Management device, management method, and computer program

Abstract

A management device according to the present disclosure comprises: an acquisition means for acquiring delivery information including at least one of the quantity of cargo to be delivered, a delivery person in charge, or a delivery destination in each of delivery routes; a selection means for selecting, on the basis of the delivery information, a delivery route where a tracking truck is to be used; and an output means for outputting information about the selected delivery route.

Description

Management device, management method, and recording medium

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a management device, a management method, and a recording medium.

[0002] There are technologies for improving delivery efficiency when a driver of a delivery company parks a truck near a delivery location and drives a cart loaded with packages to the delivery location. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technology for grouping delivery destinations based on the travel time of the cart from the parking location to each delivery destination.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-163128

[0004] By the way, a follow-up cart that follows the delivery person is sometimes used as a cart, but the number of follow-up carts at a delivery base is limited.

[0005] An example of an objective of the present disclosure is to provide a management device that can appropriately select a delivery route that requires a follow-up vehicle.

[0006] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the management device includes an acquisition means for acquiring delivery information including at least one of information regarding the quantity of packages to be delivered, the delivery person, or the delivery destination for each delivery route, a selection means for selecting a delivery route using a follow-up trolley based on the delivery information, and an output means for outputting information regarding the selected delivery route.

[0007] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a management method involves a computer acquiring delivery information for each delivery route, including at least one of information regarding the quantity of packages to be delivered, the delivery person, or the delivery destination, selecting a delivery route using a follow-up cart based on the delivery information, and outputting information about the selected delivery route.

[0008] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a recording medium stores a program that causes a computer to execute a process of acquiring delivery information including at least one of information regarding the quantity of parcels to be delivered, the delivery person, or the delivery destination for each delivery route, selecting a delivery route using a follow-up trolley based on the delivery information, and outputting information about the selected delivery route.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a management device that can appropriately select a delivery route that requires a follow-up vehicle.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system including a management device in a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration in which the management device in the first embodiment is realized by a computer device and its peripheral devices. FIG. 3 is an example of output of delivery route information by the output unit in the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is another example of output of delivery route information by the output unit in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the management device in the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an example of the relationship between delivery information and the improvement rate of delivery efficiency when a follow-up cart is used in a modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system including a management device in a second embodiment. FIG. 8 is an example of output of recommended information for packages to be transported using a follow-up cart in the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the management device in the second embodiment.

[0011] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of a management device, a management system, a management method, and a non-transitory recording medium for recording a program according to the present disclosure will be described in detail. The disclosed technology is not limited to these embodiments.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a management system 10 including a management device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the management system 10 includes the management device 100, an administrator terminal 200, and a staff member terminal 300. The management device 100 is used in a delivery business that delivers packages using a delivery vehicle such as a delivery truck and a follower cart. In this embodiment, the follower cart is not limited in structure as long as it is a cart that automatically follows the driver. The number of follower carts provided at each regional delivery base is limited, and the follower carts are used by delivery personnel in charge of delivery routes that involve a heavy load when transporting packages to the delivery destination. In addition, delivery vehicles that carry follower carts are equipped with an elevator such as a power gate (registered trademark). Delivery vehicles that do not carry follower carts carry a hand-pushed cart that can be manually pushed by the delivery personnel.

[0013] The management device 100 can transmit information about delivery routes using follow-up trucks to the manager terminal 200 or the person in charge terminal 300 via a network. The manager terminal 200 is a terminal used by a manager who is engaged in managing delivery vehicles at a delivery base, for example, and may be a stationary or mobile terminal. The person in charge terminal 300 is a terminal carried by a delivery person and may be installed in the delivery vehicle.

[0014] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration in which the management device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is realized by a computer device 500 including a processor. As shown in FIG. 2, the management device 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, memories such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) 502 and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 503, a storage device 505 such as a hard disk for storing a program 504, a communication interface 508 for network connection, and an input / output interface 509 for inputting and outputting data. In the first embodiment, the management device 100 is connected to each component via a bus 510. The management device 100 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 can also be configured using cloud computing or the like.

