Stocker system

Abstract

To provide a stocker system where within a period of time determined according to the deliverer of articles, the door can be unlocked in response to the unlocking operation of the recipient.SOLUTION: The stocker system includes: stokers each comprising delivered article storages each having a door; locking units that can each lock and unlock the door; an input unit for inputting various information; a deliverer processor that controls the locking units to each unlock the door of the delivered article storage when delivery of an article is requested by putting the deliverer's information related to the deliverer of the article into the input unit; a receiver processor that controls the locking unit to unlock the door of the delivered article storage when the unlocking of the delivered article storage is requested by the receiver of the article on the input unit, and an unlockable period has not elapsed; and a setting unit that sets the unlockable period based on deliverer information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , , , ,

[0001] This specification discloses a stocker system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a stocker including a storage with a door that can be locked and unlocked, and a control device that controls the locking and unlocking of the door. Even after the door is locked, it is known to accept unlocking operations of the door multiple times and control the door to be unlocked each time. For example, in Patent Document 1, if the door is unlocked by accepting an unlocking operation of the door from the recipient of the article and then the door is closed and locked, until a predetermined time elapses, an unlocking operation of the door by the recipient is accepted again to unlock the door. Thus, in the stocker described in Patent Document 1, when an article is delivered to the storage in a state where it is housed in a storage member (for example, a cold storage bag) that requires collection, the recipient can store the storage member in the storage after taking out the article from the storage. Also, the collector collects the storage member stored in the storage.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in such a storage facility, for example, if a customer checks the size of an item and decides not to take it with them on the spot, and will pick it up at a later date, the storage facility may accept the unlocking operation from the customer and unlock the door, but then close the door without taking the item. In that case, the storage facility needs to unlock the door each time it receives an unlocking operation from the customer within a period determined according to the item (the supplier of the item). This is to allow the customer to pick up the item again. Patent Document 1 discloses that after accepting the unlocking operation from the customer of the item and unlocking the door, the facility will accept the unlocking operation from the customer and unlock the door multiple times until a predetermined time has elapsed, but it does not mention setting a period according to the supplier of the item.

[0005] The primary purpose of this disclosure is to enable the recipient to unlock the door and receive an unlocking command within a period determined by the supplier of the goods. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This disclosure employs the following means to achieve the primary objectives described above.

[0007] The stocker system described herein is A storage system comprising a storage unit including a delivery storage unit with a door, The aforementioned door includes a locking mechanism that can lock and unlock it, An input section for entering various types of information, A supplier processing unit controls the lock mechanism so that the door of the delivery warehouse is unlocked when supplier information relating to the supplier of the goods is entered into the input unit and delivery of the goods is requested. A recipient processing unit controls the lock so that the door of the delivery warehouse is unlocked when the recipient of the goods requests the unlocking of the delivery warehouse from the input unit and the unlocking period has not elapsed. A setting unit that sets the unlockable period based on the aforementioned supplier information, The gist of it is that it is equipped with the following features.

[0008] This storage system includes a recipient processing unit that controls the lock mechanism so that the storage room door is unlocked if the unlocking period has not expired, and a setting unit that sets the unlocking period based on the supplier information. This allows the system to accept unlocking requests from recipients and unlock the door within the unlocking period determined according to the supplier of the goods. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of the storage system 10. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of delivery warehouse information 54. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart showing an example of a supplier processing routine. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of supplier information 55. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing an example of a recipient processing routine. [Figure 6] A flowchart showing an example of a status information update subroutine. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart showing an example of a subroutine for processing the first mode. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows an example of a second-mode processing subroutine. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart showing an example of a subroutine for processing retrievers. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the stocker system 10, and Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of delivery warehouse information 54.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the stocker system 10 comprises a sales management system 20, a stocker 40, and a stocker management device 30 that manages the stocker 40. The sales management system 20, the multiple stockers 40 (stockers 40A, 40B, etc.), and the stocker management device 30 are connected to networks 12 and 13, such as the Internet.

