Storage device and storage system

Abstract

To provide a storage device and a storage system that suppress one specific user to occupy a storage box for a long period to enable storage boxes to be utilized more effectively.SOLUTION: A storage system is configured to have: a storage device 10 which is installed in the site of a building having an appropriation part that a user resides in or uses, and stores an article related to the user (an article that the user puts in the storage device 10 when using storage service) in a locked state; a management server 20, such as a server device, which manages information on the storage state etc., of the storage device 10; a user terminal 30 which is an information processing device that the user operates; and an administrator terminal 40 which is an information processing device operated by an administrator who performs management work on the storage device 10 and the management server 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage device and a storage system, and more particularly to a storage device and a storage system for temporarily storing articles that a user wishes to ship.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the trend of nuclear families, the increase in unmarried and late-married people, the increase in single-person households due to declining birthrates and aging populations, and the increase in dual-income couples have been progressing, and their lifestyles have changed significantly. In recent years, with the prosperity of e-commerce, while delivery items such as purchased goods are often delivered to each household, as described above, the proportion of cases where the house is left unattended due to an increase in the proportion of dual-income couples and the like has been increasing, and an environment and facilities that can smoothly receive the above delivery items are desired.

[0003] In order to meet the above needs, in recent years, storage devices equipped with a plurality of storage boxes, so-called home delivery lockers or street lockers, have been installed and used more frequently in common areas of apartment buildings, stores, or public facilities. This storage device can, for example, store the delivery items addressed to the resident in the storage box in a lockable manner even when the resident of the apartment building is absent, and temporarily store them, so that the resident can take out the delivery items addressed to himself / herself from the storage box without requesting a re-delivery from the delivery company and smoothly receive the delivery.

[0004] Generally, once a delivery item is stored in the storage box of the storage device, a new delivery item cannot be stored until the stored item is taken out. For this reason, if the delivery of the received item is delayed, the storage box will be occupied for a long time, and new delivery items cannot be deposited, resulting in frequent cases where the delivery service is delayed. In addition, if a specific user occupies the storage box for a long time, other users cannot use it, resulting in a sense of inequality.

[0005] As one of the prior arts aimed at solving the problem of long-term occupancy of storage boxes in the above-mentioned storage devices, a delivery locker management system disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been proposed. The delivery locker management system disclosed in Patent Document 1 reduces situations where delivery companies are inconvenienced by full storage boxes by notifying users to retrieve their packages when the utilization rate of the delivery lockers reaches a predetermined ratio. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-35371 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, the delivery locker management system described in Patent Document 1 above sends notifications to the user prompting them to retrieve their delivered items from the storage box. However, simply sending notifications is insufficient to motivate users to retrieve their items early, and there is a problem that users may ignore the notifications and not retrieve their items early, hindering the effective use of the storage box.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a storage device and storage system that suppresses the long-term occupation of storage boxes by specific users and promotes the effective use of storage boxes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve this objective, the present invention provides a storage device equipped with storage boxes for temporarily storing a user's items, including items delivered to the user or items brought in by the user, comprising: an information storage unit that stores an upper limit on the number of storage boxes into which the same user's items can be simultaneously stored for each user; and a control unit that measures the dwell time elapsed since items delivered to the user were placed in a storage box, wherein the control unit determines the upper limit on the number of storage boxes based on the dwell time.

[0010] Furthermore, the storage device according to the present invention is characterized in that the control unit reduces the maximum number of items that can be stored for users whose average dwell time exceeds a predetermined value.

[0011] Furthermore, according to the storage device of the present invention, the control unit is characterized by increasing the maximum number of items that can be stored by users whose average dwell time is less than a predetermined value.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the storage device of the present invention, the information storage unit stores a predetermined retention period, which is an excess retention time, and the control unit reduces the user's maximum number of items that have exceeded the retention period for retention time.

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention is a storage system comprising a storage device equipped with storage boxes for temporarily storing a user's items, including items delivered to the user or items brought in by the user, and a user terminal operated by the user, wherein the storage device includes an information storage unit that stores an upper limit on the number of storage boxes into which the same user's items can be simultaneously placed for each user, a communication unit that transmits an entry notification to the user terminal indicating that items delivered to the user have been placed in a storage box, and a control unit that measures the time elapsed since items delivered to the user were placed in a storage box, and the control unit determines the upper limit on the number of storage boxes based on the time elapsed.

[0014] Furthermore, according to the storage system of the present invention, the communication unit is characterized by transmitting a storage notification to the user terminal that includes information indicating the user's current maximum storage limit.

[0015] Furthermore, any combination of the above components, or any substitution of components or expressions of the present invention between methods, apparatus, systems, computer programs, recording media storing computer programs, etc., are also valid embodiments of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] The present invention relates to a storage device and storage system comprising storage boxes for temporarily storing a user's items, including items delivered to the user or items brought in by the user, and includes an information storage unit that stores an upper limit on the number of storage boxes into which the same user's items can be simultaneously stored for each user, and a control unit that measures the time elapsed since items delivered to the user were placed in a storage box, and the control unit determines the upper limit on the number of storage boxes based on the time elapsed, thereby suppressing the long-term occupation of storage boxes by a particular user and promoting the effective use of storage boxes. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This figure shows the overall configuration of the storage system in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the storage device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows the configuration of the storage device in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows the database stored in the information storage unit of the storage device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the data structure of the user database in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the data structure of the storage box DB in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the data structure of the delivery company database in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the usage history DB in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the warehousing management DB in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the management server in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This is a diagram showing the database stored in the information storage unit of the management server in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the user terminal in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the administrator terminal in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This is a flowchart showing the flow of the operation for determining the upper limit of the number of items that can be warehoused by the user by the warehousing device in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] This is a sequence chart showing the flow of the operation of the warehousing system when the delivery person of the delivery company warehouses the item (delivery item) addressed to the user in the warehousing device in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] This is a sequence chart showing the flow of the operation of the warehousing system when the delivery person of the delivery company warehouses the item (delivery item) addressed to the user in the warehousing device in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] This is a diagram showing an example of the "user selection screen" in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] This is a diagram showing an example of the "warehousing and shipping selection screen" displayed on the warehousing device in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] This is a diagram showing an example of the screen information showing the usage status of the storage box in the first embodiment of the present invention. [[ID=三十五]] [[ID=三十六]] [Figure 20] [[ID=三十七]]This is a diagram showing an example of the warehousing notification displayed on the user terminal in the first embodiment of the present invention. [[ID=三十八]] [[ID=三十九]] [Figure 21]This flowchart shows the flow of operations performed by the storage device when a user retrieves their own items that have been stored in the storage device, according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] <First Embodiment> (Summary of the first embodiment) The storage system in the first embodiment of the present invention is a system having a storage device such as a delivery locker. When a delivery company delivers goods (delivered items) to a user such as a resident of an apartment building, if the user is absent, the delivery company will store the delivered items in a storage device, and the user will then retrieve the delivered items from the storage device. Furthermore, the user places the items they wish to have delivered into a storage device, and the delivery company retrieves the items and delivers them to the destination specified by the user. Hereinafter, the items addressed to the above-mentioned user and the items received by the user will simply be referred to as "the user's items."

