A system for distributing agricultural products grown in a facility, a method and program to be implemented in that system.

Abstract

To provide a system capable of efficiently delivering agricultural products cultivated in a facility.SOLUTION: A system includes: means for receiving a delivery request requesting delivery of one or more agricultural products from a facility, the delivery request including one or more delivery destinations and a type and quantity of an agricultural product corresponding to each of the one or more delivery destinations; vehicle identification means for identifying a first delivery vehicle traveling from the facility to at least a distribution center, out of at least one delivery vehicle that delivers objects other than one or more of the requested agricultural products from the distribution center to the facility; and allocation means which is means for assigning to the first delivery vehicle the type and quantity of a first agricultural product to be delivered to a first one of the one or more delivery destinations, the first agricultural product being one of the one or more agricultural products, in which the first agricultural product is first received by the first delivery vehicle and then delivered from the facility to the distribution center by the first delivery vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for delivering agricultural products grown in a facility, a method and a program to be implemented in the system. [Background technology]

[0002] It has long been known that goods are delivered or transported from a logistics center, which is a distribution hub within a designated area, to another location (so-called logistics). It is also known that agricultural products grown at a facility are loaded onto delivery vehicles and delivered to various distribution destinations, such as stores that sell agricultural products. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0003] Delivery vehicles, for example, carry goods on their cargo beds during the outbound journey from the logistics center to the delivery destination. However, after delivering the goods to the destination facility, on the return journey from the facility to the logistics center, the delivery vehicles often carry relatively few goods or have their cargo beds empty. Furthermore, traditionally, to deliver agricultural products grown at a facility to stores that sell agricultural products, the goods were loaded onto separate delivery vehicles traveling directly from the facility to each destination, requiring a large number of delivery vehicles.

[0004] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a system capable of efficiently distributing agricultural products cultivated in a facility, a method and a program to be executed in that system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] This invention provides the following items.

[0006] (Item 1) A system for delivering agricultural products grown in a facility, wherein the system is A means for receiving a delivery request that requests the delivery of one or more agricultural products from a facility, wherein the delivery request includes one or more delivery destinations and the type and quantity of agricultural products corresponding to each of the one or more delivery destinations. A vehicle identification means for identifying a first delivery vehicle that travels from the facility to at least the logistics center, among at least one delivery vehicle that delivers from the logistics center to the facility, A means for assigning the type and quantity of a first agricultural product to be delivered to at least one of the one or more delivery destinations to a first delivery vehicle, wherein the first agricultural product is one of the one or more agricultural products, and Equipped with, A system in which the first agricultural product is loaded into the first delivery vehicle and then delivered by the first delivery vehicle from the facility to the logistics center.

[0007] (Item 2) If the aforementioned first delivery vehicle was traveling to the first delivery destination, The allocation means allocates the first delivery vehicle as a delivery vehicle that delivers the first type and quantity of agricultural products from the logistics center to the first delivery destination. The system according to item 1, wherein the first agricultural product is delivered by the first delivery vehicle from the facility to the first delivery destination via the logistics center.

[0008] (Item 3) If the first delivery vehicle is traveling to the logistics center or to a location different from the first delivery destination, the vehicle identification means further comprises means for identifying a second delivery vehicle traveling from the logistics center to the first delivery destination. The allocation means further comprises means for allocating the type and quantity of the first agricultural product to the second delivery vehicle. The system described in item 1, wherein the first agricultural product is loaded into the first delivery vehicle, delivered by the first delivery vehicle from the facility to the logistics center, and then delivered to the first destination by transferring the first agricultural product from the first delivery vehicle to the second delivery vehicle at the logistics center.

[0009] (Item 4) The vehicle identification means further comprises means for identifying a third delivery vehicle moving from the logistics center to a second delivery destination, The allocation means further comprises means for allocating the type and quantity of a second agricultural product to be delivered to the second delivery destination from the facility to the logistics center, and for allocating it to the third delivery vehicle from the logistics center to the second delivery destination, wherein the second agricultural product is one of the one or more agricultural products. The system according to any one of items 1 to 3, wherein the second agricultural product is loaded into the first delivery vehicle, then delivered by the first delivery vehicle from the facility to the logistics center, and at the logistics center, the second agricultural product is transferred from the first delivery vehicle to the third delivery vehicle and delivered to the second destination.

[0010] (Item 5) The system is connected to a database unit, which includes the delivery schedule of the first delivery vehicle and information indicating the planned end date of cultivation for one or more agricultural products. The system according to any one of items 1 to 4, further comprising means for identifying the one or more agricultural products to be placed in the first delivery vehicle based on the delivery schedule of the first delivery vehicle and the planned end date of cultivation of the one or more agricultural products.

[0011] (Item 6) The aforementioned facility is a system described in any one of items 1 to 5, including a commercial facility having a store that sells one or more of the aforementioned agricultural products.