[0012] The sales management system 20 is a system managed by the stores 21 (in this embodiment, stores 21A to 21G) and includes a sales management device 22. The sales management device 22 exchanges information with the recipient's mobile terminal 15, etc., via the network 12 and provides the recipient 14 with product information about the products. The sales management device 22 stores, for example, a product database (DB) containing product information, a customer DB containing customer (recipient 14) information, and sales information including the inquiry number (order number) of the purchased item (product) and information about the stocker 40 that receives the product. When the recipient 14 receives the product from the stocker 40, they may receive the product after it has been removed from a storage container 17 (e.g., a cooler bag) that needs to be returned, or they may receive the product along with a storage container 18 (e.g., a cardboard box) that does not need to be returned. The storage container 17, such as a cooler bag, is used by stores 21A to 21D that handle fresh food products, for example, and needs to be returned (recovered) to stores 21A to 21D. Therefore, the storage component 17 may have a message inscribed on it requesting the recipient 14 to return it, or the message requesting the return may be displayed on the display operation unit 42 (described later) when the recipient is processed by the stocker 40. In addition, storage components 18 such as cardboard boxes are used by stores 21E to 21G that do not handle fresh food, for example, and do not need to be returned to stores 21E to 21G. They are usually disposed of after the recipient 14 has taken out the goods.

[0013] The Stocker 40 is used to hand over goods delivered from the store 21 to the recipient 14. The Stocker 40 is installed in various locations such as offices, convenience stores, factories, train stations, schools, and apartment buildings. The Stocker 40 is equipped with multiple lockable delivery compartments 41. Each delivery compartment 41 has an internal space capable of storing goods and other items, and is equipped with a front door 44, a locking mechanism 45 for locking and unlocking the door 44, an item sensor 46 for detecting the presence or absence of items inside the delivery compartment 41, and an open / close sensor 47 for detecting the opening and closing of the door 44. The Stocker 40 houses a control device 50 in one of the delivery compartments 41, and a display operation unit 42 and a reading device 43 are provided on its door 44. The display operation unit 42 is a touch panel located on the front of the Stocker 40, which displays various information to the goods deliverer 19 and the recipient 14, and allows input of various operations from the deliverer 19 and the recipient 14. The reading device 43 is a code reader that reads codes such as passwords used by recipients 14 and deliverers 19 to unlock the delivery warehouse 41. The control device 50 comprises a control unit 52, a storage unit 53, a communication unit 56, and a timing unit 57. The control unit 52 is composed of a CPU, ROM, and RAM and controls the entire device. The storage unit 53 stores various application programs and various data files. The communication unit 56 communicates with external devices such as the stocker management device 30. The timing unit 57 obtains the current time from a time server (not shown) via the network 13. The timing unit 57 may also obtain the current time using a real-time clock (RTC).

[0014] In the storage unit 53 of the control device 50, the delivery warehouse information 54 shown in FIG. 2 and the like are stored. The delivery warehouse information 54 stores, in association with the delivery warehouse numbers, status information indicating the usage status of each delivery warehouse 41, information on the types of stores 21 (operator information) that have delivered goods to the delivery warehouse 41, the receipt deadlines of the goods delivered to the delivery warehouse 41, and the like. The status information includes, for example, an empty state, an unlockable state, a recoverable state, and the like. The empty state is a state where the delivery warehouse 41 is empty without any goods being delivered. The unlockable state is a state where the door 44 can be unlocked upon receiving an unlock request from the recipient 14. The recoverable state is a state where the storage member 17 from which the goods have been taken out and returned into the delivery warehouse 41 can be recovered, or a state where the goods whose receipt deadlines have already passed can be recovered. In addition to the status information and the delivery store information, the delivery warehouse information 54 also stores, in association with the delivery warehouse numbers, information on the inquiry numbers set by the sales management device 22, information on the passwords for the recipient 14 to receive goods from the delivery warehouse 41, information on the unlock codes (not shown) for the deliverer 19 to unlock the delivery warehouse 41, and the like. Further, the storage unit 53 also stores authentication codes (not shown) determined for each store 21, information on the deliverer IDs (see FIG. 4) assigned to each deliverer 19, and the like.