[0019] The storage device in this embodiment comprises a plurality of storage boxes. As a general rule, once an item is placed in a storage box, the box remains locked until the item is removed by the user or delivery company, and no new items can be placed in that box. For example, in a storage device, one storage box is used for each item, regardless of whether the user of each item is the same. Therefore, if the storage device stores three user items belonging to a user, three storage boxes will be used.

[0020] In this embodiment, multiple users utilize the storage device, but the storage device has a set upper limit on the number of storage boxes into which items belonging to the same user can be stored simultaneously (hereinafter referred to as the "maximum number of items that can be stored"). In this embodiment, the storage system determines the maximum number of items a user can store based on the time elapsed since the items addressed to the user were placed in the storage device (hereinafter referred to as "dwell time"). Specifically, the storage system incentivizes users with short dwell times by increasing the maximum number of items they can store. Conversely, the storage system penalizes users who spend a long time in the storage area by reducing their maximum storage capacity. Thus, the storage system in this embodiment encourages users to shorten their dwell time, thereby suppressing the exclusive use of the storage device by some users and enabling many users to use it fairly. The dwell time increases until the user's items are released. Once the user's items are released, the dwell time counting stops and the time is finalized.

[0021] (Configuration of the first embodiment) [1] Overall configuration of the storage system Figure 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the storage system in the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the storage system is installed on the premises of a building that has a private area for the user's residence or use, and consists of a storage device 10 that stores user-related items (items that the user places in the storage device 10 when using the storage service) in a locked state, a management server 20 such as a server device that manages information such as the storage status of the storage device 10, a user terminal 30 which is an information processing device operated by the user, and an administrator terminal 40 which is an information processing device operated by an administrator who performs management duties for the storage device 10 and the management server 20. Furthermore, the storage system includes a network 100 such as the Internet or LAN that connects the storage device 10, the management server 20, the user terminal 30, and the administrator terminal 40 in a way that enables communication.

[0022] The building in which the storage device 10 is installed is, for example, an apartment building, a commercial building, or a public building. Private areas include, for example, each dwelling unit in an apartment building, each workspace in an office building, each tenant space in a commercial facility, or each space in a public facility. Users include, for example, residents of apartment buildings, workers in office buildings, shop staff in commercial facilities, or users of public facilities.

[0023] A delivery company is a business that performs delivery services, and it employs staff who actually carry out those delivery tasks. Delivery companies are not limited to delivery companies in the narrow sense, but include mail-order companies, online supermarkets, dry cleaners, auction site operators, auction listing agents, delivery personnel of various stores and companies, and other service providers that operate storage services, as long as they deliver the user's goods.

[0024] The items stored in the storage device 10 are placed into the storage device 10 by the user, retrieved by the delivery company, and delivered to the delivery destination specified by the user. For example, if the delivery company is a delivery service, the goods are items such as packages or mail sent by the user. If the delivery company is a dry cleaner, the items to be cleaned are the clothes and other items that the user has requested to be cleaned. If the shipping company is the operator of the auction site, the items are those that the user puts up for auction on the site. Furthermore, mail-order companies, online supermarkets, dry cleaners, and auction site operators sometimes outsource the delivery of goods to delivery companies.

[0025] The configurations of the storage device 10, management server 20, user terminal 30, and administrator terminal 40 will be described in detail below.

[0026] [2] Configuration of the storage device 10 (1) Overview of the storage device 10 The storage device 10 is a storage device for temporarily depositing items addressed to a user until the user retrieves them, and comprises a plurality of lockable storage boxes. Furthermore, it may also be used for the purpose of temporarily storing goods received by the user until they are dispatched by the delivery company. In this embodiment, the storage device 10 has a function to transmit information regarding the receipt or dispatch of goods to the management server 20 via the network 100 when such information is input.

[0027] The storage device 10 may be installed in apartment buildings and other multi-unit dwellings, as well as in offices, convenience stores, supermarkets and other shops and commercial facilities, or public facilities and institutions such as train stations and hospitals, and the installation location is not limited to these. For example, if the storage device 10 is installed in an apartment building, the user is a resident of the apartment building, and the delivery company may be a courier service that delivers goods, a dry cleaner (if the goods are dry-cleaned items such as clothing), or other retail businesses.

[0028] The storage device 10 can accept and store not only delivery items such as courier packages, but also all kinds of other items. For example, the storage device 10 may be used to temporarily store items (delivery items) that a user wishes to receive, from the time they are delivered by the delivery company until the user retrieves them. Furthermore, the storage device 10 temporarily stores the items that the user has requested to be delivered until the delivery company collects and retrieves them for delivery.

[0029] Users can also use the storage device 10 to take advantage of the "cleaning" storage service. The user deposits their uncleaned clothing and other items into the storage device 10, and the cleaning company collects the deposited clothing and performs the cleaning. Afterward, the cleaned items may be stored again in the storage device 10, and the user may use the device to retrieve the cleaned items from the storage device 10.

[0030] (2) Overall configuration of the storage device 10 Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the storage device 10 in the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the storage device 10 in the first embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the storage device 10 will be explained below using these diagrams. As shown in the figure, the storage device 10 is composed of a control unit 11 which controls the entire storage device 10 and consists of a CPU, an information storage unit 12 which stores various information, a communication unit 13 which communicates with the management server 20 via the network 100, a display unit 14 which displays various information, an operation unit 15 which has various keys for inputting information, and a storage unit 16 which has multiple storage boxes for storing items. Each of the parts 11 to 16 is connected to an internal bus, through which various information is input and output, and various processes are executed under the control of the control unit 11.

[0031] The storage box of the storage device 10 can be shared by multiple users. For example, if the storage device 10 is installed in an apartment building, the storage boxes of the storage device 10 can be shared by multiple residents living in the same apartment building. In other words, the storage boxes of the storage device 10 can each store items that multiple residents living in the same apartment building wish to have delivered or items that are delivered to residents.

[0032] If an item has already been placed in the storage box of the storage device 10, and the door is closed and locked, only the recipient (user or delivery company) can unlock the storage box, and no one else can unlock it. The storage box of the storage device 10 is only permitted to store other items after the items currently stored in it have been removed and the box is empty. In other words, since new items cannot be added to a storage box that already contains items, the number of available storage boxes is limited unless items are removed from the existing storage boxes.

[0033] (3) Configuration of the control unit 11 The control unit 11 is a processing unit that is responsible for controlling the entire storage device 10, and is composed of, for example, electronic circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and integrated circuits such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The control unit 11 reads information from the information storage unit 12 and also writes information to the information storage unit 12. The control unit 11 controls the operation of the storage boxes, such as locking and unlocking and opening and closing the doors; controls the operation of the screen display by the display unit 14; performs authentication processing when using the storage device 10; and manages information about users and delivery companies, as well as the usage status of each storage box. Furthermore, the control unit 11 is equipped with a timing function and records the time of arrival and departure of items in the usage history DB 124 described later, and also measures the "dwell time" elapsed since the items were placed in the storage unit 16 (storage box) and registers it in the storage box DB 122 described later.

[0034] (4) Configuration of the information storage unit 12 The information storage unit 12 is, for example, a device that stores information such as a hard disk, memory, or semiconductor element. The information storage unit 12 has an area for storing programs to be executed by the control unit 11, and a temporary work area (such as RAM) that the control unit 11 uses when executing processing. The control unit 11 reads the program stored in its information storage unit 12, expands it into the work area, and executes various processes. The information storage unit 12 stores the databases described later.