[0015] The CPU 501 runs an operating system to control the entire management device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The CPU 501 also reads programs and data into memory from a recording medium 506 mounted in, for example, a drive device 507. The CPU 501 also functions as the acquisition unit 101, selection unit 102, and output unit 103 in the first embodiment, or as part of these, and executes processing or commands in the flowchart shown in FIG. 5, which will be described later, based on the program.

[0016] The recording medium 506 is, for example, an optical disk, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, an external hard disk, or a semiconductor memory. The semiconductor memory or the like that is part of the recording medium is a non-volatile storage device that stores the program. The program may also be downloaded from an external computer (not shown) that is connected to a communication network.

[0017] As described above, the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is realized by the computer hardware shown in Fig. 2. However, the means for realizing each unit included in the management device 100 in Fig. 1 is not limited to the configuration described above. Furthermore, the management device 100 may be realized by a single physically coupled device, or may be realized by a system consisting of two or more physically separated devices connected by wire or wirelessly.

[0018] The acquisition unit 101 is a means for acquiring delivery information including at least one piece of information on the quantity of parcels to be delivered, the delivery person, or the delivery destination for each delivery route. The information on the quantity of parcels, the delivery person, and the delivery destination is, for example, input via the administrator terminal 200 and stored in the storage device 505. In this embodiment, the delivery route for each delivery person is already determined, and the delivery route is managed by linking it with information on the stopping points of the delivery vehicle, the delivery destinations, and the parcels to be delivered to the delivery destinations. In this embodiment, the stopping points are bases where the delivery vehicle can be stopped and the delivery can be made on foot when there are multiple delivery destinations within a predetermined distance.

[0019] The information on the amount of luggage is the total weight or volume of the luggage loaded on the delivery vehicle. The acquisition unit 101 may acquire, as the amount of luggage, information on the quantity of predetermined products registered as heavy items among the luggage loaded on the delivery vehicle. The acquisition unit 101 may acquire, as the amount of luggage, the amount of luggage converted into the number of carts of a predetermined size. The predetermined size is a size with predetermined dimensions in three dimensions, namely, length, width, and depth, and may be, for example, the capacity of a handcart. In this case, the selection unit 102 may exclude luggage that is equal to or smaller than a predetermined weight or size by assuming that the delivery person will carry it by hand without using a cart, and convert the amount of luggage accordingly.

[0020] The information about the delivery person is the weight of luggage that each delivery person can carry at one time. The acquisition unit 101 may acquire the information about the delivery person stored in the storage device 505, or may acquire information about the weight of luggage that each delivery person can carry that is estimated based on the delivery person's gender, age, or physical characteristics such as height, weight, or muscle mass. The acquisition unit 101 may also acquire information about the delivery person's preference for using a following cart.

[0021] The delivery destination information includes the travel distance from the delivery vehicle's parking location to the delivery destination, information about the delivery destination (e.g., apartment, upper floor, detached house), and the environment to the delivery destination (e.g., whether there is a sidewalk, a slope, stairs, a ramp, or an elevator). The travel distance includes not only public roads but also corridors and elevators within the building. A score is assigned to each piece of delivery destination information, and the total value is stored in the storage device 505. These scores may be calculated by a calculation unit within the management device 100 (not shown). The calculation unit may calculate the scores in any manner. For example, the calculation unit may add points to information indicating that the use of a follower truck would improve delivery efficiency and subtract points from information indicating that the use of a follower truck would worsen delivery efficiency. The calculation unit may not add or subtract points to information indicating that the use of a follower truck would not change delivery efficiency. For example, in the above example, the calculation unit adds points to information such as travel distance is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, apartment building, upper floor, slope, no stairs, ramp, and elevator. On the other hand, the calculation unit subtracts points from information such as travel distance is less than or equal to a predetermined distance, detached house, stairs, and no elevator. The points added or subtracted by the calculation unit may be changed depending on the impact on delivery efficiency. However, the method of assigning points is one example and is not limited to the above example. When the acquisition unit 101 acquires this information, it outputs it to the selection unit 102.