[0015] The stocker management device 30 exchanges information with the stocker 40 and the sales management device 22 via the networks 12 and 13. The stocker management device 30 includes a control unit 32, a storage unit 33, and a communication unit 38. The control unit 32 is composed of a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and controls the entire device. The storage unit 33 stores various application programs and various data files. The communication unit 38 communicates with external devices such as the stocker 40. In the storage unit 33, stocker information 34 and the like are stored. The stocker information 34 is information including the same delivery warehouse information as the delivery warehouse information 54 of each stocker 40. The stocker management device 30 updates the delivery warehouse information of each stocker 40 included in the stocker information 34 by communicating with each stocker 40.

[0016] The operation of the stocker system 10 configured as described above will be explained. First, when the recipient 14 operates a mobile terminal 15 or the like to select a desired product from the product information provided by the sales management device 22 and inputs information such as the information of the stocker 40 for which receipt is desired, the operation of the stocker system 10 when placing an order for the product will be explained.

[0017] When the sales management device 22 receives an order for a product from the recipient 14 via a mobile terminal 15 or the like, it attaches an inquiry number to the information of the recipient 14 and the information of the stocker 40 for which receipt is desired, stores it as sales information, and transmits it to the stocker management device 30. The stocker management device 30 searches for a warehouse with a status of available from the delivery warehouse information of the stocker 40 for which receipt is desired included in the stocker information 34, and secures the searched warehouse and determines it as the delivery destination warehouse 41.

[0018] Then, the stocker management device 30 transmits the number of the delivery destination warehouse 41 to the sales management device 22, and transmits the number of the delivery destination warehouse 41 and the inquiry number to the stocker 40 for which receipt is desired. The stocker 40 stores the received inquiry number in the warehouse information 54 of the storage unit 53 in association with the delivery destination warehouse 41. In addition, when there is no available warehouse for which delivery destination has not been determined in the stocker 40 for which receipt is desired, the stocker management device 30 transmits a notification indicating that there is no availability to the sales management device 22.

[0019] Upon receiving the notification indicating that there is no availability, the sales management device 22 transmits a notification to that effect to the mobile terminal 15 of the recipient 14, causing the recipient 14 to change the stocker 40 for which receipt is desired or accept the cancellation of the order. When the sales management device 22 receives the number of the delivery destination warehouse 41 from the stocker management device 30, it specifies the numbers of the stocker 40 at the delivery destination and the warehouse 41, and gives a delivery instruction to the deliverer 19 to accommodate the product in the accommodating member and deliver it. Based on this delivery instruction, the deliverer 19 delivers the product to the stocker 40 at the delivery destination and performs the product delivery work. Also, as will be described later, the delivery person collects the accommodating member 17 and the necessary products from the stocker 40.

[0020] Next, the delivery processing performed by the control unit 52 of the control device 50 will be explained using Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a delivery processing routine. When a motion sensor (not shown) inputs a signal indicating that it has detected a user of the stocker 40, the control unit 52 displays a selection screen (not shown) on the display operation unit 42, which allows the user to select either delivery processing or recipient processing. After the user selects delivery processing, the control unit 52 starts this routine.

[0021] When this routine is started, it is determined whether or not a delivery option has been selected (S100). Specifically, the control unit 52 displays a selection screen (not shown) on the display operation unit 42, which allows the user to select either delivery or collection. If delivery is selected, the control unit 52 makes an affirmative determination; otherwise, the control unit 52 makes a negative determination.

[0022] If a positive determination is made in S100, the control unit 52 determines whether or not the supplier has been authenticated (S110). Specifically, the control unit 52 compares the supplier ID entered by the supplier 19 via the display operation unit 42 with the supplier ID stored in the storage unit 53. Next, the control unit 52 stores the supplier ID entered in S110 in the storage unit 53 (S120). Subsequently, the control unit 52 unlocks the door 44 of the delivery warehouse 41 to be delivered and opens the door 44 (S130). This process is executed as follows: The control unit 52 obtains the inquiry number entered by the supplier 19 via the display operation unit 42. Next, the control unit 52 selects the delivery warehouse 41 to be delivered corresponding to the obtained inquiry number from the delivery warehouse information 54 shown in Figure 2. Then, the control unit 52 controls the lock mechanism 45 of the selected delivery warehouse 41 and unlocks the door 44.

