Relay necessity determination device

Abstract

This relay necessity determination device is provided with: a relay point candidate setting unit (41a) that sets a relay point candidate (53) serving as a replenishment point for packages of a ground delivery device (1); a relay area candidate extraction unit (41b) that extracts, as a relay area candidate (54), an area across a predetermined range with reference to the relay point candidate (53); a cost calculation unit (41d) that calculates a ground transportation cost (Y) including the cost required for the ground delivery device 1 to return to a delivery base (50) from within the relay area candidate (54) to pick up packages, and an air transportation cost (X) including the cost required for an aerial vehicle (2) to deliver the packages from the delivery base (50) to the relay point candidate (53); and an output unit (41e) that outputs the relay area candidate to a monitor (30) as a relay-required area if the air transportation cost (X) is less than the ground transportation cost (Y), or outputs the relay area candidate to the monitor as a non-relay area if the air transportation cost (X) is greater than the ground transportation cost (Y).

Description

Relay necessity decision device

[0001] The present invention relates to a relay necessity determining device that determines relay areas for a delivery method that uses a ground delivery device and an aircraft.

[0002] In recent years, a delivery method that combines ground delivery devices (ground delivery means) such as automobiles, motorcycles, and trains with air vehicles (aerial delivery means) such as drones and eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) has been attracting attention.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a delivery management system that generates a first delivery route that uses only ground delivery means and a second delivery route that uses part of the ground delivery route by sharing it with an eVTOL reserved for another purpose, and if the second delivery route shortens the delivery time compared to the first delivery route, presents the second delivery route to the user as one of the delivery route options.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-070120

[0005] In addition to the method described in Patent Document 1, a delivery method combining delivery by a ground delivery device (ground delivery means) and an aircraft (aerial delivery means) has been proposed in which relay points are set up in areas (relay areas) closer to the actual delivery destination than the delivery base where packages within the delivery area are collected, packages are delivered from the delivery base to the relay points by aircraft, and the ground delivery device stops at the relay points along the way to replenish the packages, allowing delivery of the packages to continue without returning to the delivery base. This delivery method reduces the burden on delivery personnel who operate the ground delivery device and is cost-effective in depopulated areas where the travel time from the delivery base to the relay area (or relay point) by the ground delivery device tends to be long.

[0006] However, with this delivery method, it is difficult to select the location of the relay area, including the relay point, and depending on the location, it may be more costly than a method in which delivery is made using only ground delivery equipment (i.e., a method in which the ground delivery equipment makes delivery by returning to the delivery base at least once).

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a relay necessity determining device that can easily select a relay area that has a cost advantage from among relay area candidates.

[0008] The present application includes multiple means for solving the above-mentioned problems. As an example, the relay necessity determination device includes a relay point candidate setting unit that sets relay point candidate locations on a map as replenishment points for cargo for ground delivery devices; a relay point candidate extraction unit that extracts areas within a predetermined range based on the relay point candidate locations as relay area candidate locations; a cost calculation unit that uses at least map information to calculate a ground transportation cost including the cost required for the ground delivery device to return to the delivery base to pick up the cargo from within the relay area candidate location, and an air transportation cost including the cost required for an aircraft to deliver the cargo from the delivery base to the relay point candidate location; and an output unit that outputs the relay area candidate location to a presentation unit as an area requiring relay if the air transportation cost is lower than the ground transportation cost, and outputs the relay area candidate location to the presentation unit as an area not requiring relay if the air transportation cost exceeds the ground transportation cost.

[0009] According to the present invention, a relay area with a cost advantage can be easily selected from among relay area candidates.

[0010] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a relay necessity determination device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional delivery method using only a ground delivery device. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a delivery method according to the present embodiment in which parcels are delivered by combining a ground delivery device (motorcycle) and an air vehicle (drone). FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a block diagram illustrating, for each block, the processing (function) executed by the processor 41 based on a program stored in the memory 42 of the control device 40. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a relay area presentation process executed by at least one processor 41 (control device 40). FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a case in which an area in which the travel time of a ground delivery device from a relay point candidate 53 to each point within the delivery area is within a predetermined time is set as a relay area candidate 54. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of aerial photograph data 70 including a relay area candidate 54A. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for calculating daily ground transportation costs and aerial transportation costs assuming that a ground delivery device and an air vehicle make round trips between a relay point candidate 53A and a delivery base 50. 1 is an explanatory diagram of route patterns that the ground delivery device 1 can take when calculating the time T required for the ground delivery device 1 to travel round trip between a relay area candidate 54A and a delivery base 50. FIG. 2 is an image diagram of the magnitude relationship between the aerial transportation cost X and the ground transportation cost Y. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI when displaying relay areas on the monitor 30. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of a GUI when displaying relay areas on the monitor 30. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a block diagram showing, for each block, the processing executed by the processor 41 according to the second embodiment.

[0011]

[0023] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a relay necessity determination device (relay necessity determination system) 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The relay necessity determination device 100 includes a control device 40, an input device 20, and a monitor 30.