[0022] The selection unit 102 is a means for selecting a delivery route using a follow-up cart based on the delivery information. The selection unit 102 extracts delivery routes that meet predetermined conditions when each piece of information included in the delivery information is compared with a predetermined threshold. That is, with regard to the amount of luggage, the selection unit 102 extracts delivery routes where the amount of luggage on each delivery route is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. With regard to delivery personnel, the selection unit 102 extracts delivery routes where the weight that each delivery personnel can carry at one time is equal to or less than a threshold. Note that the selection unit 102 does not need to extract delivery routes for delivery personnel who do not wish to use a follow-up cart, even if the weight that can be carried at one time is equal to or less than the threshold. With regard to the information on delivery destinations, the selection unit 102 assigns a score to each stop and extracts delivery routes where the total score of all stops is equal to or greater than a threshold.

[0023] The selection unit 102 sets a threshold for extracting a delivery route for each piece of information on the amount of luggage, the delivery person, or the delivery destination. For example, the selection unit 102 may set a threshold such that the number of follow-up vehicles at a delivery base matches the number of extracted delivery routes. The selection unit 102 may select a delivery route extracted based on at least one piece of information on the amount of luggage, the delivery person, or the delivery destination as a delivery route using a follow-up vehicle, or may select a delivery route extracted based on all of the information on the amount of luggage, the delivery person, and the delivery destination as a delivery route using a follow-up vehicle. Furthermore, a two-stage threshold may be set for each piece of information. In this case, the selection unit 102 may assign two follow-up vehicles to a delivery route that satisfies the condition of the second-stage threshold. The selection unit 102 outputs the selected delivery route to the output unit 103.

[0024] The output unit 103 is a means for outputting information about the selected delivery route. The output unit 103 outputs the information about the selected delivery route to the manager terminal 200 or the person in charge terminal 300. The output unit 103 outputs information about all selected delivery routes to the manager terminal 200. The output unit 103 may also output information about the delivery person or delivery vehicle as information accompanying the delivery route information. The output unit 103 may notify the person in charge terminal 300 of the delivery person who will be using a follow-up cart that a follow-up cart will be used.

[0025] The output unit 103 may output information about stops on the selected delivery route and the amount of luggage to be delivered from the stops to the delivery destination. FIGS. 3 and 4 are examples of delivery route information output by the output unit 103 in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3 , the output unit 103 displays location information on a map of stops A to C on the delivery route and the amount of luggage to be delivered at each stop, converted into the number of truck loads. In the example of FIG. 3 , the output unit 103 also displays whether a follow-up truck will be used and the number of delivery destinations to be delivered at each stop. Similarly, in the example of FIG. 4 , the output unit 103 displays location information on a map of stops A to E on the delivery route and the amount of luggage to be delivered at each stop, converted into the number of truck loads. The example of FIG. 4 also displays information that a follow-up truck will not be used.

[0026] 5 is a flowchart showing an outline of the operation of the management device 100 in the first embodiment. The processing according to this flowchart may be executed based on program control by the processor described above. The processing according to this flowchart is triggered, for example, by an operation performed by an administrator who manages delivery routes to select a delivery route using a follow-up vehicle.

[0027] 5, the acquisition unit 101 acquires delivery information including at least one of information on the quantity of parcels to be delivered, the delivery person, and the delivery destination for each delivery route (step S101). The selection unit 102 selects a delivery route using a follow-up cart based on the delivery information (step S102). Finally, the output unit 103 outputs information on the selected delivery route (step S103). With this, the management device 100 ends the management process.

[0028] As described above, in the first embodiment, the selection unit 102 of the management device 100 selects a delivery route using a follow-up cart based on delivery information. This makes it possible to appropriately select a delivery route that requires a follow-up cart because it is a heavy burden to transport packages to the delivery destination.