[0012] (Item 7) A method executed in a system for delivering agricultural products from a facility, where the system includes a processor unit, the method includes: the processor unit receiving a delivery request for delivering one or more agricultural products from the facility, the delivery request including one or more delivery destinations and the type and quantity of agricultural products corresponding to each of the one or more delivery destinations; the processor unit identifying a first delivery vehicle that moves from the facility to at least the logistics center among at least one delivery vehicle that delivers an object different from the requested one or more agricultural products from the logistics center to the facility; the processor unit allocating the type and quantity of a first agricultural product to be delivered to the first delivery destination to the first delivery vehicle, the first agricultural product being one of the one or more agricultural products; including after the identified one or more agricultural products are accommodated in the first delivery vehicle, the method of delivering the one or more agricultural products from the facility to the logistics center by the first delivery vehicle.

[0013] (Item 8) A program executed in a system for delivering agricultural products from a facility, where the system includes a processor unit, when the program is executed by the processor unit, receiving a delivery request for delivering one or more agricultural products from the facility, the delivery request including one or more delivery destinations and the type and quantity of agricultural products corresponding to each of the one or more delivery destinations; identifying a first delivery vehicle that moves from the facility to at least the logistics center among at least one delivery vehicle that delivers an object different from the requested one or more agricultural products from the logistics center to the facility; Allocating the type and quantity of the first agricultural product to be delivered to the first delivery destination among the one or more delivery destinations to the first delivery vehicle, where the first agricultural product is one of the one or more agricultural products, and causing the processor unit to perform at least, The program is such that after the first agricultural product is stored in the first delivery vehicle, it is delivered from the facility to the logistics center by the first delivery vehicle.

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a system capable of efficiently delivering agricultural products cultivated in a facility, a method and a program executed in the system.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example of the flow of a new delivery method [Figure 2] A diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer system 200 for realizing a new delivery method in logistics [Figure 3A] A diagram showing an example of the configuration of information stored in the agricultural product database section 251 [Figure 3B] A diagram showing an example of the configuration of information stored in the cultivation management database section 252 [Figure 3C] A diagram showing an example of the configuration of information stored in the delivery vehicle database section 253 [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example of the configuration of a rack for cultivating agricultural products [Figure 5] A diagram showing a first example of the flow of processing executed in the agricultural product management system 210 [Figure 6] A diagram showing a second example of the flow of processing executed in the agricultural product management system 210 [Figure 7] A diagram showing a third example of the flow of processing executed in the agricultural product management system 210 [Figure 8]Figure 7 shows the delivery status of agricultural products in the third example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] 1. New delivery methods in logistics The applicant proposes a new delivery method in logistics. This new delivery method aims to increase the load capacity of delivery vehicles on their return journey (i.e., the process of the delivery vehicle returning from the destination facility) and improve the efficiency of delivery (i.e., improve delivery efficiency) by loading agricultural products cultivated at the facility onto delivery vehicles that have delivered goods to the facility and are returning to the logistics center, or onto delivery vehicles that have delivered goods to the facility and are moving to a location other than the logistics center.

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0018] Figure 1 shows an example of a new delivery method flow. A "logistics center" refers to a base for delivering various goods to at least one facility within a designated area. A "facility" refers to a building located in a location accessible from the logistics center. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the facility includes a cultivation area for growing agricultural products (e.g., lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, etc.). The facility may be an agricultural production factory for producing agricultural products, or it may be a commercial facility (e.g., a large complex such as a shopping mall) that has stores selling agricultural products as well as non-agricultural products. The cultivation area may be attached to the facility or located inside the facility. Agricultural products grown in the cultivation area may be used, processed, and / or sold at the facility. The steps of the flow shown in Figure 1 will be described in detail below.

[0019] Step S101: The logistics center uses delivery vehicles to deliver any objects (cargo) that have been delivered to the logistics center from a location other than the designated facility to the designated facility. Such objects may be items that are needed at the facility (e.g., items to be sold and / or used).

[0020] At the facility, cargo is unloaded from delivery vehicles that have arrived from the logistics center. The space freed up in the delivery vehicles after unloading is then loaded with agricultural products grown at the facility's cultivation area.

[0021] Step S102: With the agricultural products grown at the facility's cultivation site as a new load, the delivery vehicle returns to the logistics center to deliver the agricultural products grown at the facility's cultivation site to the destination.

[0022] Step S103: If the delivery destination of a delivery vehicle that has moved from the facility to the logistics center with agricultural products loaded on it is the same as the delivery destination of the agricultural products, the delivery vehicle will deliver the agricultural products, which were grown at the facility's cultivation site, from the logistics center to the delivery destination.

[0023] If the delivery destination of a delivery vehicle that has transported agricultural products from the facility to the logistics center is different from the destination of the agricultural products, the agricultural products are transferred at the logistics center to a delivery vehicle that will travel from the logistics center to the destination of the agricultural products, thereby delivering the agricultural products from the logistics center to the destination.

[0024] The delivery destination may be a retail store that sells unprocessed agricultural products (e.g., a greengrocer or supermarket), a retail store that processes and provides agricultural products (e.g., a restaurant or supermarket), or a factory that processes agricultural products in order to deliver them to partner stores (e.g., a convenience store).