[0035] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the database stored in the information storage unit 12 of the storage device 10 in the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the information storage unit 12 stores a user DB 121 that manages user information about users, a storage box DB 122 that manages the usage status of multiple storage boxes that make up the storage unit 16, a delivery company DB 123 that manages information about delivery companies, a usage history DB 124 that manages the usage history of each storage box, and a storage management DB 125 that manages the maximum number of items that can be stored for each user. The following provides a detailed explanation of the data structure of each database, 121 to 125.

[0036] User DB121 is a database for managing information about users. Figure 5 shows an example of the data structure of the user DB 121 in the first embodiment of the present invention. In the example shown in the diagram, the user DB121 manages the "user name," the "user authentication information" used by the user to unlock the storage box of the storage device 10, and the "user's personal information," all associated with the "user ID," which is the identification information of each individual user. The "user's personal information" mentioned above includes, for example, the user's address, the room number of the apartment building where the user resides, and the email address of the user's terminal 30 (user's contact information).

[0037] In this embodiment, along with the "User ID" mentioned above, or in place of the "User ID," information about the exclusive use of a room in an apartment building where the user resides, or the room number / tenant number of the office where the user works in a building (for example, room "202"), may be used as user identification information in each database.

[0038] The storage box DB122 is a database for managing the characteristics (attributes) and current usage status of each storage box in the storage device 10. Figure 6 shows an example of the data configuration of the storage box DB122 in the first embodiment of the present invention. In the example shown in the diagram, the storage box DB122 manages the following information in association with the "box number" that identifies each storage box: "attributes of each storage box," "usage status of each storage box," and, for storage boxes containing items (storage boxes in use), "user ID of the destination user of the item or user ID of the user who stored the item," "dwell time" indicating the time elapsed since the user's item was received by the delivery company, and "excess dwell time" indicating whether the dwell time of the currently stored item has exceeded the excess dwell time threshold.

[0039] "Storage box attributes" refer to information such as the size of the storage box, the position of each storage box in the storage device 10, and whether or not it has a freezing / refrigeration function.

[0040] The "Storage Box Usage Status" manages whether each storage box is in the "Unused" or "In Use" status. "Unused" indicates that the storage box is empty and that permission has been granted to add new items. "In Use" indicates that an item is already stored in the storage box and that entry of any further items is prohibited.

[0041] In this embodiment, as an example, the storage section 16 is composed of seven storage boxes, and each storage box is numbered 1 to 7. These box numbers 1-7 correspond to storage boxes 161-167 shown in Figure 2, respectively.

[0042] In the example in Figure 6, user ID "0001" is using 3 of the 7 storage boxes (box numbers 1, 4, and 6).

[0043] "Dwell time" refers to the time elapsed since the delivery company placed the user's items into the storage box. When a user takes an item out of the storage box, the control unit 11 stops measuring the dwell time.

[0044] The "excessive dwell time threshold" indicates the time limit at which the maximum number of items that can be stored will be reduced if each user's dwell time exceeds this threshold. If the current dwell time of a user's items in a storage box exceeds the dwell time limit, the control unit 11 writes "Exceeded" to the "Dwell Time Limit" item in the storage box DB122.

[0045] Delivery Carrier DB123 is a database for managing information about delivery carriers. Figure 7 shows an example of the data structure of the delivery company DB123 in the first embodiment of the present invention. In the example shown in the diagram, the delivery company DB123 manages the following information in association with the "delivery person ID" that identifies each delivery person: the "name / company name of the delivery person," the "delivery company authentication information" that the delivery person uses to unlock the storage boxes of the storage device 10, the "delivery company ID" of the delivery company to which the delivery person belongs, the "name of the delivery company" to which it belongs, and "other information about the delivery company (delivery person)."

[0046] If a delivery person from a delivery company has their authentication information managed in the delivery company's DB123, they can unlock the storage box and receive (deposit) or receive (collect) the goods.

[0047] Figure 8 shows an example of the data structure of the usage history DB124 in the first embodiment of the present invention. In the example shown in Figure 8, the usage history DB124 is a database that manages usage history information (such as receiving and shipping) for each storage box in the storage device 10. The usage history DB124 manages the following information in association with each inbound or outbound operation of a storage box: the "box number" to which the item was inbound or outbound, the "time of the inbound or outbound operation," the "type of inbound or outbound operation," the "inbound operation number" corresponding to the outbound operation, "item attribute information" such as whether it needs to be refrigerated or frozen, the "inbound user ID," which is the user ID of the user who inbound the item into the storage box or the delivery company ID of the delivery person who inbound the item, and the "outbound user ID / outbound person," which is the user ID of the user who has outbound or is scheduled to outbound the item from the storage box, or the delivery company ID of the delivery person who is scheduled to outbound or collect the item.

[0048] The usage history DB124 records the history of which user's items were received and when, and when they were dispatched (or have not yet been dispatched). Therefore, the control unit 11 can detect (extract) the final dwell time of each user's items that have already been dispatched by referring to the usage history DB124.

[0049] The Inbound Management DB125 is a database that manages information such as each user's maximum number of incoming items and the usage status of storage boxes. Figure 9 shows an example of the data structure of the inventory management DB125 in the first embodiment of the present invention. The inventory management DB125 manages the following, associated with a "User ID" that identifies each user: "Maximum Inventory Count," which indicates the maximum number of storage boxes that each user can use simultaneously; "Current Maximum Inventory Count," which indicates the maximum inventory count that increases or decreases according to each user's dwell time; "Average Dwell Time" for each user; "Current Inventory Count" for each user; "Excess Dwell Time Criterion," which indicates the time threshold at which the maximum inventory count will be reduced if each user's dwell time exceeds the limit; and "Number of Storage Boxes Exceeding the Excess Dwell Time Criterion," which indicates the number of storage boxes whose dwell time exceeds the excess dwell time.

[0050] Of the items in the above-mentioned inventory management DB125, the control unit 11 will update "current maximum number of incoming items," "average dwell time," "current number of incoming items," and "number of items exceeding the dwell time limit" as appropriate according to the inventory status of each user.

[0051] The "maximum number of incoming items" in the inventory management DB125 includes the "basic maximum number of incoming items" before any increases or decreases due to dwell time. The control unit 11 increases or decreases the "basic maximum number of items that can be stored" according to the dwell time of each user. In the example in Figure 9, the "Basic Maximum Inventory Quantity" for "User IDs" "0001", "0002", and "0003" is "3", "3", and "2", respectively. As in this example, in the inventory management DB125, the "basic maximum number of items to be received" for each user may be set to a different value.

[0052] The "maximum number of incoming items" in the inbound management DB125 includes not only the "basic maximum number of incoming items" mentioned above, but also a "maximum number of incoming items" that is determined based on the dwell time. In the example in Figure 9, if the average dwell time of each user's items is relatively short, "less than 1 day," the system is set to provide an incentive to increase the number of items beyond the "basic maximum inventory limit" mentioned above. On the other hand, if the average dwell time of each user's items is "2 days or more," a penalty is imposed that reduces the number of items that can be stored below the "basic maximum storage limit" mentioned above. If the average dwell time of each user's items is "1 day or more but less than 2 days," the above "basic maximum number of items that can be stored" is set to remain unchanged.