[0029] [Variation 1 of the First Embodiment] In the first embodiment, the selection unit 102 selected a delivery route using a follow-up trolley based on at least one of information on the amount of luggage on the delivery route, the delivery person, and the delivery destination. In contrast, in this variation, information on the amount of luggage to be transported from each stop to the delivery destination is used, rather than the amount of luggage on the entire delivery route. Also, in this variation, information on the delivery destination for each stop is used, rather than information on the delivery destinations on the entire delivery route. In other words, the acquisition unit 101 acquires information on the amount of luggage or the delivery destination for each stop of the delivery vehicle on each delivery route, and the selection unit 102 selects a delivery route using a follow-up trolley based on the amount of luggage or the delivery destination information for each stop.

[0030] Specifically, the selection unit 102 selects, as a delivery route using a follow-up trolley, a delivery route that has a predetermined number of stop locations where the amount of luggage is equal to or greater than a threshold. In both the examples of Figures 3 and 4, the amount of luggage to be delivered along the entire delivery route is the same, nine trolleys' worth. However, in the example of Figure 3, there are two stop locations (points A and C) where the amount of luggage is equal to or greater than three trolleys' worth. On the other hand, in the example of Figure 4, there are no stop locations where the amount of luggage is equal to or greater than three trolleys' worth. In this case, if the threshold for the amount of luggage at the stop locations is three trolleys' worth and there are two predetermined locations, the selection unit 102 selects the delivery route shown in Figure 3 and does not select the delivery route shown in Figure 4. Similarly, the selection unit 102 selects, as a delivery route using a follow-up trolley, a delivery route that has a predetermined number of stop locations where the score for each stop location, assigned based on delivery destination information, is equal to or greater than a threshold.

[0031] As described above, in the modification of the first embodiment, the acquisition unit 101 of the management device 100 acquires information on the quantity of packages to be delivered or the delivery destination for each delivery van stop on each delivery route, and the selection unit 102 uses this information to select a delivery route that uses a follow-up vehicle. This makes it possible to select all delivery routes that particularly require a follow-up vehicle when transporting packages from specific stops to delivery destinations.

[0032] [Variation 2 of the First Embodiment] Another variation of the first embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the selection unit 102 extracts delivery routes that meet predetermined conditions when each piece of information included in the delivery information is compared with a predetermined threshold in order to select a delivery route. In contrast, in this variation, the selection unit 102 uses a model that has learned the relationship between the delivery information and the improvement in delivery efficiency when a follower truck is used, and selects a delivery route that uses a follower truck based on the delivery information. The selection unit 102 calculates the improvement rate of delivery efficiency for each delivery route based on the pre-generated model, and selects a delivery route with an improvement rate equal to or greater than a predetermined rate. The improvement rate of delivery efficiency refers to the improvement rate of delivery efficiency when a follower truck is used compared to when delivery is made using only a hand truck, and the time required for delivery is used as an indicator of delivery efficiency, for example. The selection unit 102, for example, reads the learned model from the storage device 505 and inputs the delivery information used for learning into the model to calculate the improvement rate.

[0033] The model in this modification is a model that learns the relationship between at least one piece of information (package volume, delivery person, or delivery destination) and the improvement rate of delivery efficiency when a follow-up truck is used. For example, the model is a regression equation derived by performing a regression analysis in which the improvement rate of delivery efficiency when a follow-up truck is used is used as the objective variable and the delivery information is used as the explanatory variable.

[0034] The model used in this modification is not limited to the above example, and may be generated using other machine learning algorithms. Examples of other machine learning algorithms include, but are not limited to, a support vector machine (SVM), a neural network, and a random forest. Furthermore, model learning may be performed by the selection unit 102 or by a device other than the management device 100.