[0025] In this way, by establishing a cultivation area for agricultural products at the facility and loading the agricultural products grown at the facility onto delivery vehicles that come to deliver goods from the logistics center to the facility, it becomes possible to increase the amount of cargo that can be loaded on the return trip of the delivery vehicles (i.e., the route from the facility back to the logistics center) compared to when the delivery vehicles are returned to the logistics center without being loaded at the facility. Furthermore, by using delivery vehicles that travel back and forth between the facility and the logistics center in this manner, it becomes unnecessary to use delivery vehicles that travel directly from the facility to each destination of the agricultural products, further reducing transportation costs.

[0026] 2. System configuration for new delivery methods in logistics Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of a computer system 200 for realizing a new delivery method in logistics.

[0027] The computer system 200 includes an agricultural product management system 210 that performs processing for agricultural products grown at cultivation sites, and logistics management systems 2201-220 that perform processing for logistics centers. N And, delivery destination management systems 2301-230 that perform processing for delivery destinations (e.g., supermarkets, restaurants, convenience stores) M The agricultural product management system 210 is equipped with the logistics management systems 2201-220 via the Internet 240. N To enable communication with each of them, and the delivery destination management system 2301~230 M It is configured to be able to communicate with each of them. Here, N and M are integers greater than or equal to 1.

[0028] In the example shown in Figure 2, the agricultural product management system 210 includes an interface unit 211, a processor unit 212 including one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units), and a memory unit 213. The hardware configuration of the agricultural product management system 210 is not particularly limited as long as it can realize its functions, and may consist of a single machine or a combination of multiple machines.

[0029] The interface unit 211 controls communication with each of the logistics management systems 2201 to 220 N and controls communication with each of the delivery destination management systems 2301 to 230 M respectively.

[0030] The memory unit 213 stores programs necessary for executing processing, data necessary for executing such programs, and the like. Here, how the program is stored in the memory unit 213 is not questioned. For example, the program may be pre-installed in the memory unit 213. Alternatively, the program may be installed in the memory unit 213 by being downloaded via a network such as the Internet 240, or may be installed in the memory unit 213 via a storage medium such as an optical disk or a USB.

[0031] The processor unit 212 controls the operation of the entire agricultural product management system 210. The processor unit 212 reads out the program stored in the memory unit 213 and executes the program. Thereby, the agricultural product management system 210 can function as a device that executes desired steps, and the processor unit 212 of the agricultural product management system 210 can operate as a means for achieving a desired function.

[0032] The agricultural product management system 210 is connected to the database unit 250. The database unit 250 includes an agricultural product database unit 251, a cultivation management database unit 252, and a delivery vehicle database unit 253.

[0033] Each of the logistics management systems 2201 to 220 N and each of the delivery destination management systems 2301 to 230 M are configured to be able to communicate with the agricultural product management system 210 via the Internet 240. For example, the logistics management systems 2201 to 220 NEach of these may be any type of computer having a communication interface (for example, a portable wireless device such as a mobile phone, smartphone, tablet, smart glasses, or smartwatch, or a personal computer such as a desktop PC, laptop PC, or note PC, or a computer system that functions as a server). Delivery destination management system 2301~230 M Each of these may also be any type of computer having a communication interface (for example, a portable wireless device such as a mobile phone, smartphone, tablet, smart glasses, or smartwatch, or a personal computer such as a desktop PC, laptop PC, or note PC, or a computer system that functions as a server).

[0034] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the agricultural product management system 210 communicates with the logistics management systems 2201-220 via the Internet 240. N It is possible to communicate with each of them, and the delivery destination management system 2301~230 M Although it has been explained that communication is possible with each of these, the present invention is not limited thereto. Any type of network can be used instead of the Internet 240. Also, in the embodiment shown in Figure 2, communication between components included in the computer system 200 is achieved via the same network (i.e., the Internet 240), but the present invention is not limited thereto. Communication between components included in the computer system 200 may be achieved via the same network, via partially different separate networks, or via entirely separate networks.

[0035] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the database unit 250 is located outside the agricultural product management system 210, but its configuration is not limited. For example, the database unit 250 may be configured as a single external hard disk drive for the agricultural product management system 210, or as cloud storage connected via a network. Alternatively, the database unit 250 may be located inside the agricultural product management system 210. The configuration of the database unit 250 is not limited to a specific hardware configuration. For example, the database unit 250 may be composed of a single hardware component or of multiple hardware components. Moreover, the configuration of each database unit included in the database unit 250 is also not limited to a specific hardware configuration. For example, each database unit included in the database unit 250 may also be composed of a single hardware component or of multiple hardware components.

[0036] Figure 3A shows an example of the structure of information stored in the agricultural product database unit 251.

[0037] The agricultural product database unit 251 stores information about agricultural products cultivated in the facility. Information about agricultural products can be identified by information for identifying agricultural products (agricultural product ID). In the embodiment shown in Figure 3A, the information about agricultural products further includes the name of the agricultural product, growing conditions, and the period until harvest.