[0053] In the example in Figure 9, the average "stay time" for user ID "0001" is "1.2 days," which falls under the category of "1 day or more, but less than 2 days." Therefore, the "maximum number of items that can be stored" is "3," but because the "number of times exceeding the stay limit" is "2," the maximum number of items that can be stored is reduced by "2," and the "current maximum number of items that can be stored" is "1."

[0054] As described above, the inventory management DB125 manages the "excessive dwell time standard". The "excessive retention time" refers to a predetermined period of time. When the control unit 11 determines that the retention time of an individual user's items exceeds this "excessive retention time," it reduces the maximum number of items that user can receive. Additionally, the inventory management DB125 tracks the "number of items exceeding the dwell time limit." For example, if the "excess retention time standard" is set to "3 days", the control unit 11 reduces the user's "current maximum number of items that can be stored" for items whose retention time exceeds "3 days" by a predetermined number, according to the number of times the "excess retention time standard" has been exceeded. In this example, the control unit 11 reduces the maximum number of items that can be stored by "1" for each instance where the retention limit is exceeded.

[0055] When the control unit 11 determines that a user has requested the storage of goods, it refers to the storage management DB 125 and accepts the storage request from the user only if the "current number of items stored" is less than the "current maximum number of items stored".

[0056] (5) Configuration of the storage section 16 The storage section 16 is composed of multiple storage boxes. The storage boxes are storage compartments for temporarily storing items related to the user, and each is configured to be lockable and unlockable. For example, even if the user is absent, the delivery person can place the items addressed to the user into the storage box and lock it, allowing the storage unit 16 to safely store the items until the user retrieves them. Additionally, users can store items they wish to have picked up in a storage box until the delivery person comes to collect them.

[0057] Each storage box is normally locked. Storage boxes that do not contain items will be unlocked upon successful authentication by the user or delivery company, and will not be unlocked upon failed authentication. On the other hand, a user can unlock a storage box containing items addressed to them by entering unlocking information, but cannot unlock a storage box containing items addressed to someone else. Delivery personnel can unlock storage boxes containing items they have been entrusted with delivering by entering authentication information. The structure for locking and unlocking a storage box is not particularly limited, as long as it is fixed to the storage compartment so that the door can be opened and closed to block the entrance / exit.

[0058] (6) Configuration of the communications unit 13 The communication unit 13 is an interface that controls communication with the management server 20 via the network 100, and includes a LAN adapter, etc. The communication unit 13 is equipped with a wireless transceiver and may be connected to a LAN or the Internet via wireless communication, or it may be connected via a wired connection such as a cable.

[0059] (7) Configuration of the display unit 14 and the operation unit 15 The display unit 14 is a display device such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) panel, or a lamp using an LED or other light-emitting element. The control unit 11 reads an image from the information storage unit 12 and performs image output processing to generate screen information. The control unit 11 outputs the generated image information to the display unit 14. The display unit 14 displays the input image information on a screen such as a display. Furthermore, the control unit 11 can output control signals to the display unit 14, which can then light up the lamps on the display unit 14.

[0060] In the example shown in Figure 2, the display unit 14 is located inside the main body of the storage device 10, but it may also be an external display device connected via wired or wireless communication. For example, the display unit 14 is a tablet terminal or display device, which is located outside the main body of the storage device 10 and displays image information input from the control unit 11 via the wired or wireless connection.

[0061] The operation unit 15 includes an information input device, for example, consisting of various keys, and this information input device works in conjunction with the display unit 14 to provide a pointing device. The operation unit 15 receives various operations from residents, etc., and outputs a signal indicating the content of the operation to the control unit 11, etc. When the control unit 11 receives a signal indicating the operation content, it outputs a control signal to the display unit 14 instructing the display unit 14 to perform a screen display corresponding to the operation content, according to the content of the signal. When the display unit 14 receives the control signal, it displays information on the screen in accordance with the control signal. The display unit 14 and the operation unit 15 may be integrated to form a touch panel.

[0062] Furthermore, the operation unit 15 is equipped with an information reading device that reads information from an information recording medium using short-range wireless communication such as infrared communication. When a user or delivery person brings an information recording medium (authentication medium) containing authentication information for unlocking the storage box within a predetermined distance of the operation unit 15 (information reading device), the operation unit 15 reads the authentication information from the information recording medium. The technology used by the operation unit 15 to read authentication information is not particularly limited, but for example, a short-range wireless communication method such as Felica®, MIFARE®, NFC (Near Field Communication), or Bluetooth® may be used. In addition, if code information is printed or provided on the surface of the information recording medium, the operation unit 15 will optically read that code information. The above-mentioned information recording medium is, for example, a contactless IC card on which authentication information identifying the user or delivery company is written, or a portable terminal with similar functionality.

[0063] [3] Configuration of the management server 20 The management server 20 is a server device that manages user information, delivery company information, usage status of the storage device 10, etc. The management server 20 is managed, for example, by the administrator who manages the storage system.

[0064] Figure 10 shows the configuration of the management server 20 in the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the management server 20 is configured with a control unit 21 which is composed of a CPU and the like and controls the entire management server 20, an information storage unit 22 which stores user information and the like, and a communication unit 23 which sends and receives information to and from the storage device 10, user terminal 30 or administrator terminal 40 via wireless or wired connections over the network 100. Each of the units 21-23 is connected to an internal bus, through which various information is input and output, and under the control of the control unit 21, various processes are executed.

[0065] The control unit 21 is a processing unit that oversees the control of the entire management server 20, and is composed of, for example, electronic circuits such as a CPU and integrated circuits such as an FPGA. The control unit 21 reads information from the information storage unit 22 and also writes information to the information storage unit 22.

[0066] The information storage unit 22 is, for example, a device that stores information such as a hard disk, memory, or semiconductor element. The information storage unit 22 has an area for storing programs to be executed by the control unit 21, and a temporary work area (such as RAM) that the control unit 21 uses when executing processing. The control unit 21 reads the program stored in its information storage unit 22, expands it into the work area, and executes various processes.

[0067] The communication unit 23 is an interface that controls communication with the storage device 10, user terminal 30, and administrator terminal 40 via the network 100, and includes a LAN adapter, etc. The communication unit 23 is equipped with a wireless transceiver and may be connected to a LAN or the Internet via wireless communication, or it may be connected via a wired connection such as a cable.

[0068] Figure 11 shows the databases stored in the information storage unit 22 of the management server 20. As shown in the figure, the information storage unit 22 stores a user DB 221 that manages user information about users, a storage box DB 222 that manages the usage status of multiple storage boxes that make up the storage unit 16, a delivery company DB 223 that manages information about delivery companies, a usage history DB 224 that manages the usage history of each storage box, and a storage management DB 225 that manages the maximum number of items that can be stored for each user.

[0069] In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the management server 20 integrates and manages the data from the user DB 221, storage box DB 222, delivery company DB 223, usage history DB 224, and inventory management DB 225 databases of the same name for one or more storage devices 10.

[0070] Furthermore, one of the storage device 10 and the management server 20 may be configured to manage a portion of the information managed in the database of the other. The management server 20 may communicate with the storage device 10 at predetermined intervals to synchronize each database it stores with each database of the same name in the storage device 10.

[0071] [4] Configuration of user terminal 30 User terminal 30 is a smartphone, mobile phone, tablet, PC, or other device used by the user.