[0012] The control device 40 is, for example, a computer, and includes at least one processor 41 and a memory (storage device) 42 that stores programs and data executed by the processor 41. Connected to the control device 40 are a monitor (for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, a touch panel, etc.) 30 that presents (displays) to the user relay areas selected by the control device 40, and an input device (for example, a touch panel, a mouse, a keyboard, etc.) 20 that is a device that the user uses to input commands, characters, etc. to the control device 40.

[0013] Data necessary for determining relay areas (for example, delivery area data, map data, area data, and transportation data) can be input to the control device 40. A storage device 10 storing the data may be communicatively connected to the control device 40 or may be built into the control device 40. The storage device 10 stores, for example, delivery area data, map data, area data, and transportation data.

[0014] Next, a delivery method according to this embodiment will be described using Figures 2 and 3. In the example shown in Figures 2 and 3, nine delivery destinations (homes, offices, etc.) 51a-51i exist as delivery destinations for packages collected at a delivery center 50. Furthermore, while the ground delivery devices used for delivery in this embodiment can be, for example, bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles, etc. (combinations of different types of ground delivery devices are also possible), the following description will use motorcycles as an example. Similarly, the air vehicles used for delivery in this embodiment can be drones, eVTOLs, flying cars, etc. (combinations of different types of air vehicles are also possible), the following description will use unmanned drones (unmanned aerial vehicles: UAVs) as an example.

[0015] First, using Figure 2, we will explain a conventional delivery method (a delivery method using only ground delivery devices (motorcycles)) that does not involve delivery of packages from delivery bases to relay points by air vehicles (drones). Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the conventional delivery method using only ground delivery devices. Arrows 52a-52k in the figure schematically show the routes of the ground delivery devices, but the actual routes are drawn along roads on a map.

[0016] When a motorcycle (ground delivery device) carrying a delivery person departs from a delivery base 50 within a delivery area 55, it first delivers packages to five delivery destinations 51a, 51b, 51c, 51d, and 51e in the order indicated by arrows 52a-52e. After completing delivery to delivery destination 51e, the motorcycle returns to delivery base 50 via route (outbound) 52f and replenishes packages for subsequent delivery destinations 51f-51i. After replenishing the packages, the delivery person (motorcycle) departs from delivery base 50 again and heads to the next delivery destination 51f via route (return) 52g. Then, it delivers packages to the remaining three delivery destinations 51g, 51h, and 51i in the order indicated by arrows 52h-52k, returns to delivery base 50, and the delivery work is completed. In this way, with the conventional delivery method, if the delivery person's area of ​​responsibility is large and the delivery person's motorcycle cannot accommodate all the packages in the area, the delivery person will need to return to the delivery base to replenish the packages. In other words, routes 51f and 52g are required to return to delivery base 50 to replenish the packages, which tends to increase the burden on the delivery person driving the motorcycle.

[0017] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a delivery method according to this embodiment, in which parcels are delivered by combining a ground delivery device (motorcycle) and an air vehicle (drone). Arrows 52a-52k and 52m-52q in the figure schematically show the route of the motorcycle (ground delivery device), but the actual route is drawn along the roads on the map. Dashed arrows 56A and 56B show the route of the drone (aerial delivery device). However, if there is an obstacle (such as a mountain or structure) on the route that the drone must avoid, the route will avoid the obstacle (e.g., a curved route).

[0018] In the example shown in this figure, two candidate relay points 53A and 53B, which serve as replenishment points for packages for motorcycles, are set within delivery area 55, and drones deliver (airlift) packages from delivery base 50 to each candidate relay point 53A and 53B via routes 56A and 56B. Motorcycles (delivery personnel) on deliveries are scheduled to stop at each candidate relay point 53A and 53B, allowing the motorcycles to replenish packages to be delivered thereafter without returning to delivery base 50. This eliminates the need for routes 51f and 52g returning to delivery base 50 as in the case of Figure 2, which is expected to reduce the burden on delivery personnel on motorcycles.

[0019] Each of the relay point candidates 53A, 53B is preferably set on a flat area with sufficient space for takeoff and landing of the aircraft. The relay point candidates 53 do not need to be open space on the ground and can be on the rooftop of a building. Furthermore, the relay point candidates 53 do not need to be permanent and can be temporary. Around each of the relay point candidates 53 (53A, 53B), relay area candidates 54 (54A, 54B) are set as areas within a predetermined range based on the relay point candidate 53 (53A, 53B). The relay area candidates 54 may have overlapping areas, or one delivery destination 51 may span multiple relay area candidates 54. The relay necessity determining device 100 according to this embodiment selects relay area candidates 54 within the delivery area 55 that satisfy predetermined conditions, which will be described later, as relay areas and presents them to the user via the monitor 30 or the like.