[0038] Figure 3B shows an example of the structure of the information stored in the cultivation management database unit 252.

[0039] The cultivation management database unit 252 stores information regarding the growth status of agricultural products being cultivated in the facility. Information regarding the growth status of agricultural products can be identified by a rack ID, which identifies the rack equipped with cultivation tanks for growing agricultural products. Information regarding the growth status of agricultural products is associated with information for identifying agricultural products (agricultural product ID). In the embodiment shown in Figure 3B, information regarding the growth status of agricultural products further includes the start date of cultivation, the planned end date of cultivation, and the current growth status of agricultural products identified by the agricultural product ID.

[0040] Figure 3C shows an example of the structure of the information stored in the delivery vehicle database unit 253.

[0041] The delivery vehicle database unit 253 stores information about delivery vehicles that reach the facility. Information about delivery vehicles can be identified by information for identifying the delivery vehicle (delivery vehicle ID). Information about delivery vehicles is associated with information for identifying the racks where the agricultural products loaded on the delivery vehicle identified by the delivery vehicle ID are cultivated (rack ID), and information for identifying the agricultural products loaded on the delivery vehicle identified by the delivery vehicle ID (agricultural product ID). In the embodiment shown in Figure 3C, information about delivery vehicles further includes the delivery company managing the delivery vehicle, the delivery schedule of the delivery vehicle, the delivery destination of the delivery vehicle, and so on.

[0042] The agricultural product management system 210 is the same as the logistics management systems 2201-220. NFrom each of these, the system periodically receives delivery schedules for delivery vehicles for the delivery of cargo (e.g., goods required for use at the facility and / or cultivation site). Specifically, the received delivery schedules may include information indicating the date (and time) each delivery vehicle will arrive at the facility, information indicating where each delivery vehicle will go after the facility (i.e., potential delivery destinations from which agricultural products grown at the facility's cultivation site can be delivered from the facility and / or the logistics center), and information indicating the time at which the delivery vehicle will arrive at the delivery destination. Based on the received delivery schedules, the agricultural product management system 210 may update the delivery schedules in the delivery vehicle database unit 253.

[0043] Figure 4 shows an example of a rack configuration for cultivating agricultural products.

[0044] In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the rack 400 comprises a plurality of cultivation tanks 410 for growing agricultural products, four support posts 420, a plurality of pairs of main beams 430 and a plurality of pairs of sub-beams 440 spanning two of the support posts 420, a plurality of crossbars (not shown) spanning between a pair of main beams 430, and casters 450 attached to the lower end of each support post 420. The cultivation tank 410 comprises, for example, a tray section 411 for holding liquid (e.g., fresh water, culture solution) and a seedling pallet 412 placed on the bottom surface of the tray section 411 or a plate-shaped planting pallet 413 (not shown) covering the top surface of the tray section 412. The four support posts 420 may be arranged in pairs with wide spacing and pairs with narrow spacing so that they are located at the corners of a rectangle in plan view. Furthermore, the number, shape, and size of each of the cultivation tanks 410, support columns 420, main beams 430, sub-beams 440, and casters 450 are not limited to those shown in Figure 4, and may be arbitrary as long as the rack 400 is capable of cultivating agricultural products.

[0045] The seedling pallet 412 is used in the sowing and seedling cultivation processes. The seedling pallet 412 is molded from, for example, sponge or urethane foam. The seedling pallet 412 has cuts (not shown) in the vertical and horizontal directions to facilitate cutting into planting segments (not shown) for growing a single crop. The seedling pallet 412 has, for example, depressions (not numbered) or notches (not shown) for inserting seeds formed in the center of each area surrounded by the cuts.

[0046] Furthermore, the planting pallet 413 is used in the planting process. In the planting process, the agricultural products grow large enough to be shipped in planting segments. The planting pallet 413 is a panel with numerous holes. Cultivation pots (not shown) are fitted into each hole. Planting segments are placed inside the cultivation pots.

[0047] In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the rack 400 further comprises a tank 460, a first pipe 470 for supplying liquid (e.g., fresh water or culture solution) from the tank 460 to the cultivation tanks 410, a second pipe 480 for draining liquid (e.g., fresh water or culture solution) that has not been absorbed by the crops in the cultivation tanks 410 from the cultivation tanks 410, and a pump (not shown) for circulating the liquid (e.g., fresh water or culture solution) between the tank 460, the first pipe 470, the cultivation tanks 410, and the second pipe 480. The first pipe 470 is stretched across vertically aligned sub-beams 440 at one end of the rack 400. The first pipe 470 is attached to the upper opening at one end of the tray section 411 to supply liquid into the tray section 411 of each cultivation tank 410. The second pipe 480 is stretched across vertically aligned sub-beams 440 at the other end of the rack 400. The second pipe 480 is attached to the bottom side of the other end of the tray section 411. When the liquid level decreases due to absorption by agricultural products, the lost amount of water is replenished in the tank 460. The number, shape, and size of the tank 460, the first pipe 470, the second pipe 480, and the pump are not limited to those shown in Figure 4, and can be any number as long as the rack 400 is capable of cultivating agricultural products.