[0072] The user receives notifications from the management server 20 via the user terminal 30 regarding the arrival of items (goods) addressed to them into the storage device 10, or the departure of items they have requested to be collected from the storage device 10 by the delivery company. Furthermore, the user can use the user terminal 30 to communicate with the management server 20, receive and display information about deliveries addressed to them and deliveries for which they have requested pickup, and confirm the contents of that information.

[0073] Figure 12 shows the configuration of the user terminal 30 in the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the user terminal 30 is configured to include a control unit 31, which is composed of a CPU and the like and controls the operation of the entire user terminal 30; an information storage unit 32, which stores input information and information received via the network 100; a communication unit 33, which sends and receives information via the network 100; a display unit 34, which is composed of a display and the like and displays information on the screen; and an operation unit 35, which is composed of keys, a mouse, and the like and performs information input. Furthermore, the display unit 34 and the operation unit 35 may be integrated to form a touch panel. Each of the parts 31 to 35 is connected to an internal bus, through which various information is input and output, and under the control of the control unit 31, various processes are executed.

[0074] The control unit 31 is a processing unit that is responsible for controlling the entire user terminal 30, and is composed of, for example, electronic circuits such as a CPU and integrated circuits such as an FPGA. The control unit 31 reads information from the information storage unit 32 and also writes information to the information storage unit 32.

[0075] The information storage unit 32 is, for example, a device that stores information such as a hard disk, memory, or semiconductor element. The information storage unit 32 has an area for storing programs to be executed by the control unit 31, and a temporary work area (such as RAM) that the control unit 31 uses when executing processing. The control unit 31 reads the program stored in its information storage unit 32, expands it into the work area, and executes various processes.

[0076] The communication unit 33 is an interface that controls communication with the management server 20 via the network 100, and includes a LAN adapter, etc. The communication unit 33 is equipped with a wireless transceiver and may be connected to a LAN or the Internet via wireless communication, or it may be connected via a wired connection such as a cable.

[0077] The display unit 34 is a display device such as a display or lamp. The control unit 31 reads an image from the information storage unit 32 and performs image output processing to generate screen information. The control unit 31 also performs image output processing on the image information received by the communication unit 33 from the management server 20 or the service provider server 70 to generate screen information. The control unit 31 outputs the generated image information to the display unit 34. The display unit 34 displays the input image information on a screen such as a display. Furthermore, the control unit 31 can output control signals to the display unit 34, which can then light up LEDs or other lamps on the display unit 34.

[0078] The operation unit 35 includes an information input device, for example, consisting of various keys, and this information input device works in conjunction with the display unit 34 to provide a pointing device. The operation unit 35 receives various operations from the customer or other party and outputs a signal indicating the content of the operation to the control unit 31, etc. When the control unit 31 receives a signal indicating the operation content, it outputs a control signal to the display unit 34 indicating that it will display a screen corresponding to the operation content, in accordance with the content of the signal. When the display unit 34 receives the control signal, it displays information on the screen in accordance with the control signal.

[0079] The user terminal 30 can receive and display screen information, such as a web page, from the management server 20 or the service provider server 70, which functions as a web server. The user terminal 30 has the function of generating and sending an HTTP request in response to a user request, and the function of interpreting an HTTP response (an example of a response) and presenting it to the user. For example, the information storage unit 32 stores a web browser as one example. The control unit 31 interprets the HTTP response, generates image data and audio data, and presents the HTTP response to the user by displaying it on the display unit 34 or outputting the audio from the speaker of the user terminal 30.

[0080] [5] Configuration of the administrator terminal 40 The administrator terminal 40 is a smartphone, mobile phone, tablet, PC, or other device used by the administrator.

[0081] Figure 13 shows the configuration of the administrator terminal 40 in the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the administrator terminal 40 is configured to include a control unit 41, an information storage unit 42, a communication unit 43, a display unit 44, and an operation unit 45. Since each of the above parts 41 to 45 has basically the same configuration as the parts 31 to 35 of the user terminal 30 with the same name, a detailed explanation of them will be omitted.

[0082] The administrator terminal 40 can receive and display screen information, such as web pages, from the management server 20, which functions as a web server. The administrator can use the administrator terminal 40 to communicate with the management server 20, receive and display information such as the usage status of the storage device 10 and the status of item retrieval by each user, and confirm the contents of this information.

[0083] Furthermore, when the administrator uses the administrator terminal 40 to send a request to the management server 20 to retrieve information from the inventory management DB 225, the server receives the information and the display unit 44 displays it. The administrator can check the information displayed in the inventory management DB225 and use the operation unit 45 to change some of that information (maximum number of incoming items and excess retention time). For example, if a user pays a membership fee to the administrator, or if the user's stay time has been short and they have not occupied a storage box, the administrator can use the operation unit 45 to input a higher maximum number of items to be stored or a longer dwell time threshold, and the communication unit 43 can send the input value to the management server 20 to update the information in the storage management DB 225 with the transmitted content. The management server 20 then transmits the updated information to the storage device 10, synchronizing the information in the inventory management DB 225 and the inventory management DB 125.

[0084] (Operation of the first embodiment) (1) Operation to determine the maximum number of items to be stored Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of the operation by the storage device 10 to determine the user's maximum number of items to be stored in the first embodiment of the present invention. The following describes the operation of the control unit 11 of the storage device 10 when it automatically determines the maximum number of items a user can store based on the user's dwell time, following the diagram.

[0085] The control unit 11 of the storage device 10 does not have any particular limitations on the timing of determining the user's maximum number of items to be stored. For example, the control unit 11 may determine the maximum number of items a given user can store at predetermined intervals, such as every day, or it may determine the maximum number of items a user can store when a delivery company starts operating the operation unit 15 to store items addressed to that user in the storage device 10.

[0086] First, the control unit 11 refers to the usage history DB 124 and extracts all of the dwell times of the relevant user (step S101).

[0087] In step S101, the control unit 11 may extract the most recent predetermined number of dwell times (for example, 5). Furthermore, the control unit 11 may extract only the dwell time of items for which the dispatch has been completed (confirmed dwell time), or it may extract the dwell time of items that have not yet been dispatched (currently ongoing dwell time).

[0088] In step S101, the "most recent" dwell time may refer to either the most recent time the item was shipped out or the most recent time it was received by the user in question.

[0089] Next, the control unit 11 calculates the average value of the dwell time of the same user extracted above (step S102). The control unit 11 writes the average value of the user's dwell time calculated above to the "average value of dwell time" for the corresponding user in the inventory management DB 125.

[0090] Next, the control unit 11 refers to the inventory management DB 125 and determines the upper limit for the number of items to be received based on the average dwell time of the same user calculated above (step S103). For example, in the example shown in Figure 9, if the average dwell time of user ID "0001" is "less than 1 day", the control unit 11 increases the "basic upper limit for incoming goods" by "1", and determines the "current upper limit for incoming goods" to "4".

[0091] Next, the control unit 11 refers to the usage history DB 124 and determines whether there are any items currently stored by the user (items that have not yet been taken out) that have exceeded the retention limit (step S104).

[0092] In step S104, if the control unit 11 determines that there are no items for which the retention period has exceeded the limit for that user (step S104 / No), it does not reduce the upper limit number of items to be stored determined in step S103, and ultimately determines the upper limit number of items to be stored (step S106). This completes the process.