[0020] Within each of the candidate relay areas 54A and 54B, there is no particular rule as to when the motorcycle (ground delivery device) stops at the candidate relay points 53A and 53B, and this may vary depending on the delivery plan (the order in which the delivery destinations 52a-52e, 52f-52i within the candidate relay points 53A and 53B are visited). In the example of Figure 3, the candidate relay points 53A and 53B are visited during delivery to the delivery destination 51 within each of the candidate relay areas 54A and 54B, but this is merely an example, and the candidate relay points 53A and 53B may also be visited before starting delivery within each of the candidate relay areas 54A and 54B or after completing delivery.

[0021] 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the processing (functions) executed by the processor 41 based on a program stored in the memory 42 of the control device 40. As shown in this figure, the control device 40 (processor 41) includes a relay point candidate setting unit 41a that sets relay point candidates on a map to be replenishment points for packages for the ground delivery device, a relay area candidate extraction unit 41b that extracts areas within a predetermined range based on the relay point candidates set in the relay point candidate 41a as relay area candidate, a prediction index value calculation unit 41c that calculates a prediction index value of the delivery volume (package volume) for a predetermined period in the relay area candidate extracted by the relay area candidate extraction unit 41b, and a relay area candidate extraction unit 41d that calculates a prediction index value of the delivery volume (package volume) for a predetermined period in the relay area candidate extracted by the relay area candidate extraction unit 41b. and an output unit 41e that, if the air transportation cost is lower than the ground transportation cost and if the predicted index value of the delivery volume for a specified period in the candidate relay area exceeds a specified threshold, outputs the candidate relay area to the presentation unit (monitor 30) as a relay area.

[0022] The prediction index value calculation unit 41c can be omitted. When the prediction index value calculation unit 41c is omitted, the output unit 41e outputs the relay area selected based on the calculation result of the cost calculation unit 41d to the monitor 30. That is, when the air transportation cost is lower than the ground transportation cost, the output unit 41e outputs the relay area candidate (the relay area candidate extracted by the relay area candidate extraction unit 41b) to the presentation unit (monitor 30) as a relay area or an area requiring a relay area (a relay-required area). Furthermore, when the air transportation cost exceeds the ground transportation cost, the output unit 41e may output the relay area candidate to the presentation unit (monitor 30) as an area not requiring a relay area (a relay-non-relay area).

[0023] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a relay area presentation process executed by at least one processor 41 (control device 40) according to this embodiment.

[0024] <Setting of Candidate Relay Points> For example, when the flow is started by a user operating the input device 20, the processor 41 requests the user to select a delivery area 55 for which the user wishes to present a relay area, and inputs data (delivery area data 10a) of the delivery area 55 selected by the user via the input device 20 or the like from the storage device 10 or the like (S201). Here, the following description will be given assuming that the delivery area 55 shown in FIG. 3 has been selected. The delivery area data 10a includes location data of delivery bases in each delivery area and location data of one or more candidate relay points 53 in each delivery area. By inputting the delivery area data 10a of the delivery area 55 selected in S201, the processor 41 (candidate relay point setting unit 41a) obtains location data of candidate relay points 53A and 53B within the delivery area 55, and sets one or more candidate relay points 53A and 53B on the map data of the selected delivery area 55 (S202).

[0025] <Extraction of relay area candidates> In S203 and S204, the processor 41 (relay area candidate extraction unit 41b) selects one relay point candidate 53 (assuming 53A is selected here) from the one or more relay point candidates 53 set in S202, and extracts an area within a predetermined range based on the selected relay point candidate 53A as a relay area candidate 54A (relay area candidate extraction process). There are multiple ways to determine the predetermined range based on the relay point candidate 53, i.e., multiple ways to extract the relay area candidate 54.

[0026] 5, based on map data 10b including road data for delivery area 55 and transportation data 10d including average travel speed data for the ground delivery device (e.g., motorcycle) used for delivery, processor 41 (candidate relay area extraction unit 41b) calculates the travel time for the ground delivery device (e.g., motorcycle) from one selected candidate relay point 53A to each point within delivery area 55 (S203), and extracts an area surrounded by lines connecting points where the travel time calculated in S203 is within a predetermined time as candidate relay area 54A (S204). In other words, the area that can be reached from candidate relay point 53 using the ground delivery device within a predetermined time is set as candidate relay area 54.

[0027] 6 is a diagram showing an example of a case where an area where the travel time of a ground delivery device from a candidate relay point 53 to each point within the delivery area is within a predetermined time is set as a candidate relay area 54. In this figure, two candidate relay areas 54C and 54D are set in a delivery area 55A in an area where the travel time of a ground delivery device (e.g., a motorcycle) from two candidate relay points 53C and 53D is within a predetermined time. In particular, the shape of candidate relay area 54D is not circular, but rather goes around mountain 61 and river 62 due to the influence of mountain 61 and river 62, which restrict the movement of ground delivery devices.