[0048] In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the rack 400 further comprises a light source 490. The light source 490 is mounted, for example, on the underside of the support beams to evenly illuminate the crops in the cultivation tank 410. The light source 490 may be, for example, a tubular LED lamp or a flat LED lamp. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the LED lamp can emit light of a wavelength suitable for the growth of the crops. The number, shape, and size of the light sources 490 are not limited to those shown in Figure 4 and may be arbitrary as long as the rack 400 is capable of cultivating crops. The rack 400 may also be wired with power lines (not shown) for driving a pump or illuminating the light source 490, or a power source for driving a pump or illuminating the light source 490 may be provided.

[0049] 4. Processing under the agricultural product management system Figure 5 shows a first example of the processing flow performed in the agricultural product management system 210. Each step shown in Figure 5 is performed by the processor unit 211 included in the agricultural product management system 210. The steps shown in Figure 5 will be described in detail below.

[0050] Step S501: A delivery request is received requesting the delivery of one or more agricultural products from the facility. The delivery request is received, for example, from the logistics management system 2201 and / or the delivery destination management system 2301. The delivery request includes, for example, one or more delivery destinations from the facility and the type and quantity of agricultural products corresponding to each of the one or more delivery destinations (i.e., for each delivery destination, the type and quantity of agricultural products to be delivered to that destination). The delivery request may also include a desired delivery time.

[0051] Step S502: In response to receiving a delivery request, a first delivery vehicle X is identified from among at least one delivery vehicle that delivers an object (e.g., goods, materials) to the facility, which satisfies the requested delivery schedule and travels from the facility to a first delivery destination via a logistics center. This process is performed by referring to, for example, the delivery vehicle database unit 253 (in particular, the delivery schedule within the delivery vehicle database unit 253) shown in Figure 3C. For example, the processor unit 211 of the agricultural product management system 210 may refer to the delivery schedule within the delivery vehicle database unit 253 to identify a delivery vehicle that travels from the facility to a first delivery destination based on information indicating candidate delivery destinations to which agricultural products grown at the facility's cultivation site can be delivered from the facility. The first delivery destination may be a place that requires the first agricultural product for processing or sale (e.g., a factory, supermarket, restaurant, convenience store). There may be another logistics center between the logistics center and the first delivery destination.

[0052] Step S503: In accordance with the type and quantity of agricultural products to be delivered to the first delivery destination indicated in the delivery request, one or more agricultural products grown at the facility, the first agricultural product and its quantity to be carried in the first delivery vehicle X identified in Step S502, are allocated to the first delivery vehicle X.

[0053] The first agricultural product and its quantity to be loaded onto the first delivery vehicle X and delivered to the first delivery destination are determined by the processor unit 211 of the agricultural product management system 210, for example, by referring to the agricultural product database unit 251 shown in Figure 3A to identify the agricultural product ID for the first agricultural product, and based on the agricultural product ID of the first agricultural product, by referring to the cultivation management database unit 252 shown in Figure 3B to identify the planned end date of cultivation for the first agricultural product, and further by referring to the delivery vehicle database unit 253 shown in Figure 3C to determine the delivery schedule of the first delivery vehicle X and the planned end date of cultivation for the first agricultural product. Based on the period and desired delivery time, a specific first agricultural product (e.g., a first agricultural product that will reach the end of cultivation (i.e., time to harvest) before the first delivery vehicle X arrives at the facility) (or a rack in which such a first agricultural product is being cultivated) can be identified from among the first agricultural products being cultivated at the facility and assigned to the first delivery vehicle X. This makes it possible to synchronize the timing of the harvest of the first agricultural product with the timing of the first delivery vehicle's arrival at the facility, thereby minimizing the time from harvest to delivery to the consumer and enabling the consumer to receive the freshest possible first agricultural product.

[0054] After step S503, the first agricultural product is loaded into the first delivery vehicle X and then delivered by the first delivery vehicle X from the facility through the logistics center to the first delivery destination.

[0055] This approach eliminates the need for delivery vehicles to transport agricultural products directly from the facility to the destination. Instead, it becomes possible to use delivery vehicles that transport components from the logistics center to the facility to deliver agricultural products to the destination via the logistics center, thereby enabling more efficient distribution of agricultural products and reducing delivery costs.

[0056] Figure 6 shows a second example of the processing flow performed in the agricultural product management system 210. Each step shown in Figure 6 is performed by the processor unit 211 included in the agricultural product management system 210. The steps shown in Figure 6 will be described in detail below.

[0057] Step S601: This is the same as step S501.

[0058] Step S602: In response to receiving a delivery request, a first delivery vehicle X is identified that travels from the facility to the logistics center, among at least one delivery vehicle that delivers an object (e.g., goods, materials) to the facility, and that satisfies the required delivery schedule (in particular, delivery time).