[0023] The control unit 52 then waits for the delivery to be completed (S140). Specifically, the control unit 52 determines that the delivery is complete when the door 44 is closed while the goods are inside the delivery storage 41, based on the detection signals from the item sensor 46 and the opening / closing sensor 47. Once the completion of the delivery is determined, the control unit 52 controls the lock mechanism 45 to lock the door 44 of the delivery storage 41 (S150). Alternatively, the control unit 52 may perform the processing from S150 onward after confirming the presence of goods (products) based on the detection signal from the item sensor 46 when the door 44 is closed.

[0024] Next, the control unit 52 determines, based on the supplier information 55, whether the operating mode corresponding to the supplier ID stored in the storage unit 53 in S120 is the first mode or the second mode (S160). If it determines in S160 that it is the first mode, the control unit 52 sets the operating mode to the first mode (S170), retrieves the storage period corresponding to the supplier ID stored in the storage unit 53 in S120 from the supplier information 55, and sets it as the unlockable period (S180). Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of supplier information 55. Supplier information 55 stores business information, the operating mode of the control unit 52, the storage period, etc., associated with the supplier ID. Note that the storage period is set differently for each supplier ID of the supplier 19. On the other hand, if it is determined in S160 that the system is in the second mode, the control unit 52 sets the operating mode to the second mode (S190) and sets a predetermined period as the unlockable period (S200). The predetermined period will be described later. Next, the control unit 52 sets the receipt deadline (S210). This process is executed as follows. First, the control unit 52 refers to the supplier information 55 and obtains the storage period corresponding to the supplier ID stored in the storage unit 53 in S120. Next, the control unit 52 sets the receipt deadline to the time when the storage period has elapsed from the current time. Then, the control unit 52 stores the receipt deadline in the delivery warehouse information 54.

[0025] After S180 or S210, the control unit 52 changes the status information of the delivery warehouse 41 to which the goods were delivered from empty to unlocked, and stores the business operator's information in the storage unit 53 (S220). The control unit 52 then generates a receipt password that the recipient 14 will use to receive the goods and stores it in the delivery warehouse information 54, and transmits information that the delivery has been completed, along with the inquiry number, to the stocker management device 30 (S230). The stocker management device 30 stores the receipt password in the stocker information 34 of the storage unit 33 and transmits it to the sales management device 22. The sales management device 22 transmits the received receipt password and inquiry number to the recipient 14's mobile terminal 15, notifying the stocker 40 that the goods have arrived.

[0026] On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in S100, the control unit 52 determines whether or not a collection selection has been made (S240). Specifically, in a selection screen (not shown) where either delivery or collection can be selected, if collection is selected, an affirmative determination is made, and if collection is not selected, a negative determination is made. If an affirmative determination is made in S240, the control unit 52 determines whether or not delivery authentication has been performed (S250). This process is the same as that in S110. If an affirmative determination is made in S250, the control unit 52 executes the collection processing subroutine (S260). For the sake of explanation, the details of the collection processing subroutine in S260 will be described later.

[0027] After S230, after a negative determination is made in S240, after a negative determination is made in S250, or after S260, the control unit 52 terminates the supplier processing routine.

[0028] Next, the recipient processing performed by the control unit 52 will be explained using Figures 5 to 8. Figure 5 is a flowchart of an example of a recipient processing routine. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a status information update subroutine. Figure 7 is a flowchart of an example of a first mode processing subroutine. Figure 8 is a flowchart of an example of a second mode processing subroutine. This processing is constantly executed by the control unit 52 at predetermined time intervals (for example, every few seconds to every few minutes).

[0029] When this routine is started, the control unit 52 determines whether or not a recipient has been selected (S300). This process is executed as follows: If the control unit 52 receives a signal from a human presence sensor (not shown) indicating that a user of the stocker 40 has been detected, it displays a selection screen (not shown) on the display operation unit 42, which allows the user to select either delivery processing or recipient processing. If the user selects recipient processing, the control unit 52 makes an affirmative judgment; otherwise, it makes a negative judgment.

[0030] If a negative determination is made in S300, the control unit 52 executes the status information update subroutine shown in Figure 6 (S310). When the status information update subroutine is started, the control unit 52 first determines the delivery warehouse 41 whose status information is to be updated, recognizes the business information of the delivery warehouse 41 determined to be to be updated based on the delivery warehouse information 54, and determines whether the operating mode is the first mode based on the recognized business information and the supplier information 55 (S400).