[0028] Another way to determine the predetermined range is to set the range that can be reached within a preset travel cost from the relay point candidate 53 using a ground delivery device as the relay area candidate 54. This range can be set, for example, based on map data 10b including road data for the delivery area 55 and transportation data 10d including average travel cost data per predetermined distance (for example, average fuel cost per kilometer) for the ground delivery device (for example, a motorcycle) used for delivery.

[0029] Another method for determining the predetermined range is to set the candidate relay area 54 based on one of the topography, the boundaries of the local government, and the boundaries of the already-set relay area. As a method based on topography, the boundaries of rivers and forests are registered in the map data 10b, and these boundaries are used as the boundaries of the candidate relay area 54. Furthermore, the boundaries of the local government are registered in the map data 10b, and can be used as appropriate.

[0030] <Narrowing Down Candidate Relay Areas 1> In S205 and S206, the processor 41 (the prediction index value calculation unit 41c) calculates a prediction index value for the delivery volume (package volume) for a predetermined period (e.g., one day) in the candidate relay area 54A extracted in S204 (S205) and determines whether the calculated prediction index value exceeds a predetermined threshold (S206). Depending on the threshold, if the prediction index value exceeds the threshold, a delivery volume equal to or greater than the threshold can be expected for that candidate relay area 54, making it easier to achieve cost benefits by adopting the delivery method according to this embodiment. The threshold value can be set to any value, for example, two packages per day. The average volume (size) of packages may also be taken into account.

[0031] For example, in S205 of the flowchart of FIG. 5 , the processor 41 (the prediction index value calculation unit 41c) reads aerial photograph data 70 including the candidate relay area 54A shown in FIG. 7 from the area data 10c, identifies an area corresponding to the candidate relay area 54A in the aerial photograph data 70, counts the number of buildings 71 included in the area in the aerial photograph data 70 using, for example, image recognition technology, and calculates the estimated number of residents (prediction index value) in the candidate relay area 54A from the number of buildings. Once the estimated number of residents can be calculated, the delivery volume for the candidate relay area 54A can be calculated from data on the average delivery volume per capita for a specified period in the area included in the area data 10c. Note that, when calculating the estimated number of residents, residential map data included in the map data 10b or population density data and population data included in the area data 10c may be used instead of the aerial photograph data 70. Furthermore, the estimated number of residents and delivery volume may also be calculated from the usage status of infrastructure facilities such as electricity, water, and gas, mobile phone usage, and Internet communication volume included in the area data 10c. Furthermore, in addition to the current value, any one of the following may be used as a forecast index value: the number of packages to be delivered, the number of residents, or the number of buildings to be delivered in a predetermined period in the future. Such future information can be obtained from city planning maps, population estimates, etc.

[0032] If the processor 41 (the prediction index value calculation unit 41c) determines that the prediction index value (estimated number of residents) calculated in S206 exceeds the threshold, the process proceeds to S207. At this time, the prediction index value calculation unit 41c in FIG. 4 may output to the output unit 41e that the candidate relay area 54A satisfies the first condition (whether the candidate relay area has a delivery volume sufficient to obtain a cost benefit). On the other hand, if the processor 41 determines that the prediction index value (estimated number of residents) is equal to or less than the threshold, the candidate relay area 54A extracted in S204 is deleted from the candidate relay areas (S211), and the process proceeds to S212 (described later). In this case, the prediction index value calculation unit 41c in FIG. 4 may output to the output unit 41e that the candidate relay area 54A does not satisfy the first condition.

[0033] <Narrowing down of relay area candidates 2> In S207, S208, and S209, the processor 41 (cost calculation unit 41d) calculates, using at least the map data 10b, the ground transportation cost, which includes the cost required for a motorcycle (ground delivery device) to return to the delivery base 50 to pick up the package from within the relay area candidate 54A extracted in S204, and the air transportation cost, which includes the cost required for a drone (aircraft) to deliver the package from the delivery base 50 to the relay point candidate 53A selected in S203 (S207, S208), and determines whether the air transportation cost is lower than the ground transportation cost (S209).

[0034] An example of the specific processing performed in S207, S208, and S209 will be described using FIG. 8. Here, it is assumed that the ground delivery device 1 and the air vehicle 2 each make a round trip between the relay point candidate 53A and the delivery base 50, and the ground transportation cost and the air transportation cost per day are calculated. FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram based on this assumption. In this diagram, the ground delivery device 1 travels between the relay point candidate 53A and the delivery base 50 along route 57A, and the air vehicle 2 travels between the relay point candidate 53A and the delivery base 50 along route 56A.