[0059] Step S603: Next, a second delivery vehicle Y is identified that will deliver the objects satisfying the required delivery schedule to the logistics center and then travel from the logistics center to the first delivery destination. Note that this process in steps S602 and S603 is performed by referring to, for example, the delivery vehicle database unit 253 shown in Figure 3C (in particular, the delivery schedule in the delivery vehicle database unit 253). For example, the processor unit 211 of the agricultural product management system 210 may refer to the delivery schedule in the delivery vehicle database unit 253 and identify a first delivery vehicle that travels from the facility to the logistics center and a second delivery vehicle that travels from the logistics center to the first delivery destination, based on information indicating candidate delivery destinations to which agricultural products cultivated at the facility's cultivation site can be delivered. Note that the second delivery vehicle may first load the first agricultural products and travel from the logistics center to the first delivery destination, and then load objects and travel from the first delivery destination to the logistics center.

[0060] Step S604: In accordance with the type and quantity of agricultural products to be delivered to the first delivery destination indicated in the delivery request, one or more agricultural products grown at the facility, the first agricultural product and its quantity to be carried in the first delivery vehicle X identified in Step S602, are allocated to the first delivery vehicle X.

[0061] Step S605: In accordance with the type and quantity of agricultural products to be delivered to the first delivery destination indicated in the delivery request, the first agricultural product and its quantity, which are to be carried in the second delivery vehicle Y identified in Step S603, are allocated to the second delivery vehicle Y from among one or more agricultural products grown at the facility.

[0062] The first agricultural product and its quantity to be delivered to the first delivery destination, to be loaded into the first delivery vehicle X and the second delivery vehicle Y, is determined by the processor unit 211 of the agricultural product management system 210, for example, by referring to the agricultural product database unit 251 shown in Figure 3A to identify the agricultural product ID for the first agricultural product, and based on the agricultural product ID of the first agricultural product, by referring to the cultivation management database unit 252 shown in Figure 3B to identify the planned end date of cultivation for the first agricultural product, and further by referring to the delivery vehicle database unit 253 shown in Figure 3C to determine the delivery schedule of the first delivery vehicle X and the delivery schedule of the second delivery vehicle Y and the first agricultural product Based on the planned end date of cultivation and the desired delivery time, specific first agricultural products (e.g., first agricultural products that will reach the end of cultivation (i.e., harvest time) before the first delivery vehicle X arrives at the facility) (or racks in which such first agricultural products are being cultivated) are identified from among the first agricultural products being cultivated at the facility and should be placed in the first delivery vehicle X and the second delivery vehicle Y. The first agricultural products (and / or racks in which specific first agricultural products are being cultivated) that should be placed in the first delivery vehicle X can then be assigned to the first delivery vehicle X. This can produce the same effect as in the first embodiment 1.

[0063] This approach eliminates the need for delivery vehicles to transport agricultural products directly from the facility to the destination. Instead, it becomes possible to use delivery vehicles that transport goods (components) from the logistics center to the facility and from the logistics center to each destination. By first transporting the agricultural products from the facility to the logistics center and then transferring them to another delivery vehicle that travels from the logistics center to the destination, it becomes possible to deliver the agricultural products to the destination, thereby enabling efficient distribution of agricultural products and reducing delivery costs.

[0064] Figure 7 shows a third example of the processing flow performed in the agricultural product management system 210. Figure 8 shows the delivery status of agricultural products in the third example shown in Figure 7. Each step shown in Figure 7 is performed by the processor unit 211 included in the agricultural product management system 210. The steps shown in Figure 7 will be described in detail below.

[0065] Steps S701-S703 are the same as steps S601-S603.

[0066] Step S704: Next, a third delivery vehicle Z is identified that will deliver the goods to a logistics center that satisfies the required delivery schedule and then travel from the logistics center to a second delivery destination. Note that this process in steps S701 to S704 is performed by referring to, for example, the delivery vehicle database unit 253 shown in Figure 3C (in particular, the delivery schedule in the delivery vehicle database unit 253). For example, the processor unit 211 of the agricultural product management system 210 may refer to the delivery schedule in the delivery vehicle database unit 253 and, based on information indicating candidate delivery destinations to which agricultural products cultivated at the facility's cultivation site can be delivered from the facility, identify a first delivery vehicle that travels from the facility to the logistics center, a second delivery vehicle that travels from the logistics center to the first delivery destination, and a third delivery vehicle that travels from the logistics center to the second delivery destination. Note that the third delivery vehicle may first load the second agricultural product and travel from the logistics center to the second delivery destination, and then load the goods and travel from the second delivery destination to the logistics center.

[0067] Step S705: In accordance with the type and quantity of agricultural products to be delivered to the first delivery destination and second delivery vehicle indicated in the delivery request, the first and second agricultural products and their quantities, from among the one or more agricultural products grown at the facility, which should be contained in the first delivery vehicle X identified in Step S702, are allocated to the first delivery vehicle X.