[0031] If a positive determination is made in S400, the control unit 52 refers to the delivery warehouse information 54 shown in Figure 2 and determines whether the status information of the delivery warehouse 41 at the present time is in an unlockable state (S410). If a negative determination is made in S410, the control unit 52 proceeds to S530. On the other hand, if a positive determination is made in S410, the control unit 52 determines whether the unlockable period has elapsed at the present time (S420). The unlockable period is the period set in S180 of the delivery processing routine. If a negative determination is made in S420, the control unit 52 proceeds to S530. On the other hand, if a positive determination is made in S420, the control unit 52 clears the business operator information, password, inquiry number, and operation mode from the delivery warehouse information 54 shown in Figure 2 (S430).

[0032] After S430, the control unit 52 sets the status information to a recoverable state (S440). The reason for setting the status information to a recoverable state is as follows: The process of S430 in this routine is executed when the status information is set to a recoverable state (there are goods in the delivery warehouse 41) at the stage when the process of S420 in this routine is executed. Therefore, if the receipt deadline has passed in such a state, the recipient 14 will not be able to receive the goods, and it will be necessary to retrieve the goods from the delivery warehouse 41.

[0033] On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in S400, the control unit 52 determines whether the operating mode is the second mode or not based on the business information and supplier information 55 recognized in S410 (S450). If a negative determination is made in S450, the control unit 52 proceeds to S530. This processing is performed for the following reasons: A negative determination is made in S450 when the operating mode is neither the first mode nor the second mode. In this case, the status information is either empty or recoverable.

[0034] On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made in S450, the control unit 52 determines whether the current status information indicates that the item is in an unlockable state (S460). If a negative determination is made in S460, the control unit 52 proceeds to S530. On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made in S460, the control unit 52 determines whether the item is within the receipt deadline at the present time (S470). Specifically, the control unit 52 first obtains the current time from the timekeeping unit 57. Then, the control unit 52 makes a negative determination if the current time exceeds the receipt deadline, and an affirmative determination if the current time does not exceed the receipt deadline. If a negative determination is made in S470, the control unit 52 proceeds to S500. On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made in S470, the control unit 52 determines whether the unlocking history is ON (S480). The unlocking history stores the history of unlocking at the request of the recipient 14 of the goods, and its details will be described later.

[0035] If a positive determination is made in S480, the control unit 52 determines whether the unlockable period has elapsed (S490). Specifically, the control unit 52 determines whether the elapsed time T is greater than or equal to the unlockable period Tref. The elapsed time T is the time elapsed since the door 44 was locked in S730 of the second mode processing subroutine, which will be described later, after the door 44 was unlocked at the request of the recipient of the goods 14. The unlockable period Tref is a predetermined period of time since the door 44 was locked in S730 of the second mode processing subroutine. For example, the predetermined period set for the unlockable period in S200 of the delivery processing routine is 20 to 30 minutes. If the elapsed time T is greater than or equal to the unlockable period Tref, the control unit 52 determines that the unlockable period has already elapsed and makes a positive determination. On the other hand, if the elapsed time T is less than the unlockable period Tref, the control unit 52 determines that the unlockable period has not yet elapsed and makes a negative determination.

[0036] If a negative determination is made in S490, the control unit 52 proceeds to S530. On the other hand, if a positive determination is made in S490, the control unit 52 resets the elapsed time T, clears the business information, receipt deadline, password, inquiry number, and operation mode, and turns off the unlocking history (S500).

[0037] Next, the control unit 52 determines whether or not there are any items in the delivery warehouse 41 (S510). Specifically, if the item sensor 46 does not input a detection signal, the control unit 52 makes an affirmative determination that there are no items in the delivery warehouse 41, and if the item sensor 46 inputs a detection signal, it makes a negative determination that there are items in the delivery warehouse 41. If a negative determination is made in S510, the control unit 52 sets the status information to a retrieval-ready state (S440). The reason for setting the status information to a retrieval-ready state is as follows: If the receipt deadline has passed while there are items (goods) in the delivery warehouse 41, it means that the recipient 14 is no longer able to receive the goods, and the goods need to be retrieved from the delivery warehouse 41. Also, if the receipt deadline has not passed, but the unlocking period has passed while there are items in the delivery warehouse 41, it means that the recipient 14 has taken the goods out of the delivery warehouse 41 and then put the storage member 17 back into the delivery warehouse 41, and the supplier 19 needs to retrieve the storage member 17 from the delivery warehouse 41.