[0035] In S207, the processor 41 (cost calculation unit 41d) calculates the ground transportation cost Y based on the following formula (1). The data required to calculate the ground transportation cost Y is stored in the transportation data 10d. Ground transportation cost Y=Cg1+Cg2+Cg3+Cg4 (Formula (1))

[0036] However, the contents of Cg1, Cg2, Cg3, and Cg4 in the above formula (1) are as follows:

[0037] Cg1: The installation cost per day of the ground delivery device 1 (see FIG. 8) used for delivery (for example, obtained by dividing the installation cost Ig (vehicle price, registration fee, etc.) of the ground delivery device 1 by the predicted number of days Dg of use of the ground delivery device 1 (for example, the durability years converted into the number of days). In other words, Cg1 = Ig / Dg)

[0038] Cg2: Labor cost of the delivery person of the ground delivery device 1 for the round trip to the delivery base 50 (for example, obtained by multiplying the hourly wage Fh of the delivery person by the time T required for the ground delivery device 1 to make a round trip (one round trip) between the relay area candidate 54A (relay point candidate 53A) and the delivery base 50, and the average number of round trips N made by the ground delivery device 1 per day estimated from past delivery performance data. In other words, Cg2 = Fh × T × N)

[0039] Cg3: Daily maintenance cost of the ground delivery device 1 (specifically, the average daily cost required for maintaining and maintaining the ground delivery device 1, including insurance, taxes, repair costs, parts costs, consumables costs, etc.)

[0040] Cg4: Daily operating cost of the ground distribution device 1 (specifically, for example, the average daily fuel cost (gasoline cost, electricity cost, etc.) of the ground distribution device 1 and the average daily toll fee for toll roads, etc.)

[0041] The above formula (1) is merely an example of a formula for the ground transportation cost Y, and the ground transportation cost Y may be obtained by, for example, deleting at least one of Cg1, Cg3, and Cg4 from the above formula (1).

[0042] The transportation data 10d stores actual data on the installation cost, service life, time T, and number of round trips N of each ground delivery device, actual data on insurance premiums and taxes for each ground delivery device, repair costs, parts costs, consumable costs, etc., and actual data on fuel costs and tolls for each ground delivery device, and the average value for each item over a specified period can be calculated as appropriate.

[0043] In the above formula (1) and FIG. 8, the time T required for the ground distribution device 1 to travel between the candidate relay area 54A and the distribution base 50 is calculated based on the route 57A connecting the candidate relay point 53A and the distribution base 50. However, this is merely an example. In other words, when calculating the time T, a route whose starting point is changed to any point within the candidate relay area 54A (e.g., routes 57a1 and 57a2 in FIG. 9 ) instead of the candidate relay point 53A may be used. Alternatively, any route whose starting point and ending point are set at different positions within the candidate relay area 54A (e.g., route (outbound) 57b1 and route (returnbound) 57b2 in FIG. 9 ) may be used. Furthermore, multiple distances from points within the candidate relay area 54A to the distribution base 50 may be calculated, and the time T may be calculated using the average distance. Furthermore, the probability that the ground distribution device 1 will be present at each point within the potential relay area 54A when returning to the distribution center 50 can be calculated, and the time T can be calculated using the value (expected value) obtained by multiplying the distance from each point to the distribution center 50 by this probability and adding them together.

[0044] In S208, the processor 41 (cost calculation unit 41d) calculates the aerial transportation cost X based on the following formula (2). The data required to calculate the aerial transportation cost X is stored in the transportation data 10d. Aerial transportation cost X=Ca1+Ca3+Ca4+Cp1+Cp3+Cp4+Cx... formula (2)

[0045] However, the contents represented by Ca1, Ca3, Ca4, Cp1, Cp3, and Cp4 in the above formula (2) are as follows: Note that since the flying vehicle 2 is assumed to be unmanned, the labor costs of the driver are not taken into consideration.

[0046] Ca1: The installation cost per day of the aircraft 2 (see FIG. 8) used for delivery (for example, obtained by dividing the installation cost Ia (e.g., vehicle price) of the aircraft 2 by the predicted number of days Da of use of the aircraft 2 (e.g., the service life converted into the number of days). In other words, Ca1 = Ia / Da)

[0047] Ca3: Daily maintenance cost of aircraft 2 (specifically, the average daily cost required to maintain and maintain aircraft 2, including insurance, taxes, repair costs, parts costs, consumables costs, etc.)

[0048] Ca4: Daily operating cost of aircraft 2 (specifically, for example, includes the average daily fuel cost of aircraft 2 (gasoline cost, electricity cost, etc.))

[0049] Cp1: installation cost per day of the relay point 53A (for example, obtained by dividing the installation cost Ip of the relay point 53A by the predicted number of days of use Dp of the relay point 53A (for example, the durability years converted into the number of days). That is, Cp1 = Ip / Dp)

[0050] Cp3: Maintenance cost per day of the relay point 53A (specifically, the average cost per day required for the maintenance and upkeep of the relay point 53A, including the cost of consumables, etc.)

[0051] Cp4: Operating cost per day of the relay point 53A (specifically, for example, includes electricity, gas, water, etc. charges per day of the relay point 53A)

[0052] Cx: Cost of preparing alternative transportation means when the flying object 2 is unavailable (including costs for securing spare ground delivery devices 1 and delivery personnel as alternative transportation means, costs for borrowing similar services from other companies in an emergency, etc.)