[0068] Step S706: In accordance with the type and quantity of agricultural products to be delivered to the first delivery destination indicated in the delivery request, the first agricultural product and its quantity, which are grown at the facility and which should be contained in the second delivery vehicle Y identified in Step S703, are allocated to the second delivery vehicle Y.

[0069] Step S707: In accordance with the type and quantity of agricultural products to be delivered to the second delivery destination indicated in the delivery request, one or more agricultural products grown at the facility, which are to be contained in the third delivery vehicle Z identified in Step S704, are allocated to the third delivery vehicle Z.

[0070] The first agricultural product and its quantity to be delivered to the first delivery destination, to be loaded into the first delivery vehicle X and the second delivery vehicle Y, is determined by the processor unit 211 of the agricultural product management system 210, for example, by referring to the agricultural product database unit 251 shown in Figure 3A to identify the agricultural product ID for the first agricultural product, and based on the agricultural product ID of the first agricultural product, by referring to the cultivation management database unit 252 shown in Figure 3B to identify the planned end date of cultivation for the first agricultural product, and further by referring to the delivery vehicle database unit 253 shown in Figure 3C to determine the delivery schedule of the first delivery vehicle X and the delivery schedule of the second delivery vehicle Y and the first agricultural product Based on the expected end date of cultivation and desired delivery time, specific first agricultural products (e.g., first agricultural products that will reach the end of cultivation (i.e., harvest time) before the first delivery vehicle X arrives at the facility) (or racks in which such first agricultural products are being cultivated) can be identified from among the first agricultural products being cultivated at the facility to be loaded into the first delivery vehicle X and the second delivery vehicle Y, and these specific first agricultural products (and / or racks in which the specific first agricultural products are being cultivated) can be allocated to the first delivery vehicle X and the second delivery vehicle Y.

[0071] Furthermore, the second agricultural product and its quantity to be delivered to the second delivery destination, which will be loaded into the first delivery vehicle X and the third delivery vehicle Z, is determined by the processor unit 211 of the agricultural product management system 210, for example, by referring to the agricultural product database unit 251 shown in Figure 3A to identify the agricultural product ID for identifying the first agricultural product, and based on the agricultural product ID of the first agricultural product, by referring to the cultivation management database unit 252 shown in Figure 3B to identify the planned end date of cultivation for the first agricultural product, and further by referring to the delivery vehicle database unit 253 shown in Figure 3C to determine the delivery schedule for the first delivery vehicle X and the delivery schedule for the third delivery vehicle Z and the second... Based on the expected end date of cultivation for the agricultural products and the desired delivery time, specific second agricultural products (for example, first agricultural products whose cultivation will end (i.e., time to harvest) before the first delivery vehicle X reaches the facility, e.g., immediately before)) (or racks in which such second agricultural products are being cultivated) can be identified from among the second agricultural products being cultivated at the facility to be placed in the first delivery vehicle X and the third delivery vehicle Z, and these specific second agricultural products (and / or racks in which the specific second agricultural products are being cultivated) can be assigned to the first delivery vehicle X and the third delivery vehicle Z. This can produce the same effect as in the second example. It should be noted that there may be another logistics center between the logistics center and the second delivery destination.

[0072] This approach eliminates the need for delivery vehicles to transport agricultural products directly from the facility to the destination. Instead, the agricultural products can be transported from the facility to the logistics center using the same delivery vehicles that transport components from the logistics center to the facility. The agricultural products can then be transferred to another delivery vehicle traveling from the logistics center to the destination, enabling efficient distribution of agricultural products and reducing delivery costs.

[0073] In the examples shown in Figures 5-7, the processor executes a program stored in the memory to realize the processing of each step shown in Figures 5-7. However, the present invention is not limited to this. At least some of the processing of each step shown in Figures 5-7 may be realized by hardware configurations such as control circuits.

[0074] As described above, the present invention has been illustrated using preferred embodiments, but the present invention should not be construed as being limited to these embodiments. It should be understood that the scope of the present invention should be interpreted solely by the claims. Those skilled in the art will understand that, based on the description of the specific preferred embodiments of the present invention and common technical knowledge, an equivalent scope can be implemented. [Industrial applicability]

[0075] The present invention is useful in providing a system that can efficiently deliver agricultural products grown in a facility, as well as methods and programs that are executed within that system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 200 Computer Systems 210 Agricultural Product Management System 220 Logistics Management Systems 230 Delivery Address Management System

Claims

1. A system for delivering agricultural products grown in a facility, wherein the system is A means for receiving a delivery request that requests the delivery of one or more agricultural products from a facility, wherein the delivery request includes one or more delivery destinations and the type and quantity of agricultural products corresponding to each of the one or more delivery destinations. A vehicle identification means for identifying a first delivery vehicle that travels from the facility to at least the logistics center, among at least one delivery vehicle that delivers from the logistics center to the facility, A means for assigning the type and quantity of a first agricultural product to be delivered to at least one of the one or more delivery destinations to a first delivery vehicle, wherein the first agricultural product is one of the one or more agricultural products, and Equipped with, The first agricultural product is loaded into the first delivery vehicle and then delivered by the first delivery vehicle from the facility to the logistics center. If the first delivery vehicle is traveling to the first delivery destination, The allocation means allocates the first delivery vehicle as a delivery vehicle that delivers the first type and quantity of agricultural products from the logistics center to the first delivery destination. A system in which the first agricultural product is delivered by the first delivery vehicle from the facility to the first delivery destination via the logistics center.