[0035] FIG. 6 shows an example of the relationship between delivery information and the improvement rate of delivery efficiency when a follow-up cart is used in this modified example. As shown in FIG. 6, the delivery information shows the relationship between the improvement rate of delivery efficiency and information on the amount of parcels, the delivery person, and the delivery destination. The selection unit 102 selects a route with an improvement rate equal to or higher than a predetermined rate. In the example of FIG. 6, when selecting three routes using a follow-up cart from five delivery routes, the selection unit 102 selects route numbers 1, 3, and 5. However, the method of selecting a delivery route is not limited to this. For example, even if a route has a high improvement rate, the selection unit 102 will not select the route as a delivery route using a follow-up cart if the delivery person does not wish to use a follow-up cart.

[0036] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Below, the description of the second embodiment will be omitted to the extent that it does not make the description of the present embodiment unclear.

[0037] In the second embodiment, the management device 110 outputs recommended information about packages to be transported using a follow-up cart to the person in charge terminal 310 at stopping points during delivery along a selected delivery route.

[0038] 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system 11 including a management device 110 according to the second embodiment. As with the computer device shown in FIG. 2, the functions of the management device 110 can be realized not only by hardware but also by a computer device or software based on program control.

[0039] 7, the management device 110 includes an acquisition unit 111, a selection unit 112, an output unit 113, a detection unit 114, and a determination unit 115. The acquisition unit 111 and the selection unit 112 have the same configurations and functions as the acquisition unit 101 and the selection unit 102 of the first embodiment.

[0040] The detection unit 114 is a means for detecting that the delivery vehicle has arrived at one of the stops on the selected delivery route. The person in charge terminal 310 has a function for transmitting location information using a GPS (Global Positioning System) or the like, and transmits the location information of the person in charge terminal 310 to the management device 110 at predetermined intervals. The detection unit 114 detects that the delivery vehicle has arrived at each stop based on the current location received from the person in charge terminal 310. When the detection unit 114 detects that the delivery vehicle has arrived at one of the stops, it outputs information about the stop at which the delivery vehicle has arrived based on the location information to the determination unit 115.

[0041] The determination unit 115 is a means for determining which parcels to transport using the following trolley from the stopping location to the delivery destination. When the determination unit 115 receives information about the stopping location where the delivery vehicle has arrived from the detection unit 114, the determination unit 115 determines which parcels to transport using the following trolley based on the weight or size of the parcels to transport from the stopping location to the delivery destination. Specifically, the determination unit 115 determines parcels that are equal to or greater than a predetermined weight or whose total length of three sides is equal to or greater than a predetermined weight as parcels to transport using the following trolley. Note that the determination unit 115 may also determine that parcels that are not to be transported using the following trolley are to be transported without using a hand trolley or a trolley. Furthermore, if the parcels cannot be delivered in one round trip, the determination unit 115 determines which delivery destinations will be simultaneously delivered from the stopping location to the delivery destination. In this case, delivery destinations within a predetermined distance from each other are determined as delivery destinations to be simultaneously delivered, and from among the delivery destinations to be simultaneously delivered, parcels that are equal to or greater than a predetermined weight or whose total length of three sides is equal to or greater than a predetermined weight are determined as parcels to be transported using the following trolley. However, the method of selecting the load to be transported using the follow-up carriage is not limited to this.

[0042] In addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, the output unit 113 outputs recommended information for luggage to be transported using a follow-up cart. Fig. 8 shows an example of output of recommended information for luggage to be transported using a follow-up cart in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, the output unit 113 outputs information on luggage to be transported using a follow-up cart and a hand cart at each stop.

[0043] 9 is a flowchart showing an outline of the operation of the management device 110 in the first embodiment. Note that the processing according to this flowchart may be executed based on program control by the processor described above. Steps S111 to S113 in this flowchart are the same as steps S101 to S103 in the first embodiment.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 9 , the acquisition unit 111 acquires delivery information, including at least one of information regarding the quantity of parcels to be delivered, the delivery person, and the delivery destination for each delivery route (step S111). The selection unit 112 selects a delivery route using a follow-up vehicle based on the delivery information (step S112). The output unit 113 outputs information regarding the selected delivery route (step S113). Next, the detection unit 114 detects that the delivery vehicle has arrived at one of the stops (step S114). Next, the determination unit 115 determines which parcels should be transported using the follow-up vehicle from the arrival stop to the delivery destination (step S115). Next, the output unit 113 outputs recommended information regarding the parcels to be transported using the follow-up vehicle (step S116). The management device 110 repeats steps S114 to S116 until the detection unit 114 detects that the delivery vehicle has arrived at the final stop (step S117). The management device 110 then terminates the management process.