[0038] On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made in S510, the control unit 52 sets the status information to an empty state (S520). After an negative determination is made in S410, after an negative determination is made in S420, after S440, after an negative determination is made in S450, after an negative determination is made in S460, after an negative determination is made in S480, after an negative determination is made in S490, or after S520, the control unit 52 determines whether or not the status information has been updated in all delivery warehouses 41 (S530). If an negative determination is made in S530, the control unit 52 returns to S400. On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made in S530, the control unit 52 returns to the recipient processing routine shown in Figure 5.

[0039] Here, in the recipient processing routine, if a positive determination is made in S300, the control unit 52 determines whether or not recipient authentication has been performed (S320). The control unit 52 waits for the recipient 14 to input the inquiry number and password via the display operation unit 42, and performs recipient authentication by comparing the input inquiry number and password with the inquiry number and password stored in the delivery warehouse information 54. If a positive determination is made in S320, the control unit 52 recognizes the business information corresponding to the inquiry number and password matched in recipient authentication based on the recipient authentication and the delivery warehouse information 54, and determines whether the operation mode is the first mode or the second mode based on the recognized business information and the supplier information 55 (S330).

[0040] If the control unit 52 determines in S330 that it is in the first mode, it executes the first mode processing subroutine shown in Figure 7 (S330). Upon starting the first mode processing subroutine, the control unit 52 controls the lock mechanism 45 so that the delivery storage unit 41 is unlocked and the door 44 is opened (S600). Subsequently, the control unit 52 waits until the door 44 is closed (S610). Then, the control unit 52 controls the lock mechanism 45 so that the delivery storage unit 41 is locked (S620).

[0041] Next, the control unit 52 determines whether or not there are any items in the delivery warehouse 41 (S630). Specifically, if the item sensor 46 does not input a detection signal, the control unit 52 makes an affirmative determination that there are no items in the delivery warehouse 41, and if the item sensor 46 inputs a detection signal, it makes a negative determination that there are items in the delivery warehouse 41. If an affirmative determination is made in S630, the control unit 52 clears the business operator information, password, inquiry number, and operation mode from the delivery warehouse information 54 (S640), and sets the status information to empty (S650). After making a negative determination in S630 or after S650, the control unit 52 returns to the recipient processing routine shown in Figure 5.

[0042] On the other hand, if the recipient processing routine shown in Figure 5 determines in S330 that it is in the second mode, the control unit 52 executes the second mode processing subroutine shown in Figure 8 (S350). When the second mode processing subroutine starts, the control unit 52 controls the lock mechanism 45 so that the delivery storage shed 41 is unlocked and the door 44 is opened (S700).

[0043] Next, the control unit 52 sets the unlocking history to ON (S710). The unlocking history indicates that during the receiving period, the door 44 of the delivery storage shed 41 was unlocked after an unlocking operation was received from the recipient 14. Subsequently, the control unit 52 waits until the door 44 is closed (S720). Then, the control unit 52 controls the locking mechanism 45 so that the delivery storage shed 41 is locked (S730).

[0044] Then, the control unit 52 resets the elapsed time T to 0 and starts measuring the elapsed time T (S740). That is, the predetermined period since the last time the door 44 of the delivery warehouse 41 was unlocked after receiving an operation from the recipient 14 becomes the unlockable period Tref. In this way, even if the second processing subroutine unlocks the door of the delivery warehouse 41 once after receiving an operation from the recipient 14 and then locks it again, the status information is maintained in an unlockable state. Therefore, after the recipient 14 takes out the goods, they can unlock the door 44 and return the storage member 17 to the delivery warehouse 41 if it is within the unlockable period (predetermined period). After S740, the control unit 52 returns to the recipient processing routine shown in Figure 5.

