile memory can be used in this storage unit 34.

[0033] The input unit 32 accepts input operations from the delivery person or recipient. The input unit 32 is configured to accept signals from the vertical buttons 21, horizontal buttons 22, selection box button 23, management button 24, cancel button 25, confirm button 26, in-store button 27, out-store button 28, and unlock password input (for example, via keypad input or input via mobile terminal 70).

[0034] The memory unit 34 stores setting information such as the box number of the storage box 12 to which the luggage will be stored, the user ID, and a pre-registered unlock password. The control unit 31 compares the unlock password entered by the recipient with the password recorded in the memory unit 34, and if they match, unlocks the corresponding electronic lock 35.

[0035] The communication unit 36 ​​is a module that performs local wireless communication with the mobile terminal 70, and is configured to accept input operations by receiving signals transmitted from the mobile terminal 70, for example, using Wi-Fi. The delivery box 11 can communicate without going through a management server or cloud because the communication unit 36 ​​operates as an access point. The communication method is not limited to Wi-Fi; Bluetooth® or other short-range wireless methods may also be used.

[0036] The power supply unit 37 is a power module that supplies power to the delivery box 11. It is configured to start up when an inbound or outbound operation is initiated, and to automatically shut off the power supply by the control unit 31 if no operation is performed for a predetermined period of time. The configuration of the power supply unit 37 is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the application, such as power supply from commercial power, battery power, or a combination thereof. This configuration suppresses unnecessary power consumption during standby and enables flexible operation according to the installation environment.

[0037] Figure 4 is a flowchart of the receiving operation by a delivery person. When a delivery person stores a package, they first press the receiving button 27 to turn on the power (Sa01). The designated box button 23 corresponding to an empty box (BOX1 to BOX6) lights up, and the delivery person refers to the lit status and selects the desired storage box 12 (Sa02). Next, they operate the vertical buttons 21 and horizontal buttons 22 in that order to select the user ID (Sa03), and after the room number LED 29 corresponding to the user ID lights up, they press the confirm button 26 to confirm the selection (Sa04). Accordingly, the electronic lock 35 is unlocked, and the door 13 can be opened. When the delivery person stores the package in the storage box 12 and closes the door 13 (Sa05), the electronic lock 35 is locked, the power is cut off after a predetermined time has elapsed, and the receiving operation is completed. The storage unit 34 records the box number selected with the designated box button 23 and the user ID in association.

[0038] Figure 5 is a flowchart of the retrieval operation by the recipient. The recipient presses the retrieval button 28 to turn on the power (Sb01). The room number LED 29 corresponding to the user ID in which the package is stored lights up, so the recipient can confirm whether there is a package addressed to them by this light. Next, the recipient operates the vertical buttons 21 and horizontal buttons 22 in that order to select their user ID (Sb02), and presses the confirm button 26 (Sb03). In response, the communication unit 36 ​​enters a communication standby state (e.g., access point operation). The recipient connects the mobile terminal 70 to the communication unit 36 ​​and enters the unlock password using a web browser or the like on the mobile terminal 70 (Sb04). The control unit 31 compares it with the password registered in the storage unit 34, and if they match, unlocks the electronic lock 35. The recipient opens the door 13, takes out the contents of the storage box 12, and closes the door 13 (Sb05). The electronic lock 35 is then locked, the power is shut off after a predetermined time, and the retrieval operation is complete.

[0039] Furthermore, in this system, if packages are stored in multiple storage boxes 12 linked to the same user ID, the control unit 31 may be configured to sequentially unlock multiple electronic locks 35 corresponding to the user ID when a package is retrieved. This allows the recipient to retrieve packages from multiple storage boxes 12 consecutively with a single retrieve operation, improving operability and convenience.

[0040] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative and do not limit the present invention in any way. Therefore, the present invention can naturally be improved and modified in various ways without departing from its essence. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 10 Delivery box system, 11 Delivery box, 12 Storage box, 13 Door, 15 Control panel, 15a Operation UI, 21 Vertical row buttons, 22 Horizontal row buttons, 23 Designated box button, 24 Management button, 25 Cancel button, 26 Confirm button, 27 In-store button, 28 Out-store button, 29 Room number LED, 31 Control unit, 32 Input unit, 33 Display unit, 34 Memory unit, 35 Electronic lock, 36 Communication unit, 37 Power supply unit, 70 Mobile terminal

Claims

1. It comprises multiple storage boxes for storing goods, doors for opening and closing the openings of the storage boxes, electronic locks for locking and unlocking the doors, and an operation panel for operating the loading and unloading of goods. The aforementioned control panel is It includes an input unit that accepts input operations from a delivery person or recipient, and a control unit that controls the locking and unlocking of the electronic lock based on the input information from the input unit, The input unit is configured such that when a delivery person stores a package, they specify the storage box to be used to store the package from among multiple storage boxes and the user ID that identifies the recipient to perform a storage operation, and when the recipient retrieves the package, they input the user ID and a unique unlocking password for the recipient to perform a storage operation. The control unit unlocks the electronic lock if the entered unlocking password matches a password that has been registered in advance. The aforementioned user ID is identified by a combination of input operations, one from each of a plurality of buttons arranged in the row and column directions.

2. The control panel is equipped with a communication unit that performs local wireless communication with a mobile terminal. The delivery box system according to claim 1, characterized in that the communication unit is configured to accept input operations by receiving a signal transmitted from the mobile terminal.

3. The delivery box system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control panel includes a display unit whose illumination or flashing is controlled by the control unit according to the status of the receiving operation or the receiving operation.

4. The delivery box system according to claim 1, characterized in that the power to the control panel is turned on in response to the start of an inbound or outbound operation, and the power is automatically shut off by the control unit if no operation is performed for a predetermined period of time.

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