[0045] As described above, in the management device 110 of the second embodiment, when the detection unit 114 detects that a delivery vehicle has arrived at one of the stopping locations, the determination unit 115 determines which package to transport using the following cart from the stopping location to the delivery destination. The output unit 113 then outputs recommended information for the package to be transported using the following cart. This allows the delivery person to deliver the package in a way that places less strain on the delivery person by transporting the package according to the output information.

[0046] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to each embodiment, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The configuration and details of each embodiment may include embodiments incorporating various modifications that would be apparent to those skilled in the art within the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure may also include embodiments in which the details described herein are appropriately combined or substituted as necessary. For example, details described using a specific embodiment may also be applied to other embodiments to the extent that no inconsistency arises. For example, although multiple operations are described in sequence in the form of a flowchart, the order of description does not limit the order in which the multiple operations are performed. Therefore, when implementing each embodiment, the order of the multiple operations may be changed to the extent that the content is not affected. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, after the detection unit 114 detects that the delivery vehicle has arrived at one of the stops, the determination unit 115 determines the parcels to be transported using the following cart from the stop at which the delivery vehicle has arrived. However, the determination unit 115 may determine the parcels to be transported using the following cart for each stop of the delivery vehicle at the time the delivery route is determined, and manage the information in the storage device 505 by linking it to the delivery route.

[0047] 10, 11 Management system 100, 110 Management device 101, 111 Acquisition unit 102, 112 Selection unit 103, 113 Output unit 114 Detection unit 115 Decision unit 500 Computer device 501 CPU 502 ROM 503 RAM 504 Program 505 Storage device 506 Recording medium 507 Drive device 508 Communication interface 509 Input / output interface 510 Bus

Claims

1. an acquisition means for acquiring delivery information including at least one of information on the quantity of parcels to be delivered, the delivery person, and the delivery destination for each delivery route; a selection means for selecting a delivery route using a follow-up vehicle based on the delivery information; and an output means for outputting information about the selected delivery route.

2. The acquisition means acquires information on the amount of parcels or delivery destinations for each stop of the delivery vehicle on each delivery route, The management device according to claim 1, wherein the selection means selects a delivery route that has a predetermined number of stops where the amount of luggage or the delivery destination meets predetermined conditions as a delivery route using the following trolley.

3. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit acquires, as the amount of the luggage, an amount equivalent to a number of carts of a predetermined size.

4. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the selection means selects the delivery route based on the delivery information using a model that has learned the relationship between the delivery information and improvement in delivery efficiency when a follow-up vehicle is used.

5. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the output means further outputs information on stopping points on the selected delivery route and the amount of luggage to be transported from the stopping points to the delivery destination.

6. a detection means for detecting that the delivery vehicle has arrived at any one of the selected stops on the delivery route; and a determining means for determining the luggage to be transported using the following vehicle based on the weight or size of the luggage to be transported from the stopping location to the delivery destination, 6. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the output means outputs recommended information for luggage to be transported using the following carriage.

7. The computer Acquire delivery information including at least one of information on the quantity of parcels to be delivered, the delivery person, or the delivery destination for each delivery route; Selecting a delivery route using a follow-up vehicle based on the delivery information; A management method that outputs information about the selected delivery route.

8. Acquire delivery information including at least one of information on the quantity of parcels to be delivered, the delivery person, or the delivery destination for each delivery route; Selecting a delivery route using a follow-up vehicle based on the delivery information; A computer program that causes a computer to execute a process of outputting information about the selected delivery route.