[0045] In the recipient processing routine, after S310, after making a negative determination in S320, and after S340 or S350, the control unit 52 terminates this routine.

[0046] Next, the retriever processing performed by the control unit 52 of the control device 50 in S260 of the deliverer processing routine will be explained with reference to Figure 9. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a retriever processing subroutine. When this subroutine is started, the control unit 52 first displays a retriever method selection screen (not shown) on the display operation unit 42, allowing the deliverer 19 to choose between a bulk retrieve, where goods are retrieved all at once from the retrieveable delivery warehouses 41, or individual retrieves, where goods are retrieved individually from each delivery warehouse 41 (S800). The retriever method selection screen may also display status information such as the number of delivery warehouses 41 that are in a retrieveable state.

[0047] Then, the control unit 52 determines whether the supplier 19 has selected bulk collection based on the input from the display operation unit 42 (S810). If the control unit 52 determines that bulk collection has been selected, it selects all delivery warehouses 41 whose status information indicates they are ready for collection as targets for unlocking (S820), and unlocks all selected delivery warehouses 41 by sending an unlocking signal to the locking mechanism 45 of each delivery warehouse 41 (S830).

[0048] On the other hand, when the control unit 52 determines that individual collection has been selected, it displays a selection acceptance screen (not shown) on the display operation unit 42 for accepting the selection of the delivery warehouse 41 to be collected (S840). Then, the control unit 52 unlocks the delivery warehouse 41 that was selected based on the input from the display operation unit 42 (S850). If collection is to be made from multiple delivery warehouses 41, the processes of S840 and S850 are repeated.

[0049] The control unit 52 then waits for the retrieval to be completed (S860). Specifically, the control unit 52 determines that the retrieval is complete when the doors 44 of each unlocked delivery warehouse 41 are closed, or when the doors 44 are closed and there are no items inside the delivery warehouse 41. The control unit 52 then changes the status information of each delivery warehouse 41 from which the items were retrieved in this process to empty (S870), and returns to the supplier processing routine shown in Figure 3. This makes it possible to properly retrieve the storage members 17 from stores 21A to 21D. It also makes it possible to properly retrieve goods from businesses in stores 21A to 21G that were not received by the recipients 14.

[0050] Here, the correspondence between the components of this embodiment and the components of the present disclosure will be clarified. The stocker system 10 of this embodiment corresponds to the stocker of the present disclosure, the locking mechanism 45 corresponds to the locking part, the display operation unit 42 corresponds to the input unit, and the control unit 52 corresponds to the supplier processing unit, the recipient processing unit, and the setting unit. In addition, the item sensor 46 corresponds to the detection unit, and the control unit 52 corresponds to the determination unit.

[0051] In the stocker system 10 of this embodiment described above, the lock mechanism 45 is controlled so that the door 44 of the delivery warehouse 41 is unlocked if the unlocking period has not elapsed, and the unlocking period is set based on the delivery person ID. This makes it possible to accept unlocking requests from the recipient 14 and unlock the door 44 within the unlocking period determined according to the delivery person of the goods.

[0052] Furthermore, the stocker system 10 includes an item sensor 46 that detects the presence or absence of items in the delivery warehouse 41, and a control unit 52 that determines the operation mode to be executed from among multiple operation modes. The stocker system 10 has two operation modes: a first mode in which the lock mechanism 45 is controlled so that the door 44 of the delivery warehouse 41 is unlocked when the recipient 14 requests the unlocking of the delivery warehouse 41 while items have been detected in the delivery warehouse 41 by the item sensor 46; and a second mode in which the lock mechanism 45 is controlled so that the door 44 of the delivery warehouse 41 is unlocked when the recipient 14 requests the unlocking of the delivery warehouse 41, regardless of whether items have been detected in the delivery warehouse 41 by the item sensor 46. The control unit 52 determines the operation mode based on the supplier ID. The recipient 14 may, after checking the size of the items, interrupt the receipt of the goods and close the door of the delivery warehouse 41 while items are still inside. In this case, if the control unit 52 is operated in the first mode, the recipient can take the items out of the delivery warehouse 41 again. Furthermore, after the recipient 14 retrieves the goods from the delivery warehouse 41, they may return the storage component 17 used to deliver the goods back to the delivery warehouse 41. In this case, if the control unit 52 is operated in the second mode, the recipient 14 can store the storage component 17 back in the delivery warehouse 41. Therefore, the ability to determine whether to operate the control unit 51 in the first mode or the second mode based on the delivery person ID is highly significant. Also, the unlocking period in the first mode is set to be longer than the unlocking period in the second mode. Generally, the time it takes for the recipient 14 to retrieve the goods delivered to the delivery warehouse 41 is longer than the time it takes to store the storage component 17 back in the delivery warehouse 41. Therefore, there is significant value in applying the stocker system 10.