[0093] On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines that there are items for which the retention period has exceeded the limit for that user (step S104 / Yes), it reduces the maximum number of items to be stored determined in step S103 by a predetermined number (step S105) and finally determines the reduced maximum number of items to be stored (step S106). For example, using the example in Figure 9, the control unit 11 will decrease the current maximum number of items that can be stored by "1" if the items belonging to user ID "0001" are still being stored and the dwell time of those items exceeds the dwell time limit (3 days). In the example in Figure 9, there are two items belonging to user ID "0001" that have exceeded the stagnant limit time. If there are multiple items that have exceeded the stagnant limit time, the control unit 11 may further reduce the current maximum number of items that can be stored based on that number (for example, if there is one item, it will decrease by "1", if there are two items, it will decrease by "2"). This completes the process.

[0094] As described above, in this embodiment, the storage device 10 determines the maximum number of items that can be stored based on the average dwell time of the user's items, and if the dwell time of the user's items exceeds a standard time (dwell time exceeding the standard), it further reduces the maximum number of items that can be stored, and automatically determines the final maximum number of items that can be stored. Therefore, by effectively encouraging users to promptly retrieve and receive their items stored in the storage device 10, it is possible to suppress the exclusive use of storage boxes in the storage device 10 by specific users, and as a result, to realize effective utilization of the storage boxes in the storage device 10. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 reduced the maximum number of items that could be stored for a user if the retention limit was exceeded. However, it may also decide to increase the maximum number of items that could be stored if the retention limit is not exceeded.

[0095] (2) Item receiving operation Figures 15 and 16 are sequence charts showing the flow of operations by the storage system when a delivery person of a delivery company places goods (delivery items) addressed to a user into the storage device 10 in the first embodiment of the present invention. The following describes the operation of the storage system when a delivery company places items addressed to a user into the storage device 10, following the diagram provided.

[0096] First, the delivery person visits the installation location of the storage device 10 (for example, the common area of ​​the apartment building where the user lives) with the items addressed to the user.

[0097] The display unit 14 of the storage device 10 shows the "User Selection Screen". The user selection screen is a screen displaying information for users to select their own profile (user or delivery company) when using the storage device 10.

[0098] Figure 17 shows an example of a "user selection screen" in the first embodiment of the present invention. In the example shown in Figure 17, the user selection screen displays icons for "User" and "Delivery Company". Users of the storage device 10 (users or delivery companies) operate the control panel 15 of the storage device 10 to select either the "user" or "delivery company" icon according to their profile. In this example, the delivery person places the items addressed to the user into a storage box, so the "Delivery Company" icon is selected.

[0099] When the delivery person selects the "Delivery Company" icon on the user selection screen, the display unit 14, under the control of the control unit 11, displays an "Authentication Input Screen" prompting the delivery person to enter their authentication information (step S201). For example, the authentication information for a delivery person may be a combination of a delivery person ID and a password.

[0100] The authentication input screen will display a message such as, "Please hold your IC card over the reader," prompting the delivery person to enter their authentication information. For example, the method for inputting the delivery person's authentication information may involve having them read an IC card containing their delivery person ID and password via short-range wireless communication into a reader provided on the operating unit 15 of the storage device 10. Furthermore, if the authentication input screen includes input fields for the delivery person ID and password, the delivery person may use the various keys provided on the operation unit 15 to enter the delivery person ID and password into the input fields.

[0101] The delivery person enters their authentication information into the storage device 10 according to the information displayed on this "authentication input screen" (step S202).

[0102] The control unit 11 refers to the delivery company DB 123 and authenticates the delivery person based on the delivery person ID and password included in the delivery person authentication information entered above (step S203). For example, the control unit 11 determines "authentication successful" if the above-mentioned delivery person ID and password are registered in association with each other in the delivery company DB 123, and determines "authentication failed" if they are not registered in association with each other.

[0103] If the control unit 11 determines that authentication has failed (step S203 / No), it terminates its operation without granting permission to the delivery person to use the storage device 10.

[0104] On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines that authentication is successful (step S203 / Yes), the display unit 14 displays the "In / Out Selection Screen" under the control of the control unit 11 (step S204). The inbound / outbound selection screen is a screen displaying information that allows delivery personnel to select whether to receive or outbound goods.

[0105] Figure 18 shows an example of a "receiving / retrieving selection screen" displayed on the storage device 10 in the first embodiment of the present invention. In the example shown in the diagram, the "In / Out Selection Screen" displays "In" and "Out" buttons, as well as an input field for the "Room Number." The delivery person operates the control panel 15 of the storage device 10 to select either "In" or "Out" on the in / out selection screen and enters the "Room Number" to identify the relevant user (Step S205). In this example, the delivery person places the user's items (items addressed to the user) into the storage device 10, and presses the "Store" button. At this time, the delivery person also enters the "room number" of the user to whom the items are being stored in the input field above. The "room number" mentioned above is information used to identify the user. Alternatively, instead of the "room number," an input field for other user-identifying information, such as a "user ID," may be displayed and the user may be asked to enter it.

[0106] When the control unit 11 determines that "Inbound" has been selected by the delivery person to receive the user's items on the inbound / outbound selection screen, it refers to the usage status of each storage box in the storage box DB122 and determines whether or not there are currently any unused storage boxes (step S206).

[0107] If the control unit 11 determines that there are currently no available storage boxes (step S206 / No), the delivery person cannot place the items into a storage box, and therefore terminates the operation.

[0108] On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines that there is currently an available storage box (step S206 / Yes), it refers to the inventory management DB 125, identifies a user based on the entered "room number," compares the identified user's "current maximum inventory quantity" with the "current inventory quantity," and determines whether the "current maximum inventory quantity" is greater than the "current inventory quantity" (step S207).

[0109] In step S207, if the control unit 11 determines that the identified user's "current maximum number of items to be stored" is less than or equal to the "current number of items to be stored" (step S207 / No), the user has reached the maximum number of storage boxes for which storage is permitted, and is not permitted to store any more items in the storage boxes. Therefore, the control unit 14 displays "Storage of items is not permitted" and terminates the operation.

[0110] On the other hand, in step S207, if the control unit 11 determines that the identified user's "current maximum number of items to be stored" is greater than the "current number of items to be stored" (step S207 / Yes), it refers to the storage box DB 122 to extract information on the usage status of the storage boxes, generates screen information showing the usage status of the storage boxes, and displays the generated screen information showing the usage status of the storage boxes on the display unit 14 (step S208).

[0111] Figure 19 is a diagram showing an example of screen information indicating the usage status of the storage box in the first embodiment of the present invention. In the example shown in the diagram, storage boxes in the storage device 10 that are currently available for storage and storage boxes that are currently being stored and are not available for further storage are indicated by different colors, allowing delivery personnel to see which storage boxes are available for storage.

[0112] The delivery person checks the screen information on the display unit 14, which shows the usage status of the storage boxes, and operates the operation unit 15 to select any storage box from the available storage boxes (step S209).

[0113] The control unit 11 unlocks the storage box selected by the delivery person (step S210). When the delivery person places the user's items into the unlocked storage box and closes the door, the control unit 11 locks the storage box containing the items (step S211).

[0114] Next, the control unit 11 updates the corresponding items in the storage box DB 122 and the usage history DB 124 (step S212).

[0115] In step S212, the control unit 11 updates the "Usage Status" item in the storage box DB122 where the user's items have been stored from "Unused" to "In Use," and registers the user ID of the user of the stored items in the "User ID" item. Furthermore, the control unit 11 uses a timing function to measure the dwell time and registers or updates the measured dwell time in the "Dwell Time" item of the storage box DB122 at predetermined intervals. If the registered or updated dwell time exceeds a predetermined dwell time limit, the control unit 11 registers that it has "exceeded" in the "dwell time limit" item of the storage box DB122.