[0053] The above formula (2) is merely an example of a formula for the aerial transportation cost X, and for example, the aerial transportation cost X may be obtained by deleting Cx from the above formula (2).

[0054] The transportation data 10d stores actual data such as the introduction cost of each aircraft, service life, insurance and tax amounts for each aircraft, repair costs, parts costs, consumable costs, and fuel costs for each aircraft, and the average value for each item over a specified period can be calculated as appropriate.

[0055] In S209, the processor 41 (cost calculation unit 41d) determines whether the aerial transportation cost X calculated in S208 is less than the ground transportation cost Y calculated in S207. If the processor 41 (cost calculation unit 41d) determines that the aerial transportation cost X is less than the ground transportation cost Y, the process proceeds to S210. At this time, the cost calculation unit 41d in FIG. 4 may output to the output unit 41e that the candidate relay area 54A satisfies the second condition (the aerial transportation cost X is lower than the ground transportation cost Y). FIG. 10 is an illustration of the magnitude relationship between the aerial transportation cost X and the ground transportation cost Y. As shown in this figure, the time T (see FIG. 8) required for the ground delivery device 1 to travel between the candidate relay point 53 and the delivery base 50 is proportional to the distance between the candidate relay point 53 and the delivery base 50, and the amount by which the aerial transportation cost falls below the ground transportation cost tends to increase as the time T increases. In other words, the longer the time T it takes for the ground delivery device 1 to make a round trip, the more cost-effective it becomes to adopt the delivery method of this embodiment using the flying object 2 (see Figure 3).

[0056] On the other hand, if the processor 41 (cost calculation unit 41d) determines in S209 that the air transportation cost X is equal to or greater than the ground transportation cost Y, the candidate relay area 54A extracted in S204 is deleted from the candidates for the relay area (S211), and the process proceeds to S212 (described later). In this case, the cost calculation unit 41d in FIG. 4 may output to the output unit 41e that the candidate relay area 54A does not satisfy the second condition.

[0057] In S210, the processor 41 (cost calculation unit 41d) selects the relay area candidate 54A that satisfies the first and second conditions as a relay area (area requiring relay), and determines whether all relay point candidates 53 within the delivery area 55 have been selected (S212). If an unselected relay point candidate 53 exists, one of the unselected relay point candidates is selected, and the processing from S203 onwards is repeated. On the other hand, if selection of all relay point candidates 53 within the delivery area 55 has been completed, the processing proceeds to S213. In S213, if a relay area selected in S210 exists, the processor 41 (output unit 41e) displays the relay area on the monitor (presentation unit) 30. In other words, the condition for the output unit 41e to display a relay area on the monitor 30 is that the extracted relay area candidate 54 satisfies the first and second conditions.

[0058] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a GUI for displaying relay areas on the monitor 30. In the example of FIG. 11, five relay areas are selected, and relay point coordinates 91, area 92, number of residents 93, ground transportation cost Y 94, and air transportation cost X 95 for each relay area are displayed in a table format. This screen allows the user to easily understand the selected relay area and its information. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating another example of a GUI for displaying relay areas on the monitor 30. In the example of FIG. 12, the boundary of a specific relay area 54E and a relay point 53E are displayed on a map (which may be an aerial photograph, etc.) on which the positions of buildings 71 are plotted. A symbol (a hollow circle in the figure) representing the relay point 53E on the map displays the identifier of the relay point 53E, the ground transportation cost Y, and the air transportation cost X in a pop-up. This screen allows the user to easily understand the boundary locations of the relay areas, the locations of the relay points, and the costs associated with the relay area. The GUI may be configured so that when a desired relay area is selected from the list in FIG. 11, the screen switches to that in FIG. 12 and information about the selected relay area is displayed as in FIG.

[0059] <Features of the Present Embodiment> (1) According to the relay necessity determination device 100 of the present embodiment configured as described above, a predetermined range of areas based on the relay point candidate 53 set on the map is extracted as the relay area candidate 54, and a ground transportation cost Y, which includes the cost required for the ground delivery device 1 to return to the delivery base 50 to pick up the package from the relay area candidate 54, and an air transportation cost X, which includes the cost required for the aircraft 2 to deliver the package from the delivery base 50 to the relay point candidate 53, are calculated. If the calculated air transportation cost X is lower than the ground transportation cost Y, the extracted relay area candidate 54 is displayed on the monitor 30 as a relay area. In other words, according to the relay necessity determination device 100 of the present embodiment, simply by setting the relay point candidate 53 in the delivery area, the relay area candidate 54 corresponding to the relay point candidate 53 is extracted, and a cost-effective relay area candidate can be selected from the relay area candidate 54. In other words, according to the present embodiment, a cost-effective relay area can be easily selected from the relay area candidate 54.