2. A system for delivering agricultural products grown in a facility, wherein the system is A means for receiving a delivery request that requests the delivery of one or more agricultural products from a facility, wherein the delivery request includes one or more delivery destinations and the type and quantity of agricultural products corresponding to each of the one or more delivery destinations. A vehicle identification means for identifying a first delivery vehicle that travels from the facility to at least the logistics center, among at least one delivery vehicle that delivers from the logistics center to the facility, A means for assigning the type and quantity of a first agricultural product to be delivered to at least one of the one or more delivery destinations to a first delivery vehicle, wherein the first agricultural product is one of the one or more agricultural products, and Equipped with, The first agricultural product is loaded into the first delivery vehicle and then delivered by the first delivery vehicle from the facility to the logistics center. If the first delivery vehicle is traveling to the logistics center or to a location different from the first delivery destination, the vehicle identification means further comprises means for identifying a second delivery vehicle traveling from the logistics center to the first delivery destination. The allocation means further comprises means for allocating the type and quantity of the first agricultural product to the second delivery vehicle. A system in which the first agricultural product is loaded into the first delivery vehicle, delivered by the first delivery vehicle from the facility to the logistics center, and then delivered to the first destination by transferring the first agricultural product from the first delivery vehicle to the second delivery vehicle at the logistics center.

3. A system for delivering agricultural products grown in a facility, wherein the system is A means for receiving a delivery request that requests the delivery of one or more agricultural products from a facility, wherein the delivery request includes one or more delivery destinations and the type and quantity of agricultural products corresponding to each of the one or more delivery destinations. A vehicle identification means for identifying a first delivery vehicle that travels from the facility to at least the logistics center, among at least one delivery vehicle that delivers from the logistics center to the facility, A means for assigning the type and quantity of a first agricultural product to be delivered to at least one of the one or more delivery destinations to a first delivery vehicle, wherein the first agricultural product is one of the one or more agricultural products, and Equipped with, The first agricultural product is loaded into the first delivery vehicle and then delivered by the first delivery vehicle from the facility to the logistics center. The vehicle identification means further comprises means for identifying a third delivery vehicle moving from the logistics center to a second delivery destination, The allocation means further comprises means for allocating the type and quantity of a second agricultural product to be delivered to the second delivery destination from the facility to the logistics center, and for allocating it to a third delivery vehicle from the logistics center to the second delivery destination, wherein the second agricultural product is one of the one or more agricultural products. A system in which the second agricultural product is loaded into the first delivery vehicle, then delivered by the first delivery vehicle from the facility to the logistics center, and at the logistics center, the second agricultural product is transferred from the first delivery vehicle to a third delivery vehicle and delivered to the second destination.

4. A system for delivering agricultural products grown in a facility, wherein the system is A means for receiving a delivery request that requests the delivery of one or more agricultural products from a facility, wherein the delivery request includes one or more delivery destinations and the type and quantity of agricultural products corresponding to each of the one or more delivery destinations. A vehicle identification means for identifying a first delivery vehicle that travels from the facility to at least the logistics center, among at least one delivery vehicle that delivers from the logistics center to the facility, A means for assigning the type and quantity of a first agricultural product to be delivered to at least one of the one or more delivery destinations to a first delivery vehicle, wherein the first agricultural product is one of the one or more agricultural products, and Equipped with, The first agricultural product is loaded into the first delivery vehicle and then delivered by the first delivery vehicle from the facility to the logistics center. The system is connected to a database unit, which includes the delivery schedule of the first delivery vehicle and information indicating the planned end date of cultivation for one or more agricultural products. The system further comprises means for identifying the one or more agricultural products to be placed in the first delivery vehicle based on the delivery schedule of the first delivery vehicle and the planned end date of cultivation for the one or more agricultural products.

5. A method for delivering agricultural products from a facility including a commercial facility that has a store selling one or more agricultural products, The aforementioned system includes a processor unit, The aforementioned method, The processor unit receives a delivery request requesting the delivery of one or more agricultural products from a facility, wherein the delivery request includes one or more delivery destinations and the type and quantity of agricultural products corresponding to each of the one or more delivery destinations. The processor unit identifies a first delivery vehicle that travels from the facility to at least the logistics center, among at least one delivery vehicle that delivers an object different from the requested one or more agricultural products from the logistics center to the facility, The processor unit assigns the type and quantity of a first agricultural product to be delivered to at least one of the one or more delivery destinations to the first delivery vehicle, wherein the first agricultural product is one of the one or more agricultural products. Includes, A method comprising the following steps: the identified one or more agricultural products are loaded into the first delivery vehicle and then delivered by the first delivery vehicle from the facility to the logistics center.

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