[0116] In step S212, the control unit 11 registers the box number corresponding to the storage box into the "Box Number" field of the usage history DB 124 where the user's items were stored, registers the current time measured in the "Store In / Out Time" field, and registers the type of store in or out (in this case, store in) in the "Store In / Out" field. Furthermore, the control unit 11 registers the delivery company ID of the delivery person who authenticated and received the user's goods in the "Receiving Person ID" field in the usage history DB 124, and registers the user ID of the user of the received goods in the "Outgoing Person ID / Scheduled Outgoing Person ID" field.

[0117] Next, the control unit 11 refers to the user DB 121 and extracts the user's contact information associated with the "room number" entered in step S205. Then, the control unit 11 generates an arrival notification, which is information indicating that an item addressed to the user has been placed in the storage device 10 (step S213).

[0118] For example, the storage notification may include items such as: "a message notifying the user that their items have been stored in storage device 10," "a message encouraging the user to retrieve their items promptly," "the date of storage," "the location of the storage device 10 into which the items were stored," "the box number of the storage box into which the items were stored," "the user's name," and "the user's room number."

[0119] Next, the communication unit 13 of the storage device 10 sends the generated storage notification to the management server 20 (step S214).

[0120] When the management server 20 receives an inbound notification from the storage device 10, it refers to the user DB 221 to identify the user based on the "room number" included in the inbound notification, extracts the contact information (email address, etc.) of the identified user, and sends the inbound notification to the user terminal 30 indicated by the user's contact information (step S215). In step S215, the timing at which the management server 20 sends the inventory notification to the user terminal 30 is not particularly limited. For example, the management server 20 may send an incoming goods notification to the corresponding user terminal 30 each time it receives one from the storage device 10, or it may temporarily store the incoming goods notifications received from the storage device 10 in the information storage unit 22, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, send the stored one or more incoming goods notifications to the corresponding user terminal 30 all at once.

[0121] When the communication unit 33 of the user terminal 30 receives an inbound notification from the management server 20, the display unit 34 displays the inbound notification (step S216).

[0122] Figure 20 shows an example of a storage notification displayed on the user terminal 30 in the first embodiment of the present invention. The storage notification in the example shown in the diagram includes a message notifying the user that their items have been stored in storage device 10, the location of the storage device 10 into which the items were stored, the box number of the storage box into which the items were stored, and the date of storage. Furthermore, the inventory notification in the example diagram includes a message informing the user that, in addition to the items of the user who received the inventory notification this time, other users' items are currently being stored, the user's current inventory limit, and the number of items currently being stored by that user. As shown in the example diagram, if the number of items currently stored by the user exceeds the user's current maximum storage limit, the user cannot store any new items until the user's currently stored items are released. Therefore, it may be advisable to include a message in the storage notification urging the user to release their items promptly.

[0123] The user confirms the contents of the displayed storage notification, moves to the location where the user's items are stored in the storage device 10, and retrieves the user's items.

[0124] Furthermore, the contents of the storage notification are not limited to the above examples, as long as their purpose is to notify the user that their items have been stored in the storage device 10.

[0125] As explained above, when a delivery person attempts to store a user's items in the storage device 10, the storage device 10 determines whether to allow the delivery person to store additional items based on the user's current maximum storage limit. If the limit is exceeded, the storage device 10 prohibits the storage of additional items; if the limit is not exceeded, the storage device 10 permits the storage of additional items. Therefore, it becomes possible to prevent any particular user from monopolizing the storage boxes of the storage device 10, thereby eliminating feelings of inequality among users. In particular, the storage device 10 sets a lower maximum number of items that can be stored for users whose dwell time exceeds a predetermined time compared to users whose dwell time is less than the predetermined time. Therefore, the chances of items belonging to such users not being stored increase. Therefore, it becomes possible to effectively encourage users to retrieve their items from the storage device 10 in a short period of time.

[0126] (3) Dispatch of goods Figure 21 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations performed by the storage device 10 when a user retrieves their own items (deliveries addressed to the user) that have been stored in the storage device 10 in the first embodiment of the present invention. The following describes, as an example, the operation of the storage system when a user retrieves their own items (deliveries addressed to the user) that have been placed in the storage device 10 by a delivery company from the storage box and retrieves them, following the diagram.

[0127] As described above, after the user confirms the contents of the storage notification using the user terminal 30, the user moves to the installation location of the storage device 10 indicated in the storage notification in order to retrieve their own items.

[0128] The display unit 14 of the storage device 10 shows the "user selection screen" (Figure 17). When a user selects the "User" icon on the user selection screen, the display unit 14, under the control of the control unit 11, displays an "authentication input screen" prompting the user to enter their authentication information (step S301).

[0129] In the following example, we will proceed with the explanation assuming that the user's authentication information is a combination of room number and password, but the room number can be replaced with a user ID, or both the room number and user ID, or any other information that can identify the user. For example, the method for entering user authentication information may involve having the user read an IC card containing their room number and password via short-range wireless communication into a reader provided on the operation unit 15 of the storage device 10. Alternatively, the user may use the various keys provided on the control unit 15 to enter the room number and password.

[0130] The user enters their authentication information into the storage device 10 according to the content displayed on this "authentication input screen" (step S302).

[0131] The control unit 11 refers to the user DB 123 and authenticates the user based on the room number and password included in the user authentication information entered above (step S303). For example, the control unit 11 determines "authentication successful" if the room number and password are registered in association with each other in the user DB 123, and determines "authentication failed" if they are not registered in association with each other.

[0132] If the control unit 11 determines that authentication has failed (step S303 / No), it terminates its operation without allowing the user to use the storage device 10 (retrieval operation).

[0133] On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines that authentication is successful (step S303 / Yes), the display unit 14 displays the "In / Out Selection Screen" under the control of the control unit 11 (step S304). The inventory selection screen can be used by the user to select whether to receive or send items into or out of storage. The screen for selecting incoming and outgoing items may be the same as the example shown in Figure 18.

[0134] The user operates the control panel 15 of the storage device 10 to select either "In" or "Out" on the in / out selection screen (step S305). In this example, the user will retrieve their own items (deliveries addressed to the user) from the storage device 10, so they press the "Retrieve" button.

[0135] Next, the control unit 11 refers to the storage box DB122 and unlocks the storage box containing the items of the authenticated user (step S306). The user retrieves their items from the unlocked storage box. The storage box may be designed to automatically lock when the user closes the door after removing an item.

[0136] Next, the control unit 11 updates the corresponding items in the storage box DB 122 and the usage history DB 124 (step S307).

[0137] In step S307, the control unit 11 updates the "Usage Status" item in the storage box DB122 where the user's items have been stored from "In Use" to "Unused," and deletes the user ID from the "User ID" item. Furthermore, the control unit 11 deletes the dwell time that was registered in the "dwell time" item of the storage box DB122. If "Exceeded" is registered in the "Dwelling Time" field of storage box DB122, the control unit 11 deletes the "Exceeded" registration.