[0060] (2) In the relay necessity determination device 100 of this embodiment, when the air transportation cost X is lower than the ground transportation cost Y and when the forecast index value of the delivery volume for a predetermined period in the relay area candidate 54 exceeds a predetermined threshold, the relay area candidate 54 is output as a relay area to the monitor 30. In this way, when the forecast index value of the delivery volume for a predetermined period in the relay area candidate 54 is taken into consideration in selecting the relay area, only areas with a certain amount of delivery volume are selected as relay areas, so it is possible to avoid setting up relay areas and relay points with low cost benefits.

[0061] (3) As the "forecast index value of delivery volume" in (2) above, a forecast value of the number of packages to be delivered in a predetermined period in the extracted relay area candidate 54 can be used.

[0062] (4) As the "delivery volume forecast index value" in (2) above, the number of residents in the extracted relay area candidate 54 can be used.

[0063] (5) As the "delivery volume forecast index value" in (2) above, the number of buildings in the extracted relay area candidate 54 can be used.

[0064] (6) As the "forecast index value of delivery volume" in (2) above, any one of the number of packages, the number of residents, and the number of buildings to be delivered in a specified period in the future in the extracted relay area candidate 54 can be used.

[0065] (7) The "predetermined range" in any of (1) to (6) above can be set based on any one of the terrain, municipal boundaries, and boundaries of a previously established relay area.

[0066] (8) The "predetermined range" in any of (1) to (6) above can be set to a range that can be reached from the relay point candidate 53 within a preset time using a ground delivery device.

[0067] (9) The "predetermined range" in any of (1) to (6) above can be set to a range that can be reached from the relay point candidate 53 using a ground delivery device within a preset travel cost.

[0068] (10) The "ground transportation costs" in any of (1)-(9) above may include labor costs for delivering the package (i.e., labor costs for delivery personnel).

[0069] (11) The "air transportation costs" or "ground transportation costs" in any of (1) to (9) above may include at least one of the installation costs, maintenance costs, and operating costs of the equipment used for delivery (ground delivery equipment or aircraft).

[0070] (12) The "air transportation cost" in any of (1)-(9) above may include the cost of preparing an alternative means of transportation (alternative transportation cost) when the aircraft is unavailable.

[0071] Second Embodiment FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the processing executed by the processor 41 according to the second embodiment, block by block. The hardware configuration of the relay necessity determination device according to this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1. A feature of this embodiment is that the user sets the relay point candidates 53. The user can set the relay point candidates 53, for example, by displaying a map of the delivery area on a tablet device and setting the relay point candidates 53 at any position on the map. The input device used to set the relay point candidates 53 is not limited to a tablet device; it can also be a computer, smartphone, or other device. In this case, the relay area presentation process flow is assumed to execute the processing from S203 onward in the flow chart of FIG. 5 after the relay point candidates 53 are set. There is no particular limit to the number of relay point candidates 53 set by the user, as long as it is one or more. The relay point candidates 53 can be set arbitrarily by the user, or the location data of the relay point candidates 53 stored in advance in the delivery area data 10a can be used. Alternatively, the control device 40 can set the relay point candidates 53 according to predetermined conditions.

[0072] <Others> In the flowchart of Figure 5, steps S205 and S206 were executed as the process for narrowing down the relay area candidates 1, but these steps can be omitted. In this case, the relay area candidates selected as relay areas will be those that satisfy only the second condition. Also, in the flowchart of Figure 5, the process for narrowing down the relay area candidates 1 (i.e., S205 and S206) was executed first, followed by the process for narrowing down the relay area candidates 2 (i.e., S207, S208, and S209). However, the order of these two steps may be reversed, and the flowchart may be modified so that the process for narrowing down the relay area candidates 1 is executed after the process for narrowing down the relay area candidates 2.

[0073] 5, if it is determined in S206 that the prediction index value (estimated number of residents) is equal to or less than the threshold value, or if it is determined in S209 that the aerial transportation cost X is equal to or greater than the ground transportation cost Y, the candidate relay area 54A extracted in S204 is deleted from the candidate relay areas. However, instead of "deleting" the candidate relay area 54A from the candidates, the candidate relay area 54A extracted in S204 may be selected as an area that does not require a relay area (a non-relay area), and output as a non-relay area together with the required relay area to the monitor 30 (presentation unit) in S213. Note that if the process of narrowing down the candidate relay areas 1 (S205, 206) is omitted in the flowchart of FIG. 5, the candidate relay area 54A may be selected as a non-relay area based only on the results of the process of narrowing down the candidate relay areas 2 (S207, 208, 209). By configuring the relay necessity determining device in this way, not only can it select as relay-required areas those with cost benefits from among the relay area candidates 54, but it can also select as non-relay areas those without cost benefits. In other words, it is possible to easily sort the extracted relay area candidates 54 into two types: relay-required areas and non-relay areas.

[0074] In the above example, the relay area selected by the control device 40 is displayed on the monitor 30, but it goes without saying that it may be displayed on a display device (e.g., a touch panel) other than the monitor 30. Furthermore, in addition to displaying it on a display device such as the monitor 30, data regarding the selected relay area may be configured to be output to another terminal.