[0053] It goes without saying that this disclosure is not limited in any way to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of this disclosure.

[0054] In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 52 may, in S110 or S250 of the supplier processing routine, obtain a supplier ID from the authentication code read by the supplier 19 via the reader 43, and perform supplier authentication by comparing the obtained supplier ID with the supplier ID stored in the warehouse information 54. A two-dimensional code or a barcode can be used as the authentication code.

[0055] In the embodiment described above, the control unit 52 may, in the S130 of the delivery processing routine, obtain the inquiry number by reading the slip containing the inquiry number with the reader device 43 if the slip is attached to the goods or the goods storage container. The control unit 52 may also, when the door 44 of the delivery warehouse 41 is unlocked, display a message on the display operation unit 42 indicating that the goods should be delivered into the delivery warehouse 41 with the door 44 open and the door 44 closed.

[0056] In the embodiment described above, the control unit 52 may, in S320 of the recipient processing routine, obtain an inquiry number and password from the authentication code read by the recipient 14 via the reader 43, and perform recipient authentication by comparing the obtained inquiry number and password with the inquiry number and password stored in the delivery warehouse information 54. In that case, after S230 of the delivery processing, the sales management device 22 can create an authentication code including the password and inquiry number and send it to the recipient 14's mobile terminal 15. Note that a two-dimensional code or a barcode can be used as the authentication code. [Industrial applicability]

[0057] This invention can be used in the technical field of product distribution systems that deliver goods to stockers. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0058] 10 Stocker system, 12 Network, 13 Network, 14 Recipient, 15 Mobile terminal, 17 Storage component, 18 Storage component, 19 Deliverer, 20 Sales management system, 21 Store, 21A~21G Store, 22 Sales management device, 30 Stocker management device, 32 Control unit, 33 Memory unit, 34 Stocker information, 38 Communication unit, 40, 40A, 40B Stocker, 41 Delivery warehouse, 42 Display operation unit, 43 Reader device, 44 Door, 45 Locking mechanism, 46 Item sensor, 47 Open / close sensor, 50 Control device, 52 Control unit, 53 Memory unit, 54 Delivery warehouse information, 55 Deliverer information, 56 Communication unit, 57 Timing unit, T Elapsed time, Tref Unlockable period.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising a storage unit including a delivery storage unit with a door, The aforementioned door includes a locking mechanism that can lock and unlock it, An input section for entering various types of information, A supplier processing unit controls the lock mechanism so that the door of the delivery warehouse is unlocked when supplier information relating to the supplier of the goods is entered into the input unit and delivery of the goods is requested. A recipient processing unit controls the lock so that the door of the delivery warehouse is unlocked when the recipient of the goods requests the unlocking of the delivery warehouse from the input unit and the unlocking period has not elapsed. A setting unit that sets the unlockable period based on the aforementioned supplier information, A detection unit for detecting the presence or absence of items in the delivery warehouse, A determination unit that determines the operation mode to be executed by the recipient processing unit from among multiple operation modes, Equipped with, The operating modes include a first mode in which the locking mechanism is controlled so that the door of the delivery storage unit is unlocked when the recipient requests the unlocking of the delivery storage unit while an item has been detected inside the storage unit by the detection unit, and a second mode in which the locking mechanism is controlled so that the door of the delivery storage unit is unlocked when the recipient requests the unlocking of the delivery storage unit, regardless of whether an item has been detected inside the storage unit by the detection unit. The determination unit determines the operating mode based on the supplier information. Stocker system.

2. A storage system according to claim 1, The unlockable period in the first mode is set to be longer than the unlockable period in the second mode. Stocker system.

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