[0138] In step S307, the control unit 11 registers the box number corresponding to the storage box from which the user's items were taken out in the "Box Number" field of the usage history DB 124, registers the current time measured in the "In / Out Time" field, and registers the type of inbound or outbound item (in this case, outbound) in the "Inbound / Outbound" field. The control unit 11 registers the user ID of the user of the shipped item in the "Sender ID / Scheduled Sender ID" field in the usage history DB 124. Furthermore, the control unit 11 registers the delivery company ID of the delivery person who received the user's goods in the "Receiving Person ID" field, and registers the work number of the receiving operation corresponding to the current outbound operation in the "Receiving Operation Number" field. This completes the process.

[0139] As described above, when a user retrieves their own items, the storage device 10 determines the dwell time of the retrieved user's items (stops timing the dwell time) and stops the decrease in the user's maximum number of items that can be stored. This makes it possible to efficiently encourage users to retrieve their own items from the storage device 10 as soon as possible.

[0140] If there are multiple storage boxes containing items belonging to a user with the same user ID, steps S306 and S307 may be performed for each storage box individually (each time a storage box belonging to a delivery person is locked, the storage boxes belonging to other delivery persons are unlocked). Alternatively, multiple storage boxes for delivery (outbound) can be unlocked together (step S306), and the contents of each database can be updated (step S307).

[0141] (Summary of the first embodiment) As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the storage device 10 automatically determines the number of storage boxes (maximum number of items) that each user can store simultaneously, based on the dwell time of each user's items. In particular, the storage device 10 determines a higher maximum number of items that each user can store the shorter their dwell time. This effectively encourages users to retrieve their items from the storage device 10 as soon as possible, preventing any particular user from exclusively using the storage boxes of the storage device 10 and eliminating any sense of unfairness among other users caused by such exclusive use.

[0142] The storage device 10 determines the maximum number of items that can be stored based on the average dwell time of each user. Therefore, the earlier a user retrieves their items from the storage device 10, the higher the maximum number of items that can be stored will be, effectively encouraging users to retrieve their items early.

[0143] Furthermore, if a user's dwell time exceeds the dwell time threshold, the storage device 10 decides to reduce the maximum number of items that can be stored, regardless of the average dwell time of that user. This effectively suppresses the prolonged occupation of storage boxes by users.

[0144] (Modified version of the first embodiment) In the first embodiment of the present invention, some of the operations performed by the storage device 10 can be performed by an external device of the storage device 10, for example, a management server 20, as described below, instead of the storage device 10.

[0145] The operation to determine the maximum number of items to be stored in steps S101 to S106 may be performed by the management server 20 instead of the storage device 10. In this case, the management server 20 transmits information about the maximum number of items that can be stored after the decision has been made to the storage device 10, and synchronizes the information.

[0146] In step S202, when the delivery company's authentication information is entered, the storage device 10 may send the delivery company's authentication information to the management server 20, and the control unit 21 of the management server 20 may perform authentication by referring to the user information in the user DB 221 stored in the information storage unit 22, and send the authentication result to the storage device 10.

[0147] In step S302, when user authentication information is entered, the storage device 10 may send the user authentication information to the management server 20, and the control unit 21 of the management server 20 may perform authentication by referring to the user information in the user DB 223 stored in the information storage unit 22, and send the authentication result to the storage device 10.

[0148] If it is determined in step S206 that there is an available storage box, the storage device 10 may send user identification information (user ID or room number) to the management server 20, and the control unit 21 of the management server 20 may refer to the storage management DB 225 stored in the information storage unit 22 and determine whether a storage box is available to the user in the storage device 10 based on the user's current maximum number of stored items and the current number of stored items, and send the determination result to the storage device 10.

[0149] In steps S214 and S215, the storage device 10 sent an inbound notification to the user terminal 30 via the management server 20. However, it is also possible to send the inbound notification via email to a general mail server and then have the mail server send the inbound notification to the user terminal 30. In this case, the storage system may be configured without a management server 20.

[0150] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the storage device 10 notified the user of the current maximum number of items to be stored, the current number of items stored, and that items belonging to other users other than the target of the storage notification were being stored in the storage notification. However, this notification may also be provided by other notifications besides the storage notification.

[0151] The order of each operation in the storage system can be changed.

[0152] If there is no need to change the contents of each database in the storage system, the storage system may be configured not to have an administrator terminal 40.

[0153] <Summary of Embodiments> As described above, in the storage system of the first embodiment of the present invention, the storage device 10 determines the number of storage boxes (maximum number of items that can be stored) that each user can store simultaneously, based on the dwell time of each user's items. In particular, the storage device 10 determines a higher maximum number of items that each user can store the shorter their dwell time. This effectively encourages users to retrieve their items from the storage device 10 as soon as possible, preventing any particular user from exclusively using the storage boxes of the storage device 10 and eliminating any sense of unfairness among other users caused by such exclusive use.

[0154] The storage device 10, management server 20, user terminal 30, and administrator terminal 40 described above are primarily implemented by a CPU and programs loaded into memory. However, it is also possible to configure this device or server with any other combination of hardware and software, and the high degree of design flexibility will be easily understood by those skilled in the art.

[0155] Furthermore, when the storage device 10, management server 20, user terminal 30, or administrator terminal 40 are configured as a group of software modules, this program may be recorded on an optical recording medium, magnetic recording medium, magneto-optical recording medium, or semiconductor recording medium and loaded from the above recording medium, or it may be loaded from an external device connected via a predetermined network.

[0156] The above embodiments are merely examples of preferred implementations of the present invention, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. Various modifications can be made to implement the invention without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0157] 10 Storage device 11,21,31,41 Control Unit 12,22,32,42 Information storage unit 13,23,33,43 Communications Department 14,34,44 Display section 15,35,45 Operation section 16 Storage compartment 161-167 Storage Boxes 20 Management Server 30 User terminals 40 Administrator terminal 100 Networks 121,221 User Database 122,222 Storage Box DB 123,223 Delivery company DB 124,224 Usage History Database 125,225 Warehouse management DB

Claims

1. A storage device equipped with storage boxes for temporarily storing a user's items, including items delivered to the user or items brought into the user's warehouse, An information storage unit that stores the maximum number of storage boxes that can simultaneously hold items belonging to the same user for each user, The system includes a control unit that measures the time elapsed since the goods delivered to the user were placed in the storage box, The storage device is characterized in that the control unit determines the upper limit number of items to be stored based on the dwell time.

2. The storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit reduces the upper limit number of items that can be stored for users whose average dwell time is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

3. The storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit increases the upper limit number of items that can be stored for users whose average dwell time is less than a predetermined value.

4. The information storage unit stores a predetermined dwell time, which is the dwell time exceeding the limit. The storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit reduces the user's upper limit for storing items whose dwell time exceeds the dwell time threshold.

5. The storage device includes a storage box for temporarily storing the user's items, including items delivered to the user or items brought in by the user, and a user terminal operated by the user. The storage device includes an information storage unit that stores an upper limit on the number of storage boxes into which items belonging to the same user can be stored simultaneously, for each user. A communication unit that sends an arrival notification to the user terminal indicating that the goods delivered to the user have been placed in the storage box, The system includes a control unit that measures the time elapsed since the goods delivered to the user were placed in the storage box, The storage system is characterized in that the control unit determines the maximum number of items to be stored based on the dwell time.

6. The storage system according to claim 5, characterized in that the communication unit transmits the storage notification, which includes information indicating the user's current maximum storage limit, to the user terminal.

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