[0075] The timing for executing the flow in Fig. 5 is not limited to when relay areas are designed. For example, when relay areas are dynamically set, the flow may be executed frequently, such as once a day or once a week, and the optimal relay area may be set each time.

[0076] Furthermore, the components of the control device 40, as well as the functions and execution processes of the components, may be partially or entirely implemented by hardware (for example, by designing logic for executing the functions using an integrated circuit). The components of the control device 40 may also be implemented as a program (software) that is read and executed by a processor (for example, a CPU) to implement the functions of the components of the control device 40. Information related to the program can be stored in, for example, a semiconductor memory (flash memory, SSD, etc.), a magnetic storage device (hard disk drive, etc.), or a recording medium (magnetic disk, optical disk, etc.).

[0077] In addition, in the above description of each embodiment, the control lines and information lines are those that are considered necessary for the description of the embodiment, but they do not necessarily represent all the control lines and information lines related to the product. In reality, it can be considered that almost all components are interconnected.

[0078] 1...Ground delivery device, 2...Aircraft, 10...Storage device, 10a...Delivery area data, 10b...Map data, 10c...Area data, 10d...Transportation data, 20...Input device, 30...Monitor (presentation unit), 40...Control device, 41...Processor, 41a...Candidate relay point setting unit, 41b...Candidate relay area extraction unit, 41c...Prediction index value calculation unit, 41d...Cost calculation unit, 41e...Output unit, 42...Memory, 50...Delivery base, 51...Delivery destination, 52...Delivery route, 53...Candidate relay point, 54...Candidate relay area, 55...Delivery area, 56...Delivery route, 57...Delivery route, 61...Mountain, 62...River, 70...Aerial photograph data, 71...Building, 100...Relay necessity determination device (relay necessity determination system)

Claims

1. A relay necessity determination device comprising: a relay point candidate setting unit which sets relay point candidates on a map as replenishment points for a ground distribution device; a relay point candidate extraction unit which extracts areas within a predetermined range based on the relay point candidates as relay area candidates; a cost calculation unit which uses at least map information to calculate a ground transportation cost including the cost required for the ground distribution device to return to the distribution base from within the relay area candidate and an air transportation cost including the cost required for an aircraft to deliver the luggage from the distribution base to the relay point candidate; and an output unit which, if the air transportation cost is lower than the ground transportation cost, outputs the relay area candidate to a presentation unit as an area requiring relay, and, if the air transportation cost is higher than the ground transportation cost, outputs the relay area candidate to the presentation unit as an area not requiring relay.

2. A relay necessity determining device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the output unit outputs the candidate relay area to the presentation unit as the area requiring relay when the aerial transportation cost falls below the ground transportation cost and when the predicted index value of the delivery volume for a specified period in the candidate relay area exceeds a specified threshold.

3. A relay necessity determining device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the predicted index value of the delivery volume is a predicted value of the number of packages to be delivered in a specified period in the candidate relay area.

4. A relay necessity determining device according to claim 2, characterized in that the predicted index value of the delivery volume is the number of residents in the candidate relay area.

5. A relay necessity determining device according to claim 2, characterized in that the predicted index value of the delivery volume is the number of buildings in the candidate relay area.

6. A relay necessity determining device as described in claim 2, characterized in that the predicted index value of the delivery volume is one of the number of packages, the number of residents, and the number of buildings to be delivered in a specified period in the future in the candidate relay area.

7. A relay necessity determining device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the predetermined range is determined based on one of topography, municipal boundaries, and boundaries of a preset relay area.

8. A relay necessity determining device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the specified range is a range that can be reached from the relay point candidate within a preset time using the ground distribution device.

9. A relay necessity determination device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the specified range is a range that can be reached from the relay point candidate using the ground distribution device within a predetermined travel cost.

10. The relay necessity determining device according to claim 1, wherein the ground transportation cost includes labor costs for delivering the package.

11. A relay necessity determining device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the aerial transportation cost or the ground transportation cost includes at least one of the installation cost, maintenance cost, and operation cost of the equipment used for delivery.

12. A relay necessity determining device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the aerial transportation cost includes the cost of an alternative transportation means required to prepare an alternative transportation means when aerial transportation is not possible.

13. A method for determining whether or not a relay is required, comprising the steps of: setting on a map candidate relay points that will be replenishment points for a ground distribution device; extracting areas within a predetermined range based on the candidate relay points as candidate relay areas; calculating, using at least map information, a ground transportation cost including the cost required for the ground distribution device to return to the distribution base from within the candidate relay area to pick up the luggage, and an air transportation cost including the cost required for an aircraft to deliver the luggage from the distribution base to the candidate relay point; if the air transportation cost is lower than the ground transportation cost, outputting the candidate relay area to a presentation unit as an area requiring relay; and if the air transportation cost is higher than the ground transportation cost, outputting the candidate relay area to the presentation unit as an area not requiring relay.

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